^^ Themed Room in the Pleasure Garden ^^

— Zenobia —

Assam was pretty checked out, after the conversation with her father; I'd expected a little, but that I'd managed to get her home through a portal, and dress her in pajamas, and settle her on the bed, before she ever noticed or came to, was worrisome. In the end, I decided to sit behind her, petting her hair and getting her attention. "Assam? Are you alright?" I asked quietly, and she flinched, her eyes focusing and then looking around wildly, not recognizing where we were for a moment.

"What? Where-" she noticed the pajamas, and the bed, and frowned, turning to face me and smacking into my cleavage comically. Annoyingly, she seemed mostly unfazed by my naked skin, still looking quite lost. "How did we get here?" She asked quietly.

"I brought you home, dear... you've been dissociating for about half an hour; you need some rest." I explained gently, settling her down into the covers with a firm press of my hand against her chest, then covered her with the comforter.

"I... I was what?" She asked, still confused, but allowed me to tuck her in and climb in next to her, cuddling the cute little burrito to my chest.

"You weren't present, mentally. You were thinking too deeply, and so I brought you home to rest. The horses and carriage are being delivered day after tomorrow, don't worry." I assured her, petting her hair and snuggling her closer to me again.

She was silent for a while, turning herself and hiding in my chest, and eventually I heard soft snores come from her tiny frame, signifying she was asleep; she didn't snore when she pretended to sleep, because she didn't know she normally did. Tonight, as per our curious arrangement, I allowed her to sleep in my arms, but I had things to do.

Wolfsbane and the two Succubi appeared with a thought, along with a 3-D Schematic of my entire estate; the glass ceilings were almost finished, just a few more structural supports until it was totally functional, and the lower-end of the small valley I presided over would be ready for the Garden I planned to create there. Tonight, however, I was focusing on the other Garden, my Pleasure Garden. Having sampled all the various 'best' brothels in two cities, I had a pretty good idea of how they worked here; the women called 'Yklahün' were a mixture of therapist and prostitute, where the sex was more of a release to help you relax, and the talking happened mostly after the sex. As far as I could tell, it was quite an effective method, and a common one in this society. They were usually the Madame's and Owners of their respective Brothels, and only available by strict appointments, whereas the other girls were either Prostitutes or Dancers, and both were far less expensive.

Using my gorgeous redecorated entryway, with its Egyptian/Moroccan Riad Architecture, as a grand entrance into what had been my original garden, (the trees had been moved to keep them alive, freeing up the space,) which I was now deciding how to renovate. 'I like the idea of a natural movement, a guided path with lots of little alcoves off to the sides for lovers to go hide in... the Baths are an integral part of the Garden, after all...'

'That would be a bit of a walk for most humans, wouldn't it?' Aconitum frowned, kicking his feet up while floating in the middle of the room. The two succubi moved as far away from him as they could, trying to make it look like they weren't cowering.

'You're right... some sort of delivery method? Maybe a people mover?' I chuckled silently at the image that evoked, of people moving through beautiful flower gardens on a silently moving slice of sidewalk, like that Airport in Singapore.

'Or place a second Gate next to the Baths? It's only 1500 feet away, and is the closest wall; also that makes sure no one has to walk through your Home.'

'Mm... I suppose that makes sense... but the Front Gate is so Iconic... we'll use the Front Gate for the Visiting Gardens and Cabins that will eventually be here for visiting Diplomats.'

'The Pleasure Gardens being so far away would be a good thing, if you plan on having such visitors; they'll bring Guards with them, and much like the Guild Master, they'll be able to Sense us...' Amelia spoke up demurely, glancing between me and Aconitum.

'No, they won't. There's a Masking in place, in the Heart Chamber, and there will be another in the chambers you will work in.' I shook my head and moved the 3D Model to the Eastern side, slowly and carefully designing a new Gate, just as ostentatious and beautiful as the first, but decorated with soft pinks, purples, and golds, -colors that naturally illicit comforting sensations in those surrounded by them,- leading into the gardens I'd imagined. Tall hedges hemmed in these gardens, and the entire northern side of the property except the baths, to keep anyone from accidentally stumbling into the Pleasure Gardens or the lower portion, where the trees would be growing.

'I'm still curious how you plan to kill people without getting caught. I'm very curious.' Aconitum chuckled darkly, rubbing his hands together slowly.

'No one is killing anyone, Wolfsbane... the Marks that the Succubi will be making will be draining a small amount of energy from the humans that come into the Gardens, and if we find one that's evil, we'll invite them down into the lower level, where they'll be kept alive, in an endless wet dream of sorts created by the Succubi. No killing, and if anyone comes looking for them, they find them in the lower portion, totally fine.' I explained casually, and resumed the design of the actual building, instead of the topiaries; set into the cliff face around the baths would be the entrance, carved from the stone itself like a canyon temple. A main chamber for reception, full of silk-clad dancers, various lounging options, plus food and drinks, would be the first thing you saw as you stepped inside.

'I'm quite partial to purple grapes, myself... I know we don't need material food, but they're tasty.' Hellen piped up, grinning happily at the thought of them.

'Grapes... I suppose they are rather picturesque, so we'll grow them in the southern half, wherever we're not building the cabins; they'll make wonderful replacements for Hedges, even if they are more Italian than Egyptian...' I nodded and made the change in the blueprints with a flick of my fingers before moving back to the building. Behind the reception chamber would be a series of differently-themed rooms, from BDSM Dungeon to Kitchen, for however many different scenarios people wanted to experience; I had a bit of fun designing those, and got somewhat distracted by it for a few hours.

'Focus, Mistress... I hate to interrupt your fun, but your pet will be waking soon, so it would be best if we finished this sooner than later...' Aconitum sighed, breaking my line of thought as I designed a dungeon with several dozen types of spanking tools.

I frowned at him, a bit peeved, and moved on silently; I knew he was right, but I wouldn't admit it. The private chambers thusly finished, (for now,) I started the place where the Succubi would be keeping the Permanent Residents, their little Flesh Pets. 'Of course, the women and men we use for these attractions will be just as important as the buildings and gardens themselves...'

'As per orders, we've already found and contacted all the Working Women and Men in the City, as well as several dozen from the Capital, and many of them have expressed interest in your offer... we've built quite a Following.' Amelia smiled evilly.

'You're adorable, Amelia, and I approve. If their bodies aren't up to our standards, but their skills are, we can fix that with very little issue; include that in your Gospel or whatever, that we can give them new bodies, if they work for me in any capacity, from guards to dancers to prostitutes, for a period of... how long does it take to build a new body, Wolfsbane?'

'Six Weeks for full maturity, barring complicated alterations. Eight Weeks, with advanced changes.' He answered after a swift calculation.

'Good; after Two Months working for me, they'll have that option made available to them.' I nodded, glancing at the Succubi to assure myself she'd been listening, instead of eating popcorn or daydreaming; Amelia and Hellen weren't the most reliable of people when it came to attention spans.

'Rude! But yes, we'll make that offer known.' Amelia replied, looking not even a little offended, despite her protest.

'Wonderful. Anything specific you want made in your Dungeon, let me know.' I nodded to the 3D model, and they examined it silently while I worked. Their home would be lit naturally, though an ingenious use of mirrors and colored glass in the river above, giving the entire room a shimmering, waving red light, much like having an infrared strobe light constantly shining into the room from all angles. The floor was a self-cleaning surface made of white grass, which subsisted off of the infrared without issue and would consume any fluids or non-living solids that laid upon it for too long, receiving their necessary water from the river above. There were three thrones, much like their original setup, even though there were four succubi, (the other two had been made rather servile by their stronger cousins, and were therefore considered lower on the Totem Pole,) and the middle throne, the tallest and grandest, was clearly mine, with its red and gold silk-covered design.

'Oooh, I like it!!! I'll happily be a Dryad, Hmm?' Amelia grinned and shifted her body into a buxom, risqué elfin figure, spinning around and giggling when Hellen spanked her ass to get her attention back on the subject.

'I'm happy you like it.' I chuckled, focusing again with a little effort. The last portion to need attention was the Spa, which was far less sexual than the rest, being more focused on relaxing tension and stress through more standard methods, from massages to saunas. This portion was wrapped around the baths, cradling the two wings and expanding them with the excavated stone from the cave I'd just dug out, creating a C-shaped complex of rooms surrounding the lake/hot spring.

'Another thing, Mistress... would you mind terribly if we summoned a few Incubi to keep us company? The humans are amusing, but they break if you're too rough with them, and we're specifically not breaking them, so that would be counterintuitive...' Hellen asked demurely, hiding behind Amelia when I glanced up at her.

'I don't mind at all, no, so long as they're Bound to the Heart like you all are, and they sign the Contract.' I gave her permission easily, intrigued by the concept of a Male Sex Demon.

'Of course, Thank You Mistress!' She giggled happily, and disappeared with a soft 'Pop!'.

"Wha's'at?!?" Assam mumbled instantly, rubbing her face as she came to consciousness in my lap.

"Just some magic, dear. Did you sleep well in mama's arms?" I smirked down at her, snuggling her into my embrace as the two remaining demons blinked away silently, taking the model with them to begin construction.

She blushed and mumbled a few protests, as usual, and then sighed, relaxing into my embrace slowly like a deflating tire conforming to gravel. "I didn't expect to sleep well... but I did, oddly enough? Maybe it was the cuddling, maybe I was just that tired, I don't know." She looked up at me from my lap with a mixture of confusion and sadness that made her not unlike to a sad puppy, and tilted her head a little, completing the image.

I couldn't resist wrapping her in my arms and kissing her cheeks, tickling her ribs until she was a giggling, screaming mess, tears of mirth streaming down her face; the powerful emotions quickly cracked open that dam I'd been thinking of how to burst, and the tears turned to a soft sob, muffled into my chest and smearing tears and a little bit of snot onto my night-shirt. For almost twenty minutes, she continued quietly crying while I rubbed her back and her hair, not saying a word; I didn't interrupt, as I knew the healing powers of a good cry, but when she blew her nose on my shirt, I frowned at her sternly and stood us up, holding her in a princess carry. "Okay, missy, that is uncalled for! To the baths with you!"

She didn't so much as squeak a protest as I carried her to the Baths, gently removing our clothes and settling us into a bathtub full of hot water. The silence continued as I made breakfast, a simple meat and egg scramble, (chickens, thank god, existed, and we had a pair,) and then dressed her in her day-clothes, but not her armor.

I sat in front of her, smoothing her hair back gently, and got her attention with a finger under her chin. "Would you like to go see your mother? Or stay here for the day? We only have one contract left, and three months to finish it, so there's no rush, Alright?" I asked quietly, like I was trying not to spook a deer.

She shook her head slowly, and curled up on the couch where I'd set her, covering herself in a thick fur blanket. Apparently she was going to stay right here.

"Would you like to see me do some magic, then? I've got to get to work with building some more, so you can see it happen this time?" I asked, poking her ribs teasingly, and grinned as she squirmed, sitting up and frowning at me.

"Fine." She muttered, and then squeaked as I picked her up, wrapping her in the blanket and carrying her in my arms without a care in the world. I decided to walk through the grounds, instead of a little portal, and we enjoyed a quiet walk through the sparse pillars of glass that held up the completely invisible solar panels above. "What are these for? Fountains or something?" Assam asked, unable to perceive the glass above due to its light-occlusion.

"Mm... they do spray mist on occasion... they'll eventually  cater to vines and hedges and flowers, in the Gardens." I nodded, and then stopped at the edge of the waterfall, looking down into the hot springs.

She gasped, properly distracted by the picturesque stone structure and natural beauty of the falling water, (which fell into a hidden crevasse behind the building, where it was filtered like all the rest of the water,) then frowned at a sudden thought. "Wait, when did you have time to build all this?"

"You'll see." I smirked, and hopped off the edge and out over the hot spring, laughing maniacally as she shrieked at me. I canceled our momentum before we hit the water for safety, but allowed us to be totally soaked as we landed in the warm, hip-deep (for me,) water.

"You are completely insane!!!" She laughed, smoothing her own hair out of her face like I always did, to my joy. She was embracing, little by little, the confidence I gave her as her own, and it was beautiful.

"I know, dear. Anyway, we won't be needing these!!!" I laughed at her wide eyes as I threw my wet shirt off and onto the bank, following it with my shorts, and stood in front of her in the water, which just barely kept my waist decent, we're it not for the crystal-clear water.

She blushed, but the adrenaline had given her some extra gumption, so the heavy blanket and her shirt were tossed, leaving her in just a bra and pants. "Well, you've ruined my shirt and brassiere, good for you, but I was promised magic!" She placed her hands on her hips, grinning through the embarrassment.

"Oh your clothes will be fine with a wash, but yes, you were promised Magic! And Behold!!!" I threw my hands outward, holding the position for a few moment, then laughed at her expectant gaze. "Sorry, dove, it takes a bit more than a Gesture for this magic. Very precise stuff." I walked out of the water carelessly, and sat on the wet blanket, patting the spot next to me.

She approached, and shimmied out of her pants before sitting down, leaving her in just her underclothes; I'd emboldened her, perhaps. "Alright, let's see it then!" She grinned, hugging her knees a bit for some privacy.

"As you wish, Cutie Pie..." I rubbed my hands together and conjured the model, selecting the outside changes, (the inside was already being handled by the Demons,) then pulled a single chunk of the enormous stores of energy already held in the Heart. After a brief moment of thought, I decided on purposefully freezing the lake to give an explanation for the power; Assam nearly commented on it before she was silenced by the deafening 'CRACK!!!' of stone shattering and shifting. She stared upward in awe as slabs of stone lifted up like they were ancient ruins being unearthed in the desert by a rogue wind, just as likely to be smothered by the sands once more as to stay visible. The changes continued for a solid minute or two, the rocks shifting and rolling on their own until they were in place, then sanding down to the right shapes, from little tables for massages to tubs for mud baths, etc.. Then the small things, the decorations, the furniture, towels, oils and lathers, along with everything else we needed, began to appear and organize itself according to my vision, all created in the laboratory beneath our feet from the lab-grown herbs and sheep's wool.

"By the Horn..." Assam breathed reverently, eyes wide with wonder and joy, totally and completely charmed by the performance.

"Thank you, my dear, I accept kisses as compliments." I smirked, then raised an eyebrow in surprise when she plastered herself to my bare chest, kissing my face repeatedly. "Wow, high praise indeed... but I meant Kisses of a more Romantic Nature..." I tilted her face up to me gently, and smiled as she pursed her lips, waiting for the kiss that never came. Instead, I kissed her nose, and laughed as she pouted up at me.

"Hey!!! Don't be mean!!!" She demanded petulantly, raising her voice, then instantly froze when I lifted an eyebrow and frowned down at her.

"Well well well... someone is getting ballsy!!! You know, I don't think you've cried enough today, my dear? Let's take care of that." I nodded, tossing her over my shoulder and stepping through a portal into a new room, a very private room beneath the house; I hadn't shown it to her yet because I'd been easing us into a gentle curve towards this, but that would take years, at the pace it was going, and ultimately, she did need a very good cry and spanking today, so win-win!!!

I dropped her casually onto the velvet bed, allowing her to view the Dungeon at her own pace while I carefully catalogued my assortments of tools for the day, selecting the ones I felt most necessary and placing them on a rolling table for easy access, along with several bottles of soothing lotion and lubricant. That finished, I turned towards her and smiled evilly. "Good! First, we'll explore why you're here, then experiment for a path towards a solution to your current problem, until we've reached a healthy conclusion, shall we? Let's begin!"