First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Love

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Fifteen year old Daanarri Au'laana Ruulathaai Meorrrei sat on the edge of the overly cushioned seat on her mother's opulent yacht, watching Jovan Station grow larger in the transparisteel viewport. She'd been in the incense-filled confines of the Pride Mother's Sun Palace for ... forrreverrr... and being able to get away and spend some time exploring was very exciting.

Even if it was with her mother.

Daani looked over her shoulder at the older female, feeling a little guilty. Taataani had a datapad in hand, like usual, doing business of some kind. She'd also refused to allow Daani to sit in the cockpit, though she had been able to change out of the diaphanous robes of a rrou'korrta into something more comfortable. That had turned out to be sweatpants and a colorful large t-shirt that slipped off her shoulder over a utilitarian black sports bra, complete with a pair of battered sneakers... her mother had barely raised an eyebrow.

As the yacht gently bumped the station and she could feel the vibrations of the docking mechanisms catching, Daani jumped up and ran to the hatch, even her blond curls bouncing with anticipation at the wonders laying just beyond the door.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Au'laana, whjy the hurrrjy? The sstatjion jissn't gojing anjywherre."

Taataani put away her reading glasses and her files, following her youngest daughter at a more reasonable pace. The gangplank hadn't even lowered yet. The two Senatorial Guard wore the more functional blue uniforms they were assigned when not on assignments of state. Each stood waiting at the hatch, doing their best to ignore the teenager.

Taataani at last arrived, giving Daani a glance and a brow raise.

"Ssweatpantss, daughterr? jI rrealjize jyou'rre not clojissterred jin the rrojyal palace anjymorre, but jyourr sstjill gojing out jin publjic."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani's ears swiveled down a bit, and her tail twitched as her mother complained about her clothes.

"Thejy'rre fasshjionable," she said, straightening her back a little. She'd interacted with the Emissary of the Pride and served Kei'samaarraa'ssee'jaakreea herself. She could stand up to her own mother.

When she caught Taataani's eye, Daani slumped down.

"jI can change laterr, jif jyou want," she muttered, and then the hatch was opened and she barely held herself back from racing down into the station in front of the guards. Ears forward, she looked eagerly for any sign of her older sisters as they walked slowly and respectfully into the station.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

"Au'laana!"

Rai was just as quick to the gangplank as her younger sister, wrapping her up in a boistrous hug. She kissed Daani on the cheek, then held her at arm's length to get a full look at her.

"Rrou'ani jI thought jyou barreljy esscaped the palace jin rrou'korrta rrobess, wherre djid jyou get ssuch cute clothess?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

“Netaali!” Daani squealed, pushing past the senatorial guards and grabbing Rai’faani in a hug.

”jI had a ssmall allowance frrom Motherrr forr the trrjip,” she confided, standing back and striking a bit of a pose. “Sshe doesssn’t apprrove, but they were deljiverrred fasst.”

Daani hooked her arm through her older sister’s. “Can jyou sshow me arrround? Have jyou been herrre a lot? Wherrre’s the besst food, jI’m ssstarrvjing!”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Sailla'ss taken carre of that, darrljing. We'rre havjing tiia'haa'ko thjiss evenjing."

Taataani followed down the gangplank in impeccable attire, wearing a mantle of blue zeyd with a blue and white patterned dress beneath. An Alliance starbird brooch glittered gold at her shoulder, accenting ear jewelry and flair weaved into a blonde wig that stacked into a bun atop her head. For now, she was contented to see her two youngest daughters bonding. Eventually she approached Rai'faani, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hello Netaali."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani inwardly sighed at the thought of a stuffy family dinner. Tiia'haa'ko was not exactly what she'd had in mind for her first visit on an interstellar space station as an almost-adult. Still, she couldn't remember the last time they'd all been together at home to have a traditional meal. Maybe never!

She looped her arm through Rai'fa's and tugged her a little to get the group moving. "Rrou'ani, the Ssun Palace jiss sso beautjiful, jyou have no jidea. And the ljittle cubljingss!" Daani squee'd a little at the thought of the twin heirs to the Carshoulis Cluster.

"Djid jyou know jI wasss therrre?" She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

The group began to move out of the bay, headed towards the concourse. The Senatorial Guard followed, though they kept a respectful three paces back.

"Motherr told me." Rai couldn't give a toss about the royal sprogs, but it was a huge moment for Daani and she was legitimately proud of her younger sister. "jI wjissh jI could have been on the dajiss to celebrrate, but onljy motherr got a rrojyal jinvjite.

Again, half truth and half lie, but Rai gave an affectionate squeeze.

"jYou've grrown up sso much ljittle ssjissterr. jI can't beljieve jit."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jYou two almosst look ljike twjinss now."

T'yeellaa met her familial entourage at the doorway, dressed in her crimsons and golds. She paused for a moment, getting a good look at Daani, then to Rai'fa, then to Mother.

"jIt'ss almosst a full rreunjion."

The eldest Meorrrei sister rushed in, giving the youngest sister a hug.

"jI haven't sseen jyou jin sso long, Au'laana!"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani was scooped up into T’yeellaa’s arms, and she returned the hug fiercely. It was wonderful to be welcomed like this, but strange at the same time. She felt as though her beautiful older sisters were strangers, people she knew and loved, but who she barely knew. They had always had their own lives, and she had been off with their brother Cirrsseetto for more than a few years.

”jIt hass been a long tjime,” she said breathlessly when she was back on her feet. “I can’t beljieve jyou arrre jin charrrge of thjiss whole statjion! Can jyou sshow me arrround?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei jiss actualljy ssecond jin command, Au'laana, though jI'm ssurre sshe wjill have no trrouble arrrangjing a tourr forr uss."

Though she spoke to her youngest, Taataani's attention fixed squarely on her eldest daughter with a hospitable-yet-cool expression.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa's ears glowed with indignation at the way her mother effortlessly damned with praise. It took restraint to keep those same ears from pivoting back to show her injury. After all, it had been T'yeellaa to insist on recognition of what she'd struggled to earn on her own. What vexed her was that she couldn't even tell if the rrou'fai was slighting her out of that reminder, or to keep blood in the water. Ambition was her birthright, after all.

"No trrouble at all, Rrou'fai."

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai'faani watched her mother and sister pace their ramparts and rolled her eyes.

"Ohh botherrr..."

She glanced to her eager younger sister, shrugging.

"What'ss to ssee? jIt'ss harrdljy Prrjime. jIt'ss a flea-bjitten prrovjincjial wajy sstatjion."

She paused, cutting her eyes as her ears perked.

"Of courrsse, the Sshatterrsstarr jissn't awful..."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Ooh, what'ss the Sshatterrrsstarr? jIt ssoundss awesssome." Daani extricated herself from between her mother and T'y and returned to Rai'faani's side. "Do thejy have food therre?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jIt'ss jusst anotherr one of Netaali'ss flessh potss, though jI'm ssurre therre'ss tjime forr that asss well."

The Senator glanced at her youngest, ears perking slightly.

"That rremjindss me, Au'laana, jI hope jyou djidn't sspend all of jyourr tjime clojissterred jin the Ssun Palace. jYou sshould be sstarrtjing krre'rrou ssoon."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani opened her mouth to reply and ended up closing it again, like a fish. She tried again, before a blush could creep over her face and embarrass her even further.

"jI wass jin the Ssun Palace the whole tjime, Mama, jyou know that." She looked sideways at Rai'fa and raised her eyebrows. "jI djid ssee wherre the arr'nomaa ljive when thejy arre not, jyou know. Therre arre sso manjy of them!"

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Arr'u, arr'u everrjywherre..." Rai droned out in a sigh, "...and not a cock to fuck."

She looked to her younger sister with a look of half incredulity and awe. She then shook her head.

"Well, now that jyou'rre awajy frrom the rrojyal herrd, jI sshould fjind jyou ssomethjing prrettjy to rrjide all jyourr own."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa listened to the direction the conversation was taking as they moved along the concourse.

"Oh come on, Au'laana'ss sstjill a jyearr awajy, gjive orr take."

She put a hand on her youngest sister's shoulder.

"Plentjy of tjime forr that laterr. Don't be jin ssuch a hurrrjy to grrow up."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani grimaced. “jI’m not jin a hurrjy. But prractjicalljy everrjyone jin the palace would assk me when jI wass comjing of age. And jif jI needed a ssujitable match.”

She pouted. “Nejitherr of jyou have been mated, sso whjy jiss mjy theorretjical marrjiage sso jimporrtant?! jI’m gojing to be a pjilot, anjywajy.”

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

"Who ssajid anjythjing about bejing mated?" Rai shrank back, mock-aghast. "jI'm jusst talkjing about fjindjing ssomeone cute and rrjidjing hjim tjill he can't walk forr a dajy."

With a shrug and a glib expression, Rai cut her eyes to her youngest sister. She then hooked an arm around her shoulder, gently steering Daani towards a few potential candidates passing down the concourse.

"jI bet jI could even fjind jyou a pjilot herre too, jif jyou want to sswap notess...among otherr thjingss."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani laughed nervously, her cheeks turning a particular shade of crimson. “Oh, jI... jI mean, jI guessss... but jI’m rrrealljy hungrrrjy. Forrr food!” she added hastily.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh, sstop debauchjing jyourr ssjissterr." Taataani tiredly rebuked Rai'faani. "jI'm famjisshed too. Pluss, jI underrsstand that T'yeellaa hass ssomethjing sspecjial forr ourr tiia'haa'ko frrom a planet called Mjyomarr?"

A glance to T'yeellaa was met with a nod. Taataani's expression was blank.

"Neverr hearrd of jit."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jIt'ss Ssamuss's homeworrld, Motherr."

They headed into the Tiia'haa'ko restaurant. The establishment had been prepared in advance, and closed for the evening to all but their important private guests. A well-dressed Cizeri woman escorted the family inside.

"Hjiss fatherr jiss a rrancherr. He ssent uss thjiss asss a gjift."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

“Who jiss Ssamuss?” asked Daani innocently, looking from her mother to T’ye. “Wajit, jiss he jyourr boyfrrjiend?!” The thought of having a boyfriend, a forrda tradition, was titilating in a culture where matches were almost 100% arranged.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

"jIt'ss ssuch a ssjilljy worrd." Rai circled the dining pit, watching carefully where Taataani chose to settle. They'd be expected to lounge to their mother's right, but the order was a matter of peculiarity. Noted guests lounged closest to the Rrou'fai, then in order of prominence. Meorrrei girls were raised to compete with each other, even if it was for the favor of a sometimes-capricious mother.

"Boyfriend." With effort, Rai mimed a coreward human accent, rolling her eyes as she shouldered her coat off to hand to a waiting servant.

"Anjywajy, jI don't underrsstand the noveltjy. Ssamuss jiss attrractjive, but he'ss not that attrractjive. jI'd fuck hjim, but afterr that? jI cerrtajinljy wouldn't let hjim hang arround ljike a sstrrajy Tooka and keep feedjing him. What jiss that, rrealljy?"

Rai continued to undress, mindful to keep an eye on Taataani as she picked her spot.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

A minder was already assisting the Rrou'fai from her garments, taking the gilded brooch and waist belts that held her zeyd-cloth mantle in place. Taataani stepped out of her shoes, finally shouldering off the outer garment to waiting hands.

"Netaali, jyou of all people sshould know that humanss behave bjy thejirr own peculjiarr rruless. Sailla jiss a culturral ljiajisson, ne?"

The Senatorial guards stood at the periphery of the dining area. With a gesture, Taataani dismissed them to the other side of the door.

"Au'laana, come ssjit to mjy rrjight."

She squeezed Daani's shoulder affectionately with a smile, then glanced to Rai'faani.

"Netaali, jyou'll be sseated next."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Again, small polite indignities. T'yeellaa untied her lace cravat, pulling it from under her high starched collar as another servant stood ready to receive her undress. She worked the double-breasted buttons of her jacket, noting sourly that the seating had gone as she'd expected. She did not have her mother's favor. That was something she'd come to understand over the past few years, but she still loathed to see it demonstrated.

"What Ssamuss and jI have jissn't ssome kjind of ssocjial experrjiment. jI don't know what jit jiss, but he'ss not passsjing fancjy, Netaali."

She shrugged out of her jacket, and passed her belt to the attendant.

"He'ss good companjy."

The doors opened again. Two manservants entered the room, coaxing a bleating creature in by a leash and a handful of sweetroots. The animal had a svelte coat of beige fur, a cropped tail, and two prominent dish-like ears. The creature stood no more than six hands at the shoulder.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai passed her older sister to take the second position, keeping any glib expression to herself. Why gloat? It was rather sad at how T'yeellaa's favor had fallen. And she couldn't really be jealous of Daanarri, could she? This was her moment in the sun. It was fleeting. No, there was no need to feel insecure about it at all, considering how she had positioned herself. Whatever differences she had with mother, Rai knew that her drive and ambition were recognized by the Rrou'fai.

She disrobed with ease, unclasping the bindings of her dress to let it fall away, while watching the men escort their dinner.

"He'ss folkssjy." Rai hung up her garments, easing down onto the pillows at her assigned place. "jI don't know how jyou put up wjith all of hjiss ssajyjingss, Sailla, but he ssoundss ljike a Fey'danni rranch hand when he talkss."

She shrugged her bare shoulders, accepting a pre-kill libation from one of the attending men.

"jI'm not ssajyjing that jissn't charrmjing, and therre'ss ssome mannerr to hjim that'ss appealjing jI ssupposse..."

She changed tact, glancing to Daani.

"Have jyou everr thought about that ssorrt of thing, Au'laana? About what jyou'd rrealljy conssjiderr worrthjy jin a man?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Uh, well, jI..." Daani sat awkwardly at her mother's right, in the middle of tying her hair up in a tail. Finishing her hair, she folded her hands in her lap, wrinkling her nose as she thought. As the moment stretched both her sisters looked at her, and even Mother turned expectantly toward her. If she said what she really thought about it... she could almost hear Netaali laughing at her.

"jI haven't rrrealljy thought about jit," Daani said faintly.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"And whjy sshould jyou?"

The Senator, now worked out of her under layers, kneeled at her cushions and then lounged on her right side. The last of her wardrobe was folded and put aside by her minder.

"jI cerrtajinljy djidn't when jI wass jyourr age. jI had too manjy sstudjiess, and too manjy rressponssjibjiljitjiess to be worrrjied overr a man."

Taataani accepted her drink, sipping once, and setting it aside.

"That changess, of courrsse. jYou'll ssoon sstarrt to thjink that'ss the onljy thjing that matterrss. The rreal mettle of a woman jiss to be enrrjiched bjy herr pleassurress, and not contrrolled bjy them. Meorrrei women have been, and alwajyss wjill be sstrrong."

Her eyes had moved slightly past Daani, meeting Rai. Her second-youngest daughter didn't need reminding that lesson was still for her. The silent warning was brief, and Taa returned her attention to her youngest.

"Do jyou want wjine wjith jyourr djinnerr, Au'laana?" Taa leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. "jI'll allow jit thjiss once."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

“jYess, pleasse!”

Daani took the offered wine glass and held it carefully, admiring the dark liquid within before taking a sip. She had tasted wine before, so the flavor didn’t surprise her. The creature bleating in the middle of the room lifted its tail and a servant quickly cleaned away the mess it made.

Daani hid her smile at the display and lifted wide innocent eyes to her mother over the rim of her glass. “jI ssupposse jyou’rre rrjihht. And the tutorrss at the Palace have been really good - jI mean, thejy keep me studjyjing jin all mjy frree tjime.”

She set down the glass, a good portion gone already, and turned to T’ye. “Sailla, jI rrealljy want to fljy while jI’m herrre, jiss therre a sshjip jI could usse, just forrr an hourr? jI don’t want to get too rrrusstjy.”

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Now out of uniform, T'yeellaa took her place at the end of the crescent formed by the dinner party. She too accepted her wine as the minders finished discretely cleaning.

"jI don't ssee whjy not. jI'll clearr tjime wjith the fljight offjicerr. jI'm ssurre we have a trrajinerr or a tandem-sseat fjighterr we can go out jin."

That was a pleasant thought, and not just because she herself hadn't logged much flight time recently. The chance to spend time with Au'laana doing something they both enjoyed seemed like clean escapism.

"jI mjight even ssecurre a pajirr of X-wjingss." T'y's ears perked and she looked to her mother. "jI'm ssurre motherr would encourrage uss to usse the famjiljy label afterr all."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani shrugged.

"Betterr that than an A-Wjing. jI won't have jyou two fljyjing thosse Ssullusstan death trrapss."

The topic didn't particularly interest the Rrou'fai. While she had overseen the conglomeration of MeorrreiCorp into Incom-Koensayr-Meorrrei, the matriarch was no pilot. She was simply a businesswoman with an eye towards making the right choices. And among those choices, it would be particularly unseemly to have two of her daughters gallivanting through the ether in a product built by a bitter rival.

"We can ssorrt that out overr djinnerr. Now, whjich of jyou arre kjilljing the forrda?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani hesitated, unsure of what to do once Taa had relinquished her right of the kill as rou’fai. Was she expecting Daani to do it?

Oldest sister T’yeellaa stepped in smoothly, before things got awkward, rising from her place and dispatching the creature with ease.

Daani settled back on her cushions. Why did the thought of killing the beast make her feel squeamish? She looked away from the forrda and picked up her wine again, eager to explore the depths of her glass.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa returned to her cushions, primly cleaning the blood from her face and hands as the servants began the quick and efficient work of parceling the kill with vibroknives. Blood was collected, mixed with herbs and spirits for a second aperitif to be returned to the guests upon request.

"jYou'll have to let me know jif jyou ljike jit. Ssamuss's fatherr wass verrjy generrouss to uss."

There was a part of her that felt ashamed that she even had to say that. They were so accustomed to having everything.

The servants began carrying platters of offerings, from the Rrou'fai on down. The offal was prized, and served first. From there, tender prime cuts followed. If appetites remained, there was plenty of the animal that required a bit more effort.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh jI'm ssurre jit's loveljy."

Surveying an array of cleanly portioned offal presented to her, Taataani took a bit of each, placing a small array on her plate, but not before snacking first on a triangular piece of quivering warm liver.

"jI'm sso glad to have a prroperr ljie-down djinnerr wjith jyou all. jIt feelss ljike jitss been jyearrss ssjince we've all been able to take the tjime. Everrjyone jiss sso bussjy thesse dajyss."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani giggled a little, dropping a bit of kidney into her mouth. A few years ago she’d been off on proper adventures with Cirr. In fact, sometimes it felt like this was the strange part of her life, while the time on the Layla had been normal.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

"Even longerr ssjince we've had the entjirre famjiljy arround the djinnerr pjit."

Even as Rai took her own portions, she found insight in her own commentary. While it may have been a logistical feat to gather everyone, surely others could have been here. Little Arruuko? Cirrsseeto? Talliaalla? Perhaps not Aleeha since she was new with cubs and not traveling much, but it seemed like a small party for a family meal, if that was what mother had intended.

So what did mother intend for this? Rai was long-since the point of naivety to think that this meal meant nothing more than catching up on things. Mother always had her reasons.

"jI'm ssurrprrjissed Naithaarro (Cirrsseeto) couldn't be herre. jIssn't hjiss sshjip porrted herre?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Moonuss Mandel, actualljy."

Last to pick from the offal, T'yeellaa took samplings from the heart and stomach.

"Though hjiss corrvette doess make porrt rregularrljy ssjince thejy patrrol the frrontjierr. Actualljy, he sshould be due jin anotherr fourr dajyss."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

“Rrealljy?” Daani’s ears perked up. “Arre we sstjill gojing to be herrre when he arrrjivess, Motherrr?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jIt'ss jyourr week'ss leave, jI don't ssee whjy not? Though whjy jyou'd want to sspend the entjirretjy of jit on thjiss sstatjion, jI can't jimagjine."

Taa swiped away a streak of blood on her lips before taking a drink.

"jI musst admjit, howeverr, that jI wanted to have djinnerr wjith the thrree of jyou alone, becausse jI have ssome thjingss jI musst ssharre wjith jyou fjirrsst."

The Senator set aside her glass.

"jI've rrecentljy met wjith Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr Ave. He'ss gjiven me ssome porrtentouss newss. jYou'rre the fjirrsst outssjide of the Prrjide Motherr to hearr of jit."

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

The sounds of dinner quieted, and Rai looked back to her mother, waiting to hear what followed. An untended drop of crimson dripped off her fingertips to the plate below.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa arched a brow, setting aside the morsel in her hand.

"What newss, motherr?"

From the First Minister, no less. T'yeellaa thought of the possibilities. An appointment to his cabinet, perhaps? Something else? Politics weren't her expertise, but she'd had to develop a rudimentary understanding of how the Alliance sorted matters of state from her time on Jovan. Being appointed Senator was considerable enough. What then could possibly be more portentous?

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani’s mind was focusing on a reunion with her favorite big brother, and it took a few moments for her to realize that Mother was about to announce something important. She hesitated, but took one more bite before mirroring her older sisters and turning toward their mother.

“Doess jit have to do wjith the Empjirrre? jIss the peace trreatjy jin dangerr?” Daani licked a finger clean while she spoke.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"No." Taataani answered her youngest, a small smile of reassurance on her face as she dispelled Daanarri's guess. The smile ebbed, replaced not by a frown but by a staid expression.

"The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr jiss ssteppjing down and rressjignjing hjiss offjice jin the Ssenate. He hass nomjinated me to take hjiss place."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Kosa..." T'yeellaa whispered, suddenly breathless. The room felt degrees smaller and hotter than it had just a moment ago. The K'ohta'rrou looked for anything in her mother's expression that might betray a joke, but there was nothing of the sort.

"Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr?"

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai'faani was similarly shocked, gasping at the revelation.

"The leaderr of the entjirre Alljiance? Of half the galaxjy???"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani frowned at Rai. “The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr isn’t the leaderr of the Alljiance, the Chjief of Sstate jiss. But jit ssoundss cool,” she added quickly, looking at her mom.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Trrue jin a mannerr of sspeakjing, Au'laana," she said with a nod, "though the Chjief of Sstate jiss larrgeljy cerremonjial. The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr ssetss the votjing agenda forr the Ssenate, conveness the cabjinet, and holdss powerr overr executjing sstate poljicjy. That jiss wherre the powerr ljiess."

Taa reached down to spear another piece of liver with an extended claw.

"And jI have accepted the nomjinatjion."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa's brow furrowed. Her tail switched with thoughtful unease.

"But motherr, what about djivesstjiturre? The Ssenate wass alrreadjy grrumbljing about jyou holdjing contrrol of IKM beforre. Thejy'll be howljing forr jyou to sstep down now, won't thejy?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh..." Taa took a bite, nodding in full affirmation with her mouth full until she could swallow, "...of that, jI have no doubt at all. Therre'ss alwajyss a beadjy-ejyed Ssullusstan holdjing a knjife, and thejy have thejirr frrjiendss. But jI've accounted forr ourr enemjiess, Sailla."

The Senator grinned, sipping from her glass as she looked to T'yeellaa's left.

"Asss a matterr of fact, jI'm prreparred to name Netaali asss Barronesss Executrrjix."

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Hearing her name dropped, Rai choked on her wine, quickly setting the glass aside to hurriedly cough into a bloodied napkin.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

The wind was similarly kicked out of T'yeellaa, who gasped at the news, placing both palms on the floor to keep from pitching forward.

"Netaali?!"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

“Not me?” said Daani cheekily. “Orr, jyou know, Taliaala, Aleeha, or T'yeellaa? jI wass hopjing to have ssomethjing left to jinherrjit, jyou know.”

She laughed at the look on Rai’s face, and added, “jYou’ll do grrreat! Honessst.”

Daani sat back and started eating again, watching her mother and sisters. She really didn’t care anything about her mother’s business empire. She was going to be working as a pilot as soon as she could.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

"Thankss forr the vote of confjidence, the both of jyou!"

While Daani had at least hidden her iron behind the lace of jest, T'yeellaa had done no such thing. Rai's shock quickly warmed into anger she felt in the tips of her ears. The shock still remained beneath it, however, and she hazarded looking back to Taataani to see if there was any sign of a joke to this.

There wasn't.

"jYou want me to be Barronesss?" she asked quietly, as if speaking it any louder would cause the suggestion to cease to exist.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI've thought about jit everr ssjince acceptjing mjy Ssenate posst - beforre all thesse thrreatss of djivesstjiturre."

Taa glanced to Daani.

"Taliaala and Aleeha arre effectjive admjinjisstrratorrs. jI trrusst them to be effectjive ssuborrdjinatess, but nejitherr of them have a leaderrshjip jinsstjinct. jI have no doubt thejy won't ljike mjy decjissjion, but thejy'll accept jit."

She turned a serious expression towards Rai.

"Bejing Barronesss rrequjirress leaderrshjip, darrjing, and a wjilljingnesss to accept rrjissk when needed and rressponssjibjiljitjy at all tjimess. jI've neverr doubted that jyou had the cunnjing and the jintellect to do what jiss necesssarrjy. jYou've grrown ssjince jI ssent jyou to Onderron jyearrss ago. jI'm asskjing morre of jyou than jI've everr assked beforre. Don't djissappojint me."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

More than the disbelief at Rai'faani being chosen came the sting of unsaid rebuke. She was the first-born sister. She was the one who was supposed to shoulder the burden of responsibility. While T'yeellaa had long girded herself for the day that she'd be passed over for one of her sisters, it still hurt to experience it.

T'yeellaa averted her eyes from both of them, watching the men continue to process the carcass at the other side of the room. This was the life she'd chosen for herself. She had to endure the consequences of falling from her mother's favor. What that would mean when her second-youngest sister would be named Baroness? She didn't yet know. But she certainly had an idea at the crush of expectations that came with the title, and a part of her wondered if Rai'faani would carry that weight, or be broken underneath it.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Emboldened, Rai's ears perked at her mother's words.

"jI won't djissappojint jyou, Rrou'fai. jI'll do whateverr jit takess."

Rai briefly looked back to T'yeellaa, returning her attention to her mother.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa looked for any sign that Rai'faani wasn't resolute. To her credit she didn't waver.

"jYou majy rregrret ssajyjing that, cub. Whateverr jit takess jiss gojing to change jyourr entjirre ljife down to jitss foundatjionss. jYou'll be taught morre jin the comjing monthss than jyou everr had to learrn beforre. jYou'll have to worrk harrd, ssomethjing jyou've onljy rrecentljy been pusshed to do. And therre'ss morre."

The Senator sat up slightly.

"jYou'll need to be marrrjied."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

At that, T'yeellaa turned her eyes back, fresh shock in her expression.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani shoved another chunk of meat into her mouth, chewing slowly so she wouldn’t miss any words. Rai, married? She’d skipped being mated for so long Daani had assumed Rai and T’ye were allowed to make love matches, if they wanted.

Daani was only now old enough to hear such conversations, and really hadn’t been living around her family since she was about eight. All the talk of her own impending adulthood and need for a mate had seemed very unfair, seeing as Taa had never enforced such a thing on Daani’s older sisters.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai had felt elevated by the news that her mother would name her as Baroness. When she insisted that Rai would be married, the elation turned to horror.

"Marrrjied?! Mother, jI...jI can't!"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jYou can and jyou wjill."

The Rrou'fai's voice was clear and authoritative as she pointed to Rai'faani with a bloody finger.

"That'ss onljy a hjint of what jit takess, Netaali. jYou musst be jojined to a housse of qualjitjy to ssecurre jyourr possjitjion, orr jyou wjill appearr weak and vulnerrable. Housse Meorrrei jiss made sstrrong bjy the connectjionss we forrge. jYourr ssjissterrss Aleeha and Taaliaala took arranged hussbandss cjycless ago to ssoljidjifjy ourr place. jIt'ss long overrdue that jyou all do the ssame."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa's ears twitched with words she hoped she hadn't heard. The sick plummeting feeling in her stomach insisted that she'd heard correctly.

"What do jyou mean motherr?"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani kept as quiet as a sajoi, watching her elder sisters start panicking. She'd been the target of so many pointed words about her eligible status that her mother's words didn't phase her. She wasn't of age yet, anyway. And even if she was, a husband seemed like a strange, weird concept that she couldn't quite wrap her mind around.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI've sstrruck arrangementss wjith the Houssess Orraitoyya, Ciinaaharree, and Reeiarrrei - all strrong houssess jin the Oljigarrchjy, to jojin thejirr next avajilable ssonss to jyou."

She glanced to Daani, inclining her head slightly.

"Au'laana wjill wajit one rrotatjion, of courrsse, untjil sshe'ss of age. But jI jintend forr each of jyou to do jyourr dutjy. Ourr possjitjion asss the mosst powerrful famjiljy jin the Oljigarrchjy musst be majintajined, sso that Netaali'ss trranssjitjion to Barronesss and mjy elevatjion to Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr can prroceed wjith due ssupporrt."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Dazed, T'yeellaa could only shake her head.

"jI can't...jI can't marrrjy now. Motherr, jI have a carreerrr! Motherr, jI..."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jYou can and jyou wjill be marrrjied, Sailla!"

Taa's voice raised as she knocked aside her dish, which clattered loudly. The men working the carcass stopped what they were doing, looking from the women to each other. The Senator glanced at them with irritation.

"jYou thrree, leave!"

The servants quickly made themselves scarce, leaving the room to the aristocrats.

"jI've gjiven jyou a lot of leewajy overr thesse jyearrss, Sailla'hee. jYou turrned jyourr back on jyourr rressponssjibjiljitjiess beforre. jIt could have been jyou at mjy ssjide todajy. jIt could have been jyou to ssucceed me asss Barronesss, but tjime and agajin jyou've ssquanderred jyourr bjirrthrrjight and thrrown jit back at me. Enough!"

Taataani stood from the dais with her hands at her hips.

"Netaali wjill be jojined jin one month. jYou wjill be jojined jin thrree. jI gjive jyou that much tjime to do what jit takess to be rreadjy, but don't defjy me agajin. jI've been morre than generrouss wjith jyou. That can change."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani had a lot of things she would have liked to say to her oldest sister, but her time in the palace had taught her the value of keeping silent when necessary. She caught T'ye's eye and gave a sympathetic grimace when she was sure their mother was looking at Rai.

Being matched in a year? The thought of it wasn't as weird as it might have been just a short while ago. Saanjarra knew it had been brought up enough by the priestesses, hells, even the Pride Mother had murmured about Daani's status. She wasn't a stupid child anymore. A match made by her mother was likely to be more agreeable than one created by the Sun Palace.

Daani turned to her mother and bowed with a show of respect. "Motherrr..." she switched to their native tongue, though she was not as fluent as she should have been. <"I look forward to my match, but I have one question. Which of these houses will my mate be chosen from? And please make sure he is not,"> her Cizeri stumbled, "ljike, ssuperr old."

Daani looked up at her mother as she towered above her daughters with righteous indignation, and used her most innocent smile.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

<A month...>

Rai whispered to herself, still in shock. She quaffed down her wine all at once, trying in vain to think of how to get out of this. But that was the trick, wasn't it? Mother had perfectly leveraged her ascent as Baroness to taking a husband. How could she refuse now?

Daani insinuated herself in a way that was almost envious. Her question opened up fresh new dread. Taliaala and Aleeha had married two plain and unattractive suitors. Was that what she had to look forward to? Some trout-shouldered blue blood with a weak chin and thin lips? An insufferable shrew eternally devoted to keeping an interest on where she went and the company she kept? Not to mention cubs. Cubs! There were so many more interesting things in life that awaited her than to be anchored down by a needy, mewling litter. Obviously her mother had taken a perverse interest in raising a village, but Rai had no desire to shoulder the ordeal at all.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

While T'yeellaa quavered, Taataani turned to Daani with a small smile. At least her youngest seemed ready to do her duty. Perhaps her service in the Palace hadn't been such an odious assignment after all.

<The suitors are young, I'm told. The Ciinaaharree boy is the youngest at seventeen cycles. The Orraitoyya boy is the eldest at twenty. We must match him with Netaali since their house is the most prestigious of the three, and her station requires that importance. You may choose between the other two, whichever suits your liking.>

Her eyes returned to T'yeellaa.

<I'm certain that Sailla will accept whoever remains.>

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

<"Perhaps Sailla and I can discuss what would be ...most pleasing to us, between the two."> Daani sat up and slipped her hand into T'yeellaa's, and gave it a squeeze. She was desperate to spend time with her oldest sister alone anyway, this was as good an excuse as any.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

They'd shifted seating somewhat, and Daani had crossed over to sit with T'yeellaa out of what the older sister guessed was solidarity? T'yeellaa averted her eyes.

"Motherr, jI can't..."

She looked at Daani, and shook her head.

"jI can't. Ssamuss, Ssamuss, he'ss..."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

<Your pet human, Sailla, really?>

Taataani gave an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes as she paced.

<You foolish girl, I don't give a toss what you do with Samus Dage, so long as you marry a man of quality first.>

She snatched up her wine glass, only to finish the dregs.

<Humans are for fancy. Fuck them, marry them, whatever you want, but you should always marry a Cizeri male from a good family for your first. You'd think I'd taught you nothing!>

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

She'd had enough. Whether it was a good idea or the most foolish one, T'yeellaa's back was against the wall and her options were growing fewer by the minute. She slipped her hand out of Daani's, standing next to her little sister, and standing up to her Rrou'fai.

"Motherr, jI'm prregnant!"

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani dropped her sister's hand awkwardly, her attempt at smoothing things over failing miserably. She had nothing to add to this conversation between T'ye and their mother, and didn't know what to say even if it had been her place to butt into it.

When T'ye blurted out her news, Daani grimaced. She looked surreptitiously toward where her clothes were folded, and quietly began cleaning herself up from the meal. No one seemed to have much of an appetite left.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai gawked at the bombshell T'yeellaa released under duress.

<Ai'kosa, sister! Pregnant! From Samus?!>

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani drew a sharp intake of breath, balling her fists as she closed her eyes and muttered to the ceiling.

<On the ashes of my great grandmother...>

She drew across the distance, anger etched stark on her face.

<Your Myomarian slut has caused his fair share of problems for us, now hasn't he? What a disgrace. He's disgraced you, and in turn, disgraced us all!>

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani knew about birth control and she was only fifteen, so it was beyond reason that T'yeellaa had come into this situation by accident. If she wanted to have a half-breed cub with her human boyfriend, Daani didn't really care except that she knew it was socially and culturally a terrible idea.

As the older women in the feeding pit were all distracted, Daani edged backwards toward her clothes.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Daani met up inadvertently with Rai'faani, who'd also tested the winds and determined a withdrawal was in order.

<There's going to be a fight, little sister, and I think it's been a long time coming.>

Rai looked to Daani, and held her hand.

<I don't know what to feel anymore. Thrilled or fearful?>

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

<Your Myomarian slut has caused his fair share of problems for us, now hasn't he? What a disgrace. He's disgraced you, and in turn, disgraced us all!>

In that moment, anger overrode decorum or reason, and T'yeellaa's balled fists couldn't sit still. She wanted to punch her mother in her poisoned mouth, to stop all of the cruel things she was saying at once. But as she drew up a hand, reluctance stilled it so that when she lashed out, she instead seized a curly lock of her mother's hair.

"Don't jyou darre call hjim that!"

Her feeble defiance did no damage, but it did dislodge her mother's wig, knocking it to the ground.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's eyes widened in shock at the act. Cut short as it had been, T'yeellaa's insurrection was nonetheless unforgivable defiance. The Senator's roughly-cut, thin grey hair she always kept well-hidden was now on full view. And for that, she lashed her eldest daughter across the face with a full force, open-handed slap, sending T'yeellaa sprawling to the ground.

<I dare, because I'm still the First Woman of this house, you foolish miscegenator! Don't you dare say what I can and cannot do to protect this family!>

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

<“Fearful,”> whispered Daani, eyes wide as T’ye knocked their mother’s wig loose.

When Taa sent T’yeellaa stumbling to the ground, Daani abandoned her quest for clothes and leapt between the two oldest women. <“Don’t touch her!”> she yelled, instincts honed by a childhood aboard a smuggler’s ship flaring into righteous anger. <“If you hit any of us again,”> Daani added coldly, <“I will tell the Pride Mother you are... you are trying to usurp her authority!”>

If she’d thought for more than the time it had taken the words to form on her tongue, Daani might have said something else. It was too late, the words were said, and they hung between her and her mother in the resulting shocked silence.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Now it was Rai's turn to intercede, this time on her younger sister's behalf.

<Mother no, please! She didn't mean it!>

Standing between Taataani and Daanarri, Rai pleaded with upturned hands, trying not to let the fear her baby sister had professed to from overwhelming her. What had been surprise and an argument a moment before was now a full-throated row the likes of which she'd never.

<Please.>

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The hand that had struck her oldest daughter now drew in to a single admonishing finger. This too retreated into a clenched fist, which the Senator reluctantly lowered. How had it come to this? Sailla trying to dam up eyes welling with hot, grieving tears. Au'laana standing her ground with anger and defiance lighting her own eyes. Then there was Netaali, pleading on her sisters' behalf and showing the kind of concern she'd never given a soul before.

Taataani relaxed the fingers at her side, noting that she'd held her fist so tight that they now ached upon release.

<Au'laana,> she began, her voice low, <You are going to find there are many things that I do for my daughters that don't seem to be a kindness at first glance. I am hard on you all because the galaxy is a crueler mother by far - indifferent at best and actively working against you at the worst.>

T'yeellaa had risen to her feet, but not before quickly swiping a thumb beneath each eye to prevent any formative tears from undoing her.

<I ask so much from each of you, because those that hate us, fear us, or simply covet us, they won't hesitate to lash out at our family at any sign of weakness. We are safe because we are strong, and we are strong because we are prosperous. That's how your grandmother ruled this house. That's how her grandmother ruled this house.>

Taa then looked to Rai'faani, and eased her hands down.

<One day, one of you may very well become Rrou'fai. You'll have the power, yes, but you'll also have its unenviable weight when you can't simply kiss your daughter and make a problem better. You may then understand how what may seem cruel at the time is done not for cruelty's sake, but for a love that can't be broken.>

Without her wig, the Rrou'fai seemed older, infinitely more vulnerable. She didn't shrink from the exposure. Her daughters were some of the only people in the galaxy who were permitted to see Taataani Meorrrei for who she truly was.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani put her fists on her hips, inwardly shocked at her mother’s appearance but too angry to let it show.

<“So hitting us falls under ‘things I do because I must?’”> The fifteen year old stalked back to the piles of clothes and started pulling hers on.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa had staunched the bleeding as she'd been taught before many times as a cub. Meorrrei women do not cry. The tears had only welled, they hadn't spilled down her cheeks. But the hurt was still there, lashing her raw from the inside out. Heartache and shame shook her and looked for a weak spot to explode from, but the K'ohta'rrou wouldn't give in.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

<No.>

Taataani shook her head at Daani's query.

<I acted in the heat of emotion, and I was wrong for it.>

The Rrou'fai took two steps to her eldest daughter.

<I'm sorry, Sailla. Please forgive me.>

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa kept emotion out of her expression, though she did sniff sharply to keep a running nose from betraying her.

"Mjy cub wjill be borrn a half brreed and a basstarrd, and that'ss whetherr jI gjive Ssamuss mjy ka'arri orr not. jI wjill djissgrrace jyou and the famjiljy frrom thjiss dajy forrwarrd, no matterr how harrd jI sstrrjive and how well jI perrforrm mjy dutjiess. jI learrned a long tjime ago that jI wjill alwajyss fall sshorrt of the expectatjionss jyou've held forr me mjy entjirre ljife, and that the ssum of mjy everrjythjing wjill neverr be enough.

But even forr all of that, jyou'rre sstjill mjy motherr. jI love jyou...and jI forrgjive jyou."

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai caught movement from the corner of her eye, and turned to see Daani hurriedly cleaning and putting her clothes back on. She quickly intercepted her little sister.

<Au'laana, please stay. Please. I need you. Sailla needs you.>

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani embraced her oldest daughter tightly.

<The light will fade from my eyes the moment I ever stop loving you, Sailla. You never ever have to earn that.>

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

<“Stay?”> Daani viewed the embrace between T’yeellaa and their mother with a skeptical eye, speaking for Rai’s ears only. <“Sailla’s position in the family makes more sense now that I have seen you all together.”>

Daani pulled her off-the-shoulder shirt on over her bra and raised her voice so everyone could hear it. <“If you keep forgiving her she will keep treating you how she pleases!”>

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa eventually separated her embrace, looking back at Daani with a troubled, introspective expression. There wasn't anything that she could say for or against it, but inside it was hard to indict the kind of wisdom youth possessed. She looked back to her mother, and froze suddenly. She recognized that look; thought that she'd seen it in the mirror before.

"Congrratulatjionss on jyourr nomjinatjion, motherr. jI'm cerrtajin jyou'll ssoon be Fjirrst Mjinjissterr."

She too returned to the rack to retrieve her clothes.

"Pleasse tell Ssamuss jyou enjojyed hjiss fatherr'ss offerrjing."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani watched her oldest and youngest go. She didn't dare stop them, and force them further away with a demand or an ultimatum. There would have to be amends made, but it would be for another time.

Her eyes drew back to the remains of their dinner, and how very little of it was had. Not that it mattered now. Everyone's appetite was ruined, as was the rest of the evening. The only relief was that her discarded wig hadn't got any blood on it. Sighing, the Rrou'fai retrieved the covering, and began to carefully reapply it to her head.

"What wass the name of thjiss?"

She gestured to the half-butchered remains in the feeding pit.

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai had already begun to dress, but paused at her mother's question, looking where she gestured.

"jI don't rrecall Sailla telljing uss what jit wass, otherr than jit wass frrom Mjyomarr."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani arched a brow, then returned to her grizzly vigil.

"A sshame. A beautjiful crreaturre ljike thjiss, cut down forr nothjing."

[Rai'faani Meorrrei]

Rai took a few paces to get a better vantage without returning to the scene of the slaughter and the risk of staining her clothes.

"Motherr..."

Rai sighed.

"...jI know that cjirrcumsstances forrced jyourr hand jin choossjing. jI alsso know that jI wassn't jyourr fjirrsst chojice to be Barronesss."

There was no need to explain who the first choice would have been.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani turned away from the kill, looking up at her daughter in her moment of insecurity.

"Then jyou underrsstand prrecjisseljy how much worrk jyou have ahead of jyou."

It was spoken as an endorsement as much as it was a warning. Taataani cleaned the residual blood from her hands, then stepped up the dais to meet Rai'faani. She embraced her at the shoulders, and gave each cheek a purposeful kiss.

"Congrratulatjionss Barronesss."