SC.2023.24. Reiki Tsu'Reik
Reiki Tsu'Reik, after 240BK, Madaba before (a.k.a. The Great Dawn)
"Please, honoured guests, attend here, to the founder's portrait."
"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Denny!"
"Err, sorry, but she is right pretty."
"Dentrag!"
"She was pretty, that is my great-great-great-great, times eight, grandmother, that painting is over a thousand years old."
"Noyjitat!"
"She's not from around here though..."
"What do you mean?"
"Was she born in Tsou?"
"No, she was a princess of the Saami before she married my great-great-great-great, times eight, grandfather."
"The Saami? But that's as far from here as you can get, and not get closer on the other side!"
"Perhaps, but she was still the ruler of the Allvikingsadingthing, the Reik, and so, our dynasty's regnal name, and everyday family name, are the Tsu'Reik."
"What's that?"
"A letter I found in the mail this morning, didn't have a chance to open it yet."
"When they have a jade tab like that on them, it's official correspondance, and you're legally required to return it to the post office, once read, by the way."
"How much is that worth, by the way?"
"A week's salary for a common laborer."
"Whats the letter say?"
"Oh, my." She unrolled what she had thought was a tri-folded letter, but it was actually the cunning folding pattern known as Tsou one-hundred-and-eight-fold, the paper, one long folded roll, reached down to the floor as she held. "And it's in dawn moniqan?"
"I can help translate, that is still our official court language." She picked up the paper. "Honoured military attache and dependants, it has been too long since one of your people has met one of our people on the true field of battle, where one can establish true mastery and dominance, where one can be truly superior: the dance floor! It is dawn prince Tsu'Reik's fondest wish that you, your consort, and his childhood... familiar, Moka, join him at the Palace this Vividay to pace the floor and honour the founder of our line, who before she was even a queen of the Tsou, ruled its dancefloors. Please confirm your ability to attend by no later than Innuday... " She blurted, clearly upset. "Innu-day, that's today!"
"What's the matter?"
"There's an etiquette to this, started by our ancestor, she codified much of what's allowed in a diplomatic invitation, all across Kagomei. Notice how it doesn't say 'or inability to attend'?"
"What's with that?"
"It means if you don't come, the occasion is cancelled, so you better have a REALLY good reason. And I get named as an incidental, I can't really say no either... But I've got nothing to wear!"
"Well you got that dawn wungli fit for a princess!"
"I can't wear that, I'm his ambasssador to other peoples, that'd be claiming much higher above my station than I could survive, his WIFE would think twice about wearing that to his function..."
"Such an interesting choice of Wungli, your excellency."
"Please, I am a mere military officer, the ambassador is the excellency."
"But you are working so much better at establishing bonds between our peoples. Surely, no one has worked quite as fast as you, The permit for the embassy, which normally takes six months, is already on my desk for my signature..."
"Oh, that's very good." Piersa was stunning in her borrowed Dawn-gold Wungli in the Tsou style, while Mako's red-first wungli with the black sleeves and emerald shoulders typical of a Kagomei Wungli were attracting stares.
"Where did you find such a treasure, Mako-chan?"
"It was my great-great-great-great, two-times, grand mother's. It is almost two centuries old, and a present from the Kagomine themselves, when she was ambasssador to them, the last we had before the war..." Mako hadn't thought much of leaning into symbolism this heavy, but the reactions so far had ranged from polite widening of the eyes, to impressed at such symbolic weight, and appropriateness, since, after all, as the cat princess' niece and unofficial ambassador, her friendship with Piersa and Dentrag was mending bridges thought burned forever until the treaty of Lai Dang.
"Makiri-chan, you've outdone yourself?" The Dawn Prince was beaming, his face somewhat red with drink.
"Donovan-Sama." She had struggled to give him even the time of day lately, his taking her for granted was grating.
"I know you cheated to get permission to wear that... It's technically my mother's right now... And she's too ill to grant permission."
Mako just bowed, unsure what to say, although he was right, and had caught her, somewhat.
"You've learned to work outside permissions, outside established boundaries, since last we spent time together."
"And you've not learned to treat people like people, you still treat me like a pet! Calling me a familiar, not allowing me to decline coming!"
"Err."
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