You stare at the door for… you’re not sure how long, your thoughts swirling in your head. You can’t deny you still definitely feel something for the now massive stag, the salty taste in your mouth and the warm feeling still burning through you attests to that, but… the objection that Yuriv had raised to you before about your attraction haunts you, though in a different context. How much of it is that… control that he is able to exert on people? He’s definitely… different, you didn’t have long to get to know him, but you can tell that much. Are you still actually smitten with him even after his… change of view? And even if you were, would you be alright with being part of a kingdom that magically controlled its subjects?
You let out a sigh as you glance back at the amulet sitting on the table. Sitting around here, letting your thoughts go in circles isn’t helping. You need some air. You get up and stretch, marveling at just how… flexible and supple you felt. Your claws extend out of your feline paws, briefly digging into the floor as you felt a bit of a rush from the lean strength in your form. Looking over yourself… you can’t deny this form feels like a definite improvement. Is… spreading this really that bad? But you shake yourself before pulling the amulet over your head, you’ll… think about it after you’ve had some time. You almost head out before realizing you’re completely bare, your coat of fur feeling so natural you didn’t notice. Even if your furry sheath does keep you maybe a little more decent, you can’t go out like this. Your short tail flicks behind you in embarrassment as you spot an ornate dresser in the corner, quickly finding a set of simple, if very high quality clothes, seemingly tailored to a beastman like yourself. After you pull them on and regard yourself in a full length mirror that the room also possesses… you can’t help but feel satisfied. You pose heroically, if your dashing figure had come to save you from being chased on the streets… you might have been smitten with yourself. Though you shake yourself again to stop that train of thought, feeling a bit silly. Decent, you hurry out the door, pendant still around your neck.
True to his word, the guards don’t stop you as you find your way to the entry hall and head through the keep’s massive doors. Though… they do definitely watch you as you go, their expressions unreadable. You might have felt a bit… intimidated before, but something about your new form just makes your grey fur bristle as they watch you, you could take them! … Wait, no! You didn’t want to fight them or anything! Where did that come from? Feeling a bit disconcerted, you made your way into the city surrounding the castle… quickly being enveloped in the surprising amount of bustle. You can’t help but feel a little amazed as you wander through a marketplace, all kinds of beastmen selling wares. A burly crocodile stands inside a stall of expertly crafted looking weaponry, glowering at anyone who didn’t look worthy of wielding his wares… A somewhat pudgy elephant beckoned any passersby into his tent, where you could see a wide array of trinkets and exotic goods from far away. A doberman and a husky ran a bakery, as the husky stopped to drop off more goods from their oven, he stole a kiss from the doberman which… quickly escalated as the doberman caught the husky and pulled him into a dramatic embrace which continued to get more steamy… until the doberman closed the opening between them and the street. You couldn’t help but watch the whole affair, entranced, finding your feline member half stiff from the show after the panel closed. You shook yourself again, embarrassed, though it seemed like almost everyone in viewing range had also… enjoyed it.
Maybe the people here were definitely more… easily riled up into lewdness, but everyone did seem happy as far as you could tell. It looked like any other town you’d been to, just with fur, scales, feathers, and only men. They didn’t look like they were… brainwashed, forced to love and obey their king like you had witnessed at the rebel camp. You found your thoughts wandering back to where they had been. Would… spreading this be so bad? Yuriv had said they would look for willing people now, instead of kidnapping them like they did you. But… did you really trust what he said? Riefclaw could have just lied to him as easily as that, to get Yuriv to do what he wanted. The way that the lion had acted… you didn’t think you could ever trust someone like that, he seemed to relish the control he had over people in a way that made your stomach twist in disgust. But, maybe you could personally change that, make it so that this place didn’t steal people anymore, at your handsome buck’s side… the thought of doing so making your heart flutter a bit. But… what if Yuriv had… changed too much? What if he wouldn’t care if what Riefclaw had said was a lie? The fact that there was something in him that maybe enjoyed the control he had over people like Riefclaw did… you don’t think you could be with someone like that. You looked down at your pendant. The thought of leaving here, and Yuriv, behind made your heart ache, but… could you participate in something that was essentially mass mind control? Though even if you left this kingdom behind, would people even accept you? You were… different now, a lynx on two legs. Even if you… enjoyed being like this, you’d definitely get at least weird looks anywhere else. Could you just... live here without having to deal with whatever awful thing Riefclaw was doing? Make a life for yourself without Yuriv, in the shadow of the castle where he would rule from, always reminded of what could have been? What could you do? It didn’t feel like any option would be exactly what you wanted…