Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

ELIA

As Elia and Candace left the Market and began to wander the streets—Candace pointing out different shops and services, and waving greetings to different people who always smiled to see her, but often looked cold or scared when they nodded at Elia.

Some bowed to them, and others didn't. Elia wasn't sure why, but when she saw Candace bow back, she tried to copy her.

"No, no! Not like that!" Candace hissed, when Elia bowed to a woman with a leather sash over her furs.

Elia straightened immediately, but the woman looked concerned, then ducked away behind the building they'd been passing.

"What did I do?" Elia asked quietly.

Candace blew out a breath. "In Anima, the most vulnerable part of our bodies is our necks. We never bare them to each other unless we are mates or extremely close. Even within families it's rare. So when you bow, you keep your eyes to the ground and your chin low—unless you mean to tell a person you're giving them control over you."

Elia blinked. "Okay."

Candace tugged at Elia's sleeve. "He's done you a disservice throwing you into the throne before we had time to train you. Taking the Queen would be hard for any female, but one who wasn't raised in Anima? It's an impossible task he's set!" she muttered. Elia wasn't sure if she spoke to Elia, or herself, so she stayed quiet. But as they walked further and Candace stayed quiet—obviously worried—Elia spoke up.

"Why would it be hard for anyone? What does the queen need to do?"

Candace sighed and shoved a hand through her hair, her head ticking to the side more than once. "The fact that you even have to ask that… the truth is, every queen is different. The Queen is a leader in our people, but her role depends on her person. For example. Reth's mother was an extremely skilled hunter. She provided food and taught the young She understood the wilds and could advise the men when they were tracking, or planning battle. And she was… very loveable."

Elia swallowed hard. "Okay."

"Reth's grandmother was a wise-woman. She mixed medicines, gave advice, settled disputes—and she helped the council in times of crisis. She led the women's council… she did many things. She was a great leader."

Elia wanted to swear. "Well, I'm neither of those things," she muttered.

"What are you good at?"

Elia wasn't sure how to answer that. She'd always gotten good grades, learned quickly, and made friends easily—even if they generally weren't very close friends. But how could that help with being a queen? Leading a people?

"What did you do in the human world?" Candace asked desperately. "There must have been some way in which you showed skill or usefulness to others?"

Elia shrugged. "My world is—was—different. I was still considered young there. Still learning and growing. I was studying. The only jobs I had were working in restaurants, and helping the teachers at my school."

"What did you study?"

Elia snorted. "Zoology. I love animals. I wanted to teach children how important animals are to our—the human life and history."

They looked at each other, then both laughed. "Well," Candace said after a moment, "maybe you're in the right place after all."

Elia smiled, but it faded as she looked around. "Are there even animals in this place?" she said.

Candace choked for a moment. Elia wasn't sure if she was covering a laugh, or something else. "Yes," Candace said slowly. "We have animals."

"Ones that aren't human, though?"

"Yes."

Elia shrugged. "Maybe I can help with those?"

Candace stared at her a moment, then looked away. "Maybe," she said. She seemed uncomfortable with the idea.

They walked on in silence until Elia blurted out, "What does it mean to be a woman here? Not even a queen, just… a woman? An adult?"

Candace turned her sharp-featured face and looked at Elia thoughtfully, then looked around them. They were in the middle of an intersection of paths. There was a thick tree to their right with some kind of stall underneath it, and some people gathered, looking at the shopkeepers things for sale. One of them, a thick-figured woman looked at Elia with suspicion and leaned into her companion's ear to whisper something. The man turned and looked at Elia, and frowned.

Candace took her arm and pulled her away, down the path in the opposite direction from the people. Elia opened her mouth to ask, but Candace shushed her. "Just wait. We'll get to the cave and then… just wait, please."

It was a surprisingly short walk to Reth's cave. The guards Elia had forgotten about since they took her to the market this morning, suddenly stepped out of the forest around them when they reached the clearing, and Elia startled.

Candace raised her eyebrows. "You didn't know they were with us?"

"No! How would I? They weren't walking with us."

Candace shook her head and muttered something about weak humans, then flapped a hand at the opening to the cave. "Let's go inside," she said, her tone dark.

The men spread out behind them, each with his back to the cave. But one of them glanced at Elia, his face sad.

She was surprised how much it hurt.