InkSkin

A Queen

"Good morning, Erif." Alsuha called out as she heard Erif walk in. She let her legs swing back down to the floor and felt a rush as her world righted itself.

"I am sorry, Alsuha. I wish my visit was due to just a lesson, but I am here to make you presentable."

"Presentable? Whatever for?"

"The Queen has decided you have had long enough to prepare and she wants to make sure you will do as the Prince's Companion."

"Oh. I ... I do not have any of my weapons. The Slavers did not trust me with them," she added bitterly.

"The Queen will not be impressed by your weapons. She will want to see if you can be presentable at Court without looking like what you are."

"I do not understand."

"You must give the illusion that you are not...dangerous, just another royal ornament."

"But ... then why choose me?" Confusion clouded Alsuha's eyes as she looked at Erif.

"Because of your reputation in the Pitts and the battlefield."

"I do not understand this at all. I have to seem useless ... while seeming to be only an ... ornament, as you put it, but I have to be prepared as though I were on a battlefield?"

"You seem to understand it just fine," Erif said with a grin as she glanced at Alsuha who glared at her.

"Court is another sort of battlefield. You will learn quickly enough. What the Queen requires of you is to do exactly as you have said. Act like you are only there as the Prince's exotic pet, but keep your eyes and ears open for any threat meant for the Prince."

"I ... understand." Alsuha said slowly.

"Good. Now, put this on." Erif handed Alsuha a beautiful copper tunic with burnt orange trimming and light yellow sleeves and skirt. The leggings were knee length and mirrored the copper trim in the tunic; the yellow vines twining their way down from the waistband were the same as the yellow in the sleeves and skirt. The outfit was completed by burnt orange under-leggings and soft butter cream ankle boots.

"What is this?" Alsuha asked as she looked at the awful ensemble.

"This is the latest court fashion for us Companions. You will be required to dress accordingly." Alsuha reluctantly took the garments from Erif and started dressing. She was a little embarrassed when she had to ask Erif for help in figuring out how everything was put together.

"The hairdresser will be by in a moment to see what can be done with that," Erif said with a waggle of her fingers indicating Alsuha's hair.

"I had to keep it short and I had to cut it myself. It gave the others one less advantage over me."

"It is alright, you do not have to be so defensive, Alsuha." Erif stated briskly as she got up to leave.

"I ..." But the knock at the door stopped whatever she had been about to say.

Once the Queen's hairdresser and her minions got their hands on her Asluha was too busy having her head dunked in buckets of water, combed, teased, pulled and bullied into whatever mad vision the Queen's hairdresser had in mind for her.

An hours or so later, Alsuha stood before Queen Drofan, a stately woman with a pile of red curls on the top her head; it was the first thing Alsuha had noticed. She constantly wondered how all that hair stayed up like that. She imagined the Queen's neck must hurt from the weight of it, but no matter how closely she watched there was no sign of discomfort.

Alsuha could feel the Queen's eyes, more red than brown or so brown they looked red; rake her from the top of her head to the tip of her soft butter cream boots. There was a cold, calculating look in those eyes that alerted Alsuha that this Queen was someone to be reckoned with.

"Your Majesty," Erif said with a small bow, "May I formally present Prince LuSol's Companion?" And she bowed deeply, nudging Alsuha when she noticed she had remained upright.

"Majesty," Alsuha said as she bent at the waist.

"Well, Erif, you seem to have pulled her together quite well." Alsuha was slightly startled by the Queen's nAs'ally, high pitched voice; she had not expected such a sound to come from the Queen.

"I believe she will suit the Prince just fine, Your Majesty," Erif replied as she smoothly unbent herself.

"Mmmm. Rise, girl. I cannot inspect the back of your head." Alsuha snapped upright and it was all she could do to keep herself from fidgeting as she felt that blood red gaze burning into her.

Alsuha watched the Queen's full mouth, which naturally tilted up at the corners making her seem to be constantly on the verge of a smile, as she pressed her lips together.

"You clean up well, Bonded. You can almost be called pretty. Surprising." Alsuha met those brown-red eyes just for a second before her head whipped to one side. Her cheek burned.

"You need to teach her manners, Erif."

"Apologies Majesty. She ... forgets herself at times."

"Yes, these Pitt fighters are worse than animals. Thank goodness you were bought years ago and trained properly before coming into my service! What a horror that would have been for me!" The Queen deftly flicked her wrist and opened a black and white stripped fan with which she proceeded to fan herself, the idea of an untaught Erif more than she could bare. Erif consolingly murmured at the Queen and Alsuha felt as though she were is some bizarre universe.

"But, still ... she at least looks the part." Seemingly completely recovered from her earlier bout of malaise, the Queen tossed her head lightly as though making up her mind about something.

"She will do for now. Just don't let her speak or look at anyone directly. She really must learn how to behave like a proper Companion and not some savage from the Pitts." The Queen tsked disapprovingly in Alsuha's general direction.

"You may present her to my son, Erif." With a regal nod of her head the Queen turned her back to them and swept out of the room without another word.

Alsuha was trembling; her Ink was swirling and whirling all across the visible surfaces of her skin.

"You really must calm down," Erif said sedately, but without ever taking her eyes off the flashing colors of Alsuha's Ink.

"Being here is no different than being in the Pitts." Alsuha growled as she stalked from one side of the room to the other.

"No, it is not. I thought we had already established that," Erif murmured dryly.

"People just dress prettier and smell nicer, but they are just the same, if not worse. I could have killed her."

"And I would have been forced to kill you," Erif said without hesitation or a trace of emotion.

"You think you could?" Alsuha snarled as she whirled on her friend.

They stood staring at each other for countless heartbeats before Erif said, "We must go. Queen Drofan would have sent word to Prince LuSol of her expected gift."

Alsuha laughed bitterly and just like that the extra colors drained from her Ink. The spectrum of greens and browns sedately swirled once more across her skin.

"Very well. Let us go give the Prince his gift." Alsuha said caustically before motioning Erif to lead the way.