For a moment, the enforcers did not move. This was especially because the fox guards who had vanguard badges were present. Were they supposed to arrest them too?

Some of the bullies tried to shrink back. A few children began to whimper and one actually cried loudly. Some teens tried to look brave, puffing out their chests, but their knees betrayed them, trembling like reeds in the weed.

The lion beast man barked his order again, voice sharp as steel: "Arrest them all! What are you waiting for? Round them up, cuff them and fly them to the station immediately."

"Everyone?" One of the enforcers asked.

The lion beast man nodded, looking straight at Sienna. "Everyone." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The enforcers revealed their handcuffs, which looked more like shackles.

Sienna stepped forward, her shoes crunching against the sand, lips curved in a smile that exuded arrogance. Her children huddled slowly behind her, and the fox guards and falcons bristled. Bees buzzed in sync, waiting for a command. Her chin tilted upwards, expression dripping with disdain so thick it could drown the entire beach.

"Arrest us all?" she repeated, her voice loud enough to silence the air and waves. "I am okay with you slapping your chains on some people here, but not all of us. Arrest the bullies, the cowards, the ones who thought harassing children and attacking an innocent bee was a sport. None of my people--not one of them, will be touched."

The lion beast man, who was the captain of this enforcers team narrowed his eyes. "With all due respect, Lady Sienna, this is not your decision."

Timothy stepped out with something to say, before he could, Sienna’s laugh rang out, shameless and sharp.

"Not my decision?" She repeated. "I am Lord Elias Veythar’s wife. He governs this city and we are a couple so I govern this city. Your office operates at our will. If we have a problem with you, we can shut you down."

Timothy’s jaw dropped. He did a double take, wondering which book of laws on running a city Sienna had got her wrong information from. They couldn’t close down any law enforcement office in the city. That was not how things worked!

Sienna threw out her hand, "These people dared to gang up on the children of the fox lord. They beat up the heir of the fox tribe, in the city that is home to foxes. If you think for one second that we were going to let them get away with it, you are sadly mistaken. You want to touch me? Go ahead. Wait and see what happens to all of you when my husband returns. When that time comes, I will shave off all of your fur. I am marking your faces so that I remember you."

Her words were so brazen that even her falcon relatives and children exchanged glances, half horrified, half impressed.

Linera whispered to grandma Byra, "She really doesn’t hide the fact that she is making threats and taking advantage of her power."

Grandma Byra laughed. "Elias loves her, so she can get away with anything. As long as it is not treason or harming the king and queen. She could spit in Cadelaria’s face and he would clap."

Some of their relatives chuckled. The fox guards smirked, clearly enjoying the spectacle. The bees buzzed louder, as if applauding her audacity.

The enforcers faltered. Sienna’s arrogance was the kind that made you laugh, until you ended up a victim. And after what had happened to that assassin that attacked her, everything to do with her needed to be handled with caution.

The lion beast man tried again, voice cracking. "Lady Sienna, the brawl was illegal. Please don’t make this hard for us. We have orders."

Sienna whipped out her phone with theatrical flair, tapping the screen as though summoning lightning in the form of judgement. "Let’s see what Her Royal Highness Serenya thinks about your orders and my defense of my children," she said, dialing the queen.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even the enforcers stiffened. Did she have to go that far?

Sienna’s voice carried across the beach: "Serenya, bestie, you won’t believe what happened to my children. Someone bullied them. They scratched them with claws and tried to kill them. All of Ali’s fur is gone! Eli is blind in one eye. Almost all the blood in their bodies was sucked out. I came to get justice for them and an unfriendly lion beast man is threatening me. He wants to arrest us all. I am going to call Elias back, he should be here for the funeral of our cubs." She wailed dramatically, like a whale with a thorn stuck in its tail.

Handcuffs fell to the ground! Jaws dropped.

Timothy blinked many times. "Funeral!!!" Did she have to exaggerate that much?

In sync with her mother, Ali fell to the ground, clutching her chest. Grandma Byra screamed the little girl’s name as if she had been declared dead by a doctor.

"Wake up Ali. Open your eyes." The old woman fell to her knees, shaking the girl.

Their act left everyone stunned, including Sienna. This was a voice call, not a video one, so the queen could not see them. Her silly daughter had not realized this. Or she did, and she simply didn’t want to waste an opportunity to fake faint.

The bullies shouted denials meanwhile. At this arrest, Sienna was about to label them as killers and everyone knew what happened to those who tried to kill her cubs!

The queen’s voice, crisp and regal, echoes through the speaker: "Sienna, there is no need to call Elias. I have already been made aware of the issue and I sent someone to handle it. Please be confident in the knowledge that nobody will touch you and your people. Everyone that laid hands of the precious heirs of the fox tribe should suffer the consequences."

"And my bee." Sienna added.

"Of course." The queen agreed. "She is a precious queen. It is disgusting that someone thought it fit to rip off her wings. The King and I have sent a team of doctors to your compound to treat the children. If there is anything else you need, just give me a call."

Sienna grinned like a cat who had stolen the prize fish. She turned the phone towards the enforcers, letting the queen’s words hang in the air like a royal decree. "You heard her. Now, do your jobs properly. Arrest the bullies. Leave my people alone, or my next call is to the King. I have him on speed dial"