AN: Flame, I sent an update when I first posted this chapter on my website a few weeks ago but it couldn't deliver to you for some reason. If you've changed your address, e-mail me and let me know. All hail the Princess Bride!!
CALL: chapter 6
Darius. A name of kings of old on Earth, a strong name full of power and history, a name worthy of Beka. Unfortunately the man is unworthy of neither bearing that name nor Beka. Tyr knew when he was being manipulated, which he was; and he knew when to let it happen, which was now. He had become entirely too lax from his dealings with the crew of Andromeda, he needed to remember how to be a Neitchean again; how to be a great man, one worthy of being Beka's choice for husband and father of her children. Darius might have been the name of kings, but Tyr was a god. A god of war and justice, and Darius has also been the name of a man executed before ever reaching the throne. Tyr would display for Beka, fight for her favour and he would win.
That of course was the plan.
Trance, as always, was right where she needed to be.
"Hello dear."
"Hi!"
"This is very amusing isn't it?"
"Only because you're looking at it from the outside. It isn't so funny having to watch Beka lie to herself and Tyr growl even more than usual."
"Well, Darius will mix things up a bit that's for sure."
"Yeah, he's nice. I feel kinda badly. This won't end well for him."
"Don't count him out just yet dear."
"I wonder if I should go and try to help Tyr now or wait until later."
"Wait for a little while, let him taste a bit of defeat first, he'll be more receptive after that."
"He wont be defeated, I just don't want him to embarrass himself doing something too Neitzchean that won't help his case with Beka."
"Why don't you just let him do this himself? If he needs your help so badly, then Darius is indeed the better man. Shouldn't you want what is best for your friend?"
"Oh I do. But what is best and what you think is best are two very different things."
"Well in that case, let the game begin. I've already made my move, I believe the saying goes 'the ball is in your court'."
"The wager?"
"My, you are a feisty little thing aren't you? Alright, I've heard that you are very fond of plants, so am I. I have in my arboretum a night blooming yellow Persied lily, will that do?"
"It very much will. I bet my prize winning Stone vine."
"Very well, we are agreed then."
"Yup. See you later then, we have to go back to our ship now."
"Goodnight dear."
"'Night."
Its one thing, Trance thought as she skipped away, to put your faith in your handsome, educated nephew. It's quite another to go in against Trance Gemini (who never looses) when Tyr and Beka are on the line.
Beka just could not find the right phrase, word, or inarticulate noise to encapsulate her growing frustration. Just when she'd get comfortable in one messed up emotional situation after another, something would always came along to gum up the works. In this particular instance, it was an attractive, powerful man who, she finally decided, had in fact absolutely been hitting on her earlier. Her only relief was that he wasn't scheduled to attend any of the other meetings they were to have in the next few weeks. It's a shame really, she thought, that I won't have the chance to get to know him better. No! Not its not. I don't need this kind of complication in my life right now, I just need to focus on staying sane.
Insanity picked exactly that moment to arrive, along with the creaking and muffled jingling of his leather and chain mail.
"Dylan wants us back at the Maru, its time to go."
"Is it? Already?"
"You've been sitting her for almost an hour entirely unaware of your surroundings. I had hoped to have taught you better than that."
In Tyr's defence he only sounded strained because he was trying not to think about Beka staring off into space for exactly 43 minutes thinking about that man. To Beka though, he sounded disgusted and she suppressed a wince. Then she suddenly got very, very angry.
"Please forgive me Tyr, I'll probably never live down the shame of not being a good enough Neitzchean."
Beka stormed across the lawn not knowing why she was angry. Tyr followed at a distance also not knowing why she was angry. Trance trailed them both, trying to figure out what she was going to do to fix this.