Free Web NovelChapter 54: Episode 054: Your Harem Awaits.
She pulled a small wooden stool over to the side of the bed.
She sat down. She rested her elbows on her knees and placed her chin in her hands. She needed to look at this situation calmly.
She looked to her left. She stared at the box. The black jungle silk spilt out of the polished wood like a shadow.
The answer was clear as day, but Rue still had to think it over.
The pros of wearing this dress were very clear. Wearing the dark silk was a massive political move. It meant she accepted Knox’s apologies. It proved she acknowledged his massive behavioural changes.
He was no longer the wild beast who held her hostage in a dark cave. He had stopped trying to force her to stay. He had set up a polite, quiet camp outside her home, had brought beautifully carved wooden toys for a baby that was not even his own. He was trying to be better.
If she wore the dark silk, it meant she was all in for this. The panther tribe was incredibly strong. They were fierce fighters. Having them as allies meant no other wild beast tribe would ever dare to attack her small cabin. It was the ultimate safety shield for her. More importantly, it was the ultimate safety shield for little Theron. It was the smartest move for survival.
The cons of the dark silk were also very clear.
The dark silk was a brand. It was a giant sign. It told the entire Convergence market that she belonged to Knox. It meant she was officially accepting him as a mate in front of thousands of watching eyes. It would tell every single King and tribal leader that the Panther King had claimed a rabbit as his mate.
She didn’t want that attention.
It would also make Caius incredibly angry. A snake beastman did not like sharing. Caius was already standing on the front porch with his fangs fully extended. If she walked out of the bedroom wearing the jungle colours, Caius might actually try to bite Knox’s head off. That would completely ruin the peace of the neighbourhood.
It might seem like he is cool with Knox being my second mate, but internally, I just know he hated the idea.
Rue shifted her gaze to the right.
"Option two," Rue said quietly. "The Rabbit."
She looked at the pale pink fabric resting on the white linen cloth.
The pros of this dress were completely different. Wearing the pink dress had absolutely zero political value. It did not promise army protection. It did not secure a jungle border. It did not tell the other tribes to stay away. But it did something else. It did something much deeper.
It honored Caius. It honored his deep understanding of her. Caius did not see her as a political prize to show off to the other Kings at the market. He saw her as Rue. He paid attention to her. He remembered her favourite colours without ever having to ask. He accepted her unique pink eyes. He accepted her small, fragile bunny body. He loved her exactly as she was, and he wanted her to feel beautiful.
Back on her old planet, Rue smelled like medicine and bleach. She was always sick. She was always cold. Nobody had ever bought her a custom dress just to make her smile.
Wearing the pink dress meant she chose her own identity. It meant she valued his quiet, steady affection more than a loud display of power. It meant she saw his love.
The cons of the pink dress were heavy. Knox would be deeply humiliated. The Panther King had traveled all the way from the jungle just to offer her his protection. Rejecting his dark silk could ruin the delicate peace they had built over the last few weeks. It could make Knox feel entirely useless.
Rue rubbed her temples with her fingertips. Her head was starting to ache.
This was exactly why she did not like politics. It burned way too many calories. It was just fabric. It was just thread and silk. It should not determine the fate of a kingdom. It should not dictate how two apex predators behaved in her front yard.
She needed a second opinion. She needed someone who was not emotionally involved in the tribal wars. She needed someone who used pure, simple logic.
She turned her head. She looked at the dark ironwood crib sitting in the corner of the bedroom.
Theron was awake. The little boy was lying flat on his back. He was kicking his chubby little legs against his soft white fox-fur blanket. His bright golden eyes tracked the dust floating in the sunbeams above his head. He looked very calm. He looked completely unbothered by the heavy political tension destroying his parents outside.
Rue stood up from her wooden stool. She walked across the floorboards. She stopped right next to the crib and looked down at her son.
"I need your advice," Rue stated flatly.
Theron stopped kicking his legs. He looked up at his mother. He gave a wide, happy, gummy smile. He threw his right hand out. He reached his chubby little fingers up toward her face. He wanted her to pick him up.
Rue sighed. She reached down into the deep crib. She placed her hands gently under his arms and lifted him up into the air. He was getting very heavy. He smelled like warm milk and clean soap. She rested his warm little body against her hip and supported his back with her arm.
"You are a male," Rue told the baby seriously. "You are half-snake and half-rabbit. Tell me which dress is the most logical choice."
She walked back to the center of the room. She stood right in front of the stone bed.
Theron looked at the two dresses resting on the furs.
He looked to the left. He stared at the dark, shiny jungle silk. He blinked his golden eyes at it. He did not make a sound.
Then he looked to the right. He stared at the pale, soft pink rabbit weave.
He did not think about it for very long.
Theron leaned forward against Rue’s arm. He stretched his chubby little hand out as far as it could possibly go. He pointed his tiny fingers directly at the pale pink gown. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Ba," Theron babbled happily.
He opened and closed his little fist. He was trying his absolute best to grab the pink fabric. He liked the light color. He liked the way it shimmered.
"Ba-ba!" Theron squealed. He slapped his hand in the air toward the rabbit dress, completely ignoring the dark silk from the panther.
Rue looked at her son. Then she looked at the pink dress.
A heavy weight slowly settled deep in her stomach.
Theron had chosen the pink dress. It was the dress his father had bought. Of course he would choose that one. It made perfect sense. But watching the baby make his choice made Rue realize something much bigger than just picking an outfit for a party.
She looked back at the dark silk. She could not just throw it away. She could not just tell Knox his gift was garbage.
Rue realized this was no longer just about fabric. It was not about pink versus black. It was not about rabbit thread versus jungle silk. It was about actively accepting the reality of her life in this strange world.
She had a snake mate who stood on her porch and guarded her door. He washed her fruit. He watched her sleep to make sure she was safe.
She also had a panther mate who sat in the trees and brought carved toys for a baby that was not even his. He took the biological penalty. He felt her pain. He waited for her to be ready.
The rules of her old human world did not apply here. She could not just pick one mate and completely ignore the other. She could not put one in a box and hide him away. She had to manage both of them. She had to accept that she had two massive, highly dangerous, incredibly stubborn beastmen in her life. ƒreewebɳovel.com
She had to accept the harem.
Rue let out a long, very tired sigh. She bounced Theron gently on her hip to keep him happy.
"This is going to be stressful," Rue said quietly to the empty room.
The air in front of her face shimmered with a bright blue light.
[Ding!]
[Welcome to the Beastworld, Host. Your harem awaits.]
