“Where to now, Azalea?”

“I want to buy some utensils and dishes in my size, so I don’t have to use sewing needles or my hands anymore.”

“I should've bought you those things sooner.”

“It's alright, Life-mate. It hasn’t been too much of a bother, but now that I have an opportunity, I want to buy some.”

“Since you still have a fair amount left over, we should definitely find a quality silversmith. I know of one from hearsay, but I've never done business with them.”

After getting lost and having to ask for directions, they were directed down several back alleys. They weren’t very crowded but the twisting path and repetitive layout made it very easy to get turned around.

“I think we are lost. I still don’t see it. Do you, Azalea?”

Azalea flew higher to get a better view. “Um, I think I see the address over there. Several blocks that way… at the end of the street.”

“Lead the way.”

He probably should have been memorizing the path, but Azalea was flying higher than she usually did in front of him, providing a nice view underneath her dress. She was cheerful and would occasionally sing a few notes of a song while swaying back and forth, making her cute butt jiggle enough for her friendship plug to peek out.

“You’re so cheerful today.” 

“Of course, I am! It's gorgeous out and I get to enjoy a day of shopping with my Life-mate!”

“Were you feeling left out with Reina and I being gone all the time?”

“No, I was busy, but I am happy I can go with you today!”

Devin pulled her down and kissed her several times.

“Oh, hello. Why so lovey all of a sudden?” she giggled.

“Just a sudden urge to.”

Azalea slipped her tiny hand into his, and together they continued down the snaky pathways. Ducking under a low awning, they emerged onto one of the main thoroughfares.

“Is that it?”

An angled storefront stood on the corner of a four-lane intersection. Above the door hung a sign with a jeweled goblet and chisel.

“Oh, it's right up against one of the pink districts,” pointed out Azalea as she tried to peek between the barriers separating the streets.

“The Silver Chalice,” read Devan. He pulled out a scrap of paper. “Odd. The location is right, but this looks to be a jewelry store.”

“Could it be on the other side?”

“Jewelry does tend to go hand-in-hand with silver and gold. Let's go in and ask if this is the right place.”

Devin opened the door. A welcoming bell chime announced their entrance.

Behind the front desk sat a beetle woman. Long antennae dangled over hard, black, chitinous plates covering her arms. Her fingers were delicately chiseling a semi-precious stone into some desired shape. Looking up from her work she called out, “Welcome to the Silver Chalice! I’m Aurumina, proprietor, jeweler, and purveyor of luxury goods – everything from sterling silver to vermeil. Please feel free to look around. I’ll be with you in a moment.” 

Devin closed the door behind him. It was quiet in the store except for the deep ticking of a large grandfather clock in the corner and the light clinking of metal against gem. 

“Everything’s so sparkly, Life-mate,” Azalea proclaimed, flitting from shelf to shelf.

It was easy to tell the mass-produced, cheaper goods, as they were strewn around or clumped together without any care for organization.

The high-priced goods, though, were neatly arranged behind magnifying glass. Necklaces, earrings, bangles, rings, chokers, and other fine frippery sparkled, their brilliance designed to attract the eyes. Some were flamboyant with a price tag that would make anyone but royalty blanche. Others were more modest in both cost and simplicity.

“Does anything catch your fancy?” Devin inquired from behind the fairy.

“I’m not a big jewelry wearer. This green pendant is cute, though.” She picked it up and read a label dangling from the pin: “Rotate me.” Azalea turned it over.

Devin chuckled. “I think it means like this.” Devin twisted the top half as if unscrewing a lid. 

“It's a four-leaf clover!” 

Four emerald leaves around a central peridotal stem sprouted from hidden recesses, each with silvery, leafy veins forming a border around blank centers.

“I think it's a locket you can put pictures in. Normal ones only have room for two. This one fits four,” he said, pointing out where pictures would be placed.

“I want to buy one for all of us!”

Devin turned it over and looked at the price. “I feel bad dampening your enthusiasm, but perhaps you should get what you came here for first and come back another time.”

“Maybe the young lady would like to set it aside on layaway,” suggested Aurumina, checking the work in front of her through a magnifying monocle before putting it away in a velvet bag. 

“What's that?” Azalea asked.

“It's a method allowing a customer to place a deposit on an item to ‘lay it away’ for later pickup. Then they come back and pay the balance to take the item.”

“That's nifty!” exclaimed Azalea.

The beetle woman came out from around the desk, careful to not bump the displays with her upturned abdomen trailing behind her. “Is that something you’d like to do?” 

Azalea looked at Devin.

He handed her back the pendent. “It's your decision.”

Azalea ran her finger over the beautiful craftsmanship. “I think it would be really romantic for all of us to have one.”

“Those make delightful gifts for friends, lovers, and families.” The proprietress opened a nearby display and held up a pocket watch. “If the design is not agreeable to young sir’s proclivities, perhaps this one would be more to his liking.

“Utilitarian. Perfect for the active business person on the go. With minimal need for rewinding, you're guaranteed to never have the wrong time. Traveling in unfamiliar territory? We added a compass to the lid. 

“Missing loved ones?” She twisted the top, sprouting picture flaps from the four cardinal directions, similar to the pendant but not flower themed.

Devin was aware she was going for the hard sell. That was fine; it was the nature of the game.

She handed it to Devin for inspection. He didn’t know much about clock creation but he could ascertain the product was indeed quality. Peering out the front window, he compared the time to the city clock tower. He turned it this way and that, testing the compass needle to where he knew was north.

“How much?”

An abacus appeared in the proprietress’ hands from somewhere. Moving beads up and down the rods, she showed him the amount. “This much for deposit and this for the balance.”

Devin glanced at Azalea, still looking very much undecided. ”How about this? I will buy one pendant for you, you can buy the watch for me, and together we can buy one pendant for Reina.” 

Her face brightened. “A wonderful idea! Thank you, Life-mate!”

“Splendid. I will put these on layaway. Two pendants and a pocket watch.” She went back to her desk and scribbled on a post-dated receipt.

Devin signed it and fished several coins out of his side pouch. “Thank you.“

“Do you have a date in mind when you will be picking up?”

“We’ll be out of town for a few days, if that's not too long.”

“That's fine.” 

Azalea, likewise, placed her payment into the woman's hand and added her name to the receipt. 

Checking their signatures to make sure everything was in order, “Is there anything else I may help with today, Mr. and Mrs. Ebonplume?”

“Yes. We were told we could custom order cutlery and tableware here?” Devin inquired.

“Yes. The other half of the shop.” 

Devin looked around. “Other half?”

She motioned toward an arched door hidden behind many strings of hanging beads. “You might have noticed this store extends across districts. My assistant handles the other side where we do pewter and enamel work. If you would like to see them, I’ll just need you to sign a consent form.”

Aurumina walked back to her work table and opened a ledger. “Please sign here.”

With a flourish, Azalea wrote her name, adding a bunch of unnecessary curls to the end of her letters.

“Goodness, I've never seen anyone write their name so enthusiastically before.”

“I’m excited because every time I sign my name to one of these I get to see something amazing!”

“Oh?”

“Ya, we've been to several amazing places that sell the neatest things!"

“That's one of the wonderful aspects I love about our city… many little shops with inventive, artistic, sometimes radical ideas.”

“Does that mean…”

“We, too, have our own creative niche items that cater to a certain clientele.” Aurumina winked.

Azalea’s eyes sparkled at the potential implication of the woman’s words as she amusedly shepherded her into the next room. Devin followed and pushed his way through, nearly hitting his head on a low-hanging lamp.

The room had a more subdued feel to it, lacking the warm, rich shimmer of gold and the dazzling multi-coloration of gem and crystal. Instead, the doubled-sided display shelves shone with the pristine, sterile glint of polished tin, silver, and platinum.

Pre-made tableware with matching cutlery sets were positioned to be the primary focus. No less common were the flasks, candle holders, flagons, tankards, weighted-scales, games, decorative pieces, and other commonly seen household items.

Dodging a second low-hanging lamp, he found a safe place to stand.

“Sorry ’bout that, Mr. Ebonplume. I keep forgetting to move those away from the door.” Turning away, she hollered, “Urola! Are you in?”

A woman with feathery antennae and sclera black as a moonless night poked her head from behind a folding partition separating a sitting nook. 

“I’m in the middle of doing stuff.”

From the opposite side of the divider appeared another face. “Hallo,” greeted another woman with antlers and traces of lingering youth given way to maturity. “I'm stuff!” A soft powdering of blush covering her high cheeks rose as she flashed a coquettish smile. 

“Oh, hi Kauri. I didn’t know you were here today.”

“Of course! A day almost never goes by where I don’t find myself desiring to stop by and offer suggestions to my favorite craftswomen.”

Addressing Azalea and Devin, Aurumina continued, “Urola is my apprentice. She can help you with your request… assuming our insightful market consultant, Kauri, will allow her respite from her incessant design ideas,” she sarcastically confided.

“If I must,” tittered the elegant woman. “I am merely a social servant working her hoof to the bone to bring you the latest desires, wants, and needs of a select few – willing to pay a high price, I might add – before anyone else conceives of the idea or gets wind of it.” The deer woman feigned exaggerated dejection.

Aurumina shook her head at Kauri’s silliness. “No one enjoys and endeavors more to keep Urola’s imagination sufficiently stoked than you, and we appreciate it, even if most of what you bring us has provocative, lewd themes.”

Azalea’s ears perked up. She looked excitedly about the room for what they were possibly talking about but didn’t see anything overtly bawdy.

“I merely enjoy supplying people's wants and needs as well as seeing which become trends and trickle through the populace. I’ll hush and get back to work.” Kauri shooed the moth apprentice toward the visitors and ducked back behind the screen. 

Urola shuffled across the room. Her hair was shoulder length and as white as a cloudy sky, matching the fluff around her neck, forearms, and mid thigh. Her wings numbered four. Each whitish-green and tapering to a trailing tail resting on either side of a considerably plump abdomen protruding from her rear.

“Hey, I recognize you! You're the lady I saw at the festival!” exclaimed Azalea.

“I am?” Oh, you're the fairy I saw with that cute owl girl!”

“Festival?” Devin asked.

“Jeni and I visited the yeartide festival on our way to the auction house.”

“Is that where you were the other day and why you were late coming into work?” questioned Aurumina.

“I, uh, was distracted by the harpy street performances.”

“I see.” Aurumina eyed her dubiously.

“We had so much fun! It was my first time going to a festival like that. So much to see and eat! The harpies were singing so many lovely songs, too! Is singing for money a common occurrence?” Azalea directed her question to the mothwoman.

“It’s a trend that has caught on recently.” Urola side-eyed her superior, wondering if she was in trouble. “I wanted to stop by and listen to them and confirm a few things for a concept I dreamed of the night before.” 

“Was it a lewd?” Azalea probed.

“How did yo…I mean, w…why do you ask?”

“You gave money to see under Jeni’s feathers.”

“Oh, ya, I did do that, didn’t I?” Urola twirled her hair around her fingers, flustered at everyone staring at her and waiting for an explanation.

“You know how the festival goes on all week. Well, I passed through after work to see what's new that day, and I noticed many harpies have been adding more enticing displays to their performances.

“I didn’t think much of it, at first, till I got home. You know how ideas sometimes just come to you in the shower? The idea for a certain plug type popped into my head, and once I have an idea, I kinda fixate and obsess over it till I have thoroughly researched it out. To do that, I needed some references of harpy anatomy.

“So I went back the next morning. I’d never really thought about it before but I learned cloacas came in many shapes and sizes. I wanted a diverse range so I went around to many different groups and individuals and was just wrapping up my preliminary observation when I saw you two sitting next to those cardinals. I noticed you gazing hungrily toward the food carts but making no move toward them, so I surmised you didn’t bring any money. Since I didn’t see any owl-girls during my search, I thought this was my chance, and maybe if I gave her money, she would let me take a quick glance. I’m sorry I used you to get to her.”

Urola anxiously wrung her hands.

“It's ok. I’m not upset, and neither was she. I’m glad I got to see you again cause I didn’t get a chance to thank you. Thank you! You let me have another chance to try Sanna’s baked goods. If you’ve never tried them, you really should!”

“Y…you're welcome.” The mothwoman relaxed. “And I’ll try to remember that next time I’m out.”

“I want to hear more about this plug type!” encouraged Azalea, hovering a few feet in front of Urola.

“You… you would?”

“Ya!”

“As would I since this is the first time I’m hearing of this,” said Aurumina with a raised eyebrow.

Urola looked from the inquisitive fairy to her boss in turn.

“I can show you, but I don’t have a finished piece, just a mockup and some rough sketches.”

Azalea fluttered closer. “That's alright.”

Listening in, the deer woman was one step ahead, holding out and waving the aforementioned items from behind the screen. 

“Oh, uh, thank you, Kauri.” Urola took the model, handing it to Azalea and the drawings to Aurumina.

Azalea turned over the oblong, clay object. “Is this an egg?” 

“Yes. It's going to be a jeweled-egg cloacal plug. I’ve seen countless plug types around the city, but to my knowledge, no one has ever made such a product specifically for harpies.”

Azalea held it next to her body. “It's huge!” 

“Is it too big? I thought maybe I’d need to make it significantly bigger so it’d stay in.”

Aurumina flipped through the design plans. “Urola! This is brilliant!”

“It… it is? I wanted a more complete version before showing you.”

“No need. I can already picture what you have in mind,” Aurumina confided with a pat to the mothwoman’s hand.

“So you approve?”

“Wholeheartedly! We can do so much with this design! The shell can be solid silver, crisscrossed with a platinum frame and encrusted with gems – either polished smooth or bumpy for added sensation – or or we could polish a layer of gold thin enough to be a window to a hollow core filled with whatever the buyer wants! We could add them to our more deluxe lineup of products.”

Aurumina’s mind swirled with ideas.

“Now look at who's suddenly alright with lewd ideas,” quipped Kauri.

“I never said I was against them. It's just our regular, normal items tend to sell better.”

“If every harpy suddenly wants one, and we make them out of less costly material, they’ll become common enough,” opined Kauri.

Ignoring the sassy doe, the older jeweler embraced and patted her younger and fluffier apprentice’s head. “How soon can you make one?”

“Um, I’m not sure. Harpy eggs come in many sizes, so we’d probably need to custom-fit them to the commissioner. I would like to measure someone to build a practice model.”

“If you need a harpy, I could ask my friend Jeni if she’d be willing to help with your project. Do you think she would be interested in something like this, Life-mate?”

“Only way to know is to ask her. I doubt she'll say no.”

Urola put the model and design away and tucked her storage drawers behind the screen. “That would be helpful. I would even throw in a discount for services rendered. Is that ok, owner?”

“That's fine with me, as long as you thoroughly explain what you need her to do.”

“Of course.”

“Are you thinking this would act as a friendship plug for Jeni, Azalea?”

“I am, Life-mate!”

“What's a friendship plug?” questioned Urola.

Azalea turned around, bent over, and lifted her dress to show the mothwoman. “It's matching buttplugs my other love, a friend, and I were given.”

Urola, holding her magnifying monocle to her eye, leaned forward for a better look. “This craftsmanship is not half bad. Who made it?”

“A pair of goblin cousins named Eitri and Avu. I think their last name was Tehdä.”

“I don’t recognize the name.”

“It vibrates, too!”

“It does? How?”

“I don’t know. We need at least two, and I have to turn them both on and be touching the other person.”

“Fascinating. Goblins have a knack for things being a bit more dynamic than what I can make. Maybe i'll look further into it. But here we are getting sidetracked. You wanted dishware? I’m not sure we have any stock specifically for fae. I seem to recall a past job involving miniatures for a doll set though. I’ll check and see. In the meantime, maybe you’d like to show the Ebonplumes your work, Kauri?”

The deer woman clapped her hands together. “I would love to!”

“I’ll leave you to it then. Be right back!” 

Kauri stepped out from behind the divider. Standing nearly as tall as Devin, she ambled over to the waiting couple.

“A cutie like you is going to make me blush if you keep staring at me so intently, Mrs. Ebonplume.” 

“Am I? I didn’t mean to! I was just thinking you look very familiar.”

“My full name is Kauri Hirvielain if that helps. Maybe you’ve seen me in town or on a flier?”

“No… who does she remind me of?” Azalea stroked her chin. “Tuuli? That's it! Doesn’t she remind you of Tuuli, Life-mate?”

Devin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I didn’t get a great look at her, but she kinda does, I suppose.”

Kauri gave a knowing smile. “I can tell you why,” she stated vivaciously. “It's because she resembles me. She’s my daughter.”

“Oh really? You look so young!” 

“Why thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere. I try hard to maintain my looks. Are you friends of hers?”

“No, we only saw her briefly when we visited Whitegold.”

“How is my little fawn doing?”

“She seemed fine, but didn’t look very happy… like it was a bother working there.”

“She’s probably growing a little impatient about our little arrangement. Sable… do you know Sable?”

“Yes.”

“I asked her if she’d hire my daughter in the hope she’d learn some discipline and improve her work ethic. She’s inherited some of my younger self’s laziness and developed a bit of an attitude due to my spoiling her too much growing up.”

“I did see her again briefly at the snow festival. Regardless of her feelings, she did seem to be doing her best. Especially her bladder,” divulged Azalea.

“What do you mean?”

“Whitegold offers drinks made from the girl’s pee. Well, at the festival, it was snow cones. According to a friend of mine who started working there recently, Sable can be rather… determined about getting new girls into that job role.”

“Interesting. Well, I did leave it entirely up to Sable. If my daughter really wanted to leave, she could. She must really be clinging to the incentive I gave her.”

“What did you promise?” asked Devin. 

“She wanted to follow in her deer mama’s hoofprints. If I was satisfied with her progress after a year or two, I'd allow her to work in the family business.”

“Being a consultant isn’t your main job?”

“It's a hobby. I’m actually a courtesan, of a sort, at a humble hole-in-the-wall tavern called The Widow’s Kiss. We don’t offer sexual favors, but we do provide delightful banter and flirtatious conversation for young men and women who want to enjoy a fun evening – a perfect job for us deer girls. We have a reputation for being somewhat… coquettish.” 

“Some would say you're a cocktease,” Aurumina interjected.

Kauri giggled. “I’ll admit, in my younger, single years I may have blue-balled many an eager buck, but I put all that on hold when I found my husband. I committed a good number of years to a serious relationship and had two wonderful children.”

“So you’re…”

“I’m a widow.”

“Oh? Oh… I’m sorry,” the fairy blanched.

“No, it's alright. I had a long while to mourn. Both my children are grown, and I felt I could move on. I may not commit to another serious relationship, but I’m more mindful of my clients’ feelings and let them know exactly where the line is drawn.

“I am well versed in many topics and know all the latest gossip. You two should stop by sometime,” she directed at Azalea and Devin. “I can guarantee both of you a fun time.”

Devin was the one to respond. “Thanks, but we are in the middle of preparing to embark on a long journey and are unsure when we’ll return.”

“Pity.”

“I noticed you and Tuuli share a love of jewelry,” observed Azalea.

“We do. I’ve added a little here and there to my collection over the years.” 

Kauri pranced around and posed to show off her ostentatious display. Her auburn hair was flecked with white-gold leaf, arranged as a twisted braid around her stubby, brass-gilded horns, and left to hang over her shoulder. A choker encrusted with scarlet topaz matching her full, painted lips topped off the picture.

Nearly every finger possessed a ring housing a different gem. Her wrists were clasped in sandy, garnet bracelets. Anklets and a matching belly chain, linked together with topaz, hugged her midriff.

“You glitter so prettily!” admired Azalea. 

“Many of these were gifts and tokens of appreciation or birthday presents from admirers.” 

Kauri seductively ran her finger under Azalea’s chin and slid her haunch against Devin’s hip as she sauntered past. “But that's enough gawking at me. This way. They keep my things on the second floor.” 

Devin wondered if she was naturally disposed to being flirtatious or if she was acting this way toward them for a particular reason. Either way, it was having an effect on his fairy. He followed Azalea’s gaze locked onto the provocatively swaying hips before her. She was lightly rubbing her thighs together, most likely attempting to stymy her arousal.

Lifting her out of the air, he held her in such a way so she was straddling his thumb. Understanding his intention, she mouthed an apologetic thank you and spread out her dress to hide what she was doing.

Kauri stepped into a small alcove housing a stairwell. Turning to look back, “I’m tickled pink. I’ve never had the opportunity to show off where the magic happens, before. I’m so excited! I don’t know what I should tell you about first.”

“How about how you got into this side job?” suggested Devin.

“From the beginning is a good place to start. I suppose I should first ask how much do you know about our current sovereigns?”

Azalea shrugged.

“As much as the average person, I guess,” answered Devin. “The king is human and the queen is from the centaur clan – the lesser unicorn tribe if I'm not mistaken – and together they have two daughters and a son. And all three of them are centaurs after their mother.”

“Good! You know that much. I won’t bore you with the details of how our kingdom’s rulers are chosen or how it’s run. Just know that what they lack in political savviness they make up for by how much they promote, contribute and support the art, music, and entertainment mediums of our culture. Most importantly, they are adored by many because they are not afraid to mingle with the everyday citizens.”

“They sound like nice people,” remarked Azalea

“Veritably. They are open-hearted and regal.”

Kauri placed a hoof on the first step and began ascending. 

“One of the perks of my job is the opportunity to rub antlers with many different people in various stratums of society. About a year or two ago, I noticed some faces I hadn’t seen before. After a little probing I learned they were ladies-in-waiting at the palace in Thawdenn and were currently in town with the royal family to watch a new theater play. 

“Now, I don’t make it a policy of going out of my way to ask about matters that don’t concern me, but should a situation arise when some tipsy customers let slip some juicy gossip about certain peculiarities about the royal family, my ears can’t help but perk up.”

Kauri wiggled her soft, fuzzy ears weighed down by four moss-green earrings. “For instance, did you know the youngest princess doesn’t like to wear clothes? After turning eighteen, she adamantly declared she would wear what she had to when in public, but at home in the castle, she wanted to feel free, natural, and unencumbered, much to the chagrin of her older sister and mother.” 

“Sounds a bit scandalous,” agreed Devin with a smirk.

“Well, in the early years, before our country was formed, nudity was more commonplace for demi-humans who didn’t need clothing for protection. I, myself, don’t need them unless it's excessively cold, but I wear them because I like to feel fashionable.

“Anyway, her older sister is also not without her naughty habits, as well. I’ve been told she does a good job of hiding it, but her retainers have occasionally caught glimpses of her not wearing undergarments under her clothes. She is inclined to walking around in public with toys or binding parts of her body in tight leather straps. 

Devin mentally chuckled. Since Azalea was always wet to some degree, it was hard for him to gauge how turned on she was, but he was noticing patterns. She’d put more strength into her self-stimulation whenever Kauri talked about something she found particularly titillating.

He couldn’t help but kiss the top of her head. She turned to look up at him questioningly, wondering what she did to elicit such a response. He only smiled as Kauri continued.

“So, yeah, she’s been growing bored and has taken to sneaking out whenever she’s visiting Iceford to peruse the crafting districts for something spicier to try.”

“Given what I’ve seen since I’ve been here, I’m sure she found a lot of fun things,” praised Azalea.

“Now, you're probably wondering how knowing this information is useful to me. When searching out business deals, you naturally look for ones to expand and grow your enterprises.” 

Devin weighed in, “Of course. Better profits and wages for employees is not an uncommon motivation.”

“I’m no exception. Though, in addition to those, I saw an opportunity to ingratiate myself and, by extension, maybe garner some eminence with a demographic I normally wouldn’t have access to.” 

“Nobility?”

“Mhmm. One of the defining features about the service industry is self-explanatory: you provide a service – something either the other person doesn’t want to do for themselves or can’t for whatever reason. “

Devin thought hard.  “You… wanted to provide a solution to the sisterly pair’s foibles?” 

“Exactly. For the youngest princess, the question was twofold. How could the princess feel unrestricted by clothes but also satisfy her mother and older sister by protecting her dignity?”

Kauri pulled her dress forward. She flicked her short tail upward, playfully flagging it back and forth to draw attention to her rear. Something akin to a negligee split down the middle was tied around the base of her tail with a white bow. It hung down to the hock part of her legs. 

“I roped Urola and Aurumina in to bring my ideas to fruition, and together we came up with this.”

The deer woman lowered her hips, parting the silk like a curtain. Suspended underneath the thin material, also attached to her tail, dangled a round, flat gold medallion, emblazoned with the initials F.A., and fitted to cover her anus. Further down and attached by a silver chain hung a briolette-shaped brooch carved with the royal crest, equally sized to cover her vulva.

“Covers the privates in the least intrusive way possible, doesn’t it?” Kauri asked with a wink.

Devin felt Azalea shift as she tried peeping at what was underneath, but the exact dimensions of the pieces seemed to prevent just that. Defeated, she agreed. “Ya, it does.”

Kauri finished climbing the stairs and pushed open the attic door. Plain yew shelves were set up along the perimeter of the room, surrounding a cluttered workspace in the middle. 

“They stuck me up here because I'm messy when the ideas are flowing.”

Kauri circled around and placed her elbows on a table, providing a generous view of her cleavage. In front of her were haphazardly strewn drafts and technical drawings between small piles of crumpled-up epiphanies.

“With that one done, I moved on to the elder sister’s desire for something novel to scratch her smutty itch. It proved to be a more difficult task.” She reached into a drawer and held up a small, conical, metal cage. “Ultimately, this was the result. Can you guess what this is?”

“A muzzle?” inquired Azalea.

“You're partially right. But instead of keeping something closed, this keeps something open.” 

Kauri set it on the floor and squatted over it. To a gasp of delight, the genital covering swung away, revealing a scrunched, rosy-pink teardrop vulva that previously frustrated Azalea’s voyeuristic urges. 

“This particular prototype wasn’t made for me, but I think I can demonstrate it.” 

Rubbing the tip of the cage against her entrance, she lowered her hips with an audible exhale as the metal pushed its way inside.

“Whew, that's tight. I forget how roomy centaur mares are.”

Standing up, she swished her tail, pushing aside the medallion, and backed up to allow a better view. Her moist insides trembled and strained against the cage, allowing Devin and Azalea to see all the way to her cervix.

“I’ve nicknamed this the specula. It's crafted from silver, and those pink gems in the latticework are pearls.”

Devin held Azalea, still straddling his fingers, forward so she had the best view. She had an immediate reaction. “It's certainly something! How did you come up with the idea?” 

“I tried to put myself into the same headspace as the princess. If I was to capitalize on my already very prominent genitals, I'd find it deliciously improper to wear tight straps under my normal attire with one looped beneath my braided tail so I couldn’t lower it, allowing nothing to hide my gaping pussy but the thin fabric of my dress.

"With these little inventions thoroughly fleshed out, I waited for the next time I saw the royal retainers and gave them my creations to pass along to the princesses and waited.

“With how much time I put into this and the materials used, it was an expensive gamble. I thought maybe I’d see no fruits from my efforts, but a month later, I received two letters. 

“One from the youngest princess. She was very forward in saying her first impression was unfavorable because she thought this was another ploy from her mother and sister to get her to wear clothes. Upon learning it wasn’t, out of courtesy, she tried it for a time and surprised herself with how much sexier it made her feel. She did want one minor alteration; with the way she walked, it wouldn’t stay in place, so she requested a plug and dildo version so it wouldn’t swing around.”

Kauri slid a crate toward them. Inside, on a bed of straw, was a massive dildo combined with a sizable buttplug. “Given the size of a centaur’s penis, solid gold was out of the question, so I used gold leaf gilding over cedar. Not as conducive as the other one if the user needs to relieve themself but still fulfills the purpose of covering all the necessary places. Also, she didn’t like the medallion and instead wanted a heart shape because ‘it was cuter.’”

“I can assume the second letter was from her sister?” the fairy pressed.

“She was more reserved and formal with her wording, but in short, she was impressed with my creativity and desired to be my benefactor and tester for future products I might come up with.”

“Congratulations! Quite the impressive venture you pulled off. This whole undertaking sounds a lot like something my sister would do,” Devin effused.

“Sister? Hold on, Ebonplume… Ebonplume… wait! Are you related to Mavis Ebonplume, the enigmatic owner of Whitegold?”

“Unfortunately, the very same.” 

Kauri’s eyes lit up. “Why didn’t I make the connection before?!?” 

“You are well informed. I didn’t know she was the owner till just recently.”

“I know she likes to keep a low profile, but I’m a huge fan of hers! I mean, I‘ve never met her, but the little I’ve gleaned about her has made her a role model for me!”

“She’s certainly charismatic and possesses a gift for thinking outside the nest. I’m glad my sister’s antics worked for you,” he replied with an enigmatic grimace.

Kauri took a moment to collect herself. “That wasn’t all, though. The queen herself paid me a visit! She personally wanted to thank me for finding a solution to her daughter's immodesty. ‘Not the ideal, but better than flaunting herself for all the castle to see,’ were her words. She was impressed enough to ask if I would consider a solution for two other dilemmas – involving her son and herself.

“The young lordling has a small issue with unwanted erections. Well, maybe a big problem when you remember how well-hung stallions are,” she jested.

Azalea giggled. “With both his sisters around, I can see why.” 

“A simple modification to the width and depth of the specula was all it took to create a chastity cage to hold his unruly penis in check.” 

“Must be frustrating not being able to reach every part of your body to take care of yourself without the help of someone else,” Azalea proffered.

“It can be. They have plenty of helpers to take care of them, though, and I have reason to believe self-denial is something he finds arousing because he requested something similar to cage his testicles.”

Kauri motioned them over to a nearby window and pointed down into a cobblestone courtyard. In the center of a circle of melted snow, a smeltery blazed. Sweat shimmered down the brawny form of a young buck wearing only a blackened smith’s apron, protective gloves, and nothing else as he poured liquid metal into molds.

“That's my son. He does most of the bulk smelting work for the Silver Chalice.”

Azalea lowered her gaze. Between Kauri’s son’s back legs dangled a fuzzy pair of hefty testicles cradled in a silver-meshed net. 

“He was my prototype assessor for the chastity cage of what I dubbed the Coin Purse.  The cord on top allows for it to be cinched closed. It's supposed to mimic the sensation of the scrotum being held in a firm grip.

“Isn’t it lovely how well they accentuate their size? Makes my heart swell with the motherly pride knowing he inherited what many young bucks desire: an imposing set of antlers and large, virile testicles. I hope he finds a lovely young girl to display them to some day.

“As for the queen's request, she is active within several social circles, including being an advocate and spokeswoman for N.I.P.P.L.E: the New Initiates Practical Payments for Lactational Experience. The organization instructs volunteers how to enter the milk market. She, herself, lactates and donates her milk daily. 

“A common occurrence she doesn’t enjoy is stained clothes. Sometimes, if she’s too busy to have time to have herself milked, she’ll start leaking.”

Kauri raised her hind leg. Clamped to each of her dainty pink udders, tiny ornamental charms swayed.  They were suspended on silver chains connected to tiny gold rings pressed against her teats.

“See why the rings are Q-shaped? The part that sticks out ratchets so you can resize them. Simply squeeze the ring closed so it's snug and, ta-da, no more leakage! They work on breasts too if your nipples are big enough.”

“Or a cockring,” added Azalea.

“Fully expanded, I suppose that is also an option if the penis is small enough.” Kauri lowered her leg and handed Azalea a spare from a satin-lined box. “They come in silver, gold, and platinum versions.”

“They’re cute.” Azalea slipped one on her finger and closed it. “I might consider getting Reina a few if she needs them, Life-mate!”

“I’m sure she would appreciate that, and I'd be happy to bring you back here if you decide you need some as well.”

“Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Queen’s use of them made others want their own, and it initially became something of a fad… till people learned of their utility. Now they are my most popular items sold in the yellow districts.” 

Footsteps were heard at the door. Urola appeared carrying a box. “Here you are. Sorry, it took so long. I polished them a little and etched your initials onto the underside.”

Azalea looked over the objects handed her: a miniature plate, bowl, and cup with complimentary cutlery in a custom-made case. “They’re perfect! Thank you, and to you, Kauri, for showing us so many fun things!”

“I should be thanking you for being such a captivated audience.”

Heading back downstairs, they met Aurumina. 

“You found everything they wanted, Urola?”

“I did. Are you going to ring them up?”

“Sure,” the beetle woman acknowledged and walked to their cash box.

“I’ll go find a box to carry them.”

Devin stayed to help Urola wrap up the merchandise while Azalea went back to the other half of the store to pay. 

“Say, could I add another pendant on layaway? There was another person I wanted to give one to.”

“Of course Mrs Ebonplume!”

After making a note, paying for everything and promising to ask Jeni if she’d be interested in Urola’s project, Devin and Azalea left.

“Did you have fun, Azalea?”

“I'm so fond of this city, life-mate! Being able to share fun experiences with you is the best!” 

“I’m glad. You look a bit worn out, though.”

“That's because there’s a small thing I need you to do.”

“What's that?”

“All that rubbing I did… can you make me cum? I really, really need it!”

“How?”

“However you want,” she pleaded.

Devin looked both ways and ducked into an alley. He thought for a moment. “Hold your dress up.”

She lifted the flowery fabric, and he held her up to his mouth, making her straddle his tongue. 

“Yes! Finally!” she moaned.

He lapped at her sticky, sweet slit, probing her slippery folds for every delectable drop.

“I’m cumming, Life-mate!” she squeaked.

“Already?”

A gush of nectar splashed across his taste buds as her crest flashed to life, filling him with energy. 

She went limp in his hands as her body shuddered the last of her orgasm. “Thank you, Life-mate." She panted. "I desperately needed that. I was trying not to orgasm the whole latter half of the time we were in there.”

Devin kissed her. “Maybe we should have left sooner.”

“I didn’t want to be rude, and I was fascinated by everything she was showing us.”

“Well, you did a good job holding it back. 

“Mhmm, I love when you praise me.” Azalea tried to nuzzle his hand but couldn’t work up the strength.

“Do you think Kauri is naturally disposed to flirting, or was she teasing you specifically?”

“I think a little of both. Either way, edging is so hard for me, Life-mate.” Azalea sighed. “But I feel so much better now. Do you mind if I nap?”

“Of course not. I guess I can run home since you energized me.”

Azalea gave a sleepy smile as she closed her eyes. Tucking her away inside the front of his coat, he directed his steps toward Jeni’s shop and melted into the crowd.