Chapter 21: Making Preperations
Summary: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Day 21: Cooking/Baking
Everything had returned to normal back on Basilica now that Dame Vaako was dead and everyone was fairly happy with the progress Lord Vaako and the Lord Marshal were making with their relationship. They were heading to the next system to attack having recently conquered a system and stocked up on soldiers, nobles and supplies.
Trouble and her pups were now walking around the Basilica freely too. A new change as well was the addition of some children on board the ships. They were too young to actually be converted yet but they would once old enough, as their parents were. Riddick would not let the children be killed. He was an animal, not a monster like Zhylaw.
Toal had actually found himself a new wife from among the new nobles. A beautiful dark skinned woman with tribal tattoos and a baby of a few months old. The Father had died when she was in the early stages of pregnancy and was thrilled to have such a high ranking husband and Toal was admittedly devoted to the child. Vaako was pleased to see that the changes being made to the fleet were having a positive effect.
Visiting his friend and new family, Vaako was delighted to discover that the Dame could make a dish he had not had in many many years but was one of his favourites. As such he had asked if she would be willing to teach him how to make it. Since the Dame Vaako incident the First Among had become even more cautious with their food and barely let anyone other than himself or Riddick make food for themselves.
"Of course I can teach you Lord Vaako." Dame Toal's beautifully accented voice purrs out. "I was unaware the soldiers knew how to cook."
"Well some campaigns can take longer than others and although we are resilient we can only go so long without food. It's necessary for survival to know the basics." Vaako shrugs. "Then as you marry or climb higher ranks it becomes, according to my ex-dame, a necessity to know the more complex dishes so that when they have other nobles around for dinner parties we don't embarrass ourselves."
Dame Toal raises a delicate and tattooed eyebrow at that. "Your ex-wife sounds lazy and vain. She is dead now, yes?"
"Yes of course." Vaako smirks slightly. "Have you not met our Lord Marshal?"
They continue to talk comfortably as she teaches Vaako to make the dish as well as a few other little things, Vaako teaching her about the way of Necromongers and other things that the other Nobles will most likely expect from her now that she is the Dame of the Second Among Commanders. "But I do not wish to just be a noble." the Dame admits as they sit and wait for the food to cook. "I was from a warrior tribe, I am a warrior. My skills are valuable to the fleet. As for my child, he can be left in the care of another."
Sipping his wine thoughtfully, Vaako takes her words into consideration. Zhylaw had always been highly bigoted. The Purifiers had always been instructed to send the strongest looking men through to be trained as Soldiers, those deemed 'weaker' were sent to become Nobles and Concubines and servants. Women were never selected to be trained as Soldiers. He wondered briefly why that was, after all the First Among had met many women who would've made fierce soldiers. "You raise a very good point Dame Toal. I'll talk to the Lord Marshal about it this evening, to see if we can have the women sent for soldier training too and find someone to watch the children we now have on board."
"You... Thank you, Lord Vaako." Dame Toal bows her head with respect then takes the food out of the oven. "I did not expect to be taken seriously, if I am entirely honest with you."
Vaako just waves it off then goes over to the cot where her son had just woken and was crying for attention. Picking him up gently, Vaako allows himself to be swept up in the scent and feelings that wash over him and holds him close. He rocks him gently until he settles then joins the Dame again. "Your son is beautiful, Dame."
"My Husband and I are still trying to find a name for him. He is excited to be the one to teach him to fight and the ways of our people." She smiles softly, her features changing to a softer expression as her eyes land on her child. "I know that many of the older Nobles look down on us and believe my child should have been slaughtered as you used to but I am eternally grateful to Riddick that he did not."
Toal returns from training and takes the babe from Vaako gently and eagerly, kissing his wife softly and chastely. Vaako leaves them knowing that the Dame would have much to tell her husband about what they had discussed during the day.
Arriving back at their own rooms, Vaako gets to work on making dinner for himself and Riddick, aware that his Mate would be in and out of meetings for a while longer yet.
It is whilst the food is cooking and Vaako is washing up that Riddick returns and stealthily creeps up behind him, pinning him against the sink and begins to run his hands up under the front of his shirt and stroke his stomach and nipples. Vaako stops what he's doing and tips his head back slightly, gasping when Riddick takes that as an invitation to pinch the sensitive nubs and bite at his neck. "You do this every time I am at the sink Riddick... Why?"
"Because you're trapped... can't go anywhere." Riddick grins and steps away as the timer goes off so Vaako can take the food out. "You smell different..." processing the scent, the Furyan soon works out what it was that was different. "So what does Toal's wife and ankle biter look like?"
Taking the food out and dishing it up, Vaako looks at his Mate, recalling what he had decided to talk to him about. "She's very striking and beautiful. So is the baby. He's... I don't believe I've ever held something so precious before in my life. Except for our Princess' babies that is." He adds as Trouble settles next to him and nudges his hand with her heavy armoured head looking for an ear scratch. "Although I believe our system for choosing soldiers needs to change, My Lord. Many of the women we bring aboard are not even offered the oppurtunity to become women. Dame Toal for example was from a warrior tribe not too different from your own people. She would be invaluable to us as a soldier. We could definitely find a few people willing to watch the children for the Mothers that wish to join our ranks too."
"I had noticed there were no women soldiers... kept forgettin' to ask why." Riddick admits and takes his food. "I'll make sure to bring it up tomorrow."
"I was not aware that you had more meetings tomorrow. Did you not finish everything today?" Vaako frowns as they sit down and eat together.
Riddick shakes his head. "I re-arranged my schedule. Needed to talk to breezy today." Aereon had requested to talk to him and had re-arranged his schedule for him as she wanted to spend most of the day informing Riddick of what was going to happen over the course of the next few months in concern with his Marriage to Vaako and then the trip to the Threshold. "Besides, need you in my meetings don't I?"
"Yes or we'd have to replenish our ranks far more often with the way you cut through them in the first few months of taking the throne." Vaako laughs and doesn't ask what he had needed to speak to the Elemental about, if he needed to know Riddick would have told him. Besides it was likely to do with his Furyan heritage, so nothing for Vaako to actually be concerned about. "We should have another Poker night soon. Invite the new Dames to join us as well. I think it'd be amusing to see what Dame Toal would want if she won a round."
Riddick laughs loudly at that. "Yeah yeah. That's why you wanna play again. Not 'cause of what happened last time."
AN: So our internet went down and won't be fixed until tomorrow but luckily I still get internet on my phone so I am uploading from my phone when I can until the internet gets fixed!
Seriously thanks to everyone who follows/favourited/bookmarked this story and has left kudos/reviews/comments or is simply just reading this story of mine! It wouldn't be anything without you guys.