Page 12 of Of Skulls Of Shackles

“Your letters to us were a poorly disguised threat,” snapped Princess Take.

I tilted my head. “Did it seem so?”

“Why have you brought us here?” Black flooded the skin around her eyes, giving the illusion of a masquerade mask. The monster of desire was annoyed indeed.

I settled back. “You might have guessed by now that I have gained some power over princesses. Such power should be explored, and it struck me that there may be bad feeling between some of you after recent events.”

Princess Take turned her venom to the occupants of the couch. “You mean aftersheslimed me to the wall for two nights?”

“You are vexed,” said Princess Bring. “But remember you were very sad when you believed me dead.”

Take’s voice rose in a screech. “I should be relieved you live when you faked your death and made me sad in the first place?”

Princess Bring considered that. “You are angry at me for faking my death. I was very heartened to witness all of your sorrows from my dehydrated state. Change, you interrupted your numbness for a time, and Take, you even stopped tending to your king’s cock. Raise, you were in on the whole thing, but I do like to think you might cry in such a way if I really died.”

“Ididhurry along his fulfilment,” Princess Take withered. “Only to find that you stomp upon our long-held acquaintance. And then you have the gall to slime me to the queendom of… of…”

“The queen whose crotch you nuzzled,” Raise supplied.

Take glared at her. I wondered if Princess Raise had always challenged Take’s ancientness so.

“Acquaintances are all we have been for centuries,” echoed Change. “We are not the friends we once were. I am not annoyed by your fake death, Princess Bring. I thank you for the extra ruin it caused. My king was very happy to see your death, and then hardly less so for all the hurt that came once you were alive again. Your king is in no small amount of agony over his situation.”

“But you would feel sorrow if I died,” Princess Bring stated.

Change hesitated. “I would welcome its ruin. I would feel relief that your trial was done.”

Princess Bring’s blob pushed up in a smile. “I am heartened that you still hesitate before offering ruinous words.”

There came no reply to that.

I said, “Princess Change, I must apologize to you for committing violence against you recently.”

“Againsther. What about your violence againstme?” demanded Princess Take.

“I should apologize for it, but I will be honest instead and say that I enjoyed pushing you to the ground. I enjoyed that you left the interaction humiliated. I enjoyed cracking your king’s heart when he has been so vocal about cracking mine. That aside, I wish to treat you better in the future.”

Princess Take’s mouth was ajar. “You mean to say that you relished physically and emotionally mistreating me, and seeking revenge on my king, but you will try your best not to do so again.”

I considered that. “Yes, that is a great summation.”

“Try your best,” she repeated.

I clapped my hands. “Then all that remains is the matter between Princess Raise delaying Princess Change so that I could attack her.”

Raise shrugged a shoulder. “I would do it again. Just business.”

“Her delay was an act of ruin, and I am a servant of ruin,” said Princess Change. “I forgot myself for a time after you attacked when I should have numbly accepted the happenings, but I strive not to err from the path of ruin until smoldering blades shred me and I burn to death in the healing fire of The Real End.

That seemed settled then, though there was a tension in the lounge that implied that princesses were not content. They were rather different from pawns, and I had never had many female human friends to compare them to.

I scanned them. “So everyone is fine?”

“I’m fine,” said Princess Take, then Bring and Change offered versions of the same comment, while Princess Raise only grunted.

Did the word “fine” mean the same to them?

The princess of Change looked at me, but did not focus on me as such. “Why do you wish me to spend one week in your queendom?”

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