Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 97: The Dance of Chaos

At the Lilac Salon,

The orchestra struck up a waltz—a sweeping, romantic melody that was entirely wasted on the demographics of the Lilac Salon.

While the adults glided with practiced grace, the children’s dance floor looked like a biological experiment gone wrong.

Lady Ellia, however, was determined to maintain standards. She smoothed her golden dress and marched over to the snack table, where Arjun was contemplating a second cupcake.

"Lord Arjun," Ellia announced, extending a hand. "You may have the honor of this dance."

Arjun swallowed the cupcake whole. "I do not want to dance. I want to eat."

"We are Lions and Tigers," Ellia said firmly. "We are apex predators. We dominate the dance floor. Now, give me your paw."

Arjun sighed, wiping frosting off his mouth. "Fine. But if I step on you, it is not my fault. My feet are large."

"I am wearing steel-toed boots under this dress," Ellia whispered conspiratorially. "I came prepared."

They walked onto the floor. They didn’t waltz so much as march in a circle, looking fiercely competent.

Nearby, Vali and Clover were interpreting the rhythm differently.

"One, two, hop!" Vali commanded.

"Hop!" Clover cheered.

They were holding hands and bouncing vertically. It wasn’t a waltz. It was a synchronized jump-rope routine without the rope. Vali’s tail was wagging so hard it acted as a rudder, occasionally smacking passing dancers.

The other cubs had also found partners, thanks to the sheer novelty of the Daycare Delegation.

Silas had been claimed by Lady Pip, a bright yellow Canary Kin with feathers in her hair and an inability to inhale.

"And then I said I like yellow but blue is nice too and your suit is very black like a hole is it velvet can I touch it do you like seeds I like seeds?" Pip chirped rapidly, spinning Silas around.

Silas, who usually melted into shadows to avoid social interaction, looked overwhelmed. He simply nodded every four seconds. "Yes... indeed... darkness..."

Jasper was paired with Lady Sage, a solemn little Owl Kin with large spectacles. They held each other at arm’s length, moving stiffly.

"The acoustics in here are terrible," Jasper critiqued softly.

"Agreed," Sage nodded slowly. "And the tempo is dragging by 0.4 seconds."

"Shall we calculate the structural load of the chandelier?"

"We shall."

It was a match made in nerd heaven. They spent the entire dance staring at the ceiling and doing math.

Orion had found a kindred spirit in Lady Eira, a Snow Leopard Kin with frosty white hair and a bored expression.

They stood in the middle of the floor, swaying minimally.

"Your hand temperature is 12 degrees Celsius," Orion noted approvingly. "It is refreshing."

"I live in a freezer," Eira drawled. "Your skin is wet."

"I require hydration."

"Cool."

"Affirmative."

They were the coolest couple on the floor, literally and figuratively.

Meanwhile, Finn was happily solo. He was sitting under the table with the chocolate fountain, dipping stolen strawberries directly into the stream. "I love high society," he mumbled, chocolate smeared on his nose.

Meanwhile at the main Ballroom,

"Oh no," I whispered, trying to hide behind a potted plant. "They’re coming."

I saw them. The Four Warlords. They were moving through the crowd like a phalanx, their eyes locked on one target: me.

"Tutor Primrose!" Lord Rurik boomed, parting a sea of Duchesses with his shoulders. "The music plays! We must spin!"

"I can’t dance!" I hissed, clutching my satchel. "I have two left feet! I will break your toes!"

"I have steel boots," General Rajah smirked, extending a gloved hand. "Come, Primrose. Do not dishonor your Guard."

I looked at Caspian. He was standing by the pillar, looking devastating in his blue velvet, but his face was dark.

He couldn’t dance. Not because of the Star-Iron, but because he simply didn’t know how. The Leviathans didn’t waltz underwater; the currents made it impossible.

He watched Rajah offer me his hand, and I saw a flash of pure, unadulterated jealousy in his teal eyes. He gripped his cape, his knuckles white.

"Go," Caspian muttered, looking away. "Do not let the Tiger think he has won by default."

I took Rajah’s hand.

It was a disaster, but a fun one.

Rajah led with military precision ("Left, right, turn, engage!").

Then Archduke Cassian cut in, dancing with fluid, serpentine grace ("Relax the spine, Tutor, you are stiff as a board").

Then Duke Lucien appeared out of nowhere, spinning me so fast the room blurred ("Silence is the music, Primrose").

Finally, Rurik took over. He didn’t waltz. He lifted me off the ground and swung me around like a ragdoll while laughing.

"Rurik! Put me down!" I squealed, laughing despite myself.

"We are flying!" Rurik roared.

From the sidelines, Caspian watched. He saw me laughing. He saw the Warlords vying for my attention.

He touched the cracked pendant on his chest.

I should be the one spinning her, he thought bitterly. I am a King. Why do I feel like a spectator in my own life?

---

High above the floor, in the royal box, Princess Leonora watched the scene with sad eyes.

She was beautiful in a gown of pale violet, but she looked like a wilted flower. Her gaze was fixed on General Rajah, who was currently bowing to Primrose with a softness he never showed anyone else.

"He looks happy," Leonora mumbled, gripping the railing. She wanted to ask him to dance, but she was too late.

"Love... is a hard thing," a deep voice said beside her.

Leonora jumped. Emperor Leonis was standing there. He wasn’t looking at the crowd; he was looking at his daughter.

"Dad," Leonora quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. "How long have you known I liked Rajah?"

Leonis sighed, the sound like a solar flare dying down.

"For as long as I remember," he replied, leaning against the marble column. "Since you were a little girl, you both were close."

He looked down at the Tiger General.

"But he was too stupid to notice," Leonis added, his voice sharpening. "And he married someone else. Now she is dead, and he is focused on the Fox and oblivious to your feelings... annoying."

Leonis chuckled darkly. "Rajah is a great warrior. But socially, he has the intelligence of a brick."

He placed a heavy, warm hand on her shoulder.

"It’s alright," Leonora lied, forcing a smile. "I am okay..."

"You are not," Leonis said gently. "And I know how to fix it."

He offered her his hand.

"First, dance with me."

"Huh?" she said, blinking.

"Dance, Leo," Leonis smiled.

They walked onto the floor. The crowd gasped and parted. The Emperor never danced.

But he danced with her. It was a slow, regal waltz. For a moment, Leonora forgot her heartbreak. She felt safe in her father’s arms, shielded from the world.

"I can fix this," Leonis murmured as he spun her.

"Fix what?" Leonora asked.

"The ache," Leonis said, his golden eyes narrowing as he looked at Rajah. "You have waited long enough, my daughter. A Lion does not wait for prey to come to them. A Lion takes."

The music stopped.

The applause died down.

Emperor Leonis did not leave the floor. He raised a hand. The silence was instant.

"My people," Leonis boomed. His voice carried to the rafters. "Tonight is a night of unity. We have signed the Treaty of the Tides. We have welcomed the West Wing back into the fold."

He looked at Primrose. He looked at Caspian.

"But unity requires strength. It requires bonds that cannot be broken."

He beckoned to General Rajah.

"General. Step forward."

Rajah frowned, confused, but he marched forward and bowed. "Majesty?"

Leonis placed a hand on Rajah’s shoulder. Then, he reached out and took Leonora’s hand.

"The Empire needs stability," Leonis declared. "And the Royal Family must lead by example."

He brought their hands together.

Leonora froze. Rajah stiffened.

"It is my great joy," Leonis announced, a smile on his face that didn’t reach his cold, calculating eyes, "to announce the engagement of my daughter, Princess Leonora, to the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army, General Rajah."

The silence shattered.

Gasps echoed through the hall.

Primrose dropped her fan.

Rajah stared at the Emperor, his striped ears pinning back in shock. "Majesty... I..."

Leonora looked at her father, her eyes wide with horror. She had wanted Rajah to love her. She hadn’t wanted to trap him.

"This union will take place in the spring," Leonis continued, ignoring the tension. "To the glory of the Empire!"

"To the Empire!" the crowd chanted, clapping politely, oblivious to the disaster unfolding on the stage.

Rajah looked stricken. He looked at Primrose, then at Leonora, then at the floor.

Primrose looked at Caspian. He looked grim.

The Emperor didn’t do this for love, she realized, a cold chill running down my spine. He did it to secure the military. He just checkmated the Tiger Clan.

The Ball was over. The game had just begun.