Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 58: brought to you by the Masseur

Winston figures out something before Neara and Harvey unlocks a little bit of the Tiger King's backstory. Will Wolf King woo Neara? What happens to Rosa and her mother?... after the whole tongue-cutting-out-incident, that is, we already read that.

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After a few days of living there, she'd all but given up ever seeing Shay again. Winston noticed her distress.

"Are you still upset about Shay?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know she wanted to run away from the City, I just didn't think she'd choose... it's stupid. I'm stupid. I shouldn't be upset because she has her own life and her own ways."

"You are not stupid. I've never met someone as intelligent as you, and that includes the Ape King." He slurped a mouthful of fragrant soup and carefully set the bowl down.

"Then why isn't she talking to me? Ugh, you don't know, nobody does. I should go see her..."

"I'll go with you." He swallowed the rest of his bowl of soup and stood up.

"No, it's fine. It's not far and I need to get outside anyway. I won't be gone long."

The door opened when she got to it and the Wolf King dragged Rosa and her mother, both of them with crusted red mouths. "Tiger King."

"Wolf King." He looked at the two females, but made no expression. "Why have you brought them?"

"Ape King asks that you take them to the coast. Sell them to a poorer village. He is ashamed of their conduct towards Shay and Neara, who he considers the pride of the City of Beasts for their fertility."

"When does he want me to leave?"

"As soon as you think the weather will permit."

He gestured to a nearby tiger beastman who avoided looking at the females. "See that they have plenty of food in a room on the ground floor." The beastman nodded and gently took their hands. The Wolf King shoved them from him with a look of disgust and turned to leave.

"Wolf King?" Neara asked, hand clenched in her cloak.

He looked at her, sadness and fear lining his face.

"Why have they been punished so severely? Wasn't your son mated to Rosa? Why send her away?"

"The... Ape King has commanded it."

"And she doesn't mean anything to you?"

"She's not my female."

"What happened to their mouths?"

"The Ape King cut out their tongues for tricking their males into attempting to kill you. They won't be able to talk with others again."

The harshness of the treatment stunned Neara into silence. The Wolf King looked at her with a softness approaching pity, then left. Winston merely watched the interaction.

"Tiger King, when will you depart for the coast?" A beastman asked Winston, only casting a casual look at Neara, still rooted in place with shock.

"When the weather is sufficiently warm enough, then we will depart. We can't risk taking the dried meats to the coast if they're needed here."

"Should I make preparations?"

"Prepare the containers for salt, clean the storehouses, and make sure those who wish to trade their meats are informed."

"Yes, Tiger King." He bowed and ran off.

"Weren't you going to visit Shay?"

"I... think I should go see Rosa."