The gift.
Skill had prepared quite the feast.
Rarely did the castle where Strength sometimes lived have so many guests.
Most of the cards were home, and as was to be expected, there were spirited debates being volleyed back and forth between those cards who sat next to each other.
But they were not the only ones present.
No, tonight the castle was open to all the divinatories, and those who were able to come, did.
Numbers.
Signs.
Constellations.
Stars.
And, of course, a few of the sentient races who had come to the castle for help.
The dining hall was full of beings both of supernatural nature and mundane.
It made Strength glad duty had not called her away. Or for that matter, the rest of the immediate and extended family.
But one was not there. He was still away on duty.
Justice.
She missed him. Missed him when he was away.
Stirring her food idly, her fork began to trace outlines and then pictures on the plate. And she sighed. He should be here, to attend.
This soon bored her, and so she began to stare out the window, lost in thought. Through the paned glass she could make out [or thought she could] Utani's brothers and sister, out stalking the stellar kingdom with their mother. Chasing prey amongst the galaxies. Soon perhaps they would have mates and children of their own to guide until they too became stars themselves.
She sighed again. The voices of the guests seemed to fade away.
Until she sat upright. Set her fork down. Got up with a minimum of attention.
And turned towards the door.
"I missed you too," said a familiar voice, and Strength's heart began to beat fast.
Shujaa and Utani got up quickly and made their way over to give greetings.
"I thought you were on duty."
"I am," said Justice. "I came here to see what all the fuss was about."
"Oh, we've had parties like this one before. You're not missing much," Strength teased.
In reply Justice placed a hand on her arm and motioned her away.
"I'd like to stay longer, but I can't."
"Duty."
"But I did stop by long enough to bring you this," he said as he took her hand, palm up.
A small box covered in fine silks and velvets was placed in it.
"Open it."
Inside was a golden torque bracelet, with lion's heads on each end.
"Oh, Justice, this is lovely!" She took it out and placed it on her wrist. "But I don't think you took time out from duty just to give me this."
"I didn't."
"What then-" she began, then gasped. Whispered. "Oh, Justice..."
A smile tugged at her mouth, while an identical one took its place on Justice's face.
"I'm taking that to be a yes?"
Strength fought for words for several minutes. She barely noticed that Passage and Misery were standing in the doorway, exchanging conspiratorial grins.
"Is it?"
"Of course it is love," she said, and flung herself into an embrace which left Passage and Misery to tittering.
"I must go now," Justice said as he let her go. "But I will return. By then I expect the news to have reached everyone," he added with a wink.
"I'll be waiting," she said, before returning to the feast.
Misery and Passage were already chattering excitedly to Seven and Cuauhtli when she returned to her seat.
Rarely did the castle where Strength sometimes lived have so many guests.
Most of the cards were home, and as was to be expected, there were spirited debates being volleyed back and forth between those cards who sat next to each other.
But they were not the only ones present.
No, tonight the castle was open to all the divinatories, and those who were able to come, did.
Numbers.
Signs.
Constellations.
Stars.
And, of course, a few of the sentient races who had come to the castle for help.
The dining hall was full of beings both of supernatural nature and mundane.
It made Strength glad duty had not called her away. Or for that matter, the rest of the immediate and extended family.
But one was not there. He was still away on duty.
Justice.
She missed him. Missed him when he was away.
Stirring her food idly, her fork began to trace outlines and then pictures on the plate. And she sighed. He should be here, to attend.
This soon bored her, and so she began to stare out the window, lost in thought. Through the paned glass she could make out [or thought she could] Utani's brothers and sister, out stalking the stellar kingdom with their mother. Chasing prey amongst the galaxies. Soon perhaps they would have mates and children of their own to guide until they too became stars themselves.
She sighed again. The voices of the guests seemed to fade away.
Until she sat upright. Set her fork down. Got up with a minimum of attention.
And turned towards the door.
"I missed you too," said a familiar voice, and Strength's heart began to beat fast.
Shujaa and Utani got up quickly and made their way over to give greetings.
"I thought you were on duty."
"I am," said Justice. "I came here to see what all the fuss was about."
"Oh, we've had parties like this one before. You're not missing much," Strength teased.
In reply Justice placed a hand on her arm and motioned her away.
"I'd like to stay longer, but I can't."
"Duty."
"But I did stop by long enough to bring you this," he said as he took her hand, palm up.
A small box covered in fine silks and velvets was placed in it.
"Open it."
Inside was a golden torque bracelet, with lion's heads on each end.
"Oh, Justice, this is lovely!" She took it out and placed it on her wrist. "But I don't think you took time out from duty just to give me this."
"I didn't."
"What then-" she began, then gasped. Whispered. "Oh, Justice..."
A smile tugged at her mouth, while an identical one took its place on Justice's face.
"I'm taking that to be a yes?"
Strength fought for words for several minutes. She barely noticed that Passage and Misery were standing in the doorway, exchanging conspiratorial grins.
"Is it?"
"Of course it is love," she said, and flung herself into an embrace which left Passage and Misery to tittering.
"I must go now," Justice said as he let her go. "But I will return. By then I expect the news to have reached everyone," he added with a wink.
"I'll be waiting," she said, before returning to the feast.
Misery and Passage were already chattering excitedly to Seven and Cuauhtli when she returned to her seat.