Hen waited in the hallway with me until her three chicks fell asleep, then I slipped her silently in through her door and closed it. Her Tiercel took her into his arms and he felt relieved that her irrational sexual urges had calmed down to a more manageable level. She told him that I was allowing them to bring in some family members and he let out a squawk of surprise, then all three chicks woke up and started ransacking the room.

I laughed at his defeated face and took pity on him. I used Presence to catch them and then used a calming technique on them. The three chicks settled down immediately and both he and Hen were stunned.

“You're welcome.” I whispered for their ears only.

Hen turned to the door and nodded to me, then she and her Tiercel put the three little ones to bed.

I left Adona and went back up to my room. I was surprisingly chipper as I entered the top level and peeked into my room to see what Lashina was wearing. Instead of seeing her wearing just a pair of panties like I had expected, I saw her and Kara talking. I turned and started to walk to the large display in the middle of the media room when my room door opened.

“It's okay, Hunter.” Lashina said. “We were just discussing things.”

“I know.” I said. “I was just giving you time to finish before I get a shower.”

Lashina giggled her little pixie laugh as she scanned my head for what happened. “Oh, that wicked little Hen!”

I chuckled. “Well, I only went to see how they were doing with their kids.”

“You're really lucky she hasn't figured out how to cross pollinate species yet!”

That made me laugh. “Can you imagine how many eggs she'd be gestating if she did?”

“The Aviatoma were surprised when she told them she had three of them successfully.” Lashina floated over to me and hugged me. “I can't even imagine what having you help her would do!”

“I once helped an Aviatoma named Nina gestate.” I said, proudly.

Lashina kissed my cheek. “She was more than ready and she also had a Tiercel nearby to fulfill her needs.” She said. “Otherwise, Val and the others on the prison planet would have been having eggs constantly after you made them that aerie and a real nest.”

I nodded. “Now I'm wondering if it was because Hen had three successfully that she was a lot more bothered by not having sex for so long?”

Lashina let me go and took my hand. “Since the normal birthrate is one and having two is rare...”

“...definitely a contributing factor.” I finished for her and we went back to my room. “Hi, Kara.”

“Hello, Hunter.” Kara said. She only wore her pants and long sleeved t-shirt and not her robes. She also had one of Lashina's wrist shackles on.

I used Presence to pop it off and put it back on Lashina, then took out another set and handed them to Kara. “You only had to ask.”

“I can't open them.” Kara said.

“Why?” I asked. “They aren't locked.”

“Wh-what?” Kara stared at me.

I chuckled and put them on her wrists. “Hit this button to restrict your distance.” I said and pushed the button and her wrists snapped out to the normal distance, so I hit it again. “If you want to take them off, just pull on them with either your hand or with Presence.”

Kara's mouth fell open in shock and both Lashina and I laughed at her expression.

“Kara, how many times did I tell you that you weren't a prisoner or that Isabella was your babysitter and not your guard?”

Kara shook her head in denial. She didn't want to admit that she didn't even try to escape the shackles.

I reached up and cupped the sides of her face to make her look at me. “The shackles were metaphorical for the shackles The Order places on all of their people. You can't learn anything except what they teach you. You can't grow. You can't be better than you are unless you strive so hard that you surpass their expectations of what you're capable of.”

Kara had tears form in her eyes and then she gasped when they dissolved before they fell.

“Don't cry over what you think was a lost opportunity. There's no point to that. You should only realize the truth.”

“What's that?” Kara asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“That because of what you perceived the way thing were, you chose to accept them for how they looked.” I said and leaned in close to whisper. “That's one of the downsides of having so much control over people's perception. You can shape it and mold it into whatever you want, and they will believe everything they tell you and show you.”

Kara's breathing sped up a little and she stared into my eyes.

I could feel the thoughts about questioning everything she knew as they rolled around in her head, so it was time to give her one more thing to think about. I smiled at her and let her face go, then walked over to the bathroom for a few moments. I came back out and walked right over to her.

Kara stared at me because she could see the intensity in my eyes.

I gave her an award winning smile, put my arms around her, then kissed her. I opened my mind just enough to give her my experiences as a little boy where an angel with large breasts comforted me on her lap. How much I looked forward to feeling that feeling again and seeing that sight, and how I had compared several others to try and find her.

I broke the kiss and Kara covered her mouth with both hands. “Sometimes, the prince you're looking for isn't the prince you need.” I said to her and she didn't say anything. “I had to clean up a little, since I was just with Hen. I didn't want to kiss you with another woman's taste on my lips.”

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“That's why I didn't kiss him.” Lashina said and smiled at her, then she kissed me. “I know where you've been, so it's okay.”

I chuckled. “Now who's teasing her?”

“Me.” Lashina grinned. “Go get a shower and get the rest of those imaginary feathers off of you.”

I laughed. “They really do tickle in odd spots and feel like they are still there.”

“Go, go.” Lashina waved me to the bathroom. “I'll be ready by the time you come back out.”

“Only if I soak in the tub.” I said.

“Now that's an idea.” Lashina said and kissed me again. “I'll join you in a little while, after you scrub up a bit.”

I nodded acceptance. “I'll pop up a silence barrier so you can keep talking.”

I went back to the bathroom and shut the door. I put the barrier in place and filled the large tub with Hailey bubbles, then climbed in and relaxed. I kept my word and didn't try to listen in at all. I scrubbed a little bit at the main parts, then laid back and closed my eyes.

I felt someone pass through the sound barrier and then I felt Presence cover my eyes. “No fair.”

“No peeking.” Lashina said. “I want this to be a surprise.”

I felt her enter the water and didn't try to reach for her, since that wasn't what she wanted. I could hear her thoughts and she was deliberately telling me to get ready to start licking.

“No hands.” Lashina said with a chuckle.

“You know I like holding your cute little ass when I do this.” I said.

“You're doing this for me, so no hands.” Lashina said.

“All right. I'll play the hands off game. For now.”

“Good. Here it comes.” Lashina said and I felt an intense warmth near my face. “Stick out your tongue.”

“Are you facing forward or back?” I asked.

“You have to lick and find out.” Lashina said, wickedly.

I chuckled. “Okay, but if I lick something else, I hope you washed well.”

“It's never been cleaner.” Lashina said in a lower octave of voice.

“Then no worries.” I said and stuck out my tongue and met flesh.

“Mmm!” Lashina moaned and I gave her a full lick. “OH!”

“You're backwards.” I moved forward and gave her one of my better licking performances.

“S-s-stop.” Lashina said after a few minutes. “Hunter, I...” She paused and moved her warmth away from my face. “I want you now. Right now.”

I used Presence to float myself up and formed a solid surface under my body. “I'm all freshly cleaned, too.”

“Oh, Aaron.” Lashina said and climbed on, then sat down. “Oh, AARON!”

“Good lord, you're tight today.” I said and then she kissed me. We made love for a good half an hour and I finished inside of her, which made her moan and writhe, because I still hadn't used my hands. I was particularly proud of that fact, because she had rubbed her hands all over every inch of me. As far as I was concerned, I won the no hands game.

“I love you.” Lashina said, barely above a whisper. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” I said and sent her my love.

She took in a sharp breath and then let out a sob.

“Hey, don't cry. It's okay.” I said. “No matter what happens, you will always know that I love you.”

She let out another sob and climbed off of me, then splashed out of the water.

“Stop.” I ordered and caught her with Presence.

“L-let m-me go.” Lashina said.

“Not until you come over here and kiss me.” I said.

“Aaron... Hunter... I...”

“Kiss. Me.” I ordered.

When she turned away from the door, she was no longer caught in my Presence. There was a light splash of water and then her lips were on mine. They were a little wet from her tears, so I dissolved them.

“There.” Lashina said. “Now let me go.”

“All right.” I said and she left the tub and got caught in my Presence again.

“Hunter.” Lashina said, almost angrily.

“The Presence didn't waver, did it?” I asked and she gasped loudly. “So always remember this moment. This was when I told you that I loved you and I meant it.”

“But... but...”

“I'll see you tomorrow.” I said and absorbed my Presence to let her go.

After a few moments, she didn't pass through the sound barrier. There was another light splash and then she kissed me again. She kissed me hard and deep and let herself explore as much of my mouth as she could. After a few minutes, she broke the kiss and paused, then she lightly caressed my face and stepped out of the tub.

“One more thing.” I said. “I know it was completely silly and a little degrading... but... I have to admit that sometimes when I glanced at you during the last two years, I could swear that you liked wearing a princess dress.”

Lashina gasped and then covered her mouth.

I let her think about that for a moment. “Goodnight, Kara.”

“G-g-goodnight.” Lashina said and passed through the sound barrier.

*

Monna waited until her mother sent her the order confirmation and the delivery time, then she sent a message to her Grandpa. She was pretty sure that he needed another visit after letting his anger build up for over two weeks, so she was confident he would accept right away.

“Monna, we can leave first thing in the morning.” Hunter said over the intercom.

“Great! Thanks, Grandpa!” Monna said, excitedly.

Hunter chuckled. “You're lucky there's no planetary authority or anything, or we would have piles of official warnings for excessive speeds during orbital insertions.”

“Grandpa, don't be silly. They can't be angry that you ride me so hard! I love it! You know I do!”

Hunter laughed. “Despite what it may mean, I'm glad that I can indulge you in what you love.”

“I don't understand.” Monna said.

“That's okay. You don't have to understand my reasoning. All you have to do is be the best damn shuttle you can be.”

“I will be, Grandpa! I will!” Monna promised.

“I know you will, Monna.” Hunter said and clicked off.

*

Lashina helped Kara get dressed and then led her across the media room to go to her room. Most of the princess things had been packed up and the walls were painted a nice blue to cover the pink.

“Did it work?” Lashina finally managed to ask through her excitement after putting up her own sound barrier. “Did he think you were me?”

Kara opened her mouth to answer, then wasn't sure if it did. It definitely didn't at the end; but, did he know the whole time or did he figure it out? She asked herself. “I don't know how to answer that.”

Lashina chuckled and sat down on her bed and bounced into the air and floated there. “Either it did or it didn't.”

Kara wasn't sure. She had thought the plan had been going so well, then near the end, things seemed to change. “I can describe what happened and maybe you can help me figure it out.”

Lashina nodded and Kara took her hands as they assumed the Lotus position and sat on the bed. She told her everything that happened and Lashina saw it through her eyes and experienced it herself.

“I... well, damn. You're right.” Lashina said. “I can't tell when he figured it out, either.”

The two of them sat there and thought about it as they went over it again.

“Before you two burn your brains out thinking about it, I knew the whole time.” Hunter's disembodied voice floated over to them.

“The barrier!” Lashina gasped.

“It's still intact.” Hunter said. “I'm relaying through an invisible Presence Hand.”

“WHAT?” Lashina and Kara yelled.

“It was easy to slip one in hanging on Kara's belt.” Hunter said with a chuckle. “A barrier is meaningless if you're right there when it's created.”

“I didn't know you could do that.” Kara said.

“Really?” Hunter asked and created another one right in front of her and waved, then absorbed it. “I can send one through the signals on the satellite network. Hanging one on your Light sword when you left was as easy as breathing.”

Kara reached down and touched the invisible hand. “You know I can disperse this.”

Hunter chuckled and made it passable, then moved it up to her face and made it solid again. It cupped the side of her face and caressed it. “Go ahead and disperse it.” He said and let her face go, then it floated down to rest on her thigh. “I'm waiting.”

“I don't have to.” Kara said.

“Good answer.” Hunter said and lifted the hand. “Goodnight, both of you.”

“Wait!” Lashina reached out and grabbed the hand. “Why me, too?”

“Somebody tried to trick me into having sex with someone else. I wonder who that could be?” Hunter asked.

“It was the quickest way. I didn't want Kara agonizing over it for months while she tried to get up the courage to approach you.” Lashina said.

“Well, I hope you like sleeping in your own room for a while.” Hunter said and the hand started to fade. “Alone.” His voice whispered and then the hand disappeared.

“Nooooooooooooo!” Lashina howled and the sad sound filled Kara's room.