Page 31 of The Royal's Bumblebee
“You wish to present one of your males for Princess Jajana to select?” One of the Eryan’s hisses at him. “A jungle worm will never be worthy of a golden gem as her.” I agree, but I would never be foolish enough to say that in striking distance to a Rapali. Fool.
“I’d put money on the new guys. They seem pretty badass.” A human voice booms out across the hall and everyone tenses.
“Who was that?” Vrujac asks with concern, but Billie giggles behind me which takes my attention. What could be so funny?
“Billie?”
“That’s Hannah. She says what she means too.” I have to agree, but this was not the time for her sister to be commenting on the Rapali like this. What if they took offense? I’m not close enough to wherever her sister is to defend her. Nor am I leaving Billie’s side. Not with Rapali around.
“…why thank you human. A compliment indeed, for one who shares company with a Diassian.” A what? “Even the alien recognises our prowess.” He aims back at the Eryans and then my father. “Surely, therefore, our hosts must do the same?” Tempers are rising all around, yet the Rapali seem totally at ease. “Firstly, allow me to present my daughter. The Lady of the Jungle. Zassa.”
“What are they playing at now?” Szelor sneers behind me, but I don’t reply. I have no answer. Why is the Chieftain introducing his daughter to us? “Oh.” Szelor moves to my left side to get a better look. I raise a scaly brow, wondering why he’s suddenly interested in this now? He’s looking at this ‘Lady of the Jungle’ curiously. Like he does when he’s deciding if he wants to read a new book by the cover alone. She had brilliant purple scales on her underbelly, torso, hood tendrils, and lilac eyes. The rest of her was midnight black. Unlike my sister who wouldn’t hurt a fly, this female has scars covering her that read like a resume of hunting and fighting. Just as many as the males. Zassa was no delicate flower. She didn’t even pretend to be one. No soft feathers or delicate chains made her look dainty. No, this Rapali ‘Lady’ wore a simple silver skirt and armlets. Nothing else.
“She is my first born and her mate will become the future Chief of my tribe. She has come here to see if any of your sons are worthy of her.”
“Father?” I direct over at the King, and I am not the only one. My concern is for my brothers, but what worries me more than anything, is how they are all looking atmewith worry.
Oh ancestors.
It hits me like a landslide. If Zassa has come to choose herself a future Chieftain, she will be looking for the biggest and strongest Royal here. Father is the King of Orna and too old to sire her clutch…which means…shuck. She’s going to want to scentme.I shake my head firmly at my father. I make it very clear with the rage in my yellow eyes that I will bite that shucker before I let her scent and claim me. I don’t give a shuck if she’s a Rapali, or the daughter of the Chieftain. I am Billie’s. My father can’t even claim ignorance, as she made it very clear I belong to her. Ancestors help me, I will risk war first. “Also presenting, my second born and the greatest hunter of the Rapali tribe, Aszu.” I nearly spit venom. On top of the outrage of coming into our palace without permission or any forewarning, and thrusting their female on us to scent at the Royal men, theydowant to have Jajana scent one of theirs? If I didn’t have Billie to worry about I would be hissing up a storm right now. I am no politician. Uczaz is hissing deeply and Halas is holding onto him to hold him back. He’s no politician either. Vrujac and our father have a better hold of their rage and choose their next moves wisely.
I don’t like the look of the chieftain’s second hatched. Aszu looks unhinged. He has the same deadly red and black colourings as his father, but he’s tense and twitching like he’s on the edge of going into a bloodlust. Even his tendrils seem unkempt and possessed with chaos. His fists opened and closed by his sides and his shoulders kept twitching in preparing to sway and strike.
“Enough of this farce.” One of the Naltiks hiss angrily and look up to us to end this madness. “Let us present ourselves, our gifts, and our skills before the lovely Jajana, so she can make her choice, and we can get back to the usual festivities of Gcorket.”
“Father?” The tense hunter spoke to the Chieftain, who whispers something back to him to make him settle.
“By all means. We arrived last, so we are content to wait our turn.” Broak waved and inclined his red and black head for the others to go first. I don’t know what he’s playing at, but I agree with the Naltik for once. Let’s get this over with. Part of me wishes Jajana would scent and fall for the Eryan who offers her a wooden crate full of precious stones. Then they could just live happily ever after, and I could get Billie back to my nest and far from the Rapali.
“Why is he offering your sister treasure?” Billie asks me, and a smile tugs at my tense face. Of course she’s fascinated by all of this, and hasn’t picked up on all the tension in the room.
“He seeks to give her tokens of affection.” Jajana politely smiles and accepts the gift, she scents the side of his neck and he holds his breath. She balks almost right away and his hood deflates. “They are not a scent match.”
“Is smell very important, then? For Ucfeni courtship?”
“Yes.” I smirk and take a secret moment to look down at her with a smirk on my face. “You smell like sweet ambrosia. I scented you in the air at the pairing party before I even laid eyes on you. Your scent makes me salivate for more.”
“…oh.” She clearly didn’t know what to say to that. Until she did. “So you like my smell?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you like me? My smell?”
“It is the first thing that drew me to you. The scent is usually the first thing that draws the attention of any Ucfeni to another. Then if they are physically appealing. Then if their personality is.” I cleared my throat, noting absently that only one of the Eryan Royals has been successful in being a scent match to my sister. “I like everything about you. Your scent, your honey eyes, your paleness, softness, sharp mind, and sharper tongue.”
“Everything?”
“Yes. Everything. If you will claim me, I will gladly be yours.” I wish we weren’t having this conversation here, but the worry that very soon Zassa would be permitted to come up and scent me made me bumble my way forward. I needed her to say out loud that she claims me. Those words exactly. Before Zassa arrives. The Naltiks slither up the bronze ramp to have their turn before Jajana, and I am running out of time. “Will you claim me as yours Billie?” Billie blushes at me and drops her gaze to my chest. “I would like to hear you say it.”
She doesn’t speak. Her left hand still holds my right, but she lowers her right hand to her side to start tapping her fingers. She is looking downward, and she’s tense. I frown, not wanting to pressure her and make her withdraw, so I withdraw my advance. “…it’s okay. Take your time. I am here.”
Chapter 23
Shutdown
Billie.
Izule is wrong. It’s not okay. I want to say yes, I claim you, but so many Ucfeni are now coming and going up the ramp to the upper platform, I’m too nervous so to speak. Their shiny jewellery glints in the light and they are talking loudly. Bright colours tug at my vision, when all I want to do is focus on Izule. This is important. Izule is asking me to be his girlfriend, I think, but it’s too much. I feel on the spot and unable to focus right now, even though I want to say yes. Do I have to say it? I thought I made myself clear when I told his father I thought of Izule as being mine. I want to go back to the nest. I look at the exit behind us and Izule frowns down at me. “Soon, Bumblebee.” I look up at his mouth. How soon is soon?
