Daughter of the Nibrue House

chapter 14:It all worked out?

Naomi took Simba up in her arms and sat down on the bench with him. "Don't worry." That wasn't her voice, it was Abir's. She turned Abir was coming out into the snow without a coat. "It's her pet!" he shouted to the crowd of screaming children.

"Pet?" the oldest boy asked. "It's a lion!"

Abir nodded. "You're right there, your highness, but just because it's a lion doesn't mean it'll hurt you. I should know that it won't, I fed Simba earlier today." He looked back at Naomi and Simba, but mostly at Naomi. 

The little girl from earlier slow crept towards her. When she was close, she reached out and touched Simba's head. She pulled her hand back quickly.

Simba squeaked at her and tried to reach out to her with his paws. The girl smiled and reached out to pet him again. "He's a white lion," Naomi told her. "They're vary rare. You'll probably never see one again."

When that news spread around King Joshi's kids, one by one they all came over and took turns petting Simba's head. Simba was enjoying the attention. He wiggled out of Naomi's arms and hopped down into the snow. He rolled around and pounced on imaginary objects. King Joshi's children giggled.

Naomi stood up and walked to where Abir stood. "Thanks for the help," she told him. "I don't think screaming children would have gone over well with King Joshi."

Abir nodded towards Simba, who now had a string of three year old followers mimicking his every move. "It doesn't make seance to fear something as harmless as Simba."

Naomi crossed her arms. "You feared him," she reminded. 

Abir gave her an embarrassed smile. "That was when I didn't know he was harmless. Now I do," he said. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

Naomi shook her head. "I'm going to remind you of that for as long as you serve me," she said, only half sure she would forget. She turned her attention back to the children. Now almost all under five years were following Simba's movements, and bumping into each other along the way. She and Abir held back their laughter.

The King, his wives, and children, Naomi still didn't know why there was more then one wife, had seated themselves at the dining hall's main table and were enjoying some of the finest foods the cooks could make in a short time. Lady Charrlota leaned over to Naomi. "King Joshi agreed with our terms, he'll help provide food for the dragon riders on long quests. How did it go with the King's children?"

Naomi smiled. "It all worked out?" she guessed. It really deepened on whether the kids told their father about Simba and snowballs.

Lady Charrlota raised an eyebrow. The look. Naomi dreaded the look. It could draw out a confession anytime, anyplace. "I may have hit one of the princes with a snowball because a little princess was crying because she couldn't take snow to her mom and Simba may have made a few of them run in terror."

Lady Charrlota sat back in her chair. "King Joshi already signed the papers. There's little he could do. So, it did all work out."

Naomi let out a sigh of relief. "My first time welcoming guests as Lady of the Nibrue House, done."

"No so fast," Lady Charrlota said. "The King came with an unexpected proposal. A marriage proposal."

Naomi glanced at her grandmother. "A marriage proposal?" she asked. "Does he want to marry you?"

To her horror, Lady Charrlota shook her head. "King Joshi has different plans in mind." 

Naomi was horrified. "For m-me?" she stammered. "Are those plans for me?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lady Charrlota said. Naomi felt relief sweep through her. "I would never do that to my little lion. You're much too young to think about marriage yet. No, the King had an uncle of his who desires a magical wife. He's your grandfather's age, but I don't think I could marry the King's uncle. Not yet."

"Then why don't you tell the King that?" Naomi asked. "Say that you feel it's too close to your husband's death to marry again."

Lady Charrlota sighed. "Because it would give me leverage  with King Joshi. Being his aunt. And we would be open to trade opportunities and there are kingdoms who won't ally with magic people. We may be able to reach those. But I've never even met the man."

Naomi got an idea. "Then ask to meet him," she suggested. "Tell King Joshi that your duties here are important and tell him that if his uncle wants to marry you, to bring him here. Then you can meet him and he can meet all of us. If he likes it here, then think about marring him. If he doesn't, then say you can't leave this place because you still have responsibilities here."

Lady Charrlota glanced over at her. "Why you little genius lion!" she said. She got up to tell King Joshi and Naomi thought thankfully it wasn't her involved in the marriage proposal. 

King Joshi's uncle took one look at the snow and broke off the deal. Naomi really thought she would end up with a new grandfather, but the discussed look at Victoria's pink hair, the fact there was a live lion aloud to roam free in the house, and that Demon bit a hole in his pants made him rethink the marriage. The cold was the last reason needed to say no. 

After he left, Naomi realized that sooner or later he would have left regardless. Naomi had a feeling that Lady Charrlota wouldn't have liked being part of a harem, and neither would have the other wives. Naomi still didn't know why they had so many.