"Are you absolutely certain?" she snapped.

The brother before her—a loyal adherent—bowed low. "Yes, your Highness. There was no sign of the Scepter or any of the others. By the will of the remaining Regalia, we expanded the range of our search, to no avail. It has been more than a bell since they were to return with their findings, and we fear… they may not return at all."

The Princess calmed her features, replacing them again with the serene, demure appearance she usually maintained. It would not do to lose control. No, not when her Prince was sitting right there, before an audience no less. Her precious Prince. She could not allow anything to happen to him. She would not allow anything to happen to him. She could feel him, stirring under the surface. Damn it all! Why did this have to happen? None of it made any sense.

The first team, while weak, was still composed of over a dozen loyal initiates. They had lived together, eaten together, killed together. And now, she could only assume that they had died together.

But how? She had sent them past the veil precisely to avoid the prying eyes, and they had kept a low profile so far. Staying out of sight, take nobody who would be missed, and avoiding those damned Vagrants. What could have possibly happened? How could they have possibly fucked up such simple instructions?

And now a second team was missing, led by the Scepter and filled with talented brothers and sisters. Damn it all! She should have ordered him to remain when he had eagerly requested to prove himself in the field, but it had been such a convenient way to inspire everyone! How was she supposed to have known that he would go and disappear? Why couldn't everyone just do as she said?

Damn it all!

The Princess closed her eyes and looked down at the prostrated adherent through the Prince's, reaching for his power. To her dismay, she found the well far fuller than it had been. That meant the Scepter had either died or broken free, and his pathetic will could never have escaped her brother's Gift. "So they're dead." she muttered with his mouth.

"I'm afraid we must assume the worst," the adherent responded with the slightest tremor.

A sign of doubt, perhaps? That would not be acceptable. The Princess knew that this one had served well. He was so close to shedding those last few imperfections and joining the ranks of the exemplars. Doubt would not be allowed to fester.

"Rise, good brother, and rest," she commanded with her Prince's voice, dismissing him.

The Princess closed the Prince's eyes and opened her own again. The adherent was turning to leave and had opened the door no small amount when she struck. "Wait!"

The adherent stopped dead in his tracks despite her words being directed at her Prince. She looked shyly up at him, and the fear came easily. "My Love, what does this mean? Have we… have we truly lost some of our beloved brothers and sisters?" she asked with a gasping sob. She leaned into him, seeking the comfort of his embrace. "Why are we being attacked? What are we going to do?" she whispered, loudly enough for the adherent to hear.

She looked down at herself through the Prince's eyes, wrapping one of his arms around her slender frame. "My Dearest," she cooed with his voice, "I would never let anything happen to you. There are those out there who would try to hurt us, who would see the world fall to anarchy, but that is why we are here. That is why we do what we do."

She let her body melt into his while straightening out his form. His regal majesty had already entranced the adherent, who stared up in awe. Faintly, she could see activity outside as others inevitably peeked in. This was perfect. They were perfect.

"That is why we must continue!" she continued in his strong voice, slowly adding zeal and passion until she was certain that even those outside could hear. "That is why we must bring order! If our brothers and sisters might shed blood even with the protection we have wrought, then imagine a world filled with nothing but chaos and violence! This is why we must all do our parts, to guide those who rely upon us and to obey those who guide our path."

She saw the adherent shudder in fear and disgust from the corner of the Prince's eye.

The Princess continued on through her brother's mouth. "I will protect you, my Dearest. This I swear."

The adherent before them had shed a tear, and the Princess opened her own eyes, letting her tears flow as well as she looked up at her Prince's beautiful face. "Oh, my Love, your words sooth my soul and calm my heart. What would we be without you? You're right, it is only because of each other that we are all safe. We need each other. We all need each other."

The Prince, steered by her will, stood up and gazed down at the brother below while her own body stared up at him with unfeigned adoration. She opened his mouth and spoke once more.

"Adherent! Brother! Hear me! In the pursuit of our purpose, we must all make sacrifices, but there comes a time when the cost is too great. I cannot—will not—trade the lives of yet more of my people. My heart cannot stand to see more precious brothers and sisters shed their blood for us."

The Princess released a heaving sob beside him, and the adherent before them was beginning to tear up as well. She could tell he was clinging on to every word.

"Hear my command!" she roared through the Prince. "Order every field team to cease their missions, cover their trails, and return at once. They are not safe, and until they are, I can know no peace. That is my first decree."

The Princess rose forth and flung herself onto her Prince, clinging tightly to his arm. "But my Lord, what of our progress? Are we to sit in here and cower in fear? Has it all been for naught?"

She raise his hand and, with a regal, sweeping gesture, silenced her wailing. "And what kind of King would I be if I traded my people for an empty kingdom to rule over?" she asked herself with his hoarse voice. "How could I wear a crown soaked in the blood of my precious brothers and sisters?"

The Princess sobbed even harder into his shoulder in response, and the adherent below shed tears like two rivers streaming down his face. There were faint echoes of crying from those just outside the chamber as well.

"No," her Prince declared. "I will not send my subjects to die for me. I will not betray my people. And we will not cower in fear."

The Princess and adherent stopped wiping their tears at the same time to stare silently up at his majesty. She shaped his countenance until it was firm and resolute before reciting the next line.

"We have such resourceful exemplars who have done the unseen and unheard work of surveying our enemies. They are my eyes and my ears, and they have told me that each time our team was lost, the Guild was whipped into a frenzy of activity."

The Princess gasped at the revelation, and an instant later the adherent below followed suit, with a chorus of echoes through the open door behind him.

"This can only mean that they know something. Whether they are responsible or complicit, we cannot allow ourselves to be blind any longer. Relay my order: we are to lay the groundwork for cleansing the Guild of disorder. Our loyal exemplars, my eyes and ears, shall no longer toil alone in those unloving depths. That is my second decree."

She could no longer resist. "Oh, my Love, such wisdom! I did not even realize the connection!" The Princess turned and looked down at the adherent, beaming at him through her tears. "Are we not fortunate to be guided by one so brilliant?" She hugged her Prince tighter still, worshipping his beautiful, perfect form.

Finally, she allowed him to sag slightly, for his eyes to close heavily, and for her brother's weariness to appear. "I cannot bear to lose any more of you," her Prince graveled hoarsely. "I can ask no more than I have."

The adherent had fallen to his knees at some point, crushed by the Prince's all-consuming grief.

The Princess stood herself up firmly, supporting her Prince and relishing the sensation of his body upon hers. "Oh, my Heart! Every day, I wake up grateful for all that you do for us! Truly, there is nothing you could ask of me that would be too great, my Love." The Princess turned and looked at the brother before them. "Don't you agree, adherent?" she asked with a smile.

The adherent nodded frantically, scrambling a pace or two closer without even realizing.

She sculpted the Prince's visage into a grim, burdened expression and suppressed a giggle as she leaned his weight upon herself. The man they had in House Windsor was already paying dividends. "My ears hear whispers amongst those high seats of the Houses, whispers of fools seeking power they are not fit to wield. The moment I heard, I knew we could not allow this to come to pass. Long ago, long before the world was sundered, the Sanguine One forged a number of great artifacts in a moment of hubris, shaping the very essence of life into crimson relics of unrivaled power. Terrified of being overthrown with his own creations yet unable to destroy his finest work, he scattered and hid them across the world. What the Houses speculate is mere myth, I know is more than legend."

The adherent below watched enraptured as the Prince told of ancient lore.

"Deliver my order: we who desire peace must prepare for war. If we can confiscate one of these arms from whichever House possesses it, then in one stroke we will have removed the hand of those agents of discord and gained a vital means of defending the lives of our brothers and sisters. That is my third decree."

"O my Love, Your foresight is without bound!" she swooned. Gazing down at the awe-struck brother, the Princess molded her face into a gentle smile. "Go now, adherent, and deliver our Prince's wisdom to your brothers and sisters and let it sooth their hearts and fortify their minds." She turned and stroked a hand lightly down her Prince's face. "I shall attend to his Majesty after today's tribulations."

There she stood, gazing into her Prince's unblinking eyes as the adherent departed and left them to each other in the silent throne room. A giddy smile slowly spread across her face.

"I love you, Brother Dearest."

~~~~~~~~~

The door slammed shut behind her, and the Princess gleefully ran up to her Prince, cupping his face in her hands and planting a kiss on his lips. He had done so well today! She had expected him to try something funny, but he had barely resisted at all.

"You were so good today!" she squealed. "I'm so glad you're coming to understand."

The Princess turned and looked at them in the wall mirror, admiring the regal couple looking back. She shifted her hip a little and lifted her Prince's hand to wrap it around her waist. Better. She raised a hand to caress his cheek. Almost. Both faces smiled back at her in the mirror. Perfect.

"Such good behavior deserves a treat, doesn't it?" she cooed.

She could feel him stirring again. Ah, her simple, predictable brother. The Princess arranged them into a different pose, humming softly and feeling her brother's hopeful awareness moving about. It made her so happy to see him like this.

The Princess kicked off her heels and stepped barefoot onto the plush carpeting, twirling happily and enjoying the way her dress spun with her. The rich tones of the room's dark oaken panels, dazzling candlelight, and crimson velvet all blended together into one dizzying blur. She spun and spun until she abandoned balance altogether and fell right into the waiting arms of her Prince. She peered down at herself through his eyes, reveling in the way his strong arms cradled her dainty form, before lifting her body over to their bed and gently putting herself down.

She sat at the edge of the bed and looked at her Prince, stealing another moment to admire his perfection before speaking. "Oh, but I wonder what kind of treat would be appropriate? Think of the things you could ask for. Perhaps you would like to consider the choice over dinner?"

Her brother's will thrashed with surprising vigor, and she tittered at the resistance. "Oh my! You seem to have something in mind, Brother Dearest! Why, I wonder what it is?" she grinned. "Is it… a walk in the park with me? Oh, we could hold hands! No? Hmmm… perhaps closing your eyes? I'm sure you would use that to look like a very sleepy ruler indeed!"

His obvious frustration noticeably grew as she teased him, and she couldn't help but laugh aloud. "I jest, I jest!" The Princess lunged forward and wrapped herself around him, standing up on her tiptoes to nip at his ear. "Is it… that dark-haired girl?" she asked in a sultry whisper.

Her brother was still.

"It is, isn't it?" she whispered. "I know you like that one. In fact, I'll let you in on a secret: I like her too." She sat the Prince down on the bed and twirled away to look at him through the mirror. "I was going to suggest having her for dinner tonight, but… you seemed to be resisting me a moment ago."

It hadn't seemed possible, but her brother's will became even more still.

"I wouldn't want to reward bad behavior would I? But… I'm sure you were just excited for your treat, right?" She nodded his head and smiled when she felt no effort otherwise. "Alright! If that's what you want, then it's settled!"

The Princess danced over to the door, sliding open a small hatch. "Armills," she greeted the lone Regalia standing guard before their chamber. "Have dinner sent up, his Majesty is famished. I think we'll have that dark haired one again. Someone in the stables will know which."

The Regalia inclined his head a fraction of a degree, and the Princess knew that his twin had probably begun relaying her order before she had even finished speaking. She smiled and shut the hatch again.

"Surely you wouldn't mind doing a little something for your Dear Sister while we wait, would you, my Prince?"

She allowed him the slightest bit of control and watched his reaction expectantly. He seemed surprised and it took a few moments before he slowly shook his head ever so slightly. The Princess beamed at him in joy and flung herself into his lap.

"All I ask is a kiss from my Love," she whispered shyly.

She closed both their eyes and slowly leaned forward. The moment their lips touched was electric, and she melted forward into his body, wrapping her arms around him and deepening their kiss. Their connection. Her tongue snuck out and caressed his, inviting it to dance. Throughout, he resisted not one whit.

The Princess finally broke the kiss, gasping for air she didn't need. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" she panted.

Her own answer was interrupted by the tinkling of a bell, signaling that the bloodbag she called for had arrived. The Princess smoothly stood and glided over to the bookshelf, where she twisted an ornamental vase. An intricately carved panel of oak slid away, revealing a small dark passage out of which their dinner stepped.

She looked down at the raven-haired human while the passage sealed itself once more, admiring that delicate, pale skin and those full breasts. The girl's gaze was appropriately averted and The Princess was pleased to see that she had remembered the instructions from last time to present herself with arms behind her back and legs spread slightly at shoulder width.

The Princess ran a finger down the girl's face, softly tracing down the neck, collarbone, sternum. The twang of jealousy came suddenly and rippled across her face before she quickly smoothed it away. The girl showed no sign of noticing other than the slightest tremor.

Why did her brother favor this one? The Princess silently considered disposing of her discreetly. Her brother's attachment was an irritating impediment, but at the same time, the girl was far too useful for now. She traced a finger over some of the girl's faint scars, giddily recalling how pliant her brother had become after being forced to feed on her without the privilege of his Gift. No, this one was still too useful. Maybe an accident in a decade or so. Or perhaps that wouldn't even be necessary. As soon as the girl became old and ugly and wrinkly, her Prince would see reason and come to appreciate his sister's ageless beauty. She smiled at the thought.

She had plenty of time.

Until then, she would tolerate this inconvenience. In fact, the Princess had been truthful when she had admitted her own fondness for this bloodbag in particular. Only once had it screamed so far, and that had been more of a startled half-yell of pain—nothing the threat of a few lashes couldn't immediately correct. Unlike the others who pissed themselves or babbled incoherently, she could actually obey simple commands and even be taught new ones! Not too bad, for a human. If just it had more blood; that way, she could share a meal with her beloved Prince. No matter, she would sate her hunger later.

A more important hunger demanded her attention right now.

The Princess hooked a finger under the girl's collar, who docilely allowed herself to be guided over to the Prince. She stood behind the girl and ran a hand through that silky, dark hair. "You know why you are here," she stated matter-of-factly.

The girl remained silent. How unfortunate; the Princess had been hoping for an excuse to punish her a little.

"Answer," she commanded.

"Yes, mistress," the girl replied immediately. The meekness in her voice immediately put the Princess in a good mood again. On a whim, she twirled over to one of the dressers and began rummaging about until her hand emerged triumphantly with the precious keepsake she had been searching for: one of her favorite phalluses, a beautiful replica of her Prince's manhood carved out of polished human ivory. The Princess couldn't help but giggle.

She flitted back over to the girl, still tittering all the way, and draped herself over the obedient little human. The two of them together were quite the sight through her brother's eyes. "I'm feeling generous today," she cooed happily. "Why don't you give her your Gift, while I give her mine?" the Princess suggested coyly to her brother. With one hand, she wrenched the girl's head up to stare into the Prince's eyes, and with the other, she tenderly teased those soft, pale folds with her second-favorite toy.

To her delight, the little human thrall was already dripping wet, and the ivory phallus slid in with little resistance. The Princess gave the toy a few experimental thrusts before pushing it to the hilt, forcing a soft moan out of the girl even as she got lost in the Prince's Gift. As if the little slut needed it; she was an obedient little pet even without the Prince's Talent bending her will to his. The Princess stood up and patted their bloodbag's clit, causing her pussy to clench around the toy and her toes to curl into the soft carpet.

"You will keep this in while my Brother drinks from you," she murmured to the human. "I expect you to return it next time we meet. Is my meaning clear?"

"Yess misss…" she slurred back.

"Ready, brother? I bet she tastes better now that she's all worked up," the Princess purred. She gently pushed the girl forward with one set of hands and caught her with another. The Princess reluctantly loosened her hold slightly, allowing her brother to softly tilt the girl's head to one side and slowly, ever-so-slowly, sink his fangs into her artery. Based on the dazed expression on her face, she probably didn't even notice.

"Bon appétit, mon amour," she whispered to her brother. The Princess watched her brother drink deeply; watched the girl's cunt spasm around the ivory toy; watched as her own cheeks color in the mirror.

The sultry scene before her stoked the fire within, and she could feel her own desire rising. At some point, she found herself leaning onto her Prince, her fingers exploring her own slick core and massaging her clit. Another hand joined her own as her lust blossomed, and she plunged her Prince's fingers into her eager channel. The Princess rocked her hips, grinding against his digits and curling them inside her to reach that wonderful spot that made her vision go starry with pleasure.

Too soon, however, did her brother finish drinking. The Princess growled in frustration before another delightfully wicked crossed her mind. She slowed her movements and looked at the still-dazed human girl.

"You've done well, pet," she declared in a cloyingly sweet voice.

"Thank—" the human started.

"In fact," she interrupted, "I think you've done so well you deserve a treat of your own. He drank from you, so really, it would only be fair if I let you drink from him as well, yes?"

The human stood frozen in confusion.

"On your hands and knees," she commanded.

As the girl unsteadily did as ordered, the Princess used her brother's other hand to undo his trousers.

"You know what to do," she crooned sweetly.

The human obediently leaned forward, wrapping her mouth around the Prince's shaft. The Princess shifted his hips in sync with her own, grinding her pussy against his fingers and thrusting his cock into the girl's mouth. It felt exquisite. She snuck her other hand up to her own breasts, pinching a nipple and moaning softly. The room quickly faded into a haze of sensations. The warm, soft mouth around her brother's cock. Her fingers dancing across her clit and his thrusting into her clenching channel. Her—no, her brother's—fingers deep in her cool, wet pussy. The electric jolts of sensation that raced through her body every time she tweaked her breasts. The warm tongue swirling around the head of her his manhood.

With her eyes still closed, the Princess looked down at the human through the Prince.

"Look into his eyes," the Princess commanded the girl.

She obediently shuffled forward a pace to stare up. Gazing up adoringly, on her knees, like a proper human. With his free hand, the Princess softly stroked the human's warm face before grabbing the back of her head and thrusting even deeper. The girl relaxed even more and did not resist, allowing her brother's cock to slide easily down her throat. Feeling the tide of his pleasure rising faster than her own, the Princess slowed down his motions while speeding up her own, grinding against her brother's hand with reckless abandon.

The pleasure was all-consuming, and she had long since lost track of which hands and fingers were whose; she simply tightened all of them. Pleasure surged through her clit, her pussy, her cock, her tit. Through eyes she could no longer keep track of, she saw the ivory phallus still firmly buried in the human girl's snatch while she dutifully serviced the Prince.

The sight was too much.

"Don't spill a single drop," she breathily ordered the human. "Swallow it all."

Two rising tides swelled, and only a few more thrusts later, collided with a blinding, deafening clap. The Prince and Princess came at the same time; his cock plunging deep into the human's warm, inviting throat to empty its load and her cunt spasming again and again and again around his fingers until it felt like they would break.

The Princess did not notice the single tear rolling down the Prince's face as she climaxed.

~~~~~~~~~

But Eve did.