| Logs |
2012 March 05
| Neverneverwhere |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Taps Logs |
Courtly Dances
Sna'tha is sneaky when necessary; she doesn't mention that being in serpentine form will also make it much easier for the bonding couple to become amorous... which will both allow Suraksha to heal faster from the energy, and will quite likely cause her to physically mature into puberty, and become fertile. The sidhe woman is no fool -- she believes here in Baton Rouge, Roy's beloved city, surrounded by guards Sna'tha herself has trained, is a far, far safer place for Suraksha to potentially become pregnant and give birth... than discovering the pregnancy while traveling with the caravan, and then heading on the run towards San Francisco, desperately trying to get home before the winter snows close Donner Pass for the season.
Suraksha and Roy are blissfully unaware of the sidhe woman's cheerful machinations, instead spending their time curled up together, with both of them initially just sleeping and eating for three or four days; it is late on the first day, in fact, that Suraksha manages to change into her Naga form, and that wipes her out for an entire night. Neither of them realize it, but Sura is unconsciously drawing lightly on Roy's energy to heal well, rather than suffering permanent internal damage. That, combined with Pierce's small but repeated Tapping for her, means Sura will probably eventually recover fully, and be her old, lovely self once more.
At some point after those four or so days, though, Sura finds herself very, very much attracted to how incredibly nice Roy feels and smell/tastes and sounds when she's all tangled around his lovely, sturdy warmth! Their lovemaking is a sweetly languid, delicious exploration for both of them, since Suraksha does not usually stay in this form, let alone have sex in it. She finds herself in an extraordinarily good mood most of the time, as her lover seems to not only accept her 'new,' native body, but practically revel in it!
Roy is cheerfully fascinated by the magical-seeming, half-mammalian and half-reptilian body of his cherie, and his hands running over her smoothly soft, scaled skin make her nearly blissed out with pleasure. While neither of them know it, it is his joy in her increasing health which causes her serpentine form to nearly shimmer with beauty, and which makes the soft, firm scales jewel-toned and iridescent with bright, clear patterns. Sura's a little nervous when he wants to check out her slightly different human half -- especially the short, needle-sharp fangs -- but she lets him, and tries not to worry unduly when he manages to scratch himself yet again on her very sharp teeth. He suffers no bad reactions, however, which reassures her as to the efficacy of their bond truly rendering him immune to her venom. He makes her laugh later as well, when he confides to her -- this time with oral as well as manual demonstration -- that he's glad the upper end stayed mostly human... because he believes she's still got the most amazingly appealing breasts! Their bond is formed solidly and cemented in their growing affection for each other.
As Suraksha's healer, Pierce comes on a daily basis to check on his patient -- and to keep an eye on Roy, due to the king's uncharacteristic unwillingness to leave his quarters. Roy doesn't consciously realize it, but it's not just the growing bond keeping him at Sura's side; there's also the fact that he almost lost her, and he can't bear that thought. Touching and stroking her, talking with her while she's cuddled up against him, teasing her into that sparkling-eyed laughter, and making love frequently with her -- all those things help reassure him she's still there, she's still fine... and despite her shape-shifting ability, she's still his cherie.
During that week Alg refuses to stay at the caravan, curled up and keeping watch at Roy's bedroom door. The quarters themselves are guarded like usual, although Roy's bodyguards are augmented by some of the caravan folk who are worried for Suraksha, and want to be sure she's all right. Fantine, for example, simply flies in in fireball form one night, bearing Sura's toiletries as she shifts to humanoid shape and calmly insists her lady must be seen to properly! Aside from Sna'tha and a few others of the caravan who know of Sura's Naga form, however, no one else is admitted into the king's bedroom. The maids are allowed in occasionally to tidy up the rest of the quarters, since Sura looks fairly normal as long as she stays half covered by sheets, with the lights down low. That odd state of affairs continues for most of that entire week, until Roy is satisfied his cherie is healing well and is not going to die on him.
After that week Roy will occasionally meet with those he really needs to speak with, and he appears enough that his people are not alarmed. Now they're both sure of the bond, Suraksha is willing to shift carefully into human form again -- which relieves Pierce immensely, as he is more familiar with human bodies, and she's less likely to bite him in this shape! She's sternly confined to bed for another week -- much to her sleepy indignation -- and Roy keeps his work days as short as possible so he can spend all his spare time with her. She's still prone to needing more sleep and food than usual, after all. Indeed, occasionally Roy's work is conducted just a short distance away from her, in the front rooms of his quarters, so if Suraksha needs help she can simply call. They both know technically this isn't truly necessary... but it makes them both feel better inside, while Sura isn't in tiptop shape, to know the other is close.
After two weeks of this, there is great curiosity and gossipy interest in the palace -- who is this girl, that she's so charmed the scoundrel king?! Why is he keeping her so isolated? Could it be- *gasp*! -a kidnapping?! Or maybe she's performed some black magic on him! The whispering runs rampant amongst those inclined to that sort of thing, despite the amused denials of those in the know. After all, it couldn't be that Roy was simply in love -- everyone knows he's a confirmed bachelor and rakehell!
Some factions in the palace are quite unhappy with that possible prognosis -- mostly those who have daughters of their own they were hoping to place within the palace as king's mistress, or perhaps even queen someday. Others are already making cautious overtures of political alliance to those caravaneers who are in and out of the palace -- or at least those who will respond to such attempts. Alg just bares his teeth when pressed, while Ohkwari remains steadfastly silent. More disturbingly, Gramma Marcie tends to burst out into cackling laughter, and Del simply kicked one young and hopeful swain who would not take no for an answer.
Amongst the stout-hearted court mamas grooming their daughters for the hopeful position of queen -- or even just the next king's mistress -- is a determined lady who also has a son in the king's bodyguard. She has to wait until almost the end of the second week before things are perfect: Roy absent at a meeting which cannot occur in his quarters, and her son in position as one of the guards on Roy's quarters that day. At that time, however, she plans carefully and manages to sweep into the king's quarters on an artful pretext. She is determined to discover, once and for all, if the king has indeed been bewitched by this little snippet of a Hetaera or not... and if so, to fix it once and for all!
The formidable Mrs. Olivia Madison-Williams believes herself prepared for any eventuality, of course -- but even she has to admit to herself she did not expect to find the small Hetaera in a surprisingly demure nightie, struggling with something as simple as trying to walk from the bed to the clothes closet. She finds herself assisting the Lady Sulochana with the offer of an arm, and she watches in some perplexity as 'Chana sits breathing deeply in a chair a moment later, her chosen clothing for the day lying in a silky pile across her lap.
Courtiers are not given to blunt speaking, and at this point Sulochana is preoccupied enough that she's not being as careful as usual with her words. So when the redoubtable Mrs. Madison-Williams delicately inquires as to whether the lady is departing today...? 'Chana growls amusedly that she certainly is; she has a caravan to see to, and she won't be caged -- no matter how well-meaning! The miscommunication goes unrecognized by either; the court lady assumes the Hetaera means to escape and flee Roy's unwelcome attentions, whereas the Hetaera simply means she's got 'cabin fever,' and is worried about her family. Mrs. Olivia cheerfully offers, in that case, to assist Sulochana, which the still weak 'Chana gratefully accepts.
Some time thereafter, and somewhat to the confusion of the guards and caravaneers there, Mrs. Olivia has peremptorily commanded the guards to remain on duty at the door, as per the king's wishes, and seen Sulochana off with her companions. The stout-hearted lady waves a hankie at the palace gates as the little group departs, feeling perhaps a touch of good wishes to the poor girl -- as well as relief at the difficultly attractive Hetaera's departure. The good woman is shocked -- shocked, indeed! -that the scoundrel king should stoop so low: imprisoning a poor girl with no family to protect her!
Admittedly, that will not prevent Mrs. Olivia from neatly infiltrating her own daughter into that position; she's quite sure Roy would not dare kidnap a local girl, after all -- and really, the king has plenty of beautiful local girls to choose from! He certainly doesn't need to be looking elsewhere... especially since Mrs. Olivia's lovely young Abigail is 18 now! Tch... in fact, Mrs. Olivia has actually done the king a huge favor in persuading the Hetaera to leave. A man of his age gadding about with a mere 14 or 15 year old -- what would people say?!
Mrs. Olivia is nothing if not thorough, of course; she has the maids clean the king's apartments from top to bottom, clearing out all the Hetaera's goods. She supervises their packing, and even dispatches one of her men with the package, to be returned immediately to the escaping lady hopefully before she has departed. After that she dismisses the slightly confused maids, settling into the king's waiting room with young Abigail and a sheaf of paperwork for the king's immediate attention. She intends to do her best to distract King Roy from noticing his caged bird has flown, and she suspects a party is just the thing to do so -- especially if it is full of lovely and nubile young women! Her Abigail is, of course, the loveliest, but she sees no reason to belabor the obvious. Dear Abby is a bit nervous, but will also eventually realize her mother knows best about these things... just as good King Roy will.
Shortly thereafter Roy comes striding into the room, yanking off the formal jacket he'd been wearing, and muttering under his breath. He's already exasperated at how long the negotiations took; he'd promised to be back in time for lunch with his cherie, and here it is late afternoon already! He's praying internally that Theophile took good care of her and made sure she ate, and he certainly doesn't expect to find two women from his court waiting in his anteroom. It's only the pretty little jade statuette he's got resting in his pocket for his cherie that sweetens his mood -- he loves the way her eyes light up when he gives her pretty things!
Roy glances with a raised eyebrow between the two women as he tosses his formal jacket over a chair, but then just holds up a hand to Mrs. Olivia -- who has already started talking at him, "Missus 'Livia, Miss Abigail. Moment, please." He heads briskly on into his rooms, greeting the guards and ignoring Mrs. Olivia's indignant attempts to grab his attention with whatever nonsense it is she's blathering about this time -- he brushes past her, calling out to Suraksha as he enters, "Ma petite cherie! I got sumpin' for ya!" He's puzzled at first when she doesn't answer, and appears to be gone; he looks all over the room, even under the bed, as if she might be playing hide-and-seek.
Mrs. Olivia stands in the door to his bedroom, doing what he privately refers to as the "heaving-bosoms-angry-mamma" routine. Her voice is sharp, "Your majesty! I must protest -- keeping that poor girl prisoner in here! She has departed these premises, and for good, I hope! Not only is it wrong to treat a girl so, but you should be looking to your own people for -- for moral support!" She's a good Southern lady; she can't quite bring herself to say 'for sexual support.' In the other room, Abby is wishing the earth would open up under her feet and swallow her. She already has a beau, although she's not had the courage yet to introduce the young man to her formidable mother... since she knows Mother will not approve of him.
Roy's search had gotten increasingly frantic as he realized it wasn't just Suraksha, but all her things that have gone missing. When Mrs. Olivia starts her protestations, he wheels on her and snarls, "Prisoner? Have you lost yer goddamn mind, woman? That girl was damn near gator-bait not two fuckin' weeks ago!" His eyes narrow as he stalks toward Olivia, "If you..." he points at her son, the bodyguard, "...or anyone have caused her damage..." He lets it trail off ominously.
Ethan Madison-Williams' eyes widen where he's peeking around the doorframe, and he shakes his head vehemently. Mrs. Olivia, however, seems to swell with outrage, her voice near operatic in carrying quality, "Caused her damage?! Indeed not! And you are a fine one to speak so to a loyal subject, your majesty, if you are exposing her to such danger!" There is self-righteous pride in her voice as she adds, "I assisted her in her escape! The poor girl had to wait until you'd departed to even get out of bed!" Miss Abigail has seen her mother in such tirades before; she tiptoes out and whispers to her brother that maybe now would be a good time to leave?
Roy stalks across the room until he's towering over Olivia. His voice is quiet, calm and almost detached. "That so? Helped 'er escape? She was in the damned bed because she. Was. Attacked. By. A. Gator. You. Stupid. Bint." It is at this point Roy realizes having a beloved who heals both fast and well means there will be those who will not believe she could have been seriously harmed in so recent a time frame. After all, the alligator never actually closed its jaws on her -- her wounds were all mostly internal. To an observer, though, the bruises and contusions appear to be either healed, or in places normal clothing would cover... and most survived alligator bites are on limbs anyway.
Mrs. Olivia gasps in outrage, "Well, I never!" She draws herself up to her full, stout height, nearly quivering with moral rectitude. Her head is high as she turns and sweeps towards the door, commanding in a carrying voice, "Come, Abigail! There is no point in staying here to be insulted. We shall simply have to return later." Abigail is more than happy to depart, and Ethan looks as if he desperately wishes he could join them.
Roy doesn't really care at just that minute -- he turns to his guards and says in that dangerously calm voice, "Might be best if one a' you finds me Jacko. Might be best if it was Ethan."
Ethan gasps out, "Yasser!" and is gone in a flash, thanking his lucky stars he's not gator-bait himself -- yet! The two women depart -- Mrs. Olivia with huffy alacrity -- and the remaining guard does his best to look absolutely wooden faced. To the other guard Roy says, "I know that boy's momma carries his balls in her purse, but you wanna tell me yer excuse?" His tone is still steely and cool.
The other guard suddenly finds it much easier not to want to laugh at Ethan's predicament. He's absolutely at proper attention as he barks honestly, "Just came on duty, sir!"
Very shortly thereafter a frowning Jacko turns up with Ethan in tow, still gabbling anxiously at him -- the effect is somewhat like a big, calm but confused panther trying to understand a hysterical Chihuahua. Jacko holds up a hand to shut off Ethan once he enters Roy's apartments, and rumbles perplexedly, "Your majesty, Ethan ain't making sense -- something 'bout Lady Sulochana bein' kidnapped 'n his momma helpin' 'n I'm s'pposta keep you from killin' his entire family 'cause of that?"
Ethan draws in a deep breath, getting out, "No! It-" before both men, without even looking at him, hold up their hands again to cut him off. Jacko's voice is firm, "Ethan, run 'long 'n fetch yer momma... 'n after that... after that go saddle up Hermoso 'n Traveler, my horse. Go!" The boy dithers for a second, but then dashes off, and Jacko frowns again as he muses aloud, "Thing is, Missus 'Livy's a self-righteous ol' bat, but she ain't a kidnapper... 'n I don't really see anyone here bein' able to make the Hetaera do anything she didn't really want to, y'know? So... what is really going on, please, yer majesty?"
Roy rolls his eyes, "The ole battle-axe thought I had kidnapped ma cherie -- or so she says. So she helped her 'scape my evil clutches." His smile is humorless, "Di'n't stop 'er from bringin' Trav's sweetheart in here t' display like a side a' beef, though." He growls, "Damn that woman. She's prolly on 'er way back t' th' caravan."
Jacko stares silently at the king for several seconds, doing his best to maintain a cool, thoughtful mien. Once he's sure he's got his urge to laugh back under control -- and he's squelched the terribly unprofessional thought that the Lady Sulochana is precisely what Roy deserves after all the times he's run off on his guards! -he simply nods and turns, telling the other guard there to intercept Ethan and belay the order about fetching his mother. The captain looks back at Roy, murmuring, "I assume your majesty wishes to go after her, yes?"
Roy snaps, "Yer fuckin' right my majesty does. An' put Ethan on suspension. He's a good boy, but my geldin's got more balls. More brains, too. Damn that woman."
Jacko is already heading towards the barns with Roy, but he pauses long enough to pass the command on to a passing guard, then catches up with Roy. His voice is carefully neutral, and there's not even the hint of his internal smile on his face, as he murmurs, "You are referring to the Missus Olivia? Is she to be reprimanded also?"
Roy rolls his eyes at the question, "I'm talkin' 'bout ma cherie. Ain't no way she coulda been forced out. She's still weak as a damn kitten. An' that self-righteous sow Olivia... I think I oughta cool down 'fore I decide just what she's got comin' to 'er." Jacko just smiles privately and makes sure the horses are saddled as quickly as possible. Shortly thereafter the two men are cantering swiftly towards the caravan. They'd be galloping, with Roy's impatience, but even he realizes dodging the populace is better than trampling them.
When they arrive at the caravan's camping grounds, Roy is on the ground even before Hermoso is fully stopped. By now, he feels almost as comfortable with the caravan as in his own home, and he's had enough time for most of his rage to turn into worry. Consequently he notices immediately when the two men face a slightly... odd reception. People study them silently, then look away uncomfortably. Some of them look angry, and no one comes forward for the reins of their horses. Jacko frowns as he glances around; this is not welcoming, but surely the Lady didn't truly feel kidnapped?
At Sura's brightly painted wagon, Fantine stands on the back porch, and for the first time ever that Roy has seen her, she looks like what she is: a dangerous predator. Her eyes literally glow icy sapphire as she stares at Roy, and her fangs show slightly as she taps on the door and calls quietly, "Madame, he is here." To Roy she growls with soft, intense anger, "You could not even face her to tell her you want her to depart forever? That you -- you dump her off?"
Roy has had time, by now, to register that Suraksha's accouterments were also gone. He stares at Fantine for a second, flummoxed, and then his face goes still with fury again. Over his shoulder he tells Jacko, "I ain't gonna kill 'Livia, but she might wish I did after this." To Fantine he speaks in French, "[This was not my doing, little cabbage. I am not so stupid as to throw away such a treasure as your bokor]."
The loogaroo studies Roy for a long moment. Then she nods and steps aside, her expression softening -- just as the door opens and a cold-faced Sna'tha steps out. Her French is flawless; it's clear she does not speak Creole, "[How nice for you. I trust you are here to apologize profusely for cutting her out of your life, yes?]"
Roy snaps, "No, I ain't. I'm here t'ask why she ran off 'gainst doctor's orders an' took all 'er thangs with 'er. Dammit, Sna'tha, I may be an asshole, but I ain't a goddamn coward. Chrissakes, I thought we'd got past this shit."
The sidhe folds both sets of arms, frowning and blocking the door, but it's Fantine who indignantly says, "She did no such thing! You cast her out -- sent all her belongings away to her -- and behind her back!"
Sna'tha puts a calming hand on Fantine's shoulder, just as the wagon door cracks open and a small, slightly choked voice calls from within, "Is that R-roy?" A moment later Suraksha peers out from around Sna'tha, her face tear-streaked and her voice unwittingly plaintive, "What did I do? Why are you so angry with me?"
Roy growls and turns toward Jacko, "That woman had best not show her face in my court again." He turns back to Sulochana, trying to keep his voice gentle, "Wa'n't me, cherie. I got back from meetin's to find you an' all yer stuff gone. Thought you'd run off. An' that eejit Olivia Williams thinkin' I'd been keepin' ya fer a love slave."
All three women study Roy silently for a long moment... well, mostly silently; Sura sniffles and rubs her eyes with one fist as she's thinking. Fantine just watches; Sna'thaid looks grim. Finally Suraksha says in slow, slightly groggy confusion, "She thought... but... I just wanted to check on everyone here, make sure they were all healing too." She looks tired for a moment, then adds perplexedly, "...'love slave'? I never said anything like that. I wouldn't -- you know I wouldn't! She said she would help me... get out... oh, dear..." Her voice trails off as Olivia's actual meaning registers, and the exhausted woman abruptly just sits down on the floor and wails, tears running down her face. "I thought -- I thought you hated me or something!"
Fantine crouches next to Suraksha, crooning quietly to her and stroking her hair. Roy glances at Sna'tha, one brow raised, until she shifts enough to let him through. She sighs exasperatedly, stepping forward to wave a hand to the growing number of quietly encircling caravaneers and calling, "Mistake! False alarm!" Most of them nod and depart; Ohkwari smiles faintly and murmurs, "Thought so." One young girl comes forward with Hermoso's reins in hand; the big horse had drifted over to graze on a patch of grass when Roy leapt off.
Roy slips into the wagon and wraps his arms around Suraksha, stroking her hair as he murmurs to her, "'Course not, cherie. You 'n Mary are the lights a' my life."
Sura reaches up when he crouches next to her, wrapping her arms tightly about his neck. She's not quite clinging -- there's a small hiss of pain as she twists awkwardly, in fact -- and then her tear-wet face is pressed against his neck as she mumbles, "'N your Lady... can we go -- can we stay together a bit, please? Stay with me tonight?"
Roy smiles ruefully, "Bet'cher godsmama di'n't know you'd snuck out, neither. 'Course I'll stay with ya, cherie."
Suraksha sniffles, ducking her head against Roy again and mumbling a bit guiltily, "She, um... she was yelling at m-me for being an idiot when -- when the package of my stuff arrived. She stopped when I s-started -- started c-c-crying..." Miserably she adds, "I didn't mean to scare -- I mean, I just wanted to walk around a bit, you know? Was getting stir-crazy... tired of not being able to just walk!" She sighs, leaning into Roy as she adds tiredly, "'Livy said not to worry 'bout a thing... she'd take care of it all. Think she meant well...?" Her eyes are starting to droop now the adrenaline is beginning to ebb, and she reaches up to curl her fingers tightly in Roy's collar and some of his hair. She slurs, "Doon' leave, 'kay...?"
Roy sighs, "'Livia is a self-righteous ole bat that wants me to marry her daughter. You met 'er. That li'l gal Trav is so sweet on?" He kisses the top of her head, "Ain't leavin'. Shhhh."
Sura is still for a moment, then nods sleepily, murmuring groggily, "Abby... 'z nize grrl..." She sighs, relaxing limply into Roy's arms as she drifts off -- she's run herself out of energy again, this time due to grief.
Fantine is already in the wagon, tidying up the scatter of belongings that had been at the palace, and she says softly, "Spending the night, majesty, oui? She will feel better, more able to travel, in the morning."
Sna'tha growls quietly from outside the wagon, "And put a guard on her that'll take her for goddamn walkies next time you're not with her, eh?" which causes Fantine to giggle.
Roy shifts and wriggles until he can lift 'Chana in his arms. He's smiling tenderly down at her as he answers Fantine, "Yeah. Send Jacko to bring Mary? She'll wanna visit, too." He grins at Sna'tha, "Will do, ma'am. Or at least one that ain't still on the tit."
Jacko's voice outside the wagon is almost silky as he murmurs, "Why, sensei. Surely you don't have any trouble with runaway wards?" That causes Fantine to giggle again, and Sna'tha to give an unlady-like snort, muttering something about poetic justice as she waves off the Captain, "Go on, go on, I'll keep an eye on them both!"
Once Suraksha is safely ensconced in Baton Rouge with Roy after the battle with the giant gator, and the bonding seems to have taken firmly hold, Sna'tha wastes no time in sending a message via deific ley-line traveler -- the one that takes only a few days to arrive. She send but a single word: Checkmate, to Sura's family back in San Francisco -- but from the burst of activity which that message provokes, you would have thought it was at the very least the Second Coming!
After a week of intense preparations and packing, and severe meditation and concentration by Fearsome Grandmother, the winds in San Francisco get a bit more ferocious than usual. Early one cloudy, stormy night when most will not be able to see clearly, a slender, undulating draconic form leaps into the air from the Golden Gate Bridge, riding the wind southward down the coastline. She rises high up into the atmosphere, her cargo and riders carefully strapped to her body and the windspeed rising with her. On average, although she does not have the instrumentation to take measurements, she's speeding along at between 100 and 150mph.
About three hours later, at the tiny cluster of sparkles which point out the remains of Old Elay, the Ethereal dragon turns eastward, heading towards the direction of sunrise. Her riders have a compass, and they call out directions as necessary, keeping her flying generally eastward but fading slightly south as well. Her speed is impressive, high over the land -- on occasion the winds carrying her rise as high as 200mph, although she's careful to keep them well above the land's surface. They continue on like that for the rest of the night, and when they spot the dark, sprawling smudge of Houston in the early dawn light, they turn east again to follow the northernmost coast of the Gulf of Mexico, still rocketing along high up in the atmosphere, although the winds are starting to slow back down to 'merely' 150mph or so.
It's a blustery, stormy mid-day when the dragon lightly touches down several miles north of Baton Rouge, on the eastern side of the river and in the largest clearing she can find in the middle of that heavily forested area. Her wind-chilled riders dismount, taking a few moments to shed their protective clothing, shift form, and scamper around to warm up again. After that, though, they immediately head off into the wilds on the serious business of hunting down something for the tired dragon to eat. She, for the nonce, simply curls up sinuously and sleeps until they wake her late in the afternoon -- at which point she devours the handful of javelina and deer they'd caught for her.
Once the sun has almost set the riders mount up again, and the dragon drifts silently into the air on the rising night wind. They float over the city's borders, staring down carefully at it in the growing dusk, until one of them points -- there! That's the caravan, definitely. The dragon floats back down to the ground a short ways out of town, and her riders unload her this time before they all shift shape again. The leopard paces a silent and careful guard about the tired woman, while the lean wolf slips off in a steady, distance-covering trot into the night towards the caravan.
It's only about two hours later that the wolf comes bounding back, her tail wagging in excitement. Ohkwari and Gajara the elephant are swaying along at a measured pace behind her, and the big manitou greets the tired woman with familiar respect, helping her up onto Gajara. The luggage is loaded as well, and soon all the entities are back at the caravan, where a hot meal, a warm welcome, and snug beds await. The plan is to head on in to the mansion-palace the next day, which means Gajara excitedly asks if she can be dressed up gorgeously again to carry her matriarch's family. Everyone pitches in with a will -- they all love a circus parade, after all!
The next day there is a leisurely breakfast, and then the procession begins. Fearsome Grandmother reclines in imperial splendor on the back of the gorgeously painted and tapestried elephant; the woman's glittering and colorful sari shimmers as brightly in the sunlight as her priceless headdress and jewelry. Gajara is having a great time, happily lifting her feet high as she walks -- both to make the belled anklets she wears chime and jingle, and to get her colorful harness tassels to swing and sway with her. Nhung Quan, Suraksha's Papai, strolls next to the elephant with one of the young people from the caravan -- Gajara's chosen mahout -- so they can all talk together. He is splendidly attired as well, while his wife sports a glittering and bejeweled costume much like her mother's, where she sits on Gajara's neck like a queen's elegant mahout.
When they reach Roy's mansion-palace, Gajara throws her head back and trumpets at the gate for admittance -- which causes all kinds of excitement and consternation! The majordomo obviously doesn't have them on his schedule for the day, but just as obviously they are visiting royalty he can't ignore. He takes Fearsome Grandmother's name (Akane Rabhya Rajdulari Lopa Saudamini Amitrasudan Sesha -- whew!) but is rather flustered when she gets all cold-eyed, commanding, and elegantly cross at not being expected -- and so the poor man misses that she and Sulochana share a surname. The glittering, stunningly attired arriving group are shown to a well-appointed waiting room -- while a happy Gajara heads for the stables with Oksana, her usual mahout.
Nhung Quan has a huge old traveling trunk on one shoulder, and as soon as they're offered drinks and left alone for a bit, Savitashri (Suraksha's Ama, or beloved mother) shifts into a black and tan bloodhound shape and trots out of the room, followed by the other two. They all head purposefully along the hallways, as if they belong there -- the visiting royalty with her trunk-carrying servant behind her -- and any time someone tries to intercept them Akane simply imperiously orders them to direct her to the king's quarters. At her age, 'commanding' is easy for her, so between that and the scent-tracking ability of Savita's dog-shape, they're soon heading down the hallway that leads to Roy's rooms.
In the meantime, Roy is not having a good day. The past week or so has been absolutely wonderful -- aside from that damn woman's interference that caused his cherie to run away for a day -- but now he's getting idiots reporting panic about a dragon, of all things, in the sky last night. More importantly, to him, abruptly in the last day or three Suraksha has become oddly broody, and he can't figure out why or what to do for her. Sna'tha keeps insisting she just needs time, but whatever for?
All right, his cherie is still healing, and the bonding was rather unexpected to him, yes -- but he's thrilled about it! Nervous, but thrilled -- and they did everything Sna'tha had insisted they do for the bonding, and he's gotten Sna'tha to agree to make the place as safe as possible for 'Chana while she heals, and what more does the damn confusing woman want?! It's not helping any that when he gets exasperated, she cries -- that tears him all up inside and he can't think straight -- but surely she understands he can't simply curl up and spend 24 hours a day with her? What none of them realize is that Sura's body is undergoing some rather powerful hormonal changes as she shifts through the lamia's equivalent of menarche, and matures into adulthood.
The tired, worried, and frustrated king is standing outside his quarters in the hallway, talking to Jacko about increasing the guard. The two of them had been abruptly shoo'd out of the room by Fantine at Sna'thaid's orders -- out of his own quarters, dammit! -so Sura could calm down and quit crying. Intellectually Roy understands Sna'tha's reasoning, but emotionally the king is feeling jangled and upset. He doesn't really notice the big bloodhound trotting happily along and snuffling its way down the hall, but he does look up and scowl at the soignee beauty with her servant. Ordinarily he'd be roguishly interested in such a strikingly dramatic-looking woman, but now's not the time -- and isn't this part of the mansion supposed to be secure, dammit?! He snaps irritably, "Who th' fuck are y'all and whut th'fuck ya doin' here?"
The svelte woman raises an elegant eyebrow -- just like those damn society matrons, dammit! How can she do that when she looks no older than he does?! -and murmurs in chilly tones, "Such astonishing mastery of the language. Clearly, the reason you are posted far out here." She seems to mentally dismiss him, adding firmly, "We'll need rooms nearby to stay in, Savitashri. Nhung Quan can leave the trunk in there once we find them."
Roy stares in rising anger and astonishment at this arrogant, annoying woman, as the big bloodhound gives a happy "woof!" and bumps gently against him while nudging through the door into his room. He's almost sputtering as he snaps, "Wha-?! Look, you meddling old bat, you can't just go waltzi- hey!"
The woman hasn't acknowledged his words at all -- she's simply murmured a firm, "Stand aside, gentlemen," and effortlessly flowed around Roy's outstretched arm -- which is no longer barring the way... leaving him gaping in surprise after her.
Inside the room, Sna'tha is sitting on the couch with most of her arms reassuringly wrapped about a rather droopy, sniffly Sura, who is leaning against her; Fantine is in the other room and compulsively tidying, like she does whenever her dear lady is miserable and she can't help. As Roy draws breath for a furious bellow, Sura catches sight of the annoying woman, and her eyes widen with shock -- and then she's up off the sofa and flinging herself towards the woman with a stifled sob. The irritating, intruding woman spreads her arms in welcome, her voice suddenly warm and compassionate, "Baby! We're here, sweet child; don't worry. Everything will be taken care of."
Sna'tha too rises, her voice relieved and heartfelt, "Thank goodness you made it, Akane." They both hug Sura -- even the dog is wagging its tail and panting happily up at the distraught girl.
For a few heartbeats Roy just stares, goggle-eyed... then he turns to Jacko and pantomimes banging his head against the wall. He mutters to the startled Captain of his Guard, "Kill me. Just kill me now... it'll hurt less." He groans as Jacko covers a smile, then adds in the tone of voice of the condemned, "Please tell me I din' just call my cherie's momma a meddlin' old bat."
An amused, purring growl behind Roy, like velvet and barbed wire, makes him turn startledly, and he stares at the man he'd taken for a servant, "You must be the king, this Roy we've heard so much about, yes?" Roy blinks down at the steady gaze from tilted golden-green eyes, suddenly remembering Sura saying something about getting her father's eyes. The stocky shorter man chuckles, easily setting down the huge trunk -- how strong is he?! -and reaching to take Roy's hand to shake it, "Don't worry, you didn't call your cherie's Ama a terrible name." He steps into the room around the shocked -- and slightly relieved -- king, just as the dog stands up and flows into a lovely female human shape -- to hug Sura as well! The dark-haired man glances back over one shoulder with very familiar sly mischief as he grins and adds, "It was her Fearsome Grandmother you called a meddling old bat!"
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