As her last morning class at Moon Lake College that Wednesday let out, Liz Brookshire paused to look at her wristwatch.
12:15. That meddling normal Karen Yuletide is bound to be getting an earful by now of what it truly means to be a werelioness and should be forgetting all about her schemes to take MY Peter away from me!
But as she started walking out of the classroom, she had mixed feelings seeing Peter Talbot approach.
He doesn't look happy. Even if somehow he found out about me arranging that intervention, I didn't break my vow to him. Neither he nor his normal girl toy are in any physical danger.
"Peter," said Liz with a smile, trying to hide the concern in her voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I think you know," replied Peter coldly, staring intently at her.
"Well..." began Liz, but stopped when another voice spoke.
"Young lady. We'd like a word with you."
Liz Brookshire's blood turned cold as she recognized who was speaking.
"Your majesty," she replied, starting to bow as Leon Talbot, the werelion King of Moon Lake approached. The fact that there was a campus security guard with him wasn't lost on Liz as Leon said, "I've already spoken to Dean Myers and have his full cooperation. Come with us."
Those last 3 words were a royal edict, not a request.
"W-where to?" asked Liz, trying to play innocent.
"You know where," answered Leon, in an even more stern tone of voice than Peter spoke in.
Realizing that something was up, and not daring to go against her king even if it was physically possible to do so, Liz Brookshire meekly walked with the Talbots as they led her across the campus.
Anyone spotting them figured a VIP was involved, considering a campus security guard was among the procession.
Although every were present was currently in their human form, those who recognized either of the Talbots knew something significant to werelions was happening, and other than nodding their heads in regards to the king and his son the prince, never said anything as the group walked on to their destination.
Upon spotting the new arrivals, the lunch time assembly grew quiet as the procession entered the commons dining area of the campus.
Leon just simply nodded his head and said, "Go on about your business folks," as they passed.
Liz was growing more fearful by the moment, dreading what might happen, especially when she realized their destination.
Ahead of them, her "rival" for Peter's love was sitting around a group of other werelionesses that Liz had personally selected in hopes of talking Karen Yuletide out of become a were, let alone Peter's future bride.
But instead of seeing Karen in tears as the ladies laid it on the line about how important it was to be a proper werelioness, they were all laughing and talking as if they had been close friends for years instead of having just met.
"So then Larry got up on this stump in the forest and started roaring out I'm king of the world, just like in that movie, thinking he was impressing me," one lady said to the group. "But before he could finish the line, he slipped and fell right on his furry ass!"
"Why our men just can't show us how much they love us in more meaningful ways escapes me," admitted Katrina Garcia, the lady who Karen had met last night and let her know about this meeting.* It was also Katrina's (don't call her Kat) doing to break the ice and introduce Karen to everyone when they gathered round her table, which helped keep the meeting from turning out like Liz wanted it too.
"I mean, I love a good hunt as much as the next were, but I'm more of a catch and release hunter," said Katrina. "Not that I play with my alleged 'food', just that I enjoy the thrill of the chase more than the actual killing. Besides, what did Javier think I was going to do with a whole rack of deer? My father had already been to the butcher shop for the month."
"So what did you do with all that meat?" wondered Karen.
"I knew it wouldn't keep for long without proper refrigeration, so we donated it to a nearby food pantry in the next town. The poor and homeless certainly ate good that weekend," replied Katrina.
"I'm probably the Catch and Release type too," admitted Karen. "The only shooting I've ever done is with a camera, and I'd be more interested in watching Bambi than killing it."
"I heard you're an art major. How will you be using your degree upon graduation?" asked another lady.
Karen was about to answer when Peter cleared his throat.
"Oh. Sorry honey. Didn't see you approach. The ladies and I were having a great time chatting away," admitted Karen, as she got up and gave her fiance an affectionate kiss on the lips, to which the gathered women "oohed" and "aahed".
Liz Brookshire started to fume at that, but didn't dare protest as the happy couple parted lips.
"Girls, I'm sure you know everyone," said Karen, pointing to the Talbots and Liz. "These are—"
But Peter stopped her before the introductions could be finished.
"Ladies, please excuse us, but we do have some business to discuss," said Peter, taking Karen's hand and walking away from the group for a bit.
Despite the fact he was in his human form too, considering current events involved his son and future wife, Leon tried to listen in with his keen werelion hearing. But all he observed was the couple talking, Peter's eyes widening in surprise at one point as his son asked "Are you sure?", and the couple talking some more before they turned and walked back toward Leon.
"As the wounded party, your son and I have been talking over what would be a fit punishment for Liz Brookshire," said Karen formally to her future werelion king and father-in-law.
"I'm listening," replied Leon, wondering what the couple had in mind.
"First, I would like Liz to sit down and join us as we continue our discussion, for I want to hear her views on what she thinks becomes a proper werelioness," said Karen, pointing to the ladies still gathered round for the so called 'intervention'.
Leon looked between Yuletide and Brookshire, then smiled and said "Granted. Anything else?"
Peter looked at Karen, as she nodded her head at him. Then Peter turned to his father and said, "I will require the services of a security guard and Brookshire's presence Friday night."
"Err, my jurisdiction is strictly the college itself," said the campus guard present, who was not a werelion.
"I believe my son was talking to me," Leon politely told the guard, "but are you sure about it being this coming Friday night?" he asked Peter, for he knew what the couple had planned for that weekend.
Peter said yes, then took his father to a far corner to tell him in a more private setting what they had planned so Liz couldn't hear the rest of her impending fate.
When the younger Talbot finished explaining the plan to his sire, the older man said, "That is what you two want?"
"We fear Liz will keep trying to come up with one scheme after another to attempt breaking us up if we do not stage some kind of intervention of our own. Unless you have a better plan..."
Leon Talbot thought about it for a moment, then admitted, "No. Your idea is quite unorthodox, but I see no other way. Let us tell the others," he announced, turning to go back.
Upon returning to the group, the werelion king announced, "After due consideration of my son's suggestion, I shall grant his request for Friday night with a stipulation of my own. A guard will escort Miss Brookshire at all times from now until after the remainder of her punishment is carried out then."
"As you wish," Peter said to his father.
"WHAT?" screamed Liz, forgetting who she was talking to.
"I could place you under personal arrest right now by my sovereign rights as your king and the diplomatic jurisdiction Moon Lake acknowledges I have to oversee the werelions of this town," Leon told her. "You will be escorted by one of my men at all times until after my son and his fiance say the rest of your punishment has been carried out Friday night. Now sit down in that empty chair and contribute to the rest of the conversation as requested," Leon ordered her.
No one commented upon the fact that it was directly opposite where Karen and Peter were now standing on the far side of the table.
"You're treating me like a common criminal, which I'm not," Liz protested. "Next to the Talbots, the Brookshires are the highest ranking werelions in Moon Lake. By rights, I should be Peter's betrothed."
"Ritualistically, maybe. But not by what my heart says about Karen," announced Peter, while putting an arm lovingly around his fiance.
"Are you defying the direct orders of your king?" Leon asked, trying his best to keep from roaring loudly, let alone losing control and assuming his were form in public.
If any other weres in the area overheard any of the conversation, so be it. A king cannot show any weakness, no matter who might be involved.
Liz Brookshire was visibly starting to sweat now, fearful of what might happen next.
"No, your majesty," she finally said, reluctantly taking the empty chair.
"Now then. Us men will be nearby in case we're needed," he said, staring at Liz with that statement, "but feel free to talk," he told the ladies before he, Peter, and the campus security guard walked a respectable distance away to give the women some privacy, but still act in case of emergency if necessary.
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*In our previous episode "Spilled Beans".—tmw.