Bell Shigan's Story

The Lunch Meeting

Relos Zaiphar

"Prince Relos, the king awaits you in the garden."

Relos’ grin faltered for a split second; he was surprised by the sudden entrance of the palace official. Upon hearing the words, Relos simply nodded to himself. He’d been thinking more and more about the meeting today the closer and closer it came to time; now, he was prepared, or at least, as mentally prepared as he could be. Although dreading the event had been unpleasant, it had lessened the shock when it finally came time.

As the official left, his job done, Relos moved from Lilla’s bedside. He spared a half-glance at the girl, wondering what he should say to her. Should he thank her for the company this morning? Perhaps tell her that he’d see her later? Or maybe…he shouldn’t say anything at all. She knew where he was going; what was to happen. And, unless she knew that the emperor was more bloodthirsty than Relos gave him credit for, she knew that he’d be back later.

So instead, he just gave her a bit of a smile, and turned to leave.

"Wait, Relos."

He stopped, and felt a sudden tug on his arm. He turned towards the touch, and found Lilla looking up at him. He was expecting words to come out of her mouth, but instead, her mouth simply got closer. He felt her lips on his cheek, and before her head was drawn back, a grin had settled on his face.

So, she was taking to the Zaipharian traditions now, was she? He doubted that she fully understood the reasoning behind the parting kiss, but the fact that she was trying to replicate his actions was touching. It was also rather pleasing that she was kissed him, even if it was on the cheek.

"Good luck. I'll be here when you get back."

He gave her a lopsided grin, silently thanking her, and then turned to look out the door of their room. He raised a hand a patted her head gently; then, with a weary voice that was laced with humor, he said, “I won’t need luck, if things go well. But thank you. I’ll see you when I get back; try not to be too bored without me.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Relos sat at one end of the table, which sat under a gazebo of sorts. The structure was located towards the backside of the gardens, far deeper in than Lilla and he had gone early, and the area around it was obviously treated with more precise care. This was the section of the palace gardens that was truly ‘royal’; he had heard from one of the servants that no one was allowed in this part of the grounds except the royal family and the few servants chosen to care for the grounds.

He had to admit, from his spot, the area certainly looked nice. Everything was of a higher quality, and painstakingly cared for (he knew in the back of his mind that a few poor saps probably owed their livelihood this care). Everything was fresh with spring, bright green and vibrant colors. If his only task out here was to appreciate the scenery, then he could even be happy doing so.

Sadly, that was not the case. He reaffixed his gaze to the emperor, having only deviated from it for a few moments to inspect the surroundings. So far, nothing had been said. Relos had been shown to his seat under the gazebo by one of the few servants who stood around the premises, waiting to serve. Once he’d been seated, he had expected the emperor to start talking, but instead, he had simply intertwined his fingers and directed his gaze to the prince. He had barely moved, and had not uttered a word; his gaze was still firmly meshed with Relos’.

Relos had not spoken either, as he was unsure if that was a smart move or not. There could be any number of reasons for the emperor’s silence, and if one of those was a valid reason, then breaking it would be cause for offense. And, looking as he was at the cast of emperor’s features, Relos couldn’t help but feel as though he wanted Relos to speak. Perhaps this was nothing more than a childish game of silence, in which the first one to break it was the unquestionable looser. Something of such triviality could never be used against him, of course, and yet…Relos couldn’t stand the thought of letting the emperor win, despite how petty the game. Childish as it was, he had resolved to as silent as the other party, for however long it took.

If this day was to pass into night without a single word, then let it be so. They would most likely adjurn; with a wave of his hand, the emperor would signal one of the servants to come show him back to the palace. Perhaps they’d meet again the next day, and spend it as well in silence. Perhaps they’d spend a solid month of ‘deliberations’ in complete silence. How that would be satisfying and enjoyable! When Lilla would ask him how the talks were going, he would be able to cheerfully and honestly tell her that nothing was said of importance that day.

After staring at the emperor for a few more moments, Relos once again broke his gaze to sweep around again at the others. There were four more people seated at the table other than Relos and the emperor. They were the emperor’s daughters, of that Relos had no doubt; each of them was a beautiful woman, of varying age, resplendent in clothes that accentuated their individual beauty. Upon re-examining the table, Relos came to the conclusion that they all must make quite a sight to see for the servants down below. Each of the persons seated at the table was clothed in a different, equally vibrant colour. Relos was all pale blue and white; the emperor was regally garbed in gold and dark, dark yellows that bordered on orange-like the most elegant dandelion that ever existed; The princesses were glowing filaments of colour: green, red, yellow.

Relos was reminded of a flower arrangement that was common in the upper story windows and balconies in Zaiphar: the painted flower. In these floating gardens, people would plant bunches (sometimes a dozen, sometimes a single) of different kinds of flowers, grouped by likeness. When they bloomed, there would be little groups of differently coloured flowers, like a painter’s easel. When the wind blew hard, and the petals flew off, it would be as though stained glass had shattered and fell to the streets below. ‘They must look like that’, thought Relos; a group of such different flowers that they complimented and clashed with each other beautifully.

Relos could only note how different each of the princesses looked. There were certain features that were shared by all of them, if one looked, but they each had special traits that separated them. Relos could only figure that was how Inamai families tended to be: similar, but not so noticeably related as families of other races.

Relos did not return his eyes again to the emperor but for a few moments at a time; instead, they flickered between princes to princess, out to the beautiful surroundings, the servants still waiting below, even to the table itself (it was quite masterfully created, and much detail had been engraved into the wood, which Relos was able to fully appreciate).

The emperor kept his eyes fixed solely on Relos, but the princesses were not so. Maybe one of them had the steely fixation of her father, but the majority of them were as mobile with their eyes, perhaps even more so, than Relos, going between their sisters to their father, back to the new prince. It would have been unnerving to be stared at by all 5 of them here, and perhaps that was what the emperor had been planning on, but it was not turning out that way.

It could have been five minutes they sat like that, the time expanded by the silence and the thoughts of both parties involved, or it could have been for half an hour they sat; it was impossible to tell the time.

Eventually, the emperor sat up slightly, and his hand went to his side to draw out a pocket watch. The action was so sudden and unexpected, that it took Relos by surprise. Watch replaced, the emperor settled back into his chair and said, “Well, it appears that my wife is not coming. Please forgive her absence, Master Relos; she was feeling most under the weather this morning, and I told her that she could remain in the palace if she did not feel up to coming outside.”

A valid excuse for the waiting, certainly, and there was no way to dispute it if the queen never came down and otherwise proved that she wasn’t ill. Relos gave a half-shrug, sighing a note calmly. “I hold no grudge against your wife, Your Majesty. Please, give her my regards: I will be earnestly wishing her well.”

The emperor took Relos words kindly, nodding somewhat, and then seemed to acknowledge the girls sitting around.

“Now, Master Relos, as I’m sure you’ve already gathered from the circumstances, these lovely ladies are my daughters, the princesses of Shigan. They were all so excited about finally being able to meet you, that they all requested to join us for lunch. I hope you do not mind their company.”

No, of course he couldn’t mind their presence; he would be required to marry one of them, after all. He would be expected to want their presence.

“No, of course not. The pleasure of meeting you all is, well, they would say: ‘all mine’. On reflection, though, that sounds terribly greedy. I should not be hoarding all of the pleasure for myself.”

He got at least one giggle from his words, he thought. The peripherals were somewhat tuned out as Relos gave his full attention to the emperor. Even when he graciously turned round the circle to grin at all of them, he was still paying attention to the main enemy. For now, at least, only the king mattered. Pawns were insignificant until they were moved a few times. However, the stronger pieces were a threat from turn one.

“Yes, well, I can assure you that the pleasure is shared,” recovered the emperor, as he was taken a bit back by the humour Relos employed. “Now, from oldest to youngest, they are: Bell”-here, indicated the person sitting to his right; the one that Relos had pegged as being the oldest of the group-“my eldest daughter; to her right, there is Mayuri,"-here, he pointed to probably the most unusual of the lot: a girl with flowing white hair, adorned with white, furry ears atop her head-"my second eldest; then, across from here, there is Elle,”-he motioned to the girl who was perhaps the brightest of her sisters, wearing a yellow sundress that was mixed with white, to look like pure sunlight-“the…middle child, of sorts; Then, to her and my left, we have little Rue here,”-this time he motioned to the only other girl at the table, the littlest one who had been the most restless one of them all during the period of silence; she was tiny, and although she seemed to be full of energy from her twitchy movements, her colouring was almost calming with the mixtures of greens and browns-“my second youngest. My littlest girl, Odessa, will be excluded from our meetings, as she is yet too young to be in a political meeting, such as this one. Surely you understand that.”

Relos nodded, trying his best to put the name, face, and order of the girls into his mind, as the information would unquestionably be of good use later on. While he did so, the princesses each took a moment to examine the situation, and the prince that was in front of them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rue Shigan

Rue Shigan was probably more uncomfortable in this moment than she had ever been any other time in her life. She’d had many awkward moments before, as most people do, at one time or another; but those times were usually short, and rarely were they not the clear-cut fault of someone (usually her). This time, however, the awkward air that hung around her was not fleeting, nor was it easily nameable. The problem was: everyone was contributing to the air in the pavilion, herself included.

Everyone was seated in varying degrees of discomfort; she was the worst off, by far, but by contrast , the prince and her father, the emperor, looked to be perfectly at home in the situation. No one had said anything since the prince had sat down, not a single word. After the first few minutes, she had nearly snapped from the wire of tension that had been steadily tightening inside of her.

Honestly, this was the first political meeting that she’d been invited to for a greater reason than that she was the emperor’s little girl. This time, she was here for business; so why, oh merciful deities, was no one talking!?

Rue fidgeted in her seat, shifting minutely for the millionth time since she had been seated by the servants, and once again turned her rapidly flitting, worried gaze to focus on her sisters. She saw Ellenae, her first older sister, looking as calm and cool-nay, indifferent- as always. She had been hoping that Elle would have given her some silently passed advice, or perhaps a small, quieting gesture; unfortunately, nothing of the sort had happened. In fact, Elle seemed to be completely ignoring her small entreaties for assistance or direction; perhaps she was not consciously ignoring her, but rather she was so detached from the situation that she wasn’t noticing.

Still, Bell was too far away to bother with her anxiousness, as she was on the other side of the table. May as well…

She wasn’t going to be reassured, was she? She was going to have to sit her, anxiously waiting for something to happen while the tension in her mounts and mounts. This was just the kind of thing that she couldn’t stand: being stuck waiting. She felt far too confined in the moment; if only things would happen, if only, if only, if only!

Then, her eyes found a purchase in an unlikely place, after they had slid past Elle: the prince. She had been taking peeks at him since he had joined them at the table, barely for a second at a time, but now her gaze lingered on him now, desensitized as she was to impropriety of it by the feelings raging inside her hyperactive mind.

The prince looked nothing like what she would have imagined. She hadn’t seen too many men, naturally, but those she had were…well, normal. The prince, however, was anything but. Vibrant hues of color ran rampant through his physique, reminding her so much of the garden flowers that she so adored. Red hair that seemed to burn in the noon sunlight flowed gracefully down his shoulder blades, but the messy way in which the hair was styled was more endearing than its manner. His eyes were a shocking blue, and they seemed to be so deep and reflective, like the spring in the back part of the garden (she groaned a bit in response to that likening; did she relate everything to something she’d seen in the garden?). Even his clothes were colorful, the blue of his shirt matching his eyes and accentuating his hair simultaneously.

She had to admit: the prince looked amazing…

She’d promised herself, and her father, that she wouldn’t try to tempt the prince, that she wouldn’t attempt to draw him to her side. She had thought that no man, no matter how royal, from another place could catch her eye strong enough to make her want to. Oh, but she was so wrong! If first impressions meant anything, and they so very much did to her, then she would be clamoring by the time that things to got serious for him to notice her. Those eyes! Oh, she could almost chirp…

And then, just barely-so barely, that if she hadn’t been staring at him, she wouldn’t have noticed it-he turned to look at her. His eyes made contact with hers, and she felt her cheeks redden just a bit at the linking. She was right; his eyes were like a multifaceted crystal, with layers and layers of depth to those pools of sapphire blue. He gave her the smallest of half-smiles, angled so that her father, who had been staring straight at the prince the entire time, couldn’t have seen it. He dipped his eyelid, as well, in a wink that, had she blinked at the same time, she would have long missed it. He turned back, then, determinedly staring at the emperor once more.

But her heart was suddenly beating erratically, and it was not from anxiety about the silence, now; it was the fault of the prince. He had looked at her, caught her staring at him; and he had smiled at her, no…winked at her.

She suddenly found it very hard to breathe. In fact, she was so caught up with trying to still her beating heart and ragged breathing, that she didn’t notice when the prince and emperor started talking.

She couldn’t understand herself; she was acting like a school girl, gushing all over a little wink and smile. How could she let him affect her so much? Oh, wait…she was the age of a school girl…

She hadn’t realized that she had groaned aloud until those seated around the table turned to look at her. She briefly saw surprise on her sister’s faces, a questioning glance from her father, and bemused grin from the prince, before she ducked her head to her lap and covered her face with her hands. She was absolutely mortified!

Oh, how was she going to deal with him when just a smile flustered her so? She shakily removed a hand from her face and ran it through her hair, trying to calm herself. She was disgracing her father and sisters, she just knew it...

Oh, perhaps she shouldn’t have come here after all…

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ellenae Shigan

Elle could be doing far more amusing things than she was doing right now. Several things came to mind as she sat, slightly slouching in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest. She knew she could have been causing the uneasy air that had appeared as soon as she had let out her exasperated sigh minutes earlier, but none of it concerned her. She could have cared less.

Or, she thought she did, until her father directed his gaze to her and barked out her full name with just enough distaste and sharpness that she moved her gaze to him, turning her head in the process.

"Ellenae Aerowyn Shigan. You know better."

She let out a breath. She knew his voice couldn't have been any louder than a hiss, but it was loud and clear to herself, and just as she righted herself in her chair did she hear the prince approach on the grass. Elle alerted the king to his presence by her rapt attention, and if it hadn't been for her acute hearing, he probably wouldn't have noticed until he was nearly seated.

Oh. She could like this. She could like this a lot, she mused as he sat, taking a good look at the man on the other end of the table. He was nothing like the prince they had a year or two prior, who was monotone, quiet, bland. The prince sat tall and proud, but not disrespectful, and even as the moments ticked on and silence enveloped them all as they waited on their mother (who Elle knew wouldn't be coming. She rarely partook in these meetings, other than to smile and seem inviting.) She watched Bell sit just as the other red head was, trained and preened to perfection, use to such a thing. Elle did not have that luxury; while she had partaken in Retir's treaty negotiations, she was still considered far too young for the prince, given their age gap, and Bell had been the proper candidate. She had come in contact with the prince of that nation in passing but was not expected to sit at such formal meetings.

That was her only excuse for her disrespectful conduct, she knew, leaning forward and placing her elbows on the wooden table and her chin in her hands. She wondered, briefly, as she looked up at the sky, just how long this would last. She knew, in such a sunny area, that she would much rather be napping than awake at the moment, and even the thought brought a yawn to her lips. In a last-ditch effort she covered her mouth.

Her gaze swiveled to the prince again, barely listening to the conversation her father and the young man were having. He was nothing like the black-haired, cherry-eyed prince of before, and even his appearance was nothing she'd expected. His hair looked like he'd never seen a proper hair cut - or styling, for that matter, she noted with a quirk to her lips - and it was a color she'd only seen on Bell. Her sister's was a richer, darker hue, whereas the prince's - Relos, she heard - was a brighter, fiery shade. If his shoulders and the curve of his upper arms were any indication, he probably partook in some sort of sport, though it was impossible for her to know what.

His silver tongue and the grin he gave her and the rest of her sisters was enough for her to smirk, sitting back in her chair and pawing at her hair. Oh, what she would do to get that man on her side. She had heard from her father just what the plans were - to keep his daughters out of scandal, the same kind of scandal that he, himself, had been involved in - and use a third party in order to corrupt Zaiphar and their end of the treaty. He'd never heard of royalty using a mere whore before, and she didn't quite understand why her father would pay someone to seduce the prince when he knew all too well of what Elle partook in, but it wasn't her place to ask, and frankly, she didn't care. She could get what she wanted, no matter.

Her father had made a point of trying to keep her out of the negotiations. She wasn't considered a legitimate heir, a legitimate princess in either of her parent's eyes, but with such a large age gap between Bell and Rue, it went without saying that she would be partaking. She would probably become first in line to marry the prince, she realized, gaze flickering to Bell, after the others began to realize the Retir prince wasn't entirely gone from their palace. She wasn't ignorant to her sister's late night endeavors nor her "sight seeing" trips from the palace, nor her sudden aversion to clingy tops and dresses. She knew more than anyone believed, and she was alright with them believing she was blind to the situations. It kept her out of the mess of things and gave her more sleep than any of the busier members of her family.

Even if Relos decided she wasn't material suited for Zaiphar, Elle knew it wouldn't be hard to get him on her side. She knew far more than she let on, and she would be willing to give him some of the palace secrets... at a price. Nothing was hardly free, after all.

At Rue's sudden movement and noise, Elle couldn't help but let out a bit of laughter. Rue had to be the highest strung of them all, but it suited the girl more than she'd like to admit. A smile came onto her face.

"Wren," Elle stated briefly, breaking up the men's conversation with a simple word and glancing at Relos, that sly smirk still present on her features. "She's a Wren, if that explains any of it. Forgive her, this is her first time in such negotiations. I was the same way when I was her age." The coy look instantly changed when she looked at Rue, transforming into a smile that was meant to be supporting of her younger sibling. She wasn't trying to embarrass or put emphasis on her reaction to the prince; she was merely trying to play it off, hoping her explanation would calm any wayward thoughts Relos may have had of the sixteen-year-old. She heard her father draw in a warning breath, and with a nasty glare in his direction she slouched in her chair.

A huff of breath signaling that yes, I know I'm suppose to be seen and not heard, old man, and Elle fell silent again, simply observing the royal's conversation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bell Shigan

If Elle and Rue were any hint as to how the rest of the prince's stay would go, Bell could only hope that May would be their redeeming force.

She had been the second one to arrive, after her father, and the silence they sat in could nearly mirror the silence they sat in now. It hadn't taken long for May and Rue to arrive, and unsurprisingly, Ellenae had been the last to take a seat at the table, a yawn escaping her lips and a hand in her hair. As soon as she sat down, Bell could feel her put her feet up on the bar running the length of the table. It brought a ghost of a smile onto her face, and for the moment she leaned back against the wooden chair.

Elle heard the movement, her gaze flickering in all different directions - from Rue's twitching and flatting of her skirt to May and her father, who had yet to speak to any of them - before finally landing on Bell, offering her an eyebrow raise. The eldest simply smiled, letting out a soft sigh in preparation for the long afternoon that had been bestowed upon the four of them. It would be interesting, to say the least; Rue, while not ignorant to treaty and political meetings, had never found herself really a part of one and thrown in the midst of things. If she had been in her father's shoes, perhaps she would have better prepared the littlest girl, but he hadn't and there wasn't much else they could do.

Elle wasn't new to any of this, and neither was May, for that matter. Still... the matter of respect and discipline came up in her mind as she waited for the prince to arrive, allowing herself this moment of downtime and to stare at the flowers around them. She worried about Elle and her disposition and knew she was a major cause in Rue's unneeded stress, and if there was one thing she could say to her to correct her before the prince came -

"Ellenae Aerowyn Shigan."

-- Oh, well, her father had it, albeit grudgingly. She still acted like a child, Bell mused, watching her cat-eyed sister sit up and put her elbows on the carved table, tracing it with one of her fingers. When her gaze abruptly flickered in another direction, she knew the girl had heard something, and that something had to be the prince. She sat up, folding her hands in her lap and made quick work of making sure she was presentable, and made a point of nudging Elle's foot under the table so she would sit up straight.

He was attractive and there wasn't any way around it, and the thought was fleeting. She could see Rue's eyes dart from him to something else and back, and the less than demure look on Elle's face told her enough. May and herself had been old enough to be presented to Viktor, and while Elle had most definitely tried her hardest to come in contact with the Retir prince, her littlest sister had nothing but storybook characters and bedtime stories to compare the flame-haired boy to. Bell did, and honestly, he wasn't quite anything that would suit her fancy.

He seemed reckless, with that almost cocky grin and the wink he slipped to Rue. The action immediately made her think of Elle, and the thought alone caused her to frown. If he ended up being anything like his quick words suggested, Bell was worried, and it wasn't helped by the smirk that rose onto her sister's face.

Oh, it was going to be a long year or two, wasn't it...

Bell had gotten away with sneaking around with the dark-haired prince of Retir for the sole reason that she had no ulterior motive. She knew there would be a time, a very likely time, that she would be forced to wed the prince, and she had accepted her fate. She'd tried to make friends with him, and it seemed his silence and her patience were quite a match for each other. He would sit in his room and tinker with clocks and other things, the only light being an oil lamp perched haphazardly on a set of books and the window behind his bed. She would take a seat on his mattress, her back against the wall. It was weeks before they really began to speak, and it wasn't until the very end of his nearly three year stay that anything occurred.

She knew it wouldn't be the case with the Zaipharian prince and Elle. She was much too voiltile, and more than once she wondered if the blonde even knew the word "love" or "romance." If she even knew a relationship past quick sex. She doubted she really did.

The groan Rue made broke her out of her thoughts for a moment, glancing up from her hands and to the girl across the table from her. Elle took the opportunity to speak, the lazy, half-lidded look on her face, and as she finished she slouched back in her chair. No amount of foot prodding would get her to right herself.

Hesitantly following suit, Bell allowed herself to sink back against the seat, smoothing down her dress and riding it of any wrinkles it had at the moment. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sunlight warm her skin and try to quell the nausea that was beginning to bubble in her stomach. She felt a sudden kick to her shin, soft and fleeting, and when she opened her eyes the girl sitting across from her had her eyebrows knit and concern written on her face.

Bell simply smiled, drawing in a deep breath and sighing. It as going to be a long day, wasn't it...

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mayuri Shigan

Mayuri sat regally in her chair-posture erect; feet tucked neatly below her, toes curling back; hands folded delicately in her lap; tails gently spooling around her lower half, draping over her thighs and the edge of her chair like a living blanket-along with her sisters at the table, as they waited on the arrival of the prince, Relos. They had been convened a bit earlier than the palace servants had told Relos to arrive, so they would be sure to get situated and prepared before he arrived. In all honesty, though, this waiting time was just proving to be a pain for her. It was decently warm out, not enough to really bother anyone else, but to her cold-natured form, it was sweltering. A fine trickle of swear ran down the back of her neck, causing her to break her posture a bit as she flinched. She opened her mouth to pant just a bit, and then stood, placing a hand on Bell’s shoulder and meeting her eye in a wordless plead. She understood, without having to question her, and stood as well. The two switched seats, allowing May to sit in the more shaded seat.

This time when she sat, she didn’t bother to arrange herself so properly again; she sat comfortably, if a bit straighter than a normal person. It was still hot, but the shade offered her some relief. She reached a hand out under the table to give Bell a thankful squeeze of her hand underneath the table. Just in time, as well, for as soon as she was retracting her arm, the prince stepped up onto their balcony.

May hastily reached up to brush the fringe of her pale hair out of her eyes, and then proceeded to examine this princeling. For a moment, red eyes met red, and May was momentarily confused. She turned her gaze back to Bell, for a moment, and her confusion settled. The shades were different, upon comparison, but had Bell not been here to provide reference, she could have easily mistaken the prince’s hair for Bell’s.

It was odd, sincerely so, to see the color upon his head, though. Such a color had been reserved in her mind for Bell and Bell alone. So rapturously was she caught up with this phenomenon that she did not move her eyes from the prince’s head, even after he had sat down, for several minutes.

When she did finally tear her eyes away, it was because she had started with confusion. She had woken from her trance because she had noticed the lack of communication. She flickered her eyes around the table, wondering, dreading, the possibility that they were waiting on her to say something, like introduce herself, and she’d been dumbly staring at the prince.

This proved not to be the case, thankfully. Everyone sat quietly, each acting according to their own preference: Bell still sat primly; Elle was relaxing, practically lounging in her chair (May felt the edges of a grin tug at her mouth from her little sister’s indifference); poor Rue was fidgeting in discomfort.

She turned an eye to her father, noting how calmly he was sitting, starting directly ahead at the prince. So, it was that kind of game that the old man was playing, was it? This time, she couldn’t help the grin that came to her. She loved a good game, a good tease. She turned , yet again, to face the prince, and attempted to see how he was faring.

If he was confused or worried about the proceedings, then he was quite adept at hiding it. His face showed nothing but a thin veil of amusement as he lazily flicked his eyes between the princesses and the emperor. A few times, for barely a heartbeat or two long at a time, his gaze rested on her, examining her, and she resisted the sudden impulse to blush from his appraising glances. Now that she was distracted from his hair, she was able to fully appreciate the entire person that was Relos. His height (and, although it was a bit difficult to tell while he was sitting down, she was fairly certain that he was even taller than herself); tanned skin, stretched out over a muscled frame; a good looking face, accentuated by two, jewel-like eyes.

She made a low sound of approval somewhere deep inside her mind, and it sounded more animal than human to her inner thoughts. She shyly tucked a paw-no, a hand-to her stomach, clothed in elegant purple silk, and put a bit of distance between him and her.

Hmm, he’s a cutie…

She continued to ogle the man in front of her, not really paying much attention to anything else, liking what she was seeing. When her father finally started to talk and the prince started to respond, she only half paid attention to the words being said.

This prince was very different from the last one they’d had; Viktor had been nice enough, and even handsome in his own way, but he was darkly toned, and hadn’t suited May’s tastes (although he must have suited Bell’s, she thought wickedly). This new prince, however, was much more ‘her speed’, as she’d heard Elle call it before. Between the bit of humor he’d displayed and his looks, she had to admit that she had high hopes for this prince. Maybe he could be the one, after all…but she was definitely getting ahead of herself, there.

The noise from Rue gave them all a pause, as everyone turned to see what was wrong with the littlest princess. No hints could be drawn from her face, though, as it was quickly hid in shame behind her hands.

May’s heart constricted, all the previous excitement she’d felt about the prince suddenly gone, replaced by worry for her little sister. Oh, poor Rue; she shouldn’t have been allowed to come out here in the first place! Now that she had though, she’d gone and worked herself up into a fit. May started to stand, intending to take Rue from the table to a quieter part of the gardens, where she could make over the little girl and soothe her. Before she could lift herself from the chair, though, Ellenae spoke up.

Her words were not mocking or accusatory, rather, they were calm and explanatory. In fact, May couldn’t have done a better job herself at smoothing over the problem. From the way that Rue perked up, unfolding herself from her bent-over position just slightly, May knew that she’d been calmed by it too.

All it took were a few kind words from Elle, huh? Mayuri smiled just a little bit as they all settled down just a bit. After a few moments and a few conciliatory comments from the prince himself-May was touched that he seemed to want to ease Rue’s embarrassment too-the meeting continued on, both the emperor and prince getting back into the deliberations, now earnestly talking opposed to the earlier silence. Oddly enough, Rue’s outburst had served to break the ice.

When she was sure that the prince wasn’t looking at her anymore, his attention fully focused on the emperor, she slipped her foot out of her shoe and extended it under the table, quickly finding Rue’s leg. She gently rubbed the appendage, hoping to soothe Rue a bit more. When she felt Rue’s little hands clutch at her foot and hug it to her leg, she smiled a bit to herself.

Rue held her like that for a bit, but after a few minutes, released her and sat up again. She faced the group again, cheeks still a bit pink and eyes a bit red and puffy from nearly crying, but a smile on her face. In fact, she seemed a bit heartened by the actions of her sisters and the kind words of the prince. She looked like she was better off than she was before her outburst, calmer.

May chuckled a bit at the teary, yet happy appearance of her little sister. Perhaps she was suited for this, yet.

Her eyes then sought out Elle, and when the blonde’s miss-matched eyes locked onto her red ones, she mouthed a quiet, but heartfelt ‘thank you’ in her direction. She didn’t stay to see her reaction; although she could imagine it, knowing her sister as she did (she most likely would have played it off, shrugging a bit, while her cheeks traitorously reddened from the thanks). Instead, she sat back in her chair, now quietly listening to the talk between the prince and her father, too tired from the little emotional episode they’d just had to pay too much attention.

May smiled a bit to herself. No matter what her father or Bell ever said about Elle, she was still their sister, and that meant that she was part of the family.

The Lunch Meeting, Pt. 2

Relos Zaiphar

Relos smiled at the emperor, calmly brushing aside the quiet thanks that he had offered the younger prince on the behalf of his daughter. A few more pleasantries were exchanged then, simply for the purpose of easing the slightly tense air that had been made by Rue’s condition. As that wound down, though, Relos couldn’t help but notice that the emperor was speaking with him more easily now. It was if...in spite of himself, the emperor had eased up to him, somewhat. It was as if, being nice to his daughter had helped the emperor see him in a slightly better light. Relos didn’t mind think too much about it, knowing that, after having time to reset his thinking, the emperor would go right back to treating him like the enemy.

Still, it was worthy to note that the man did, at least, genuinely care for his daughters. That was useful information, certainly. And that was the only explanation for the odd change of coloring that he was displaying currently.

With the princesses now acting as little more than adornments, an audience at best, the two males resumed the discussion. Things started small, the emperor easing them into the realm of politics gently, with a typical – “Now, we’re here for business, not small talk, as you know…”

Of course he knew, but that didn’t mean that small talk wasn’t nice. In fact, if the business could be all in all avoided, Relos wouldn’t be complaining.

But, that bullet was intent on being bitten; still dealing in the realm of small topics, the emperor continued by restating more common sense things like: “You’re here from Zaiphar to discuss the trading conditions between our countries” and “If we’re going to reach an agreement about this situation, there’s going to have to be some work done on both fronts, you know”. Duh, and…duh, although Relos had an inkling that most of the ‘work’ was going to be done on Zaiphar’s part.

Then the emperor went off slightly, giving Relos a bit of a pause. “So, Relos, tell me,” he said, sitting back in his chair and resting his chin on his clasped hands. “What do you think of Shigan, so far?”

Relos was taken aback, slightly. In retrospect, he should have expected this line of questioning, but some part of him that lacked judgment had thought that that particular answer wouldn’t have to be carefully thought out until later.

That given, Relos floundered for a minute to compose something decent to say. In all honestly, Relos wasn’t much impressed with what he’d seen of Shigan. Most of his stay had been rather unpleasant, with the exception of the time he’d spent with Lilla. Further thinking about it, she was the only thing that he found even slightly appealing about Shigan currently-although these princesses looked like they could prove to be quite enjoyable.

So, if he didn’t want to blatantly lie to the emperor-and he didn’t, for lies based on lies had a nasty trait of turning back on the liar, while lies that were based on truth tended to hold stronger against scrutiny-he had to steer clear of directly mentioning Shigan, and more on the things he’d done since he got here.

Well, that shouldn’t be too hard…

“I won’t lie, your highness: I haven’t had much of a chance to enjoy your pleasant city. I’ve only been here a short while, and my exploration has been limited to your palace, and only a small part of it. However, what I have seen, I won’t hesitate to say, has been quite enjoyable.”

“I was not, however, expecting to find Ms. Lilla waiting for me. She was quite the surprise; a welcome surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.”

Relos knew he’d just played a dangerous card, mentioning Lilla right off the bat. However, he had plans to use her later on the deliberations. To what extent she would be of use, he didn’t know, but there was no way he wouldn’t try to use all of the materials at hand.

If he didn’t mention her now, then it would be difficult to draw her into the conversation at a later date, So, even though the emperor quirked his eyebrow a little at the mention of the ‘entertainer’ that he had prepared for the prince, he nodded at her name.

“Yes, I know it must have come as a bit of a shock. Had I been in a calmer state of mind, I would have more thoroughly explained the situation to you. But, as it is, I was distracted with several things-you know how it is-and it slipped my mind.” The emperor spoke easily, sounding almost as though he would have brought up the dancing girl later on had Relos not. Relos knew better than that, of course. There had not been enough time for anything compromising to happen, yet. If it was purely up to the emperor, Lilla wouldn’t have been mentioned until she’d had ample time to get him in bed.

Relos nodded, having expected such a line of defense from the emperor. So he was going to go with the ‘ah, I meant to tell you about that…’ line. Well, two could play it off until later.

“She was no trouble, I assure you. It was just a bit startling to see the bounds that your hospitality goes. I was not expecting my own personal tour guide, after all. I look forward to drawing on her knowledge in the future, when I get the chance to explore more of the city.”

“I advise you to do so,” he said. “It helps to have a local who knows their way around town show you around, eh? At least, that’s my mentality for travel.”

Heh, what was this, now: a vacation?

“Good thinking if there ever was any made by man, I say,” said Relos. “And I agree completely.”

Not much more was said. The emperor had a few more questions pertaining to Relos getting settled in and accustomed to the palace. To Relos’ slight displeasure, but according to his expectations, precious little was discussed that directly pertained to their true reason for being there: the trade arrangements. So this really was to be just an introductory meeting, and nothing more.

Halfway through the discussions, the servants reappeared, bearing trays of light food and drink, which were passed around the table. Some minor talk was exchanged while they ate, but the bulk of the talking took place before and after the meal. The talk extended a few hours into the afternoon, but it passed quickly-from the simultaneous ease and tenseness with which it passed. So light were the weapons that they were playing with at the start, but still both sides were so carefully wielding them. It made Relos anticipate how things would be later, when their words actually mattered…

When things started to slow down, meaning the emperor was running out of things of little importance to talk about, he told Relos that it was time to be getting back to business, as one would say.

“It has been a pleasure talking to you, Relos. You’re quite the character, you are. I look forward to have more of these talks in the future. For now, though, I’ve got some other things I need to attend to. So, if you would, I would end our meeting here.”

“You will hear no complaints from me. I could use a bit of a lie down after the good food and conversation. And, after all, we have all the time in the world. No need to rush things.”

“Precisely,” said the emperor as he stood. “I’ll be on my way, then. One of the attendants will show you your way back to your room. Until next time.”

The emperor started to walk back in the direction of the palace, most of the servants trailing behind him. When he was out of range, Relos turned to look at the princesses around him, who had inexplicably been left by their father. He offered them a bit of a smile and stood. He moved around to each of them, planting a kiss on each of their hands as he bid them farewell. He did so politely to each, not trying to overstep any bounds-the same ones he hadn’t minded overstepping so much with Lilla.

When he came to Rue, he also leaned in and gave her an encouraging smile after he planted the kiss on her limp hand. Whispering, so that the others didn’t hear him, he told her, “Joie de vivre₁.”

To which, she shyly smiled back up at him, and with a quiet voice, responded “Mot Juste₂.”

Oh, she spoke old Zaipharian? Well, it made sense for the princesses to be schooled in the native languages of the different countries, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t surprising that she understood it so well. Some natives to Zaiphar didn’t even speak it that well…

He quirked an eyebrow at her, but then moved on. When he had made his rounds, he bade them all farewell one last time, then made his way back to the palace, escorted by a single servant. As he walked, the afternoon replayed in his mind, and he went over every detail: from the emperor to the surprisingly unique princesses. And then he thought ahead, and like the emperor, Relos found himself looking forward to the future, because it looked interesting.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

1.-Enjoying life, the feeling of living; Relos is telling Rue to, essentially, perk up, live life.
2.-Exactly, I know what you mean, what I was thinking; Basically, Rue is agreeing, saying: exactly what I was telling myself.

Ellenae and Bell and Rue and Mayuri Shigan

"He is all yours, girls."

Bell was the first one to speak as their father and the prince took their leave, waiting until she was certain both were out of earshot to say a word. She stood, noting the long shadows and the sun setting, and raised her arms above her head with a long sigh. It had, perhaps, not been as eventful as it could have been, but they all had sat there for several hours and she had tried her best to keep herself composed and her posture rigid. It was coming back to spite her, she could tell, smoothing down her dress and glancing around at her sisters.

Her affair with the Retir prince might have been kept a secret from her parents, but it was much better known among her siblings - especially Elle and May, who had been involved in the negotiations the last time. She couldn't help but smile, reaching over to Elle to snag her hand and ruffling Rue's hair, planting a kiss in the dark locks.

"What did he say to you?" Elle asked, leaning forward to glance at the youngest in the group as they began to walk back to the palace, their pace languid. The darkening sky and the sun was casting fiery hues into the grass and the ponds, the majority of the bugs that had been out when they had come to the meeting, now gone. "I heard something... it wasn't our language. It didn't sound like it, anyway."

Meep! Rue, whom had before been stuck in a happy silence, suddenly started when Elle turned to question her. The littler girl stammered at first, her cheeks going red from her blush. She stared at Elle with wide eyes, afraid to answer, knowing that her sisters would probably take things out of proportion. He’ just said a few kind words; it didn’t mean anything more than that! “W-Well, he…he…” she started to say, trying to find a way to answer the question without lying or giving the whole truth.

"Leave her be," Bell said, "what was said between them is their business." Rue looked up at her eldest sister, shooting her a thankful look as she breathed a sigh of relief. At least for the moment, the crisis was diverted….

Elle tugged away from her sister's hand, gathering the hem of her dress up so it bunched in her hands and her legs were uncovered. She turned to face her older sister, a devilish smile on her face.

"You know what that leads to, right, Rue?" She said, her tone teasing, not meaning any harm in her words. The cavorting from the others caused May too look over, brought from her reverie just to see her sisters playing around. She smirked a bit, watching the proceedings from a ‘safe’ distance.

"'Their business' leads to babies. You'll get pregnant..." She made a motion with her hand across her throat, grinning over at Bell before snagging her dress up again. "...and die!"

Once again, Rue was forced to look at Elle. Also, like before, she was suddenly struck by embarrassment from her words. Her light blush, which had faded slightly, suddenly blazed back up in full, turning the brunette’s face a hot red. Just the thought of it! The prince and her, doing…that…oh, how mortifying! She hid her face in her hands and turned and pressed her front against Bell.

May, from her vantage point, tutt’d for poor little Rue, reaching a slim hand out to pat her on the shoulder gently.

"Oh, I'm going to get you for that!" Ellenae dissolved into giggles, taking off down the path ahead of Bell, who still continued at her slow pace. She shook her head and moved her gaze over to May, a smile rising onto her face. "Are you feeling better? I know you weren't so well when the meeting started," she said, pushing hair behind her ear.

May offered Bell a slight shrug of her shoulders, a wistful grin on her face as she looked up at the setting sun. “It’s nothing, Bell. It’s just that time for me, again. And-“ she added, quickly shooting a narrowed gaze and the back of Elle’s head “-I don’t mean that time, little missy. Don’t think I don’t see your wheels turning, over there!”

Elle turned back, one eye closed in a wink, and stuck her tongue out at May, wisely keeping silent. After that, she turned back to stare ahead, much as May had been. "What I wouldn't give for a good patch of sun right now..." Bell heard the blonde murmur, her head tilted back to glance at the sky. "Wasted a whole evening on that... bah."

May laughed, having overheard Elle as well. Reaching her arms up to stretch, she yawned and said “Morning, noon, night, I don’t care. I could use a good, long nap myself. Screw the time!”

Bell felt a slight movement against her front as the tiny princess nodded her agreement, her face still pressed firmly against her older sister while they all walked.