[oom] Eiattu - Palace

[fighting_mad]

Plourr was in the middle of an informal audience with the governor of one of the planet's largest provinces when the aide interrupted and murmured in her ear that something had happened. She told him to define 'something,' and he had said the magic word: the Priamsta. She excused herself from the audience and left her office (something the palace was still atwitter over; princesses didn't have offices), and that was when she'd been told that Nental, one of Eiattu's larger cities, was in the process of being attacked by a group thought to be led by the rebelling nobles.

They were smart; going after the governmental buildings, the royally-operated or loyalist-run businesses rather than the ordinary people. Wouldn't do to alienate the people they were trying to gain control over, after all.

---

"I want Zee Squadron moving at all possible speed to Nental for air support. Who's in charge of the city's Guard? I need him on the comm ten minutes ago," Plourr snaps, cape and outer tunic lying crumpled on a table, sleeves rolled up to her elbows. It's still chaotic in the impromptou war room but less so than when she'd first entered and started setting things to rights.

She talks over the general buzz of voices, moving quickly from terminal to terminal and person to person, answering questions without hesitation and often in the middle of other sentences. "Someone tie in to the--yes, do that--to the newsfeeds; see what they're reporting, if we're not getting through on the official channels."

She bends over a terminal alongside a low level tech, named Zhaleian if she's remembering correctly at all, and he brings up a holo of a local reporter, standing on what looks to be a building roof. The dull whine-whump of heavy blaster and cannon bolts can be heard, and occasionally flash in the distance over the female reporter's head. Plourr watches and listens, her face tight and well under control, but furious.

Comments

[eiattu_pride]

Oh, no, this is very not good. Rial's also fully dressed, but he still moves over to her side, ignoring the water, and crouches next to her, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

He doesn't say anything. Can't think of something and anyway, he doesn't think he should.

[fighting_mad]

She leans against him, and after a minute or two, one hand falls away from her face and she wraps her free arm around his waist and presses her face into his shoulder. And then the princess gives up on stopping it and lets herself cry.

[eiattu_pride]

Rial just holds her. Holds her and lets her cry on his shoulder, holds her as tightly as he can and murmurs soft endearments into her hair. Holds her and rubs her back, holds her and loves her and lets her cry as much as she wants.

Holds her as warm water soaks them both and washes the tears from his princess's cheeks.

[fighting_mad]

Eventually, the wrenching sobs stop.



Eventually, she raises her head and looks up at him, and she makes the all-important, hoarse observation, "You're wet."

[eiattu_pride]

"So are you, my Princess." He doesn't care. And now he's nice and warm anyway.

[fighting_mad]

"Yeah, well." She rests her chin against his shoulder, hollow and exhausted, her face swollen. Any energy she had has long since left her. "I noticed it first."

[eiattu_pride]

"Mmm."

He brushes a strand of hair off her face with his thumb, eyes quiet. "Feeling better?"

[fighting_mad]

"No," she says quietly. "What kind of a person would I be if I was?" Not feeling better, but she thinks she can go on, and that's all she needs. She can't afford to be weak right now. They need her.

[eiattu_pride]

"Normal," Rial says softly, but he doesn't push it. "Want to come out of the shower yet?"

[fighting_mad]

Plourr would beg to differ; she would say monstrous. But she doesn't want to push it, either. She doesn't want to argue.

"Yeah."

[eiattu_pride]

"Okay. Come on, then."

He gets up slowly, wincing as a back made stiff from hours of standing and then an hour on the roof starts to protest.

[fighting_mad]

She reaches over and finally turns off the water, leaving both of them dripping and soaked to the bone in the steamy 'fresher, and she steps out of the tub. She picks up the first towel that comes to hand and tosses it to him and she takes one for herself, rubbing her hair with it as she opens the door and walks out into their small bedroom.

[eiattu_pride]

Rial squeegees his hair into the tub, then uses the towel to dry himself as best as possible. Once he's not actively dripping water, he exits the 'fresher and closes the door, watching Plourr quietly.

[fighting_mad]

She has stripped down to the waist by this point and dried herself enough to yank a loose tunic (one she might have appropriated from him, somewhere along the way) over her head. Her skirt comes next, replaced by the exercise shorts that are her normal sleepwear, and then she efficiently turns to her jewelry. She glances over her shoulder and her hand stills on the clasp of the necklace that she's battling with. "What?"

[eiattu_pride]

"Nothing," he says, still watching her quietly.

"It's fine."

[fighting_mad]

"You're staring at me," she points out, still a little quiet herself, giving up on the necklace in frustration and yanking her bracelets off her hands instead.

[eiattu_pride]

"Want a hand?"

He crosses the room without waiting for her answer, fingers already searching for the clasp on the necklace.

[fighting_mad]

Plourr tips her head down, sweeping her hair out of the way, rather than answer verbally. After a moment, leaning back against him some, she says, "You're still soaked, my count."

[eiattu_pride]

He finds the clasp and undoes it carefully, handing the necklace to her. "I know. I'm going to change in a minute."

[fighting_mad]

Closing her hand around the necklace, she turns around, goes up on her toes, and kisses him with eyes closed.



She sets the jewelry down on the dresser and turns back to the mirror, starting once again on her earrings.

[eiattu_pride]

Rial smiles faintly, and goes to his dresser, sorting through it for his sleep clothes. Once he finds them, he ducks into the 'fresher and changes quickly.

[fighting_mad]

You know, he really makes it easier to shove down and try to ignore the bitter taste in her mouth, the empty feeling in her chest, when he does strange things like that.

She pauses, stares blankly at herself a moment in the mirror, and then leans back to see that he has closed the door. "Rial, what are you doing?"

[eiattu_pride]

"Changing," comes the muffled reply, "what did you think?"

[fighting_mad]

She sets one earring down on the dresser, walks over, and opens the door.

"With the door closed?" she asks, eyebrows raised at him.

[eiattu_pride]

And Rial yelps, grabbing a towel and holding it over his...well...general area of the crotch, blushing. Because she just had to catch him without his pants on.

"Plourr!"