Pet of the Peacock Prince
By Princess Thil Galel & Little Snowbird
I DO NOT OWN
Thank you
R&R
Please enjoy!
It was sometime before noon and a young Shen was practicing Cai Li Fo in private. Normally, he would train like this under Master Thundering Rhino's watchful eye, but there were occasions where he would train by himself. Whenever he did though, the white prince was either excited or troubled by something, and in this case, it was the latter. Once again, the peacock was bothered by all the whispers and gossip about him.
Back in her village, high in the mountains of Japan, Amalthea was known for her love of tree climbing. But here in Gongmen City, no one knew she even could climb, and that was just fine with her. She'd been sitting high in the branches, laying on her back with her arms behind her head and her legs dangling in the open air. Everything had been peaceful, quiet even, and then, from down below, she heard the fluttering of feathers. The human turned, shifting position until she was laying on her stomach, and peered through the foliage. Near the base of the tree, was Shen. The white prince was practicing his martial arts beneath her, completely unaware of her presence above him. She silently watched him from her perch, following his graceful movements as he practically danced through his forms. Her aquamarine eyes were drawn to his train, it flowed behind him like a river of white water teeming with red and black.
Yet as she watched him, she could see that something was wrong. When he struck out at his invisible foe he did so with far too much force, and his regal face was twisted into an angry scowl. She wondered what could possibly be on his mind to bring such an unpleasant look to his handsome face.
The previous times Shen had practiced to work off aggression that was building inside him, his method had worked without fail. But this time, that nagging feeling wasn't going away. The white peacock considered giving up on the attempt altogether.
All of a sudden, Shen got the familiar sense of eyes on him. Having been stared at so much as a child, he could easily tell when someone was watching him. It seemed he wasn't as alone as he thought.
"Is someone there?" the prince asked, looking around to see if he could spot the person from their hiding place. But he saw no one. He knew someone was there, the only question was where. His eyes noticed another shadow mingled with that of the foliage in a tree nearby. Without a second thought, he started to look up to see what was making that shadow.
When Shen looked up, what he saw wasn't what he expected. At all. But there, perched like a lounging cat, was Amalthea. She smiled down at him, and he got that feeling he used to get when Ah-Mah caught him doing something knew he shouldn't. "Well, good afternoon." she teased "Care to join me?"
The peacock blinked at her, in both confusion, and slight embarrassment. "How, in the King's name, did you get up there?" he asked. She didn't reply, instead she shifted into a sitting position and gestured to the empty space beside her, beckoning to him.
After getting over the shock of finding Amalthea in the tree, Shen realized that she was inviting him to join her. He smiled cheekily to himself at the little idea he had. She surprised him when he found her in the tree, it only seemed fair to surprise her with something as well. The peacock jumped up into the tree and perched himself next to the human, letting his train hang over the branch to where it was almost touching the ground.
"Wow, that was quite a leap." Amalthea commented with a giggle. He couldn't resist laughing with her.
"I don't think many out there are aware of how high peacocks can jump when they need to." he said in a joking manner, making her laugh more. "How long have you been up here?" Shen asked once she had gotten her laughter under control.
"Long enough to know that your style of fighting looks like a dance." Amalthea replied, a little more quietly than expected. The white peacock eyed her carefully. He couldn't help but wonder what else she had seen while she was up here watching him.
She drew up one knee and rested her elbow on it. A pose so casual to her, but quite alien to Shen. But it seemed to be one of the many unique things about her that the peacock liked. The human was quiet for a moment, silently studying him with those eyes like the sea. "Why are you out here?" she finally asked. "You look a little upset."
The prince huffed softly, and looked away with downcast eyes. "It's nothing you need to trouble yourself with." he answered in a low voice.
At first he thought she would take the hint and leave the issue be. But he was wrong. Amalthea couldn't say she appreciated the stony-hearted, tough guy brush off he was trying to use on her. So, she did what she did when her brother wouldn't tell her something. She gave the peacock a tickling poke to the ribs.
Of course, Shen was not used to being poked at that way. His head snapped towards her in surprise at what she was doing. She was prodding at one of his only ticklish places, and doing again and again and again. It was steadily getting harder for him to hide the laughter that threatened to come out.
"Will you stop that?" he laughed as she kept poking at him.
"Not until you tell me why you came out here." Amalthea answered, smiling to herself. Finally, in the hopes that she would relent, he gave her a short answer.
"I came out here to forget." Shen said, quickly. It may have been an answer, but it wasn't a good enough answer in her opinion. She kept at it, determined to make the peacock be honest with her. She could tell he was close to spilling the truth.
"What are you trying to forget about, Shen?" Amalthea asked. In the next three seconds she got her answer.
"I'm trying to forget about how the people of Gongmen City see me as a monster. That's why I'm out here. That's what I'm trying to forget." Shen blurted out. Once he admitted this, the prince looked away from her, his eyes looking like they were brimming with tears.
All Amalthea could do at first was stare, her eyes fixed on the glittering droplets forming on the prince's cheeks. Never once in all the time she'd lived under his roof had she ever seen him cry. But when he gave his reason, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen him get like this before.
People could be so cruel, unimaginably so, and the one on the receiving end would often meet more and more bias and hatred. Then, she laid her hand on his shoulder, gently giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Shen." she said softly, with tears in her own eyes now, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm so sorry." She didn't care how improper it was, or how much trouble she'd be in if anyone else was watching, she just needed to comfort him the only way she knew how. Amalthea threw her arms around his slender neck, pulled him close, and wept as quietly as possible into his chest. Her heart breaking for him.
For a minute, Shen was stunned into immobility. He looked down at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Here was Amalthea, holding onto him while she silently cried. She had said she was sorry, but for what, he wasn't sure. But then he remembered the way she had been treated and looked when she first came here. She probably knew what he was talking about better than anyone.
Hesitantly, his wings slid around her to return the embrace. The prince could feel some tears falling down his cheeks, but he didn't care about them at that point. He needed to get this out in the open if she was going to fully understand the pain he tried to hide.
"I was born earlier than I should have been, too small, too sickly, too... white. As soon as my parents and everyone else saw what color I was, they immediately thought I would die at a young age. White is the color of death in China, so how could anyone think otherwise? My own parents distanced themselves from me for several years, until I kept living past the life expectancy they and countless others had for me, and they slowly came to accept me as their son and love me the way I was. I think Mother has completely forgotten about their mutual disgust at the way I look, but Father... I'm not so sure about." he paused to swallow a lump in his throat.
"Do you know what that's like, Amalthea? Do you know what it's like to have nearly everyone around you take one look at you and call you a walking ghost, a bad omen?" he asked, his throat getting tight from repressed tears.
"More than you could imagine." she murmured in his feathers. "After Strika brought me to China, he started showing me around to people. Everyone was staring-always staring!" Amalthea paused a moment to take a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down. "The things they called me, I can still hear them, every single one. Demon, devil, monster."
Shen couldn't believe what he was hearing, although, he should have expected it considering how she'd arrived. Skin and bones, covered in filth and bruises, and staring up at him with pleading eyes while the mangy fox stood on her back like she was nothing more than a rug. But those words, he knew them all too well. He'd been called that, and more.
"How could anyone call you something like that?" he breathed, holding her a little tighter. "They don't even know you, and yet they judge you."
She hugged him just as firmly. "Exactly," she mumbled against him. "Which is why you should never take what they say to heart, Shen. A color doesn't matter, what's inside your heart does, and I've seen the real you." She smiled up at him suddenly, tears streaming don't her cheeks. "I think you were born white because you're an angel."
Shen took a shaky breath at her words. He could see in her eyes that she meant what she said. But still, it was a shock to hear anyone refer to him as an angel.
"An angel? You think of me as an angel?" he asked in disbelief. The girl nodded her head in response.
"How can you think that about me, Amalthea? You don't really know me either." the peacock reminded her.
She gave him a lopsided grin. "I know you better than you think I do." she said, giggling when his white cheeks turned scarlet. "You know the one major drawback to being white? When you blush, your whole face turns cherry red."
The peacock hastily turned away, hoping to hide his face, and Amalthea only giggled harder. When she finally settled down, Shen felt the burning in his cheeks die down. "You claim that you know me better than I believe. How so?" The human looked at him for a moment, ruby eyes meeting aquamarine eyes. Her pink lips parted, an answer on the tip of her tongue...she slipped off the branch. Reflexes kicked in, Shen reached out to grab her, but missed. She landed on her feet and took off. "Where are you going?" he shouted after her, but she didn't stop to answer. If anything, she ran faster, a smirk on her lips.
A playful look crossed his face before he jumped out of the tree. As soon as he hit the ground, he gave chase. He suddenly felt like having some fun with her.
"You'll never catch me!" Amalthea called back to him as she ran. She was laughing to herself as she went.
"You can't run fast enough to escape from me, my dear!" Shen called after her. The peacock chased the human around the courtyard, slowly getting closer. He ran ahead of her by a different route and hid behind one of the corners of the palace to wait for her to arrive. He could see her looking around for him. She was walking now as she kept a lookout for him. Thankfully, she was facing away from him when she came near his hiding place.
"Got you!" Shen exclaimed in excitement, grabbing onto her as he rushed forward. It seemed he grabbed her with more force than he intended, because they ended up rolling across the ground a few times before stopping. They both laughed for quite a while. Very carefully, the prince propped himself up from where he lay.
"Told you I would... catch you." Shen started to say, but his voice trailed off when he saw how they had landed. Amalthea was laying on her back with him on top of her, and he was looking straight into her eyes.
'Well, this is awkward.' he thought to himself.
Amalthea smiled broadly up at him, giggling like a little girl. "See?" she said, and gave his collar a teasing pluck. "This is the Shen I know." A gleam suddenly twinkled in her eyes, her smile replaced by a mischievous grin. Before he could react, Amalthea pressed the balls of her feet against his underside and tossed him over her head. The peacock landed on his back with a thud. As the human laughed, Shen sat up and shot her a look. But she simply batted her long black eyelashes at him with an air of innocence.
"You," said the prince "Are a little trickster."
"Should I start running again?" she quipped.
The white peacock rolled his eyes. "Whether or not you like being chased, start running now and I'll throw you in the koi pond when I catch you,"
She giggled again, and Shen couldn't help but smile back. Then her face turned serious as she sat on her knees facing him. "Shen, if you ever need to talk to someone about anything, I'm here for you." she said with absolute sincerity.
The prince smiled, "Thank you, my dear."
"Shen, Amalthea!" came Ah-Mah's voice from the garden door. "Dinner is ready you two, hurry up before it gets cold!" The peacock glanced at the human, and she glanced back at him. They both smiled at each other at the same time, and took off.
This time, the human and peacock were racing not to catch one another, but to see who could make it to the dining hall first. At first, the two seemed neck and neck; but soon Shen began to pull ahead since he was more familiar with his surroundings. Amalthea settled for following him to avoid getting lost in the palace. When they came to the doors, the prince opened them just a crack to peek inside before closing it again. Of course, she was a little confused by the action and his attempts to appear calm after two races. He noticed her expression before she could ask.
"Mother, Father, and Nana are already inside and waiting. I'm just trying to calm myself before going in. It's only so Father will mind his own affairs." Shen explained, a little snippiness in his voice when he brought up his father. Amalthea didn't try to question him about it, mostly because there was no time. He opened the doors and they went in.
The first one to greet them was Ah-Mah, smiling in a kindly way. She was soon followed by Queen Hera, who came forward to hug both her son and Amalthea when she saw them. One had to wonder if Hera sometimes saw Amalthea as the daughter she never had. Then, came King Azure as he offered a warm look at Shen, but paid no attention to Amalthea. Shen felt like he wanted to roll his eyes at this. His father seemed to act as if the human were invisible to him, which the prince suspected was the case sometimes.
Everyone seated themselves, and the meal soon began. As Shen was picking at some noodles with his chopsticks, he happened to notice his father's expression from across the table. Azure was staring hard at something in an unpleasant way while he ate the occasional bite or two, never once taking his eyes off of whatever had his attention. Shen followed his father's line of vision and found that he was staring at Amalthea, sitting on his left. She was doing her best to ignore how the king was watching her, but there was no mistaking the uncomfortable look on her face. Unable to take another minute of this, the white peacock decided to say something.
"Father, is there something you would like to share with everyone?" Shen asked, trying to drop a hint while being discreet about it.
The king set his chopsticks down. "Shen, you know I don't like your pet eating at the table."
"Father, please." said the prince. He casually fed Amalthea a bite of rice from his bowl with his own chopsticks, a habit they had developed over time.
Azure looked ready to explode when he witnessed the exchange. "Will you stop that?" the king snapped. "You are royalty-do you even know where it's mouth has been?" Shen cast his father a sideways glance, and just to show how little he cared, he dug his chopsticks deep into his bowl and took a large bite of rice. The queen shifted nervously beside her husband, seeing the rage in his onyx eyes. Hera quickly whispered into his ear, hoping to calm him. But he waved her off. "No, it's not okay." he said curtly. The peahen flinched at the volume of his voice.
Seeing the trouble her presence was causing, Amalthea quietly and slowly stood, planning to back out of the room. But the prince grabbed her arm and forced her to sit. The look in his eyes told her one word. Stay. Amalthea glanced back at the king, who glared daggers through her. "Shen, just let go." she begged "I'm only making things worse. It's okay-I'll just eat in the barracks with Lang." The peacock looked at his father, then his mother. He even looked to the Soothsayer, hoping to find some support from his Nanna. But even she could say nothing that would change the stubborn king's mind. Finally, and very reluctantly, he let go of Amalthea's arm, then watched her practically flee the dining room.
Shen felt like a piece of himself was going with her as she left. He couldn't stop the scowl of disgust forming on his face as he looked at his father. The king seemed to be calming down, but his son was slowly reaching his breaking point. Before he knew what came over him, the white peacock slammed his fist down on the table.
"And you say she needs to be kept on a leash." Shen spat, bitterly. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
"What did you say, Son?" Azure asked, frowning.
"You heard me, Father. Amalthea has never done anything wrong to you, and yet you insist on acting the way you do. The way you treat her is just as bad, if not worse than what you put me through." Shen replied. The queen stood up and came to her son's side.
"Shen, deary," Hera began, "Please be calm about this."
"No Mother, I won't be calm. If no one else will say this to him, then I will." Shen insisted. "You have never once in my life treated me as a father should, don't think I haven't noticed all these years. The only reason you do this to me is because of something that I had no control over, because I was born with white feathers instead of being colorful like you or Mother. Now, you insist on making me treat Amalthea like a creature of lower intelligence, which she certainly is not, because she is someone you don't understand." The prince stopped to catch his breath before continuing.
"You eye both of us with displeasure because we are different. Well, since you seem to find our 'flaws' so offensive, I see no reason for me to stay." With that, Shen stood and turned away.
"Don't be overdramatic, Shen. If I am critical of you, it is only because I know what's best for you." Azure snapped at his son. The prince froze, his eyes wide as he realized what he heard. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Very slowly, he turned around to give his father one last piece of his mind.
"You don't know me. Don't even think you know me!" Shen shouted before rushing out of the room. He just needed to get out of there before he did something he would regret later. He wasn't sure where he was going, but at least it was away from his father. Without noticing, he came to a stop outside the barracks. He sat down with a wing touching his face, suddenly exhausted by the outburst earlier.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Although the wolves welcomed her with open arms, Amalthea couldn't bring herself to eat anything placed in front of her. A bitter, vile taste filled her mouth as she stared down at her plate, the fish remained untouched along with her rice. She picked and poked at her rice with her chopsticks, thinking of how that was the last thing Shen had fed her. They hadn't started their odd little habit on purpose, it had just happened. Shen had been eating crab one night, a special treat brought to him by a duke from another province. When Amalthea had stepped into the room, the savory smell had drawn her right to him. She'd leaned over his shoulder, deeply inhaling and mumbling about how tasty it must be. The prince had taken the hint, but instead of asking for another plate and chopsticks, he'd simply used his own. They had shared that dish bite by bite, a peacock feeding a human. It was a memory she'd never forget.
A hand suddenly resting on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Lang standing over her, his face a mask of concern. "Hey," he said, taking a seat beside her. "You okay? You look pretty down, did something happen?"
She nodded. "His Majesty kicked me out of the dining room for eating at the table, and...because Shen fed me some of his rice." she replied.
The Boss Wolf let out a low whistle. "Wow, that must have really set him off." he commented.
"No kidding," she said "He about had a fit after Shen used the same chopsticks he fed me with to eat his rice. So I tried to save Shen some grief, and just excused myself."
Lang shook his head."I don't think that you really did anything by leaving." he said "You most likely just got out of there before Shen lost his temper."
Amalthea couldn't help but smirk. "Oh yes, Shen's wrath is most feared!" she said sarcastically, then giggled. "I don't get what is so scary, I've seen him get mad before, and the servant who spilt hot tea on me is still here too."
"You've seen Shen get a little feather-ruffled, even kinda miffed." Lang warned "But believe me, you've never seen that peacock get angry-and I hope you never do."
The human just rolled her eyes and shook her head. How someone's temper could be that scary, she didn't know. "I think I'm just going to turn in for the night." she said as she stood. She lovingly mused the top of the wolf's head. "Good-night Lang."
He patted the small of her back as she passed by. "Night Thea."
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
As he returned to his room minutes later, Shen came to the full realization of what had happened back in the dining hall. He had just shared some of his repressed feelings, in front of his father of all people. It was something he never thought he would be able to do and he felt a little sick at the thought that it happened, because he had been so mad at the older peacock that he didn't care what came out of his mouth. The urge to vomit rose so fast that he didn't get the chance to try and control it. The white peacock threw up in no time at all. He was just a little thankful that he had been at the window when it happened.
Once it was all over, Shen dragged himself to the foot of his bed at sat there. He just didn't have the strength to do anything else. His rage at his father burned up a lot of his energy and the act of vomitting made him even more exhausted. He could only sit there, breathing heavily as he tried to relax himself.
When Amalthea came to Shen's door she didn't bother knocking. The two had shared a room for so long, she'd simply come and go as she pleased. Upon stepping into the room, the scent of bile hit her nose. Her eyes immediately sought Shen out in the gloomy room. His white plumage was visible even in the dark, he sat at the foot of his bed, head hung and breathing raggedly. The human quickly went to him. "Shen?" she asked softly, a hand resting on his shoulder "Are you okay? What happened?"
He weakly shook his head. "Just got a little too worked-up is all." he replied, his voice low and rough. "I'm fine, I just need to...rest for a minute."
Amalthea sighed softly. "Why don't you go to sleep instead?" she suggested, but even before he could reply the human was already leaning the peacock back onto the mattress. He mumbled something she didn't understand as she pulled the blanket up to his chin and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek, humming softly.
"Ama-Amalthea..." he murmured drowsily "Sing me...sing that song...again."
A smile graced her lips. How could she resist?
Spirits come, spirits call
Flying home after all
Lovely Moon high above
Guide him home, my sweet Dove
You'll fly far from me, but in truth, you're still home
Glide across the sea, but know that where you roam
The trees grow, the leaves show
My heart goes with you
See the sun's last glimmering rays
Fading fast to end our day
Though I long for you to stay
Spirits call, and you obey
You'll fly far from me, though in truth, you're still home
Glide across the sea, nature blooms where you roam
When trees grow, the leaves show
My heart goes with you
Laying down, listening to her sing that song, Shen found it much easier to relax. He was certain he would sleep peacefully that night, despite the two recent unsettling events. But before he could let sleep claim him, he wanted to promise Amalthea something. It was important that she know this so that he could repay her for listening to him earlier.
"Amalthea..." Shen mumbled, trying to stay awake just a little longer.
"Hmm?" he heard Amalthea respond to her name. The white prince reached out a wing to brush some of her pink hair from her face before he cupped her cheek in the palm of his wing.
"If you ever need to be comforted... I will be there for you. It's the least... I can do for you... in return." he told her. He didn't hear her reply to this because he fell asleep right at that moment. But at least he was able to say what he needed to. That, at least, ensured that he would be smiling in his sleep.
A tender smile touch Amalthea's lips as Shen's wing slowly fell onto the bed. Her prince was dead asleep, a smile on his face. She shook with silent laughter as she made certain that he would be comfortable, then went to her pallet at the foot of his bed. As she lay there staring up at the ceiling she thought of Shen's promise. Now, not only was he sworn to protect her under the Promise of the Sun, he'd also vowed to be her comfort in a time of need. She decided that she'd never met a person quite like him. Shen gave as much as he received, and often more. The human mused as to why he would be like that. Could it be because he'd been starved of willingly given attention and affection? That would make sense, seeing as the Soothsayer, Lang, and-although not as long-his mother were the only ones who ever showed him love and kindness.
A feeling of dread crept through her. Shen had pledged himself to her not once, but twice. What would he say, what would he do, if he ever found out her secret? He says that he would always accept her, no matter what. Yet that was hard to believe. Her aquamarine eyes turned to the windows, the silver light of the moon shone through the fluttering curtains. She would have to tell him, eventually, and she dreaded that day. And so, as her eyes closed, she prayed that when the sun rose, that day wouldn't come just yet.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
The next morning, Shen was stirring just before sunrise. He woke up feeling better than usual, and some of the events from the previous day had a lot to do with it. In fact, he had expected to be a least a little queasy after throwing up last night, but it seemed he was mistaken.
Shen turned his head just a little to one side. A warm look came into his eyes as he saw Amalthea's sleeping form. He couldn't deny that she was something precious. Even a blind man would be able to see that about her. She had given him a friend who he could really identify with and confide in. For that, he was grateful.
Shen sat up with a stretch. The prince was ready for the day to-wait a minute, the day! Quickly, he looked out the window. Sure enough, he could see the first pink light of dawn creeping over the horizon. An excited smile graced his beak and he sprang out of bed. He walked around his bed to kneel beside Amalthea, who still slept.
"Amalthea? Amalthea, dear, wake up." Shen coaxed her, gently nudging the human's shoulder. The first time he shared a view of the sunrise with her had been special. He couldn't resist the chance of doing it a second time.
Amalthea was running, laughing, and playing in her dream. Sometimes she was with her brother Teshin, sometimes with Lang...and sometime with Shen. Images changed almost contantly until she couldn't tell who was who. But then, Shen became her contant companion. She wasn't quite aware of what they were doing, playing dominoes perhaps, but then the peacock suddenly started shaking her shoulder and talking excitedly.
She eyes flew open, and there was Shen, leaning over her. He smirked down at her. "Come on," he said "If we hurry we can catch the sunrise." The sun? He wanted to watch the sun rising again? The prince pulled her to her feet, she nearly lost her balance when a wave of dizziness hit her. Shen chuckled "Still a little sleepy?" he teased.
The human shook her head in hopes of clearing it, but the feeling persisted. "Y-yeah, I guess." she said lamely. When the peacock gave her arm an insistant tug, she followed.
Amalthea stumbled on almost every step, but when Shen glanced back at her, she'd force a smile. By the time they reached the hatch on the roof, her ankles were sore from hitting the stairs, her bangs clung to her sweating brow, and the woozy feeling had grown worse. But Shen was beaming and chatting happily. She didn't have the heart to say anything, so she just kept smiling, trying to hold out.
It was the most beautiful and calming sight he knew. The prince held his wings out while he closed his eyes, looking like he was taking in the full magic of the scene. He took a deep breath, feeling like nothing could go wrong while he was up there.
"You really do look at peace up here, Shen." Amalthea said by way of observation. He looked at her over his shoulder, smiling brightly.
"Thank you. I'm not sure why, but I feel calm when around anything that has to do with fire. If one were to go by what an Astrologist says, they would say that it's in my inherit nature concerning the Five Chinese Elements; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. According to them, the year that I was born was under the influence of Fire. This makes for a person who must balance a tendency to explode and possibly destroy, against a desire to create coziness and warmth. I'm a passionate, impatient, ebullient person who must strive to keep his flame under control." Shen explained, laughing at how absurd it all sounded.
"Nana told me all this a few years ago. If you ask me, it all seems ridiculous. Who knows how scholars come up these things." he continued, his good humor still making him giggle a bit.
A passionate flame. That described Shen to a 'T'. He burned brighter than even the rising red-gold sun before them. The peacock continued talking, the topic changing from how scholars maked up rules of astrology to what their day was going to be like. Amalthea quickly sat down, her head swimming in a thick fog. She felt so hot despite the chilly morning sea breeze, she could feel the sweat rolling down the back of her neck, her pink hair sticking to her skin. It was becoming difficult to breathe too, her throat constricting each time she inhaled.
"So I was thinking, after we do a little shopping around-I want to find Mother something nice-perhaps we could stop at that restaurant. You know, the one just off the square that sells those positively delicious cakes. I've just been craving that garlic chow mein and gravy dumplings." He licked hungrily as he rubbed his wings together. "Mm-mm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. How about you?"
She managed to nod. "Y-yeah," she mumbled "I did enjoy that dumpling soup I had last time." Specks of black floated before her eyes. She felt light-headed, and just so hot. Amalthea blinked hard against the spinning rainbow of colors from the sunrise. But then, the colors faded, along with everything else.
Shen thought he heard the kind of sigh that a person made before they... pass out! In less than a few seconds, he was moving to catch her as she fell. Carefully, he carried Amalthea back inside so he could check on her in a safer position. Once he had her lowered to the floor, he pressed his wing to her forehead. He was shocked by how clamy she felt from sweating.
"Amalthea, you're burning up!" the white peacock exclaimed. She could barely meet his gaze.
"I... don't feel... so well." she breathed with considerable effort. The prince recognized this from the times when he was sick. Was she getting a fever? Whether she was or not, he knew who would be able to help. He gathered her in his hold and started heading back to his room. The old Soothsayer always can to his room right after daybreak to share breakfast with him, and he was certain he would find her there.
Shen navigated the the halls of the tower expertly, making turns without needing to check his whereabouts. On the way, Lang happened upon them as he was going in the opposite direction. The wolf was a little surprised to find them that way.
"What's going on?" Lang asked, following the peacock, who stopped so he could explain better.
"She passed out and she's burning up with a possible fever." Shen informed him. Lang checked her temperature himself. He immediately pulled his paw back afterward.
"Whoa! She's getting clamy too." the wolf mumbled.
"I know. I'm hoping that Nanna just got to my room for breakfast, so she might be able to help her. You're welcome to come along." the peacock added. Both of them hurried on their way together. The only other obstacle that might have stopped them was the sight of King Azure coming around the corner, but Shen purposely moved faster so as to avoid him and closed the door once they were all inside.
"So there you are, Shen." Ah-Mah's voice reached his ears. Shen jumped in surprise as he turned to the elderly goat. Lang snickered quietly at this.
"Nanna, Amalthea fainted and she's burning up. Can you help her?" the white peacock asked, quickly. The Soothsayer came closer to get a better look. She could see that Shen wasn't exaggerating.
"Set her down, and I'll do what I can." Ah-Mah instructed him.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Shen nervously tap a talon as the Soothsayer gave Amalthea a once-over. He felt helpless, useless, and guilty. This was all his fault. Why hadn't he seen it sooner? Tripping on the stairs, heavy breathing, flushed cheeks. He had seen the signs, and yet they didn't raise any alarms. As he looked over the goat's shoulder, he felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest.
"Shen?" The prince whipped around at the sound of his father's voice. The older peacock stood in the doorway, frowning in confusion. "What's going on?"
Shen cursed under his breath. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen. "It's Amalthea." he said "She's ill. Nanna's taking care of her."
A look of unease appeared on the king's face, but he quickly wiped it away as he cleared his throat. "Well, that is...yes." he said vaguely "Uh, Son, your mother and I would like you to join us for breakfast."
The white prince looked back to Amalthea, her eyes were half-lidded and dull, her breath came and went in harsh rasps. Shen felt close to a panic attack as he turned back to his father and frantically shook his head. "No, I-I have to stay here-she needs me." he stated, taking a half-step back. "Perhaps another time, Father, but not now."
The king's crest flattened slightly in annoyance. "It wasn't a request, Shen." he clipped out, and gesture to the hallway beyond. "Your mother is waiting and breakfast is getting cold, so let's go." When he continued to hesitate, Azure growled softly. "Now!" he snapped.
Shen suddenly knew what Lang meant when he talked about feeling like you were caught between rock and a hard place. His father was practically demanding that the white peacock join him and his mother that morning, but on the other hand Amalthea might appreciate having someone she knew near to let her know everything was okay. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to summon up his usual courage when it came to dealing with his father this time.
"I know it isn't really my place to say this, my King; but Shen does not have to go if he doesn't want to. It is his decision whether he goes with you or stays here." Ah-Mah spoke up, gently attempting to be the diplomat in this situation. Azure looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever it was never made it out of his mouth as he released an exasperated sigh. The prince decided to give his response while his father was at a loss for words.
"She's right, Father. I don't want to go anywhere when she's not feeling well, and the reason has nothing to do with you if that's what you're thinking. I feel like this is my fault because I saw the signs and didn't react to them when I should have. I want to help fix it if I can. Please be kind enough to explain this to Mother for me; I know she will understand." Shen informed the older peacock, calmly. The king's face had a look that Shen had never seen before. Azure seemed to be looking all over the place as he thought how best to handle this, almost like... it pained him to be in this predicament.
Then, the king did something that seemed, in Shen's opinion at least, uncharacteristic of him. He heaved a sigh of defeat. He looked his son in the eye as he touched his shoulders.
"Very well then. If you feel like this something you must do, then you must. It's always hard to watch someone important to you get like this." Azure said in an unusually quiet voice. With a far away look in his onyx eyes, the king turned and left. Shen watched his father go, completely floored by the surprisingly mild response he had received. When he couldn't see him anymore, the prince closed the door with a disbelieving look on his face.
"What just happened?" Shen asked no one in particular.
"Ya got me. That is not at all how I thought he would react to what you said." Lang replied, clearly as shocked as he was.
"And the look on his face, he looked like he was... haunted by something." Shen added. He couldn't remember a case where he won an argument with his father that easily. The white peacock felt like there was something deeper behind what just happened, he was sure of it.
With his thoughts still reeling, Shen sat at the foot of his bed and leaned over Amalthea. Lang placed himself close to the human, his ears twitching nervously. The two watched in relative silence as Ah-Mah coaxed Amalthea into drink several different kinds of medicine. She began coughing, harsh and wet. Her normally fair skinned face was colored red with fever. Her clothes and hair were soaked in sweat. It seemed like she wasn't getting enough air, she kept gasping and trying to inhale as deeply possible. Shen kept shifting where he was perched on his bed, unable to sit still. "Do you think...will she be alright, Nanna?" he finally asked, truly dreading the answer.
The goat shook her head with a sigh. "It's too soon to say anything, Dear." she said "She's not breathing easily, and her fever is very high."
Lang looked more than a little worried by her comment. "But you think she'll make it...right?" he asked, in a tone that was almost pleading-begging even.
Ah-Mah looked like she wanted more than anything to say yes, yet all she could reply was "I don't know. I've never worked on a human before, Lang."
The wolf and the peacock glanced worriedly at each other. It was no secret that they both cared for Amalthea. Seeing her like this clearly sent a bolt of fear into their hearts. Together, the two sat with the human throughout the day. Since there was nothing else she could do, Ah-Mah insisted that Amalthea be allowed to rest undisturbed.
As the day gave way to the night, Lang headed back to the barracks, briefly nuzzling the slumbering woman before departing. Knowing there was nothing else he could do, Shen settled himself at the foot of his bed and watched Amalthea sleeping rather unpeacefully. Soon, as the minutes ticked by, Shen fell asleep.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
That night, Shen had a nightmare.
He was surrounded by black; the only thing that provided some color besides himself was Amalthea. She looked horrible with her hair a mess, her skin a light red; it reminded him of how miserable she looked when she first came into his life. A closer look told him something else. Her hands were held behind her back and she looked like she was being forced to stand. It almost looked like she was tied to a post.
Shen made to go her, but he felt something seemed to grab a hold of him and keep him from her. He struggled to break free and help Amalthea; squirming like an eel.
Suddenly, he started hearing voices. All the demeaning names that both of them had been called were echoing from everywhere.
'Bad color'
'Bad omen'
'Monster'
'Devil'
'Demon'
The names kept repeating again and again. The prince covered his ears to try and block out the voices that were tormenting him.
"Stop it! Leave me alone and let me help her!" he demanded.
'You can't protect your monster, little demon.'
Before, Shen would have broken down at these names. But this time, Amalthea's words of comfort when they had that talk not too long ago echoed even louder than the voices.
'You should never take what they say to heart. A color doesn't matter, what's inside your heart does.'
Those words gave him strength, and he wasn't giving up on her.
"Yes, yes I can. I can protect her. She needs me and I won't let her down." Shen screamed. "Now let. Me. GOOO!" The entire setting turned from pitch black to pure white as the peacock broke free and ran to get near the comatose human.
Shen sat bolt upright in bed, the rush of adrenaline from the nightmare still running through him. As he tried to regulate his breathing, his ruby red eyes landed on Amalthea not far away. Without thinking, he went over to her and knelt at her side. He brushed some of her hair from her face and carefully held her to him.
"Amalthea, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I know how you must be feel, with this fever and everything. I just want you to know someone understands." he murmured to her in a comforting manner as he subconciously preened her hair with his beak.
Something brushed against the peacock's cheek. "That feels nice." came a hoarse voice. Shen paused, a strand of pink hair still in his beak as he looked down at Amalthea's face. Her eyes were still clouded, cheeks just as red, but she was smiling faintly. She took a ragged breath. "Don't stop now," she complained half-heartedly, then she teasingly added "You look so funny." Her head fell back with a cough.
Shen carefully supported her head in the crook of his wing, a tear running down his cheek. "You're going to be okay, Amalthea." he said "You know that, don't you? You've got to get better." He began preened again, this time her bangs. He could taste the salt of her sweat on his tongue, but he didn't care. She was ill, she was suffering, and if preening her hair made her feel better, he'd do it for as long as she wanted-no questions asked. She sighed softly, her breath fluttering his feathers. The heat radiating from her body was so hot, the prince was already beginning to sweat, but he didn't stop preening.
"What were you...calling me for?" she asked suddenly.
The peacock slowly let another lock of pink hair slip from his beak as he gazed down at her. "I called for you?" he asked puzzled. "When?"
Amalthea coughed hard, her body quaking in his hold, trembling weakly. "Just a few minutes ago." she choked out. "You were telling someone to let go and started saying my name."
"Oh, that." he said lamely. "I was having a dream...more like a nightmare." The prince briefly explained it, being vague with details, feeling slightly embarrassed. But the human simply lay against him, breathing somewhat easier now.
Shen did his best to make her comfortable while he sat with her. He was still holding Amalthea close, the way one holds a child almost. He knew that was silly, considering that she looked bearly younger than or possibly the same age as him. Despite that, he couldn't help but wonder if this was what it would be like when he became a father and held his child the first time they got sick. One thing he knew for sure was that he would not raise his child the way his father had him.
As he was thinking this, he was reminded of his failure to notice her ailing condition until it got bad. He had been insensitive. If he was going to make amends, he should start now.
"Amalthea, I'm sorry about yesterday. I should have known that you were not well. I'm more familiar with the signs of illness than most, and I ignored them. I hope you can forgive me for that." Shen told her. He knew this was his fault, there was no point in denying it.
"Shen, you didn't see it because I didn't want you to-not because you ignored me." she admitted. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you like you were neglecting me."
He stared down her in confusion. "You...were hiding it from me?" he asked incredulously. "Why?"
She coughed into her hand, the peacock rubbed soothing circles between her shoulders until it passed. "Because," she rasped. "You were so happy...I just couldn't-" Amalthea coughed again, the hardest cough yet.
To Shen's horror, a drop of red slipped between her fingers.
"Amalthea? Amalthea!" Shen cried, helplessly. The prince placed the palm of his free wing on her cheek while he waited to for some response from her. The human held his gaze, then her eyes fell shut as a rasping cough shook her body. He was frightened now, more than he had ever been before.
"No. No, please, not her." Shen prayed, quietly. This was definately something that recquired a professional doctor's care. As if on que, his door slid open. He looked over to the door to see Ah-Mah, Lang, and, as a little surprise this time, Queen Hera coming into the room.
"How is she doing?" Lang was the first to ask. They became worried by the look of distress on Shen's face.
"Help me." he begged, unable to say more in his terror. In a flash, the wolf was kneeling by his side and trying to get a response from the human.
"Thea? Come on, Thea, look at us." Lang gently coaxed her, grasping her hand in both of his paws.
"What's going on? What happened?" Hera asked as she and Ah-Mah came to join them.
"She just... she started coughing up blood, Mother. We need to get a doctor for her, please." Shen replied, frantic. The white peacock was nearly in hysterics. The Soothsayer was the first to react, telling the first servant she spotted to fetch the doctor as fast as possible. Hera paced outside her son's room, waiting for the doctor to arrive. She accidentally ran into her husband while doing so and she latched onto him without hesitation.
"What is it? Is Shen sick again?" Azure asked, quietly. His wife shook her head.
"It's not Shen this time, it's her." Hera answered. Suddenly curious, the king walked toward the door like he was in a daze. Shen saw him coming and eyed his father warily. The older peacock looked down at his son, the wolf, and the coughing human and the scene they created.
"Are you here to tell me I shouldn't be taking care of my 'pet' Father?" Shen asked in exasperation.
"No. I was told it had gotten worse. I just want to see how much worse." Azure replied. Shen and Lang exchanged a glance before they both nodded. Amalthea coughed raggedly a few times, a few drops of blood coming from her mouth. The king was a little shocked by this, but made no comment about it.
"Did you send for a doctor?" Azure asked, quickly.
"Nanna sent a servant to get one before you came in. They should be here soon." Shen answered just as quickly. The older peacock nodded his head in understanding before he stood and walked back over to his wife. The young prince pushed aside his confusion at his father as Amalthea coughed again.
"Don't worry, Amalthea. You'll be alright. Both Lang and I will be right here beside you." Shen assured her, trying to stave off fear for her life.
A trail of blood dripped from the corner of the human's lips. The sight had the peacock hard-pressed to breathe through his near hysteria. Somehow, blood acted like a trigger spring on a trap. Shen's lungs would cramp in his chest even as they heaved for air, his pulse would roar in his ears like a raging waterfall, and his body would tremble uncontrollably. He'd never been very close to many people, therefore he'd never had to see someone he cared about bleeding-not like this. He was scared, plain and simple, and that alone filled him with shame. Uncontrollable tears streamed down his cheeks. How could he be so weak? Especially now, when Amalthea needed him to be strong?
Lang suddenly took the prince's shoulder in a firm grip. Scarlet eyes met ruby eyes. "It's okay, Shen." said the wolf, the peacock could hear the unshed tears in his voice. "This is hard to watch, to just sit here and know there's nothing useful you can do." He tightened his grip, as if he were trying to make the prince understand by force. "But there is something useful you can do, and that's being there. Showing tears isn't weakness, going on through them is strength." Shen managed to nod his head, but was too choked up to speak.
The palace surgeon, Danzi, rushed into the room with his nurse, Ewe. He requested that the prince and the wolf leave the room. Shen briefly protested, but Azure placed a wing on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Let him work, Shen. You'll only be in the way here." he said, his tone unusually soft. He put a wing to the small of his son's back and gave him a gentle nudge. "Come on, let's go into my chambers." Knowing there was nothing else he could do, the prince allowed his father to lead him away.
Shen walked side by side with his father, almost oblivious to everything around him. He had said that he and Lang would both be right beside her through this, emphasis on both of them. And what was he doing? Heading to his parents' room with his father. He felt like he was being a hypocrite.
"I know how you must be feeling right now, Son." Azure told him.
"No you don't." Shen whimpered, miserably.
"Yes, I do. All those times when you had gotten sick, I worried for you so much that I couldn't sleep at night." The king replied. The white peacock looked up at his father in shock and amazement. Ah-Mah had told him countless times when he was a chick that his parents loved him despite how they saw him, but he never believed it. Yet, the proof was in his father's words.
"You did? But if that's true, why were you and Mother never there for me?" Shen asked, trying to come to terms with this revelation.
"I wanted to be there for you, we both did. But the doctor had claimed that you didn't have long to live and we were scared of the day when you might die. So I decided that keeping our distance was the best way to spare ourselves of the heartbreak." Azure replied, guiltily.
"Father, I'm not going to die that easily." Shen promised his father who nodded his head, weakly. The stepped into the king and queen's chambers.
"So we've seen. I always felt guilty about not being there to keep you company while you were sick whenever you got well again. I was reminded of all my guilt yesterday morning. That's why you won the argument with me so soon, because you were doing for your pet what I should have let your mother and myself do for you so many times. You were being a better man than I had been." Azure admitted, falling onto his bed once he had confessed his shame.
At first, Shen said nothing. He felt like he was seeing his father in a new light, like he was meeting his sire for the first time. The older peacock's odd behavior made perfect sense now. Slowly, the prince came forward to place a comforting wing on his father's shoulder. Father and son looked at each other in silence for a moment.
"I'm not being the better man right now. I told her that I would be beside her through this, and I'm not at the moment. Part of the reason I dreaded seeing the doctor was because I didn't know someone who cared was near to offer comfort. I can't put her through that, Father, I just... can't." Shen informed the king.
"I know. I had you come with me so that you could take a minute to calm down. I may not have seen you when the doctors visited you as a child, but that doesn't mean I didn't check on you when I was calmer. I pulled you aside so that you can give your pet what it needs. We'll head back to your room when you're ready." Azure explained as he offered his son some water. The prince smiled as he downed the whole glass.
"I'd like to go back and see her now." Shen stated. The king nodded in understanding and escorted his son back to his room. When they came within sight of his door, Azure quietly left him alone without being heard.
"Thank y-" Shen stopped short when he noticed his father wasn't there anymore. The white peacock shrugged, thinking he was being allowed privacy. He walked to his bedroom door and peeked inside.
The scene before him twisted his heart in a painful knot. Amalthea lay on her pallet at the foot of his bed in a way that made her look so pitiful and absolutely broken.The blood had been cleaned away, but the coppery scent still hung in the air. The leopard geko looked up from wiping his hands. "There is no cause for alarm." he hissed "The blood was from a ruptured blood vessel in her throat from the constant coughing. It will heal on it's own. She's just need to drink honey-laced tea and get plenty of rest."
Danzi took a vial of green liquid from the sheep standing beside him. Shen glance quickly between them in confusion. "Wow wow wow, what are you doing?" he demanded. "You said she just needs rest and tea. Why are you medicating her-do you even know how it will effect a human?"
"Peace, My prince." soothed the surgeon. "This is just a sedative to make her relax."
The peacock didn't like the idea of having Amalthea drugged, but he could do little to stop him-no matter how much he wanted to. Doctors are always right, they say. The statement made Shen want to spit. Danzi used his claws to force the human's mouth open, she turned her head away sharply. "She...Shen." she called weakly. With a mild growl, the geko tried again, this time a little more forcefully. Amalthea fought to turn her head against his grip on her jaw. "No...Shen. Shen!"
He couldn't watch this go on. "Enough!" he snapped loudly, his blood running unusually hot. "If she's putting up a fight then this clearly isn't going to make her relax. Now, if you'd be so kind to take your fingers out of her mouth?"
Danzi released the human, who still continued to struggle against nothing. The geko gestured for the sheep to gather his things, he handed the sedative over to the prince as he passed. "If you wish to put her down for the night, I suggest you use it." he said. "Otherwise you'll both be up all night."
Shen rolled his eyes at the surgeon's retreating form as he tucked the vial into his pocket.
"Sh-Shen!"
The prince turned back at the sound of his name. Amalthea's hand was reaching out in his direction, as if she were seeking him in her half-conscious state. He quickly went to her, and took her outstretched hand. She grasped ahold of his wing tightly-almost painfully, causing him to wince. "It's alright, my dear." he said "I'm here now. Everything is going to be fine, you'll see."
Her clouded eyes gazed at him, unseeing. "Shen, where's Shen?" she begged "Where'd Shen go?"
The leucistic peacock felt like a huge hole had been punched through his chest. Amalthea was hallucinating. The human's aquamarine eyes held some amount of fear; she was looking at him, but not really seeing him.
"Shen, where are you?" Amalthea was pleading in a way that sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"I'm right here, dear. Don't you recognize me?" Shen asked in desperation. He needed to do something to get her to relax, but he would rather pluck out all his feathers one by one than force that sedative down her throat. There had to be another way.
The prince's mind wandered back to the song Amalthea sang to him last night. If it could work for him, it might work for her too. But he didn't know the song all that well and he couldn't really ask her about the lyrics in her current condition. Well, he could make up his own. The idea sounded ludicrous, but he had to try, for her. He gathered her in his hold, ignoring her trembling, and opened his mouth to sing.
Here the hush when 'ere you sigh
Sorrow weeps down from the sky
Though we've whispered our goodbye
Everywhere you go am I
From this life, you flee, as the draft grows so cold
Oh, and now you're free, feel the future unfold
As winds blow, the breeze shows
My heart goes with you
Where streams flow, all shores know
My heart goes with you
Shen noticed an immediate change. Amalthea was releasing a tired sigh as she relaxed against him. While he sang, he took the cup of tea the surgeon had left beside her pallet and added some honey to it. Then, he held it to her lips so she could drink it. He felt his heart lifting as she slowly swallowed.
You'll fly far from me, though in truth, you're still home
Glide across the sea, nature blooms where you roam
When trees grow, the leaves know
My heart goes with you
When trees grow, the leaves know
My heart goes with you
Amalthea truly looked relaxed now. She looked so peaceful in his grasp as he placed the empty cup down. Shen didn't know where the urge came from or why he acted upon it at the time, but he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.
The human sighed softly, her breath teasing his feathers. She quietly murmured his name, over and over, as if it were a magic spell that would keep him there beside her. The prince held her close, feeling her tremble weakly in his wings. He wanted this to end, it simply had to stop. "Shen..." she whispered, her fingers curling into the feathers on his breast. "Don't go...don't leave me."
The peacock felt a foreign sensation of heat blossom low in his stomach, the urge to protect her flooded through him. She needed him, pleaded for him to stay. He carefully laid her down, then lowered himself to be beside her. He wrapped a wing around her waist and pulled her close, then spread his train over her like a blanket. Her arm slowly encircled his neck as she buried her face into his plumage, the feeling of her breathing on his skin sent shivers along his spine. "I won't leave you, Amalthea." he said quietly, "Not now, not ever. I promised, remember?"
As if his words held some sort of sway over her, Amalthea's shaking ceased, her eyes closed, and her breathing soon became deep and even. Just like that, she'd fallen asleep. Shen remained awake, watching her rest peacefully against him, brushing his primary feathers through her tussled hair. The locks slipped between his feathers like the finest threads of silk. He studied the color, the way it shined in the light, and decided that it was now one of his favorite colors.
The thought brought a chuckle, Amalthea pink, a fitting name.