Pressing Onward [Xia's King Quest]

[danishweasel]

She hadn't been so nervous, not since...well, her entrance to the Courts. She had lost count of the number of drafts she had written when she had first planned to ask for a King's position. Mistypes on the keyboard, errors in spelling, punctuation, wanting to word it so that it sounded more professional, but not so cut-and-dry. This wasn't a lab documentation or anything like that. It had to have some flair, but not be too much. Finally, she found the right balance, or at least the closest she would ever get to it, and the notice was sent. It was too late now. She was given a meeting with the Queen, the new Queen, and she would have chosen death before turning down the offer.

It gave Ataxia a bit of relief that His Majesty Aderlass would be new to all this too. Maybe he wouldn't be so harsh with his quest...or maybe he would be worse, in order to prove himself as a new Queen. All she knew was that getting there a few minutes early, while a good idea, didn't help the nerves at all. Still, she waited by the room she was instructed to go to, not daring to enter until she was summoned, doing her best to steel her nerves for whatever waited there.

[Kasatsu]

He hated, and would never verbally admit, just how nervous he was for this meeting to come. He had been the Queen for only a little while, most of which had been spent healing from his battle, and thus he was still trying to get a grasp on how things were to be done and how he wanted things to be.

His back was starting to bother him, the scars pulling the flesh tight. Shifting his position a little he continued to view the papers that were in front of him. Checking the time he noticed it was a few minutes before his next appointment.

Glancing up from his desk he gave the purple fox a grin. Your Highness, would you do me the favor of greeting our next appointment?” He had asked Anoushka to be present at the meeting to have her opinion as well, especially since it was his first time in having someone see him about rank.

[The Jenn]

The purple wolf lounged on a chair in her new Queen's office, settled in one of her sprawling positions that looked to be utterly uncomfortable but was actually quite pleasant for her. She usually knew how to minimize her arthritis and keeping herself limber and spry was the best way she'd yet found. She offered him opinions on things as he came across them on his desk, issues and matters that he'd never had to deal with before as a King but that she'd seen time and time again under her various rulers. She offered opinions and past decisions, but was rarely pushy once he made up his mind - that wasn't her job, after all. She would advise, she would try to convince, but if her Queen had determined to do something else then she rarely did anything in the end but nod her head and move onto the next paper at hand.

His request made her grin, fangs sharp and quite clean today. She liked to give them the occasional 'polish' so that they were all the more gleaming. "Of course, my Qveen. Nothing could please me more,"

With a slithery, sinuous movement that looked improbable, she stood up from her reclining position and stalked towards the door, opening it and holding one arm out wide. "Vhy, Ataxia! Vhat a pleasant surprise, child. Come in, please, His Majesty is expecting you. And may I say that you look exceptionally nervous today." The words weren't said with any malicious intent, but the content alone should be enough. The girl would be her Queen's first potential King besides herself.

[danishweasel]

She fought back a flinch as she saw who had opened the door. The v-heavy speech of the King brought back other gut-wrenching memories of her Jack's quest and how that turned into a regular moral dilemma. Just her presence at the door made it felt like there was a terminal diagnosis in her future. And like she really needed reminding that she was nervous. Really.

"Thank you, Your Highness. And you look...particularly sparkley in the mouth today.."

She didn't know what else to say. Her eyes were drawn to the gleaming fangs of the King before her and she was never quite sure whether King Anoushka was smiling, sneering, or thinking about taking a sizable bite out of her. Best not to linger on it.

She padded into the room, placing herself in front of the Queen's desk. She glanced up at His Majesty before lowering her eyes, resting her forelegs to the ground in a form of bow. In that brief glimpse, she caught Morganberry, mouse...horns?! She dared not look up. Gawking at him might only anger the Queen and she had to avoid that...

"Your Majesty, if you will allow me, I would like to be one of your Kings."

[Kasatsu]

From training and practice he managed to keep the grin from showing on his face, instead wearing a mask of mild interest.

Holding himself straight in his chair, he surveyed the female before him. She was definitely an interesting creature, and it interested him to see that it appeared that she only had her animal form. He had to admit though, that he had been impressed by her entrance and her bow without gawking at his left ear or horn had been a small win. How far that win would go was yet to be seen.

“You may rise.” He said after a long moment and after she had obeyed the comment he motioned towards a simple wooden chair that was behind her.

“My, my, my, you are a direct little thing, are you not?” His tone would not convey if he meant his words mockingly or sincerely. “And pray tell me, why is it that you want to be my King?” He continued before falling silent, awaiting her answer.

[The Jenn]

Anoushka moved out of the other canine's way, gleaming grin giving way to honest laughter at the comment on her 'sparkley mouth'. The child really was endearing, she had to admit. She liked the girl. She'd never told her that and perhaps never would, but it would always be there in the back of her mind until she was given reason to think otherwise.

She sauntered back to her previous seat behind and next to her Queen, settling in more upright this time but still in a very relaxed position. She was intensely curious to see how Aderlass would handle this, one of his earliest official Court functions in which he had to address someone as the Queen of Clubs. So far, especially considering his recent injuries and the fact that he was quite new to the rank and position, he was doing rather well. She saw no reason to say a word as of yet and wanted to see what the dark pup would make of herself before she opened her mouth.

[danishweasel]

Xia kept herself bowed low until the Queen asked her to rise. She kept her gaze ahead, though never making eye contact with His Majesty. More to the pile of papers on his desk. Not really focused on the content of each. That wasn't any of her business, really, and she knew better than to pry into the affairs and research of others. It only brought unneeded trouble.

She was quite thankful that the Queen made a gesture to the chair. His movement caught her attention which would have otherwise been elsewhere. After climbing up into the chair, she listened intently to what he had to say before responding. It was a question that she had expected, so not too much thinking time was needed.

"It isn't too strange for someone to want to improve oneself. Sure, sitting in a Jack's rank would satisfy some, but I've started to feel lazy. Besides that..."

She raised her eyes and examined His Majesty more closely. His injuries were...extensive to say the least, and as they seemed to be relatively fresh, she guessed that they had to be from the fight against the previous Queen.

"If I'm going to become stronger, it would be best to work under those who have fought hard and won."

[Kasatsu]

He gave a nod of his head at her words. “I thank you for the compliment.” He said taking her words to be such, regardless if they were meant to have been or not. Well he did have to admit that that had been a very good answer. It pleased him quite nicely, actually. However, it was not enough to gain her the spot she was looking for.

Eyes sparkling with mischief he turned his full attention on the female. “Out of curiosity, did you happen to be present for the battle for The Queen position between myself and that of the previous Queen, Veldmair? You will have to forgive me for not remembering, it would seem that I was a little too busy to notice.” He asked, the intent behind his question one of pure curiosity.

’ . . . those who have fought hard and won,’ was probably putting the situation a little more delicately then it had been. He had ended up at bed rest for three weeks, following the fight, to allow the medicines to heal all of the damage the acid had caused. Had he not, there was a very good chance it would have continued to eat away at his flesh, tissue, and even muscles.

[danishweasel]

The butterflies in her stomach started to settle down, their flapping not so fierce as before, though still present. He took her answer pretty well, or at least he appeared to take it well. Whether it was a good sign or not, she would take the bit of confidence she could from it. His next question, however, brought her back down to earth.

"No, I wasn't there. Without proper invitation or even really knowing either of the combatants, I didn't feel like it was proper for me to be there. Anyway, that week, I wasn't even in the Court of Clubs. I was watching the fight between the previously reigning Queen and His Majesty Theofilus. I had met His Majesty previously and one of my good friends back in Corvistowne told me about the fight. So I went there to give His Majesty some support on the sidelines for the both of us."

Images of the gruesome battle were still seared upon her memory. The previous Queen being ripped apart by shadowy birds, her death by asphyxiation by a cane down the throat, and Theofilus' eye exploding without warning...It wasn't so much the blood - she could stand that. The violence and black emotions that came with it, that was something to shake someone up for a while.

"So, while I didn't see your specific fight, I've got an idea about the power needed - and the risks involved - when participating in one of those battles."

[Kasatsu]

He felt a small wave of anger at her words. She had not even been present at the Court of Clubs but instead had been at that of the Diamonds to show another Queen her support? Did she not have any loyalty to her own Court, if not for him then the old Queen?

He knew well of His Majesty Theofilus’ battle and the ending results, having been informed of the change of rank while still on bed rest healing from his own wounds. When someone new became the next Queen it was not something kept quiet. And while he did not know the man personally he had met quiet a few of his offspring.

“You ‘went there to give His Majesty some support on the sidelines for the both of us?’ I think you had better explain what you mean by that.” His tone was cool, showing none of his anger to the female. From all his gatherings of her words, had assumed who those of the Clubs aligned themselves with? She had better have had permission from the old Queen Veldmair. He thought to himself.

He was not doubtful to the fact that the female had probably seen just what it took in such a battle, however she had seen the play of powers of those who were of the Diamond rank and not their own. He was very interested to see what reaction Anoushka had to the female’s words, even if the fox did not say anything.