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 Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:20 am
It hadn't been all that long since the odd pair of servants had come across him. Instead of doing what he knew would be right, he had lingered, thinking about it. Was it right? Was it wrong? There were too many variables for him to make a decision. He didn't know anything of the land they had talked about, and everything he had known was within the Mwezi'Johari lands. His siblings, mother, huge extended family...
Family. That's right, the Queen was related, even if by marriage. Feeling shamed that he hadn't gone to her first, hopefully to get there before to two (or perhaps even with them), he struck out to find her, hoping he hadn't disgraced her with his impulsive selfishness.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:26 am
What a tricky situation she was in now! The only important thing she had done as queen was find a king, otherwise things were very peaceful and quiet. She hadn't yet gotten a chance to talk to Fafnir about what was going on, so she was heading out to look for him. What she didn't expect was to spot the very subject of her concerns. She smiled when she spotted Alizeti, knowing she couldn't just walk away- he looked almost worried, it probably wasn't a coincidence that he was here.
"Alizeti," she called out, changing her path to head for him, "Just the lion I was looking for."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:33 am
His head jerked up at the call of his name, and he could feel his stomache drop when he realized it was Alcmene. Queen Alcmene. Gulp. It dissipated when it looked like she wasn't angry, but it was still unsettling that she was looking for him. It meant that the maned wolf and the waterbuck had gotten to her first.
"Alcmene..." he breathed, offering her a quick but kind bow. "Um, I have a feeling that I know what you were wanting me for," he grinned sheepishly. "I should have gone straight to you."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:43 am
"Yes, I've just had an interesting visit about you," she said, standing tall before him and though she was smiling, it wasn't quite a normal happy smile. This was official business and it was an unusual situation. It almost would have been easier or made more immediate sense if they had been looking for a royal, but by any other system, Alizeti was a noble.
"I would have liked to speak to you when they explained the situation to me, but I've found you now," she said, seeing no reason to be dishonest about it, "Are you sure you understand what you're getting in to?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:49 am
The grin evolved into a sorry smile, like 'sorry? heh..' but now it faded into a slight frown. He knew he had been improper; so why did they want him? Even he wasn't completely sure as to why they wanted him, he had a lot to learn about being responsible. Life was easier just being a hunter.
"I have an idea," he answered, wondering how much they had told her. Probably a lot, but he wondered...that maned wolf was a little brash. Perhaps she had gotten on the wrong side of Alcmene, and he was the one that needed to cool this over. He didn't know, he just needed to stop letting his imagination run.
"How much did they say?" he asked, unable to ignore the need for him to know.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:00 am
"That wolf is lucky the waterbuck was there, that's all I can say," Ally said, shaking her head-- she really hadn't cared for how she was spoken to but that wasn't what she ahd to dwell on, "The pair of them have taken Biti and headed back to their pride to collect their heiress, everything is already underway now, though I made no promises."
She sighed.
"So, we're going to find out more in a few weeks," she said, "But I still need to talk to Fafnir, and I expect your mother and grandparents might like to know what's going on." Mwezi and Malkia would find out whether or not she and Fafnir went to tell them, they knew everything. It would be nicest to have some control on the flow of information.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:07 am
Alizeti felt his ears flatten against his skull. He really should have seeked her out first, or just guided the pair to Alcmene. Strike one against himself, lesson learned. He did perk up a bit at what she said quickly after, though. "Bringing her here?" he asked, feeling his emotions waver. That was...that wasn't what they had said, but perhaps it was a way to please the Mwezi'Johari queen. That maned would must have really stepped over her boundaries.
But again, he felt a bit ashamed. If only because now he would be the butt of some rumors flying around. Not that they might be bad, but the fact that others would be talking about him regarding anything but his hunting was unsettling. He hadn't thought about those repercussions.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:15 am
"They are offering an alliance between our prides, there is some official business to deal with for that. If you go you will be the connection between the two prides," she said, offering a more genuine smile as he seemed to start to panic, "You won't be forced to go anywhere against your will, Alizeti, I won't let that happen. If you can't or won't commit to this, you only have to tell me. Until we've met Miss Ria, we only need to know that you're willing to try."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:23 am
Alizeti nodded. "I am willing," he replied. "I didn't realize it would be so...I don't want to say complicated, but I obviously didn't think it through when I was listening to their reasoning and need."
He paused before continuing. "Do you think it may be a wise choice? Regarding the alliance?" He had nothing against them, but then he wasn't certain just how common alliances were. He might be invading too much into royal matters, but he might become a key part of it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:31 am
"I don't think it's a bad idea, it never hurts to know who you can depend upon," she said thoughtfully, decidedly not verbalizing her entire knowledge on the subject. History told her to be cautious, friendly neighbours didn't always stay friendly. But knowing those around you was a step in being prepared. And determining how genuine or how suspicious the situation might be was not something to worry Alizeti with.
"You might want to talk to your uncle Fafnir," she suggested kindly, smiling, "You know he started out in the middle class with your mother, he had quite the time adjusting to the idea of becoming King. He might have some wisdom nobody else here could offer."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:39 am
"Oh!" Yeah, he hadn't thought about that. Mainly because Uncle Fafnir was already in that position when he was born. He remembered a bit about the class difference, since his mother was middle class. He had never asked her how she felt about him being lower-middle...Alizeti had never minded himself, though. He kept busy, was friendly, and everything had always worked out for him.
"That's a really good idea," he added on, bobbing his head. "I might do that. Do you know where he is?" She might know, just because they were mates. He knew better than to count on that, though. It wasn't like he always knew what his brother and sister were up to, or even his mother. More so now because they were all adults now.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:55 am
"I don't know where he is right now," she said, "But I was just going to find him, I can send him your way once I do find him, though." She didn't exactly want to invite Alizeti along when she first told Fafnir of the situation, it would be easier to chat about it completely if they could chat privately.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:14 am
He understood. There were things that they needed to discuss that didn't directly involve him. Well, enough so that they didn't want him there. And he really understood that point. He wanted to spend a little more time just thinking about the possibility of leaving this home for a place he didn't know.
"I would appreciate that," he answered, remembering his manners. "I'll wait near my mother's cave, that way it might be easier to meet up with him than just wandering around."
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:24 am
"Perfect," she said, "I'll make sure he comes to talk to you, thank you for coming to see me. Don't be shy if you have any second thoughts or any questions, we're here to help." Ally didn't want to harass him about his decision, it wouldn't be good to demand he be positive about what he was doing. But if he had any doubts, he needed to know he could come forward with them.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:29 am
Alizeti's doubts only laid in the fact that he didn't know if it would be a good thing for his pride or not. Having an ally would be good, but the distance made him wonder... As he wasn't trained in these sorts of things, he hadn't a clue, and so would remain quiet. Surely it was something Alcmene had already thought about herself.
"Thanks," he said, smiling. "I'll speak with you soon, Aunt Alcmene."
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