#beek ocs | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

exlwandering · 5 months ago

Text

Finally wrote something for the first time in months. 11.7k words. Don't ask me how I don't fucking know.

This is gonna be a slow burn romance about my ocs Celica and Lemal. Neither are human, Celia is Kinda like a rabbit and Lemal is more akin to a raven. Okay. gonna word dump now. Tried to edit but if it's... weird. or has any typos... You know what to do. Enjoy Chapter one! More may come. hopefully.

Celica

In my dreams, since I was small I have always had a nightmare. Dark feathers wrap around me delicately, silently, rising and falling with the breath of a beast that lays beneath me, it sleeps many hours but it will awaken, my whole life this dream has only gotten that far, me sitting in silent terror of what would happen to me if I awoken such a beast, but last night. It woke up, with no real reason other than it tired of its rest, I put my arms out to stop it but no matter how I fought it was upon me, beak tearing into my flesh, massive claws tearing me apart and breaking bones, teeth finally pulling my flesh out to finally consume me. No matter how quiet I had always been, how soft or sweet, how light I had been on its back, I knew it would wake no matter how hard I prayed.

I woke up with a jolt. I lay in my bed, soft and plush, the sun rolling into my room through the open window, the curtains blowing in the gentle breeze. Lighting up the floor and the edge of my bed. For a moment I just sit there breathing in the moist air of new spring, that is of course before I remember the day. Today is the eve of my wedding.

I stumble out of my room, still in my nightgown, walking past servants and siblings alike, all my brothers and sisters stop to stare at me while I keep walking. Pushing through the dining room doors hoping to find solace in a warm meal. I first spot my Papa, tired eyes and panic lining his face and he turns away from a guest of some sort, his whiskers on end, ears perked in distress, crown lying unworn on the table. This strikes me in my tired state, he never likes to take it off, with so much family people forget who he is to them, it helps to remind them that they should respect him,of course it rarely works with actual family but still. I turn to my mothers spot at the table where she is crying. Crying. My mother is sobbing at the table while turning to me finally. This sobbers me up for a moment as I take a full sweep of the room and finally notice our guest.

Tall, much too tall, his feathered head almost reaching the ceiling, or it would had he not been crouched over the table with pen and parchment under his massively large clawed hands. His eyes are black and glossy and pointed totally at me before they glare disapprovingly at me, I remember I'm in my nightdress.

He lifts his paper for me to see, it’s not in my language but in Scalsy, the written language of the predators of the west, something I learned to read alongside my own language while I was still very little. The paper reads, to my great dread, “It's time to go.” Four simple words that will leave me dead by tomorrow. But I don't say that. All I say, in as much of a voice that I can muster is, “Alright. I'll get packed,” he seems to wince at this, holding one of his ears, or where his ears would go, in place is a tuft of feathers that just looks like an ear.

“Hold on,” Papa starts, “She's not going anywhere!” Papa has a snear across his face, showing his neck breaker teeth in a promise of violence. The man doesn't respond much other than in annoyance. He turns his head to write again. After a moment filled with scribbling sounds he lifts his paper again. To my father who draws a quick breath in before growling low, “You wouldn’t fucking dare!” The man then turns the paper to me with small amusement playing at the base of his beek, he’s smiling. The paper reads, “It’s this girl or we take another, your choice.”

“I'll go, I’ll go!” I put my hands in front of me, he again covers one of his ears and lets out a small growl in my direction, my father looks defeated. The man writes again, “Go get dressed and packed if you aren’t already. Now.”

I run to my room on all fours as fast as I can and start shoving my pants, shirts, books, and many pens in a chest. Once finished with that, I darted out of my nightgown and into a nice dress that had been left in my near empty closet. I turn again to my room for any keepsakes I want to take with me, pictures of family, drawings from my little siblings, my pocket watch, a bag of berry bush seeds, my newish diary, several empty diaries, and a small but bright candle, as well as something to light it.

Papa came bounding after me and had been saying my name the whole time I was shoving things away, he finally grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me out of my panic but also shaking small sobs out of me. It takes me a moment to stop them. He hugs me softly.

“Celica, I had a gift for you,” he let’s me go from the hug I so wish never would end. I look at him and then look down at his hand, small and soft, the pads slightly covered in his brown fur, he’s holding a small locket. He puts it around my neck slowly and lovingly, I hold my hair out of the way, the mess of soft curls getting tangled in the chain.

Once he’s done I open the locket and see the portrait of my great-something-aunt and her husband. I remember hearing her story for the first time, huddled in a soft blanket in my fathers lap. How a predator had butchered her, that only taters of her clothes and blood had been found, the rest of her likely consumed.

A quick moment of fury filled me, of all days to give me this damned thing. Why today? When I’m to marry the king of the predators? The one who is likely the most vicious? What the hell would have led my father to hand this over now? I looked up at him in fury and then stopped short, tears pricked his eyes.

“Don’t forget what they do, how they butcher us. Stay safe.” The last part was a whisper, his tears falling with his voice.

I hug him again, then whisper back, “Yes Papa.”

…

A loud thump fills my ears while I sit outside next to the carriage. It’s massive yet elegant, but I can't really care about it. I am a bit grateful tho, Mont, as the man reveals his name to be lets me say goodbye to my siblings and even some extended family, this is of course before he knows how many of them there are, after the tenth good bye he scribeles something hastily down, “For fucks sake girl, how much family can one princess have??” I don't tell him there are many more of them out of fear he'll change his mind.

Mont pulls me out of my thoughts for a moment, tapping my shoulder with his massive yet rather dull claw. He’s written again.

“Finally time to hit the road girl, get your father. Then we'll leave.” He turns to enter the carriage.

“Alright,” I respond before darting to the other side of the carriage, fathers just staring out into the woods.

“Hey,” I grab his coat and give it a small tug, “It’s time to go Papa.” I speak softly, I don't really know why other than it might serve to soothe him. He looks at me a moment before finally following me, holding my hand the whole way through. And then I hear my mother talking inside of the coach.

She’s talking faster than Mont can write about whether she can come, if there are any laws against it, about why he won’t talk, about why he’s so rude. I know what she’s doing and I almost go to stop her but I don't. I want to see if it works. It doesn't help that Mont is a rather slow writer, or that he clearly is running out of paper. Finally he throws his pencil down in rage and motions her to stop talking, after a heart beat he nods in defeat.

“I'm coming with you, and no one can stop me!” she screams from the coach before a snarl of pain follows, she quickly apologizes before we clamber in the coach ourselves, happy to be able to laugh together one last time.

My mother, as the ride continues, does not stop her questions, my father had long since gotten used to her very… Inquisitive nature, but Mont, with his apparently sensitive ears and being now trapped in a small space with my mother, looks like he's about to chuck her out of the window, so my Papa and I try our best to stop her questions. Now is a time to be quiet.

There are times however when Mont does accept questions, through writing he told us 1 question each so that he could quote on quote, “give himself some peace” My mother goes first, after a moment of great thought.

“Can you really not talk?”

His response, “Of course I can talk, you little things just can’t really hear us, this (writing what he’s saying) is better.(apparently)”

My father has no questions so he gives me his. My first question is: “Why did they send you (a slow writer) to get us (those who can’t even hear you)?

His response: “King Lemal is my best friend, I promised I’d keep you things safe. Wouldn’t want a dead bride now would we?”

I’m tempted to make my next question: “Or a dead princess? Queen? Or even a dead King?”

But I quickly remembered how little the predators valued us, only being meek and eager “prey.”

So I instead asked: “What is King Lemal Like? As a person not a king.”

His response was rather long and thus took him several minutes, but when he was done: “Lemal is proper and quite respectable, but wild when he wants to be. He’s pretty smart too, though is more of a smart-ass than anything else. He’s into reading and hunting, obviously, and he’s a bit creative with his nonsense. I wouldn’t worry about how he’ll treat you given his excitement for you. But he’s king, and you’ll be queen, so what does it really matter what he’s like, it’s not like you have a say either way.”

While that last part I know is true, it still scares me so I’m silent the whole rest of the ride, resting between my parents one last time.

I can’t help but think about how this has played out so far, about were it’s going, so quietly, while everyone is asleep i dig into my bag and pull out my pen and diary, going as quietly as i can to not wake anyone but when I look back up with said diary and pen Mont is staring at me clearly pissed, he motions for me to give him my diary. For a moment I’m terrified that he’ll take it but I don't see what choice I have, so I slowly hand both items to him, however instead of digging through them or throwing them out the window or anything else he begins to write inside of it. After a moment he hands both objects back, in large sloppy handwriting he wrote down, “By God am I glad that you're not gonna be my wife. But I’m up now, so write.” I flick my head back up to him but he’s looking out the window, looking annoyed yet passive.

“Thank you,” I whisper before he waves his hand dismissively at me.

I pour the whole day into the diary just before the sun breaks through the wood of the branches outside and once I’ve put my diary back into my bag and closed it over the hill I see a massive palace that reaches to nearly the heavens. I have to swallow my scream at just the sight of it.

The slam of my carrier chest against the gravel of the drive breaks me of my trance, my Mama and Papa are beside me watching Mont try to pick the chest back up before forfeiting to its weight and dropping it again. He give me a look which i take as a pointed question, responding with: “I’m sorry, it’s mostly full of my books.” He gives me another look as if to say “what the fuck is wrong with you?” I responded with another apology.

Many people are out and about on the drive, one coming to help Mont to pick up my luggage, several carrying other things into the palace (namely benches and decorations) but two are heading right toward my family and I, quickly. Two women by the looks of it, they didn’t have hair on their heads but their feathers were styled very nicely to swoop down and out every few inches making almost a wave effect, their necks were long and elegant holding up their heads and beaks. One of the women was walking straight to us while looking at us but the other was looking right at her, presumably someone of great importance by how she held herself and how she seemed to look down and altogether ignore everyone else, but me that it.

They stopped right in front of us, presumably continuing a conversation we still couldn't hear no matter how close they got, the more regal one finally snapped her fingers and grabbed someone's attention before pointing down at us, the the man grabbed the arms of my parents, picked them up and started to walk away and before i had any say in the matter, the less regal women grabbed my arm and picked me up, showcasing me to the regal woman.

The scream was pulled out of me but not of my parents, whom I heard grow more faint and distant as the woman surveyed me, lifting my chin, my arms and even poking my belly in one instance. Finally when she was done inspecting me, the woman holding me started to walk away at an alarming rate towards the palace, and in an instance we were inside.

Her pace was faster than I could ever run yet she only seemed to be walking carrying me through the halls until finally we walked up to a false wall that opened up to a massive bathroom. She began to rip the dress off of me before dropping its remnants on the ground, leaving the places she pulled against me sore and surely to bruise later. While this happened several other women were preparing soapy water that when I was eventually dropped carelessly into i discovered how cold it was. Shivering to the bone, the women proceeded to dose me in soaps and roughly scrub them into my fur leaving me looking like a massive bubble. When done with the scrubbing the woman who brought me in put her hand on my back, I realized just how large these people were to me as her hand not only covered my entire back but her fingers wrapped around my waist like she was holding a broom handle. She swept my body under the water and no matter how I thrashed I couldn't get out of her grip. Soapy water filled my mouth and nose and lungs, the taste reminding me of the small years of my childhood. Finally, after almost a minute of being held under the water and shaking to remove the soap I was pulled out from the water completely and dropped back in only this time free of the hand. I gulped in the air before lunging for the side of the tub so I would not have to swim in its depths again. As I sat there for a moment one of the bath ladies sat there looking sad for me but only for a moment before she tenderly pulled me out of the freezing water and into the warmth of her towel. That was when I retched.

It was only water as I hadn't eaten since the morning before but it clearly disturbed the main woman, she glowered at the girl who held me who then resumed the drying process, scrubbing me so hard and fast I likely shocked the next person I touched.

When the girl released me of my towel drying the woman again dragged me to another room giving a quick moment of reprieve. There I had faint oils rubbed into my back, throat and face, burning my eyes again. They used the oils to try and shape my fur, pushing it downward. In the end when I was pushed in front of a mirror, seeing my naked body almost made me laugh.

Not only was i still damp with oils, but the way they shaped my fur made me look like I had been doused in water, it also darkened my fur in a very unattractive way, thankfully however my fur has always been bad at keeping a styled shape, it curls at the ends no matter how it's shaped usually destroying the style, something i am now thankful for. Besides, when I’m alone later I can always give it a tussle so the proper shape comes back and I don't look so… Bad. I don’t know how they expect me to marry though. I still have so little air in me that I'll Likely pass out at the altar, my eyes are brilliant red from the soaps and fragrance oils, and they used so much of said oils i look like i haven’t bathed in weeks despite the fresh wash, not to mention how I am barely standing on my own at the moment.

My break at the mirror is very brief it seems as quickly a new lady has taken to role of manhandling me, showing me in a first much too big bra, likely mistaking my chest fur for breasts, then a much too small bra that won't go over my head, and finally one that, while tight, is still wearable. She jots something down and passes it to me.

It reads,“We’ll get you more clothes in a few weeks.”

I’m very glad to have brought my own. The sizing process repeats with a pair of underwear that has straps that go around the tops of my thighs. Oh. Oh no. This woman’s fitting me for lingerie, OH HELL NO. I begin to take the bra off but given how tight it is it’s difficult. She catches me and shoves it right back on before grabbing an under dress and throwing that over me and then quickly grabbing a corset. I fucking hate corsets. It was starting to become a trend back home to wear ones but not like this one. This one, in contrast to the ones at home, was full sized and would pull in my stomach and my chest. However this might be my save and grace!

My chest fur wont stay in the corset. The underdress is too low cut to hold it down so everytime she begins to tighten my fur rises. Over and over again. After the fourth time putting it back on I think she's gotten so tired of it she’ll quit. I am very wrong. She instead pushes my fur down, tightens the corset with practiced precision to an extremely tight fit, then shoves what leftover fur pops out when she removes her hand back into the corset. Some relief follows the removal of her hand but very little. I can barely breathe, even less so than before.

She pays this no mind as she goes about picking a finally piece while I try to remove the corset myself or to at least loosen the damn thing but i can’t, and when she turns to watch as my hands finally fall, as i finally give in, i watch as she smiles at me in the mirror.

While this corset woman is picking a dress the woman who nearly drowned me comes back in with a smile on her face before it falls when she looks at me. They begin to argue. (or at least it looks like it, this not hearing thing is getting on my last nerve today) Finally the conflict is resolved almost before it can begin when the Nearly-Drowned-Me-Lady (NDM lady until i learn her name) pecks the corset lady right between the eyes drawing blood that shines against her beak. She holds the wound in her hand, crying before nearly running away, back into the bathroom.

I look up at the remaining woman who’s grabbed a small (in her hands) dress and puts it on me.

Looking at myself is almost a sad event, oily fur, red eyes, frequent flinching when I breathe, and a dress that consumes me. However she seems quite pleased with her handy work. She points her clawed finger to me I guess to say don’t move a muscle before leaving again.

I focus on learning to breathe in this thing, as I'll probably be in it for a while, but then I hear steps towards me coming from the bathroom. A woman pokes her head out of the door frame looking around. It takes me a moment to realize she's the woman who toweled me down. She's walking toward me with another towel, much smaller this time, and a small bowl of water. I don’t fight her when she lifts my head and gently pours water in my eyes, catching it with the towel. When she's done both eyes she towels my face down removing excuse oil titering and making soft crow sounds. When she’s done she shakes her head, sits at a nell and puts her hand out which i slowly shake. She sees me wince and looks confused for a moment before her eyes widen and she unzips the back of my dress and losses the corset, giving me enough room to finally take a full breath.

“Thank you,” I breathe, relieved to do so. She nods her head then snaps her neck to the door the previous woman left out of, gathering the bowl and towel, patting my head and walking back to the bathroom.

After a heartbeat the NDM woman walks back into the room, grabbing my hand and dragging me to another event.

I’d completely zoned out while she pretty much dragged me down the halls, she didn’t want to pick me up again but she didn’t want to stoop down so she could hold my hand, instead she was carrying me like a stuffed toy, my feet hitting the ground ever so often.

Finally we came to a stop in the middle of a massive hallway with curtains blocking a doorway, after a beat we go inside of it were the first woman who inspected me sits lounging on a cushioned seat, very little has changed of her appearance, in fact only one thing has changed, she’s now wearing a crown. This woman is queen. Or was queen, as Lemal is already King. So either he is going to have two wives in a few hours or this is his mother. The mother angle seems more plausible as she, ever so often in her feathers hints of gray, no doubt dyed away to be forgotten about.

The women are talking about me while I just stand there, focusing on the ground. Once more I have no way of knowing what they're saying and that fact alone makes me feel like digging a hole and collapsing the entrance while in it.

I look up at the ex-queen (I think she is anyway, it’s a decent guess) trying to remember her name. I remember her husband’s, He was King Monal the… either third or fourth, I still can't remember what her name was. Someone however took my mind off of that as she motioned backward to someone behind her, she turned all the way and started to show the person away, Even the NDM lady was stood up from her seat (i don’t know when she sat down, I guess I just didn’t notice) and began to sho the person away as well, they were behind the curtain but I’m fairly certain that it was a man behind it. He pecked in further and the ex-queen was smiling broadly as she put her hand on his chest pulling a smile out of him, looking at his chest it looked like he was laughing with them. (Maybe) Finally he gave a small wave (that might have been pointed at me) before leaving the room. The rest of the time i spent in there was a blur.

After an hour spent in silence came the part of the day I was most dreading, looking through the windows I can see that the sun is going to set soon, maybe within the hour.

There is so little sound, all that can be heard is the sound of people sitting, no chatter, nothing. Just me waiting until the doors opened.

…

How will he kiss me.

It’s such a stupid question but one I have to ask. He has no mouth, only a beak. Hell, I don't even know what he looks like, I know what his species looks like but who knows if he knows what my species looks like, was he given a portrait? Even a description, i sure wasn’t so why should he be given one? Maybe they didn’t want him knowing what I looked like so if they killed me they could… That’s so stupid! This is stupid!

The doors open, cutting my thoughts away and in perfect clarity the question of what he looks like is swept away.

He’s tall, even for a predator he’s huge. He stands above the priest who’s standing on a slightly raised step, yet he’s taller than him. He’s also pristine, slicked back feathers, no style to them just straight down and sharp. His clawed and feathered feet hold up his form, dressed in a military uniform almost entirely free of decoration. His tail feathers nearly touch the floor, and he holds himself with pride when I first see him, but when he sees me his posture softens some, not much but some.

I realize I’m just standing there staring and trying to take the first step forward, I feel stuck to the ground, weighed down in my too large and unflattering dress. But I do it. I take that step. I accept this shitty hand I’ve been dealt, so long as it means my family don’t have to take said hand. His hand.

I feel them all watching and I see my mother and father at the front bench watching my personal demise live, up close and personal. For a moment I regret being born.

I’m shaking, visibly, but I don't care. I can’t even focus on that.

He puts his hand out to me. I have to take it but I just stare at it for a moment. My future husband with his massive hand that could snap my neck with one motion, could wrap his hand around my body so tight my ribs break, the claws that, despite their dullness could slit through me like butter. And it would hurt too. And he’d have every legal right to do it. To rip me apart. To devore me like my aunt, like my sister's friend, like I’m his prey.

…

I take his hand. I’ve stopped shaking too.

The priest begins his speech

I only know this because I can ever so slightly hear it, it’s so low and quiet I feel like I'm hearing it from another room but I do, in fact, hear it. Mama and Papa probably can’t though.

For several minutes he rambles about royal lineage which I ignore, but I can't help but listen when he brings my lineage up, the whole reason for this.

“-as this young princess, eldest of her kin joins us as many others like her have done before her, for the predators sacred right to feast, to indulge and laguash in a successful hunt. When this hunt finished many eons ago our people demanded a reward for a war well fought, and today ladies and gentleman, the payment to this king- this new age is paid in the blood and body of our newest queen!”

I try to forget the blood and body parts as best I can. I can hear my mother weeping behind me. I zone out for a while longer before I hear him ask me “Do you take this man-?” I whisper an “I Do” before I try and stop myself. I hear him ask “Do you take this woman-?” and after a moment Lemal dips his head in a nod and turns to me before kneeling to- not my height, but as low as he can get, before pulling me close, rubbing the side of his beak against the side of my face. The priest then announced that it is done and we are now husband and wife. King and queen of the western predators.

…

I feel like I'm going to throw up again.

***

The rest of the night goes by with me either sitting in his lap, in his arms or on his shoulder, he’s laughing with his friends and family over the dinner table. I smell roasted meats fill the air and the mere thought of having to eat it with him fills me with terror. I've never eaten meat before and I do not intend to start now. I skipped that meal. Later courses came filled with large fruits as a type of desert and despite my hunger I eat as little as I’m able to- I don’t know why. I eat plenty of cake in the course afterwards but I don’t know why I don’t eat the fruit. Maybe its juice stains his hand too much like blood. Or maybe I’m just being extra cautious.

At the end of the night my mother and father are escorted out and I jump out of King Lemals gentle grasp to catch up to them, I have to say goodbye at least, i have to. By the time I do so with King Lemal following at a leisurely pace while I run, I am sobbing, keeled over trying to catch my breath.

In a moment I am up and jumping for my Papa one last time, to hug him just one last time. He catches me and we bury our faces into each other's necks, dampening them with tears. My mother jumps around both of us pulling her arms as far around the both of us as she can and crying into my scalp.

After a long moment Papa pulls away but I try so hard to not let go but he’s stronger in his resistance. He puts his hand on the locket I've worn the whole day before kissing my forehead, my mother kissing my cheek and scalp and ear. Then Papa pulls back, bows and begins the walk back to the carriage they arrived with me in, leaving me behind. My mother lingers for longer, continuing to kiss and hug me, before whispering “Be so strong my love, I know you are.” She has to be picked up but she still fights but not when she actually gets in the carriage itself.

I sit in the grass and King Lemal and the guards that walked my family away all leave and for a moment I am alone. Completely and utterly.

But only for a moment.

Lemal returns. I hear him before I see him. He sits in the grass with me then slides and piece of cake in front of me. I reach for the dessert spoon and as soon as I have taken a bite he pulls my body to his.

…

The rest of the night passes in a blur. When I start thinking again Lemal has me in his hands cradled to his chest. I start thinking again solely because I know where we’re going, to the bedroom, where he'll no doubt rip this dress off of me and delight in the lingerie they forced on me. I begin to wiggle in his grip, trying to get away but it feels like he just thinks i’m slipping because he holds me tighter when he reaches for the nob of the door, walks in, and shuts it behind him.

I jump out of his hands and onto the bed like an idiot. He looks at me with an expression that reads excited are we which I very much am not. I shake my head quickly and say “No! No, I really don’t want to, I-I- I don't even know you your highness!” He raises his hands to calm me, I think. He walks to the dresser, opens it and grabs clothes from it, then gestures to my chest of things, someone must have brought it here just after my arrival. He then walks away to, supposedly, the toilet room.

As soon as the door closes I jump off of the much too high bed and quickly throw open the chest and grab my clothes before releasing something. I can't take off the corset, not by myself. Which means i cant put on the night dress, fuck.

He walks out after a moment, in loose night pants and no shirt. It’s all just feather, feather, feather and more feather. Not to even mention his wings that arc up over his head. “No wonder the bed’s so big,” I whisper and I think this made him laugh. “

Hey… could I ask you to do something and you not act on what that action usually means?” He didn't respond for several seconds until I turned and showed him the still very much tightened corset and still on dress. He raised his hands in protest but after he stopped I just replied with, “...Please?” He seemed to give in at that moment. Gesturing to the bed.

It took some work, I had to completely flatten my feet to the ground, then bounce for a second to jump as high as the bed, however I was too close and smashed my face into the side of the mattress. I shook my head and turned back for him, looking for help but instead finding him trying so hard not to laugh at me he was holding his beak shut. After a moment passing he breathed clearly and stooped to help me but I was already trying again and I leapt between his arms when he reached me, glaring at him.

He put his hand on his neck looking like he was about to apologize but I didn’t even want him to try. “Just help me, please.” After a moment, he sat on the bed and did just that, slowly pulling the dress off and undoing the corset until it was just string on the floor. I ripped it off and threw that away too. After jumping to the head of the bed on the opposite side. I slipped off the underdress while he averted his eyes then put on the night gown. And then… He laid down. Got under the blankets and laid down. So I did the same, and tried my absolute best to try and ignore the animal skins everywhere, the fact I was sleeping next to the king of the western predators, the fact that he is now my husband, and that we would do this every night.

Lemal

“Okay so… what’s wrong with him?”

Father gave me a strange look, like I'm an idiot. “The problem is that your brother doesn't want to marry the prey girl!”

“Okay so why don’t you want the prey girl Cuss? And more importantly why does this affect me?”

“Lemal! Isn't it obvious??” Father and I just stared at him for a moment waiting for him to say it. I already know, I’m just too tired at the moment. I went on a goose chase last night for barely anything to show for it other than heavy eyes and heavier limbs.

“I want to marry for love! And within my own species. And that just starts the list of why I don't wanna marry the prey girl! I’ve got many other reasons.” Father groaned and I just smiled at his answer.

“Always the helpless romantic brother.”

Balasey from her corner lounge chair piped in with, “He’s an idiot, like any girl could love you.”

“Thank you Balasey, always the optimist, love your input,” I muttered the last part so we could all pretend I didn't say it, of course she didn’t drop it.

“Excuse me you runt what did you say-”

“We haven’t the time for this- AND it's what Cusuma wants! Your little brother wants us to forget the topic at hand!” Father throws himself into his armchair in front of the window, it buckles under his weight and again makes that horrible sound.

“When are you gonna fix that chair father- and anyways wouldn’t that make Cusuma King to marry that girl? That makes no sense, I am already king number one, number two why can’t I marry the girl, I have no qualms against it, marriage is marriage, you and mother worked out just fine. I mean there’s three of us, one more than needed so that’s got to say something about how it worked out,” I take a sip of my drink, “so why not huh?”

“Well first,” Balasey chipped in, “they only had three because I’m the middle child and I’m a woman, the breeder is typically a man, so is the king, and then the girl is just an inconvenience.”

“So you do want me to send you to the monastery?” Father added, Balasey sunk into her seat to avoid answering. “Thank you girl,” he took a sip of his drink. “And I want to teach him responsibility Lemal, the boy needs to learn. And if your sister is right about anything it’s that that boy will never marry, let alone have legitimate heirs on his own, so better to make him the object of the prey things attentions, beside if he really hates her he can kill her and just marry another! She’s dime a dozen, hell, she was born with three other females so we can get one for you too Lemal, if you really want. One wife for fun, one for breeding no problem.”

Balasey got up and left at that.

“Or we can finally put your sister to work and get her married!!” We both looked at him then, “Oh! Come on boys, you know she needs to contribute to this family, she wasn’t born for no reason!”

Somewhere a door slams so loud I have no doubt that it’s been snapped in two. Father cuckles.

“Father please don’t make me, I don't want a marriage to be stained with my supposed lover's blood!”

“And anyway father,” I finally chim back in, “why make things complicated? You’re right, he needs to learn responsibility so why not send him to a soldiers camp, there are much simpler ways.”

“I don’t wanna do that either!!”

“OH pipe down you clown!” He swirled his drink thinking for a moment.

“Besides,” they both looked at me Cuss in anger and father in curiosity, “I do find the things a decent amount attractive, I won’t waste her. Not like he will.” My idiot brother nods at this and father tits at his stupidity, I just laugh softly.

After a moment of thought Father answers again, “Fine, you’re right Lemal why make this complicated, I can teach him in other ways.”

“Perfect, solution found!”

Father got up from his chair, downing his drink, “By the way Lemal,” he began to walk out the door, “The wedding’s next week.”

“Sorry?” I stood up in astonishment, my brother whooping in victory in the corner.

***

I wish I didn't have to wake up, this was most days but especially today given I awoke to people running in and out of my room pulling things out here and there until it was almost completely empty.

“What the hell are they doing? “ I say, groggy from another sleepless night.

“Moving your thing’s to the bridal sweet m’lord,” says my groomer, Ramey.

“Oh. Right, the marriage thing today,” I say, swishing his hand and comb away, he reaches for me again. “My feathers are fine, leave me alone Ram.”

“As you wish, should I get the ladies in the washroom to start your grooming or do you want to hunt first?”

“Hunt? Oh hell no, not today, besides I did enough of that last night. I made it to where only meats that I’ve hunted will be served tonight- of course at the expense of my me but who gives a shit about that?” Ramey is about to say something but I cut him off before he can show any concern, “Yes, please call the ladies to wash me off, also tell them about the new oils you bought. I don't think they know about that yet.”

“Of course,” I walk out of the room and he follows me, “I also bought some oils and soaps for your bride, do you want them to use them today or tonight or?”

I stop to think about it. “Um, use the same oils on her as you do me so that she already smells like me, the fuckers in the palace get way too handsy. Unless she smells like me they’ll think they can make an early claim to her and I don’t want that. I’d like to keep her flower intact until I can get to her thank you.” I stop in the main dining room, stretching in front of the window looking out it. Ramey looks with me. Then at me.

“You really should spend the whole night with her, she’ll be scared being in such a new and dangerous place on her own, she should at least have her husband share a bed with her on her first night here. I know how scary the adjustment is.”

I don’t look at him still, thinking for a moment. “Hey Ram,” I put my hands in my pockets, finally looking at him, “completely dose her in the oils I use today.”

After breakfast comes a well needed wash, I lavish in its coldness while the ladies wash out the bad oils and put in the good.

I wonder what she looks like? She’ll be small, I know that but how small? Like… waste height or smaller? Ya know, thinking about it i haven’t even seen too much of her species, then again she probably hasn’t seen too much of my own so at least we have that much in common. Heh, maybe we can use that to ‘get to know each other.’

Right now, snapping out of my trance, I hear my mother titering in the other room, likely waiting for me to get the hell out of the bath. Looking around I realize that the ladies are more or less finished and now are cleaning around me so as to not be an idol. I stand, pulling half the tubs water out with me, and they soon begin drying me.

“Are you ever going to be finished in there, you girl?”

“Good morning mother, you can come in, you know.” One of the Ladies passes me my wax and I generously applied it to my beak. “Also you want me to look good on my wedding day don't you?” I say this with a smile getting a small dollop of wax in my mouth that I become preoccupied with getting out of my mouth. Moving to the mirror my mother walks in.

“Oh cover yourself, you know you have more than one and I don’t wanna see that!”

“Didn’t you birth me?”

“Yes but that was a long time ago and I didn’t even feed you so stop mocking me already, you'll make your poor mother even more gray!” I wrap a towel around my waste.

“Oh you are too lovely, gray or not.” She replies with a simple “mh” before moving to the mirror, examining herself.

“They're late, you know.”

“I don’t really care,” I start.

“Well I do, and it’s because of the boy, the one you’re friends with, the bastard boy. Who knows what he did,” she turns to me, “You don’t think he’s letting her say goodbye to all of those family members do you?”

“Why would that be a problem?”

“You know why!!” I give her a look of confusion. “UHH! Those things breed like, like, like themselves! They have troves of themselves everywhere!”

“Not here.”

“Only because they are just smart enough to stay away for their own little lives sakes. The poor things. That prey girl thing will be such a pain. Your uncle has one and I don’t know how he does it, every generation, every king. It’s bogus.”

One of the Ladys comes with my uniform for today and I stand ready for her to put it on me. “Don’t say that Mother,” I pause, “You know Ramey says that I should be nice to the girl, don’t you like him?”

“I like that he knows how to make this old bag of bones and dust look like a brand new bag, yes! But I don't really value his opinion that much, sorry.”

“Well i think you ought to be nice to her, in fact, can you see to it that she’s treated gently. I want a pampered little pet, no stress or reason to worry at all. How’s that mummy, just like your wedding.”

“Ha! You’re the stupidest one of my children if you really think that my wedding was a happy one, oh I hate your father, he’s so annoying. He’s always been like your brother, it’s why he hates him.”

“Don’t say that mother!”

“It’s true!”

I’m about to say something more but then we hear a carriage pull into the drive.

“OH, yes, finally!! I can get a look at the thing! Oh- come here, there’s three, come see, come see!!” She’s jumping in excitement looking down and out of the window. I come to join her just in time for the things to climb out. Also just in time to watch Mont fail at picking up a chest for a creature whose things could barely weigh a pound.

“See?” She says mocking Mont, “Bastard children are runts what do I tell you!”

“Next you’ll say Cuss is a bastard,” She puts her finger to the tip of her beak and I laugh.

“I’m going down to see,” she says excitedly, I quickly follow now fully dressed to not only get a look but to help Mont.

We arrive quick enough, mother and my bride's new lady in waiting head right over to them, I head over to help Mont and ask about my bride.

Together we pick up the chest and lo and behold it’s one of the heavier chests that I’ve picked up in a while.

“Shit what’s in this thing??” I Grunt out while we move it to a cart.

“The Girl says ‘mostly books’ as well as ‘sorry.’” Mont says, mocking her.

“Well those are two very important pieces of information, she can read, and well it seems, and she’s got humility.” Mont laughs and we turn to watch the lady in waiting and my mother get over the family of prey. Two are picked up and likely taken to the altar to be given contractual jobs but one is left behind, she’s picked up and my mother exploded in laughter calling her simple and dainty, Mont and I just laugh at the image of the girl picked up as a pet.

“Okay well I’ll tell you one thing Lemal.”

“And what is that?”

“I don’t envy you.”

“Neither does my mother, she dreads the very idea of her even being in the palace.”

“Oh i don’t even mean that, the thing writes all hours of the night when she’s stressed”

“Oh, well that makes two non-sleepers,” I begin to walk back into the palace. “Besides, if all goes well she won’t be stressed at all, just like a very spoiled pet, if anything.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Every one of those wife, pet things that I’ve ever met , and I’ve met the only two still alive, both were stressed all the fucking time, don’t kid yourself if you think she won’t die of it if not by one of us first.”

“Neither of those is happening. I’ll tell you why if you ask.” “...Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”

“I have a plan.”

“Oh do you?”

“Yes, now shut up. I’m gonna find every interest that she could ever be interested in and I’ll do everything that she wants. She wants cake, she’s got it, she wants books, she’s got it, she wants sex, well she’s more than got that.”

Mont snickers, “your kidding yourself even more if you think that’s all women like-”

“I know that dumbass, but still. Whatever she wants is hers. I just want to say I tamed one of those prey critters and that will bring me fame and acolytes!”

“More than being king?”

“Oh shut up. I’ve got a fitting to get to so why don’t you do some wine tasting for the both of us huh?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, but that cake part of the plan’s gonna backfire.”

“Oh please,” I said walking away, “who doesn't like a fat pet?!”

Walking into the fitting room everyone begins to fuss at me again and I spend the next hour standing doing nothing so the seam cleaners can also do nothing because they did such a great job last time, all that’s left for me to do is to think really.

I couldn't get a good look at her before but her body was much smaller than I thought it would be. I could fit her in my hands with ease, probably balance her in just one hand. I’ll have to try later. She’s so small just a squeeze would pop her, speaking of that I turn a lot in my sleep, I’ll have to watch myself to make sure I don’t crush her. Maybe a wall of pillows? But I want her to be able to get to me. Don’t want to discourage any fun. How would that even work with her? Would they.. Fit? That’s a dirty thought. Thinking of other things, the kiss is going to be awkward at the actual ceremony, given her lack of a beak. How do prey kiss? Wait no, not prey, southern prey creatures, the… Pami! They have beaks… Small beaks but beaks. So… Compatu. Compatu Prey, how do they kiss? Guess I’ll have to ask her, but she might not know, if everything has gone well with her then she’ll never have done so before but here’s to hoping. I wonder- My father walks in, fumming.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re brother, he’s being an idiot again. He got you into this and now wants to pull you out of this because he feels bad, can’t he grow a fucking wing bone already!?”

“Wait, he wants to marry her? Hell no, not now. Why even?”

“Can’t you hear, he ‘feels bad,’ pathetic.”

“Oh please just tell him I’m fine and he’ll get over it.”

“Well I-”

“I don’t even wanna hear this father, just tell him to shut his beak before he tries to pull a stunt like speaking out at the wedding itself and everything will be fine.” I begin to walk away.

“Oh if your brother so much as thinks of doing that!” He begins to scream down the hall that he entered through, “I’ll have his damn pelt lining my coat!!”

Walking down the halls I hear a familiar voice going on and on about how “This pet creature is just not as much of a beauty as she would have hoped but she’ll have to do!” So following mothers voice i find her titering on and on with my fiance's new Lady in waiting once again. Mother spots me through the curtains and begins to greet me before changing her mind.

“Oh my- What are you doing here, you need to finish your fitting, hell i can still see a pin in your shoulder!”

“Oh that’s nothing mother i promise, oh- is that her?”

“Oh your majesty please, leave before your surprise is spoiled!” The Lady goes on about surprises for a while.

“You act like I don't know I’m getting married my lady but it’s quite the contrary, I promise.”

“Oh, you boy, get out!” Mother puts her hand on my chest, lightly pushing me out of her little “conference room,” I chuckle at her efforts. Before lightly waving to my little bride with a now much clearer look at her. Light brown fur all over her face with white rings around her eyes, nose and mouth, and a small pink nose in the center. But best of all are those eyes, dazzling green eyes that spark her face to life but bring an awfully shy look to her face. So in summary, she’s the most damn adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

I’m finally pushed out of my mothers room and for a moment I just stumble backwards, she’s just a delight to look at yet still I didn't see her in nearly the right conditions. I'll tell you what she looks like though, she looks right out of a painting.

Yes, a painting of her surrounded by lovely flowers and berries and fruits, all of the greens of the stems and leaves bringing her eyes to the focal point, captivating and entrancing… I can’t wait to see her down that aisle, the light focused just on her, and she’ll be all for me. Fuck i can’t even handle the thought of that. What am I gonna do when I actually see it happen?

I bump into my brother. I hadn’t even realized I had been walking.

“Oh Lemal I am so sorry! Father won't let me undo my mistake and I really don’t want you to pay for my burden! Honest.”

“What? What burden?”

“Marrying that little thing, I'll tell you what I'll do, we switch places and I just kill it afterwards, and we forget the whole thing, it’ll be like nothing happened!”

I slam him against the wall, growling in his face, “If you even think of hurting her i’ll fucking dimeber you and you know that’s a promise.” He shudders under my hands, “Understand?”

“Yes brother, I understand!” His head nodds like his neck is broken and it will be if he doesnt stop being ridiculous. I let go of him.

He reaches for his neck, rubbing it, then his shoulder.

Together we walk into the chapel and we both take our places. He grabs my shoulder and turns me around to face him. “What do you-” He pulls the pins out of my suit, one on my shoulder, the second on my collar, the third somewhere on my chest, he puts each point end up into his pocket, practically doming himself to poke his fingers with the ends at least once when he goes to remove them.

“Thank you.”

After a moment of thought he looks up at me, for the first time in a while I see him for what he is, a small teenager who has no clue what he’s to do with himself. A no one prince who’s trying his damndest for himself and his brother. I feel the impact of earlier finally reaching my hands and realizing how close I was to actually hurting him. “Are you sure about this? I’ll take her if you really want, not harming her at all, whatever you want, Lemal.”

“Don’t worry,” I pull his head into my chest, “I am… More than fine with this brother.” I want to add a thank you to the end of that but I can't for some reason.

He breathes into me, “Good because if I do anything Father will actually kill me.”

We both chuckle at that.

What the hell is taking so long? It’s all I can think about, why is this taking so damn long. I can feel my tail feathers bouncing in anticipation, Cuss’s nervous energy has finally infected me, as I watch him over and over again click his thumb to his forefinger rapidly, actually no, not rapidly, only every second. So I quite literally have been counting the seconds that have passed that the wedding is supposed to have started by now. But people are still finding their seats, something that kills me. Just sit your asses down, it all you people ever do anyways, all hungry with only one chief in the kitchen i.e. ME. I’ll strangle the person who sits in their seat last.

With that thought over, quite conveniently, the doors open, slowly but surely she’s revealed.

Her image at first is comical, a wedding dress with huge shoulder puffs and white fabric covering her arms, the body of the dress being too long for her, she’ll appreciate some nice dresses later, I think. Her actual face and body though…On her little head two round and tiny ears poke through her hair, soft and lightly curled fizzing in just the most adorable way. Her little whiskers, which I couldn’t see in the dark of the last room, stand on end, the end of each being black. And finally those eyes again. For a moment I lose my posture and lose myself, she’s looking entirely at me, not just perceiving me, but staring at me, taking me all in. All her attention right where it belongs. I silently thank my brother for being the idiot he is. A fortune for a loss I suppose.

She slowly climbs her way to the end of the aisle and as she gets closer the clearer I can hear her heartbeat but it kills me knowing how others can hear it too. She’s right in front of me when I decide to bend down and offer my hand to her. She takes a moment, breathing shallowly, looking at my hand and then right at me. Her eyes pierce me and for a moment I just wanna grab her, Just make others stop looking at her. And then she finally takes my hand. Despite what I would have guessed, the pads to her hands were rough, deeply callused and slightly scared from who knows what. But her fur itself is so soft, and funnily enough just a little bit damp still.

The priest begins his little sermon but I can't be made to listen despite the absurdly loud volume of his voice. One point does get through to me. “This new age is paid in the blood and body of our newest queen!” I couldn’t have put that part better, it sounds so damn romantic, carnal. After all, every new age is paid for in the blood and bodies of those who bring it about. Then i realize something. I didn’t even think to ask her fucking name, dumbass, dumbass, dumbass!! How many times were you around people who knew her name? Mont! Her Parents! Father! My Brother for fucks sake! And then he says it.

“Celica, do you take this man-”

My breath hitches in my throat when he barely has finished the sentence and she shouts “YES!” Her voice is like honey.

Moments later I’m asked the same question and I answer with as romantic a voice I can muster and a deep nod. I stop listening again, stoop down to as low as I can get and rub my beak against her cheek, and when my beak is just past her hair I take a deep breath in to smell her, just as I wanted she was totally dosed in the same oils as me, so she smells woody with some mint, but what I wasn’t expecting was a hint of something other, her own smell. She smelled like berries and fresh earth, like morning dew. That moment alone convinced me to stop trying to make her smell like me and instead make myself smell like her.

I spend the rest of the night promising to hold onto her, both so that i can get the delicious smell on me and also so i dont lose her or worse step on her hehe~ We skip out on the festivities, at first I try to ask her questions but she rarely seems to hear them which, given the sound of the music I couldn’t blame her for, so I am content with just her touch for now.

When food started to come out, just as I had wanted, only the meats that I had hunted were served as roasts, pies, stews and soups and in almost every piece of food.

“Here my wife, eat.” I push a bowl of some roast into her hands which she quickly tries to put down to my distress.

“Please, I can’t.” She says very quickly.

I try again to get her to eat, “No i insist me dear-”

“Please don’t make me. I can’t.”

I finally let her put the bowl down with a quiet, “alright dear.” Though she did eat. A few courses later she began to eat small pieces of fruit, my favorite type as well. Rosen Berries, big meaty berries that fit snugly in my own hand, so I quickly cut some up for her while she sat in my lap and offered her the small pieces while I tore into the rest. In one instance I saw her just watching me eat, her eyes wide with wonder, likely at how I ate it.

Finally when the cake came around she ate a full slice, more than enough for her little body. But from the doorway came a loud pair of yelps, presumably from her parents as they were ordered to leave. I tried to tell the guards that they caused no harm being there but they only confirmed what I likely already knew, mother had ordered them out. They are terribly loud so I can’t blame her too much, but to just try and sweep them away, it made them look terribly rude, but even worse is that it caused my wife Celica to lounge out of my lap and onto the floor where she began to run on all fours. Incredibly unsightly but I can more than excuse it given this will likely be the last time she sees them. The guards tried to pull her off of them for a moment but I ordered them back so they could at least get in a half proper goodbye in.

She jumps on her father and her mother jumps on them both in an embrace filled with more love than I could probably ever muster up. That’s something i'll need to work on for her.

Her mother says something strange to her though, “Be so strong my love, I know you are.” she holds onto her until I finally let the guards pick her up, to take her away to the carriage, where her husband went several minutes before her, where she also stops resisting and begins to cry. I feel terrible for Celica.

I look down and see her sitting in the grass. I leave her there for a moment thinking for anything that might soothe her. And then an Idea strikes me.

When I return I bare my offering of cake. Just after sitting, I picked out the most lovely piece left.

“I brought you something my wife,” she stares at it for a moment. “I know it’s hard, but it will get better, I promise.”

Finally she reaches for the plate, pulls it close to her and puts the bite into her beautiful mouth. I pull her close to me.

“Good girl Celica. There is hope yet, you need only look for it my darling.”

We sit there for a moment longer. Her head nuzzles into my side.

“I promise to take care of you,” I whisper, “no harm, physical, mental or emotional shall befall you if I can do something about it. I promise.”

We spend the rest of the reception sitting on the grass watching the stars.

We retire to our room late into the night, I hold her swaddled to my chest, and I realize I'm so tired I'll soon drop her if I don't focus enough. We enter our room and as soon as the door closes she leaps out of my arms face first into the bed, bum in the air. This greatly catches me off guard.

“Oh! Well someones eager! I can indulge-”

“No! No, I really don’t want to, I-I- I don't even know you, your highness!”

“Oh, my mistake my dear,” I raise my hands to show I won't reach for her, “we move at your pace I promise.”

I walk over to the cabinet to fetch some of my sleeping clothes, “Looks like when they moved my things they just moved the whole cabinet, very convenient. Speaking of convenience,” I walk over to her chest of things, “I had this moved here so you actually have something to wear my love, nothing to worry about. I’m going to change, if you don’t mind.” I swiftly head to the toilet room where when I close the door I hear her immediately jump from the bed, walk across the floor and open her chest and swiftly close it again.

It doesn't take me long to get out of my clothes and into my night pants, and given the warm night and the possibility for great heat I skip out on the night shirt. When I walk out she just looks at me, “Like what you see darling?”

She doesn't respond, instead saying, “No wonder the bed’s so big.”

“Hmm, oh the wings! I’m glad you like them.”

“Hey… could I ask you to do something and you not act on what that action usually means?”

“What do you mean Celica?”

She turned to show me her back.

“Oh dear no, that’s what your lady in waiting is for, not if we're not going to have- You know, not consummate-”

She just stared for a moment before saying, “...Please?”

“Uu- Well I-... Alright fine,” I gesture to the bed, “Hop on up Celica.”

And she does just that, almost. Instead she smashes her face against the mattress side of the bed and no matter how hard I wish to stop myself I let out a loud crowing laugh that’s only muffled by slamming my beak shut, something that is only manually done. She glowers at me but I can’t stop myself. Before I’m done with my fit she gets a determined look on her face and she steps backward to attempt the same. I try to stop her as she’s clearly not a very good shot but when I nearly reach her she’s in the air between my arms and beak.

She then looked back at me, back to me and said, “Just help me, please.” and when I was done being impressed i did just that, pulling at the soft fabric of her dress until it was a mop on the floor.

“Good riddance if you ask me.”

I then started on pulling the corset laces free, inch by inch she breathed in more deeply, becoming just a little more accessible. Finally, I had her completely free of all string and she quickly took it upon herself to free herself of that corset all together, she then jumped to the other end of the bed, claiming it, before pulling off her underdress. I quickly averted my eyes but it wouldn’t have made a difference, she just as quickly pulled her night gown back on, but to be honest I couldn't help just admire her body for a moment longer. The dress was more like a shirt on her, leaving her legs almost completely bare, save for a strap of white lingerie that attached to her underwear, a nice treat any other time but right now only serving to tease. Her legs themselves were strong though, like she's been running since she was a babe which might very well be true. Her arms are much the same only now revealing small scares up and down each arm. But her coloring was the most interesting to me, a golden brown on the outer sides of her legs and arm but pure white on the insides of her thighs and presumably her belly and chest.

And with that it was time to go to bed.

“If we're not going to consummate tonight… I’m going to go to sleep. This’ll be probably the only night that I'll be able to go to bed, I’m not the best sleeper to be honest.” With that I pull down the main blanket and the hides and slip inside myself. Celica quickly follows suit.

After a moment of her staring at me she turns to her other side and begins to fall asleep. It’s not long before sleep sweeps over me as well.

I wake up in the very early hours of the morning, the birds are awake but the sun has yet to show itself. I look down and there is Celica, curled up in a ball right beside me. I look around for a moment and find a hide and slip it over her sleeping body and she untenses just a bit. For once it takes me no time at all to fall back to sleep with her wrapped in my arms.

#original writing #romance #original character #slow burn #inhuman character #forced/arranged marrage #talks of murder/canabalism #writeblr #talks of sex #how the hell did i do this #this only took me a few hours i guess?#Was up till 2 cuz i “had to finish”#Already working on the next part #but damn it man #this is 26 pages on docs #I've never even written that much for school #help lol #also contrary to what Mont says Lemal is an idiot

1 note · View note