Milk and Honey [Closed|Attn. Nalaya]

[Ganos Lao]

She wakes up every morning to the same old routine.

She wakes up to the sound of her alarm clock every morning, usually at seven, but sometimes earlier if she hears the weather's just right.

She'll eat a light meal, just to ease her stomach into the morning, and then commits herself to streneous exercise until midday when she goes to deal with any paperwork that needs to be done. Sometimes, her relatives call to check in on how she's doing. Often, it's her mother. Sometimes, it's her cousins.

But it's never her.

She always wonders if she messed it up, you know? If she said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing. She doesn't understand how this is supposed to work.

Hell, she didn't think she had it in her in the first place.

But when she came around.....

Okay, so maybe she was always that way. Maybe her eyes lingered a bit more than they ought to, but no one ever said anything about it. Everyone seemed to accept it, if they even bothered to notice it. Her mother was a bit concerned, but you could have kids in other ways too.

Well, back in my day.....

But she never calls anymore. She never seems to ask hey, how are you doing? Her calls never get answered.

Perhaps you ought to find someone new.....

No, she thinks, she can't do that, doing so many pushups and situps this morning that she's lost count.

How can you ask me to forsake her?

---

If one wants to understand how Ganosia works, you inevitably find yourself looking over to the Imperial Court, the heart of an empire that spans the world, the heart of a nation that was in the midst of what the media called a campaign of national rejuvenation. The entire empire was expected to chip in, to ensure it all went according to the plan. The plan that was passed down by the Empress Herself to her ministers, to instruct the people in the new ways and disregard those of the old. The Empress, who sits upon her throne this morning, contemplating the affairs of the world, wondering when she even signed the treaty of the Axis Commonwealth in the first place, because it's very hard to remember all these things sometimes, but she gets it done, because it's all for the people, you see.

Like her.

"Cousin," she says. "So nice of you to come by."

She isn't too pleased.

"Spare the bullshit, Quinn. I know why you wanted me to come see you."

The Empress smiles. "Now, now, no need for that. You must understand that I am only looking out for you."

Still, she isn't too pleased.

"I remain loyal to Rehan, no matter the circumstances, no matter the cost. Are you going to-"

The Empress waves her hand. "We do not desire you to forsake your beloved. We wish to help you see her again."

"How?"

"We are planning to renew ties with the Nalayans. We desire that the empire blossom as it ought to have been. Don't you think so, Iri?"

"What about Allison?"

"We have kept her busy. She shall not disrupt Our desires, ruin Our dream."

---

Jane Saroyan.

She is, at this point, a depressed woman. She feels like it's all been for naught.

"All my work.....it's been for nothing," she murmurs. "I've tried, I've tried and tried for so long, and what has it gotten me? The suspicion of an entire nation! I am surprised I have not been attacked yet. Perhaps my husband's been able to pull some strings, I don't know.....it worries me. Sometimes, I feel afraid going out with my own family."

She looks to see if anyone is around. It would hurt to see her husband and daughter see her like this.

"This campaign of national rejuvenation! What use is it going to be, honestly?"

She soon found the answer to that when the Imperial Commands came in.

"What makes Her Imperial Majesty think it will work out this time?"

---

"Saroyan will proceed as planned?"

"Yes, Majesty."

"Good. I should very much like to see Nalaya become convinced of the merits of friendship with us. After we're done with them, proceed with plans in Edom."

"As you wish, Majesty."

---

Irikah decides that it's best to hold out hope.

She's put in too much to just give in now.

"Iri," he says, "you ought to always think positive. Sometimes, it'll be all you have out there."

Thanks, Dad, she thinks, sitting at her computer, wondering how to.....

"Dear, Rehan," she types out, then erases, then retypes, then......

This is going to be harder than it looks.

---

General,

May good tidings be bestowed upon you and yours this day.

As you may have heard, it is Her Imperial Majesty's will that the Empire begin to renew and repair ties with those nations in whom it had once felt the power of friendship.

As you are undoubtedly well versed in the unfortunate decline in our relations with your esteemed nation, Her Imperial Majesty has desired that I undertake all that is necessary to repair what damage has been inflicted by neglect and incorrect decisions. The Empire knows it cannot change the past, but it can ensure the future looks bright for both our nations. Our time is now, General, to build a new relationship, to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated ever again.

Should it please you, I will be able to meet with you to discuss the possibility that we can begin such a noble undertaking. We have heard much of Nalaya's humanitarian work throughout the Cornellian region and beyond, and we wish to assist you in such endeavours. Perhaps you have heard of the Refugee Sanctuary? Mr. Pitkanen, in charge of its foreign affairs, has oftentimes cited your nation as an influence upon his life's work, the uptlifting of the downtrodden, and it would do him much happiness, perhaps after we have fixed our problems, to see Nalayan aid for the Sanctuary project become a reality.

I will be able to meet with you at your earliest convenience.

Signed,
Jane Saroyan
Ambassador of the Ganosian Empire to Nalaya

[Nalaya]

The Zoranots'in
Sevan, the Military Protectorate of Sevan

"They want to mend the fences they let fall, Khavar. Surely that's not such an unreasonable request," Hravad said. The grim and growling Nalayan general had little changed since the last time Ganosia had decided to call upon them, save for the weight that Anahid's death had left sitting in the center of his chest. Grief, that old companion so familiar to so many, had given permanency to some of the lines in his scarred face.

The Protector looked at him with her impossibly distant, grey-green eyes. She pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair, turning a paperweight over in her hand. The Tigress was in a thoughtful mood, the most dangerous kind with her. Her fingers danced nimbly across the edge of her sculpted face, sweeping loose brown hair back behind her ear. She had a sort of classical, timeless beauty, but a cold one. And so often when those lips curled up into a smile, it was a cruel one. "I don't care about Ganosians. I don't care about Ganosia." There was an insistent rhythm to her speech. "They are an imperialistic and unrealistic fair-weather friends who care only that we help them in their latest pet project. If Nalaya is to interact with them, we will have to endure attempts to make us nothing more than a colony. Ganosia does not understand the principle of equality."

It was moments like these where Hravad was reminded that he was not speaking to Anahid. He was speaking to Arzhani Khavar T'avish, the war criminal, the Tigress of Yeraskh. He couldn't imagine Khavar in the same room with Quinn. It would end in bloodshed, and he knew who would be walking away. The woman was a monster, a prolific murderer, and a warlord who had risen to power through sheer vicious cunning. But she loved her country with a deep and abiding passion. It made sense that she'd allowed Ganosian relations to lapse: she valued loyalty above all other virtues. It seemed too often that Ganosia only sought Nalaya out when it was for their own benefit.

"Their Ambassador, Siruhi Jane Saroyan, wishes to meet with you," Hravad pushed anyway, treading carefully. He knew how her temper could come seemingly out of nowhere.

Her lips curled into a humorless smile. "She should be careful what she wishes for."

"I thought you might like to delegate the task. You're a busy woman," the tall officer said smoothly, knowing that what he'd suggested was the best way. Khavar was like an irresistible force. When she felt some way, you could bet that the world would change in reflection of that. "The Norvenian issue is still ongoing and Siri's hard at work. Rehan would be the best choice."

"Rehan is sick. I want her under no more stress," Khavar said with crisp authority. He was starting to shift uncomfortably under the power of that basilisk gaze. She could enchant or torment with equal ease, and right now it was feeling as though he were a bug under a microscope. "You handle it, Hravad."

"Ayo, Arzhani," he said obediently, giving her a sharp salute. "I'll give her a call."

"If that's everything, I do have work to do," Khavar said as a sort of dismissal, looking back down on the paperwork she'd been doing when he came in.

Hravad strode down the hallway, pulling out his cellphone and tapping in Jane's number. She was Alexan's wife, so he knew it even if they didn't really talk. The phone rang and he hoped she would pick up. Even if it was a fool's errand, he had some faith that something good would come of it.

---

Outside Herratesut'yun Hospital
Tatev, Nalaya

Siran threw her jacket around Rehan's shoulders as they walked together out. After forty-five days in the hospital, the younger officer (currently off duty) looked much better. She'd gained a little weight again, more than just skin and bones. Her eyes seemed brighter and her brown hair had luster again. More than that, she was able to concentrate again. "You looked cold," Siran said by way of explanation for her charity as the Himnakan pulled it close around her body.

Rehan nodded gratefully. They'd had a massive fight when Siran first told her that she thought she had a problem, but mercifully she'd apparently been forgiven. She'd lashed out at most of the Avangardn at one time or another to try and cling to her illness. Finally, desperately, she'd come to Khavar for help when she realized she really did have a problem. And to everyone's surprise, the Protector had been incredibly understanding and supportive. She'd given Rehan time off work where she wouldn't deploy or be trapped in an administrative role again and paid for everything she needed. The stress was gone and she could actually focus on becoming well again.

Rehan knew she wasn't recovered. That would probably take years, just like she'd had it in secret for years, gradually growing worse and worse until Anahid died and she snapped more completely. But between a combat stress counselor, a dietician, and a lot of time in what felt like a minimum security prison, she was doing better than she had been. Good enough to finally go back to the life she'd basically thrown away.

"So, you going to give Irikah a call now?" Siran said as she and Rehan got in the car. Snow was still falling here in Tatev even though it was May. "I'm not saying you should tell her, but it might be nice of you to give her a ring."

"How?" Rehan said quietly. She really was at a loss. It had been so long that Irikah had probably moved on. And maybe that was for the best. She felt a little too broken to be with anyone at the moment.

Siran tossed her cellphone to her friend. It landed neatly in Rehan's bony lap. She wrapped thin fingers around it and leaned her head against the window that she could see her reflection in. Hollow cheeks and cracked lips, dark-shadowed eyes and cinnamon hair that had finally grown out normally rather than dry and brittle. "There you go."

"Not what I meant," she said.

"I know, Rehan. But sometimes you've just got to jump, girl. We all do."

Rehan nodded and picked up the phone, dialing the familiar number. It would look like it was coming from Siran, but that didn't really matter unless Irikah was on the outs with Siran.

[Ganos Lao]

Rehan nodded and picked up the phone, dialing the familiar number. It would look like it was coming from Siran, but that didn't really matter unless Irikah was on the outs with Siran.

After yet another long and tiring afternoon spent at the gym, Irikah returned to her home feeling like all she could do was throw herself onto her bed and sink into it. She had pushed herself harder than usual, so much so that she felt her entire body would collapse from the strain. It was her desire to break free from the circumstances of her despair. Rehan was far from her arms, and the desire to repair ties with the Empire had seemed rather far from the mind of the Nalayan government. She had always despised the cabal of ministers who seemed to conspire to ensure she would never see Rehan again, and even though she knew the downfall in the relationship between the Empire and Nalaya was far more important than that of hers with Rehan, she had always tied one around the other whenever she lashed out against them, the ministers, her cousins. Allison, whose indifference to how people thought of her was almost callous as it was naive, Quinn, whose struggle to maintain her authority as outlined in the constitution that was designed to turn her into a political plaything had caused her to put feuding ahead of the truth, and the ministers, particularly the oligarchs whom Irikah had always found she quite disliked, even before Rehan came into her life.

When combined, they became it, the lethal dose of poison, that when injected into her mind, paralyzed her with great dread — the only antidote had seemed to be Rehan, who when she would be able to correspond with the lovestricken princess and colonel, warmed the heart of the latter.

But what does she do when she has no one to warm it?

She throws herself onto the comforting mattress, but deep down she knows it's worthless. She's in spiritual pain, so much so that physical comfort cannot keep up. She misses her Rehan, needs her Rehan. She cannot bear to lose her Rehan, to even consider finding another to love and to cherish. She sacrificed upon the altar of her love her very virginity. To contemplate the potential that she had thrown it away without knowing whether the relationship would truly last, being that each came from different worlds that only seemed to be getting more and more different with every day that passed, only made it hurt even worse than it had.

But who could she talk to about it? Mother was too busy either trying too hard to hide that she hoped losing Rehan would serve as a lesson to Irikah, to find someone else for herself whom, preferably not a soldier or officer in the Armed Forces, could persuade her to forsake her soldiery and become a "proper woman," and Father was always out on missions, or something or other, she couldn't really tell anymore with how the National Rejuvenation Campaign was shaking the country up from top to bottom, side to side, like some frantic dance of yore. Quinn's idea, Irikah thought. Quinn, who was asserting her authority. Quinn, in whose honor had the Sanctuary authorities had named one of their chief settlements. Quinn, who—

The phone began to ring. She looked to see who was calling—

"Siran?"

Irikah knew all about Siran. Jacob, the "Imperial Bastard," had been courting her ever since they first met, or so one of the stories went, and she was quite popular throughout Ganosia for being discovered in the throes of ecstacy with him in public spaces, as nude as "a pair of Edomites," and it had caused problems for Jacob with his mother, who, though she had no problem with Siran, welcoming the relationship with an open and tolerant heart, had worried for his reputation (she assumed Siran had the same sort of worry about her back home in Nalaya, a country obsessed with their honor and their duty, in a world where these two qualities were often disregarded, forgotten, ridiculed). You musn't get yourself arrested again, Jacob. Of course, with Siran pregnant, with Siran as his fiancee, with Siran as the mother of his child, he decided (with Siran's support) to abolish this custom, and no longer would he be arrested for public indecency. He did, though, remain open and blunt about his love for the Zadian girl, and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the Nalayan friendship. Sometimes, with Siran all the way in Nalaya, you'd find Jacob heading to the tavern with his buddies, spending time with relatives, thinking about his plans for the future. At least you have a future with the woman you love, bitterly thought Irikah.

So Siran was calling. Why? Did something happen to Rehan? If something had happened, Siran would've probably been the one to make the call. The new government didn't probably like her much, especially due to her closeness to Dolores Killbourne (who was at the gym, spending her time roughly handling young men and saying how the Tigress of Yeraskh, Khavar T'avish had turned her on immensely. The thought of Dolores and Khavar in the same room chilled Irikah to the very core of her being, and she knew that they'd burn entire nations down with them if they were gonna go down in some grandiose battle to the death, but Irikah supposed that Khavar lacked the sexualization of mass violence that Dolores had always relied upon).

She decided she might as well answer it. Ain't no use hiding away. This could be something good for once.

"Hello?" Irikah said. "Siran? How are you doing? Did you dial my number by mistake?"

---

Hravad strode down the hallway, pulling out his cellphone and tapping in Jane's number. She was Alexan's wife, so he knew it even if they didn't really talk. The phone rang and he hoped she would pick up. Even if it was a fool's errand, he had some faith that something good would come of it.

Jane Saroyan, on the other hand, was spending time thinking about her daughter. It horrified her to think about how the Ganosophobia in Nalaya could end up hurting her child. Alexan must be getting cold stares and colder words, she thought. He doesn't admit it, but I am sure he must be getting something negative about his marriage to me. Even if Mrs. Saroyan was "one of the good ones," she still feared that one day that would change, and since then she'd beef up security measures around the embassy, fearing that one day some locals would try to drive her out of Nalaya or even lynch her and her family.

She noticed her phone was ringing while staring at the family portrait she had framed upon her office desk. "Hello? This is Ambassador Jane Saroyan speaking...."

[Nalaya]

Outside Herratesut'yun Hospital
Tatev, Nalaya

Rehan sighed a little when she finally heard Irikah's voice, not certain herself if she was relieved or just exhausted. So much had been happening in the last six weeks and this was her first day where she'd been able to call someone. She should have been calling Khavar first to thank her for the medical leave, but here she was. With her lover on the other end of the phone.

Could she even call Irikah that any more? It had been such a long time. With everything that had been happening in Nalaya, she hadn't been able to do anything other than just hold on and try to keep her life something vaguely resembling stability. Which she'd failed at miserably, hence the past six weeks and the year leading up to it. It had nearly been civil war, then the ascension of a new Protector, then the dissolution of the Sulhanate, and now the Norvenian crisis. She was grateful she was temporarily on leave, though she'd be back to duty in a few days.

"This isn't Siran," she said into the phone, keeping her voice clear even though it was a little soft. "I'm just borrowing her phone. This is Rehan Nazaryan."

Siran gave her a comforting smile, as if to say You're doing the right thing. Rehan wasn't so certain. For one, if Irikah was off with someone else, she didn't want to sabotage that with old feelings in any way. And secondly, her life was such a mess that she didn't want to inflict it on anyone. It was bad enough she'd had to tell the rest of the Avangardn, no matter how accepting she'd been. She liked to handle everything on her own wherever possible. More than that, she had the unshakable feeling that she should have been able to just get over it. The last thing she needed was to tell Irikah that and hear those words out loud.

It wasn't that she thought Irikah would be cruel. It was just that so many people didn't and wouldn't understand. Poor Hravad didn't really get it even though he tried so hard to be understanding. And she appreciated the fact that he would just back off when he didn't know what to do, letting someone like Siri to step in and handle it. That meant that he at least knew that he had no idea what to do with it.

Siri and Khavar knew what to do. They always did. Even if the Protector didn't seem caring, she was very loyal and certainly attuned to the people around her. That put her in a good position to look after Rehan, And then Siri was a medical officer, so she'd seen it before probably a hundred times and knew exactly what to say. She had put in an NG tube when Rehan collapsed for those first few days, but it was easier than the alternative. The younger officer wasn't holding a grudge and had even endured a very gentle lecture about the state of her health that had nonetheless terrified Rehan enough to want to change.

And she was going to tell Irikah absolutely none of that at the moment. She wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to say something.

---

The Zoranots'in
Sevan, Nalaya

"Siruhi Saroyan?" Hravad said politely. "I hope your day is going well. I would like to meet with you at your convenience about this Ganosian business since you are the ambassador proper."

The Nalayans, for their part, were baffled by the Ganosian fear of them, including the Ambassador's alarm. They didn't hate or fear the Ganosians. They just frankly didn't care one way or the other, not with so many other things going on. There'd nearly been religious civil warfare in the Highlands, the Sulhanate was gone, power had shifted to a former warlord, and the relations with the Auroran region were fast approaching sub-zero. And that wasn't even taking into account the diplomatic juggle between New Edom, Deadora, Cacerta, Hostillia, and Gylias. Life in Sevan flowed on completely unconcerned by the distant and absent figure that had been Ganosia and their empire. There were crops to tend, animals to feed and water, crafts to make, and all the tasks that went into a normal day. The common people had more important things to do and more relevant news to pay attention to.

Even the Avangardn didn't really care. Khavar didn't like them on the principle that their loyalty seemed in direct connection to whether or not they wanted something and because they might touch something that was hers. But she didn't hate them and treated their envoys with the proper amount of respect though she didn't see them in person. That was left to Hravad or Siran, She was a busy woman and she didn't have time to waste.

And the others? They were busy as well and didn't have time to actively hate really anyone. It was too important to keep the country running smoothly despite the efforts of the world in general to tend towards entropy. It was like walking a tightrope without a net below to catch them.

[Ganos Lao]

"This isn't Siran," she said into the phone, keeping her voice clear even though it was a little soft. "I'm just borrowing her phone. This is Rehan Nazaryan."

"Rehan! Oh, God, I am so happy to hear your voice again! Are you doing alright? I've heard all about what was going on in Nalaya....." replied Irikah. She couldn't have believed it. All the violence and discord in Nalaya had made her very frightened for Rehan's safety, and the lack of information, the lack of hearing her voice, all contributed to what had nearly broken Irikah's heart. She struggled to believe all would be well, but even though she's heard her voice and is happy to have heard it, she can't think it's all good just yet. Rehan could be in danger even still.

"Rehan, I just want you to know that I am fine, but it's really been a struggle. I miss you dearly. Please tell me you're okay, and if you need me, I'm here."

---

"Siruhi Saroyan?" Hravad said politely. "I hope your day is going well. I would like to meet with you at your convenience about this Ganosian business since you are the ambassador proper."

"Oh," Jane said, politely in turn. "It's you, Hravad. I am ready to meet right now if you are. I'd like to discuss some business that, I'm hopeful, will rectify things between our nations."

The Nalayans, for their part, were baffled by the Ganosian fear of them, including the Ambassador's alarm. They didn't hate or fear the Ganosians. They just frankly didn't care one way or the other, not with so many other things going on. There'd nearly been religious civil warfare in the Highlands, the Sulhanate was gone, power had shifted to a former warlord, and the relations with the Auroran region were fast approaching sub-zero. And that wasn't even taking into account the diplomatic juggle between New Edom, Deadora, Cacerta, Hostillia, and Gylias. Life in Sevan flowed on completely unconcerned by the distant and absent figure that had been Ganosia and their empire. There were crops to tend, animals to feed and water, crafts to make, and all the tasks that went into a normal day. The common people had more important things to do and more relevant news to pay attention to.

The Ganosian Empire, unlike Jane Saroyan, did not believe the downfall of relations with Nalaya was anything worth fearing. As Jane tried to get her paperwork in order for the day's meeting with Hravad, she hoped she wouldn't give them that impression.

Ganosia, she knew, had, at best, considered it disappointing that relations with Nalaya had gone downhill, but there was never fear about them nor hatred. Most Ganosian citizens thought cordially of the Nalayans. There was no hatred in their hearts, nor fear in their minds. They'd actually consider it shocking to hear that the Nalayans believed the Ganosians hated or feared them, because had a Nalayan visited Ganosia, they'd have seen that Irikah and Rehan still captivated the GLBT scene, while the tabloids and women's magazines were chock full of silly articles about Jacob and Siran. It was merely Ambassador Saroyan who had a bit of nervosity about her concerning the Nalayans. She knew their history, how things were going down, and simply didn't want to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was a nice girl all her life, the sort of lily white suburban girl who grows up without knowing what really goes on "out there," but she tried her best to view things objectively and not in tears. Hravad was willing to talk to her, which meant that the Nalayan government was willing to hear Ganosia out, which put her mind at ease, for now anyways.

"If you'd like, you can come by the embassy. I'll let security know you're coming," Jane continued.

[Nalaya]

Leaving Herratesut'yun Hospital
Tatev, Nalaya

"I'm...." Rehan swallowed a lump in her throat and looked over at Siran, who mouthed Fine! at her. "I'm just fine. I don't know what you've heard on the news, but at least half of it was probably bullshit, if not more. It's just...complicated." And it did anger her a little, now that she was on the outside and could think about it again. Did the Ganosian media have to talk past Nalaya? It wasn't as though they could even go to the parts of the country where things were happening. There was a travel restriction in place that kept foreigners without guides in the Heartlands unless they had government passes and good reasons. And even then they had to take guides. God forbid a Ganosian ever set foot near Dyvynasshar. They'd be on the menu in a second flat, if they were even permitted to actually even approach the Holy City.

Rehan herself was...she didn't know. Better? Maybe. She felt like a raw bundle of nerves as she huddled in Siran's jacket and they drove through the windblown streets of Tatev. She was still grieving, for one. And then there was the whole thing that had ended in her thirty day hospital stay, but she wasn't ready to tell Irikah about that. Rehan didn't think she would ever be ready to tell her.

And maybe it was better that way. She could still pretend that she was normal and everything would be good enough for Irikah. Someday, maybe, she would have to talk about it. But today wasn't that day and she sure as hell wasn't doing it over the phone. She sighed and turned her head to look out the window at the mountains.

"How are you doing? Other than worried, anyway," Rehan asked. How the hell was she still so tired? Her energy was much better than it had been, but she still almost felt like she was thinking through wool. She moved slowly and the world swirled by.

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

Hravad had agreed pleasantly with Jane and sauntered down the streets of Sevan to reach the Ganosian embassy. Life flowed by in the Hanging City without much heed paid to the worries of individual people or the fears of other nations. Birds sang from olive and myrtle trees, hopping along the branches as they whistled and called. Below that came the noise of the markets and the chatter of its merchants and customers alike. A call to noonday prayer rang out across the city between spires and minarets alike. Bells rang at the Cathedral, pealing out silver notes that hung in the air and then shimmered away. He was just another figure in uniform, though he was one that earned salutes as he walked by.

A wind from the sea picked up and swirled the mountain air around, running down the crooked and maze-like avenues of the ancient city. Sevan had a certain air of antiquity to it as the golden sun beat down on warm, worn stones. Thousands of years had gone by and yet things had only changed a little. Yes, there was modern technology. But the heart of the city, the Zoranots'in and the gardens, had barely been altered.

He nodded to security and checked his sidearm with them for politeness's sake, then climbed the stairs up to Jane's office. Just as politely, he knocked on the door with his peaked cap tucked under his arm.

[Ganos Lao]

Leaving Herratesut'yun Hospital
Tatev, Nalaya"I'm...." Rehan swallowed a lump in her throat and looked over at Siran, who mouthed Fine! at her. "I'm just fine. I don't know what you've heard on the news, but at least half of it was probably bullshit, if not more. It's just...complicated." And it did anger her a little, now that she was on the outside and could think about it again. Did the Ganosian media have to talk past Nalaya? It wasn't as though they could even go to the parts of the country where things were happening. There was a travel restriction in place that kept foreigners without guides in the Heartlands unless they had government passes and good reasons. And even then they had to take guides. God forbid a Ganosian ever set foot near Dyvynasshar. They'd be on the menu in a second flat, if they were even permitted to actually even approach the Holy City.

"That's.....well, that's good to know. I'm just glad you're alright. What I heard came.....there were reports....." Irikah sighed. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Irikah didn't want to talk about the reports. The arm of the Empire responsible for intelligence had tried to rough her up with the news, but that was all then. At least Rehan was safe. She just hoped one day the country of Nalaya would be. She had always wanted to do some more exploring of its heritage and history.

"How are you doing? Other than worried, anyway," Rehan asked. How the hell was she still so tired? Her energy was much better than it had been, but she still almost felt like she was thinking through wool. She moved slowly and the world swirled by.

"I've been doing alright. Mother's still the same and the Empire's still trucking along quite nicely. I've just been trying to keep myself busy. Working out more often, spending time with family and friends, just trying to keep myself busy." Irikah said. "I've made some good progress when it comes to working out. I look pretty damn good, people tell me. I miss those days we'd train together, though. Those were the days, huh, Rehan? Sometimes, though, I just go out for a brisk walk and enjoy the sunshine and gentle breeze of a new day. It may seem trivial, but a good walk can actually do some wonders. It clears the mind, makes you appreciate nature, and you sometimes meet with old acquaintances who you haven't seen in a while....it's a real delightful experience."

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

He nodded to security and checked his sidearm with them for politeness's sake, then climbed the stairs up to Jane's office. Just as politely, he knocked on the door with his peaked cap tucked under his arm.

"Ah," Jane said, opening the door for Hravad, "you've arrived, Hravad. It's nice to meet you. Please, come in. Would you like any tea or coffee? I can have some brewed up for you."

She invited him to sit at her desk, and smiled at him as she went to open up her folder. "I am thankful you have come to see me. I'm really hopeful we can make some good progress today."

[Nalaya]

On the Phone
Tatev, Nalaya

The countryside rolled by as the car wound its way through the town and down mountain roads. Rehan leaned her head into the window and let her eyes drift closed as if to sleep. "Are you busy in Ganosia?" she asked. She didn't know if she wanted to see Irikah yet. She wasn't like she had been anymore. It would be a long time before she was healthy. She wished she was able to just walk outside and enjoy the sunshine. Right now she was too damn tired to enjoy much of everything and she felt sort of sick to her stomach with nerves. At least, it was probably nerves.

Siran reached over with her spare hand as she was driving and took Rehan's, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance so she would have the courage to keep talking. Her friend's skin was like parchment pulled tight across ivory bones, joints like small knobs that articulated and flexed. She could close her hand completely around Rehan's bicep now, which was nothing like it had been say, a year ago.

The younger Nalayan squeezed back with bony fingers and then pulled her hand free, sweeping it through her cinnamon-colored hair. "I'm glad you've been working out," she said absently. "It sounds like you're really enjoying it."

You have a timer and you're going to be supervised. Thirty minutes, that's all. It was on her discharge papers. She could do PT—she could probably still beat the standards by a mile—but it wasn't healthy. If she fell, she could break a hip. Even if everything went well, her heart could quit on her at any moment. They wanted her to wait until she'd gotten her weight up again. It was coming back to her slowly. At least the NG tube was gone. Fifty-five pounds, that was what she was still down. She bit her lower lip. Irikah probably wouldn't even recognize her right now.

FINE—Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Exploding. It sounded a lot better than FUBAR, but was equally applicable.

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

Hravad made no mention that he was not so optimistic, nor of the fact that he could smell alcohol. It was an officer's ability...and he usually was checking Inna to make sure she showed up to her meetings with Khavar completely without a trace of alcohol in her bloodstream. While fortification was sometimes necessary, he didn't like her getting into the habit of it. But Inna had been exceptionally good lately. He was almost certain that she was really going to stop this time. Not the cigarettes, but maybe everything else.

"Tea would be just fine," he said. He knew how other countries made their coffee and had no desire to experience it again. He liked his coffee incredibly concentrated, sweet, and powerful. No dilution necessary or desired. The grim, so often growling, man sat down across from her and cleared his throat as if it would make a difference in his gravelly voice. "It seems there have been some concerns from Ganosia that need to be addressed. The Protector has sent me to resolve things."

Hravad rubbed at his chin. The scarred man always kept himself perfectly clean shaven except for his neatly trimmed mustache. He ran his thumb over the sword-mark that ran out from the corner of his mouth thoughtfully as he regarded Jane. He didn't pretend to understand what Ganosia wanted nor what it ever had. Anahid had at the very least tolerated them, but he doubted Khavar shared those inclinations. The Tigress filed people, nations, and things in general into two categories: mine and not mine. Khavar T'avish was invested in her nation and her region. Ganosia did not fall into those categories nor had it distinguished itself, so she wasn't terribly inclined to be generous.

[Ganos Lao]

The countryside rolled by as the car wound its way through the town and down mountain roads. Rehan leaned her head into the window and let her eyes drift closed as if to sleep. "Are you busy in Ganosia?" she asked. She didn't know if she wanted to see Irikah yet. She wasn't like she had been anymore. It would be a long time before she was healthy. She wished she was able to just walk outside and enjoy the sunshine. Right now she was too damn tired to enjoy much of everything and she felt sort of sick to her stomach with nerves. At least, it was probably nerves.

"Not really. Things have been awfully quiet. I've done a stint in Chawaland, but other than that, I've been pretty much idle here, spending time with friends and family." Irikah told her. She didn't tell Rehan about the times she had worried deeply for her safety, having heard about the turmoil going on in Nalaya. She didn't want to burden Rehan with that. Right now, all that mattered was that Rehan was willing to talk, that Rehan was still around, and that was good enough for the princess.

The younger Nalayan squeezed back with bony fingers and then pulled her hand free, sweeping it through her cinnamon-colored hair. "I'm glad you've been working out," she said absently. "It sounds like you're really enjoying it."

"I got to keep in shape. Can't just sit around," Irikah said, softly giggling. "I've always had a routine - one day, I'll do this amount of pushups, and the next, that amount of sit ups, and so on. Even if I ain't running around in the trenches, I've still got to keep myself fit. I train with my old friends from the unit. I've even trained with Dolores Killbourne. I heard her daughter is now the Chief of Corona in AHSCA. Can you believe it? She showed me pictures of her son too. No one ever thought she, of all women, would have children, but I guess life is full of wonders, huh?

Maybe one day, we could.....

---

"Tea would be just fine," he said. He knew how other countries made their coffee and had no desire to experience it again. He liked his coffee incredibly concentrated, sweet, and powerful. No dilution necessary or desired. The grim, so often growling, man sat down across from her and cleared his throat as if it would make a difference in his gravelly voice. "It seems there have been some concerns from Ganosia that need to be addressed. The Protector has sent me to resolve things."

As she had put in a request for his tea, Jane nodded. "Yes. The Empire wishes to rectify the unfortunate decline in diplomatic relations. Her Imperial Majesty grows tired of the failures of previous initiatives continuing to linger and influence our dealings, and so it's our hope that we can repair the relationship between our nations. A treaty of trade and the exchange of culture, I feel, would be a good place to start; the former to improve our economies, the latter to ensure that our people can learn from one another. Ganosia has made mistakes, sadly enough. It's my hope we can build a relationship between our nations that is no longer dictated by the results of making them...."

[Nalaya]

On the Phone
Tatev, Nalaya

"I'm just being cleared for desk duty again," Rehan said absently. It didn't really surprise her that Dolores had had a child, in some ways. Heaven seemed remarkably unfair in who it assigned to be parents. That poor boy. If he didn't grow up to be a psychopath, she would call it a miracle. "So there's that to look forward to. And I'm out of unsupervised PT for a while." So now I can just sit there and get fat. "It'll be at least a few months before I'm field-ready again. The Protector is being really good about it. So are my COs. Anyway, I won't be so tied down here in Nalaya for a while. I could probably get leave to visit you in a few weeks...if you still wanted to...you know."

It was vague and hardly eloquent, but the offer was heartfelt. She would have jumped up right away to go to Ganosia, but she wanted some time to look a little more healthy. To be more healthy, too. If Irikah wanted to run over to Nalaya to see her, that would be a bit more problematic. Rehan would just have to take her lumps like a good little soldier.

"You sure you want to do that?" Siran asked softly so it wouldn't be heard over the phone.

Rehan covered the cellphone's mic with her thumb to muffle her response to her friend out. "Not in the slightest," she admitted. "But I want to make her happy."

"Sweet," Siran said. "But not the most careful thing in the world. Plus, I don't think you're ready to bare your soul to anyone quite yet. Not again, anyway."

It was a good point, and so Rehan nodded her acknowledgment. "I'll be careful," she promised before turning her attention back to the phone and Irikah.

"You'd better be," Siran sighed. She wasn't going to pretend she wasn't worried. When things came right down to it, Rehan was practically her younger sister. Anahid had taken the girl in, but it was the whole Avangardn—sans Siri and Khavar—that had become her family. Those bonds of affection were the glue that kept everyone adhered together.

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

"Her Imperial Majesty needs to appreciate that the regime has changed," Hravad said gently. "Siruhi, Protector T'avish is not Anahid. She does not have the same goals for Nalaya nor the tolerance for missteps. As far as she is concerned, this is a neglected and burned bridge. Not in a hostile way, but in a disinterested one. It is a matter of loyalties." In fact, it was the crux of the problem though he would never say it.

Khavar was more focused regionally anyway, broadening diplomacy there and approaching the world as more of a stabilizing influence. It kept her attention far from distant places like Ganosia, which was quite frankly where she preferred it to be. And Hravad understood. The Avangardn had a certain bitter taste in their mouths about the whole matter. He didn't blame her one bit for the radio silence. The only one with a vested interest in Ganosia was Rehan, and that was personal rather than political.

"Trade I am permitted to authorize," Hravad said after a moment of silence. "That can be renegotiated between our countries, as always. We have no problem doing business with Ganosia." He wasn't going to touch a cultural exchange with a ten foot pole. What were they going to do, let the Quarval-sharess go visit? The religious leader was unofficially banned from traveling to other countries at the moment and would remain that way for the forseeable future, for everyone's safety.

[Ganos Lao]

"I'm just being cleared for desk duty again," Rehan said absently. It didn't really surprise her that Dolores had had a child, in some ways. Heaven seemed remarkably unfair in who it assigned to be parents. That poor boy. If he didn't grow up to be a psychopath, she would call it a miracle. "So there's that to look forward to. And I'm out of unsupervised PT for a while."

"That sounds like the perfect job, if I actually bothered to listen to my mother. She'd rather have me out of the military altogether, but I'm sure she'd love the idea of shackling me to a desk, hoping that they won't ship me out to some overseas front to get a bullet in the ol' noggin. She's doing alright, if you were curious, but still tries to get me to resign and all. Um, I'm sorry if she's been pestering you about it. I love her, I really do, but she can be a handful, she really can."

So now I can just sit there and get fat. "It'll be at least a few months before I'm field-ready again. The Protector is being really good about it. So are my COs. Anyway, I won't be so tied down here in Nalaya for a while. I could probably get leave to visit you in a few weeks...if you still wanted to...you know."

If Rehan could've seen Irikah's face at that exact moment, she'd have seen someone injected with the purest strain of happiness imaginable. "I'd love to come visit you, Rehan! I've always been hoping we could meet face to face again! Just name the best time for me to stop by and I'll be there! There's still so much of Nalaya that I'd love to see too, but, if you'd prefer, you could always come visit me here instead. Either works for me; I can show you all around my country - I know some good places you'd love to see...."

After calming herself down, Irikah sighed and went on to say that Rehan would be a welcome guest at her home. "Don't worry, by the way," Irikah giggled, "I'll keep my mother away from you."

As the conversation went on, Irikah went on to discuss potential travel arrangements.....

---

"Her Imperial Majesty needs to appreciate that the regime has changed," Hravad said gently. "Siruhi, Protector T'avish is not Anahid. She does not have the same goals for Nalaya nor the tolerance for missteps. As far as she is concerned, this is a neglected and burned bridge. Not in a hostile way, but in a disinterested one. It is a matter of loyalties." In fact, it was the crux of the problem though he would never say it.

"Of course. That's why she had me here today," replied Jane. "The Empress understands the situation, and expresses deep regret at the way that relations between our two countries have soured so much since our first contact. If there's anything we can do to fix things up, we'll be willing to commit ourselves to doing it. I, for one, look forward to it. I've always tried to advocate a better understanding of your country and her people, and I feel happy now that it seems to have connected with the new generation of politicians back home."

"Trade I am permitted to authorize," Hravad said after a moment of silence. "That can be renegotiated between our countries, as always. We have no problem doing business with Ganosia." He wasn't going to touch a cultural exchange with a ten foot pole. What were they going to do, let the Quarval-sharess go visit? The religious leader was unofficially banned from traveling to other countries at the moment and would remain that way for the forseeable future, for everyone's safety.

"Trade would be a good place to start. I do hope that a cultural exchange can be considered as well. We would even be willing to host Nalayan students at our schools too," Jane replied. "If we are to construct a better relationship, between our two countries, then perhaps it is best to bring our peoples closer together and encourage them to learn from one another, to see that they are not as different as feared. I mean, my husband and daughter have shown me a lot of what Nalaya has to offer, and I'd like to bring such an experience to my countrymen and women back home. That's what I think this world could use a lot more of - people getting a better, common understanding of one another, to see that behind all the ideological trappings and what have you, we're all just people trying to get by."

[Nalaya]

On the Phone
Tatev, Nalaya

"It's not the job I want to be doing," Rehan said with a shrug, phone in hand. "But when the Protector tells you to jump, the only answer is How high?. And I haven't heard a peep from your mother in a long time." For one thing, she'd been without one for thirty days, but she also didn't really talk to her girlfriend's mother. It was always an awkward and tense experience for Rehan to be constantly needled about persuading Irikah to leave the military. She doubted that the woman liked Irikah being with a soldier, either. It was exactly the kind of stress she should have been walking away from. That, and she wasn't certain how she felt about Irikah's father.

Or the whole Ganosian royal family, in fact. Khavar's feelings were legendary among the Avangardn—nowhere else, because diplomacy is diplomacy—and Rehan couldn't find it in her heart to discard them out of hand. How many times had she been upset or frustrated, even with Irikah, for the same thing? But she would just have to learn how to deal with it. Siran would have kicked her for thinking like that if she knew, but was in Rehan's head tended to stay there. She didn't talk things out. That was half of her problem.

She knew she was going to regret it as soon as she said it, but the words formed all the same. "How about I come visit you?"

Siran pulled over and shut off the car, twisting in her seat to look at Rehan. It was a combination of shock and a worry so intense it was about to put grey in Siran's hair. And then, hidden under it, the younger woman could see anger. "Give me the phone," Siran said, holding out her hand. "I'm not letting you do this. Talking is one thing, but the lion's den?"

Rehan covered the mic with her thumb so Irikah wouldn't hear. "She wants to see me, Siran."

"And you are completely wrapped up in a relationship that isn't good for you, yereka. She hasn't been here for you. She puts Ganosia first every time. What do you think is going to happen when they find out that Khavar isn't Anahid by any stretch of the imagination? Do you want to be the villain in a relationship again and again? She always makes you the one who's done wrong. Irikah is a nice girl and I know you love her, but she's not right for you. This isn't right for you. You have to look out for yourself or you'll never be able to help someone else."

Rehan stilled. She wanted to immediately contradict Siran, but if she'd learned one thing over the past month, it was that her own judgment wasn't the best. Her friend had no reason to lie to her. Maybe this wasn't good for her. Maybe all those fights had been part of the straw that broke the camel's back. "What do you think I should do?"

"I think that if you're going to go to Ganosia, it had better be for no longer than a day and you had better take someone with you," Siran said. She took a deep breath and then let it out as a sigh. "I know I can't tell you what to do, Rehan. And I know you don't want to do any harm, but the longer this goes on, the more it's going to hurt everyone involved. You were dying slowly."

"Who should I take with me?" Rehan asked. She would have to think about all of this, but the seed had at least been planted in the back of her mind.

"Inna. You two can stop each other from indulging in destructive habits," Siran said simply. She held out her hand. "Give me the phone. I'll arrange things and let you know the details. You need to think."

Rehan uncovered the mic. "Hey, Irikah, Siran wants to talk to you. Here she is." That said, Rehan handed off the phone.

Siran took her cellphone back and cleared her throat. "Irikah, I'll handle her travel arrangements. I'll text you a time to come meet her at the airport. And I'm asking Inna Karapetyan to go with her. The why really isn't important." She lowered her voice. "If you hurt Rehan right now, I will never forgive you and neither will the Protector. Have I made myself abundantly clear?"

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

There were not words to encompass the vast and overarching behemoth that was Hravad's skepticism right now. Ganosia had had their chance to mend fences and they hadn't. Unlike Anahid, Khavar had a fixed number of second chances she was prepared to give. And sometimes that was none at all. "Focus on the trade, Siruhi," he said in his gravelly voice. Much to his surprise, he could feel a little rush of anger through the center of his chest. Not at Jane—she was a mere messenger—but at the nation she represented. What made them think they could simply continue to demand those second chances? "Nalaya is a closed book to Ganosia, a locked door. Whatever lies inside or behind its fastened gates are not for your country to know. Once they stood open and you had your opportunity. That time is not now."

It was blunt and perhaps overly so, but Hravad was not going to dance around the reality of Khavar's attitude. "Vehandzn Vaneni—" Using the formal title for a dead Arzhani in reference to Anahid was almost cripplingly painful for him. "—gave you opportunity after opportunity. The Arzhani Protector is not inclined to do the same. If this is a problem, you may take it up with her personally, but I would not advise it. The relationship between Nalaya and Ganosia now is strictly business."

He would not be sorry to see Ganosia closed out of Nalaya's heart. They had put grey in Anahid's hair and taken some of the spark out of her eyes. She had spent so much time so stressed about making things work with Quinn and that superior little rat of a man Malcolm that it had aged her before her time. Hravad had been forced to sit there and watch powerlessly. There was no amount of soothing he could do that had made her sleep calmly, no amount of laughter he could give that smoothed the lines out of her brow. It would have killed her as surely as that bullet had. Khavar was doing what would have been best for Anahid by pushing them away to the distance where they belonged. He couldn't fault her for that.

Of course, there was a certain good to the unpleasant situation. Ganosia had taught Nalaya something very important since their unification: when the Dread Wolf and Qasim had warned about the dangers of the world beyond and the callousness of foreigners, they had not been wholly wrong. Nalaya would need to guard its soul if it were to keep it and he could think of no better defense than the Tigress of Yeraskh. And he would be there to help.

[Ganos Lao]

"It's not the job I want to be doing," Rehan said with a shrug, phone in hand. "But when the Protector tells you to jump, the only answer is How high?. And I haven't heard a peep from your mother in a long time." For one thing, she'd been without one for thirty days, but she also didn't really talk to her girlfriend's mother. It was always an awkward and tense experience for Rehan to be constantly needled about persuading Irikah to leave the military. And she doubted that the woman liked Irikah being with a soldier, either. It was exactly the kind of stress she should have been walking away from. And she wasn't certain how she felt about Irikah's father.

"That's good. I'd really hate to hear my mother's been aggravating you. I'm just glad you're doing alright," Irikah replied. She had been hoping Rehan was alright ever since they last met. The whole fiasco that was Ganosian diplomacy with Nalaya had immensely worried her. She hadn't been able to think straight sometimes. Quinn's dopey reassurances did little to help, but at least her heart was in the right place. But was her mind? Irikah doubted that Nalaya would respond positively to Ganosian attempts at reconciliation. You burn too many bridges, and eventually ain't no one gonna want to rebuild any of them. She hadn't wanted to consider the option, but should it be the only course of action, she'd.....no, wait, don't think like that, her mind tells her, you gotta have faith.

She knew she was going to regret it as soon as she said it, but the words formed all the same. "How about I come visit you?"

"Rehan," Irikah beamed, "that would be lovely. I'd be glad to show you around. There's much to see....."

Of course, she hadn't gotten much else in once Siran took the phone.

Rehan uncovered the mic. "Hey, Irikah, Siran wants to talk to you. Here she is." That said, Rehan handed off the phone.

Siran took her cellphone back and cleared her throat. "Irikah, I'll handle her travel arrangements. I'll text you a time to come meet her at the airport. And I'm asking Inna Karapetyan to go with her. The why really isn't important." She lowered her voice. "If you hurt Rehan right now, I will never forgive you and neither will the Protector. Have I made myself abundantly clear?"

"Siran," Irikah said, "I wouldn't hurt Rehan. She means the world to me."

Anyone who knew Irikah knew this to be true. There wasn't ever a moment when she wasn't thinking about Rehan.

"You've made yourself clear, yes. Inna can come too."

Irikah shivered a little. She knew when Siran was serious, and the last thing she wanted was an angry Siran at her heels, and the less thought about this new Protector, the better. She hoped this visit would go well - she had so much she wanted to show Rehan, to do with her, but most of all, the fact that she'd be in her company was more than enough.

It was just fucking horrible to know that it was gonna happen under such shitty circumstances.

---

There were not words to encompass the vast and overarching behemoth that was Hravad's skepticism right now. Ganosia had had their chance to mend fences and they hadn't. Unlike Anahid, Khavar had a fixed number of second chances she was prepared to give. And sometimes that was none at all. "Focus on the trade, Siruhi," he said in his gravelly voice. Much to his surprise, he could feel a little rush of anger through the center of his chest. Not at Jane—she was a mere messenger—but at the nation she represented. What made them think they could simply continue to demand those second chances? "Nalaya is a closed book to Ganosia, a locked door. Whatever lies inside or behind its fastened gates are not for your country to know. Once they stood open and you had your opportunity. That time is not now."

Jane nodded solemnly. "I am just thankful you are willing to trade with us. That's a start, something to build upon."

She sipped her tea, and then thought for a moment. Hravad was right. Opportunity upon opportunity was lost, and the doors were now locked. Who knows when they'd be open again? Setting her tea down, Jane continued to converse with her Nalayan visitor.

"Vehandzn Vaneni—" Using the formal title for a dead Arzhani in reference to Anahid was almost cripplingly painful for him. "—gave you opportunity after opportunity. The Arzhani Protector is not inclined to do the same. If this is a problem, you may take it up with her personally, but I would not advise it. The relationship between Nalaya and Ganosia now is strictly business."

"It is my earnest hope that one day we may be good friends again," Jane confided in Hravad, "but it will be a gradual process, no doubt. Until then, let us focus on the trade, as you said. Might I inquire as to what resources Nalaya has a need for?"

The Ganosian ambassador glanced momentarily at the portrait of her family, and then sipped her tea again. They kept her morale up. She wanted to show her daughter that a person ought to never give up, to always advance, no matter the adversity. She was going to make this work, come hell or high water. She invested too much to just walk away.

"The Empire has plenty of resources we are willing to trade," Jane continued. "You only need specify which you need the most, and we can arrange a deal, mutually beneficial to our respective nations. Would you like more tea? I hope you like it. It's one of my favorite brews."

[Nalaya]

The Drive Home
Tatev, Nalaya

Rehan said a quiet goodbye to Irikah before closing up the phone. She held it in her lap and looked over at Siran. "You really think that, don't you?" she said quietly. "Why'd you have me call her?"

"Because letting things just fall apart from a distance isn't the right thing to do either, tempting as it is to just wait for her to find someone and break things off with you," Siran said. She was drumming her fingers on the steering wheel in a slow, thoughtful beat. "Do you not remember how upset you used to be when you came back from seeing her? You're not supposed to feel guilty after seeing the person you love. If it's hurting you, pushing you down this road, it's not right. So either things need to change or you need to end it."

"I'll think about it. I have a few weeks," Rehan said quietly. She didn't like to think about it and she didn't want to be the villain again, but Siran had a point. If things went back to that, she would have to look after herself for once. Someday maybe she would be back to being the "iron maiden" of the Banak, but that wasn't now. And she couldn't get there if she was torn down after this step forward.

Nor was she certain what she was going to tell Irikah about what had been going on in her life. Probably nothing. No need to worry her and she wasn't ready to talk about it anyway. Instead, she turned to her friend behind the wheel. "Siran?" When she knew she had the older woman's attention, she said, "Thanks. You were honest enough to tell me I wasn't okay, you came and got me, and now you're looking out for me again. Even though I don't know if I want to hear it."

Siran shrugged a little. "It's what I'm here for."

Silence descended over the car for the rest of the long drive back to Sevan. It was a comfortable quiet that left both of them alone with their thoughts.

---

Ganosian Embassy
Sevan, Nalaya

"I would not say no to another cup," Hravad said. He hadn't realized that he had already finished his cup. Since more trade with Hostillia had opened up, tea had become more common among Nalayans, though it would never replace the ever ubiquitous coffee. "I will have a person more knowledgeable than myself sent down to hash out the details of trade, Siruhi. I can simply say that food is always a welcome area of trade, particularly those that are not available readily—though we can acquire most of what we need within the sphere of our own region. Sugar, however, is less readily available. We also have a pharmaceuticals market that we'd like to expand to some other nations. Hostillia is proving a helpful consumer, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to work more on our medical technology."

He smoothed his mustache out thoughtfully, the dueling scars immobilizing much of his face so he kept his grim, unreadable look. He would have to take this back to Khavar still. "I cannot, of course, promise anything. This is only a draft, as it were. The final approval must come through the Arzhani Protector. I will discuss the matter with her."

After he finished his second cup of tea, he rose to his feet and gave Jane a bow. "I will return to my duties and let you continue yours, Siruhi. Be well. I will inform the Avangardn of everything that has happened. Qasim and the Quarval-sharess are both in Sevan at the moment, so it will be a full house." He didn't voice the fact that this would probably actually make things a little more difficult for the proposal to be approved. It was well known that the Vatani and Mak'ur had a certain bitter taste in their mouths when it came to foreigners in general, but particularly imperialistic states like Ganosia.

He almost winced a little at the thought. He could already imagine the glaring from both the Dread Wolf and Qasim at the same time, solely focused on him. But it was a beating he could take in stride as Khavar's right hand. "Until next we speak," he said, giving her a polite bow before showing himself out of Jane's office.

[Ganos Lao]

"I would not say no to another cup," Hravad said. He hadn't realized that he had already finished his cup. Since more trade with Hostillia had opened up, tea had become more common among Nalayans, though it would never replace the ever ubiquitous coffee.

Jane took the liberty of pouring another cup for Hravad. "I knew you would like it. It is a very fine tea."

As she sat down, she listened to Hravad going on about trade. The Nalayans being willing to trade with Ganosia warmed her heart. It was, at the very least, a start.

"I will have a person more knowledgeable than myself sent down to hash out the details of trade, Siruhi. I can simply say that food is always a welcome area of trade, particularly those that are not available readily—though we can acquire most of what we need within the sphere of our own region. Sugar, however, is less readily available. We also have a pharmaceuticals market that we'd like to expand to some other nations. Hostillia is proving a helpful consumer, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to work more on our medical technology."

"We would be able to provide tonnes of sugar for your markets, as well as any other foodstuffs you may find your country in need in. As for pharmaceuticals, I would imagine we'd be willing to let your market expand into Ganosia. Perhaps we'll be able to work out a deal that can help those in need, suffering from nasty ailments and genetic disorders," Jane said, pacing herself to avoid rambling. "If you would be so kind as to give me whatever information you find necessary about either, I'll forward it to my superiors and get the ball rolling on our end."

He smoothed his mustache out thoughtfully, the dueling scars immobilizing much of his face so he kept his grim, unreadable look. He would have to take this back to Khavar still. "I cannot, of course, promise anything. This is only a draft, as it were. The final approval must come through the Arzhani Protector. I will discuss the matter with her."

Jane nodded. "I understand, Hravad. The thought you are willing to consider it makes me happy, and hopeful."

He almost winced a little at the thought. He could already imagine the glaring from both the Dread Wolf and Qasim at the same time, solely focused on him. But it was a beating he could take in stride as Khavar's right hand. "Until next we speak," he said, giving her a polite bow before showing himself out of Jane's office.

"Until then. Thank you for seeing me today," Jane replied. "I enjoyed your company, and look forward to further dealings."

As she watched him leave, she sipped from her tea and leaned into her seat. She hoped this would work.

[Nalaya]

The Zoranots'in
Sevan, Nalaya

By the time Hravad returned, Khavar was sitting behind her desk with a deceptive placidity and thumbing through a report on the investigation into the Sulhanate. He sat down across from her at her mahogany desk, straightening his uniform slightly. It was hard not to be painfully aware of one's imperfections in front of those distant eyes. There was a long moment where she didn't seem to notice him, though he knew she had probably been aware of him coming down the hall even before he stepped in through her open doorway. For one, she could see down it if her eyes flickered upwards. She glanced up at him and then flipped to the next page. Her silence was a sort of unexpressed and bored question.

"I spoke to Siruhi Saroyan," Hravad said after clearing his throat as if that would make his voice any less gravelly. "We discussed potential trade as an option."

"Mm." It was an acknowledgement that he'd spoken, not an agreement or approval. She wanted to hear about it, but she was clearly holding back her judgment until she knew more. It wasn't an unreasonable thing to do for a woman in her position. He knew as well as she did that it wasn't necessarily a done deal or a good one, though it was a fair option. The brief noise of comprehension and no other signal did, however, make him a little bit nervous.

"It would be a good thing, Arzhani," he said. "We'll work out the details tomorrow. I'll send Gndapet Arakelyan to the Embassy to discuss it. I'll have a full plan sitting on your desk by Monday."

"Mm."

She wasn't pleased, he realized. Not towards him, but with the situation they were currently in with Ganosia trying to win favor back again. It irritated the Tigress and she was not the kind of woman he liked to see frustrated. "That's everything, Arzhani.

"Thank you," she said in that precise way of hers when she was less than thrilled. It was as though she was cutting out each word with a scalpel. But then she relaxed slightly and leaned back in her chair. "Siran called while you were out. She has Rehan now. They should be back tomorrow. Of course, she lost reception before she could tell me how Rehan was other than 'fine'."

Hravad smiled faintly. "At least that's some good news."

"The only we are bound to get for a while. Lledrith is on another of her tears."

He sighed. The only one who could talk to the Dread Wolf when she was angry was Khavar or the Anur. It meant for tension until the mess was settled. "Why?"

"More faer practitioners in the Highlands are operating internationally. Feeding off the weaknesses of people. Not that that weakness is why she is angry. The perversion of L'i'dol rituals are more insulting and sacreligious," Khavar explained. "She told me that if the Unkndirnei didn't uproot them, she would end them with fire and steel."

"Charming woman," Hravad said with a small wince. "Let's not tell her about Ganosia. The same for Qasim."

Khavar studied his expression. "They will find out on their own eventually. Better to control the flow of information."

That meant he was supposed to tell them and he knew it. "Understood, Arzhani."

[Ganos Lao]

The Heart of the Empire
Olyan, the Ganosian-Vecerian Empire

By the time Irikah woke up that auspicious morning, she thought she had still been sleeping.

Today, Rehan Nazarian would visit the new Ganosia. Today would be the day that settled this, once and for all. Irikah had planned to show her around the capital, to show her what Ganosia was all about, to show her—

The morning alarm began to blare out, and after silencing it, she stretched her limbs and rubbed her rheum-laden eyes. She prayed to whatever forces lurked beyond mortal senses that nothing would fuck up today—

"Mother," she whispered, almost hissing the word. "I'll have to show her Rehan. It's only customary. Fuck."

Getting herself ready for the day's events, she found herself munching on breakfast while watching the news, wearing only a tank top and shorts. She dressed lightly for her night's sleep whenever the weather was good enough. Hair frizzled, let down to dangle above her shoulders, she watched the newscaster speak about the Iraq situation. Her mother had driven her out of any possibility of participating in the reconstruction efforts, leaving Irikah to watch her comrades get sent to the newly founded kingdom. She put a little honey in her milk and stirred absently, watching the newscaster narrate through footage of those exact efforts, watching Iraqi soldiers marching vigorously through the streets of Baghdad. The King of Iraq, the newscaster said, thanked the Dual Monarchy for everything, and all Irikah could do was utter a little prayer for the King. He was a relative of hers, and family meant everything in her world, even if she often found reason to chastise them. She herself was no stranger to criticism either, largely from Court dwellers who hadn't liked her approach to matters of state and from her own mother, who kept vetoing any plans she may have had to fight alongside Ganosia's Axis Commonwealth allies in some far flung country. No daughter of mine's going to come home in a box, her mother would stammer in tears, and she'd fall into her husband's arms and weep bitterly, knowing that Irikah would never listen.

"Soon, I'll have to take my girlfriend home to that," muttered Irikah, flipping through the channels. Ganosian television was full of material, of all genres and styles. Good Morning, Ganosia was on, she noticed, and she listened to some of the human interest stories before deciding she was going to find where she put her Imperial Army uniform. She was going to go pick up Rehan soon. She had an itinerary all planned out. They'd check out all the sights, try some delicious food, get to know each other better, and wrap it all up with a movie marathon or some other dopey thing. Irikah wanted Rehan to know she was still interested, that she wanted this to work out. Irikah wanted to live the rest of her life with Rehan — she couldn't imagine loving any other woman, nor could she imagine tolerating certain family members any longer had it all been reduced to irreversible ruin.

She got dressed later that morning and studied her reflection, letting her hand drift along her waist, at the spot where her sword would've been. No need for that today, she thought. She remembered that it was given to her by her father, who still worked in Spec Ops. Her father — the one who mentored her in the ways of war. The one who doused his marriage in flames, the flames of his wife's rage, over such actions. They still loved one another with much passion, but the tension between them over their differing opinions on Irikah's career path had often led to many nights of her mother sleeping alone. Mom never was able to concieve another child, Irikah remembered. She thought if a lot of it boiled down to being because she wouldn't sleep with Dad anymore. She remembered when she slept with Rehan, giving her her virginity. She didn't regret that, but it would hurt if she couldn't enjoy it again. She couldn't imagine doing it with any other woman.

She slipped out of her mansion a little later and jumped into her sportscar, and began to drive towards the airport. She didn't want to smother Rehan with pomp and circumstance. She wanted this to be a personal outing, something purely for the two of them. She was going to personally see to it that even if the Dual Monarchy would never again be friends with Nalaya, that she'd always have Rehan at her side as hers. Irikah had admittedly dolled herself up a little — a touch of perfume and some lip gloss, cran-raspberry to be exact. She didn't want Rehan to think she was torturing herself over this whole fucking mess, but deep down Irikah knew she'd twig she had been. There were nights that, sometimes, Irikah would curl up with some comfort food and start weeping madly over the possibility her cousins had destroyed everything — that Quinn's inability to rein in Allison Amber had led to irreversible Nalayan hostility. Irikah sometimes wanted to just lash out at the latter cousin, to give her a solid thrashing, of tongue (maybe even fist), but she restrained herself, knowing that it would not look good the next family reunion. She didn't hate Quinn. Quinn was just trying to deal with the hand she was given — she never asked to be the monarch, after all. The position, the life, it was all given to her by Allison Amber and her oligarchs, whom Irikah had wished would all drop dead sometimes. Irikah found herself wondering if Quinn truly knew how much Rehan meant to her, and she remembers when she knew Quinn knew how much.

But she didn't want to feel sad, and so forsook the vision her mind had presented. She decided to think of the all too familiar tagline, "Fuck the world!," and simply make the best of it all. The fact she was going to be Rehan today warmed her heart. She could barely keep in her excitement. She nearly roared down the streets, hard rock blaring from the car's stereo, her luminous hair blowing in the wind, the citizens on the street wondering what Her Highness was up to. Irikah managed to make it to the airport in one piece, of course, but found herself looked at by citizens when she jumped out of her vehicle with a celebratory howl, as if she had been one of them and had won a million dollars or something. Today was the day it would all work out, she thought suddenly. Her mind had begun to loop those reassurances she had always trusted in when times were tough.

She scoped out the area, looking for Rehan. The airport was jam packed today, she noticed. Citizens, going to and fro. Some of them even stopped where they stood to bow in reverence, while others just expressed how awesome it was to meet a celebrity. Irikah would tell them it was nice to meet them, and idly chatted a little with a young woman who said that Irikah had given her the courage to live as an open lesbian. Irikah was glad to know that such people were able to do so. She detested the repugnant homophobia sprouting up these days, especially from the Martinezists and Sonacists. Those douchebags seemed to love making a point about so called sodomites. Irikah wildly blushed when she meditated on that term, and wondered if Rehan—

But before she could finish that embarassing thought, she thought she could see her in the distance and—

No, it's someone else. The back of their head, though—

Irikah shrugged. She was just so anxious. This whole thing was driving her mad.

She went to flip through some of the magazines on a nearby rack. There were various articles she had found quite decent reading. There was one about the Refugee Sanctuary, and how efforts there were going quite nicely ever since the handover of power was scheduled — Irikah knew that the official handover ceremony would be aired tonight, and she thought Rehan would enjoy watching it. I just hope, she thought, she doesn't get the wrong idea. We've fucked up before, sure, but Chawaland isn't imperialism. It's humanitarianism. Even the Nalayans would have to like it. Irikah had done some work over in the Sanctuary, and her mother had actually tolerated the arrangement.

Irikah remembered that she had helped construct settlements, settle disputes, and even gave out candy to frightened children who hadn't known what to expect here, so far away from the homelands that had driven them out in the first place. Her last days in Chawaland were spent between New Idumea, populated by left wing Edomite emigres, and Romanistan, a province populated largely by exiled Roma, and in both she had found that the people were doing just right. New Idumea had long ago dropped its denounciations of New Edom, preferring to build itself up and disconnect from their controversial past, while the Romanistani were torn between retaining the sedentary lifestyle and settling in the settlements built for them. Irikah wondered how her old friend, 'Lo, was doing back in Catatumbo, where she was born and raised, a daughter of Chief Guillermo. Princess Lolita, one of her workmates. Irikah hadn't visited Catatumbo, but it sounded very nice.

Catatumbo, most Ganosians thought, was their version of AHSCA, and Irikah had always approved of the good relations with AHSCA, as did the Catatumbans, who treated the AHSCAns like they were their cousins. Lolita had told Irikah all about how the AHSCANs would help out in case of storms and vice versa, and how even the microfed would pitch in, even if they detested the Catatumban association with the Dual Monarchy. As she continued to flip through the magazines, reading about all the ho-hum stories of the day, she wondered if taking Rehan to Catatumbo would be possible — just imagining Rehan in a bikini was enough to make her libido dance. Would she have the same effect on Rehan? It made her shiver in trepidation.

Soon enough, to speak of Rehan, her plane would be landing on the runway. Rehan would be walking through all these travelers — tourists and citizens alike — and soon, Irikah thought, soon she'd be in her arms, and they'd remember what drew them together in the first place.

[Nalaya]

The Heart of the Empire
Olyan, the Ganosian-Vecerian Empire

"I fucking hate commercial planes. Jamming people together like crates. And there's always a baby that will not shut the fuck up," Inna groused, smoothing her hand over her blonde hair that had become mussed on the flight over. She was out of uniform, so her golden hair was down for the first time Rehan had seen in almost a year. She had fallen asleep on the plane only to be awoken by the child of some Ganosian tourist bawling at a pitch and volume that couldn't be ignored. It made her undeniably bitchy, which amused Rehan to no end.

"You're adorable when you're grumpy," Rehan said, combing her fingers through her own cinnamon-colored hair. She'd needed the little laugh.

Inna made a noise of discontent and glared briefly at her traveling companion, but she couldn't be too angry. After all, it had gotten a smile out of the usually somber-faced young woman and that was a rare thing. It had been a little better than right after Rehan got out of the hospital, but she'd been so busy struggling with mixed feelings that her smiles had been few and far between. No one had explained just how painful it was to try and deal with all those emotions rather than drowning them out and cramming them into a little box in the back of her head.

Leaving the warmth and safety of Sevan was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Harder than training, harder than battle, but not as hard as losing the woman she thought of still as her mother, her idol. That had been the boulder that broke the camel's back. But now here she was in a strange country feeling almost painfully vulnerable. Having Inna kept her on an even keel. "What do I say?" she asked Inn quietly as she spotted Irikah in the crowd. Rehan was legitimately afraid in a way that seemed so common these days. The already painfully thin young woman seemed to curl into her lined field coat that made her look normal sized, save for her branch-like legs.

"You'll know what to do," Inna said sagely even as her eyes wandered. It was a cross between looking for danger and subtly hunting for the attractive. The perusal of the crowd kept her from focusing on the craving for nicotine that was currently gnawing at her insides. She caught sight of one of the newspapers and made a face. She hadn't expected to see homophobia in Ganosia, libertines that they usually seemed, but whatever. The opinions of the general public had never really influenced Inna's personal life. Now the opinions of the people close to her...those had a little more sway. She still made her bad decisions, but they kept her at least somewhat honest about them.

Rehan stopped to confer with her friend. "What are you going to do while I'm with Irikah?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Go clubbing," Inna said. When Rehan raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, the blonde held up both of her hands. "Easy there, sport. To dance, not to drink.p."

"Inna—"

"I'm giving up alcohol and all my other habits," Inna said, tapping the inside of her elbow for emphasis. The track-marks had healed into scars that were pink against her fair skin. In time they would fade to white and maybe even disappear completely. "Let me have this one thing along with nicotine. I want to give this clean good time thing a try."

"If you show up drunk, I'll kick your ass. Weak or not," Rehan said firmly. "And I will know, because we're sharing a hotel room."

"You need to get laid so badly," Inna muttered giving Rehan a small nudge towards Irikah.

Rehan had cleaned up as much as she could. Her jeans were a little worn and faded, just a bit loose on her bony hips and thin legs. Underneath her coat was a grey dress shirt left open over a scoop-neck T-shirt. She was trying to dress like she was more comfortable with her body. The military coat wasn't exactly fashionable with its unit patches and her surname stenciled across her back in black, Nalayan lettering. Unfortunately, she needed it for now. She couldn't tolerate the cold and the airport was a little chilly. At least there was color to her hollow cheeks now and a light of life back in her eyes. Her hair had its sheen and softness back.

"I could say the same to you," Rehan said, more amused than offended as she adjusted her bag where the strap had started to dig into her shoulder.

Inna had turned the throttle down on her endless quest for romance. She was still on the promiscuous side, but Rehan suspected it was because she hadn't found the right person to make her settle down yet. And not for lack of trying. She knew that behind the wild-woman façade, Inna was a lonely woman. She clung to her friends tightly even though most of the time she used sarcasm to keep people at arm's length. "Don't I know it," Inna said in a low voice. She missed running around. It had always made her feel confident and attractive, a little boost to her self esteem.

Rehan patted her friend on the back. "Just take it to their place. I don't want a free show." When Inna stuck out her tongue, Rehan rolled her eyes. "Don't be a brat."

"Kettle."

"Pot," Rehan said as if greeting her friend with a nod. She laughed, nerves somewhat assuaged as she approached Irikah. Finally, she made eye contact with her...whatever Irikah was now. They hadn't seen each other in so long that Rehan wasn't certain if they were still really together. "Hey, Irikah. Long time no see."

Awkward even for you, sport, Inna commented in her thoughts, smiling a little. She felt like a chaperone, but she knew her presence reassured the younger woman. Moral support was moral support, after all.

[Ganos Lao]

"You need to get laid so badly," Inna muttered giving Rehan a small nudge towards Irikah.

Rehan had cleaned up as much as she could. Her jeans were a little worn and faded, just a bit loose on her bony hips and thin legs. Underneath her coat was a grey dress shirt left open over a scoop-neck T-shirt. She was trying to dress like she was more comfortable with her body. The military coat wasn't exactly fashionable with its unit patches and her surname stenciled across her back in black, Nalayan lettering. Unfortunately, she needed it for now. She couldn't tolerate the cold and the airport was a little chilly. At least there was color to her hollow cheeks now and a light of life back in her eyes. Her hair had its sheen and softness back.

"I could say the same to you," Rehan said, more amused than offended as she adjusted her bag where the strap had started to dig into her shoulder.

Inna had turned the throttle down on her endless quest for romance. She was still on the promiscuous side, but Rehan suspected it was because she hadn't found the right person to make her settle down yet. And not for lack of trying. She knew that behind the wild-woman façade, Inna was a lonely woman. She clung to her friends tightly even though most of the time she used sarcasm to keep people at arm's length. "Don't I know it," Inna said in a low voice. She missed running around. It had always made her feel confident and attractive, a little boost to her self esteem.

Rehan patted her friend on the back. "Just take it to their place. I don't want a free show." When Inna stuck out her tongue, Rehan rolled her eyes. "Don't be a brat."

"Kettle."

"Pot," Rehan said as if greeting her friend with a nod. She laughed, nerves somewhat assuaged as she approached Irikah. Finally, she made eye contact with her...whatever Irikah was now. They hadn't seen each other in so long that Rehan wasn't certain if they were still really together. "Hey, Irikah. Long time no see."

Awkward even for you, sport, Inna commented in her thoughts, smiling a little. She felt like a chaperone, but she knew her presence reassured the younger woman. Moral support was moral support, after all.

"Yeah. Long time no see. Nice to see you're alright. With all that's going on in Nalaya, it worried me. It's nice to see you too, Inna," Irikah replied.

She was dressed like a civilian, unlike her beloved and her companion, and seemed genuinely happy to see the two again after so long. She gestured behind her and said that she drove to the airport in her sportscar, and that she'd take them to the hotel to unpack before they went on any tours of the Ganosian capital. "You each have rooms in the Olyan Arms. We'll go there first to unload your luggage, and then we'll go exploring throughout the capital. It's a massive city, full of millions of people - please make sure you guys don't get lost; stick to me and we'll get through each of the places on the map. After we're done in Olyan, we can always go to other cities if you would like. However, I'd like you, Rehan, to meet my folks. I know my mother can be a handful, but she's even moreso when it comes to insisting you pay her a visit."

As they walked, the occassional person bowed respectfully towards Irikah, while others were either quite happy to see a celebrity or touched by the presence of a woman who had done much for the GLBT community. Irikah didn't seem to indulge in any of it, however. "Many people look up to you and I, Rehan. These days, so many people are intolerant towards us - homosexuals, I mean - that seeing you and I like this gives those here hope for the future and pride too. It shows them that they don't have to hide away, but can express themselves openly without persecution. Quinn's been really firm about the whole free love concept, and she won't budge no matter what any foreign homophobes tell her."

Getting to the sportscar, Irikah found that she hadn't glomped Rehan right away, which was good. She hadn't wanted to make such a horrible first impression. "I'll be your personal chauffer, Rehan. All you need to do is tell me what looks interesting to you, and we'll check it out. That goes for you too, Inna. Here, let me give you these."

She opened up the glove compartment and gave them each a tourist's handbook. "Maps, helpful phrases, phone numbers - everything's in there. It's got info on all the major hotspots, as well as things like temples and markets. Temples, I should explain, which are part of the ancient Ganosian pantheon. You'd be more than welcome to visit those. All are welcome in such places. Anywho, we'll be going to the hotel first, like I said. The Olyan Arms is a famous bastion of luxury in this city, but the rooms you two have aren't too flashy. I just figured you'd appreciate the view of the city they'd give you. There's also some information on restaurants; normally you'd eat at the Arms, but we can go wherever you'd like. From a fancy restaurant to even a Greasy Joe's, it's your call. I don't want to dictate your time here, because I want you guys to have fun."

When Irikah started driving on the busy city streets, she pointed out several hotspots. "We'll pass Tagor's mausoleum at some point. That's where the Founding Father of the Ganosian Nation, the First King, was laid to rest after he passed away. On Ganosia Day, many will pay their respects to him, and his myriad of companions and successors alike - all us royalty have to attend, since it's tradition. Quinn and Allison will give speeches, and I'll stand between Lilith and Raymond or some other set of relatives and observe the parades. It's too bad you missed them, because they're actually pretty cool. Not to mention there's all the booths with arts and crafts and traditional food. Ever try Khlav Kalash? Good stuff. Oh, then you'll see some of the temples. There are all sorts of religions represented here, but the majority of people practice the ancient ways. We can stop by a temple if you'd like. I'm sure the clergy won't mind giving you information on their beliefs. When I read about Nalayan spirituality, I thought it was very interesting. Personally, I think I'm agnostic. Oh, I hope I'm not rambling, but I just wanted....."

A red light came, and Irikah gripped hard onto the steering wheel. She hoped she wasn't embarassing herself.

[Nalaya]

In the Car
Olyan, Ganosia

Rehan had gotten incredibly quiet after the initial greeting, not really certain how to handle the lack of affection. Granted, she wasn't being cuddly either, but she'd never been and right now the ball was firmly in Irikah's court. Rehan refused to make a move where it seemed to be unwelcome. That left Inna in an even more awkward position. She was already a third wheel. "Christ and the archangels, Irikah, you're not a tour guide. Relax," Inna said. "I'm going to ditch you two as soon as we get to the hotel. You don't need adult supervision and I want to have some fun. Unless you two want to come, anyway."

Rehan recognized a lifeline when she was thrown one. Allowing Inna to steer her night would probably make things a lot less awkward, even if her back-up abandoned her for a one-night stand. "That might be fun. I've never been to a Ganosian night club. But aren't you supposed to behave?"

Inna shrugged. "What Hravad and Siran don't know won't hurt them. It's just one night."

The younger soldier pursed her lips and gazed sternly at her friend. "Inna..."

Her friend exhaled in a sigh. "Trust me a little, Rehan. I'll just have the one drink," Inna said. "And you two will be there if I start to get too wild. Chaperoning me has got to be less awkward than whatever this is." The blonde emphasized her point with a wave of her hand at the space between Irikah and Rehan.

Some things never change. You can always trust Inna to say exactly what she thinks, Rehan thought, not certain whether she should be relieved or offended. "Are you saying you could handle this better?" she hissed to Inna in a low voice, hoping Irikah wouldn't hear or understand even if she did. She said it in Nava'ai rather than the Arusai that was more familiar to the princess.

"Yeah, Turbo, I could," Inna shot back. "I know you're not really demonstrative, but you need to just throw yourself off this cliff before I fucking boot you off it. I'm not going to baby you like Siran does. Because this...whatever it is? Not gonna make you happy. This is like a light switch. On or off. No maybe."

"You have a lot of maybes," Rehan snapped accusingly.

"Because that's all I can get. If I had an on, you can bet I'd be dropping all those like hot stones."

Rehan was tempted to make a rude hand gesture, but she couldn't really be too angry at Inna. Instead, she swiveled in her seat to look at Irikah. "I am so sorry about her. Siran hasn't bought a muzzle yet," she said in a language her former girlfriend knew. She didn't really think they were still together anymore, whether or not she wanted it. She glared back at Inna, but didn't say anything more than that.

[Ganos Lao]

In the Car
Olyan, Ganosia

Rehan had gotten incredibly quiet after the initial greeting, not really certain how to handle the lack of affection. Granted, she wasn't being cuddly either, but she'd never been and right now the ball was firmly in Irikah's court. Rehan refused to make a move where it seemed to be unwelcome. That left Inna in an even more awkward position. She was already a third wheel. "Christ and the archangels, Irikah, you're not a tour guide. Relax," Inna said. "I'm going to ditch you two as soon as we get to the hotel. You don't need adult supervision and I want to have some fun. Unless you two want to come, anyway."

Irikah was still admittedly nervous, but hearing Inna did lighten her up somewhat. She just hadn't wanted Rehan to feel like she wasn't invested in this relationship still, and she thought......look, Irikah told herself, just be yourself and you'll do alright. Being yourself was what attracted Rehan to you, right? She sighed, and nodded to herself. "Sorry about that, Inna. I just.....well, I can get excited sometimes. I'll try to restrain myself, but I'm just really happy to see Rehan again. I did a lot of thinking, and I'm just tired of it being glum, you know? I want to make this work, but I wouldn't want you to feel like you have to follow us around. You can go have fun if you'd like. We'll be alright."

Rehan recognized a lifeline when she was thrown one. Allowing Inna to steer her night would probably make things a lot less awkward, even if her back-up abandoned her for a one-night stand. "That might be fun. I've never been to a Ganosian night club. But aren't you supposed to behave?"

Inna shrugged. "What Hravad and Siran don't know won't hurt them. It's just one night."

The younger soldier pursed her lips and gazed sternly at her friend. "Inna..."

Her friend exhaled in a sigh. "Trust me a little, Rehan. I'll just have the one drink," Inna said. "And you two will be there if I start to get too wild. Chaperoning me has got to be less awkward than whatever this is." The blonde emphasized her point with a wave of her hand at the space between Irikah and Rehan.

Irikah took the point, but didn't comment about it. "Well," she went on, "you know I'll be there to help you out, Inna. It's the proper thing to do. We wouldn't want you drinking and driving, after all. How have you been these days, anyways?"

Some things never change. You can always trust Inna to say exactly what she thinks, Rehan thought, not certain whether she should be relieved or offended. "Are you saying you could handle this better?" she hissed to Inna in a low voice, hoping Irikah wouldn't hear or understand even if she did. She said it in Nava'ai rather than the Arusai that was more familiar to the princess.

Instead, she swiveled in her seat to look at Irikah. "I am so sorry about her. Siran hasn't bought a muzzle yet," she said in a language her former girlfriend knew. She didn't really think they were still together anymore, whether or not she wanted it. She glared back at Inna, but didn't say anything more than that.

Irikah chuckled. She sometimes wished her mother came with one sometimes, and knew the feeling. "It's alright, Rehan. Besides, soon she'll be off, and we'll have the whole city to ourselves. But before we start exploring, are either of you hungry?"

[Nalaya]

In the Car
Olyan, Ganosia

"No," Rehan said automatically. Inna punched her in the shoulder somewhat delicately as if she was afraid of breaking her friend, but a point was a point. Rehan knew she couldn't refuse. She just...restaurants, with all of their smells and plates and judging eyes....

Inna had narrowed her eyes. "You did not have an NG tube stuffed in you for two weeks for shits and giggles, Rehan." Then she softened slightly and sighed. "Look, I'm right here with you. Everything will be fine. We're supposed to be working on this anyway."

"Can we get food to go on the way to the hotel?" the thoroughly cowed younger woman said, shifting her hair out of her face. She wanted a hug and a chance to cry badly, but Irikah was there. Tears would worry her and a hug might make the princess jealous, particularly one with Inna—the least chaste person she knew. Rehan had never used to be demonstrative, but now she found that she had to be just to survive throughout the day.

"Yeah. And then you and sport here need to talk," Inna said. "I'll go swimming in the meantime or something like that so you to have time to work some things out. Fair?"

"Fair to me," Rehan said quietly.

"Nothing greasy if we can avoid it for Turbo," Inna said to Irikah firmly while Rehan settled back into her position leaning against the door with her cheek pressed to the car window. "Her stomach's pretty delicate right now." And it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole ugly truth either.

[Ganos Lao]

"Can we get food to go on the way to the hotel?" the thoroughly cowed younger woman said, shifting her hair out of her face. She wanted a hug and a chance to cry badly, but Irikah was there. Tears would worry her and a hug might make the princess jealous, particularly one with Inna—the least chaste person she knew. Rehan had never used to be demonstrative, but now she found that she had to be just to survive throughout the day.

"Sure," Irikah said. "I know just the place too. It won't take too long to get there, fortune willing, of course."

"Yeah. And then you and sport here need to talk," Inna said. "I'll go swimming in the meantime or something like that so you to have time to work some things out. Fair?"

"Fair to me," Rehan said quietly.

"That's fair to me as well." Irikah replied.

"Nothing greasy if we can avoid it for Turbo," Inna said to Irikah firmly while Rehan settled back into her position leaning against the door with her cheek pressed to the car window. "Her stomach's pretty delicate right now." And it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole ugly truth either.

"Noted," Irikah said. "I'll make sure nothing greasy gets served to her. Where we're going, that won't be much of a problem, for that matter."

It did not take too long for Irikah to get to the Cosafe. There had been not that much traffic, which was always good, and the radio played some nice music too. The day was bright and sunny, with hardly any clouds in sight.

The Cosafe was a lovely little open air cafe ran by a Motokatan company. The waitresses all wore French maid outfits, and were very kind to their customers, who had kept the business running with much prosperity ever since it opened; after all, the Empire had always considered Motokata one of its closest allies, and many Ganosians were well versed in Motokatan culture and traditions.

When Irikah and the others arrived, Irikah looked over to them before getting out. "I hope you don't mind my choice, Rehan. I figured somewhere quaint and cozy would be nice for us. Would you like anything before you go swimming, Inna? Just so you know, there's a pool at the hotel. It's the Olyan Arms, to be specific, one of the country's foremost hotels. If you'd like, we can meet up with you there."

Irikah got out of the car, then, and went over to Rehan's side, smiling warmly. "If there's anything I should know about what you should eat, aside from having nothing greasy, let me know so I can tell our waitress."

[Nalaya]

The Cosafe Café
Olyan, Ganosia

"Coffee and cigarettes," Inna said with a shrug as she patted herself down until she located her pack of cigarettes in the pocket of her jacket. "I'm going to go smoke down the street a little ways. I'll be back for a cup of coffee in a few minutes, probably before food hits the table. Need my nicotine fix. Don't do anything Hravad wouldn't do." He was the best role model Inna could think of. She definitely wasn't putting herself on the list of people who should be emulated.

"This looks just fine, Irikah," Rehan said with a small smile as they walked into the café. Not that the place really mattered to her a great deal. She did hug Inna before her friend left them, grateful for the lengths Inna was going to despite her own problems with withdrawal. She could see the little tremors starting in the blonde's hand. They were a lot better than they had been, but she still needed cigarettes to help tone them down. "Thanks, Inna."

The blonde gave her a quick squeeze in return before releasing Rehan. Then she nodded and then split off from them, heading down the street a little ways. Inna had a cigarette and a lighter out in the blink of an eye and started trying to get it lit. There was a little bit of a breeze, so she had to cup her hands around the end of the cigarette and the lighter. Inna looked happy as a clam at high tide now that she had something that would settle her own nerves and quash the irritability that came with giving up a large portion of her bad habits.

"She's still cranky," Rehan said with a sigh, watching her friend go before looking around for a table. "Inna's finally cleaning up her act a little bit, but she hates the transition. It looks miserable. We'll have to keep an eye on her at the club. She can resist anything but temptation." It felt a little bit cruel to say when Inna was being so good to her, but succumbing to the siren call of diversion and distraction was in the officer's nature. It was a battle for her to quit anything. Even the exercise was just to mitigate the slump she was in.

That said, Rehan fell quiet for a moment as she pulled her coat a little tighter around her thin frame. It was for comfort as much as because she was chilled all the time. That was the price of having no body fat. She studied Irikah with pensive green eyes for a long moment as they secured a table. The Ganosian was a familiar face and yet a strange one. Time had passed and a few things had changed, but not many. Just the important things.

"How have you been?" Rehan asked finally, not really looking at the menu. Just holding it made her anxiety skyrocket. She would make Inna order for her when the blonde got back. That made everything so much simpler. "I haven't talked to you in quite a while. I'm sorry about that. It's just...things really went off the rails. Khavar's keeping the country together but she can't do anything about our personal lives."

No one had taken Anahid's death well. It had been a sudden shock, like a warm body plunging into freezing water. Hravad was still shell-shocked and silent, Inna was fumbling to make up for her mistakes, Siran's fuse was shortened considerably, and Rehan had been doing anything she could to bring that sense of control back into her life as if it would make the void somehow less noticeable. It was always about control. She felt like she was losing her discipline now even though the opposite was true according to Siri. The medical officer seemed to understand in a way that Hravad didn't despite his best efforts to be understanding. Rehan couldn't blame him. It was a tangled web on the best of days.

And now she was sitting across the table from Irikah with a racing heart and hands that were starting to tremble ever so slightly. Wonderful. Maybe I need to take up smoking, Rehan thought dryly.

[Ganos Lao]

"She's still cranky," Rehan said with a sigh, watching her friend go before looking around for a table. "Inna's finally cleaning up her act a little bit, but she hates the transition. It looks miserable. We'll have to keep an eye on her at the club. She can resist anything but temptation." It felt a little bit cruel to say when Inna was being so good to her, but succumbing to the siren call of diversion and distraction was in the officer's nature. It was a battle for her to quit anything. Even the exercise was just to mitigate the slump she was in.

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope she gets through this. I'll do what I can to help her out. Has she kept in touch with Gisela?" Irikah said, walking with Rehan towards the front door of the Cosafe. She was happy to know that Rehan approved of it. So far, so good, Irikah thought. Let's see if I can keep up the momentum.

That said, Rehan fell quiet for a moment as she pulled her coat a little tighter around her thin frame. It was for comfort as much as because she was chilled all the time. That was the price of having no body fat. She studied Irikah with pensive green eyes for a long moment as they secured a table. The Ganosian was a familiar face and yet a strange one. Time had passed and a few things had changed, but not many. Just the important things.

"How have you been?" Rehan asked finally, not really looking at the menu. Just holding it made her anxiety skyrocket. She would make Inna order for her when the blonde got back. That made everything so much simpler. "I haven't talked to you in quite a while. I'm sorry about that. It's just...things really went off the rails. Khavar's keeping the country together but she can't do anything about our personal lives."

"I've been okay, as much as was possible." Irikah said, trying her best to sum up everything that had gone on in her life. She decided to avoid certain components of the story, preferring not to ruin the situation, as she came to think she would had she divulged them. "I understand. I had tried to contact you, but with Nalaya the way it was....for a time, I thought something might have happened to you. I was so happy to hear you again that I.....I was just so happy. I worry about Khavar, though. I'll be honest, because I just know it's going to get out eventually, but I was worried Khavar was going to take you away from me. All this political nonsense going on between our nations really makes me worry about our relationship. I don't know what ignorant thing Allison's going to say or do next, I don't know how much ass Quinn's going to try to kiss, and I don't know if Khavar's going to tell you to not fraternize with the damn Ganosians anymore. Maybe I overreacted, but I just can't lose you so easily like that."

Irikah sighed. "This place has been a mess too. The boys are still the same as you left them, if you were wondering, however. We've survived the "National Reorganization Campaign," Quinn's plot to fix her sister's bullshit. Ambassador Saroyan's no doubt told your government all about how good it is. Truth be told, she's one of the main proponents of it. Quinn grows tired of being seen the way she does; she's asserting her control. It all boils down to the feuding in the Imperial Court, it really does. Allison's oligarchs, Quinn's privy councillors.....maybe I just wasn't cut out for the life of a princess, because I really don't feel like one. A lot of times, I feel like an alien amongst my own family. Don't get me wrong, I love them. I joined the Army to fight for them. But still.....well, you've seen them. You no doubt can understand."

Irikah sighed, slouching in her chair. "Feels good to get that out of my system. Rather early too, so it won't ruin any future fun we'll have. I really want this to work out, Rehan. You're the only one I can do this with."

And now she was sitting across the table from Irikah with a racing heart and hands that were starting to tremble ever so slightly. Wonderful. Maybe I need to take up smoking, Rehan thought dryly.

No doubt experiencing similar symptoms, Irikah still felt the pang of concern. "Are you alright, Rehan? If you need anything, just let me know....."

Damn it, Irikah thought, why is this shit so hard?

This woman is going to be my wife one day, Fortune willing, and I don't know if I'm going to fuck it all up! Damn it! Damn it!