A few pleasant hours later, Everly awoke to find that her room had been meticulously cleaned while she was sleeping.

This was puzzling for her.

Everly was one of those peculiar people who enjoyed living with a marked dichotomy between her actions and her expectations. As she mentioned quite often to anyone who was being forced to listen to her, she adored being a hypocrite. One of those hypocritical quirks was that she enjoyed inflicting change on others but preferred that her personal environment remain untouched.

It was one thing to destroy the home of someone else and force them to adapt to the new reality that she’d decided for them. It was another thing entirely to do the same thing to her. Whenever Everly acted, it was always right and just, because, well, she was Everly. That was simply the way of things; the world was designed to accommodate her whims.

But to be forced to experience the same thing at the hands of someone else? That was unthinkable!

Which is to say, the sight of her room being spic and span, with everything put in its proper place, instantly infuriated her. She threw back her blanket and leapt naked to her feet, livid, and prepared to yell bloody murder.

Before she could, however, a languid voice coming from her bed asked, “What are you doing?”

Everly’s head turned towards Seraphine, equally nude but covered in Everly’s discarded blanket.

“Seraphine?” Everly asked. “What happened here? Who did this?”

“The goblin,” Seraphine yawned as she stretched lazily on the bed, before rising to her feet. She walked to Everly’s closet and began searching through its interior, before settling on one of Everly’s t-shirts, a loose green one with the image of Doctor Doom on the front that came down to her knees.

“I believe his name is Carter,” she continued. “He came here to tell you that that all your demands have been agreed to. You were sleeping, though. Before he left, I asked him to straighten things up for us. He was very happy to do it.”

“Of course, he was!” Everly snapped at her. “He’s such a little neat freak! He’s always begging me to tidy up! This is my personal space, though! No one touches it without my permission!”

“Oh, what’s the big deal?” asked Seraphine. “You can’t keep living in a pigsty forever. Even a chaos bringer could do with a bit of order in her life.”

“Shut up! There’s nothing wrong with how I live!” Everly replied. “Damn it, now I don’t know where anything is. It’s going to take me forever to get this place back to how I like it!”

Seraphine couldn’t help giggling at her reaction, which was entirely the wrong thing to do at that moment. “You’re being so childish right now,” she said, which was also the wrong call.

“Excuse me?” Everly said, now entirely focused on her. “I distinctly recall telling you that I liked my room how it was. Would you care to explain what gave you the right to go against me? In fact, while we’re at it, Carter is my servant! Who are you to give him orders?”

Now Seraphine began to grow angry as well. “And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked. “I’m your lover and your consort. Are you telling I’m not allowed to make myself comfortable in your home?”

Everly snorted in disbelief. “My consort? My lover? Hey, kitten, what we just did was fun and all, but I’m not looking to get tied down right now. I’ve got my life to live and too many roads to wander.”

“How dare you!” Seraphine yelled in outrage. “So, what am I to you? Another notch on your bedpost?! Another trophy for your shelf?”

“Uh…yes?” Everly answered with foolish honesty.

“YOU MONSTER!” shrieked Seraphine. “You lustful ruinous obscene wretch! Betrayer! I WON’T BE TREATED THIS WAY, YOU HARLOT SEEKING PISS-WHISTLE!”

“Piss what?” Everly asked in confusion before a lamp was smashed into her face.

“Is that where that goes?” Seraphine shouted as she reached for something else to throw. “HOW ABOUT THIS?! HMMM?! Does this go here? What about this? HUH?”

Seraphine screamed at the top of her lungs in rage as she stomped around the room, pulling out drawers to empty their contents on the floor, knocking over furniture and smashing anything that could be broken. Everly found her violence transfixing; who could have known that such a bestial temper lurked inside such a slender beauty?

Amazed as she was by this display, though, Everly grabbed the other woman to put an end to her tantrum.

After all, as fun as this was to watch, it was her stuff being destroyed!

“All right, that’s enough! Knock it off, I said!” Everly demanded as she gave Seraphine a firm shake.

“It’s enough when I say it is!” Seraphine shouted back.

“Get ahold of yourself, you psychotic brat!” Everly ordered her.

“My bloodline is a thousand times greater than yours!” Seraphine replied. “You should be crawling at my feet, begging to please me! BEGGING, I say!”

“Hey, the sex wasn't bad, okay? But if I’m being honest, you could certainly do with a little practice,” Everly said with a wolfish sneer.

In response, Seraphine tried to slap her. Everly easily caught her raised hand and laughed at her. When Seraphine tried to use her other hand, Everly caught that one as well. “Now what?” Everly said, tauntingly.

Unwilling to admit defeat, Seraphine shrieked even louder than before and bit Everly on her shoulder.

“ARRRRRH! Biting is cheating, you crazy—” Everly began to curse before Seraphine pushed her mightily towards the bed where the two of them continued their violent struggle for quite some time.

Quite some time.

Later, as Everly rested from her unexpected exertions, she lay staring at the ceiling of her room. This was made possible because the canopy of her bed had somehow collapsed at some point in the last few hours.

As had the boxspring.

“Well, that was enjoyably vigorous,” Seraphine said, content as a cat, as her head lay on Everly’s chest. “Even better than the first round.”

“I’ve got no complaints,” Everly admitted. “Although I think I might have picked up a few new scars.”

“Call them love marks,” Seraphine replied.

“Teeth marks would be more accurate,” Everly said.

“Your skin tastes heavenly,” Seraphine murmured as she turned her head and gave Everly's cheek a playful nibble that gradually became a series of pleasantly forceful kisses that trailed down her neck.

“Oh, come on!” Everly said in disbelief as she reluctantly pulled away. “Just how much energy do you have?”

“It’s my duty as your consort to attend to your needs,” Seraphine said with a smile.

“Why do you keep calling yourself that?” asked Everly.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Seraphine replied. “You conquered my kingdom. You made me submit to you before my former subjects, and you publicly humiliated the man who was to be my husband. Then you took me to your chambers and conquered me. You all but announced to the world that I was yours and yours alone.”

“Oh,” Everly said with a dazed blink. “Is that how this works?”

Now it was Seraphine’s turn to be confused. “Uh, yes?”

“Huh. I didn’t realize,” Everly said. “Okay, good to know.”

“You’ll take responsibility, won’t you?” Seraphine asked. “After all, you were my first.”

“Your first what?” asked Everly without thinking.

“Everly! You were my first,” Seraphine said indignantly.

“Ohhhh,” Everly said as realization dawned on her. “Wait, girls count?”

“YES, GIRLS COUNT!” Seraphine screamed.

“Okay, all right, sorry,” Everly said placatingly. “Don’t freak out again.”

“I’ll have my things moved in at once,” Seraphine said.

“You really don’t have to,” Everly said quickly. “There’s a saying that goes, abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.”

"I don't believe that's the correct wording."

"It is," Everly said confidently.

“But I couldn’t bear to be away from you,” Seraphine said with sudden urgency. She then grabbed Everly’s hand and placed it against her own heaving bosom. “Don’t I please you? I know you enjoy what I can do for you.”

“Well, I can’t deny that tongue of yours is nuclear fire,” Everly confessed.

“I have no idea what means, but I’ll accept it if it’s a compliment.”

“It’s a compliment,” Everly assured her.

“Good,” Seraphine nodded. “Now, let’s get this room cleaned back up.”

Everly groaned in dismay.

Everly groaned in dismay.