Queen Melissa asked Jack, "He's now awake?."
"Yes Gracious One, He told me to excuse him with the rest of the guards" Jack responded
"Okay then, let's leave and give him some privacy, Tell him to see us downstairs once he's out" Queen Melissa informed Steve as they all went out of the chamber and walked back downstairs to waited for Prince Mark in the hall while Jack followed them closely from behind as he was going out to his other duties.
Steve walked back into the exquisite room and knocked on the bathroom door, and he asked, "Your majesty is me Steve, May I come in?"
Steve slightly opened the bathroom door and peep his head into the bathroom to saw if everything was alright and he saw his majesty in the bathtub relaxing with his two arms out on the side of large bath and Prince Mark spoked to him instead,
"Invite two servants and being them here to me Steve."
"Okay your majesty" Steve quickly replied and left as he walked back downstairs and out to the women quarters to brought in the two servants needed.
Queen Melissa saw Steve returned with two slaves and she immediately asked Steve, "Is he thru with his bath yet?."
"No Gracious One, he sent me to invite the servant over." Steve said.
"Okay, You can go" Queen Melissa replied with a frowned while Steve quickly walked away to the stairs with the two servants following him from behind as they went up to Prince Mark's chamber.
The two servants immediately stepped into the exquisite room and took Prince Mark towel from his wardrobe to meet him in the bathroom, as they already knew what to do next..
They knocked and stepped into the bathroom to join him, but only one of the two slaves got into the bathtub and scrubbed on his dark bronze skin with soap and sponge, bathing him, like he was a baby and after she was thru. She switched on the drainage to flushed out the soapy water and also refilled the bathtub with new water, while the other servant stood out holding his towel.
Thru bathing him, the servant in the hot tub rinsed herself out, while the first servant walked back to gave Prince Mark his towel as he rose out from water.
They quickly bowed to him and left after they were thru dressing up, And Prince Mark walked out back to his room, wondering what previously happened to him.
Prince Mark wore another long skirt and dried his bare chest as he dressed up to went out to saw his mother, having heard her instructions to Steve.
He wore a red coat as he was filling a bit cold and he walked back downstairs to the hall to saw his mother.
Reaching downstairs and walking into the hall Prince Mark saw the priest standing in the hall and waiting for him to arrive.
He quickly greeted the priest with his head subtly bend lowered in a courtesy manner as the priest was an elderly beast-man, even though he was half human and half beast.
.
"Good afternoon wise one, To what do I owe this pleasant visit?" Crown Prince Mark asked, as he raised his head and walked back to sat on the throne.
"Get a seat for him too, Steve" Prince Mark instructed Steve whom stood at the entrance, as there was no seat available for guest seat in the hall except for the throne and royal family seat.
The priest finally sat down on the seat Steve brought for him and the rest of the royal family members sat back too on their respective seat facing him while Steve walked back to his guard position.
"Your majesty, Queen mother sent for me to the palace and I will like to speak with you about your health," The priest said to Prince Mark and he replied coldly,
"Am fine now."
"I know my prince, but there are also messages from the gods to give to you," The priest informed Prince Mark, and Prince Mark stared back to the priest.
"What messages is that?" he asked the priest in anticipation, knowing the dance festival was already the following week.
The priest looked up at Prince Mark with a faint smile on his face and he said,
"Your majesty, is about time you pick a bride as that is why you're beginning to fall as sick. The ancestors are not happy with you and you have to pick a bride amongst your people to be crown queen this upcoming dancing festival to the moon goddess, to appease the gods and to seal the mating bond ceremony, else you might be struck with a much more greater illness" The priest warned.
"Hmm, My son can never be sick or struck with any illness again wise one. Why are our ancestors saying all that?" Queen Melissa asked the Priest but he kept mute .
"Well there won't be any more delay as I will personally pick a bride for him this upcoming festival," Queen Melissa assured the priest not hearing his response.
"No mother, I have already choose Chums Wilfred my friend. She's very beautiful, hot and sophisticated. Brother will like her when he gets to meet her on the upcoming dancing festival" Princess Stephanie stated as she smiled.
"Hmm!" Prince Mark felt sick listening to that.
"Wise one, must I select a bride from our clan alone?," Prince Mark asked the priest surprising his mother and sisters.
"Yes, why do you ask that?" The priest questioned Prince Mark in return but Prince Mark smiled faintly and replied,
"Nothing, I just want to know if other clans can be involved."
Queen Melissa heave a sigh of relief knowing her son didn't mentioned the humans and she quickly stared to the priest whom replied,
"No your majesty, but I can consult the gods to find out if you can choose outside of our clan or the.."
Queen Melissa quickly cut the elderly priest off, "That wouldn't be necessary wise one, we have already chosen a bride for him, or the dancing festival winner will be chosen as his mate, so that settles it."
The priest nodded in agreement and he stood up to took his leave.
"Okay your majesty, if you're in need of anything else or my assistant please let me know about it, As I bid to take my leave now," The elder chief priest bowed and exit the royal palace of Megan Kingdom, going out back to his hut where he lived, while Queen Melissa turned to face Crown Prince Mark after the priest left and she questioned him.
"Why would you even ask the priest about the other clans Mark? You know our tradition and you know the other clans are also protesting to have their own rulers. Apart from the humans, the wolves and fox clans are also jealous that you're in power and ruling over the lands and yet you want to choose a bride from them to divide our people?."
"Hmm, no mother!" Prince Mark replied.
"Then why did you asked him about that?. Was it because of the human slave that you refused to allow the guards to strip her naked like the rest?. Don't tell me you have fallen for her or else i will kill her myself, once I find out" Queen Melissa threatened while Prince Mark eyes darkened and changed from his usual calm golden color to black again, and he stared up to his mother in anger making her stiffened, seeing the sudden changed in color of his eyes again, and knowing that he was indeed hidden something about the human to them.
"You're annoying me mother! and making me feel sick with your claims. I don't get it!. Why are you accusing me of her?!. Did I ever tell you that I like her or whatever you're thinking of?" Prince Mark roared out in anger, sounding annoyed as his eyes continued to darkened and switching colours to black and yellow and his mother quickly looked away from him, not wanting to admitted thar she was frightened by his anger looks.
"Don't tell me that son. I have only told you what I will do if I ever find out that you like that human, I will kill her myself. They're our slaves and will never be our ruler or queen, so get that right and be ready to marry Chums Wilfred like your sisters have suggested," Queen Melissa stood up and quickly walked away from the hall and going outside to the field, and leaving only Stephanie and Sarah in the hall with him.
Princess Stephanie and Sarah both sighed after their mother left and Princess Stephanie spoked next, "Brother don't you think mother is right?. I will have to go to Chums house right away and ask her to come over here to visit us for the dancing festival next week! As am sure she will win the dance competition, oh I cannot wait!"
Princess Stephanie howled loudly as she stood up next and left, remaining only Princess Sarah in the hall with him.
Princess Sarah quietly stood up next and she asked him, "Brother, how're you feeling now?. I actually made some herb tea for you, To see if that will help you improve in your health. As I don't want you or any of us to die.."
Princess Sarah voice trailed as spoked in a low sad voice while Prince Mark sighed as he didn't liked the sound of her sad voice.
Prince Mark stood up from his throne and walked closer to meet her and he said,
"Don't mind the priest or whatever mother says Sarah. None of us will die. At least not now," Prince Mark comforted his sister as he placed his both calloused palms to her shoulders as she was only reaching his shoulder height and he gently massages her shoulder and smiled to her to relaxed.
If only Princess Stephanie was as calm as Sarah, then he wouldn't be having much problems in the palace with his mother, he guessed.
"Are you sure brother? Okay wait let me prepare the tea and bring it to you," Princess Sarah quickly walked away from her brother embrace to the kitchen downstairs, not waiting for his response, as she ran back into the kitchen to brought him the herbal tea that she made.
Prince Mark sighed and walked forward to the window in hall to stared out at the open field again where they did the training lesson earlier. And it was silent with only the sound of birds chirping and flying around as the grass field looked calmed and dried.
He stared at the spot where the white beautiful human was been held by two of his guards and he remembered how she had screamed out in horror when Jack torn off her dress away from her body.
"Hmm" His fingers tightened into a fist and his sharp claws grew out and pierced into his calloused palm.
He remembered his mother threat and warning, if she ever found out that he has any feeling towards the white human...
Prince Mark sighed and turned to leave the hall and just then his younger sister - Princess Sarah returned and walked up to meet him, holding a cup in her hands as she smiled to him approaching him.