The Brush Tiger of Derven Ch. 21-23

She leans against his touch, not wanting wake up and spoil the moment. Reluctantly, she opens her eyes. The man standing before her, though the face is familiar, is completely transformed. He is dressed like proper royalty and for the first time she sets eyes on the Prince of Sceadu. Wearing a white button up shirt under a lush, deep green over coat and dark pants he seems suddenly out of place in the humble room. His blonde hair is brushed back perfectly, accentuating his handsome features.

Feeling completely infatuated with him, Mora blushes at her hunter, "You look...different."

She sits up, sliding out of the bed. Mora can't help but smile at him; she is looking forward to spending the afternoon alone with him in the carriage. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, feeling uneasy about how she looks at him. Rick clears his throat, turning to walk across the room as if he just remembered something. He lifts up a black velvet box from the couch and carries it back to Mora.

"The Queen sent over a dress for you to wear," he sets the box on the bed and opens the lid.

Mora gasps, quickly covering her mouth. Rick mistakes her distaste for shock; he lifts the blood red dress out of the box. It unfolds neatly, the silky fabric flowing down to the ground. Rick tries to hand her the dress but she holds her arms close to her body, trying to find a polite way to decline, "That is...my mother's color. It would be disrespectful for me to wear it..."

She tries to smile at him but bright color seems unnatural to her and makes her feel nervous. While she is used to seeing her mother in a red dress in her portrait, she has never seen the color on another person in her life.

"Well," he appraises her for a moment before setting the dress on the bed, "I'm afraid unless you want to go in pants, there isn't much choice...besides," he leans in, brushing his lips against hers, "you should get used to wearing the color of a Derven Queen, Namora." Rick touches her cheek, trying to dissipate her anxiety. He hovers near her for a moment, hoping that she will come around but when she still looks warily at the dress he realizes that it is something she will have to overcome alone. Though he worries that she might need help, he only offers her a smile before turning and leaving the room.

The thought of wearing red makes Mora's stomach churn. Even though she is now free to choose whom she will spend her life with, she has begun to question if she is ready to be a Queen. Despite the fact that the cancelled wedding to King Irron was beyond her control, as is the inevitable war looming on the horizon, she feels selfish that the events unfolded in a manner that was amiable to her. Her conflicting feelings of the love she has for Rick and the love she has for the people of Derven make her wonder if she should have completely sacrificed herself and tried harder to keep the peace.

She busies herself by attending to her hair, brushing and twisting it as best as she can to hide the blood still soaked in it. Mora manages to pin it all back carefully before she takes off her night gown. Though her body quivers with panic she tries to tell herself that since she is in Sceadu, red is just a meaningless color. She forces herself to pick the dress up; it feels just like fabric. When her hands start to shake, Mora squeezes her eyes shut trying to imagine the color is anything but. She pictures a deep, luscious green that matches Rick's jacket. The dress slides over her skin like a snake but she keeps the image of Rick in her mind. She is able to open her eyes and smile when it dawns on her that he will be the one to take her dress off.

It fits differently from the white one with a square cut neck, tight sleeves that stop at her elbows and a slender waist--the dress emphasizes her womanly features significantly. Upon gazing at herself in the mirror she is taken aback, now able to see for the first time that she bears a resemblance to her mother. Her body begins to calm down as the confidence seeps back into it. Smoothing the fabric around her waist, Mora speculates that the Queen's dresser has a knack of picking out clothing to reinforce the events of a meeting.

She leaves the room, knowing this time that she will see it again. As she walks down the stairs with her head held high and her hands folded neatly in front of her, she understands that she must confront King Irron in order to begin creating a life with Rick, much like one must cross a bridge to get over a river.

Mora takes a deep breath before pushing the tavern doors open and walking outside. Before her, Rick waits patiently with Daniel, James and Sari. When her friends see her, despite her dislike of the dress, the looks on their faces makes her believe that it was the right choice. When Rick sees her, the look on his face makes her blush.

Just as he begins to reach for her, they notice a black carriage coming down the road. Drawn by two magnificent looking black steeds, the elegantly crafted, well maintained carriage seems entirely out of place in the worn down town. As it pulls up to the boardwalk, she feels like a true Princess for the first time in weeks when Rick properly takes her hand to help her into the carriage. But when the coachman opens the door, both are shocked to see the Queen sitting inside. It never occurred to Mora that all three of them would ride together—she assumed that the Queen would meet them in the Meadow.

She motions the pair to join her and they hesitantly comply. Mora's confidence retreats allowing her nervousness to once again take hold of her.

Queen Sheynne's cold demeanor seeps into the air; none of them talk. Mora formally arranges herself in the seat, making sure her dress is draped adequately over her ankles before she clasps her hands in her lap. Within the close vicinity of the Queen, she is able to get a good look at her for the first time. Her tightly pulled back blonde hair is mounded on top of her head, inside her black crown. Her pale skin seems almost translucent and the same piercing eyes she shares with Rick draw the

As the ride draws on, the frigid silence between the mother and son causes her to feel like an intruder. She gracefully allows her head to droop so that she can stare at the floor.

Beside her she can feel Rick's body tense with agitation during the duration of the almost two hour trip. When he finally draws in a breath to speak the Queen beats him to it, "Thank you, son, for coming along on this trip."

"I didn't come for you, I came for Mora," the anger directed towards the Queen only emphasizes the mysteriousness of Rick and Mora's relationship.

Though she can feel Sheynne stare at her, Mora keeps her face blank and her eyes down. She wishes to stay out of their dispute. When she feels Rick shift next to her as if he is angry at her for not coming to his aid, she realizes that he has been out of high society so long that he has lost the finer points of polite social interaction.

Silence once again falls on the three of them. After about another mile of it, the Queen lifts a square box onto her lap from the bench beside her. She opens it slowly. Mora allows her eyes to look up though she doesn't raise her head. She is shocked to see a thick, dark, masculine crown in it, though shiny like metal it is crafted in such a way to appear as intertwined branches. Rick looks displeased. When the Queen reaches into the box, she doesn't pull out the crown but rather a small, ornate silver key. Mora recognizes the designs on it as a match to her chains and her collar.

Queen Sheynne hands Rick the key; when he takes it, she speaks to Mora, who lifts her head up to give the woman her undivided attention, "For the purposes of this meeting, I believe you will agree that it is necessary for you to appear to be here of your own free will and for King Irron to believe it was your choice to call off the marriage."

Rick turns to Mora, reaching for her collar. His fingers intentionally brush the back of her neck as he reaches around to find the small keyhole. It clicks quietly when he turns the key. Again his hand barely grazes her as he removes it from her neck; Mora hides her shiver by reaching up to touch her now bare skin. Though the collar is small and delicate, she feels lighter. Queen Sheynne continues to watch her; Mora lets her face remain calm, pushing away the heat that threatens to make her cheeks flush.

She keeps her voice level and neutral when she responds to the Queen, "I am not here of my own free will? I thought my actions made my intentions clear, your Majesty."

The Queen's cold affect remains unchanged, "You are of Derven; your actions merely emphasized your choice to take the path with the least amount of casualties."

It finally occurs to Mora that while Rick's feelings for her are obvious, she has kept her own sentiments hidden safely behind her learned nature. The Queen has not seen Mora's jealous outbursts, anger or laughter; all she knows of the Princess is the selfless acts she has done to save another. She briefly thinks of telling the Queen about her love for the Prince, but dismisses the thought when she realizes that words are but a poor substitute for action.

Sheynne continues, "The place we meet King Irron is a large field of neutral territory that we call the Meadow; it lies south of the trees that mark the border of Sceadu and north of the public road. If you leave that field and therefore my custody I shall see it as a violation of the arrangement between King Nathanial and I, at which time I will have no choice but to declare war on Derven."

"That's absurd, Mora would never--" Rick's voice is thick with the grit of his aggravation.

Mora cuts him off, trying to save him from the Queen's displeasure, "Sceadu could never win; if I were to—as you say—violate your agreement with my father, it would be in favor of Alumenia. Your declaration of war against Derven would cause both countries to respond, surely you realize." She has no intention of leaving the field with anyone but Rick but the way the Queen speaks to her causes her anger to boil inside.

"Of course I do," Sheynne responds, "and that would result in tremendous casualties to all three countries, a disaster that no Derven would want on their conscious."

Rick looks at both women, unsure exactly which he distrusts the most. Despite her intentions of protecting Rick from the Queen, the coolness of Mora's voice coupled with the words coming from it make him start to doubt her love of him. Mora can sense his worry and though she wants to reach out to him and assure him of her unwavering love, she is forced to maintain her hostile stance until she can prove to Queen Sheynne that her heart beats true, which can only be done through her actions against King Irron.

Queen Sheynne finally breaks her stare with Mora. She carefully lifts the crown out of the box and leans toward her son. Rick stiffens, holding the open collar and key in his hands; he doesn't make a move towards her or the crown. Though she no doubt notices his contempt for her, the Queen chooses to ignore it. She perches the twisted metal on his head, turning it slightly so as to lock it in his hair. He isn't thrilled about it, but Mora's heart skips at the sight of Rick in his Princely appearance.

"It is also necessary for you to appear to be the Prince, Varickan," she says snidely towards him.

Mora has the feeling that they must be close and when the carriage pulls to a stop her hunch is confirmed. She turns her head to the small, stained glass window by her side. From the lack of trees, she knows they are now in the Meadow. The coachman opens the door; the Queen is the first to exit. When Mora shifts to follow, Sheynne's sharp voice halts her movements, "I wish to speak to the Prince, privately if you don't mind."

Caught off guard, Mora freezes in place. Rick looks over at her briefly before he gets out. The door shuts between them and even though they whisper, she can hear every word.

"Is this really necessary, Queen Sheynne? Hasn't Mora made her feelings clear? She isn't going to leave Sceadu," Rick's voice sounds angry, but with a slightly skeptical tone.

"You are foolish to trust her, Varickan. She may be a pretty face but underneath she is still the same woman who agreed to marry King Irron in the first place. I am only allowing this meeting because King Irron would attack Sceadu if I didn't."

The Queen's distrust of Mora is affirmed, though she can't tell which the Queen dislikes more: Mora and Rick together or Mora and King Irron. Though it was the Queen's decision to guide the two into falling in love, she wonders if Sheynne is regretting her choice. She obviously underestimated Mora's stubbornness, which has now resulted in her holding more power than any one ruling entity on the island. No matter what side she chooses, she understands that war cannot be averted but she senses the Queen's worry because Mora's choice will be the difference between Sceadu being attacked or Sceadu doing the attacking.

Ricks voice, still angry, draws Mora back to their conversation, "He will attack us no matter what, your Majesty."

"Yes, I am afraid I know that too," Sheynne's voice sounds mournful for a moment, before the harshness returns, "Our only hope that Derven will choose to fight with us is if she remains here when he does. As soon as this meeting is over, Princess Namora is to be recollared. Under no circumstances is she to leave Sceadu, am I clear?" When she gets no response, the Queen's voice drops, "If she leaves, the punishment will be severe, even for a Prince. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," Rick spits out distastefully.

"You may let her out but she is to remain out of sight until we greet King Irron. We need to put distance between us and her, to emphasize—"

"The appearance that she is here of her own free will," Rick cuts her off in a slightly mocking tone. The Queen, obviously angered by his attitude, walks from behind the carriage and towards the center of the field.

When the door opens, he extends his hand into the carriage to help her out. Eagerly she reaches for it but when his fingers wrap around hers and she climbs out of the coach, she instantly knows that the Queen's words have succeeded in placing the seed of doubt. His hand does not grip hers tightly, nor do his fingers rub her skin; instead, he holds her hand carefully as if she were no more to him than a stranger.

She looks upon his face to see rage and dubiousness, feeling worry show on her own. When he lets go of her hand, her heart drops. She forces her fingers to form a fist to stop from shaking. Mora doesn't know what to say to get him back. Tears well up in her eyes when he looks at her; her vision blurs when the tears threaten to fall but she feels his hands rest on her cheeks. He moves closer to her, touching his forehead on hers. Though he speaks with that tender tone, there is still a hint of suspicion in it, "Mora, I want you to know that I lov--"

She quickly closes the gap between them, stopping him short when she pushes her lips against his. The fact that he doesn't entirely trust her saddens her but she knows that she deserves it because of the secrets she kept. His hands reach up to wipe her face dry only to cradle it after; he leans into her, deepening the kiss. She braces herself against his chest, making herself pull away from him. Mora looks into his eyes, trying to convey her feelings genuinely, "You can tell me tonight, when we are back in the tavern."

He smiles softly at her, still holding her face. Finally recognizing the woman he fell in love with, the doubt vanishes from his eyes. He leans forward once more, planting a tiny peck on her lips, "Don't come out until the time is right. If anything happens, I will be right there." He kisses her once more before walking out to join his mother.

Now alone, the nervousness begins to take over her body. She opens and closes her hands into fists, pacing uneasily behind the carriage. Though it shields her view of anyone, she can hear a dozen or so horses in the field beyond. She recognizes the quiet grumblings of Eric and Dell. When she catches a strong whiff of metal, she knows that King Irron and his guards have arrived. She can hear their conversations carried by the wind.

"Queen Sheynne, thank you for arranging this meeting. It is good to see that you are...well," King Irron's arrogant voice is thick with fake politeness.

"Likewise, King Irron. Have you met my son, Prince Varickan?" Her voice is cold enough to cut glass.

"I do believe I have—briefly. How are you, Prince?" Though some would mistake real sincerity in his voice, Mora picks up on the sarcastic undertone.

"Lovely," Rick tries to say nicely but it comes out as a growl.

"Good to hear," Irron lies. "Now, where is my soon to be wife? I wish to speak to her..."

Mora inhales deeply; as her lungs fill with air, she forces her shoulders back and her chin up. She clasps her hands tightly in front of her and wraps her nerves with steel before she stoically walks from behind the carriage. She keeps her eyes still so as not to appear worried but takes in everything. King Irron stands about fifteen paces away from Sheynne and Rick; behind him are several guards, still mounted on their horses. They look alert, but mindless; their dark eyes make Mora feel uneasy. She sees Daniel, James, Sari and the three Wardens Eric, Dell and John, as well as a few others on top of their horses surrounding the backside of the Queen. The Meadow is large and they are closer to the public road than to Sceadu. She has suspicions that King Irron made sure of that.

She has almost completely forgotten the hue of her dress, but when her eyes fall on Irron she is reminded once more that she wears an unnatural color. At the sight of Mora, clad in red, Irron's face has a truly shocked expression, "Oh, my love, that color is ravishing on you," he says loud enough for everyone to hear and for the first time he actually means the words he speaks.

She stops in the space between Irron and Sheynne, perfectly dividing the two. Grabbing the middle of her skirt with her right hand she flourishes a beautiful curtsey to Irron, "King Irron, what a pleasure." Though it is a lie, Mora makes a little more effort to be convincing than he does.

"There is no need to bow to me, Namora—soon we will be wed," he purrs to her in a tone suggesting that they are more familiar with each other than is true.

She clenches her jaw and refrains from sneering with disgust. Her voice, overly sweet, replies "Oh, King Irron, don't toy with me," she rises, looking innocently at Irron, "You know my father has called off the wedding."

"Yes, I had heard...but I thought perhaps your sentiments haven't changed," he steps closer to Mora. She can hear the Sceaduians behind her tense nervously; it takes all she has not to step back away from him. Holding as still as a sculpture, Mora stands her ground as he approaches her.

Irron slowly reaches out and takes her hand, bringing it up to his lips. He kisses the back of it, his eyes searching her face, "Surely, my love, you realize that calling off this engagement will snap my heart in two." His voice has a hint of threat in it.

The moment he touches her, her anger flares up so quickly she almost slaps him. Instead, she lets a smile grow on her face, letting him hold onto her. Just when he—and everyone else—thinks that she has changed her mind, Mora pulls back her hand, clasping them in front of her, "Snap in two, much like a burwood tree over a public road, I imagine." Her voice comes out colder than even the Queen could muster. While there is almost a sigh of relief behind her, she is close enough to Irron to see the vein in his neck begin to pulse faster.