Beach clean up extended to the closest parts of the sea and the group brought in broken nets tangled with seaweed, rotten shells and other trash that had floated in from different places. Ali and Eli had joined her in the last hour. The little girl was running around with a basket, collecting shells.

Eli was sulking because his shoes were soaked.

Sienna was sure another complaint was already forming in his small head. Perhaps I need to put in a complaint box at home. Whenever he is mad at me, he can put in a coin, she thought.

"My lady, we have finished." A fox woman declared.

Sienna rerouted her attention to the group that was slowly gathering. "Thank you everyone for participating in this activity. I won’t let you go back hungry or without reward. Please go to the hotel for a free basket and pick up the envelopes with your money reward."

The group cheered, and some started running in the direction of the hotel. Sienna didn’t follow them, she took the children back home for their own breakfast.

But before she could enjoy the satisfaction of a fresh coffee with honey, a messenger arrived: the falcon Lord was requesting her presence down at the beach. If she couldn’t go down, he wanted an invitation into her home.

"Right," she muttered, glancing at her falcon relatives that were scattered around the courtyard, digging into breakfast. They had not overheard the guard who delivered the message, so they were still in good moods.

She marched back down to the beach, on her own. Of course, Liman and two guards followed. Unexpectedly, Soren also followed from a short distance. The Falcon Lord sat on a bench near the crab warning post. The feathers of his exposed wings were gleaming and his eyes were sharp.

Around him, elders of the falcon tribe basked in the the sun, taking no issue to sitting in the sand.

Liman grabbed a foldable chair that was leaning against the rocks that led up the steps to the gate. She set it out for Sienna, which was a shock, considering how the beast woman disliked her. Sienna sat down and crossed her arms across her chest. "Well..I suppose I should start with good morning. But I am hungry and tired so let’s get right to the point. With all due respect, what do you want?"

The falcon lord tipped his head slightly back. His sharp, but slightly curved nose almost seemed to look down on her with arrogance.

"Sienna," he began, voice booming with friendliness, "since you asked for direct, I will do as you wish. Even though your family was expelled, you and your brother remain of falcon blood. Isn’t it about time you acknowledge your roots publicly?"

Sienna raised a brow. "Publicly? Do you want me to wear a signboard or a shirt that projects it like some kind of holo board? What will the sign read? ’I am the human daughter of a disgraced falcon beast man, please clap?"

Liman laughed.

The falcon elders hissed at her sarcasm. One, with a nose that was curved like a beak said, "You don’t have to make it sound so ugly. Having roots is a thing that some wish for but can never achieve. Even if you don’t like it, the fact is that you are from the Falcon tribe. You have duties: like contributing taxes to the falcon clan. Grain tax, coin tax and sometimes a labor tax."

Sienna’s lips curled. "Duty? I was born without a beast gene. Those born without beast genes are not acknowledged by their tribes. You know this, and so do I. I am human. The tribe has never done anything for me. What duty do I have to it? Besides, have you forgotten that you kicked the Rocland family out of the tribe and I am a Rocland?"

Soren tugged her sleeve, whispering, "Sis, I think we should call grandpa."

Sienna shook her head. The falcon lord had come looking for her, not her grandfather. So, this was her business to deal with. She didn’t think the shamelessness of the falcons could go any further but the lord said something even more ridiculous next.

"Ah, this must be young Soren." He looked over the boy with eyes that were impressed. "A full falcon with A rank mental strength. You will fit in well at the Falcon Celestial Academy."

Sienna raised her brows. "He is going to the Glory academy."

As if the falcon lord didn’t hear her, he continued. "Some of the elder think we should have your queen bee registered as a falcon asset. What do you think Sienna? It is for her protection. Many people are coveting her now. You didn’t help your case by giving out all those jars of honey as farewell gifts to the Beast lords after the summit."

Sienna nearly choked. "You want to register my bee? She is a bee, not a flying ship! She doesn’t need a tag or name plate."

"She doesn’t live in the forest anymore. If she is going to roam around in the city, she will need proper identification." Another elder insisted.

Another said, "We are hosting a falcon god festival after winter. You have done a great job with this summit so we have considered things and we think you can host the festival too. Of course, it won’t be in this city. You will have to come to Fluffel city, the falcon territory. You can bring along everyone that helped you see the summit through successfully." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Sienna leaned forward, voice low. "Are you birds nuts? You have come here with all these demands and suggestions, acting as if I owe you something. You haven’t even offered me any explanations on what happened to Paris Rocland. Like why he died and why the rest of my family was expelled. Before you start putting name tags on my bee, why don’t we start there?"

The falcon elders fell silent.The falcon lord’s eyes narrowed. "That...is a guarded matter. You need not know."