Snugglemagne's Reign Part 3

Read part 2 Here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/snugglemagnes-2-41723948
And see how this all started here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/snugglemagnes-1-40364294
Salutations, knaves! Snugglemagne, for some reason, thought a second grand feast would be appropriate, and the results speak for themselves! Enjoy, and be advised that part 4 will be the LAST chapter for Snugglemagne before we move on to a new story. Choose wisely!

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“...This was but the first part of my grand master plan to capture the conniving Fox! For I will set up another party to trap him!” Snugglemagne announced, having recovered his bearing.

There was a stunned silence that fell over the Cutiepies, until a single, grating voice shouted out, “That sounds really stupid!”

“No it is not, you filthy peasant!” the lion snapped furiously, stuffing another tart into his mouth. Composing himself once more, the king continued. “Dearest subjects, do you not see? This Rufus rapscallion is drawn towards ostentatious displays of wealth and excess- and no one can do ostentatious excess like I can.”

The crowd still did not seem fully convinced. Snugglemagne rolled his eyes. “There will, of course, be free food for all who attend.”

The crowd of Cutiepies were won over instantly, cheering Snugglemagne’s name. The king sighed in relief. “Ah, that’s better… now,” he patted his middle, grimacing as he glanced down at it. “Perhaps I ought to sleep this off…” He began gingerly moving towards the castle again, and then snapped his fingers as he remembered something important. “Ah, yes, guardsman- that horrid little creature, Pinky, throw him in the dungeons, would you? Please and thank you.”

After a good night’s sleep and a light, five course breakfast, Snugglemagne studied himself in the mirror- he had not slept off nearly as much of the excess weight from yesterday’s banquet as he had thought. “Oh, dear… well this will never do, there’s far too much… this,” he said, prodding his belly sharply. “I really should try to get back to my workout regimen… but with this Rufus fellow terrorizing the kingdom, when will I have the time? I suppose I could cut back…”

“Ahem, Your Majesty,” Quinton, Snugglemagne’s majordomo, stuck his head in the doorway. “The castle kitchen staff are ready for you to taste test the new tarts.”

“Oh-ho-ho! How splendid!” Snugglemagne tittered, quickly bouncing after Quinton as he was led to the kitchen.

Some time, and several dozen sample pastries later, Snugglemagne was settled at the head of his table, his stuffed gut squeezed on all sides by the now inadequate armrests of his throne-like chair, and the tabletop itself, cutting into the increasingly thick, round mass on the royal belly.

“Now, then…” Snugglemagne began, dabbing his lips with a napkin as he looked over his council. “How will we apprehend this felonious fox?”

“We’ve invited the entire Valley to the banquet,” Quinton explained. “As a costume ball, we’re encouraging our citizens to wear their finest- lots of jewelry and accessories that could easily be picked off by a thief.”

“And then, when the fox reveals himself, we’ll blow him up with a magic spell!” Camille declared, the chameleon mage leaping to her feet. Her assistant Honey quickly whispered in her ear. “Huh- what? Oh- yeah, yeah, we’ll use the boring binding spell, I suppose.”

“Most excellent! Now, away with you all, as I must begin preparing my costume,” the king said, clapping his hands twice to summon his attendants. “And Quinton! Make sure the royal tailor has the right tape measure, I fear he’s begun making my outfits smaller on accident.”

The second banquet was even more extravagant than the first, with Pure Heart Castle’s lavish great hall as a backdrop. Snugglemagne was dressed in a costume that he felt was particularly kingly; a large purple cloak and golden armor, that had been fitted with a girdle to squeeze in his oversized belly, and oversized pauldrons to distract from his double chin. He could barely breathe, but to look this regal, it was a small price to pay.

His trained smile faltered as he saw the Cutiepies streaming in, however; everyone had come with a platter, or a large plate of food, currently crowding the buffet table. Lumbering over, the king huffed, “What do you think you peons are doing? You’re cluttering my banquet display!”

The Cutiepies exchanged looks. “Weren’t we supposed to bring food for the party?”

“I brought pies!”

“And some of those tarts you like!”

“I brought some of my famous cobbler, ee-yup,” Farmer Bun said, holding up a massive, trench-sized pan of the dessert.

“I brought the cups and ice- but I already ate the ice,” Pinkie added.

“Didn’t I have you thrown in the dungeon?” Snugglemagne asked.

“No cell can hold me! Hahaha!” Pinkie shouted, rushing further into the castle.

“Now, really!” Snugglemagne groaned, his eyes roving over all the tempting desserts the Cutiepies had piled on to his table. “This is most unorthodox- entirely too much food, it shall all go to waste again!” He grabbed a slice of cobbler. “Is that what you wanted?” he asked, before shoving the cobbler into his mouth.

“Well… no,” one Cutiepie, now downcast, said.

“We’re sorry, Your Majesty,” another moped.

“Mmph- see that you think these things through- ah, lovely- next time!” Snugglemagne said, in between bites of more cobbler. “Now something must- oh, is that cherry? Be done about all this- mmph- food, I shan’t let it go bad! Off with you all, I, your king, will take care of it!”

The Cutiepies thought little of the sight of their king stuffing his face- they had seen it only yesterday, after all- and turned to enjoy the banquet. While Snugglemagne gorged on sweet desserts, however, he missed a sleek, vulpine figure slinking into the castle.

The lion lost himself in a gluttonous haze- the stress of trying to catch this thief, the disruption to his daily leisure time, it was all too much; eating his way across the buffet table, he ballooned in size- there was an audible snap as his girdle broke, and a tidal wave of white, furry flab surged forward, popping the various bits of armor off of him, and his belt buckle snapped, sailing across the banquet hall to smack Farmer Bun in the back of the head.

“Ow! What was… hey!” the rabbit turned around just in time to see Rufus behind him, reaching for his wallet. “Well now, there he is! The thief!”

“The thief?!” Camille snapped to attention. “Alright, let’s blow him up!” The chameleon unleashed a burst of magical energy that just missed Rufus, blowing a hole through the great hall’s ceiling.

“Muh Cas’le!” Snugglemagne shrieked, mouth still full of pastry.

“I thought the sheriff’s department had the monopoly on psychopathy, here!” Rufus said. “Farewell and adieu, denizens of Pure Heart Valley, we shan’t meet again,” the fox quipped, making a mad dash for the door.

“Get him!” Pinkie shouted. “We’re gonna hang him by his toes!”

The Cutiepies were tripping over themselves as the fox dashed passed them. Snugglemagne, gulping down his last bit of pastry, saw his chance- he could finally be the hero his people wanted, even if he was a little flabbier than he had hoped. He planted his feet, chunky thighs jiggling softly as he saw Rufus coming right for him. He blocked the way with his wide rear, and puffing up his soft, pillowy chest, he swung his wrecking ball of a belly to bounce Rufus back.

“Oof!” the fox ran right into that  massive snowball of a gut, and hit the castle floor hard. “Ugh… I never thought I’d be bested… by something so soft and fluffy…”

“Hey! The king beat Rufus!” the Cutiepies began to cheer, which led to Snugglemagne bowing, his belly pressing down on the floor.

“Ah, thank you, thank you- it was only my royal duty, noblisse oblige, ahahaha…” the king turned his eye back to the mostly demolished buffet table- there were still some tarts left, with his name on them.

But before the king could enjoy any just desserts, the sunlight streaming in from the hole in the ceiling was blotted out. “Cool party! Mind if we drop in?”

Hitting the floor were the Sky Pirates- Orangusnake, their fearsome leader, smirked at the Cutiepies. “You may all begin surrendering- Mao Mao can’t save you now-now! Hah!”

“Eep!” Snugglemagne ducked under the table, but his body, propped up by his oversized belly, knocked the table over, exposing the king’s bulbous rear to the Sky Pirates. “Camille! Honey! You are the royal magic technicians, do some magic!”

“Eh? Oh!” Camille jerked back awake at her king’s command. “Coming right up!” She unleashed another blast of magical energy, hitting Snugglemagne and…