Purple All Around [Ended]

[The Jenn]

Serafino sat down at his desk and composed a letter, an unofficial but no less relevant summons. It requested the presence of Lleurela and, optionally, her charge Pravus, at her next convenience sometime in the coming week, on the second day, between the thirteenth and fifteenth hour. Which was really his convenience, but wasn't it always? The thought was met with a smirk and he sealed the parchment with a few drips of wax, followed by his informal seal.

He had one of the servants fetch him a free messenger and instructed the man on where to deliver it. Someone looked into her location earlier at his instruction so that the mail would not be left to chance. Absently, he reached down to stroke the bander laying down by his feet as the man bowed and left. Hopefully she would arrive at the proper time. He would hate to have excuses for becoming cross with the chubby little thing.

He also hoped that the interesting little feline would accompany her. The interaction between the pair of them might give him more insight into that twisted young mind, which was something he rather wanted now that he'd had a chance to contemplate the encounter.

[Spiderfly]

Lleurela blinked a little as she heard a rapping at her door. It was unusual for anyone to seek her out, much less actually know where to look. Perhaps the messenger had meant to deliver to the music store downstairs and had thought this the back door? She shrugged a little before crossing the small living space and opened the door, rather surprised to see what appeared to be a royal messenger at her door.

"You Lleurela Ma'am?" The chipmunk looked around quickly, seriously considering he was talking to somebody else, even though she had hear her name.

"I. . yes?" A small envelope was shoved into her hands shortly thereafter and the messenger turned tail and left. She turned over the small piece in her hands, seeing the Queen of Hearts seal on the front. Blinking rapidly she opened it quickly, not even bothering to shut the door. Her eyes scanned the parchment quickly and just as suddenly she shut the door and began to search her apartment.

Pravus had been gone for sometime. Last time she saw him he had mentioned going to the Court of Hearts and. . . well she nearly began crying. This letter meant the one thing she feared had not happened. He had made it there safely, but perhaps. . . he had not made it home safely?

She rushed about, grabbing her trusty leather pouch and pennywhistle before running out of the house to go find her charge.

~~~~~~~~~

Lleurela sat down somewhat harshly on the rocks surrounding city centers fountain. She looked down at her hands uselessly. She had been unable to find Pravus. . . A feeling of dread began to build in her and she pulled a few berries loose off a bush behind herself to eat. And then, she heard it, the most glorious sound she could have heard.

"GET OUT ME MEAT BOI!"

She hopped up quickly, just in time to see a lithe, scarred, white form running away from a shoppe keep. As she passed she threw the keep some money and nodded in apology before going down to the next alleyway. No point in chasing him down the alley, Pravus knew every place to hide in the whole city. Instead she came from the opposite direction and spotted him hunkered down on the dirt, tearing at the meat in a rather gruesome fashion.

"You. . you know I'd. . buy you meat?" She called out, voice full of the relief she felt at finally finding him. She had been so very worried. "The. . . the queen of h. . .hear. . hearts requested us. To. . today actually. It took fore. . forever to find you!"

Pravus looked up at Lleur, finishing the last of his meal, letting it slide down his throat. "The Queen?" His dark eyes regarded her and she shivered. Was. . this the Pravus she knew? She felt as if something had gone wrong. He had always been a troublesome child but, that look in his eyes made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She nodded a little shakily and motioned with her hand that they should get going. Pravus nodded and padded out of the alley with her. His movements were different too, Lleur noticed with a bit of the same feeling running up her neck. What had happened to him?

They walked on it silence until they reached the palace and the first guard Lleur saw. "Lleurela. . and . . "

Pravus cut in as she attempted to stutter out his name "Pravus. Pravus and Lleurela to see his Majesty."

[The Jenn]

The bipedal avian guard had been briefed on today's expected guests and she nodded. "His Majesty is expecting you in the back garden today, if you'll follow me." She flicked dark eyes over to her partner, who nodded just slightly. She would be right back; no need to worry. With a polite direction of the wing, she walked through the gates and led them along the path, around to the back of the castle. Another gate, another pair of guards, and they were in a slightly quieter, more private area the chipmunk would recognize.

The rook led them to a certain point and then bowed with her wing again. "Just beyond here, m'lord. M'lady." She was a Nine, only just below Pravus, but that one number mattered so much more in the world of Court politics. Swiftly, she left to return to her post.

Serafino was out with his banders, watching Sultana lay on the sidelines while her two daughters rolled and played in the grass. The girls were nearly adult, their brother long gone, and the pink had been gifted to Dymphna roughly a week ago. He looked up at the approach and heard his guard speak on the other side of the hedge. So, Lleurela had arrived, and brought her unusual little charge with her. Very good.

He stood and ran a smoothing hand down his skirt in anticipation of their approach.

[Spiderfly]

Lleurela nodded and Pravus just smirked as they were led towards the back. An awkward sort of silence distanced Lleurela from Pravus, who was quite happy to walk without talking. Finally the little chipmunk couldn't take it anymore and turned to the cat.

"How are . . you doing? Do. .do you need any money?" Pravus blinked and turned to look at the little rodent with a dead look in his eyes though. . . they halted.

"When did you get your jackhood?" Sneer.

"A. . a few days ago."

Before either one could get any further they were shown to the area where the Queen was, and the guard left. Pravus smiled, and padded forwards before doing a low boy. "My Queen."

Lleurela looked somewhat taken aback and hurried forwards to mimick his bow.

[The Jenn]

The pair of them came into view and Fino kept his expression neutral, eyeing the lithe movements of the feline and his graceful bow, followed by Lleurela's more hurried motion. And that title of address still pleased and amused him coming from the young man. He inclined his head to acknowledge them both. "My shadow," he murmured quietly, for Pravus's ears though the chipmunk may have been able to hear. It didn't much matter to him.

"I appreciate your coming so promptly, Lleurela," he said, turning to face her more fully and putting the Highland male from his mind for the time being. This wasn't about him, it just gave the Queen to observe him and his caretaker together. He wanted to know whether his initial assumption had been correct or not.

Seeing the new people, all three bandersnatches turned their heads in that direction, the girls stopping their fight and rolling off of one another so they could stare more intently. Their mother's Person didn't seem to be excited, but...best to make sure. They sneezed, one after the other, and stared.

[Spiderfly]

Pravus raised a dark eye from the bow in acknowledgement of the nickname that he held so dearly. Slowly he stood, making sure every muscle roiled beneath his thing skin as he did so. Lleurela blinked sort of rapidly before the attention was turned to her and she smiled quite largely.

"Nev. . . never a problem. Yo . your Majesty!" She stammered out beaming up at the Queen. Her small hand drifting to the pouch at her side as it always did. Pravus looked over at the chipmunk with obviously strained patience. Why. . did she always have to stutter. It sounded so weak.

Lleurela glanced at the banders and nearly hopped excitedly before smiling at Fino again. "Your Majesty. . Sul . .Sultana's babies? They tu. . .turned out s . .s.. so beautifully!"

Pravus finally glanced over and was rather impressed. These banders were of gorgeous quality, every mark of their excellent breeding stamped upon them. "They are exceptional my Queen."

[The Jenn]

The stutter annoyed Fino less than it would from someone else simply because he had told himself to ignore it. He requested the chipmunk's presence and simply had to put up with the impediment that always marred her speech. There were one or two nobles whose words he also had to run through a filter, lest he start sniggering and offend. And really, she was a Jack now, so obviously it didn't hinder her enough to merit the scorn of her own suit.

Sneezes caught his attention and he looked down at the alert creatures. "Enough of that," he muttered, nudging one girl into the other with his foot. It distracted both of them from their concentration and they looked up at him reproachfully. "But yes, these two are what remain of Sultana's litter, her son having already been placed elsewhere. The pink actually has a home as well, but as her owner lives and works in the palace, she stays with her mother and sister more often than not."

He looked at his guests, particularly at the chipmunk. "I remember how enchanted you were with her, even moody and pregnant," he said with a slight smile. "And seeing as this litter was not bred for myself, merely as an experiment to confirm her genetics, I have no use for the third daughter. They are all of Highland lineage, the finest in the world. It would amuse me to gift you Karina, provided you were willing to learn a few things about care before taking her."

How would the sweet girl take to a bander of such strong lineage? He was curious, he had to admit, whether she could control the pretty creature or if the bander would swiftly take over her home and make it a nightmare. One never could tell.

He also kept an eye on the feline, wanting to see his expression with the announcement. Tension was thick in the air between them, from the set of Pravus's shoulders just slightly away from his 'caretaker' to the anxiousness Lleurela couldn't quite hide.

[Spiderfly]

Lleurela's eyes shot open wide and Pravus' mimicked hers. However his promptly slit back down to his normal sneer, if not somewhat smaller. . . That. . That CHIPMUNK getting a highlander Bander? It was proposterous. She couldn't even handle him, how would she ever be able to deal with a Bandersnatch of that caliber?

He snickered slightly beneath his breath. Oh. . yes this could be fun then. Interesting at least. To watch her get bitten and scratched and mauled by the little bundle of fury. It could be rather interesting to watch indeed.

Lleur blinked suddenly after a moment of shock and bowed as low as her chubby belly would allow, nose sweeping the ground. "Y. . Your Majesty! I would be most h. . ho . . . honoured!" She beamed up at him. She would learn whatever she had to, to give the beautiful creature a loving and caring home.

It's purple was brilliant and blinding, it's muscles roiling, it was perfect.

"Good Luck." Pravus sneered drolly at her.

[The Jenn]

Fino smirked and knelt down to pick up the young bander, earning a stare and cough of surprise as he lifted her into the air. "Yes, I do wish you the best of luck," he said in amusement. "I've taken pains to train the litter somewhat in manners, but obviously she will still need a bit of work once she enters her new home. They can be very territorial creatures if you aren't careful. Sultana considers the entire palace grounds to be mine and, though me, hers. At least, that's what I've been able to intuit."

He stepped closer and offered the bander to Lleurela, wanting to make sure that there wouldn't be an instant confrontation. Occasionally the creatures took an immediate dislike to someone. Hopefully that wouldn't happen here.

As he did so, his eyes slid down to appraise the feline. "Please your Queen and you, too, can receive presents." he murmured meaningfully.