Beauty in the beast world-Chapter 285: Lexi’s anguish

[FOX TRIBE]

Xavier was strolling around his tribe making sure everything was running smoothly. Few stalls selling different kinds of delicacies and clothing could be found. Most of the females were accompanied by more than two males to keep them safe. Single beastmen who were interested in females waited in line holding presents and offerings as the particular female’ mates collected them. Everyone was respectful in their approach and few of them that received the female’s interest started dueling with her mates. Offcourse this was done away from females.

After the strays showed up inside the fox tribe, most of his tribesmen were terrified of bringing their females out of their houses. That anxiousness amongst the tribsemen however seemed to have significantly reduced as time passed but Xavier felt like it was his duty to keep this calm consistent. The last time, there was a lapse in his security but not anymore. All of the guards that had failed back then were harshly punished and replaced with better ones.

Xavier handpicked each of them to have complete loyalty to him alone from here after. There was no way the strays entered the tribe without having support from someone inside the tribe. And that someone was likely knowledgeable regarding the tribe matters. If he made up his mind, finding them was not that difficult.

He could just drag everyone working inside the castle and interrogate them. Then torture them to confess. It was very easy for him and Yet, he was reluctant to do that. He didn’t know why, but the very thought of outsiders hearing about this irked him to no end. No one would reprimand a king regarding his tribe’s matters but still...Xavier felt somewhat stifled by the chances of that pretty female hearing of his actions.

She is a nobody and her opinion has nothing to do with him but still, Xavier hesitated. Surprisingly enough, he wanted to investigate this matter without any unnecessary bloodshed. Innocent should never suffer due to someone else’s mistakes. Weird and stupid thoughts like these came bombarding his mind. He felt like he was slowly turning mad. Or was he already mad? Who knew?

Xavier’s thoughts came to a halt when he heard a familiar voice seemingly scolding someone. He was on his way to the meeting room but decided against it before following the said voice.

"The fox tribe is not going to attend such inferior events. It will be better for you to return now....’’

"What’s happening here, Lexi? Who is that?" Xavier asked as he stepped inside the throne room. He saw his sister together with her mates spewing harsh words toward a beastman.....It was a snake beastman to be precise. And he recognized the latter, "Aren’t you the messenger beastman of the snake tribe?"

"I am, Your Majesty," said the snake beastman affirming his identity.

Xavier nodded, "So, what brings you here?"

"I have come here on behalf of our king and queen" he respectfully bowed before adding, "The snake tribe cordially invites the fox tribe to tonight’s banquet" The messenger received clear instructions from his king to invite tribes that were amiable with the snake tribe. However, the fox tribe was the only one that their queen especially mentioned. He could see the queen’s eagerness when she said, ’I have so much to thank him for. King Xavier...I hope he attends this event’

The Queen reminded him multiple times to invite the Fox King so that was what he was going to do until the Fox princess showed up. The latter refused to let him meet her brother the king and kept on insulting the snake tribe. The Messenger was about to give up and leave but the Fox King suddenly showed up. Nevertheless, the next words he heard left him surprised.

"Did your Queen invite me?" Xavier asked in a monotone voice trying to mask his real emotions. He had an indifferent look on his face meanwhile the others in the room looked at him in confusion. He quickly regretted asking such a silly question but there was nothing he could do about it. The words that leave one’s mouth can never be taken back. So the only thing he could do now was wait until the person opposite him replies.

And the messenger beastman did just that, "Ye-yes, your majesty. The Queen invited you herself, she was talking about how grateful she is for all the help you have granted to her"

Xavier’s lips perked up hearing that, "Really? She said that?" he couldn’t believe his ears. The thought of her remembering him thrilled him to no end. That pretty female was really something. He forgot about everything else and started to bombard the messenger with more queries, "Is that it? Did she say something else, I mean, what more did she talk about me?"

By now, the messenger was utterly at a loss. He squirmed in his place as he received the complete attention of a higher-level beastman. It was just so overwhelming for him to stand without flattering as the Fox king kept on asking him questions without giving him a chance to answer.

As those two got lost in their own world, another piercing gaze observed this exchange. Lexi stared at her brother with conflict in her eyes. Her brother suddenly turned into a babbling mess which was so unlike him. He was never the one to care about those below him so what changed now? Why was he so eagerly probing a messenger beastman with only a single beast mark? And that too about a female?

Lexi was sharp. It was not like she had spent a lot of time with her brother but from whatever she had seen of him, this current behaviour of his was new to her. Oh so new that it made her alert for some reason. It was like an instinct which she could not ignore. Her position in the tribe was like holding sand in her palm. It was not endless and she knew it. She was not the Queen of the fox tribe but a mere princess and the daughter of the former deceased king.

Whatever power she had now was given to her by her brother the current king. And it was not like he gave it to her because Xavier gave her nothing but his ignorance. He didn’t care whether she handled the inner tribe matters or not. There was no queen right now so he was alright with someone else sharing the burden with him.

That ’Someone’ was none other than Lexi. But what happens when the new Queen arrives? For the longest time, she had thought of selecting her brother’ mate on her own. She wanted to choose someone dumb and complacent enough that would not hinder her place. But now? Seeing her brother’s obvious lovestruck face directed toward the one female that Lexi never wanted to face made her enraged.

Lexi felt like she was going mad with anger filling every fibre in her body.