Back on the bridge, Jarok was still initiating contacts, as Char had left before finishing the job. Sometimes when Char got excited he just wasn't very thorough, and it drove Jarok crazy. Once he had finished communicating with everyone, including the Queen's aid to organize the wedding and the coronation, he shut off the video screen and let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly he felt a great wash of joy at their homecoming, and grabbed Raven by the arms, dragging her to him in a close embrace and laughing loudly and raucously. He pursed his lips and brought them within centimeters of her face and then froze rigidly. Something about the look of blazing hatred that was engulfing her features made him stop. He realized he valued his bodily health above a kiss from a girl he hated anyway. The more he thought about it, the more he realized she really was disgusting and the embodiment of everything he despised. Looking back a few seconds, he could barely comprehend what had driven him to that desperation in the first place; it must have simply been the excitement of coming home again. Nothing could possibly have made him ever want to kiss her.
He shook his head and stood up, leaving her alone in the room, took one look at the Char and Xanthee kissing in the other room, and promptly returned. "Don't you wish they could keep their hands to themselves at least occasionally?" He asked Raven, pushing the disaster of a couple minutes ago, hoping she'd forget it and drop it.
Raven opened here mouth to insult him about it, but thought better of it. She had almost been craving it she had thought at first, but of course that couldn't be true. He was a pig, and the only reason she had wanted the kiss was because she'd never had one before. She lounged back in her chair and decided to join him in his observation. "Yea, I do. Actually, I wish Xanthee could keep her hands off both of them. She's my best friend and all, but really! I mean, come on people! She's using them both, and they're so obsessed with her that neither of them cares. She's all…perfect, and beautiful, and all that stuff, it's just not fair. As long as each of them can have her in their own way, I guess they can turn their heads when she's with the other."
Jarok nodded his approval. At least he wasn't the only one that felt that way. What had seemed a good idea at the time now appeared to be a disaster. He had hoped to show Xanthee how much more appealing Char was than anything she could have had on Earth. Unfortunately, the plan backfired; he hadn't counted on Wolf being so similar to his best friend of forever. And rather than Xanthee letting him down, she kept encouraging Wolf to take an interest in her. He knew that Char was in love, but he didn't know how this little affair might influence the kingdom. "What is there to do?" He mused softly to himself.
Raven brightened slightly. "I think I know," she laughed.
Jarok looked up at her oddly, not expecting her to have heard him. "What? Do you have an idea?" He scooted closer to her, knees touching as they sat in their respective chairs.
Raven laughed again. "How bought we…break them up?"
A look of horror came across his face and he scooted back again. "Break up Char and Xanthee?! We can't, they have to get married! Do you understand how much I had to go through to bring those two together?" He leaned forward and started shaking her shoulders to add emphasis to his words.
After a time of extreme puzzlement, she barked out a laugh. "Not Char, you idiot!" She pulled out of his grasp and crossed her legs, placing the tips of her fingers together. "I mean Wolf. It'd have to be something pretty serious for Xan to not love him anymore; heck, I'm not sure it is possible without killing him off."
Jarok shrugged. "Then why not try it? Just hire an assassin, quick and easy. No trouble at all."
"Are you kidding? He's still my friend! We can't just kill him off that easy, even if I am jea- er, upset about the whole relationship thing. Maybe…have someone seduce him? I doubt she'd want to touch him after he's been unfaithful." Her lips curled into a smile.
Jarok felt a spark of inspiration. "What about a long-acting poison?"
"What, you mean like Romeo and Juliet style?" She laughed at his blank look. Never heard of Romeo and Juliet?
He shook his head. "No, can't say that I have, what is it?"
"That's not what's important. What is, is the use of the long-acting poison that Juliet takes, making her lover Romeo think she's dead. That would be absolutely perfect! Brilliant! It'd be even better if we could combine it with the seduction idea. Won't Xan be surprised to find lipstick all over her little Wolfie's body, and he seemingly dead? Ah, I love it Jarok. You're a genius, I'll give you that much."
Jarok beamed at the compliment. "Then that's set, let me set in a call for an assassin; there are some advantages to still living in this monarchy of ours. I think I just found the perfect one." He brought up a picture of a very tall, buxom woman on the screen. She had long brunette hair, a strand of which was draped over her face, and was wearing a floor length black gown. He laughed. "I remember this girl from when I was younger! Always wondered what'd happened to her…" He finished the inquiry and sat back, nerves tingling. He jumped when he felt Raven's hesitant arms around him in a weak hug.
She sat back with a stutter and then got up to bustle about aimlessly, tucking the raven-feather amulet back into her shirt as she did so. "Don't get any ideas, Jarok; that was just for being so damn smart. I still think you're a shallow pig."
Rolling his eyes, he mumbled under his breath, "Someday, somehow, woman, I'm going to show you."
Acting as though she hadn't heard him, she wandered away with a skip in her step back to her chambers to pack up the random garments she had collected while on board from Xan's wardrobe. After all, not everything could fit that girl, small as she was, especially on a planet like this.
Following suit, a very frustrated Jarok set about gathering his few oddball things, his anger growing as he thought about Raven. Somehow I've got to prove to her that I'm not shallow, I don't care how. I'll show her, stupid women! All of them!
They both exited their rooms at nearly the same time and rolled their eyes at the spectacle that Char and Xan were creating. He was very intent on showing affection to his bride-to-be, and she wasn't doing much to stop him. Currently, he had his hand on her stomach and his lips on her neck. Xanthee, although not stopping him, seemed to be in a world all her own, eyes focused intently on the unchanging door of Wolf's room. Jarok cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, all is set, and we have very little time to get to the palace. Your parents are awaiting your arrival." He bowed deeply as he stood and walked stiffly to the door of the ship, Raven on his heels.