Beauty Among The Beasts

Previously

Lily slowly opened her eyes, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where am I now?" she thought in panic.

"She's the beauty?" The queen's voice echoed, stunning Lily as her chin was lifted by the queen. "A female like what my son described really exists," she widened her eyes, a sweet smile emerging on her face as she gently touched Lily's face. "Why are you so soft? Don't you eat? That's strange; those snakes eat a lot. Why are you an exception? You are too soft; it's really easy to break you," she remarked.

Lily's heart raced faster. "Are they going to eat me?" she thought nervously. "Did they kidnap Liam, Angus, and Malik as well?"

"Female! I want you to become my son's mate," the queen declared straightforwardly.

Lily's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she echoed.

"I know you must be happy. It's a rare blessing for a female to be given a chance to approach the prince of the dragon tribe, even if it's just once," the queen beamed. "You already have a mate; I won't force you to leave him, but you will have to stay with the prince forever. In one word you can't leave here," she asserted.

"What do you mean by I will stay here for the rest of my life? Do you know that means you are stopping me from my freedom? What about my mates? How will I do without them!" Lily shouted angrily.

"If it's about your mates, I can bring them for you; as for freedom, you will have more with the prince, My son. You just don't need to go out, you are too beautiful, it would only cause more and more trouble if you move around freely," the queen replied with furrowed brows, perplexed by Lily's refusal.

"Forget it; I don't want to be with your son. I'm fine with my mates; they are enough for me," Lily retorted.

The queen raised her brows dangerously. "Don't test your luck, female. If you dare to reject my son, I will make your mates suffer!" she threatened.

Lily's brows knitted tightly. "Even if you force your son on me, you will only regret it later!" she snapped.

"Will I? Do you believe that I can make your mates become our dragon tribe prey? Don't look down on the power we hold; we can wipe out their entire tribe," the queen warned.

It felt as though cold water was poured over Lily, and she fell silent for a while. "Try and hurt them, and see if your son will meet with a good end as well. As far as I'm aware, as long as I cut his mate mark on me, he will be good for nothing, If he's not dead," she snapped.

"You snake tribe female!" The queen was enraged and grabbed Lily's neck.

"Queen! Queen! She's... she's the prince's beloved female," a dragon maid reminded the queen.

The queen immediately released Lily's neck, which was now red. "Get me the sky water!" she commanded.

Lily lost the strength in her legs and fell to the ground, coughing repeatedly as tears escaped her eyes. "From our conversation, Liam, Angus, and Malik seem to not be here. Then where are they?" she thought, worry evident on her face.

The queen walked closer to Lily, bent down with one hand on her thigh, and lifted Lily's chin with the other. "Think it through; it's a blessing for you if the prince becomes one of your mates," she said in a calm manner.

Lily looked at her defiantly. "Don't force me; I'm not interested. I don't want any mate again," she retorted with a sour mood.

"Queen, this is the water!" a dragon maid announced.

Seeing the bamboo cup brought in by the maid, an alarm bell rang in Lily's head. Before she could react, the queen suddenly tapped her chest twice, and she found herself unable to move.

"What do you want to do?!" Lily exclaimed.

"One last time, do you accept my son? You could peacefully live your life if you choose yes." The queen stared fixedly at Lily, taking the bamboo cup from the maid.

Lily glared at the queen. "I will only say, you are expecting too much," she replied.

"Very well then." The queen smiled, grabbed Lily's chin, and forcefully opened her mouth, pouring the water inside. She also compelled her to swallow it.

Lily wanted to struggle, but she couldn't move, and the tears that kept escaping her eyes made her unwillingness evident. "Will I die now? Is this the real death? Can't I get lucky and escape? I can't even see my husbands one last time," she thought before losing consciousness.

"Get the other dragon females and carry her to the prince's chamber," the queen ordered, and the female dragon maid replied respectfully.

... present...

Art walked into the palace with a dark expression on his face. He looked at the throne and found the queen passing time with her mates, who surrounded her like bees, pleasing every inch of her body.

The queen seemed to notice Art's arrival and ordered her mates to leave. As soon as they were out of sight, she immediately left her throne and rushed to Art's side happily.

"Son, are you here to thank Mother? You really don't need to. I told you already; I told you that you would definitely like her. Look, she's even more beautiful than the female you described, right?" the queen beamed.

"What did you do to her?" Art asked coldly.

"I..." The queen stammered. "She acted too stubborn, so I sealed off everything about her mates. It will be easier for you to approach her this way; she won't remember anything about her mates," she explained. "Mother is wonderful, right?" She chuckled.

A dark aura spread outward, and Art's deadly gaze fixed on the queen. "You have hurt her, you know!" His angered, clipped voice echoed. "She's completely opposite of her cheerful self; there's no smile on her face! Should I say thank you, or should I praise your wonderful idea!" he shouted, his eyes burning with killer intent.

"Calm... calm down, son. I... I am doing this for you," the queen stuttered in fear. "She... she didn't want to accept you, so I came up with such a solution," she clarified.

Art gritted his teeth together. The more he looked at her, the more his killing intent grew. "Don't ever let me see you again," he warned and stormed out.

"Art! Son!" the queen cried, but she could only watch helplessly as he left. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, her gaze fixed on one spot. "When will all this end? He distances himself from me more and more with each passing day," she wept.

...

Art returned to his room and found Lily lying on the bed, her eyes closed. The fruits were left untouched, and seeing this made Art's heart ache.

"Beauty!" he called.

Hearing the title "beauty," blurry memories flashed in Lily's mind, and a particular name kept repeating in her head. She opened her eyes all of a sudden and "Liam!" she exclaimed.