The Motherfather could have risen in front of him juggling turtles while balancing on the wings of an outstretched moth and Tyrant would not have cared. His eyes and attention were on the doe seated next to him. Everything about her was perfection- she was exactly what he deserved. Mother had done an amazing job of finding her. He’d spent so many precious years gamboling about like a child, but Mother had finally stepped in and set him straight by introducing him to Gilded Trap. The doe was the only thing in the swamp half as beautiful as his own sweet self; true, she might have been catty, sharp, unpleasant, and nearly unbearable to speak to- but that wasn’t what made a good pairing! No, he’d seen it with Mother and Father. The true secret to success in life was having a beautiful lady by your side.
Most of the time. Certainly when you were in public.
He understood their arrangement might be somewhat unorthodox for the rest of the swamp; typically you were faithful to one or philandered your entire life away without the stability of a mother and a father for your children. His people, however, didn’t truck with that one bit. You simply needed to have an official mother and father and perfect, beautiful children- and that’s what the world needed to see. So he would sit next to Gilded Trap and pretend he wasn’t looking at the fine, fine flanks of that long-maned performer with the single horn. In time, when the children came, he would be the perfect provider for his perfect little family, and they would be the envy of all. That’s why they were here, after all- their post-joining Grand Tour was really just a series of excuses to show her off; his little bird was the prize of the era, and he had every intention of letting the rest of the world know just how lucky he was. Tonight's festivities were a performance by some troupe; Mother had arranged their presence, as the circus kin were all Acha and therefore the show would at least be professional.
He felt a pair of eyes on him. Somebody was looking at him, envying him, wanting to be him. With a self-satisfied smile, he leaned over and nuzzled his mate. “Are you satisfied with the entertainments, Dear Heart?” he murmured. “We ought to be charging them, really- you’re twice as lovely as their entire company put together.”
LOLLI qAq