Queen Never Cry

Xavier set me down when we got to the queen's courtyard. A male beastman was waiting there for us and led us to where the queen was sitting.

The courtyard was smaller than the main one with the baobab tree, but was still just as grand. It was covered with green grass and had a stone pathway built for walking. 

Various flowers created a border between the grass and pathway and there was even a tiny trickling stream running around the courtyard. In the center lay some tree where the queen sat under on a woven mat.

The male beastmen stopped in his tracks and turned to us. "You can go ahead."

"Thanks." Xavier murmured before we walked up to the queen.

She glanced up at us, beaming upon seeing Xavier. "Xavier! It's about time you came to see your mother… Oh and you bought the feral female."

"Her name's Elisa." Xavier stated.

"Hmmm…" The queen glanced over at me for a second before turning back to Xavier. "Why don't you be a dear and fetch us some cold tea. Elisa can sit here with me."

Xavier was quiet for a moment before he sighed, "Fine, but don't do anything crazy."

"When have I ever?" The queen smiled nonchalantly. 

Xavier looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it. He looked over at me and murmured softly, "I'll be as quick as possible."

He handed me the bag before heading back down the stone pathway to get the tea. Once he was out of sight, the queen patted a spot in front of her and said, "Sit down."

I did as instructed quickly, my nerves on edge. It was clear as day she sent Xavier away so she could speak to me alone. I wasn't sure about what which made my stomach churn a little.

Perhaps, I shouldn't have eaten such a big breakfast.

"I want you to end things with Xavier." The queen stated, picking up a small bag beside her. "Inside here are twenty crystals which will allow you to live a comfortable life."

Well, I did not expect her to be so straightforward with it. Guess I know where Xavier got that blunt gene from. Still, I wanted to understand why she was so against me being with him.

"Um… Is there a reason you're against Xavier and I being together?" I asked.

"Yes." The queen nodded, not even bothering to sugarcoat her words. "I've seen many females from the village come to the city to latch onto males in high ranking places because of crystals and I refuse to let my son go down a dark path."

"Right…" I murmured, not sure how to take offense to her words.

Did I understand she was being overprotective of her son, sure. But basically being called a gold digger didn't sit well with me. 

"Here's the thing… Twenty crystals isn't going to do it." I continued, opening the bag.

"Do you want more?" The queen asked, raising an eyebrow. "You should know that this will buy you a house within the middle district and you can live quite well on the rest."

"True, but why would I need that when I have this." I pulled out the bag of crystals for shopping.

There were about fifty crystals in there, a combination of crystals from my system rewards and Ahi's stash. Which I now understood was a lot of money in this city.

"So, you're not here to use males…" The queen pursed her lips upon seeing all the crystals. "Why keep the feral around then? Is something wrong with you?"

I felt my right eye twitch in annoyance. But I could understand the questions considering her point of view. It was crazy to think a female would accept a feral knowing what they did.

"Ahi is different from most ferals." I explained. "I would know… I've been attacked twice by crocodile ferals. Ahi, however, helped me get to a nearby village after I lost my tribe and got lost in the Feral Jungle. He kept other ferals away and even courted me like any other male beastmen would.

You can even ask Xavier about it. He met us in the Jaguar Village and saw how well behaved Ahi was. Even the king trusts Ahi enough to let us stay here… Do you think it's normal for a feral to risk death to bring a female to a village when they could easily kidnap her… Or a city to find strong mates to protect her? 

"Because that's what my mate is doing and I refuse to hear any slander about him. He's kinder, more gentle and caring than some male beastmen I've met. He always puts me first, even if it means fighting his baser instincts. So, don't compare him to other ferals."

By the end of my words, I was ranting a little. Probably wasn't a great idea and threw all my plans about getting buddy buddy with the queen, but I didn't want anyone looking down on Ahi because of his feral nature.

He was too good for that.

The queen was silent for some time, processing my words. Finally she sighed, "I suppose you're right there… It's abnormal for a feral to willingly bring a female to a village, let alone a city. However, not everyone will think that way. Many within the city have lost someone to ferals and rootless beastmen. 

"Especially those within the lower districts. I suggest you keep your mate far from those areas. Many males there won't hesitate to kill him. Even if it means they'll receive punishment themselves. They'll risk it for a chance to get rid of one more feral in this world."

"Understood, your majesty." I nodded my head, a little grateful for the advice.

I had noticed some prejudice towards my marking yesterday and her words explained it. It wasn't just about ferals kidnapping females, but also because people knew those females personally.

It made the hatred more intense and no one was ever rational when hatred blinded them. I was lucky the king and queen were being understanding despite what they knew.

The queen gave me a small smile before she suddenly asked, "So then, if you're not interested in Xavier for crystals, what do you like about him?"