Chapter 118: 'True Blue'

Turning to regard the new speaker even as the others, Tenchi felt something in the location he normally associated as his brain simply freeze.

In his twenty-one years he'd done and believed he had 'seen', many a great thing.

Some of which could even be termed 'miraculous' Perhaps even godly.

This however was the first time he could specifically remember seeing someone who actually looked ... Well, like one always expected an alien to look.

She was blue! His mind instantly shooting off to images he'd seen of east Indian deities in school.

Hair white as virgin snow, a child of Vishnu striding elegantly towards them! Like Kali or Shiva made flesh.

"Goodness me, how you have sprouted!" the apparition, at least from Tenchi's point of view continued addressing the princess. Halting in a swirl of fine silks only a scant distance apart.

"Lady ... Ena..." Ayeka breathed astonished. "I did not know that you were here!"

"But of course..." The blue woman smiled radiantly.

"Who else would be sent ahead to prepare the bed in which the emperor will lay?"

"I now understand how the assault on this house went so uncontested!" The princess growled, sparking in Tenchi a sense of mild panic.

"I am the eyes and hands of the Emperor!" Ena stated proudly

"Among other organs!" Ayeka spat venomously, before turning three quarters towards Tenchi.

"She is my fathers soothsayer and strategist!"

"No formal introduction?" Ena sighed pleasantly, continuing abet more slowly Tenchi's direction.

"You wound me."

"I on the other hand," She paused briefly eyeing him boldly now only a few feet away.

"Am well aware of who you are."

"Keep your distance!" Ayeka snapped stepping between them.

"Tenchi beware! She's my fathers plaything AND not to be trusted!"

"Ayeka!" Ena returned, seeming the soul of astonishment.

"This is so rude!"

The woman then halted eyeing the princess speculatively.

"Your not still carrying that grudge against me are you?" She then coyly added.

"No one here has any interest in you or your lies you..." Ayeka seethed.

"This is so unnecessary!" Ena soothed elaborately.

"You were both so young! Yosho was simply sowing his royal oats!"

"Silence!" The princess commanded.

"While you were still a little girl!" Ena continued unabated.

"It was only natural for him to..."

"I will personally rip the tongue from your lying head!" Ayeka stormed.

"Wait just a second!" Tenchi suddenly blurted.

"Are you saying that you and..." He pointed numbly.

"And GRANDPA?" His sentence finishing in a slightly higher almost broken octave.

Both women studied him for an instant while Ayeka's glare towards the woman narrowed to laser intensity.

"Quite." Ena shrugged unashamed, with only the slightest of smiles to mark mild if any penitence.

"Whoa..." Tenchi breathed, in punctuation of an ongoing silent appraisal of the newcomer.

Starkly alien she might well be, but there was no denying the awesome presence and sheer beauty this 'Ena' commanded.

"What is your business here slattern?" The princess renewed her verbal assault.

"As if the abysmal shame upon my house due to its acts were not already sufficient!"

Ayeka gestured at the priest quarters curtly.

"You couldn't help but procure a few souvenirs?"

"How uncharacteristically pedestrian of you..." Ena cooed, apparently unoffended.

"My princess." She then added executing a slight bow.

"Truth being spoken however, I was intending to make my way eventually to yon homestead."

An azure hand waved in the general direction of the Misaki's distant house.

Well, it's roof anyway. Since that was about all you could really make out at this angle and then only if you stood at the edge of the cliff.

"But since you have alleviated the need." She regarded then both raising a single sculpted white brow.

"I'm obliged to fulfill the first of my official duties this day."

"And pray what would that be harlot?" Ayeka snapped unabated, almost forcing Tenchi to glance down at where she was still seething.

Man! He couldn't help but wonder at the history between these two. Ayeka was not cutting any slack!

"Why to pay my proper respects of course!" Ena smiled while lowering herself to one knee before Tenchi's astonished eyes.

"To the new heir apparent!" She added dropping her gaze to his feet.

Ena completing the gesture by arching sensuously forward. Extending both arms palms up to where her lacquered nails all but brushed the tips of his dumbfounded shoes.

The moment stretched, Tenchi could almost feel dust motes settling, before his eyes darted left to where Ayeka was barely curdling her outrage.

"GET UP!" The princess snapped. "How dare you?"

"Certainly my princess would not disallow my right of deference?" Ena queried, eye still fixed to the ground.

"This is not deference!" Ayeka sputtered. "This is contextual mockery!"
"He is to be emperor is he not?" Ena added gazing speculatively upward at a thoroughly befuddled Tenchi.

"Thus I am compelled by tradition as royal concubine!"

"Ca, ca, concubine?" Tenchi stammered.

Not that the discussion hadn't fostered some ideas. It was just having it blatantly confirmed.

"One who is bonded physically to the thrown..." Ena supplied mildly.

"Having a recognized social status below that of a wife or qu..."

"HE KNOWS WHAT A CONCUBINE IS!" Ayeka stormed.

"There is really no need to shout my princess." Ena pouted still kneeling at Tenchi's feet.

Weather it was Ena's admonishment or her own self control belatedly kicking in, Ayeka still visibly labored over a few breaths, eyes closed.

"Very well," She began tightly.

"You have shown your 'deference'.

You may now demonstrate your continued fealty to the thrown by displaying your backside! as you depart our presence!"

She punctuated with a wave towards the stairs.

"So soon?" Ena smiled coyly at her while rising.

"But I have only just met the Emperor to be..." She continued.

"T'would be rude indeed to exercise your second request..."

"My second?" Ayeka gasped as Ena's eyes boldly left hers resting their gaze solidly upon Tenchi.

"And inappropriate to accommodate your first." She added radiantly.

"All before the wedding no less!"

"It was NOT a request!" Ayeka countered hotly. "Nor an itemized list!"

"Then sadly my princess," Ena told her turning serious while glancing her way.

"I fear my first duty to the new empire must be disobedience."

She then executed a formal bow.

"My instructions towards the heir apparent this day fall directly from your fathers lips."

Ena blinked slowly, looking now solemnly to where Tenchi stood mute.

"And they require I confer with the soon to be crown prince as to his role in tomorrows ceremonies!"

"I am more than capable to instruct Tenchi on anything that he needs to understand!" Ayeka returned disdainfully.

"Unlikely." Ena admonished flatly.

"While I'm certain your knowledge of basic ceremonies rivals my own. There are several, how shall we say? Items upon which I must personally instruct."

"Over my dead body!" Ayeka growled.

"Uh Ladies?" Tenchi attempted to interject.

"You have been out of touch with Jurian political affairs for more than six hundred years Ayeka." Ena admonished.

"Certainly you will at least acknowledge some important 'current' affairs might be beyond your grasp?"

"Would your grasp of 'Jurian politics' extend to knowing the whereabouts of Ryo oki?" Hero suddenly rasped. Dragging all eyes the almost forgotten diplomat's direction.

"And you would be?" Ena queried curiously.

"Oh, and here I thought YOU knew everything." Ayeka commented dryly.

"I'm Hero Sheagame, Bureau of Earth/Jurian Affairs ma'am." Hero announced stepping forwards, unable to suppress a slight formal bow.

"I see." Ena acknowledged, seeming perplexed.

"And at the risk of being impertinent." Hero pressed.

"I will repeat that question. Do you know the whereabouts of the girl named Ryo oki?"

"Or Ryoko?" Tenchi added suddenly intensely interested.

"Or even Sasami for that mater?" Ayeka iced.

For the briefest of instants Ena actually looked stricken. Regarding the three of them in turn as though each of their heads had burst into flames.

"I assure you." She began slowly.

"I have no knowledge of any such girl good sir." Ena informed Hero before splitting gaze between Tenchi and Ayeka.

"And as to the former destroyer of worlds," She appeared to pause speculatively.

"The imperium will deal with her in due time."

"You lying blue bitch!" The echo of Ryoko in Ena's mind snickered.

"Not at all." Ena privately informed her personal mental doppelganger.

"I honestly have no idea where they have hidden your little cabbit friend!"

"The second princess however." She continued aloud.

"Was transferred, still in time freeze aboard your mother's cruiser Yadlin two days ago as time is a reckoned upon this small sphere."

"And I have not lied, merely evaded." She continued to her version of Ryoko privately.

"The matters involving you will not be 'officially' settled until tomorrow's eve."

"Now why don't I believe you I wonder?" Ayeka sniffed.

"You're actually TELLING us where they're holding Sasami?" Tenchi asked astonished.

"I have no reason to conceal such a matter." Ena shrugged.

"Because there's probably not a damn thing we can do about it!" Hero fumed. Gaining an immediate glance from Tenchi his way.

"Not without killing every unprotected person currently under the shield." The princess added sullenly.