For the next three months the Presidium bustled with Convocation activity. The Grand Atrium seemed like a bustling downtown without the Convocation and now it was like a congested downtown. As much as Bo ran from one meeting to another she somehow always found a bubble of peace in the chaos that swarmed throughout the Great Atrium. She would take moments between meetings, find the nearest window, outlook or balcony and take in the beauty of surrounding City of Nahala. Unfortunately, she would always forget the ruckus her musings would cause passerbys who extended her a wide berth as well as their courtesies as they went along. The Seneschal would always have to remind her that her musings clogged traffic.
At first, Bo was mindful how her musings in the middle of the Great Atrium impacted others, but as she became more acclimatized to the world of the Presidium, she became less and less so. And for good reason. For a woman who lived according to the motto "I will the life I choose" there were a lot of choices that weren't hers. Bo chalked it up to being the "Chosen One," and the responsibilities that went with it. "Can't be too selfish," she thought to herself. "After all, you'll be responsible for 200 billion lives one day." Every time Bo thought about that number it nearly made her stagger. It was one of those realities she tried to keep out of her mind lest she grab Lauren and the children and run back home to the Human Plane, never to return. Bo could feel the Seneschal move closer which prompted her to turn around.
"Gotta get moving?" Bo queried. The Seneschal bowed their heads slightly. Bo glanced one more time out the window then resumed her way back to her offices. Her next meeting was with Trick and Dyson to discuss the progress of the Inclusion petition, the Supremacy vs Divestment questions, among other things.
As Bo walked along she saw several Fae being both highly vocal and animated about the upcoming Juggerbol game between the Iron Hordes and the Midnight Reapers and smiled. The Hordes had beaten Gracce's Hammer in the second level of championship circle rounds and were now up against the team that hailed from the Court of the Dead, but that wasn't why Bo smiled. She smiled because she had joined the Juggerbol team!
Bo decided to join the Juggerbol team for a variety of reasons. One, because she found the game exciting and wanted to challenge herself. Two, she also thought it would bring her closer to the Ruling Family and their interests. After all, The Queen had once played and over half her children played. And three, because Bo hoped it would also bring her closer to Antony. Out of all the Ruling Children Antony seemed the tersest. And the most unpredictable.
In one vein, Antony could be incredibly thoughtful, loving, attentive, overprotective, and then almost in the same breath be commanding, gruff, rude, and downright violent. Even his brothers and sisters acknowledged Antony was complicated. Bo found her interactions with Antony so curt she thought he resented her. Or hated her. Or both. And yet Kenzi found him attractive enough to go on a date with him. In any case, Bo felt she needed to do something to warm up to the guy, find out what the deal was, or at least learn his personality well enough to understand him so she didn't feel like she's about to be consumed by him at any moment. After all, he was an Incubus, and a giant, gorilla-like beast, and whatever else he happened to be that Bo hadn't seen yet, or that matter he hadn't realized yet.
Ranoruks.
So unpredictable.
Bo recalled the evening she resolved to make an effort to get to know Antony better. It was during one of the delegational Receptions. She saw him standing across the room and bee-lined it for him before either one of them were corned by a Convocational representative.
"Hey!" Bo greeted.
"Your Royal Highness." Antony greeted with a quick bow of his head.
"How goes the battle?" Bo asked.
"You mean with tonights' representatives?"
"Yeah."
"As with all these things, the sycophantic prostrations can quickly become tiresome." Antony replied with exasperation as he looked around the room and met other passing guests with gestures and short smiles.
"Well, there's a lot going on." Bo said with her best bright smile.
"Well, that's an incisive statement. Is that the best you can do?" Antony replied in a sarcastic tone, which made Bo's bright smile disappear and her eyes furrow.
"Look! I am just trying to make conversation." Bo said.
"Hm." Antony replied with a passiveness in his voice as he looked around.
"Dude! What is with the hostility?" Bo asked.
"Hostility?" Antony replied as he returned his attention to her.
"There's something about me that you have an issue with so out with it!" Bo challenged.
"There's no issue, Your Royal Highness." Antony said evenly.
"Dude, there's…" Bo pressed.
"My name is not dude." Antony said in an even tone.
"Sorry." Bo replied. Antony took in a deep breath and looked intently at Bo.
"I am in wonder." Antony replied.
"In wonder of what?" Bo asked.
"How Destiny could have possibly chosen you?" Antony replied in a stupefied tone. Bo reared back a bit. Antony pressed forward. "Do you have any idea whom my Mummy is? The warrior she is. The leader she is. The Sovereign she is. The lineage from which she hails?"
"Your Mummy is an impressive woman." Bo acknowledged.
"I just don't understand why Destiny picked you to follow one of the greatest Sovereigns in the history of the Fae Realm." Antony replied, still stupefied.
"Are you upset you weren't chosen?" Bo challenged.
"No."
"Well that was a quick 'no'."
"I'm not that self-absorbed."
"Then what is it? Because I'm trying here!"
"Just because you were selected by Destiny means nothing to me. I think you have a long way to go before you are…fully exercised to rule the Realm. A long, long, long way to go. Being spoon-fed by Mummy is not a short-cut."
"Dude! I just got here. I am trying!" Bo protested.
"I am His Serene Highness Antony Prescotti, Rana of the Prescotti Dynasty, and Pashan of the Combined Armies! Not dude!"
"Sorry!" Bo said as she raised her hand, acquiescent. "The term 'dude' is actually not a demeaning term. It's more like something someone says when they're comfortable enough with them to be truthful. Look, all I'm trying to do is relate to you. That's all. And fair warning, Kenzi says 'dude' all the time so get used to it. Look can we just try again? I mean you are dating my best friend, after all."
"Oh, I see. So, this outreach is more about Kenzi then."
"No, but it would make life easier all around."
"Fair enough."
"Look, I think Ari is awesome. Beyond awesome in fact. I hope she reigns for the next 3000 years because there is no way I could ever know what she knows, and I think you know that, but I can't simply absorb all this at once. I need time. I don't know why Destiny chose me. Maybe more for the moment or maybe for the long haul, but Destiny chose me, and I need to respect that choice and so must you. But you're right, I need to do more, reach out more than just float on the heralds of Destiny. I want to do more, but I need your support. And your help."
"Now you sound like someone preparing to be Queen."
"Well, then. As a gesture of learning, I want to join the Juggerbol Team." Bo said confidently. Antony's eyebrows went up, surprised.
"Have you ever played a sport before? Any sport?" Antony asked.
"Here and there. I was even a cage fighter once."
"Hmp. Trying to prove yourself?" Antony asked.
"More like trying to ingratiate myself more." Bo replied.
"Juggerbol is not for the delicate. Your will get hurt. Your bones will be broken. Your very life will be at risk." Antony cautioned. Bo inhaled then exhaled.
"And it's a way I get to know you and your family even more."
"We all have other…easier interests. Mine is cooking, if you recall." Anthony said with a slight smile. Bo remembered alright, but to be honest her cooking skills weren't too far off from his.
"Am I in?"
"Bo…"
"You mean, Your Royal Highness." Bo corrected. Antony smiled wider.
"Your Royal Highness." Antony repeated. "Very well, then! We practice not only for the current season, but also for the next season. You can use the intervening time between this season and the next by joining our practice sessions and learning the rules of the game."
"Great! Looking forward to it!" Bo said. Antony quickly bowed then turned and walked off into the crowd.
"Cooking would've been less painful!" Antony shouted behind him as he walked away.
"But not as challenging!" Bo yelled back to the confused looks of nearby guests.
Bo chuckled to herself at the recollection as she walked along the corridors with the Seneschal. She smiled even wider at the recollection when she first told Lauren she had joined the Iron Hordes. It was after her first practice, and she had stumbled into their private chambers in her Juggerbol gear, covered in mud, tracking it up the stairs as she went.
"Lauren!" Bo called out.
Lauren came out from one of the side doors followed by their four children toddling out behind her.
"Oh. What's this?" Lauren asked.
"Joined the Juggerbol Team!" Bo replied excitedly.
"When did this happen?"
"I had asked Antony if I could join the team, and today was the first day of practice for me."
"And practicing in the mud was the order of the day, I take it?"
"Yeah. Antony thinks playing in the mud strengthens the legs." Bo replied as she kicked off her gear. Ethan, Char, Ryan and MaryAoife came up, arms up, all wanted to be held by her at once. Bo obliged and picked each one of them up and greeted them with a hug and kiss.
"They just had their baths." Lauren said as she shook her head. Then Lauren noticed something.
"Bo, your eyes." Lauren said.
"Huh?"
"Your eyes. They're…on."
"Really?" Bo then stood up and went to the nearest mirror, and sure enough, her baby blues were staring back at her.
"Gosh! Well, practice was intense I didn't even notice. Have they been on the whole time?" Bo asked the Seneschal.
"Once you started practicing your eyes shifted." The Seneschal replied.
"Wow! Didn't even notice." Bo said.
"Neither did I until I thought about it." Lauren added.
"That's because you both are becoming use to living in a wholly Fae world." The Seneschal replied.
Bo said then returned her attention to their four children who were at her legs all trying to get her to pick them up again while the Seneschal cleaned up behind her.
"Honey, why don't you finish taking off your gear in the next room? You're leaving a mud trail."
"Oh yeah," Bo looked at the Seneschal, "Sorry." They nodded their heads as they continued to clean up behind her.
"I take it you enjoyed it?"
"It was glorious! Where has this game been all my life?"
"Well, now you and Antony have something to bond on for sure." Lauren replied. Bo smiled. They surely did.
However, when Lauren and Dyson attended a scrimmage match to cheer her on neither one of them were happy by the end of it. Antony had made sure Bo understood the full weight and measure of what she was getting herself into.
After a series of passing exchanges, Elena threw the ball at Bo, who caught it but as soon as she turned around to run she was leveled hard by one of the Iron Horde players. So hard that she was knocked almost ten feet away from where she caught the ball and was sprawled on her back. The force of the hit made both Lauren and Dyson bolt out of their seats.
"Bo!" Lauren yelled, and covered her nose and face with both hands, petrified.
Bo had laid there for several moments until Antony walked over to her, bent over, and started talking to her. To this day, Bo cannot recall exactly what he had said, but then he went to one knee as she extended her hand, placed it on Antony's arm and healed from Antony. A couple minutes later he stood up himself and waited until she had rolled over, up and onto her knees, shook her head, then slowly stood up, shook her head again, and then rejoined the huddle. She saw that Lauren collapsed back into her seat, her hands still over her face.
After the scrimmage, both Lauren and Dyson had made it known they were not happy.
"You're not playing this game anymore!" Lauren declared.
"Lauren, I can do this!" Bo protested.
"Are you kidding me right now? Do you even remember what happened out there?" Lauren said.
"You took hits that were made for linebackers wearing steel armor!" Dyson added.
"I can hang with the rest of the team. I just need more practice." Bo defended.
"At what? Trying to dodge killing blows?" Lauren added as she took out a scanner and scanned Bo. "What the hell? You had three ribs shattered?"
"I healed from Antony. I'm fine." Bo defended.
"Honey, this game is just not for you, and I'm am not just concerned about the physical damage but your pain threshholds." Lauren argued.
"I'm Fae too, remember?" Bo replied.
"Doesn't mean we find physical pain enjoyable." Dyson argued back. "Besides, the Fae you are playing up against are…are…"
"Super Fae." Lauren finished.
"So, then what the hell am I?" Bo asked.
"Baby Fae." Lauren chimed in. "And yes, that was me channeling Kenzi." Bo gave her a side look. "Honey, I cannot watch you take hits like that again." Lauren replied.
"Neither can I. We thought you were really hurt out there." Dyson joined.
"Well, instead of criticizing, maybe you should join me?" Bo said to Dyson.
"Really?" Dyson replied. Bo exhaled.
"Look, we have all watched the game and seen them play and yes, it's dangerous. We know that, but I really like the game, and I want to challenge myself."
"And?" Lauren pushed.
"And yes. It helps me grow closer to the Ruling Family. Let's make a deal. If it gets too crazy then I'll quit. Okay?"
Lauren and Dyson looked at her.
"I just have one thing to say." Lauren said.
"What's that?" Bo queried.
"Mary can never see you playing this game." Lauren replied.
"That's for sure." Dyson added.
"I know. She would literally walk onto the field and drag me off." Bo replied. "Do we have a deal?"
"Fine. But I can't promise I won't be a worried wreck watching you." Lauren replied.
"I wouldn't expect anything else." Bo said and then assured Lauren with a kiss on the lips.
But what was unexpected that despite Lauren's protestations, it seemed Bo's sweaty practice sessions, returning home in her Juggerbol gear, all sweaty and dirty, had an unintended positive effect on their sex life. It only made Bo more attractive to Lauren, and Bo found this out in the most surprising way.
After one practice session, Bo, Julian, Dakari, Elena, Ariella, Halsar Surko and Usha Jakande all decided to head back to Bo's private chambers for drinks. Bo and Lauren had defaulted into using the upstairs part of their home that was the size of a wing at the Lourve for everyday use and the downstairs part for formal occasions. As they walked down an upstairs hallway headed for one of the sitting rooms they suddenly heard music. It was a slow, sexy song that clearly had intent to it. They all looked around then looked at one another when the lights suddenly dimmed.
"Freak me, baby. Uh yeah. Freak Me baby. Uh huh. Freak me baby. Let me lick you up and down…til you say stop."
Then at the opposite end of the corridor Lauren stepped out from the left side of the balcony terrace with the evening moonlit sky and flanking torches as a backdrop. The first thing Bo noticed was the black four-inch heels and as her eyes made their way upward she saw Lauren had worn a push-up black negligee bra and matching hi-cut underwear. She wore a lightly draped sheer white robe which was wide open. Her hair was worn down, curled and full-bodied. Lauren put one leg out, placed her right arm on right hip and looked straight at Bo. Everyone with Bo had various reactions from smiles to dropped jaws.
Dakari stepped up next to Bo and whispered, "I think you have other plans this evening. Don't get hurt tangling with the good Doctor." Bo smiled at that last comment. Dakari then led the rest of the group out.
"Well, hello!" Bo said as she stepped forward. Lauren smiled. "To what do I owe all this?"
"There's no owing. Just mood."
"Well, you certainly had quite the audience."
"There's so much activity around here I can't be shy about an opportune moment."
"I should've known something was up when the Seneschal didn't say anything."
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"It is." Bo went up and kissed her.
After they broke their kiss, Bo said, "Let me jump in the shower really quick. Get out of this muddy gear."
"Here. Let me help you." Lauren replied as she worked to take off the Bo's Juggerbol jacket. Once it fell open to reveal a sweaty undershirt Lauren ran hers hands up the center of Bo's chest.
"Guess, you like me in my sweaty, muddy, grimy Juggerbol gear?"
"You have no idea." Lauren said as she grasped Bo's head with both hands, and Bo grasped Lauren by the buttocks and they embraced in a deep kiss.
Bo had a wide grin on her face by the time she arrived back at her offices and knocked herself out of reverie. Willa and Landon, her Principal aides greeted her at the door and informed her that Trick and Dyson were already inside her inner office waiting for her.
"Thanks!" Bo replied as she went and they followed behind her. The doors opened to her inner office and Dyson and Trick stood up and bowed.
"Really?" Bo said.
"Formalities, Your Royal Highness." Trick reminded. Bo then greeted them both with a quick hug and kiss.
"So how goes the battle?" Bo said as she rounded her desk and looked at the work Willa and Landon pointed out to her.
"Our presentation before Brynai Society of Engineers' Special Commission for Technology went well. Elder Santoni did well under Commissioner Maestas's questioning." Trick replied.
"We have another session happening tomorrow." Dyson added.
"How's Tamsin?" Bo asked. Although Dyson had been at the Presidium for three months he would periodically return to the County to spend some quiet time with Tamsin.
"She's keeping everything together over there. If the Elders don't drive her mad first."
"I bet."
"Kenzi popped in on her for a visit before she had to run off again."
"How's she doing, by the way?" Dyson asked.
"Keeping up with her Agency duties as much as she can. She leaves me a message here and there. I miss her though." Bo replied.
"You know, one day when we are not all spread across the Realm we should get together for dinner." Trick said.
"That sounds wonderful." Bo replied then focused hard on something Landon showed her. Her eyesbrows furrowed then her expression changed.
"Is this for real?" Bo asked Landon who nodded his head. Bo dropped in her chair behind her.
"Can I just go back to being just plain, old Bo? Just pack everyone up and return to the County?" Bo asked in exasperation.
"Mine are already packed." Dyson replied. Trick chuckled at them both.
"Just breathe." Trick advised. "What's going on?"
"What isn't! The Brassington Delegation is pissed at the Forres Delegation for writing some sort of clause into their agreements with Shorer Conglomerate while the Drustain Delegation is fighting with Rhaxma Delegation over sea use rights on the Seas of Kaennimos plane. And Primus Gracer is up my ass about resolving some dispute between the Eudora Delegation and Atherley, because that's a fight between the Prescotti and Tulach Dynasties that no one wants to deal with. And this is all just today! Not to mention the fact Primus Andathis introduced the marriage question between Fae and Humans today." Bo answered.
"Now that's a bulletin I missed." Trick replied. "When did that happen?"
"A few hours ago. I had to join a meeting with The Queen on the review of the laws because of this whole Supremacy versus Divestment issue, and that is when he dropped the hot potato. I just came from that." Bo replied.
"What were the reactions?" Trick asked.
"You could have heard a pin drop in a haystack on the next plane of existence it was so quiet. But the question will be heard." Bo replied.
"Before whom?" Trick asked.
"The Sphere of Judges."
"That's the highest court in the Realm." Trick asked.
"Can't The Queen just declare it? She is, after all The Queen." Dyson asked.
"Ari has made it one of her tenants of rule to maintain the balance between Sovereign and the government as Regnant Einiah did." Trick replied.
"But there's a movement to change that, right?" Dyson said.
"Yes, there is, but it's a delicate dance. Ari may be the Sovereign but she needs the governmental structures to help her rule." Trick replied. Dyson exhaled and shook his head.
Trick looked at Bo. "Who plans to argue the question?"
"At first, they decided upon someone by the name of Basileios Thelander."
"The First Litigator of the Realm?"
"Yeah but then Prime Representative Ume Yeruva objected to Thelander's selection on behalf Rajah Steellash who was too chickenshit to be in the room." Both Trick and Dyson rolled their eyes.
"So, they decided upon Jock."
"Jock. Jock Prescotti?" Trick repeated.
"Is he a bad choice?" Duson asked.
"Quite the opposite. Jock is a member of the Pillar of Law, and quite brilliant. I understand he turned down an opportunity to join the Magesterium of Judges, which is the next step to sitting on the Sphere of Judges in favor of the Sanctuary." Trick replied
"Yeah, they didn't expect that selection." Bo added.
"Who proposed his name?" Dyson asked.
"Grand Ducal Theodosia du Morvois." Bo replied.
"Hm." Trick said to himself.
"What does that 'hm' mean?" Bo asked.
"From what I hear Antony's ex is no dummy either."
"Everything she does has intent, Your Royal Highness. I would advise mindfulness where she is concerned." Landon added.
"Do you know her?" Dyson asked Landon.
"Of her, Your Excellency." Landon replied.
"In any event, I need to find Lauren. Tell her the news." Bo said as she got from her chair and walked out of her office.
