[FIN] Things May Not Be What They Seem (Aali & Faiz)

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Back and forth, back and forth, over and over the large male paced between his boulder the entrance of his den. He had seen something this morning while sunning himself on a large rock. Far in the distance was the familiar figure of his brothers beybanu. He had completely ignored her for she was so very far away and her spunk often set him a bit on edge. He would have been content to continue ignoring her but for the the meeting that then took place. there on the edge of the prides territory she had met with a male. Not Faiz, not even one of the prides Pads, a stranger.

She had met with the strange male and they had proceeded to spend quite some time in one anothers company her laughter tinkling towards his perked ears. Aali had felt rather foolish laying there and spying as it were but he was curious, he hadn't been able to hear from so far away so it had been in vain. Now he contemplated how to tell his brother, there was no choice but to tell him! If another male had seen Faiz beybanu so flagrant in her flirtations, he hadn't seen her touch the male...but it was a dangerous path she was on. His blue eyes moved upward in a silent plea that the right words would come to him. His ears perked and he took a deep breath as he spotted his half brother, he could do this, he had to do this, if one of his females had been spotted in such a delicate and compromising way he would want Faiz to tell him wouldn't he? No...the pain of knowing that Aysel had turned to another male would drive him to extremes...he could...but no Faiz was level headed and needed to know. Right? Right? Of course...he hoped.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

Faiz walked slowly along. Life was really frustrating of late, and the few moments he sometimes had to himself were something to be treasured. Not as much as his family, of course, but still.
But there was his brother, not too far from him, looking troubled and watching him. He probably had something he needed to talk to him about and when it came to his brother he had never really seen Aali in such a state. Well... he had, but he thought he had solved all the member problems.

Faiz walked to his brother, his head tilted in a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Aali? You look like you did when you lost Father's favorite tail-band," he said when he was finally within speaking distance.
 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

His brother sounded tired...and suddenly Aali wondered if he couldn't simply delay their conversation and spare his half sibling. He juggled the idea before dismissing it, no he owed Faiz the facts, a clear cut report of what he had seen.

"Just...in thought..." He murmured and moved to sit near his brother.

He glanced around and tried to calm his nerves, what he was about to say was so serious. It wasn't an accusation but some might see it as one, and quite a serious matter it was. Females and strange males cavorting and laughing well that never ended well.
"Have you...spent time with your beybanu, Mzu?" He asked curiously wondering if he could manage to express himself with some small measure of tact. Graceless blurting out his information would be unforgivable.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

As soon as Aali said that Faiz groaned. The older lion sat down and covered his eyes with the back of one paw.

"Yes I have, but what has she done now? I swear, that female lives to find ways to sour my mood," he sighed with a small shake of his head. He didn't expect it to be really serious. Had one of the pads complained about her on behalf of their harem-ladies?
No... they would have gone straight to him. Unless it was one of Aali's harem.
Oh, damn. She'd probably gone and teased one of the new females.

Faiz groaned again and made a mental note to have a loooooong lecture prepared for when he saw Mzu next. She'd promised him she would try behaving!  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali watched as Faiz groaned and a small frown tugged his maw down, so Mzu was having issues. He tried to keep his eyes on his brother before the next words came, he wasn't such a coward that he wouldn't look his sibling in the eye while giving him such ...interesting news. He huffed softly trying to sound casual yet the undercurrent of concern was there none the less.

"Well...I saw her the other day...I don't think she realized I was near. She met a rogue male at the edge of the territory." He tried to make it sound innocent, but he was forced to continue. "They chatted for quite some time...like friends." It wasn't that males and females couldn't be friendly, but not without a chaperone proper! Not in such a flirtatious manner! Not without her Pad there to ensure the male didn't...take liberties.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

Faiz's paw fell, revealing a deep frown.
"A rogue male?" he asked, though the question wasn't necessary. He understood what his brother had said, and he didn't even have troubles processing it, either. He looked downwards and too the side slightly, his quick mind working through it.

"Thank you for telling me about this, Aali," he finally replied, a deep growl in his voice. Oh, his Beybanu was in deep trouble this time. She thought she had seen him mad when she had continuously insulted his cubs, when she had dared to question his judgment over and over again on the subject of said cubs.

But she had acted friendly to another male. One who wasn't even a member of the pride. His other lionesses knew to leave at the first opportunity when encountering a strange male.
The Vizier's eyes narrowed and darkened dangerously. She had crossed one line too many.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"They never touched Faiz!" He added quickly trying to explain for Mzu, he wondered if the foolish female even knew what kind of trouble she was courting. He looked at his brother uncertainly Faiz was rarely this upset looking.

"Mzu has had...quite the free reign Faiz don't be too harsh with her, she forgets herself. Perhaps I can have Aysel talk with her? To explain the type of...trouble she could be getting herself into." He frowned softly and finally turned his gaze away. He knew better but he felt bad for his brother having to deal with such a delicate situation.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

"Whether they touched or not means nothing!" Faiz snapped, a little louder and harsher than he had really intended to. He immediately regretted the display of anger and stood so that he could pace in a frustrated manner.

"It's just one more thing thrown in my face. I ask so little of her and she goes and does things like this. I don't even know what makes me more furious. That she would disobey the pride's rules, that she doesn't care enough about me to do what I ask, or that she's on the way to making me the laughing-stock of the pride!" he growled. He had thought venting to his brother would help, but actually saying what made him angry only made it worse.

"Do what you think will work, Brother, but I can tell you now that it won't work. Talking doesn't get through that thick little skull of hers. I should have learned that lesson a long time ago."  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali frowned as he watched Faiz pace, he could tell by the tone and look in his eyes how serious this was. What had Mzu done? Aali always joked that Faiz had quite the pawful with his harem, but it seemed that they were more troublesome then he had imagined.

"Lets not blow things out of proportion Faiz...perhaps...perhaps sending her away for a time to learn her lesson? Tariq seems to be able to handle problem females..." Almost the second the words were out of his mouth he wished he could suck them back in. That made it sound as if...well of course Faiz could handle it himself.

"I don't mean to say you can't handle her...just perhaps that shes your beybanu and you feel...softer towards her. A new outlook from someone else might help?" Hmm this wasn't going very well at all, though Aali had known it wouldn't be a smooth conversation.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

Faiz shuddered and shook his head. His mane had fallen back into his eyes like it normally did, hiding the pain and frustration that was quickly becoming a constant thing.
"You may not think that way, Brother, but what of the others? How do you think it would look, if your Vizier, a lion chosen to aid you in ruling the pride for his power and capability, how would it look if he had to send his own Beybanu, not even a Kajira, his BEYBANU, away to another male because he couldn't reign her in?" he asked, some of the anger leaving his voice.

He was never mad for long, and the harsher it was the less it lasted. But being angry tended to take away a lot of his spirit, his drive. It was as if the fury was a fire, and it burned him inside until there was nothing left within to burn.
Feeling so much older than he really was, Faiz sat down again and pressed his paw to his face once more.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali frowned as he watched his brother tire before his very eyes, it was terrible thing to behold. He felt mild anger towards Mzu, foolish little female causing his brother such hassles. He was also thankful that his own ladies were gentle, docile, they got along well with one another and that in turn made his life much easier.

He longed to tell Faiz to use a firm paw, to set his beybanu in her place...but how could he give his brother such hypocritical advice? He himself couldn't bear to strike a female down, his first kajira had been killed by the old vizier when she attempted escape. a wandering female in the lands...he had been unable to force her into submission when she explained her loyalty to her cub and pride. He was weaker then his brother...still he had to help Faiz somehow.

"You must set her straight Faiz...perhaps a...demotion...I know you adore Mzu, she has been your beybanu for as long as I can recall...but...maybe she has grown too secure in her ability to get away with things. I would not put undue pressure on you...but you can surely see that if Mzu thinks it alright to laugh and flirt with strange males..." Aali trailed off softly.

"Such behavior is for Kajira not our banu, and most certainly not the beybanu. I will have Aysel speak to her and try and get to the bottom of her troubles...or perhaps speak to her myself with your permission?" He was reluctant to send in Aysel, not that he thought Mzu might be a bad influence, but that Aysel might seriously harm the female who dared show such disrespect.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

Faiz waved his paw in an idle fashion. He knew what he was going to do, but if Aali wanted to try as well, he wouldn't deny him.
"Do as you wish. You are my brother, my friend, and my Sultan. I trust your judgment," he said with yet another sigh. He would talk to her first, though he had no doubt that it would do nothing. He had failed to keep her in her place when she toed the line, and this was where it got him. He would have to sit down with Najiyya, too. He saw similar mischief in her, though she was young and new to his harem. He didn't want to have a repeat of this trouble, this embarrassment.

"Is that all you wished to speak with me about?"  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"That isn't all Faiz...you seem so tired of late. I should like you to take a few days to yourself, have your ladies hunt for you...you'll work yourself sick at the pace your going." He moved to bump his head gently against his older brothers.

"You've helped me more then I can say, but now I feel I've placed too heavy a burden on you that I should take back upon myself." He sighed and stood giving a soft shake of his great mane. "Please rest Faiz..." He added softer, this time a tint of command in his voice, he couldn't bear to his brother so tired and stressed.

He would have to remember to keep from sharing all his problems with Faiz in the near future, it seemed his sibling already had enough on his plate.
 

[Reeshie Hack]

Faiz didn't know how to feel right then. Part of it was a relief. He knew that he needed some time to rest, that he had been working way to hard on everything lately.
And yet the other part hated himself for it. He should be able to handle this, to take whatever was handed to him. If he forgot everything his father had programed into his personality, that would be the one thing that stuck. His brother should not have caught on that he was tired.

But Aali was right. And he was in the right to tell Faiz what to do, even if it was to rest for a few days. So he dipped his head in a small bow.
"I will do as you ask, Brother," he replied and reached out to cuff Aali lightly on the side of his muzzle. Emotionally more than physically exhausted, the Vizier turned then and headed towards his own den. Where he would wait for his Beybanu to return.