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Ember put his head into Moon’s bower. “Moon, have you got my blue shirt?”
They were dressing for the formal meeting with the group from Star Aster. It was Star Aster’s first visit, and Indigo Cloud was anxious to impress. Stone had made himself scarce when the visit was first announced, but with the advice of various Arbora, Moon and Ember had cleaned and prepared what Stone had told them was once the consorts’ hall. It had never been used because there were only the three of them and they normally took visitors into the small sitting area outside their bowers. The younger consorts hadn’t known it existed.
“No,” said Moon shortly. “How could I possibly wear your shirt?” Moon was turns older than Ember, broad-shouldered and strongly built in comparison with Ember’s youthful physique.
“You could wear it unfastened, maybe, to show off your necklace,” said Ember, only just joking. He wasn’t jealous, but he enjoyed a rare opportunity to tease Moon.
Jade had given Moon a new necklace, ostensibly to match his consort’s armband, though more likely because Moon’s birth mother Malachite, the reigning queen of Opal Night, had given him an ivory disk which had belonged to his father, which Moon often wore on a cord around his neck.
“Have a look,” said Moon, “but I take care of my own things, so I doubt there’s any mistake.” This was a small dig at Ember, because the Arbora were still treating the young consort as a precious gift and doing everything they could to make him happy, which included sneakily adding embroidery or other embellishments to his clothes and even cleaning or mending them for him on occasion.
Ember casually looked through the basket in which Moon kept his clothes.
“This is nice. I haven’t seen it before, is it new? Are you going to wear it tonight?” He held up a robe in rich black of different textures with silky black embroidery which Moon’s birth mother had given him. Moon now possessed more clothes than he had ever imagined he could possibly need.
Moon grimaced. “Jade wants me to. I feel ridiculous in it.”
“On the other hand,” said Ember, “it has sleeves and a hood.”
“What, you think they wouldn’t notice if I just took a nap?”
“I was thinking more that you wouldn’t have to wear so much jewelry.” Ember smiled. Moon often complained that Raksura in general and consorts in particular were ridiculously fond of jewelry, but Ember knew that Moon liked his gifts as much as any other consort, because it was a sign of his queen’s appreciation as well as the approval of the Arbora.
“Actually there’s a good reason just to wear a shirt without sleeves,” said Moon. “Apparently we have to show Star Aster how we treat consorts here.” An armband might be worn over a shirt sleeve, but would look more impressive on smooth skin, alongside the multiple bracelets the Arbora made for them.
Ember laughed. “So, sleeveless shirt. Yes, I’ll wear the blue shirt if I can find it. What about you? We should match.”
Moon growled. “It’s so ridiculous. It’s just a pissing contest. You know the history of all this? Stone was sent to ask them for a consort, because the Arbora wouldn’t move the colony without one. They refused.”
“And Stone brought you instead.”
“Rescued me from among some groundlings. Not exactly the consort the Arbora had in mind.”
Ember frowned. “I know that must have been hard for you.” Ember also knew a little about being thrust into a Raksuran colony who hadn’t expected him, but Moon’s experience must have been much more difficult. “But you were the consort they needed. Imagine if it had been me with Stone at Sky Copper.”
Moon looked at him with a reluctant smile. “Your fighting skills may not be as strong, but I know my limitations when it comes to talking to foreign courts. You’re getting a reputation there. I just want to bite people.”
In the time since Ember had been claimed by Pearl several nearby Raksuran courts had visited, wanting to trade or discuss an alliance, concerned about stories of the Fell, or just curious about the court’s return to the Reaches. Pearl generally hated talking to other Raksuran queens, but Ember had a decided gift for making negotiations easier, usually by patiently listening to Pearl complain without pointing out the obvious need for trade and alliances. He and Pearl had successfully visited various courts as well.
“You did all right at Viridian Sea,” said Ember.
Pearl had decided Viridian Sea was not worth the time of a reigning queen, mainly because it was too small and far away, and also because Moon had “unfortunate history” there. Moon and Jade had taken Bone, who was the Arbora elder since Flower’s death. Pearl usually preferred to take one of the other leaders of the Arbora castes because they looked less intimidating. Jade thought this was actually an excellent reason to ask Bone, who in the event had entertained a rapt audience with the story of how a mass Ghobin attack had almost led to his death.
That was the only colony Moon and Jade had been allowed to visit. Pearl had told Jade she and Moon should concentrate on producing another royal clutch for Indigo Cloud, and Moon was quite happy to do his part in that. But he had sat through enough encounters in the greeting hall of Indigo Cloud when other courts sent their envoys, and he had no illusions about his diplomatic skills or his patience with Raksura queens’ posturing.
There was a call from outside and Bead came in with Ember’s shirt, which was very dark blue in a fine silky material. “Hello Ember, I saw this was getting a little tight across your shoulders so I’ve eased the armholes a bit and let out the darts in the back, and Weave had some silver thread so she added a little embroidery round the neckline.”
“Another of your admirers,” said Moon with a grin after she had left.
“Well,” said Ember. He liked the Arbora as much as they liked him. “So, blue shirt then?”
“Who’s first consort around here anyway? All right, you’re the expert.”
“Would you like me to do your hair?”
Apparently that was a serious question. Moon looked at the onyx beads strung on gold chains which were braided through Ember’s hair and sighed. “Jade gave me some stones like that. I thought she was just teasing.”
“Think how pretty we’ll both look in all our best jewelry.”
With difficulty, Moon refrained from growling.
“When did you stop being the young shy one?”
******
Personally Moon didn’t care in the slightest about impressing Star Aster, but Pearl and Jade did, so he and Ember were doing their part, quietly immaculate, going to their proper places demurely and barely looking at the visitors. Their dark, close-fitting sleeveless shirts and black pants set off the gold of their jewelry. Moon wore his new necklace with his consort’s armband as well as a black belt with gold tooled decoration which was another recent gift from Jade, and a second armband and several bracelets and anklets, gifts from Chime and the Arbora.
Ember was feeling happy. It seemed a long time since he arrived at Indigo Cloud as a frightened youngster. He and Moon were working well together now, in spite of the initial difficulties of their relationship. Ember had been scared of Moon, who was so ferociously independent and aggressive, but now he was older and more confident he thought he understood Moon better. His queen Pearl didn’t particularly like Moon, but maybe she had been right, or partly right, when she said Ember had made Moon feel inadequate as a consort.
Ember had found some things about Indigo Cloud difficult at first, particularly because of the way he himself had been given by Emerald Twilight, but now it felt like home, and he had friends among the warriors as well as the Arbora. And of course there was his clutch with Pearl. Those tiny babies were not just proof of his own value to the court; they were a symbol of Pearl’s renewed optimism and an indication of the health of the colony. Pearl had waited a while before having a clutch, and it seemed the whole of Indigo Cloud had hardly dared to breathe when the time neared for their birth, but now they had two small queens and three healthy males which Ember was convinced would be consorts. He felt warm inside just thinking about the babies, wishing he was with them now. Moon teased him, of course, though he was almost as ridiculous about his own children. Ember looked across at Moon, who flicked a quick smile back. Moon looked very pretty indeed, and Ember knew he did himself. It was definitely clear how highly valued they were by the court of Indigo Cloud.
Once the introductions were completed and the queens began the normal barbed exchanges, rather more edged than usual because of the history between the courts, Ember sneaked a look at the Star Aster consort, Jet. Star Aster had sent a sister queen, Bracken, and her consort was somewhere between Ember and Moon in age, though Ember decided Moon was prettier. At the same moment Jet looked up cautiously and caught Ember’s eyes. His lips twitched before they both resumed their extremely correct posture.
At the appropriate moment Moon rose and invited Jet to come with them, leading the way decorously to the staircase and up to the consorts’ level rather than shifting to climb the walls, so he and Ember could point out the features of the mountain tree.
Jet looked around the consorts’ hall.
“All this space for two of you?” This might have been meant as a criticism of Indigo Cloud, but looking at Jet Moon decided he was probably just a little nervous. Various people had mentioned to Moon that he could be unintentionally intimidating at times, particularly when he had to interact with strange courts, and he was trying to make allowances.
“The line-grandfather too,” said Moon. “He takes up a lot of room when he shifts.”
“Where is Stone? Is he all right?” Jet must have been present when Stone came to Star Aster, and apparently Stone had made an impression.
“He’s away,” said Moon without elaborating. He began to make tea.
“You’re first consort?” said Jet, looking at him and then at Ember. Protocol said that the first consort didn’t wait on the others.
“He is,” said Ember, smiling, “but he likes tea made his own way.”
“There are only two of us,” said Moon. “We don’t exactly take ourselves that seriously.” He and Ember had taken a little time to become accustomed to each other, but Moon felt it had worked out mostly all right.
Ember had relaxed. Jet wasn’t at all intimidating; in fact he seemed friendly. “We cleared this place specially. Normally it just doesn’t get used, but Star Aster is obviously different.” He sat down, pushing pillows towards Jet. “Please sit, be comfortable.”
“All our best jewelry,” said Moon. “Big debate about shirts. Well, smallish debate anyway, but that’s a lot for us.”
Jet looked at them both, appreciating their efforts to get him to relax. He sighed and sat down.
“It wasn’t Star Aster’s fault, what happened when the line-grandfather came.”
Moon was surprised. “I know. Stone said the court had been expanding, sending sister queens with three or four consorts to build new courts. It’s why you didn’t have consorts to spare.” Remembering Stone talking about “those worthless asses in Star Aster”, he realised now there was probably more to that story.
“it was Indigo Cloud’s failure, anyway,” he said. That was what Jade had always maintained. “They left it too late.”
“The queen isn’t holding a grudge,” said Ember earnestly, which suggested he had been listening more carefully than Moon when Pearl lectured them about Star Aster. “I believe she’d be pleased to discuss alliances with the new courts as well.”
Moon occasionally wished he had Ember’s tact. Indigo Cloud needed all the allies they could scrape together.
“How are the new courts getting on?” he asked, bringing Jet tea, doing his part as well as he could.
******
Later Moon came into Jade’s bower and pushed some pillows into a pile to sprawl on.
Jade was sitting on the raised edge of the bathing pool, just beginning to remove her jewelry. Moon watched her admiringly from his place on the floor.
“How was the meeting?”
“It didn’t go too badly,” she said. “Everyone’s still on speaking terms, anyway. How was the consort?”
“He’s fine.”
“You took him back to the guest quarters?”
“I left him discussing babies with Ember,” said Moon with a grin.
“Was Ember all right too?”
“Kid’s growing up. Jet definitely thought so. I came away before I had to wonder what Pearl would make of her consort having sex with someone from Star Aster.”
Jade laughed. “They’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”
“What I thought,” said Moon. “No need to borrow trouble.”
“You both looked so beautiful. And so well-behaved. You didn’t wear Malachite’s robe in the end?”
“We thought we’d show off our jewelry.”
“We do like to decorate our consorts,” she acknowledged. “You can take it all off now. Then come here so I can comb out your hair.”
Moon obediently removed the jewelry, belt and formal clothes. He sat at her feet with his back to her, enjoying the sensation of soft groundling skin against the rougher scales of her Arboran form. “I thought you were joking about the beads.”
“Maybe a bit. To be honest I was surprised you actually wore them.”
“Ember bullied me.”
Jade laughed. “Did he do the braiding, or was it Chime?”
Moon was starting to feel a little worried. “It was Ember. Why, is there something I should know?” Moon still stumbled over unfamiliar Raksuran customs from time to time.
Jade knew he hated feeling like an ignorant outsider. “Not really. It’s often something people do who are mated, that’s all, just because it’s a nice thing to do.”
Moon leant his head back, sighing. “It does feel kind of relaxing.” As she finished he turned on his knees to face her, and she ran a hand through his hair, claws partially extended, making Moon shiver.
“The onyx is too dark to show well in your hair,” she said. “I think I’ll get you some green stones to match your eyes.”
“Jade,” said Moon.
“You do belong to me, after all.”
******