In this enchanted sexual escapade, will you revel with mysterious rogues, wily Fae, the Prince, or the Princess? Where will your heart and loyalty lead you as the kingdom trembles on the edge of war?

Their Majesties’ Pleasure is a 225,000-word interactive erotic fantasy novel by Leia Talon. I sat down with Leia to talk about the challenges of writing interactive romance novels. Their Majesties’ Pleasure is out now, on Steam, in the Heart’s Choice Omnibus for Android and iOS, and on our website. 

This is your first piece of interactive fiction, but not your first time writing about the Fae/supernatural, I think? Tell me about your other works.

Yes! There are supernatural elements in all of my stories. My Roots and Stars fantasy romance duet is something like a mashup of Outlander, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Marvel’s Thor, with reinvented mythology, magic, and dragons. My version of Loki in Dragons in the Weaving, the second book in that series, is probably the closest character in likeness to the Fae in Their Majesties’ Pleasure, but this game is the first time I’ve brought the Fae into my stories, which has been so much fun!

One of the things I love about the Fae is the complexity of their culture and the variety of expression they embrace as a people. They’re immortal warriors, but also masterful creators, and they love deeply with the wisdom and experience only those who live for centuries can acquire. I think that immortal perspective is one of my favorite things to play with in writing, whether the characters are gods, Fae, dragons, or mortals who can tap into memories of other lifetimes.

What attracted you to the idea of taking that world to a new medium?

I was taking a break from revising some of my other manuscripts and started looking into interactive fiction. The more I learned, the more it piqued my curiosity, and when I found Heart’s Choice, I knew I wanted to write a fantasy romance for their players. One of the things I’ve enjoyed about writing interactive fiction is is the ability to write scenarios that will appeal to many different people. If you’re into fight scenes, I’ve got you. If you want to read in the library of the Keep, have at it. Relaxing in the hot springs? Check. Delving into the history and politics of the Fae and the kingdom? You can do that, too!

This medium also allowed me to write different romance options in the same story, which has probably been my favorite part. Why stop at one rogue royal when you can have five?

Did you have a favorite character you enjoyed writing most in the course of developing the game?

Oh, my. I’m rather enamored with all the characters in this story, but I suppose the Fae prince, Galen, is one who really developed into something more than I expected. He was originally supposed to be a side character, but early on I realized there was no way I could keep him to the side, and he became one of my favorite romance options.

One of the elements I most enjoy about Galen is his camaraderie with his silver-haired cousin, Jesme, who quite a few beta testers said I should’ve made into a romance option, too! Jesme is a deadly hunter, slow to trust and shrouded in mystery. If I ever write a sequel to this, and in the novels I’ll be developing from this story, Jesme will play a more central role and become one of the romance options. He’s such a alluring character.

This is one of our more “spicy” 3 pepper games, which many of our players are going to really love. What’s been your experience writing romance/erotic scenes specifically?

I’ve really enjoyed getting creative with the variety of heat in the intimate scenes. I wrote options for people who want ALL the spice, and options for people who want to avoid sex scenes entirely, and are looking for other types of intimacy like conversation and simple companionship. It was liberating to be able to include such varied preferences in the same project. If you’re asexual or prefer sweet kisses and nothing more, you can absolutely play that way. And if you’re looking for spice, you’ll find plenty to choose from!

There are A LOT of sex scenes in this game. So many I lost count.

I honestly didn’t expect to write some of the scenes as hot as they got, but my characters tend to be in control of my writing process, and wow did they ever get it on! Even the princess, who is the only character who insists on monogamy, lets her hair down and joins in on a Fae orgy in chapter five (if that option is chosen). That might be the spiciest scene in the game. If you’re into that sort of thing, definitely check it out. There are threesome options, a bit of rough play, and one-on-one scenes that are both super-spicy and full of heart. These characters love deeply, and the physical intimacy is threaded through with emotion.

What did you find most challenging about the writing process overall?

This is by far the most complicated writing project I’ve brought to completion. The drafting process was slower than usual for me, because I had to keep taking breaks between scenes. For example, toward the end of the game there are vastly different outcomes depending on the stats. If Sovereignty of the Wilds is low, there’s all out war between the Fae and the kingdom, and you can choose to fight alongside the Fae. That scene is one of the most in-depth action sequences, and a great show of skill by the immortal warriors you might befriend as you play. But going from that to writing a completely different scenario where the characters haven’t experienced that kind of drama required my brain to switch gears in a way that doesn’t happen when writing linear novels. Often, I had to walk away and let myself rest. Going for a hike with my dog was a great way to clear my mind so I could come back with fresh energy and keep making progress.

As challenging as this project was, I have immense gratitude for the support I had throughout the process. Abby Trevor was my editor, and was always quick to help if I needed it and absolutely wonderful to work with. Her suggestions helped shape this game, as did support from the rest of the Heart’s Choice team. The beta testers were amazing as well, pointing out details that needed to be fleshed out and perspectives that hadn’t occurred to me. The whole process has been fantastic, and I’m thrilled to have written a game for Heart’s Choice.

What are you working on next?

I’ve begun adapting this game into a series of novels, which gives me a chance to explore some threads in more detail and include more obscure options that may not get played as often. This series includes another story set in the same world, which is darker and more serious, but I think bringing some of the characters from Their Majesties’ Pleasure into it will integrate some of the fun-loving spirit I so enjoy in this game.

I also have another manuscript that won a mentorship program that I’ll be revising with the help of two other authors. This story has the atmosphere of a dystopian Pirates of the Caribbean, the grit and spice of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, and magic like a mashup of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters and Leigh Bardugo’s King of Scars. It’s set in an adjacent world to the one in Their Majesties’ Pleasure, and I’m brainstorming ways to bring some of the characters from the game into this story because I think it would be a riot of snarky banter and all-out action scenes.

There’s no shortage of ideas in this creative mind of mine, but I really must give my characters most of the credit. They continue to surprise me, and I hope they bring a sense of joy and fulfillment to everyone who plays Their Majesties’ Pleasure!