When Worlds Collide (MxM)?

Sleeping on a bench was not a smart idea. Kade woke up to a random citizen playing with his hair, so he quickly got up and rushed to the castle.

After rumors of his 'grievous injury' spread, people stared at him in awe. It was exactly as Nyx had said it would be. Even the servant who came to light the candles in his room asked to see the cut.

At the station, as they finished the rest of the locomotive, the workers began joking about working themselves to death like the envoy tried to do.

Kade wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing, but it ensured that the laborers didn't slack off just because an envoy was overseeing the work.

One afternoon, Kade had to sit with two forward-thinking carnivores that the king introduced him to.

"Teach them what you know," Nyx explained. "That way they can help maintain the train after it's complete, and possibly build more."

Turning to the room, he went into lecture mode and by the end of the day, made sure they all understood how to read and build from the blueprints.

On his way back to his room, a consort with black stripes, long blond hair, and green eyes greeted him.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Uh...okay." He agreed cautiously.

Inside, she got comfortable on the bed and admired the decorative sheets that hung from the ceiling. "I tried asking for this room years ago."

"Why didn't you get it?" Kade resisted sitting beside her in case she got handsy.

"The rooms are assigned in order of when we first arrived at the castle. At the very end of the hall is the room for the first consorts."

"Why does it matter how long you've been a consort?" 

"It's an honor to serve in the Consort Hall for so long, so they get the best rooms."

"Uh-huh." He remained cautious about why one of the snarky women would suddenly want to talk.

She folded her hands in her lap and smiled. "My name is Sep, by the way."

"Kade."

"Kade. It'll be nice to call you something other than 'the envoy'."

"And it'll be nice to call you something other than 'the consort'."

She laughed. Then there was a noise at the door. Kade listened before pulling it open to find two more consorts listening in.

"Hello." He deadpanned.

"Hello." They replied in unison but refused to meet his eye.

"I told you not to spy on me!" Sep got up and stomped her foot.

"We wanted to know what you were talking about!" The consort who spoke had umber skin, with red stripes, bright purple eyes, and long red hair weighed down with silver beads.

"We barely got to talk about anything." Sep pouted.

The redhead looked at Kade, then swung her arms and awkwardly stepped closer. "In that case...I'm Lat. Sorry for being so rude to you before."

"It was Pelo's fault!" The third woman exclaimed. She had long black hair, intricately braided and weighed down with stones. Her eyes were bright honey, and she had white swirl patterns all over her body. "She insisted we try to get you out of the consort hall before Nyx made you one of us!"

"Oyu! Stop it!" Lat looked petrified. "Pelo is our senior. We can't talk bad about her!"

"But it's true!" Oyu's ears flicked in irritation. "I don't want to get in trouble because of her."