Raise the Silver Cup (Nation Maintenance)

[Roania]

Asen Faren, Emperor of Roania, couldn't help but smile as he crossed the floor to join his wife. "Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?"

"Just ten minutes ago." Arya Fireheart, Empress of Roania, looked up at him appreciatively, her eyes dark with love. "Just before you finally let me out of bed." The Kadrian battlemage ran her fingers up and down her husband's arm as he slipped it around her bare waist, then drew it up against chest, smiling as the memory of their recent lovemaking recurred to her. "Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?" She giggled as he gently nipped at her neck, brushing the scar that marked their bonding.

"This morning... just before I demonstrated how the Lady upon the Dragon Throne should be treated by her lord..."

"Speaking of that throne... are you sure I can't convince you to put it to better use?" She kissed his neck, and drew his hand up to her breast. She marveled, once more, at how perfectly they fit together. For a moment, all thoughts of conversation left her, and the Empress simply used her body on his, feeling the sparks fly between them. "I love you..." She whispered, turning against him and letting the heat of their desire suffuse them both. "Now and forever."

"And I love you..." He kissed her back. "I love you so much that I've taken your name as my name, and the name of our dynasty, and made you Empress... and I'm having our palace redone for you..." And his kisses grew more and more frenetic as her body responded to his attentions, and they found their way back to bed.

This time, after they were sated, they walked together onto their balcony. "How much longer is this going to go on?" He asked her, as they stood together watching the sun set over the mountains.

"Oh... it will stop once I'm pregnant." She teased. "You knew when we married that I would be insatiable when off the potion... and it was your bright idea to have me go off after your father said he was retiring." Arya took his hand and led it to her abdomen, letting him feel the warmth of her body and its desire for her. "Won't be long now..."

"Good." He grinned. "Because eventually our palace is going to be ready, and the Grand Secretary is already... Mmmm..."

She pulled back gently. "Didn't you tell me your most important job was to give me a son?" She teased. "He'll live without you for a few more days... but we can't live without each other."

[Roania]

"Captain Inugog, this is just a routine inquiry, as the Commander told you. The Department has just a few questions about your command at this precinct house." The auditor looked through his paperwork. "Now, is it true that you locked Sergeant Nmmr in a cage?"

The ozlukar stroked his chin, thoughtfully. They'd had to meet in his office, of course. A converted morgue, kept cold by the crystals framed into the walls, sized to allow ogres in and out. "I ad ter, didn't i? Da poor fella wuud ab wandereded off an goddun 'is lil self 'urt wuudn't he. Lil fella like dat goin' round, t'aint roight. Anyway, 'e likes it, don't 'e? Roight, Fozzin'ton?" The Ozlukar lifted up the little cage he kept behind his desk. A tabby nmmr looked out from inside clutching at the bars with his claws. "Roight?" Inugog shook the cage a bit.

"Mrrrr... right, captain..." The nmmr agreed. The Sergeant was wearing a little bow around his neck, and a bell with a collar attached to it.

"See? Howzat?" And then there was a muffled squeak as Inugog dropped the cage right behind his desk again.

"I see." The Auditor made a number of notes, then turned a page. "There's also the matter of the West Market incident... you may remember? You were the first responder to a shoplifting complaint?"

"Yuh, I 'member dat. Caught the blighta and made 'im 'and ova da loot." The watch captain smiled with pride, revealing a set of fangs and tusks that would put an ogre to shame. "An' da Dok said 'e wuud be able to tromp 'bout again in a bit."

"Yes... is it true that you threw a sedan chair at him? Over an item worth thirty wen?"

"Well, I had ter, dinnit I? Else 'e'd av goddun away wit da loot" Inugog shook his head. "An da regulashunz say dat an offica o' da watch must always secur nikked property wen eva prak... prokt... dey can."

"Through the display window, the remainder of the stall, and the partition behind it? Causing five hundred cash in damages to the Tong?" The Auditor looked up at Inugog, and up, and up, his hand tapping on the figure on his paper. "And disrupting business at the market for nearly three hours on the last day of the midwinter holiday shopping?"

"Oh... ye... rekkon dat did happun, dinnit it." The ozlukar officer scratched one of his tusks. "Soz."

"Mm. I also need to say that a few of my colleagues have raised questions about your command here. Specifically, Auditor Lee had questions about your personnel and budget decisions..."

"I am properlee motivatin', rezpectin', an rewardin' mi men in, uhh...in accordanz wif regulashunz. Roight, Fozzin'ton?" Inugog brought his hand down on the cage, and there was a muffled squeak of agreement from the caged nmmr.

"Says here that you made your first detachment dig you out a pool, and then you spent the entire recreation budget in having it filled with perpetual ice?"

"Wuz a command decizin, wunnit? We dinnit hav a pool, and nows we do."

"Yes. Now, has anyone but you, Captain, ever used this pool?"

"Soz, I don't unnerstan da question. Da pool is available for all officuhs in dis watch house, in accordanz wif regulashunz." Inugog's lips crinkled in a happy smile. "Jus' da uvver day, I sent lootenant Cow to go fer a swim ter kool off, an' da dok said he'd almost godden back da feelin' in 'is 'arms."

"Witnesses report that you threw Lieutenant Ko into the deep end of the pool."

"Oh. Yea, I did do dat." Inugog shrugged, the policeman's shrug that every cop in the galaxy eventually developed, no matter their race. It meant many things to many people. Here, it meant that it wasn't Inugog's problem that the Lieutenant needed to cool off, and had in fact cooled off a bit too much, and what kind of crazy planet was it when people went into the pool and couldn't swim, even if they were helped in to begin with?

It was a very eloquent shrug. And the auditor made another note, holding his paper so that Inugog couldn't quite manage it. "Also says here that you tried to eat Constable Lu."

"Wot? Neva! We'z a familee 'ere!"

"There is video of you picking the constable up and putting her in your mouth."

"Yeah, but den I spat 'er owt, dinnit I? Jus needed sum enc..enko... modivashun. To 'member where she'd put the tea kiddy." Turned out she hadn't had it to begin with, but that was just a minor detail. They'd gotten it back, was the main thing.

"Well, as I'm sure has been pointed out to you, we don't put the officers under our command in our mouths." The auditor closed his little notebook and stared up at the massive wall of muscle in front of him. "All things considered, Captain, we've had our eye on you for a long time. And this past year confirmed our suspicions. There was that matter with the siege bow and East District School..."

"Soz 'bout dat. But da kiddies luvved da new winda."

"And then you hurled the prefect of the guards into the river..."

"'E shuudnt 'av snuck up on me like dat."

"You had thirty watch officers staking out a video store to secure the first copy of that new Lee Jun-Fan movie..."

"Wuz good fer da spirit, seein' one of our boyz make good like dat."

"And just last week you broke the doors of the Academy while in 'hot pursuit' of a man who was not, in fact, the person you had been warranted."

"I told 'em dey need ta make da doorz bigguh."

"Yes... well, all of this adds up to one simple conclusion. We'd like to offer you a position in the Auditor Department..."


"He said no?"

"Said he wanted to keep giving back to the community in the watch..."

[Roania]

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas..." The Prince of Kadria and her Empire started to sing as he walked through the door to his priestess' office.

"Aenar, I'm still mad at you...." Having to, or not, it would have been nice to have been given some more choice in the matter than he had offered her.

"And gladly ride the waves of life..." He took a step behind her, and leaned over her shoulder. "if you will marry me..." Celwen turned away from him, and he took her hand. "No scorching sun or freezing cold... would stop me on my journey... If you will promise your heart and..." Her coldness began to reach him. "and love..." slowly, he let her go and walked back...

"...and love me for eternity." She put her hand on his shoulder, and smiled shyly. Slowly, she walked in front of him, and raised her arms. "My dearest one, my darling dear... your mighty words astound me... but I've no need for mighty deeds..." The priestess smiled, and let him embrace her. "When I feel your arms around me..."

"But I would bring you rings of gold..." He kissed her, for the first time that month, and squeezed her hands between his. "And I would sing you poetry..."

"Please don't..." She kissed him, nipping gently at the scar that marked their bonding.

"And I would keep you from all harm..." He kissed her once more. "if you would stay beside me..."

"I have no use for rings of gold. And I care not for your poetry." Celwen laughed. "I only want your hand to hold..."

"I only want you near me." Aenar smiled into her eyes. "To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold..."

"For the dancing and the dreaming..."

"Through all life's sorrows and delights..."

"I'll keep your laugh inside of me..."

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with never fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life..." He went to his knees before her, and held up his ring, the ring of titanium he had meant for his mate since childhood. "If you will marry... me..."

"...yes." She whispered.