Chapter Text
Sariphi was treated as an important guest in the Kingdom of Maskviana but had a duty to perform as well. She had to participate in council sessions, especially those that involved the future of the relationship with the Beast Kingdom and the Human Realm. There was also a formal ball, a parade through the capital, and a few smaller engagements with Queen Maybell and her friends.
Mid-morning, after her strange dream that had disturbed her a great deal, she was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of food sent to her room by Ocelot, a knight in the realm, and, Anastasia, his bride, two old friends from Sariphi’s time in the human capital last time. “What? You two just got married?” Sariphi cried as she hugged her human friends “Since when?”
“Well, Ocelot asked me over and over again this past year. Even though I just kept saying no, but….,” the dark-hared woman, who looked like His Majesty in human form, tried to explain, but Ocelot interrupted.
“She said yes right away, of course! Then I had to save up so we could have a nice home outside of town for her to feel comfortable. Stasia’s not fond of city life,” Ocelot explained.
“I already told you that didn’t matter. I didn’t care about any of that!” Anastasia yelled at him. He seemed unphased and went on to describe their new home.
“It’s a small one-bedroom home, but when I retire from service in a few years I’ll expand it, so we’ll have room for a large family. I want lots of children,” Ocelot was beaming with happiness. “We just had our ceremony about a week ago.” The pair were like night and day, Anastasia was more reserved and sullen and seemed to still enjoy wearing black while Ocelot was bubbly and friendly, and always wore his white knight’s uniform.
“Oh! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you both,” Sariphi told them, as they tried to have a quiet tea, and catch up with each other.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t make it to the banquet when you arrived. It takes half a day to get to and from our village,” Anastasia explained.
“No, don’t worry about me. I’m sorry to have interrupted your honeymoon. You just got married! You’re a new bride. I don’t want to take you away from each other. I bet you want to spend time….just the two of you,” Sariphi apologized.
“No, it’s alright, Queen Sariphi. Stasia wanted to be here for you, just as I did. We want to offer our sincere support. We understand you officially married the King of Ozmargo, whom we call the King of Beasts. Congratulations to you as well. You’re also a new bride,” Ocelot said.
Sariphi blushed, “Oh, thank you. However, technically,” she looked down at her lap, Bennu was asleep on a pillow there, “we’ve been married for about a year now.”
Anastasia reached for Sariphi’s hand, “I know I said some things about Beastkind and humans last time, but it all comes down to one thing. Does he, this King of yours, does he make you happy, Sariphi?”
Sariphi blushed deeply as she nodded, “Oh yes! He really does. And he loves me,….. and I love him too. He treats me ever so gently for being such a large and ferocious looking beast.” Everyone who was in the sitting room of her guest suite paused and blushed at her softly spoken words, seeing in her a girl deeply smitten.
Amit, who had been in the middle of bringing over a fresh pot of tea, dropped it onto the table with a loud clank. It didn’t break, fortunately she caught it. Her cheek scales were rosy as she said, “Oh my!”
Sariphi grabbed her burning cheeks as she plopped her face into the pillow on her lap disturbing her Sacred Beast’s slumber as he made a loud squawking sound. He yelled at her, “What’d ya think yur doin’! Giving a guy a heart attack!”
Of course, no one else in the room could understand him, except Sariphi. “I’m sorry, Bennu! I just got….overwhelmed. Here, have another treat.” She offered him one of her pastries on her plate as a way of apology.
“You didn’t travel alone this time. It was probably much safer for you?” Ocelot commented, transitioning the conversation to something safer as he looked at her Captain of Personal Queen’s Guard, Clops, Cy, Princess Amit, and Bennu. He had seen two other guards standing in front of her door.
“Course! It’s our job to keep our Queen safe!” Captain Lante proclaimed proudly. He’d stationed himself by the door with his arms crossed. Sariphi had introduced everyone to each other.
“It certainly isn’t quiet around you anymore, is it?” Ocelot commented.
“When do you return….home?” Anastasia asked. “I’m sure you wish to be with your special someone as soon as possible.”
“I’ll return as soon as all of my duties are completed,” Sariphi replied. “I miss him, and I know His Majesty is waiting for me.”
“Right. I heard what happened last night. If I had been there,” Anastasia pulled out a long knife from within her robes, “I’d have shown those witches what for!”
“Stasia!” Ocelot yelled, as he rushed over to her. “I told you not to bring that into the palace. You could get us both in a lot of trouble!” It was one of the few times Sariphi had seen him get flustered.
“It’s fine, no one bothered checking me. They don’t often see a woman as a threat,” Anastasia replied, with a ‘humph,’ as she let Ocelot take her large knife away.
“You picked a firecracker there, dincha’?” Lante commented to Ocelot. They nodded to each other and Anastasia gave them both a look that might wither even the bravest of men. It was even more effective against Lante. as her eyes looked very similar to His Majesty’s, especially when he was displeased.
“Anyway, whatever you need, we’ll be right beside you for as long as you’re here,” Anastasia proclaimed turning back to the young Queen. After Sariphi thanked them both for offering their help they sat and talked a little while longer. Then Sariphi had to get dressed to be presented to the King’s Council. These men she would sit with traditionally petitioned for and approved laws to be changed. Ultimately, those petitions would be signed by King Edward or rejected. They would be debating whether they thought the Kingdom of Maskviana could trust the King of Ozmargo’s plan for a formal peace treaty between the two nations.
***
It had already been several hours wherein Sariphi had sat and listened to the Council go on and on about the changes to the sacrificial system. Most agreed that would be an excellent thing to do away with. It would mean no more maidens would be threatened with losing their lives to Beastkind, not that Leo ever actually ate them. Sariphi was getting very bored now, as this was only the introduction to the debate, she wasn’t even needed for the first part, but she was advised by Leo and Anubis to pay close attention to the proceedings before she spoke, that way she could address all of their concerns, and have feel for their mood. The main concern with some of the members of the council was how much all of this would cost.
“I tell you again, gentlemen of the council, that this peace must come with a cost. How much will it be? The King of Beasts will demand something from us eventually. If not human lives, then perhaps he will ask us for weapons, gunpowder, our most advanced weapon, or gold. If not now, then perhaps in years to come. This peace treaty could cost us all our very futures,” said a tall balding man that now stood at the podium.
“Thank you, Councilman Gardner, by now we have heard from many of the council members, and we do not know the specifics as yet. Let us now hear from the King of Beast’s representative. She is a fellow human and former sacrificial maiden herself. Sariphi Kleinoel, now the officially recognized one and only Queen Consort of Ozmargo. Let us all hear what she has to say from His Majesty the King of Ozmargo?” This was King Edward’s way of trying to allow Sariphi time to speak.
She and most of her companions had been sitting to the side, the council was in the middle seated in chairs, there was room for an audience by the far wall. All of the seats were full, and the King’s chair was on a raised platform, as he was the overseer of the proceedings. In front of his platform was a stage with a podium. Sariphi made her way there. She was dressed in a long conservative dress of ivory and peach, with lace trim. It had long sleeves and a high collar and pearl buttons. It was not a ballgown, but a dress she hoped would help her be taken seriously. Her hair she left long with a small golden tiara atop her head. She carried what some may call a scepter in her hands and a letter from the King. Her King. She would be speaking for him and on his behalf. Her legs felt shaky as she walked up to the podium and looked out at the sea of intimidating faces, mostly male, as the council and nobles were men of the Kingdom of Maskviana. She reminded herself that she could not fail here. Her words needed to be his words, although she doubted her own abilities. She had to make them hear and understand what the King of Ozmargo wanted most in world. They must understand how Leo longed for peace with all lands, but especially here in the human realm.
Sariphi stood in front of the podium and took a deep breath to steady herself. Bennu was seated on her shoulder. He quietly said, “You got this, girly!” She smiled as she looked out at people gathered there. Some seemed to just be curious, while it seemed others had a political stake in how all this played out. Most did not seem friendly, in fact they seemed angry with frowns on their faces.
“Greetings, most honorable ladies, and gentlemen from the Kingdom of Maskviana. It is an honor to be invited to speak with you. I, Sariphi Kleinoel, come from this Kingdom. Up until two years ago I lived in a small village to the north called Noel. When I was a little girl, I discovered that I would one day be a sacrifice and be sent to the land of Beastkind to be eaten by its king. I was filled with fear and terror. I would lay awake many nights wondering how to get out of my predicament. I thought of running away many times, however, eventually, I accepted my fate. I reasoned if I ran away then another girl would be taken from her family instead. And since I was a mere adopted daughter, it would not matter to anyone if I should no longer be among the living. I welcomed my fate, when, at the age of fifteen, I was escorted to the Kingdom of Ozmargo. It was there I first met His Majesty, which you might call the King of Beasts. Having no name to call his own I gave him the name Leonhart. We became companions, of a sort, after he spared my life. King Leonhart saw something in me that compelled him to keep me by his side as his would-be Queen Consort. His decision was not popular among his own people, and I faced many challenges and ordeals, like summoning a Sacred Beast, and having to deal with prejudice against humans, in order to stay by his side. I soon realized that I loved him and would do anything to help him see his vision of peace come true.”
“And now, I would like to read a statement from His Majesty, the King of Ozmargo,” Sariphi unfolded the letter. She began to read: ‘We of the Beast Kingdom greet you. We have sent you our most precious treasure, our Queen.’ Sariphi had to pause after saying that as she felt her cheeks flush before she could continue ‘We wish for peace between the human and the beast realms. We know this may yet be many years in the future, but we would like to begin by eradicating the sacrificial system. As we have already said previously, no more maidens ever need to be sent to us. We have never eaten of them, but always let them escape back to your realm, secretly. The next item we would address is the non-intrusion policy. Those who commit crimes on the innocent, be they human or beastkind should pay for their crimes. As it stands, we, nor any of your authorities are able to cross the border between us without breaking this law. We propose to change this in order to punish criminal behavior and discourage heinous crimes such as child-napping from the beast realm or attacks by rouge beasts on human villages. We would ask for the creation of a task force. The sole purpose for them will be to protect the innocent, track those taken and retrieve them, hunt down those who have committed crimes and bring them to justice. We look forward to seeing the day when all may live in peace and harmony in both realms. My sincerest regards, King of Ozmargo, Leonhart.”
Sariphi paused and looked around wondering what their reactions were. Most humans were murmuring to each other. King Edward looked grave, and the many council members looked worried. One council member stood up, “Your Majesty, Queen Sariphi? How do we know that the King of Ozmargo is sincere? What if he is feeling generous due to having a human as his Queen, but what if he should change his mind in a few months or years?”
“Oh, no, the King isn’t like that at all! He has only wanted one thing since I met him. Peace. Especially peace between humans and Beastkind. Some of you may not know yet, but His Majesty is part human himself. His father was Beastkind, but his mother was human,” there were many loud shouts when Sariphi said this. It was common knowledge in the Beast realm now, but in the human world not a lot was known about Beastkind or the King of Ozmargo, so many people were shocked.
King Edward stood up then and raised his hands as the spectators were growing louder, “Quiet in the council chambers! Please, calmly everyone. I, personally, have read the reports from across our nation and of Ozmargo. And what Queen Sariphi says is true. His Majesty, the King of Ozmargo is indeed part human. We have reports that a spell was placed on him, and in front of his own people he changed into a human-like form, having no fur, nor fangs, nor even claws, but was simply a weak-looking normal human. You should most certainly believe what his representative says here. I would recommend a short recess. Afterward, any questions you have may be addressed to Queen Sariphi and her entourage, if she permits it.”
Sariphi was grateful for the break. Her feet were tired and sore from standing and walking around in shoes again. She was even a little hungry as it was getting late. “Sariphi, let’s get something to eat. I heard there was a VIP room in the back where you can rest up and get a bite,” Lanteveldt told her as he led her away from the main council chamber. It was a good idea as many members of the council and those in the audience were already descending upon her. She quickly went with her group to rest, get some tea, and eat some food. It was a buffet of teacakes, fresh fruit, fruit juice, and fancy looking tiny triangle sandwiches. Lante complained that there was nothing of substance to eat there, and he would most likely starve.
When they returned to the council chambers there was a long que for questions. There were so many that King Edward decided to have two ministers compile a list and put them in priority, as such questions like ‘how long is the King of Beast’s tail’ or ‘how many consorts will he take on beside his Queen,’ were not relevant to the treaty. Meanwhile, Eward had testimony given from Anastasia, Sir Ocelot, and Princess Amit. They told everything they could about human/ beast relations and why they thought peace would be best for both realms. Amit told about her life as a Beastkind royalty, and how she had seen their King turn into a human right before her eyes. Ocelot told about how he had been working for the Exorcistic Order of Knights and how they had been, secretly, escorting sacrificial maidens from the border of the Beast Realm to a new secret life in Maskviana for years. And Anastasia told her story of her ancestor and how she had lain with a Beastkind male, whom had been injured. They had produced a child that no one on this side knew what happened to, but Anastaisa confirmed what Sariphi had told her, that child must be Leonhart, the current King of Ozmargo.
Afterward, they adjourned for the evening, and Queen Maybell came forward to speak with Sariphi, “Queen Sariphi, if you would be so kind, would you please have supper with myself and a few of my close friends?”
Sariphi found it hard to say no, even though she truly wanted to go back to her room to rest and relax. “Yes, of course, thank you for the invitation.” Sariphi told everyone else to head back to their guest chambers while she and Lanteveldt went with Maybell. She had a special hall prepared for them. And it seemed as if loud festivities had begun before they even opened the door. There was a long table full of food in the middle, a large fire in the corner, and musicians were playing on the other side of the room near a large window that had a picturesque view of the setting sun. “Everyone certainly is lively, aren’t they?” Sariphi commented.
“Just watch yourself. It could be a trap of some kind,” Lante told her, in a low voice. She nodded as Maybell stepped forward and introduced her to her guests. Everyone seemed to rush over and fawn over Sariphi. As if they couldn’t wait to be introduced to the young Queen, who was immediately overwhelmed. Lante was always two steps behind her, keeping a wary eye on the group, which seemed to be mostly young nobles. Comprised of both men and women with richly made garments in expensive fabrics and colors, but no one who seemed to be of a mature age. If she had to guess Sariphi thought maybe everyone was around her age, maybe as old as twenty-five at most, but they were all fair of skin, young, and beautiful looking. Who they really were was hard to tell, but Maybell kept calling them her special friends, whatever that meant Sariphi didn’t really know.
There were Lords and Ladies among them so that Sariphi understood these people were the younger generation of nobles. It was fitting, actually that Maybell spent time with them, as she must have been around their age as well. “This is the Captain of my personal guards, Captain Daniel Smithe.”
A man in a black guard uniform stepped forward from the crowd. He was also young, tall with short brown hair and brown eyes. He bowed to Sariphi, “Your Majesty, Queen Sariphi, it is a honor to make your acquaintance.”
“Thank you. Likewise,” she said as she nodded at Lante. He stepped forward to introduce himself.
“Lantveldt, Captain of the Queen’s Personal Guard,” he stated as he nodded. Smithe was taller than both Sariphi and Lante but was not bulky nor overly muscular. From his build he looked athletic and as if he could run a few miles and handle himself with a sword.
“Yes, I know who you are. I have been watching you and Queen Sariphi quite closely. I am my Queen’s shadow and am always on the lookout for potential trouble,” Captain Smithe said as the two Captains eyed each other for a few silent moments.
“Oh, Denny! Don’t be so serious! We’re all here to have fun. Come on everyone let’s drink and be merry!” Queen Maybell exclaimed, as she grabbed Captain Smithe by the arm and led him to the table. Maybell told Sariphi and her Captain to eat and drink as much as they wanted. Sariphi thanked her host as she got a plate of food and Lante helped her get some wine. He made sure to sniff and taste everything before he let her have any. He felt this group of people were not trustworthy. What if they poisoned Sariphi’s food? Or what if they simply spiked it with a foreign substance? Lante had heard of such things even in Ozmargo, and hapless victims were often never seen again.
Soon Sariphi was surrounded by both noble men and women. They asked her various things about her life and about being Queen. “You are so very young and pretty, Queen Sariphi. Look at your lovely silvery hair, it’s no wonder the Beast King fell in love with you!” a blushing girl with blonde hair told her.
Another young noblewoman said, “And you spoke so well before the King’s Council today! I would have been terrified!” Sariphi blushed as the compliments kept coming. She wasn’t sure if they were sincere, but she thanked them for their words either way.
Maybell asked her to come and sit next to her, and then she insisted that Sariphi tell everyone the whole story about the night she was sent to the Beast Realm and became the love interest of the Beast King. It felt strange, but Sariphi told them all about her life before going to the Beast Realm and then being introduced to the King of Beasts that very first time. She left out his night of revelation secret, as not many people knew when or why he became fully human. She just told them that she happened to discover he was half human. The strangest part of all this was that her young audience seemed enraptured by everything she said. Their eyes were turned to her, expectantly. They listened to every word, and even gave her ‘oh’s’ and ‘ah’s’ placed at the right moment. Or exclamations of ‘how scared you must have been!’ and ‘how brave you were!’
Meanwhile, Lante sat further back from the circle of nobles, warily watching them all. His attention was mainly on Sariphi. She seemed to be enjoying herself. He noticed that all the nobles kept giving her tidbits of food and wine. They also offered him the same amount, if not more wine. Two young noble ladies came and sat beside him, which was unusual all by itself. “Captain Lanteveldt, wasn’t it? We would like to sit next to you, if we may?”
“Yeah, it’s fine,” he replied, but he was wary of them and what they wanted.
“My name is Lady Carlotta, and this is my sister, Marla. She is not yet married and so does not yet have a title.”
Feeling awkward at their open gawking he said, “Um, yeah, nice to meet you. I guess.”
“My sister and I would like to know if…..well, and this may seem a little forward, but are you married?”
“No. I’m not,” the two ladies looked at each other for a moment. Some silent communication passed between them as they smiled slightly.
“Oh? Is that so? And do you not have as sweetheart waiting for you to return to the Beast Kingdom?” Carlotta giggled as she asked this.
“No. I’m too busy watching over my Queen,” Lante replied, folding his arms across his chest. He really didn’t want to speak to these females. They were making him feel uncomfortable.
“Of course,” Lady Carlotta said, blushing she added, “how devoted. What I wouldn’t give to be in her shoes.”
“Captain?” Marla asked.
“Yeah?”
“Are you….maybe…could it be you are in love with Queen Sariphi?”
“What?! No!! What kind of question is that?” Lante stood up annoyed and offended.
“Oh, forgive me. I apologize,” Marla said, and she looked as if she was about to cry. “We did not mean to offend anyone. You look at her with such….devotion. It makes one so….envious.”
“Hey, don’t cry. We’re just friends. It’s my job to watch over her that’s all,” he explained.
“That is so nice to hear that a Beastkind and a human can be friends. Do you mind keeping us company?” Lady Carlotta asked as she grabbed Lantes arm and pressed her plush cleavage, almost spilling out of her dress, against him. Marla did the same thing on the other side of Lante as she leaned into him too. “We would love to know more about you and the Beast Realm. Do females and males act the same there as they do here? What is it like? When a male likes a female? What types of things does he do to court her?”
Lante began to get an immediate headache, as the questions kept coming and they made him very very uncomfortable, but he didn’t see how he could escape from these two ladies without causing a scene. For Sariphi’s sake he endured for as long as he could. He had been warned about such ‘ladies’, from all people the warning came from Captain Jormungand. “Be wary of the morally loose woman, for they have brought down even the strongest of warriors,” the Captain warned. And Lante had never thought he’d need to worry about that, especially in the human realm. Apparently, this type of woman existed in every realm.
“Look, I don’t have a lot to say about that kind of thing, and I don’t think it’s appropriate for a woman of nobility to be talking like that in public. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Lanteveldt got up finally, and walked over to Sariphi.
He kneeled down next to her, “Sariphi,” he said in a low voice, “it’s getting late, and I think we should go.”
“Go? So soon!” cried Queen Maybell. “But we were just about to dance. Please stay for a dance or two! Musicians, please begin our dance music, and move the table and chairs out of the way,” she ordered. Everyone moved at her command. The chairs were pushed against the walls, and the tables were pushed to the other side to clear a space large enough for dancing. A group of musicians with a violin, harp, and small piano in the other corner began a lively tune as couples made their way to the dance floor.
“May I have this dance, Queen Sariphi?” asked Captain Smithe, as he bowed and offered her a hand up from her seat.
“What? Oh, I don’t know how, Captain,” Sariphi said, feeling a little concerned. But she didn’t want to be rude, as she took his hand and let herself be led to the dance floor.
“Nonsense! I’ll show you the steps, and I bet you’ll be an expert in no time,” after he said that Captain Smithe pulled Sariphi closer to him by the waist startling her. She felt a little dizzy as he twirled her around the dance floor. She wasn’t sure if it was the dancing or the wine that had made her feel light-headed. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Lante was standing on the edge of the dance floor watching her with that disapproving look on his face and his arms crossed. “You see! You’re doing splendidly, Queen Sariphi! You’re so lovely and light on your feet!”
“Thank you, Captain Smithe, but I know that’s all thanks to you. I have no idea what I’m doing,” she laughed feeling giddy and light. She felt these people were nice and sincere in their efforts to make her feel welcome. “Please, you may call me by my name.”
“If you insist, I would be honored,….Sariphi,” Captain Smithe said, as he pulled her body flush with his. Hearing her name spoken by someone she hardly knew made her blush suddenly. She could feel the warmth of his chest against hers. She was breathless as she stared into those brown eyes. They seemed warm and friendly, but there was something lurking there behind his friendly façade. Her mind felt fuzzy and wasn’t working fully, or she might have recognized it instantly. She was almost certain she’d seen it somewhere else before. Just as Sariphi thought she might have figured out what it was her body was yanked away from Captain Smithe.
“It’s time to go, Your Majesty Sariphi!” Lanteveldt said loudly, pulling her away from Smithe.
“What are you doing?” Sariphi asked. She didn’t want to be rude.
“My job! It’s late. We need to go. Now,” she had never seen Lante so angry.
“What a rude fellow! Do you allow your servants to talk to you that way?” Queen Maybell asked as she blocked their departure. “Tell him to release you this instant, and that you wish to remain with us. Weren’t you having a grand time dancing? The night is still young. You could order him to leave and stay with us the whole night.”
Lante looked at Sariphi. She was just now starting to feel more than dizzy. The room felt like it was tilting. She thought she might even be sick as her stomach churned. “No, it’s alright. I’d like….to go to my room now. Captain Lante, if you don’t mind?” Sariphi took his arm to steady herself as she pulled his arm toward the exit.
“Of course,” Lante said, as they began walking.
“Thank you, Your Majesty Maybell, for the lovely….evening. Goodnight, everyone,” Sariphi said as she bowed slightly, and nearly toppled over, if Lante hadn’t caught her, she would have.
“I have you,” he whispered, his warm furry arms around her. They made their way silently out of the noisy room and down the hall. It was slow going because at times Sariphi had to stop and lean against a wall. She held her stomach tightly. She felt a cold sweat coming over her, as she panted, and tried to catch her breath. She kept hoping that her stomach would calm down.
“I know….you’re mad. I’m sorry,” Sariphi told him, in the quiet of the darkened hall. Sariphi had no idea how long she had been at the party. She knew it must be late now.
Lantevledt sighed, “You don’t have to apologize to me,” he spoke tersely. “I’m…I was just…,” he let go of his ire and said softly, “keeping you and your honor safe.”
“Was it….in danger?” She questioned him quietly, unsure, as she leaned her head against the wall.
“Yes. Those people…..those types….are only looking for entertainment. They don’t care who they hurt. You’re just too nice to see it. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be saying anything. It’s your life, and you should do whatever you want,” Lante looked over at her because she was too quiet. He realized she had slid down the wall and passed out. He sighed heavily. “I do not get paid enough for this,” he complained as he lifted her slight form easily into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to her room. I’ll yell at her tomorrow.