Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Seventy-two

The next morning, just as the sun was rising, we were woken by Carl the guard.

He knocked softly on the wooden door of my bedroom where I was still cuddled in Harvey's arms. "Queen Bailey? I'm sorry to disturb you but there is a fox male downstairs. He said he's here to offer himself as sacrifice to you."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. Since when did I start taking sacrifices?

"What in the world..." I mumbled sleepily into Harvey's warm chest. His tail tapped my thigh lovingly. He must have been awake long before Carl showed up but had let me sleep in. I groaned. I would never be a morning person. Especially not in a world without coffee. Now there's an idea. Have I ever seen a plant that looks like it might be similar to my caffeine crack? Hmmm.

Another knock sounded, letting me know my mind had wandered in its refusal to fully wake.

"Queen Bailey?" Carl asked a bit more nervously this time. I'm sure disturbing a grumpy queen was the last thing on his bucket list.

Harvey growled. If I didn't want to get up, I didn't have to and he would take care of the noise the same way I would've taken care of an alarm clock. By throwing it across the room and smashing it into pieces.

Since I didn't want to see Carl's inner gears and springs, I finally sat up and ran a hand through my extra fluffy red mane. "Coming." I told him.

Understanding my intentions, Harvey helped me get up and dressed me in a simple tube top and shorts made from zebra skins while I zoned out. He even braided my hair for me in a simple style that lay down my back.

"Carl. Are you trying to wake the colossus? I think you need a couple more stipes first." Said a snickering voice. Lance loved to make fun of my inability to function in the mornings. Talk about pots and kettles. He would tease me until I would try to hit him with whatever was in arms reach, earning me the nickname.

While I was thinking about using the stone chamber pot for pitching practice, the yips and chirps of my cub finally eased away the irritation of being woken. "Mama? Awake? Play?"

I zombie walked to the door and opened it to see a flinching Lance and Carl, with their arms up to protect their faces, and my fox kit jumping up and down like a jack rabbit.

"Kit. Mama needs you." I said and picked him up, burying my face in his fluff. He giggled from my nose tickling him and started to squirm to get away. I held tight and started to blow raspberries as best I could into his soft white belly. More giggles and I was finally smiling. "Much better. Alright Carl. Lead the way."

Kit whined and I promises to play with him a little later in the day after I handled business first. He reluctantly agreed but still followed as I made my way down to the throne room. Just before I entered, Harvey kissed my cheek and left to take care of the clinic's opening. Lance stayed and the four of us entered the room together.

With a huge yawn that made my eyes tear up, I found my comfy chair and sat before looking at our unexpected guest.

In the center of the room, kneeling with one knee on the floor was a male with warm black skin. Except for some fringe, he had thick, straight hair pulled back into a ponytail that ended between his shoulder blades. The hair was black on top but red orange like mine underneath. The tips were also red. It was coloring I hadn't seen before on a fox, but his ears and tail of the same ombre of colors were clear indicators of his tribe. Melanism maybe?

The coloring reminded me of my own skin in my past life. Though the opposite. I'd had vitiligo.

Carl interrupted my trip down memory lane. "Queen Bailey has graced you with her presence. Present yourself."

The man looked up and I was once again struck by his appearance. He had the narrow but sharp jawline, button nose, and angled eyes typical of foxes but his eyes were two different colors. One was yellow-green with a gold stripe directly beneath it and the other was amber like mine. Heterochromia on top of melanism? Whoa...

Then his melodic voice filled the room. "Queen Bailey, my name is Tristan. Yesterday, you brought my mother back from the dead. I am here on behalf of my family to offer myself as your pet beast as payment.

Lance guffawed, which brought me back from staring at the fox like he had also grown a second head.

"Say that again." I requested, not quite believing my ears.

The corner of his already naturally upturned lips twitched, "I have come to offer myself as your pet beast."

I quirked an eyebrow up and the ridiculous proposal, "And if I say 'no'?" I didn't need a pet beast. Being one was even worse than being a guardian because they weren't useful for protection, only for entertainment.

His ears went back in nervousness. "Then please use me as a sacrifice to the beast god. My family has no other way to repay what you did for us yesterday. Please forgive us and use me as you wish." He bowed his head again and his tail curled in submission.

Are you kidding me? Did they think I was some kind of Ape that could talk with gods just because I did CPR? Yeah, sometimes ape ceremonies required sacrifices but I'm a fox dammit! It's too early for this shit.

I groaned and rubbed my temples. Kit on the other hand was simply excited at the prospect of having another fox around that he jumped down from the elevated thrones to run circles around Tristan. "Mama! Mama! Fox friend? Tunnels!!!"

Oh. Yeah. That was a thing I was planning on doing anyway. I had promised Kit to find someone who could teach him how to tunnel safely. And here it was on my doorstep. Gift horse's mouths and all that. It's not like I could send him back to his family. They would panic thinking I was dissatisfied with their 'payment'. I groaned again.

"Tristan." He looked up again at my use of his name. "I will not take you as a pet beast or sacrifice." His hand on the floor scratched into the stone with apprehension. "You will stay here as mentor to my cub. Teach him the skills only another fox male can and your debt will be considered paid."

Tristan's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Laaaaance." I said in a sing song voice. "Darling. Since you used the nickname I love so very much, you get to show Tristan around. I'm going back to bed."

The satirical snake bowed low, putting as much sarcasm into the movement as possible.

Kit, super happy that the visitor was staying, ran up to me and I patted him lovingly on the head before bailing on all of them and going back to my room. I made a conscious decision to refuse the day had started before the sun was at its zenith.