[OOM] Eiattu - Royal Apartments

[fighting_mad]

The gathered advisors and aides look very, very wary and are very, very hesitant when Isplourrdacartha calls them inside; they saw the emperor's expression and his bloody mouth when he stormed out. It isn't difficult to put two and two together, particularly after noticing the unnatural bent to two of the empress's fingers.

The look that she skewers the admiral on when the older woman asks if she is alright is more than enough to prevent any further questions.

Plourr finishes the meeting.

Afterward, the admiral pulls her aside and requests further discussion of the speculative points of the Kuati shipyards' bid; she says that she knows that the empress is terribly busy, but asks if the empress will walk a ways with her and debate it.

It isn't til they're nearly right on top of the infirmary door that Plourr recognizes Admiral Almied's diabolical genius; she stops and lowers her eyebrows at the officer, but Almied only smiles and bids her farewell.

Plourr takes the hint.

Comments

[fighting_mad]

She crooks a finger at him.

"Come here, you big lunk."

[eiattu_pride]

He cocks an eyebrow at 'lunk', but obediently puts his plate and fork to one side before moving forwards, stopping just in front of her with a crooked grin.

"Milady?"

[fighting_mad]

He's crouching in front of her; she lifts her feet off the table and puts them on the floor, and she leans in.

She cups the side of his face in one broad hand, and she presses her closed lips to his.

"We're going to work this out," she says, her eyes steady and her thumb tracing the shape of his cheekbone.

[eiattu_pride]

His eyes soften. For a moment, maybe, it looks like he's going to say something but in the end he just leans forward and kisses her forehead, gently.

"I know," he says, and then reaches a hand up to tug lightly on a handful of her hair. "I love you."

[fighting_mad]

"I know," she says, and the roll of her eyes is light-to-moderate, and balanced by the way she's smiling at him.

A small hand whacks her foot. Plourr looks down.

Ianna stares up at her, expectant and imperious.

"Never can stand not to be the center of attention, can you, princess?" Plourr asks, and she lifts her up into her lap (but Plourr still kisses Rial again, refusing to be hurried).

[eiattu_pride]

Rial breaks away from the kiss after a moment to grin down at his daughter, who's tucked a thumb in her mouth and is peering up solemnly at her parents.

"To be fair, she is royalty."

[fighting_mad]

"What she is is a pain in my neck," Plourr grumbles, but she jiggles Ianna, who happily giggles. "One who," she grunts as she shifts Ianna into one arm, "needs to go to bed ten minutes ago."

She stands up, and kicks Rial's boot lightly with her own. "Eat. I'm not listening to your stomach all night."

[eiattu_pride]

"You should feel privileged to be able to listen to my stomach all night," Rial says, beaming cheerfully, but he gets up anyway and stretches, cracking his back.

"Just let me finish my dinner and I'll give you a hand tucking her in."

[fighting_mad]

"Eat," says Plourr, pointing at him with her free hand as the other supports Ianna, who is clinging to her neck like the little monkey she is. "I wouldn't feel privileged. I'd feel awake, you mynock."

"Baaaaaaa!" says Ianna, and Plourr sweeps into the nursery.