Disclaimer: There's a poem by William Blake called The Tiger that I quote bits of.

Adult Content: rated R

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Lady or the Tiger

The second week was as Riddickless as the first. And equally tiring. But W'Rdah had come so far as to actually speak pleasantries to Zemma, and Jaron was landing fewer bruises on her. He said he was pleased with her speed but she wasn't gaining strength as fast as he would have liked. So he added more training, this time with heavier weapons.

Nor's training was slow, they had to teach her each step a piece at a time. First with food rewards and praise, then just praise. Nor seemed to enjoy it; she was more active than Zemma had seen in years and her color was brighter. Must be the catharsis of the Now, Zemma thought.

Politics continued as usual. Another faithful Lord died at Riddick's hands. Jaron planned another event. The mood of the ship's crew was far from stable. But the soldiers on board seemed jovial, strangers in armor smiled at her in the halls; Furyans, slowly replacing the original flag guard. Another set of blue eyes joined them at the Lord's Table. The myth was spreading, but the balance of power wasn't in their favor yet.

And Lord Vaako was still an enigma. His work was unimpeachable, his attitude beyond reproach. But he continued to look haunted. Not worse, but not greatly improved. Zemma hesitated to invade his rooms again to check on Dame Vaako's progress. She wouldn't speak to him publicly about it.

Hesitation isn't conductive to the Now. Solve the equation.

Damn it.

Now her pilot training was invading her private thoughts as well. W'Rdah might actually have smiled at the idea.

Zemma decided on a course of action, she called Vaako. He didn't seem taken aback to see her face.

"Yes, Lady Zemma?"

This surprised her, and she had to clamp down on her expression lest it show on her face. No one had called her such a thing, ever. Riddick didn't seem to actually use her name. Jaron called her Zemma consistently now and W'Rdah, naturally, called her MinW'Neta. Vaguely disrespectful, since she wasn't a child and yet he refused to use the adult version, NeeW'Neta. Virtually no one else spoke to her.

"Lord Vaako," Zemma fell back into the careful politeness she had used with him before she had broken into his suite. "My apologies for not inquiring sooner about the health of your wife. Has she improved?"

Vaako's face tightened slightly at the eyes and jaw line. "There have been some hopeful changes."

Zemma kept what Jaron referred to as her 'poker face'. Vaako was clearly lying to her, but his words were so vague she had no way of knowing which way he was hedging the truth. Either his wife was greatly improved, and he was hiding her menace from Zemma, or she was failing and so with her would his sanity.

"That's wonderful news for you, Lord Vaako." Zemma was purposefully as ambiguous as he. But she tinged her voice with as much elation as she could summon. Now she wished she had decided to have this conversation in person so she could read more of him… and look around his rooms. But that was beyond the Now.

"If there's nothing else?" Curt. But that wasn't entirely out of character for him and it told her nothing new.

She needed to end this in his good graces, in hopes of getting into his suite later. "No, Commander. I am at your disposal." She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge his rank and appease his sense of dignity. He signed off before she did leaving her pondering the brief encounter.

Oh, Dame Vaako, I should have drowned you when I had the chance.

Never did find out what poison the ring holds.

Never going to have time this month. Share it with Jaron?

What would he know of poisons?

Who else might have the requisite know how? Or the skills to find it?

Zemma smiled at the excuse to see Riddick.

Don't really need an excuse, you know that.

Just part of the dance.

Zemma didn't want to call this time. She got her cloak.

You're relishing this too much.

It was a good thing she was hooded because she couldn't wipe the silly smile off her face until she got there. The guards at the Lord Marshal's door didn't give her a second glance, but she wasn't prepared for the smirk they gave each other.

"He isn't in," one of them told her abruptly.

She didn't bother to reply. Her handprint still opened the lock.

Nothing had changed inside. Riddick had made no effort to make his residence more personal except to keep the lights off or very dim. She wandered through the suite thinking about her time here, her past life it seemed like.

She was just meandering back towards the front of the suite when she heard the door open and a female voice.

"Will you give me the blue eyes?"

Fuck.

Now what, Zem?

They hadn't come around the curving inner wall yet. Zemma faded into the bedroom before realizing her mistake. She should have darted back to the bath. Zemma arrowed for the furthest closet.

And left the door cracked open just a little once she was inside.

This is insane, Zem, he notices everything.

Sounds like he plans on being distracted. She could hear his low mumbled voice, slightly slurred. Drunk? Again? What's the appeal? What does he do with them?

Then she was holding her breath and her heartbeat in check.

"Been a long time since I smelled beautiful."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Zemma sniffed a little at the air and had to pinch her nose. Apparently Lady Vaako wasn't the only one who preferred to wear enough perfume to choke a cat.

Riddick had his back to the closet Zemma was hiding in, walking backwards and escorting the latest leading Lady towards the oversized bed. The woman was giggling slightly but thankfully not asking that stupid question again. Just another non-speaking extra on the stage of life.

Riddick sat at the foot of the bed and pulled the svelte Lady towards him. If he'd looked to his immediate right, he might have seen the glint of Zemma's eyes. But he was apparently engrossed in the fabric under the cloak.

Yeah.

Riddick's hands moved up and down and back up again, pushing on the Lady's shoulders he forced her to kneel while she…

Zemma held absolutely still. This was new! But while her mind reeled, her stomach churned.

Acceptance:

She couldn't stop what was happening. She wasn't sure she wanted to, she'd never seen…

Truth:

You got yourself into this mess. Your Now is to not get caught in it.

Peace...

But something else caught her eye. The Lady's hand, something didn't look right. Zemma recognized it immediately. A ring was being turned carefully; something tiny glinted where it shouldn't in the darkness.

Now!

Leaping out of the closet might startle the Lady into action, and delay Riddick's reaction…

"Poison…" Zemma whispered so quietly she was afraid it wasn't enough. Oh damn it, let it be enough!