One Rule, Iro

Iro trotted through the city, furiously shaking his shoulders every now and then, tail twitching. How could he have just been kicked out by that stripeless bastard? Furthermore, he knew he was about to get a beating from his father in law, because he broke protocol for snakes.

When it came to feral beasts, there were different laws for different species. There was a strict no scorpion policy, even if they were mated - not that they had seen such a thing in their lifetime, a woman accepting a scorpion. Other ferals were, cautiously, allowed to dwell in the city as citizens, if they had a spouse that lived there, with special considerations to be decent to snakes, because of the history of the Snake King, Curtis, protecting the city in its infancy.

That said, none had ever actually taken them up on the offer, though the city had communication with many of Curtis's descendants that lived outside the limits. They had a tense but well kept truce; the city and all its citizens would let the snakes live quietly in solitude, or welcome them into the walls with a spouse. In return, the snakes would kill any scorpions they saw on sight, and alert the city if they sensed an invasion.

Either way, he snorted, that defective snake hadn't actually mated with that female, even if he was acting like they were spouses. For sure the entire flock of eagles that were on guard that morning had told on him already like the insufferable pigeons that they were. His nostrils flared as he padded his way to the second castle, ready to plead his case with Edgar.

"I got the First Castle," the leopard reminded himself in a huff. It was true, but it was a symbolic gesture, the first Tiger King having built it by hand, and it was left to his descendants. Such niceties weren't tradition in the past, but Winston had not only built the castle, but the entire city, and the strength of Bai QingQing's mates, coupled with her knowledge from the human world, fundamentally changed the Beasts' existence. Once they all vanished, it seemed only fitting to leave their children the castle - especially if the five of them ever came back. In the sixteen years since their leave, no beast had ascended past four stripes in the village, which meant Qingqing's mates could easily overpower them if they were irate enough.

As he entered the courtyard of the large stone structure, he flattened his ears to his skull and hissed a warning to all the eagles perched in the fruit trees like buzzards. Two tiger men, draped in white tiger hides stopped him at the door, one guard shaking his head.

[You really did it this time,] he growled. While sometimes it could be difficult, the big cats could all communicate successfully both in and out of their beast forms.

[Back the fuck off] Iro hissed, pushing past the guards. They were both two striped as well, but Iro was quite sure he would break through to three soon enough, and was ready to sink his claws into the tiger to make it happen. He also outranked the guard when it came to military status, and he knew because of this he was allowed to see the King at all times, unless he was explicitly being barred.

He entered the great hall, immediately climbing the spiral stairs to the second floor, entering the main living chamber. There, he was met with a massive, one eared orange tiger, pacing methodically back and fourth, tail twitching, mouth open, panting and agitated.

Behind him lounged a woman on a stone platform that was covered in furs and feather filled pillows. She was stretched out, rapping her fingers on the stone with a pensive look, her metal jewelry clanging as her wrist moved. She was wearing a small tiger skin tube top, but her skirt was long, flowing cotton, dyed a subtle pink. In her mid thirties, she still looked twenty, and would most likely continue to, one of the many perks of being the King's spouse. Both the tiger and the woman looked up as Iro prowled into the room.

Without notice, the large tiger let out a bellowing roar, leaping onto the leopard with his claws out. Iro was already braced for the onslaught, yelling back and baring his teeth as they rolled over on the ground. The queen rolled her eyes, but watched the fight with interest. With fur flying, the two cats ripped at each other with their claws, but neither sunk their canines into one another. Edgar needed to prove a point to his subordinate, and Iro knew that any real fight with the four striped King would lead to his death at this stage of his training, so when the tiger finally released him, he retreated in a low crouch to the corner, tail furiously lashing, hissing.

[Do you want the city overrun by snakes?] bellowed the one eared Edgar.

[Dramatic,] hissed Iro.

[ONE RULE, IRO]

The leopard yawned, wincing as he licked one of his wounds on his shoulder.

[He's as good as mated, He cares for the girl.]

[And if she dies, then what?] Edgar snorted. Iro was who many assumed would take up the thrown one day, but he never could see farther than his own nose.

Iro shrugged. [Kill him.]

Edgar bared his teeth again with a low hiss. Even to confidants, a king should not show any hesitation or weakness, as anyone could challenge for his position at any moment.

[The eagles say he's already three striped,] the tiger rolled the thought over, slowly.

The leopard shrugged again, getting agitated with the line of questioning. "I didn't say kill him LATER, I said kill him NOW" He spat, shifting to his human form and gritting his teeth again as all his wounds shifted as well. A small squeak was heard behind him as the Queen now had two naked men in her presence, but Iro sat down at the low stone table, laying the top of his body dramatically on it.

The voice behind them chimed in.

"You're both making big deal out of your stupid rules," she stated. "Kill him if he makes a move on any other female. Don't let him leave Harvey's tent. And" she shot a glance at her hand, inspecting one of her bangles, "as soon as the girl is awake, they either mate that night or we save her from her captor and slaughter the feral."

Both the king, who had also shifted and was sitting at the opposite end of the table, and Iro looked at her, stunned that she could be so casually cold.

"What.... if we are ruining the prophecy?" Edgar asked quietly.

Molly narrowed her eyes and rested her head on one of her hands. "You're really, truly still worried about a dream that my daughter had? About snakes and dragons? We're still on about this?"

Now it was Iro who's narrowed gaze locked with Molly's, torn on how to proceed. On one hand, he was the one proposing to kill his own snake brother, which would 'ruin the prophecy,' a recurring dream that his own wife had, but on the other, he wasn't going to let anyone else put Anna down. And, if there was a third hand, even he wasn't stupid enough to argue with the queen.

Edgar put both his hands up in defeat. Though the King, he was also still merely a man, and he was not going to anger his mate.

"Fine Molly, yes." He then turned to the still agitated Iro. "Find a leopard guard, a formidable one, and stake them outside Harvey's home. If something goes wrong...." He remembered the overwhelming temper Curtis had when he thought something bad was going to happen to Iro's mother, "I don't want him taking it out on our doctor."