Power Hungry 4 (Revamped!) (Patreon)

Princess Saki was stuffed.

That didn’t stop her from cramming another slab of refined Cake past her chubby cheeks. Little flecks of frosting clung to her fluffy pink lips as she gobbled down the most delicious substance before sighing in quivering relief. Her lustful hunger was finally sated.

Not… that she couldn’t go… for a little more…

It was the sole thought capable of processing in the Princess’ Cake-addled mind as sensations beyond desire and gluttony finally were able to return to her.

It had been so long since she’d properly indulged. Far, far too long. Almost two whole days had passed since her last feast! Well… her last Cake feast… You didn’t get to be as round as Princess Saki without a well-rounded diet.

Princess Saki was the Princess of the country. Her kingdom was the heartland of the continent, a long stretch of fertile grasslands that were now covered in farms of every type. Grains, fruits, vegetables, even some of the best animal products came from Saki’s land, but in the Princess’ opinion… which she would admit might be slightly biased, their most quality product was the extensive crop of Black Forest Cake.

The Cake could grow almost anywhere, and it was versatile too. It sprouted through grass, it dug up through dirt. On rocky shores or in the high mountains, the Cake’s reaching growth could pierce through the shale or rise up through ice where the bulbs could produce the crafted confection. In the southern jungles, more arid and tropical, the Cake had formed a bond with the trees, becoming so heavy that it could snap the branches before falling down to the ground. A heartbreaking waste if it wasn’t properly tended, but there were always some savage women who believed these Cakes were acceptable!

In Saki’s kingdom, in the Cake Tin of the continent, Black Forest Cake sprouted off of the vine. Long rows, stretching fields, dedicated entirely to the production of Cake. It was a majesty of vanilla and chocolate, and the same farms could even produce their own cherry toppers!

But unrefined Cake could only do so much. A Princess’ hand would tear it apart, crumbling the material into slop. Sweet, heavenly slop that made a girl rumble and her fat belly whine, but slop all the same! It was a delicate balance of vanilla and chocolate, and while the unrefined mess was certainly edible, most people would rather something that looked like it was prepared in an oven than grown from the soil. It had to be properly cleaned of impurities, mixed, reformed, decorated, and then either chilled or given a slight browning in a very particular oven.

Only then was Black Forest Cake at it’s best. Divinity made edible, and heaven made fat.

Princess Saki’s senses were slowly returning. She could feel the flecks of frosting on her lips, her tongue lapping tiredly while she huffed for some air. Then she felt the rocking on her backside, and remembered she was in her Royal Carriage with a crumb-covered plate perched atop her large breasts.

Unthinkingly, with her bright brown eyes still crossed as another soul-pleasing tremble squeezed out of her belly, Saki lifted the plate to her mouth, and the Princess began licking it clean, casting her mind back into pleasure while her tummy tried desperately to make room for more.

The full effect was rolling over her now. More than satisfaction, more than glee, true joy emanated from Saki’s being like a glowing light on her fair skin.

It harshly illuminated how fat Princess Saki was… and just how much fatter she could easily become…

Saki was wearing her royal fineries, which were specifically picked because they weren’t very royal and weren’t very fine. Like Saki herself, they were mostly rugged and purposeful. A red top and red cape, along with a pair of blue overalls that rolled down to her thighs, a pair of wide boots, topped with fur but hardened by leather, and in place of a crown Saki wore a wide brimmed hat, decorated with flowers and a white veil.

It had fit well enough when they started out, but with Cake settling in Princess Saki’s stomach, the bliss of her body was rising, and the plump Princess was growing alongside.

It started in her belly, already round and quite full, but the as the bloat became settled her fullness stretched further. A small belt tried it’s best to hold back the blubber, but it only lasted so long as pound after pound of Cake swept through the Princess. A soft hiccup, of which she wasn’t even aware, caused the belt buckle to finally give free with a solid *BOOF!*  letting the Princess’ tummy spilled out un-restricted.

The Princess leaned back, dropping the cleaned plate back onto her chest, tucking down into a full double chin as she stifled a satisfied burp. She swallowed the pocket of air, felt it settle in her backed stomach, and released a low groan, both of her hands coming around her center to hold herself as she rumbled with heavy digestion.

Her overalls slowly crawled up her fleshy thighs, as the Princess’ gut spilled over her lap. The weight was settling, crawling into the rest of her figure, and her the swell of fatness entered her chest. Full breasts became fuller, heavier, spilling over her gut and tugging Saki’s shirt towards either side. Next were her legs, already squishy and packed full of fat, as a low tremble shook through the Princess’ body, and the wide woman grew a further ten pounds.

The Cake had the Princess in it’s grasp now, a fat little creampuff that was squeezed between its fingers. Saki’s legs squished together as the bliss from her body reached up to her mind, before she almost collapsed in her seat.

She might have fallen over, if her fat ass didn’t already fill up the entire carriage bench.

Saki blinked, trying to adjust as a thousand little squeezes finally registered. Her arms were too fat for her tight red shirt, her overalls were almost up to her hips, with a low curve of denim barely holding her belly from laying over her groin. She felt a slight tug in her long brown hair, trapped beneath the Princess and her overfed torso. Hundreds of pounds of flabby hunger mixed and it churned, as the gluttony of the Princess’ feast came to a plateau.

Before anything else, Saki’s hands went to inspect damages. The Cake put Saki in a slow-thinking mood, but her hands were well practiced with the Princess’ destruction. The buttons near the tops of her overalls held, as had the ribbon that secured her cape and bandana. Her shirt hadn’t any noticeable splits down the seams yet, and she felt quite good until her hands found her belt.

A single bite of Black Forest Cake was more than filling, it was engorging to the point of a three-course feast, but how could a Princess hold herself too just being full? Saki had just finished an entire Cake. Not a slice, not portion, an entire platter of Black Forest Cake.

Dozens of pounds had come over the course of mere minutes, leaving Saki feeling intoxicated and, plainly, tired, despite only having been awake for two hours by now. She blinked heavily, only just seeing her carriage through her hazelnut eyes, but not caring at all what her vision had caught.

She grunted, leaning slightly forward and pulling her hair out from under her back. With a slow wipe of her tired eyes, Saki looked down and finally saw what she had done to herself.

“… Crap,” she muttered, realizing only now that she’d licked her plate clean, and that she couldn’t even begin to see her waist belt.

She could feel it, yes. Saki wasn’t a very tall woman, but she could still reach around the curve of her gut. But looking down at her body, jiggling along with the passage of the carriage, made Saki fearful that she might not have packed an adequate amount of extra-large clothing.

She hadn’t eaten herself nude just yet, but if she kept this up… Saki hadn’t expected such a royal gift for her caravan’s breakfast, but then again, how could she have expected anything else?

Princess Lilly sent only her best when transporting such a heavy bounty, and they’d given Saki a most exceptional donation. It had taken all of her willpower to hold out this long, and it was barely sunup. They still had hours before they’d reach Lilly’s capital. She’d thought, maybe, there would be one royal feast and two days of Cake. Sixty pounds at most, if she could just temper herself. But here she was, already more than twenty pounds fatter, and it looked like this week would feature only more...

There was frosting on her fingers.

Saki’s mouth worked automatically, suckling the vanilla cream from each digit before checking her lips for any missed cake as a few more pounds were added onto her belly.

She didn’t mind, not really. Princess Saki was chosen by the Cake. She was meant to be fat, whether she liked it or not, and had figured long ago that she might as well enjoy every pound. The harvest was gathered, the goods were in transit, and Saki’s clothing still fit.

As long as the armistice held, Saki would be able to spend the next few months sitting on her ass back at her castle, enjoying the oncoming snow with her own harvest feasts. She hoped that it did, but she wasn’t holding her breath.

She was having enough trouble remembering that she still needed to breathe.

Princess Saki coughed roughly as a hiccup made her belly sag another inch down her thighs. She was not looking forward to getting out of her clothing when she turned in for the night, but another part of her was hoping that Princess Lilly might supply her room with a mirror… That is, if Princess Lilly had any mirrors…

As slow as her cattle, the Princess licked at her chops for any remains. Her brown eyes blinked tiredly at the plate on her breasts. Porcelain trembled with a tremulous whine, and Saki placed a hand to steady it as she tried to sit forward and pull herself straight.

She paused, her eyes not making sense of what they saw, until Princess Saki remembered that she wasn’t alone.

Across from a small chest that currently served as a table, a pair of pretty young women sat on the opposite bench. One wore purple, the other wore red under blue, royal outfits that designated their roles, and both girls were evidently trying very hard not to stare at their bovine Princess.

Saki immediately felt even bigger. Each of the young women were blessed with chubby figures and huge… tracks of land, resembling milk maidens more than royal servants, but they could at least fit side by side. Saki’s royal posterior was fuller than both ladies combined, more ham in her thighs than the fat girls had in their waists.

Abigail, Saki’s personal handmaiden, had at some point dyed the fabrics of her simple dress to a deep purple. The dress now matched splendidly with her long violet hair, topped by a large, pleasant bow. While not the Royal Red that Saki had originally chosen, Abigail’s purple had helped her stick out to Saki, which was very helpful when the Princess was glutted with Cake. A light strapless top worn beneath a sheer purple shrug, with a dark petticoat that came to just above her round knees.

Her counterpart was wearing a Field Lead’s outfit, which had mostly been modeled after Saki’s own dress up. A long pair of denim overalls, a barn red cloth shirt, and a ponytail braid of bright orange hair beneath a large, brimmed cap.

Leah, that was her name. She was the Lead Farmer of the Black Forest Cake harvest. Leah had stepped up while Saki had been spending time at the front, and had been the one to ensure the harvest had succeeded. Together, her and Abigail were accompanying Saki to Lilly’s capital for delivery, as well as for the Princesses Feast.

Bright blue eyes, face dusted with freckles, she’d be cute if she didn’t look so intimidated by Saki’s… enthusiastic appetite.

It made Saki wince in only the way a fat woman could. “Oooggh… e-excuse me,” she groaned, trying to turn it into a giggle. It came out as wheezing bellows that made the other girls grimace. “I-I haven’t… had refined Black Forest Cake… in a while.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Princess,” Abigail was quick to put on a smile. She even playfully patted her own round tummy. “I know how helpful a good meal can get.”

Leah wasn’t so quick. Now that the Princess-sized elephant had been addressed, she let her eyes travel down Saki’s body. “Ummm… forgive me for saying this,” she bowed slightly, “but I had thought the effects of Black Forest Cake were… more severe?”

That… was not the response Saki had been expecting.

Nor had Abigail, as the handmaiden had quickly gone from looking like she was going to pounce on Leah to so confused that Saki couldn’t help but chuckle so hard that her stretched belly hurt.

Saki put her round cheek in her hand, emitting a bright blush and receiving an even brighter one from Leah. “That’s the nicest way anyone’s ever called me fat,” Saki laughed.

“I-I didn’t mean to… umm,” Leah stammered.

“Would it even offend you to be called ‘fat,’ Princess?” Abigail asked, trying to cast the working girl a line into refined mannerisms.

“Hmmm,” Saki thought, her hands circling the front of her stomach. They could only just meet near her unseen belly button. “No, I don’t suppose I should. It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Yes, your Highness,” Abigail bowed.

“It’s… umm,” Leah still seemed off balance. Surprisingly, the girl glanced down at herself. Perhaps to compare the difference between fat and fatter than sin. “W-well, I had… heard, that the Black Forest Cake can have… extraordinary effects.”

Princess Saki supplied a fat smile. “You’ve seen these effects for yourself, have you?”

Now it seemed like Leah was sweating the most in the cabin. “I… I, ummm…”

Saki’s eyes traveled up from Leah’s soft thighs to her full stomach. Before Saki had tasted the Cake, she would have pitied a girl her size. One bite of Cake was all that it took, and a curious young maiden was forced to say goodbye to her toes. But this was a fat women’s world, and so, like her handmaiden, Saki tossed Leah a line.

“In the fields, I mean.”

“O-oh. Yes, Princess. It’s happened a… few times.”

Saki sighed, shaking her head. “Despite consumption being outlawed, there will always be girls who are enticed by the Cake. I wish I could find out the cause… Maybe then we could save some women their waistlines.”

She paused for a moment, losing herself in thoughts about chocolate before remembering she was in the middle of a conversation.

“Anyways,” she shook her head, “yes. If you or Abigail were to eat as much Cake as I just have, this entire carriage would break. You’d grow so much and so quickly, that you’d be completely immobilized after eating only a few pounds.”

Saki enjoyed the large, faded look in both their eyes, as the two ladies immediately imagined themselves at such weights. Hundreds of pounds swelling into their tummies, covering their hips and causing each of them to collapse on their fattened backsides. In all truth, each girl likely pictured their immobilized selves as far too small.

“One bite of Cake has caused women to expand by over two hundred pounds,” Saki informed. “They don’t even have to swallow it. The moment the substance touches the tongue, the divinity becomes a curse, and I suspect it’s impossible for the newly plump girl to lose even a pound.”

Leah made a low whine, and it hadn’t come from the plump woman’s stomach.

“It’s a bit warm in here, isn’t it?” Abigail asked. She rose from her seat to go to the carriage door. She unlatched the window and a gentle breeze carried into the cabin with the smell of the open country, working horses, and the smallest touch of unrefined Black Forest Cake.

Men and women could be heard, riding up and down the length of the caravan. A flash of pink armor passed by their window, and Saki sighed as she drank in the country atmosphere.

It reminded her of home.

“For myself,” she continued, returning to Leah. “I and the other Princesses have been blessed. The Cake affects us differently, allowing us not only to consume, but to enjoy every bite. If we gained at that rate, I’d probably be the size of my own castle, now.” Even the thought was enough to make Saki chortle. “I have a hard enough time convincing my horse to carry me as things stand.”

“Lady would carry you even if you were that size, Princess,” Abigail bowed.

A huskier laugh. “I very much doubt that. Lady is getting old, now. She deserves more rest than I give her.”

Saki tried then to shuffle forward and right her drooping posture.

She couldn’t.

The fat Princess’ belly was too heavy, her body still tempered by the intoxication of digestion, like a languishing orb which couldn’t even bend at the waist as her stomach tried desperately to compact the entire Black Forest Cake.

Saki wasn’t strong, but she wasn’t particularly weak either. She had gotten used to carrying so much weight, but new weight was always the heaviest to carry. Her plate was empty, her belly was full, and Princess Saki was so very tired.

“Allow me, Princess,” Abigail greeted. The plump plum had risen into a half-standing crouch, removing the plate that was still perched on Saki’s breasts.

“Thank you, Abigail,” Saki nodded in appreciation. She wiped a hand across her brow, feeling the slight wetness of sweat.

Maybe she would end up the size of her castle. She certainly felt as big as this carriage.

Abigail leaned back into her seat, placing the plate onto the chest. She then leaned down to her side, surprising the Princess when she came up with a porcelain teapot. “Would you like a cup of tea?” she offered.

“That sounds lovely,” Saki grinned.

Abigail leaned back over, coming up with a porcelain teacup. Saki chuckled lightly to herself, noticing the pink and gold rim as well as the painting of Black Forest Cake that was decorated by an overweight yellow lily.

“Princess Lilly sent this with the Cake?” she asked.

“Yes, your Highness,” Abigail said as she poured. “There was also a paper crane addressed in my name, informing me how to keep the tea warm while you enjoyed yourself.”

Saki gave an amused snort. “That would be from Hisao,” she said. “May I see the note?”

Abigail shook her head. “The paper reformed itself after I read the inscription at the bottom, and took off out the window.”

“It scared the heck out of me,” Leah laughed.

“Did it?”

“She screamed quite loudly, Madam,” Abigail bowed.

Saki blushed, sighing into her hand. “I really am helpless, aren’t I?” she asked.

“Of course not, Princess,” Abigail retuned a large smile. “That’s why you have people like us along with you.”

******************************************************************************

Lilly’s tea had proven to be exceptionally tasty. Still steaming warm, it was a soft herbal mixture that had given off a comforting aroma and tasted of sweet chamomile. It put the bloat in Saki’s stomach out of her mind and allowed the Princess the strength to readjust herself.

She had definitely not packed adequate clothing… A check of her arms found a large, meaty split on the back of her left sleeve, a soft roll of fat spilling over her bicep. She could only imagine the damage she’d already done to her undershirt, but all of her buttons held where her belt had failed.

Abigail, bless her, had taken Saki’s belt so she didn’t have to show the whole world that she was fat for even a Princesses, and Saki was now enlightening the girls to what might be her only plan to escape the feast with her clothing.

“Hisao Nakai,” she explained, “is Princess Lilly’s Grand Wizard. As far as I know, he’s the only Grand Wizard left, at least the only one that isn’t in hiding. He’s got all sorts of tricks up his robe, and I’m sure he’ll have something to help with my clothing. I’ve seen how much Princess Lilly’s dress can stretch, after all.”

“Why would they be in hiding, Princess?” Abigail asked.

Saki let out a deep breath, slowly shaking her head. “Unfortunately, most magic is extremely volatile. It works in sole connection with the user, drawing on their willpower to change the world to their whim. I, myself, have a little magic, and I’ve begun to suspect the other Princesses may have their own special powers, even if nobody is willing to admit it.”

“You do?” Leah asked, leaning forwards.

Saki grinned, amused by her enthusiasm. Parroting a move she’d seen many times, Saki cupped her hand to her cheek and tittered. “My, my. It’s just a little thing, no need to be so excited. Certainly, nothing like what a Grand Wizard could do.”

Leah and Abigail exchanged glances before sinking back to their seats and sipping at their tea, though both of them had their eyes on her belly.

Saki had spent more than a few meals wondering if her weight might be tied to her powers. The Cake, certainly, the only thing she’d had before that was the power of money, but Saki always felt just a little more rejuvenated once she had fully digested a refined slice of Cake.

“The Collage of Mages used to be in the South,” Saki stroked her chin, “where Princess Akira’s kingdom now is. Lake… Oh, I always forget the old-world names.”

“You live in the present, Princess,” Abigail excused.

Saki chuffed. “Perhaps. I feel as if that was important, though… but I cannot seem to remember why.”

Leah, who had spread a large map of the continent over the chest, pointed. “Here?”

Saki looked down. It was a topographical map, but something about it looked very… odd. Everything was there. Ikezawa Island to the North East, the joint-Satou Empire taking up much of the East and the Ibarazaki Archipelago on the far South. There was Suzuki’s Mountain Range in the North, the Hakamichi’s Desert in the West, Miura’s Jungle just South of that. She almost forgot about Tezuka’s Peninsula, the closest point to Ikezawa Island, and only by noticing that did she remember Princess Rika Katayama even existed.

It was so strange… she shared a border with Katayama’s Plateu, separated by only a river on Saki’s north side, but she’d entirely forgotten the albino girl’s presence. Perhaps the strength of the sleep-inducing tea was getting to her mind, or perhaps Saki had just spent too much time on the Western Front in the blackened Dead-Zone. Regardless, Saki would have to amend her mistake before seeing Rika at the meeting…

Then Saki groaned. “Oh no,” she whispered. “I do hope the Lilly remember to invite her…”

“Excuse me, Princess?”

Saki shook her head. “It’s… nothing,” she straightened. If Lilly had forgotten, Hisao probably wouldn’t.

Probably.

“My apologies,” she leaned forwards, looking to where Leah’s finger now lay. Near the center point of the continent, where Lilly and Akira and Miki’s kingdoms all met. “I believe that was it… if I’m remembering right.” Very slowly, a sad smile came to Saki’s face. “I’ve known Hisao for a long time. Before I wore this,” she reached up to her crown before slowly chuckling, “and before I wore this.” Saki lifted her belly, letting it drop onto her thighs with a loud thud. “He’s always done what I think is right. Which is why, eleven girls once sat down together, and agreed to sink that tower into the lake. That was before any of us ever put on a crown.”

Silence came into the cabin. It was hazy, but Saki remembered the council members all together. She remembered Lilly’s soft touch bringing out Hanako’s tiny smile. Emi bouncing to wherever she went with Rin lagging just a slight bit behind. Shizune and Misha, perfectly inseparable, and always so challenging. Miki, and her confident smile. But there was something… off. About everything.

Saki rubbed at her eyes. The tiredness was slowly overwhelming her, but as she touched them she could perfectly see a young man with silly brown hair. He was wearing a white shirt and sharp green pants and looked up at her from his seat in a library.

‘Live, as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.’

“Princess?”

The Princess blinked. She saw Leah and Abigail watching, felt her own deep breathing settling in the pit of her belly.

Saki thought she had heard a voice. From somewhere far, far away, a voice reading a story. It had sounded almost like her.

“S-sorry,” Saki put a hand to her head. “I think I may have overdone it. Ate too much Cake all at once.

“That’s okay,” Leah shrugged. “We had a record growth this year after all. You could probably have Princess Lilly bake you an entire field’s worth, and we’d still be ahead.”

Inwardly, Saki felt herself begin to salivate. 

Thoughts of chocolate and Cake and chamomile tea rolled over her belly, rounding her shoulders. She rested her arms on top of herself, the perfect soft pillow for her blubber-packed limbs.

“I wish that we had… another slice,” she yawned. “Maybe… stop the caravan… have some of the… unrefined…”

She was gently snoozing before she could finish the thought.

Abigail slowly stood up from her seat and closed the carriage window, quieting the noise from the slowly advancing caravan. She returned to her seat, poking Leah to move over more, before returning to her own cup of tea.

She said nothing to Leah, but Abby had noticed. The little green sparkles inside of Saki’s brown eyes. Princess Saki spent almost all of her time on the Western Frontline, despite her kingdom not having a single soldier. They were farmers, workers, animal headers. Growers of grain, and growers of Cake, while Princess Lilly and Princess Akira had thousands of forces securing their border.

Princess Shizune wanted out of the desert. Every woman and man knew that ‘deaf, blue bitch’ wanted land where she could grow her own fields of Cake, and was toeing the line with the Cake Tin of the continent. The others weren’t willing to sacrifice fertile land and the freedom of trade, and the lack of space meant they’d entered a deadlock over a vast stretch of land that was claimed by both sides.

War would be coming. Not small battles or little skirmishes. Not the occasional raids from desert-dwelling marauders who just happened to be clad in bright blue.

Real war, unlike what any of them had ever seen, led by magical girls with a deep hunger for Cake.

Abby had seen the little sparkles of green that entered Princess Saki’s eyes, just as she’d seen the tiny dancing of pink before Mister Hisao’s paper crane had taken flight. The Princess had used magic on herself…

Princess Saki was special. She was chosen, she was powerful… and the rumors from the front always followed her home. Stories about a white tent, where men and women who were wounded in battle had carried to the Princess… and walked out on their own.

If those stories were true, then Princess Saki’s magic had just healed herself. From what possible wound, Abby couldn’t even begin to suppose.

******************************************************************************

Time passed, while Princess Saki’s deep breathing gave way too little snores. It wasn’t quite loud, sort of like the gentle snuffle that you might hear on a barn, from a woman who looked almost as heavy as the cows.

The steady hooves of the horses slowly clomped on their way, the carriage’s wheels turning round and round. Abigail checked their position a few times, trying to compare it with Leah’s map. It was almost noon now, with the group was passing through a dense forest on their way toward the capital city. Lilly’s kingdom was vast, long stretches of wooded lands which were connected by a series of forts and small villages. It was much different than the long fertile fields of Saki’s land, but it was quite pretty in its own unique way.

“She wants to just get there so Princess Lilly’s bakers can refine the cake,” Abby whispered.

“Obviously,” Leah replied. “That’s why we’re four carts ahead of the first load. She’d have to waddle back there to get it, so it’s practically out of reach.”

With a small glance towards the dozing Princess, Abby whispered, “Have you ever had it?”

It looked like Leah wanted to laugh. “Are you kidding me?” she asked, grabbing the impressive swell of her chest. “Look at me! Of course I have, then I had to hide in the field, burying my face in chocolate until lights out, because it shredded all of my clothes! It made me shoot up to a size 20, and tasted like DIRT.” Her voice took on a genuine sadness as she mumbled, “And now I’m never gonna lose pound! I’m gaining weight by eating carrots out of my garden!!”

“Same... well, I’m eating home grown pancakes, but they’re practically the same thing.”

Leah blinked at her. “N-no they’re not...”

“Hey, with how little she’s around, I’m lucky that I didn’t think the first time was a fluke and end up as a blob in the pantry.”

Both girls shuddered, their plentiful pudge quivering more than enough.

“I’ve got complete access to the castle stores and the kitchens, and there’s practically nothing to do. She spends all her time on the frontlines with the troops.”

“Is that true?” Leah asked. “I’d thought she spent more time at the castle… I see her so often checking on the fields.”

Abby shook her head. “They’ve got this camp, or something, set up at the front, and I hear she even sleeps in it.” She swallowed, remembering the green sparkles. “I think that’s where she uses her…” Abby wiggled her fingers.

“Oh come on.”

“You heard what she said! I’ve heard it from solders that stay the night at the castle. Unlucky fighters come ‘seeking blessings…’” Abby used air quotes. “She sets herself up in a massive white tent, and there’s a marking on it. A… uh…”

Something was happening.

Abby looked up from Leah, noticing that the caravan was slowing down. Then, their carriage bucked hard, nearly sending the two girls off of their seats, and they could hear something outside like faraway shouting.

She didn’t quite understand until she recognized a powerful whiny from one of the horses, and then the shout was overtaken by a much closer call.

“AMBUSH!!!”

There was the sound of steel being pulled from its sheath, shouts of surprise and of anger joining that first powerful call. Abby hurried to the small window just in time to see the descending volley of arrows strike the side of the carriage.

Out from the forest, Abby could see the blue masks of screaming raiders swarming through the tree line with curved swords held high. Several raiders were making directly for their cabin, but they were interrupted by a riderless horse nearly twice their size and more than twice as strong.

Another shot embedded itself in the door, the head of the arrow sticking in through the wood, before Abby threw the window shut. The carriage shook and steel met steel as war cries erupted from both sides of the attack.

“Hmmm?” Saki blinked lazily. “Mmmm, can you please keep it down?”

Abigail barred the door, slamming the dual locking mechanism into its home.

“Princess!” Leah was on her feet, ducking her head to prod Saki’s belly. Her hand sunk in past her chubby wrist. “Princess, we’re under attack!”

Cries of pain screamed from around their carriage. Steel on steel, arrows striking flesh. One of the soldiers, a raider judging by his sandy accent, cried for his mother.

Saki yawned.

“Princess Saki!” Abigail on her other side, both handmaidens shaking her back and forth. The woman jiggled so much that the carriage started to sway.

“Mhmm, what?” Saki muttered, wiping sleep from her eyes. “I’m awake, I’m awake... what IS that racket?”

“There’s raiders! Shizune’s raiders! We’re under attack!!”

The soldier who cried for his mother was now crying for his grandmother, who he swore was far more pious and had definitely known ‘Princess Saw Key’ in a past life so really, he should be able to just go home.

“Oh? Raiders out here?” Saki asked, almost conversationally. “Where are their horses?”

Abigail felt befuddled at her nonchalance. “T-they don’t have any. They came from the trees.”

Saki gave her handmaiden a Princess sized pout. “Then why on Earth have you woken me up?”

And now, it was his great grandmother, and he had pictures that he could show them men if only they would only just stop punching him in the face. And then there was silence.

The handmaidens listened.

A call went up. They couldn’t make out the words. Then they heard their driver. “Carriage two, clear!”

Abigail went to the barred window just as a loud tap came from the other side. She opened it a sliver, peeking through the gap.

A man with a brown bushy mustache wearing bright pink armor stood over the fallen forms of at least five men. He mimed a curtsy up to her, and would have stabbed himself in the foot if her weren’t wearing plated pink boots. “All good inside, Madam?” he asked.

Abigail opened the window, then screamed and toppled backwards as the immense warhorse from earlier nearly stuck its entire head through. Brown fur with a long white nose, the horse almost resembled some behemothian legend. Huge gray eyes turned from side to side, looking into the cabin.

Princess Saki released the fattest laugh of her life. “We’re fine, Lady,” she reached up to scratch the horse’s muzzle. “Awe, did you help protect us from the big bad savages?”

The horse snuffled, releasing a pleased note before slowly pulling back from the window.

“I’m just… I’ll take that as all’s well then,” Abby heard the soldier from outside.

“Alright, alright,” Saki grunted. “Umm, Abigail? Do you think you could get off the floor?”

Abigail swallowed. “Y-yes Princess,” the plump girl had tto struggle to find her feet, but with some help from Leah, both handmaidens were soon back up at the door, peering outwards.

“Oh, there you are, Madam,” the solider brightened. “Yes, all’s well then? The horse seemed to think so, but I prefer a more… firm, confirmation.”

From besides the man, Lady shook her long black mane back and forth. The titan then lifted her hoof, bringing it down on the back of a raider who just started to groan, silencing him once more.

Up and down the caravan row, Saki could see the barn red of Saki’s workers slowly peeking out from their cabins, while men in heavy plate steel patrolled from horseback. Countless dark forms had fallen at the side of the road, most of them into the small divot between the woods and the road itself. Face up, face down, prone bodies wearing blue masks over dark leather carapaces.

The heavy plate men were checking through the bodies, while a few other pink-armored officers assured the workers and were checking the cargo. Not a single man wearing the heavy plate lay upon the road.

Abigail gulped, looking at the arrows that marked their cabin. “W-what happened...?”

“Ah, just a few boys coming up from the wood. Ain’t no issues for us, Ma’am.”

Abigail felt a hand on her side and turned to see her princess. Saki nodded at Abigail, gently guiding her aside and made for the door.

Saki opened it, receiving a happy snort from her horse, and went to step out.

The Princess had obviously expected to fit through the threshold. She did not.

Her belly made it most of the way out before the tiny door caught on her hips, but luckily for her, she had become close friends with gravity. Her body squeezed through the vice grip like a ball of malleable dough, coming free from the door with the exact same noise as her belt had her belly.

*BOOF!* and Princess Saki came onto the road, fixing her cap and playing it off as if she’d never been stuck.

The officer curtsied to her. “Good afternoon, Princess. As you can see, we’ve tended to the difficulties without issue.”

“Yes, very good,” Saki approved. Her horse trotted to the fat Princess’ side shaking her head happily as Saki too her red reigns. “Princess Lilly sends only her best when transporting cargo.” She turned to the girls inside of the carriage. “Do you see why I’ve no time for politics?” she asked. “Without our focus on the farms, most of the continent could be without food. Let our alliance serve as our guard.”

“Right you are. Thank you, Ma’am,” the soldier inclined his pink-helmeted head.

Saki looked at the men lying on the side of the road. “I wonder if they knew the cargo we were carrying, or if they thought I was traveling alone.”

The soldier shrugged. “Well, Princess, they might have recognized your carriage. But, I shouldn’t suspect they recognized this as the full caravan. If they knew that we were carrying the harvest, I shouldn’t suspect they would have ever tried.”

“And now they’ll have to deal with me...” Saki said, and the voice she used was dark, deeper than her normal heavyweight tone. The handmaidens were again reminded of the rumors of Princess Saki at the western front.

“Shall we be moving along, then, Madam?” the guard asked. “We’ve our schedule to keep, and to deliver you before second afternoon tea.”

“No. Not yet, Officer,” Saki responded. She tugged on Lady’s reign and the horse removed its hoof from the fallen raider.

“S-S-S-Saw… Key…” the man muttered.

Princess Saki pointed down to him, still looking at the guard. “Bring all of the wounded to me, at carriage number six. From either side, even a scratch or a bruise, if your men are capable of being scratched of bruised.”

“‘Fraid not, Madam. Ya give up gettin’ scratched when ya take the Princess’ Oath.”

Saki snorted in perfect unison with her towering horse. “Then the animals, Sir. If they have any wounds.”

“Aye aye, Ma’am,” the officer put his boot on the back of the slowly moving raider. “We’ll have these beasts brought to you there.”

Saki turned and began to waddle down the line, her great belly straining the buttons of her dressy overalls. Without her belt, Princess Saki looked heavier and fuller than ever. Which… when Abby considered, she likely was.

Only after a moment did the handmaidens realize Saki was biding them to follow. “Come along girls, Carriage Six, if you please.”

Both girls tried to rush out of the carriage at once, getting stuck just as their princess did, but falling flat on their bellies rather than sticking the landing on thick tree trunk legs.

Saki sighed, looking to her horse as they went down the line. “Don’t think I didn’t see you’d dropped my carriage again, just because you wanted to get involved fight.”

It should have been impossible for a horse to look embarrassed, especially the horse who was twice the size of the fat Princess.

“You’re gonna make your poor brother carry all of my weight by himself? I thought he was going to collapse when I saw him all alone in the front.”

Lady snuffled, rolling her neck towards Saki and drawing out a cheerful, belly-lifting laugh. “Yes, yes, alright,” Saki cheered. “Yes, you’re my big strong Lady, aren’t you? Would you like another handful of Cake?”

The horse would have bucked with excitement if she wasn’t being held by her tubby Princess.

“Hmm,” Saki sighed. “I’d like some more as well. Even if it’s not thoroughly prepared, I think I could have a plate or three. I’m feeling puckish after my nap, and I want our guests to see what a true Princess looks like.”