Tasmina's Tale

27. Beta and Gamma

Tasmina

Waking up in the morning had been a struggle. Surely, he couldn’t have expected me to fall asleep after speaking his poetic words. It had become abundantly clear to me that my husband was a liar – he had claimed to not have a way with words and yet his words drove me to a lustful haze that only one thing could sate. 

I had dressed in traditional ceremonial garb, a black band wound around my breasts and a black shalwar. I wore Mama’s gold cuff on my arm.

“Beautiful,” he said, standing behind me as I looked into the mirror. 

“It was Mama’s,” I said.

“I was talking about you,” he murmured, his hand trailing up my arm before resting on the gold cuff. “But this is also nice.” 

His hand snaked across my stomach and I sighed, leaning back into him. My eyes closed as he began to leave soft kisses along my shoulder, slowly making his way up my neck. 

“We’re going to be very late for the ceremony if you continue this way, Rikom,” I warned. 

I opened my eyes to see his crooked grin. The man was criminally irresistible. 

“You look far too pleased with yourself, my king.”

He spun me around quickly to face him and I laughed as I fell against his chest. 

“I am king, I have the most beautiful woman in all of Zamee by my side… a woman that can stretch her body in ways that I—”

I covered his mouth with my hand. 

“That’s enough from you, King Rikom,” I murmured. 

He nipped at my hand and I pulled it away, laughing. 

“You savage.”

He cupped my backside and lifted me up with ease and I wrapped my legs around his waist, laughing. 

He strode around the room, parading his strength, spinning around until we were both dizzy. He fell onto the bed, laughing loudly as we collapsed in a heap.

“You are a menace, King Rikom,” I chuckled.

“I can be whatever you want me to be, Queen Tasmina,” he said, grinning as he took my hand and kissed it. 

I sat up, attempting to fix my hair and failing miserably. 

“Perhaps I should have it tied up,” I muttered, pulling it back. 

“No, don’t,” he murmured, sitting up. 

He released my hair from my hands, spreading it gently across my shoulders. 

“I like it like this.”

His ability to make me blush while I was fully clothed was bizarre, but I still felt the heat rise to my face as he stared at me wistfully. I stood up from the bed quickly before he could pull me down to lie with him again. 

“I am leaving for the ceremony, my king. Would you care to accompany me or not?”

“And if I don’t?” he teased.

“Then you may find yourself with a very empty bed tonight.”

He hissed and stood slowly, following me out of the chambers. 

“You drive a very hard bargain, my queen. Perhaps I was wrong to doubt your haggling skills.”

—

We stood at the top of the palace steps as the people of Zamee filed through the palace gates. The ceremony was a public event, and the people clamoured into the gardens eagerly to see who would be chosen as the new Beta and Gamma of Zamee. Malaka stood with her guard in front of the crowd. The guard wore red shalwards, looking imperious and powerful. The crowd were in awe of them, and Rikom acknowledged them with a respectful nod as they saluted him. 

You were right about the guard, he linked. 

I smiled widely. Oh, I knew. I stood beside him, with Maha and the other three dowager queens stood beside us. My family chose to stand alongside the crowd, as Rikom’s siblings and his best men stood before us. 

Rikom stepped forward and the bustling crowd descended into a hush that spread even beyond the palace gates. It was as though the entire city awaited breathlessly for his next words. 

“My people, my pack. You honour your Alpha and your Luna with your presence. May we all show faith in Goddess’s choice for the Beta and Gamma of Zamee.” 

The crowd cheered loudly for him but when he held up his hand, silence descended once again almost immediately. 

“Chosen by High Goddess herself, Beta of Zamee, present yourself.” 

For a moment, all was still. Then Rodin stepped forward, grinning widely at Rikom. He winked and me and I suppressed a laugh as he took a knee before us, his fist pressed to his chest.

"I pledge fealty to you, my Alpha and my Luna, my King and my Queen. I vow to give my counsel when you need it, for the betterment of our Kingdom. If ever you are unable to serve your duty to our pack, our people, I pledge to act on your behalf with honour, compassion, and wisdom"

When he stood, Rikom strode towards him and took his hand, lifting it as they turned to face the crowd. 

“Your Beta, Prince Rodin Iza Zal,” he declared.

 The crowd roared and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maha allow herself a small smile. Rodin bowed, first to me and Rikom and then to the crowd, whose cheers grew louder. He sauntered over to me and took his place beside me. 

“Hello there, sister. You have quite the glow about you today. I see my lessons in the art of seduction to my older brother worked a treat,” he whispered.

“I assure you, your lessons as you so generously call them, had little to do with your brother's skills,” I hissed back, fighting the urge to laugh. 

They were so very different, but I could see exactly why their bond was so strong. Rikom took a step towards the men again. 

"Chosen by High Goddess herself, Gamma of Zamee, present yourself."

This time there was silence. We all stood, watching the men and waiting. They looked across at each other, bemused, waiting for someone to step forward. Rikom turned to look at me, and then at his mother. 

“Surely, it must be someone,” he said, irritably, looking between Coman and his youngest brother, Enzo. 

Just then, there was a rustle in the crowd. Faris stepped forward, his eyes downcast. Malaka’s eyes widened as she signalled to her guard to give him way. He ascended the steps slowly, each and every eye on him as he came to stand before Rikom. Glancing at me helplessly, he looked at Rikom almost apologetically. 

“I… forgive me, my king, there must be some sort of mistake,” he murmured.

“The Goddess does not make mistakes,” Rikom said, echoing my thoughts. “Kneel, Gamma of Zamee, and take your vows.”

Both he and Faris closed their eyes. When Faris opened them, he kneeled slowly. I realised then that Rikom had linked him the vow and I loved the man all the more for saving my brother the shame of not knowing.

"I… I pledge fealty to you, my Alpha and my Luna, my King and my Queen, and to you, my Beta. I vow to give my counsel when you need it, for the betterment of our Kingdom. If ever you are unable to serve your duty to our pack… our people… I pledge to… act on your behalf with honour, compassion and wisdom."

I chanced a glance at Maha. Her face was passive, a mask. If she held any objections, they certainly didn’t show. The remaining dowager queens, on the other hand, looked absolutely incensed. Salma’s eye was twitching ferociously. My eyes searched the crowd and met Ruki’s. We stared at one another in disbelief and she shrugged helplessly. 

Rikom strode to Faris, unperturbed. He took him by the shoulders and helped him rise. Then he took his hand, raising it in the air and turning to the crowd.

“Your Gamma, Faris Alaric Miya Kaiz,” he declared. 

There was a brief moment of silence, before I heard Felan whoop loudly. Slowly but surely, the crowd joined in, with Malaka, Ruki and Felan the loudest cheers among them. 

Rikom turned to the remaining men who had not been chosen. 

"My esteemed brother, my loyal men. I am grateful to you for your contributions to our kingdom. Long may they continue."

He turned to Faris and Rodin, his eyes stopping on me just for a moment. 

“Tonight, we will hunt together and cement our bond. All bounty will be used in a feast for the people of Daro,” Rikom proclaimed.

This time, the crowd needed no prompting as they burst into loud cheers. Rikom beckoned us all with a nod of his head and strode into the palace.