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 Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:30 pm
She could only stare, and when he said what seemed like a pardon for the trouble she had gotten herself into, she was even more confused. It was such a bad story just to make her feel better about what she had done, she wasn't concerned with that. She wanted to know what happened with her mother, who the slave was.. Ally knew the slaves, only two were female. Was this lioness he had fallen for one of them?
"What happened? Who was she?" she asked finally, her voice more normal than her father's, "What about mom?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:45 pm
"Your mother was my best friend when I was young, we told you that," Unyezi said carefully, "During the war, both of my parents died. By that time I was older than you, and I had to take the throne. I've always loved your mother, don't get me wrong. When I became king, she knew that I needed a queen and she approached me. The pride needed a king and a queen, they needed some evidence of stability and there was no chance I could abandon my position without abandoning my pride."
He looked away for a moment, but then looked back to immediately continue.
"I love your mother," he said, "I do, but not in the same way."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:55 pm
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, standing up and stepping away. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to think about all of this, it was not a good story to tell your daughter. Then she thought about how her father and mother had been so quiet and strange the last couple days. She didn't know what exactly it meant but she wasn't sure she was going to like where this was going. She stepped back again.
"What's been going on?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:07 pm
"You deserved to know, to be prepared," he said carefully, getting to his feet himself, "I have spoken to your mother, she knows this story, has always known parts of it. I have spoken to Nerit, the slave. She is not certain she is going to forgive me, but she may- she may let me have a second chance."
His own emotions were a mix of anxiety and excitement at the idea, but also extreme worry for what Alcmene was going to say, think and do. He did his best to hide it, something else he had been practiced at.
"I will know tonight if she is going to grant me that chance," he said, "And when I know, if she will give me the chance, I will be stepping down as king and your mother as queen. You will become queen."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:14 pm
It was not a question, it was a statement. She had no say, he was leaving her mother and leaving her.. to pursue love with a slave. Alcmene was a kind little lioness, she valued all members of the pride as she had been taught, but at that moment her thoughts were not so kind to the situation. The king was leaving the throne and his queen to be with a slave and leaving his barely adolescent daughter to take over. For a slave.
"Q-queen?" she stammered, then shook herself off a bit as she gained a bit of nerve to question him for the first time, "You're abandoning us for a slave?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:16 pm
"I am not abandoning you," he said firmly, straightening up as this was very likely to be his last official discussion as ruler before announcing his departure from the post, "I know how hard it is to take the throne when you are young, I know how scary it is to face it alone. I had Aureole, but I did not have anyone with experience, I did not have my father or my mother. You still have us, both of us, to help you."
Not to mentioning, Unyezi did not doubt she would not be alone for long. However, this was hardly the conversation to tease her about that.
"I am not abandoning you."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:27 pm
"What if she doesn't give you the chance? What then?" she asked, sounding on edge. She was not expecting this, she was caught completely off guard by the idea of being Queen by the end of the night and it was magnified by it being for such an unusual reason. She was not expecting to be queen until well into her father's old age, he was a good king, he was a young king and he was leaving for love that would prevent him from keeping his class. "Will you stay as king?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:38 pm
Alcmene asked a very good question, one that Unyezi was only partially prepared for. He had only two options, either he would say nothing and stay king or he would step down despite her refusal. He could continue to try that way, prove himself to Nerit..
"All action must be justified," he said, then added before she could remark, "However emotional or selfish it might be. I might desire to step down no matter the outcome but I more likely could not do that."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:41 pm
The heiress, or to-be-queen, stood still. Obviously there was no way to know what exactly would be the outcome of the night, his commitment depended entirely on whether or not his childhood sweetheart would take him back. Part of her felt if he was willing to give it up so easily then he should give it up and leave it to someone more dedicated.. but that someone dedicated would have to be her. She had no idea how she was supposed to feel about this. Her opinion of her father had dropped, and there it would stay until she knew exactly what she thought.
"OK," she said, knowing she had no say in it, "I- I'll be ready."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:45 pm
"You already are," he answered confidently. Despite the awkward tension between them now, he stepped toward his daughter and nuzzled her. He might not have confidence in himself, but he had a great deal of faith in his daughter.
"I'll see you tonight, then," he said, expecting she would like to run off.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:05 pm
Alcmene did not respond to the affectionate gesture, not feeling very much like a hug. Not from him, at least. She stood still and watched him, even when he implied she could leave now. Finally she sighed and turned to walk past him. She was going to go to the den, she wasn't feeling quite so active anymore. She would wait for her mom. Unyezi said she knew about all of it, but she wanted to hear it from her, hear it justified by her mother.
Fin.
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