A Night Without Darkness

[Salem Ave]

The day (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?23371-Beyond-the-Sea) was over, but no darkness came to Hapes. Seven moons loomed ever present in the sky, reflecting the light of the cluster's shimmering nebulae and denying the Hapan's a true nightfall. Although they had been offered lodgings for the evening, many of delegates of the Consortium who had attended the conference had elected to return to Hapes proper. They had been gracious in refusing their Queen's request, but everyone knew that it would be foolish to remain on the island unless they wanted to risk waking up with a knife in their chest. Particularly after what had they had been discussing. Such was the politics of the Hapans.

Salem Ave was not Hapan, however. He stood on the shore of a cove that overlooked the sea, watching the engine glow of the last departing ship grow dimmer and dimmer. He closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a slow, deep breath. As he looked out to sea, he pushed his senses outward across the island – and smiled to himself as he felt two familiar life-forces approaching the cove.

[Razielle Alastor]

Girlish laughter preceded the approaching two figures, along with the occasional flight of some seabird they had disrupted in their walk. Mother and child walked hand-in-hand, arms swinging. Their pace was as unhurried as if they had no cares in the world. As if they were merely on a holiday to the beach, the simple fabrics of their sun dresses blowing softly in the salty breeze as they approached the cove.

As they drifted closer it was clear that each carried something. Razielle had a large woven basket dangling off one arm. Beatrix came carrying a child's back-pack, which she toted without complaint. When the little heiress looked up to notice that they were about to encounter company, she turned her little face up to her mother for her approval. Which of course was given. Razielle gestured ahead and nodded that it was alright to proceed.

When the little monarch started forward in a stately stride, Razielle laughed at her and relieved her of her pack. "You are off duty, highness. You may run if you like.."

Needing no further permission, Bea did just that. However, instead of running for the water as Razielle had suspected the girl would do, she ran straight for their company..

[Salem Ave]

How quickly she had grown. It felt as if barely any time had passed since Beatrix had first (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?18801-Bring-Me-the-Head-of-Ishara-Alastor) been brought to visit the world that she would one day reign over – and yet it also felt like a lifetime ago, so much so that Salem could only just remember the look on Ishara Alastor's face as she held her grand-daughter for the first time.

He smiled and as the girl neared him, he sank down into a crouch; he was close enough to the shore that the foam of the tide lapped at his heels.

“Hello, little one,” he said, speaking in the Hapan tongue.

[Razielle Alastor]

Having stopped on the much drier sand further up the beach, Razielle stood watching her daughter. Beatrix's mad dash had halted a few paces from Salem, at which point she slowed to a more reserved walk. When he lowered to her eye level for scrutiny, she tilted her head at an angle that warned her mother she was thinking hard about something. It was not an altogether unfamiliar expression she wore either, it was his. After a moment, she lifted the back-pack from her shoulder and set it on the ground. Then on wobbly little legs, further impeded by the shifting sand beneath her sandals, Beatrix surprised Razielle by giving Salem a very correct curtsy.

"Hello.", she replied back with a hesitant smile.

Higher upon the beach, Razielle tried her best not to gulp at the sight. She could almost pretend it was a perfectly normal afternoon and not nearly her daughter's bedtime. Still, this was far closer to normal than any of them ever got, and it felt just as precarious as the sand Beatrix stood on. Setting her own basket down, she continued to watch as she followed down to them.

"Want to see?" Beatrix was asking excitedly, already anticipating an affirmative response to her question as she unstrapped her pack on the ground, dipping inside after something. She emerged with a shiny metal spade which she wielded quite proudly. "Mother gave it to me."

"They told me there is sea weed that can eat you here. Do you think so?", she asked him as if his response was going to weigh in on this very serious matter.

[Salem Ave]

As the young Queen curtsied to him, Salem glanced in Razielle's direction, a quirk at the edge of his lips; there was time yet to teach her that the Hapan Queen bowed to no man, not even her 'godfather'.

He matched Beatrix's expression, one of serious contemplation over the question she'd posed, and arched an eyebrow as he considered the spade.

“...are you hungry?”

[Razielle Alastor]

Clearly the question confused Beatrix momentarily, knitting her brow and making her look from Salem to the spade in her hand and back again. Then it dawned on her what he was suggesting, making Beatrix laugh and shake her head.

"Nooo.", she said, dragging it out in silly exaggeration. "I'm not going to eat them. Not unless they try to eat me first."

It seemed the little chume was prepared for any eventuality. Spade in hand, she turned back to look up at her mother who had just arrived, bending over to press a kiss to her forehead. "Bea, I know you love your mother. So please.. no chume-eating sea weed before bed. Deal?"

[Salem Ave]

The girl nodded at her mother, though she looked back to Salem after a moment, as if still taken with the idea of investigating what treasures the beach might yield. Still crouching beside her, Salem leaned in closer and said in a conspiratorial whisper: “Instead of sea-weed, why don't you see if you can find a sun shell, hm? I think your mother would like that.”

He sat back and Beatrix met his eyes, grinning a little. Salem nodded and straightened to his feet, then watched as without further ado the young Queen skipped off along the damp sand, still clutching her spade, giggling as the tide lapping precariously close to her feet. Salem watched her for a long, silent moment.

“She has grown so quickly.”

[Razielle Alastor]

"I know.." She too stopped to watched their daughter as she scampered along the shore. Times like this when she could just be a little girl and not a monarch were only going to grow increasingly rare as she continued to grow up.

Slipping her hand into Salem's, her eyes lingered on Beatrix. "I am not entirely certain that she will not still try to drag some carnivorous sea weed out from the deep and over here, just to show you that she was right. The girl has a mind of her own. For the life of me, I cannot imagine where she gets her stubborn streak from."

...and saying this with a straight face, Razielle was pretty proud of herself.

[Salem Ave]

“Let her have her fun.”

Unspoken, the words 'while she can' hung in the silence between them. However much she might feel obliged and constricted by her royal duties in the years to come, House Alastor's legacy was not the one that Beatrix needed to be concerned with. There were far greater challenges ahead.

Lacing his fingers with Razielle's, Salem squeezed her hand in his.

“There is a strong chance that I will see less and less of her for the next.. few years, at least.”

[Razielle Alastor]

As always, it took Salem only a heartbeat to remind Razielle of what she had to sacrifice.. in order to have what she wanted most. Aware of the fact that on the grand scale of galaxies and empires, her life had always been destined to be complicated. For a split second on Onderon she had allowed herself to reach out and touch that dream - and it had been ripped away from her for the sake of an arranged marriage, which found her now in her present circumstance.

Chume Razielle Alastor. Unable to claim her true husband. Unable to see her daughter know her father. Pain sliced through her, putting a shadow on the otherwise radiant night.

She squeezed his hand back, as if the action could steady her, preventing her from losing her perspective and allowing sadness to invade her time now. Right now she was with them both. The absence of Salem in her life only made her appreciate the time he was with her more, making it all the more precious.

Tugging on his hand she led him back up the dune she had only just descended. Pulling a blanket from the basket she'd carried, she shook it out into the balmy night air before spreading it on the sand for them to sit on.

[Salem Ave]

A ghost of Razielle's emotion brushed against Salem. He felt it like a sudden chill in the air but said nothing as she lead the way further from the shore, to a dune afforded some shade by the cove. As they sat, he made sure that he had a view of where Bea was playing, dancing in and out of the surf.

“She will know who I am to her.. one day. I promise.”

[Razielle Alastor]

Seated with her legs curled to one side, Razielle watched Bea. She stood watching as her little feet disappeared under a wave, laughing as the wet sand sucked at her feet. Pulling herself free she clumsily backed up and pointed imperiously at the waves as if she could command them back from her - and they obeyed.. right up until they splashed over her one more. Beatrix turned and waved to them. With a begrudging smile at the sight, Razielle lifted her fingers and waved back.

Her hesitant smile shifted to Salem and she nodded in unspoken understanding. As always, patience. Her smile turned ever so slightly devious, subtly shifting gears.

"Tell me.", she said inching over to curl against his side, wrapping her arms around him. "Tell me our future. I am erenada, I am to be obeyed.", she sighed tiredly.

[Salem Ave]

“I haven't planned that far ahead.”

The admission hung in the air for only a second before Salem's attempt at keeping a straight face failed. He smiled, though the expression didn't quite touch his eyes.

“Tell me what you want the future to be like.”

[Razielle Alastor]

At the suggestion that Salem had not planned that far ahead, a disbelieving snicker escaped her. That was the biggest lie she had heard in a while, and as the Chume of Hapes, Razielle was confronted with fabrications on an hourly basis.

"Uhuh..", was all she said of it though. Doubtless Salem had the itinerary of their future mapped out right down to which direction their ashes should blow in after their time had ended.

Suddenly feeling very serious, she turned her face up to his. "I want her to have everything her heart desires. I want her to be happy, but more than that I want her to be able to protect herself from her own destiny."

So that I can be with you.. The words hung unspoken in the air for a minute before being blown away unsaid.

"..and for that to happen, you should be teaching her."

[Salem Ave]

His smile was short-lived. “She is too young to learn what I have to teach her, Razielle. Perhaps there are.. lessons that the Jedi could offer her. She is an intelligent child, but...” Salem shook his head and when he looked down at Razielle, there was a shade of something... darker in his features.

“There are some things she is not ready for.”

[Razielle Alastor]

At the suggestion of Jedi involving themselves with her daughter's education, Razielle simply shifted her gaze out to sea, saying not a thing. There was nothing to be said. She did not agree, but her contrary opinion would not be welcomed. They would continue as they had been, with Razielle patiently, cautiously, helping to develop and even control Beatrix's emerging abilities. There was really no teaching her anything.. she learned as she grew, naturally and with her mother watching over her with a critical eye. She didn't want to fight with Salem about it. She would lose. So she just let the subject drop.

Her wishes for the future were of.. little importance. In the end, what she had was a fistful of promises and day dreams.

Changing the subject, she rolled away to recline on her elbows and turn her face up to the radiance of the cluster. "I'm well rid of Countess Sarpin. I wish you the joy of her.", she said, a slight turning of her lips in satisfaction.

[Salem Ave]

If the Force was a string, Salem felt it shiver with a discordant note as Razielle pulled away from him. There was nothing cold in the way she moved, nothing outward that hinted at what feeling his words had inspired in her, but he sensed it just as he had done so many times on Onderon.

Disappointment, disappointment that the fairy-tale future he had once promised her had not yet come to pass. With every step forward and every success, there was a new goal to be achieved and he could no more stop and settle down now than his young daughter could stop the coming of the time.

“She'll be quite an asset,” he said, watching Beatrix. “As will the princess. She'll want to meet with you soon.. and most likely acquire more resources to.. renew our efforts to find Tristan.”

[Razielle Alastor]

At the mention of her puppet prince, Razielle turned her face away from the light above back toward Salem with a frown she did not even attempt to disguise. She had some very strong opinions on the subject of Tristan Alastor. A subject that could be used to test the limits of her indifferent attitude and calm demeanor, as she could probably go into something of a rant. Not that she could say a single thing about it now.

Not because she lacked the courage to voice those opinions, but because Beatrix had turned and was running straight for them, kicking up the beach as she did. She plopped down between them, getting sand all over the blanket, breathing hard from her run. Catching her breath, she smiled and looked between the two of them. "Can we make a castle? I forgot to bring a cup."

"Of course." Razielle could be persuaded into just about whatever Beatrix wanted to do.

"A bucket..", she made an un-chumely noise. "We do not need a bucket." Sitting up and brushing herself off, Razielle gave up trying to keep the blanket in any sense of order. She just rose, stepped out of her sandals and marched across it after her daughter.

"I have told you I grew up on a beach, yes? I'm very qualified at this sort of thing, sweet." Leading her to where the sand was good and damp, but far enough from the waves yet that they had some time before the tide would swallow it.

"Alright, Majesty. Dig.", she said, nodding toward the girl's spade.

Beatrix nodded, kneeling at once on the sand to get started. After a minute she looked for Salem curiously. "Are you going to help too?"

[Salem Ave]

The topic of Tristan Alastor was not one that they could avoid for much longer, but it could wait. A little while longer at least. Who was he to refuse the Chume of Hapes? Drawin herself to his feet, Salem joined the little monarch and her mother. He crouched beside Beatrix.

“You know, this will be the first sand castle I've ever built,” he said and when the young Chume looked up at him in surprise, he added: “There are no beaches where I come from.”

He scooped up a handful of sand, patting it onto the side of the heap that Beatrix had already started to build.

“So, what kind of castle would you like?”

[Razielle Alastor]

While Beatrix detailed the exact specifications of a castle that could likely never be constructed from sand and sea water, Razielle stepped away toward the waves. She had no idea what the girl might say to Salem without her hovering nearby, but she would certainly love to hear about it later. Beatrix was very entertaining for a child, and smart beyond her few years.

Razielle too began to dig without reservation, starting where the incoming tide met the sand and moving back toward them, creating a little aqueduct to meet them. That done, together they showed Beatrix how to start sculpting the pile of sand she had made into the shape of the castle she wanted. Razielle taught her how to drizzle loose sand and water to create little towers where she liked. She liked many it seemed.

Beatrix asked nicely for her to find some shells to decorate with, and Razielle obliged her. Salem too had been put to work, as the queen must have a moat filled with sharks surrounding her castle. By the time they were done, the water was almost to them, and Beatrix was yawning routinely.

[Salem Ave]

“Very impressive.. a castle fit for a Chume.”

The girl smiled sleepily and moments later was smothering a yawn with her hand as she appraised her handiwork. “I'm not tired,” she protested, before anything further could be said.

Dusting sand from his palms, Salem got to his feet. “You aren't?” he lifted an eyebrow and smiled as Beatrix shook her head. “Well, I am. I'm going to bed.. and I think I'll take Fiona the Firaxan shark with me.”

At the thought of her precious stuffed shark being shared with anyone, the young Chume had a sudden change of heart. “But I'm more tired. I should get Fiona.”

Head tilted back, Salem favored her with a knowing smile then held out his arms to her. “Come on, then. Up you come.”

[Razielle Alastor]

That Salem knew about Fiona was impressive, and very telling about where the little queen though he ranked in the scheme of importance. Not everyone knew about her stuffed animals.. especially not her favorite one. The revelation was over shadowed by Bea's sudden exuberance a moment later when Salem held his arms out to her. With a second wind, she ran to him and let him pick her up.

Razielle gathered up her daughter's things for her, putting the spade in her back pack. She asked Beatrix where she had left her sandals and the girl pointed. The place she indicated was now covered in foamy waves, and the little sandals were floating out to sea. She watched for a minute, her lips pursed to one side, then just sighed and continued folding up their blanket. After collecting a few of their shells from the castle, she added them to Bea's bag for her to find later, and then they started back.

The sound of the waves and her comfortable perch soon found Beatrix nodding in her father's arms, one of her arms around his neck, and her cheek on his shoulder.

"It's late, even for her." Razielle commented. The chume was not a fan of bed time.

"She's going to be a handful in the morning.", she cringed in anticipation.

[Salem Ave]

Salem headed towards the path that would lead them out of the cove and back up to the plateau surrounding the Reef Fortress, in no rush as he went. He looked over the top of Beatrix's head at Razielle, almost smiling.

“You should get at least a few hours of sleep, then.”

[Razielle Alastor]

It was not yet midnight on Hapes. If she were to join Beatrix in slumber now she would have many sufficient hours of rest to deal with a bothersome little monarch in the morning. Salem had not said that though, he had said ' a few'. That sounded very promising. Razielle did smile, though it seemed a little predatory in nature.

"Me? I'll get plenty. Maybe you can get up and sing the jelly song at breakfast.", she teased, not going into the details.

[Salem Ave]

“The Minister of State does not sing,” Salem replied dryly.

As they climbed the slope ahead of them, the Reef Fortress loomed into view. Silent, ever watchful captains of the Chume'nor stood on guard, the evening breeze tugging at their cloaks. They sank to one knee as Razielle approached, their heads bowed.

[Razielle Alastor]

Razielle did not comment, but were she a betting woman she would place her bets against Salem on that count. Everyone sang the jelly song.

Saying nothing to the bent figures of the Chume'nor, Razielle continued on up the path. Though they would never speak it, some of them might believe that they were all the same interchangeable guard to the regent. Not so, she knew each by name, face and rank, and had familiarized herself with each of their records. Each of them had sworn oaths to defend both herself, and Beatrix. She could also sense the dissatisfaction that went unsaid as their beloved Queen Mother was carried along by Minister Ave. If they thought it too familiar, or inappropriate the words would never be spoken. Their opinions on who should handle the sleeping chume would not have been received. Even were Prince Tristan still hanging about, she was the Regent of the Consortium now as his legally wedded wife, that made her will the only one of any importance. Right now it was her will to spend her time with Beatrix's godfather, and enjoy the remainder of her stay in the royal family's retreat.

Sandy pathways gave way to carpeted halls as they entered the Reef Fortress.

[Salem Ave]

Inside, the Chume'nor stood along the hallways of the fortress like the suits of armor that lined the corridors in the royal residences of Iziz City. If Salem was concerned by their presence, he did not show it, acknowledging the silent guards with a nod only when they came forward to open doors before the Queen Regent.

The royal sleeping quarters were located in a tower at the centre of the fortress, accessible only by a secure turbolift. Two of Her Majesty's Select Commando's stood with pikes crossed over the entrance to it, which they drew away as the Chume neared them. In the privacy of the elevator, Salem looked sidelong at Razielle over the top of their daughters head and smiled.

[Razielle Alastor]

There had been a time when a Salem smile might have had Princess Shadana's knees wobbling to the nearest seat. The Queen Regent of Hapes was no less impacted by the sight, but time and experience had taught her to prepare for the accompanying shift in gravity that made her bones feel suddenly weightless. It could be done.

Razielle smiled back, stepping forward she brushed a strand of hair out of Beatrix's face, tucking it behind her ear. She kissed her little fingers where they rested on Salem's shoulder, and then stepped back as the door opened once more.

It was not until they had arrived at Beatrix's room that their only company was Lira, who had been absorbed in a book spread upon her lap, where she was seated beside the chume's bed waiting to put her to sleep. She looked truly uncomfortable that she had been caught unaware, and popped from her seat like a cork from a bottle, but without a sound. When she would have been happy to take over, Razielle just shook her head and Lira vanished in a moment. It was not every night they could put their child to bed together. Salem held Bea while Razielle exchanged her little dress for a nightgown, and they both tucked her in.

[Salem Ave]

Salem waited until Beatrix was settled, with Fiona the shark clutched tightly to her chest, before leaving her bed-side. With the curtains drawn to shut out the perpetual sunshine, only the girl's night-light cast a soft glow against the bedroom walls in the pattern of the Cluster's constellations. Stepping out of the room, Salem edged the door closed behind him.

[Razielle Alastor]

Spending time with Bea on the beach..? Both of them putting her to bed...? The normalcy of the whole evening was sufficient enough to cause an ache beneath Razielle's ribs. Just after telling herself that she would maintain her composure, act with a little bit of the decorum the Regent of the Consortium should have, Razielle successfully made it out the door before her resolve caved in. The door had no sooner shut, than her pale arms closed around Salem from behind, pulling his back to her front and laying her cheek against his shoulder.