Chapter 90: Negotiations.
Sienna laughed. "So am I. In the fox tribe, I am technically a queen. If a queen can garden, so can a princess." She snapped her fingers, "Geo, carry her to the garden. My bees will sting of she dares to resist."
The wolf beast man lifted the princess roughly, bundling her like a sack of raw potatoes and he leaped away with one big jump.
The White snake delegation was in shock. Did the couple not see them standing right there? Did they think they could not defend Mija just because they were in fox territory?
Arden White-Fang, Mija’s brother, and the leader of the delegation glared at the couple, hating them more than he hated them before. "Lord Elias, you should not take things too far. Mija is not a servant, your wife cannot make her work like one."
Sienna crossed her arms. "Being your sister does not exempt her chores in my household. My husband saved her life, the least she can do is pick some fruits for us. Besides, I garden, my husband washes the dishes after breakfast. We all do chores in this house."
Elias looked to the side, ears twitching. If he had not pinched her neck, would he have had to do dishes? He had also wanted to protest like Mija but she had something on him. And, he was trying hard to prove to his children, mother-in-law, and everyone, that he was not a wife beater.
Sienna rose, and walked in the direction of the backyard. By the time she reached the garden, Ali, Mira and Suri were singing, "The snake princes...la la la...mama hit her with a pan...la la la."
Mija had turned crimson. "You insolent brats!" She tried to hiss again, but another bee buzzed past, making her flinch.
Meanwhile, the White snake delegation gathered at the table. Elias’s guards and elders from the fox tribe that had been patiently waiting outside also sat at the table, or in chairs, behind Elias.
Arden went first, "Release my sister," he demanded.
Elias raised an eyebrow. "I am not holding her hostage, I saved her life."
One White snake elder, who happened to be the brother of the Lord of their tribe muttered, "Not according to the phone call you made last night."
Elias crossed his legs, leaning back in the chair, sipping on his tea slowly. "You can take her away at any time. She is so spoiled that she kept my men up, screaming demands all night. Also, she drinks a lot. I don’t know what you White-Fang’s are doing by allowing her to become a drunkard."
Arden rose abruptly.
Three men rose as well, around him and they grabbed his arms and waist to keep him from attacking Elias. They knew too well, that despite what Elias said about taking Mija away, he would not give her up unless he got what he wanted.
Arden sat down again, and took a deep breath. Wind caused his long silver white hair to fly upwards slowly. "State your demands."
Timothy, the secretary who was always prepared, placed a contract on the table. "This is a contract giving up the named wine factories owned by your tribe. From now on, they will become the property of the fox clan. It is half in total."
Even the air itself fell silent. The snakes beast men blinked, stunned.
"Half?" An elder’s voice cracked. "That is robbery!"
Elias gestured to a servant to serve him more tea. "Robbery? No. Compensation for all the losses you have cost me with your raids. After I recoup them, we will sit down again and negotiate what share I will be keeping and what share will be returned to you."
"We will take this up with the King." Arden threatened.
The delegation erupted in hisses. A younger envoy slammed his fist on the table. "This is theft. We were in the wine business before your tribe. You are the ones encroaching on our business and stealing our recipes."
Elias’s eyes gleamed, cold and sharp. "You sell your special snake brews and we sell fox brews. Different wines with different tastes. Most of our wine business is concentrated in this city. My city. And yet, you extended your claws to it. You bribed people to drug ingredients in my factories and paralyzed our production lines. You have done a lot and I tried reasoning with you verbally but failed. So now, I want control of half of the wine trade on in this empire. You may keep the vineyards, but the factories--half of them will belong to the fox clan. And the rest? You will sell only through us."
The snakes recoiled. "Impossible!"
The delegation’s faces twisted with outrage. Elder Sebris, Mija’s uncle hissed, "You are playing with fire, fox lord. Do you think our tribe will bow to such extortion?"
Elias set his cup down, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "I don’t play. I negotiate. And I always win."
The snakes bristled, scales rippling, tongues flicking in agitation. The air grew heavy, charged with hostility.
Then Elias added to the flames. "Do you think my sole reason for hosting Mija was to watch my wife hit her with a pan? No. It was so that I could get access to her phone. That silly princess of yours just loves to record every aspect of her life. You have no idea how many secrets from your tribe I have already learned."
From the backyard, Mija shrieked and bees were heard buzzing.
Elder Sebris rose, his scales starting to show. "What kind of madness is this? We are going to take our princess by force!"
Elias’s smile widened, just enough to show his fangs. "Try it. And see how many of your people will leave with forked tongues intact."
The delegation hissed louder, hands drifting towards hidden weapons. Elias remained seated, serene, as though daring them to strike. Tension snapped taut, like a bowstring ready to release.
And just as Elder Sebris prepared to risk it all, Sienna strolled back, pan in hand and queen bee at her back. "What is taking so long? I am tired of babysitting that useless serpent. All she is doing is crying and shrieking. Cry, cry, cry. Is that all you taught her? Who raised this woman?"