A gold transport pod flew towards Marakaran Palace and swooped down to the ground. The door swished open and a pair of shapely long legs emerged onto the steps.

Quick to emerge was the tall lithe form of a spotted jaguar. Her body was quite human, if one could ignore the swish of a golden tail behind her, swirling up and coiling like a snake.

Not only was she beautiful, she was also fashionably stylish. On her strong lean body was a black dress that was an obvious JasonJared creation, from the detailed styling to the opulence of onyx and diamonds detailing.

The black dress perfectly suited her golden-furred spotted jaguar pattern of swirls and spots. Her large slanted cat eyes were the color of bottle glass and she had a cute pert pink nose.

She smiled as her eyes took in the magnificence of the Marakaran Palace. As she gave a purr of satisfaction, the glint of sharp fangs could be seen.

She made her way to the front of the gates with her two attendants and turned to look at the palace guards. The dozen silver-haired elven guards were standing fixed to their spots, stupefied, with jaws that had dropped to the ground.

The spotted jaguar licked her lips with her pink tongue, looking sleek, sexy, and downright dangerous!

“What do I need to step through the gates?” She purred.

One of the elven guards cleared his throat.

“Either a pass or an invitation…” he began, but stopped short as she flashed an invitation in his face.

His eyes flared. This was the invitation that came from the bride’s side. It was the first one he had seen to come through the gates.

This woman was no joke.

Jenna Natoli walked through the gates with her head held high. She had no idea that she was the only guest invited by Candace herself, but it didn’t matter. She was one of the Queens of Calendula and would have been invited anyway.

As soon as she entered the palace itself, an elven attendant took a record of her entry and ushered her to her assigned room. Her attendants followed behind, pulling along her luggage with them.

They walked through hallway after hallway, courtyard after courtyard, until they reached one of the inner courtyards.

Reaching out with a thin silver key, the elf unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“This is your suite of rooms for the duration of your stay. If you need anything, please let us know.”

Jenna nodded and walked in with her two attendants.

The room was spacious, with a large bed at the center, and a seating arrangement on one side. Two doors led off the main room. One of them was a full sized bathroom and the other was an adjacent room with two single beds for her attendants.

She smiled. They had thought of everything.

As her attendants began unpacking her luggage, Jenna sat down at the desk and inspected the command console.

She needed to tell Candace that she had arrived but wasn’t sure how to use the command console that Marakaran provided for their guest’s use.

An alert sounded as a call came through. Jenna accepted the call and found herself staring at the beautiful face of the Primary Avgo Female, Candace Farrah.

“Jenna!” Candace’s face broke into a bright smile.

Jenna curled her lips up into a smile. Cats didn’t really smile very well because it looked devious and evil, but it was a way to at least show visible happiness that humans like Candace could recognize.

“I came a bit early, in case you needed help with details of the wedding.”

“Oh that is so very kind of you. Have you had lunch yet? It’s almost noon. Maybe we could meet up and have some food, catch up.”

Jenna nodded. She had eaten a large breakfast, but a small lunch with the bride was something she was very amenable to.

“Tell me when and where.” She purred.

===========

The private courtyard behind Candace’s suite had been set up with a linen-covered table and two settings for lunch.

As attendants came and went, bringing polished silverware and crystal footed glasses, Candace was putting the final touches to the small present she was wrapping.

“Candace.” A low pleasant female voice called out from the entrance.

“Ahhh! Jenna! Welcome!” Candace turned to the cat with a bright grin.

The cat came closer to Candace and for a moment, said nothing. She leaned in closer and sniffed.

“You smell almost pregnant.” She smiled. “Congratulations.”

Candace laughed. “We’re either pregnant or not. How can we be almost pregnant?”

Jenna grinned, her sharp pointed teeth flashing.

“I smell a man all over you. If you aren’t pregnant yet, you soon will be.”

Candace’s eyes widened. She had showered and was dressed in clean clothing. Furthermore, she had not met up with anyone after Byron had left in the early dawn before the attendants arrived. How was it possible for Jenna to smell a man on her?

Jenna laughed. “You cannot mask the scent of a man with baths or showers, Candace. His scent exudes from your very pores.”

The cat stretched languidly. “But it’s good that your men take good care of you. I would not expect anything less.”

“You only smell—one man?”

Jenna shook her head. “I smell five men on you. The invitation states that you are marrying seven men, so obviously, you have not had the chance to touch the other two yet.”

Her tail swished as if she was giggling. “What a harem you have, Candace. I’m jealous.”

“Five?” Candace looked puzzled. There was Dante, Byron, Lucas, Jason, Jared, and Slate. That was six, with Leonardo being the only one she had not yet been with.

And then her eyes widened with understanding. Jason and Jared were identical twins. Their scents would have seemed to be the same person to Jenna.

Jenna reached out with gentle hands and touched Candace’s shoulder.

“I received a marriage decree from the Emperor, dictating that I had to marry one of your husbands, the Prince Jared.”

Candace frowned. The Emperor truly was a meddler.

“Don’t worry.” Jenna smiled again, that malevolent twist of the lips that made her look downright evil. “I found a fool-proof, iron-clad way to decline the invitation.”

“How?” Candace’s eyebrows raised.

Jenna laughed. “I responded to him to let him know that I preferred women and was not going to marry a man.”

Candace nearly choked.

“You—you’re a lesbian?”

Jenna leaned closer to Candace. “I’ve never tried, but it seems to be quite an interesting prospect, don’t you think?”