Apricot Jones - THANK YOU! Thank you thank you thank you! I couldn't
remember Meridon's name for the life of me. THANK YOU! And thanks for not
bugging me about the shortness. It's much appreciated.
Littomonkei - I'm glad you like Isis. I like her too.
Quinda - Ashe was just in a bad mood. He didn't want to see Achmed there. Also, his position's getting to his head a bit, he's not used to being immediately referred to by his first name, especially by a Cymerian. But that's alright. As for the dragon thingie, Isis sensed the dragon blood, and the fact that the dragon in him is awake and not dormant. It just comes from her Seren blood, that's all. She can also sense F'dor, but not their thralls or anything like that. Just them. I'd be afraid to tell Achmed how I feel too. *shudder* Achmed wouldn't kick her out of the kingdom, that's just Isis being paranoid. And have a good vacation. I can't wait for mine. -_-
Fantasyqueen - I meant both. She's from the Island too.
Airelothwin - I wish more people wrote them too. It's a pity they don't.
And now, without further ado, chapter 9.
"He is so adorable! What's his name, Rhapsody?" asked Isis. Achmed shot a glance at Ashe, who didn't seem happy about his child being held by a strange woman. He hid a smirk, and turned his attention back to Rhapsody.
"His name is Meridon," she said happily.
"I'm just glad that he takes after your looks," Achmed said offhandedly. Ashe shot him a glare, but Rhapsody merely laughed.
"Oh, you're just adorable, aren't you Meridon?" asked Isis. Meridon responded by smiling and grabbing a hold of her hair.
"Meridon!" Ashe called. He grabbed the baby out of Isis's hand, and took her hair out of his fingers. "My apologies."
"Don't, he's a baby," Isis replied with a shrug. Meridon responded by sticking his tongue out and blowing in his father's face, much to the amusement of the other three people present. There was a knock at the door. Ashe opened it to reveal his steward.
"Lords and Ladies, dinner will be served soon. If you'll return to your rooms to get changed, word will be sent when dinner is ready."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Achmed, I'm afraid this isn't merely a social visit," Rhapsody said when dinner was over.
"How'd I guess?" Achmed muttered.
"See, the annual Cymerian ball is next month.and we were wondering if Ylorc would host? Now, by all means, we would send servants to help, but Ylorc would be responsible for the guard and the cooking.of course." Isis looked from Rhapsody to Achmed to Ashe. In Rhapsody's face she saw happiness, in Achmed's face she saw irritation (from what little she could see. It was mostly a guess.), and on Ashe.was that anger?
"Rhapsody, this really isn't necessary. Ylorc is not part of the Cymerian Empire, remember?" Ashe said smoothly.
"Of course we'll host it," Isis said. Three pairs of eyes snapped to her. "As Representative to King Achmed, I say that it is a total honor. After all, the moot does reside in Ylorc, and the Cauldron is a very important part of Cymerian history. We would be honored to host the ball this year. Is it an annual occasion?"
"Isis." Achmed growled.
"Yes, but it's not held in the same location each year. I'm so glad you're able to host it," Rhapsody replied with a glint in her eye. Both women had to hide their silent laughter when Achmed and Ashe suddenly stood up.
"Rhapsody, we should check on Meridon. I bid you both a good night, and I look forward to breaking my fast with you two tomorrow morning." Ashe grabbed Rhapsody's elbow and nudged her up and out of her chair.
"Isis, I should walk you back to your room. You've never been here before, and I want to make sure that you don't get lost. This place can be huge to someone who hasn't been here before," Achmed added with a glare. Isis winked to Rhapsody, who returned the wink, and both women were abruptly led in two different directions.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"For the last time, Achmed," Isis snapped, "I don't want to leave Ylorc more then what is necessary. The last thing I need is for the.friend of ours to slaughter a bunch of people to get to us." When Isis referred to the friend of theirs, she meant the F'dor.
"And I don't want them all in my palace, yet now I'm stuck with them," snapped Achmed. He turned and walked out of her room, muttering to himself. When he got back in his room, a little voice in the back of his head asked him if he wanted to do that. The rest of him clearly told the little voice to shut up.
"Achmed?" A soft voice came in from the doorway. Achmed glanced over his shoulder and saw a bit of glow reflecting in the mirror. It was Isis.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
"You know that I didn't do this to anger you, right?" she said quietly.
"Isis, I'd love to hear why you did then."
"Nice to know what you think of me."
"Look, I'm not in the mood to argue. If you came to continue the argument, by all means just leave."
"No, I didn't come to argue. Now if you'll get your head out of your arse, take the crap out of your ears and listen, you'll hear my reason," she snapped. Achmed was in shock for a minute, she'd never spoken to him that way before.
"Fine."
"You do know that a servant of.our friend will probably attend the ball, right?" Isis asked.
"It would stand to reason."
"Yes, well, I'm sure that person will see us there. I'd rather not be in a place with unfamiliar soldiers guarding us, you know? That and you're king. Your will extends over the lands, just like a true king's will does. I know if I'm in Ylorc, nothing can happen to me. I'd rather have the friend come to us instead of us going to him." Isis finished and stared at the form of Achmed's back. Achmed sighed.
"I guess you're right. I'll let the stupid ball be in my kingdom." He heard soft footsteps behind him and turned around in time to be facing Isis when she hugged him. His breath caught in his throat, and he stiffened up, especially when he felt her lips brush against his cheek.
"Thank you Achmed. Thank you so much." She said. She let go and began to leave.
"Remember what I told you before," Achmed called back. Isis turned.
"I know Achmed. And I'll always be by your side. No matter what. Remember that." With that she disappeared, leaving a stunned Achmed to try, unsuccessfully mind you, to fall asleep.
Littomonkei - I'm glad you like Isis. I like her too.
Quinda - Ashe was just in a bad mood. He didn't want to see Achmed there. Also, his position's getting to his head a bit, he's not used to being immediately referred to by his first name, especially by a Cymerian. But that's alright. As for the dragon thingie, Isis sensed the dragon blood, and the fact that the dragon in him is awake and not dormant. It just comes from her Seren blood, that's all. She can also sense F'dor, but not their thralls or anything like that. Just them. I'd be afraid to tell Achmed how I feel too. *shudder* Achmed wouldn't kick her out of the kingdom, that's just Isis being paranoid. And have a good vacation. I can't wait for mine. -_-
Fantasyqueen - I meant both. She's from the Island too.
Airelothwin - I wish more people wrote them too. It's a pity they don't.
And now, without further ado, chapter 9.
"He is so adorable! What's his name, Rhapsody?" asked Isis. Achmed shot a glance at Ashe, who didn't seem happy about his child being held by a strange woman. He hid a smirk, and turned his attention back to Rhapsody.
"His name is Meridon," she said happily.
"I'm just glad that he takes after your looks," Achmed said offhandedly. Ashe shot him a glare, but Rhapsody merely laughed.
"Oh, you're just adorable, aren't you Meridon?" asked Isis. Meridon responded by smiling and grabbing a hold of her hair.
"Meridon!" Ashe called. He grabbed the baby out of Isis's hand, and took her hair out of his fingers. "My apologies."
"Don't, he's a baby," Isis replied with a shrug. Meridon responded by sticking his tongue out and blowing in his father's face, much to the amusement of the other three people present. There was a knock at the door. Ashe opened it to reveal his steward.
"Lords and Ladies, dinner will be served soon. If you'll return to your rooms to get changed, word will be sent when dinner is ready."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Achmed, I'm afraid this isn't merely a social visit," Rhapsody said when dinner was over.
"How'd I guess?" Achmed muttered.
"See, the annual Cymerian ball is next month.and we were wondering if Ylorc would host? Now, by all means, we would send servants to help, but Ylorc would be responsible for the guard and the cooking.of course." Isis looked from Rhapsody to Achmed to Ashe. In Rhapsody's face she saw happiness, in Achmed's face she saw irritation (from what little she could see. It was mostly a guess.), and on Ashe.was that anger?
"Rhapsody, this really isn't necessary. Ylorc is not part of the Cymerian Empire, remember?" Ashe said smoothly.
"Of course we'll host it," Isis said. Three pairs of eyes snapped to her. "As Representative to King Achmed, I say that it is a total honor. After all, the moot does reside in Ylorc, and the Cauldron is a very important part of Cymerian history. We would be honored to host the ball this year. Is it an annual occasion?"
"Isis." Achmed growled.
"Yes, but it's not held in the same location each year. I'm so glad you're able to host it," Rhapsody replied with a glint in her eye. Both women had to hide their silent laughter when Achmed and Ashe suddenly stood up.
"Rhapsody, we should check on Meridon. I bid you both a good night, and I look forward to breaking my fast with you two tomorrow morning." Ashe grabbed Rhapsody's elbow and nudged her up and out of her chair.
"Isis, I should walk you back to your room. You've never been here before, and I want to make sure that you don't get lost. This place can be huge to someone who hasn't been here before," Achmed added with a glare. Isis winked to Rhapsody, who returned the wink, and both women were abruptly led in two different directions.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"For the last time, Achmed," Isis snapped, "I don't want to leave Ylorc more then what is necessary. The last thing I need is for the.friend of ours to slaughter a bunch of people to get to us." When Isis referred to the friend of theirs, she meant the F'dor.
"And I don't want them all in my palace, yet now I'm stuck with them," snapped Achmed. He turned and walked out of her room, muttering to himself. When he got back in his room, a little voice in the back of his head asked him if he wanted to do that. The rest of him clearly told the little voice to shut up.
"Achmed?" A soft voice came in from the doorway. Achmed glanced over his shoulder and saw a bit of glow reflecting in the mirror. It was Isis.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
"You know that I didn't do this to anger you, right?" she said quietly.
"Isis, I'd love to hear why you did then."
"Nice to know what you think of me."
"Look, I'm not in the mood to argue. If you came to continue the argument, by all means just leave."
"No, I didn't come to argue. Now if you'll get your head out of your arse, take the crap out of your ears and listen, you'll hear my reason," she snapped. Achmed was in shock for a minute, she'd never spoken to him that way before.
"Fine."
"You do know that a servant of.our friend will probably attend the ball, right?" Isis asked.
"It would stand to reason."
"Yes, well, I'm sure that person will see us there. I'd rather not be in a place with unfamiliar soldiers guarding us, you know? That and you're king. Your will extends over the lands, just like a true king's will does. I know if I'm in Ylorc, nothing can happen to me. I'd rather have the friend come to us instead of us going to him." Isis finished and stared at the form of Achmed's back. Achmed sighed.
"I guess you're right. I'll let the stupid ball be in my kingdom." He heard soft footsteps behind him and turned around in time to be facing Isis when she hugged him. His breath caught in his throat, and he stiffened up, especially when he felt her lips brush against his cheek.
"Thank you Achmed. Thank you so much." She said. She let go and began to leave.
"Remember what I told you before," Achmed called back. Isis turned.
"I know Achmed. And I'll always be by your side. No matter what. Remember that." With that she disappeared, leaving a stunned Achmed to try, unsuccessfully mind you, to fall asleep.