Uma drained the rest of her beer and slammed the tankard back on the table. To her right, King Chencler threw is head back and laughed, "at last, a guest who knows how to hold their fucking drink" he cried, slapping his hand against the table. Uma stifled a sigh. Was this all it took to impress a king around these parts? How was she supposed to take pride in plucking such low hanging fruit? Lifting her mug in the air again, Uma hailed a servant for a refill.
"If this is such a novelty, Chencler, sounds to me like you might want to switch out some of your court for more interesting company" she retorted, eliciting another bark of laughter from the man, his wispy white beard split in a toothy grin. The other diners at the table seemed far less impressed.
She glanced sideways at the still chuckling king. Her best guess was that he spent far too much time entertaining emissaries and dignitaries in his role, it must be a rare occasion he could do away with all the pomp and posturing and just enjoy getting drunk. Uma supposed she could understand that.
Still, she didn't like the hungry way Chencler eyed her when he thought she wasn't looking. She was used to this, but that didn't mean it didn't bother her. 'Uma the Savage', 'Uma the Conqueror', her reputation as a fearsome warrior was known in many pockets of the galaxy. What seemed to surprise people was that under all the muscle, behind the stories and the ferocity, Uma was a woman.
She knew that she was desirable, she didn't need Chencler's gaze slipping to her full chest - yet again - to tell her that. With a thick tangle of red hair, emerald green eyes and full lips, Uma towered over most. She had a body that boasted a supple mix of soft feminine curves, blending to firm, rippling muscles. This evening, Uma had eschewed her usual leather armor for a simple, silk gown that displayed her figure proudly. She knew she had her pick of men who'd give much to spend a night wrapped in her powerful arms. Too bad she had no interest in them. She sought different prey.
As the king babbled off another story, Uma scanned the feasting hall. Obsidian walls extended into high arching ceilings, decorated with golden filigree. At the opposite end of the room from the king's table, a grand archway opened to a balcony offering a sweeping view of starry cosmos overhead, and the imposing jungle below. Tall, mountainous spires of stone speared into the air, sporadically breaking through the treetop canopy across the landscape.
Around her were flocks of court officials, mostly stuffy advisors and military leaders who's tactical minds had outlasted their physical strength. Meanwhile, the long tables spanning the length of the room below were packed with younger courtiers, servants and lesser nobles. They chatted, joked, argued and laughed as servers cleared emptied plates and brought out more wine and ale to the boisterous crowd. The fashions in this place seemed varied, with diaphanous robes and silken togas being the most common apparel, likely in response to the oppressive jungle heat on this world. The multitude of colors made the room feel like an aviary stuffed with exotic birds, rather than the court of a king. Uma liked it.
"Ah," she thought as she spotted a figure moving towards the balcony, "that's what I'm after."
Sensing it was the right response to whatever Chencler had just finished saying, she let out a laugh at some anecdote or other. Accepting another beer from the server, she rose, pushing back her chair. "If you'll excuse me highness, I think it's time I got some air" she said. His grin faded a little, but he waved her on without pressing, and turned to speak with his vizier as Uma strode from the table.
She swept from the raised dias of the king's table and made for that grand archway leading outside. She took a deep swig from her tankard, half draining it before placing it before some teenage boy at the end of the room, "finish that for me, would you?" she winked at the bewildered young man. In her wake she left a trail of whispering courtiers, gossiping about the old king's celebrity guest. Uma paid them no heed.
Finally she made her way outside and spotted who she was following. The girl was short and voluptuous, just the way Uma liked. She had her back to Uma right now, so the tall warrior took a moment, leaning against the archway to admire the way the girl's golden hair cascaded down her back, the way the short red toga clung to the curves of her shapely bottom, the slits up the sides of her garment exposed the soft, golden skin of her thighs and hips beneath.
Uma nodded to a small group of revelers as they passed her on their way back inside, leaving just a little more privacy on the balcony. Not quite enough as she'd have liked, but the woman knew she'd be hard pressed to find somewhere prying eyes weren't trying to get a look at the exotic, amazonian warrior from off-world.
She strode towards the girl and took a spot at the railing next to her. "Beautiful night, no?" The girl jumped, apparently she'd been so lost in the view she completely missed the tall red head approaching. "Oh, your ladyship! I'm so sorry, you startled me!"
Uma snorted at that, "I'm no one's lady. I'm fine just being Uma. How about you, girl?"
Still a little flustered, the girl took a moment to answer, "A-Adeline... Adeline is my name."
Uma didn't hide the look up and down she gave to the younger woman. Adeline looked even better from the front. Barely into her twenties, bronzed skin, pale blue eyes, delicate features. Her curls tumbled to the sides of her face. Her toga was tied at the waist with a golden sash, highlighting the narrow of her waist and the curve of her hips. Her round breasts were barely contained by the twin strips of fabric slung over her shoulders and Uma licked her lips at the sight of soft swells of flesh peeking out the sides. Yes, this one would do nicely.
"Well Adeline, you should know I'm not some noble or queen. Leadership seems like a chore and so do the titles that come with it. I'll leave that for them," Uma thumbed back towards the king's table. "Why don't we leave the pageantry at the door."
Adeline smiled shyly at that, "ok... Uma. It's a pleasure to meet you." She glanced away for a second, "I've uh... I've always loved hearing stories about your adventures. I was so excited when I heard you'd be coming to visit our world."
Uma quirked an eyebrow, "oh? I didn't realize those stories made it out this far."
"Not much makes it out here except for stories" Adeline replied, looking down again. Uma smiled, the girl was warming up but she was still shy. She faced Adeline and slid closer so the younger girl had to tip her head back to meet her eyes.
"Well Adeline," Uma said, her voice growing a little more husky, "now I've made it out here. I was hoping someone might be kind enough to show me the way back to the guest quarters so I could freshen up a little. This palace is a bit of a labyrinth."
Adeline's eyes widened a little "Uh, sure... you want my help? We do have porters if you need anything."
Uma glanced back towards the crowded feasting hall. "You're already here, I'm sure you can handle me for a little while."
Adeline smiled, fidgeting with her sash, "um, ok. The guest rooms are this way." She stepped around Uma, who stood watching her, until she had enough space to watch Adeline's backside as she led the way. Only then did she push off the railing and move to follow. She noted that Adeline took a side door, rather than leading them through the busy hall. So she's avoiding the crowd too... good.
The noise of the festivities slowly died away as Adeline led Uma through the halls of the palace. Much like the feasting hall, the architecture favored dark stones and golden accents. Solar lamps burned in sconces, illuminating branching hallways and crystalline sculptures. At regular intervals, they'd pass windows looking out over the strange landscape. The two women had the halls to themselves, everyone else seemed to be back at the king's revelry.
"So you've heard my stories, hmm? Any favorites?" Uma asked, eyes still locked on her guide's figure. Adeline glanced back, slowing her pace a little so the two were walking closer. Uma already felt like she was practically shuffling to match the stride of the much shorter girl.
"I truly loved the one from Minas Majora, the one about the mad dragon," Adeline said, "oh, and the necromancer you fought in the Aldoras system!"
"Ah Aldoras," Uma sighed fondly, "that old man was a real piece of work. So I'll bet they never tell this bit in the stories; the whole time I was in those woods looking for that castle, I was slowly tearing my shirt into rags to stick up my nose."
Adeline stopped in her tracks, mouth open, "what? Why?"
Uma chuckled, "necromancer, corpses... why do you think? Dead bodies stink, and there were a lot of them. I must've been taking three baths a day for a week before I felt like I'd really gotten rid of the smell."
Adeline remained silent, she still seemed to be registering this information. "Sorry," Uma said, "hope I didn't take the romance out of the story for you."
Adeline relaxed, finally breaking into a sheepish grin. "I guess the finer details might not quite work for most storytellers."
Uma smiled back, folding her arms under her bust, "exactly. They keep the exciting bits, and the rest... well that can just be our secret, can't it?" She gave Adeline a wink then inclined her head down the hallway, "shall we?"
They continued for a short ways further before coming to a familiar door. "I believe this is your room," Adeline said, standing to the side of the entry.
