Across the Endless Sands (Collector of Rarities x NobodysAngel80)

[NobodysAngel80]

It had been a long year of mourning for the old king, one year since he had passed on from this life to the next, taking the journey across the Golden Sands into the next world. For a year, the great city of Anpurah, the Jewel of the Sands, had been draped in black and mourning. Tonight the city came alive for the first time since the old king’s death to welcome the new king, the old man’s son. As tradition dictated, there would be three days of celebrations throughout the kingdom, and on the morning of the third day, the prince would be officially crowned king of the nation of Kashtua.

Preparations had been made for months, waiting for the one year mark of the old king’s death to arrive, and it seemed as if the entire city had erupted into flowers and banners and dance and song, as lords and ladies from all over the sun-drenched kingdom came to pledge their fealty to the new king-to-be and to celebrate his rise to the throne. Prince Reza was a young man, strong and swift and wise, and had ruled the kingdom as prince regent in the year of mourning since his father’s death. Now, tonight began his rule as king in name, and three days hence, he would be crowned king in fact and deed. The white stone and golden spires of the palace glittered amid the bright colors and gaiety in the city, a similar bustle of excitement going on inside.

It was into this palace that entertainers had come for the evening. Jugglers and musicians, sorcerers and dancers and other such people had arrived to provide entertainment for the prince and the men and women of the court. Strange and exotic, there were people from the snowy northlands, the tropical islands of the south, the fur-clad barbarians of the west and the delicate, silk draped fey of the east. The rise of a new king was always a cause for celebration, and the Whispers were among the most highly sought of all such celebratory entertainment.

Inaya had been a dancer since she was old enough to stand. Her mother had been a performer herself many years ago, and had been delighted that her daughter had also taken up the same profession. Her mother had put her to bed with stories of her travels with a troupe of performers; sword swallowers and fire breathers and fortune tellers and all manner of strange and wonderful people. Inaya was lucky that her mother still had contacts and was able to get her an audition with a good, reputable troupe who treated their performers well. In fact, it was the same man who had owned the performance company that her mother had been with, who remembered Inaya fondly as a plump, laughing toddler and now saw in her the same loveliness and grace that her mother had possessed in her youth. She had been with them now for five years, and at nineteen years of age, she had fully blossomed into that promise of beauty that she had shown the potential of as a young girl.

Their troupe had been drawn to the celebration, the biggest of their generation. It wasn’t every day that a new king was crowned after all, and the whole kingdom, and the other kingdoms of course around them had reason to celebrate. Their troupe master had managed to get them booked as entertainment in the palace proper, his reputation for beautiful, talented dancers making him a very prized contract. They had set up a dressing area for the dancers to freshen up and change into their night’s costumes. As one of the star dancers, Inaya’s costume was a bit special from the rest of the corps, sheer white silk shot through with glittering golden threads, the whole affair filmy and sleek, flowing strips that hung from a golden chain link belt, a thin band wrapped around her breasts and adorned with gold thread and jingling charms along the lower edge, her feet encased in matching dancing slippers with the other lead dancers. Gold bands and bangles adorned her arms and ankles, tinkling gently as she moved.

Even among the lovely dancers she worked with, Inaya was an exquisite beauty. Pale skinned, paler than most people of Kashtua could be, her hair long and thick and exotically red as flame and sunset, her eyes jewel bright and deep violet. She had an unearthly beauty to her, something that was altogether not quite human. The way she moved, the elegant lines of her form, the lightness of her steps, they all seemed to suggest a lineage that was not entirely mortal. There were legends enough of gods and spirits and amorous djinns who found mortal men and women pleasing to the eye and whose unions had produced children that were not completely mortal.

Even now, they were ready and standing off to the side, waiting for the prince to arrive in the ballroom. The lead dancers would take the floor first, before the rest of the dance corps joined in. The musicians were set up and ready, the other courtiers and such milling about, waiting for things to begin. She was always nervous about performances, had never quite gotten over the pre-performance jitters. Now, she waited, watching for the signal from the dance master to let them know it was time to begin the dance.

 

[Collector of Rarities]

RE: Across the Endless Sands

Prince Reza was simultaneously excited and nervous for the festival. His father's passing had been hard on him, but it had fortunately happened during a very stable time and the slow transition of Reza taking his father's place had been easy and painless. While his mother ruled for the past year, Reza was introduced to diplomats from allied nations and appraised of the current political situation. With his training now complete, he was now ready to take the crown at the end of the festival.

Prince Reza was a young man in his early twenties with black hair that stopped just above his shoulders, brilliant blue eyes and a neatly trimmed goatee which accented his strong jawline handsomly. He had lightly tanned skin from Kashtua's radiant sun and his body had the musculature of someone who regularly practiced with a sword. He presently wore a red tunic with gold, vine-like patterns sewn into it, a pair of beige trousers an a pair of finely crafted sandals. Reza had a very expressive face and wasn't in the habit of hiding his emotions; the sorrow he had felt at the loss of his father had been so plainly written on his face that it was said to have infected anyone he encountered for several days after the king passed.

Right now, though, Reza wore a look of eager anticipation as he walked into the ballroom and took his seat. There was no mystery as to where Reza was supposed to sit. Several honored guests were given chairs and stools to sit on, but most people were forced to stand. Prince Reza, soon to be King Reza, however, had an ornate chair waiting for him right in front of the dancers; he was obviously being given the best seat in the house. Reza had heard about this particular dance troupe before and had even seen them perform once when he was younger. He had fond memories of that performance, although he couldn't remember much about the actual dances themselves. He had given specific instructions for the troupe to pick their own dances: he knew that they would put together an excellent show when they were given full creative control. The jugglers, acrobats and magicians had all been wonderful diversions, but many considered the dancers to be the day's main act.

Reza took a moment to settle into his chair and then, with a silent imperious nod, he signaled for the performance to begin.

 

[NobodysAngel80]

Inaya had seen nobility and even royalty before; their troupe traveled far from their homeland to distant kingdoms and had seen handsome lords and beautiful ladies and dashing princes before. However, Prince Reza did catch the eye, though she refused to be distracted, given the leading part she was given in the opening dance. She had to admit that he was an impressively handsome young man, probably a bit older than her but not by much. And now he was king. Or he would be after the coronation celebration at least. There was a brief moment as the musicians struck a note and the lead dancers all struck their pose, one arm above their head, the other curled in front of them, hip tilted and ankles crossed, making the bells and medallions adorning their clothes tinkle like tiny chimes. They stood, perfectly still and silent, waiting for the cue to come.

When the music began, it was low and soft, the thrumming of the drums setting the pace as the harps and pipes and cymbals joined in. As the music began, the girls began to move in unison, hips swaying as their feet skimmed the floor, twirling in a froth of sheer, whirling skirts and the flash of gold. However, even moving in perfect time with the other girls, Inaya stood out, her coloring dramatic and exotic against the coal black hair and golden skin of her fellow dancers, and even the sheer white veil that shrouded her face couldn't hide the delicate angles and planes of her face, the milk and peach cream of her skin and the long crimson sweep of her hair. She moved light as a breeze across the tiled floors, seeming to dance upon her toes as the other girls moved around her, spinning in their own crimson and gold silks.

Her movements were fluid and graceful and understatedly sensual, her hips rolling and her back arching as she leapt and spun, her arms making sweeping motions as she moved, making the silks dance under her fingers as she moved. The pace started slow and sensual, but slowly built in tempo, becoming faster and more frenzied until the dancers were joined by the rest of the dance troupe. Silks of blue and gold, red and green mingled as the girls danced among each other, like petals from a multitude of flowers scattered by the breeze, different shades from sky blue to midnight blue, rose pink to blood red... but she was the only one wearing white and thus she stood out like a beacon amidst the flash and color of the other girls. Eventually they formed a pattern, whirling like the colorful eye of a hurricane around her in the center as they spun around her. The thrumming beat became like a heartbeat, matching pace with the thunder in their chests and their skin glittered with sweat as they flung themselves around the room in graceful abandon. Faster and faster, their feet moving in the steps as if they'd been born to this dance, becoming more frantic, more wild and joyful... and then the music stopped, and all of the girls collapsed in graceful heaps on the ground, back's arched, hips lifted, legs curled under them as their arms lay askew, heads thrown back and the long slender column of their throats bared.

There was a moment of silence before thunderous applause exploded, and each girl stood as one and began to migrate through the room, dancing among the patrons while they and the musicians caught their breath for the dances to come. A few minutes between each group dance to allow the dancers to mingle through the room and rest a moment left Inaya stepping back to speak with the troupe leader regarding their next set and ensuring that the pacing was correct. She was the lead dancer for a reason, not just her talent but her ability to organize and lead the others, to cover for the less experienced girls' mistakes. Not only did she dance, but she instructed the new dancers, helped to plan their routines and prepare their costumes. Inaya was a jack of all trades, and the mention had been made of the troupe master appointing her to run the day to day affairs of the troupe when he was ready to take a less active role. Word of this performance would spread, and once they made a good impression here to the new king, they could essentially write their ticket anywhere for any price.

 

[Collector of Rarities]

To say Reza was impressed by the performance was an understatement; he was entranced by Inaya. The other dancers didn't even register to him: he had eyes only for the fiery-haired beauty leading the performance. Granted, almost everyone in the room was just as entranced as the soon-to-be-king, but they did not have the unique position that Reza did. He was not just royalty, he was the king in all but title, and many people would be more than willing to overlook that small technicality to get on his good side. So, as Reza watched Inaya dance, he slowly came to realize that he was in a position to actually do something about the overwhelming desire he felt for her. He was king, after all, and a king got what he wanted. So, once the first performance ended and the dancers began mingling, Reza waved a servant over and gave him a message to deliver to Inaya.

Inaya's conversation with the leader of the troupe was interrupted by the sound of a young boy clearing his throats. It was one of the servants, looking officious, if a bit nervous. Inaya was a gorgeous woman, after all, and the lad looked like he'd only recently come of age. "King Reza requests your company, Miss," said the boy, doing his best to sound confident. He knew that he didn't have a chance with Inaya, especially since the king had his eye on her, but that didn't mean he couldn't brag to the other servants about having talked to her. "He does not wish to disturb your performance, but he would enjoy your company at your earliest convenience."

 

[NobodysAngel80]

No one was more surprised than Inaya when the young boy came to deliver the king's summons. Summons was perhaps not the right word to use; more of a request but the command was underlying and unmistakable. She glanced towards the leader of the troupe, who raised his eyebrows but nodded. "Go, Inaya. The other dances can be lead by Kouri, the king has requested your presence." He looked a bit concerned about the summons, but it could be both a great boon or a dangerous situation depending upon the king's reasoning for summoning her to attend him. Inaya inclined her head politely to the young boy and smiled. "Very well. I am of course at the king's disposal. Please, show me to him." She waited for the boy to lead her through the crowds, feeling a bit uncertain of herself but keeping her face carefully composed and calm.

She was led through the other attendees and to the dais where the king's throne sat, with the king himself upon it. When she reached the dais, she bowed deeply, keeping her eyes lowered demurely so as to appear appropriately respectful to the young man who was to be crowned soon. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to be allowed to perform in your palace for your guests. How may I be of service to you?" She asked, keeping her face downcast until given permission to rise. The other dancers were mingling through the crowd and dancing in small groups or pairs, some of the more advanced girls doing solo performances for groups of rapt admirers. She was certain there was time to find out what the king might wish of her before time for the next large group set piece or her own solo dance. That was planned for later in the evening, though if the king had any sort of special requests, it would of course take precedence.