Consequences pt 2

After Leteetza had bluntly 'requested' Mahrayne's presence at the reception the next morning, the Hassinan had gone to the library to do some research on the Hyoujin. Kel came with her - as far as the door. Mahrayne's lips quirked as she kissed Kel goodbye outside the library; the warrior still wouldn't set foot in there, considering it beneath her dignity to go somewhere where she might learn something.
       "Shall I wait for you?" Kel asked, smiling softly down at Mahrayne.
       "No, I shouldn't be too long," the Hassinan reached up to kiss Kelapa again, "and I can find my own way back."
      Kel smirked, rolling her eyes.
       "Yes, the famous Hassinan sense of direction." Her tail tightened around her lover's waist, "I just don't like being away from you."
       Mahrayne cupped Kelapa's face in her hands, smiling lovingly into the Saiyan's eyes.
      "Nor I you."
      For a split second Mahrayne could've sworn Kel was going to cry, but then the warrior smirked and kissed her on the nose.
       "Go and do your fucking research." She unwound her tail. "Don't be too long, ne?"

It didn't take Mahrayne long to find the information about the Hyoujin; the documents were concise, and neatly presented in an easily readable format. The Hassinan checked the author - Leteetza, of course. A wave of depression rolled over Mahrayne at the sight of the little female's name; their friendship was another casualty of her thoughtlessness. Mahrayne sighed and turned her attention to the documents, it wouldn't do for the Hassinan representative on Vejiitasei to be seen to be in ignorance of a new member race of the Empire. She scowled at herself; and what a perfect representative for her people she'd been. Mahrayne wondered sourly how long it would take for her to fuck up relations with the Hyoujin…

"… and there are three 'types', if you like, of Hyoujin, each of these 'types' tends to belong to a particular caste in their society…"
       Over the evening meal Kel made appropriate noises of interest while Mahrayne divulged everything she'd found out about the race.
       "Eat!" the Saiyan ordered, well aware that her lover could forget the practicalities of life if she became engrossed in something.
       "… the Hyoujin are a matriarchal society," Mahrayne said, absently picking up a piece of seared bighorn but not actually eating it, "which means the females are in charge." Her expression grew thoughtful. "I would like to speak to them about that. How does it work? Their males are bigger and stronger, how do they stop them from taking over?"
      Kel smirked.
       "Maybe they keep them well fucked and too tired to think of it." The warrior took the piece of meat out of Mahrayne's fingers, popping it into the Hassinan's mouth. "For fuck's sake, eat, 'rayne!"
      Mahrayne giggled, chewing and swallowing the morsel, smiling at her lover: an instant later she was near tears again. Kelapa sighed mentally and pulled the Hassinan into a hug.
      "What's the matter, takibi?"
      "I miss Kinu." Mahrayne whispered into the Saiyan's chest.
      "I know you do," Kelapa nuzzled Mahrayne's hair, "fuck, I miss the brat too, but he needs to spend time with his sire."
      "Yes. It's good for both of them." Mahrayne pursed her lips and Kelapa braced herself as the Hassinan's scent indicated another mood change.
      "Why is nothing ever simple?!"
      Kel shrugged but wisely said nothing until Mahrayne's irritation had died down and she was merely maudlin again.
      "Finish your meal, takibi," Kelapa brushed her fingers over the Hassinan's breast beads, smirking when she felt her lover's nipple harden under her palm. The female dropped her voice to a low, throaty purr, "and then you can dance for me."

It had been over a year since Mahrayne had worn the heavy, formal, sky-blue robes, not since the feast to celebrate the Hassinan being accepted into the Empire. The robe wasn't comfortable compared to the beautiful light and filmy clothes she tended to wear now, but Mahrayne felt sheltered behind the thick folds and intricate silver embroidery. While she was wearing the robes she was a Hassinan, representing her people, not the Hassinan, Mahrayne, who'd caused so much trouble.
She snuck a glance at Zorun, standing impassively behind the Saiya-jin-no-Ou on the dais as Vejiita welcomed the Hyoujin representatives to Vejiitasei. Her mate was cool, professional, and a million miles away from her. Mahrayne's heart ached with a confusion of regret, desire and love for the big male, but she allowed none of it to disturb her demurely calm façade. However, the calm façade skittered away when the Hyoujin greeted Zha'haabron - in zhaneer! Mahrayne stared, openly intrigued and fascinated by this startling turn of events. How did the Hyoujin know the zn'hres' language? Where did they learn it? Had they visited R'ren'nkh'ia sometime?
Zha'haabron went to stand beside the Saiya-jin-no-Ou and Mahrayne watched the rest of the ceremony with sharper interest. But, no matter how much she concentrated on the proceedings, the sight of her mate kept bringing her back to her troubles.

To her relief, at the obligatory feast afterwards, Mahrayne was not seated with any Saiyans but next to a visiting Muruanian notary who was flattered to be spoken to in his own language by a charmingly attentive alien who was eager to find out more about his race and grateful to accept his - minimal, admittedly - corrections to her pronunciation.
      But even with the interesting company and good food, the feast dragged on and on for Mahrayne. She couldn't ignore Zorun, even though he was ignoring her, and part of her yearned towards her mate. Despite a valiant effort, she kept finding her gaze straying to the King's Guard's handsome, emotionless face as she unconsciously stroked her abdomen.
      It was mid-afternoon before she could escape. The guard who had picked her up this morning - Mugi, a young, elite male who seemed to be the one assigned to her more often than not - approached Mahrayne now to escort her back to the suite. Swallowing nerves, the Hassinan spoke in her calmest, most polite voice.
      "I would like to walk in the gardens, please."

What she really wanted to do was run, and run for a long time until she was exhausted, subsuming her overactive mind and its worries to the hypnotic half-trance as her body took over. Soon, maybe.
      Mahrayne wandered through the gardens - with her guard hanging back a little she could pretend she was alone - stopping eventually by one of the pretty little waterfalls that splashed into an artfully natural pond. She sat cross-legged on the mossy ground, her gaze fixed on the sparkwings darting over the surface of the water.
      Mahrayne felt bewildered. Her moods could shift so rapidly between emotions she realised she had no real idea of how she felt about anything. Her love and need for Kelapa and her love for her son and his father were fixed focal points around which everything else swirled and eddied, coloured differently by her mood at any given time. She was sad to have hurt Zorun, but angry too at his over-reaction to her twin and truly puzzled with what seemed to be a racial inability to want to adapt to changes. But she did miss her mate and she clutched to her heart the hope that they could be reconciled. Mahrayne poked through her memories of Zorun, almost deliberately scraping them over the hurt she felt, keeping the wound open, the pain fresh - it was what she deserved.
      She remembered their first meeting, on the hunt with Kel and Leteetza, and then the first time they made love - how nervous and excited she'd been, how patient he'd been - and when Kel left, Zorun had been there for her, loving and supportive, and then, at the birth of their son, how tender and protective he'd been of them both, how proud to be a father. Beside the pond, with her twin sitting beside her in silent commiseration, Mahrayne put her head in her hands and wept for everything she'd lost and might never have again…

"There you are, takibi," Kel's voice, warm and gentle, sounded near Mahrayne's ear, the warrior's arms lovingly surrounded her, "Come with me now. Zha'haarak will be bringing Kinu along soon." Mahrayne let herself be scooped up and flown back to the suite.
      "Rest," Kel said softly, stripping the heavy robe off of her lover before lying her down on the bed and stroking wisps of white away from her tear-stained face. The warrior stood up and Mahrayne was gripped by a panicky, superstitious fear that it was only a matter of time before she messed things up with her lover and Kel left again.
      "D-don’t go, please, tahnan," Mahrayne whispered, "I love you."
      "I'm not going anywhere, takibi," Kel smiled lop-sidedly, then crawled in behind the Hassinan, wrapping her securely in arms and tail and hooking a long leg over her thighs. "I love you, too. Sleep now, I'll be here when you wake."

If Kel thought that she'd have Mahrayne to herself now that they were out of the family's suite she was sadly mistaken. Within a couple of days of them settling into their new quarters - a small, three-room suite, similar to the ki-healers' and on the same floor - 'tiisaan had turned up at the door one evening, wide-eyed and hopeful. Maazi and Papa didn't mind if he stayed with them overnight, the young zh'nre had gushed, did they mind? Kel sighed resignedly and let the hostling in. The next night it was Pirum and then a couple of days later 'tiisaan again. And of course Kinu was with them some of the time as well - when he wasn't with his sire or Zha'haarak. Kelapa couldn't begrudge the visits, Mahrayne loved having the brats around, but she did relish the times when it was just the two of them. Kel sighed, placing her hands over her still flat belly; there was going to be even less time for them to be alone once the new brats were born. Finding the bright, strong ki within produced a surge of strong emotion for the Saiyan - not love, not yet, but a fierce desire to protect.
      Poor little brat - she thought sadly - it's not your fault your parents hate each other.
      She hoped she could love this child, eventually, hoped she could be a half-way decent mother. Mahrayne came up behind her, cuddling into her back, the Hassinan's slim, gold hands sliding around her hips to cover Kel's own.
      "Please don't tell me not to fuss over you," Mahrayne smiled, pressing a kiss to Kel's shoulder blade, "It was hard enough staying away from 'teetza, it's going to be impossible to stay away from you."
      Kelapa suppressed a wince - she'd laughed at the lengths 'teetza had gone to to get away from Mahrayne's cloying attentions - but it was her turn now…
      "Nah," Kel drawled after a moment, "I couldn't deprive you of the pleasure."
      "Thank you, jha-tunovahn." Mahrayne hugged the Saiyan tightly, her scent redolent of happiness and love.
      Kel *spoke* to her child,
      *Don’t worry, little one, even if I can't love you, 'rayne certainly will."

There was a transport scheduled to leave for Hassina in a few hours and Mahrayne was trying to complete her correspondence. Dignusia had arranged to come by in a little while to pick up Mahrayne's letters and deliver them to the ship, the problem was Mahrayne couldn't think of what to write. She didn't want to say anything about the situation with Zorun and the Saiyans, but this would be the first time she'd not told Chumie and Testa, at least, everything that was happening to her. It just didn't feel right, but neither did telling them about her problems.
      *Maybe it's best to stick to general news?* Alida suggested. *How Kinu is, how Pirum is…*
      *And that I'm pregnant again.* Mahrayne stroked her belly and grinned, she'd sent the last lot of letters off before she'd found out about her daughter. *I won't mention Kel's pregnancy though. I wonder what Pirum is going to say in her correspondence?* She shrugged, smiling. *Oh well, if I'm caught out because Pirum is less deceitful than I am…*
      Alida laughed.
      *Pirum being less deceitful than you? That'd be a first!*
      Mahrayne laughed also.
      *You're right, and I have enough good news to fill a letter, I don't need to pad it out with bad.*

Mahrayne was just finishing the last of her correspondence when Dignusia knocked on the suite's door.
      "Come in," the Hassinan smiled at her friend, "would you like something to drink?"
       It was obvious at that point that something was troubling the younger female.
      "What is it, Dignusia?"
      The younger female's lips trembled and tears started in her eyes. Mahrayne sat on the bed, pulling Dignusia down into a hug.
      "What's wrong?"
      "I - I never really thought about having children," Dignusia sobbed after a moment, "until I saw you with Kinu - and I thought, you weren't allowed to breed but you did, so - so maybe I could too. So when Peruro went to have her contraceptive implant refilled, I didn't go, but she came back and told me Vinas wanted to see me."
      Mahrayne had a sick feeling she knew what was coming next.
      "You went to see him? What did he say?"
      "He said it was -" the pretty female's mouth twisted on the word, "- 'inadvisable' for me to try and have a baby because my gene chart was so bad, it was unlikely the child would be viable. He said -" Dignusia started sobbing again, "- it was so bad that he was surprised I'd survived to be born."
      Mahrayne's eyes narrowed and she hugged her friend tightly. Damn Vinas! She understood what he'd been trying to tell Dignusia but he could've been a bit more diplomatic.
      "Dignusia, I'm so sorry," Mahrayne kissed the female's forehead.
      "It's not fair," she hiccoughed.
      "It isn't, I know." Mahrayne had a thought. "Maybe Peruro will be able to have children?"
      Dignusia sniffled into her shoulder.
      "Per doesn't want any, she never has."
      "She might consider it for you?"
      The female lifted her head and looked at Mahrayne with red-rimmed, hopeful eyes.
      "Do you think so?"
      "You'd have to ask her first, and you'd need to find out if there's any bar to her breeding." Mahrayne squeezed Dignusia's shoulders and smiled encouragingly, "Wouldn't hurt to ask?"
      Mahrayne continued to cuddle the unhappy female, stroking her hair soothingly, until there was another knock on the suite's door.
      It was Zyelenyi, and he looked at his bedmate with such soft compassion that Mahrayne had to double-check she hadn't imagined it. A Saiyan looking something other than stoic, or scornful, in front of someone who wasn't family? But then Zyelenyi wasn't elite - did that make a difference?
      "'ruro told me I'd find you here." the young male spoke gently to Dignusia as he inclined his head politely to Mahrayne. "Let's get these letters to the transport, brehan," Mahrayne blinked at the Saiyan's use of the Hassinan word – its meaning was similar to aijin - "then we can go home, ne?"
      Dignusia, still sniffing, kissed Mahrayne's cheek then stood up to be immediately enveloped by Zyelenyi in a warm cuddle, the young male's arms and tail wrapping protectively around her. Mahrayne swallowed the lump in her throat, suddenly missing Zorun and Kel acutely.
      "Thank you, Mahrayne," Dignusia's voice was wobbly, but she seemed more composed now. She gave Zyelenyi a small smile, "Mahrayne's had an idea for me, but we need to ask 'ruro first."
      Zyelenyi was always quick on the uptake; his face lit up.
      "For 'ruro to have the brats, if it's safe?"
      Dignusia nodded, smiling shyly.
      "They'd be almost my children anyway."
      "That'd be wonderful!" Zyelenyi cupped the Hassinan's face in big hands, looking softly, earnestly into her eyes. "I want to have brats with you."
      That was so sweet and loving - Mahrayne thought watching the pair - she was going to start howling soon; as it was the tears were very close to the surface. Zyelenyi shot her an apologetic look.
      "Sorry to have troubled you, Lady Mahrayne, we'll take the letters now."
      "It's no trouble," Mahrayne smiled, handing over the bundle of correspondence, "and I really hope it does work out for you." She gave Dignusia a tiny grin. "Make sure he understands about the mood-swings."
      Dignusia laughed - she was in a much more positive frame of mind now - and patted the confused male's hand.
      "I'll explain it to you later, yes?"
      "Thank you, Mahrayne." She impulsively hugged the older female before leaving the suite, Zyelenyi close by her side, his tail wrapped securely around her waist.

Vinas activated the comm-unit, accepting the call from his colleague on Hassina.
       "Yes, Nearts?"
      "I'm transmitting the results of the genetic study we've been carrying out on the natives, sir." Off-screen the researcher manipulated the controls that would send the information through to Vinas's terminal in a few seconds. "I think you'll find it interesting."
      Once the document reached him, the bio-tech quickly read it through, his eyes widening slightly.
      "This is confirmed?"
       "It's only the results of the preliminary study, sir, within a limited field of subjects, but, yes, those results have been confirmed."
       "According to this, the Hassinan genome is highly adaptable."
      Nearts nodded.
      "Yes, sir. In theory, the Hassinan can interbreed with any number of other species without medical intervention - in theory."
       "It's no surprise then that the Lady Mahrayne became pregnant so easily, or that the Hassinan have such a high percentage of live births despite abnormalities in the foetuses." Vinas frowned. "The G'geckan researchers must have known about this."
       "Surely. They've been studying the Hassinan for centuries."
       "It makes me wonder..." Vinas said thoughtfully, "what else do they know about this species and have neglected to pass on?"
       "Sir?"
      "I have enormous respect for the G'gheckans, Nearts, their knowledge has been immensely helpful, but ultimately we know nothing of their motivations - or their ethics..."