Free Web NovelChapter 11: Episode 011: There will be a change.
"What... what do you mean?"
Gianna’s voice cracked right down the middle.
Rue sat on the bed, staring back at the green snake princess. She didn’t feel the need to elaborate. It was a simple, factual statement.
Back in New York, Rue spent three years watching healthy people live their lives through a tiny square window. She had never been in a relationship. She died a virgin. The concept of fighting over a male meant absolutely nothing to her.
If Gianna wanted the hot snake general, Gianna should just take him.
[Are you sure you mean that?]
Do you need me to spell it to you word by word?
Rue was only here because the Baby System gave her a penalty if she didn’t mate within twenty-four hours. She was pregnant, she couldn’t eat meat, and she was extremely tired. Love was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She had specifically asked the system for a skill to prevent herself from falling in love.
Before Gianna could demand an explanation, Caius slithered through the entrance. His massive lower body coiled tightly as he stopped dead. The tension in the air was so thick it practically choked the room. His golden eyes locked onto the two women.
"What’s going on?" Caius asked. His voice was dangerously low. It vibrated against the stone walls. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Rue shrugged. This was not any of her concern; Gianna could take it or leave it.
Caius turned his attention to Gianna. He didn’t blink. "It’s time for you to leave. Your sister calls for you. Apparently, you didn’t tell her you were coming here."
Gianna pressed her lips into a hard, thin line. Her cheeks turned a blotchy red. She looked humiliated. The general was kicking her out for a rabbit. A rabbit who didn’t even care about him. She didn’t look at Rue again. She just spun around on her heel and fled out of the cave. Her footsteps echoed rapidly down the tunnel.
Was I too mean?
Rue watched her go. The cave was quiet again. The smell of damp stone settled back in.
[You were too cold about it.]
That’s sad, Rue thought back. I was trying to be helpful. She likes him. I don’t need him. Simple math.
Caius choked on his own breath. He heard that thought perfectly loud and clear. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. His chest tightened painfully. He hated hearing her think of him as a mere transaction. He hated that she felt nothing.
He slithered closer to the bed. He studied her face. She looked incredibly tiny sitting there in the white silk dress. Her silver-white hair was a mess.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked. He kept his voice perfectly steady.
Rue gave him a wry smile. It was entirely forced and didn’t reach her pink eyes. "Can we build a door to block the entrance? People just walk in here. It’s drafty."
Caius paused. The base of his tail twitched against the floor. He looked around his home. He never needed a door before. Everything in the swamps was afraid of him. Nobody just walked in uninvited, well, except Gianna. But this cave was cold. It was damp. It wasn’t suitable for a pregnant female. Especially not one as fragile as her.
"I was actually coming to you to discuss that," Caius said smoothly. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to move."
***
The palace of the Swamp Kingdom.
Gianna threw herself onto her massive canopy bed. She buried her face in a silk pillow and wanted to cry. She felt completely stupid. She’d known Caius her whole life. She used to follow him around the training grounds. And he looked at that tiny white rabbit like she was the only thing in the entire world.
Why did I even say that?!
The heavy wooden door swung open without a knock. Gianna rolled her eyes, already knowing who it was before she looked.
Tanith walked in. The Queen of the Swamps had a face carved from ice. She looked at the crying lump on the bed. She didn’t look sympathetic in the slightest.
"You shouldn’t have gone there," Tanith said coldly. "Sit up and talk."
"Leave me alone," Gianna mumbled into the pillow. Her voice was muffled and thick with tears. "I don’t want to see anybody."
Tanith rolled her eyes. She rubbed the back of her neck. The stress of ruling the swamps was a constant ache. She didn’t have time for teenage heartbreak. She walked over to the edge of the bed and crossed her arms.
"Guess who’s here for you," Tanith said flatly.
Gianna stopped sniffing. Her green eyes brightened. She lifted her head slightly off the pillow.
"Of course it’s your favourite sister," a bright, bubbly voice rang out from the doorway. "Guess what I bought for you!"
Gianna practically bounced off the bed.
Another female beastman stood next to Tanith. She possessed a very curvy figure, a large chest, and a very good backside, one that Gianna absolutely loved to tease. Two black wolf ears jutted out from the top of her head.
A thick, black wolf tail swished happily behind her. She had long, wavy black hair and striking violet eyes. She looked exactly like an angel descended from the heavens.
"Sister Iris!" Gianna screamed. She ran across the room and threw herself into the wolf’s arms.
Iris caught her easily. She hugged her little sister tight, laughing at the sheer force of the impact. The sound was warm and rich.
Tanith rolled her eyes again. "We should all go talk in the living chamber. My feet hurt."
Gianna pulled back from the hug. She stuck her tongue out at Tanith. The basilisk queen completely ignored it.
The living chamber was massive and airy. Sunlight poured through large, open windows that overlooked a lush garden filled with beautiful flowers. The three sisters sat on a long, plush velvet couch.
Servants moved quietly around the room, keeping their heads bowed. They set down silver trays filled with sweet, flaky pastries and poured cups of hot herbal tea.
Iris picked up a small cake dusted with powdered sugar. She took a bite and smiled. She chewed slowly before looking at her younger sister.
"Gia," Iris started. Her violet eyes were soft and understanding. "Your sister gave me the rundown about everything. Trust me, it’s just puppy love."
Gianna grabbed a pastry and squeezed it hard. The sweet cream filling squished out the sides and stuck to her fingers.
"I really feel like he’s the one for me, sister," Gianna protested. She pouted. Her eyes filled with fresh tears, completely ruining her tough act. "I’ve loved him for years."
Tanith took a sip of her tea. She set the cup down with a sharp, heavy clink against the porcelain saucer.
"Your mate is coming," Tanith said brutally. "And it isn’t Caius, Gianna. Get over it."
Gianna snapped her head to look at her sister. Her sadness evaporated into pure, unfiltered anger. She hated it when Tanith used that tone.
"You don’t have to be so mean about it," Gianna yelled. Her voice echoed off the high ceiling. "Especially when you haven’t even gotten your own mate yet!"
Tanith froze. She glared at her younger sister. The air in the room grew instantly heavy and dangerous. The servants quickly backed out of the room, sensing the shift in the Queen’s mood. freewebnøvel.com
Gianna didn’t back down. She pointed a sticky finger at Iris, sitting between them. "Iris is older than me, and she hasn’t gotten her own mate, either!"
Iris let out a bright, ringing laugh. It completely broke the tension. She didn’t look offended at all. She just looked at both of her angry sisters cutely.
"If anyone could look at it from the outside, they’d think we’re cursed," Iris said, still smiling as she wiped cream off Gianna’s hand with a napkin. "We, the children of Roxy."
It was a heavy truth. Their mother had cured the birth problems. She brought life back to a dying planet where families couldn’t sustain themselves. Yet, her own daughters sat in a beautiful palace, completely mateless and arguing over a general who chose a random white rabbit.
Tanith dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. She picked her tea back up and looked out the massive window. Her expression was completely unreadable.
"Perhaps she’s going to be the change of that," Tanith said quietly.
Both Iris and Gianna stopped what they were doing. They turned their heads and looked at her.
