Page 22 of The Royal’s Bumblebee (Operation Colonise #2)
Presenting...
Izule
“Yes, a most wonderful occasion indeed.
People of Orna, please welcome our most honoured guests, as they come to put on a grand display for our Royal princess Jajana of Orna.”
My Father rumbles to the hall, and I can tell he is frustrated that he doesn’t get the privilege of announcing mine and Billie’s union.
Not yet.
Not until she has claimed me completely.
She clearly intends to, and I am so tempted to scoop her up and abandon the entire festival to let her do just that.
If it wasn’t for the fact she is looking out over the hall with fascination, I would suggest it.
It took a lot for her to stand here right now, so I will not take this moment from her.
There would be plenty of time to lay belly up at her feet and worship her later.
I still can’t believe it.
She sang my praises and made her claim over me as clear as day. To my family, no less. The fact my father wanted to tell the gathered guests this good news meant he approved. Likely for the same reasons as Vrujac. Billie is an important member of Allico Inc, and therefore our union is advantageous to the throne.
“Presenting!”
An announcer below calls out with pride.
“The Royal party from the Naltik Coast.”
I wish I could take Billie back to my nest, but since I’m here and she’s comfortably watching the event, I look at the would-be suitors for my sister.
If she scents someone who I feel is beneath her, then either I’ll challenge or Uczaz will.
If she still chooses them after one of us has slammed them to the shucking floor, then so be it.
At least Jajana would have a second chance to review her options.
I wasn’t impressed with any of the foreign Royals.
A long time ago the Naltiks tried to seize power in Orna, wanting to lead it when our people came out of the thick of the Jungle to form a glorious city.
They were not worthy, and they failed.
Yet they liked to carry on like their hoods were lined with gold.
Like they didn’t flee with their fangs on the ground to huddle together on the coast. Many generations have passed and they have a city of their own now, of course. Still…no Naltik will ever be worthy of my sister. “Next, the Royal party from Erya.”
They were more promising.
Vrujac ventured to the Eryan Royals when he sought out a mate.
Saxci has the same dark brown colourings as the males that have come to present themselves to Jajana.
I like Vrujac’s mate.
She’s very maternal and became fast friends with Jajana.
She lacked genteel company, and they both had a lot in common.
Saxci’s mother died young as well.
She was gravid and kept close to her mate on father’s left side.
I spot her stroking her stomach and the egg she will soon lay. I smile, imagining Billie, and not for the first time, caring for my younglings. One step at a time. She needs to claim me as hers first, before we start thinking of younglings. She’ll never carry my egg due to being human. Royals were precious, so there aren’t any that are orphaned…but I am not against having a youngling who is not a Royal. We Royals, and all our variants, have wide hoods. For Billie, I would have a hoodless youngling. Maybe a rattler? Their colours are similar to mine. “Presenting…”
The hesitance of the presenter took my attention from my domestic daydream.
I did not like the nervous edge to his tone.
“…the Royal party…of the Rapali Tribe.”
What are those savages doing here?! Instinctively I puff out my chest, widen my hood, and use the hand Billie is holding to coax her behind me.
Unlike the rest of civilised Ucfeni society, the Rapali refused to leave the thick of the Jungle.
They are Royals, but barely.
I consider myself a hunter, and I wouldn’t want to test my skills against one.
Nor would I go into their tribal territory.
They mark the trees surrounding their land with Laxren dye, and if you’re foolish or unfortunate to cross that threshold, then your life is forfeit if you’re caught.
Even their appearance is intimidating.
Most are as big as me, if not bigger, with darker colours to hide in the dark shadows of the canopy above, or the undergrowth below.
If you’re close enough to so their vibrant underbellies and inside of their hoods, you’re seconds away from death anyway. The Rapali are known for being deadly and without mercy. Ucfeni were fair game if they entered their hunting grounds. I resist the urge to shudder at the scaly tendrils framing their hoods. Like many tailtips and each is capable of gripping a dart or whipping your eye out.
I knew with every fibre of my being I wanted none of them to be anywhere near Billie.
Let alone my sister.
I was just about to demand to know why they are here, when the Rapali leader moved to the front of the pack and addressed my father.
“I am Broak.
Chieftain of the Rapali.”
The Chieftain had the colours of death.
His hood had a blood-red set of tendrils framing his face, and the same coloured scales covered down his neck, torso, and under-tail.
The red ones were always highly venomous.
Another reason I didn’t want them near my Billie.
“It has been many cycles since my people have come to visit yours on Gcorket, King Xulei.”
“Yes, many.
The last time the Rapali entered my palace was over a decade ago, and back then the proper protocols for announcing your intention to visit was observed correctly.”
I smirk.
My Father isn’t going to let their intrusion slide.
I hope he intends to order them away, but part of me knows he can’t.
One doesn't shuck off a hunting party of Rapali at the best of times.
Especially not when they are surrounded by civilians.
“If I announced my intention to visit, you would have denied my request, and then I would have been insulted and forced to retaliate.”
Broak chuckled, and I scowled.
He’s damn right we would have refused.
Surely this is a waste of their time.
Jajana will never choose one of them, no matter how good they smelt.
She would not choose to go into the jungle to live with savages.
“I have saved us the trouble, and demonstrated that we come in peace.”
“What is your purpose for being here?”
Father presses.
“What’s happening?”
Billie whispers up at me and I bring her to my back to hide her front view. “Izule?”
“I am here.
They are uninvited, and father is handling it.”
He better.
I will not allow danger to slither up here with my family and my soon-to-be mate.
“The same as the Naltik and Eryan parties, of course.”
“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 at me with 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 scent me.
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, they do want 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.”