Why did the lionesses have to roam about in packs? If Peribsen had ever been a) a human, b) in America and c) in a typical high school, he’d have likened it to how teenage girls always seemed to go to their lockers or the bathrooms together. It was so hard to catch princess Soa alone. She always seemed to be with other females…
Eventually however, the young priest had decided to suck it up. Today, he’d approach the group and Soa. Most of the pride were sunning themselves after they’d shared a large bull and a pair of calves that had been brought back after a very successful hunt. It was a nice, casual time. Hunters were telling of their kills, everyone was together, cubs were playing, and the females were just over there.
He could do this. He could!
Oh gods.
*
She was rather oblivious to the fact that he wished to catch her alone. A practical creature by nature, but something that had only really manifested in her adult years, the lioness really didn't notice ANY males, honestly. It was nothing against Peribsen, just that in her two years walking this earth she had never been approached by any boys, never had any brothers until just earlier that year, never really had eyes for boys either. Her only priorities had been being with her sisters and her parents and finding her bonded.
Said maned wolf was off somewhere taking care of something with her mother's bonded jackal, but two of her sisters and said mother were about. In fact, Soa was resting in a sphinx like position, but relaxed, with Maa's chin resting over her back as the adolescent princess laid between the female family members.
Further unknown to Soa, Johari had spied the male that seemed to be watching her, keeping her eyes within their group with a soft smile that Soa and Maa had simply mistaken for contentment. Full, warm bellies, the shade was perfect, the flora and the sounds of the water and cubs and friends laughing, the relaxed atmosphere refreshing. What was there not to be content about? As for the older princess, she didn't look quite bored, but she wasn't exactly smiling and cheery either.
*
Tesni, like Soa, didn’t have that much experience with males. However Tesni, like Johari, had noticed Peribsen. She’d actually caught his eye a couple of times (which seemed to make him a little nervous) trying to work out if he was looking at her or not. But she’d soon figured out the brown male was looking past her, to her dear sister. So she lay with her own little content smile, shared a knowing look with her mother, and waited for him to make his approach.
When he did make his move, it was a paradox , somehow both smooth and completely conspicuous. Peribsen got up from his place by Ben and stepped around her (not over, as once was their way) fluidly and crossed the open space that separated their groups. When he made up his mind to move, he /moved/, but he came to a halting stop, the last few steps slow and unsure.
“Erm, hello…my queen, princesses and, and ladies…” It was polite to greet the queen and the royals right? Peribsen hadn’t actually planned that but he’d suddenly realized that as he started speaking. Though, it wasn’t polite to greet a queen ‘hello’ like that now was it? This was not going well.
“It’s a lovely evening, so, princess Soa I was wondering if you would, talk, er, walk with me please? In the gardens. It’s a lovely evening.” He’d said that twice hadn’t he? Oh cra-
*
Johari had only smiled more when she met Tesni's eye, waiting patiently as well for him to make his approach, and when finally he did Johari, like Tesni, calmly looked to him. With a soft smile she acknowledged him. "Good evening, Peribsen." She said nothing more, however, as she could see that he was struggling a bit with his-- likely rehersed --inquiry. She didn't want to throw the poor dear off track. Maa-nefer had lifted her head from her big sister's back, blinking at Peribsen innocently before grinning wide in greeting when she caught on to what was going on. It was a miracle that the female didn't burst out into a fit of giggles, especially since Soa seemed surprised and oblivious all at once.
"Of course..." She answered poliltely, if not taken off guard. She glanced to her litter mate and her mother, who until now she hadn't noticed acting odd, too lost in thought as usual. "If you'll excuse me then, sisters, mother." Her ear twitched, a tick she had when she was curious or confused.
Detangling gracefully as Maa gave her room to move the bark colored female stood and rounded to his side. Johari's eyes followed them discreetly.
"...." Once they were out of earshot Johari looked to her remaining daughters and the dozing nannies that were with their party. "... I'm not the only one that thinks that's adorable, right?"
*
The first phase of his plan had gone of without a hitch.
Okay, there had been a few hitches but Peribsen decided it couldn’t have gone too badly considering here he was, walking alongside the most beautiful creature in all of Khenet if not the world. Now he just had to get to know her better, through lots of (hopefully interesting) conversation. That was stage three of the plan after stage two was complete.
Stage two had even more hitches that stage one.
So far, every nook of the garden seemed to be occupied by either couples who’d had the same idea to get some shady privacy or by cubs playing hide and seek.
“The whole pride must be out here tonight, huh?” He offered his companion a smile, praying she’d see the light side of this too.
*
Soa for the most part didn't really think too much of his nervousness, she may not know what a courting male looked like if it was to save her life, but she certainly knew a... nervous pride member when she saw one. Sometimes new members were that way around them just for the fact they were royal, even though they were all rather down to earth all things considered. She was patient, understanding at least enough to realize he had his heart set on the gardens for where they had their talk.
"No doubt taking advantage of the cooler weather while it lasts." She quipped back, not very good at joking, but offering him a small smile at least to show that she wasn't bothered. If she knew half the things he thought at that moment, or at least the ones about her, she'd be both confused and modestly embarrassed.
Stupified, in short. She didn't really take after either parent in terms of color, more after her great uncle. She almost looked as if she could have been a cub from Matifu's litter, in fact, or maybe her uncle Nitesh.
It actually lifted her spirits to see so many pride members enjoying themselves. She could still remember a time when there hadn't been so many of them, when they hadn't as many freed slaves among them.
*
Well, there was no place that was a bit more private here in the garden. Peribsen looked at the path that led to obelisks and the temple lake. He gestured gentlemanly, overdoing it a tad perhaps in his enthusiasm.
“After you, Soa.” He said, thinking of how they could go down to the water, lay on the steps, where the ligh reflected amongst the lilies. Peribsen wasn’t usually so focused on romantic stuff like this but he wanted to for Soa. Girls liked stuff like this right?
*
He was acting a bit strange to her, but she didn't really think of it in terms of that, she was too busy trying to put a paw on his behavior....... and failing. To a degree she got that he wanted to speak alone, but, why? Why did he single her out instead of just conversing with them right there? The words "romantic" and "intimate" never once crossed her mind. No, no, she knew about relationships but they didn't HAPPEN to her, and she was always too lost in her own world to come down long enough to consider them. Why the extravagant gestures, and the looks on her mother's and sisters' faces?
In a word for all that she understood WHAT he was doing, she really didn't get WHAT he was doing. Soa was just a bit baffled.
"So... what is it that's on your mind...?" She finally decided to give a gentle nudge, as gentle as she was capable of in that moment at least. Her ear twitched again as she stepped ahead, glancing back at him for a moment before reaching the steps. She felt the shift in temperature but the warmth was slow to seep from her fur and skin, so she settled comfortably on the steps instead and looked to him with curious green eyes.
*
He called up his courage and started to answer her, straight, that what was on his mind was in fact her. Peribsen couldn’t banish his bumbling however, because his overeagerness wasn’t just because of nervousness. That was just…him.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while and Ben has been telling me that I should stop just forging ahead and babbling at everyone I want to meet, to slow down and talk properly since there’s no rush anymore with the birds, so I’ve been trying to ask you for a while if you’d….” He chatted as he stepped down onto the same stepped and after a moment of shifting, settled comfortably. But as he did he suddenly realized that he was doing what he always did.
“I’m babbling, just what I didn’t want to do. I’m so sorry.” His ears pressed back a moment, thankfully hidden somewhat by his mane, but his smile faltered and that couldn’t be hidden. He’d so wanted to make a good impression.
*
Still patiently the female watched her would be suitor, not that she knew this. It WAS rather adorable in the sense that Soa was so clueless and Peribsen so nervous but well intended. She blinked, listening to him seeming to suddenly interject-- okay, Ben wasn't his wife, er...
Soa's only visible response to his babbling was the tiny tilt of her head to one side. He realized it at the same moment, trailing off and then trying again. Soa folded her paws and felt her tail tick this time, rather than her ear. She still didn't get it, she was still confused as to what he wanted to ask her, or why he was so nervous talking to her, but she didn't want him to feel guilty for something he couldn't help very well.
"It's alright, I'm used to it a bit, honestly... thirteen little sisters and brothers tend to help one get accustomed to it." She shook her head a bit, shivering afterwards as she became aware of a chill seeping into her bones from the steps, long since cooled by the water and the cooler air coming off of it. One would think that the water would be hot under this kind of sunlight, but it took some time to warm up and less to cool down.
*
She thought he was like a child, like a cub. Oh now that was just mortifying, really. His heart sank. Abort mission, this was going terribly. Clearly he still needed to work on speaking like an adult lion being before talking to anyone, let alone Soa.
Soa, who was shivering.
“Nevermind. Come, we should go back to the hall. It’s warmer there and your family will wonder where we’ve got to.” He stood up and put paw on the next steps ready to go up, but paused to say.
“Thankyou for accompanying me this evening, any way…”
*
A poor choice of words, it seemed. She'd only meant to say that she was used to constant chatter, being "big sis", though in a way he was on the mark, since adolescents were still considered children too, but Soa felt a keen sense of guilt for seeming to disappoint with her answer. Having been taught how to save face, however, it flickered briefly in her eyes before he shifted topics along.
She stood up, just about to join him at his side when his thanks reached her ears. She regarded him with a nod.
"Ah... I hope I didn't offend you, I meant it with no disrespect." She attempted an apologetic smile. She didn't understand his intentions but she'd not be able to let it go if she left things as they were. "I just believe that you shouldn't be afraid to be yourself. I don't generally speak with others much so my weakness seems to be the opposite, or, so my cousin says." She made a light face, ascending the stairs next to him. "Any mate you take had best be a fan of mysteries, Soa dear, you're about as hard to figure out as a riddle from the gods themselves when you want to be." He'd teased. She was completely accustomed to Kucha'kunge's brand of humor and way of thinking-- Not that she understood him any better than she did Peribsen, but still... --so she couldn't be bothered to take offense to it, and had just shrugged it off while commenting that any mate of hers, as if she'd ever worried about such a thing, would just have to accept that part of her she supposed.
*
“It’s quite alright.” Peribsen nodded politely. In a way he wishes she weren’t quite so understanding so he could make a quicker get away. But the princess hadn’t just won his affections for being beautiful, it was this quiet understanding air about her that had made him look twice in the first place. She always seemed so steady and in control, intent. Graceful in her purposefulness. So unlike him, with his four left paws and his talking too much…
He walked with her back to the more sunny square, where the most of the pride still lazd enjoying the last of the sunlight. Here there was no chill from the water. The princess would soon warm up.
“Soa. It’s been a pleasure.” He offered a slightly pained smile to the others. “Good evening ladies.” The brown lion took his leave and tried not to make too hasty a retreat.
*
Soa followed him back to the rest of the pride and away from the quieter area by the lakeside, not settling down right away, rather, remained standing to see him off. To sit too hastily felt as though it would be rude. She wasn't in any hurry to see him go.
The pained smile he gave before leaving was so slight that she had to wonder if she hadn't imagined it, but as he took his leave Soa finally lay alongside Tesni and Johari again. Maa had opted to use Tesni for a pillow in Soa's absence.
"... Soa...? What was it you two talked about exactly that got him so... um... dejected?"
The darker colored princess looked to Johari almost slowly, ear twitching again, and sure enough when she finally answered truthfully: "I haven't the slightest idea."
*
Bennunakht, in the far corner of the courtyard, laughed.
