SMOOCH!

A loud and deliberate kiss landed directly on Elara, the sound echoing through the quiet chamber.

"Wha--!?" Elara jerked her head back from the sudden gesture, her eyes widening with shock and confusion, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Wh-What was the meaning of that, Sakura?!"

Sakura had shot her face toward Elara with surprising speed and delivered a quick peck directly to her lips, then dragged her tongue across Elara’s cheek once in a slow and deliberate lick, before pulling back slightly to observe the queen’s reaction.

"Nani...? Benjamin said we should get along and become closer, so I am simply following his instructions," Sakura feigned innocence and pouted her lips dramatically, still clinging to the Amazon Queen’s body with her arms wrapped around Elara’s neck.

"Yes, I remember him saying that, but it did not mean we should be overwhelmingly close to the point of licking each other’s faces!" Elara used one hand to shove Sakura’s still incoming face away from her, holding the fox woman at arm’s length while her other hand remained trapped under Violette’s sleeping body. "Why are you kissing me so early in the morning, in fact? What is wrong with you?"

"Ehehe! I had no idea Elara-chan was quite the innocent maiden at heart, getting so flustered by a simple kiss between friends," Sakura rubbed her cheek affectionately on Elara’s cheek, nuzzling against her like a cat seeking warmth and attention, her fox ears twitching with amusement.

"I... I am not an innocent maiden, and I wish you would stop calling me that ridiculous title," Elara blushed and looked away from Sakura’s teasing gaze, her silver eyes fixing on a point somewhere across the room. "But... do you not have queenly duties and royal responsibilities to be attending to back in Shishi-no-su?"

"?! Is that what you think of me?" Sakura’s pale face immediately twisted into one of hurt and offense, her amber eyes widening and her lips forming a small pout. "Is... is Elara-chan telling me to get out of her room and leave Verdant Spire because I am not welcome here? After everything we have shared and all the fun we have had together?"

Elara’s expression softened immediately, guilt and regret flooding her features as she realized how her words had been received.

She pulled Sakura closer into her arms, wrapping the slender woman in a warm embrace.

"You know I would never say that to you, not in a serious way. You are highly welcome here, and you could even move into Verdant Spire permanently if you so wished... Alright, I am sorry for asking such an insensitive question. I did not mean to make you feel unwelcome."

Sakura could only giggle maliciously inside her own mind, pleased with how easily she had manipulated Elara’s emotions.

But her surface expression and her visible emotions were now calming down, the hurt fading from her as she buried her face in Elara’s cleavage, which was present through the sheer night garment that Elara was wearing, having shifted and loosened during the uncomfortable night.

"So... what are we doing today for fun and entertainment? I need to know so I can plan my mischief accordingly," Sakura asked from her soft paradise, her voice slightly muffled by the flesh pressed against her face.

"For some reason," Elara began, her silver eyes scanning the small fairy who was still sleeping peacefully on her stomach, and the giant horned woman who was holding all of them in a warm and inescapable embrace, "I do not want to disturb their peaceful slumber. They both look so relaxed and content, I would feel guilty waking them up. So if we must do anything this morning, I suggest we wait here patiently until they wake up on their own... Also, my breasts have no milk for you to suckle, Sakura, so please stop nuzzling them like that."

"Understood. But does Verdant Spire not have any interesting attractions or entertaining locations that we could visit?" Sakura raised her face to meet Elara’s eyes, her chin resting on the queen’s chest. "I was quite stunned and impressed by the Luxury Hut from two days ago, with the hot springs and relaxing atmosphere here too. And in addition to this beautiful royal palace, my opinion of the Amazons is skyrocketing higher with each passing day."

Elara frowned and raised one eyebrow skeptically at Sakura’s words. "How low was your opinion of us before you arrived, exactly? What were you expecting to find here?"

"..." Sakura went completely still for a long moment, her body freezing as she searched for the perfect words to use that would not offend Elara or damage their growing friendship.

Then she smiled brightly and happily clung to the queen again, changing the subject entirely. "Oh, I love you so much, Elara-chan! You are such a wonderful friend and hostess!"

"That does not answer the question I asked you, though," Elara made a dry and knowing smile, her eyes narrowing slightly at Sakura’s obvious deflection. "But I will let it slide for now because I am too tired to argue with you."

Soon Violette woke up from her deep sleep, probably stirred awake by all the thrashing that Sakura and Elara had been doing while talking over her body, her dark eyes fluttering open slowly as she oriented herself to her surroundings.

"Good morning, little Elara. How was your night of rest? Did you sleep well in my arms?" She asked, squeezing Elara deeper into her large body with a affectionate hug, her voice warm and motherly despite the early hour.

"For the hundredth time, I have begged you to not call me ’little’ or ’little Elara,’ or any other diminutive moniker that makes me sound like a child. And this is MY queenly chamber, not your private room or your personal nest. You are a guest here, and guests should show some respect for the host’s preferences," Elara turned her neck back to address the larger woman she was still lying on top of, her silver eyes meeting Violette’s dark ones in exasperation.

"...So adorable when she gets angry and lectures me about manners," Violette put a palm on her own cheek as she admired the queen’s flustered face, completely unbothered by the scolding. "You look like a small kitten hissing at a much larger animal, thinking she’s being fierce and intimidating."

"I said stop treating me like that!" Elara snapped at her, her voice rising with frustration. "I am not a child that needs to be coddled, or a small monster! I am the queen of the Amazons, and I deserve some dignity and respect!"

"Eh...? What’s with all this noise and commotion?" Titania finally went awake too, her voice groggy and confused as she lifted her small head from Elara’s stomach.

She looked around the room with droopy violet eyes, her butterfly wings twitching slightly behind her back as she tried to understand where she was and how she had gotten there. "Elara? Everyone’s here... What are you all doing in my room so early in the morning? It’s not even properly light outside yet."

Elara quickly shot one hand out and pinched Titania’s cheek firmly, pulling the soft skin between her fingers as Titania began yelping and begging for mercy.

"It is MY room, not yours! You are the one intruding on MY space, not the other way around! You came into my chamber in the middle of the night and climbed onto my body without asking permission!"

"I mean, what can I do about my feelings and needs?!" Titania yelled back, rubbing her sore cheek after Elara finally released it. "I feel lonely and left out because only I didn’t get lucky with Benjamin, unlike you two who have clearly had your turns. I needed comfort, and maybe your stomach was warm, so I probably came here."