Foxy didn't need a guide to help her find what she was looking for. The painful cries of a woman giving birth would have been easy enough for a normal person to hear, even without her sensitive ears. Their owner had brought their papers but explained that he had left them in the servants quarters for the imminent birthing. Hannah had told her to take care of it so Foxy sought them out. She entered the room unnoticed, the noise and distractions keeping them far too busy to register her entry. There were three of them, all Emberborn. The woman on the bed struggling to push at the directions of the midwife on her knees at the end of the bed. The father was behind the mother holding both of her hands. Foxy waited at the far end of the dank basement room for everything to be over.
It was only a few more minutes before the midwife lifted up a tiny form, the sudden silence was horrifying. The midwife plunged her finger down the tiny snout to clear any blockages. The exhausted couple started to wail in despair at the silence and Foxy winced in sympathetic pain until a high pitched howl filled the room. Emotions flipped from pain and grief to utter joy and relief. The midwife handed over the howling pup to the parents and wept with joy. A rare thing for her to ever see. It was only as she turned to fetch a clean towel that she noticed Foxy standing there in her uniform with the rifle slung over her shoulder.
"Oh!" she gave the midwife a start.
Foxy was weeping herself and waved at her to relax. "Don't mind me."
The parents looked up at her, confused. They didn't recognize her and had never seen one of their own armed or bearing the seal of the Duke on her uniform.
Foxy noticed a piece of paper on the table. It was a bill of ownership, name and description blank. She walked over and snatched it up. Then, with the bills of the other three Emberborn in her hand, she put them over the candle that had been providing light. They watched as they burned to ash.
"The Duchess ordered all Emberborn free." Foxy looked at the parents. "I will help you cut off your collars. But your child," She paused to muster her conviction. "Your child will NEVER wear one!"
They were stunned as Foxy went about cutting them free. They hadn't been told what had happened and she explained in more detail. Free and resting, they watched Foxy leave.
Only a few feet down the hall, Foxy collapsed on the floor, crying hard. In all her life, she had always dreamed of being able to do what she had done. It seemed a fantasy for so long and now she had done it. Her body could scarcely handle the emotions that roared through it.
****
Hannah watched as the last of the tents, normally reserved for carnivals or other special occasions, were set up in the garden to house the Emberborn. More and more flooded onto the palace grounds after news spread. Some were even already free but were searching for their families. Hannah made it clear that they were all welcome and all to be fed.
"Well," Cat started. "Unemployment is already down."
"Good. Busy people are less likely to cause problems. What about the other kind of unemployed?"
"Liddy is taking care of that." Cat replied.
****
Liddy moaned as best as she could with her throat full as the man holding her legs in the air thrust between them. Her head hung off the edge of the bed to make it easier for the man down her throat to get his full length inside. The brothers had thought they fooled her into agreeing to the entanglement but Liddy had kept their minds focused on it rather than the terms of their agreements that weighed heavily in her favour. While doing the mental arithmetic in her head while two men penetrated her wasn't easy, Liddy had the practice and was happy with how things would work out. She just hoped that Ving was as successful with the man she had sent her with.
****
The man wretched his guts out on the deck of the landing pad after scrambling out of Ving's racer. After boasting about his constitution being better than any woman's, Ving had decided to test it. She smiled politely, waiting for him, and feeling relaxed after the free-flying fun she had. The man was a mess, unable to stand, and she tried not to let on that she was amused.
"Your cook should be more careful with your food," she commented, throwing his pride a lifeline.
"Yes." was all he muttered as he nodded.
Not that there was much food in his belly to begin with, but Ving knew he would be easier to deal with if he felt vulnerable without being disgraced. She wished he could have just been more polite and had fun in the racer with her like she had planned.
****
Cat was on her knees, running her tongue along the stiffened shaft in her hands while Hannah stripped him of his jacket. He had come in, upset that the food stores were dwindling and insufficient for the birthday celebrations of the young Lady Louise. Now, he was sufficiently distracted with the lips of his Duchess on his while her silk covered breasts pressed against his chest. Cat lifted Hannah's dress and slid him inside her as she jumped to put her legs around him.
He took Hannah against the wall and, rather more gently than she prefered, thrust her against it. Feeling Cat pressing her breasts into his back as she kissed and caressed him, he forgot entirely why he had come in. It didn't matter, he was going to enjoy himself rather than be afraid it was all a dream.
Hannah turned his head to kiss Cat as she came around, relieving some of the pressure on her so she could slide down to the floor. Taking her turn on his manhood, Hannah pushed it deep inside herself and worked her head vigorously until his knees got weak and he stumbled to the floor.
Cat wasted no time and straddled the man, letting Hannah guide him inside, before working her hips over him. She kissed Hannah who came to face her, also straddling the man. Cat felt her breasts pressing against Hannah's and moved off the man to let Hannah feel him inside herself again. She gripped the breasts in front of her and bit down on them when she was ready to have the man penetrate her body again.
They switched back and forth several times before his seed burst inside Cat just as she had gotten him again. Hannah stood up, and while Cat felt him flowing into her, she pulled her by the black hair to taste her. Hannah let her dress fall over Cat who worked her tongue inside the Duchess until she had satisfied her other partner. When Cat was let go, she fell forward to kiss the man on the floor, feeling Hannah putting her hands to work, finally letting Cat climax. It didn't take long, and the man was still inside her when the fingers exploring her made her shiver.
The details of the party would have to wait until everyone had caught their breath.
****
Vile walked through the throng of Emberborn, holding a pallet of food over her head and set it down where volunteers were preparing meals. The one thing they didn't lack were people able to prepare food. They tried to have everyone doing a little bit of work to keep them busy. When she caught some slacking off, she just smiled at them to let them know it was alright. People doing nothing was better than the handful who still thought they had to steal to survive. She spotted Easy with her mother gathering a gaggle of children to get them some food. She knew Inky wasn't happy with the chaos while trying to admit guests into the palace for the birthday celebrations, but she was managing.
****
Inky wanted to pull hair out -- hers or someone else's. It wasn't that her job was difficult so much as the guests. Why they couldn't follow directions and stop asking the same questions was beyond her. They had all the information, they could see what was going on, and they could all ask each other. Yet they insisted on speaking to someone with rank before they believed her. When she heard a voice bellow she thought someone had snapped, but her eyes quickly locked on the most recent guest to arrive. Duke Ostenburg from the capital had arrived and was calling for everyone to order. When they finally got face to face, Inky sighed with gratitude and relief.
"My thanks. I thought taking orders from nobility was frustrating until I had to herd them like..." Inky cut herself off before comparing them to livestock. "My thanks."
He laughed, grinning. "My dear, it gets worse when you have power. Imagine this, but instead of trying to ignore you as much as possible, they quest for favours."
"I think I'd be a tyrant, ruling through fear and an iron fist. I suddenly understand the old emperor."
The Duke laughed again. "A healthy bout with violent fantasy is the mark of a sane person. Now, I hope you don't mind my escorting soldiers. I brought a few dozen since I heard what had happened here. Figured you could use the help."
"Most appreciated. Your troops are about the only ones I can trust beyond my own." Inky replied.
****
Mari was keeping an eye on the soldiers. In part, because they weren't entirely trusted to act intelligently, but also because watching fit men run about was arousing to her. They had been managing the inflow of Emberborn as well as party guests all while trying to keep up their regular duties. Troops from the army had been tapped, to supplement their forces as well, so it was an organizational shitshow. At least it was until Hannah had swooped in and sorted them out. Now, all Mari had to do was see if anything looked out of place. Unfortunately for her attempts to ogle, something was.
A Leftenant was sweating with concern as a few men approached him, all shaking their heads. Mari walked up to him and, as he put his hand up to dismiss her, she struck him in the nose like Hannah had taught her.
"Don't you dare presume to dismiss me!" she shouted at him as he cradled his nose, bleeding. "You look like something is wrong. Report!"
"I don't report to you!" he shouted from under the hands that tried to stop the flow of blood.
"You can report to me or I take you to see the Duchess directly. Your choice."