[PRP - Central] Visiting Hours

[Quaji]

Look at them side by side, they really did seem similar. They had the same body structure and they both walked with some amount of grace. It was Nyati that seemed to be the more cheerful of the two. Of course she was, she was actually used to the Tianxia by now. It had been a large change from the Tuait'tekem and the rocks sometimes felt foreign on her paws that were so used to the sand, but they had adjusted as had her entire body. Now she navigated these lands as though she had been born in them. Perhaps it was her duty as the Central house's steward to know the house inside and out, or maybe it was her desire to move on from the loss of her birth pride that drove her to truly try and make this new pride her home.

Uru tailed behind her half-sister as the two wandered the grounds of the Central house. It was an absolutely beautiful place and at her half-sister's suggestion, she had joined the East house to better her healing techniques and share her own. Pale blue eyes wandered, taking in every sight as the two walked. The Tianxia was so different than the Mvauiko but at the same time...it seemed so familiar. Maybe it was because there was family here, that their father frequented the pride as well and that he had told them that their grandmother was coming for a visit.

He had told them why as well. Zimran was hoping to formally introduce Taplo, one of her daughters, to a Duke in the West house. Apparently they were supposed to get married! That was something Uru couldn't imagine; an arranged marriage, but then again...it was almost a similar situation that had resulted in her and her sibling's existence. The Mvauiko had needed their waterspeaker and where was she now? High in the mountains, far from her forest and pool. Uru's ears went back at the thought of memories of all of the faces she would likely never see again.

"What's wrong?"

Her sister's concern caused the pale lioness to raise her head. "Oh, just...memories."

"Memories? They can be good and bad. Hopefully they are good ones."

Hopefully there would be new memories to help the bad ones fade.  

[Quaji]

Nyati knew exactly why she had summoned her half-sister to the Central house this time instead of just waiting for her to visit as she seemed to do and she was glad that Uru was so willing to come on short notice, especially on business instead of pleasure like it typically was. As the pair approached the imperial dens, the steward stiffened and stopped just short of the mouth of den. There were royal guards wandering but that was common and they all knew her. With Uru beside her, they would give her no trouble. The ex-Dawnwalker turned to her half-sister, her voice suddenly serious.

"Well I hope those memories can wait. I'm sure the prince will want your full attention, his condition can be...delicate at times, but he seems in good health these last few days so you shouldn't have anything to worry about except maybe a slightly foul temper as his previous medicines have ceased working well for him." There was a pause as she pondered if there was anything else to know before meeting the heir to the Tianxian throne. "Oh, and if you meet any of the other members of the royal family, just keep your head down. You're not here for them, but do try to be polite if one speaks to you."

The Waterspeaker was no stranger to formalities, especially in the presence of multiple gods back in her previous pride. There were the occasional dignitary, but mainly refugees looking for solace after a life of hardships. A quick nod and she followed silently after the grey lioness into the den, passed the royal guards, a messenger and others she could assume served the royal family.  

[Quaji]

With a dip of her head, Nyati entered the room and stepped off to the side to allow Uru through. "My prince," She replied to acknowledge his presence in his chambers. "May I introduce Xiǎoyǔ, a student from the East and my half-sister. She was a skilled healer in her previous pride and has brought new techniques of using water to stimulate the body's natural healing process to the House. I feel she may be able to help your highness."

The way Nyati spoke was so formal and while she had been preparing herself it wasn't enough. Quickly she followed her sister's lead and lowered her head as well, keeping her pale blue eyes at the floor of the cave. The dens were amazing but of course that was to be expected. They had to be perfect for the royal family and she could only imagine the daily routine that Nyati must go through to keep it in tip-top shape."Your-" A quick glance to the steward who only replied with a small nod, "-highness, it is an honor." Quickly her eyes raised to look him over. A sudden frown graced her face as she saw the damage immediately and the obvious pain. Whoever had been treating him prior either wasn't very good or his injuries were more severe than she had originally thought them to be.

"May I approach?" Uru asked. It was still odd having to ask just to help someone, but there were manners and rules in the Tianxia that she was still unfamiliar with. At least Nyati was there to help her.  

[Quaji]

Sitting herself down, Nyati stayed beside the entrance to the room as she watched Uru approach the heir. Swallowing hard, she still had some doubts on if this was still a good idea. She was still a student after all, but...maybe she really could help him. The prince was suffering, everyone in the Central house knew it. Hopefully her faith wouldn't be misplaced in the new arrival.

The healer approached and crouched down beside him. Quietly she examined his body, eyes, ears and even at one point she raised one of his forelegs ever so slightly to look at his paw pads as well as see his reaction to even a minimal amount of movement. Humming softly she moved his fur, pushing it against the normal way it grew before smoothing it back out.

Abruptly she stopped her examination, the humming stopped too as she looked sternly towards his face. "Is there anything specifically that's been bothering you?" All Uru knew was what her half-sister had told her and that wasn't nearly enough. If she was supposed to help him, she needed to know every small symptom that plagued him on a daily basis in order to try and treat as many as she could.  

[Quaji]

"Hm..."

The pale lioness stepped away, looking down at the pained prince. Glancing over her shoulder, she finally spoke again. "Naixin," The name was still foreign to her tongue. She had known her as Nyati, but that wasn't her name anymore, at least not here and not to her now.

She stiffened at the mention of her name, coming to attention as she straightened herself out. "Yes?"

"Do you have anyone who could travel a long distance to retrieve an herb?"

Nyati had to ponder on it, but only seconds later she nodded. "The North may have a ranger to spare who can make the trip. If not, a scout, possibly even a messenger may do. There are at least several possible candidates for the job. Would you like me to ask?" Of course she was curious about the exact specifications, but if there was a chance for something to help prince Fengwei she would go herself if she had to.

Smiled, Uru nodded. "Please. It will be a long trek. Make sure they're suited to multiple climates as they'll be heading into the desert." Her attention turned back to the injured lion. "There is an herb that grows in the deserts to the south. If it works, we will need to have it regularly brought here. The root can be dried made into a tea that should help with your aching and any stiffness you may have, but I'm unsure if there is hot water around here..."

"There are rumors a Duke from the North may have found a hot spring. I could check on that as well." Nyati chimed in, much to her sister's delight.

"Perfect. The warm water may help your aching as well. Swimming itself may help as well, but one step at a time. First lets deal with your pain and getting that to subside. Assuming that you are alright with this course of action and possibly going through a few options to find what may work best for you." Each patient was different and he was no different. Pain was one of those tricky things that Uru had learned about. Every person responded to it differently and had their limits. This prince grew up with pain and still it bothered him. She could only imagine what he went through on a daily basis, but as a citizen of the Tianxia now it was her duty to help him in any way she could.  

[Quaji]

"Yes, your highness. At once."

Perhaps a ranger from the North would be a better choice than a messenger, but they were so few in numbers that a messenger seemed like it would easier to procure. Still, Nyati nodded as she backed away towards the entrance of the cave. Never once did she turn away from Akuji until she was finally out of the room in which she left to send a message to the North by bird.

Even as the steward of the Central house, she knew giving any one house too much power over the pride's well-being would be a recipe for ruin, especially if their interests no longer benefited one another. Not that she was suggest any of the Lords or Ladies would plot against the imperial family, it was just safer to be cautious than regret it.

Uru on the otherhand watched her half-sister leave, leaving her alone in a situation she was so unfamiliar with. Usually she had been the one in the higher rank but this time the roles were reversed and the Waterspeaker was out of her element. Formalities she could handle, so could she handle the presence of gods and the occasional royal visitor. But this crown prince seemed so different than what she had heard most royalty was like.

"We could always..." Her voice was cautious, unsure if she should even be speaking, but as the pause lingered her courage grew and so did her voice into a much more confident sound. "We could always try and trade for honeycombs with any neighboring pride or see if there are any native hives in the area." Out of all of the houses, it was most likely the West would be able to support any amount of bee activity. "The honey could sweeten the tea for you. It may make it more bearable."  

[Quaji]

"It would give your neighbors something worth trading to your family's pride and could help promote trust between them." For a moment, there was something of the waterspeaker's past speaking, a diplomat who ran a pride who depended on her. Thinking on the future was just something she was used to doing. "Perhaps you could try the tea without a sweetener in it, see if it is bearable and if not, I'm sure one of the houses may know where to find honey. I'm unsure but there may be hives within your pride and you just do not know it."

There was a smile, faintly, but it was there. It was nice to be needed, not entirely wanted, but appreciated for her abilities again. Her grandmother had been the one to send her here and now she saw why. She could be of use to the pride in one way or another. Now it was up to her to prove herself.

"You know, how often do you get out of here?" Uru asked, her head turning as she looked around the prince's quarters. It seemed almost stuffy. There were no things to invoke healing or really any sort of relaxation that she could see. Of course she knew now that the prince had difficulties moving, but surely on his good days he took the chance to leave. It was only after she said it did she realize how informal and unprofessional her question's phrasing had been.  

[Quaji]

Silently she wondered if it really would be such a bad thing if the value of honey went up. It would encourage new sources to be found and for it to be more readily available, but she did see his reason for concern. Perhaps it had something to already rely on so many, he didn't want to feel dependent on the entire pride for another thing. Regardless, Uru made note to question her sister about any possible hives or keepers in the pride or within their allied prides. Hopefully there were those willing to help the prince without causing him to be so dependent.

The former waterspeaker could not help but smile as he spoke. At least he did try to get out. "Well, if this remedy helps you as much as I hope it does, your good days should become more frequent. Would it be too much for me to join you on one of your walks?" Quickly realizing what she just asked of him, Uru quickly spoke up again before he had the chance. "To see how your progressing, of course. My aim is to help you walk without aid, but of course there are no promises as I am no god, I cannot work miracles."