Page 21 of The Royal’s Bumblebee (Operation Colonise #2)

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—”

Izule widens his hood so the soft spikes point outward and he strikes his head towards Szelor.

The sudden movement makes me flinch, but what really makes me shrink down in his coil, are the two massive fangs that shink down from his upper jaw.

I have never seen his fangs before.

Szelor vanished the second they were lowered from their resting place in his skull.

“You don’t need to see the appeal.

Billie appeals to me, and everyone else can ‘get in shucking line’, so shuck off Szelor before I—”

“That is enough.”

A deep voice booms and Izule retracts his fangs.

He lowers over the top of his coil and I’m glad for it.

He is closer to me like this and it’s darker when he blocks out the light.

“Do not bare your fangs at your brother!”

“I warned him father.

I will not allow him to upset Billie.”

“Then take him to the wrestling mat and put him in his place.”

“I would rather not.”

Szelor hisses and sounds like he’s moved away.

“Then you’ll watch your tongue, if you aren’t prepared to have it ripped from you in a fight.”

Izule snarled.

I’ve never seen him like this.

I know he’s big and strong.

I know he’s a skilled hunter and a prizefighter.

But seeing him be aggressive is so strange.

I don’t like it.

I don’t like being the cause of it.

I don’t want him to argue with his family because of me.

I shuffle on all fours on the cushion and prepare to be braver than I’ve ever been.

“E-excuse me.”

Izule lifts his torso up from the opening of his coil and I put my hands on his sandy scales to brace myself.

Lift my head up first, from my nose and glasses upward, to take in the scene Izule described to me. “Hello.”

I manage to get out before I start staring.

Taking in how big and colourful they all are.

Halas and Vrujac are golden compared to Izule, more so with how much gold they are wearing.

Szelor’s dark brown and bone white colours are striking, as is his intense stare, and the banding pattern on the underbellies of Jajana, Halas and Vrujac make my eyes stick to them.

I would have stared for a long time, but a massive Ucfeni slithered between the rest of the Royal family, and me and Izule.

He reminds me of Izule, but he is bigger, has lots of silvery scars covering his sandy scales, and his mouth is pressed into an unimpressed line.

“You are Billie Blac?”

“She is.”

Izule’s arms brace on the top coil of his tail and at either side of me.

“…she is a genius?”

“Yes, she is.”

Izule has a defensive edge to his voice.

Hannah used to sound just like that whenever anyone doubted my abilities.

“She is highly intelligent, learns new information as easily as breathing, she’s honest, brave and—”

“She doesn’t appear very brave.”

I had to agree with Izule’s father.

I’m hiding in Izule’s coil.

What’s brave about that?

“If you had any idea how difficult this was for her? And the fact she’s here anyway, you would realise she’s very brave.”

I smile and turn to look over my shoulder at Izule.

He catches my eye and smiles down at me.

“She is impressive.”

I feel braver than ever with his support and slowly sit up straight.

I tentatively rest my forearms on his upper coil and look at Xulei’s throat.

Not his hard mouth or his shiny golden collar on his pecks, but his creamy coloured neck scales.

His hood is wide and my eyes want to move to the diamond markings there, but I manage not to.

“Hello.”

I begin again.

“I am Billie Blac.

I oversee Communications for Allico Inc.

You are King Xulei.”

“Yes, I am?”

He sounded puzzled.

Most people do when they talk to me.

“Tell me, Billie of Allico Inc? My son appears to be impressed with you.

What do you think of my son?”

“F-father?!”

Izule flustered behind me and his hood flattened.

For some reason his siblings started to giggle together at that question.

I have no idea why.

I think it’s a fair question.

I’m going to answer it, but I have to correct him first.

“I am not called Billie of Allico Inc.

I am called Billie Blac.

Billie is my given name.

My sister calls me Bumblebee.

Izule can call me that if he wants.

My eyes are like honey and I’m sweet.

I know that’s not accurate.

My eyes are hazel and I don’t taste like honey.

My sister likes to call me Bumblebee. She’s my rock. But Izule is my Mountain. Big. Strong. He’s my shelter and my home.”

Izule’s hood lifts and widens again.

His coil tightens as if to hug me.

“So he’s my Mountain.

I’m his now, so I’m his bumblebee.”

“Yes she is.”

Izule smirked.

“You have given yourself to my son?”

Xulei folds his arms and inclines his head to one side curiously.

“Yes.”

I speak with authority.

We have romantic feelings for each other.

“He is protective, skilled in his profession, our routines complement each other, and he is the kindest man I’ve ever met.

He makes me feel like a normal woman.

Oh, and I am sexually attracted him.

He is very big and has a lot of muscles.”

I push my glasses up my nose.

Izule’s eyes are wide and he cups his face in his hands.

Jajana, the noisy nosy one in blue feathers, coos and cups her hands to her chest.

Szelor pretends to gag to one side, only for Uczaz to swat him over onto his side.

Many of them are chuckling.

What’s their problem? I’m only answering Xulei’s question.

“I like his muscles.

And cuddling.

I’ve never liked that before, but I like cuddling with Izule.”

“Do you indeed?”

The King snorted and Vrujac slithered over to join in the conversation.

“Billie that’s—”

Izule whispered by my left ear, but he was cut off.

“Do you nest down and cuddle with my brother often?”

The Crown prince asked.

“Yes, every night.”

I nod and I’m getting used to these big Cobra like Ucfeni.

“Billie?”

Izule tried again.

“Truly?”

The King’s mouth tugs into a smile and draws my eye.

“And you consent to this?”

“I do.”

Izule carefully brought his left hand into my peripheral vision first, before placing it on my left shoulder.

“I have never known such joy, since having Billie in my life and my nest.”

I smile.

I’m happy too.

“That’s enough questions.”

Jajana slinks over to her father’s other side.

“The poor dear has just come out of Izule’s coil and you’ve bombarded her with personal questions.”

“On the contrary, I like questions.”

I smile wider.

“It’s my turn now.”

I nod, getting ready to reel off some of my own.

“How long is this festival? Does Izule have to take part? I would prefer he stay with me, if that’s an option.

Can we stay up here?”

“Well, that depends?”

Xulei started to lean down towards me, so I leaned back against Izule.

My back came up against his chest and he held my biceps to steady me.

“If my son is taken, then he shouldn’t display his prowess to anyone else but the female who has claimed him.”

“Good.”

I nod and smile up at Izule’s mouth.

I dart my gaze to his yellow eyes briefly.

“You can stay with me then.”

“Don’t you want to see Izule dance for you?”

Jajana teased, and Xulei slithered off with Vrujac.

“Perhaps when we’re alone?”

Izule flicked his tongue out at my nose and I felt it connect.

“I…would like to dance for you.

But alone so you can relax and…enjoy the show?”

“Okay.”

I nod.

His throat scales darken and he ululates a purr at me.

“Are you getting aroused again?”

“Yes.”

He states with pride this time.

“I am aroused by you.

I am also humbled that you sang my praises to my family, Billie.”

“I didn’t sing.”

I raise a brow.

“I spoke very clearly.”

“Yes, you did.”

Izule’s smile is so wide I can see his jaw membranes, and he leans down to flick his tongue at my lips.

“You were very clear.

I love that about you.”

I smile wide as well so he can see my teeth, and he leans even closer.

“It’s time.”

Halas whispers with his hand cupped near his mouth, which does nothing to amplify or suppress his voice, so I don’t see the point.

“Keep it in your pouch until later there big guy.”

Izule chuckles and scents my cheek.

“The Royal family normally form a line and look over the rest of the hall for the King’s address.

Would you like to join me?”

He offers me his hand, and I take it with both of mine.

He holds me steady and slides his tail away from the bean bag.

He keeps me on his right and slowly guides me towards the edge.

I keep his hand in both of mine and peer around him to see a sea of colours.

Feathers and gems of every colour, with scales with even more hues, are moving like ripples of joy below us.

I could stand here for hours watching this.

“How are you doing? Bumblebee?”

I smile.

He’s using my pet name.

I gave him permission to do so, but it’s the first time he has.

I like how it sounds when he says it.

It’s rumbly and makes me blush.

I turn to press my cheek to his arm, careful of my ear defenders and my glasses, and hug his hand to my chest.

“I am happy.”

I look up at him and look him right in his yellow eyes.

“Because of you.”

His chest puffs out and he grins even wider.

“Are you?”

“I am happy because of you as well.”

He dips his head down to rest his chin on my head and I tense…but it’s okay.

I’m okay with this.

It’s Izule.

I like his touches.

He’s warm and I always feel so safe with him.

I giggle when he flicks his forked tongue down to catch the tip of my nose.

It tickled.

“Honoured guests.”

King Xulei addresses the hall.

I take the moment to bask in the sea of moving colours below.

“I welcome you all to Orna’s Golden Palace for this most fortuitous Gcorket.

Not only is my only daughter Jajana finally ready to choose a worthy mate to become their Queen—”

A loud pulse of hissing makes me tense, and Izule loosely coils his tail around me to rest his tail tip over my right foot.

“—but it would seem my youngest son will soon have a mate of his own as well.”

Izule tensed and looked over at the King suddenly.

“A most welcome and advantageous addition to our—”

Youngest son? That’s Izule.

What is he saying about Izule? “I see.”

King Xulei huffed.

I peered up to my left and saw Xulei giving Izule a puzzled look.

“And here I thought it was already done?”

He turned to look at Vrujac in the same way.

“Well, he had better get on with it.”

“Get on with what?”

I whisper up at Izule, who’s throat scales are dark again.

“Izule? What do you need to get on with?”

“I…will show you later.”

He swallowed thickly and I wanted to ask what he meant, but the King continued to gruffly talk to the guests.