Hidden behind long wisps of curtain in a royal chamber three bodies lay entangled within the others limbs. Silken sheets weaved through and between warm skin and stray pillows around the large cushioned mattress. 

White and lavender cropped hair scattered along the torso his head laid on, ear resting upon his Lady’s navel as his lower body covered in a pair of soft briefs lay lax within the loose sheets along the curve of his lady’s calves and feet. A second body lay partially upon the woman’s upper body, his head curled downward as his lips kissed upon her roots. Soft waves of snow shortly curled around his features, the scar on his left eye distracted the dark haired man watching from the single section of long hair previously freed from its braid curling somewhere around the man’s back. 

Fyodor supposed the entire bed was a piece of art at this point, but the centerpiece was the beauty that laid bare between two of her concubines. A thin dew laid on her skin that reflected and shimmered in the golden light peeking through the stained glass directly behind the headboard of their nest. 

The sight reminded the man of what he and his fellow harem members had to do to get here, to step through the chambers of a goddess and be permitted to stay through the night; though, memories of their sins came and passed quickly. ‘A worthy price to experience this art, only a Goddess could be so perfect.’ 

Like a bend of flowing water, his lady had washed the blood staining their palms away. Their sins reposed in her wake, for sullied hands are unworthy of her skin. His body had moved to the side of her nest, fingers caressing her hair. “It is time to wake my love .” his whisper had been heard as her lashes fluttered, sleep slowly left her being.

Although Fyodor wished to continue watching her wake, he had come to confess.

Softly kneeling before her, Fyodor lowered his head. Eyes closed, he whispered solemnly “I wish to confess my sin, if you will hear me.” 

She turned her body slightly, rising on an elbow. This was not the first time Fyodor had kneeled before her with the intention of confessing a crime, and although she had continuously told him he need not be so formal, she knew the man needed this.

He needed her to listen, needed her to judge him, or he would not rest. 

Reaching for his cheek, she gave him her full attention despite the man behind her resting his arm under her breasts and nuzzling his nose into her neck. 

“I will hear you.”

“Your grace, I have sullied myself once again. After you retired to your chambers, I heard a conversation outside of the war hall. The king’s hand was speaking lies. He spoke deceitfully of you to the king.”

“What lies did he speak, Fyodor?”

“He said that you being named the heir to the crown was folly, that you are unfit to rule without a husband and that the king should marry you to the eldest prince of Kou to unite our armies and continue his strong line. He said that you must bear a child of royal blood or your worth would simply be wasted.”

“..and what did the king say?”

“The king denied you would need a husband to guide your people to prosperity and spoke of how much the people adore you. "The people’s heir” he said. He said he would not be insulted by his own hand undermining his decision to name you Queen and that he would hear nothing more. Then, his hand said that he had already sent a raven to the Kou and that the prince would be arriving within a fortnight to claim your hand.”

“I see. I don’t mean to rush this along but, Fyodor, to what sin are you confessing?”

“Murder.”

“Who has been murdered?”

“The hand of the king.”  

This confession caused Sigma, who had been only lucidly listening to the conversation, to turn onto his stomach and set his wide eyes upon the side of Fyodor’s face. As Sigma shifted closer to hear Fyodor better, Nikolai’s cat-like grin came to light as he too removed his focus from his angel to his friend. Nikolai, shameless and eccentric, had long since stopped bothering his lady with hearing his sins. He merely giggled, this confession is much more interesting than past confessions.

“Fyodor, do you mean to tell me that you murdered the hand of the king for speaking ill of me and sending an invitation for a suitor?”

“That, your grace, and, I have always hated him for never seeing you as you are and only being interested in you bearing children, as if he thinks of you as a breeding sow. I waited until the king left the room and used my ability to punish him for his crimes. Then I threw his body out the window.”

She thought for a moment. Of course, nobody would know it was Fyodor who killed her father’s advisor, she had Sigma purge any information about Nikolai and Fyodor’s abilities long ago in fear of being accused of using them to quicken her ascension. Although, one could say they are putting her coronation as Queen on the fast track, but if she were being honest- there was only one time she had asked for the punishment of another. Her Nikolai was quick to take the job and from how terrified Sigma seemed when returning to her after supervising Nikolai’s work, she could tell that Nikolai did his work well. That was the only time she had asked her harem to intervene with someone, all other times, even those she did not know of, had nothing to do with her and her wishes.

Oh the trouble these men have caused her in the past. Despite this, she had never regretted taking them in as her concubines. The passion they held for her, an eternal flame of devotion, had been what captured her interest. To put it simply, she did not plan to marry. She would rule as Queen with her harem at her sides, no husband needed.

There was no point in worrying about others finding the king's advisor dead, the murder could not be traced back to Fyodor. She truly had nothing to worry about, and if she were being honest, she wanted the man dead long ago anyways.

“You are forgiven for your sins. Now, please, join us. I could sleep a while longer.”

Nikolai giggled again behind her, “How today's confession was like poetry! I am envious of you Fyodor, you had our dove’s attention for so long this morning! I want some attention now my lady, please, I promise I’ll be good!” He spoke as he squeezed her midsection and rubbed his cheek along her shoulder. As he placed a few kitten licks on her neck, Sigma had untangled himself from the bedsheets. “Have you no shame, Nikolai? Her grace asked to sleep a bit longer and you are showcasing yourself bare and excited against her wishes!” 

Nikolai huffed as he was hit in the face with a pillow “Shameless am I? I disagree, I think myself free. Free to freely show how much I wish to pleasure my dove for freeing me. Besides, she has never refused me before..”

“Now, Kolya, if I am not going to get to sleep longer, I can think of someone in this room who could use my warmth more than you right now.” 

Fyodor looked up finally as his savior, his light, rose a single finger in his face and curled it in her direction twice. He softly smiled, Nikolai whining about ‘fairness’ as Fyodor rose softly. He reached for his tunic clasps, but it seemed his lady did not wish to watch him strip naked today. 

She rose to her knees and held his hands in hers over his tunic before leaning to his ear to whisper “allow me, love. Just lie down, let me forgive you and cleanse your body properly.”

Fyodor could have cried.

She always showed them gentle care, but seldom did she take the lead, and when she did, it confused Fyodor. She called it worshiping her boys, thanking them for their devotion to her, returning the favor for all of the times she has met her high from their tongues, showing her appreciation to how hard they work to protect her.

Fyodor knew as well as the others that she never had to do such things. It was always their devotion to her, they never expected anything in return, much less deserved anything in return.  But whether their lady wished to spend her day basking in her sheets, being railed all night long, riding them to completion, or simply curling her body into theirs while reading a book, they would never refuse. Whatever she wished, it was their pleasure.

As Sigma dragged Nikolai to the washroom by his arm, he mentioned that the bath would be warm for them when they were ready to wash up, but Fyodor couldn’t think of anything but the woman above him. Brushing the tips of her fingers lightly over his pale chest, parting his tunic while staring into his mulberry shaded irises she watched his eyes close. His long straight lashes seemed to darken as his ears and nose began to flush a rogue shade.

‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘he truly is most beautiful like this, they all are.'

Being their goddess wasn't ever all that difficult, dare she say it almost came naturally to her. She had three men so devoted and passionate they were willing to commit atrocities in her name without a second thought.

During her descent down to Fyodor's carved hips, she couldn't help but wonder exactly how her boys would react to a certain redhead and his bandaged brunette friend traveling to the capital city to join her harem on her cousin's request.

And, of course, what they're going to do about the Kou prince who is presumably on his way here.

Maybe, just maybe, her harem boys would use the prince as a bonding activity with the new arrivals. 'hmmm...'

There was a click of the train cabins door.

"Roman! Be careful! I-I heard this part is..." An audible gulp escaped Patton. "Haunted." Patton clung to his taller and broader friend, Roman. He scanned the train car, but all the seats were empty.

"Oh posh. They only said that so they could keep this car empty! Look at all the free seats!" Roman waved an arm at all the seats. He released himself from Patton's grip and twirled around one of the poles in the middle for added effect.

The white, polished plastic seats that lined down the sides of the train were, in fact, unoccupied. The standing bars and straps stood with no competition in sight. Roman strode down the middle of the train and inspected multiple seats (as if there was an difference to see) and promptly laid across the bench with a wide grin.

"Come on, Patton! We have three more stops until ours! Join me." The flambouyant man stretched across the seats. Patton shook in the doorway swaying with the motion of the train. His friend laughing at the other end sprawled across the seats did help set the atomsphere to a happier tone, but something bothered Patton. Just something.

Patton took a small step forward. Shivers went up his spine. He stopped once more in front of the train car's door as it slid closed behind him.

"R-roman, please," Patton tried to give a small giggle, "Don't use your abilities when I'm s-scared." Roman raised an eyebrow and sat up from his lounging postition.

"You assume I am?" Roman watched Patton shuffle where he stood.

"There's something there..." Patton pointed at the seat across from Roman, closest to the unloading door on the side.

Both watched the seat silently.

A purple silhoutte flickered in the seat.

"AAAHHHHHH I KNEW IT!" Patton screamed, beginning to cry in realization. "IT'S HAUNTED! WW-WW-HHY-YY ROMAN!" Patton's breaths hitched and he grabbed the nearest pole with comically large tears in his eyes.

Roman rose from his seat trying to stifle his laughs.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Patton. I had to." Roman held his stomach as he kneeled down to accompany Patton on the floor.

"Y-You're a real meanie Roman." Patton pouted, trying to regain his composture.

"I didn't mean to scare you that badly." Roman admitted, but still had a smile on his face.

"You promised. No illusions when I'm scared." Patton wiped his cheeks with his jacket's sleeve and slowly stood back up with Roman.

"Oh come now. We made that promise for during the night,” Patton gave a glare over his glasses, “but I can see that you still didn't take well to my antics, so I shall never do illusions-no matter the conditions- if you are scared." Roman's wide smile shifted into an apologetic smirk. The two men softly chuckled at the events.

Three dings over the intercom interuptted them: [This stop is ###. The next stop is +++. Please mind the gap between the train and the station platform] The train's announcment went off and the train lurched as the brakes were applied.

Roman and Patton clung to the pole they were at and waited for the train to come to a complete stop. The doors slid open. Patton watched the door next to the seat Roman had caused the apparition to appear. He cursed as his own imagination getting the better of him when he thought he saw another purple flicker.

No. That was actually there.

THUD

Suddenly a young man appeared and immediately fell to the floor. Patton jumped with a small squeak of surprise.

||| In his surprise, Patton's ability activated. Time froze around him. Roman was in mid-turn to see the man that suddenly appeared. The man was more around their age... about 24 years old. Under a thick black hoodie, the dark-clad figure was thin. He was attempting to get up off the cold steel ground, pushing up with his hands as if his legs gave out beneath him. In fact, as Patton inched closer, it looked exactly like that. The young man looked bewildered, wide eyes pointing down at the ground. He looked just as terrified as Patton was entering the supposed haunted train car. The blur of purple was from the dark grape colored locks that hung in front of the man's dark eyes.

Patton left Roman behind him and approached the man properly. He knelt down to look closer at the man. This definitely wasn't a ghost and judging by the angle of his fall, he was already inside the car. Invisibility. Patton's eyes lit up with curiosity. He's heard stories of all the great people who used their invisibility to save the day. It wasn’t a common ability, but it was widely sought out for.

Patton gave a soft smile to the still man. It took everything in him to stop himself from patting the man's soft-looking hair. He was already in panic from being discovered, Patton didn't want him to worry about why his hair was suddenly scuffed up, maybe he won't notice how his loose boot laces were now neatly tied. The poor kiddo probably tripped on those very laces and exposed himself...

Patton returned to Roman and tried to mimick what his last reaction was. Patton's stomach growled. |||

"What the-" Roman made his way over to the young man assuming he tripped on his way into the train. "Are you okay?" Roman went to help the newcomer up, but as soon as he got close enough the man looked up with wide eyes and labored breaths. He sucked more air into his lungs and vanished. Small shuffling noises and soft thuds of boots echoed off the train.

"That's so cool." Patton huffed out in awe. Roman stood confusingly out of the train door at the empty station until the doors slid shut.

"What was that?" Roman barely whispered before being forced to grab onto a hanging strap in order not to fall.

____