Keiko didn’t know how long she’d been pacing the small area available to her in Seth’s shrine. In truth, her private solar was not much larger, but that sanctuary was open to the air and sun and birds. In his abode she could only feel safe and trapped. Chatting with Sybela and watching the progress of the men on the team was sufficient to pass about half an hour, with Argos and Seth standing by near the site of the operation in case of any issue with Talon’s extraction. When the cassowary waltzed out of the building without an issue, wearing a face of perfect surprise when the night guard informed him of danger nearby, the team melted into the night. Argos was the first to go dark, followed by Talon. Sybela disconnected at that time as well, claiming she was absolutely bushed and needed rest if she was to wake early to monitor news, social media, and other less legitimate information flows. She anticipated them to be positively buzzing in the wake of the Sekhama’s decapitation of a second mnyama in mere days. And so Keiko was left to wait and pace as Seth deactivated his own link, explaining to her that it was safer that way and that he would return soon.

“You stupid monkey,” Keiko muttered, employing one of Argos’ favorite insults as she indulged in a modicum of selfishness. “Just because it’s safer doesn’t mean it’s better for me!”

As if to protest her complaint, the first lock on the door clicked. She ran to it, undid the remaining bolts and security measures, and threw the door open. Relief flooded her body as the tall and imposing blood armor greeted her, though his posture was certainly more worn down than when he’d left. Clutched in his hand was a small to-go beer cooler, large enough for a can for each of them. “Don’t do that again,” Seth warned, watching her ears droop as she stepped out of the doorway and allowed him entry. He set down his acquisition gently before removing his mask. She still considered the oni-inspired visage to be over the top, but found that the rest of the deep crimson armor complimented his features well. His dark, short cut hair was awkwardly flattened on account of his day of combat, but he seemed no worse for wear. “What if that hadn’t been me?”

“Who else would it have been?! I could just shoot them,” she protested hotly, hours of tension and uncertainty finally directed at a target.

“I don’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t have to warn you,” Seth countered, removing his cloak and examining it critically. It was dirty, featured a few small blood splatters, and had a tear from when Argos had thrown him against one of the capital’s many slum dwellings. “Well, this is likely a total loss. Would you fancy a shopping trip soon, my Lady?”

Keiko’s reply was to rip the rag from his hands and kiss him with the fury of a princess scorned. “You don’t get to… act like that with me… after what you just pulled,” she insisted as she nipped and bit rather harshly at his lips. Seth kicked the door shut behind them, not breaking his hold of her. She wasn’t exactly giving him a choice. Despite the primal act, it seemed to leave them both more relaxed at the end, breathing heavily and looking at one another, nose to nose. Keiko’s mood abruptly shifted, seeming almost bashful. “How mad are they at me?”

“You?” Seth repeated with an unconvinced chuckle, leaving her to fully secure the door as he began stripping off his armor. “You, I believe, remain the one wholly unimpeachable party in this affair, my Lady. As you no doubt heard, I appear to have ruffled a few feathers, however.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Keiko agreed as Seth laid his gauntlets and chestplate on the floor, eschewing maintenance or cleaning in favor of what he’d brought home for them. Folding out his small table from the wall, he sat and motioned for her to do the same, tossing a couple of pillows her way. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Do you always do this after an operation?”

“I accept your apology, as I usually prefer compliant prisoners. You are a notable exception, Lady Keiko. And no, I do not typically conclude operations this way,” he explained, placing two large cans of golden lager on the table. Frost quickly began to condense on the metal surfaces, advertising their alluring chill to them both. Seth cracked his open and took a deep draught. “Were this a daytime job, we would likely get cleaned up and re-convene at a local bar and eatery, the Sakura. Otherwise I would probably spend the night ensuring my armor is not in need of serious repair followed by-”

“Ok, I get it. You do boring mercenary stuff. Let’s drink instead,” Keiko cut him off, using one of her claws to open up her can easily before tilting her head back and letting the amber liquid pour past her lips. It was wonderfully soothing, the temperature of the beer more than sufficient to overpower any discomfort from the carbonation as it went down. Seth raised his brows her way.

“You never cease to surprise, Lady Keiko.”

“Alcohol is one of the most useful and devious tools of politics, Seth. It can loosen the tightest lips or bring forth great compromises. That’s to say nothing of the various poisons you can mask with the bite and flavor. Thanks, by the way. I was about to lose my mind in here. Now if you wouldn’t mind going back to whoever or whatever you become when you’re out there with your friends, either drinking or killing, I’d appreciate that. Cut the prim and proper act; you’re no different from the rest of the false admirers. I can see where your eyes are roaming,” Keiko said sharply, removing a finger from her can to point accusingly at him.

“Your nightgown is as beautiful and enrapturing as the first time I saw it on you. I’m sure only the upper crust of our great city can afford such magicite craftsmanship,” Seth countered politely, taking another long sip as Keiko did the same. The wild dog rolled her eyes.

“You’ve been staring straight at my nipples, Seth.”

“I have done no such thing,” he protested, relieved he’d not been mid-swig.

“Liar. I wouldn’t have gotten them just to hide them,” Keiko insisted calmly, matching his gaze until he finally gave up and ran a hand through his hair. In truth it was the first time a male had gotten the chance to examine that particular bit of body modification she’d performed. His reaction brought a crafty, satisfied smile to her lips.

“I did not think our Lady was… so bold,” he finally replied as Keiko glanced down at her chest.

“Says the human with the edgy blood armor? It’s just a bit of metal.”

“Unlike what I assume to be rather extravagant piercings, my armor actually serves a defensive purpose,” Seth insisted, pointing his finger over his shoulder at his chestplate. “And before you ask, I have never had the time or resources to look into why my body is resistant to magicite and its various technological derivatives. Even so, wasting such a gift would have been foolish.”

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about the power of distraction in a fight. Though I admit your sex is far less inclined to engage in that sort of… warfare? As for your humanity, we’re in agreement there, Seth. I don’t know what else it could be,” Keiko replied, setting her beer down. “And for what it’s worth… consider yourself partially redeemed in my eyes tonight. I’ll help you face Argos and Talon tomorrow. My Sekhama suffered a single shattered arm tonight; and while I never thought I would find myself in such a position as future queen of this nation, I thank you for your service to the crown. I hope they can be set at ease as well, especially Argos on account of his family.”

Seth remained quiet for a long moment, most unaccustomed to payment of that nature. He bowed his head to her and took another sip of his beer. “Never speak of them when we are in public, if you please. It was an honor, my Lady.”

“I told you to stop with that, Seth,” Keiko huffed.

“Hmm, I’ll make an attempt. But you’ll find it is not so easy my… Keiko. You cannot run from your birth any more than I can.”

“And all of this?” Keiko shot back, waving her hand around the small space. The walls were lit above them as if to simulate paper lanterns, though the corner that held the futon remained shrouded in darkness. Whoever had wired the place had spared no expense when it came to attention to detail.

“You’re not a mercenary anymore than I’m a royal, Keiko. The Oro are dead because you are the future queen of Alhamkara, not because you ran from it. And so long as we are on the subject… you did very well.”

“What, sitting on my royal ass in your chair and listening to gunfire and shouting for hours on end?” Keiko raised her voice again, feeling the slightest hint of liberation from the booze in her system.

“It goes far beyond that, Keiko,” Seth insisted, resting an elbow on the table. “Your actions at the Oasis, your decision to send that whore to the palace-”

“Her name is Eina!” the wild dog snapped. Seth paused with his beer halfway to his lips.

“Indeed. Your decision to send Eina to the palace and everything that came after was all instrumental in today’s action. That you were not pulling the trigger is irrelevant. I daresay the men trained to fight on your behalf did so splendidly. Dozens died and dozens lived or will live… all by your hand.”

“I hate you sometimes, wolf. Isn’t that what Commander Octavia called you?” Keiko asked, her hands suddenly shaking as the weight of what she’d set in motion came down around her. She’d smelled the blood on his armor the moment she’d kissed him. Her drink clattered on the table as she set it down slowly, but she did not spill. Seth closed his eyes and against his better judgment spoke again.

“I don’t mind your hate, Lady Keiko, but take it from someone who has been both caged and liberated throughout his life… there is nothing more terrifying than freedom. And I daresay you have more freedom than any other soul in Alhamkara.”

“Seth, just clean your armor and take a shower, please. The smell of blood is getting stronger,” she whispered. “You’re the worst kind of man when you wax poetic like that; mainly because I believe you have enough experience to have faith in what you’re saying, instead of just spouting some nonsense to make me feel better. Thank you for the beer. It was refreshing.”

“You’re welcome.” Seth left the remainder of his own beverage on the table as he moved to comply with Keiko’s request, retreating to the corner of the safehouse where he stored his armor. The lights followed him, guiding his way to the alcove from which he procured a couple of rags and solvent. They were crude tools of the trade, but no less important than his blade or pistol. Given that the Sekhama had done most of the dirty work that night, his task was complete in mere minutes. Gathering up a fresh set of undergarments, he headed for the bathroom instead, leaving Keiko to contemplate exactly what she wanted to do with the freedom she’d been given. As she rested there, looking down at her lap, she couldn’t stop her heartbeat from growing faster, nor her breathing. She wanted to cry and scream and shout gleefully all at once, but she remained silent, soothed faintly by the sound of the shower. She didn’t know how long it took to marshall her courage, but she stood on shaking legs and turned her sights to the thin wall that separated her from Seth. Freedom was indeed terrifying.

Under the rush of water, engaged in the same post-op rituals he’d performed for all of his adult life, Seth was able to forget about his house guest for a few moments as steam hissed and droplets pounded off the glass and tile of his modest shower. He turned over several plans to apologize to Argos and Talon in his head, as well as future considerations regarding Markhan while lazily interacting with the simple displays he’d affixed behind the tiles. The weather would be quite pleasant the next morning, bright and dry, a continued respite from the monsoons. The door to the bathroom slid open behind him. He froze. The shower in his ears had been loud, but the thundering of his blood drowned even that out as he wiped the water from his eyes and glanced at the doorway. She was looking straight back at him, considering him.

That thundering of blood turned into a raging tempest as Keiko did not turn around and leave, instead choosing to step across the precipice and onto the tile. With each step she took, her sunburst eyes never leaving his, Seth began to feel fear, fear that he’d not experienced since his inexperienced youth, when he’d learned to always have an exit strategy the hard way. There was only one exit now, and it was through Keiko. He turned and faced the tile wall of the back of the shower the moment she reached a trembling hand up to the shoulder of her nightgown. The water obscured the sound, but his mind’s eye betrayed him, willing him to imagine the sight of that silken fabric slipping from her body and pooling around her ankles. He sucked in a rattling breath and commanded her to turn back, silently praying for her to exercise her freedom in literally any other way. A sudden burst of cooler air sealed his fate as the shower door closed behind her. “Seth, look at me?”

“I would not dare, my Lady.”

The canine faunum growled frustratedly. “Seth, what the hell did I say about-”

“This is not that, Lady Keiko! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?!” He demanded, hands against the tile wall.

“You… you dare? You dare say something like that to me?!” she screeched, grabbing him by the ear and forcing him around to face her. As the water pounded against his back Seth felt his mouth go dry. Keiko’s mottled fur was on full display, including her white belly and spotted arms. Confirming his earlier observations, two golden chains hung between her sinfully perfect breasts, affixed to matching piercings on each nipple. One crossed the lower reaches of her sternum and the other dipped almost to her navel, providing an ample demonstration of the distraction Keiko had mentioned earlier. He slammed a fist against the wall to steady himself but found his mouth quite incapable of forming sound, much less words. “Weren’t you just telling me about the price of freedom?” she insisted, puffing her chest out proudly. She’d been nervous when she’d had the body art done, but seeing the reaction of Seth’s body was more than enough confirmation she’d been spot on in her decision. His face did not match his arousal, however.

“This… this is not what I meant,” he ground out. Keiko jabbed his chest with a finger.

“Oh? So my freedom is subject to your wishes, wolf? The rest of you seems agreeable,” she pointed out the obvious.

“Keiko, my Lady, think about what you’re doing-”

“I HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT THINK SINCE YOU TOOK ME!” she silenced him with a deafening roar, her chest heaving with each breath. “I am terrified, Seth. I was terrified of you and what you represented. Now I’m terrified of what you’ve given me. But I was terrified on my wedding day, too, before you were anything to me.”

“Lady-”

“Silence, mercenary! Your future queen is speaking to you now,” she ordered, marshalling every ounce of will she possessed, her ears tall and her tail whipping back and forth against the wet glass behind her.

“That is exactly why I’m-”

“I said silence! Do you know what it’s like to grow up knowing you’ll never have love on your own terms? Knowing that your body will be sold as a bargaining chip between kingdoms? Of course you don’t. There is no way you could know. Do you know what it was like to learn about the harem, to see and hear about every sinful delight that I would never experience in my lifetime despite the necessity of such a place to the safety and security of our kingdom? I bore it all like the good princess I was supposed to be, the princess who our people needed after the death of our prince. I was all that was left. You already know what awaited me the night you took me. Are you really going to resist me now that I’ve chosen what path I wish to tread?” Keiko reached out and rested her hand against his chest. She felt his muscles shift and swell beneath her as he sucked in a deep breath. Her voice softened. “I’m touching you. You can touch me too, Seth.”

“My Lady please, think about what you’re doing!” he pleaded like a trapped rat. Her shivering hand travelled down his pectoral and over his abdominals where she paused, acknowledging his point.

“You think I haven’t, Seth? But I’ll humor you, wolf. What is it you think that I’m doing?”

Seth shook his head forcefully. “I cannot do what you’re asking me to.”

“Liar,” Keiko simpered, swiftly grabbing him by his manhood. “You’ve proven more than capable of doing exactly what you think I’m about to ask of you.”

“My Lady!”

“I am Keiko!” she insisted passionately, drawing herself close and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Just… Keiko.”

Seth and the wild dog staring him down breathed quickly, then slowly, syncing their bodies as warm water soothed them. In that dangerous world the shower blanketed them with an illusion of safety. “Just… why?” he requested, cautiously placing his hands on her bare waist just north of the swell of her hips. She counted his question worthy of an answer.

“Freedom.”

“Keiko, this is not what I-”

“This is the only thing that matters,” she insisted, rubbing against him slightly, making sure he could feel her nipples and piercings. He threw his head back to the ceiling and gritted his teeth. Keiko’s heart thrummed with victory. Her handmaidens hadn’t lied about that particular point, a naked man was a vulnerable man. “If I cannot control my own body, how could I hope to control anything else? You and I will never have offspring, could never have them. You are one of them, something more pure than the faunum. In you, and only in you, could I ever hope to place my naive, foolish, childhood dreams of true love.”

“Keiko, we cannot,” he stammered. “There’s no way-”

“That I love you? You’re absolutely right, Seth. And you do not love me. Perhaps you love me as your future queen or princess, but that is irrelevant now. I suppose true love was not the right phrase. Love freely given, perhaps? Oh would you touch me for real already?” Keiko growled happily as he complied, running a hand along the golden and magicite ‘vertebrae’ that adorned her back one by one. His other cupped the shell of her jaw. “There you go. Mmm, thank you Seth. I know you don’t love me, and I don’t love you. I barely even trust you. But that’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” he gasped as she shifted and trapped his length between her thighs, her tail animated with devilish intent.

“It is,” she sighed, reaching up and delivering a soft kiss to his lips. “Because tonight I can just be Keiko, you can just be Seth, and we can pretend that we’re having sex because we’re young, stupid, and free.”

Were it not for Keiko herself and the walls of the shower, Seth would have likely collapsed under the sledgehammer that was the Princess of Alhamkara requesting he claim her flower. “I don’t… I don’t know if I can-”

“You can, Seth. Because you’re a man and I’m a woman and our bodies can do exactly what they’re meant to do,” Keiko insisted, leaning backward and urging him forward with her hands around his neck. Soon she was pressed up against the glass, held there by his body. She could feel his heat and silken stiffness at her entrance. She lifted one leg and curled it around his hip. “Please, before I come to my senses. I don’t want to be reduced to begging.”

Seth closed his eyes and leaned over her, his forehead resting against the shower wall just between Keiko’s ears. She smiled and reached up to nibble at his vulnerable neck. His whole body was stiff and rigid. “Have fun with this foolish girl, ok?”

“I can’t,” he ground out between his teeth. “Not with what I am.”

Keiko tilted her head and licked caringly at his throat, laughing as she pulled him even closer with her leg and guided his hands to her butt. His strength was a godsend as she remained on one leg. “You stupid man, I don’t care what you are. All that matters is you’re the one who sprung me from my cage.”

Keiko could feel whatever it was that snapped in Seth’s mind as he bucked his hips forward and hilted himself inside her waiting depths, his grunt of pleasure completely overwhelmed by her screaming gasp as she was stretched in ways that no amount of stories from her attendants could have prepared her for. She held on for dear life and prepared herself, but Seth remained where he was, breathing as though he’d just run a marathon against the wet fur atop her head. “What have I done?” he wondered pointlessly.

“Made a young woman very happy,” Keiko cooed, the pain fading along with her doubts. She was past the point of no return, and she resolved to enjoy her liberties of the flesh. “You can move now, Seth. I’m ready.”

True to her word Keiko was indeed ready, his exit and subsequent re-entry requiring little force thanks to her slick nether lips and willing maidenhood. After a few awkward thrusts, Seth grabbed her firmly by her ass and lifted her into a better position, their bodies more than capable of executing one of life’s most basic functions. Keiko cried out in surprise and delight as both of her legs were freed to wrap around his waist and his motion became smoother and more forceful. The princess had heard all sorts of tales from the harem and her maidens, but the pleasured haze in her mind led her to the conclusion that the most unremarkable of manhoods could also be the most pleasing. There were no strange points or bulges, knots or barbs, just Seth filling her and leaving her empty again. He said nothing but she didn’t need him to, his body doing all the talking necessary between the two of them. She was left to moan and babble in pleasure as fire began building in her womb and spreading to her extremities. She felt it tingling in her fingertips and toes and even on the tip of her tongue as her chains jingled happily from her ears and breasts. “Seth, oh by humanity Seth! I’m close!”

The sheer decadence and hedonism Keiko was indulging in, the selfishness and the taboo, drove her body quickly to the precipice where Seth’s insistent rutting pushed her over. A whimpering mess, she latched onto his shoulder gently with her muzzle and pressed into the strong muscle and bone there, not breaking skin but rewarding her mate with an indication of exactly how much pleasure he was giving her. All evidence of her virginity had long washed away down the drain as he tightened his core and thrusted up into her with short and powerful motions. Keiko gasped and cried in amazement, the thrill of feeling his release from the inside sending her on another trip of aftershocks that had her legs trembling and releasing his hips from her hold. She could barely feel them anymore, so demanding was the sensory overload at her core. Her ‘wolf’ was more composed, however, allowing himself to slip from her folds before setting her gently down on the tiled floor and holding her firmly around the waist. His face was shadowed by the clarity of guilt, but she purged it with an earnest, exhausted kiss.

“I could go to the gallows tomorrow a happy woman, Seth. Thank you.”

“Would you like me to wash you, my Lady?” he wondered quietly. Keiko’s heart sank at how quickly he’d reverted to whatever it was that defined them previously, but she was willing to take her victory in both paws and shout it from the mountaintops of her own mind. She, Lady Keiko, Princess and future Queen of Alhamkara, had freely given her one flower to give. That small triumph would always be hers. “Only if I can wash you too,” she ventured, thinking she might have the opportunity to ‘play at harem’ once more that night. “And I’m just Keiko tonight.”

Whether out of affection or guilt, Seth indulged her request. The word ‘lady’ was not heard again that night as Keiko washed the already rather clean mercenary who, for all his faults, was a strapping specimen of virility. Her turn was a much more drawn out affair, with Seth going through most of his shampoo as Keiko twisted and turned so he could reach everywhere that needed washing. She took time to appreciate the simplicity of the digital accents of the shower while he tended to her legs and tail, and when the deed was finally done she rewarded him with another passionate kiss. “Now is when you tell me that’s a damn good reason to come back alive, Seth,” she giggled.

“I’ll remember that when I’m restocking on shampoo and conditioner,” he said quietly, earning a smile from Keiko.

“So you still have a bit of humor left for me? Here I was thinking it was all among the team,” she replied as the water finally stopped. Seth was smiling too.

“I can see why our princess might bathe privately,” he chuckled at her soggy form, doing his best to go along with Keiko’s wishes. She’d seduced him well enough. It would be pointless to bemoan spilt milk, or blood.

“Is that so?” she wondered icily, proceeding to shake her body dry as best as possible. Her dense coat was liberated of much of its water weight, soaking Seth anew. It was Keiko’s turn to laugh as she stepped out of the shower and claimed both of his towels to boot, drying her head and ears with one and wrapping the other around her tail.

“Why do I feel the nature of this arrangement has changed slightly?” Seth asked, doing his best to slick the water off his skin with his hands. As a human, it was actually a possibility for him to a certain extent.

“Small price to pay for laying with the princess, I’d say,” Keiko said saucily. “But as your lover for the evening, just a wild dog from the streets, you may have this towel.”

Seth accepted the damp offering and began to dry himself as best he could. “Small price indeed.”

----

“Feel a bit better about talking to Talon and Argos tomorrow?” Keiko asked as the lights dimmed to black and the two of them rested calmly on Seth’s futon, a stark contrast to the chaos of the day.

“Not at all,” he replied, still no closer to a plan of action that would calm Argos’ legitimate fears.

“Feel a bit better?” she tried again. He turned to face her in the dark.

“I’m not sure. If you awake content in your decision, I may have an affirmative answer for you.”

“Darn it Seth, stop it,” she moaned, rolling over and planting another kiss on his lips. They loosened under her touch.

“I’ll think about it,” he promised. “The act itself was nothing but pleasant.”

Keiko allowed herself to focus on the tingling between her legs for a couple moments. Some amount of guilt bubbled to the surface, but she banished it. “I see no reason Lord Torando has any more right to fuck me than you do.”

“This is purely out of self interest, not to mention fear for my life, but if we are to consider only rights and none of those nasty royal entanglements… I suppose the argument can be made,” Seth agreed, his eyes well enough adjusted to the room to see her gazing back at him with friendly annoyance.

“And you’ll be taking me to brunch tomorrow too, right?” she beamed.

“Oh of course, sweetie,” he mocked as she laughed and grabbed his hand under the comforter. “I’ll even introduce you to my friends.”

Keiko sighed happily. “I’m looking forward to it.”