Tarasovka
11-05-2008, 18:48
Lorelei Ducal Palace, Lorelei, Duchy of Zoria, Taraskovyan Empire
Throughout the Empire, she was known as the Grand Duchess of Taraskovya. In Taurenor, she was Nilletari and, thus, co-Queen. In Zoria, however, she was titled as the Duchess, the local inhabitants never hiding their pride at being ruled by none else than the sister of the Vasilevs.
On this rather sunny day, as sunny as it gets beneath a dome on Venus in a city built beneath the surface, Vethara was in her study, behind her curbed desk, full with several flat monitors, a three dimensional projector and lots of papers through which the woman was busily reading, making notes, seeking something up on the displays in front of her.
Alexander Black, a person particularly close to the Duchess, was a rather new face in the corridors and halls of the Lorelei Ducal palace. On that same sunny day he walked rather casually into Vethara's office. He smiled in greeting, the woman lifting her eyes and smiling in return, observing as the man walked to place himself behind her. And then he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her chest gently, then kissed her neck up and down.
“Hi, Vetha.”
The woman snorted and erupted into a melodic laughter at the show of affection.
“Hello there, Alex. Missing me already?” she asked, resting some documents she was reading back on the desk and leaning against the back of her chear, tilting her head to better look him into the eyes.
He shrugged and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.
“Always, Vetha,” he said, stroking her hair. “But I'm mostly just bored. So I thought I'd come here and entertain myself.”
“Ah, so I am entertainment now! How extremely boosting for my ego,” she said, having broken the kiss and smiling at her lover. “But pray, feel at ease. I have spent the most boring day so far.” She waved her hand at a pile of documents and one of the screens. “Just that for the Emperor’s Council matters. I really wonder whether we are obligated to read through every single act passed by the lower Chambers.”
She sighed and flicked the screen off, proceeding to raise her arms into the air and stretch sweetly. Not that there was anything important on the screen, unless somebody found the Imperial Statue on Harmonizing Protection Against Noise (involving the legal text itself, clarification messages by the Imperial Senate and the Imperial Duma, committee recommendations) to be of outmost national importance.
"At least you have things to do," he shrugged and then immediately reached under her open arms and began to undo her blouse, kissing her neck again. “I've already inspected your guards twice and wrote three songs and now I have nothing to do but... this...” he whispered softly as his hands stroked over her chest again.
The woman arched her eyebrows at her lovers rapid adaptation to her every move, with the sole purpose of fondling as much of her as possible. And he was good at that. Before she could say anything, his fingers were already running along her skin.
“Mmmm… maybe I should give you some land and people to rule. You’d be under me, though…” she paused. “And usually you prefer to be on top.”
He laughed and kissed her, opening her blouse a bit more.
“I am always willing to obey whatever my lady commands,” he said pompously, before laughing and kissing her quickly on the lips, dotting her face with quick kisses. “I'm happy enough with you. If I left, who knows how much trouble you could get into?”
It was this very moment that the rather unpleasant warning of an incoming extremely totally highest priority call resonated from the desk, impossible to miss or not hear. The Duchess immediately leaned back from the face of her lover, which did not stop him from finishing opening her blouse and placing kisses on her neck and revealed shoulders.
“Comms in,” Vethara said.
“Pardon, Your Highness. A package was received at your name and… well… after all the proper security procedures were undertaken… uhm…”
“What is it?”
“Well, the courier is rushing to your office as we speak, you shall see everything for yourself, Your Highness.”
“Oh, all right,” Alex hissed and frowned. He sighed and readjusted his clothing, letting go of her. “Just when things started to become interesting.”
The woman just smiled as she stood up and began buttoning her blouse back up. She made it just in time for the urgent knock on the door.
“Come in,” the Duchess commanded and in came two Lorelei guards, in combat outfits, one carrying a box, which he rushed to place on the desk in front of the woman.
Vethara then proceeded to open it and take a step back, her eyes that not so long ago were warm and kind now turning into little shards of ice. She then stepped back to the box and lowered her hands inside, and when she rose them back up Alex could see that she was holding a severed man’s head.
Alex frowned slightly and grabbed the short blade at his waist.
“And what is the meaning of this, guards?” He barked in wrath, his eyes flashing red. “I advise you have an explanation and make it damn fast!”
The two soldiers turned their heads to face Alex, their full helms concealing their faces. None answered, after all, they were not responsible to their commander’s lover, but to Vethara.
“It is alright Alex,” she said quietly, her eyes fixing the forehead of what remained of the deadman, where something seemed to be inscribed. “To get to the ruler, dispose of his army… or so I translate. Any information on who this is?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” one of the soldiers nodded. “Senior Life Guardsman Pavel Karenovskiy, first battalion, Lorelei regiment.”
The woman sighed and rested the head back into the box gently. “If you have not already warned the Feldgendarmerie and the National Security, then make sure it is done so.”
“Home Theatre’s Feldgendarmerie command has already dispatched specialized personnel, Your Highness. The National Security Ministry has also been informed and shall be on the case.”
“Good. Dismissed, soldiers.”
The soldiers saluted, then one of them took the box and both left the study, leaving behind what appeared to be an extremely angry woman. Her gaze was empty and cold, and even the air around her seemed to cool down.
Alex watched them leave, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Want me to take care of those two?” He offered, a tiny little frown on his lips. “Such failure should not be tolerated.”
“This is what worries me, Alex,” she said, looking at a screen in front of her where some information was being listed. “Indeed… one of my soldiers. Was on leave.”
She frowned as she turned to look at the man.
“They are extremely well trained and extremely hard to kill. This is serious, Alex. It seems that some crazy nutjob decided it is open season on the Grand Duchess again.”
He laughed and squeezed her shoulder once more.
"Then I believe it is time we declared open season on crazy nutjobs. Don't worry, I won't let anyone get close to you."
His lips became thin.
"Obviously, however, your guards need to be put through their paces."
“Thank you. However, love, I have to warn you to abstain from ordering my soldiers around or offering to “take care” of them. We have strict subordination in the Empire.” She smiled and sighed again. “Now, I do not think I am in the mood for being fondled right now. Have to contact his family.”
Alex growled under his breath. “I'll go and... I don't know. Sing or something.” He stalked out of the room, bitterly.
Throughout the Empire, she was known as the Grand Duchess of Taraskovya. In Taurenor, she was Nilletari and, thus, co-Queen. In Zoria, however, she was titled as the Duchess, the local inhabitants never hiding their pride at being ruled by none else than the sister of the Vasilevs.
On this rather sunny day, as sunny as it gets beneath a dome on Venus in a city built beneath the surface, Vethara was in her study, behind her curbed desk, full with several flat monitors, a three dimensional projector and lots of papers through which the woman was busily reading, making notes, seeking something up on the displays in front of her.
Alexander Black, a person particularly close to the Duchess, was a rather new face in the corridors and halls of the Lorelei Ducal palace. On that same sunny day he walked rather casually into Vethara's office. He smiled in greeting, the woman lifting her eyes and smiling in return, observing as the man walked to place himself behind her. And then he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her chest gently, then kissed her neck up and down.
“Hi, Vetha.”
The woman snorted and erupted into a melodic laughter at the show of affection.
“Hello there, Alex. Missing me already?” she asked, resting some documents she was reading back on the desk and leaning against the back of her chear, tilting her head to better look him into the eyes.
He shrugged and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.
“Always, Vetha,” he said, stroking her hair. “But I'm mostly just bored. So I thought I'd come here and entertain myself.”
“Ah, so I am entertainment now! How extremely boosting for my ego,” she said, having broken the kiss and smiling at her lover. “But pray, feel at ease. I have spent the most boring day so far.” She waved her hand at a pile of documents and one of the screens. “Just that for the Emperor’s Council matters. I really wonder whether we are obligated to read through every single act passed by the lower Chambers.”
She sighed and flicked the screen off, proceeding to raise her arms into the air and stretch sweetly. Not that there was anything important on the screen, unless somebody found the Imperial Statue on Harmonizing Protection Against Noise (involving the legal text itself, clarification messages by the Imperial Senate and the Imperial Duma, committee recommendations) to be of outmost national importance.
"At least you have things to do," he shrugged and then immediately reached under her open arms and began to undo her blouse, kissing her neck again. “I've already inspected your guards twice and wrote three songs and now I have nothing to do but... this...” he whispered softly as his hands stroked over her chest again.
The woman arched her eyebrows at her lovers rapid adaptation to her every move, with the sole purpose of fondling as much of her as possible. And he was good at that. Before she could say anything, his fingers were already running along her skin.
“Mmmm… maybe I should give you some land and people to rule. You’d be under me, though…” she paused. “And usually you prefer to be on top.”
He laughed and kissed her, opening her blouse a bit more.
“I am always willing to obey whatever my lady commands,” he said pompously, before laughing and kissing her quickly on the lips, dotting her face with quick kisses. “I'm happy enough with you. If I left, who knows how much trouble you could get into?”
It was this very moment that the rather unpleasant warning of an incoming extremely totally highest priority call resonated from the desk, impossible to miss or not hear. The Duchess immediately leaned back from the face of her lover, which did not stop him from finishing opening her blouse and placing kisses on her neck and revealed shoulders.
“Comms in,” Vethara said.
“Pardon, Your Highness. A package was received at your name and… well… after all the proper security procedures were undertaken… uhm…”
“What is it?”
“Well, the courier is rushing to your office as we speak, you shall see everything for yourself, Your Highness.”
“Oh, all right,” Alex hissed and frowned. He sighed and readjusted his clothing, letting go of her. “Just when things started to become interesting.”
The woman just smiled as she stood up and began buttoning her blouse back up. She made it just in time for the urgent knock on the door.
“Come in,” the Duchess commanded and in came two Lorelei guards, in combat outfits, one carrying a box, which he rushed to place on the desk in front of the woman.
Vethara then proceeded to open it and take a step back, her eyes that not so long ago were warm and kind now turning into little shards of ice. She then stepped back to the box and lowered her hands inside, and when she rose them back up Alex could see that she was holding a severed man’s head.
Alex frowned slightly and grabbed the short blade at his waist.
“And what is the meaning of this, guards?” He barked in wrath, his eyes flashing red. “I advise you have an explanation and make it damn fast!”
The two soldiers turned their heads to face Alex, their full helms concealing their faces. None answered, after all, they were not responsible to their commander’s lover, but to Vethara.
“It is alright Alex,” she said quietly, her eyes fixing the forehead of what remained of the deadman, where something seemed to be inscribed. “To get to the ruler, dispose of his army… or so I translate. Any information on who this is?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” one of the soldiers nodded. “Senior Life Guardsman Pavel Karenovskiy, first battalion, Lorelei regiment.”
The woman sighed and rested the head back into the box gently. “If you have not already warned the Feldgendarmerie and the National Security, then make sure it is done so.”
“Home Theatre’s Feldgendarmerie command has already dispatched specialized personnel, Your Highness. The National Security Ministry has also been informed and shall be on the case.”
“Good. Dismissed, soldiers.”
The soldiers saluted, then one of them took the box and both left the study, leaving behind what appeared to be an extremely angry woman. Her gaze was empty and cold, and even the air around her seemed to cool down.
Alex watched them leave, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Want me to take care of those two?” He offered, a tiny little frown on his lips. “Such failure should not be tolerated.”
“This is what worries me, Alex,” she said, looking at a screen in front of her where some information was being listed. “Indeed… one of my soldiers. Was on leave.”
She frowned as she turned to look at the man.
“They are extremely well trained and extremely hard to kill. This is serious, Alex. It seems that some crazy nutjob decided it is open season on the Grand Duchess again.”
He laughed and squeezed her shoulder once more.
"Then I believe it is time we declared open season on crazy nutjobs. Don't worry, I won't let anyone get close to you."
His lips became thin.
"Obviously, however, your guards need to be put through their paces."
“Thank you. However, love, I have to warn you to abstain from ordering my soldiers around or offering to “take care” of them. We have strict subordination in the Empire.” She smiled and sighed again. “Now, I do not think I am in the mood for being fondled right now. Have to contact his family.”
Alex growled under his breath. “I'll go and... I don't know. Sing or something.” He stalked out of the room, bitterly.