The Lost Prince Bk. 02

Mistress Lovecatcher blushed at the idea of having to service his other mistresses. And she replied in the only way she could. "Yours."

Colin smiled and vanished in a puff of black flames.

Appearing in the bedroom with his wives, they froze in the middle of their discussion. Libidine and Lascivia gasped as the Floof twins sniffed the air.

"Alug, Gula. Do you want a treat?" The twins wagged furiously as they stared at his cock. "You can have this later. For now... Pay special attention to her clit. She knows she's not allowed to cum. I'll bring you back in ten minutes."

With a surge of power, the twins vanished to do his bidding, while the Succubus sisters stared at him with wide eyes.

"Is that..." Libi trailed off.

Colin nodded slowly. "She... wanted to sever the bond with your father."

Lascivia shuffled softly on the bed and gave him an adoring smile. "Can I call you daddy?"

Colin's eyes went wide as the lust in the room increased tenfold. He turned his head to Invidia, who was twisting her hands together in anticipation. "Your present worked perfectly. So you get on the bed with the rest of them. And yes Lassy," Colin smiled. "You can call me daddy." 

Chapter Five

"Are you ready, child?"

Amare took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. I can do this."

"Remember," Lars patted her shoulder. "Calculate the risks. Getting killed is bad enough. Getting captured will leave you open to much worse. And knowing the Prince, that will make you a powerful bargaining chip."

Amare nodded quickly. They had been over this. With her non-existent duties, and skills as a people pleaser, Lars had spent weeks training her. She still had a long way to go. But there was no time to put things off any longer.

Taking the platter of food, she stood and straightened her posture. Then, with a smile, she strode from the kitchen tent, towards the pavilion set aside for negotiations. The kitchens were set against the main gate of Pratum. A quick and easy escape in case of betrayal. But the message under the banner of a white flag was honored and Master Bater had accepted the offer.

She stepped out into the open air outside the city walls. And trembled at the glare she received from a nearby guard. A Bakeneko warrior dressed in leather armor. He eyed her in the same way men had been eyeing her for years. And rather than draw attention to herself by acting haughty, Amare cowed slightly, letting the warrior feel superior. His satisfied grin followed her down the small pathway towards the meeting.

It was an open pavilion. Large enough to seat several dozen people. But that was all for show. There were a pair of guards for General Anguis, and a pair of guards for Master Bater. Otherwise it was a large table, laden with various foods, drinks, maps and other documents. Anguis had a woman with him though. A Bakeneko with the most perfect black fur. When she moved into the sunlight, it almost had a blue sheen. Amare couldn't help but think that if the Prince were here, he might just take a liking to her.

There were several guards stationed along the path as she approached. Most of them gave her the same lingering looks as the first. Should the negotiations fail and the city fall, then she shuddered to think what would happen if they caught her. It wasn't even all that bad to think of her own demise. But the idea of the Prince finding out after the fact filled her with dread.

Still, with a nervous smile plastered across her face, she entered the pavilion while the two men spoke with one another.

"Surely, you can see how this will end poorly for you?" General Anguis sipped his wine.

"What alternatives do I have?" Master Bater sighed, before spotting Amare with the food. His elation at the idea of feeding his gluttony, froze at the slow realization at who she was. He glanced at the Spymaster who sat beside the General. She wasn't a well-known figure. And he could only wonder why Amare had taken the decision to involve herself.

"Thank you dear," Master Bater smiled.

"I will be on hand if you need anything, Lord," Amare mumbled softly.

Master Bater couldn't help but smile at her tone. She was always so soft and gentle. There was a time when he thought about trying to claim her for his own. If only to spare her the indignity of working as she had. But such a young thing wouldn't have flourished under his weight. Besides, it would have been immoral for him to take her. And now, as a young woman, bonded to the Prince in question. She was standing in the metaphorical lion's den.

"Lovely," General Anguis smirked as he eyed the working girl. "Just lovely."

"Indeed," Superbia nodded. Unlike Master Bater, she was far better at schooling her expressions. She knew the girl wasn't just a serving girl, or even a working girl. Who she was exactly, Superbia didn't know. But that was part of her job, and she always enjoyed solving puzzles.

"As I was saying," Master Bater mumbled as he plucked a pastry from the freshly delivered platter. "The Regent has forced me into a no-win situation. Excessive taxes are raising the costs of all peoples. Our trading partners are putting up their own prices to survive. Grain exports, as necessary as they are, simply do not command the same level of respect as blades and wine."

"I hardly care about your economy," General Anguis scoffed. "I am here to give you a final warning to stand down."

Spymaster Superbia held back the sigh. These talks were entirely pointless. She had received the orders the same as Anguis. They were going to burn it to the ground, no matter how these talks went. Anguis was just stalling. If he could get a few of his people within the walls, they could open them and slaughter the city's inhabitants. That would leave them the bulk of their forces to march on Mistress Furore. She would be a much larger target and a far juicier prize.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she went back to observing her surroundings. She was in the guise of acting as the right hand and plaything of the General. It was a show of power. Master Bater had no powerful mates. So simply by attending, the General was asserting his dominance over the Floof.

For all intents and purposes. Everything was going as planned. There was nothing of note. The grasslands around Pratum were flat. Scouts had found no secret tunnels, watch points or other surprises. Villages were sparse farming communities that would quickly come under the thumb of whoever and whatever was left in charge. There had been little opposition to their forces as they marched straight to the capitol. And even that was typical of Master Bater. The man was a glutton. He wasn't a warrior and was barely a politician. What he did, was feed his people and keep them happy.

So why, was the young Floof standing behind him, setting off all her instincts. Sure, she was attractive. Even among the bevies of delicious Floof she'd seen given to the regent, this one was an exceptional beauty. And Superbia couldn't help but notice the way her eyes flicked around in all directions but hers. The woman to most observers appeared to be terrified and watching everything at once. The slight hunch to her shoulders and the lowering of her chin created the perfect image of a scared young Floof.

But her body remained loose, ready to move, despite her hunched shoulders. Telling of all, was her hands never fidgeted or shook. There was no tremor. Nor did she flinch as guards moved around. Interestingly, it seemed she was intentionally trying not to look at Superbia. She had all the hallmarks of someone who was far more than they appeared to be. And by Master Bater's unconscious reaction upon seeing her. That meant she was someone important. Someone, perhaps related to the Prince.

"Fine, we shall reconvene in the morning once you've spoken with your counsel," General Anguis sighed.

"Much appreciated," Master Bater nodded as he stood. "Dear, can you bring this back?"

"Yes, Lord," she bowed politely.

Superbia once again noted the confidence in how she moved. She was clearly trained to behave demurely. Maybe a spy, or an assassin? In any case, the evening was getting on, and the young woman was packing to leave with the master. She would have liked to have followed after her, but General Anguis's tail brushed her leg. To the casual observer, it was a kind of courting ritual. But Superbia knew better and remained in her seat as the Floof picked up the platter and fled the pavilion.

They sat for a time as their own guards patrolled around. And Anguis cleared his throat. "We attack before dawn. I'll send a team over the walls in the night and have them open the gates. He's stalling."

"For what, I can't imagine," Superbia nodded.

"Indeed," Anguis groaned as he got up. "On a side note. That girl, who came with the platter. Find out who she is. I want you to bring her to me."

"At once, General," Superbia nodded, even as she mentally cursed.

As General Anguis stood and left, Superbia let out an impatient growl. Launching to her feet, she rushed from the pavilion. As the spymaster, this work was beneath her. Not the information gathering, but the fetch request. But as Anguis's bed toy, it would be expected of her to carry out mundane and insulting requests like this without complaint.

Luckily for Superbia, the Floof hadn't made it to the gates, and she hurried to catch her. "You! Serving girl!"

Amare frowned when she heard the shout. That voice sounded familiar, and she turned, only to spot the Bakeneko from the pavilion rushing towards her. All at once, she was reminded of the creature's beauty. Only marred by some scarring on her face that had healed quite well.

"Me?" Amare frowned in mock confusion.

"Yes girl," Superbia slowed to a stop before her. "General Anguis has asked for an audience with you."

Superbia watched as a few emotions flicked across her face. Anger, disgust, but also acceptance and a small bout of confidence. The woman was hiding something for certain.

"Does he mean to lie with me?"

Superbia knew then exactly what she was. And everything within her, said to kill her. Kill her now and be done with it. The city would be attacked in the morning, regardless. Killing her now, at worst would accelerate the time frame. But that wasn't in Superbia's best interests.

"Is that okay?" She asked with a nervous smile.

Amare's heart beat in her chest. It was like a crashing hammer as she heard those words. This wasn't quite what she came for. She hoped to catch the eye of someone important and use them to get close enough to poison the general. She hadn't intended to catch the man's interest directly. That would complicate things. And with the negotiations continuing into the morning, she wasn't sure how to refuse without setting Master Bater on the back foot. If only the Prince were here...

"Okay," Amare nodded shyly.

"I can have one of my men deliver a message to Master Bater along with the platter," Superbia offered.

Amare smiled and nodded at the Bakeneko. "Please, that would be helpful. I don't wish to disappoint the master."

"At once," Superbia met the eyes of one of her guards. The man was prompt in approaching and taking the Floof's burden. "If you'll follow me?"

Amare handed over the platter and felt dread within her. The Bakeneko led her back down the path towards the pavilion. But they swerved off, leading towards a collection of tents with walls set around them. They wouldn't stop a siege engine, but Pratum had precious few of them.

"Now," Superbia smiled as she brought the Floof into a specific tent. "There's a few things you could wear to be more... comfortable," she gestured to a chest filled with various silk wraps. Contrary to the appearance she was trying to conceive. Silk made a sturdy rope, binding, and in a pinch, a garrotte. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Amare watched the woman leave and made her way over to the chest. When she pried it open, her heart skipped a beat. She could only imagine draping herself in these fabrics, as the Prince tore them from her. She couldn't help the shudder that ran down her legs at the thought.

Superbia hadn't gone far. A panel on this tent was set up for this very thing. A viewing port cut from a sheer cloth, dyed to look the same as the rest of the tent, and set behind a false wall. That created a small room where she could observe the occupant within, and they would be none the wiser.

The Floof spent a few moments setting out various items from the chest. Superbia noticed that she put the complimentary colors into one pile, and some less complimentary ones in another. It was almost like... Superbia froze as the Floof withdrew a blade from the ornamental sticks in her hair. It was short, slender and had been scuffed to prevent it gleaming in the light. A perfect weapon to slip into a shallow artery, or to cut an unsuspecting throat.

Amare gathered the silks she intended to wear. The ones she wished to smuggle out, she left aside. While gathering the others to strategically wrap around herself and mimic underwear. Her own clothing was left in a neat pile beside the silks and she was adjusting her hair ornaments to slide her knife within its sheath. The vial of poison was stored within the second ornamental stick keeping her hair up. Perhaps she could give him a slow lap dance, tease him by letting her hair cascade around her having both her weapon and poison in hand. She could pour him some wine, and get the matter over with even without the knife.

She was so distracted by her thoughts; she didn't react to the presence inside the tent until a clawed hand pinned her mouth shut. A second, took her wrist, holding the knife. Amare twisted violently and the figure momentarily lost her grip. Amare regained control of her blade and stabbed out into the guts of the familiar Bakeneko who regained her composure, far too quickly.

Superbia caught the woman's wrist and twisted away to avoid the stab. It likely wouldn't have been fatal, but it would have hurt. The Floof didn't shout, or make a fuss at all. She simply acted and Superbia couldn't help but offer silent congratulations. Had she not been expecting it, likely she would have been seriously injured. What she wasn't expecting, was for the pretty young thing, to take a half step back. Despite her size, she more than outmatched Superbia in body mass, and as the Bakeneko stepped forward to control the movement, the Floof dropped her chin and cracked Superbia below her eye, with the crown of her forehead.

Amare twisted the knife free in the Bakeneko's confusion and she lunged once more. The dark furred woman fell back, rolling backwards across the floor. Amare wasted no time. Wanting to end this quickly she rushed straight in, as the Bakeneko sprung towards her. Despite the weight advantage, she couldn't withstand the impact and fell flat on her back. Before she could recover, the Bakeneko pinned her wrist to the ground with a clawed foot and pressed her claws to the soft spots of her neck.

"Pretty little thing, aren't you?" Superbia purred.

"He'll come for you," Amare hissed. "He'll come, and he'll destroy you all."

"Oh?" Superbia tilted her head as she realized who the young woman must work for. "And just how strong is your little Prince?"

***

The swirling black flames deposited Colin into Amare's room. He was beaming as he thought about how he could take her somewhere safe. He smiled as he looked around the room and...

"Amare?"

With a growl, Colin felt a pit form in his stomach. With a check of the bathing room attached to this one, he confirmed she wasn't within. But that didn't mean there was a problem. She could simply be somewhere else. She kept an ear out for things, so perhaps there was a late meal happening. Colin made for the door and pulled it open, only to freeze at the sight of Lars.

"My Prince."

"Where's Amare?"

The man, as stoic as he was. Suddenly looked very unsure of his position. "General Anguis and Spymaster Superbia arrived with an army. The city is under siege and Amare volunteered to attend Master Bater for negotiations."

"Where. Is. Amare?" Colin growled.

"She hasn't returned."

Colin snarled and turned on the spot. There was a balcony for this room. But the door shattered as he drove his foot through it. There were cries below as people were pelted with debris. But Colin didn't care. Before him was an army. He could see them, even in the darkness of the evening. Thousands of soldiers, all grouped together. Cook fires burned and the smell of smoke and meat filled the air.

Tilting his head back, Colin let out a furious roar. His wings opened as he beat them hard and lifted from the balcony as black flames leaped from his skin. All Colin could think about was Amare. He surged with power, sending out waves of lust as he flew over Pratum. Shouts rang out from the encampment, but in the dark, there was precious few who could track him. Not that Colin cared. He tore through the air, over the walls and crashed into the middle of a group eating a meal.

They screamed as Colin grabbed the closest by the neck. His long claws severed the Bakeneko's jugular, killing him immediately. But that didn't stop Colin from swinging his body around like a floppy club. The Bakeneko's friends didn't have a chance to react as bone met bone. Colin screamed and tore the man's head off, sending the body tumbling through a series of tents.

A screaming Aroct leaped over a table and Colin spun towards him. Closing in, he dove under the man's reach and drove a fist into his stomach. The Aroct's abdomen exploded, sending viscera and blood in all directions. Colin didn't stop, his rage increasing with each kill. His flames washed over everything, and unlike the ones formed by his portal, these caused burns.

Grass ignited alongside furniture, tents and even fur. Screams rang out as panic set in. A Minotaur clubbed him from the side, sending Colin crashing through a tent. It burst into flames as the occupants howled in pain as they burned alongside it. Colin, shaken from the blow, was relatively unharmed as he stood once more. The Mino huffed and let out a mighty bellow. Which proved only to anger Colin further as he beat his wings and closed with the Mino once more.

The massive creature wound back with his weapon, only for Colin to surge forward. The Mino, realizing he couldn't strike, yanked his club in front to brace. Colin didn't slow for a second as he tackled the creature. The pair of them tumbled to the ground and Colin wasted no time ripping the club from his hands. Hurling it through a crowd of onlookers, he ignored the wet crunches and screams.

The Mino threw a punch and Colin grunted as the giant fist cracked into his chest. Colin returned the favor, driving his fist into the Mino's face, shattering his jaw with ease. Then, to emphasize the point, Colin took the Mino by the horns and tore them both free with a scream. Holding them like a pair of daggers, he stabbed deep into the Mino's ear, punching it right into his brain.

The Mino jolted and fell still, letting Colin rip the horn free once more. In the distance, a horn blew and the few soldiers nearby suddenly backed up. But Colin wasn't done yet. Holding the horns in his fists, he angled the tips forward to act like a pair of curved daggers, and lunged. The soldiers fell around him, screaming and running. Those that defended themselves lasted only moments longer. These demons, despite being far more than any human could handle, were nothing before him. And Colin would kill each and every one of them until he found Amare.

But as he fought, he found his opponents further and further apart. The soldiers were fleeing. And not in any particular direction. Most were just moving in whatever direction took them further from him. That left Colin feeling choosy about his victims. Beating his wings, he took to the air and left the burning, wreckage and death of his first strike.