Caidoz

Chapter 8- A Night To Remember

~Cancer

"Cancer!"
   I hear her scream a minute before the massive doors slam against the walls. "Mom?" I turn only for my vision to be filled with white-- white coats, gloves, and boots. My eyes widen as Caidozologists bolt up the tower of steps to the chair of reflectum, surrounding me on every side."Mom, what's going on?!" I attempt to stand so that I can see her better, but a Caidozolgist immediately forces me down. "Princess Cancer, calm down. We're here to help," he says.
   He's scared. The knowledge is instantaneous, unlike my usual method of comprehension through deduction of body language. This must be a part of my power. I exhale, attempting to block the cramped cluster of bodies around me.
   "Let me through immediately!"
   "Your Highness, the introduction of another energy presence would--"
   "To the Outer Ring with that!"
   I jerk my head off the chair, peering through the gap of white coats to see my mother tightening her lips. "You will let me through as the queen!"
   He's upset and uncomfortable, but also fearful, I think as the caidozologist bows with an "As you command, your Highness," moving himself and his colleagues aside.
   I feel her warmth before I realize she's there-- smell the fragrance of a sunny meadow before sensing her presence.
   "Cancer, I am sorry! I am sorry!" I feel her body begin to twitch in her embrace as she sniffles. "I heard your screaming-- I should have let Homam warn you-- Cancer, please forgive me," she says, pulling away to look into my eyes. Tears dripped down her face, silent except for the sound of the droplets as they hit the seat.
   "There is no need for me to forgive you," I said, as a smile pulled at my lips.
   There is an automatic gasp of alarm among the Caidozologists, and Mom's eyes fill once more. "Cancer..."
   "Because, if you told me the ceremony was going to painful, I might have tried to avoid it more. It was to protect me, right?"
   Her eyes widened, her lips slightly parting before she embraced me without a word, more tightly than before.
   "Um... your majesty, Queen Virgo? May we proceed with the physical?" A man with cyberic lenses lifted his glass clipboard, keeping his eyes plastered to his notes.
   She immediately dabbed the tears away before regarding him with a look of ice. "Why haven't you already?"
   Several Caidozologists immediately busied themselves with their lenses, scanning my body for my pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. I focused my attention, however, on the man who dipped his hands into a held bucket, a molded pair of gloves condensing around his fingers. He turned to me and knelt down beside my chair. "Princess, please open your mouth," He said, his eyes concealed by the reflective lenses.
   My body became cold for a moment, but, shaking it off, I obeyed, revealing my fangs.
   I heard Mom's sharp inhale and even saw several Caidozologists stiffen as the man lifted my top lip and ran his finger down the length of my top canines before inspecting the lowers. "Looks like you had some bleeding during the Sharpening, and your gums look a little swollen from where the canines fully slid out.
   "This isn't typically the case," he said, standing up to put his hand back into the bucket, the gloves repealing off his skin as if it were oil in water. "But I'd still say it all looks normal, considering if the ceremony was performed without Caidozian energy. The bottom canines grew correctly as well, though the top canines are longer. Are you in any pain, Princess?" He asked, looking down at me as I sat up.
   "I still feel a little dizzy, and my gums feel tingly," I said, but I find a smile on my lips, a gentle coldness resting on my skin. "It's hard to explain." I open my mouth again, my index finger and thumb brushing over my top lip. "It's as if I was a puzzle missing a small piece. It was not a piece significant to the picture, but it was a piece all the same. That's how I feel now about these fangs." I look up at my Caidozologist, surprised to see he reset his lenses to transparent. He chuckled, stuffing his hand into his coat pocket. "Glad to hear it, your Majesty. In fact, in that case, maybe we will not need--"
   "Cancer." Queen Virgo's tone was sharper than a blade, and the man cut off as he looked at the floor. I turned to her only to meet her eyes of violet ice. "Unless there were any problems found in the examination, everyone is now dismissed."
   There was the sound of gentle clattering as the Caidozologists picked up their equipment before they all bowed, and, in perfect unison, they said, "Thank you, your Highness." Without another word, they descended the steps and walked out the silver doors, which stayed open behind them.
   "Cancer."
   I turned to look at her, spinning in my seat.
   "Monarchs are meant to images of perfection. And those," Mom pointed at my mouth, her lip curling. "Will enforce the wrong message." She then sighed as she lifted her brows. "First thing tomorrow, we will have those fangs sawed down-- normalized, as expected of a princess."
   My hand sprung to my mouth of its own accord, my eyes widening. "Mom... Mom, no! Please!" I glanced up at the moon before looking back at her.
   Her hand is around my jaw instantly, almost as if she just appeared there. "I will not have my daughter ridiculed for anything that I can help," she whispered as she pulled me closer to herself. I tried to jerk out of her grasp, but she squeezed harder, and I stiffened as I felt the thorns of the Maiden's nails upon the Crab.
   "Caidozians cannot be seen as anything other than human, Cancer," she said, and I looked up at her. Her eyes were dark now, her lips pressed in a firm line. "It is harder for animal Caidozians to conform to society's rules than Human Caidozians. But you must." Her hand slid off my cheek. "I know you have seen it before-- the look that humans give you when you grow upset. Just as they have always trusted us as their monarchs, they have always feared us. We cannot give them another reason to be afraid. That is why we must conform to their expectations."
   "But," I lowered my head, staring at the backs of my hands. She grabbed them gently, looking at me. "No more "buts," Cancer."
   I closed my eyes. "Tomorrow then."
   Her emotions, previously like thrashing vines, lessened their crushing grip. "I am glad you understand." She then lifted her head, turning to the door. "Draco, we are now ready to be escorted back to the party."
   Coming forth from behind the wall, the captain knelt down. "Of course, your Majesty." As Mom released him from his bow, I caught a glimpse of his lips struggling not to smile before he returned to attention.