Do Make Him Cute

(F/m, gentle, MILF, royalty, body exploration)

A loose crowd gathered as it always did around the Queen's palanquin as it processed down the streets of the capital. Burghers and peasants alike would strain to get a glimpse through the narrow windows and see the monarch veiled in opulent fabric. She continued along her usual circuit, observing her subjects go about their day wordlessly. While passing through one of the smaller market squares, she gave the signal to halt and her loyal attendant lent her his ear.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

The Queen spoke through the narrow slit, her large green eyes and tightly wound brown hair just perceptible through the diaphanous veil. "What is that girl over there playing with?"

Her attendant hastily trot off to the young girl, who patiently answered his questions out of earshot, knowing full well she was being observed. With the same sheer purpose as before the attendant trots back. "She tells me merchants have begun selling them recently, your Majesty. Foreigners from a distant land small enough to fit in your palm. She tells me they're rather popular."

The Queen betrayed no deliberation, and after a few stony-faced seconds said, "Very good. I want one by this evening."

"Very good Your Majesty."

"And Ander," she turned to him, "do make him cute."

---

Penn tried his best to stop shivering in his ill-fitting, overly heavy, poorly-tailored suit but every time he'd straighten his back or stop tapping his foot anxiously, his teeth would begin to chatter. "When you get in there do not look directly into her eyes," the attendant said, trying his best to fit the tiny boy into his freshly made formal coat. "Refer to her solely as Your Majesty, Your Highness, my Liege, or ma'am." Penn had never worn anything so stuffy in his life. He missed the simple tunics of his childhood. "Do EVERYTHING she requests, without hesitation." With a final tug of the drawstring, the attendant stood back and admired the strapping young lad in his hilariously ill-fitting formal attire. "Never, EVER talk back to her. I cannot stress this enough." He offered a small salute to the shivering little thing, "Good luck," before raising the platform he stood on and marching into the private chambers.

---

The Queen's private chambers were sizeable for a run-of-the-mill peasant; to Penn they were astronomical. Diffuse incense and soft, flickering lighting gave the opulently decorated space a cosy, restful feel. The fact a single woman slept here made him feel a little on the inadequate side, especially considering he woke up on loose straw in a cage just this morning. His idle thoughts of 'my entire village could fit on that bed' and 'the gold tassels on those pillows could buy me an entire mansion back home' ended when he felt the lumbering vibrations that accompanied the larger race wherever they went. In full panic mode, and with footsteps fast approaching, Penn got down on one knee and stared at the floor as hard as possible. Call her Your Majesty, or Your Highness, Your Majesty, Your Highness, oh God was that her shadow?

"A-a-at your service Your Nastiness." Fuck.

"Hmmm? What was that little one?" Her voice was booming, of course, and breathy.

"I-I-I mean Your Majesty, sir - I mean ma'am! Your Highnesty." Too late, he had messed it up. He prostrated himself, eyes still clamped shut. "Oh Gods I'm sorry I'm sorry please don't kill me!" Tense, excruciating seconds passed as Penn awaited his demise. Instead of a swift death at her hand, however, he heard instead a rather jovial laugh. Not the one you make before swatting someone from the face of the planet. Slowly he allowed himself to peek at his Majesty from between his fingers. He didn't know what he expected her to look like; a gigantic, pale-faced full-figured lady crowned with a pleated bun, dressed in a loose, silky nightgown was probably a good guess, but he was somewhat surprised by a lack of horns.

"I must have frightened you terribly, little one. Sorry, I forget myself sometimes. Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of hurting you." She had a very calming demeanour, a charisma which put the young man at ease -- at least as 'at ease' one could be five seconds after expecting to die. She gently lowered herself onto the vast bed, putting her closer to level with the young lad, her eyes only a few storeys above his head.

Still a little unsure, still a little afraid, still surprised his bladder hadn't burst, Penn tried his best to compose himself as best he learned from watching the merchant who sold him. "I-I must apologise for my... uhhh... trespass? Y-Your Highness!"

"Oh, come, drop that stuffiness. Mirabella is plenty fine, darling," she smiled.

"O-of course, Mirabella, Your Majesty."

The gigantic woman softly chuckled, which rearranged the crinkled pattern in her silk nightdress -- which he noticed was more transparent than he thought... She extended a graceful, well-manicured hand to her palm-size company with a flutter of her eyelash. With some resolve he climbed aboard, vaguely trying to 'avert his eyes'. "Poor thing, I forgot myself," she said, reclining, running a thumb down his back. "I can't fault Ander for going to," she thumbed his clothes, "such lengths... I'm rather strict. 'Tis quite lonely, at the top... Must always be the Queen," she sighed. "No family to be myself around now..."

Penn was finding this a bit hard to process. "S-so just Mirabella?"

She grinned. "How would you like a bath?"

"I-I don't know... I've never had one."

"Oh you poor dear! You will LOVE it!"

---

Penn was placed on the smooth edge of a vast pool of steaming water. From so low down he could almost glimpse up Mirabella's nightgown; not that that was necessary, as the gigantic woman shamelessly disrobed, the gown falling around her ankles. From his low vantage point the boy gawked at her colossal statuesque body for the few moments before she submerged herself, her wide hips and thick thighs disappearing beneath the bubbly lake with a deep sigh. The Queen's satisfaction was clear, as the day's stress washed off her like dirt. "Do come in, uhm... do you have a name?" She tried her best to keep her smile small, his face bright red.

"P-Penn," he said demurely, "Uhm... I'm not a very strong swimmer..." He tried to edge towards the sheer cliff, peering over only tentatively.

"Don't worry Penn, darling, I won't let you drown," Mirabella smiled, popping open a bottle of wine and pouring herself a goblet. "Would you like some, dear?" She proffered the pricey drink to Penn, the diminutive little thing needing to stand on his tippy-toes to get a good look in. Mirabella couldn't resist being cheeky and scooping up her newest toy and submerging him in the heady liquid. He emerged gasping for air, coughing and dizzy; a bit much for a first drink. His owner smirked down, "Whoopsie~ Looks like you NEED a bath now." Tilting the goblet, the wine quickly disappeared between her luscious lips, a certain young man along with it. His mane of boyish hair, now wet and matted, hung loose as his upper body peeped from her mouth. Two slender fingers removed him, covered in wine and blushing. "Sorry dear, I couldn't resist," she giggled. "Now let's get those ridiculous clothes off you." Penn didn't resist as she unwrapped him like a piece of candy, discarding the ruined formalwear in a sopping pile at the edge of the bath. At last she got down to his now red breeches, smiling coyly as she worked them down his legs; he blushed of course, but made no comment.

Tenderly, she placed her new pet in the water, giving him the cork to help him keep afloat. He drunkenly held on to the life raft for all he was worth, straddling it and paddling around to keep himself from sinking into the mysterious depths. Everywhere he looked the curves of Mirabella's body dominated the luxurious bath, pillars of steam wafting up past her milky skin and forming droplets which slithered down her collarbone and off her breasts which barely peeked above water level. At the distant end her toes broke the water tension like dolphins coming up for air, and her powerful arms idly splashed around, occasionally catching the young man in their wake. The great monarch's face was restful, placid; she was clearly enjoying the bath. The water was quite nice... Perhaps he should follow her example and try to relax. Getting into a comfortable position with his makeshift float, Penn enjoyed the first bath of his life.

Now with time to think, Penn reflected on how strange his day had been. He knew he'd end up someone's pet eventually -- as was the fate of his kind in this strange land -- but the Queen's? Why had that man been so terrified of her, too?  "E-excuse me! Your High- umm, Mirabella?"

Peeking an eye open, Mirabella acknowledge him with a "Hmm?" How brave of the little one.

"It seemed like... everyone else was, uh, scared of you..." it seemed like a rather rude question, saying it out loud. "The man who brought me in... but the maids too."

The titanic woman reclosed her eyes and sighed deeply, letting herself slip deeper into the water. "My father was a great man, and a great king. His rule was unquestioned. Unfortunately, he was not blessed with a male heir..." By the look on his tiny face, she wasn't getting through to him. "I must be strict to command respect. I must play the part of tyrant or risk... disloyalty..." Mirabella sighed but gave Penn a comforting smile. "'Tis exhausting, I must admit. To be so serious, so overbearing..."

Penn was beginning to understand. This woman was powerful beyond his comprehension, yet she seemed... lonely. "W-why aren't you like that with... me?"

The Queen smirked and, with a single finger, pulled the cork and its little passenger toward her gently. "I wanted someone I could be myself around. A good listener. And I don't think you have a problem with doing what you're told anyway," she smiled wryly just as the miniature raft floated between her breasts, the looming valley walls casting a shadow over the little boatman. The gigantic woman, more like a living island, lowered herself further, displacing some water and turning the imposing canyon walls into nice, easily accessible islands. By the glint in her eye, Penn felt urged to climb on; at the risk of proving her correct, he obeyed. He slightly sunk into the spongy ground, much to her delight. She chuckled slightly, an earthquake for the wee creature, sending him down clutching her for support. "Hmhmhmhm, quite cute, aren't you?" she commented rather matter-of-factly, easily turning him over with a single index finger and pinning him softly to her chest, delicately running rings with her perfectly manicured finger. "Is the bath to your liking?"

Penn stared agape into the huge eyes of the giant, at a loss for words. Pillars of steam wafted around him, condensing a fine mist all over both himself and his owner. He had no clue how to respond to her flirting, the fact that one wrong move could end him not exactly helping his confidence.

"Hello~? Darling? Are you there?"

"Uhh-hh... yes, it's f-fine... thank you..."

With only a hint of a laugh, Mirabella sunk deeper again into the bath, forcing Penn to tread water once more. He quickly latched onto his raft, Mirabella watching him like a calculating sea serpent, the bulk of her gigantic body beneath soapy surface. "Be honest dear," she said, smiling, "Do I scare you?"

Penn looked her up and down, her round face was as warm and jovial as ever; if she were much smaller, he could imagine her a doting older family friend -- one whom he'd secretly dream of, even... But at her present size, big enough to cast him in her long shadow, she was more like a gigantic monster, even if she made a rather gorgeous one. "P-perhaps a l-little..."

Emerging from the water like a kraken's limbs  her cupped fingers surrounded his little cork, streams of soap running between her slender digits. "There really is no need... I must look all big and scary but I promise I'll take good care of you." Mirabella stroked his mop of wet hair with her thumb. "I'm sure you'll like it here much more than whatever dusty cage they kept you in."

The tiny boy still looked a little unsure, but he was slowly coming around to the idea. She was a Queen after all, there were worse positions than a Queen's beloved pet.

"And we can have... other sorts of fun," she said with a devious smile. With a gentle tap she sent the cork on a leisurely trip to the opposite end of the bath. Penn stayed his course, the colossal woman fading into the steamy haze to his rear. Through the thick vapour he saw two great pale hemispheres emerge like volcanic islands from the deep. Her massive behind breached the surface tension and a soft giggle rumbled the bath as the cork washed ashore on the Mirabellan archipelago. Penn fell onto and sunk into the dimpled surface of her right cheek, his ticklish little body eliciting another seismic chuckle. Over her shoulder, out the corner of her eye, she watched her pet scramble up her backside to get a better perch, tickling her immensely as he did. She bit a finger to hold back her laugh and risk tossing the poor thing into the sea. When he finally made it to the crown of the peachy isle the Queen couldn't help but give him an only half condescending round of applause. "Aren't you just precious. I can't be-" interrupted midsentence by the swinging open of the chamber doors, Mirabella hastily flipped herself over, pinning Penn beneath her. "Excuse me!"

"A thousand apologies Your Majesty!" the poor servant girl quickly spat, half-trembling, "b-but Duke Orveto is requesting your presence. He's in the grand hall as we speak."

Desperately, the poor thing beneath the insurmountable mass of woman beat his fist against the unbelievably large pads of flesh he was pinned beneath, his breath quickly running out. Feeling her pet beneath her, and angrily gritting her teeth, Mirabella sighed. "Right. You are forgiven, I will be with him shortly. Go, now!" she demanded, waiting until she heard the close of the door to fish out Penn from beneath her. Shivering in her moist palms he coughed up tiny drops of water as he gasped for air. "Oh poor thing! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" She sighed again; so fragile a thing he was, be careful! "It won't happen again, you have my promise."

Penn, still coughing and spluttering, gave a wide-eyed look through his damp hair to the humongous woman who literally held his life in her hands. "T-thank you... for the bath..."

Restoring her smile for a second, her face soured once again when she remembered the loathsome brute hanging around in her great hall. With a third and final sigh, Mirabella in a dark tone said, "I have an audience with a certain vassal of mine and it seems like you will be attending."

---

The Queen's footsteps were delicate, measured, and muffled by silk slippers. Even at her great size Penn felt them more than heard them, although that wasn't surprising being tucked deep inside her cleavage through the neck of her gown, jiggling, jiggling, jiggling with every regal step. He wore simple comfortable linens, much nicer and better fitting than the stuffy formal wear he wore before; it was quite cosy in this little nest of his, and he was content to see the world through only the narrow aperture of light that snuck in between Mirabella's giant breasts from above -- he had no complaints.

When Mirabella finally arrived in the great hall she caught a few seconds of the perennial thorn in her side that was Duke Orveto impatiently drumming his fingers on an armrest before jumping to attention at her presence and offering a half-sarcastic bow. "Ah, Your Majesty! I pray I made no intrusion."

"You did, but never mind that. I do hope you wouldn't think of holding an audience on such short notice unless the matter was absolutely vital."

Penn stared up at the magnificent woman from his vantage point, her face stony and cold. He could hardly believe she was the same woman who shamelessly flirted with him mere minutes ago, who held him so tenderly in her soft palms...

"Of course, ma'am. I am simply here to ask you to reconsider my proposal of marriage."

Marriage?! Penn, so snug before, struggled and squeezed to get a better look at this Duke.

"I'm..." a slight blush rose to her cheeks and stopped her in her tracks -- what was he doing down there? -- she ignored it quickly enough to not incur any suspicion. "I'm afraid I won't tell you anything my envoys haven't, Duke Orveto."

Peeking out from her cleavage, too small to be of notice to the room full of giants, Penn saw the barrel-chested and full-bearded Duke standing a few steps down from where the Queen herself stood, flanked by an entourage of attendants all in similar finery. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I believe a union of our estates would benefit the Kingdom greatly. It would be-"

"'A great lapse of my heretofore unerring judgement.' Yes, I read your first three requests. The answer remains no." Penn began to put things together.

The Duke took a measured step forward, visibly agitated. "Your Majesty, frankly I fear for our Kingdom! There is no heir apparent and each day you remain unmarried-"

"'We risk another succession crisis, especially as I age out of my childbearing years.' Once again, loyal Duke, I retain the right to deny your request."

The large man was obviously cross, so much so that Penn instinctively ducked slightly lower into the warm trench.

"So you remain stubborn as the Kingdom potentially falls into chaos?"

"I still plan on enjoying many years of life, Orveto, I shall deal with the matter of succession when the time comes. Until then it would serve you to wish your Queen a long life." There was some venom in her voice -- the day she used that tone of voice with him was not one he wanted to see. Penn felt rather caught in the crossfire, a debate between giants was a fearsome thing.

"Ah, so I see you remain content to muck around with foreign pygmy toys from the market!"

Finally Mirabella's stony resolve faltered and she searched around the hall with a deadly glare for anyone who dared share such private information with Duke bloody Orveto of all people. Seeing a self-satisfied grin tease the Duke's lips enraged her to no end; she wouldn't let him have this. Reaching down her gown she pulled the poor young man out and held him in her open palm for all to see. "Yes, I am content!" Penn had never been so shocked in his life. Dozens of giant eyes all fixed instantly on him and he turned a dangerous shade of red. "And despite his stature he is many times the man you'll ever be!" the Queen spat, shamelessly stuffing him back between her breasts before turning on her heels and marching off, leaving Orveto gobsmacked until he left in a huff. As soon as she was a good distance away and had some privacy she retrieved him again, this time holding him more tenderly than before. "I'm so so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

Penn was slowly draining of his ruby colour, back to being a healthy pink. He took a deep breath, being shy on the best of days he never thought he'd have so many people... watching him. "I-I-I uh... will take it as a compliment?" he said uncertain, clearing his throat.

Mirabella wanted to say something, but not finding the right words she simply leaned in for a gentle kiss, her lips many times wider than his head. "It's been a long day, for both of us, how about we finally retire to my chambers?"

He answered with a single exhausted nod.

---

Mirabella had once again slipped into her translucent nightgown and lay on her opulent four-post bed; Penn did much the same, minus the nightgown, with her vast belly serving as the bed. She idly pet him, running a single fingertip along his delicate body, feeling him in the dim flickering light. "Sorry again about what happened in the great hall... That Duke just gets my blood boiling at times. All the little gossips in my court..." she sighed deeply enough for him to feel it. "'Foreign pygmy toy' the nerve of that man!" She was like a living landscape to the boy, rumbling, moving as she breathed, as she talked. A deep, warm, soft landscape. "You're much more than that, darling. I won't let you suffer an insult like that again. I'll take good care of you, you have my word."

"W-what kind of care?"

Hearing his voice but not his words, Mirabella tenderly took him in her palms, bringing him up to her wide warm face, flickering in the light. "What was that, little one?"

Clearing his throat, "What kind of care?"

"Oh, only the very best. I'll have my artisans furnish you your very own mansion, right here in my room. All the best clothes and food will be yours."

Penn had never dreamt of living in a mansion. He was tempted to thank the gods, who granted him this fortune, but really it was the living god who held him tenderly in her gigantic hands. "Thank you, Mirabella... I-I... don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing. You'll be like my little Prince Consort, with all the privileges."

"Consort?"

"I was hoping to have a taste of you in the bath before we were so rudely interrupted..." she saw him blush, which was quite adorable, but he seemed apprehensive. "It's not a problem, is it darling?"

He averted his eyes. "...No, no... I must admit you're rather... beautiful." He saw her face light up from the corner of his eye. "But... how?"

With a grin, Mirabella plopped him down on an adjacent silk throw pillow, sinking in with a pomf. Flipping herself over, she held herself up and cast her pet in an ominous shadow. Ribbons of her nightgown cascaded off her like fabric waterfalls, her unsupported chest straining against the thin silk, erect nipples threatening to cut through. "Relax," she said in a soft voice, "and do as I say." Without another word she pressed her lips to the little thing, sandwiching him between a silky pillow and luscious lips that covered half his body. Taken by surprise, he struggled a little, kicking his legs around wildly. Mirabella pulled off with an exaggerated 'mwah', gazing lovingly on Penn who was obviously quite hot and bothered. "I'm going to kiss you again," she stated; he nodded in agreement without so much as a word. Her gigantic face descended from the heavens once more, the deep wrinkles of her lips pressed flat against his delicate body. She held the pillow so she could push him deeper, harder against her. Penn was bathed in the warmth of her breath, droplets of saliva sneaking from between her gorgeous lips and onto him as they worked up and down his entire body. The tip of her nose would press against his face as she had almost his entire lower body engulfed in her smooch, his tiny hummingbird heart felt against her warm cheek. Occasionally she'd peek open an eye to see his bright red face contorted under her encroaching tongue, which had slowly crept from her mouth and had begun to run up and down him as if he were a piece of candy. "I could just eat you up," she said, "but what a waste that would be of someone so adorable." Mirabella redoubled her efforts, passionately pressing her lips to the squirming, moaning little thing. Holding the pillow tight, she rolled over onto her back and threw it away, leaving Penn laying on her lips like a chocolate stain, swallowed up to his legs. A slight salty taste on her tongue told her she had done her job. Delicately, she peeled his fragile form away, holding him between two fingers like the slender stalk of a naked grape bunch, all the juicy fruit gone. "Was that your first kiss?"

Beet red and hot and bothered, he panted for a few seconds before meekly saying, "It was definitely... a first."

With a stifled snicker, she gave the young man a rather devious look. "I've done enough work, time you carry your weight." And with that she stuffed him into her exposed cleavage. He found himself in the familiar curve of her warm breast, an omnidirectional hug. "Go down, deeper," she whispered; he obeyed. Squirming through the tight canyon, Mirabella couldn't help but squeeze him, keep him pinned and wriggling, feeling his soft hair and slender limbs struggle to crawl through the valley of plump skin and soft fat. "Come on, I know you're strong enough little one." No sooner did the words leave her mouth than he popped out from between her twins and into the shady canopy of her nightgown. "Good boy..." she cooed, "now... go down, further." Once again he listened, crawling on his belly, skin on skin, hidden deep in the ruffles of her gown. She could feel him erect against her, silently smiling to herself. It was even shadier in here, dusky, vague flickering shapes of giant pieces of furniture loomed outside the gown; but it was warm, cosy, and gently shifted with every breath she took. The gigantic woman would occasionally stifle a laugh as his adorable little wiggle deeper into her clothes tickled her immensely. "Unf... Maybe I should keep you under my clothes all the time... keep those boring council meetings entertaining." She traced a finger around him, toying with him, "I'll get my tailors to sew little pockets into my clothes so you can ride around with me, would you like that? Hnhnhn." The long path down her silky stomach was coming to a close, trickles of light crept up her wide thighs, a moist warmth along with it. He crawled into a soft patch of dark hair -- his turned to be tickled. "You're almost there, just a little closer..." she said, some laboured breathing on her voice. Penn crawled to the very edge of the cliff, peering down in the dark, seeing her womanhood flanked on both sides by her meaty thighs. Her fingers gently played with her lips, teasing herself, her other hand feeling around her body. The tiny boy was amazed by the sight, so mesmerised that he didn't notice that searching hand snaking down her gown and sneaking up behind him, pushing him down into her waiting palm with a soft chuckle. Mirabella braced her shoulders against the bedframe, angling herself to make eye contact with the adorable little morsel from behind a few frizzy locks of loose hair. "Oh my you're just so cute," she moaned, biting her lower lip. She brought him closer to her, right up against her lips; she wanted to feel him against them. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" he shouted, an enthusiastic squeak. She pressed softly but firmly against her labia, another deep kiss. Her breathing alternated between short sharp breaths and deep, warm moans as she discovered new parts of him against her. Penn squirmed, completely saturated by her but also not caring in the slightest.

"Good boy... very very… good boy," she hummed, spreading her legs wider and rubbing his entire body along her vulva. "Right here darling..." she pointed to her engorged clitoris, directing him towards it. Obedient as ever, he grabbed it with both his tiny hands, squeezing it as much as he could. By the sound she made, he took that as an invitation to continue. He nibbled it, poked it, pushed it, everything he could to please her. "I want you down there forever~" she moaned, pushing her fingers inside her while he worshipped. He had a very bright future ahead of him if he could keep this up, she thought to herself, already thinking of different games for them to play; she mustn't get too ahead of herself though, not before she finishes here... Penn was so distracted with his job that he didn't notice the gigantic woman slowly sliding a cushion between her thighs until the soft fabric pushed him brace against her. Clamped there by her powerful thighs, she shifted the colossal mass of her body up, kneeling on the bed with the pillow -- and her little toy -- flush against her privates. Mirabella looked absolutely magnificent from down here, hips wider than a city street in his homeland narrowed into her soft belly which retreated into her heavy breasts, straining against her translucent gown, so large they almost eclipsed her beautiful face smiling with deep adoration down at her precious little pet. She was a living mountain with every jagged crag replaced with a soft curve and crowned not with snow but a deep glossy mat of smooth hair. Her incomprehensible mass bore down on him as she gyrated her hips and pushed him deeper into the buckling pillow, drops of sweat slithering down the monarch lost in her throes of passion. If she so wanted he would be crushed from existence in a mere second, but by the look in her eyes and the gallons of moisture he was drenched in he knew she would never dare hurt him. This was a side of her no one other than him would get to see; to her subordinates she was a cold, demanding and distant woman -- to him, she was a melting mountain of tenderness, but one who still rippled with power. With a final thrust of her hips and a clench of her thighs she tensed up, pressing Penn deeper and further into her than ever before. The air was squeezed from his lungs as she threatened to swallow him up, the texture of her lower lips surrounding every square inch of his skin; he came again, unable to resist the debaucherous sensory overload. After a few electric seconds, Mirabella let out a sustained but oddly reserved and regal sigh, pure bliss painted on her face; "Good boy," she sighed.

Her thighs unclasped and the sodden pillow and its little companion fell onto the bed with a quiet pomf. The Queen, meanwhile, did the same, collapsing back and causing a much greater bounce. In her afterglow she searched around for her little pet, the fear she had accidentally crushed him threatened to ruin her night until she felt him lightly breathing, sprawled out on the sheets. Taking the exhausted little thing in her hand, she dropped him back on her (slightly damp) nightgown. "Sorry... we've made a bit of a mess," she snickered. "I'll have someone come change the sheets soon. In the meantime..." Mirabella tickled his soft hair, just now drying after being drenched. "You served your Queen well," she said proudly.

"You're not as scary as you were before," Penn said, enjoying his own restful afterglow.

"Of course not," she sighed, smiling, "of course not."