Dawning Skye

546 Inappropriate Behavior(Part Three)

***CONTENT WARNING: LANGUAGE***

By the time Skye started to play the fourth song, over half of the room was up on their feet. Groups of people happily chatted away with smiles, while others old and young danced to the beautiful melody of Skye’s music. Most seemed to be having a wonderful time: except for Senator Tokuga and his group.

They looked on at the scene before them with barely concealed disdain, especially at the Alconian Princess. The loud music and dancing was no less than lewd behavior in their eyes, and they couldn’t believe how many of their own were joining in. Princess Skye had started it, but Senator Lei’s family members were the ones that had turned the honorable gathering into an excuse for boraderline debauchery.

Mei Lei and her daughter had been the first ones to start dancing. Taken in by the child’s innocent encouragement, many of the older couples had started to sway to a softer, more easygoing version of the song. As the songs started to vary and become more fast-paced, the younger people began to dance, while the elders went off to reminisce about other fun times in their lives.

The voices that filled the room matched the joviality of the music, making the scene appear to be a joyful celebration to all; except Tokuga and his minions. They made harsh criticisms, and badmouthed any who joined in with the Alconian Princess. As they glared and slandered her, Skye happily ignored them, and lost herself in her music.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair bobbed with every step that she took. As her fingers slid effortlessly across the strings, her bow moved fast enough to seemingly catch fire. Everyone was cheering as the song came to it’s crescendo, and sweat beaded along Skye’s brow line.

“This is an insult to our ancestors,” one of the senators surrounding Tokuga stated in a low voice.

The man next to Tokuga spoke; “I agree. The Lei family should be punished for encouraging such a shameful event. Is this what it’s like in Alcon?”

“I bet it is.. They’re all barely better than savages there,” another added.

.....

“I don’t think we should sign any treaties until we know if that outrageous woman is considered normal in Alcon. Where is Jin Laos? Why hasn’t he put an end to this farce yet?”

One of the younger senators among them spoke up; “She is the Guardian of the Last Dragon, so I doubt many are like her. I bet that they sent her here to get rid of her.. Who would want an awful woman like that around their court? King Magnus probably saw this as an opportunity to get rid of her and the third prince..”

“Not just the current king,” Senator Tokuga whispered to himself.

“I can see why the prince deals with her,” another said with a wide smile.

Several others either rubbed at their chins, or rubbed their a hands together in agreement. Snide grins covered their faces as they commented on the way Skye looked in her dress, and debated if the rest of her skin would look as flushed as her face underneath. A few refrained from speaking, deeming it unfit discussion for the occasion.

But they all still stared.

If Skye had noticed, she might’ve put them in their place, but there were more Senators than Tokuga’s group to win over. According to Mei and Hana, there were three main factions within the Senate. One led by Tokuga, one by Senator Bai Lei, and the other was headed by a Senator named Sasuke Ida.

He was the oldest member of the Senate, and held the greatest influence. Senator Sasuke tended to agree with Tokuga on many matters, but he drew the line when the laws reflected remnants of the old regime. And while he may not have approved of the Alconian Princess’ idea of entertainment, he could not deny the respect she was due.

The fact that Skye was Zazzy’s surrogate mother was only part of the reason he respected her...

Mei kept an eye on the various Senators and their families at first, but she had become too distracted. Between her daughter’s laughter and the crowd’s sincere encouragement; Mei felt a surge of joy that she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. Even her father watched on with a soft smile, elated to see his only child happier than he had seen her in years.

As Skye got around a quarter of the way into the next song, the doors opened to reveal an angry Hang, and an exasperated Tidas. The music abruptly stopped as Hang walked up to a dancing Mei and Rukia, and yanked on his wife’s arm hard enough to jar her entire body to a standstill. Confusion covered Rukia’s face as she looked up at her parents..

“What do you think you are doing?!” Hang barked at her with barely-checked fury in his tone.

Mei’s eyes went wide the second that they’d fallen on Hang’s irate expression. Trapped under his intense gaze, she froze and sputtered with a shaky voice. His breathing grew heavier with every stumbled word until he was nearly snarling.

Rukia’s face scrunched with fear as she gripped her mother’s dress, and partially hid behind her legs. The anger etched into his features wasn’t like anything the toddler had ever seen before, and it scared her to the point of tears welling. As soon as she’d poked her head out, Rukia was pulling back behind her mother as much as possible..

At the sound of her father’s icy voice, Rukia had flinched and whimpered as he said; “Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!”

“I was, we were j-just trying t-to have-”

“What?! Speak up! I actually want to hear the ridiculous excuses that you’re about to come up with,” Hang snapped, causing Mei to become even more flustered.

Senator Lei was making his way over to the scene when Skye handed her violin off to Peggy, and tried to maintain her cool as she said; “Must ya shame her in front of all of these people?! What is Wrong wit you?!”

“I don’t want to here that from you,” Hang replied as he glared at the Alconian Princess.

“Why? Because Ima opinionated, or cause I dinna let the opinions of others change me?” Skye replied with a bite to her tone.

Hang stared at Skye like she was the root of all evil I his life; “Do you not realize that you are a laughingstock? That many around you right now are mocking you? And my Wife and child?! You are to blame for this shameful display of-”

“The only one actin’ like a shameful fool right now is You,” Skye cut him off with a deadly-serious voice; “Mei, Rukia, and most of those gathered were havin’ a grand ole time, til You walked in. Did ya not look around?”

Skye motioned to Tokuga and his people before continuing; “Only those fuckers over there were bringin’ down the party, but you showed them up, didn’t ya?”

A large vein bulged from Hang’s neck as he yelled; “You are Out Of Line, Skye! This is NOT Alcon! Women aren’t supposed to dance like harlots!”

“Daddy,” Rukia’s trembling voice was barely audible as she poked her head around from her mother’s legs.

“Silence, Rukia!” Hang yelled, barely sparing her a glance.

“You may yell at me, but you do Not yell at our daughter and our guest!” Mei snapped, surprising everyone in the room.

Hang stared at his wife in shock a moment, but the growing murmurs from the gathered crowds snapped him right back with a fury..

Looking down at Mei with icy eyes, he spoke with just as cold of a tone; “Do not speak right now, Mei. You’re lucky that I haven’t dragged you and Rukia out of here yet.. What were you thinking, dancing like that? I thought you were better than this.”

“I will not tolerate you speaking to my daughter like that, Senator Zhao. Wife or not: Mei is the next Head of the Lei family. You Will show her the respect that she is due, or you will deal with me,” Bai Lei stated as he stepped forward from the line of people surrounding the scene.

The spectators instantly started to call Bai Lei insane for passing his position to his daughter instead of her husband, which was the normal thing to do. Although there were no laws saying a woman could not be the head of a family, it was socially unaccepted that a woman hold any form of power, unless it was temporary; until a male came of age.

Hang barely glanced at the gossip mongers or his father-in-law as he replied; “Mei is my wife, therefore my property, Senator Lei. What happens between us no longer concerns you.”

“But it concerns me,” Hana chimed as she followed behind Mei’s father; “I am the guardian of Mei, therefore if you intend to harm her in Any way: I will not hesitate to end you.”

The room erupted with arguments when Hana had finished stating her threat. Most of the Senators were outraged that a simple ninja would openly threaten a Senator, regardless of the cause. They were calling for swift punishment, and cursing at both Hana and Mei for causing the situation.

Skye stood watching the chaos with utter shock etched onto her face. Was she not the one who had started to play music and dance in the first place? Why was all of the blame being shifted to Mei? It made no sense to her.

As if reading his wife’s mind, Tidas came to stand next to Skye, and whispered; “Mei is one of their own, and easier to pin for the incident than a diplomat from a potential ally kingdom. Plus, you’re the Guardian of the Last Dragon, so I bet No one wants to offend you, except Hang.. If we don’t step in, Mei and Hana might get formal charges laid against them.”

“Fer what?!” Skye yelped in shock.

“Disturbing the peace, conspiracy to commit harm of some kind; I don’t know which they would pick. All I know is that I’ve seen it happen before, and would prefer if we can resolve this before others get any ideas,” Tidas replied as he glanced towards Senator Tokuga, who was hastily chatting away with his minions.

What do we do?!” Skye almost bellowed over the growing noise.

“I don’t know, but it better be big and quick, or Mei and Hang might be held responsible for a riot,” Tidas pointed to the middle of the gathering group in the center.

Mei was trying to comfort a balling Rukia as Hang bounced between screaming at them, and Hana. The noise was becoming almost deafening, so Skye covered her ears to think a moment..

It was then that Skye could finally hear the panicked words of Zazzy in her mind. She was currently hovering above the castle, drawn by the loud voices floating on the night’s crisp air. Skye assured her that everything was okay for the moment, and told her to stand by for a moment.

‘Big and quick, hmm?’

A devilish idea popped into her head, causing a large smile to stretch across Skye’s face. After quickly giving orders to Zazzy, she turned to Tidas and said; “Whatever happens: just go wit it. I got a plan..”

Tidas sighed heavily; “If it involves violence, then no.”

Skye shrugged; “Not violence, per say.. But we’re definitely gonna owe Genie a new roof...And a floor or two, but I can do most of the work me self. I just hope this works..”

Before Tidas could ask, the entire castle began to shake. People screamed, and and ducked under tables in a panic. Most assumed that they were having an earthquake, but they soon found out that was not the case..

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