*** Alzi ***

Sarania didn't come with us. It makes sense; her sister needs her, but it kept me from helping Zarzi with the pain. Around seventy-five, she lost her voice, and she passed out around eighty for a few minutes. But near the end, the eggs seemed to just slide out of her.

Not sure if that's a good thing, really.

Once the last egg was out, Zarzi passed out again.

"Now, my Queen," one of Zarzi's wives says. "You. You need to fill the trench with your magma to keep the eggs warm."

"I don't have good control over it," I say. "I don't know what I did the few times it has come out."

"My Queen, it will obey you," the wife says. "Please. Don't think of spitting it out or something. It behaves the same as the other forms of mana. Just will it out. Tell it to warm your children. It'll pour out then. I promise. We've heard how you've used it in the past. That was just the easiest way for it to escape in your anger. With a calm mind, you can do it naturally."

"Dear, we shouldn't..."

"It is fine," the wife says, cutting off the other. "This is the last thing needed before we sleep. We aren't blessed with the affinity, so we can't help you, my Queen. I beg of you to help our wife."

"I'll try," I say. "I did make her go through all this even if I thought it would just kill her." Probably shouldn't share that, but I'm tired, and they seem to know already that was my thinking. Or being the Queen gets people to accept what you say.

I go to the edge and look at all the white eggs Zarzi birthed. Why did they take so long to form? Are the babies nearly ready? Kou said just a month, so I suppose they are. Just such a strange thing to have eggs and be pregnant for months at a time, and then have to wait longer to hold the babies in your arms.

Looking into my breasts, or gates to be proper, and see the magma mana bubbling at the top. Are you really ready to come out on command? Stuck-up bitch. Just pushing me around and growing my lust while refusing to show up when I want it, oh, just going to bubble more as I complain about you! Silly thing. You get to come out for me.

Well, time to be useful now. If you don't work the same, I'm going to pray to Dragon and have her punish you or something. Should I pray to her before I go to bed?

'Morning, silly girl. Stop talking to mana and just use it already. This is painful to watch. It will behave, just will it out of those pretty breasts already.'

'Fucking bitch! Get out of my head.'

'Then stop thinking about your mana and use it! I can't help what I hear from my temples. Then be careful calling Goddesses bitches. We have feelings as well, and you know how we can get. I may just ask that true dragon to come by and mate you into submission!'

'Do it, and Fertility will make her barren!'

'Good girl. Now stop stalling. It won't burn you, and the kids will love it. You need practice if you're going to turn Zarzi into a true broodmother. We haven't had one in thousands of years, and I'm getting kind of excited for it.'

I could use the practice. I never got around to it before. Always had something. I wonder if I'll get a body just for using mana. Dragon said to just will it out, so I skipped the whole circulation thing and drew it directly out. It bubbles a bit, then relents and comes outs. Stupid thing.

Quickly, I get a little ball of magma in front of me, and then it starts to pour into the trench. It's slow to spread out, so I have to move it around the trench. I really could use the sleep. My second body is already sleeping in a big pile with my kids in the temple. I have a number of wives here; I could mimic that with them. Too bad Nanoka isn't around. Kou just doesn't have the reach with her ten tails.

I still haven't figured out how they get more. It has to be by age.

"Kou," I say. "Why do you have ten tails, and Yuki and Nakuma have nine, and Nanoka has a lot of them?"

"Age, My Queen. It isn't a set number of years, so every birthday we hope to wake up to one more, until counting them becomes too hard. Then you just realize after a few centuries you have a lot more mass."

"So it's kind of luck that Nakuma and Yuki have the same number?"

"Kind of. They are the same age, so it is expected that they would be close. Generally, it is about 20 years for one tail."

Yuki is about a hundred and eighty years old and was a virgin!

"How old is Yuki?"

"About what you expected, My Queen. I'm two hundred and four. Yuki is one hundred and seventy. Royals are more likely to get their ninth early."

I'm about halfway through the trench at this point. "Doesn't magma turn into rock?"

"The kids will be able to break through," the wife says. "This is what our Goddess instructed us to do."

"I know. She told me to do it as well," I say. "Even threatened to set the true dragon on my ass."

"You have a strange relationship with the Goddess," the wife says. "Zarzi got more than just threats."

"What is your name?" I ask. I'll be married to them, I should know their names at least.

"I am Thazi, and Zarzi's other wife is Cisu," Thazi says.

"Sorry for putting Zarzi through all this. I was a little grumpy when she challenged me."

"Do not worry," Cisu says. "You're paying her back by filling the trench. Since she didn't die in childbirth, Zarzi would normally be the one doing that."

"That seems stupid," I say.

"That is just because normally it is the Queen that is carrying the brood. This is the right way to do it," Thazi says. "The stronger one should fill the trench."

"It's fine," I say. "I hardly think this is making it equal."

"No," Thazi says. "This makes it so you will marry her."

"I was going to do that anyway," I say. "She can't give me a hundred kids and then run off on me. Tomorrow I marry her and Elora."

"Not the old Queens?" Cisu asks.

"They're dead, so no," I say.

"It's surprising to hear the Queens are dead," Cisu says. "They felt ever-present in our lives. But it's a good thing for them to be gone now. Thank you for filling the trench, and thank you for humbling our dear wife. It was a painful few months for her, but she loved it and learned to love us as well. It was good for our marriage. She's ready to marry you now. She's ready to be a good wife with us."

I fill in the last section of the trench and do a quick scan to make sure all the eggs are completely covered. "She did seem to need an attitude adjustment. I'm happy she's treating you both correctly now. I hope you three are happy in my harem. I've got a lot of work to do on it. It's grown rather large quickly."

"A queen should have a large harem," Thazi says. "That's how everyone knew Phollo wasn't the true Queen. She doesn't have a harem. Phrogni doesn't either. Likely due to what was causing her to let Phollo be the Queen."

"Loving her sister too much," I say. "Not that I can say much. I've gotten my Mommy pregnant twice now."

"Yes, making me your mate even," Mommy says. "I was begging for it, but I'm holding it over you, silly girl."

"Well, I love you. So. Ready for some sleep?" I ask. "I am, and I have a great group to cuddle with." Am I ever going to pick out my next classes? I'm too tired to think about it right now."

"That is a great idea, My Queen," Kou says. "You have two bodies. Would you be alright with hugging Zarzi on both sides? She could use some extra healing tonight, I think."

"That sounds nice. She did just give me a bunch of kids."

"Come on, baby," Mommy says. "Give your dear wives some love. Just not too much. We're all tired."

"Of course."

*** Nanoka, a little later ***

"Lady Nanoka," Kou says. "Ready to join your wives?"

"You're really going to force me over to her?" I ask. How did she manage to be here as I woke up? Maids are scary.

"Yes, you have a job to complete. You must be insane to think I'm going to let you lose out to Elora or Shimmer. Get up and come with me. Alzi needs a blanket, and your tails are perfect for that. Stop being a scared little girl. You're too old to be shy, or have you forgotten what it meant to be married?"

"Why are maids so strict?" I ask. "Even with their lady. I haven't had a month since my cycle started. I thought I was just making it up."

"Because we get blamed when things don't turn out right," Kou says. "Now up you go. And I'll need to get you some time with Shyla. You don't show enough skin."

"Kou!"

"I know what I said, and I stand by it. I don't need your tits popping out or have you needing to be perfect with your movements to keep your vagina and ass from showing under the skirt, but you can show a bit of cleavage again. I've seen the paintings."

"I knew this was a mistake," I say. I really got tricked into this one.

"Knew this was a mistake? You picked this. I know your Mother and grandmother were willing to come here instead. You said yes to this assignment and then got cold feet. Good thing Alzi doesn't let women die around her easily. Puts you back on track."

This girl! "You're talking like my Mother!"

"Who do you think trained me? Your daughter? Come on, marshmallow. We've got a wife to impress."

"I'm going to kill that woman," I grumble. "Don't you ever use that name again! That was one good thing about my wives dying, I didn't have to hear that nickname anymore. I'm not having you bring it back."

"Then get up, and My Queen won't hear about it. From me."

Oh, why did Aurora make Alzi get a true maid? I can't let Alzi meet my Mother. She'll spill it all for her. "I'm getting up," I say. "I'm getting up."

"I see that. Don't fight me on the tails either. You need to bring them all out for her."

"You'd better put in a good word for me," I say. "Do you know how many tails I have to bring out for that!"

"Do you want me to do the math? Alzi was asking about how we get more of them. I think she would be interested to see how many you would have."

"Now you're just trying to get me mad," I say. "You're going to wind up in Alzi's bed one day with your cage missing."

"I've accepted that I'm going to be spending a lot of time pregnant. I just need to make it till everything has settled down, and then I can worry about kids and helping Alzi. Now, march that pretty ass of yours over to my Queen and give them an extra wife to snuggle with and a blanket. I know you'll love it."

"You're asking to join Yuki being stuck in bed," I say. This girl really wants to turn me into some young girl blushing at the thought of my lover!

"I would never be stuck with Yuki. I've only ever helped my Queen. I would be stuck in her bed, not Yuki's," Kou says, turning around and walking out. I just shake my head and follow her. I didn't really think Alzi got women pregnant this easily when I agreed to this. But maybe it would be fun to join Yuki, well, not literally, I would be stuck in my own bed, not Nakuma's, but it could be fun. Not having to worry about a Queendom while pregnant. It should be relaxing, just worrying about keeping my wife and kids happy this time.

Force Kou to join me as well. Bold maid.