Tie It With a Ribbon

“I don’t know,” I mumbled, looking at my feet as I rocked back and forth. “This is going to be very awkward, isn’t it?”

Zanzibar took in a deep breath, pushing himself away from the door and making his way to me, sitting beside me on the bed. “It shouldn’t be as bad as your father giving you the sex talk. How would you feel if you had to hear the ‘birds and the bees’ talk for the first time, from your husband?”

“You mean the ‘birds and the lions’?” He made a strange face, and I bit my lip, releasing my legs and sitting normally. “It would be much, much worse than hearing it from my father.”

“Then I suppose this will be incredibly uncomfortable, but it is much worse for me. You were sneaking around my back asking about my promiscuity rather than asking me. I had thought that you knew I was going to wait until you were ready, Alena.” His gaze burned into me, and I forced myself to meet his stare.

“How was I supposed to come to you asking about the…sexual habits of your people? It was embarrassing to think about, let alone do!”

His gaze faltered for a moment before he took my hand gently, kissing it just as softly, that intense look about him. I blushed even more, having to look away, though he did not seem to think much of it.

“I didn’t think about this when we were married, Alena, but we are two very different people. Two lions never have this conversation, and I am quite certain you birds never do either. Then again, this isn’t a very normal arrangement, is it?” He covered his eyes with one hand, shaking his head gently. “We have more to talk about than I had thought, but we do have a starting point. What did he tell you about me?”

I chewed on my lip, dreading this conversation more than anything. “Alexandros said that he’d be surprised…if you hadn’t made any sexual advances towards me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Well, did you set him straight?” I paused. “Wait, you can’t possibly agree with that!” He pulled his hand out of mine suddenly, his anger redirected.

“Well,” I mumbled, daring to glance at him out of the corner of my eye. “What do you call that thing you do when you kiss my hand and stare at me?” I shrunk into myself, fidgeting with my hands on my lap.

He looked stunned. “I call it looking at you lovingly! I call it showing you that I care about you without having to use unsuitable words! I certainly was not trying to convey that message! I thought the blushing was a compliment, because you felt the same, but now I find out that it’s because you thought I was trying to get you into my bed?”

“I’m not used to stuff like that, Zanzibar!” I groaned, picking at my nails. “We use words to speak of love, not actions. I know that seems strange to you, but it’s always been that way at the Nest.”

He shook his head furiously, letting out a steady breath once he calmed down. “Alena…” He bit his lip, shaking his head again, gentler. I offered an apologetic smile as he took my hand. “How can we do this?”

“What do you mean?” I asked quietly, looking him in the eyes.

“I mean, how is this ever going to work? We didn’t think this through in the least. I think we just got all excited about the future that we forgot that we have to survive the present first. I want this to work—I want it very much, Alena—but it’s going to take a lot more than just thinking we know each other when in reality we haven’t a clue. It’s going to take more time and patience than I’m quite sure we ever thought we’d need.” He sighed softly, kissing my cheek. “I don’t want to push you into anything too quickly, and I’m sure you will need more time than a Leonian woman.”

“Are we moving backwards?” I asked quietly, leaning against him for support.

He shook his head. “No. I think we’re just filling in the missing pieces.” He paused for a moment. “Alena, what were you and Camille discussing before I showed up?”

I hesitated for a second. “Actually, she wanted to know if I was ‘glowing’ yet.”

He frowned. “I don’t—Oh. Oh!” He jumped to his feet, eying me carefully. “Wait, are you?”

I shook my head. “No! Don’t be ridiculous. Birds aren’t that quick to reproduce,” I muttered, rolling my eyes playfully.

He let out a soft breath. “Okay, so now I think she’s going to be the one pushing you to have heirs to soon.”

“Zanzibar, we talked quite a bit actually, and I don’t want you to be miserable to keep me happy.”

“You could never make me miserable.”

“But you love children so much. How can you be happy without them?”

He smiled softly, shaking his head gently. “We have our entire lives, Alena. There’s no rush, I promise, so don’t get any ideas until you are absolutely sure. We need to be steady on our feet before we can even think about adding to the family and complicating things even more.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he said, “I don’t want to start another fight, but I don’t think you know the whole story. I suppose my people are rather promiscuous, compared to your people, but I’m not as bad as you seem to think.”

“I know that everyone is an individual,” I murmured, watching him carefully.

“That’s not what I mean. Most lions are allowed to do as they please in the love department, but my family and I are not. Do you know what would happen if I were to have a child with someone other than my wife? It has never happened in the history of our race, but my parents have thoroughly warned Camille and I what would happen if we ever risked such a thing. I would be disowned by my parents and almost certainly by my people, and I would never be permitted my throne. You were my first, and you will have to be my last as well. Do you see why I did not want to rush into our coronations? I had to know that there was a very strong possibility that we would last.”

“So you didn’t…with Monica?” It was not as subtle as I would have liked, but he shook his head gently. “You wanted to.”

He frowned. “Alena, you have me entirely. It would have been a terrible mistake with Monica, because I would not have ever known there was someone more.” He stroked my cheek softly, smiling softly. “Besides, I wanted to give myself to you. And do you know why?”

“Because I’m so pretty?” I teased, catching his hand.

He laced our fingers. “You are beautiful, but that’s not it. It’s because you’re so different from anyone I’ve ever met, and you always keep me on my toes. It’s not easy, but maybe that’s what makes this so great. It’s like a test, to see if we truly love each other enough to make it past the rough times.”

“I’m seeing the charismatic and the idiot,” I told him with a wide grin on my face, and he made a strange face. “I think it was a compliment, wasn’t it?”

“Alena, I love you,” he told me with a smile, “but can we be serious for a moment?” I nodded, allowing him to hold my gaze. “Will you promise me that you’ll come to me with these questions, not someone else—and especially not Alexandros? I know it can be hard at times, but I don’t want you running around behind my back, so no more secrets.”

“Okay.” I kissed him softly, thinking for a moment. “When do you want to ask the Royal Guard if you can enlist?”

He smiled. “Thank you.”

The door was pushed open suddenly, and Salina rushed in, jumping on Zanzibar’s lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he murmured, looking over to me worriedly.

She cried something incoherent into his shoulder, shrieking and wailing as he tried to calm her to his best ability. It was heartbreaking to see such a little girl crying so fiercely and an older brother trying desperately to help her.

“Salina,” I murmured quietly, pulling her into my arms. “We need to know what’s wrong.”

She sobbed, clinging to me, still refusing to speak.

I glanced to Zanzibar, who was focusing on Salina, as if trying to read her mind.

She wiped her eyes, her lip still trembling with stifled sobs. Salina tried to speak, but she just broke into tears again, throwing her face into my shoulder.

“Salina, don’t run off like that!” Camille hissed in a voice as quiet as a whisper, suddenly standing right in front of us, her face white as her body trembled.

Zanzibar pushed himself to his feet, demanding to know what was wrong. Tear stains were still on her face, but she tried to look completely composed, though it looked completely impossible. I continued comforting Salina as I watched Camille and Zanzibar. She threw her arms around her brother, sobbing something into his shoulder that I couldn’t quite hear.

His body went rigid, and he turned to look at me with desperation scrawled all over his face. “Alena, take Salina and Camille and go out the window, okay?”

“But what about you?”

“Just go!” he snapped, slamming the door behind him.

I looked to Camille, but she just pulled me up and pushed me towards the window, taking Salina in her arms. There was crashing outside the door, but Camille kept pushing me until I was outside, catching Salina in my arms and looking around at the state of complete chaos of the marketplace.

Cadence rushed over, pulling Salina into her arms and kissing her feverishly. “Don’t ever do that to me again!” she begged, tears falling out of her eyes. She held out a hand, which Camille took, but I kept my focus on the Den, only about to think of Zanzibar. “Alena, he stayed, didn’t he?” I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself. She put Salina down, smiling nervously to me. “Grayson is in there, too, making sure there is only one traitor. He won’t let anything happen to Zanzibar.”

I nodded, still not completely convinced. A gasp escaped my lips as she embraced me, kissing the top of my head as only a mother could, refusing to let go even as I cried. It was funny how I had remained stoic when my father and siblings had died, but even the thought of losing a lion had caused me to breakdown on two occasions now.

“Thank you, but I can’t—” I shook my head, slipping out of the embrace and rushing towards the front entrance.

“Alena, wait!” she called after me, but I kept running, aware that I was running in the opposite direction of everyone else.

“Zanzibar!” I cried, pushing open the front doors, but I froze in my tracks.

His eyes were frozen and wide, and his arms hung limp at his sides as he stared at me. “Alena,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

I gulped, unable to form words. In his left hand was a bloody dagger, and at his feet was a Leonian soldier, the one that had accompanied us to the Nest for my coronation ceremony. There was no possible way that he was still alive.

I breathed deeply, stepping towards him carefully. “Are you alright?”

“I…think so,” he murmured, reaching out to me with his right hand. “But I’m a murderer.”

I shook my head. “No.” I bit my lip, pulling him away from the body lying on the blood-splattered floor. “You were just protecting us.”

He shook his head. “I need air.” He took my hand and pulled me out of the building. “My father should have taken my family to the Nest right now, to tell them. We should go.”

“No. First you’re going to the doctor.”

“I’m fine, Alena, but are you?”

“Perfectly.” I frowned. “But I just want to be safe. I love you.”

He looked to the ground. “You must have a thing for criminals.”