Genesis 131
Oct. 7th, 2006 01:00 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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yrae
Title~ What's in a Name ~ Part 2
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still mine
Notes~ Genesis 131. Read this first.
~ ~ ~
Shizaaqa stacked the papers on her desk and clasped her hands over them. ‘Show her in,’ she ordered past the closed door.
A few minutes later her office door opened, admitting a young woman with strawberry-blonde hair. Behind her stood the six black horse riders acting as her guards, but the way she held her pointed chin up made them seem like her escort she had hired to protect her.
Shizaaqa recognised the family colours from one of the sheets of paper on her desk. She sifted through them with long fingers as the woman took her seat opposite the Empress without invitation.
‘Sheeni, you’re playing today,’ she decided, straightening the papers pointedly in front of her. ‘The Suzan diplomat trying to do good for her region. Just how many names do you have?’
The woman’s jade eyes sharpened in a grin. ‘Eight you know of.’ Her voice was harsh, brusque, almost masculine. It explained why there were three male names on Shizaaqa’s list.
The Empress rested sinuously back in her chair, picking up the top sheet from the pile. ‘I particularly like this one, the Golden Kris.’
The visitor’s shoulders squared and her spine straightened with pride at the name. ‘It’s one of my favourites. Are you going to ask which is my real name, Empress?’
‘No. I have no wish to know, and from what I have read, Golden Kris is as fitting and as real a name as you have.’
The woman’s full lips stretched in a rueful smile, and she nodded briefly. ‘You’re very astute, Empress.’
Shizaaqa’s eyebrows arched briefly at the compliments coming from a woman who wished to call herself Empress. ‘You are an assassin. That is why you are here.’
The woman nodded again. ‘I thought as much, though I do treat all my jobs as seriously as each other.’
‘Even as a fisherman?’
‘Even as a fisherman.’
The Empress’s eyebrows arched again at the frankness of the woman’s harsh voice. ‘I won’t have you thrown to the dungeons, nor sent to the executioner’s block.’
It was her visitor’s turn to raise her eyebrows this time. ‘You are aware, Empress, that the luck the kris brings to her wielder is not always good?’
‘I am.’
The woman crossed one leg over the other. ‘You are aware, also, that I oppose you in every way.’
Shizaaqa nodded, keeping her face impassive. ‘And you are aware, I should hope, of who you are talking to.’
‘My greatest enemy.’
‘Your strongest ally.’ Shizaaqa parted her lips in a smile. ‘The fisherman wants a simple life. The diplomat wants a peaceful Suza. The warrior wants action. The Empress wants a free Suza. The Golden Kris wants money. Act as my weapon, and you will have all.’
The woman raised her eyebrows incredulously. Her strawberry-blonde ponytail stuck out like a bizarre flower from the back of her head. ‘You would not cut Suza free.’ Her eyes sharpened with that smile again. ‘But I will give your proposal consideration.’
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still mine
Notes~ Genesis 131. Read this first.
Shizaaqa stacked the papers on her desk and clasped her hands over them. ‘Show her in,’ she ordered past the closed door.
A few minutes later her office door opened, admitting a young woman with strawberry-blonde hair. Behind her stood the six black horse riders acting as her guards, but the way she held her pointed chin up made them seem like her escort she had hired to protect her.
Shizaaqa recognised the family colours from one of the sheets of paper on her desk. She sifted through them with long fingers as the woman took her seat opposite the Empress without invitation.
‘Sheeni, you’re playing today,’ she decided, straightening the papers pointedly in front of her. ‘The Suzan diplomat trying to do good for her region. Just how many names do you have?’
The woman’s jade eyes sharpened in a grin. ‘Eight you know of.’ Her voice was harsh, brusque, almost masculine. It explained why there were three male names on Shizaaqa’s list.
The Empress rested sinuously back in her chair, picking up the top sheet from the pile. ‘I particularly like this one, the Golden Kris.’
The visitor’s shoulders squared and her spine straightened with pride at the name. ‘It’s one of my favourites. Are you going to ask which is my real name, Empress?’
‘No. I have no wish to know, and from what I have read, Golden Kris is as fitting and as real a name as you have.’
The woman’s full lips stretched in a rueful smile, and she nodded briefly. ‘You’re very astute, Empress.’
Shizaaqa’s eyebrows arched briefly at the compliments coming from a woman who wished to call herself Empress. ‘You are an assassin. That is why you are here.’
The woman nodded again. ‘I thought as much, though I do treat all my jobs as seriously as each other.’
‘Even as a fisherman?’
‘Even as a fisherman.’
The Empress’s eyebrows arched again at the frankness of the woman’s harsh voice. ‘I won’t have you thrown to the dungeons, nor sent to the executioner’s block.’
It was her visitor’s turn to raise her eyebrows this time. ‘You are aware, Empress, that the luck the kris brings to her wielder is not always good?’
‘I am.’
The woman crossed one leg over the other. ‘You are aware, also, that I oppose you in every way.’
Shizaaqa nodded, keeping her face impassive. ‘And you are aware, I should hope, of who you are talking to.’
‘My greatest enemy.’
‘Your strongest ally.’ Shizaaqa parted her lips in a smile. ‘The fisherman wants a simple life. The diplomat wants a peaceful Suza. The warrior wants action. The Empress wants a free Suza. The Golden Kris wants money. Act as my weapon, and you will have all.’
The woman raised her eyebrows incredulously. Her strawberry-blonde ponytail stuck out like a bizarre flower from the back of her head. ‘You would not cut Suza free.’ Her eyes sharpened with that smile again. ‘But I will give your proposal consideration.’
no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 03:47 pm (UTC)I like Golden Kris, she's cocky and seems so dangerous.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-08 11:28 am (UTC)... I wish I were a scheming Empress. I'd bring in a captive and say, "Join my evil empire!"
And they'd say, "Never!"
And I'd say, "Guards, remove a finger!"
And the guards would remove a finger.
And then I'd say, "Join my evil empire!"
no subject
Date: 2006-10-08 02:25 pm (UTC)