NTR Quest 56 - Demonkine - Royal Marriage (Patreon)

It simply made no sense not to, given everything you had worked for. Both you and Kara. You both wanted the same things. To stop the war between Demonkine, Trysk and Poren. To see a more peaceful world in general. You had barely had any luck with any of the pillars so far and Ranaghast seemed the perfect tool to reduce hassle and increase your chance of success in all your goals. It was almost as if it meant to be.
“I think we should do it.”

Jeane gasped. “Really? Just like that?”

“You said you wanted to, right?”

Her ash-colored cheeks flushed red. She nodded subtly. “Correct. Still, I feel bad for that other woman.” She did not even say Kara's name, but you could tell she was being genuine in her own way.

“I'm committing to it now, but we're not getting married right this second. I can go tell her and make sure she understands why.”

“I feel as though that would be best. I need to go tell 'Father.'”

“You still seem uncomfortable saying it.”

She nodded. “Even if we are family, he is a stranger. Blood does not connect people, it just binds them.”

* *

When you left to find Kara you were eventually brought by your sense through the roots of the facility to what was Coda's room. You were uncertain what you were going to walk in on, but when you ended up seeing was Kara sitting beside Raithe. Your maid, the former prince, was standing by her charge dutifully. You heard the end of something that was being said.
“-d for that I'm sorry.” Kara looked up at you as you entered and so did Raithe. Only one of them, the silver-haired fox, stood up and clung to you as she usually would. You did not try to pry her off, though it was faintly uncomfortable considering what you were about to drop on Kara.
“Clingy thing, isn't she.” Kara scoffed.

You stared daggers at her. “You still think of her as a thing?”

“She is.” The woman stated sternly. You were about to go off on her, but she continued.
“But... That doesn't mean she has to be. I thought about what you said. She seems to form attachments and learn things to some extent. She wont be Raithe again but maybe by talking to her and teaching her she can eventually become something else.” You felt a bit of hope welling up inside. As though in response to that invisible feeling Kara again added.
“There's no precedent for it. So don't get your hopes up.”

“Point is you're trying.” You commented, acknowledging that she was making an effort where she was not willing to before.

“Yeah, yeah. Well... I took what you said to heart.”

You smiled softly, but there was something on your mind that you wanted to air out before you dropped the news on her.
“Because I'm in this form, now?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“You seem very interested in me now.”

“My interest hasn't gone up or down to any particular extent.”

“You showed interest, far more interest than at any point, in being with me just recently.”

Kara exhaled through her nose. “Well, yeah. That's a bit selfish of me. Technically you're all I have left when this is all over.” You gulped.
“Mother, my sister...” She made a pained face.
“You know, I never really expected Raithe to do what she did. It was kind of obvious after the fact, but it shocked me. I knew what was going on the moment I passed out. You were there for me then, too. I think that's the point where I started to think that I was being stupid.”

“You spent a lot of time pushing me away so you could fuck other guys.”

“Because.” She corrected.

“What?”

“Because I knew I would fuck other guys.” She repeated frankly.
“I know myself pretty well. I thought about controlling you from the start, like I said. I probably could've. But even back then you endeared yourself to me. I knew for a fact that I would fuck you up really badly if I let you stay attached to me because I knew me and I knew what I would do. I didn't have the desire to change at the time. So I tried to push you into liking other people. After you saved me was when I started thinking that I could maybe change for you.” She took a labored breath.
“At that point I couldn't really complain if you were into other girls.”

“About that...” Your heart thumped and anxiety pooled in pit of your stomach. Her ears perked. You gently guided Raithe to your maid, prompting her to take the girl out of the room.
“I've decided to Marry Jeane. She is Ranaghast's blood and with his influence I can probably stop the war easier than if I was doing it on my own. Plus... We do actually like each other.” You were not sure if that last part was going to make it better or worse. You almost regretted adding it.

Kara let out her collected breath in a quiet sigh and smiled. “That's great. I think you made the right choice. I've always been really impressed by your choices. Right from the start.” She mused, standing up. For the first time you were unable to really read her. It felt like the time when you were unable to read Coda.
“It's for the best. You know why?”

“Why?” You were nervous. Not for what was going to happen but for how she was feeling.

“The entire coven are daughters of Coda, directly. So what makes me any better than any of them?” You were not sure if you were supposed to answer that. Your mouth hung open as you stared at her, searching your acquired memories and finding nothing. The thing you realized, though, was that she was the spitting image of her mother.
“I'm a piece of her. More so than anyone else. So... In a way, getting with me would be kinda bad, no?”

“Uh, I don't-”

“I think that I want to start traveling again. Maybe I'll give the east another shot.”

Your shoulders slumped. You felt exhausted emotionally by the conversation. “That... Sounds like it'll be fun.” You relented. If you did not want to keep her, it would have been unfair to make her stay.

“Doesn't it?” She titled her head and smirked. She took a few steps towards you. You were unable to move, not because of any force weighing on you, but because you did not want to. She leaned up while resting a hand on your shoulder then planted a small kiss on your cheek. The woman then walked free. You did not see her again after that.

* *

Before the week was up, with Ranaghast in your pocket the vote was a forgone conclusion. Djir was not pleased, though his chortling betrayed just how angry he was. His wide grin portraying a menacing fervor.
“This wasn't the right move, Hero.” He warned, looming over you. You were both speaking privately. For as threatening as the giant gnoll was, you no longer felt any sense of danger from him as you did before.

“I'm sorry you don't get to slaughter thousands, Djir.” You uttered sarcastically.

“Heh. No. But it'll be tens, maybe hundreds down the line.”

You furrowed your brow. “Is that a threat?”

“I dunno 'Coda' you're the one that can see the future. Are all your girls too dumb to read the political climate?” Djir spoke confidently. For all the things wrong with him, no person you had ever spoken to ever called Djir dumb.
“Are you?”

You stared up at him uncertainly, triggering a slighty giggle from him. “Think about this. All the pillars WANTED to go to war. They weren't just coaxed into it. They all had reasons. The entire history of the world is slight after slight passed from one group onto the other. Everyone talks about peace being necessary to maintain order but do you know what is really needed?” He salivated as he leaned over you. The droplets landed between your feet.

“What?”

“Release.” He slammed the wall next to you. You did not jump.
“I had planned to make this bad for the humans. I'm not going to lie, hero. It was going to be very, very bad. It had to be, because we're too weak to make it work otherwise. But... Maybe with you we could have accomplished it with a bit less bloodshed.”

“A war to release tensions is an oxymoron.” You retorted.

“From the perspective of the victor of the last war. When was the last time people in your kingdom cried out vitriolically to reclaim their past or capture lost glory? Because you haven't lost anything.”

“We can change their minds by opening things up. We can cooperate with Trysk and Poren and prove that war is not necessary.”

He shook his massive, hunched over head. “It may not be a few years or a hundred years. There's going to be a great war. Something that will end all wars. Maybe it's something that's in the air, but I feel a great change coming on...” He leaned back, his expression softening.
“I love you.”

“W-what?” You stuttered.

“I wish we could've been something.” He explained solemnly and genuinely.

“I'll add you to the list of men that wanted me to become a feminized husk on their dick.” You scoffed awkwardly.

“No, I wanted you. As you are... As you were. I hate the thought of you becoming any less that what you are now... You are perfect.” You had no idea what to say. You were stunned.
“You have a bride to get to.” Djir relented.
“Congratulations on your 'victory.' I'm King, but I doubt I'll be able to push anything through with your majority. I suppose I'll be working closely with you from now on.” He winked slyly.
“Whatever that means.” He gave your rear a firm pat as you left hurriedly. The gnoll sounded dejected. You did not know what to make of his other statements.

As you left you turned and saw a face you vaguely recognized. Not personally, but from a memory. She was a tall human-looking woman with dark hair and piecing green eyes. She offered a shallow smile as she motioned for you to join her.
“Congratulations.” She said in a regal tone as you came closer. The woman brought you onto a balcony that you found familiar. It overlooked the vast, endless forests. It was the one you remembered from your initial vision of Coda. Standing on it already was a dark-skinned woman with frizzy, jet-black hair and deep blue eyes. Compared to the imposing, imperial looking female, the other woman seemed far more friendly.

“Thank you.” You finally spoke.
“Who... Am I speaking to?”

“I'm Lauda.” The green-eyed woman stated, a bit surprised you did not know. She was dressed for a wedding in a sparkling, dark green dress that revealed a lot about her form. Her matronly figure, her pale skin and her seemingly complete lack of tone.

“Tintamere.” The other woman added warmly. She was far more natural in every sense and did not seem dressed for any special occasion. She was wearing common clothes that you may have found on the streets of your old Kingdom.
“We were partnered with Coda before she...”

“We know what happened.” Lauda interjected.
“Do you?” She stared at you closely.

“I... Picked up vague memories, but nothing concrete.” You had to stop.
“I'm sorry... Lauda the Great Dragon and...”

“The 'inventor of magic?'” Tintamere chuckled.
“I was just the first. It would've come along eventually. I just helped everyone along.”

“You're human... Shouldn't you be-”

“Don't try to go too in-depth with her.” Lauda warned. She's an image.

“An artificial copy trained to speak and represent her views and ideas to future generations of heroes.”

“That sounds...” You trailed off, unsure of what to make of that.

“Complex?” Tintamere added.
“I'm one of a kind. Only the arcane architecture of the Angels was able to make it possible.”

“I'm sorry?”

She rested a hand on your shoulder. “There's more to this world. To 'us' than meets the eyes.” By us you got the feeling she was referring to everyone. Not just you and her and Lauda. She closed her eyes. You felt a rush of moving images passing through your mind. Horror. The tree reaching up into space before it instantly shattered and gave way to a giant mass of spinning, rotating disks and eyes. The top of the tree had not been destroyed but dismantled. The pieces floated as if waiting to be put back into place like parts of a puzzle. The millions of eyes blinked and stared searchingly around before the entire thing vanished and left the not-quite world-ending meteors of wood to fall to the earth from space, blackening the stump of the tree and the landscape.

“W-what?” Was all you could say.

“An angel. It's... We don't quite know. They are reality warping entities. Remnants of a long-gone species that had to die to make all of us, all the peoples on this world whole.” Lauda explained.
“Coda was there from the beginning, so we were hoping you would know.”

“I don't. I'm sorry... Wait... What happened with that thing?”

More images flashed through your mind. It was ancient, but you recognized the coastline and landscape of the capital. There were no buildings. Not human buildings, anyway. Flying around the entity were thousands of dragons. Your view was from the perspective of someone, likely Tintamere, as she rode the back of the greatest one. Suns ignited around it's many rings, scorching them and closing it's eyes. Beams shot forth from those that were open and ended hundreds of dragons in a single sweep. It was happening incredibly fast. Finally you witnessed Coda standing beside the viewer on the back of the dragon holding a seed. As sweeps of beams were narrowly avoided the great dragon flew through the rings to the center and found the perfectly spherical core. From the inside the sounds of the rings moving rang like horns blaring. Coda threw the the seed. It bound the rings from spinning but it did not seem like enough. The vision stopped.

You knew what happened next, roughly. “It wasn't enough so you threw yourself into it.”

“Well...” She smirked. “'I' didn't. I'm just a copy. But she did sacrifice herself, yes.”

“That was over the capital? Where did it go?”

“Oh.” She spoke frankly. “It's always been there. I suspect it always will.”

“What do you want?”

Lauda stared at you, dumbfounded. “There really is very little of her in you... You have everything she claimed she always needed to stop more from coming. If we have to sacrifice one of you for every single one we suspect to be slumbering around the planet then we're done.”

“One of me?”

Lauda leaned back and looked to Tintamere who spoke. “We are Turais. Voyagers. It's a trait that will never show up in anything that can be seen. It's something that can only be found by putting people through insurmountable troubles. Difficult, impossible situations. We can steer the ship. We choose where it goes, rather than be battered by the storm.

“We?”

“I could. And now you can. As far as we've come to know, only Turais can deny a certainty. Angels represent a certainty. The promised end of all of us. It could be tomorrow, it could be hundreds of years from now. It's going to happen.”

“We want you to join our accord. Sorry to offer you this heavy information before your wedding. We understand you want to see your bride.”