Page 7 of The Royal's Bumblebee
My heart is still racing but I’m worried about Hannah. She’s my rock, and they’ve carried her away. She was shouting and I don’t like it. Too loud. I want her to come back once she’s quiet again. Back here I feel secure with the wall at my back and another wall my right shoulder is pressed against. Above me is a network of tree branches so I feel like I’m in a shelter. 8 feet away from me is an Ucfeni, but only one of them. He is looking back at me, but he is still. Very still. He looks like a statue. His eyes are yellow and he has black slits for pupils. Snake eyes. His scales are brown, like the tree branches above me. No pattern to distract me from thinking. No iridescence or shine to hurt my eyes.
He’s quietly watching me. He isn’t pretending not to. I want to know why he’s staring at me, but I don’t want to ask. I’m enjoying the silence. I’m enjoying the freedom to take my time and process what, and who, I’m looking at. He reminds me of a King Cobra with that wide hood around his head, but he has small spikes at either side. He’s wearing a similar skirt to Ambassador Rerasha, but his is the same colour as his scales, so it’s easy to think he isn’t wearing one.
Good. That’s less distracting.
Before I know it I’ve lifted my head and I’m sitting back against the wall.
“May I approach you?” He asks me and his voice is deep but smooth. Good. Scratchy high voices hurt my ears.
“No.” I’m not ready. He hummed and nodded.
“May I turn and face you?” When I hesitate to answer, thinking about if I want him to move, he takes my hesitance to mean yes. He moves his bulk slowly and I see that his face, neck, torso, underarms, and under his tail are cream coloured. His arms are muscular and his hands look strong too, but they are relaxed down by his side.
He moves again, and I flinch, but he doesn’t come closer. He circles on himself and the sound of his scales over the stone is smooth and echoing in the small space at the back of the hall. He quickly stacks his thick tail into comfortable rings, three tiers high, and lowers his upper body into the hollow centre. He folds his arms on the top ring as he faces me, and relaxes.
“You look comfortable.” I state.
“I am. Are you?”
“No.” I shake my head. I can’t take my eyes away from his mouth. He barely moves it as he speaks. Now he’s facing me I can see that most of his face is brown. Only his lower jaw downward is cream. His black forked tongue slips out every now and again.
“Why not?”
“Because the floor and wall are made of stone and it’s cold.”
“Then stand up.” He shrugged.
“I don’t want to.”
“Okay.” I can’t stop staring. I like the long pauses he gives me before speaking.
“Who are you?” He is Ucfeni but he isn’t like the others. None of them had a hood. They were all loud and moved too fast. He’s still and calm. He’s easy to watch and listen to.
“I am Prince Izule. Who are you?”
“My sister told you my name before you made her go away.” I raise a brow at him and he shrugs at me from his scaly throne.
“I wasn’t sure if you were listening when you were curled up. Yes Billie, your sister tried to take you away from me and I wouldn’t allow it.”
“Why not?”
“Because you were scared and came to me for shelter. I could smell your fear and I wouldn’t let anyone come near you while you felt that way.”
“Oh.” I cocked my head to one side. “You say what you mean.”
“I do. Is that not how Humans talk?” He inclined his head to mimic me and his cowl made the movement more dramatic.
“Not in my experience.” I slowly push myself up against the wall and huddle with my back to it. “You’re a Prince?”
“I am. I’m also your sponsor.” I fold my arms and narrow my light brown eyes on him.
“Since when?”
“Since you came to me for protection.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.” He slithered over the side of his tail stack and lifted up to his ‘standing’ height of 7ft behind it. “You did so instinctively. I, therefore, protected you instinctively. I am now your sponsor.” He braced his hands on the top of his tail pile and smiled at me. “You are contractually obligated to have a sponsor. It’s non-negotiable. Would you prefer one of the others?”
