Khazal was nervous but excited as she made her way up to the palace. It was the day that Queen Penelope had requested her presence for a special assignment, but she was being clandestine about the details.
One of the guards met Khazal at the front gates, and he gave her an escort in. Khazal was let in Queen Penelope's study. "She will join you shortly," the guard informed her, then closed the door behind him. Khazal looked around at all of the volumes of knowledge that Bok had given to the queendom. Leather-bound books went up six metres in bookcases completely encompassing the library.
After a few minutes, Penelope glided in. She held out her arms. "Khazal, darling," she said in her even tone. Khazal went to give her auntie a hug. "Please, sit," Penny said as she gestured to one of the chairs. Khazal felt like she was sitting on a cloud in the royal chair. Penny sat down beside her in a matching chair.
"You are probably wondering why I summoned you," Penny went on. "We have a serious issue with Grandfort right now. A superstorm is heading in its path. The structure has withstood worse, but the fallout to the grounds and the nearby village will be bad. We will need assistance in the possible rescue efforts."
"Am I the most suited to do so, your excellency?" asked Khazal. "Surely there are more qualified and trained individuals."
"The best training is real-world experience," Penny replied."I had remembered your mother saying you wanted academy training. I think that assisting with a disaster at our prestigious forbidden palace would be great experience for you
and
for my daughter." She leaned over and pressed a button on a tablet. "Please send in Venus."
Venus walked in, and Khazal was startled. She knew Venus from way back in the day when they played as little girls. Now she looked so unrecognizable. She had dyed her silver hair black, and was wearing a great deal of make-up. Khazal was still amazed at what a woman she had blossomed into.
"You remember Venus, right?" Penny smiled at her daughter. "Venus, dear. Please greet our guest."
"Hello, Khazal," Venus muttered, seeming uninterested in being there at all. "Mother, do I have to go on this mission? I am sure the guards at Grandfort are capable."
"You will have to perform acts of outreach at some point," Penny reminder her. "You will be queen someday."
Venus folded her arms and stared at the ceiling. "Looking forward to it."
Penny shot a look at her daughter, then turned back to Khazal. "I wanted you to bring along a companion as well. She has great experience in being a champion for New Bohan." She leaned back over and pressed her tablet. "Send in Delia."
After a few seconds, in she came. Khazal was amazed at what she saw. The woman was over six feet tall, and was absolutely radiant. She had large, firm breasts, as well as toned arms with rounded shoulders. She wore a tunic with a short skirt, which helped to show off her toned and thick thighs. Khazal was not sure if she was a champion or a dancing girl. Her silver hair was braided up and wrapped around her head, almost as if her hair was made into a crown. She had lovely green eyes that seemed to give away a sense of mischief within her. She gave a lovely smile as she entered.
"Welcome, Delia," Penny said. "Khazal, this is Delia. She had recently transferred here. I wanted her to do academy training, as her champion experience is invaluable."
Delia crossed an arm over her ample chest and put a fist to her shoulder, then bowed. "Your excellency, I vow her greatness will be my utmost priority for the duration of this trip."
Penny summoned Delia over. Delia leaned in. "Please be careful with Venus. I do not want her...
fraternizing
at all. Understood?"
Delia nodded. "We will provide her with your personal chambers. All of the warriors will be confined to quarters for the duration of the storm. After that, she will be at my side at all times. I have a feeling with the villagers within the confines, the warriors will behave themselves."
Penny nodded. "The new sergeant-at-arms is wonderfully disciplined, I am told."
Delia stood back up and assumed her former position. Penny turned back to Khazal. "I hope you will find the trip enjoyable." She glanced back over at Venus, who looked as if she resented all of Bok for existing.
"Oh! Your excellency!" Khazal refrained from calling the queen of the planet Aunt Penny. "May we bring another with us? I know my friend Jinji would love to stay at Grandfort!"
Penny smiled and nodded. Khazal did her own bow, then she left with Venus and Delia.
Jinji had her gear packed within the hour, and met the other three at the shuttle pad just outside of town. They loaded into the shuttle and set course for Grandfort. Delia was at the helm, giving Khazal a chance to try and bond a bit with the princess.
"So," Khazal began. "What types of things are they educating you on?"
Venus gave a sneer and blasted air out of her nose. "How to be a proper lady," she growled. "The entirety of the history of this dry rock. They even want me to learn how to fight."
Khazal nodded. "Oho. I believe that will be of benefit to you."
Venus folded her arms and looked away. "I do not wish to learn such barbarism. There is more to life than combat and adherence to some militaristic lifestyle."
Delia turned slightly in her chair. The shuttle was on autopilot, so she could focus elsewhere. "Not want to fight? It is as much an art form as it is a sport. It is our legacy!"
"Then you do it," Venus huffed. "What else are the commoners for?"
Delia looked cross as she spun back in her chair. She remained silent for the remainder of the flight, as did the rest of the passengers.
The shuttle landed at the outer walls of Grandfort. The four women were greeted by one of the guards, who quickly ushered them in. "We welcome you, your greatness," the guard said cheerfully to the dour Venus. "We have prepared the royal chambers for you. I hope it is to your liking."
Venus did not have much to say, so Delia filled in the silence. "Her greatness is always grateful for any service," she remarked. "If it is suitable for her excellency, it will be good enough for her greatness as well."
The guard led them to the large wooden door to the master chambers. She punched in the keycode and opened the large door. The five of them went in, and were stunned by the view. The ceiling went up thirty feet, and the windows let in a great deal of sunlight through their multi-coloured glass. The bed looked large enough to host a cocktail party.
Delia took the guard aside. "She is not to be disturbed except for meals. No visitors with the exception of me. Is that clear?" The guard nodded, knowing that Delia was acting under orders from the queen.
Khazal let out a small whistle. "This is quite impressive, greatness. I trust this will provide comfort until the storm blows over."
"We must get you all to your quarters as well," the guard said. She led the others out and left Venus by herself. "Dinner will be served at half past sixth hour, your greatness." Venus gestured vaguely to acknowledge this, then the other women left.
"I must apologize," the guard explained as they walked down the hallway. "Due to the presence of many of the female villagers here, we have to put you in quarters with others. I hope this is not much of an imposition. You will all only have to share with one other person."
"Do I not get to stay with Khazal?" asked Jinji.
"It would be unfair to ask the permanent residents to leave their own quarters," the guard explained. She pulled out her portable device and scrolled the screen. "You...Jinji. You will stay with our archer Sharou. Khazal, I shall place you with Chime, one of our chefs. And you, Delia, shall be placed with Medora. She is a cleaner, but she is quite pleasant to be with."
The women received a passkey for each room, then given instructions on where their respective rooms were. "We will bring dinner to every room, as to minimize the amount of people coming and going. While I do not anticipate much damage, we must play it safe." She saluted, then went back to her station.
Jinji went to her room, and knocked on the door. "Come in," someone called from inside the room.
Jinji activated the door open and went inside. The room was modest, but would suit her needs. "Hello?"
An athletic woman came out of the restroom in nothing but a towel. "Oh! I apologize! How impulsive of me." She extended an arm while holding her towel up. "I am Sharou! Will you be sharing with me?"
"Yes!" Jinji took the damp but soft hand in her own. "I am Jinji. Oh, thank you for sharing your space! I am so sorry if this is an imposition!"
"No, not at all!" Sharou did a little hop, and Jinji watched as she jiggled. "I would welcome some company. Oh, I know I should not worry about this storm, but there is always something to wonder about. Do you not agree?"