B+Bs: To Stand In A Beast's World

64. Warm Juice

I made sure everything was set up before having Shuu set me down. Muir descended and perched on the castle's wall observing everything. It put me at ease, and I confidently entered the room.

Eyes turned, but I didn't shy away from them. I needed to get used to this much as circumstances won't be changing anytime soon.

"Tiger queen, thank you for coming," the ape king greeted in a friendly tone.

Was it just me or did the ape king have more grey in his hair today? "Of course. Thank you for agreeing to my request."

Bard shook his head. "It is no trouble at all. Your idea is wonderful and considerate." His attempt at flattery wasn't missed by Grace, but most of those present thought he was sincere. "Now, how would you like to go about this?"

"If you don't mind, I suggest we fill their bellies first so they may avoid dizziness from the warm juice." Shuu told me that some females had to be escorted out in the past because they couldn't handle it.

Bard stroked his sparse chin hair. "Very well." He cleared his throat and posed his next question quietly. "I hope you won't mind if we try the soup first?" And by 'we' he meant a male that wasn't him.

I didn't miss a beat despite the undertone of accusation. "I will also demonstrate eating it to prove it's safety."

Bard agreed. Grace's willingness was a good sign.

"My mates have also eaten it and have not had a problem," I said.

"Good, good."

The females around gossiped as Grace and an ape male made a show of eating a bowl of the soup. Grace took it slowly, but the ape ate his fast. He even licked the bowl clean once he finished its contents.

Bard, along with many others, watched with interest. The smell was already quite tantalizing, but the male eating with such vigor made them drool.

I took it upon myself to start serving along with a few ape helpers. I was able to greet more than thirty females before I relinquished my position to an ape. I got a refill on my own bowl and found a place to sit down.

When all the females arrived and the door was closed, the warm juice was served.

Before I could get my cup, I was approached by a female I knew very well.

"Tiger Queen," said the leopard queen Memi. "It's good to see you."

I was a little surprised to see the leopard queen here and felt comfortable enough to say so. "Likewise, Leopard Queen. I wasn't expecting to see you."

Memi sat down with her bowl next to me and continued to chat naturally. "Let's drop the titles, call me Memi," she ordered casually. "I do not care for the warm juice or the lack of comfortable seating."

Memi scowled at the floor which was the only part covered by a fur. "But I heard you would be serving soup and had to come try."

An ape hurriedly came over and apologized for the inconvenience. We were shown a private room thanks to our statuses.

"They should've started with this, really." Memi huffed in exaggeration.

The room was not incredibly spacious, but it had fur-lined benches for us to sit on and a stone table to eat off of.

"So..." Memi started, but then she tried her soup. "This! This is great!"

I didn't need super hearing to hear similar compliments from the outside. I smiled as my eyes lit up. It was nice to know that the fruit of our labor was enjoyed.