It came upon a midnight clear, this glorious story of old...haha...really it was midnight...
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Yamani Poker
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Sir Nealan of Queenscove peeked over his cards. He looked left and looked right, with a stare so intense normal people would think he was trying to bore holes into the heads of his companions. The faces around the table were not very normal however. They looked back without traces of fear or unease and that was exactly Neal's problem—there was nothing on their faces! Sweat rolled down his forehead as Yuki's brother set down his fan of cards. Then his wife's sister snapped her fan shut and dropped her set of cards. Neal sighed and bowed his head in resignation. A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn his head sideways to look at his wife seated beside him. He gave her a questioning look and she pointed sideways with her fan. Neal's eyes followed their direction and they settled on a tiny girl standing beside his kneeling wife. She was but five years of age and had her hands shyly tucked behind her back, her round face shining with eagerness, something normally not seen on the face of a Yamani child. Then again she wasn't really Yamani—not fully at least.
The little girl looked at Neal with her big innocent emerald green eyes and said, "Papa, I wanna play."
Neal chuckled then an idea struck him. "Of course, you can, Ilane. Here sit beside Papa." He moved aside and patted the area next to him.
Ilane knelt and couldn't seem to sit still. Some of Yuki's family looked at her with slight disdain and others with great amusement, though it was more of the latter. One cannot help but think a child is cute despite their unsuitable behaviour.
The cards were dealt; then, to Neal's horror, his round-faced innocent-eyed daughter did the most astonishing thing: her face went blank and smooth. Apparently it came as a shock to the others as well for there was a slight widening of eyes and a rising of several eyebrows—no more than that but it was enough for anyone who had stayed with them long enough to detect the change in emotion. With the way little Ilane scampered around, there was no way anyone could have imagined she could wear a Yamani mask.
Neal was brought out of his shock by Ilane's tap on his arm. He quickly tried to regain his composure and took comfort in noticing that some were still in shock.
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Neal gnashed his teeth in fury. He made a mental note to never teach poker to a single Yamani ever again. Crossing his arms over his chest he pouted and turned to his wife, saying accusingly, "You didn't warn me that it's impossible to play poker with a Yamani. I've never lost once since I was a child."
Yuki smiled and said, "Dearest, I thought you had at least thought of that before teaching them."
Neal's eyes opened wide and his raised his arms up in indignation and made unintelligible squawks until he had calmed down enough to settle for glaring at the distance. "You could have at least told me Ilane was good at it," he said sulkily.
Yuki laughed out loud, something she had learned to do after being married to Neal for years. "She is a little of both of us and a lot of something else entirely. Now what daughter of mine would she be if she couldn't hold a Yamani mask?"
"One who is also mine, my beautiful blossom," Neal said taking hold of his love's hand. Yuki laughed again and smiled fondly at the silly man who had taught her family how to play poker and had paid for doing it. Knowing how her family had enjoyed the looks of anguish on his face, the card game would soon be the latest rage in the Imperial Court.
Neal pouted and held both of her hands in his. "Please tell me you love me, Yuki. After all I've been through today, it would give me solace that you could still love this poor man who at the hands of ruthless relatives has been reduced to grief."
Yuki's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hmmm…let me think about it. If you behave yourself, I may consider it after several years."
"Consider?! Don't you see that I am in the depths of misery and that only your lovely smile and comforting words will heal the laceration that has cut open my heart?"
Yuki was about to answer when a small voice piped up from below. "I love you, Papa."
Neal looked down and laughed, for his daughter had wrapped her arms around his leg and was hugging him fiercely.
"Papa, please don't be sad." Neal closed his eyes, tipped his head back, and laughed. "I forgive you, pet." He scooped her up and turned to his wife. "Look Yuki. Isn't our girl the most wonderful child in the world?"
Yuki laughed, knowing that her husband had already forgiven his wife and daughter their transgression. She placed a hand on her husband's cheek and placed another on her daughter's.
"In the world? Dearest, you must be joking!" At Neal's horrified look, she continued, "She is the most wonderful child in the universe. And ours is the most wonderful family." Neal opened his mouth to protest and say something to outdo his wife then realized that she was right for there was nothing better than that. "I do think you're right, dear wife," he said earnestly. "And if you think I'm wrong?" Yuki asked.
"Papa says you're always right, Mama."
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Reviews are most certainly welcome.
I'm thinking of writing a story about Neal's daughter after I've finished with Princess of Players...or maybe not...I guess it depends on the amount of inspiration I get...Heehee...