A Sajoi in Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea's Court

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daanarri walked quickly through the marbled hallway, her soft shoes whispering as she made her way through the Sun Palace. She was still wide-eyed at her good fortune, being mentored by the Pride Mother herself, a rrou'korrta of the court. Her duties were light, mainly carrying datapads back and forth and doing a lot of standing still and listening while matriarchs or priestesses spoke as though she wasn't there. She had only met the Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea herself once, upon arriving, and had barely remembered how to curtsey. Her body was lanky and awkward, kree-rrou still a year or so off, and she felt clumsy compared to the other powerful females that now filled her life.

And, to be honest, a little homesick.

Daani found herself in a part of the palace she hadn't explored yet, near the gorgeous gardens. There was a bit of noise, mostly male voices she realized too late as she walked through an arched doorway and found herself in the Pride Mother's harem. Her eyes popped wide. They had a private garden and a pool, which some of them were taking advantage of, muscular bodies gliding through the water. Some of the males turned to look at her when she entered, but lost interest quickly. She was not unfamiliar with arr'nomaa, the lesser manservants of a household, but in her experience there were never so many...being so leisurely... and good looking.

One walked by her, wearing only a brief swimsuit, and offered her some grapes with a smile. "Can jI asssjissst jyou, ljittle one?"

Daani's mouth fell open.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

A spotted arr'nomaa's ears raised at the sight of the young girl as he perched at the pool's edge. He leisurely wrang the water out of shoulder-length locks of tawny hair.

"A new rrou'korrta?"

The courtesan standing before Daani bashfully hung his ears.

"Ourr parrdon. We do not ssee ladjiess of the courrt unlesss Sor'rrou'fai perrmjitss."

His tail tuft puffed to an exaggerated degree.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Ah, whoopss," she said, lamely. "jYess, jI'm new, and apparrrentljy losst."

Daani took a step backward and nearly ran into another arr'nomaa, who gracefully avoided contact at the last minute, a silken kimono wrapped around his body. All the color drained out of her face as she imagined what her fate would be if anyone found out she'd been there. Was still there! She squeaked, her tail wrapping around her leg, and darted out of the harem. Once she judged herself a safe distance away, Daani leaned against a wall to catch her breath. Were they laughing at her? She imagined they were.

Would they tell on her? Her ears drooped at the thought. She'd be executed. Thrown into the feeding pit and torn apart by the kitchen staff. Sent to the temple to serve as a nomaa'aasa'saanja, they did have females there she'd heard, not just males in service of Saanjarra. After a few minutes of silence, the long, warm afternoon stretching on in tranquility, she perked up. No one was coming after her.

She tried to retrace her path to more familiar surroundings, perhaps the rrou'korrta living quarters where she could read a holonovel or watch an action movie in peace, but when she'd left the arr'nomaa behind she must have stupidly gone in a different direction. Kosa, this place was huge! Left with no other good choices (she certainly wasn't going back there), Daani kept walking, attempting to model her footsteps and walk on the other rrou'korrta she was usually surrounded by.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Daanarri Meorrrei."

A baritone voice sounded behind her as the rrou'korrta attempted to skulk away. Keerrourri Feessaarro approached from a vaulted door adjacent to the column-flanked hallway in which they currently stood. He was half-busy with a datapad, but closed what he was working on, and tucked it at his side. Looking at the adolescent again, he quirked an ear upwards at the sight of her.

"Wherre arre jyou gojing?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Kosa!" Daani jumped at the sound of her name, and quickly turned. "Emjissarrjy, uh..." Her mind suddenly blank, she couldn't remember if she was supposed to curtsey or not, and decided to at the last second, a bobbled gesture that was soon over and hopefully hurriedly forgotten.

"jI wass gojing to... the... garrdenss?" She smiled hopefully, as in jI hope therrre arrre garrrdenss jin thjisss djirrectjion. She fidgited with her gossamer dress, completely unlike the coveralls she'd liked to wear on board the Layla. "jIt jiss mjy frrree tjime," Daani added helpfully.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

She remembered her greeting, and Keerrourri dipped his head deferentially to her etiquette. More than a few rrou'korrta'i were disciplined in their early weeks by not affording the Emissary the proper protocol. It was natural to forget to give that level of courtesy to a male, but in the presence of the Sor'arr'fai, they honored their High Mother by respecting him.

So she had a brain, then. Truly her mother's cub.

Of course, she wasn't too clever, as the gardens were in another direction. Keerrourri politely indicated with a gesturing hand.

"jYou'll want to be gojing thjiss wajy then. Therre'ss a loveljy garrden jusst passt the rrojyal harrem. jI'll sshow jyou."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Oh," she said faintly, "Thank jyou."

Daani walked as demurely as she knew how, willing herself not to trip and fall over her own tail as the Emissary of the Pride Mother led her back the way she'd come. As they drew nearer to the harem the inside of her ears began to burn. She very. Pointedly. Did. Not. Look. Toward. The. Doors.

The tiling on the hallway was so detailed and exquisite!

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

The Emissary couldn't contain a smile of amusement as they walked together, and the young girl's ears deflated as they neared the threshold of the harem.

"jYou'rre not gojing to be sstrruck bljind jif jyou catch a gljimpsse, hahaha."

While the Pride Mother's prize harem was certainly off-limits for touching, there were no shortage of amusing anecdotes passed among the rrou'korrta'i regarding having eyes burned out by hot pokers for having a curious glimpse. If that happened, given the frequent amorous comings and goings of his queen, he imagined there wouldn't be a pair of good eyeballs remaining within the court.

"Don't worrrjy, thejy know thejirr place and arre qujite well trrajined."

Her mood seemed to brighten a little once they were past the harem door, and Keerrourri continued along with her.

"How long untjil jyou arre a woman?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Saanjarra, everyone seemed to be asking her that lately! Daani took a deep breath and replied, "Mosst ljikeljy a jyearrr orr sso. jIt varrrjiess but mjy ssjissterrss werrre blooded bjy fjifteen, arr'oa." If it sounded rehearsed, well, it was. It was her first time being questioned by a male of course, but the Pride Mother's arr'fai was no ordinary male. She imagined her brother was perhaps like this now, commanding his own ship in the Alliance.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

He nodded.

"That jiss norrmal. Therre arre conssorrtss prrovjided to the rrou'korrta'i when thejy come of age, courrtessjy of jyourr Sor'rrou'fai. Prrovjided of courrsse that jyourr motherr doess not alrreadjy have a ssujitable arrangement forr jyou. jYou'll have no trrouble embrracjing that tjime wjith grrace, ejitherr wajy."

On approach to the Kaa'ara'maila Gardens, two servants threw back the wrought-iron and stained glass doorway, allowing pure sunlight to bathe the Emissary and the court's page. They stepped into a beautiful vista of gnarled bayossa trees, manicured topiaries, and brilliant flowers. The cooing of tropical birds could be heard overhead, and the occasional brilliant flash of plumage could be seen as they preened over a man-made brook that burbled over a velvety-soft grass walkway.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

Laughter floated through the gardens toward the pair, and after a moment Kiattaarra came into view, an older rrou'korrta in a diaphanous shift at her elbow, both of them clearly enjoying a joke. She straightened a bit at the sight of the Meorrrei girl and Keerrourri, and the rrou'korrta became the picture of decorum. "Mjy Emjissarrrjy," Kia started, then she giggled. Yes, perhaps a bit too much Pai Leeha before dinner. "jI am..." she waved a hand in the air, as if trying to ward off flies. "Neverrr mjind."

She fixed her eyes on the young female, a smile on her lips. "Ah, my newessst rrou'korrta. What do jyou thjink of mjy garrrden?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani did not fumble her courtesies this time, dipping low and keeping her eyes down until she was addressed directly. "jIt jiss the loveljiesst jI've sseen, rrou'a," she said truthfully.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

So too did Keerrourri bow, with the practiced grace of decades. Before he deferred his sight, however, Keerrourri noticed his queen's condition was perhaps artificially buoyed. The prattlings of the Saanjarra priestess college began anew in his ears. The insistence on her taking the sacrament; on bearing cubs. It wasn't simply a life choice to defer or refuse. This was a matter of state, and one that he'd been carefully considering how to broach. As he knelt, the Emissary's face was a mask of conflicting emotions.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

Kia smiled at the girl, and then looked at her Emissary's head as he knelt. "Rrrjise, Keerrourri, and sspeak jyourrr mjind. jI can tell therrre jiss a lot on jit. Unburrrden jyourrsself."

The two rrou'korrta became like statues, eyes downcast demurely as the Emissary slowly stood. Kia looked up at him, her face expectant.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

It was her command. Even if the rrou'korrta'i were in attending, he would do as asked.

"The envojy frrom the prrjiesstesss'ss college ssendss herr tjidjingss to jyou, and jI am to tell jyou that Nomaani jis asscendant forr the next two njightss."

It was the long-form way of saying, at least. They both knew exactly what the envoy meant.

"Wjith rresspect, hjighnesss, jit would be unwjisse to ssend them awajy agajin."

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

"Not that agajin." She ran her hands through her long brown hair, shaking it loose down her back. "jYess, jyou arrre prrrobabljy rrrjight."

Kia rubbed a hand over her flat belly, and then placed it on her hip. "Make jit sso. jI wjill of courrrsse do mjy dutjy forrr the Prrrjide." She had brought this upon herself, inviting him to speak with witnesses present. Despite the wine, she had at least learned how to hold her tongue when needed, rather than throwing a fit and destroying the crystal. She had been putting off the inevitable for a year, she was nearly twenty and the tataur'aasa'saanja were growing impatient. She'd heard murmurings from the Matriarchs as well, so it was perhaps time.

Keer turned as if to leave, and she added, "Take the ljittle rrrou'korrta wjith jyou, ssshe wjill enjojy meetjing the Hjigh Prrrjiesstesss."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

Keerrourri's ears pivoted back momentarily at the suggestion, but were again placid a moment later.

"At jyourr command, mjisstrresss."

A swift bow once more, and he followed his dismissal with a prompt exit, glancing back only slightly to make sure that Daanarri had ears enough on her to know when she'd been summoned. Walking briskly back into the hallway, the Emissary was once more in serene composure, as he looked to his young charge.

"jYou want an educatjion jin the affajirrss of the courrt, Daanarri Meorrrei? Then follow me and watch closseljy."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani hurried after the Emissary, her ears laid back as she realized her free afternoon had evaporated. "Yes arr'oa." He was no longer strolling, but striding with purpose, and she was having trouble keeping up while walking properly. She picked up her skirts in one of her hands, wary of tripping. "Arr'oa, jI have attended," she skipped a bit to match his gait, "jI have attended to meetjings wjith the tataur'aasa'saanja beforre, parrrdon the quesstjion but how jiss thjiss djifferrrent?"

She bit her lip, and added, "Apologjies, Emjissarrjy, jif jI am sspeakjing out of turrn."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

Mindful of her efforts, Keerrourri stayed his momentum enough for her to follow without hardship. What she asked was an honest enough question.

"jYou arre awarre of the ssacrramentss of the Saanja cult, rrou'korrta?"

There were, of course, a whole panoply of sacraments he could be mentioning. The tataur'aasa'saanja were the servants of the Goddess, and her dominion in Cizeri religion was vast. There were matters of state, matters of justice, matters of seasonal adherence, and far more. Rather than have her stumble through the proper interpretation, he made his meaning plain.

"Ourr Queen hass no hejirr."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

She knew the basics of what the truly devoted did in service of Saanjarra, and had realized already that the Saanja religion had far greater ties to the Pride Mother and the inner workings of the Pride than she would have guessed. Her own mother gave the barest of lip service to the Goddess, and Daani wasn't really sure what to believe, personally. But the priestesses were a religious and a political presence in the Cluster. She needed to understand them in order to survive the coming days as a rrou'korrta.

"Ah," Daani said, "jI ssee. A... perrrssonal matterrr, but... becaussse sshe jiss Prrrjide Motherrr... ssshe needss an hejirr." It was no doubt a lot more complicated, but she didn't think asking more questions would be prudent. And they were drawing near to their destination. She would observe and do what was asked of her, but hopefully no one would notice her if she kept just a bit behind the Emissary.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"That'ss corrrect."

The Emissary turned to the young girl and nodded.

"The Feessaarro ljine hass rruled forr overr a mjillennjium prrecjisseljy becausse thjiss ssacrrament rremajinss sso jimporrtant. The Queen musst have daughterrss. jIf herr ljine werre to end, the oljigarrchjy and the prrjiesstesssess would tearr ourr natjion aparrt. Rrojyal authorrjitjy keepss both halvess jin check."

At last, they arrived to the meeting area where the Saanja cult's envoy was received. Keerourri paused, made sure Daanarri was ready, and nodded to the servants to attend to the doors.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

The doors opened, and a haze of insence greeted the Emissary and Daanarri. She kept behind him and slightly to the left, her sensitive nose wrinkling as they entered the meeting room. A large sunlight was set in the ceiling above the circular table, and there were five females arranged around it in. They were dressed in white, their short dresses barely reaching the top of their thighs, their hair long and unbound.

The High Priestess walked up to the Emissary, her hands on her hips. "jI prrrajy you have sssomethjing new to ssajy, Emjissarrjy. The Motherrr musst take advantage of Nomaani's rrrjisse."

Daani's eyes began to pick out details from the edges of the room, those not bathed in sunlight. There were males standing there, no doubt from the Temple. Were they picked to...attend the Pride Mother? Or would her heir be fathered by one of the manservants she had nearly run into earlier?

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

Keerrourri bowed in an elegant motion that was considerably less lowly than the manner in which he prostrated himself for his Queen. There were layers of formality to be adhered to, of course.

"The Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea wjill rrecejive Saanjaara's ssacrrament of ferrtjiljitjy, wjith the hope of manjy ssunss to rrjisse above herr name."

The temple consorts in the background stirred slightly, but quickly resumed their function as a species of statue. The Emissary studied the High Priestess, who addressed him.

"Do not dawdle, Emjisssarrjy. Have the Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea prreparred to take ssacrrament jin the Kaatra'uurre'nomaa wjithjin the hourr. Sshe majy then sselect whjich of thenomaa'aasa'saanja arre worrthjy to enterr herr temple."

A brief glance at The Emissary's rrou'korrta, and the High Priestess departed the reception chamber, followed quickly by her subordinates and the chosen temple courtesans.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani had never been so glad in her life to be utterly ignored. She stepped back as the Emissary turned toward her, and hesitantly met his eyes. "Go jinforrrm the korrtirr'i to prreparre a chamberrr forr the krreesa'nomaa'issanja," he said.

"Yess, arr'oa." Daani hurried toward the door they'd come in by, and then whirled and executed a perfect curtsey before scurrying away.

The first korrtirr she ran into, not literally, was holding a stack of clean linens. "The Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea jiss to take the sssacrrament of krreesa'nomaa'issanja," she blurted as he looked at the floor. "Wjithjin the hourrr! Everrrjythjing mussst be prrreparrred!" Whatever that meant.

The male's ears began to twitch, and he handed her the folded sheets, which she took without thinking. "jIt wjill be done, rrou'korrta." He turned hurried off, speaking rapidly in Cizeri, and it took Daani a moment to realize he had a commlink or something so he could communicate with the other korrtirr'i spread throughout the palace.

She looked down at the neatly stacked sheets in her arms, so high she could barely see over them, and tottered toward where she thought she remembered a closet she could stow them inside for the time being. Activity began to explode, rrou'korrta'i and korrtirr'i running around the wide hallways. After disposing of the linens in a random closet, Daani was handed a box of expensive pillar candles and ended up spending ten minutes helping a korrtirr light them in a room she'd never seen before. The chamber was large and completely lacked any furniture or windows, the lighting to be provided by the bazillion candles that she was apparently helping set in place. The center of the room was lowered a step into the floor, a large circular area which was covered in ridiculously expensive looking furs and pillows.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

The Emissary, in the meantime, returned to tend to his Queen. He found her in the spring quarters - one of the many royal suites on the palace grounds. The Kaa'ara'maila Gardens were within vantage from the ornate windows, and she was already being tended to by an entourage of korrtirr'i, plying her with fragrant oils and a massage. Her blue eyes met him when he entered, and it was clear that there was plenty on her mind.

"Sshall jI prreparre jyou tea?"

His place was at her side, but she'd speak her mind if she wished it. Keerrourri respected her bravery, and knew this was a decision not made lightly.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

"jYess," Kia said simply, her tail twitching and betraying her anxiety. Once the ritual was begun, it could last for days - each evening would be spent resting and each morning with medical exams to see if an heir had taken root. Of course, a Pride Mother could not be expected to undergo such a lengthy process for each pregnancy, it was just the first that was so important. If it was not a female, the budding fetus would be removed and the process continue. And if Traanjirra had her eyes on her this cycle could be entirely unfruitful and the tataur'aasa'saanja would return every month until she was with cub.

She supposed she should be grateful that medicine was sufficiently advanced that the doctors could tell the sex of a cub while it was still a cluster of cells. Pride Mothers in the past would bear their first to term, and if it came out male it would be destroyed. She grimaced at the thought of enduring pregnancy for nothing, to say nothing of the bond it was said that mothers felt with the unborn. Her own mother had borne only two female cubs. Kia's older sister would have been in her late thirties had she not succumbed to disease after kree-rrou. Kia had been born out of terrible necessity, and, well, here they were. The Feessaarro line hung by a thread.

Kiattaarra was gently turned over and her korrtirr'i rubbed scented oil into her skin, warm hands covering her. For once she did not feel aroused at all, so full was her brain of thoughts. When she was allowed to sit, Keerrourri handed her a delicate cup, full of Krii'aachee tea. She took it silently, and met his eyes. "No doubt the prrreferrred arr'nomaa forrr todajy wjill be meera'in," she said, trying to joke.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

The Emissary resisted the urge to massage the bridge of his nose at the onset of a headache. Thinking about the schemings of the tataur'aasa'saanja was an exercise in exhaustion.

"Thejy arre nothjing jif not prredjictable, mjisstrresss."

The machinations of the Saanja cult desired an heir of pure appearances. Kia's own birth resulted in a dark tone resulting from recessive genes - a shade darker than the idealized mocha hues of a true noble. It was idiocy and everyone who played the game knew it as such, but keeping appearances was hardly a frivolous thing considering the billions of commoners who were to see their High Mother and to expect what the culture stated was the ideal.

"Once jyou arre to rrecejive the ssacrrament, jI cannot be prressent."

He again stated the obvious. The priestess college would refuse any unsanctified male in her presence, thus to prevent possibly sullying the purity of seed. Though he was a Sarrtarroa and raised at birth to be her perfect first, it was not his place to be the father of her first heir. Rather, the statement was meant to gird her, and to avail himself of what strength he could offer her now.

He edged onto the bed adjacent to her, a loving hand brushing against her face and then at her shoulder.

"jYou have become sso sstrrong."

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

"Asss jyou have made me, Arr'fai," she said, her voice low and husky. His tenderness threatened to cause her emotions to overflow. Kia stared at her cup, the dark liquid within softly steaming. The past year and a half had been spent wisely, using the time she could to learn what it really meant to be the Pride Mother. The priestesses had wanted her impregnated and under their thumb from the start, but she had learned to hold her own, striking a balance between the religious right and the political left of the Matriarchs. But even her Matriarchs were beginning to mutter about the Feessaarrro line, and she could not put it off any longer.

At least she would not be expected to spend her days raising the cub, after she was born. Kia's mother had barely spent any time at all with her, other than to summon her to her deathbed. Of course, she well knew how that felt. Having a cub would be complicated, with all the pressures she was already under, but perhaps she would not wish to completely abandon the infant to the hands of nannies and governesses.

Kiattaarra put her hand over his where it rested on her shoulder. "jI know jyou wjill keep the Prrrjide rrrunnjing ssmoothljy jin mjy abssence."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Mjy vojice jiss jyourrss, mjy wjill jiss jyourrss."

He raised her chin gently with the back of his hand, feeling pride in seeing the woman she had become.

"jI am jyou, and jyourr Prrjide wjill obejy jyou on mjy ljife."

The Emissary kissed her serenely on the cheek.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

All too soon the High Priestess was at her door, and Keer stood apart from her as she was inspected thoroughly and then draped in a loose fitting white robe. As she was led away she held her chin high, her will resolute. She was the Pride and she would do all required of her, no matter how personally distasteful she found it.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani stood quietly in the hallway, the way between the spring quarters and the chamber set apart for krreesa'nomaa'issanja lined with the rrou'korrta'i and korrtirr. The females looked straight ahead, the males stared at the floor. She was near enough that she saw the Emissary emerge from the royal suite after the procession had passed. He looked... proud.

He also nearly caught her staring at him, and she quickly found a sconce on the wall opposite to find fascinating.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

Keeping respectful distance to the entourage as they led his queen to the sacrament chamber, Keerrourri watched Kia walk ahead. She kept all of her regal poise as she did so, and never once looked back. The priestesses filed into the chamber in turn, and the doors were drawn closed.

Now, it was up to her. She'd be secluded from sight until the sacrament took hold. Once it did, the priestesses would release a covey of white doves across the skyline from the palace rotunda, as a signal of good favor to all of the High Mother's subjects. Hopefully, they would not have long to wait.

Either way, preparations would have to be made. Keerrourri turned about to head to his study, sounding "Djissmjisssed" to the rrou'korrta'i and korrtirr'i.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani was relieved to be done with her duty, and scampered off directly to her room. She had a feeling she was going to learn a lot more than she bargained for with her new job.