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"thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "pools": [], "description": "[i]Kore cannot sleep, and finds that the snake king who is looking after them is having difficulty as well.[/i]\n\nThis was a trade with [url=https://bsky.app/profile/somnolentechii.bsky.social]Somnolentchii[/url], who also drew the image in the thumbnail!\n\nThis is just a preview; the full story will go live next month, but if that's simply too long to wait, head over to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/Limewah]Subscribestar[/url] to read it, and other stories like it, before everyone else~!\n\n-----\n\n[url=http://www.postybirb.com]Posted using PostyBirb[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Kore cannot sleep, and finds that the snake king who is looking after them is having difficulty as well.

This was a trade with Somnolentchii, who also drew the image in the thumbnail!

This is just a preview; the full story will go live next month, but if that's simply too long to wait, head over to my Subscribestar to read it, and other stories like it, before everyone else~!

-----

Posted using PostyBirb", "writing": "Lulled in the King's Embrace\n\nBy Limewah\n\nStory for Dove\n\n18+\n\nSNEAK PEEK\n\nAs soon as Kore was out of the warm, steamy bath, they threw their towel around them and clung to it as tightly as they could. But even though the soft cotton fabric had been kept warm on a heated rock, it could only do so much to protect them from the chilly night sea-breeze. They were glad they hadn't washed their thick mane of brown hair - that would be a sure-fire way to catch cold.\n\nThe constant temperature changes were really messing with the white haired Licorne royal- the constant fluctuation from humid heat to biting cold was going to take a while for the horned doe to adjust to. They'd survived at least one week, so what was one more, or ten more... or however long they'd be living in this palace with that golden-scaled serpent king?\n\nKore's quarters were surprisingly toasty, especially compared to the wide open halls of King Noctue Elio Xanthos' seaside palace. All the colourfully intricate rugs and silks draped over the walls or hanging in canopies from the ceiling, retaining the heat from the wood-burning metal stove perched on a platform of marble.\n\nKore hadn?t lit the stove, they were quite certain of that.\n\n...They also didn't lay those new clothes out on the bed.\n\nThe slight invasion of privacy (presumably by some of the snake King's servants) did perturb Kore. But they were a guest.\n\nJust one who was staying for an indeterminate length of time.\n\nKore approached the bed, and gazed upon the clothes laid out upon it.\n\nTo the left was a long, pale-purple sleeping gown. It had puffy sleeves, and would likely go all the way down to Kore's ankles. Though it was also sheer to the point of translucence.\n\nThat was what the other outfit was for. For what little it would cover...\n\nKore's eyes slowly slid along the lingerie- starting from the lilac choker, down to an oleander corset-like bra that would hug their ribcage and push out their bosom. The violet panties beneath the top surely wouldn't cover very much either. Lacy opera gloves and dark garters rounded out the attire, along with some jewel encrusted bracelets and anklets made of polished brass.\n\nIt had the shape and silhouette of a harem outfit, but it was clearly made of the finest fabrics, delicately designed...\n\nAnd as they tentatively slipped into the undergarments, Kore was surprised and delighted by how well they fit their frame. Kore was not very slender - they had a soft middle and curvy things, and were all the prettier for it. \n\nThe corset-top was like a comfortingly tight hug, and the leggings and gloves were warmer than they looked too. \n\nIt left the pony feeling uncannily warm, and very pleasantly so.\n\nPerhaps the outfit was enchanted.\n\nThey slipped the nightgown on next. There was some errant dampness on their fur, but as the nightgown draped over Kore's body, it all evaporated, and they were left toasty and dry. \n\nThey looked at themself in a full length mirror, filigreed with burnished gold.\n\nIt draped perfectly over them, and the way it added a bit of shaded occlusion to their lingerie-clad body was very enticing.\n\n``Goodness...'' Kore giggled. They almost wished someone was looking at them.\n\nWearing this, they felt more like a princess now than they had in... well, a very long time. Even back home with their cranky, inconsiderate father, they never felt quite this well-looked after.\n\nIt was strange, they couldn't think of a time when a servant could have measured them... how did it fit so flawlessly?\n\nThe doe decided it would be better not to think about it too hard; it was just another gesture of hospitality, of which there had been plenty over the last week. Velvety confections that melted in the mouth and left the taste of brown sugar and saffron... and that wood-burning stove, after the king noted the bags under the doe's eyes. \n\nThis outfit was probably meant to help with that as well. Did they still look overtired?\n\nKore was too tired, and too cosy, to inspect their reflection for bags under their eyes.\n\nIf there were more little comforts like this to come, perhaps they would learn to love this strange land...\n\nSleep claimed Kore quicker than it ever had since their arrival - perhaps even longer.\n\n \n\nThe princess dreamt of shimmering copper coils catching eddies and flecks of sunlight. An impossibly intricate weave of moving shapes. They'd never seen anything more beautiful - at least, they felt that way...\n\nThey dreamt of eyes regarding their body, hungrily taking in every inch of them. They moved to adjust their clothing, rolling over to the side to show the curve of their back...\n\nThey dreamt of those copper shapes draping over them, slipping into those crevices and grooves. A delicate little grip around the ridged horn coming from their forehead, a short-cut to making their head tingle and shiver...\n\nThey dreamt of sweet, soft music, the gentle warm buzz of horsehair against catgut, the sound of breath through long shafts of wood and ivory...\n\nThe realisation that the music was not quite a dream woke Kore.\n\nThey whickered softly as they sat up in bed, rubbing their chocolate brown eyes as their ears flicked to pick up the music.\n\nKore knew they weren't going to get back to sleep while that music played - at least, not until they'd gone to observe the players.\n\nCuriosity animated them, and they shifted slowly out of the bed, their hooves clicking delicately against the polished floors. The unicorn clutched their gown to themself, enfolded in its supernatural warmth. The empty halls they walked felt cavernous. They certainly dwarfed the size of the halls at the castle Kore came from. They felt like a little lost child, seeking out a parent.\n\nIt reminded them a little bit of their early years back home.\n\nAt least this time, they had an idea of where they were going, and there was no subconscious dread about what might happen when they found who they were looking for.\n\nEven if Kore's ears were stopped up, they would have been able to find their way to the source of the sound. The air seemed to pulsate, shaken by the ceaseless warm drone of the music. \n\nThere was no melody to be picked out - a water-stream improvisational chaos.\n\nThere was also the matter of that sweet scent. It enticed Kore's nose the same way the music enticed their ears. Like the music, it too grew stronger. Kore picked up the scent of exotic spice and sweet fruit.\n\nThey could feel a little tickling vibration in the back of their throat. As if the fog of sound had slipped in through their nostrils and was trying to coax out a hum, to join in concert with it.\n\nBut they were a little afraid to. They didn't want to risk ruining the atmosphere by singing or humming off key. \n\nWhat even was the key of the song? It kept shifting and flowing. Maybe there wasn't a melody at all. Maybe the performers were searching for it, as if digging through the desert sands for buried, forgotten treasure.\n\nKore slipped through a canopy of wooden beads, and their raindrop-clacks announced their presence.\n\nThe musicians, all of whom were cloaked in anonymising drapes of gossamer and silk, glanced at the new arrival briefly, but continued their melody unabated.\n\nTwo large glass pipes were in the far corners of the room. The charcoal burning inside them was releasing long vines of milk-white smoke into the air through their chimneys.\n\nEven from there, Kore could smell the scented oils diffusing from them. The source of the scent.\n\nIt was quite thick, too... it tickled their throat a little. They managed to stifle a little cough, but it would likely not be the last one.\n\nThe last thing they wanted was to cough before the king.\n\nKing Noctue was perched on a large rock, twice the height of an altar, wide as a banquet table. His coils were draped all around it, with no cloth or rugs separating those scales from the stone. He was reclined on his side, his coils serving as a pillow for his head, a brace for his shoulders, a blanket for his body.\n\nThe brass-scaled naga kept his deep, warm gaze fixed on Kore's. It seemed to pierce into the princess' mind, even from the two-dozen or so metres of distance they had. Candle-light caught and glittered along the ridges of his spiny head, and the curls of dark golden hair on his head and chin.\n\nKore wondered how a serpent could grow hair - was it a hairpiece? Or magic? They were too polite to ask, but the curiosity was still there, threatening to overwhelm.\n\nKore's idle fixation on the King's hair kept them from staring at the rest of him, though there were many other things that tempted and tugged at their attention.\n\nFor instance: save for a sash draped lazily over the seam where his anthropoid torso ended and his long spool of coiled muscle began, the King was completely naked. \n\nKore had not seen his bare chest before, with their thick pecs and glistening ridged abdominals...\n\nKore caught themself almost drooling, and quickly wiped their muzzle, hoping the king didn't notice.\n\n``Ah... you couldn't sleep either, could you?'' King Noctue said, rolling his shoulders back ever so slightly. ``Good evening, Princess Nevina - I beg your pardon, Kore! ''\n\n``G-good evening,'' Kore said softly. That was the first time in 3 days he'd forgotten to use Kore's preferred name, and there was a look of genuine embarrassment on his face. It honestly made the princess feel a little self conscious. ```Don't worry about it. The, uhm, music woke me up...''\n\n``Oh, did it?'' Noctue's brow furrowed. ``I beg your pardon, Kore. Sometimes the burdens and responsibilities of royalty accompany me to bed, and I find myself unable to sleep. That is where my musicians come in.'' \n\nHe gestured to them. The robed figures nodded deferentially, and played on, the thick warm chords reducing in volume at an un-spoken command.\n\n``Oh, should I leave?'' Kore asked. ``I hope I didn't disturb you-''\n\n``No, no.'' Noctue waved a long-clawed hand with gentle dismissal. ``These sessions take some time to lull me, and we've barely started. You are more than welcome to keep me company until I doze off.''\n\n``Thank you...'' Kore said, stifling the nervous `but' that tried to sneak out from behind the thanks. But surely I'd be overstepping my boundaries?\n\nKore had invaded his personal relaxation time, and disturbed him in a state of undress; who were they to invite themself into his personal space?\n\nWell, no, they'd been offered a place amongst the blankets and coils, but...\n\nWhy would he do that? Was there something else he wanted from his doe-Licorne charge? Something he'd been looking to claim?\n\nWhat if he made further offers? Overtures? Things Kore might not necessarily want to say yes to... \n\nWhat reason did they have to think that?\n\nNoctue had been nothing but respectful. He would ask Kore's permission before so much as taking their hand or laying it on their shoulder. The Princess never felt put upon - they were certain he would back down if they demurred.\n\nKore never did, of course. They quite enjoyed his touch.\n\nThey enjoyed it a lot.\n\nSo much so, that sometimes they imagined what it would feel like if that hand were to explore a little lower, or push a little more against their face.\n\n...Like this moment.\n\nKore felt a dangerous, moth-to-flame infatuation inside their torso - from their heart, down to their gut. They feared they might agree to something, and regret it later. There was something about the music and the scent and the gifts that carried an undercurrent of coaxing, coercion...\n\nIf they didn't know any better, they might have thought this was a wilful attempt at courtship. \n\n``You've been standing still for a while. Please, take a seat wherever you like.''\n\nKore squeaked. How long had they been caught in that thought-storm? Too long, clearly.\n\n``Yes, sorry, yes, thank you!''\n\nThere were plenty of cushions between Kore and Noctue, so they quickly elected to take one a good distance away from him. Yes, a very respectful distance. Nowhere near close enough to touch, but not so far away as to come off as aloof. \n\nThe King, for his part, had closed his eyes and settled back down, one arm resting his chest, the other one up behind his head.\n\nKore stared at him and worried on their lower lip, jealous of his apparent relaxation.\n\nThe music covered the silence, and made things feel slightly less awkward and nerve-wracking.\n\nOnly slightly. \n\nEven so, Kore's mouth grew drier, and their heart thumped quicker.\n\n``Will you not come closer?'' Noctue asked. ``It's much warmer here with me. The rock beneath me is enchanted with an insulation spell, and it's been out in the sun all day. So it's quite cosy.''\n\n``I'm fine, thank you,'' Kore said, unable to mask a slight shiver. The magic of the garments seemed to be doing less and less for them - or was it a placebo the whole time? \n\nThe King opened his eyes and stared down at Kore. His tongue - long, flat, forked - whipped lazily through the air before retreating between his full smiling lips. Kore squirmed under that gaze - even if they didn't feel like breaking that eye contact would be disrespectful, they would probably have trouble tearing their gaze away.\n\n``You're troubled about something,'' he remarked. ``I can taste it on the air.''\n\n``You what...?'' Kore shifted, unsure whether to kneel or to cross their legs. \n\n``Not in a literal sense,'' he added with a chuckle. ``While your face might be able to hide your feelings, your body cannot. There's a ssscent to you-''\n\n``B-But I just bathed!'' \n\n``No no, it's not an odour... more like a...'' his slender, glittering fingers snapped thrice as he fought for the right words. ``pheromone? Perhaps it is not sssomething mammals like you notice. Some sssubconscious vestige of your primitive ancestors.''\n\nKore shivered slightly each time the snake drew out his sibilance. Something primitive, for sure - the instinct to flee, to stay with the pack, to outrun the predator lest they be devoured. \n\nThey knew they weren't in danger of that here. That would be a ludicrous fear to have. They were a princess, not some wild beast.\n\nSo if their fluttering doe-heart and shuddering spine didn't stem from primal fear, or the chill... then where did it come from?\n\nTo read the rest early, become a Subscriber!\n\n HYPERLINK \"https://subscribestar.adult/limewah\" https://subscribestar.adult/limewah \n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Lulled in the King's Embrace

By Limewah

Story for Dove

18+

SNEAK PEEK

As soon as Kore was out of the warm, steamy bath, they threw their towel around them and clung to it as tightly as they could. But even though the soft cotton fabric had been kept warm on a heated rock, it could only do so much to protect them from the chilly night sea-breeze. They were glad they hadn't washed their thick mane of brown hair - that would be a sure-fire way to catch cold.

The constant temperature changes were really messing with the white haired Licorne royal- the constant fluctuation from humid heat to biting cold was going to take a while for the horned doe to adjust to. They'd survived at least one week, so what was one more, or ten more... or however long they'd be living in this palace with that golden-scaled serpent king?

Kore's quarters were surprisingly toasty, especially compared to the wide open halls of King Noctue Elio Xanthos' seaside palace. All the colourfully intricate rugs and silks draped over the walls or hanging in canopies from the ceiling, retaining the heat from the wood-burning metal stove perched on a platform of marble.

Kore hadn?t lit the stove, they were quite certain of that.

...They also didn't lay those new clothes out on the bed.

The slight invasion of privacy (presumably by some of the snake King's servants) did perturb Kore. But they were a guest.

Just one who was staying for an indeterminate length of time.

Kore approached the bed, and gazed upon the clothes laid out upon it.

To the left was a long, pale-purple sleeping gown. It had puffy sleeves, and would likely go all the way down to Kore's ankles. Though it was also sheer to the point of translucence.

That was what the other outfit was for. For what little it would cover...

Kore's eyes slowly slid along the lingerie- starting from the lilac choker, down to an oleander corset-like bra that would hug their ribcage and push out their bosom. The violet panties beneath the top surely wouldn't cover very much either. Lacy opera gloves and dark garters rounded out the attire, along with some jewel encrusted bracelets and anklets made of polished brass.

It had the shape and silhouette of a harem outfit, but it was clearly made of the finest fabrics, delicately designed...

And as they tentatively slipped into the undergarments, Kore was surprised and delighted by how well they fit their frame. Kore was not very slender - they had a soft middle and curvy things, and were all the prettier for it.

The corset-top was like a comfortingly tight hug, and the leggings and gloves were warmer than they looked too.

It left the pony feeling uncannily warm, and very pleasantly so.

Perhaps the outfit was enchanted.

They slipped the nightgown on next. There was some errant dampness on their fur, but as the nightgown draped over Kore's body, it all evaporated, and they were left toasty and dry.

They looked at themself in a full length mirror, filigreed with burnished gold.

It draped perfectly over them, and the way it added a bit of shaded occlusion to their lingerie-clad body was very enticing.

``Goodness...'' Kore giggled. They almost wished someone was looking at them.

Wearing this, they felt more like a princess now than they had in... well, a very long time. Even back home with their cranky, inconsiderate father, they never felt quite this well-looked after.

It was strange, they couldn't think of a time when a servant could have measured them... how did it fit so flawlessly?

The doe decided it would be better not to think about it too hard; it was just another gesture of hospitality, of which there had been plenty over the last week. Velvety confections that melted in the mouth and left the taste of brown sugar and saffron... and that wood-burning stove, after the king noted the bags under the doe's eyes.

This outfit was probably meant to help with that as well. Did they still look overtired?

Kore was too tired, and too cosy, to inspect their reflection for bags under their eyes.

If there were more little comforts like this to come, perhaps they would learn to love this strange land...

Sleep claimed Kore quicker than it ever had since their arrival - perhaps even longer.

 

The princess dreamt of shimmering copper coils catching eddies and flecks of sunlight. An impossibly intricate weave of moving shapes. They'd never seen anything more beautiful - at least, they felt that way...

They dreamt of eyes regarding their body, hungrily taking in every inch of them. They moved to adjust their clothing, rolling over to the side to show the curve of their back...

They dreamt of those copper shapes draping over them, slipping into those crevices and grooves. A delicate little grip around the ridged horn coming from their forehead, a short-cut to making their head tingle and shiver...

They dreamt of sweet, soft music, the gentle warm buzz of horsehair against catgut, the sound of breath through long shafts of wood and ivory...

The realisation that the music was not quite a dream woke Kore.

They whickered softly as they sat up in bed, rubbing their chocolate brown eyes as their ears flicked to pick up the music.

Kore knew they weren't going to get back to sleep while that music played - at least, not until they'd gone to observe the players.

Curiosity animated them, and they shifted slowly out of the bed, their hooves clicking delicately against the polished floors. The unicorn clutched their gown to themself, enfolded in its supernatural warmth. The empty halls they walked felt cavernous. They certainly dwarfed the size of the halls at the castle Kore came from. They felt like a little lost child, seeking out a parent.

It reminded them a little bit of their early years back home.

At least this time, they had an idea of where they were going, and there was no subconscious dread about what might happen when they found who they were looking for.

Even if Kore's ears were stopped up, they would have been able to find their way to the source of the sound. The air seemed to pulsate, shaken by the ceaseless warm drone of the music.

There was no melody to be picked out - a water-stream improvisational chaos.

There was also the matter of that sweet scent. It enticed Kore's nose the same way the music enticed their ears. Like the music, it too grew stronger. Kore picked up the scent of exotic spice and sweet fruit.

They could feel a little tickling vibration in the back of their throat. As if the fog of sound had slipped in through their nostrils and was trying to coax out a hum, to join in concert with it.

But they were a little afraid to. They didn't want to risk ruining the atmosphere by singing or humming off key.

What even was the key of the song? It kept shifting and flowing. Maybe there wasn't a melody at all. Maybe the performers were searching for it, as if digging through the desert sands for buried, forgotten treasure.

Kore slipped through a canopy of wooden beads, and their raindrop-clacks announced their presence.

The musicians, all of whom were cloaked in anonymising drapes of gossamer and silk, glanced at the new arrival briefly, but continued their melody unabated.

Two large glass pipes were in the far corners of the room. The charcoal burning inside them was releasing long vines of milk-white smoke into the air through their chimneys.

Even from there, Kore could smell the scented oils diffusing from them. The source of the scent.

It was quite thick, too... it tickled their throat a little. They managed to stifle a little cough, but it would likely not be the last one.

The last thing they wanted was to cough before the king.

King Noctue was perched on a large rock, twice the height of an altar, wide as a banquet table. His coils were draped all around it, with no cloth or rugs separating those scales from the stone. He was reclined on his side, his coils serving as a pillow for his head, a brace for his shoulders, a blanket for his body.

The brass-scaled naga kept his deep, warm gaze fixed on Kore's. It seemed to pierce into the princess' mind, even from the two-dozen or so metres of distance they had. Candle-light caught and glittered along the ridges of his spiny head, and the curls of dark golden hair on his head and chin.

Kore wondered how a serpent could grow hair - was it a hairpiece? Or magic? They were too polite to ask, but the curiosity was still there, threatening to overwhelm.

Kore's idle fixation on the King's hair kept them from staring at the rest of him, though there were many other things that tempted and tugged at their attention.

For instance: save for a sash draped lazily over the seam where his anthropoid torso ended and his long spool of coiled muscle began, the King was completely naked.

Kore had not seen his bare chest before, with their thick pecs and glistening ridged abdominals...

Kore caught themself almost drooling, and quickly wiped their muzzle, hoping the king didn't notice.

``Ah... you couldn't sleep either, could you?'' King Noctue said, rolling his shoulders back ever so slightly. ``Good evening, Princess Nevina - I beg your pardon, Kore! ''

``G-good evening,'' Kore said softly. That was the first time in 3 days he'd forgotten to use Kore's preferred name, and there was a look of genuine embarrassment on his face. It honestly made the princess feel a little self conscious. ```Don't worry about it. The, uhm, music woke me up...''

``Oh, did it?'' Noctue's brow furrowed. ``I beg your pardon, Kore. Sometimes the burdens and responsibilities of royalty accompany me to bed, and I find myself unable to sleep. That is where my musicians come in.''

He gestured to them. The robed figures nodded deferentially, and played on, the thick warm chords reducing in volume at an un-spoken command.

``Oh, should I leave?'' Kore asked. ``I hope I didn't disturb you-''

``No, no.'' Noctue waved a long-clawed hand with gentle dismissal. ``These sessions take some time to lull me, and we've barely started. You are more than welcome to keep me company until I doze off.''

``Thank you...'' Kore said, stifling the nervous `but' that tried to sneak out from behind the thanks. But surely I'd be overstepping my boundaries?

Kore had invaded his personal relaxation time, and disturbed him in a state of undress; who were they to invite themself into his personal space?

Well, no, they'd been offered a place amongst the blankets and coils, but...

Why would he do that? Was there something else he wanted from his doe-Licorne charge? Something he'd been looking to claim?

What if he made further offers? Overtures? Things Kore might not necessarily want to say yes to...

What reason did they have to think that?

Noctue had been nothing but respectful. He would ask Kore's permission before so much as taking their hand or laying it on their shoulder. The Princess never felt put upon - they were certain he would back down if they demurred.

Kore never did, of course. They quite enjoyed his touch.

They enjoyed it a lot.

So much so, that sometimes they imagined what it would feel like if that hand were to explore a little lower, or push a little more against their face.

...Like this moment.

Kore felt a dangerous, moth-to-flame infatuation inside their torso - from their heart, down to their gut. They feared they might agree to something, and regret it later. There was something about the music and the scent and the gifts that carried an undercurrent of coaxing, coercion...

If they didn't know any better, they might have thought this was a wilful attempt at courtship.

``You've been standing still for a while. Please, take a seat wherever you like.''

Kore squeaked. How long had they been caught in that thought-storm? Too long, clearly.

``Yes, sorry, yes, thank you!''

There were plenty of cushions between Kore and Noctue, so they quickly elected to take one a good distance away from him. Yes, a very respectful distance. Nowhere near close enough to touch, but not so far away as to come off as aloof.

The King, for his part, had closed his eyes and settled back down, one arm resting his chest, the other one up behind his head.

Kore stared at him and worried on their lower lip, jealous of his apparent relaxation.

The music covered the silence, and made things feel slightly less awkward and nerve-wracking.

Only slightly.

Even so, Kore's mouth grew drier, and their heart thumped quicker.

``Will you not come closer?'' Noctue asked. ``It's much warmer here with me. The rock beneath me is enchanted with an insulation spell, and it's been out in the sun all day. So it's quite cosy.''

``I'm fine, thank you,'' Kore said, unable to mask a slight shiver. The magic of the garments seemed to be doing less and less for them - or was it a placebo the whole time?

The King opened his eyes and stared down at Kore. His tongue - long, flat, forked - whipped lazily through the air before retreating between his full smiling lips. Kore squirmed under that gaze - even if they didn't feel like breaking that eye contact would be disrespectful, they would probably have trouble tearing their gaze away.

``You're troubled about something,'' he remarked. ``I can taste it on the air.''

``You what...?'' Kore shifted, unsure whether to kneel or to cross their legs.

``Not in a literal sense,'' he added with a chuckle. ``While your face might be able to hide your feelings, your body cannot. There's a ssscent to you-''

``B-But I just bathed!''

``No no, it's not an odour... more like a...'' his slender, glittering fingers snapped thrice as he fought for the right words. ``pheromone? Perhaps it is not sssomething mammals like you notice. Some sssubconscious vestige of your primitive ancestors.''

Kore shivered slightly each time the snake drew out his sibilance. Something primitive, for sure - the instinct to flee, to stay with the pack, to outrun the predator lest they be devoured.

They knew they weren't in danger of that here. That would be a ludicrous fear to have. They were a princess, not some wild beast.

So if their fluttering doe-heart and shuddering spine didn't stem from primal fear, or the chill... then where did it come from?

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