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Making History [Draco/Rhi/open]

Started by Tally, May 17, 2008, 01:58:32 AM

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Tally

It was the middle of the night, and the castle should have been asleep, but Akkiel could see many torches moving along the battlements, and light shown up from the inner courtyard. They were expecting him. Angel had done his job.

Akkiel may have avoided returning for as long as possible, but once he got back he intended to get right to it. There was a lot to do, a lot to change, and he didn't want any of them caught with their breeches down when he swept in and tried to get things done.

Upon leaving the brothel, he'd taken his horse by the reins and chosen to walk straight to the castle. Not that it could have been any other way. It'd probably have taken the intervention of the gods to get Tarlaka to let him take another detour.  So he made like a good little king and walked along, Thorn sheathed at his back.  Following behind came the small group of retainers.  They went untroubled.  Even if the whole castle knew he was back, to any citizens out on Ketra's street tonight he was just another young sword to avoid.

The main avenue opened up into a square that sprawled before the castle, and Akkiel had abruptly stopped here. It was a beautiful Adelan night, a cool breeze stirring his long red hair, and moonlight falling from a cloudless sky to dazzle upon the fountain in the center of the square.  Across the plaza he could the the castle and it's moving lights, but he wasn't quite ready to step into that arena yet.  There was something else he had to know first.

"So, tell me," he said, turning to Tarlaka.  "What did you think of Angel?"  As if he didn't already know the answer to that.  He couldn't help but smile, and it must have seemed like he was trying on purpose to frustrate her, but he really did have a reason for sending Angel ahead of him, without warning anyone of the man's new position in the court. It hadn't just been about entertaining himself by forcing that horse's ass of a personality on everyone unexpected.

Though that was a part of it.

Anonymous

More than pleased to have persuaded? Forced? Akkiel back to the castle, Tarlaka was far from smug and got more and more twitchy as they walked towards the castle, a pace or two behind Akkiel, her own horse to the other side. Gnawing on the inside of her cheek, Tarlaka had taken off her gloves and flexed her fingers. He was going to kill her when he found out what she'd been up to. Rubbing her forehead slightly and pressing a palm to her eye to rub at it.

Dressed up in her Adelan armour, Tarlaka probably drew more attention than the red-headed king. Large black wings only adding to the eye count that followed her. Huffing slightly and tucking her wings tighter to herself, Tarlaka made an attempt to hide behind her horse, not looking at anyone and occasionally glaring at the back of Akkiels head. Letting her mind wander, following Akkiels lead like a puppy after it's master. Of course, if he started heading in another direction it'd be Tarlaka who would be leading him like a naughty puppy.

Pursing her lips slightly and petting the neck of her horse, she winced and placed a hand on her chest, a tinge of pink rose on her chest and she quickly ducked her head to hide it. What was he going to do when he found out about Seiteki? That Tarlaka kept her daughter? That she willingly fed the little thing? Swallowing slightly and looking away from everyone, facing the neck of her horse, it took her a moment to realize they'd stopped and Akkiel asked her a question.

"Angel? Is that the fellow who dislikes me because I'm woman? He'd do a good job for Adela I suppose, "Tarlaka shrugged, glad that it was dark enough to hide any facial pinkness and snorted softly. "But other than that, he's not all that wonderful. I think I'd have to beat him on his ass before he thinks of me as a solider let alone as a commander, hmm?" Tarlaka began to smirk slightly, that is, until she heard crying.

Seiteki.

Rolling her eyes slightly, she silently cursed the nurse who took care of her daughter. Almost positive that the crying wasn't loud enough for normal ears, Tarlaka ignored it and began to walk again, past Akkiel. "I'm sure Adela can wait one more day for you, Your Highness. It's late, I suggest you get some sleep so your brain works tomorrow." Monotone, her black wings fluffing up a little, obviously uncomfortable about something, she cast a glance over her shoulder then towards the general direction of the crying she heard and walked, very slowly, towards the stable. "But, you should be a good person and see to your horse first, no?"

Tally

Akkiel scratched the back of his head, grinning boyishly. "I wouldn't mind seeing that myself."  Angel getting beat down by Tarlaka that was.  She'd be able to do it, too, and even Akkiel had to admit the man had a way of making you want to hit him.  It was nothing short of miraculous Akkiel had kept his temper the first time they'd met.

"But only if you have to," he added hastily.  "Angel's going to be your subordinate, so you'll have to find a way to manage him.  Preferably without having to threaten him every other sentence."  It was essential they work together, and they weren't children. Akkiel wasn't going to tell them to play nice.  They'd just have to deal with each other.  "Things are about to change, you know, and it was all his idea.  That's why he's here."

That, and one other reason, but no one besides Akkiel and Angel themselves knew the other.  Tarlaka would know, but not now.  Not here, out in the open. When they had privacy in the castle, he would let her in on it.  The idea Angel had was good, but not good enough to bring this unknown, untested stranger to the castle and give him a command position. There was more too it than that.

He stayed where he was, lost in thought, as she walked ahead a ways. Then he clicked to his horse and followed, catching up with her in a few long strides and giving her a long, measured look.  What was with the attitude? Over time he'd gotten decent at reading the language of her wings, and they weren't saying anything nice.  She must still be upset with him about the brothel.

"Hey." He nudged her with his elbow.  "I order you to not be mad at me anymore." They clopped across the plaza toward the castle gates. Spotlighted in the bright moonlight, it was easy for the sentries to spot him and cries went up in the castle announcing his approach. The sounds of yelling and pounding feet and excited activity came to him on the night air.

And then they were passing beneath the castle wall, the grand stone structure arching overhead and the castle courtyard stretching out before them.

"Not tonight," he muttered to Tarlaka.  "I don't want to sleep. I want to work.  And we have stablehands to take care of the horses.  Let them see to it. I need you around for all this.  The regent, too. Hey, I've never met this guy. Is he out here, do you see him?" Angel should have gotten the regent out of bed already.

Rhindeer

Unfortunately for Tarlaka, Yuri was awakened not by Angel or even the cries of the senties, but by a wailing, unhappy child and there was no question as to who's child that was. Even if there had been other children in the castle, Yuri had never encountered a child with lungs like Seiteki had. Not even his own boy could holler like that when he was her age, and Nathen had been a screamer in his infancy.

Dammit, Tarlaka... Yuri thought sleepily as he got dressed in the dark before heading out of his room and through the winding halls, blindly following the sounds of those wails. His eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the candlelit sconces that lit up the halls, but it wasn't like he needed to see. He'd been down these halls more times than he could count--more times, he imagined, than the actual mother had--and he found his way there more out of physical memory as opposed to sight. Yawning, he pushed the door open and headed straight for the cradle. "Aw, baby, it's okay," he cooed softly and reached down to gently scoop the little bundle of flailing arms and red-faced indignant crying into his arms, carefully supporting her head and neck. He squinted down at her and rocked her slowly to try and calm her. "Did mama not feed you? Again..."

That was said with a frown and a slight huff, and then he wrinkled his nose and made a face. Her bottom felt rather warm, too, now that he thought about it. Eugh. "Or change you, for that matter..."

That was when the cries rang out and the castle came bursting to life. Carrying a still crying Seiteki over to the window he peered out, but he didn't need to see who had come to know. Already there were excited shouts that His Majesty had returned, and as he looked out upon the moonlit courtyard he could make out the shapes--including one very distinctive winged shape.

About bloody time.

And speaking of time, he wasn't going to waste any. Time to go welcome "mommy" back home. And meet Akkiel. He gave himself a quick once-over, dressed in a hastily thrown on robe and slippers and snorted. It was the middle of the bloody night. If Akkiel expected him to be presentable, he would just have to deal with it until morning, especially since he'd only gotten about an hour of sleep after doing the king's boring paperwork while he was out gallavanting again. Hmph.

It didn't take long for him to make it outside and to the courtyard, and Akkiel and Tarlaka could likely hear him coming long before they saw him: Seiteki was still howling. But soon enough the figure of a young man in his mid to late twenties stepped out into the moonlight, clothed in a robe and slippers and carrying a squirming infant in his arms. His face was drawn with dark spots beneath his eyes from lack of sleep, and his long dark blonde hair was pulled back into a loose, messy ponytail with a few stands falling loose to frame his face. He made a bee-line straight for the two soldiers, though his attention was on Tarlaka.

"Tarlaka...love, dearest, darling, light of my life," he said, voice weary and annoyed, "Seiteki's a good sleeper. You forgot to feed her again, didn't you?" He turned his head to the side to yawn, then looked back to Tarlaka and frowned. Carefully, he offered Seiteki to her. "I think she needs a diaper change, too. I changed her last time; it's your turn this round, mama. Hey, who's your friend?"

That was when he finally seemed to notice the other guy, and he offered him a small smile. An annoyed smile, because he was still annoyed with Tarlaka, but a smile nonetheless.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Anonymous

An eyebrow tweaked up when Akkiel elbowed her in the side and ordered her not to be mad at him anymore. Ah, if only he knew, but he wouldn't at least not for a while so Tarlaka stuck out her tongue and gave him a very mocking bow. "Of course Your Highness. I am no longer mad at you." Of course she could still be irritated. A brothel. Geeze. Blinking at him momentarily, Akkiel? Not wanting to slack off? Tarlaka looked up at the sky ominously, worried that a giant meteor would come down and squish them. Surely the world was ending. "Right, the stable hands." She shook her head, and froze for a second, hearing the crying get louder. Oh crap. It was moving.

Only meant one thing.

"No... The Regent isn't out here." Yet. Tarlaka looked around a little paranoid. She knew he was on his way, being more of a mother to Seiteki than she was. Only thing Tarlaka was good for was feeding her and making her take naps. Swallowing slightly Tarlaka moved behind her horse, a sad attempt at hiding, and drew her wings to her back tightly, they were smooth and as close to her as she could get them. Still the crying go louder and Tarlaka could only mentally curse her luck. It wasn't like she had time! She left right after Seiteki started her nap.

Weren't those nursery maids supposed to watch her kid while she was gone? A pang of guilt rose in her throat when she heard Yuris footsteps and her daughters wails, Tarlaka looked away and rubbed at her arm. Oh damn. Her attempts to hide from Yuri failed and she saw him walk up to her. She shrunk back slightly like a child about to get into trouble, chewing on her lip and looking worriedly from Yuri, to Akkiel to her screaming daughter and back again. She was doomed.

Tarlaka had just barked at Akkiel for being in a brothel and here she was with an infant child. One she couldn't even take care of. Her mouth opened wordlessly as unhooked her upper armour, gauntlets included so she could hold Seiteki and not hurt her. Moving to put the metal on the horses saddle. She looked down and nearly died. They were wet and they still hurt! What the hell? Quickly she reached out and took her wailing daughter in her arms. Using her half as a cover for her breasts and because she did feel very guilty. " I didn't forget on purpose. I fed her before I left!" Tarlaka grumped half-heartedly.

Of course, she then remembered the other person there. Akkiel. Oh damn. "Ah.. um... Akki- Your highness. I.. I can explain." A rather shrill wail made her heart lurch and she looked down and cooed at Seiteki and brushed a finger against her cheek. "I'll explain after I get back." With her child in her arms, she bowed and made a quick escape, her wings fluffed up from her mild freak out.

Doomed.

In was only about ten minutes later when Tarlaka came back out, a make-shift, obviously enchanted bottle type thing for Seiteki, a new shirt for Tarlaka and no unwanted smells coming off of the baby. She was so screwed.

"Look, Akkiel... Your Highness. I'm sorry, she... Seiteki wasn't exactly planned, and I couldn't get rid of her... And if you have any problems with this what-so-ever I'll leave at once." Her voice dropped and her wings visibly drooped, the tips of her wings brushes against the ground. She smiled down once at her daughter, her eyes half closed and her little hands wrapped around the bottle, Tarlakas other hand holding it up.

Letting out a breath she shook her head and looked from Yuri to Akkiel. "Surely you've introduced yourself while I was gone." Then she shot a look at Yuri and explained the bottle, knowing he would be curious. "I'm not about to breast feed her when there are important matters to attend do." Tarlakas cheeks blushed a light pink and she cleared her throat. "anditsbreastmilkanyway." Clearing her throat again and she looked away shifting her weight.

Tarlaka, for the first time in quite a while, felt very uncomfortable.

Tally

Akkiel, his height giving him an advantage, craned his head up to look around the courtyard.  He was searching for two people.  One was the regent, whose appearance he knew precisely nothing about, so instead he looked around for anyone who might be at the center of some group.  Failing that, he looked for Angel, who he knew would be somewhere around but who was likely on the move, coordinating with officials to begin a process that would change Adela forever—without actually telling them why.  It was pure showmanship on Akkiel's part, but he wanted their guests' arrival tomorrow to be a surprise to everyone.

Angel was being elusive.  No matter, he'd find his way to Akkiel eventually.  Resting alongside the wall of the keep were the wagons Akkiel had sent ahead of him.  Five he had sent, but only four remained.  The missing fifth would already have been broken down and its precious cargo moved down to the furnace.

Those particular dragon eggs had to be kept very hot.

Checking on them was up around the top of Akkiel's priority list, right after meeting the regent and getting him caught up with Angel's plans.  If either of them would ever show their faces.   Amidst the chaos of servants and soldiers running everywhere, there was one thing that stood out.  Crossing the courtyard was a man Akkiel didn't know with a wailing baby in his arms.  Akkiel was about to call out to the man and tell him this was no place to be toting around a babe and to go back inside.

Then the man walked right up to Tarlaka.

Then the man spoke.

Darling?  Light of my life?  Had...had Tarlaka taken a lover.

Akkiel felt the sudden and inexplicable urge to punch this man in the throat.

He watched the exchange between the two of them, looking from one to the other, speechless.  He must be missing something or misunderstanding something.  A baby.  Why was there a baby being handed off to Tarlaka?  He stared at her stupidly as she said some things to him—he couldn't hear her for the clamoring confusion in his own head—and he only recovered when she had left and it was just he and...and just who the hell was this anyway?

Before he could even ask, a soft 'ahem' sounded behind him and he spun.  "What," he snapped.

There stood Angel, looking as polished in the middle of the night as any other man would when starting his day after a restful sleep.  This seemed as good a time as any to step in and distract the king.  Angel had known that woman and her child would cause problems.  It was starting already.  "A word with his majesty?"  His eyes slid briefly to Yuri, hoping he had heard.  It was said for his benefit, really.  In his travel garb the king looked more like a sellsword than a monarch.

"Fine."  The two of them drew away so Angel could catch Akkiel up on everything that had been done and that still needed to be done.  There was a lot of explaining, a lot talking and referencing the ledger of papers in Angel's hand.  He had indeed begun the process.  All that was left was to bring the regent and commander in on the project.  Each would have a very specific role to play in getting the castle and everyone in it ready for the coming upheaval.  First, though, they would all four of them have to sit down and work this whole ambitious endeavor out in civil discussion.

Something that was appearing less and less likely as Akkiel stormed back and resumed the conversation.  By then, Tarlaka was already on her way back.  Akkiel stepped up to the man, looming without realizing it.  "Friend?  I'm her king.  Who are you, and might you point me in the right direction?  I seem to have wandered into the part of the castle where they're giving away babies!"  The last part came out as almost a shout, but bright bloody hell!

Somehow, it didn't seem real until he heard it from Tarlaka's own mouth.  A baby.  Her baby.  He just didn't know what else to say to that.

Rhindeer

...'Your highness'?

Before Tarlaka's flustered words could really sink in, she'd fled and the red-head had been pulled off to the side by another man. Another man who also called the red-head 'his majesty' while giving Yuri a meaningful look that he had indeed caught. Buh? That was the king? And here he'd thought he was just a regular old soldier, one of Tarlaka's military buddies or somesuch, and he'd been on the verge of giving her a hard time about it just to see her get all fluffed up and irritated. That always brought joy to his sleep deprived, paperwork filled days and nights.

Realizing he was gaping and staring off where Akkiel and that other man had gone, Yuri shut his mouth and straightened up, feeling infinitely foolish and desperately resisting the urge to sink his head into his hands and groan loudly. Great. Wonderful. Smooth moves there, Yuri! What had his first words been to his king? 'Hey, who's your friend?'

Who's your friend. Among all the inane baby babbling, too. First impressions right there, wow.

Idiot, idiot, idiot.

Alone, he had time to mentally beat himself up and then recompose himself and just in time, too, because Akkiel was storming back. Storming. Not good. Yuri only gave him a placid look and waited patiently for him to return, hands folded in front of him even when Akkiel stopped and loomed over him. He wasn't a very happy man right now, clearly.

What he said, however, was perplexing. If anything Yuri thought he'd be annoyed with him for not recognizing him or something like that, but what he shouted was about babies? Yuri blinked and canted his head to the side just a little, allowing just a hint of confusion to reflect in an expression that was otherwise painstakingly calm and neutral.

"Apologies, your highness. I didn't recognize you," Yuri said. "I'm Yuri, your regent, and, ah..." He glanced over to Tarlaka, who had returned with Seiteki, looking all clean and changed and happy now while Tarlaka (he was so proud of her right now) looked positively mortified. He felt like he was missing something here, something unspoken, what with Tarlaka's horror and Akkiel's royal fit. Hm. Yuri looked back at Akkiel and gave a small smile. Truth be told, between Akkiel's shouting and Tarlaka's blushing over what was in that bottle, he was trying not to laugh.

"Do children offend his majesty?" he asked earnestly, no sarcasm there, just an honest question. Some people were just naturally uncomfortable around small children. He knew when he first became a father, he'd been terrified of holding his infant son, irrationally afraid of breaking him. And hey, some people didn't deal well with the whole fact that babies were very, very leaky.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Anonymous

The people who just showed up made Tarlaka want to pick up her daughter and duck her head, using the little body of warm flesh as a shield from that bastard Angel. Though one look down at her daughter had a little bit of a pleased smile on the semi-new mothers lips, electric blue eyes, rosebud lips, soft black hair. Tarlaka was glad that she and the father had much of the same colouring, because that meant little Seiteki could look entirely like her, which also meant that no one would be able to figure out who the father was. Unless the bastard went and opened his big fat mouth. Eugh.  She could still never figure out why she did that with him of all people, she'd have six kids with Akkiel before she'd have sex with him again.

Okay, maybe not six.

Silently she fed her daughter, her head down but listening to every breath and sigh. That and completely ignoring Angel. Of all the people she hated, the black and blue haired woman was still amazingly surprised at how much she just hated Angel, and he didn't even knock her up! Imagine that. She hated Denkou mostly because that happened, and the love. Oi vey. Him and his love for her.  She hoped he was gone, and if he made any passes at her while he was here, she'd put him in his place or fire him.

Oh right, important stuff.

Tarlakas eyebrows shot up on her forehead and she stared over at Yuri. Children offended Akkiel? Well, shit.  She winced and felt, like a woman. A weak woman, even though she could be more than enough of a challenge for Akkiel, and Tarlaka was pretty damn sure she could get Angel on his hands and knees in the dirt. Though she was out of practice. Okay, here goes nothing. Boundaries. Lifting her head, and squaring her shoulders, tucking her wings against her back, and tipping the bottle for her still suckling daughter. Tarlaka swallowed her lump of 'Oh, crap, going to speak to the King like a normal man while on palace grounds,' and then looking him directly in the eye.

"She's... Mine...  I don't let her interfere with work. Just saw just now... I forget about her, and I'm a horrible mother. I wore my armour until it hurt to keep on, and before I was even healed from giving birth I was up and in my armour again." She frowned and then took a breath, "Angel disagrees with you having a commanding officer with a child, and if she didn't... Mean so much, I'd gladly give her up to keep my position."

A humourless smile and Tarlaka plucked the empty bottle from her daughters chubby pink hands, and Seiteki was staring up and cooing while waving her little fists and kicking her feet.  "Unfortunately, if you don't like Seiteki being here, you lose me as well. It seems that having this thing inside of me for nine months made me rather attached." A solemn nod and she ducked her head again, letting the hair that escaped from her long braid cover a side of her face, "Even though I'm a horrible mother, it seems like I don't remember what it was like before my breasts hurt because they're full of... Of... Too much baby food." She smiled and lift her daughter to rest against her shoulder, one calloused hand rubbing up and down the babys back, between delicate gray wings which flicked restlessly like the rest of her limbs.

"You may dismiss me if you see fit, if you don't wish too I'll be just as I was before she... Happened. Perhaps a little more cautious of who I dine with." Tarlaka frowned and Seiteki let out a burp and her frown dissolved into a smile and she looked up at Akkiel, there was a mix of emotions, she was pleased Akkiel was back, though worried of what he would think of her now that he knew she was a mother, or that she'd gotten pregnant at all. Yuri was like an older brother in a way, she was far more comfortable around Yuri than she was around Akkiel.

And she still just really hated Angel.  Subconsciously she sent him a dark glare before cuddling her daughter again.  "Give your answer now, if you don't wish for me to stay I'll be gone by the morning, if you do, I'll put Seiteki to bed and we can go about business."

Tally

Akkiel did not like the regent.  He did not like the way the man stood there smiling like a halfwit while Akkiel was trying to have a satisfying argument.  And he really didn't like the saccharine over-politeness and the apparent entertainment this whole situation was providing him.  Made him want to introduce his fist to Yuri's face.  See if that got a genuine reaction out of the man.  He bet it would.  Gods above, but he despised these types.  The ones who couldn't give you an honest response and hid what they really wanted to say behind bland pleasantries.  The ones who had to add a 'your highness' at the end of every bloody sentence.

"Surprise children offend his majesty," Akkiel said, aiming a glare at Tarlaka.  It wasn't the baby that had him pitching a fit.  It wasn't even the possibility that this Yuri was the father, which in his mind seemed likely.  It was neither of those things.

It was that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him, and instead had allowed him find out like this, with half the castle there to witness his conniption.

By now they'd attracted the undivided attention of the entire courtyard.  Just bloody great.  What a way to make his grand re-entrance.  He wasn't done with the regent, though.  The man's lack of reaction earned a withering stare.  "And drop the smarmy tone before I knock your teeth out.  I didn't travel to Hyoite and back to have 'your highness's and 'your majesty's parroted at me, and frankly the way you say it makes it sound like an insult.  In fact, why don't you shut your mouth completely.  If I hear the sound of your voice again I might have to scream.  I am going to have a word now with the commander of my armies.  You are going to follow Angel down to the basement and see the eggs."

At last Akkiel took a breath.  He felt a little better now, or at the very least a little calmer.  "Catch him up on the details, find out if he wants one of the eggs," Akkiel said to Angel, who gave a curt nod and indicated that the regent should follow him to the base of the tower, where they would proceed down into the basements of the castle.  While they had all been getting acquainted, the dragon eggs had been moved below ground and hopefully set up properly.

He turned to Tarlaka, her and her child.  What was the name?  Seiteki.  The two of them looked so comfortable together, despite how Tarlaka lamented her mothering instincts.

"Come with me," he said, walking away and trusting that she would follow.  They were not done talking about this, but the rest of the conversation would be held in private.  He had a few choice words for her, some bad and some good.

Rhindeer

Yuri's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to apologize--likely with a 'your majesty' tacked onto it--and then thought better of it and shut his mouth before the words could leave his tongue. He pursed his lips tightly instead and just stared at Akkiel, quiet as ordered, though the color had drained from his face. Knock out his teeth? Yikes. He probably would, too. From anyone else that might have been a bluff, but who didn't know about King Akkiel's accomplishments on the battlefield or his reputed ferocity? He probably wouldn't think twice about slugging one of his own officials.

And Yuri liked his teeth right where they were.

Akkiel was apparently not the joking sort.

That, and Yuri thought he might now have an inkling of just what the problem was. Unexpected children? Akkiel honestly hadn't known about his commander's situation? He had just assumed Akkiel was surprised by her birth or something, not that he had been oblivious to her pregnancy to begin with. Looking back and forth between the two, mouth still closed, he listened to Tarlaka babble on about aching breasts and being a bad mother, noted Akkiel's expression and his previous fit, and...it all clicked into place.

Uh oh. If he didn't know any better, he would say this was a domestic issue--not about one's lady commander getting with child, as he'd first assumed...

When Akkiel dismissed him and Angel motioned him to follow, Yuri couldn't leave fast enough. He sketched a quick bow and then was off, before Akkiel could snap at him about that, too. Honestly, at this point the man would probably snarl at him if he didn't. Sometimes it was impossible to win.

Wonderful. So he'd made a stellar first impression, managed to piss off his king, and had walked right on into--and joked about!--what very well might be a lover's spat. But in all the time he'd known Tarlaka, he'd never known. It was also possible he was reading too much into the body language and language itself, but he had been in a similar situation before. Kind of. Remotely.

He stuck close to Angel as they walked, and for one rare moment he found himself actually valuing the man's company.

"Is he always so snippy?" he muttered as they headed toward the tower's base, irritation finally catching up with him now that he was out of punching range. "I thought I was only being polite, and that he could stand a joke. You know, about children. I didn't realize I was apparently jabbing at some invisible yet exposed nerve--wait, eggs?"

Suddenly what Akkiel said caught up to him, and he looked over at Angel and raised an eyebrow. "What's this about eggs?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Anonymous

The glare Akkiel shot her way made Tarlaka look down guiltily and rub her daughters back who was, unfortunately for her, wide away and wriggling. Wings moved out to play at balancing while her arms moved with the child. Was she this big the last time she held her? Tarlaka's face fell slightly as she ignored Akkiel barking at Yuri and instead cooed and wiggled her fingers at her daughter.

Highly innappropriate for the situation, the woman didn't particularily care at the moment just what she looked like to everyone else. Of course while she tuned out the men-folk she made funny faces towards her little baby. Tarlaka didn't notice them, it had been an entire day without her child, and while the commander liked to say that No, she wasn't attached to the little ball of wriggling flesh she'd spat out a few months before. She would have to lie.

Tarlaka did lie about loving her daughter, and quite often. Of course it would be made obvious that she loved Seiteki or Tarlaka wouldn't have looked back up at Akkiel with her tongue sticking out. Whoops, work time. Clearing her throat and slipping her tongue back into her mouth, she tuned in at the last moment to hear something about the basement and eggs.

Eggs.

What was going on?

Oh, she was following him. A quick curt nod and a quiet 'yes, your highness,' just to bother him. Carefully carrying her daughter with her own wings tight to her back the feathers bristled with her obvious discomfort at being alone with him. He must be so mad at her right now, what did he think? Oh crap, he couldn't think that... Yuri.. That she... The realisation of what the picture looked like made Tarlaka hand her head for a second, making bits of hair that had fallen out of her braid play things for the infant. A mild cry of pain and her head was back up and she was staring ahead.

Tarlaka waiting until they were in a less-crowded area before she spoke quietly, her head turned slight towards her King. Was he still a friend? "Seiteki isn't Yuri's daughter. She's..." Shame. Birthed and conceived from a single night of shame she couldn't even remember. "She's mine." and once she could walk, Tarlaka would start training her to be the best damn soldier ever. Well, maybe read first. Reading was good.

While they walked she remained quiet, the knuckle of an ungloved hand in her daughters gooey as she made content cooing noises. Surely Akkiel wasn't immune to babies when they weren't being leaky. Everyone was. It was when they cried and linked that no one liked them. Looking towards him wearily she quickly looked back down and stared ahead at the ground, not really all that sure what to say until he ranted at her about having a child.

Or about not telling him.

Or maybe it was because she sat on his lap at the brothel.

Either way, Tarlaka was almost positive that he wanted to rant at her. Poor guy seemed pretty grumpy. Maybe he just needed a hug.

Tally

The further down into the tower they went, the hotter it became.

Angel lead the way for Yuri, descending straight down the tower steps then veering off through a pattern of turns and finally down more staircases.  Torches ensconced upon the walls in iron brackets lit their way.  Angel had nothing to say to Yuri's complaints about the king, choosing for now to hold his tongue with regards to the way that woman affected Akkiel—but the last question got a smile out of him.

"Eggs," he said.  "Dragon eggs."

They passed first one pair of guards standing at attention, then further down they came upon a second pair flanking a door.  The air was now sweltering and sweat had broken out on Angel's forehead and upon his back.  His coat was suddenly unbearably uncomfortable.

Though he loathed to be out of uniform in public, to visit the eggs he would make an exception.  It was a choice between appearing casual or dripping with perspiration.  Six one way, half a dozen the other.  A table and rack had already been set up outside to hold the clothing and belongings of visitors to the basement.  

"It's even hotter inside."  Angel shrugged out of his coat and hung it upon the rack, then tugged open the lacing at his collar to open his shirt up a bit.  He rolled up his sleeves, and ushered Yuri toward the door.

Almost directly above them, several floors up, Akkiel broke his way through the cloud of people trying to get his attention and found refuge with Tarlaka in a deserted anteroom off the main hall.  After shutting the door behind him, he lead her through the waiting room, through another door and into small portrait gallery in an effort to put some distance between them and the rest of the castle occupants.  He didn't want this exchange on the lips of the castle gossips tomorrow.

He whirled on her.  "Why didn't you tell me?" he said.  "You should have told me.  Something like this?  And you just ambush me with it?  Why?  I don't even care what Yuri has to do with this.  I don't care who the father is or what in all hells you were thinking to let this happen, but what I do care about is that we walked halfway across the city together, no one around, no one to interrupt or get in the way and you still didn't say anything!"

Rhindeer

"Dragon eggs...?"

Yuri was glad he'd thrown something on beneath the robe, because with the heat intensifying the further down they walked and his thin clothes sticking to his skin, his robe was growing miserable. It was lucky, too; he hadn't anticipated coming outside when he'd woken up to take care of Seiteki. Panting a little from the hot air, he reached up and wiped at his brow, brushing damp blond hair out of his face, and took a deep breath. Dragon eggs. Of course they'd have to be kept hot to mimic their natural environment and--

What happened when they hatched?

Angel shrugged off his coat, an Yuri wasted no time in following his example and losing the robe. He hung it up neatly and then tugged at his shirt to peel it off his skin, flapping it a bit to get some air circulating. Hotter inside? They'd bake.

Yuri reached back and gathered up his hair, lifting it up off of his neck where where sweat was already rolling down, and stepped toward the door. "You're trying to hatch dragons? What happens when they do hatch?" Like any good Adelan, Yuri revered the dragons. They were majestic creatures, powerful, the perfect symbol of their country. They were not like the legends of other nations made them out to be, or like what those Duhjari savages claimed them to be, but they still commanded respect and rightfully so. It seemed...wrong to have them.

And yet Yuri was fascinated by the prospect of seeing them up close.

"Where did you get them? You didn't steal them?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Anonymous

Startled, Tarlaka took a step back and drew Seiteki closer to her chest, her knuckle being gnawed upon by Seiteki, her chubby little hands clinging to Tarlakas other fingers. Ice blue eyes drew to Akkiel when he began to speak. Tell him? Tell him – ooh..

"How could I tell you something like this?" Her voice was soft, looking downwards, her eyes on him before she drew her tongue over her lips and looked away.  Turning away slightly, walking past him she ducked her head down and smiled at her daughter, Tarlaka could feel her little wings struggling against the fabric behind her.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet, her head ducked downwards. "How would... I say 'oh, by the way, Akki, while you were got I got... I had a daughter, her name is Seiteki, she looks a lot like me." Another pause before she turned back towards Akkiel, eyebrows drawn downwards to glare.

" I do my job, I couldn't do it when I was heavily pregnant, but I can still do my job. I got you back, I help train new knights..." No more excuses, Tarlaka heaved another sigh and looked away, a distinct grumpy, pouty look on her face, her feathers tight to her back with the black feathers puffed up.

"I was embarrassed." Tarlaka plucked her finger from Seiteki's gooey mouth and turned around so she was shoulder to shoulder with the King, holding Seiteki out at arms length while she cooed and flailed, her little wings stretching out so the tiny feathers could stretch out. Big blue eyes set on Akkiels face. "I didn't want her, but when I found out about her it was too late to get rid of her and once she was out I didn't want anyone else to have her but me."

A sidelong glance towards the red haired king. " She's mine." Tarlaka took a breath and pushed Seiteki up against Akkiels chest, where she clung to the front of his shirt. " Even you can't make me get rid of her now."

Tally

A furnace yawned—roaring red, radiating heat—in one corner of the basement chamber.  Angel lead the way inside and shut the door behind them.  This far away from the furnace the heat wasn't so bad, but it was more the stuffiness that made the subterranean room unbearable for more than a few minutes at a time.  A few small vents in the ceiling let the smoke out but provided little in the way of air circulation.

Perfect for the dragon eggs resting in the middle of the furnace, not so comfortable for humans.

"Of course we didn't steal them!"  Only respect for the regent's standing kept the sneer off Angel's lips.  That the thought crossed the man's mind at all offended Angel's honor.  As though they would steal dragon eggs!  What true Adelan would do such?

"No, we brought them from the westward Terrins.  Got them away from rogue Connlaothan hunters.  They killed the parents.  A whole colony wiped out!"  This time he did sneer.  "Connlaoth dogs.  Have you ever seen their methods?  Trickery and overwhelming numbers, mostly.  Cowardly ambushes.  We couldn't carry all the eggs so we saved one from each clutch."

Five eggs rested in the furnace, and Angel pointed to the large black one that dominated the group.  "That one will be the king's.  The dragons I spoke with assured me it will be the mightiest of our eclectic clutch.  This isn't all of them.  Some of them require no fire and are being kept elsewhere."

He added with a smile, "when they hatch they will be the first dragons given Adelan citizenship."



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"What are you saying?  How could you not tell me?!"  Akkiel bit back on his words and pinched the bridge of his nose.  They were going in circles here, coming back to the same excuses over and over again.  Not just her either, but him too.  What he wanted to ask was why she felt she couldn't tell him about this.  Why him?  Why couldn't he know?

He paused to make sure he heard nothing in the next room over.  It would have been just like some of those over-curious vultures to try and sneak up to the door and listen but most unwise to do so.  He'd have the tongue out of the mouth of anyone he caught listening in on them here.

"You could have found a way," he said, returning her glare.  What did she have to be glaring at him about anyhow?  "And I never doubted you could do your job, did I?"  Again he checked himself, being too far on the verge of shouting.

"She distracts you though," he murmured, watching the two of them together.  "She's distracting you now even," he added as the baby was presented to him.  He didn't mean it in a horrid manner.  Somethings were worth being distracted by.  He sighed as he watched the little limbs flail about.  "And when did I ask you to get rid of her hm?"

He caught up a few strands of his hair and tickled the baby's face with them then let her grab at his hair.  His sisters had loved to do that when they were babies.  Made a huge mess of his hair they did, pulling it and slobbering all over it.  "The baby's not the problem.  How many times do I have to say that?"  He took over the job of holding Seiteki and shook his hair down over his shoulders so she'd have more to grab at.  "Ah, who's the father?  Not that pretentious fop I met up there, eh?"

Rhindeer

"Those bastards..." Massive understatement, but Yuri didn't know what else he could say. An entire colony massacred...no, he had never seen their methods in action but this wouldn't be the first time he'd heard of them. He took a deep breath, biting back anger--which was fairly easy, because it took too much energy and heat was tiring. "I hope you managed to take out some of their party in return," he added, grimacing a bit when Angel shut the door. It felt harder to breathe with it closed, but he knew that was all in his mind.

It was bearable for now, but he didn't know if he'd be able to handle it for much longer. It felt like he was melting, but for now curiosity won out over discomfort.

Yuri stepped closer to the furnace while still maintaining a respectable distance, squinting into the fire and wiping his damp hair back off his face. Angel was saying things but Yuri was only half paying attention anymore, too focused on the eggs resting in the furnace and what this meant. The black one was the king's? As in belonged to him? And there were more? How many more? While Yuri was grateful that they'd rescued these eggs (and not stolen them; bad judgment call on his part) it was what happened when they were no longer just eggs that he was concerned about.

These were dragons. They would get bigger.

When Angel announced that they'd be receiving citizenship, Yuri whirled back around and stared.

"And...what then?" he asked. "What do you mean 'that will be the king's' and they'll have citizenship?" He held up a hand. "I'm not opposed or anything, I'm just not quite sure I follow where you're going with this."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Anonymous

Tarlaka crossed her arms, either hand holding the other arms elbow and watched with surprise when Akkiel held Seiteki and let her play with his hair. She was expecting him to hold her awkwardly or push her back and snap at her. The commander wasn't sure if she was happy or irritated at this responce. It dawned on her then that she knew absolutely nothing about Akkiel other than the things everyone else knew. A frown drew on her lips as Akkiel gave Seiteki his hair to play with, well, hm.

A dry laugh left her mouth and Tarlaka moved closer to reach and drew a finger over Seiteki's cheek before looking up at Akkiel, her face drawn and blank, eyes hooded. "It was easy not to tell you! I'd be devestated if you looked down on me for having a child, you're one of the few people I look up to here. Everyone else is a snobbish noble or a ..." Tarlaka sneered, "A male who thinks they're better than me like the rest of the knights here." gently pressing her hand to Seiteki's back she let it fall to her side.

"I realise I should have told you. I'm sorry. I thought you'd think less of me for doing something so womanly. I'm not trying to be a man, don't get me wrong, I know you don't think I'm weak, but apparently being able to squeeze a child out of myself makes me weak compared to your soldiers." She took a breath and closed her eyes turning around then freezing and going stiff when Akkiel asked his last question, her wings drawing close to her back and the feathers sleeking down, an obvious subconcious movement to make her smaller.

She didn't want to remember that, she squared her shoulders and turned around slowly avoiding eye contact. Seiteki was content with a two handfuls of hair, most of it stuck to her face by drool. Tarlaka didn't want to think of what made Seiteki. "If only she was Yuri's then at least it would have been consensual." She sneered before she took a breath, and shaking her shoulders slightly, willing her wings to fall more naturally. "It's not important who the man is. He's gone now anyway. Better not return either." A breath and she gently took Akkiels elbow, shoulders straight, spreading the wing closests to him to create a back cover.

"Walk with me to her room and tell me what Angel is showing Yuri, I'm curious and Seiteki is asleep again." Tarlaka nodded towards the drooling infant in Akkiels arms before she looked up at him with a calmer expression than before.

Tally

Angel glanced at Yuri sidelong.

"You people in the cities truly have no idea what goes on in the Blacks, do you?  No," he said, waving a hand in dismissal.  "I know.  How can you? Getting word between the cities and the villages in the mountains is so difficult.  That will change now, I hope, and you people in the cities who have forgotten the old ways might be reminded."

It was so different in Arca.  Serenian and Essyrni influence everywhere, in the way people spoke and acted and believed.  Such a sharp difference between the life he'd grown up with, a life largely unchanged from the days before the tribes united. He even spoke his old tribal dialect, as fluently and readily as he did the haphazard trader's tongue.

"You see," he added, "we've been riding dragonback up in the Blacks for generations now.  Word has been sent into the villages.  We should see the first riders arriving by sunset tonight, on invitation from the king.  But these eggs..."

Amid the eclectic rested a green-brown egg that looked as though it were made of granite.  Glancing at it, he fell into a moment's silence.  He had known as he carried that egg away in his own hands that it was meant for him.  "These dragons were sent to us as a blessing, to hatch here and grow among us."

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It was difficult, even for Akkiel, to remain angry when a baby was slobbering in his hair, though Tarlaka had the oddest expression on her face.  She was speaking nonsense.

"You're a woman.  Your business is bearing children.  Who would find fault with that?"  He wanted to understand her concern, but it made little sense to him.  Who should he expect to bear children but a woman?  She should have been happy.  She should have been celebrating!  She had born a fine, strong daughter, and graced the castle with a new life.

"It's not that they think you less..."  That was something of a lie.  Undoubtedly there were some soldiers who thought exactly that.  "All right, yes.  There are some who think that, and there are some who think a woman ought not place herself in a man's role."

Angel, he knew, fell in with the second view.  "But those who know you know that you are capable."

She did not want to speak on the father of the child, and that suited him fine.  He didn't want to speak on it either.  Seiteki seemed content to remain with him for the moment, so he carried her out.  "I think you will like what I brought with me..."

Rhindeer

"I've heard stories..." Yuri began, but trailed off with a frown, unable to refute that. No, he'd never heard of people riding dragons--well, except in legends, but those were legends! Stories. Not real. To hear Angel claim that people had been doing that for generations and that actual riders were going to be arriving sounded...not crazy, but larger than life. Maybe this all would have been easier to swallow had he been sent a message ahead of time, but to wake up in the middle of the night to all this? He may as well have been still dreaming.

He briefly wondered if Angel were pulling his leg, as people sometimes liked to do to city folk, but the man didn't seem like the joking type and, well...there were dragon eggs here.

"That's the plan, then?" he said after a pause, pulling his eyes away from the eggs when he could no longer stand the heat or light. "To bring riders here, and raise our own...?" He swiped his wrist across his forehead. "If you didn't look so serious, I'd say you were joking, but this...this is amazing. When will they hatch?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Rhindeer

[ooc: Sorry, guys, but I'm dropping this thread. : It's been way too long. Feel free to continue without me though! Feel free to write/handwave Yuri out however you like.]
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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