The central hall was surprisingly glamorous for the home of a Baroness. Large open space enough to fit a band, several catering tables, and a turf war style dance off if the need presents itself. The ceilings even raised up to three stories with walkways on each floor either side. Connected to the walkways were several small private sitting rooms. A silver chandelier hung from ceiling reflecting the rainbow lights that peered through the mosaic glass skylights.
"Not even my own dedicated gala building is this luxurious..." Vanity whispered to herself in awe. Her demon tail wagging back and forth under her new forest green maid uniform. Gala stood behind her in her own uniform giggling to herself having noticed the tail. "~So cute...~" She chirped.
"What was that?" Vanity turned sneering.
"I didn't know you had a tail. It's adorable." Gala giggled.
Vanity took on a stunned look as she moved her hand behind her just above her rear feeling the base of the thing that betrays her emotions. "Yes, I do." Vanity blushed slightly under her dignified look. "And it's not 'adorable'."
Gala leaned forward looking upwards into the demonic eyes that peeked her interests. "~I beg to differ.~"
Vanity's cheeks took on another shade of red that paired with her flawless snow-white skin well. "Gods I can't understand you!"
"And I can't quite understand you either. You say you're a Queen yet you seem to be rocking that maid uniform."
"Of course I am, and of course I do! I could make mud look attractive on me." Vanity said with confidence as she parted her hair behind her horns. If Gala could bite her lips, she would be. As the thought of naked mud wrestling the demon queen instantly plagued her mind. "Besides, I may be a ruler, but I consider myself a servant of the people. Every action I take is for the citizenry's benefit..." Vanity's tone was dignified, then trailed more towards embarrassed. "...Even if that means dressing as a maid and serving them food."
Gala's mind raced with fantasies of scenario after scenario involving the key words Vanity, Maid, Food, Sex, and Servant. Not always all together, but always including at least three. Her fantasies we halted by Whistle's voice piercing the air.
"Ladies, ladies! What are you two doing? The guests will be arriving any minute now!" He said hastily while adjusting the collar of his nobleman's garb. He'd worn leather for so long that his fur was still getting reaccustomed to cloth.
"Since when are you my boss?" Vanity bit back.
"Since Xena promoted me to head servant!" Whistle took on a smug grin. "I outrank you." Vanity scowled at him.
"Right! I've got to go (wo)man the guest book!" Gala screeched doing a full 180. On her first step her talons caught the underside of her uniform causing her to faceplant against the polished marble floor. The dress rode up from the fall causing her to flash her tail feathers directly for her comrades to see.
Both went wide eyed then adverted their shared gaze. Whistle looked to Vanity. "You saw it too right?"
"Yep." She whispered in disgust.
"Do you think that's an Avian thing, or just a Gala thing?"
"Either way, any self-respecting lady should wear undergarments to a social event."
XXXXX
Several Hours Later
XXXXX
"Oh my GODS! That was AWFUL!" Vanity cried out in exasperation laying on one of the fancy couches set up at edge of the now empty dancefloor. Whistle sat backwards in a chair as he tilted forward laughing.
"So what's a day in the life of the servantfolk your ~Majesty~?" He stated with absolute joy.
Vanity let out a loud sigh. "When I get back... I'm giving every one of my servants a raise."
Gala stepped around the corner to greet her companions. "What's this about a raise? Are we getting raises?" She wiped some blood off her cheek.
Whistle's jaw hit the floor while Vanity sat up with a shocked expression. "Gala, what in the seven heavens happened to you?" Their bird compatriot was covered head to talon in scrapes and bruises. Her uniform and feathers torn and splattered in blood. Even so, she had a cheery smile on her face.
"What? Oh-oh this! Some captain didn't take to kindly to me flirting with his wife, so he challenged me to a duel."
"Oh my goodness are you alright?" Vanity stood from the couch, her maternal instincts kicking in as she moved over to inspect the bird's wounds.
"Oh this is nothing. You should see the other guy!" Gala laughed.
"Even if you were being sleezy, you didn't deserve that." Vanity took Gala in a hug making sure to avoid the scrapes on her wings. Gala locked eyes with Whistle as she flashed a half-empty jar of tomato sauce from behind her back. Whistle broke out in a wheeze as he nearly falled out of his chair, Gala snickering in return.
"What's so funny?!" Vanity let loose her hug to turn and yell at Whistle.
"Nothing..." Whistle wheezed again. "Just though of a funny joke. It involves a demonkin queen, a lesbian bird, and a jar of fake blood."
Vanity looked confused for a moment before turning to Gala, wiping off some of the 'blood', and tasting it. She then took on a scarily calm expression. "I'm going to kill both of you." She said before walking away.
"Oh come on! It's just a joke! Where are you going?" Gala questioned.
"I'm asking Xena to contact her brother so we can LEAVE THIS PLACE!" Vanity yelled.
A silence fell followed by a door slamming in a distant hall. Both Whistle and Gala began snickering again.
"So... Speaking of Xena... How'd that go?" Gala turned to her favorite catfolk with the look of a giddy school girl prying for the latest gossip.
"Before I say anything, no we didn't do what you think we might of done. I was just saying that to make Zackaria squirm."
"Aww... dang."
"BUT... I will say... My kind often doesn't like getting pet as we see it as demeaning, me included..."
"Go oooooon..."
"But that old woman... She REALLY knows how to pet. I don't even know what it was but she did something around the base of my ear that made me purr! I don't think I've ever naturally purred before!"
"I wonder if I can get her to ~ruffle my feathers~ if you know what I mean..." Gala shuttered a little just from her own imagination.
"And there was one other thing..." Whistle took on a more serious look as he started looking through pockets.
"Oh do tell..." Gala said still with a flirtatious voice.
"No, calm down it's not like that." Whistle found what he was looking for in his pocket. "Here we go. Look at this." He handed the object off to Gala.
"What is it I'm looking at?" Gala held in her hands a small cylindrical vial with a viscous purple fluid inside, on the outside the image of a blue predatory bird surrounded by a hollow circle, the top half like a blazing sun.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that it's poison. I saw a guest try to stash it, but he left before I could intercept him. You saw everyone arrive and leave plus every name on the guest book. Think you could help?"
"Why are you even asking? We're a team aren't we?"
For a moment Whistle forgot he's not dealing with his usual 'friends' from home.
"Yeah... I guess we are."