Demon King's Gardener

"Jurao?"

The King stirred from a nap at the call and slid out of the bed to peek out of the enclosed bed area.

"Is something wrong," he asked.

Feyl snorted, pushing one of the several loose strands of his hair back before he said, "I came to ask you that. Well, to check if things are going well."

"Ah," Jurao said, tail swaying as he recalled the earlier activity, "Yes, thank you. Are you having an enjoyable time."

His best friend snorted again, "Of course. But if you don't have need of me-"

"Are you alright, Feyl?" Braelin asked, poking his head out under Jurao's.

"Do I have a reason not to be?" Feyl replied – though his twitching tail gave him away.

"Between Maenscul's appearance and what happened with Apae, I thought you might be upset," Braelin said, glancing at the appendage.

Feyl opened his mouth – then his posture relaxed and he sighed before he said, "I won't pretend my feelings aren't… complicated, but nothing too terrible. Thank you for checking – and I am sure you would have thought to ask me tomorrow, Jurao."

Jurao had been considering that he should have thought to ask, and nodded at his best friend's reassurance.

"In any case," Feyl said, turning, "I shouldn't leave Kloy tied up too long. Glad you're both having fun, you'll see where to find me if you need me."

As he ducked into one of the nearby bed enclosures, Braelin said, "I don't think he meant that metaphorically."

"He has mentioned enjoying tying up his partners in the past," the King agreed, stepping back from the entryway.

Braelin followed and grunted, rubbing at his lower back.

"Sore," Jurao asked, lifting his partner to deposit him back in the bed.

"Yes, though not so much that it concerns me," Braelin replied, chuckling.

The King poured them both water from a pitcher on the side table, and asked, "Did you wish to have more sex."

"I would not mind if you wanted to, but I am a little tired."

"I am fine," Jurao replied, kissing his partner's forehead. He added, "We can return to our room, if you wish. There is no required time one must remain at an orgy."

Braelin sipped his water as he considered, then nodded and said, "Yes, washing up and retiring early sounds good to me. Do you think we should let Feyl know?"

"We can move the cloth over the opening so he can see we've left," the King said.

"Ah, yes, then we won't interrupt them," Braelin agreed.

It took little time for them to dress enough to be presentable, Jurao carrying his partner through the mostly empty halls to their shared quarters. Petal waved a tendril from its basin, Snip and Snap napping before the hearth.

As most of the castle residents would be doing, they spent the next day recovering from the feast in their quarters.

Feyl and Minaz joined them with the midday meal delivery – mainly to cover any news immediately following the feast.

"Petty Princess Aelesies Gamevesmi of Messaonars arrived this morning," Minaz said, "She's rather upset that she missed the feast, but that's how it goes."

"I'm sure most of the missing cities will regret not sending someone in time for the first feast Maenscul attended since Lavven's time," Feyl said with a snort.

Snip had laid her head in his lap as usual, leaving her body lying across Minaz, leading both to idly petting the waste hound.

"Did you speak to them?" Minaz asked, "I saw your siblings were able to."

"I did not – as they are not my patron, I had nothing to speak to them about."

"Did your vokes bring his decade day gift from Maenscul?" Braelin asked, using Jurao's thigh to pillow his head.

"Not that I am aware of," Feyl said, and smiled as he asked, "Is that your theory as to why they allowed my siblings to approach but not my other relations?"

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"It is a theory," Braelin replied.

Feyl snorted and said, "Gnene asked if they would change the shape of their glasses – and they did. They also spoke to Meir'ril at one point."

"Do you know what about?" Braelin asked.

"I did not overhear," Feyl replied, "but I imagine Malson will know. Whenever he recovers from being fucked by a god."

"Would it be more odd if I were surprised about that?" Minaz asked.

"I've stopped trying to understand Malson," Feyl replied.

"That's fair," Braelin said.

"Are you feeling alright, Feyl," Jurao asked.

Feyl sighed, "Yes, thank you."

Minaz arched a brow at him.

"After speaking with Soken and blacksmithing publicly," Feyl said, "My feelings about Maenscul not being my patron have been… far less distressing. And to see them favor my siblings while rejecting Vokes appeals to my pettier sensibilities."

Minaz chuckled and said, "I bet it did."

"And did you enjoy yourself, Minaz," Jurao asked.

"I did, thanks," his Right Hand replied, "And the two of you?"

"It was nice," Jurao said, tail swaying.

Braelin reached back to pet the fur there as he said, "It was fun to try something new."

"Did you leave right after I checked in on you?" Feyl asked in amusement.

"A bit after," Jurao said, "You woke me from a nap."

Minaz started laughing.

"I thought you sounded groggy," his best friend said.

"You took a nap?" Minaz asked, grinning.

"We used the drakebloom nectar to enhance our arousal," Braelin said, "And I think the experience was more intense than we expected."

"I should try the nectar directly," Feyl said, arching his brows.

"Soth said they have no interest in trying it again, so it's definitely safe," Minaz snorted. After a moment, she added, "Well, as long as you only drink from one flower."

"It's that potent?" Feyl asked.

"A moderate aphrodisiac with a mild euphoric – to paraphrase Soth," Braelin said, "They tried two, and said the effects compound – so drinking from two flowers will be more like the expected effect of three dosages. Alcohol distills it enough to make the euphoric of the nectar mutable and the aphrodisiac more mild and slow acting."

Feyl hummed and said, "I may try two if Kloy and I manage to have the same day off."

Jurao considered his experience and said, "I do not think two would be a hardship for someone more experienced."

"I think the euphoric would be more of an issue than the aphrodisiac at that point," Minaz said, "But since you're planning around your gieuls, I'm not really concerned. I'll still ask Soth what they think."

"I'm sure Kloy would if you didn't," Feyl said – then grinned as he added, "Having a very responsible physician as a roughplay partner does have advantages."

"We may need to take measures to ensure people are not plucking the flowers from the garden," Minaz added, shaking her head at the valet.

"I spoke to Bud about that after Soth's findings," Braelin said, "He agreed to only let gardening staff members pick his flowers. For now, we'll have small batches available for sale."

"Oh – is the Gardening Department setting up a stall in the castle market?" Minaz asked.

"We are," Braelin replied, "Soth believes we can also derive a perfume from drakebloom flowers similar to one made from bells of desire – though we need to test if that method changes the potency, given smell is how drakeblooms usually attract dragons."

"They certainly made their own impression," Feyl said with a snort. He waved a hand and clarified, "The dragons."

"Souar kept checking with Meir if the demons he thought were attractive were good demons to flirt with," Minaz chuckled, "or if they had been mean to your family. It was cute."

"Gaele asked me privately if I minded that fos was attending with Aya," Braelin mused, "I let fos know that I was fine with them courting, if fos wanted to. And that our parents and Malson felt the same."

"Not Meir'ril," Jurao asked.

"Oh, Meir would also approve," Braelin said, "but Gaele is not… intimidated by his opinion, since he and Aya are the same age."

"Ah," Jurao said – as that did make sense. Braelin held a position of authority over fos, and the older members of their family were all well accomplished in their own ways. The twins were both still establishing themselves as young adults, and both looked up to their parents and brothers.

"And it's not like his disapproval would stop Aya," Feyl added with a snort.

"It might even encourage her," Braelin agreed, smiling.

"Did Dajor and Noga get caught this year?" Feyl asked.

"No, but it's harder to be seen during a veiled orgy," Minaz replied.

"Hm?" Braelin asked.

Minaz waved a hand, "Lady Dajor and my aunt have been 'secretly' courting for at least a millennium. They usually get together during the feast, and there's been a betting pool of whether anyone sees them ducking away together for a few centuries now. I don't participate because I don't really give a shit about my aunt's sex life, but someone always tells me the result anyway."

"I did hear that Snip and Snap also snuck away after you dismissed them," Feyl said – smiling as he added, "Petty Prince Exmarre said you could have first pick of Scuscus's litter – I told him to give the honor to Malson."

"Yes, that is how I would have handled it," Jurao agreed.

Minaz narrowed her eyes at Feyl sidelong.

"Whether or not Lady Noga will want a hound from Snip's litter remains to be seen," Feyl said, reaching over to give the hound's stomach a pat.

Snip yawned and stretched before resettling.

Minaz sighed and rolled her eyes as she said, "She won't – it would fuck with the Gasciezaron pedigree. Of course, with two litters by your hounds, Jurao, you could establish a kennel – I feel like Exmarre would be in favor."

Jurao hummed as he considered and said, "I wonder if waste hounds and bristlespines can be crossbred."

Minaz snorted and said, "Auntie Noga would hate that even more. I'll ask Hujur to secure a kennel for you."

"Thank you, Min," Jurao replied.

"Maybe mountainhounds can be crossbred?" Braelin suggested, "Their fur comes in blonde."

"Oh, a royal waste hound pedigree – there's an idea," Feyl said.

"I'm more surprised there isn't one already," Braelin replied.

"Since unifying the realm led to less war, the Sciekles temple refused to gift hounds to an Ascended King for ten thousand years," Minaz replied, "Once that lifted, most Kings that were gifted a breeding pair established personal pedigrees, rather than a royal one."

"Do you think the temple will mind the crossbreeding attempts?" Feyl asked.

"Nah," Minaz pat Snip as well before she said, "As far as the temple is concerned, once they gift you hounds, they're yours. There's a saber-toothed line of waste hounds in Gaevoyga from crossbreeding with saberhounds. Temple doesn't have an issue with them."

"Fair enough," Feyl shrugged.