It took some time before the newcomers would gain official titles, attaining such thanks to their skill and aptitudes.
Due to her physical prowess and obstinate determination in battle, SkekArra was appointed as the lead sentry. Thanks to her stealth and cunning, SkekMeh became the scout.
With her desire of exploration and knowledge, SkekRin was appointed the official herald of the court.
SkekLiat struggled fiercely against the odds against her before becoming the Barrister. Though she was certain it was only because the Emperor slightly tolerates her better than SkekSil, the chamberlain.
Life in the castle might be luxurious but it was also harsh as the darkest wilds of Thra. Everyone is in a hierarchy of some sort. But, being females, they suffer the taunts from some of the more brutish, rugged skeksis while trying to survive in an environment of intrigues and ambitions. Co-existing in a court full of hermaphrodites, as they were, they quickly learned to be cold or harsh, to hide emotions and inner weaknesses to the world.
The females have made 'friends', rivals or enemies that are either higher or lower on the Skeksan social chart. It would seem that from the very beginning, SkekMeh would not nor was she able to be on amicable terms with the Ritual master.
"Watch where you tread before you're in too deep!"
"Why is it that obvious, SkekZok?" SkekMeh taunted him with a catty glance.
"Don't be impertinent! And you will refer to me or the others by our occupation, here we not address each other so informally!"
The scout shot him an icy glare. It angered her to have this arrogant prude treat her sisters and her like inferior beings!
Several of those spiteful petty things used their position to bully them but of course they refused to break.
It also didn't take for them find out their other motives.
"Oh!" SkekLiat huffed as she joined her sisters for a chat, "The hungry, jealous way those ruffians glance at us and Ekt. I frankly don't know whether to be flattered or appalled."
"Who? Tek, Var, Mal, Na and Ung?" SkekRin questions looking up from the scrolls delivered to her by SkekOk the historian.
"Who else?"
SkekMeh scoffed, "Pah! Look at them, acting like the virile thugs that they are and yet with the right body language they'll do anything for a good coquetry towards them. How droll."
"We can be underhanded too. Let them work together, but we females can play them against each other. After all we have the looks why not put them to good use?" Arra says it because she enjoys verbally tantalizing the brute they call the Garthim-master.
First however they would need allegiances to form.
It was almost the same every other night…
What looked to be a large female gelfling with dark hair and blue-green eyes much her own. She was listening to an older male holding a goblet of glass. The female then screams something but SkekArra was unable to hear the words as the female suddenly struck at the male with something impulsively, breaking the glass goblet, spilling wine and causing gruesome damage…
SkekArra abruptly wakes up in cold sweat. That was a ghastly dream…
Strangely, she's not the only one with these mysterious visions.
In the bedchambers, Rin holds her head trying to recall the odd dream she had, or is it some sort of misplaced memory that belonged to someone else?
SkekMeh lies awake in her bed, trying to make sense of these nightly manifestations. It wasn't like she and the females could go to the scientist or the historian about these visions, and she'd be cursed before telling that pompous windbag they call a ritual-master about it.
What are these dreams and what did they mean? Maybe time will tell.
It didn't take long for the females to find alliances with the other skeksis. Surprisingly, SkekMeh's acrimonious disposition and sharp tongue made her a desirable 'partner' in the castle.
Yet for all her acid words, she'd joined up the military alliance with the brutish Garthim master, the slave driver and the mad scientist. SkekArra couldn't understand why SkekUng's cocky ferocity infuriated her. Or why they'd always end up squabbling each time they run into one another excluding mealtimes or the sun ceremony.
While SkekLiat felt that her assertion had met with disfavor among some of them. Except…
"We'll be seeing a lot of each other in the court, Barrister," SkekSil the chamberlain was saying ingratiatingly to her with one of his trademark whimpers.
SkekLiat humored him. He might be a schemer but at least he and the historian weren't as uncouth as the rest. And his whimper never truly bothered her as much it did the others.
"If you wish to discuss business, my lord it can wait till… tomorrow if you wish?" said the barrister with a rather coy smile.
Soon enough she and SkekArra were inducted into the diplomatic alliance with SkekEkt the Ornamentalist and SkekAyuk the gourmand as a way to prove that knowledge and cunning were true power above brute strength.
And to SkekMeh's disgust, SkekRin teamed up with the Religious alliance consisting of SkekZok the ritual master, SkekShod the treasurer and SkekOk the historian. Mostly since they appear to be the next most detached individuals and their unpredictability.
Perhaps something worthwhile will come out of all this after all.
To be continued…
Author's notes: Here's showing the allegiances the females joined and glimpses of what they're starting to remember bit by bit.