Shaless. Arrogant. Bold.
Sienna had many words to describe Elias but these ones stood out the most. The beast man had truly made himself comfortable in her house. The servants were tending to him at breakfast, more than her. He was even distributing work as he pleased.
Grumbling, as she pushed around her spoon in a bowl of oats that she would have preferred to throw out and eat so of that fat filled bacon and cheese olet, pancakes and milk her daughter was enjoying. Miserably, she asked, "Don’t you have so other place to be?"
Elias replied with a deliberate grin, "There is a little sothing called a rest day. It happens once every week, and I usually spend it with my children." It was a lie, and they both knew it. He usually spent it working. His true reason for being there was to annoy her. "You and Ali should cut breakfast short, the governess I hired for you has finally arrived."
Mrs. Miller smiled. "Finally." She took the fork from Ali and wiped the little one’s lips.
Sienna pushed away the bowl and rose, sulking even before the lesson started.
"Do we have to, papa?" Ali asked sadly.
Elias nodded.
She turned her eyes to Eli. "Why isn’t he learning with us?"
"Because I already learned and I know how to behave in public." He replied with a snigger.
Ali stomped her foot. "Not fair." Her ears drooped.
"So is life." Elias told her. "Now run along, don’t keep Mrs. Abernathy waiting. I am paying her one thousand coins per hour, in gold. You two should think of the expense before deciding to sleep during the lessons."
Dragging their feet, with bent necks, and sad faces, mother and daughter joined Mrs. Abernathy under a small tent that the guards had pitched near the bee hives. Sienna was certain that the governess simply wanted to take a look at the queen bee.
Either that, or the shirtless beast n who were turning over the land, in the preparation for her strawberry planting plans.
Mrs. Abernathy was a tall fox beast woman of impeccable bearing, her dark red tail and ears brushed to a gleam. The tail coiled neatly behind her chair in a way Sienna had never seen Ali’s do. The only other fox beast woman who coiled her tail was Lady Cadelaria. That alone, told Sienna what she was in for.
Ali curtsied and Sienna copied her daughter.
Mrs. Abernathy nodded in approval, though she looked at their faces with less dissatisfaction. In the voice of a solemn priestess, she said, "Next ti, brush all the crumbs from your lips and faces when you have finished with your al."
Ali looked at her ’crumby’ dress while Sienna touched her cheeks.
Mrs. Abernathy guided them to seat down at a table that had scrolls, books and a holographic glass ball that shimred with codes of conduct.
While Sienna and Ali slouched slightly, the governess sat upright, ears perked, eyes sharp as amber bladed. "Don’t slouch." she commanded.
Sienna winced. "It would be easier to sit up straight if the chairs had cushions."
Mrs. Abernathy replied, "I do not intend to spoil you both like the fox lord does. There are many places you will end up in where there will be no cushions on your chairs. You may not choose the chair, but you can choose how you look when you sit on it."
Ali wriggled, visibly restless. None the less, the governess ignored their discomfort; tradition was not softened for impatience and luxury.
"First," Mrs. Abernathy drawled slowly, "Lady Sienna, I have been made aware of your interests in the BeastNet and your shortcomings. From what I can tell, you seem to forget that you are the wife of the fox lord. For You, it should not be a place for idle chatter. Every word you release out there is weighed by other tribes. A careless phrase may be read as insult, a misplaced idiom as a declaration of war or rebellion."
Sienna twisted her lips. In her eyes, Lady Abernathy could see a defiance that the governess thought needed to be broken.
The governess continued, "When the fox Lord decided to bring on to educate you, I started watching your livestreams. I have to strongly remind you never, under any circumstance, refer to the Lion king and queen without honorifics."
"I always do that." Sienna spoke up.
"Good for you for having the knowledge." Mrs. Abernathy replied, without any sort of warmth in her tone. "There are so tribes that take offense lightly and others that live for revenge. Eagle beast n are the most vengeful of all. Whatever you do, avoid offending them."
Sienna nodded eagerly. Now this was the kind of knowledge she needed to hear, Not how to chew, sit and eat!
Ali kicked her heels against the table leg, ears twitching with boredom, eyes greedy with a desire to pick up sothing from the table and play with it. Mrs. Abernathy’s gaze flicked toward her, sharp enough to still the movent "You and the young miss must learn to show restraint," she said coldly, "Royal eyes are always watching the Lords and their families. You could get away with so things because the King finds you amusing but that will not last forever. At so point, he could be the very one to punish you for sothing you did without realizing."
Sienna pulled Ali back, encouraging the little one to settle down and stop swinging her legs.
Mrs. Abernathy continued, unrelenting. "Your temperant worries . You just blurt out whatever is on your mind often. While this can be acceptable around your husband and family, things are different outside. Around the royals and other Lords and their wives, you must behave like a proper noble beast woman. That pan you love to swing, ta it the way we ta our claws. Or better still, throw it away all together."
Sienna snorted softly. That was not happening.
Ali leaned against Sienna, whispering a tiny sigh that earned another sharp glance from the governess. The cub’s ears flattened, but her eyes glead with mischief. She was already plotting her escape, as was her mother.
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