11. Queen’s New Clothes
Chapter 11
Queen’s New Clothes
Isabella
“ W ait a moment.” Phara held up his hand, and Isa paused her story before it even started. “You can tell us the tale as we wash. You are so petite, it will probably be easier over here.” Phara scooped her up and waded across the pool-sized bath to the stairs cut into the natural rock.
He stretched out on the steps and positioned her so she was reclining on him, like he was a piece of pool furniture.
“That can’t be comfortable.” She tried to get up, but Phara’s arm banded around her middle.
“I am comfortable. Tell us the story of the big teeth,” Phara urged.
“It is called Little Red Riding Hood …” she began with an amused chuckle.
As Isa told the story, the trio of consort betas grabbed some cloths that were on the nearby ledge. She held out her hand, and rather than putting a cloth in it, Rego started washing her with the naturally sudsing washcloth. Gregis did the same to her other hand, while Galis happily took her feet.
“Oh,” she peeped when Phara slid a bubbly cloth across her midriff, the back of his hand grazing the underside of her breasts.
Since the Vorto wanted to do everything else for her, their desire to wash her shouldn’t have been a shock, yet it was. Surprisingly, though, as she continued with an abbreviated version of the fairy tale, everyone was more fascinated with it than anything tawdry. That was a relief, since she’d had more sex today than she ever had—and it was good sex. It was also easier to relax now that much of the weight on her shoulders had been lifted. Soon, she lay peacefully in the hot water. Except, now she felt guilty about the way they were pampering her.
Isa paused the story and looked over her shoulder at Phara. “Are you sure you’re not uncomfortable?” she frowned as she asked again. He had to be fibbing before.
“I am fine.” Phara bopped the tip of her nose with the soapy cloth.
“Fine,” she laughed at the bubbles that clung to her nose.
Phara chuckled and wiped the floral smelling suds off. “Continue your story.”
“Yes, the red queen just asked about the wolf’s ears,” Rego encouraged as he worked up a nice lather on her arm.
Rego, Galis, and even serious Gregis stared at her in anticipation, leaning in to hear what happened next.
“Okay,” she snorted, tickled they were so fascinated. “So, Red said, ‘Grandma, what big ears you have.’ The wolf then replied, ‘All the better to hear you with, my dear.”
“I still don’t understand how the red queen thought the furry predator was her queen mother,” Galis skeptically interjected.
“Because the devious predator was wearing coverings that mimicked the queen mother. We already explained this!” Gregis nudged the other triplet, aggravation apparent on his face.
“Are you going to let our queen finish the tale?” Rego smirked at Galis.
“They weren’t very good coverings if the red queen noticed how big his ears were,” Galis muttered.
Isa snorted at their banter. She didn’t expect the story to be this much fun, but their commentary was the best. She muffled her laugh and attempted to look serious again.
“So, then Red says, ‘Grandma, what big eyes you have.” She widened her eyes as she panned them. “And the wolf said, ‘The better to see you with, my dear.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Galis declared.
“Galis!” everyone barked in unison.
Isa burst out laughing, the petulant grimace on Galis’ face making it even harder to contain herself. But eventually she got herself under control and adopted a serious face again.
“Then Red said, ‘Grandma, what big teeth you have.”
“That’s my part!” Phara leaned around her, showing off his big sharp teeth.
Isa grinned. “And the wolf declared, ‘The better to eat you with!’ He leapt out of the bed and gobbled Red up whole.”
“Ow.” Phara cringed and slumped back against the steps with a splash.
“I knew it was going to be bad!” Galis pointed at his brothers.
She giggled at Phara’s dramatic reaction and Galis’ expression of vindication.
“That is not how the tale ends, is it?” Rego asked with a grimace.
“No.” She shook her head. “Now that the wolf was full, he promptly fell asleep. He snored so loudly that a passing hunter heard. ‘That doesn’t sound like grandma!’ the hunter stopped, suddenly worried.”
“He should be worried. A predator just ate two queens!” Gregis interjected incredulously.
Galis pointedly glared at Gregis, and she could tell he was wordlessly reprimanding his brother for interrupting this time.
“So, the hunter killed the wolf, cut it open and saved Red Riding Hood and her grandma. The end,” Isa summarized while chuckling.
“Hmm. Good.” Phara nodded in approval of the ending as he squeezed her middle. “Thank you for sharing your tale.”
“I couldn’t leave you wondering after my comment earlier about big teeth.” She smiled at them.
It grew quiet as the men continued to leisurely wash her. She stared up at the vaulted stone ceiling as she relaxed, still giggling inside at their reaction to the story. The natural rock formations really were lovely. Caves had always fascinated her. They were an entire world underground, wonderful and mysterious. Many first people used them as homes, and the Vorto had taken that to the next level.
“I don’t like that story,” Galis announced, after a few minutes, boisterously breaking the silence. His hand paused with the washcloth on the back of her knee.
“Galis!” Phara said in admonishment.
“No. It’s okay,” Isa chuckled, wondering what was rolling around in Galis’ head. “Please share what you think. I grew up having to censor everything I said and it’s tiring,” she encouraged them.
“Your hive really told hatchlings that a predator would eat them?” Rego spoke up instead, clearly aghast.
“Agreed. I didn’t like that, either,” Galis concurred, pointing at Rego.
“And the predator was dressed up as the queen mother,” Gregis incredulously chimed in.
“That was a disturbing element,” Phara acknowledged. “I understand the need to warn hatchlings about dangerous fauna, but this tale seems like a particularly frightening way to do it.”
“You aren’t wrong,” Isa laughed, amused that all four of them found her story unsettling. She was so used to it, she forgot how creepy it truly was. “I think the point is that sometimes bad people could pretend to be good people, and to watch out for them.”
“Do you mean repetitive rule breakers?” Phara asked.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“That is an important lesson, young should avoid rule breakers, but that is still very disturbing to tell a hatchling,” Rego decided.
“Agreed,” Phara concurred, but then he stilled. “I don’t know how I feel about being compared to the nasty rule breaker.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. She didn’t want Phara to think she thought badly of him when she made the sleepy comment, because she intended the exact opposite.
Isa pulled away from the triplets, and rolled over atop Phara. She propped herself on Phara’s muscular chest and looked into his eyes. She wasn’t practiced at flirting, but she found herself gearing up to do exactly that.
“I wasn’t comparing you to a rule breaker. I was comparing you to a sexy beast that wants to devour me,” she brazenly informed him with an impish smile and a bat of her eyes.
Phara’s eyes widened, and she instantly, nervously questioned her bold streak. Then his eyes sparked with lust.
“Aye,” Phara growled as he gripped her thighs, tugging her legs so she was straddling his sculpted abs. “I think there’s a spot we missed washing.” His fingers delved between her labia as his tongue shot out, suggesting a tongue bath was in her future.
Isa made a sound that was part gasp, part squeak when Phara’s fingers teased her entrance and his arousal prodded at her rear. Maybe she shouldn’t have teased the alpha. The look in Phara’s eyes screamed he truly was about to make a meal of her. The alien man was proving why he was the consort alpha. She really should be worn out, but it was like a dam had been uncorked and she found herself eager for more.
“My queen.” A new Vorto man approached the pool, interrupting them. “Artifex sent me to prepare coverings for you.” The chevron on his chest said he was a servitor gamma.
“Oh!” Isa was surprised at first by his sudden arrival, then smiled at the new man and Artifex’s sweet gesture.
“I have just enough time to prepare something before the feast, which is nearly ready,” the Vorto man relayed.
“Ah, yes. Thank you, Diligen,” Phara said, then turned his gaze back to her. “We must feed you, my queen, and then later,” he leaned closer, “I’ll eat you.” Phara’s wicked tongue darted out and traced her neckline.
“Phara!” she squeaked when he lifted her over his head and out of the pool. The strength and dexterity that took was stunning, since she was a hearty girl. But then his crazy long tongue darted out, swiping at her pussy on her way over his head. “Phara!” she squealed again in surprise as she gaped incredulously at the rotten man.
She was quickly answered with a grin as Phara and the triplets chuckled. All four of them were incorrigible.
Diligen took her hand, assuring she had her footing on the stone floor. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel as awkward meeting another man while naked. Maybe she was finally getting used to the nudity thing.
“I was also sent to rescue you,” Diligen added, with a nod toward the rowdy consorts in the heated bath.
“We heard that!” one of the triplets laughed as they too climbed out of the pool.
“Sympathies, my queen.” Diligen cast her an amused look that conveyed he was being sarcastic.
She laughed, getting the impression the three Vorto castes had a healthy rivalry and teased each other regularly.
Diligen’s smile broadened as he wrapped a big, soft, plush towel around her. She tugged the edges up and snuggled into it.
“Mmm.” It smelled a lot like lavender. She was discovering that even though the Vorto were minimalist, what they did have were always works of art. Isa looked up from admiring the towel to the alien man. “Thank you, Diligen.”
“It’s my honor,” he said, while wrapping her wet hair in a smaller towel. “Come see the selection of material I brought.”
Diligen led the way up a short tunnel into the back of a familiar large room. It was reminiscent of the sanctuary of Notre Dame, immense, with lots of gorgeous stone and columns, but purple. She’d been asleep when Phara brought her to the bathing cavern, and she was hardly familiar with the hive layout yet. Her gaze landed on the unusual round bed and recognized where she was.
“This is really my room?” She looked from Diligen back to the consorts who were following them.
“It is, my queen.” Rego nodded to her.
Isa looked around, truly taking in her new bedroom. It was the kind of huge that made her feel positively insignificant. In the middle of the cavernous room was the pool-like bed that she first awoke in. Lining the walls were the columns illuminated with a peaceful amethyst light. The walls were carved with the vining flowers she’d seen elsewhere on her brief tour, but they’d left the natural beauty of the cave ceiling which extended two to three stories up. Two rooms branched off the main room, similar to a transept. Throughout, there were benches with contrasting yellow cushions, tables, and platforms reminiscent of day beds. Many pieces were made of red wood, but many were made from the same purple marble as the cave. She couldn’t imagine what it would take to move the absurdly heavy pieces, but the Vorto were ridiculously strong so it was probably nothing to them. There were also shelves peppered around the room holding a variety of things, like blankets near the bed, cups near a bubbling water fountain, towels by the passage to the bathing cavern, and so on.
“It’s just so huge. You could play a ballgame in here. I mean it's gorgeous, but I don’t know that I need this much space.” She shook her head in disbelief.
If she was truly a queen, the palatial room fit the title, but she didn’t really feel like a queen. She was just plain old Isabella as far as she was concerned.
“It is the most secure chamber,” Bellator said as he came sauntering in. His eyes brightened as they landed on her.
“Hello, Bellator.” Her heart leapt and she grinned, happy to see the giant teddy bear.
He gave her a hug and she happily snuggled into his big strong arms, loving the way he nuzzled her hair when he kissed the top of her head.
As she pulled away from Bellator, she remembered Phara was watching and tempered her smile. She attempted to have a conversation about the relationship dynamic when they were bathing, but it got totally derailed, and she still wasn’t clear on anything. Except, she need not worry because Phara was equally happy to see Bellator. The happiness on Phara’s face was open and honest. There was truly no jealousy between the three alphas. It was nice and refreshing, since she’d witnessed nothing but jealousy back home when men competed for one woman. It was also confusing. She understood jealousy, but she had no clue what this relationship was. The only thing she was sure of was that the alphas were sweet, and loving, and each of them sparked different interests she had.
“Here is the selection.” Diligen pulled her from her thoughts, as he pointed to the material draped over a table along the wall. Also on the table were her tennis shoes. Although the floors were a little cool, they were so smooth she hadn’t missed her shoes, but definitely appreciated they were salvaged from the crash.
“Thank you, Diligen. Bellator, help me pick some clothes and tell me what you were up to,” she encouraged Bellator.
“Clothes?” Bellator asked with a tilt of his head.
“Coverings,” she amended, using their word, as she went over to the table. “Oh, these are lovely.” She admired the array of colorful fabrics. “How do you dye them?” she asked as she felt how silky the gorgeous saffron yellow bundle was.
“Mainly with plants from our territory. That material is also made from different flora,” Diligen replied.
“Like linen or cotton.” She nodded in understanding, running her fingers over the brocade texture of the floral pattern.
“Why do you wish to wear coverings inside the hive?” Bellator asked, his hand following hers, feeling the fine material.
“Yes, why?” Galis seconded.
“If our queen prefers to wear coverings, we will honor her desire,” Phara interceded.
She smiled at him. He was trying to advocate for her, and apparently Artifex was, too, since he must’ve told Phara about their clothing conversation. Her heart swelled in her chest at how sweet that was. The way he came to her rescue was also pretty damn sexy.
“I was going to try to do things your way. I need to be okay with being naked,” she admitted. “But I’m also a girl and there are some things clothes help, like my breasts sometimes jostle around too much and can get sore.”
That was the easier example to give. When she expressed concern about her lady bits sullying the kitchen table, Artifex offered to lick her clean. She was sure this crowd would give a similar randy response so she didn’t bother rehashing that detail.
“We want you to be comfortable.” Phara hugged her against his side before taking a seat next to Bellator.
Isa’s eyes stung, threatening to tear up at the acceptance and affection she’d felt in that hug. The Vorto were too damn sweet and her heart really didn’t know how to take it.
“Thank you.” She quickly turned back toward the fabric, forcing herself to rein in her emotions.
The yellow fabric again caught her eye. It wasn’t something she would’ve chosen back home, but its bright sunny tone created a lovely contrast to the purple cavern. It screamed pick me!
“This doesn’t stand out too much, does it?” She held the fabric up.
“Very nice.” Bellator nodded approvingly.
“I personally prefer it,” Diligen said. “Sobel would be honored if you chose it. I think he spent several months weaving that pattern.”
“Oh wow. Thank you so much.” Isa then grimaced. “What happens if I accidentally get something on it?”
“I can clean anything. Do not fear.” Diligen took the bundle from her and unfurled it, revealing it was three long pieces instead of just one. “Please stand here, if you don’t mind.”
“All right.” She stood in front of Diligen, her hands resting at her sides. It felt odd as he unwrapped her towel and scrutinized her. She’d never been dressed by anyone, at least not since she was a toddler. She focused on Bellator, not sure Diligen needed her gawking back at him as he worked. “What were you busy with?” she asked the legionnaire alpha.
“I was checking in with my ranks and going over assignments. They haven’t located any mechanical eggs in our territory, but their search isn’t complete and I have runners going to the west,” Bellator reported.
“Oh, okay. Thank you.” She appreciated him looking for her friends.
“As I was doing a check of the hive perimeter, I thought you might like to take a walk outside tomorrow, since you weren’t awake when I brought you to the mountain,” the big teddy bear added.
“We could take the eastern path,” Phara suggested.
“There are some nice views on that route,” Bellator agreed.
Isa looked at Diligen, who was nearly done fashioning a wrap-skirt and tying a knot at her hip. “Want to join us?”
“I would be honored. Thank you, my queen.” Diligen gave her a deep bow, before grabbing the next swath of yellow fabric. “Please hold your arms up a little.”
Isa held her arms out and Diligen began creating some sort of top, by simply wrapping the fabric around her the way he had the skirt.
“Everyone here may join us. We can invite Artifex, too,” Phara announced with an excited smile.
“Sounds good.” She nodded, looking forward to it, since she hadn’t seen daylight or the planet’s surface.
“What did you and Artifex do while I was out?” Bellator inquired.
Isa blushed and her gaze darted to Phara.
“I found Artifex in the preparatory trussing our queen up like a capo he hunted in the forest,” Phara declared.
Oh my gawd! She wasn’t sure why she thought he’d have some polite response. The Vorto were proving they didn’t possess a filter and didn’t sugar coat a single thing, either.
“What?!” Bellator growled, looking toward the door like he might hunt Artifex down.
Isa startled at his angry response. “Whoa!” She held up her hands, then glared at Phara. “You better tell him you helped Artifex with that.”
“I did.” Phara grinned, undisturbed by Bellator’s outburst. “Our queen needs to learn to let us take care of her. She tried to drink a bowl of qua .”
Bellator grimaced, and his accusatory gaze turned on her.
Her mouth dropped open and she pointed at Phara. “You tell him the rest!”
“That you sampled some of our food?” Phara cocked his head, feigning ignorance.
Phara was seriously going to play dumb about the naughty kitchen escapades. He and Artifex were both rotten instigators. Isa rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and Phara started laughing.
“My queen, I think this is the best I can do for this rotation,” Diligen announced, effectively changing the subject. He then unwrapped her hair, running his fingers through it before stepping back.
Isa looked down and smiled at the bright skirt and the crisscross halter top, which was reminiscent of beach wear. The way he wrapped the skirt, her poochie belly was hardly noticeable, and she grinned. Isa did a little bounce and her boobs stayed in the makeshift fabric cups crossing over them. Many of her bras weren’t capable of that feat.
“You’re a genius, Diligen!” she declared.
“My queen!” Diligen gasped, dropped to the floor, and turned into a puddle of goo.
Oh no! What did I say? Her mouth dropped open, her gaze darting to Phara and Bellator.
“He’s overwhelmed by your praise,” Bellator chuckled.
“The feast is ready,” Artifex announced, then stopped and looked down at Diligen, still a puddle of plasm at her feet.
“Isa told him she liked her coverings,” Phara summarized for him.
“Ah. Yes, very nice.” Artifex’s gaze slid up her body. “For some reason the coverings make me more interested in seeing what’s beneath them even though I’ve seen it.”
“Agreed. I want to tear them off of her.” Bellator released a lusty growl.
“I think lifting up the wrap around her hips would be sufficient,” Phara added with a rakish grin.
The triplets nodded in agreement. The whole lot of them were nothing but hormones.
“I heard something about a feast.” She laughed and incredulously rolled her eyes as she sauntered past Artifex toward the exit.
She didn’t have to turn around to know that all eyes were on her. She could feel them, from the way the hair on the back of her neck stood up and her nipples stiffened. She may have acted put-out, but there was something very satisfying about capturing their interest. People back home would’ve called it vanity, but there was nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself, about feeling desired. The clamor of footsteps behind her made her grin widen.
“My queen, let me escort you.” Phara came up on her right side and looped his arm around her waist.
“I organized the Bonding Feast so I believe it should be my honor.” Artifex hooked his arm through her left one.
“What about you, big boy?” she said over her shoulder to Bellator, then instantly couldn’t believe herself. The men were clearly rubbing off on her.
“I am content with this view.” Bellator’s gaze darted to her ass.
Isa chuckled as they headed out of her overgrown bedroom. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the Vorto, but she liked them—a lot. More than a lot.