A few hours later, as the first sun had risen and daylight was getting brighter, SkekSil opened his eyes and smelled the room. He yawned and knew it wasn't his room. Then he remembered he had slept in the girl's room after an evening of private dancing. He was about to rise when he felt weight on his right side.
He looked to his right and there he saw the human girl lying on his chest with his arm wrapped around her. He didn't remember doing anything with her last night out of the ordinary. Somehow, she had moved next to him and went to sleep like this. This must of have meant something special. But he knew that he needed to get up and go greet the day. It would be time for the morning Crystal Ceremony soon. He had to wake her up.
"Hmmm, Human, wake up. Morning. Must wake up now." Sil started talking and nudging her to wake. She moaned on him, not wanting to wake up yet. When the gentle talking didn't do anything, he had to make himself louder. "Wake up!"
"Hm!" The girl raised her head and jumped from him shouting. It made her also accidentally strike him in the side of his stomach.
"AGGGH! OW!" Sil cried out in pain, and he wanted to hold the spot.
"Oh, sorry. You just scared me so suddenly like that." she declared. Sil had unwrapped his arm from around her and his hand went to hold and rub his belly where she had hit him.
"I not remember getting so close in bed last night." Sil stated.
"Well, sometimes we can't control what we do in our sleep either." She proclaimed. "I didn't mean to do anything rash."
"Must get up and go do Skeksis things before human has to get up. Ritual." Sil said. "Must get dressed and leave now."
Chamberlain reluctantly got up from the bed and got dressed. Her scent was on him.
"Sorry I hit you. You alright?" she asked.
"Yes. Small bruise. Little pain." Sil replied.
"I hope you don't regret what happened last night with me." The girl begged.
"What? Dance or sleep in same bed?"
"Sleeping together."
"No. Comfy bed. Just little shock waking up to Human on me." Sil stated.
"Yeah, I can understand."
Sil finished getting his clothes on and knew he had to be out of here before the other Skeksis were. He didn't want them to know that he was involved in the development of more of his kind's ways with the girl. They would most likely disapprove right now.
The girl felt pleased with herself, however. When Sil was away from the others, he didn't seem too bad now that they were trying a friendship together. She laid down and went back to sleep for a while. It was still early for her. Of course, she had no idea what the Skeksis did every morning with the Crystal.
The girl wasn't allowed to eat with the Skeksis. She would eat when she was ready. The Gelflings weren't even allowed to be in their dining hall. Though it had been different at one time.
Sometime later in the morning, the girl got out of bed and got dressed so she could go do her daily chores. She paid little attention to the Podlings and guards in the hallways, just stayed out of their way. She went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast first before proceeding to the throne room to inform the emperor on Gelfling roles outside the castle, that one of the Gelfling had done with her yesterday.
There would soon come another time for the Scroll Keeper and Collector to go to Ha'rar, the Gelfling capital city in the north. There were crop concerns in the Spriton Plains.
The Skeksis had told her of the Gelfling clans, but she wasn't all that familiar with each one, just their roles. All Gelflings served under the Skeksis, even in the outside world, but the ones who weren't guards didn't serve here in the castle so much.
Sometimes the girl would look at all the living beings here in Thra and would still miss the comforts of her own world, but the girl preferred this world that wasn't so full of humans. The Gelflings reminded her enough of them but had better ways to know how to live more in harmony with their environment. She didn't mind conversing with the Gelflings at times.
During the day, Chamberlain tried to show no favor to the girl while he was on duty. His softer side was only shown in private. He had a reputation to uphold here in the castle. He didn't want to lose his position as the emperor's advisor again so soon. His injuries and fever had put a damper on it for a few days awhile back when they happened, but it was done and over with. The injuries were now healed.
While the girl was in the throne room, sometimes she would glance at SkekSil. He would look around and give her friendly looks with a smile. But he couldn't hold favor to her while the other Skeksis were around.
One night while they were together on another teaching lesson, she said, "I do miss being able to watch television."
"What's that?" Sil asked curiously.
"Well, we have these special picture boxes. When they first started out, they were box tvs. That's the short word for it. The pictures were in black and white, mostly an ugly gray look to the viewing images. But as time progressed, soon, it got to be in color. Then we got these flat screen tvs. Didn't take up so much space. But it was amazing what you could watch on them. From documentaries to scary movies. And kid shows. Animal shows. They were great sources of information and seeing creatures that you've never seen before." The girl explained.
"Sounds fascinating. Sometimes Crystal shows us images when something wrong out in wilderness. That could be our tv of which you speak." Sil declared.
"It's close, yes. But I'm talking of programs that can go on for longer than a few minutes. They can go on for a good long time too. But it all varied on how long each movie was. How they were made. But it was something special." She sighed. "But it would be impossible to view it here. You guys don't quite have the technology that it requires to make one work, let alone build one. Of course, I don't know how to make one."
"If Scientist knew of this, he would want to know of it, or go to your world to know what it is." Sil stated.
"Uh, believe me, even as fascinating as my world sounds to you, it would be much more dangerous for you. My kind have weapons that are far more advanced than what you have here. You guys all would be in real danger. You don't want to meet the military forces of Earth. They don't take kindly to other life forms. I was just one of these rare ones that likes other living beings that are not human, even though your ways are similar to my kind's own. And if more than the military also knew of your Crystal, they would want to steal it for their own gains." she explained.
"No one steals our Crystal, ever!" Sil snapped.
"That's why it's better off here and our worlds don't meet. It's for the greater good." she declared.
"And what if you were given chance to go home? Would you? Hmmm?"
"I don't know. I've grown to love it here. I've learned to go without the things from Earth." She replied. "But there will always be things that I'll miss from home. Here is better than there. Too many humans live there as it is."
"Good." Sil said. "Let's get back to reading lesson." She agreed with him.
...
Weeks later, both Sil and the girl were really influenced in knowing how to read each other's writing.
"Can we keep this our secret language?" The girl asked. "So the others won't know what the messages say in case we write messages to one another?"
"Chamberlain like that idea, Human." Sil smiled.
Outside their lessons in her room nearly every night, there did come times when some other Skeksis would see Lord Chamberlain leaving the human's room when he would usually have been in his own room a long time ago. Usually, ones like the Scroll Keeper or the General might turn in later than usual to bed. Or the Ritual Master. Var and Zok were often the most suspicious ones.
One time, the General did spy Sil leaving her room to go to his own. What was he doing in the human's room so late? But then, he knew the Chamberlain was super nosy in everyone's business. Some idiotic reason no doubt on his part. He didn't worry about it, but he would keep it in mind if he could ruin Sil's reputation somehow.
...
For the time as long as it had been for Sil and the girl to be learning each other's writing, they had learned to trust one another. There was even a time when Sil ordered another Skeksis to deliver a message to the girl herself. He had used her own writing on the scroll letter. He had asked the Scroll Keeper to take a letter to her.
Ok reluctantly did so. But when he was alone on the way to take it to her, his own curiosity got the better of him. Why would the Chamberlain be asking him to take a message to the human? He opened up the letter to read it. Was there something going on between them secretly?
But when he saw the words on the letter, he thought his vision was confused for a moment, for he couldn't read a thing this message said. "Huh? What is this message?!" Ok screeched.
Sil then came around the corner. He had been secretly following him to make sure he delivered it to the girl. "SkekOk! You are to deliver to Human. Not read my letter!" Sil scolded him.
"What is this message, Chamberlain?! You can't even read it!" Ok exclaimed.
"That's something in special code only for Human." Sil declared.
"So, you two are conspiring together!" Ok jumped to conclusions.
"No! Just little something of we come up with to talk of when she serves me. She just another servant of Chamberlain." Sil proclaimed. "Nothing more. Now just see she gets letter. No other Skeksis can read it anyway."
"Fine! But you better not be conspiring against the emperor, Chamberlain!" Ok growled. He was in a grumpy mood. He finally rolled the scroll up and went on his way now that he knew he wouldn't be able to read it.
SkekSil grinned and whimpered proudly. Their writing lessons were definitely paying off. Not even SkekOk could read that writing. The Gelfling wouldn't be able to either. Then that gave Sil another thought: was the girl even giving the Gelfling lessons too? He hoped not.
The Scroll Keeper arrived to the girl's whereabouts in the kitchen, getting some lunch for herself. The Gourmand was off with the Ornamentalist at the moment.
"Human!" Ok screeched at her.
It startled the girl so much she dropped her plate of food to the floor. It also scared the Podlings in there with her. "Oh, Lord Scroll Keeper. Sorry, you scared me." She had a hand on her chest.
"I see. Clean up this mess you made. But here is a message from the Chamberlain to you." Ok gave her the scroll.
"Uh, thank you, my lord," she stated.
"Since when could you read our writing?" Ok inquired.
"I can't." She lied.
"Then why does the Chamberlain write you a message?"
"Just for anytime of when we need to talk of my service to him." She replied.
"He called it a 'special code.'" Ok proclaimed.
"Yes, that's the better way to put it. It is our own special code." She cleared it up.
"Whatever, Human, just don't go upsetting the emperor, unless you want another punishment." Ok mocked her.
"I wouldn't dare do anything to make him mad." She scolded him. "Stop doubting me so much! It's all in the past about Lord Chamberlain's accident. And it was just one time I did something stupid! It won't happen again!"
"Better not." Ok warned then left her alone.
The girl hated that some still doubted her at times, but then that was just Skeksis nature. They did it with their own all the time. But she wasn't one of their kind.
She then proceeded to open up the scroll to see what her lord and friend's message said. She could read it as it was in her alphabet. Sil had mastered it as best he could.
"To Human,
Meet Chamberlain for dinner tonight in old ball room where we have dance.
Signed,
SkekSil/Lord Chamberlain
Was all the message read.
Was he inviting her for dinner and a dance? Like a date? It seemed so romantic! She smiled. Then she looked at it again. She noticed the SkekSil part. She had never seen that part of his name before. She would ask him about it later.
The Podlings were confused. "Um, clean up this mess please." The girl then ordered them. "I have to see to this message. You, come with me." She ordered one of the Podling men.
The one she ordered to follow her went after her as she left the kitchen. The others did as they were told. She went to her room, and they went inside where she wrote a response to the letter. Then she said, "Take this back to Lord Chamberlain." she instructed.
The Podling man nodded and said something in his language and left the room in reply. She hoped he would deliver to the right Skeksis.
Minutes later, as Chamberlain was with the Emperor, then the Podling came into the room and shook his robe. Sil looked down at him.
"For you." The Podling said.
"Good." Sil replied. "Now go, slave."
"What's that, Chamberlain?" SkekSo asked.
"Nothing, Sire. Please, go ahead with directing me." Sil smiled. "Just message for me."
The Emperor glared at his advisor. "From who?" he demanded.
"From SkekOk."
"Read it." So ordered.
Sil swallowed. He knew he had to make something up quickly. If it was from the girl, he had to lie. He opened up the scroll and read it to himself first.
My Lord Chamberlain, I accept your invitation. I'll be there tonight.
It made Sil feel good about himself, but what was he going to say to the Emperor? Then an idea came to him. "It says, Need help in library with securing plans to Ha'rar in few days." Sil lied. He knew Ok going to the capital was soon upon him.
"Alright. You can do that after we finish our discussion." SkekSo decreed.
"Yes, Emperor." Sil replied. He was usually good at manipulating even his leader. At least this time. But he was glad the girl had accepted his invitation. He would have to be sneaky in order to prepare for this special evening.
After the business with the emperor was done, the Chamberlain went about some other chores checking on around the castle. As the day was winding down, he went to the kitchen to ask the Gourmand for the fruit and vegetables that the girl liked so much.
"What do you want it for? These are not your favorites." Ayuk asked.
"Not of your business. Just gather much of it. Need it, Gourmand." Sil ordered. "And meat for me. Chamberlain has dinner plans elsewhere tonight."
This seemed weird. All the Skeksis that were in the castle usually ate at the dining hall table unless they were under strict punishments. And Sil wasn't under punishment right now. Ayuk continued giving him what he wanted.
Sil left the kitchen with two bags of food in his hands, along with plates for him and his 'date.'
