Pet of the Peacock Prince
By Princess Thil Galel
I DO NOT OWN
Thank you
R&R
Please enjoy!
Okay, this chapter is a product of a bored Spring Break at home. It's short, I know, but I'm using it to set up the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!
My thanks to the following: jozs001, Autobot NightFury, sakiko of soleana, and eld mcm!
Dinner and a Bath
Even a casual dinner at the Xiangyang palace wasn't a simple affair. Shen dressed in a blue gi trimmed with steel-gray and matching gray kus. As the prince spritzed his train with cologne, Amalthea stepped out from behind the changing screen. He caught a glimpse of her in the mirror and turned.
Her hanfu was the same shade of blue as the peacock's gi and covered with whispy white clouds. The sash around her waist was a slightly darker blue with pale yellow stars, and it was tied in such a way that it showed off her slim curves. Shen mentally reminded himself to make certain she ate a big meal, the human was still too thin for his liking, and that couldn't be healthy.
The long pink hair he'd always seen braided down her back was held up with a pair of gold chopsticks with silver designs and jade studs she'd received from Hera. A hummingbird hairpin with a jade body and gold wings held her bangs in place. The gold of the wings were so thin, they fluttered whenever she moved-creating the illusion that the tiny bird was alive. The peacock fondly remembered how her eyes had lit up when he'd given it to her. It had taken a firm argument to get her to except it, but she cherished nonetheless.
His mouth fell open, and he stared at her attire, utterly stunned.
She saw his expression, and glanced down at herself. "Is it too much?" she inquired. "It is too much. I knew I should have put something else on." She turned and started back towards the changing screen. "I'm going to change."
Shen quickly darted forward and caught hold of her hand. "No no no! It's not too much." he reassured her, his eyes scanning her figure again. "It's...wow."
She frowned in confusion, tapping the silk fan in her hand against her hip. "Wow what?" she asked.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. His gazed roamed over her profile, taking in every detail and committing each one to memory. This was the first time he'd seen her dressed with gold and jewels, and he never wanted to forget it. He'd seen how beautiful her natural everyday self was, but he'd never seen her like this. "Just...wow." he stated.
Her high cheekbones became colored pink with a blush. When she turned her head, Shen spotted her earcuffs. Gold with jade drops dangling from her earlobes. "I know the chopsticks have silver in the gold, and nothing else I'm wearing has silver." she said "But it was either that or the ebony comb."
The prince chuckled. "I can see your dilemma." he commented, and placed a wing on her shoulder. "You really do look beautiful, my dear. Don't doubt that." A whiff of fragrance suddenly caught his attention. He leaned forward, and it got stronger. The peacock continued inching closer, trying to pinpoint the source of the scent.
Amalthea froze in place as Shen sniffed behind her ear. He inhaled deeply, and hummed in delight as he straightened. "Are you...wearing perfume?" he asked.
"Is it too strong?"
"No, I like it. It smells sweet, what is it?"
"Vanilla and lavender. Your mother gave it to me."
Shen raised a brow. "Vanilla you say? No wonder I kept thinking of cakes." he said, "And the lavender reminded me of a bouquet. Combine the two, and it's like afternoon tea in the garden. It suits you, quite perfectly."
Her cheeks burned a brighter shade of red. She flicked open her fan, and used it to hide her face. The silk fan was double sided. One side was white with a silver crescent moon. The other was yellow with a gold sun. The side facing Shen was the moon.
'I swear she's flirting with me.' Shen thought, 'Or maybe I'm just flattering myself. Either way, this is turning out to be a rather entertaining evening.'
The peacock turned slightly and offered his wing. "Shall we head to dinner then?" he asked. "I'm sure they'll be expecting us soon."
She hooked her arm into the bend of his wing and allowed the prince to lead her out of the room. Lang stood waiting just outside the door. The wolf's eyes fell on the two, and when they settled on Amalthea, they went wide. "Whoa!" he breathed. "Thea."
The human abruptly turned to head back inside, but Shen held tight to her arm. "Ah ah ah, no you don't." he chortled as he pulled her back into the hallway and returned her arm to it's former position on his elbow. "You look stunning, stop fretting about it."
"He's right. You look amazing, Thea." said Lang "I've never seen you this dressed up before. You're going to impress everybody tonight, Sister." The Wolf Boss set his hands on his hips and smirked, practically beaming with pride. No one could ever say his Sister wasn't beautiful. But even as he thought of this, he felt a slight stab of pain in his chest.
Shen and Amalthea. The two who he thought of as family, who he loved with all his heart. They looked so perfect, together as they were. Lang felt somewhat left out, and it wasn't from not being invited to dinner. It was because he saw it, even if they didn't.
The way his eyes lingered just a moment too long when he gazed at her. How he always found an excuse to touch her. With her, she always tried to understand him. She wanted him to approve of her, caring more about his opinion more than anyone else's.
Shen liked Amalthea.
Amalthea liked Shen.
He just wondered how long it would take them to notice. Both of them were clearly clueless. Lang knew Shen had never been in a relationship, so he wouldn't quite understand that he liked her. The wolf was also pretty sure Amalthea hadn't been on a man's arm before. That might explain why she was being so bashful.
The three headed down the elegantly decorated halls to the dinning hall. The liger princess waited just outside the door for them. Her hanfu was a deep purple with scattered handfuls of white and yellow stars. Her ebony hair still pinned up in the same bun with the same comb.
When she seen them, her ears perked and her lips curled into a smile. Her turquoise eyes took in the peacock and the human's appearances. "Wow!" she exclaimed.
"That's exactly what I said." Shen joked. "You look great, Xin Jing."
She chuckled. "I look great? Shen, the two of you look amazing." She waved to the room beyond. "Ready for dinner?"
The peacock smirked. "Lead the way and make room. I don't know about you, but this peacock is starving." On his wing, Amalthea giggled behind her fan.
As Lang took up his usual position just outside the door, Shen and Amalthea followed Xin Jing inside. The table was set for six, and four already sat in their places. Lord Gao sat at the head with Lady Sya on his right, Azure was sitting on his left with Hera next to him. "Look who just came down for a bite." Xin Jing joked, drawing attention to their entrance. The lion and tigress were immediately on their feet.
Gao smiled broadly, showing a great deal of his teeth. "This must be Miss Ama Thea." he said and spread his arms. "Good to meet ya'."
Without anymore warning, the feline swept the human up into a hug. She returned it as best she could, but she was petite, and he was not. Her arms couldn't even wrapped half way around his broad shoulders. "It's actually pronounced 'Amalthea', your Majesty." she giggled. "And it is an honor to meet you."
The lion set her down and held her at arms length, studying her with warm and curious eyes. "Such a pretty thing you are." he stated and gently bumped her chin with his knuckles, then he winked at Shen. "What did I tell ya', Sonny. A pretty name for a pretty lady." He chuckled as he took his wife's hand and brought her closer. "Miss Amalthea-did I say it right that time? This is my other half, my beautiful wife, Lady Sya."
Sya smiled while Amalthea bowed. As the two ladies exchanged greeting, servants poured into the dining room, each burdened with heavy dishes. Xin Jing sat beside her mother, and Shen sat beside his, while Amalthea sat at the opposite end from Gao. It was Sya who first realized the number of place settings didn't match the number of diners. "Oh goodness, Amalthea I'm so sorry." she said. "I'm afriad we weren't quite expecting you to join us. I'll have another place set for you in just a moment.
As she was about to raise her hand for a servant, Shen held up a wing to pause her. "No need to trouble yourself, Lady Sya." he said. "Amalthea and I are quite adapt at this. We'll simply share our meal." When the striped cat raised a brow, the peacock beckoned the human woman to his side.
She moved to sit close beside him as a servant set a bowl of some kind of steamy soup in front of him. He picked his spoon, dipped it in the thick, creamy white broth and brought it up to Amalthea's lips. She opened her mouth and sipped. Shen dipped the empty spoon back in his bowl and took a mouthful himself. "Mmm, cream and clams." he hummed in pleasure. "One of my favorites."
Azure visibly stiffened at the display. He'd witness this before, and he'd been extremely displeased by it both then, and now. But the older peacock knew about keeping up one's appearance, and remained silent. Hera lovingly patted his wing, thanking him for holding his tongue. She knew him too well to know that he wasn't keeping quiet for her, but at least he wasn't yelling.
The royals chattered throughout the meal. They discussed politics, the growth of crops, the flow of taxes. All the while dining on clam, shrimp, cod, and lobster. Shen used his healing throat as an excuse to speak as little as possible to anyone, save for Amalthea-who he whispered to almost constantly.
However, Xin Jing managed to tear the two out of their private conversation. "So Amalthea," said the ligress, "Shen tells us that you're from Japan. Where exactly did you live? What was is it like there?"
Amalthea froze, her aquamarine eyes darting about as she sought to escape the question. A habit hardwired into her. She cleared her throat, swallowing the bite of lobster in her mouth. "Well, I'm afraid it's a touch complicated, my Lady." said the human, dabbing butter off her lips. "My village is hidden, far away from the outside world. We humans, and the companions who chose to join us when the village was first built, wish to be left alone. Most on the other side of our mountains do not understand us. They fear us, in turn that also means they've grown to hate us, and they've tried to kill those of us who've been caught outside."
Xin Jing reflexively covered her opened mouth. "Oh, my. I'm so sorry." she breathed. "Would you mind telling us about your family? I'd love to hear how a human family lives."
The pink haired woman hid her withheld laughter behind her fan. "Lady Xin Jing, none of my family are human." she giggled. "Sorry to disappoint you."
The ligress frowned in confusion. Shen chuckled softly. "She's adopted, Xin Jing. Her family is wolves and a dog." The princess's lips formed the perfect shape of an 'O'.
Snapping the fan shut after composing herself, Amalthea continued. "My mother's a wolf, my father's a dog, and my brother Teshin is a hybrid." she clarified. "My mother and I sewed dolls and clothing. Papa was a hunter, and he's training Teshin to be one as well. But my brother and I loved to explore in our spare time."
Gao chuckled. "Sounds like Xin Jing." he commented. "That kitten was always sticking her whiskered nose in where it didn't belong. I remember this one time, she-"
A dumpling went flying. Lord Gao's hand shot up, and caught the sticky projectile an inch from his nose.
Xin Jing glared at her father from the other end of the table, her turquoise eyes narrowed and her ears flat. "I thought I told you to never speak of it!" she growled. The lion only howled in laughter and held up his hands in surrender. Sya could only shake her head, while Hera giggled good naturedly.
Finally, after what felt like hours, dinner was declared over. Hera stood with a stretch. "Oh, what a lovely meal that was." she sighed. "I think a long soak in the bath is in order. Xin Jing, Sya, Amalthea, would you girls care to join me?"
Sya shook her head. "Not tonight, I'm afraid." she said. "Perhaps another time."
"I'm free." Xin Jing answered.
Amalthea opened her mouth to politely decline the invitation, but Shen jerked his head towards the door, silently telling her to go. "I don't see why not, my Ladies." she said. "I'd be honored to join you."
The peahen clapped her wings together. "Excellent!" she exclaimed. "I'll meet you girls in the bath in ten minutes, then."
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Amalthea hesitated just outside the bathing room. She was understandably nervous. It wasn't like she hadn't been to a bath house, there'd been one back in her village, but back then she'd been with others like her. Not a princess and a queen.
"There you are, Sweetie dear." came Hera's voice. The human turned around as the peahen walked up beside her and set a wing on the small of her back. "Well let's not stand around here all night, let's go in."
The two headed inside. Although, Amalthea wasn't completely willing. "Is an herbal bath okay with you ladies?" asked Xin Jing when she spotted them walking to the changing screens. They nodded as they each slipped out of sight.
Amalthea changed out of her clothes and wrapped herself in a bathing towel. When she stepped out, Hera and the ligress were already in the water wearing similar towels. She slipped into the warm water and took a deep breath, then paused. Looking around, she saw little purple petals floating in the water. "Are these vanda orchids?" she asked, raising a hand to her nose she added, "Is there cinnamon in the water, too?"
Xin Jing giggled. "It's my favorite combination." she said, pulling the comb fron her bun. The long ebony locks fell down around her face and shoulders as she set the comb aside. The human caught a glimpse of it, and saw that the two prongs were sharp metal blades. She began to wonder how the princess wore it without cutting herself, or her hair.
Hera scrubbed a rag with a bar of soap, then began washing her plumage with a sigh. "There's nothing to make a peahen feel more like a lady than a hot bath." she said. "So, now that it's just us girls, why don't we do a little...talking?" A strange gleam lit the queen's eyes. Even Xing Jing suddenly giggled.
"Okay, I've got something interesting for you." said the ligress. "You remember that little scandle between Baron Lin and Lady Sing-Sing? Well that one innocent kiss now has them engaged."
The peahen gasped. "You jest! Oh this is wonderful! I knew those two were just meant for each other...of course, you can't help but feel a tinsy bit sorry for Lord Qin. He and Sing-Sing were betrothed at birth, and he'd grown quite attached to her. But their relationship was more like good friends than lovers wishing to be wed."
The ligress nodded. She poured a clear oil on her hair and combed it straight with her fingers. "I know, poor thing." she sighed. The princess then turned to the human, offering her the bottle of oil. "Here, try some. I think you'll like it-it makes your hair silky smooth." Amalthea took the bottle with a shy word of thanks. "So, what kind of things do you talk about in the bathhouse back in Japan?"
Amalthea carefully removed the chopsticks from her hair, letting the pink locks flow down her neck and hide her feathers. "We don't really have much, er, gossip back home. Everybody knows everybody, so whenever something happened, news reached every set of ears before sundown." she said. "And I wasn't exactly in the circle of sociality."
Hera's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?" she asked. "I mean, a nice girl like you-you're more pleasant to be around than most lords and ladies I know."
"It's nothing, really. I just don't spend much time with others." said Amalthea as she poured the oil on her hair and began working it in. "I had my brother, and our parents. Never thought I'd need anything else."
The statement made Xin Jing pause, her claws working on a stubborn knot. "But...what about love?" she inquired. "I know your family is important, but didn't you ever want to get married to the man of your dreams?"
Her aquamarine eyes seemed to lose some of their luster. "I would have liked that, but he wasn't there." she said, lathering her arms. "The One, as my mother would call him, didn't live in my village. I've lived around every single one of those boys long enough to know that I have no interest in being on one of their arms."
The queen studied her primary feathers with an unusual intensity. "And what about here, in China?" her mahogany eyes glanced up, a knowing look within those doe brown depths. "What about Shen?"
Amalthea's heart skipped a beat, and froze. Her cheeks that had been flushed pink by the steam from the bath water turned pale, while the feathers at the base of her skull bristled. "E-excuse me, my Lady?" she stammered. "I don't understand, what are you talking about."
The peahen smiled softly. "Sweetie dear, did you really think I didn't notice?" she said gently.
Xin Jing gave the human a slightly sheepish look. "I saw it too."
Amalthea's eyes shifted between them before exclaiming "How does everyone else, besides me, seem to know that?"
"I don't think Shen does." chortled Hera, "Men rarely ever realize it until someone or something hits them on the head. Took my dear Azure nearly two years to begin courting me." Her eyes clouded with pleasant memories as a sigh escaped her. "But after they know what they want, it never takes them long to get it. Not even a full year past before Azure asked for my wing."
Xin Jing giggled. "I know for a fact that he doesn't know. But he's feeling it." she said, then splashed her face clean. Wiping the water from her eyes, the ligress climbed out of the tub. "I think all he really needs is...a little push?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before ducking behind a changing screen.
The human looked back to the peahen. "You're okay with this, my Lady?" she asked. "A peasant, and a human one at that, having an interest in your only son-the heir of Gongmen City, and a prince?"
"Well, of course." she stated. "You love who you love, darling, title has absolutely nothing to do with it." Reaching out, the queen placed a wing on the woman's shoulder. "Besides, not just any girl out there can love my Shen. I've seen the way you are, Amalthea, you don't see a world of riches and glamor when you look at my son. But, in all honesty, what means the most to me is that you don't see his color. Just him." She choked up briefly, like she was trying not to cry. But she smiled nevertheless.
However, that same smile made Amalthea's heart clench. "My Lady," she began, "I don't even exactly know what I feel. I don't know the slightest thing about being in...in love." In truth, Amalthea had never even been looked at by a man with an intimate interest in his eyes. She'd only known dislike, indifference, or slight respect. How was someone expected to know what love was if you'd never felt it before?
The peahen regarded her quietly for a moment. Her knowledgeable eyes searching the human's gaze, studying her. "When you look at Shen, what do you see?" she asked finally. "What does your heart tell you?"
An image of the white peacock flashed through Amalthea's mind.
His eyes. Red, like rubies, like the sunrise kissed sky, like fire. There was always a fire blazing in those eyes, burning with his passion, alight with his desires, and shining with his strength.
His smile. So warm and inviting. Always filled with delight, and true happiness. He was one of the rare few who could truly appreciate each smile and grin and smirk like it was his last.
But in both of these traits, she saw something else too. In his eyes. In his smile. Despite having his parents, his Nanna, and his best friend...all Shen really wanted, was to be loved. He wanted a love his parents had long denied him, even after they had begun working their way back into his life. A love the Soothsayer couldn't give him. It was a love that a friend didn't have. If all of them couldn't give him that desired love, then how could she?
She pushed the thought aside. What else did she see?
Physical traits weren't enough. They weren't all she saw. They weren't all she cared about. She had to dig deeper than that.
His passion, and how he poured it into everything he did.
His courage, and the way he never let his fears stand in his way.
His gentleness, with both his words and his touch.
His voice, the soft purring roll of his 'R's and rattling of a dragged out letter. He used it to defend those who had no voice of their own, or couldn't be heard.
Then it hit her. She liked Shen, because he was more than a handsome face and a silky voice. He was a soul that was lost, but even so...he had found her. And when he'd made that vow, taken that senbon in her place, he'd made one thing very clear. He'd done so with words, and actions. She'd seen it, in his eyes, and in his smile.
'I've found, and I'm not letting you go, ever.'
Amalthea looked down. Her reflection stared back even amongst the floating petals. "I see Shen. A person. Not a monster. Not a color." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I see someone who wants me, and needs me. He wants me to need him, and needs me to want him. I see a peacock, one who loves making fireworks, reading, throwing knives and swinging his halberd. Someone who apparently has a bad temper, but is a kind and caring person." She paused, and turned her gaze on the queen. "But what I don't see is a demon, or a freak of nature. I don't see a throne, or a crown."
She waited for the peahen to reply. She had said her piece, and spoke her heart and mind. It seemed life forever, but slowly and surely, a smile spread across her beak. "Amalthea," she said. "Sweetie dear, you're in love."