- Hello, friends. I hope you're all doing well. It's been a long time since I last updated any of my stories. I won't get into any specifics but let's just say there were a few problems in life that took a while to fix. In moments like that, it's damn near impossible to focus on anything else.
- Don't expect any regular updates like before. Things are still busy as hell on my end so new releases will be sporadic at best...if at all.
Enjoy.
...
Signing her name at the end of the document, the Queen of Symkaria finally set the pen down. There was a bit of soreness flaring up in her right wrist...no doubt a side effect from all of the writing that needed to be done. She took a moment to read the agreement in it's entirety once more. For most of the day, Sable had been looking over the many official reports that were stacked on her desk. There were also a few documents that required her signature. Fortunately, the paper in her hands now was the very last one to be signed.
"Everything looks to be in order." Sable mumbled before she folded the trade agreement and sealed it into an envelope. "Have this delivered to the English Parliament. It must arrive there by tomorrow morning."
Aurelie bowed her head, accepting the important document. "I'll have it sent out immediately, milady."
"Is there anything else that I need to look at?"
"No. That was the last of the paperwork for today. You can rest now."
The young monarch breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that. When you're finished with sending that agreement, could you make a cup of tea for me?"
"Of course." Her faithful servant said. "I'll be back in a moment."
"There's no rush. Thank you, Aurelie."
Her faithful friend bowed once more before she moved to complete her assigned tasks. Sable stood up from her chair and walked towards the window. There was surprisingly no snowfall today but the skies remained covered with grey clouds. Blankets of snow already filled the streets and roads below anyways, enough of which warranted caution for the people traveling outside. The faint shape of the sun could be seen in the skies...though it's warm rays of light could not pierce through the clouds.
All in all, this was one of those days where it was best to remain indoors.
A pair of strong arms suddenly embraced her by the waist from behind. Despite being caught off guard for a brief moment, Sable didn't grow alarmed in the slightest. She just smiled and closed her eyes. "Welcome home, Peter. How are you?"
Peter breathed in her lovely scent. "Not bad. Jessica and I patrolled the streets together today but there wasn't any serious trouble. We did run into the Scorpion though, who was trying to rob a bank."
"In the middle of the day? That's not a very wise move."
"Mac wasn't exactly a bright guy to begin with. Fortunately, nobody got hurt except for him. I was able to tear off the mechanical tail from his suit and then Jessica broke his jaw by kicking him across the face."
The Queen of Symkaria nodded in approval. "I would've just shot that murderous piece of trash in both of his legs. Him suffering a severely broken jaw is good enough too, I guess."
Her beloved just smirked. "That might not be so bad actually. We wouldn't have to worry about Mac returning to cause trouble again for a while."
"I'll be sure to use armour piercing rounds then if I ever get the chance."
"Now I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard. So how are you feeling? Aurelie told me you've been working in your office from the morning until now."
"I'm alright. My mind's just a bit weary from reading the many arid reports that were stacked on my desk." She said, turning around to face him. "I'm happy to say my work is finally done. Now I can rest and relax for the rest of the day."
He grew thoughtful for a moment. "Hope and Anya will be coming over later in the evening. Maybe we could all watch a movie together after dinner. It'll be a nice way to relax and unwind after a hard day's worth of work."
That didn't sound like a bad suggestion. If Sable was being honest, it's been a long time since she last saw a good movie. There were probably a few decent films that have been released over the years. Peter's plan seemed like the perfect chance for her to get caught up on at least one of them.
Sable raised her hand to caress the side of his face. "I'd like that. I'll ask Sofia to prepare some popcorn and beverages for tonight. Which movie are we watching?"
"I don't know yet. We should probably ask the girls about it. The two of them might have some ideas."
"Good thinking. This movie night should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too." Peter said before he leaned forward to kiss her. Savouring the masculine warmth of his breath, Sable lovingly kissed him back with a smile.
...
Later in the evening...
The living room was silent as the four of them watched the fight unfold on TV. Despite the battle being a bloody and grisly one, Hope and Anya couldn't take their eyes off of the screen. They were both engrossed in the movie from the minute it started...doubly so in Hope's case. Like the Queen of Symkaria, there hadn't been a lot of time or opportunities for her to watch many movies. This film was the first one the red-headed mutant has seen in years and she was happy that they all chose to watch it tonight.
From the couch where she and Peter were sitting, Sable smirked at the expression of awe on her student's face. "Looks like Hope is really enjoying the movie."
He leaned in close to her ear. "It's good to see her and Anya so relaxed like this. What about you? How are you finding it?"
They refocused their attention on the TV for a moment. The protagonist was now leading his ragtag band of allies in a fierce counter-offensive against their enemies. Said foes were little more than unwitting pawns for the main villain though. One couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for them as they were mercilessly cut down. Hope and Anya understandably winced when they saw one woman get her head sliced off.
Their mentors on the other hand didn't even flinch at the sudden decapitation. Having witnessed people suffer much worse deaths in real life over the years, this fictional depiction of a swift beheading didn't bother them too much.
"The film is very good. I'm impressed by the stellar acting performances of the cast and the story is quite compelling. What's the title called again?"
"Gladiator. It was released in 2000. I first saw the movie with Ben and May about a few years after it came out. Many consider it to be one of the best epic historical drama films to be made."
The young monarch rested her head on his shoulder. "I can understand why. Would that I had taken the time to see this movie sooner."
"Better late than never. I think the fact that we're all watching it together now makes it all the more fun." Peter whispered, placing his arm around her.
There were no arguments on her part. Being able to watch a classic film like Gladiator with the people she loved was a lot better than it would've been watching by her lonesome.
When the gladiators finally defeated their foes in the colosseum, Anya and Hope joined the on-screen audience in cheering for Maximus. It only took them a couple of seconds later to remember where they were. The two teenaged girls felt a bit embarrassed as they sat back down and munched away on some popcorn. Peter and Sable just shared a hearty chuckle, amused by their excitement for the movie.
...
- I hate to say it but my writing ability has declined a lot in the past few months. My apologies if it's not up to par with some of my previous work. Take care, friends.