Beauty, the Beasts and Other

Chapter 22

"Neither of you could do better than me, huh? Both of your females are ugly and look as though they can't even bear your cubs." Rosa said.

I didn't react to her presence, I merely watched as she made a spectacle of herself. Winston rose to his feet and stood beside me.

Her tone indicated her entitled and haughty nature. She looked at Winston, "Winston! I heard you had an emerald when you returned to the city. Have you been in hiding all this time? I haven't seen you at all until today. Anyway, give me the emerald!" she demanded, hand outstretched and expecting.

Winston sighed, "I don't have it, Rosa."

"Where is it then!?" she screamed at him. 

"It's long gone, Rosa. Why don't you ask one of your males to get you one if you want one so badly?" I spoke up, standing as I did.

The tiger princess gritted her teeth. "You," she spat venomously. "It was you, wasn't it? He gave it to you."

"He did, do you want a prize for figuring it out?" I asked jeeringly.

Rosa grew more irritated, "Are you mocking me!? Why did it have to be you? What's so special about you?"

Rosa was a character that I dreaded meeting. Not that I'm scared of her or anything. It just that she has a talent for trying any and everything to accomplish her goals regardless of her failures, quite an admirable trait if she were to use it better. But I dreaded meeting her because of the mental gymnastics I'd have to do to drive a point home with this girl.

As I've seen, she doesn't have that natural, innate indicator we all should have that tells us when we've gone too far. She simply keeps trying relentlessly. Worst trait for an enemy, excellent trait if she were put in the working world. Employers would love her.

"That one, you'd have to ask him yourself but no, I'm not mocking you. I simply answered your question," I said. 

She scoffed, "That scar on his eye must have done damage to his sight. How he approached you for mating is beyond me," she spat.

I gave her a blank look, exhausted at this point and thinking about ways to get her to leave me alone, "Actually, I was the one who asked him but details, details."

"I'm not surprised that you would wallow at the feet of an undesirable male, you look like the type." 

I scratched the back of my head and looked at Winston.

"Yup, I'd wallow at his feet any day. There's no shame in my game princess, it's just because you're uncultured that you think it's a bad thing."

Winston blushed at my comment. How adorable.

I don't think the supposed insult garnered the reaction she was looking for as she just looked more irritated as she saw that I was unfazed by her jabs.