The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe

Chapter 333: The females decided to help

I looked at them a little skeptically. They aren’t here to nitpick, right?

"Look, if you’re here to tell me the dust is bad for the pups, I’ve already cleared a spot for them downwind."

"We aren’t here to complain, Arinya," the scared woman said, stepping forward.

She looked at the beavers already hauling away brush and then looked at her own calloused hands.

"We’ve lived in this kingdom since we were pups. We’ve watched the men build, watched them hunt, and we’ve sat in our huts waiting, stood at the side, watching, and sat at the center, feasting. We were content to just be ’females’ because that’s all anyone ever asked us to be."

Talia nodded, her gaze fixed on the nursery in the distance where the sounds of pups playing drifted over the wind and over the sound of the construction over here.

"You’re new here, and yet just after a few suns, you’ve given our children a pack and their very own palace. You’re changing the very ground under our paws. We don’t want to just sit and watch the foundation of our children’s future be laid by someone else while we were ’watching’."

"We want to help," another woman added, her voice quiet but firm. "Tell us what to do. We might not have the strength of the males, but we can clear bush with the bone knives, we can haul water, and we can weave the ropes for your sleds."

I felt a sudden, unexpected lump in my throat.

I had resolved myself to fight any female who was going to stand in my way and give me a headache after coming to the West Way. If it was a fight they wanted, I was ready to use my status to bulldoze through their bitterness.

But I hadn’t expected to actually use words to settle things. After all, what had words ever done for me in the past? Not like violence would’ve helped me in the past either. I was invisible, bullied and maltreated.

So, when I looked into their pain, thinking about it more deeply than just the jealousy of a female and a convet to the status as queen, I realized violence isn’t always the answer. At least, in this case, it wasn’t.

Violence would have bred more violence, and in the end, the dream I had would have become a reality. Many would suffer, and I was one of them.

Anyway, it just goes to show that sometimes, just showing people a version of the world where they actually matter is enough to turn an enemy into an ally. And look where it got me.

"I... I could use the help," I admitted, giving them a tired but genuine smile. "Oryn is going to be short-handed once we start splitting the blocks. If you can handle the logistics—the water, the food for the workers, and the rope-weaving—it’ll free up the builders to focus on the stone."

Talia gave a sharp, decisive nod.

"Consider it done. We’ll organize the shifts. No one sits idle while the Queen is in the dirt."

I smiled. Yes, that was much appreciated.

If we all put hands together to build our future, there is no wind or storm that can pull it down.

As they hurried off to gather the rest of the women, Oryn let out a low, appreciative whistle.

"You have a way of making people want to work, Queen. I’ve never seen the wolf-females volunteer for anything that didn’t involve a feast."

"It’s not about the work, Oryn," I said, finally spreading the bark blueprint across a flat stump. "It’s about belonging. Now, look here. This is the drainage system..."

"What is a drainage system?" Oryn asked andI gave a flat expression. Seems ive gotta explain this to him as well. But no matter. It’s fun, and it’s fine.

I can see the days going by just like this, I can see the kingdom improving, and I can see myself bringing about an absolute change.

Since the construction was such a large-scale one, it seemed the entire kingdom wanted to be a part of it, including the sheep tribe.

Oakhaven had been completely reconstructed, but they would like to offer their gratitude to us for our help, even if it had been Garrot’s uprising that caused all of that mess in the first place, so they joined in the construction of the rabbit dwelling just next to them.

That project needed only a minimal number of beastworkers, did it did not affect the construction of the road, palace, and side houses.

But there were still a lot of volunteers, so Noah and I made a rooster for those who would work on the road, dig the foundations, hunt for food, repair the broken tools, the ones who would look after the pups and children while everyone was busy and all of that.

Thalor was especially helpful in finding more limestone, as well as places where we could build a well along the way. Though, he had to hold my hand as I was still his anchor and he didn’t want to be hanging by a thread once he purified the water for drinking.

Once it was done, he always gave me a smile as he was glad he had been of help. I gave him a smile as well, and a thank you that touched his heart.

Fenric was in charge of rallying the heavy lifters, his pale chorded muscles flexing each time he lifted a rock or a tree.

He was so handsome and so powerful, that I found myself staring and drooling from time to time. Just look at those beads of sweat that look like crystal specs on his body. Absolutely gorgeous.

Noah, whenever he caught me drooling, would strip himself of his tunic and join the heavy lifting, making me laugh cause his attention was as bright as day, haha.

Ah, it was all going great. The construction, my plans for a more civilized kingdom, and my heart that missed Damar even as my mind was occupied, all of it was going great