Crown

[Zoombie]

Mother sat down behind her desk, frowning at Teesh. Then she looked at Kint and frowned at him. Finally, she frowned at the hulking Armor that stood in the hallway, too tall to make it through the door into Mother's office.

├óÔé¼┼ôQueen,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said. ├óÔé¼┼ôQueen...Queen of what, precisely?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôA large holding, two hundred miles north and twenty three east of Sigilia. According to the records, my beastling tribe is descended from the last royal family of this holding.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôA royal family. Of beastlings.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother's lips pursed.

├óÔé¼┼ôNot Beastlings. Elderlings.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mother blinked, completely blindsided.

├óÔé¼┼ôFrom what we can tell, there is enough Royal blood in my lines that I am the official ruler of the city. We haven't thought of the name yet...├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo you...are a Elderling.├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother murmured, her eyes still wide.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think so,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, scratching behind her ears.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think you're a lier. And I think you are a disappointments,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said, looking at Kint. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I think it's time you both leave. Now.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you'd say that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe just wanted you to know that we're getting married.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't stop us.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said.

├óÔé¼┼ôI can,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said, tapping her fingers on the desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder the laws agreed on by the Senate, a noble can not marry a member of another city without their parents permission. And that includes beastling whores who drop their pants to anyone who smiles at them.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a real bitch, aren't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôA racist bitch for a mother. Great.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAt least Brian holds up family honor!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother shouted, stabbing her finger through the air at Kint. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've managed to drag the Douglas name through the dirt for half a decade!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Kint rolled his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease. Teesh, the 'beastling whore', is five times the person you'd ever be.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mother stood, her teeth clenched. ├óÔé¼┼ôI build this family! I-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.

├óÔé¼┼ôShut up your insolent-├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother started. She stopped, squeaking when the barrel of a revolver slid under his nose.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou...shut...up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, her voice deadly soft. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told Kint this was a bad idea. But if the walking suit of armor, the ancient magical crown and a ancient Elderling city stuffed to the gills with amazing technology and magic didn't convince you that I am a very nice, upstanding person...maybe blowing your brains out will?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Mother gulped. Teesh grinned, shoving Mother's head back with her revolver. She drew back on the hammer.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what say you to our marriage proposition!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.

Mother frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me get the paperwork filled out.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teesh relaxed the hammer and pulled the revolver away, holstering it.


Teesh and Kint walked into the busy street's of Sigilia, laughing. The Armor followed ten feet ahead of them, scaring the crap out of everyone in the crowd, creating a bubble of people that allowed Teesh and Kint to walk unharmed. Teesh looped her arm around Kint's waist and rested her head aginst his shoulder.

├óÔé¼┼ôI have to say that that was very satisfying,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was a little afraid that you'd blow her brains all over the wall.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAh, don't sweat it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. She pulled out the revolver and snapped the chamber open. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not loaded.├óÔé¼┬Ø


The two of them walked into the port. The Blimp II waited. George limped through the engine room on a crutch and a peg leg. Amni tinkered with her mechanical toys, an eye patch nestled over her missing eye. Pyra and Bester worked together on the Kitty Hawk II. They distracted one another once too often. But they were young.

Kint took the helm. Teesh slid her hat on over her crown, wiggling her ears to get it on right. She turned to look at her crew.

├óÔé¼┼ôOrders?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted.

├óÔé¼┼ôTake her out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe world awaits!├óÔé¼┬Ø









And that's the end of my SHOOOOOOOW!


Now you guys get to wait till the next one. And the next one! AND THE NEXT ONE!

MUHAHAHAHAHA!

In other news, I can't wait till I get word back for Number 13, the short story I sent in. If it's accepted, you can expect lots of "WOOOHO!" from me.