Page 28 of The Royal's Bumblebee
The sooner we get this damn festival over and done with, the sooner I can bring Billie back to our nest. There she can be at ease, and I can hopefully find out if she was actually going to kiss me before my blasted sister started raining her fists on the damn door.
Chapter 21
Meeting the Royal family
Billie
I keep my eyes shut and curl up comfortably against Izule as he holds me like I’m precious. My Mountain is big, strong, and giving me shelter in his arms. I smile and enjoy the safety of his embrace. I’m comfortable being carried by him now. It’s taken me time to get this comfortable, and if he suddenly grabbed me I think I’d be startled. Right now though? I feel like a princess. I’m not one, and the thought of being restrained in a big dress makes me shudder, but I feel special up here. I wish my cheek was pressed to his smooth scaly pectorals, rather than the leather collar, but it’s smooth enough. I feel the press against my glasses, so I push them up my nose a little more to get comfortable.
“Is this her?” I tense at a sudden voice to my right and in front of Izule.
“Yes, Vrujac, this is Billie.”He’s the Crown Prince and Izule’s eldest brother.
“She’s so small.” Another male voice speaks to my left and I try and lower down into my shoulders, and Izule’s arms. “Ah! She’s so cute!” I flinch at the deep sound of Izule ululating, like a growling tiger, and I feel him move us quickly to his right.
“You will not approach until she is settled.” Izule commands, his voice deep but quiet. Like he really wants to snarl, but he’s reigning himself back so he doesn’t startle me. “I’m going to lower you to lay with me on a cushion. Would you like to be in my coil?” I nod and hum in my throat. Izule is gentle as he lowers me to sit on a massive bean bag. He pinches it on all sides with his tail as he creates a fortress for me to hide within. I sigh, knowing it’s safe to open my eyes with his scales hiding everyone and everything else from view. I open my honey eyes and look around for him. I smile as Izule is resting with his crossed arms on the top ring of his coil to smile down at me. He doesn’t say anything. He just waits for me to be ready. I feel the cushion beneath me and it’s tough, but supportive. I wriggle to get comfortable on my right side and shuffle so when I’m ready I can peer up over his coil to look out into the hall.
“Can we talk to her yet?” I raise a brow and look at Izule, seeing him lift his yellow eyes from me to narrow them on someone to his left. His cowl is wide and he sways his head from side to side slowly as he hisses in response. “Oh, no then. Sure. I’ll wait.”
A little time passes and I smile up at Izule. He’s just smiling back down at me. I like the curve of his scaly lips. The quiet he gives me is just as comforting as the physical barrier of his coiled body.
“I heard you call one of them Vrujac.” I speak at last and he simply nods at me. “Wh-who else is out there?” I need to prepare myself if there’s a big noisy crowd of big Royals like Izule. Or, biggish. Only two Royals are bigger than Izule. His father the King, Xulei, and his sister Jajana. Still, the Ucfeni were all big compared to me. And most were far too brightly coloured. And noisy. And got way too close for comfort.
Not Izule though. He’s…perfect. I’m smiling before I realise it as he answers my question.
“The Festival hall is built on three tiers.” He uses his hands to mime three levels. He lifts his left hand higher to indicate the upper level. “We are on the top tier, the Royal viewing platform, and we are on the right-hand side looking down over the performance tier, the middle one—” He moves his right hand lower, for the middle tier. “—is where there are acts of dancing and wrestling, in accordance with Gcorket. The lower tier is the public level.” He lowers his right hand lower than the left. “And most treat this as a dance floor. On the sides are chambers—” He sweeps his hands to either side like he’s holding an invisible box. “—is for musicians, special guests, and guards.”
“That is interesting and useful to know.” I nod. “But it’s not what I asked you.”
“I know.” He chuckled and lowered his arms back down to fold and rest along the upper ring of his coil once more. “But knowing the layout of the hall will help you imagine what you’re about to see, and where the following people are.” I reserve judgement on if this information is useful or not. It’s interesting, no doubt, and Izule is right that information about my surroundings is always helpful. I snuggle closer against his coil to look up at his mouth as he speaks to me. His tongue flicks out towards me and I lean closer still. Courting couples scent each other often, he said. “We are on the far right side of the Royal viewing platform. Near the exit.” I nod. That’s useful if I need to get away in a hurry. “To my immediate left is my brother Uczaz.”
“Fellow hunter and 35th hatched.” He smiles wider at me, happy that I’ve remembered what he told me.
“He is currently holding back Halas, who was the nosy one that called you cute.”
“36th Hatched and enjoys oral sex with females, regardless if they are human or Ucfeni.” Izule’s throat scales darkened and someone hissed with laughter and shouted ‘Abyss yes’ somewhere, before huffing at being hit by someone.
“Yes, that’s Halas. Ahem.” He widened his cowl and cleared his throat before continuing. “In the middle of the platform is my father, King Xulei.”
“He’s bigger than you.”
“Just about, yes.” He huffed and there was sniggering surrounding us.
“I am bigger than him too!” A female voice sang, and I nodded.
“Jajana.” Izule confirms with a nod.“You’re noisier too.” He grumbles over at her and I smile.
“And nosier.” Another male voice sneers and Izule sways his head, hood wide, at whoever the owner is. By process of elimination, I reason who it has to be.
“Szelor? The mean book reader?”
“Yes that’s me.” Szelor answers me and Izule lifts up off his coil to open his hissing mouth towards his brother. “Put your gums away little brother. Father is here, so you’ll not be baring your fangs at me, and we both know it.”
“Do we?” Izule countered and I raised a brow.
“You don’t like Szelor?” Izule shut his mouth and looked down at me in his coil.
“He despises me, but he can get in shucking line.” Szelor peered his dark face over the coil and I tense. There is a stark contrast between the bone-white lower half of his face, and his dark brown brow and hood. “So you’re what all the fuss is about? I hardly see the appeal of such a little—”
