My heart was hammering in my chest, my face felt flushed. These beautiful men were going to decide if I can use their resources and ultimately decide if I can stay. The way I was dressed made me feel sort of like an idiot. Is this really going to play a part in how they treat me and decide if I'm worth the risk in keeping?
I was told on the way here that in order to show my submission to his authority, I had to rub my nose against his. This is how they greet their king. Their alpha. A freaking nose kiss with a completely domineering stranger!!
Lonna moved towards the king first, she knelt before him and rubbed her nose against his. He never closed his eyes and his face remained unreadable. I guess it's just any old greeting to him. When Lonna moved onto the eldest son on the kings left, the king stood from his throne and glowered down at me. I was forewarned that the king would stand before me in a show of dominance because I was new. Sort of like him saying, "I am top dog. Accept or fight."
I calmly walked towards him, not touching him anywhere because I wasn't sure if it would be insulting or inspire a spar. However, when I stood so close just before him, I lost balance and then fell completely into his arms. Terrified that I would get into trouble, I rubbed my nose against his while he looked down at me in shock and I hurried out of his arms. I then walked calmly over to the eldest son, who was now standing and rubbed his nose. My face felt hotter than a friggin desert at this point and I walked over to Kian. I was just about ready to die, but somehow managed to stand before him and rub against his nose. But by accident, my lips brushed against his. I stepped back apologetically, "I'm so sorry. I only meant to rub your nose I swear. Please don't see it as an insult or challenge!"
He smirked and the king and his brother chuckled. "We don't find kissing insulting." The king said.
"The only insult is that we didn't get one too." This came from the elder brother. "Not sure what your mother would have thought about that if it had happened." King said.
They all laughed, including Lonna and the men sat down. Lonna and I knelt on two small mounds made of moss and soil. I spread my skirt open to be sure I didn't kneel on it. I didn't want it to get wet. Lonna had done the same.
"So, you are the female that my son Kian spotted coming from the abyss. So strange that a warm blooded female would come from the depths of our beloved lake. A depth from which, those who have ventured, never returned. Tell me, from what place did you come from?"
I swallowed. I knew I had to answer this question sooner or later. I could not think of any clever lies. They only got more and more ridiculous the more I thought about it.
"King, I have not answered this question to anyone out of fear. What I am about to tell you could make you uneasy, call me crazy, maybe kill me. I don't know and…" I began to shake as I forced myself to keep eye contact with the king. He held up his hand as though to silence me.
" I have seen and heard a great many strange things. Please speak freely and without fear. I am not known for rash behavior. What you say now will be thought upon and reasonably dealt with."
I took a deep breath. "Before I came here, I was living in a different world than this one. Beasts are simply animals and mankind are human. There isn't a single beast in my world that can take the form of a man and vise versa. They are also plentiful and love is difficult to find." My eyes began to fill with tears. "I thought I had found it, but it turned out that the one I loved had fallen in love with someone else. So when I was walking home, I came to a well full of water. The well had words on it, urging me to make a wish. I didn't have anything except the necklace I had received from the one I loved, before he left me for someone else… I dropped it into the well that seemed to have no end and… I wished for a happier life. I somehow got my hand in the water and it pulled me down. I heard a voice, telling me to live happily and then I came to the surface here."
The king sat for a moment, his sons looking from him to me, deeply interested.
"We've heard of this before. It is actually like an old tale that we have been told of how beast men came to be. One female found herself with a broken heart, she came to a pool of water, wishing for happiness. She was drawn into the water and brought here. A world where there were only beasts. Our Moon Goddess met her here. She said the beasts here craved for more happiness as well. They wanted a life more fulfilling. So the goddess brought the woman here and she was gifted a male from each species. The goddess granted them a part man and part beast form so they would still be themselves while living a more fulfilled life. They had many children and when those children came of age, the goddess did the same for them that she had done for their mother. And thus began the beastmen. Tell me, you have no beast form correct?"
"Correct." I said.
"And you are warm blooded. The first parent, she was also warm blooded and had no beast form. I wonder why she would send another to our world? It cannot simply be because you wished for happiness? Hmm. I will have to do a more thorough search and see if there are more like you that we don't know about." He clapped his hands onto his thighs. "Anyways, this doesn't raise any alarm for me. You are welcome to stay here until the time of bargaining. If you find you'd like to leave to the great city, you may do so. If you find happiness here, you are also welcome. Is there anything you find yourself in need of? It looks like Lonna has clothed you."
"She needs more clothes King and we were wondering if we could get fur skins? She's cold down here and if she gets wet, she could get sick."
King looked to his eldest, "Son, I believe you have work to do."