Talon was the first to wake up that Sunday, stretching her limbs out in a low roaring yawn. She surveyed her surroundings and found herself snuggled closely against the left side of Princess Luna, who was resting with a contented smile. Suddenly the memories of last night came rushing back as a tiny crack of light crept through the curtains. She, the human, and the alicorn had changed positions twice and had reached their peak several times, or at least she did. Thomas had tuckered himself out about half way through, leaving her and Luna to tend to each other. Talon grinned smugly as she remembered the look on the Princess’ face as she squirmed beneath the griffon’s expert touch.

Then she frowned. Another memory came to her which she was having a bit of trouble processing. The whole thing just seemed so unlikely that it demanded investigation. She craned her head and twisted her back to look down past her wings at her raised flank. Sure enough, there were bite marks on her hiney. But not just any bite marks, oh no. Talon was more than familiar with this manner of play, she’d asked for it enough, and could tell right off the bat that these marks were not left by the flat herbivore teeth of a pony. No, these marks more resembled the sharp teeth of a meat eater. Swiveling her head around, Talon gazed over the bare heaving chest of the mighty alicorn to the comparably diminutive figure of the human snuggled up to Luna’s right.

Nodding approvingly, Talon craned her head a bit more until she got her first clear view of something she’d never seen before. “Not bad,” she continued to nod as she stared at Thomas’ groin. “Probably not the best time to judge while he’s limp, but I guess that’s pretty good for one his size. Shape’s a little weird though.”

“Verily.”

Talon flinched as her head snapped downwards where she quickly relaxed at seeing Luna’s contended smile. “You up now too?”

“We were up the entire time,” Luna sighed as she shifted herself up, careful not to disturb Thomas’ rest. “Unlike the pair of you, an alicorn is not so easily worn out.”

Talon cocked her head. “I probably should have known that, but then why’d you look asleep?”

“Is it not obvious?” Luna giggled when Talon didn’t answer. “We were enjoying the cuddle of two lovers at once.”

“Ah,” Talon realized. “I guess it’s been a while since ya had anything like that.”

“Indeed,” Luna sighed, turning to Thomas and gently stroking his hair. “Even if only one was our real lover.”

“Ouch,” Talon frowned.

Luna smiled back at the griffon. “We mean no disrespect. Of course your services in stabling are most appreciated, but… I hold no delusions about our relationship. You might love me, but it is only the love of a friend or any of your, as you say, one-night-stands. Your heart belongs to Tia and her harem, not me, but that does not mean we cannot enjoy our time together.”

Talon beamed happily back at the alicorn. “I wish more ponies could be as mature as you about this stuff.”

“Maturity comes with age,” Luna shrugged. “You are unlikely to encounter many with as many years as Tia or myself.”

“Not a problem, Moonbutt,” Talon shrugged. “Even I’m not greedy enough to want more than two alicorns in my life, but… if Cadence were to, ya know, make the suggestion…”

“I do not think that is likely,” Luna said with a gentle smile.

“I think we can plan for my all-powerful alicorn harem later,” Talon laughed as she slid out of bed. “For now, why don’t we focus on prepping your harem?”

“Verily,” Luna cheered softly as she continued to stroke Thomas’ hair. “Where would you have us begin?”

“Ugh,” Talon groaned as she walked awkwardly over to the dresser with the spare uniforms. “My rump is a little sore. Think it’s gonna take me a while to recover after what you and my new herd-sister did,” she laughed at her own joke while rubbing the sore cheek.

“Sister?” Luna puzzled as she watched the limping griffon. “Things have indeed changed these last thousand years. Would the more appropriate term not be herd-mate?”

“It would, but I’m pretty sure calling the chimp my sister would really irk him and he gets pretty cute when he’s flustered,” Talon explained as she slipped on one of the lunar harem uniforms. “But as for where to begin, I assume you’ve got a list of candidates,” she said as she admired herself in the mirror.

“Indeed,” Luna nodded. “With Lady Attentive’s aid, we have narrowed it down to five of the ponies applying here in Canterlot, with the potential for a sixth.”

“The way you said the sixth sounded really suspicious,” Talon noted from Luna’s vanity as she looked in the mirror and stroked a comb through her feathers. When she saw Luna’s reflection avert her gaze, Talon knew she was on the right track.

“The sixth is one of the few ponies that we, er, I… recognize, if you understand the meaning.”

“I do,” Talon nodded with a smirk.

“This time our relationship with her is somewhat complex. For the time being, I feel it best to content ourselves with her friendship and focus on other, less awkward prospects.”

Talon turned to face Luna with a frown. “Ya know, I never liked it when Leste was being evasive with me, either.”

Luna shuffled her wings uncomfortably. Talon was right. To aid in Thomas becoming more open, she should set an example. “Tis just that you both know her,” she gestured to Thomas, “and I do not want things to be more awkward than they already are.”

“Awkward?” Talon raised an eyebrow as she set the comb down. “It’s a freaking miracle the chimp managed to do what he did with me in the picture, even with the alcohol in his system. Who could possibly be more awkward than… wait…” Talon’s eyes widened as it came to her. There was only one mare who fit the bill. “Nooooooo,” she awed before pointing at the door. “You mean she…”

Luna nodded with a hesitant smile.

“Sweet bucking Faust, filly!” Talon cheered gleefully. “She’s… and he… I mean wow. No wonder denying destiny is a death sentence in university. I mean that just goes above and beyond coincidence.” As her excitement fizzled, Talon leered down at the still sleeping Thomas. “I’m a tell em.”

“No,” Luna asserted bluntly.

“I’m a do it,” Talon grinned mischievously as she sauntered over to the bed.

“You better not,” Luna snarled, baring her teeth.

“Herds need to be open and honest,” the griffon lectured playfully. “I’m a tell em.”

“Tell em what?” Thomas asked with a yawn as he pulled himself up from his power nap. He stretched his arms out in an attempt to fight off the comfort of the warm alicorn beside him threatening to send him back to sleep. “What are we talking about?”

“We’re talking about expanding the harem,” Talon beat Luna to the punch. “Apparently she’s got five candidates in mind.”

Luna fought the urge to beam in elation at Talon for keeping the secret. Both knew that Thomas was still adjusting to Equestria, but the secret they held now was not a thing the average Equestrian was made privy to. The shock might be a bit too much for him. As such, it was heartwarming that Talon agreed that this was something they’d need to ease him into; no matter how much she disliked secrets. But as she contemplated the secret she was keeping from one herd-mate, Luna couldn’t help but consider the other secret she was keeping from the other. Granted that Talon was only stabling with them, but she would have to agree with the griffon in that it didn’t feel right for a herd to keep secrets like this.

Thomas gave a long sigh, finding the strength to smile as the memories of his dream talk with Luna surfaced in his mind. “Alright then.”

Luna frowned down at Thomas, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “You do not seem very enthusiastic. Perhaps it would be best if we postponed…”

“No,” Thomas held up his hand and gave another long sigh as the memories of the dream began to settle in. “I think… I think I’m ready, at least for the interviews. If nothing else, I want to try being more outgoing in life.”

“Great attitude for meeting your future herd-mates, chimp,” Talon cheered sarcastically. “Don’t think I’ve ever met a male so bummed at the prospect of sex with a bunch of females pretty enough for a Princess. But on what we were talking about earlier,” she addressed Luna, “about avoiding awkwardness, would any of these candidates happen to be male?”

“One is a stallion, yes,” Luna nodded worriedly as she saw Thomas grimace. She knew where this was going.

“Well we can probably postpone that interview,” Talon said matter-of-factly. “Chimp’s still pretty bent against sleeping with other guys. He could barely watch me demonstrate the sensitivity of horns on a stallion I know. I thought Attentive would have caught on to that,” she finished questioningly.

Luna’s ears briefly splayed in disappointment, but quickly returned to their previous stance before Thomas could see. “Very well. I suppose Lady Attentive was just being a little optimistic, there.”

“Of course,” Talon said skeptically. “It was Attentive who was being optimistic.”

Thomas held his best neutral expression. It’s normal. He told himself. It’s not that she’s bored with me. She’s just used to having… multiple guys… doing… And Thomas immediately imagined his thoughts as a television screen, only to shatter it, as he had trained himself to do with uncomfortable thoughts. It was just like Talon said. He was nowhere near ready to be with guys if he couldn’t even bring himself to imagine what Luna had done in the past.

“Talon, you are more familiar with modern courtship rituals,” Luna continued. “How would you recommend going through with the remaining four mares? We *tap* I accepted the last three applicants because they were assigned by Tia, but I would like to hear your opinion.”

Talon scratched the bottom of her beak as she pondered. “Leste likes to do group interviews and narrow it down from there, and while four does seem right for that sort of thing and I don’t think chimp’s mentally prepared for that anyway.”

“Probably right,” Thomas admitted, trying not to sound too embarrassed.

“There are a few ways we could go about this, you know, beside the traditional attendant route,” Talon explained. “First method is where you, me, and the chimp’ll meet them one at a time. We talk, get to know each other, go on a few discreet dates, preferably with you guys in disguise so you won’t be bothered by the paparazzi, and just see where it goes from there. The second method is like the first, but you’re in disguise from the start. You get to know each other without them being all nervous about being with the Princess.”

Luna nodded. “Seems little has changed in this regard as sister and I have used both these methods for millennia. The dates are arranged such that we interact with one another as a group, but also have private time together to get a better feel of the pony’s personality, correct?”

“Or the pony could do something amazing to sweep you off your hooves,” Talon suggested. “It worked pretty well for me.”

“That,” Luna grinned slyly, “and Tia was already quite familiar with you.”

“Familiar?” Thomas asked quizzically. “Like she read about her in the paper or something?”

Luna froze, realizing her slip.

“Far from it,” Talon smiled, ignoring the alicorn staring daggers at her and threatening untold torture, most likely related to bondage and butt stuff, if she dared reveal the secret. “I never told you this part of the story, but Leste likes to tour the kingdom from time to time. It was about two years before the incident at the Summer Sun Celebration when we were called in for a royal inspection. She’d just walked by me and I remember thinking that her plot was bouncing a lot more than it needed to,” Talon reminisced with a snicker. “She caught me staring and grinned. After that, I started receiving letters from a mysterious admirer who signed her letters as C. Never did find out who sent those letters, cept the return address was to Canterlot Castle.”

“Aww,” Luna cooed. “That’s so romantic.”

“Never found her, huh?” Thomas asked with a deadpan stare.

“Never,” Talon shook her head with a proud grin. “Not even with the serial number beneath the address which I later found out was the code for Leste’s bedroom. Nope. Never found her.”

Finally Thomas cracked a smile and shook his head. “I guess that was a sweet story.”

“Happy to see romance is not completely lost on you,” Luna nudged him.

“Why are you two so happy?” Talon asked, somehow curling her beak into a pout. “I never found the pony who sent me all those romantic letters. This is a sad story.” She pouted with greater intensity as her bedmates struggled to hold back their laughter. “I’m serious. I never got to meet her, never got to find out whether her plot or her breasts made for the better pillows, and I certainly never used these claws to make her howl like a horny timberwolf.” Talon could only hold a straight face for so long before she joined them in their juvenile snickers.

When the laughter petered out, Luna discretely gave Talon an appreciative nod before she and Thomas slipped out of bed.

“Uh uh,” Talon shook her head as she glared at Thomas.

“What?” He asked as he held up one of the pillows over his groin as he walked to the dresser.

“Lessons are still on, chimp,” Talon said as she swiped the pillow from his grip, causing him to squat as he covered his groin with both hands. “That means we’ve gotta get you over being ashamed of your own body.”

“It’s called modesty,” Thomas sneered. “And I’m not ashamed.”

“It’s called really silly,” Talon countered. “I don’t really get how this worked back in the human country, but in Equestria, most ponies go naked. Clothes are actually a sign of the exact opposite of modesty, or maybe they’re for a special occasion or serve some function. Clothes for the sake of clothes is just weird and the mares we’re gonna be meeting will think so too.”

Thomas stood frozen in his awkward squatting position. He knew there was no logical reason to be embarrassed by nudity when no one else was. He’d gotten used to walking around with a bare chest and legs, but the uniform had always served as a powerful psychological comfort. Luna was staring expectantly at him, waiting for whatever he did next. With great trepidation, Thomas slowly straightened his back. And though his hands resisted, he eventually commanded them to part and reveal his manhood for all the world to see in this one room. He braced himself, ready for whatever teasing Talon had planned for him.

“Good colt,” the griffon commented nonchalantly, patting his shoulder before looking up at the clock. “Almost 8:00 a.m. already? That was a hay of a power nap.”

Luna snapped to face the clock and bolted out to the balcony, paying no heed to her nudity. Talon casually followed her out while Thomas took the opportunity to slip a uniform on. He caught up with them just in time to see the last glimpse of the moon disappear over the horizon. The sun had begun it’s climb at 7, making the lingering presence the moon and stars a rather awkward sight. Thomas considered teasing Luna on the matter, but figured the chewing out she’d get from Attentive Eye and Kibitz would be punishment enough.

“It’s a new day,” Talon commented optimistically.

“That it is,” Luna agreed.

Thomas walked up beside his Princess. “And so much to look forward to,” he added as he took Luna’s hand. They went back to bed shortly after, as their bodies were all still set towards evening hours.

Talon and Luna now seem to be hiding something from Thomas, something related to current concubine candidates. Very suspicious.

Anyway, Talon is taking to her new role nicely and helping Thomas with his nudity issue. It won’t be long before Thomas is comfortable naked around two ladies, that’s twice as much as before. Yay!

Also, plans are in the works for expanding the harem, finally. But it’ll still be a little bit. First Thomas has to get used to rooming with Talon. What fun.