Chapter 204: Authority versus arrogance.
The fox guards stiffened. "Well, it is a family matter," one muttered, ears flat. "We cannot intervene. Only the matriarch and law can do so."
"Yes," Someone shouted from the small crowd, "Even if we step in now, we don’t know what will happen when she goes back to her husband’s house after we resume normal life."
Mija rolled her eyes so hard that is was a wonder they didn’t fall out. "Family matter? That’s the excuse cowards use when they don’t want to get their paws dirty. If she freezes to death out here, how are you going to explain it to Sienna. Will you shrug and say, ’Ah it was a family matter.’ Or will you take responsibility for her death which will get you punished because it happened on your watch."
Captain Fergie frowned. "Easy for you to pass blame around, but I already told her to leave and she refused. She has a VIP pass, it is not like I can throw her out."
His words sliced through the air, leaving silence in their wake. The bruised woman sobbed louder, clutching the tent flap, while her mother’s shadow remained unmoving inside.
Mija moved closer to the woman. "Hey, stop wailing like an idiot over here. Even if you freeze to death out here, the bastard that did this to you will not feel sorry. He won’t go to jail either or pay a fine. Sienna may be napping but I am wide awake. As her best friend, it is my duty to intervene. I order you to move this woman away right now. If you don’t do so, I will act personally."
Spectators held their breath. The bruised woman continued to sob, the sound echoing like a drumbeat. The guards claws scraped against their jackets, cloaks and furs.
Captain Fergie sighed, and reached out to touch the woman. But she clung to the flap, eyes gleaming with tears, daring anyone to move her.
Mija stepped forward, smirking arrogantly. "Hey Winona, I am Mija. We met last year at Judy Regan’s engagement party. I hate to be the one to pull you back to reality but your family doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore. Crying here is not going to help and nobody is waking my bestie just to move you. So, I am going to knock you out and drag you away with my tail."
Before she could move, Lady Cadelaria arrived, doused in fresh perfume and noble arrogance. The crowd parted for her as if they she was the size of a truck, giving her ample space.
She raised her hand, "Enough," she declared, her voice cold and commanding. "This is not your tribe, Miss Mija. You have no right to interfere in matters that belong to the fox clan."
Mija’s eyes narrowed, burning with indignation. "No right? This woman is begging for her life and you foxes are hiding behind your tails. Shame on you. Tradition is not a shield for cruelty or ignorance."
Lady Cadelaria’s jaw clenched. She shot Mija a look that was often reserved for Sienna. "It is bad enough that Chubby charms thinks so highly of herself but she has her spoiled snake friend doing it too." She murmured. She raised her voice, "You have no right to slither into our affairs with no understanding of our laws. It is not the first time Winona has knelt before her mother, only to get her help, steal or do something stupid before running back to Cuthbert. An outsider meddling in the matter will only add to the chaos."
Mija laughed, sharp and mocking. "Well, this is a time like no other. We have a plague and it is winter. She could be sick for all we know. By the way, I have heard the rumors about Winona too, everyone has. But, your choice to look the other way is only making it convenient for men who beat their wives. In my tribe, Cuthbert would be the kneeling here."
"Like you said, your tribe." Lady Cadelaria snapped. "Hurry and run back to it. Let foxes handle the matter of foxes. This case falls under my office."
Mija laughed. "You mean Sienna’s office that you have refused to let go of."
Her words pierced Lady Cadelaria in the heart.
The argument which followed flared like fire in dry grass. The crowd leaned in, captivated by the clash of two noble ladies. It was a battle between authority and audacity. People whispered, guards stiffened, and Winona, temporarily forgotten, sobbed lightly, caught in the storm of words.
People were already taking sides. Some nodded at Lady Cadelaria’s defense of their traditions and laws, Others agreed that Cuthbert had grown brazen because of these laws.
Lady Cadelaria’s voice thundered, "You dare challenge me in front of my people? You are nothing but a parasite clinging to Sienna’s shadow."
Mija hissed back, her claws sharper than any knife, "Better a parasite than a coward who lets the women of her tribe bleed in the dirt. At least I am fighting for the life of one of your own, what are you doing?"
The tension was unbearable, the crowd grew in size.
And then--Sienna arrived.
She strode over, her hair still tousled from sleep, her eyes blazing with fury, her hands wielding two pans that were gleaming like weapons. Timothy, the falcons and six fox guards accompanied her. The sight alone silenced the crowd. Sienna was no longer just any human, she was the matriarch who fought with pans, defied all laws and fought for them. And she looked ready to swing.
Her voice cut through the chaos, sharp and dripping with exasperation. "Which one of you two do I have to thank for ruining my nap?"
Mija and Lady Cadelaria immediately pointed to each other.
Sienna growled. "I leave you all for one nap--one nap! and you turn the hospital into a circus. You are both noble ladies for crying out loud! Why are you screeching like hens in the market place while that woman is about to freeze?" She looked at Winona, who was thinly dressed, trembling in the cold. "And you, stop trying to buy pity points. The next time your husband beats you, grab a pan and knock sense into him, them get a divorce and take half of his assets." She snapped her fingers. "Carry her into the hospital and bring me this Cuthbert. Let’s see how many swings of my pain he can endure."
