America the Beautiful

The minute Jubilee got a look at Landi's black eye, she burst into tears. Turns out that a reprimand wasn't needed for the college student. She was well aware that she'd fucked up and was willing to explain the how and why to anyone who would listen.

"Landi, I'm so sorry! I never should have-" She stopped her tearful confession when Landi wrapped her arms around her. This made her cry more.

"Shh… Hush, little one. It's over now. Everything worked out for the best, and no permanent damage was done. I don't blame you, Jubes; last night was a whole comedy of errors on everyone's part. We all made assumptions, didn't communicate very well, and failed to see the signs that something was wrong. Just relax, sweetie. There's no need to cry." She wiped the woman's face with the expensive towel from last night.

"But-"

"No 'buts', Jubes. Let it go." Jubilee swallowed the rest of her protest and looked around herself. Tyr had brought her and Ellura to Landi's apartment first thing in the morning on Saturday. The TV was paused; it seemed that she'd been watching an animated movie while leisurely cleaning up her apartment. Now she was rushing to pick up after herself. Her robe was open and fluttering around her as she cleaned up, her silky sleeveless pajama pants set on full display. She'd asked for five minutes when they rang the bell, but Tyr hadn't allowed it, demanding to be let in. Different law books were open and scattered across the furniture and clothes as well.

"Tyr! I only needed a few minutes to get this place in some semblance of order."

"You promised Jubilee that she could see your place today," he said innocently, grabbing her to stop her frantic straightening.

"But not like this! I just woke up a few minutes ago, I've barely brushed my teeth and I certainly haven't eaten! My suits are laid out on the furniture for goodness sake! There's no place to sit! I'm not even dressed," she added, pulling her robe closed. "And there's a kid's movie on! This is a disaster…" She covered her hot cheeks in shame. The prince uncovered her, not liking the look of smug satisfaction on Ellura's face, and kissed her thoroughly until she was leaning on him.

"You taste delicious, Alhamia. Like every forbidden sweet I've ever craved. As for the clothes, we'll help you clean up. After that we can watch the movie. I happen to like cartoons." (Protectress)

"Okay," she said with a tentative smile. "Just let me jump in the shower and get dressed. I'll only be-"

"No." The prince was already in her robe, caressing her side and enjoying her shiver.

"N-no?" she gasped.

"I like this on you, Sweetling. You can shower after the movie," he whispered against the side of her head. The woman shivered again and pulled away from him to gather her things from the couches. It didn't take long for the room to be cleaned up with five people working at it. The books were placed back on their shelves - after being bookmarked with paper towels. The clothes were gathered and put back in the closet as they weren't ready for dry cleaning just yet - she'd only been airing them out. And the dishes were rinsed and put in the dishwasher. Then they watched The Princess and the Frog from the beginning, Landi and Jubilee singing along with the music. Tyr had her settled in his lap and was playing in her locks through the silk scarf on her head. He could only marvel at how long her hair was.

"How long have you been growing your hair, Landi? It's beautiful."

"Mom and I made the bet when I was five, so… "

"Bet?" Jubilee asked, sensing a story.

"I've always been a fan of R&B and soul music. Some of my favorite artists at the time were Brandy and India Arie. I begged and begged to get extensions, but my mother was having none of it. She said that my hair was too soft and that fake hair would shear it off. That's when she introduced me to the concept of dreadlocks. She promised me that my own hair would grow as long as the extensions if I was patient and I agreed. The bet was that I would get sick of having my hair like that. If I ever ask her to cut it, Mom will dye my hair a bold, primary color and I will have to keep it like that for a week. In exchange, Mom maintains my hair for me. I love having long hair! I won't even let her trim it a few feet. She gets so annoyed with me when it's time to wash and maintain it. I was supposed to give up on my locks within a few months. Instead it's been twenty-four years and my locks are down to my knees. I keep it in a big bun mostly so most people don't know how long it is."

"It's amazing, Alhamia. I can't believe I didn't know you had all this hair. Can you wear it down for me today?" Alandra suddenly looked uncomfortable. (Protectress)

"I don't know…"

"Oh, come on, Landi! It's so beautiful, you shouldn't have it in a bun all the time!"

"I know, Jubes. It's just… My mother is the stylist of the family. The bun is the only official hairstyle I really know. When I want something fancy, I go to her. The most I can do is braid the locks while they're wet to kink it. And I've never just let it hang. What if it gets caught in a door or something?"

"We'll look out for you, Alandra," Hazma told her seriously. "Putting your hair in a ponytail for a day won't hurt it." The woman nodded, looking skyward as if praying for strength.

"Okay! I'll do it. I'll forgo the bun today." Tyr turned her head to his with a finger under her chin.

"Thank you, Alhamia. Your locks deserve some time in the spotlight. We should go to the museum today." (Protectress)

"Which one?" Landi asked distractedly as her favorite part of the movie came up. He chuckled at her innocence and watched as the Shadow Man tempted the main protagonist. When the credits were finished and he had her attention once more, Tyr picked up the conversation.

"I was thinking about the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There's plenty to see and do there. It'll take hours to get through it all." Landi nodded her agreement with his suggestion.

"And if the art doesn't hold our attention, there's always Central Park. Something interesting is bound to be happening."

"You're planning to take the Princesses of Alibhai and Lesotho into Central Park on a Saturday afternoon?" Hazma asked neutrally. This was enough to trigger the New York native.

"No, you're right. That's just asking for trouble. There must be something… Ah! Central Park isn't too terribly far from Nick and Rachel's place. Let me give them a call and see if they'll be around this afternoon."

"You know, you don't have to keep us entertained, Landi, your Majesty," Ellura said quietly.

"How do you come to a city as exciting as New York and sit in an expensive hotel, making no memories at all? No, we don't have to entertain you, your Majesty. We want to. New York is awesome and we want to give you a taste of that, no matter how small."

"Well said, Landi," Tyr interjected. "Besides, you're an art major, Jubilee. Don't you want to see a little art and maybe write a report for extra credit?" His sister looked hesitant, looking at Landi's eye, but when put that way, she couldn't really say no. She wanted to experience the city. Everything was so different from her homeland! She pushed thoughts of her darker reasons for going to college so long from her mind and smiled her acceptance of his logic.

Ellura looked defeated. She'd come to New York to bag the rich and handsome prince for herself. The increase in income for her own low-to-middle income country would have increased its prestige. This was not an insurmountable obstacle for her country, but her father would definitely be disappointed in her on her return. The prince of Alibhai was so stubborn! Set in his Western ways. Her father would not have found him easy to manipulate as he did everyone else around him. It was probably for the best then that she wouldn't be bringing the powerful but obstinate man home with her.

Tyr, holding his woman in his arms and guessing at Ellura's thoughts from the way she was glaring at his oblivious girlfriend, pushed Landi's locks away from the side of her neck and placed a kiss there. The woman moaned softly and leaned into the tender touch. Oh, this was going to be fun!

… …

Landi shivered at the unfamiliar feel of lips on the side of her neck. Tyr had never been so bold, even though her bun kept her hair off her neck regularly. What was he playing at?

"I… I should get dressed," she said carefully, doing her best not to stutter. Tyr chuckled, but let her climb out of his lap. She cleaned herself quickly but with meticulous care, selecting a goth-style knee-length black dress she'd bought but never found a reason to wear. Since she didn't have a scrunchie, she wrapped a few locks around and around her other locks until she was sporting a ponytail. She looked herself over in the mirror and decided that her black and red choker with the silver cross on it, her silver charm bracelet that she never took off, her normal black leather wrist watch and her large silver hoops completed this outfit. The hoops were only slightly larger than her others, so she wasn't afraid of getting them tangled in her hair. A bright red clutch and a pair of tooled black leather ballerina flats and she was ready to view art in Central Park.

"Oh, Landi, you look amazing! I need a picture!" Jubilee squealed, not seeming to notice Landi's discomfort with being photographed. The princess snapped a bunch of pictures of her new friend. The black eye didn't detract from her look it seemed. She chanced a glance at her boyfriend and flushed at the hungry look on his face. He had a smile a mile wide and she knew instinctively that she would have to watch herself today.

"Stand next to her, brother. It's too bad you don't match. You'll have to get some Victorian-style clothes. Where did you get that beautiful dress, Landi?"

"I got it from Hot Topic years ago. I'm not even sure if-"

"You two will look so amazing together wearing the same style of clothes. As it is, you two are stylish enough and the contrast in styles is striking in a good way! Hazma, is there a Hot Topic on the way to the museum? These two need to match."

"I could change into something less conspicuous," she mumbled, feeling exposed. Tyr turned her around and kissed her thoroughly.

"How have I never seen this gorgeous dress before? There's so much I don't know about you, my love. I would love to change before visiting the museum. I feel shabby standing next to my woman right now. It would make me feel better if I could match my lady." The woman's face was flaming hot by this time. She hadn't been thinking much when she picked this dress. She'd only wanted to wear something nice to match her unusual hair style. Now, it is becoming a big deal. "Let's go, little Landi. I know of a place that can suit my needs nicely, and it happens to be on the way to the museum." Her stomach chose that moment to rebel, causing Landi to cover the hungry organ anxiously. "There are food trucks outside of the museum. Let's go." The women had no choice but to follow him outside of the apartment, especially with him holding Landi's hand and pulling her along.

"Tyr! Let me lock the door at least," she laughed. Once her dead bolts were in place, they went downstairs to the limo. Omar drove them to a store relatively close to their final destination for the morning, Gothic Renaissance. There Tyr tried on a pair of black leather pants and matching knee-high buckled boots. In a bold twist, he grabbed a bright red silk poet shirt that matched her purse and laced up in the front, leaving his muscular chest a little exposed. A black studded leather jacket with polyester inner lining to match the pants and boots completed the outfit. Landi did a double take when she saw the full look, hoping that she wasn't drooling. The woman was not the only one affected by his attire. She still had trouble believing that he was hers but Tyr had no such hang up, pulling her into his arms and possessing her mouth expertly.

"Does my lady approve?" he asked amorously, spinning in a circle so that the jacket flared out, the understated silver of the many buckles and buttons on the jacket identifying the style to be more punk than goth. It matched the outfit though, giving him the rebellious look he was famous for. Realizing that she'd been checking him out for far too long if that smirk of his said anything, she cleared her throat, trying for nonchalance.

"Yes," she squeaked. Clearing her throat again, she decided to elaborate, hoping against hope that her voice would start cooperating. "Um… The poet shirt is a nice touch. You didn't have to go with the red, Jaguar."

"It matches your purse," he pointed out, showing her by holding her hand with the purse in it to his shirt. She shivered at his delicate touch to her arm and backed away.

"Um… yeah. If you really feel the need to spend a bunch of money on an outfit you'll probably never wear again, then sure. I just-" His lips descended on hers and she forgot everything, including how to breathe properly.

"Alandra, royalty is all about one-use outfits. You don't really think I sent my clothes to the cleaners, do you?" Her eyes widened at the implication and he laughed. "I'll likely keep this outfit. I am very much enjoying your reaction to it. And I figure that it may come in handy come Halloween. But only if you tell me that you like it."

"I like it," she parroted back to him, rubbing her hand over her opposite arm under the bell sleeve of her dress. He grabbed that wayward hand and kissed the knuckles lightly with that same infernal smirk on his face. Landi was starting to think she might burst something important in her face if she got anymore embarrassed.

"Just let me pay for it and have them remove all the tags and I'll be ready to observe art for the day." They headed to The Met afterward, stopping by one of the food trucks outside of the building to get Landi a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a continental long bun. The roll had ketchup on it at her request, but she managed not to spill any on her clothes. Jubilee insisted on pictures outside of the building and Landi pretended to be okay with all the attention they were attracting. Others were taking pictures as well, and there were a bunch of murmured comments on the length of her hair. Was it real? Who maintained it? If it wasn't real, who put it in and how long ago? Alandra ignored the questions and proceeded into the museum. Her entourage followed suit, heading into the museum without a word.

Jubilee ended up being a very good guide for the six. It seemed that she was actually paying attention in class. She talked about what she'd learned about the different styles of art and sometimes even the actual pieces. Omar and Hazma were scanning the areas around them for trouble as the day turned into afternoon, but no one seemed interested in starting trouble with the group. Landi followed the discussion as best she could, but she was mostly lost, never having been the biggest fan of art. She entertained herself by listening to the different accents and conversations going on around her. People from all over the world were represented and the woman was proud that she understood or was at least able to follow most of them. There was a constant low murmur of conversation in the different rooms around the building that kept her entertained. Jubilee was very excited, taking pictures and tagging them with bright messages about each piece so that she would remember to comment on them in the extra credit report she was putting together in her head.

Ellura was dead silent, so much so that Tyr and the others began wondering what was wrong. It turned out that she was no true believer in the power of art and since she didn't know a bunch of languages to entertain herself, she was mostly spacing out. Landi accompanied her to the bathroom when she asked later that afternoon.

"Enjoying yourself?" Landi asked politely while the princess of Lesotho washed her hands.

"What do you care?" Ellura snapped petulantly. "You, who've been garnering looks from all the patrons in this establishment and getting comments and compliments all day. Do you have to hold onto the prince's hand so tightly just to advertise that he's yours? What do you do when he's not around, I wonder?" The Princess shook her hands out angrily and turned to her opponent.

Landi could only stare at her in shock. She knew about the talk all day, but she hadn't thought that the princess had noticed. "I'm not-"

"If you truly loved him, you would let him go. You would bow out gracefully and allow him to go to his peers for a mate. You will only prove a disappointing Princess; you weren't raised in this environment."

"He loves me," Landi said, feeling equal parts annoyed with the woman and desperate for her acceptance of this situation.

"What does love have to do with this? Your boyfriend was born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations."

Annoyance won out.

"You're full of it. Love is the only acceptable reason to be together." Ellura's bell-like laughter rang out in the bathroom, causing Landi's ire to rise.

"What a pretty little innocent cartoony world you live in, Alandra Shaveed. I suppose you truly believe that your god protects you and that true love conquers all, right?"

"Let me stop you right there. You don't know me well enough to start commenting on my faith. Nobody messes with my Jesus, understand? As for true love conquering all, I've seen enough evidence to argue it either way. I may not be a high-born like you, but I'll be dead and buried before I give my man up to such a selfish, self-serving, and cretinous woman as you. You only want him for your own ends; there's no love in you. Try to think beyond your ego and agenda to his needs. If you cared about him at all, you'd see that he's happy with me. I don't have to hold onto him to keep him with me. He ain't got his hands tied! He chose me, Ellura. Out of all the women in the world, he decided that I was his match. No amount of slut-shaming is going to change that fact."

"If you would look past your hormones, you would realize that he was marrying beneath himself by marrying you. That will hurt him in the long run. He will come to resent you for it. It would be better for all involved if you-"

"Wow! Did you practice that gaslighting BS in the mirror? Because the look on your face is all wrong. Instead of thwarted love, your face is full of avarice. You must be out of your mind if you think such a greedy, grasping woman is worth my prince's time and attention. And he is mine, Ellura. He's all mine and I won't give him up. Least of all to someone like you." The princess looked as if she were contemplating a good, old-fashioned bitch slap at not getting her own way. "I'd think twice before you came at me with violence. We'll have matching black eyes. I've been scraping all my life and in my house, we don't pull punches."

"You… you dirty peasant! You don't deserve him with that violent attitude," Ellura looked at her with contempt. Alandra returned the look imperiously.

"Whatever." That was that as far as they were concerned. Neither was going to get what they wanted. Ellura wasn't going to convince her rival to bow out graciously, and Alandra wasn't going to convince the princess to bow out of the competition at all. There was no sense in discussing things further. The princess left the bathroom with steam practically coming out of her ears. Landi was more dignified as she left the lavatory, her face fixed in a mask of perfect calm; her courtroom face.

Tyr saw right through it, especially with the women around him were whispering and pointing about the confrontation in the bathroom. He kissed her passionately until her court face disappeared then put his arm around her while indicating to his sister that she should continue with her impromptu tour.

The college student continued with her monologue, not knowing how else to help her upset friend. She could see Landi calming down as the afternoon continued. Ellura still looked furious. She giggled at the analogy that Landi had taught them at some point before things went wrong at the club.

"What is funny?" Ellura asked, having opted to ignore her opponent and plan her strategy for when she next had Tyr to herself.

"You. You look - how did Landi say it? - you look mad enough to chew iron and spit out nails." the princess glared at her Alibhain counterpart before storming toward the exit.

"I guess the tour is over," Landi giggled.

"Did I say it right?" Jubilee asked as Omar jogged to catch up with the Lesotho princess.

"You said it perfectly, Jubes. Unfortunately, the princess was too angry to appreciate your humor."

"Are you okay, Landi?" The lawyer shrugged.

"I'm fine. The princess should just pick her targets better, as well as her venues. Trying to slut-shame me in the middle of a fancy place like this was ill-advised. And her arguments were ill-conceived. I'm getting the impression that she is not used to being told no."

"No princess is," Jubilee said ruefully. "We are figureheads for the most part, respected for our fathers or brothers or both," she smiled sadly at her brother. "We don't matter except as baby-making machines. That's what you're in for if you marry my brother."

"No it's not," Landi said incredulously. "Ms Bereng was right about one thing in the bathroom; I am not from your world. I am more than my ovaries and I refuse to live as if that's my only contribution to the world."

"Good girl," Tyr smiled and hugged her close to his side. "Shall we head back before her royal highness gets herself into trouble?" The girls giggled and started for the limo. They reached it before the princess, who managed to get herself turned around in the museum and finally had to ask for directions. By the time she and Omar got back to the limo, Landi had already gotten permission to stop by Rachel's place. Since they were going to pass Greenwich Village on their way, Rachel asked her to pick up crepes on the way. Everyone was hungry by now, it had been hours since anyone had eaten. Even Landi was starting to feel hungry.

When they arrived at the crepe place, Ellura was still feeling salty.

"I told you, I don't want anything to eat right now!" Her stomach growled just then and Ellura stubbornly ignored it. Landi smirked.

"Very well, Ms Bereng. But this is your last chance to get something to eat before we get back to the hotel. We'll be at Rachel's place for a while and even if you sulk in the limo, there's no real sustenance in here." Her stomach gurgled this time and she growled angrily at it.

"Fine! Where is the menu?" Landi sighed and pointed out the menu options written on the wall before ordering her own treat and the ones for Rachel and the guys. Ellura placed her order and was immediately angry that the cook didn't drop everything and start her order first.

"First come, first served, lady," the man said in annoyance.

"Veuillez lui pardonner. Elle est nouvelle dans ce pays," she told the man apologetically. (Please forgive her. She is new to this country.)

"Tu parles français?" The man asked in amazement as he worked on her order. (You speak French?)

"Yes," she said laconically.

"C'est si bon de parler dans ma langue maternelle! Peu de gens dans cette ville se donnent la peine d'apprendre un français correct," he expounded as he completed the second of her crepes. (It's so good to talk in my native tongue! Not many in this city bother to learn proper French.)

"Je suis sûr que ça doit te donner un peu le mal du pays," Landi said compassionately. The usually surly man smiled at her. (I'm sure that must make you a little homesick.)

"Vous avez fait ma journée, madame. Je te remercie. Même ce petit bout de conversation est un baume pour mon esprit." He bowed his head to her and completed the last of her crepes, starting on Ellura's. (You've made my day, madam. I thank you. Even this little bit of conversation is a balm to my spirit.)

"Je suis toujours heureux de remonter le moral quand je le peux, bon monsieur. Passe un bon moment!" With that, she gathered her food and took it to the register to pay. (I'm always happy to lift spirits when I can, good sir. Have a good one!)

"What did you say to him, ma'am? I've never seen Laurent smile before," the cashier asked in awe.

"Oh, he just wanted to hear his own language, that's all," she told the girl mysteriously. The rest of the group got their food and they were off.

"Oh my gosh, this is so good," Jubilee groaned in ecstasy as she dug in. Landi grinned and took a bite of her own crepe.

"There's a reason I go there. And it certainly isn't for the cook's sunny disposition!"

"His disposition seemed much improved after you spoke to him, Alhamia. What did you say?" (Protectress)

"I just validated his feelings a little," she said vaguely. "It's no big. You guys should really dig it. Jubilee knows what she's talking about with these crepes. The best in the city!" Everyone dug in and agreed.