Chapter 42

The White Wolf Castle was very on edge the next day. Queen Artemis was very quiet and so were the King and King Consorts. Billy has still been missing and Princess Eden is lost without him. First Wolf Prince told Eden not to cry over a pet but Billy wasn't simply her pet. He was her friend. Her only friend who was a Snake just like her. Princess had been in her bedroom lounging in her tree all day. She didn't want to play and she didn't want to eat. She was uninterested in everything because she used to do them all with Billy right beside her. "I'm tired of waiting around. I'm going to find Billy myself." Princess Eden said to herself. She hopped down from her tree and looked around her room. She considered packing a bag with spare clothes and sandals but then she decided she would be quicker and safer if she were to go out in her snake form so she quickly slid her snakeskin dress over her shoulders and then rolled it up so that it would fit around her neck like a scarf and then she shape-shifted into the most beautiful white snake female there could ever be. Princess Eden was a little nervous to sneak out of the castle all alone and unprotected but she was more determined to find Billy. Underneath her tree there was a secret hole that led to the outside of the castle, Billy and Princess Eden had gone through this hole plenty of times to go outside and play. It was easy to get out unnoticed as she slid down the castle wall and into the grass. After she made her way through the second hole at the rock wall Princess Eden looked back regretfully wishing she'd stayed inside but Billy was out there somewhere so she turned around and continued to slither off.

Princess Eden looked for a while until she got just outside of the White Wolf Kingdom and right before the boundaries of the White Snake Tribe. 'This can't be right?' She said to herself. 'I think he is somewhere around here.' She continued saying in her head. Suddenly a familiar scent drifted to her and drew her attention to a huge tree. There was a wooden door on one side and a little bit of smoke coming from a chimney on the other side. 'Peculiar.' Princess Eden told herself as she started to inch toward the door. 'Billy has got to be in here. It smells like him' Princess Eden told herself before shapeshifting back into a human. The Princess quickly slid her dress back on and then straightened out her long white hair. "Okay. I'm ready." She said out loud to herself, taking a deep breath. Just as she was about to knock on the door it flung open and a tall white man stood there in the doorway. The man was naked with only his skirt hanging around his waist, he had muscles all down his arms, chest, and legs. He had one single stripe on his arm showing he beat another opponent and leveled up in strength and power. The white hair on top of his head was wavy and shiny like a pearl.

Instead of introducing herself to the man Princess Eden stood there looking him up and down. "Princess!" Billy said surprised. "I'm sorry to intrude sir. But I'm looking for my friend Billy?" She finally said. "I am Billy Princess!" He said grabbing her and hugging her tightly. "Impossible!" she exclaimed pushing away from the man. "Princess it is me. I've made a breakthrough and I'm able to shape-shift now!" he said taking a step toward her. "You told me that you only wanted to be with me. You don't want to mate with anyone else. It's too complicated for you to handle," the man said to her. "What?" Princess Eden asked him. "How do you know that I said that to Billy?" she asked. "Because I am Billy. I swear!" he said to her. "It is Billy," her brother King Ezekiel said to her coming out of the bushes. "How?" she asked him. "What he already told you was true. He was attacked and when he won the fight he gained a stripe and shape-shifted into human form." Ezekiel said to her. "Oh my, we're you hurt? Are you okay?" Princess Eden asked Billy finally recognizing her best friend. "I am okay Princess, thank you for asking," Billy said smiling. "You've been gone for too long Billy!" Princess Eden said emotionally. "I'm sorry Princess, I am. I didn't like being away from you either." Billy said full of remorse.

"Well, well boys! Look what we have here." A sinister voice said coming through the trees followed by three others it was a group of young Wolf Beastmen. They were in human form and barely covered up below the waist. "Our little snake friend has another snake friend for us!" one of the wolves said circling the three snakes. One of the other wolves reached out and grabbed Princess Eden's shiny white curls and before either Billy or her brother could jump to stop him the Princess had already turned and pushed him away from her. "Do not touch me!" she yelled at the Wolves. "She's a fighter!" one of the wolves said laughing in her face. Ezekiel stood by and watched as his sister prepared to fistfight with the four wolves. He sure was n going to let her fight all of them alone so he silently sent out a signal to his Snake Brothers inside of the tribe. They would be here in seconds ready to take out any aggressors threatening their King or his sister. Billy moved forward until he was in front of the Princess and she was closer to Ezekiel. "Leave her out of this!" Billy said angrily. "Billy, are these the people who hurt you before?" Princess Eden asked pulling him back behind her. "Yes, but it doesn't matter. I can handle myself, Princess" he said, attempting to pull her back behind him. "Yeah, little snake. Don't worry. After we deal with him you will be next!" one of the wolves said to her. After that Princess Eden threw her first out at the wolf and hit him right in his nose. Blood started dripping down his naked chest and he looked at Princess Eden in shock. "I can't believe a female snake just hit you in the face like that!" Said one of the Wolf Beastmen. "I did. So what?" The Princess said fiercely. Both Ezekiel and Billy watched her in astonishment. "She resembles our Queen mother!" Ezekiel said proudly. "She's beautiful!" Billy commented.

Princess Eden flipped her white curls and huffed. "Worthless." She said shrugging her shoulders. "We're gonna make you pay for that!" One of the wolves said pointing at her, "bring it on!" Princess Eden said. The wolves let out loud roars and growls and charged at the Princess but she wasn't alone. Her brother and best friend were with her. They step forward and shape-shifted into two huge white snakes posed in either side of Princess Eden. The Wolves should have been terrified of the trio but instead they shape-shifted as well and a fight erupted between snakes and wolves. While Ezekiel went after a few wolves whipping them with his tail Billy took the time to make sure the Princess was out of the way. He wrapped his tail around her carefully and moved her closer to the door of his tree, then he went to help Ezekiel fight the wolves. Although the two snakes were out numbered they had the upper-hand in the fight being so much quicker but with the advantage of having more people one of the wolves ran off to the side and around the fight to get to Princess Eden. The Wolf grabbed her arm with his mouth and bit down trying to pull her away. "OUCH, Get off of me!" she screamed trying to get free. Billy stopped fighting and looked over to see what was going on and so did Ezekiel. "Let go of the Princess!" Billy yelled after shape-shifting into human form. Suddenly there was a loud thunder clap and a strike of lightning and the Queen Artemis appeared along with King Daniel and King Consort Bowen. The Queen had a more scary and angry look than the Princess and she sported her staph. "Get your mouth off of MY daughter!" The Queen mother roared. Everyone completely froze. For a moment except for the wolf holding onto Princess Eden's arm. He slowly let go and sent the arm hanging limp by her side. "What is going on here!" King Daniel asked everyone. "Mother these wolves bullied my Billy before and made him hide from me and they bullied me today. One of them bit my arm!" cried Princess Eden showing her Queen mother her torn arm. "My Queen forgive us. Please forgive us. We have messed up big time." One if the Wolves said shape-shifting into human form and getting down on his knees. "You boys have caused harm to my daughter and I am most certainly not happy about this." Queen Artemis said shaking her head. "Ezekiel my King, why couldn't you just have called for help? If Bowen hadn't recognized your distress call you made to the other snakes and if I hadn't felt that my daughter was in danger I wouldn't have made it here in time" the Queen said shooting Ezekiel a murderous look. Ezekiel nodded and flicked his tongue out but she could read his facial expression and he was saddened by his baby sister being hurt. "Okay never mind you. Im not too mad!" Queen Artemis said throwing her hands up. "We need to get that wound taken care of Princess" Bowen said going over to examine her arm. "It doesn't hurt anymore papa but is it gonna leave a scar?" She asked him. "It may." He said. Bowen was still a great family doctor. He quickly found what he needed to bandage the Princess's arm. He mushed some moss together and spread it onto her bite make and then tore down a long leaf and wrapped it over the moss.

Artemis looked down at all of the young Wolves who were silently crying on their knees waiting for punishment. "When I was just a young Princess I too had a run in with a small group of females like yourselves. They decided to stone me in public accusing me of being a fake Princess, in return they all were whipped in public as punishment." She told them. "You will receive the same punishment not just because you all attacked the Princess and the Young Snake King but because you were disrespectful." Queen Artemis said. "Our Kingdom was built up on respect among plenty of other things. We will not tolerate billing inside and out." King Daniel said to them all. "Take this punishment with dignity. Now go and find your parents and bring them to the market." King Daniel said. The four Wolves bowed their heads and then scurried off through the trees. Artemis let out a deep sigh and then focused her attention on the injured Snake Princess. "Princess Eden." Artemis said out loud. "My chest hurts from the pain of fear that went through me when you had gotten injured… I was scared for you and your brother." The Queen said to her. "Oh Queen Mother. I'm so sorry. I was not thinking right!" the Princess exclaimed regretfully. "My child, your mind has been clouded for a while now. Speak. Tell me what it is." The Queen told her. "I was missing Billy, Queen Mother." Princess Eden said innocently. "Are you Billy?" King Daniel asked him. "Yes my King. I am Billy," he said kneeling. "My Queen mother and King. And King Ezekiel. I would like your permission to mate with Princess Eden." he asked them. "Artemis looked down at Young Billy and was slightly moved "I would actually prefer you to ask her yourself. She is a woman now who can make that decision herself but I will warn you… Princess Eden is my second daughter. We cherish her no matter what her origins are or who birthed her. If you fail to protect and provide for her your punishment will be way worse than the stoning those wolves will be receiving." Queen Artemis said gesturing towards the Princess herself. "Billy here has been hard at work gaining more strength and wealth to build them an underground nest. He has collected and made plenty of clothing and jewelry and gold for her and has started stocking up on food as well. I'd say he would make a great mate for my sister." King Ezekiel said nodding his head. Princess Eden was too excited to even wait for him to ask again, "Yes Billy!" she said jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "Are you sure?" Billy turned and asked her. "Yea. I want you to be my mate!" she said in a serious tone initiating the mating bond. Billy and Princess Eden did not forget to bow in respect to their King and Queen Queen Artemis gently kissed her daughter on her forehead for one last time. "My daughter. Start your life and be happy and don't hesitate to come to us if you ever need anything." She said to the Princess. Princess Eden nodded and smiled. "Thank you for raising me up to this point." She said. The next step for the Princess she had to do alone without her mother or her brother she was a little nervous but as long as she was with Billy she felt safe and comfortable with him. She grabbed Billy's hand and smiled some more before he led her inside his tree house.

"Ezekiel my young King." Artemis said to him. They young King fastened his skirt back onto his waist and bowed his head. "Why is your younger sister mated before you? Do you not want the She-Raven to be your mate?" Queen Artemis asked him. "My Queen. I don't want to be a burden. It's not too serious." He said trying to reassure her. "Are you having troubles with her?" King Daniel asked him. "No not at all. She is quiet for the most part. She helps me with the chores even though I tell her to just relax." King Ezekiel told his parents. "So you two are just getting comfortable with each other. That's fine. I just want you to be happy okay" the Queen said to him. "Yes. I think eventually I will be happy with her and she will be happy with me. The only thing is…. She keeps asking me to mate with her and I realized that I don't think I'm actually ready to…mate yet." King Ezekiel confessed shyly. "Ohh!" Queen Artemis said understanding the problem. She chuckled a little trying not to embarrass the young man. "Don't worry sweetie. It's normal to feel that way. How about I leave you to talk about this with Bowen. Daniel can stay as well if he would like but it is pretty simple to explain" Queen Artemis told him. "My Queen!" Bowen said embarrassed. "Yes. You will stay and help this boy." She said firmly before turning around and disappearing with King Daniel.