*** Queen Yumanea ***

  I really 't avoid it any longer: Elora and Adesa's annou, ing up after the stupid guild, and then Fluvis finding out someone almost killed her kids. All kept me busy, so I didn't have to meet my husband.

  I don't know how Yuki mao keep that from the Duchess. But I was w why Fluvis didn't have any demands after my daughter tried to have her kids killed. The annoyan her face when she found out I knew already.

  I didn't have a choice but to remove Adesa from the running. Anything less would have the navy turning against me. Of course, Fluvis deserves that respect. She may dislike her ies, but she serves the try well.

  Unwinding Adesa's campaign was a bit of a pain but a great distra from my husband. Found plenty of evidence of a spy ring and even killed a few nobles myself.

  Nothing on the Ashmark family. But I have a feeling they will be doing something stupid soon. Stirring up the assassin's guild and then surviving my little iigation must have them ready to do something truly stupid.

  I would love to capture that stupid elf and force his dito the breeding walls. Just give me a reason.

  "Your royal Highness, would you like a sed set of earrings for tonight?" my maid asks.

  I'm showing off my small bump tonight. My wives and husband already know about it. I've had the halls clear, and my personal maids will hahe dinner.

  Lotus has been showing off. I still o hide it from the Queendom for a while, or I would have to have the succession battle start now, and I o give Elora a ce to win now that she has that damn champion as her husband.

  If she had just let Alzi marry Fluvis, this would all have been so much easier.

  "Yes, might as well show off everything," I say. "I'll have my wives be a part of this pregnancy. I took too much from them with Irlo."

  "Big or small," she asks, holding out a pair in each hand. The rge ones were pure gold of an intricate snowfke melting. Small ones were little fmes. The edges are adorned with standard rubies.

  "Both. I have room for three sets," I say. I already had diamond studs in, so why not add something dangling? My hair is done up in a few intricate buns, so if my hair doesn't hang down, jewelry .

  The maid quickly puts them in, and then a neckce full of even more sparkling rubies gets put around my neck.

  It's a bit gaudy, but my wives love the look, and I wouldn't mind a few asking to e into my bed tonight.

  The dress itself is pin, but it hugs every curve, so no one miss my small belly. I've got my tits a bit smaller than normal to help draw attention to the right pce. The dress ends halfway down my thighs. I'm not bold enough to join the rend of strapless dresses and showing off my back. I'm too used to ging the size of my breasts to trust the dresses to stay up.

  Stogs cover just above the knee, letting plenty of thigh show for my harem to drool over—not that they cover much, anyway. Then, simple bck heels to finish it off—just a few inches on the heel. I am pregnant now, though I'll have to keep up the appearaside the castle.

  "Is there Anything else you wish to have, Your Royal Highness?" another maid asks, holding out a box of bracelets for me.

  Something small wouldn't hurt. I grab out a simple silver bracelet and slip it over my right hand.

  "Does anything look out of pce?" I ask the maids.

  "No, you look stunning as always, Your Royal Highness," my head maid insists.

  "Good, I o woo my wives bato my bed after I let them go with Irlo," I say. Not that maids care. The less my wives joihe more they get to join.

  "You'll have them cmbering back tonight," the head maid says. "Just don't fet about us poor maids."

  "I would never," I say, stepping away from the mirrors. "Now, time tue with the king before a great feast."

  "They are ready for you now," another maid chimes in, holding the door open for me.

  I give her a nod as I head out. This is a familiar path that I've avoided for too long now. It'll do me some good to stop hiding away from everyone who helped me get here. My st pregnancy really did a number on how I viewed my family. The fact that I'll likely have access to someone who get even my grandmother pregnant has made me have a less protective mi over the new life I'm growing.

  Hopefully Elora doesn't do anything too stupid with that girl. I would rather not have to beg the dragon to help my Queendom.

  Two more maids open the door to the dining room when I appear in the hallway. The soft chatter of my wives and husband spills out as I approach.

  One moves in just before I enter and announces me, "The Queen!" Cutting off the small chatter. Bottles of wine are already open on the long table. Only two gsses have water ihe o the head of the table and in front of my dryad lover Lotus.

  "So you really are pregnant with some bastard," the King says back.

  "Couldn't you let me hear some gratutions first?" I say, moving to the head of the table.

  "You look stunning, dear," my sed wife says. She is Nesh, a selkie who stuck around long enough for me to sedud marry her. Only Fluvis has better trol of water than her.

  "Thank you," I say, making a show of sitting down. "Now, Vamir, you know I've had children with other men before. One was trying for the throne even. I know you've had children with women outside of those tea parties. There is a reasoill ants to parties. Some are likely called princesses in other nations. All men struggle to get women pregnant at ye, no matter how many csses they have. Women struggle, but more iting attention of fertile men category. I know several women around this table are still trying and I hope for you to succeed. I would love to welore children into the family, and I won't be tucked away for this pregnancy like my st. I did not go to the brothel pnning oing pregnant. I was taking care of an issue with an annoying white-tailed kitsuhat my mother let in for some reason. Lotus invited me to join her fun, and I did. A pregnancy is something to celebrate, even if it may not be reted to you."

  "What a great speech. Is that what took you so long to e out here? o perfect it and make me feel stupid for being mad?" Vamir says.

  "I old you it was wrong to be mad. I uand why. Struggling to ceive while Lotus and I go out on a limb and do it together in one night. I would be fused if you weren't mad. I just hope we still be happy together," I say; my maids start t out the first dish. A simple vegetable soup. "Plus, you know I will have to give the throo the Queen soon, even without the pregnancy, which will kick you out of the royal harem. You khis was going to happen. You kicked my father out of the harem when I wohrone."

  "Sure, sure. I think I've already been repced. How many of your wives are going to have a random day down at the brothel?" he asks, waiting for me to taste the soup.

  "he herm has been married off to Elora," I say before taking a taste. Perfect. I knew expanding the castle garden was a good idea.

  "So Elora is the Queen?" Vamir spits out. He never liked her. Something we bonded over a bit too much, I think. I really should've asked why he hates her. Elora is clearly his child, while Lyrei may be another man's.

  "She is running, but we won't know the Queen till the games are pyed out," I say. Everyo the table starts to enjoy the soup.

  "You wao let Lyrie have it," he says. He was alroud of likely getting me pregnant on our wedding night. It was a bit of a pain having the beginning of my jouro the throne pregnant. I'm sure Elora kept that colr on Alzi to keep her from suffering the same fate. A pregnanow would be the best thing for Lyrie.

  "I listeo yging too much, I think. Now, you don't have a say in the Queen, and our talks will just cause more issues for succession than I've already caused. Let us enjoy the dinner aogether again," I say to the many women at the table. The Queen's harem always grows a bit during her reign, and miainly did after the war.

  More than one Queendom had to offer some princesses to my victory, bringing me up to thirty wives. My mother's and grandmother's harem didn't join us tonight, saying they wahe young oo enjoy the time or something.

  I should force them to the table sometime. Grandmother always gets overly excited about kids, and Mother o expin Yuki to me.

  The sad es out . Letting my wives know we are having all the courses tonight. Lotus just shakes her head, knowing I want to get my wives drunk so I easily gather a number up to toss into my bed. They all should know it as well. A few take a long drink before g their own bottle. Hoping to teray passives they have that filter out the poison we all love.

  "Now I want to give a happy speech rather than put reat husband down," I say. "This family has gotten the Queendom to this stage. The stros outside the silly realms, with their patron Goddess helping them. Many helped with the Great War, setting us up as the dominant force. Others came after, shedding their old Queendom and putting all their effort into helping this one. I thank you all for the support and love. Thank you, Vamin, fiving us plenty of children to love and carry out tasks all throughout the nds. I hid away for my st surprise pregnancy, and that was a mistake I won't make again. You all put me here, and I won't abandon you again. This family is about to grow, both through the children Lotus and I carry and through the Queen's harem. I want us to stay together through it. Just as the Queens before me kept their harems strong so the Queen could foaking the natioronger. I would toast with you all, but I think that we will have to wait for our wedding, where we wele the Queen. I won't stop you all from drinking."

  I get my small cheers. My wives are eager to take their drink and finish the sad so the feast start in ear. Even Vamin takes a small sip.

  The only man that gets thrown away by their family. He'll find a family in a heartbeat, but it won't be the same without the .

  The dish es out steaming. My wives cm for details on the herm that got me pregnant. I guess Lotus wao force me to share the embarrassiails of that night.

  "Ok, not a word leave this room. I get a hint of a leak, and I will find who did it and have them strung up on the walls naked and mutited," I threaten befoing into more and more detail to satisfy my needy wives.