Romantic Fool's Gold (Anactoria)

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani struggled to open the door to Anactoria's room as she balanced the platter of food on her right arm. "Dammit," she muttered as the door opened and she stumbled in, almost spilling the contents of the tray. There was an assortment of fruits - grapes, strawberries, blueberries, plums; but mostly strawberries. Sitting atop that was a large bouqet of roses. She'd almost paid for them herself when she realized, as Anactoria said, she would indeed be given anything within reason in the castle.

Sneaking into Anactoria's room had been much easier when she'd realized that she could just as easily stay in the castle as she could some inn elsewhere in the city. Well, as easy as it could be with one of her hands still wrapped in bandages. The princess quickly kicked the door closed behind her and set the tray of fruit and flowers down on the bed. Sighing, she sat next to it, taking a moment before getting to work. She had no idea when Anactoria would be back. In fact, she had no clue where she currently was. All the more important it was for her to hurry.

Azhani had no idea what had possessed her to show such an...extravagant display of affection, but she'd followed the feeling on impulse. She quickly tidied up the bed and set the tray in the center of it. Although her initial plan had been to present the bouqet to Anactoria, after a minute or two, she thought better of it. So many flowers seemed a little...too much. Azhani took just a few flowers out and set them on the tray.

But what would she do with the others?

She thought for a moment before picking the petals off of them and sprinkling them on the bed around the tray. She made a trail with some of them, from the bed to the door. She'd placed one outside as well, hoping Anactoria would notice that one before she entered. More importantly, hoping Anactoria was the one who noticed it. Sighing, Azhani leaned against the windowsil to admire her work. Was it too much? What if Anactoria didn't like it? Suddenly skeptical, Azhani sat in the windowsil, draping one leg over the side. She supposed all she could do was stare at the moon and wait and see. And wait. And wait. ...And wait.

[Anactoria IV]

Alas, Anactoria's nose was in a scroll as she reached her door, and she completely missed the petal outside her door. Her handmaiden Dulcia, ever loyal and ever attentive, noticed it right away.

"Your Highness?" she said carefully. Her mistress mood had been unpredictable of late, and while she had ever been cruel per se, she had been short with her. It was not an experience Dulcia was keen on repeating. The coiled whip the princess insisted on keeping fastened to her waist these days did nothing to relax the woman either

"Yes...?" Anactoria replied, distracted by what she was reading.

"You have been so very wound up of late... may I suggest a evening ride on Dancer before bed to clear your head? And to provide me enough time to call the palace guard on whomever has snuck into your room?

"That's nice..." was the princess' reply, clearly not having heard a word of what her handmaiden had just said. One free hand was already in her door handle. Before Dulcia could think of another excuse, the door was opened and her mistress inside.

Anactoria paused at the doorway just long enough to remove her torturous shoes -- all pointed toe and wedged heel -- and still scrutinizing the scrolls she held, took two steps toward not her bed but her desk. She did not seem to notice the rose petals she was crushing with her bare soles until she had left the path and her feet met cold stone.

She tore her gaze away from her preachment she was carrying , looking down to the floor, her royal blue dress settling about her ankles. She turned in place. Noticed the path. Noticed the fruit tray in her bed with still more roses.

Saw the silhouette on her windowsill, partially obscured by the curtains.

The scroll was wrapped up in a flash and thrust in Dulcia's waiting arms. Then her right hand fell to the whip at her side. "Freja Gudjondottir!" she snapped, jumping immediately to the wrong conclusion. This whole endeavor just screamed her cousins MO. "Was I not clear? You are no longer welcome in the inner keep. Depart, before I have you escorted out, or forget myself entirely and handle it myself. In truth, it could go either way at this moment."

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani was getting nervous. As unusual as it was for her, she was actually nervous. Part of it, she thought, was that she actually had to make an attempt to be...intimate with Anactoria, and not just in the physical way. Sex was easy. She'd had sexy before with both men and women - occasionally at the same time. What was difficult was trying to form an emotional bond. On second thought, to the contrary, what might have been the problem was that it was too easy to.

Was she being too excessive? Would Anactoria think she was just trying to have sex with her? Maybe she should just throw the flowers away and leave. Azhani didn't have the chance to before she heard a noise.

The room had been dead silent up til then. She closed her eyes and focused on her hearing. It was a voice. Maybe two. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but whatever it was, it was her cue that it was too late to back out. Her body tensed the moment she heard the door begin to open. It was Anactoria. She wanted to say something, but, yet again, she'd failed to fully flesh out her plans before breaking into the princess's room. What should she say?

More importantly, who was the other woman at the door?

As great as her ability to think on her feet was, nothing could have prepared Azhni for the next couple of seconds of her life. Before she knew what was happening, Anactoria was suddenly angry at her. Or was she? What was a...Frayuh...Goodjoeni...whatever-she-had-said? For someone who was fluent in so many languages, it sounded completely foreign to her. Was it some sort of Venusian curse? Azhani remained frozen for a few seconds more. Her eyes searched the room for...something. Anything...

Wait, was that a whip?

For once, Azhani was none too eager to get into a fight, especially with Anactoria. She held up her hands in surrender and cautiously stepped towards the princess. "I...apologize," she said awkwardly. She kept a curious glance on the whip at Anactoria's side. "Should I...leave?"

[Anactoria IV]

As soon as Azhani started toward her, Anactoria's hand fell from the whip, and the scowl fled from her face, replaced by surprise and embarrassment. "Azhani!" she realized. Beside her and slightly behind, Dulcia eyes winded, though her mouth remained shut.

Anactoria was in motion, crossing the distance between her and the dark-skinned princess, apologies on her lips. "I am so sorry! I had mistaken you for someone else. The flowers and the fruit tray; it was something so like what she would do, even though I made made my feeling for her quite clear, she can be rather... driven to say the least..."

This was the closet Anactoria could remember to having come to babbling, so she soon fell silent and contented herslef with taking what was quickly become her usual spot at Azhani's 's chest; only this time at a quick walk and embrace rather than a running at top speed. "The last few weeks have been trying," she admitted. "But never mind that. You are here now."

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani's body sighed in relief as Anactoria began apologizing. She felt tremendously better knowing that the princess wasn't mad at her. A second glance reminded her that there was still another person in the room, and again, her body tensed a bit. Her eyes darted between the two other young women in the room for a moment, trying to make sense of who this other woman was and why Anactoria didn't seem bothered by her presence, before quickly settling on the imperial princess.

Azhani had to admit she was a bit curious as to who this other woman was, but...was it because of jealousy? Anactoria had said she'd 'made her feelings for her quite clear', but still... The thought fled her mind as soon as Anactoria hugged her.

Azhani instantly melted. She felt warm all other and no longer seemed to care who else was in the room. She wrapped one arm around Anactoria's waist, while her other hand stroked her head comfortingly. It was...different - the way Anactoria spoke about her, as if she felt better just by having her near. It was a good kind of different, though. Azhani liked it. "I'd be more than happy to talk about it," she whispered, bringing her head down to Anactoria's. She lifted the girl's chin to face her a few moments before the urge to stroke her cheek got the better of her. "But is it really alright with...an audience? I'm not supposed to be here..."

[Anactoria IV]

Anactoria blinked in surprise before turning too look over her shoulder at Dulcia. "Ah. Right," she said as if only now remembering her handmaiden had entered with her. She turned in place, careful to stay withing Azhani's one-armed embrace to face Dulcia. "That will be all for tonight, Dulcia. Can I trust you to display your usual discretion?"

The plain, timind young woman looked worried. "You highness she squeaked in small voice. "Th-that's --"

"I know who she is, Dulcia," said Anactoria. There was an edge to her voice now.

"But she..." the woman stammered. Her expression positively painful, torn as she was between following orders and concern for her charge's safety. "That is, your highness, I can't possibly allow..."

The last of the smile fell from the imperial princess's face. "I will try to recall that you speak out of concern for my safety, and not from insubordination. The former is forgivable, even desirable. The latter is not."

Dulcia fell silent at once.

"Princess Azhani is my guest, and fast becoming my close friend. She is welcome in the inner keep. I know of her...reputation. And she is not here to harm or steal from me or my family. That said, it would be best if her visits did not become common knowledge. Am I clear, Dulcia?"

The woman nodded frantically. "Yes, your highness. I'm sorry you highness. Please forgive me."

The tension that had been building in Anactoria's shoulders relaxed. "There is nothing to forgive. I would have been more concerned if you had not spoken up. But let this be the end of it. You may go."

Bowing every few steps, Dulcia backed her way out of the room and closed the door.

Anactoria's normally picture perfect posture sagged and as she leaned against Azhani slightly. "I seem to be getting angry at everyone of late," she said mostly to herself. "I was not always like this, but each time it had to be done. Is this what it means to lead? Compromise yourself to do what must be done? If so I will make either a terrible Empress or a terrible wife."

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani felt a bit...uncomfortable, to say the least. It had been quite some time since someone feared her presence, but she supposed it was unavoidable with anyone other than a commoner who didn't know of world events. If anything, it just reminded Azhani of how much she didn't belong in Anactoria's world. Gods forbid she were to ever meet her parents...

But that didn't seem to phase Annie. She defended her. Vehemently. It...touched Azhani. Of course, she'd told her that her reputation didn't matter to her, but those could have easily been empty words. They weren't. As a thief and an assassin, her job was to get close to people and betray their trust. For that reason, honesty was invaluable in her personal life. She didn't like mixing business with pleasure, as...well, she had never truly taken pleasure in her business.

Azhani suddenly felt much better. Especially hearing that she was quickly becoming Anactoria's close friend, she felt the most secure than she had since coming to Terre de Conte. She supposed Annie's opinion was the only one that really mattered to her anyway. She couldn't think of a time Annie had looked more attractive to her, and she was more determined than ever to make sure they became more than just friends.

Azhani waited until Dulcia had left and Anactoria had spoken to hug her closely. "Thank you," she said quietly. It was the first time anyone had defended her in such a way. Anactoria had more than proven herself worthy of Azhani's trust and loyalty. "Annie, I'm sure you'll be wonderful at both." She glanced down at her own bandaged hand. "My father once told me that pain is the burden of a king. He must take it so his people do not."

She smiled. "Although the term 'king' isn't exactly fitting in this situation, the meaning is the same." She couldn't resist the urge to stroke Annie's cheek again and move her face a bit closer to hers. "But he also told me that joy is a queen's duty, to ensure that no matter how much a king endures, the pain is never unbearable. Please, Annie, will you allow me to be your queen?" She smiled a bit at the irony. "Just for tonight."

[Anactoria IV]

It was strange, being in Azhani's arms again. There was less heady rush, less pounding heartbeat (though those thing were certainly still there). There was more... not exactly relaxation... a sense of... contentment. Tension was draining from her, and she had to admit to seeing a certain kind of appeal in the foreign princess's words.

"Just one night?" she whispered, the words tumbling from her lips without showing her mind courtesy of checking in and making sure they were things she ought to be saying. She was blushing again as she looked up at Azhani, and that heady-racing heartbeat part of her stated to make unwanted(?) links. The privacy of her own room, a tray full of fruit, Azhani as her queen for one night...

But these were thoughts unbecoming a princess, and she had to be careful not to --

Not to do what exactly? she wondered.

The questions pulled her out of her happy moment and called reality back around her, and it was then that she noticed Azhani's bandaged hand. Touching it lightly, she said diplomatically, "It seems I am not the only one who has had an eventful few weeks." She was curious, and touched worried, but she was not about to hound Azhani with how she was hurt.

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani smiled. The more time she spent with Anactoria, the more she started to feel that maybe it wouldn't be so bad afterall being her wife - for more than just one night. She was such a cute - and tad naive - girl. Somehow, she doubted she could marry her just to use her as a tool to help herself and her country. But if she were to genuinely fall in love with her...

Azhani laughed and pulled away from Anactoria, looking at her hand. "No, I suppose you're not." She took a seat on the bed and took a strawberry from the platter. She moaned pleasantly, visibly enjoying the fruit, then patted the space beside her for Anactoria to sit down. "I'll make a deal with you, princess." She held up her hand. "If you can promise to just be Annie tonight instead of the Imperial Princess Anactoria, I promise I'll tell you exactly what happened. And maybe a few other things as well," she added, taking another strawberry.

She felt oddly at ease with Anactoria, and she didn't like it. It was hard to talk to her and keep her guard up at the same time. She couldn't guarantee that if anything happened to her or Annie, she could act quick enough to stop it. She knew Annie was attracted to the danger in Azhani's life, but Azhani was just as attracted to the danger of being with Annie.

[Anactoria IV]

Anactoria arched an eyebrow at the condition. Now what, pray tell would a confessed assassin not want to tell the imperial princess, but would tell 'Annie'? That was question... one that was much easier to focus on than her reaction to the sounds Azhani made while enjoying the strawberries.

"Ah, so do you enjoy 'Annie's' company better than mine? A rueful smile. "I cannot say I blame you. I have heard she is much easier to get along with."

She took the offers seat on the mattress, her her feet losing contact with the ground as she settled down. She crossed her feet at the ankles and stated to swing them in the air. "Annie it is then." she said at last. smiling. "Now will you share your story, and perhaps a strawberry or two, Azhani.?"

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani smiled as Anactoria took a seat next to her. Even the way she sat was cute...

"I lost a fight," she said as she took a strawberry and held it up to Annie's mouth. There was a slight pause. "Rather..." She paused again, this time a bit longer, arguing with herself over continuing. After a few more seconds, she finally continued, "I threw the match."

For the first time, Azhani avoided making eye contact with Anactoria, directing her gaze rather at the ground or out the window. She'd tried to conceal the shame in her voice, but was apparent in other ways. "Believe it or not, I'm not much of a fighter. I'm an assassin. I've never been taught to fight without the intention of killing."

The desert princess placed her foot on the bed and lifted her pnt leg, showing the burns on her leg. "The moment I decided to fight without killing, I decided that I would lose against a serious opponent. She burned my hand and leg and ultimately forced me to...forfeit." A slight pause accentuated just how hard the word was for her to say. Yet, Azhani now found it within herself to chance actually looking at Anactoria.

"But I didn't kill anyone. I promised you that I would be on my best behavior, so I kept my word." She smiled slightly. "After watching you defend me so vehemently, I'm glad I did."

[Anactoria IV]

The strawberry was sweet and juicy, and it gave her an excuse not to reply right away. Anactoria was certain which part she was more grateful for. Even after she had swallowed, she was slow to respond.

When Azhani turned to look at her it was Annie's turn to look away, down toward her feet which were now swinging a little faster. She wasn't sure how to feel just yet. One the one hand, Fa'raazhin Azhani was picking fights in her city. On the other hand, she refrained from killing anyone, which arguably was her job and perhaps even her nature, even when not doing so meant she would be injured.

Gently, Anactoria placed a cool hand on the exposed burn on Azhani's leg, before looking up into her eyes. "I never doubled you'd keep your word, Azhani. But perhaps next time you can find a way to do so without hurting yourself. The thought someone hurting you like this... well, it is fortunate for them that I do not know their name."

The hand left Azhani's leg to clasp the nearby hand. "Incidentally... there is something I could help you with. I have only been taught to fight without killing. Strictly self-defense techniques. I would be happy to show you what I know sometime. It may seem simple compared to what you are used to... but you might find it useful someday."

Anactoria turned on the bed to face Azhani, folding her legs underneath as she did so. She pushed up onto her knees, and brought her lips to Azhani's cheek. Her breath still smelled of strawberries. Her face was red as pulled back. "Thank you," she said.

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

In the awkward pause, Azhani couldn't help but look at Anactoria's feet as well. The princess really was as cute as a button from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She had never found herself so captivated by...feet, but then again, they had never been Anactoria's before. She was snapped from her trance by the hand on her burned leg. It still stung a bit, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. If anything, since it was the princess's hand on her leg, it only made the pain...well, a bit pleasurable.

She smiled a bit at Annie's answer. She was glad to hear that she trusted her. The note of protectiveness in her voice was a nice touch as well. Honestly, she was a bit tempted to get herself injured more often to see more of it...

Azhani considered Annie's offer. In actuality, as simple as it sounded, she had never been trained in what was traditionally considered "self-defense." Technically, she did know self-defense techniques, but they generally involved the death of her assailant. That had never been a problem before, but now... Learning non-lethal techniques could be useful, and it would only allow her to spend more time with Anactoria.

Suddenly, Azhani blinked as Annie kissed her cheek. She... By far, it wasn't the most intimate experience she'd had with another girl, but it was the only one that made her heart...flutter the way it did. It was a foreign feeling to her, but...not an unpleasant one. She smiled softly as she stroked Annie's cheek. She couldn't resist inching her face closer and closer to the princess's. "I'm beginning to believe that there's little I wouldn't do for you."

[Anactoria IV]

"And I am beginning to believe it," Anactoria responded softly. Then there were fingers caressing her cheek and the princess was lost in the heady rush that nearly claimed her good sense not so long ago, in the relative 'privacy' of an alleyway. Not for the frist time did it concur to her she was alone in her room on her bed with a dangerous woman whom had been nothing but honest with her from the moment they had met. Who seemed genuinely interested in her as a person, who was, to be blunt, absolutely beautiful.

Who's face was now much closer to hers. A wave of what could only be called desire crashed over her. She wnated Azahni to kiss her. Like she nearly had in the alley. She had a strong suspicion that if she did, she would know. Know for certain. What, exactly, she would know eluded her, but it was safe to assume that if Azhai did kiss her, right now, there castle would be a lot emptier tomorrow.

Then Anactoria remembered her last kiss, and the spell was broken.

She pulled back, unfolding her legs, and bring her feet around to lay flat on the bed, her legs bent to her chest, her dress falling around her calves.

"I suppose," she said, and a bit of the happiness seemed to hasve left her voice. "That it is my turn to share the tale of my last few weeks." One hand strayed to the whip at her side. Freja's whip that she had been carrying around for reasons that were a mystery, even to her.

[Fa'raazhin Azhani]

Azhani was overwhelemed by the sudden urge to get close to Anactoria. In that moment, she couldn't think of anything but capturing her lips with her own and... Well, wherever things went from there. She wasn't a planner. Most of the time, Azhani acted on impulse and just hoped they worked out for the best.

Even though Annie avoided her kiss, part of her believed they had.

She stopped, smiling slightly. To say she was disappointed would be an understatement. This was twice now she had been denied a kiss from Anactoria. She...honestly didn't know what to feel. Part of her was obviously hurt, but another part of her admired Annie's determination, while yet another part was just glad she hadn't done something both of them would regret later.

Still, she could help thinking: Did Annie even want to kiss her? What if she were just thrusting her desires on the fairer skinned princess? Maybe she'd already committed herself to someone else...

Her father had a saying: Victory to the spider. It meant that those with patience were greatly rewarded, and right now, Azhani needed to believe in that to keep her heart from sinking. She laid on her stomach in front of Anactoria, glad for her large bed, and propped her head up on one hand, while she used her other to idly draw on Annie's foot. She decided it best to put aside her own melancholy to focus on the other princess's. "Well, it's already sounding like a happy story," she said sardonically.