Juniper frowned at Dusty.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I know you are truly Prince Jasper," Dusty said. Juniper tossed her mane.
"I am not!"
"Then what is your name?"
"Juniper."
"Ah, ah! No, the one you had before!" Dusty said. Juniper opened her mouth, but couldn't come up with anything. She scowled.
"Fine. You have caught me. How did you know?"
"How I knew should not be your concern, Princess Juniper," Dusty said, sounding smug. "Rather, you should worry about what I plan to do with this information."
"What do you plan to do?" Juniper asked nervously.
"I could do any number of things! I could reveal your true identity to everyone right now. Or I could wait until we get to Estrellia. The King would be irate that you snuck in despite his demand. He might not just kick you out, but kick out all your allies and decide to ally with the person who took the throne from your father."
"Hmph, how would you even tell anyone?" Juniper said, deciding to call his bluff. She blinked. Suddenly, a naked man stood where Dusty had. She blinked again. Dusty was a horse again.
"I am no more a horse than you are."
"Well..." Juniper thought desperately, trying to poke holes in his argument. "Why would anyone believe you?"
"Because I am a Pookah," Dusty said gleefully. Juniper's heart sank.
Pookahs were shape shifting faeries, able to change species as easily as though they were clothes. Their fluid nature made them not fit in with other faeries, who were more unchanging. As such, they tended to live in or near Witch settlements, as Witches were similarly outcast. It was not uncommon for the family trees of Pookahs and Witches to merge. Anya had told Prince Jasper that her great-grandfather was a Pookah, and the reason she was so skilled at shape change magic.
But most relevant now was the fact that, like all faeries, Pookahs could not lie. They could not even bend the truth.
Juniper sighed.
"What must I do to keep my identity secret?" she asked. Dusty whinnied in amusement.
"Nothing, really."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing! Allow me to have my way with you."
"Have your..." Juniper stared at Dusty. "You wish to mate with me?"
"Of course." Dusty looked over at Pyotr, sleeping in Yevgeney's arms. "My agreement with Pyotr states I will be his steed as long as I have mares available to fuck. He offered you to me, to keep our agreement going, but because you are no true horse, I needed to talk to you first."
"You mean blackmail me first," Juniper said tartly. Dusty swished his tail but didn't deny the accusation.
Juniper knew she didn't have a choice. She couldn't have her cover blown. And if Dusty decided to stop being a steed, that would slow them down. Reluctantly, she moved her tail to the side.
"I will do nothing," she said quietly. She swallowed as Dusty walked around to her rear. Soon after, his hooves were on her back. Then he was inside her. Juniper gasped as Dusty thrust with more vigor and power than she would have expected from a pony his size.
Dusty grunted as he plunged deeper and deeper into her. Juniper moaned in delight, actually enjoying herself. She orgasmed, but Dusty wasn't done. He continued to thrust, filling Juniper with pleasure and, after what felt like hours, his seed.
"You stood by your word," Dusty said once he dismounted. "I will as well. As long as you let me have my way with you, I will keep your identity secret and not break my agreement with Pyotr."
Out of breath, all Juniper could do was nod.
Less than an hour later, those in the barn began to wake up and get ready to travel again. Juniper stood obediently as she was readied for riding, unaware that sex with a faerie had consequences.