Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Big Bad Mission?

The morning sun streamed through the open windows of the Sun Palace Guest Wing, bringing with it the chatter of monkeys and the scent of jasmine.

Primrose woke up feeling like she had slept on a pile of rocks. Her whole body ached.

She stretched her arms high above her head.

"Mmmph," she yawned. "I need coffee. And maybe a chiropractor."

She swung her legs out of bed.

WHOOSH.

"AH!"

Primrose jumped back as her bedside table burst into flames. The wooden legs blackened instantly, and the plate of fruit that had been resting on it turned into charcoal.

"Fire! Fire!" Primrose shrieked, grabbing a pillow to smother it.

But the pillow caught fire too.

"Oh no!" Primrose tossed the flaming pillow out the window. It landed in a decorative fountain with a hiss.

"Is the palace under attack again?" Caspian asked calmly from the armchair in the corner. He was already dressed in a crisp blue tunic, reading a book titled Advanced Hydrology.

He didn’t even look up. He just flicked his wrist, and a stream of water from the flower vase shot across the room, dousing the burning table.

"It’s me!" Primrose wailed, staring at her backside. "I’m the attack!"

She now had Three Tails.

The White one (Frost).

The Silver one (Lightning).

And the new Gold-Red one (Sun-Fire).

The Gold-Red tail was currently wagging happily, throwing off little sparks like a sparkler.

"It responds to my emotions!" Primrose cried, trying to grab the tail, which dodged her like a playful puppy. "I’m hungry, so it’s angry! How am I supposed to function? I’m a walking fire hazard!"

"You are a walking stove," Caspian corrected, finally closing his book. He walked over and inspected the charred table. "Convenient for camping. Less convenient for wooden furniture."

He reached out and gently took hold of the fiery tail. Steam rose from his damp hand, but his water affinity neutralized the heat.

"Breathe, Prim," Caspian said softly. "The tail is part of you. Calm the fire inside, and the tail will cool."

Primrose took a deep breath. She thought about snow. She thought about ice cream. She thought about Rurik’s cold, unfeeling heart.

The flames on the tail died down to a soft, warm glow.

"Better," Primrose sighed. "But I’m definitely wearing the fire-proof apron today."

Outside the palace gates, a roar of a different kind was building.

It wasn’t a monster. It was a crowd.

Thousands of Tiger-Kin citizens had gathered in the plaza. They were chanting one name.

"AR-JUN! AR-JUN! AR-JUN!"

Inside the Throne Room, the atmosphere was tense.

Rajah stood by the window, peeking through the curtains. He looked tired. Arjun was sitting on the floor, happily playing with a wooden toy tiger, completely oblivious to the fact that he was the most famous person in the jungle.

"They want the Sun Child," Captain Indira reported, bowing low. "The Nobles are demanding an audience. They say the True Roar has returned. They want to pledge allegiance."

"They want to use him," Rajah growled. He turned to his mother. "Tell them to go away."

Queen Mother Durga sat on her throne. She looked smaller today, frailer, but her eyes were still sharp.

"I cannot tell the tide to stop, Rajah," Durga said. "The boy roared. He woke the Stone. By ancient law, he is the Chosen Heir."

"He is eight!" Rajah shouted. "He eats dirt! He thinks 2 plus 2 equals fish! He cannot rule a kingdom!"

"Fish is a valid answer in philosophy," Orion piped up from where he was reading a scroll. "It represents the fluidity of truth."

"Not helping, Orion!" Rajah snapped.

Rajah marched to the balcony doors. Leonora stepped up beside him, taking his hand.

"Ready?" Leonora asked.

"No," Rajah admitted. "But let’s do it."

They stepped out.

The crowd went wild. But when they saw it was Rajah, not Arjun, the cheering faltered slightly.

Rajah raised his hand. Silence fell.

"People of Suryapura!" Rajah’s voice boomed (without magic, just pure dad-lung power). "My son, Arjun, did save us last night. He has the Voice of the Ancestor."

A cheer started, but Rajah cut it off.

"BUT!" he shouted. "He is a child! He likes firecrackers and cartoons! He is not a political tool! He is not a weapon! And he is certainly not ready to listen to you lot argue about tax codes!"

The nobles murmured, confused. A King who refused power? Unheard of.

"He will learn!" Rajah promised. "He will grow strong. But he will do it on his own terms. Until he can do long division without crying, I am still the Lord here! And if anyone tries to put a crown on him before he is ready... I will feed you to the crocodiles myself!"

He glared at them.

For a second, nobody moved. Then, slowly, the people bowed. Not out of fear, but out of respect. A father protecting his cub was something every Tiger understood.

Back inside, Durga was smiling.

"You sounded like a King," she noted.

"I sounded like a Dad," Rajah corrected, picking up Arjun. "Come on, cub. Let’s go pack."

Before they left, there was one last piece of business.

In the private solar, Rajah and Leonora stood before Durga.

"We are getting married," Rajah announced bluntly. "In the summer. In the Capital. You are invited, Mother. But if you criticize the flower arrangements, Primrose will breathe fire on you."

Durga looked at Leonora. "Is this true, Lioness?"

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