Nakuma melted into Yuki when it was her turn to get cleaned. I didn't help clean her. I had to start washing the pretty tails around me. I began with Mai, her's is the easiest, then Calli since she just has one bushy tail instead of nine.

Then I realized just how poorly timed I did everything. I should've gotten bathed first, then focused on everyone's tails. I've had to cheat a bit with my mana to clean off Yuki's tails. Mai and Calli did go sit down on the edge to relax at least, so I'm not keeping the pregnant women standing. If you don't count me in that group. I'm only a week or so pregnant, including all my skills.

The soft, long fur looks so funny when it's wet. All the volume is gone, lost most of its soft feeling, but it is still so nice to run my hands through. Twitching about with their own mind, flicking me with water as I work the shampoo into them. Yuki and Nakuma rest in each other's arms as I try to work quickly through their tails. The brushing side is the more important part of getting the tails pretty. I'm not sure why, but brushing them by hand just gets them to shiny more than when you use mana. Plus, Mai purrs really softly while you brush her tail, and it's so cute. Yuki's too dignified to make a noise, but maybe Calli will do something as well.

Last is Nakuma, her tails flurry around as she's in Yuki's embrace. Not a care for the head wife trying to clean her pretty tails.

"Nakuma," I say. "You'll need to control at least the one I'm trying to clean, or this won't work."

"Warm," Nakuma says.

"That isn't a response."

"Nakuma, stop your tails," Yuki commands.

"Anything for you," Nakuma drools.

Well, no need to guess who she loves. Wish I could focus on those I actually love like that, and I think I don't have to feel bad if I leave Yuki to Nakuma most of the time.

But I have some tails that are calm enough to work with now, so I get to work—running my fingers through some more soft tails. They still move more than Yuki's, but I'll live. She'll have to learn how to keep them still when I get the brush out, though, I'm going to get some crazy tails perfect. I get to have some standards for my work now.

Just a few more minutes till Calli can dry us off, if my kid lets her. Maybe I can try negotiating with her? I can just try confusing her for long enough to have Calli work her magic. Worst case, we can just do it ourselves.

*** Vanya, still during the meeting ***

"So," I say, feeling for my kids. I still struggle to understand how I woke up to so many kids. Stupid princess tricking Alzi just to breed me like some rabbit. "Does anyone have a good plan? One that won't have Victoria laughing at us."

"The basics are, you and Vanya have to get Alzi to notice and care about your pregnancy. The rest of us just have to prove our value in the war, and then after that, maybe we throw Elyne in her bed?" Ioelena says. "I don't know. We were counting on Shimmer and Geta to figure Alzi out, and all we have now is a pregnant princess and a valkyrie who is now Alzi's servant. If we get a break in the war, we should plan a lunch or something to have with Alzi. Long-term, we just have to work hard to be good parents. Between Isda, Vanya, and Inanos, we'll have plenty of kids to watch grow up. Maybe we should just be happy to sneak back into a marriage with Alzi."

"Great, so I got breed like some common incubator with no love or care so that we can all just be happy to have some kids to raise?" I say. "A damn maid is getting to have a bath with our wife, pampered while we hardly get looked at! I won't get to help anyone in the upcoming war. I look halfway through already."

"You aren't that big yet," Ioelena says.

"Not that big? What are you comparing me to Alzi when she had twelve kids or Esiyae? I'm massive."

"You're just used to having a flat, strong stomach," Syro says. "You'll get massive. This is just a sharp transition. Sorry to say it'll get worse, but it'll get worse."

"And I get no love because some fucks couldn't figure out how to make Alzi happy, despite her telling all of us the fucking answer the first damn night! We put her on the fourth floor for nothing. Failed to bring in a single woman she loves. Put her up in the world's first brothel hospital, and now the best we can do is promise to fight Goddesses so that she'll marry us. We could've just made her the headwife immediately and skipped all these issues."

"Glad you fucking listen," Victoria laughs. "Found your fucking problem. You can't fucking listen."

"You haven't given us anything new," I say. "We've been saying this shit since Elora wouldn't marry Alzi's Mother."

It always comes back to this. I guess we haven't had this discussion that often. But it feels like we've been stuck here forever. Maybe that's just me not being able to train anymore or something. But Inanos, Ioelena, Elyne, Syros, and I have had these kinds of discussions often; the last few just haven't had much hope in them. It really feels like Shimmer, Geta, and Elora blasted a hole in the hull of our ship and tied us to the mast.

Maybe I just go the direct route? It seems getting on their hands and knees worked well for the Princesses. She has to have some care for the eight kids Elora tricked her into filling me with.

Eight. Fucking eight kids at once.

"Oh, Vanya," Ioelena says. "I'm sorry. I should've pushed for us to get a chance with her. But none of us could've guessed that they would fail so bad at building a relationship with Alzi."

"I'm pregnant, the headwife and husband hate me, and I'm going to be useless in the war. Why? I was nice. I wanted to marry her Mother. I asked for it. What did I do wrong? I like her. I thought I was kind. Why is there a maid who gets treated better? I don't need her to bathe me, but why can't I get invited to her bed? I wanted to be comforted by my husband! I'm scared."

Inanos is the first to hug me. Another that got bred by Alzi. It feels nice having her nearby. I have to admit she looks bigger than me, but only due to her small frame. I'll be beating her soon; size can only make up for so much when I double her count.

"I know," Inanos says. "We know she cares about the kids. She risked so much to save the one Elora carries. We'll be safe."

"But I want more," I whisper. I'm stupid to want it. The special ones already ruined it for the rest of us.

"We just have to work for it," Inanos says. "She told me to make up for the mistakes. We can do it."

"She hates us."

"Yes."

So comforting. Especially with Victoria looking at us. I hope Alzi bloats her up and we get to see how she loves this feeling.

*** Alzi ***

We just had some simple robes and slippers to make it back to my room. Nakuma needed decisively more mana to get clean, and a lot less mana to get dry. Her tails are pretty when they wag behind her, so I can't be too mad about it. I wonder how she would react if I got her pregnant enough to be bed-bound. She may look for ways to kill me if I don't bind Yuki besides her, so I may have to wait a while to test that out. But it could be fun.

My unborn child inside Calli let her use her mana enough to get us all dry. Not that it really needed to be Calli, but it felt right to do. It did seem like Calli's mana shimmered a bit, but that could just be my lights playing some tricks on me.

"Strip!" I command after we all get inside my room. "Time to get these tails perfect. Mai on your side, Yuki and Nakuma on your bellies, and all keep your tails relaxed. Then Calli sits on the bed and puts your tail on my lap."

"Yes, your Highness," Calli squeaks, shuffling to the bed. Mai shakes her head a bit but gets into bed. Nakuma practically throws Yuki into the bed. Luckily, there's plenty of space, so she doesn't hit anyone.

"Be careful, Nakuma. There are pregnant women around," I say, joining them in my bed. So many soft things in my bed now!

Now, I do cheat a bit for these tails. The best results are to give them a bit of life mana without any plan. Not that I could ever give my mana a plan before, or limit how much mana is around them. But now I should be able to figure out the right amount of life mana to get the perfect shine.

Calli gives out a little squeak when I first run the brush through her tail, but settles in quickly. Her tail is on the shorter end, so even with the bush, it won't take long to get it all tamed and perfect. Each stroke of the brush has a purpose behind it. Made to work out the little knots and encourage the pretty little hairs to grow strong. To accept the life mana, I'm bunching up around them and using it.

The motion quickly lulls the dogkin to sleep, her head resting on my shoulder where I can tease her fluffy ears—blowing at them and getting the maid to giggle softly in her sleep.

I need to learn a song to hum during this. I'm sure to have a few kids with some tails, and that would be so fun! Brush their little tails as I hum a song to put them to sleep, and then take their Mother or father to bed and put them to sleep the same way. Maybe work on giving the kid a sister in the morning.

I get the happiest thoughts handling soft fur in my hands, and Calli is a great addition to the collection.

"All done," I whisper, giving Calli a little kiss on the top of her head. I carefully get her legs onto the bed and get her set up on her side with a pillow to hug. "Mai."

"Yes, dear," Mai says, shifting over to the side of the bed. Her tail is a little too long to fit in my lap. Fine way to big to fit in my lap, but I'll make it work. I always do.

Quickly, I get her low-purp and pouting face. "You're so cute when you do that," I say.

"It's embarrassing."

"We're all married here, or a maid."

"You're lucky I like you."

"Yes, I am," I say. Mia's short hair is different to brush. It doesn't have the same chances of getting tangled or split. But it still feels great to run through it with a brush, and I swear it helps the fur take in the life mana. The mana isn't there to move it or anything, just reinvigorate the hair. I think. I wonder if there is someone who has study that? Maybe Nanoka would know? She has a lot of tails, and they look really pretty. I'm sure she knows all the tricks to keeping them healthy.

"Fuuuuuuck," Yuki groans out behind me. I don't know if that ruins the mood or pushes it forward. But it is strange, she's never done that before.