She turned to move only to collide with a giant soft brown palm.
“Shielding!” called Mini.
Once more, Mini surrounded them with a violet sphere, but that just made it easier for all five to be scooped up together. Aru felt her stomach fall as the ground disappeared beneath them and they were pulled up and out of the amphitheater.
“Let me at ’em!” yelled Brynne. Her skin flickered blue as if she was on the verge of transforming.
“Don’t!” shouted Aiden. “Mini’s shield will break!”
Brynne growled.
“Get into fighting positions!” said Aru.
Even Kara, despite not being part of their group for very long, fell into place as they crowded into a tight circle, standing back-to-back in the center of the giant’s cupped hands. Aru swiveled her head, trying to get better a visual on their foe. The giant’s fingernails were neatly filed and…painted? Aru looked up. Not a giant…but a giantess. In the dusky light, her head was cloaked in shadow, but then she moved and Aru saw the ginormous face of a beautiful young apsara wearing a gold crown. She had large eyes and a small mouth, a piercing in each nostril, and her dark hair was shot through with red highlights and piled into a bun. She wore an expression Aru had often seen on her own mom. It said,Very amusing. Now quit it!
“Are you quite finished?” asked the giantess.
Far, far below, the vanaras shouted, “They started it, Queen Tara!”
Aru whipped around.“Queen?”
“These are our newfriends,” said Queen Tara, holding the group aloft in her palm.
Aru felt a wave of dizziness when she looked down from so high up. Below them, the vanaras screeched and raced back and forth.
“Refreshments for our human guests!” Tara called out. “For we are celebrating!”
Slowly, she lowered Aiden, Aru, Kara, Mini, and Brynne back into the amphitheater. Then she straightened up and snapped her fingers—the sound of which reminded Aru of a distant clap of thunder—and shrank to the size of a human woman.
Albeit a very tall human woman.
“I need a moment to ready my quarters, and then you shall be summoned,” said Tara kindly before strolling into the palace.
Brynne stared after her, a slight blush on her cheeks. “She’s so regal…andshe’s so tall! Plus, she’s pretty.”
“Something about her seems familiar,” said Mini. “I feel like I know that name….”
“Wow,” said Kara, pointing at the amphitheater. “That’s…certainly a makeover?” Several yards away, dozens of vanaras busily worked to transform the whole place. Now, marigold petals carpeted the ground. Someone had even strung the guillotine with garlands of pink and yellow carnations.
“Did you know that the guillotine was developed by a French physician who thought it was the most humane way of executing people?” said Kara brightly.
“Yeah, I had the exact same thought when I saw it over my head,” said Aru.
Just then, a vanara wearing an elaborate turban ran toward Aiden, who was snapping photos of the kingdom. “Welovecelebrations almost as much as war!”
Aiden lowered his camera. “That’s good?”
“Have you written your vows already?” he asked.
“Vows?”asked Aiden, darting a panicked glance at Aru.
Two more vanaras rushed forward. One of them leaped over to Aru, measuring her waist with red silk and holding up golden bracelets and earrings to her face. Another threw a garland around Aiden and began to comb his hair. Aiden batted them away, but the vanara only laughed.
“Okay, I’m confused,” said Aru. “What’s happening?”
“We’re preparing for your wedding, obviously! The queen said there will be a celebration, which must mean a wedding! I love weddings! You’re the blushing bride, right?”
Behind them, Brynne and Mini collapsed with laughter. Even Kara giggled.
