Royal Affliction

May licked her finger and flicked to a clean page of her ledger. A knock at the door disturbed her work.

"Come in!" she shouted without looking up. She dunked her quill into the inkwell and picked up her glass of wine, getting to her hooves to address the visitor.

Bastian was creeping around the fountain when she came out of her study. He bowed before her. "Good day, Your Grace. The Queen sent me to inform you that the King of Sempiternus will be arriving shortly."

May nearly dropped her glass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "How shortly?"

"An hour. Maybe less."

She slowly took a couple of steps backwards and sank into the chair. This probably had something to do with her and could be very bad.

"The messenger was apologetic of the short notice," he added as if that would help.

"Short notice?!" May sat her glass down, hard and covered her face with her hand.

"Is there anything I can assist you with?"

She looked up at him. "Where's Sybari?"

"I don't think she's come back from teaching her dance class."

Of course.

"As soon as she does, take her down to the servants' quarters. And send Mirthly up here." She left the room, but turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Unless you're any good with a hoof brush?"

He looked confused. "Uh...I...I'll get her."

May went to her wardrobe to find something lush. She pulled out a jacket top, with big puffed sleeves of fuchsia silk and a gold button-up front that stopped in time to bare her midsection. It's matching skirt ran hip to hip across her backside and joined to a strip of fabric at the front with a chain.

She was pining her tails when Mirthly came in. The girl watched the ritual, transfixed.

"Hoof polish," May prompted.

Mirthly disappeared, coming back with a suitable shade of the wash-off lacquer. She seemed delighted by the sparkles and started humming while she applied it. May quickly fixed her face with a dose of make-up and undid the plait in her hair. She liked having it out on such occasions so she could hide her face behind it.

Satisfied she was presentable, she left the room in a flurry. They needed to be in place before the King arrived. He couldn't be made to wait. Even if he was the one who called the impromptu visit in the first place.

Her sisters weren't in the throne room, but it was far from empty. Servants were searching for anything out of place, sweeping and polishing the already clean space. A rokurokubi had her long neck stretched several metres into the air, a brush wedged in her teeth to dust the chandeliers. Mayhem approached the dais, where a nekomata was combing the rug with a rubber cloth and her claws. The tiny cat girl kept working as she approached, but recoiled at the sight of voracis hooves in front of her. She looked up May with a mix of fear and anticipation, her twin tails freezing in their dance. She had a predominantly human looking face, with a snub nose, narrow yellow eyes, and long pale hair. Chaton perceived her as the lesser of three evils and continued her task, but she was insecure about her presence. When May didn't move, the girl looked around as if searching for help. Unsure of herself, she patted Despondia's couch with a fawn coloured paw.

"You may sit, Princess. I've already cleaned."

Chaton had been around for about a year, but few staff who'd witnessed the King's last visit remained to know the procedure. The couch had room for two, so she'd incorrectly assumed that was where May must sit. Whether she chose to wait there for her sisters depended on one thing.

"How is Despondia's disposition today?"

The nekomata's fluffy ears twitched and her cleft lip revealed a smile of sharp kitten teeth. "Jovial."

"She won't mind my intrusion upon her couch then," May said, sitting on the divan.

An older servant in charge of the energetic bout of cleaning scurried into the room. The gorgon took one look at May and the space beside her and rushed back out, returning moments later with a large cushion. She sat in on the edge of the dais, and made sure it was fluffed and free of lint, before going on her way.

May watched her sisters walk into the room, joking between themselves. They'd dressed alike in matching sapphire and gold. Kitty quickly changed into her cat form and made herself scarce.

Depravia smiled as she climbed the steps to her throne. "Deploria, what did you do?"

"You're the one who sent me there. You knew it would irritate him."

Despondia giggled and plopped down right beside May. She kissed her cheek and patted her thigh.

The room was filling up with servants. Anyone who wasn't doing a vital duty was to come line the walls for the King's entrance. Sybari came in with a couple of the incubi. She met May's gaze as she sat down and smiled.

The Queen eyed May's skirt. "How bound are you?"

May frowned at her. "You think I'd dare come out here with any fewer than all my rings?"

Despondia lifted the fabric of May's top to check she'd removed the crystals from the chains that hung from her nipples. "Should we put a bag over her head?" she asked jokingly.

May pushed her arm away and glared at her. Despondia only laughed and gave her a tight squeeze.

A horn sounded outside to announce the King. Everyone frantically bunched together and dropped to the floor.

"You know you can't stay up here," Despondia whispered.

May rose and headed over to her pillow, sinking awkwardly into the puffy velvet, legs splayed out on either side because she couldn't kneel. She glanced at the back of the room, unable to stop herself from finding Sybari in the crowd, looking shocked and pitying. Someone swept into the room at a commanding strut. King Bahelmar walked towards them, hulking and intimidating, dressed in the finest. While her sisters stood, May bowed her head along with everyone else in the room. He'd dragged them away from their work so they could feed his ego and bask in his glory. Though they were hardly basking, more like kneeling uncomfortably or grovelling with faces an inch from the floor.

The Queen stepped forwards to greet him as his climbed the steps. "Bahelmar"

"Depravia, we have much to discuss." He kissed her forehead.

"So I would assume."

He turned to Despondia and held her jaw. "I have missed your pretty face."

"And I have missed our xiangqi games."

He stroked her arms. "We will play tomorrow, after breakfast." He kissed the top of her head. "It's always nice to see my daughters together."

He moved the couple of steps he needed to stand in front of May. His heavy hand patted her on the head, then forced her head down like she was a dog. It held barely a whiff of affection, and was much more about reminding her of her place. Sometimes he was a bit nicer when he greeted her, satisfied with a quick pat or hair ruffle. Not today.

His entourage had followed him in, some fifteen or so demons now behind him. One of them came forward, brazenly climbing up the dais. It was Anarah, her sisters' mother. She embraced Despondia and fussed over her, before turning her attentions on Depravia. They all ignored May like she was a piece of furniture, Anarah refusing to even look in her direction. May did her best to tune out, not wanting to hear the pleasant words their mother had for them.

Once they'd finished their little reunion, Depravia descended to greet whoever out of the group was worth greeting. Then she clapped her hands and addressed the King.

"Let us have lunch and converse."

Her sisters flanked Bahelmar and marched him out of the room, followed closely by Anarah and a couple of the entourage. The gorgon servant rushed over to help May up as gracefully as could be done from an awkward position with stiff legs. When she reached the door the room behind her was filled with scuffling as everyone else took their cue to leave. The servants had just finished putting the final touches on the dining room as she entered. Only three chairs had been laid out, but May walked straight to the back corner to stand out of the way. There would be lots people at dinner, ones she outranked, so she'd be allowed sit at the table. But with only the King and her sisters, she was relegated to another cushion somewhere he couldn't see her.

Two female imps waited in her usual spot at the centre of the table, wearing skimpy gold outfits and giggling. They were twins, or very alike in looks. Their muddy grey skin turned red at the tips of their fingers, toes, and their large fin-like ears. They had hair that grew out red and became white the further it got from their scalps, having been slowly bleached by the sun. The gong sounded and they went dead stiff while the King, Queen, and Princess came in. Depravia sat in her chair on one side of the v-shaped table's point at the same time Bahelmar took the other, shunting Despondia down one seat. She didn't seem to mind, though if it were anyone besides her father May knew she'd be annoyed at having to give up HER spot.

May collapsed on her pillow and the twin imps sat on the floor under the table. Two servants brought out the food on large trays, beautifully arranged creations, but nothing compared to what the cooks could do given more time. A small fire demon slunk down the wall towards May, plate in hand. She glared at him and shook her head. Because of the rush, the Deploria sits on the ground memo had reached some staff but not others. And in the chaos that had to be going on in the kitchen, some well-meaning demon had plated up a serve of food for her.

"I do not eat off the floor!" she hissed quietly.

"Forgive me." He bowed as he backed away.

At the table, her family had already begun to feast. But there was business to contend with on this visit as well and, as she expected, some of it involved her.

"We have a lot to get through, but first I want you to know I didn't find that little joke of yours funny." The King glanced over his shoulder at May. "Do not send Deploria to me again."

Depravia fake gasped. "But she's your precious daughter. Weren't you happy to see her?"

"I don't want any of her misfortune in my kingdom."

"Absolutely," said Despondia. "We let her out to go to the market once. It's been endless pestilence ever since."

The King wasn't amused. "You're responsible for her, Depravia. Sending her through levels of hell unaccompanied is not appropriate."

The Queen pouted. "It was funny, Father."

Smiling, Despondia nodded. "It was funny."

"Just keep your sister bound and under control."

While her family gorged on food, May watched the nearby fire and played with a gold tassel on the edge of her cushion. After a while she noticed the imps had crawled between the King's legs. His tunic was pushed up and his large penis stood proud, crowned with a thick jewelled cock ring. Voraci had long dicks with triangular tips and a bulbous shaft covered with scales of skin on the underside. The twins lapped at it as they took turns sucking on the end with their fat red lips. One of them forced herself down enough to swallow what she could and started deep-throating him.

Now May was glad she hadn't eaten. She turned so she didn't have to watch, and smirked as she thought about his reaction if he looked under the table and found her, the cursed one, sucking him off instead. The idea disgusted her for more than one reason, but it was comical.

By the time they'd stopped eating, May was in pain and starting to fall asleep. They were saying something about the food and stealing Depravia's cooks. Dinner would be better.

"And then how will you amuse me?" Bahelmar asked his eldest daughter.

"I have my people out gathering the best performance troupes in the city. If you'd given me more time to prepare, I could have located some from further afar, but there are some excellent ones close by."

May jerked to attention. Best performers in the area? There was no way Sybari wasn't on that list.

***

The last of the servants came downstairs, having cleared out of the throne room as quickly as they could. Miluina had gone back to her cleaning duties and the incubi had been too busy to leave the kitchen in the first place. Not sure where she should go, Sybari got herself a glass of water and sat at a table in the mess hall. It had been exciting getting to see King Bahelmar, but seeing May have to sit on the ground broke her heart.

A red-scaled naga slithered into the room, papers in hand, looking flustered. Four nixies followed her and Sybari's eyes were instantly drawn to the groin of the only male in the group. His tiny tight fitting shorts couldn't hide the fat bulge there.

"Ssuccubusss!" the naga said, sliding over to the table. "You will dansse for the King."

"I will?"

"Yesss, yesss. If you would. He needsss an exssstravagant show and I am desssperate for performersss."

Sybari smiled. "I'd love to."

The King. What an honour!

The naga scribbled down on her paper, in pencil. She didn't have the time for blood ink and a quill. "You'll have to go with the nixiesss and ssstart working on sssomething."

She knew just the place to practice, the big hall outside May's suite. There was plenty of space and they would be out of the way.

The nixies were an acrobatics troupe, but were very flexible and skilled in dance. It wasn't long before they had the start of a routine choreographed. They were in the middle of teaching it to a trio of fire demons who had just joined them when the doors opened again. Sybari expected another new arrival, but it was Mayhem. She looked concerned to see them there.

"How was lunch?" Sybari asked, breaking formation.

"Tolerable. You've made some friends?"

"Yes."

May frowned, her eyes sad. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to. Performing for a lower-level King is an amazing privilege."

How could she put into words what it meant? She'd spent her life training, striving to be the best she could, and she was blessed to be naturally good at it. This was her talent and performing for people was her greatest joy. To have that recognised by important demons was wonderful.

May must have read it in her face, because she nodded slightly and moved away. She stood by the wall, ready to watch the practice.

Sybari grinned and pointed to the door. "No peeking! It's a surprise."

May rolled her eyes and shut herself inside her suite.

***

That evening May resumed her place on her velvet cushion, her sisters and father on her right. Chairs had been brought in for the visiting guests and the King's entourage sat on either side of the dais. Performers hid in waiting behind two wings set up to turn the throne room into a stage. A group of musicians started to play and the show opened with a dance. As the best dancer, Sybari was front and centre, with nixies and fire demons spaced symmetrically around her. The group wore red and orange fiery costumes. They were mismatched because they'd had to work with what they had, but they were close enough in colour that it worked. As they finished, the group parted with their choice of leap and moved to the sides. A group of dust demons started a tumbling pass across the floor. A second went diagonally the other way. They were tall creatures, black skinned with ghostly white hands and feet. They'd tied back their grey hair and hidden it under cute little pillbox hats to match their white and red military uniform-inspired outfits. The rest of their routine involved huge balance balls. One male walked on top of a large ball, rolling it into the centre. Another rolled in on a smaller one and jumped off. He threw the ball up to his friend and ran behind him to boost a female up onto his shoulders. She climbed from him onto the balancing male and crawled up his back to crouch and then stand on the ball he held above his head. The remaining four rolled out two medium sized balls and two of the demons climbed on. That left the smallest of them, a male and female to climb up onto their shoulders.

While the dust demons rolled away to safely dismount, the nixies came back dressed in blue green dappled leotards. On they walked, bent over so much their heads were between their knees. The next minute they were on the floor with their feet touching the ground in front of their faces. Two of them rolled over, tummy down, feet to the dais, and bent their heads back to touch their butts, lifting the feet so their heels met at their chins. The other two came behind them, put their jaw in the bottom nixies' feet and kicked over so they were in the same position mirrored above. They snaked their arms out on the sides, like some strange creature. They made Sybari look stiff.

Two ropes were lowered from the ceiling, attached to them were three hoops welded together in a vertical line. In hot pink and dark blue, Sybari came out to meet one and pulled herself gracefully into the bottom hoop. The rings were smaller than her lyra, but worked in a similar way. The other apparatus was taken by a female dark elf who mirrored her moves as the hoops rose. They hung from the rings by their legs and did splits, each weaving their bodies through the hoops in a series of moves. They were trying hard to be in sync, but Sybari was noticeably better.

The fire demons took the floor topless and in skimpy bottoms. The girls with flaming hula-hoops and the male twirling lit batons. He threw one to each of the girls and they spun them above their heads. When they tossed them back, he chucked them some smaller torches, which they juggled and passed to each other while hooping. His last trick was to "breathe" fire by lighting a mist he spit. It might excite humans, but May knew it would not impress her sisters, especially coming from a fire demon.

Next came two performers running in, circling the area holding lengths of chain. They leaped into the air, swinging around. The girl was the same dark elf who'd paired with Sybari on the hoop and by the way she climbed up the chain with ease, this was her specialty. Her partner was an incubus, broad and muscular with a leather harness criss-crossing his chest. A strap ran through his butt crack and his cock and balls were squeezed into a tiny pouch with silver spikes and strapped tightly to his groin. The chains lost momentum and hung straight to the floor. They worked like aerial silks, allowing the demons to hook them around their feet and do the splits. Then hold themselves upside down by one leg. They wound themselves up and tumbled down towards the ground. The girl abandoned her chains and ran over to climb up to the incubus. Wrapped in his chains, he held her while she pulled a few moves, before he made a swing for her to sit in. May enjoyed their display it was sexy and romantic.

Another couple of tumbling lines went through and the fire demons came back out to juggle small silver rings while the chain duo got down. Sybari brought out a hula hoop spinning on one arm. She raised it above her head, spinning it around her hand. Then she lifted one leg carefully into the centre and switched to spinning it around her foot. While she was off stage, she'd removed her panties and now everyone could see her pink vulva and the long chains dangling down from her lips. Reaching back, she did a walkover with her leg still in the air keeping the hoop moving.

The nixies ran on and dropped to the floor down the front. Feet over their heads and heads on butts, they built a pyramid. Sybari ditched her hoop and climbed on top doing her slightly less flexible version of the contortion. When she got down she picked up something else she'd brought with her. She hid behind two nixies doing a balance, but May watched her reach between her legs and insert the object in her vagina. Sybari stood up and kicked into a handstand split. Her slit glistened with moisture and the chains tugged at her labia. May felt a twinge in her nethers.