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Gaara's heart stood still and his breath caught in his throat as he turned to face Asherah. "How much?" She asked, her face relaxing as the doors closed, a small smirk settling onto her rosebud lips. "How much what?" Gaara asked, fumbling. "My guards tell me you are a prostitute King ." The Queen giggled. Gaara frowned and his cheeks burned. "I-" "That's all you are if you marry someone to get money." Asherah cut him off. "They told me that you're dangerous, that you're a monster. That you were given your office because of the power you possess." Gaara scowled, after finally getting people to accept him, here he was, being judged again. "And what do you think of that?" His voice rasped from his throat. Asherah shrugged and laughed. "I think I've been called worse." Her laughter rang out as Gaara tried to keep his scowl, but felt himself wanting to smile. It was rare that he had those moments. "Today is the day of rest, tomorrow is the day of presentation. I think you'll be here for that, and for that I am truly glad. " Asherah said to Gaara as her eyes softened. The two spent the next hour discussing Suna and Gaara's office as Kazekage. Gaara was flattered by the respect Asherah seemed to show him, listening to every word he had to say and thinking about it. She asked questions about what he said, intelligent, deep questions.
Awkwardness filled the air when she asked about Gaara's childhood. The only sound in the room was the water as it lapped against the pool. Gaara looked down, not knowing what to say. He should not mention his past to a stranger, especially a leader of another land. "People hurt you." Jade eyes widened as the statement rang out, so sure, so confident. Was it that obvious? "People are afraid of you, so they use your own authority to control you." Asherah said, almost more to herself than to him as she mused. "Iā-yes." He frowned as he thought. Asherah was quiet, she only nodded. "People hurt me too. I used my power to move the people that controlled me and now I use my power to protect." "What do you protect?" Gaara asked. "Whatever needs protecting. Standing up for what's right doesn't make you a monster, but bowing to others makes you a puppet." She said, finishing with a giggle as she tapped her index finger suddenly against Gaara's nose, diving back into the pool as the large doors opened yet again.
Gaara thought about what she had said as Vassar walked up beside him. "Come, Kazekage, I will show you to your room." He said. Gaara glanced back to the water. Where had she gone? Was that it? "Tomorrow is the day of presentation, you need to rest. Trust in what I say, she is the ocean's for the night. Poseidon himself couldn't pull her from the sea." He said as he put his hand on Gaara's shoulder and began to lead him out.
Right before they crossed the threshold of the room, Gaara's heart lifted as he began to hear that same otherworldly sound rising again from the water and off the walls. That night as he laid in bed, he thought about his meeting with this strange new woman today. She was confusing to him. He didn't really know what to think, his interactions with females were not experienced to say the least. What was this day of presentation? What was being presented? He fell asleep with a few fleeting thoughts, beautiful, intelligent, odd. A soft smile came across his face as he finally drifted off. Once he wanted to destroy everyone in the world, but he was glad he hadn't now for a new reason.
The next morning came bright and early as Gaara was told to shower, change, and meet Vassar outside the large room he had been given. "Why?" Was the sleepy question the Kazekage asked. "You are requested at the Queen's court." Came the stiff reply from the tall man. Gaara scowled and did as he was told, meeting and walking with Vassar down a long hallway. They came to a large room with massive arched ceilings, beautiful paintings that covered the room from top to bottom. Each one depicted a different scene, battles, marriages, births, deaths. At the end of the long room, there was a very gilded, very old throne, several seats lower down and across were empty, although in the same platform. Many people were already inside, looking around, waiting. Gaara looked over everyone, as Vassar sat himself and Gaara down beside the throne to look over the crowd. A thick silver carpet ran, five feet wide, from the throne to the door.
They had not been sitting long when several men filed into the room and set up a choir beginning to sing reverent, lamentful notes.
The land was young
The rivers pale
When our mighty King
At first set sail
His heart was not yet
Broken or beaten
Until the ocean wet
Saw it eaten
Sweet Odessa,
Rose from the sea
And to his cold heart
Turned the key
The doors flung open and a dazzling sight entered. Gaara barely recognized Asherah under all of her makeup, some glittery substance was applied from her forehead to her shoulders, black fibers attached to her eyelashes and gold paste smudged on her eyelids, her lips painted ruby red. Her hair had been shined and it looked much different dry. Still many colors, but very, very dark in the back, gold in the front, voluminous, wavy. It reminded Gaara of a lion's mane. She wore a long skirt and a strapless top that covered her mid chest, that shimmered with the same sparkling flecks her guard's armor had. Her arms and abdomen were covered with the same glittery paste, three ladies carried the long cape the trailed behind her. She looked like a great queen.
From their union
Our sweet Queen reigns
But to the ocean,
Her heart remains
Stay with us Asherah,
Rightful Queen of Skorgan
Your people would Perish
If you were gone
As they finished, the ladies let go of her cape and she slowly turned to sit on her throne, holding her hand open. A scepter, as long as she was, was placed by one of her ladies into her hand. The entire scepter was covered in diamonds, diamonds adorned her arms in massive cuffs, from wrist to elbow, diamonds sat on each finger, curled and covering the nail in a faux talon. Gaara realized that was the sparkling in the armor and her outfit. Small diamonds sewn in.
Gaara had no use for extravagance, but he did know that a diamond was the hardest substance on earth. Pit against bone, the bone would break first. He silently praised the Skorgan mentality to show off wealth and power by making weapons out of artful clothing. "It's a beautiful defense, kind of like me." She smirked as she looked over at Gaara. Can she read my thoughts? He asked himself. Asherah nodded to Vassar, who stood up, and clapped his hands, the Queen tapped her scepter against the floor. The door opened and a Skorgan citizen came in to ask a question of the queen. One after another, civil disputes, advice seekers, hungry wanting food, people with problems, people who just wanted to give praise.
Gaara was particularly struck by how many simply came to tell her what a great job she was doing or how happy they were she was their Queen. Despite her boldness yesterday, Asherah was a picture perfect queen, refined, insightful, caring, regal, elegant. She took the time with each person, no matter what they asked or needed. Each was given that and more. Gaara sat quietly and listened, learning more about Skorgan and it's ruler throughout the day.
"How many more?" She whispered to Vassar, at the end of the day as the sun sat. "A suitor and that's all." He reassured her as an angry looking man burst into the room, his eyes full of frustration, two men walked behind him carrying a large chest. He threw up both hands at the queen as he spoke, "Hear me, o Asherah of Skorgan! I cannot eat or sleep since hearing your song on the sea! I bring you a tribute worthy of 100 kings as my heart is yours and only yours! Have me, Kaamon of the Far North as your husband!" Gaara's eyes widened in shock, he felt an unfamiliar sting, no, maybe a sadness? What was it? What did it matter if the Queen married this man? He had his own matters of such to tend.
He looked to see Asherah's expression, turning in time to see a brow raise in a confident smirk. "Address me 'your majesty'". She said, slowly. "Your majesty", the man named Kaamon repeated after her like it was a song title. "What's in the chest?" She asked.
It was set before her and opened to reveal thousands and thousands of diamonds. Her sapphire eyes lit up and she moved forward to rake her faux talon-clad fingers through them before turning to the man. "I will consider your proposal, but be warned, I rule but am not ruled. My will is like the ocean I belong to, volatile and resolute all at once. You are given no guarantees." Her eyes bored into Kaamon as she hissed the last word. "None are expected, my Queen." The man said as he bowed in front of her, placing his hands on the carpet. Asherah looked bored, as she had clearly seen and heard this before by many others, she whispered to Vassar as she sat down, "Clear the room, I tire." And as he was doing so, Mathis came to pick up the chest, "shall I set it with the others, your majesty?" "No, it shall be sent with Gaara of Suna, for his life and his people." She said as Gaara's mouth fell open at her generous act of goodwill. "Take your freedom back, Gaara of Suna." were the last words she spoke to the redhead on presentation day. Her hand came to clutch at her chest again soon after and she fell over. This time, Gaara was the first to catch her, his sand forming a bed for her on the floor to break the impact. One question formed in his mind as he heard Vassar and Mathis rushing to get to her, "Why, Asherah? Why help me?"
