“Why should I bring you to my lord?” the lioness queen asked.
I blinked, a bit surprised that she’d ask such a question. “To speak with him?”
“Unless you’re surrendering to us, I see no reason to get within a dozen miles of my lore.” She scoffed.
“I have an offer for him that he can’t refuse,” I responded.
“Why should I bother when I could just take you right here?” She took a threatening step forward.
The girls around me immediately responded. Shao pulled out her knives, Celeste flew into the air to gain a vantage point, while Terra stepped forward, and Miki’s tails began to glow with spiritual power. The lioness playfully lifted her hands, appearing more amused than frightened. The other lionesses surrounding us didn’t make a move.
“Oh, my...” She smirked. “So, is this them? You’re so-called harem? Only four?”
“There are more of us!” Celeste cried out defensively.
“Second, don’t overstep yourself.” The lioness’s voice contained an edge of danger.
The other woman wasn’t phased at all, nearly giving a tilt of her head. “I would never think to lose my place. Third through Tenth are all held by your pride of lionesses. However, I’m merely reminding you that it is always my lord who leads us all, not you.”
“First, Second, Third? What’s with that?” Miki whispered.
“It is our names.” The lioness addressed them. “When we give ourselves to our lord, we shed our names as part of our devotion. His most loyal and his favored are given numbers, a measure of our position in his heart.”
“Of course, as a lionkin himself, my lord has a predisposition toward lionesses.” Second broke in, causing the leader named First to grimace. “However, perhaps I’ve started to change his disposition.”
“Watch your place, Second.”
“Always...” She smiled.
“And I thought we had problems,” Shao whispered.
First’s expression became even darker before she gestured. “Go! We will lead you to my lord. He will be the one to decide your fates!”