Tales of Alavern 04 (Non-Canon)

"So she has more time to spend with the Captain." Alexis added playfully, causing both her and Cyrus to laugh together.

"Alright, now I'd like to ask a question." Cyrus said after his laughter had died down. "Remember that gag you used on me when I first came here? Why did it taste like melons? You've been avoiding me, and I suspect it's less to do with my being male than your reluctance to answer that question." Cyrus smirked at Alexis as she once again blushed brightly, though he couldn't help notice there was a small bit of sadness mixed into her expression.

"It's very personal so I won't go into great detail except to say that you weren't the person I kept that gag around for. I just happened to have it on hand at the time." she answered shyly. "I poured melon juice on it so that the taste wasn't unpleasant. That's all."

"Gotcha." he said, letting the matter drop as they reached the door to the royal baths. "Well, this is where we part ways. I'll see you around, Alexis."

"I'll be in the palace all day, so you probably will. Enjoy your bath." she replied cheerfully, giving him a polite bow before he went into the room. She turned around, starting that deep breathing he had recommended to her as she went back to her normal palace patrol route. A small pang went through her, unable to stop herself from thinking of that gag nor of the former-lover she had used it on after Cyrus had brought it up. That same lover who had scorned her, blaming Alexis for their lack of child but Alexis had known after her second attempt that she'd never be able to successfully use the pool.

She wasn't the type to keep trying something in the vain hope it worked, she was always more of a problem solver. Her lover hadn't seen things that way though, figuring Alexis simply didn't want to start a family and left their home the very next day. They hadn't come across one another since, and Alexis suspected that she had moved to a different island just to keep Alexis out of sight and mind. It had hurt far more than she had cared to admit, but her heart had been slowly healing. The constant work needed with the transfer of power had certainly helped by keeping her busy, but now the chaos had all but calmed down.

She took a deep breath, trying to shake the negative thoughts and feelings out of her head when the familiar sight of Captain Brianna came into view, wearing the significantly less common sight of her casual clothing. Alexis straightened up, saluting the Captain who seemed oddly surprised to see her. Naomi came around the corner next, dressed only in a loose towel and carrying a change of clothes draped over her arm.

"Good morning, Captain. Did you sleep well?" Alexis asked, standing at attention.

"Er...yes I did, Alexis. What are you doing here?" Brianna asked. "I could have sworn you weren't scheduled for palace patrol for another couple of days."

"Maybe you've lost a little focus these days, Brianna." Naomi said suggestively, winking at her lover and laughing softly when Brianna blushed and glared back at her. Naomi only responded by blowing her a kiss and continuing her walk.

"Oh, Naomi. Cyrus is currently using the baths right now. I'm not sure if you want to wait for him to finish or if you're comfortable enough around him not to care, but I figure it's best to err on the side of caution." Alexis said, getting Naomi to look back.

"Oh really?" Naomi asked, her voice far more sensual than Alexis would have ever suspected it would be for anyone other than the Captain. "Well, perhaps I should poke my head in and greet him then."

"Naomi, don't you dare!" Brianna shouted, starting to chase after her love. Alexis watched as the two of them started running back towards the bath, Naomi laughing playfully the entire way and couldn't help bursting into her own laughter at the silly sight of her Captain and former queen acting like children.

She continued on her way, choosing to ignore the clear jealousy that was present on Brianna's face when Naomi said she would walk in on the King's bath. Everyone by now knew that the former Queen and current King had become friends, but now Alexis couldn't help wonder if there was something more to it than that. After all, Brianna hadn't finally come forward about the feelings everyone knew she had for Naomi until after he arrived.

Alexis continued pondering on this until the sharp sounds of rapid footsteps started echoing through the halls. She cocked her eyebrow, wondering who would be in such a hurry at this time of the morning. She would suspect Megara, if she hadn't already seen the Head Physic bolting over to the King's room when his child had started crying. Alexis started walking towards where the footsteps were coming from to meet whoever it was halfway and saw a face she never expected to see back in the palace.

Silver-white hair was tied in a bun behind her head, with hazel eyes and a stern look situated firmly on her face. Most servants who saw this woman would likely bow out of the way, despite her wielding no authority any longer and Alexis nearly gave into this compulsion as well. Even after so many years off the throne, the former Queen Jura's sense of presence had not diminished even in the slightest.

"G-good morning, Lady Jura." Alexis said, stuttering slightly as Jura's eyes bore into her. Though her physique had obviously softened after stepping down from the throne, Alexis couldn't help but feel that the older woman standing before her could still kick her ass if she felt like it.

"Even in the isolation I put myself in so as not to interfere in my daughter's reign, news still gets to me. It just takes a while." Jura said without prompt as she crossed her arms. "I have heard of the transfer of the crown and will speak with this...Cyrus of Las Vegas, as is my right as former ruler. Where is he?"

"Oh..um.." Alexis tried to reply, swallowing a bit as Jura walked even closer to her. "Well, he's currently in the royal baths..."

"With whom?" Jura asked sharply, cutting Alexis off before she could continue. Alexis attempted to open her mouth, but wasn't sure what exactly she should say. The last thing she wanted to do was possibly set off the blazing fire she saw building in the former Queen's eyes. "Never mind, I'll simply go see for myself."

"Wait!" Alexis said, finally finding her courage. Jura stopped, cocking an eyebrow at her as she turned back to the guard. "Protocol demands that I search for hidden weapons on your person, since you are a visitor. Even if you are the former queen...ma'am." she added at the end, gulping as she awaited Jura's reaction.

"Very well, but be quick." Jura said, spreading out her arms after a few moments of tense silence between the both of them. Alexis nodded and respectfully patted her down, quickly finding that she had nothing on her except for her clothes and a small bag that contained only some coins. Jura quickly broke away after the search was complete and began heading towards the baths once again.

She couldn't help but feel bad for Cyrus, knowing that the storm was headed his way.

Chapter 3

Cyrus laid in the soothing waters of the royal bath, scented and medicated with a few of Alavern's native herbs with a slightly spicy smell that tingled in his nose as he leaned back against one of the walls. He was silently check-listing every task that he would have to take care of today, and hoped that the next month he had to wait before being able to give Naomi back her crown would go by quickly and quietly.

He had no idea what he would do after relinquishing the crown, but the friends he had made had given him several ideas. Naomi simply said he should stay on as an advisor to her, sharing what knowledge he could from his own world. Brianna had suggested that he become a teacher, training the warriors of Alavern on how to box like he did and maybe even mix it with traditional Verni fighting techniques to create something new. They were both pretty good suggestions, but he couldn't just make a decision for himself anymore. Whether he had been ready for it or not, he had a son to take care of now.

"Well hello there, Cyrus." he heard Naomi's voice say as the door to the royal baths opened. He turned to see her coming in, wearing nothing but a towel that she quickly discarded. He reflexively turned away and heard her laugh at him. "Oh come now, it's nothing you haven't seen before."

"You can't ignore decades of social programming just because you live somewhere else now." he replied, taking a deep breath and turning to look at her. She was as gorgeous as ever and he still couldn't believe he had actually slept with the beauty before him on that first night here, though she seemed determined that he never forget that fact. She sashayed sensually into the waters, quickly dunking her head and coming back up with soaked hair as she drew closer and closer to him.

"I suppose I can understand that. I can only imagine how lost I would feel if our situations were reversed and I had been brought to your world, Cyrus." she said softly, coming over and gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Eh, forget about it." he said quietly. "We play the cards we're given, and they're almost never the cards we wanted. Right?"

"I suppose that's true." Naomi responded, gently tracing her fingers over Cyrus' body. He knew she'd keep the contact friendly for now, but eventually the flirting and sexual advances would come. The former queen was nothing, if not open with her desires.

"So is Brianna waiting angrily outside the bath right now? Because I know it's her day off, so it's not treason if she challenges me to a duel for your hand." Cyrus said to her, chuckling softly.

"Oh, Brianna's just scared that you'll somehow take me away from her. She doesn't seem to realize I'm never letting her go now." Naomi said, a romantic sigh escaping her lips.

"So you want to seduce me... why? Seems to me you already have a wonderful relationship with someone who loves you like the air they breathe." Cyrus asked, cocking his eyebrow at her. "I mean do you realize how much of a treasure you have with Brianna? How many people would kill to have that sort of love in their lives?"

"Of course, I do!" Naomi replied angrily. "I've loved Brianna for year... for most of my life! I've dreamed of what I have with her now for almost as long as I can remember and it's been a dream come true, but loving one person doesn't mean I can't decide to love another."

Naomi glared him down, digging her fingers into his shoulder roughly. He couldn't help hissing in pain as he shrunk down slowly into the water in an instinctual attempt to get away from the pain but her grip was an iron vice. Even fully submerged in the waters, he couldn't get her to let go on her own so he grabbed her fingers with his other hand and roughly yanked them off. She cried out in her own pain and glared him down as he rubbed his shoulder.

"So how does she feel about it, Naomi? Because all the evidence suggests that she's not okay with you pursuing me. Shouldn't her opinion matter just as much as your own?" He chastised, scooting away from her as a hurt look came upon her face.

"It does." Naomi said resolutely, sinking down into the waters. "I've spoken with her about it several times. It's far from uncommon for Verni to take on multiple lovers. After all, freedom and love go hand-in-hand. I just...want to give it a try myself, Cyrus. Is that so wrong? I was your first friend, and you're still one of the only people I feel I can truly be myself around."

"I'm glad you feel that way, but Brianna's my friend too. I don't want to be the reason either of you is hurting." Cyrus said.

"I have spoken with Brianna at length about it many times now. She fears only that you would somehow take me from her, despite knowing that you aren't that kind of person and how much I adore her. We know that it is a baseless fear, but it is there nonetheless. I try to assuage it, but..." Naomi stopped, slumping against the wall with depression written on her body.

"She really is outside the door, isn't she?" Cyrus asked, hoping that they could resolve this issue between the three of them when the door suddenly opened. Both he and Naomi looked towards it, expecting to see Brianna coming in to put her two cents into the conversation only to see a woman Cyrus had never seen before entering the bath. An older woman, but still beautiful with hazel eyes and silver-white hair who had shed all her clothes and was currently glaring him down.

"She certainly is, and frankly I am beyond disappointed that she would dare to leave my daughter alone in here with you." the new woman said.

"Mother?!" Naomi shouted in surprise as the woman quickly waded into the waters, placing herself in between her mother and Cyrus.

"Wait, mother?" Cyrus asked, looking between the two of them and noticing how indeed they looked all but identical. He knew that the pool was a sort of cloning apparatus, but seeing the evidence right before him was equal parts exhilarating and scary. The only real difference between the two of them were their ages and Naomi's color-changing eyes.

"I am Jura of the Alavern isles, former Queen of the Verni." Jura said sternly as she drew closer to Cyrus, pushing her daughter out of the way. "I demand to know what you were just doing with my daughter, Cyrus of Las Vegas."

"Talking, mostly." Cyrus replied, all too used to dealing with the aggressive women of Alavern at this point. He calmly held out his hand to her and couldn't help the small smile as she took half a step back, as though he were going to try and strike her. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Jura. Your daughter's a wonderful friend to me."

"I..." Jura stuttered, taken aback at the calm and politeness he was showing in the face of her demeanor. She turned to her daughter, who simply had a calm smirk on her face at her mother's reaction. Jura glared her down before turning back to Cyrus and squeezing his extended hand with as much force as she could muster. He simply shook it, showing no signs as to whether or not it was hurting him. "So she's a friend to you, is she? Is that all she is, Cyrus of Las Vegas?"

"Despite her earnest efforts, yes." he replied, flashing his own smarmy grin at Naomi who replied silently with a scowl. "And you can just call me Cyrus. I'm honestly not very big on formality. I never actually wanted the crown. Things just sort of...spiraled out of control. So now...well, thankfully I have some good friends helping me out."

"So if not my daughter, who are you taking to bed?" Jura asked in an accusatory tone, letting go of Cyrus's hand and dunking her own in the water as if to wash it.

"I usually sleep alone. Well, unless you want to count my son but he sleeps in a crib in the room. Not in the bed with me." he answered, trying to remain casual.

"You brought your child to Alavern?!" Jura asked, shocked at the information.

"No mother, he came to Alavern alone. The child was born in the Mother's Pool from his blood." Naomi answered before he had the chance to. "He has been working towards solutions of our birth problem with Megara. She feels that the two of them are close to real answers."

"You?!" Jura shouted, snapping her attention back fully to Cyrus. "You used the Mother's Pool? How is this possible?! We have been losing our ability to use the pool for generations! An entire city of Verni wishing to be mothers with unheeded prayers and you get a child from it?!"

She glared him down, waiting for him to answer and was surprised when she saw him sadly sigh and offer her a seat. She reluctantly took it, too curious to hear about how the Great Mother could bequeath a child to a man after denying so many of her people for so long. Cyrus began explaining what he and Megara had discovered and hypothesized over the past month after Brian had been born from the pool while Jura sat there in silence. Her expression slowly turned from concentration to shock as the cruel truth was laid bare before her.

"I cannot believe it. I just seems so..." Jura said shakily after he was finished explaining everything.

"Cruel? Unfair?" Cyrus offered, gently laying his hand upon her shoulder. "I know, but the fact is that there hasn't been new blood on the Alavern Isles for so long. Something had to give eventually."

"Poor Megara, she has wanted a child for so long. To be denied for such a reason..." Jura started, tears threatening to sting her eyes even as she roughly shoved Cyrus' hand off her shoulder.

"Hey, it's far from hopeless." Cyrus said cheerfully. "Like Naomi said, we've got some plans in the works. Plans that will allow a better future for all the Verni."

"Including the new male Verni." Naomi butted in, hugging her mother from behind. "The ones who will be born from Cyrus and his children. Things are changing, mother, but I know now that they are changing for the better. Besides, I wouldn't feel too bad for Megara. She's taken quite a shine to Brian."

"She certainly has." Cyrus said with a joyful laugh. "Megara's awesome and Brian absolutely adores her. She'll make a wonderful mother to her own child soon enough." Jura looked between Cyrus and Naomi, seeing the truth of the hope that they shared for the Alavern isles in their eyes. She looked down at her distorted reflection in the waters of the royal baths and took a deep breath.

"Come then. We have all soaked long enough in the bath, and I wish to see this child with my own eyes before I spend some time with my daughter. I can't keep my wife waiting at home for me forever, after all."

Chapter 4

Naomi steadied her breath as she walked the halls of the palace with her mother, Brianna and Cyrus. She couldn't help but notice the glances that her mother would shoot Cyrus. Cold, bitter, angry... they were the same exact looks that she herself had given Cyrus on that first day he had arrived. Now they served as a bitter reminder that at the time, he had been completely right about her. She had thought herself above him, not merely because of a crown but simply because he had been born a male. She knew that had some woman from Cyrus's world come here instead of him, she would have been treated with curiosity and respect.

"So what were you and my daughter speaking of together in the bath, Cyrus?" Jura asked sternly, not even looking at him as the four of them journeyed leisurely towards the royal chambers.

"She was flirting with me and I was having a minor panic attack about potentially becoming a source of pain and/or bad feelings in hers and Brianna's relationship." he answered light-heartedly, as he tended to do these days whenever someone acted aggressively to him. Jura turned towards him suddenly with wide eyes, though which part she was reacting so strongly to Naomi wasn't entirely sure.

"You shouldn't have to be worrying about that." Brianna pouted quietly. Naomi flashed a guilty look to her love, recalling what she and Cyrus had spoken of in the bath.

"Yeah well, you know me. I worry about nearly everything." Cyrus said, keeping his tone light in an effort to keep the mood from growing too dour. "It's a big reason why I'm so thankful for you, Brianna. Naomi was my first friend on Alavern but you were the first person to give me their trust. Why do you think I wanted to name Brian after you so bad?"

Brianna couldn't help the fierce blush that came on her face and Naomi laughed, leaning over to give her love a kiss on the cheek. Naomi glanced at her mother and saw Jura studying all three of them as they interacted. She wished she knew what was on her mother's mind, but the fact that the shock had never fully left her face was hard to take as a bad thing. Jura might be the tougher-than-iron former Queen, but Naomi knew the person she truly was whenever she was away from the public eye and couldn't wait to see the hopeless romantic in her mother rear its head.