Gift of the Fox

Chapter 46: Girly Get-together

Hot steam had covered the room of the hot tub. The high-rank ladies were gathered to have a bath together.

"Rrrr!" Tiegan playfully roared at her beloved 'sister', tiger Scarlett, who growled and rubbed her mistress and friend. 

Tiegan laughed once she saw how her sister and bestie, Liz, who was already soothing up in the hot tub, stretched her hand towards a green snake that coiled up her arm and then on her neck and hissed playfully. 

"What?" Liz raised an eyebrow, chuckling, "You're playing with a tiger! Don't I have rights to play with my pet too?"

"If it bites you on the neck, don't blame it on me." Tiegan let out a laugh. 

"I'd say the same about your tiger. Hebihime would never bite me, and even if she did, she's not venomous."

"Neither is Scarlett, duh!" Tiegan laughed. At such a joke of hers, Liz chuckled too.

"Well, here I come!"

They both looked aside and spotted Astrid - the blonde, blue-eyed beautiful Vidar woman - step into the boiling water, joining them.



"Welcome to our zoo." Tiegan grinned at her. Astrid chuckled:

"I've always had affairs with animals. They can't scare me."

"But I've heard our new friend is quite fearful towards predators like these." Tiegan smiled.

"Ah, yeah, I too have heard we have a new one," Liz joined the conversation. "They say it's Prince Jong's new wife."

"Oh, I know who you're talking about." Astrid nodded. "I followed big brother on that mission to arrest the Zhong lords. She was there too. She is the youngest of us, and quite girlish. Even more girlish than you, Liz."

Liz smiled:

"Oh, she must be quite soft, then."

Just as she said this, the maidservants brought in a tiny, sixteen-year-old girl of over Tiegan's size (and Tiegan was truly short), with beautiful black hair tied in neat braids. She had attractive black almond eyes with a childish and charming spark in them. 

The maidservants bowed and left the room. The girl took her dress off and timidly stepped into the hot spring, shyly greeting the other princesses:

"H... Hello."

"Hey, don't be scared! We don't bite." Tiegan chuckled, lying on her chaise-longue and petting her giant Bengal tiger which lay at her feet and yawned like a big languid cat.

Once saw the giant tiger and the hissing snake, the child widened her eyes in fear and covered her mouth with her hands:

"Ah!"

"Don't worry, Hebihimé's not venomous." Liz smiled, trying to calm her down.

"Yeah, Scarlett's a harmless kitty, too." Tiegan playfully winked.

Seeing the two young women were in complete control of their vicious animals, the girl sighed with relief, placing her hand on her heart. 

"Anyway, what's your name? We already know you're Prince Jong's wife, but still, getting into details would be nice, since we're going to be sisters-in-law from now on." Liz gave her a welcoming smile.