Generis

2. Brides and Bloody Marriages.

"You did WHAT?!"

Zyx slightly tanned face went a faint red with shame from being told off from across the table.

"I fell in lo—"

"You fell in love?!"
Miqui repeated harshly, slamming the table, a look on her face that said that she found nothing funny. The marble walls did nothing but echo her frustration,
"Here, us Five are responsible for the Peace and Harmony of Generis, for Law and Order, and what do you do?! Fall in love! Can you hear yourself? How utterly ridiculous—"

"If you would quiet your obnoxious screeching, that would be much appreciated."
Əah muttered, a distance next to her, standing up and walking out of the room.

"So you're not bothered about this?"
Miqui calls after her as Əah leaves. She turns to the rest of them,
"None of you are?"

"Miqui, Miqui, calm down, eh?"
Rehemïd yawned, patting his arm around her shoulder, patting her chest, much to which she physically objected,
"It's love! It's natural, it was going to happen, hm? Let them be, they can't help it!"

"It wasn't even with one of us though—"

"When you rule with the same people for many hundreds, thousands of years, you see them as family, rather than potential partners."

"But—"

"And plus, much to their luck, they earned themselves a fine duchess who is beautiful on both the inside and the outside. Let them be, no?"

"Can... can I go now..?"
Zyx mumbled, embarrassed. Miqui looked at them, then at Rehemïd, and sighed.

"Fine."

"Wait, just one question."

Rehemïd watches Zyx stop in their tracks, then turned around, the deep pink markings on their face highlighted by a single sun beam.

"You disowned her, right?"

Silence. The subject had quickly changed thanks to that one question, and now there was an atmosphere of seriousness. He walks up slowly to Zyx as they sigh quietly

"I mean I did... publicly... but I do feel bad... she is still—"

"You wouldn't have had a good look if you didn't."

"Yeah... but she wasn't very happy.."

"She shouldn't have made a bad name for herself. Leave her."

"What does that have to do with anything right now..?"

"A lot."

Zyx wanted to say more, but turned and continued to walk off, with Rehemïd rambling on about something the rest of them didn't bother to know. And there was silence.

"You know... these strange things those people down there make are actually amusing to me. Look,"
Hestia broke the silence, holding up a thick book.
"It's a cute little tale, written in bœlic, the language of the Tribe of Bōēl. It's—"

"Do you know all the tribes in Generis?"
Miqui asked,

"Mhm? Why-?"

"How do you know every tribe to exist? I only know the first fifty-something—"

"It's just fascinating to find out. Back to the point though, would you imagine a young teen wrote this? It's very adorable-"

"Yeah, yeah"
Miqui says dismissively, looking around,
"As if should I ever look forward to reading something like that-"

"Do you like criticising every small innocent act anyone does? First it's love and now this?"

Miqui shrugged, sitting back down. Her gaze subconsciously drifted back towards the second door at the end of the room, which she now winced at as it slammed shut. Past the door, the room was lit by wax candles on gold candle holders shaped like inverted crowns, matching the royal atmosphere of the room. Rehemïd folded his arms, his stature illuminated by the candlelight, and stared hard at Zyx.