My Servant System

"Alright, alright... Kio, they're children, leave them be. Everyone, this is your eldest sister Anput, and she was wed to that Demoness over there, Jahi Asmodia, as well as to the Princess of the Empire Leone Presa-Ash, and lastly..."

The Sultana stared at me for a few moments, and I saw all five of the pups turn towards me, their noses twitching cutely as they sniffed the air, sensing the similar scents that bound Anput and I together and gradually placing each piece of this puzzle together as they peeked at their older sister.

"Her mate, Katherine Zara. If you recall your Mother's... teachings... then you would know that the Zara Pack is a similar collection of Dogkin, just like the Sera Pack that now lives within the Sultanate."

Hearing the towering warrior speaking so softly and gently to her children was a bit of a surprise, especially since I seem to recall her being a bit more hard on Anput when she was a child, though even then I suppose she was relatively 'gentle' as well...

"Then... big sis is already married out of the family, right?"

Aisha was the one to speak, the confident and largest pup looking back at me as she added "And how is she your mate if she is her wife? How does that..?"

Smiling at her, I glanced at Anput and said "We're all in a relationship together, equally, though I guess you could say that Jahi is the 'head' of our family. Otherwise, we're all in love with one another, and seeing as I am a Dogkin and Anput is a Jackalkin, it only felt natural to become mates."

"But mates are exclusive partners! And one mate has to be the dominant mate, so how can you both be with-!"

"Aisha, all you need to know is that relationships aren't as simple as you think they are, least of all romantic relationships. Your sister... accepted the idea of being the submissive mate of Jahi Asmodia, but seeing as Jahi Asmodia already had lovers, and that one of those lovers was a Caninekin, your sister also became the dominant mate of one of those lovers. It's... complicated. Focus on other things first, alright?"

The Sultana leaned down and ruffled the pup's fluffy ears, chuckling quietly at how Aisha shied away for a moment before leaning in closer to her Mom's hand, all while the four other pups continued to study their 'new' sister and her lovers.

"Sultana! The feast is prepared in the dining hall; how many seats would you like?"

A man dressed in a sharp black vest and harem pants stepped into the hall and looked straight for the Sultana, who glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze towards the various nobles and merchants that had hesitantly followed us into the hall as well, their silence and positions making the warrior shake her head slightly.

"Eleven. Three for our guests, eight for my family and I. Bring out the pomegranate wine as well. As for the rest of you, today's meetings are adjourned until further notice. Compile any reports or requests and submit them instead. Good day."

Listening to the pitter patter of footsteps leaving us, my lips twitched as I held back a smile at how the nobility and merchants were treated more like children instead of influential figures of the Sultanate.

"Let us have an early supper before we head outside and enjoy the gardens, hm? Chat a little and get to know one another better. Discuss the plans for this visit of yours and decide if there are things you should prioritize doing."

She lifted Mariam and Batul into her arms, the two youngest pups nuzzling against her shoulders and hugging her close as they looked at us from the same level, whilst Samira and Safa moved to stand beside their Mother, grabbing ahold of her skirt and making the Dogkin woman sigh even as she rested her hands on their heads, patting them.

Aisha was the only one not seeking out one of her parents, and instead she was staring up at Anput with narrowed eyes, scanning her sister's face before turning to look back at Jahi, Leone and I for a few seconds more, various thoughts going through her young mind that none of us were privy to.

"Mother, don't you think you two should take a break from... well, not utilizing protection? This is... quite a big group, is it not?"

Anput smirked down at her sister, ignoring the way Aisha's tail bristled slightly at the provocation and instead turning to look at her Mother, continuing to ignore the pup and rile her up even more.

Lady Kio simply shrugged and answered "There is no reason to. We've managed to attain safety, prosperity, and stability in the Sultanate, we've secured ourselves as its rulers, and now... we can finally relax a little and not worry about the plots of other countries, the greed of our own people and advisors, the animosity of those we had 'wronged'. So the answer is no; I want it raw, and I'll get it raw."

"Kio!"

The Sultana whipped her head towards her wife, who just shrugged again before turning and making her way towards the far door, heading even deeper into the palace and towards the scent of exquisite cuisine that had begun to trickle its way throughout the corridors, calling to those of us with sensitive noses to come and feast.

"Raw? Like that one dish..? Cavia... Cavy..? Caviar! Like caviar? What does Mother want raw?"

Aisha looked at her Mom, who just shook her head and strode after her wife, her own tail bristling slightly in agitation, something that made me shake my head again as I asked "So... do you think every high profile, powerful family is like this? The ones who've reached this level?"

The big pup turned towards me and stared at me curiously, remaining with us even as her siblings were taken further away from her; Anput began to walk slowly after them, guiding us towards the food with a slightly amused, slightly exasperated expression.

"Most likely, if I had to take a guess. From what Mom has said, reaching this level is sort of like... acquiring a new point of view, a new outlook on life itself. The small things, the big things, and everything in between is just... different to them. Being apart of a select few so powerful that you're considered practically immortal must do something interesting to your mentality. Why bother be high strung and worried all the time when you're just... a monster walking around in mortal clothing?"

"Has the Empress expressed similar thoughts before, Leone? I know Mom has admitted to viewing little of the world asimportant enough anymore, and she isn't even at that level yet."

As Leone went to answer, she was interrupted by a 'smaller' voice, the pup that was walking with us looking towards Leone and I as she asked "Um... what are you talking about? Level? What... What does that mean?"

The curiosity in her eyes that was directed only at Leone and I was amusing, and watching as she completely ignored Anput when she said "How strong they are, and how in tune they are with their Core, their Magics, the world and themselves. That's what we are talking about." was extremely amusing, especially since Aisha repeated "What does it mean?"

Chuckling softly, I repeated what Anput said and observed how Aisha had a slightly sour expression at the verbatim response, before I added "Your Mom is really strong, Aisha, and that is the level that most of us dream of reaching some day. It's the level that we've all dreamed of since we learned about it."

"Then... what was the raw thing Mother wanted earlier?"

"Something you aren't ready to learn just yet. C'mon, let's go eat."

Anput grabbed the pup and nudged her forwards, much to Aisha's annoyance as she tried to slip free from Anput's grasp, only to pout when Anput remained steadfast and walked her into the dining area, where we found the others already seated.

"Well this is certainly one of the better spreads you've come up with, Yusuf. What brought this on? Hearing about the potential guests from the Empire, perhaps?"

An olive skinned man in a thawb nodded as he stood beside Lady Kio, who was seated and looking over the table with an appreciative nod, taking in the various platters laden with heaps of food.

"That is correct, Lady Kio. I have toned down the heat somewhat, although there are still a select few dishes that are completely traditional. Heavy on the rice - like always - but also a large amount of naan so that our guests might feel comfortable creating their own dishes. Barbecued chicken garnished with chili and cumin, chicken baked in lemon and cumin, roasted tomatoes and a spinach salad are the primary dishes on the table. I also went ahead and simply left some of the ingredients separated for our guests to utilize."

Giving us a bow, the man addressed us directly as he said "If you weren't aware, naan is rather delicious on its own and more than capable of being used to create 'sandwiches', if that is what you desire. Rice in the place of pasta, and I am confident in stating that these chicken dishes will rival any found within the Empire."

Jahi leaned back in her seat and gave the man a small smile before reaching for one of the traditional dishes, something that made him raise a brow but remain silent... and something that made me raise a brow too since I had a feeling 'spicy' wasn't even able to begin describing how that dish would taste.

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