It was a conversation that they had been avoiding. They didn't appear at the wedding of Empress Ting Lan to her betrothed. Yes, Heiress Ria had gone, but the actual Lord and Lady hadn't left the West House. Excuses could be made, but it wouldn't excuse the disrespect that had been passed towards the Emperor and Empress. A silence seemed to linger over the West House. Though the lower ranked members were certainly talking about it, no one within the royalty was. None that wished to keep their heads.
The Lady was wearing her ceremonial garb. Mainly to stave off the worst of the anger that Zahi was certainly harboring. Her eyes remained closed as she approached him, the early morning sun glistening off of her jewelry. The grove was peaceful this time of day, and Mio intended to utilize it.
Zahi laid in the short grass. His form was not as youthful as it was when the Tianxia was formed. Age hadn't been that kind to him, and the ever plotting Akasha had forced him his had in some ways. It kept him away from the majority of the house, locked away from anyone but attendants. With a large sigh, he turned to face his wife. So much had happened between them, and even now it was hard to consider their relationship healthy.
"Mio," he grunted, his braid slipping off of his back as he turned.
"My Lord," Mio breathed as she paused. Age had been too kind to Mio. She was as beautiful as ever, with a hint of wisdom in her purple eyes. Too much had grown between them, but it was not all bad. Through infidelity and near murder, Mio still trusted Zahi. He had taken her away from everything she had known against her will, but who would have known it would make her a Lady? One with power, influence, and many servants under her. Still, her eyes only rested on Zahi, like it had when they were still just rogues.
"A messenger from the Central House is certain to come any day. We should be prepared for it. For what it may ask, and demand." Her eyes glanced around his form. He almost looked defeated, completely unlike the normal Zahi that she had learned to love. Slowly, her paws carried her to him, their purple that represented the royals of the West. A symbol, in some ways, even if one litter carried that colour without Mio's blood.
"We will resign," Zahi said. "There is no use going against it. I will not throw away this house because we had a situation that the Empress will not understand."
Mio's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. Not immediately. "...."
"It is Ria's time. She has been putting off the wedding to Alizeti for far too long. Now, with her as Lady, she will be forced to hurry through the wedding and produce heirs. It would assure the Mwezi'Johari that our ties are even more secure. We will have our own allies in case anything happens, and the Central House should be happy that we are willing to let this go instead of fight it."
Mio approached Zahi, lowering her head to nuzzle him, and then bending down to lay against his side. "You've changed, Zahi." It was something that no one was comfortable talking about, but it was true. The old him would have fought to keep his place. Though they both knew that Ria would be kind to them in 'retirement', there was nothing for the two of them to do anymore. No requirements, no needing to be in meetings, or worrying about the lower class members.
"I am forced to change. If I fight it, I will die. I'm not keen on dying quiet yet."
"I don't want you to die, either, my love."
The two of them lingered there, knowing that they would have to confront Ria with the news soon. It would not be pretty.
