Tyr steeled himself as Tamerlane entered the arena. It would not enhance
the boy's reputation if his father flinched every time a blow hit home.
Keeping one eye on the competition, he turned his thoughts to their
arrival. Tyr often used the technique of separating what he witnessed from
what he thought during diplomatic meetings.
When Tamerlane logged his flight plan, some enterprising flight controller sent an alert to the Academy directorate. When The Alpha and his son arrived they were greeted at the docking bay by a phalanx of gold braid and stiff upper lips.
The commandant of the Academy had spoken a few words of welcome. Tyr thought the commandant had shown some imagination tying the announcement of the pregnancy to the true purpose of the competition. He speculated that the dockside welcome was to allow the maintenance crew time to arrange a special box from which the Alpha and his heir could watch the matches. Tyr had hoped Tamerlane would choose not to participate. He should have known better.
A loud oh exhaled by the crowd, brought him back to the present. Tamerlane was on his back, his competitor gloating, waiting for the vanquished to surrender. He waited too long. Tamerlane kicked the legs out from under him, then put his fully erect boneblades at the inferior's throat. The judges awarded the match to Tamerlane.
Tyr scanned the crowd, seeming to pay no particular attention to anyone. He hoped to catch the honest reaction of the females who had attended in hopes of choosing a mate. The commandant had supplied him with a list, their lineage and DNA. He was relieved when he found that an image of each of the women was attached to the file.
Ah, he thought, there in the top row, Tamerlane has caught her fancy. He flipped through the file, searching for a match. Just as he found the right one, Tyr felt a hand on his shoulder. Tamerlane had returned. He looked over his father's shoulder at the data pad that he held.
"Plain, but there is strength of character in her face." Tyr agreed with the assessment of his son.
"Her DNA is excellent. Her lineage, however, is rather obscure, although she is the great-granddaughter of an Alpha from her maternal line." Tyr recited from the page.
"Damning her with faint praise, Father?" Tamerlane raised an eyebrow in question. Tyr felt as if he were looking in a mirror.
"I could be describing, Beka." Tyr surprised his son with the admission.
"Does this one have a talent as rare as mother's?" Tamerlane took the pad from his father. "No mention of piloting skills."
"The qualities that I most cherish in your mother are not included in any mating documents," another surprise for Tamerlane in a day full of them.
"What would they be, Father?" Tamerlane held his father's gaze as he waited for his answer.
"Her intelligence and loyalty." A far away look appeared on his face. "I was blind to both for a long time."
"How did you come the realization?" Tamerlane leaned close to his father to reduce the likelihood of strangers overhearing the answer.
"I have you to thank for that." Tyr grinned at the consternation on the face of the boy. "When at last I was able to acknowledge you as my son, I started looking for a stepmother for you. Olma loved you, but she could not keep up with a rapidly growing little boy."
"You were looking for a mate at the same time?" Tamerlane prompted his father.
"No, I was prepared to mate with the woman if that was necessary to bind her to us. Against the wishes of the matriarch I considered sterile females."
"Father, do you enjoy breaking with tradition?" Tamerlane smiled with affection.
Tyr patted his son on the shoulder. "Tradition ended and began with your birth, my son."
"So what made you realize that Beka was the mate for you?"
"I had created a list of qualities that I hoped your stepmother would embody, when I began my search. I was disheartened after an unsuccessful and exhaustive search amongst the Nietzschean Prides. In desperation I reread the list. That is when it hit me, I had described Beka." Tyr sighed as he recalled the moment that changed his life forever.
"So you broke with tradition once again and wooed her." Tamerlane surmised. "She accepted your suit?"
"Not at first. She was very wary of my intentions. Eventually she agreed to visit our home to meet you. We used the flight training as a cover story, in case things did not work out."
"And things didn't work out," said his son.
"Oh, they worked out. Beka fell in love with you before she fell in love with me, but in the end she did love us both." Tyr held his son's gaze "It was politics that kept us apart all these years. Beka deserved to be my wife, not my mistress to be scorned and ostracized."
"Father." Tyr responded to the urgency in his son's voice. "10 o'clock."
Tyr turned his head a little to the left. The plain female was working her way through the throng toward their box. She was the picture of determination. Alpha watchers followed the gaze of their leader. Soon many eyes were trained on the woman, who continued to forge ahead. The arena fell silent when she reached the box. She stood at the rail waiting to be acknowledged.
The Alpha rose and bowed. Tamerlane made a mental note to use the gesture when he was in charge. Tyr had lost of none of his authority, while gaining respect in the eyes of all that witnessed the kindness.
"Goneril, out of Alicia, by Dante, of the newly restored Kodiak Pride." The recital of her lineage was accompanied by a deep curtsy.
She held the obeisance until Tyr spoke, "Rise and speak, daughter."
"My Lord Kodiak, I respectfully advise you as is our custom that I choose Tamerlane, out of Freya, by Tyr, of the Kodiak Pride, as my mate."
Tamerlane blanched. What trouble had an innocent whim brought on the House of Anasazi? I am fifteen and untried. What possible advantage did she think there was to bind herself to me?
The emotions that Tyr was experiencing swung from disbelief that she would be so bold as to claim the Alpha's son to admiration of her courage to act on her desire. Tyr turned for a glimpse of Tamerlane. There was fear in his eyes, but he had his facial muscles under control.
"Goneril, you have honoured my house with your choice." Tyr stalled for time as his mind searched for a loophole that would save the face of the female, while releasing his son from a dangerous obligation."
When Tamerlane logged his flight plan, some enterprising flight controller sent an alert to the Academy directorate. When The Alpha and his son arrived they were greeted at the docking bay by a phalanx of gold braid and stiff upper lips.
The commandant of the Academy had spoken a few words of welcome. Tyr thought the commandant had shown some imagination tying the announcement of the pregnancy to the true purpose of the competition. He speculated that the dockside welcome was to allow the maintenance crew time to arrange a special box from which the Alpha and his heir could watch the matches. Tyr had hoped Tamerlane would choose not to participate. He should have known better.
A loud oh exhaled by the crowd, brought him back to the present. Tamerlane was on his back, his competitor gloating, waiting for the vanquished to surrender. He waited too long. Tamerlane kicked the legs out from under him, then put his fully erect boneblades at the inferior's throat. The judges awarded the match to Tamerlane.
Tyr scanned the crowd, seeming to pay no particular attention to anyone. He hoped to catch the honest reaction of the females who had attended in hopes of choosing a mate. The commandant had supplied him with a list, their lineage and DNA. He was relieved when he found that an image of each of the women was attached to the file.
Ah, he thought, there in the top row, Tamerlane has caught her fancy. He flipped through the file, searching for a match. Just as he found the right one, Tyr felt a hand on his shoulder. Tamerlane had returned. He looked over his father's shoulder at the data pad that he held.
"Plain, but there is strength of character in her face." Tyr agreed with the assessment of his son.
"Her DNA is excellent. Her lineage, however, is rather obscure, although she is the great-granddaughter of an Alpha from her maternal line." Tyr recited from the page.
"Damning her with faint praise, Father?" Tamerlane raised an eyebrow in question. Tyr felt as if he were looking in a mirror.
"I could be describing, Beka." Tyr surprised his son with the admission.
"Does this one have a talent as rare as mother's?" Tamerlane took the pad from his father. "No mention of piloting skills."
"The qualities that I most cherish in your mother are not included in any mating documents," another surprise for Tamerlane in a day full of them.
"What would they be, Father?" Tamerlane held his father's gaze as he waited for his answer.
"Her intelligence and loyalty." A far away look appeared on his face. "I was blind to both for a long time."
"How did you come the realization?" Tamerlane leaned close to his father to reduce the likelihood of strangers overhearing the answer.
"I have you to thank for that." Tyr grinned at the consternation on the face of the boy. "When at last I was able to acknowledge you as my son, I started looking for a stepmother for you. Olma loved you, but she could not keep up with a rapidly growing little boy."
"You were looking for a mate at the same time?" Tamerlane prompted his father.
"No, I was prepared to mate with the woman if that was necessary to bind her to us. Against the wishes of the matriarch I considered sterile females."
"Father, do you enjoy breaking with tradition?" Tamerlane smiled with affection.
Tyr patted his son on the shoulder. "Tradition ended and began with your birth, my son."
"So what made you realize that Beka was the mate for you?"
"I had created a list of qualities that I hoped your stepmother would embody, when I began my search. I was disheartened after an unsuccessful and exhaustive search amongst the Nietzschean Prides. In desperation I reread the list. That is when it hit me, I had described Beka." Tyr sighed as he recalled the moment that changed his life forever.
"So you broke with tradition once again and wooed her." Tamerlane surmised. "She accepted your suit?"
"Not at first. She was very wary of my intentions. Eventually she agreed to visit our home to meet you. We used the flight training as a cover story, in case things did not work out."
"And things didn't work out," said his son.
"Oh, they worked out. Beka fell in love with you before she fell in love with me, but in the end she did love us both." Tyr held his son's gaze "It was politics that kept us apart all these years. Beka deserved to be my wife, not my mistress to be scorned and ostracized."
"Father." Tyr responded to the urgency in his son's voice. "10 o'clock."
Tyr turned his head a little to the left. The plain female was working her way through the throng toward their box. She was the picture of determination. Alpha watchers followed the gaze of their leader. Soon many eyes were trained on the woman, who continued to forge ahead. The arena fell silent when she reached the box. She stood at the rail waiting to be acknowledged.
The Alpha rose and bowed. Tamerlane made a mental note to use the gesture when he was in charge. Tyr had lost of none of his authority, while gaining respect in the eyes of all that witnessed the kindness.
"Goneril, out of Alicia, by Dante, of the newly restored Kodiak Pride." The recital of her lineage was accompanied by a deep curtsy.
She held the obeisance until Tyr spoke, "Rise and speak, daughter."
"My Lord Kodiak, I respectfully advise you as is our custom that I choose Tamerlane, out of Freya, by Tyr, of the Kodiak Pride, as my mate."
Tamerlane blanched. What trouble had an innocent whim brought on the House of Anasazi? I am fifteen and untried. What possible advantage did she think there was to bind herself to me?
The emotions that Tyr was experiencing swung from disbelief that she would be so bold as to claim the Alpha's son to admiration of her courage to act on her desire. Tyr turned for a glimpse of Tamerlane. There was fear in his eyes, but he had his facial muscles under control.
"Goneril, you have honoured my house with your choice." Tyr stalled for time as his mind searched for a loophole that would save the face of the female, while releasing his son from a dangerous obligation."