Kira's birthday was finally there, which meant that Ari and Anna had to return to the castle after running away from home a week ago. For the most part, everything went fine because the queen, the jaguar’s parents, and to some degree even Menzor made sure that no one in the castle would make them feel awkward after everyone had heard their loud first time as a couple thanks to the lack of sound dampening in Ari’s room. It didn't go perfectly without any incidents, though. The king still had a somewhat hard time facing his now fully grown-up daughter, and Kira, together with Daria, one of the jaguar's mothers, being the women they are, did have to tease the couple just a little bit.

Afterward, to relax a little and enjoy the beautiful fall scenery, the girls decided to have a picnic in a remote area of the castle garden. They also brought Ellie with them and picked up the wolves who had already been relaxing in the garden.

“Okay, I’m feeling better now…” After having eaten something, or rather lovingly being fed by Ari a few snacks, Anna let out a small sigh.

“Yeah…” The jaguar had a similar expression. "I'm still not looking forward to the long talk Kira, and my parents want to have with us…"

“I forgot about that!” The relaxation part was over already.

“Long talk?” Sophia tilted her head.

"When you were out with Chloe, Kira and Daria said that they wanted to have a nice talk with the two about everything.” Maya answered her.

“Oh, can I listen in to that?” The blonde’s eyes started sparkling. “It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“It does not!” The princess got loud. “Aren’t we punished enough already?!”

“Did Anna do something bad again?” Ellie wasn’t really able to follow their conversation, but she picked up on the crucial part. “Bad Anna!”

“Pfft!” Sophia and Maya loved her reaction.

“H-Hey!”

“Uhh… Ellie, most of it was actually my fault…” Ari naturally had no plans to tell her what she did, but she wanted to defend her girlfriend a little.

“Really…?” The little tiger seemed dubious.

"Really." The jaguar gave her a slight nod.

“Bad Anna!” Instead, she just pointed at her older sister again.

“W-Why?!”

“Ari wouldn’t do anything bad on her own! I’m sure Anna influ… influence… influencened her!” The word was still a little too grand for her.

“Pfft!” Even Chloe couldn’t hold back anymore now.

“I love you so much!” In return to her accusation, Maya got the overwhelming urge to hug the little tiger as tightly as possible.

"Ehehe~." Ellie didn't know why she was being hugged, but she surely had no plans to complain about it.

“…” The couple wasn’t sure how to defend themselves in this situation. Ari had been the driving force in the incident, but Anna was far from innocent, either. More importantly, there was just no way to explain themselves without telling the little princess things she shall not, at any cost, hear or come in contact with for many, many years.

“Bad Anna!” As she didn't get a reply from her, even after having finished cuddling with Maya, Ellie was now convinced that she had done something bad. “Ari, no more being influencened by Anna!”

“Urgh…” The duo just took more damage.

“Unfortunately, Ari gets influenced very easily by others…” Maya had to use this chance. “It’s a real problem.”

"Really…?" The little princess then changed her attention to the jaguar. “That’s bad! Mama always says that Ellie shouldn’t get influencened by bad people! Ari also shouldn’t!”

“E-Ellie…” As Maya was about to lose it, the innocent savageness of her was almost making her cry in joy, she needed to make her stop so she could calm down. “Ari already went through a lot, so she knows now. Anna also promised that she'll try to be better."

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“Great!” Hearing that, the little princess showed the couple a big smile.

“S-So much for Ellie not being influenced by bad people…” The tall tiger leaned closer to her jaguar to complain a little.

“I heard that.” The cat-girl looked right at her.

“W-Why are your ears so good?!”

“Tell me about it…” Sophia suddenly also hung her head. She, too, has some experience with her excellent hearing, after all.

"Getting influenced by others isn't always bad, Ellie.” Another voice suddenly entered their conversation. "Also, do you have new clothes again? You're even more adorable than usual!”

“Ari and I got them for her," Sophia answered her. "You just have to spoil her, after all. Especially when it's something this cute."

“Mama!” Her face lit up when she saw that Kira had arrived at their picnic place. “Ehehe~.”

"You just have to make sure that the sort of influence is a good one. Just because your sister is usually not a good role model, she still has a good idea once every three months on average."

“H-Hey!” Anna didn’t like this treatment one bit.

“I was pretty generous with the three months, you know?” The queen just stared at her.

“…” She went silent again.

“Really…?” Ellie looked dubious. “Anna can have good ideas…?”

“W-Was my standing in the family always this low?!”

“Her rebellious phase is the absolute best~.” Maya enjoyed every second of this exchange.

“Ellie isn’t a rebel!”

“I beg to differ!” The tall princess raised her voice once again.

“Well,” Kira looked at both her daughters for a moment and then focused on Anna. “Compared to you at her age, Ellie really isn’t the slightest bit rebellious.”

"A-Ah…” The tall tiger wasn’t having an easy day.

“Anyway,” The queen then faced the smaller princess once more. “Believe it or not, your sister does do something good every now and then.”

“Really…?” Ellie still didn’t believe her.

“Yes.” Kira nodded. “I mean, it was mostly Ari’s doing, but your older sister managed to become her partner. That’s a job well done, isn’t it?”

“True! Ellie likes Ari, so Anna really did well there!”

"Thank you!" The jaguar liked her reply.

“Ellie isn’t sure if Ari did a good job, though…” The little girl suddenly tilted her head. “Ellie doesn’t know much about being partners, but… Ari could’ve chosen better…?”

“That is not true at all.” Ari shook her head multiple times while looking right at the little princess. “Yes, your sister is a bit of work because she is so easygoing, but she’s a very loving and caring girl. It never gets boring, and you always have fun with her. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else!”

“Yup.” Sophia and Maya also nodded in agreement. “Well, without the very last part, of course.”

“Aww… So, you all do love me…" Anna was touched that they weren't all just all messing with her.

“Of course!” The cat-girl gave her a thumbs up. “The more I tease someone, the more I like them.”

“E-Eh?” The princess’ expression suddenly changed. “If that is how it is… B-But I already have Ari, and you’re dating Sophia!”

“…” Maya paused for a moment. “Okay, wow… That was a splendid comeback!” She looked genuinely impressed. “Yes, I like you a lot, but the way I tease Sophia when we’re alone is on a different level.”

“Y-Yes…” The blonde's face turned a bit red while nodding.

“…” Ever so slightly envious-looking, Anna then glanced at her jaguar.

"Ari, let's have a chat once we're done here." Maya then smiled at her.

“Ah, uhh… sure.”

“Just keep your voice down when you try it out later…” Kira, naturally understanding what was going on, just rolled her eyes while sitting on the blanket.

“…” Hearing that, the couple's faces turned completely crimson, and they could not say anything more.

“Savage.” The cat-girl was impressed. “Anyway, are you done with the birthday greetings?”

“I may have ran away…” The queen looked ever so slightly awkward. "I needed a break… People just keep coming and coming… I’m glad that I, as the queen, am so popular, what a thing to say… but I also want some peace on my birthday…”

“Understandable.” Sophia sympathized with her. “Will running away work, though…?”

“Highly unlikely…” She hung her head. "I might be able to take a break, but I'll have to meet many more people in the evening…"

“Sounds like a massive pain… Maya, if I ever end up in such a situation, grab me under your arm and just run…” The blonde didn’t want to have such a future.

“You already would’ve disappeared long before I would get the chance to do so.” The cat-girl knew her tiger.

“True.”

“Responsibilities are no fun from time to time…” Kira seemed slightly envious of the carefree girl. “Well, you have to do what you have to do.”

“Maya, please note that I don’t ever want to end up in an important position.”

"Says the tiger, chatting with the nation's queen in the castle garden while cuddling with one princess after the other princess stayed in her home for a week.” Chloe had no idea what else an important position would be, if not that. “Oh, and you lightly threatened the king earlier.”

"A-Ah.”

“Don’t forget where you threatened him a lot by saying that you’d figuratively and literally kick him out of the castle if he doesn’t get his act together.” The queen joined in on it.

“Who’s the one who allowed me to do that?!” Sophia just glared at her.

“And how does an agreement between you and the queen to take out the king make you seem any less important…?” The fox-girl further questioned her position.

“Ah…” She got even more awkward. “Also, wording. Seriously, WORDING!”

“Did So… phia and mama do something bad…?” Ellie was busy peacefully cuddling with her and the cat-girl until now, but she picked up some words that made her question the situation.

“Not at all.” Kira smiled at her. “Actually, papa did something bad, so Sophia and I had to make sure he doesn’t do it again.”

“Oh!” The little princess started smiling again. “That makes more sense! Okay, Ellie will also punish daddy later!”

“That’s a lovely plan, dear.”

“Okay!”

“Did Menzor do anything…?” Sophia wanted to know why she was enabling her.

"I really don't like how he reacted at the beginning of all this, so he earns a bit more suffering.”

“Fair.”

Afterward, the group kept chatting for a bit while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere in the garden because those tranquil moments were on the rarer side lately.