Taming the Queen of Beasts

ELRETH

An hour later they had all eaten breakfast. Aaryn returned during the meal, two disformed in tow, and a scribe arrived just a few minutes later.

The healers, two of them in the end, to confirm for each other, were a little slower but by the time Elreth had finished eating, answered a few questions from the elders, and had the scribe take notes on the questions they planned to ask, the healers were both there and staring nervous around the room.

"Can you scent a bond that hasn't yet been accepted?" she asked the younger of the two females, surprised that they'd sent one so young.

The older, standing at her shoulder, her hair streaked in gray, nodded. "Hestyn is extremely talented. I would trust her judgment over my own."

The young female—Hestyn, apparently—nodded, but barely met Elreth's eyes. Elreth looked between the two, a question in her eyes. The older female smiled and put a hand to Hestyn's shoulder. "She is quite admiring of her Queen and struggles to believe in herself," she explained. "But she has been appointed for her talent, not her dominance."

Elreth nodded and smiled encouragingly at the young female. When Hestyn looked up, her cheeks colored, and she whispered her gratitude to serve. Elreth rubbed her arm to try to encourage her not to feel shy. It wasn't until she was turning back to her chair that Elreth was shocked to realize Hestyn had to be a couple years older than herself.

Creator's Mane, she was going to grow old before her time.

Elreth sank into her chair with a sigh and Aaryn, seated at her right, leaned forward, hands on his knees.

'Are you well?' he signed.

She nodded, but she was still frowning. 'What if Gar is wrong?' she signed back a moment later when Aaryn hadn't taken his eyes off her. 'What if I have to break my brother's heart?'

Aaryn's forehead crinkled into worry lines and Elreth sighed again. Because the truth was, she knew the answer to her own question.

If the bond couldn't be confirmed, Rika was a prisoner. And if the disformed scented the voices on her, she was dead. No matter how Gar felt about it.

Please, she prayed to the Creator. Please can he be right about her.

She'd already sent Tarkyn to bring Rika and the guards. Gar was pacing the floor near the door, waiting for them to return as Elreth turned to everyone gathered.

"This is perhaps the most crucial turning point in the history of our people," she said quietly, but firmly. "I understand that some of you are not aware of everything that we'll be discussing today. But if you are going to undertake this task, you will be required to keep the information you learn private, even from your families, until such time as I announce it to the people. Please… measure yourself truly. If you cannot make me that commitment, please tell me now and let us find another Anima to help. There is no shame in knowing ourselves and our weaknesses. You will not be judged if you cannot find it in yourself to keep this information even from your mate."

The healers and disformed looked at each other, but no one spoke up. Elreth let the room remain silent for a long moment—long enough that it got uncomfortable. If anyone needed to build up the courage to speak, they would have ample opportunity.

But no one did. A couple minutes later, she nodded. "Very well then, when the prisoner arrives, we'll start with the scenting for the bond and the voices. Are either of those affected by the presence of anyone nearby, or… or anything? Is there anything we need to do to ensure you can accurately measure?"

"No," one of the disformed spoke. "If she's given in to the voices, we'll know. Easy."

Elreth nodded, her confidence bolstered by theirs. "Good. And you, Hestyn?"

"It is helpful to have the potential mate present," the young female said cautiously. "But not necessary."

Elreth gave a grim smile. "That won't be a problem," she said dryly.

Gar snorted behind the healers, and Hestyn jumped, but then just swallowed and nodded. Elreth was about to reassure her when the door swung open and Gar moved so quickly he blurred, reaching the door before they'd even entered, his eyes scanning Rika from head to toe. He hovered behind her as she was led by the two guards to stand in the middle of the circle, facing Elreth and Aaryn.

"Thank you for… not fighting," Elreth said carefully.

Rika, who looked a touch pale, but unblemished, and smelled more uncertain than afraid, just nodded.

Gar stood at her back, his face a mask of disapproval. But Elreth ignored him.

"The disformed first," she said firmly, her entire body tense. If Rika had given in to the voices, the rest didn't matter. She would be killed.

Gar quivered behind her, his eyes flashing warning to the two disformed who stepped forward first.

Elreth almost warned him. He was their Alpha. They'd be eager to please him—he shouldn't be interfering. But she hoped that they hadn't been told who Rika was, and that they took Gar's warning as a warning to do a good job.

They both approached her, then leaned in towards her face, where her skin was bare.

Rika jerked back away from them, reflexively raising her hands, but the two guards braced and stopped her from raising them. There was a brief struggle, before Elreth snapped, "They have to smell your skin to be certain."

"Does it have to be my face?" Rika spat.

Elreth looked at the males. They both shook their heads.

Elreth sighed. "Raise her hands," she instructed the guards. "Let them scent her fists."

The guards did as she'd instructed. Rika eyed them, clearly uncomfortable, and Gar hovered, his lip curling. But neither of them spoke.

After a few moments, both disformed pulled away, shaking their heads. "There's no scent of the voices on her," one said, shrugging. "She hasn't given over."

Everyone in the room slumped with relief. Including Elreth.

As they all took a breath, El nodded towards the healers.. "Okay, then. What about the bond?"

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