There was a long silence again when he confessed that she was his breedmate. His brothers, especially the one who ordered for her to be taken away looked confused and angered as he looked between her and Mchi.


    “Tell me this is a joke.”


    “It is not,” Mchi said.


    The woman released her hair, while his brotherughed but Mchi remained serious, still keeping his eyes on her.


    “Is that so?” His brother asked walking over to her. He grasped her arm harshly and pulled her closer to him. “Is this human, your breedmate?” he grabbed her jaw harshly forcing her head up.


    Mchi frowned.


    “Saul! What are you doing?” His mother asked looking disturbed.


    Mchi held his hand up to stop her from interfering. Saul squeezed her jaw hard causing her pain.


    “How do you know she didn’t inject something into you, to make you believe she is your breedmate?”


    “Nothing was injected into me.” Mchi lied. “She is my breedmate.”


    “Bloody hell,” Saul pushed her away hard causing her to fall sideways. She ignored the pain in her hip and looked up. Mchi didn’t look her way. Now he stared at his brother, looking almost pained. “That human is not bing our queen!” his brother told him. “Her people just killed three of our own.”


    “That you couldn’t hold back despite my orders.”


    “So you don’t mind them dying?”


    “Don’t change my words!” Mchi said between clenched teeth. “Besides, you killed hundreds of her own.”


    “Oh look at you,” he said stepping back and holding his arms out. “Look at your king everybody.” He looked at everyone else and then turned back to him. “Spent some time with your human breedmate and now you are already softening. Changing. Remember what happenedst time you did so? Remember why Amal is dead!”


    “Be quiet!” Mchi growled. “Another word from you today and I will take it as a challenge to my position.”


    They red at each other, both of them with eyes zing with fury. Clearly, this challenge was not something either of them wished and one of his other brothers stepped forward to take Saul away.


    Saul let himself get dragged away but kept his eyes on his brother until he disappeared into the crowd.


    “Well,” his mother was about to step forward but Mchi put his arm in front of her to prevent her.


    “Mother, this is not our guest.” He told her as if knowing what she would do.


    “She is your breedmate.” She reminded.


    “And our enemy.” He pointed. “Ka. Brenna. Proceed with what you were doing.”


    He gave her onest repulsed nce before putting his arm around his mother and leading her away.


    Brenna and Ka came forward, feelingfortable with proceeding. All the people that gathered here were from the royal family otherwise, the brother wouldn’t be sofortable defying the king.


    Who were these? His sisters? His sister-inws?


    The one she thought to be Brenna grabbed her by the hair again. “You really are white.” She said.


    “Yes. Cold. Like they call her. The cold-hearted princess.” Ka said.


    “Well, princess. You will get some taste of very.” Brenna told her dragging her forward.


    “I can walk even if I look fragile to you,” Ravina spoke.


    “Is she talking to me?” Brenna asked Ka.


    “I don’t hear anything.” The other woman said.


    “You must be so scared of me. And my inventions.”


    “Nobody is scared of you princess.”


    “Oh, now you can hear me?” Ravina mocked.


    The woman yanked her head back, grabbed her by the throat, and forced her down on her knees. “Don’t be smart with me, human. I am standing between you and death now.”


    Ravina red at her. “I would think twice if I were you. One day I might be the one standing between you and death.” She leaned closer, ignoring the grip on her throat. “When your king stops denying his feelings and his instinct takes over, things won’t look good for any of you.”


    The woman released her and threw her head back with augh. The other one joined her. “Oh my. You are unexpected. Exciting I must say. Lucky you, I like a challenge and I fear few.”


    She pulled her up by the arm. “Since you are so sure you will be a queen then we really need to let you do somebor work. Like your people did for us.” She mocked.


    Ravina had an answer but kept her mouth shut this time. There was a time to let them fool around and a time to speak. Either way, they certainly acknowledge she was exciting. Just how exciting would be a surprise to them.


    “Your shoes look good. Give them to me.” Ka said.


    “They won’t fit your big feet,” Ravina told her.


    A p that almost made her deaf in one earnded across her face.


    “Not the face, Ka,” Brenna said almost mockingly. “You might leave a mark on her white skin. We don’t want to anger the king for hitting his queen.”


    Yes. They were definitely his family members. Ravina looked back at them, giving in this time. She tossed her shoes away.


    “Good,” Ka told her, kicking them away. She didn’t want them. She just wanted her to walk barefoot. They passed many houses, people staring at them questioningly, then they came to a river. Two women were washing clothes.


    “We have a ve,” they said introducing her. “She will do the work. You may leave.”


    The two women rose from their seats and left thanking them.


    “Now princess,” Brenna turned to her. “You have a lot of washing to do. Go ahead.” She hit her on the back, pushing her forward. Ka made herselffortable by sitting on one of therge rocks and Brenna joined her.


    Ravina looked at the several baskets of clothes then she went ahead to wash them. She could still feel the heat from the p and her ear was still a bit tone-deaf.


    Ravina had watched Ester wash clothes sometimes so she knew how it was done. She ignored the women watching her and did her work. Her scarred and peeled hands burned like hell but it was a good distraction from the women who began chattering about their lives.


    Ravina half-listened in case they said something interesting or valuable but they were talking about an incident she had no clue about. She shut them out, her thoughts drifting back to her home. Ester. Uncle. Ares. Would she ever see them again?


    “Hey princess!” Suddenly Ka’s panicked voice pulled her back. Ravina looked up at her from where she sat crouching near the river. Ka wore a frown on her face. “What have you done?”


    Ravina looked back at the clothes. They were covered in her blood. Her already peeled skin, was peeled off even more from washing the clothes.


    “Oh well,” She looked at them again. “My apologies. My white skin is quite fragile.”


    The women looked at her disturbed.


    Ravina stood up. “Have you never seen blood? I thought that was what you washed your clothes with. Human blood.”


    “I will wash our clothes with your blood soon.” Ka was about to hit her again but Brenna stopped her.


    Ravina raised her brows pretending to be lost. “I am already doing it for you.” She shrugged.


    “You snake!” Ka spat losing her temper and Brenna had to keep her away.


    “No. I am human. You are the reptiles.”


    Brenna seemed to have had enough with her so she released Ka toe forward to hit her.


    “Speak!” Ravina yelled, ring at her with fury before the woman couldnd another p. Ka paused. “Clearly youck intelligence if you can’t fight back with words and have to use your fists.”


    Suddenly she heard a familiar chuckleing from above. She looked up to find Mchi standing on a balcony in the nearby house. He looked down at them amused.


    “Isn’t she entertaining?” He asked.


    Ka let her arm fall. “I will admit, she has quite the tongue. She is determined to be your queen. Are you charmed?”


    “I am indeed.”


    ______________


    Bonus dedicated to Marianne33, Onix-Rain25, Reader2022, and Ivette_M11. Thank you for spoiling me with the supergifts 3.