Dune III - Tuesday,
July 09, 2002, 7:54 PM
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Sisay's Room -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
������� You are in a
bright and well-lit room. The whole eastern wall is transparent and you can see
part of the beautiful Embassy garden through it. Small trees shield the view
inside, filtering the light to a calm, greenish hue. A modest-sized bed covered
with crimson sheets is located adjacent to the northern wall, below a huge
painting of a unicorn in a forest. A rapier with a golden hilt also rests on a
stand inside a glass case against the wall. Lining the western wall is a
mini-library filled with ridulian crystals and a holo-reader. The crystals seem
to be about the geography and history of the major planets in the galaxy as
well as treatises about war and warfare. The southern wall holds only a dresser
and a small, simple bar, and a low, unadorned arch leading into her sister's
room. A couch and a table lie in the middle of the room on a soft gray carpet.
Exits:
�Small Arch <S>
leads to Delana's Room -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
�Carved Wooden Door
<SW> leads to Family Residences -- Ginaz Embassy (Kaitain)
Delana walks in from Family Residences through the Carved
Wooden Door.
Delana has arrived.
As the sun slowly sets about Kaitain, darkness creeping
slowly around the trees and streets of the Imperial Capital, the Ginaz Embassy
grows more silent as everyone retires to rest. Even Sisay is curled up in her
large bed, pillow behind her back, blankie around her knees and of course, a
book in her hand. A purring sound can be heard from the general direction of
her bed, although its source isn't exactly obvious.
Throwing the door to the room open with a rather ungraceful
finesse, the elder of the twins storms into the room - making sure to close the
door once more behind her. "Of all the nerve...." Delana continues, a
deep scowl upon her lips as she moves towards her sister's bed in a whirlwind
of activity.
Sisay cutely blinks, quite surprised at the sudden outburst
of sound and movement in her quiet evening, away... far away from all troubles.
And she's not the only one startled. A scruffy-looking lynxlet head pokes from
underneath the blankie where Sisay's feet should have been, meowing and peering
curiously at the visitor. "Hello, Delana..." the Lady's voice echoes,
slapping the book close, awaiting for her sister to calm down and explain.
If she has any intention of calming down, it is not likely
to be anytime soon as the elder twin continues to pace back and forth at the
foot of the bed. Delana continues to grumble her words incoherent before
finally turning her violet depths upon her younger sister. "Have you heard
what the gossips are saying about me? Me? I mean as if your constant
indiscretions were not enough...now they speculate about me?" She frowns
deeply before flopping down into the couch.
Sisay smiles a bit then breaks into a fully fledged
laughter. "Oh, sister dear... Now you are a step closer to understand how
many of -those- gossips are true... isn't it?" she echoes, motioning her
sister to join her on the bed while the feline pet tangles itself around
Sisay's legs, curiously peering her golden gaze towards Delana.
"I know they are not all true, Sisay - I never claimed
they were." She sighs in exasperation before rising from the couch once
more and making her way over to join her sister on the bed. Her gaze flickers
towards the lynxlet before turning to land questioningly upon her sister.
"Sisay, the night of the Alvstad party in honor of the na-Viscount - who
were you with?" She pauses before adding cautiously. "I swear I will
not tell Uncle..."
Fionna also looks at her mistress, as if she would also be
curious on her answer. Of course all she wants is a pet behind her ears which
Sisay lovingly gives. "Why do you want to know, sister? Is there anything...
wrong?" she asks in a whispering tone, her gaze deeply locked with that of
her feline companion.
Violet depths linger upon her younger twin for several
moments before continuing softly. "Why do I want to know?" She frowns
deeply. "All of a sudden I need a reason?" Delana echoes as she
considers for several moments, her brows dipping into a serious furrow. "Sisay,
the rumor mill may run rampant, but I know the truth when I hear it. Now I am
asking you who you were with. I really do not see why you seem so evasive. You
have told me before about the other men, what makes this one any different? I
would rather hear the answer from you than to try and question every man in
existence or seek out the Gesserit sisters for an answer..."
"I was with Shane.", the answer comes simple and
matter-of-factly as Sisay's hand gently rubs at the back of Fionna's neck, her
gaze following the lynx's sniffing mouth.
"Shane?" She pauses, repeating the name with a
slight relaxed laugh before shaking her head. "...but you could not have
been...he and I were..." Her words trail off as the amusement fades from
her features, a faint tremble brushing her lips. "...but...he..."
Delana tries to clear her thoughts, the color draining from her cheeks as she
lowers her gaze in silence. Her thoughts trip over the words before adding
softly, "...the Moritani wine...how could you?"
Sisay rolls her eyes upwards, but then she sighs and fixes
her sister with her black, glimmering eyes. "I didn't sleep with
him." she says again in a whispering voice. "You are -very- lucky,
Delana. Shane is a very good man." She sighs again and quickly adds:
"I didn't mean nothing to happen but I was tired from practice, he was...
half undressed in the gardens... the wine... it was harmless, really."
"Lucky...?" She pauses, her gaze lifting to study
her sister as though she is insane. "I am so very lucky? To have a sister
who fools around with my suitor? To have a suitor who cannot keep his hands off
my own twin?" She chokes out before rising from the bed. "God forbid
I should be damned." The woman closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath,
her complexion growing paler by the second. "I trusted you, Sisay. I have
been there, always, to pick up the pieces of your messes so that you could live
in your fantasy and disillusioned world of pleasure without consequence. I have
sacrificed everything - including the freedom I wished most so you would not
need to suffer the same." Delana shudders as her voice grows quieter.
"I have endured the accusations of being a prude, laughed at, threatened,
and even attacked...all so that you could, on a whim, fool around with Shane.
Well congratulations, you have your freedom. As far as I am concerned you can
have him, and he, you. For I no longer have a sister."
Sisay closes her eyes and withdraws her hand from Fionna's
silvery-gray fur. The pet doesn't protest, she just lays her head on her hand
and closes her eyes. "You are right, Delana.... you are so right.",
Sisay's voice echoes with a sad intonation as she looks downwards. "I am
not worthy of being your sister and not worthy of being our uncle's
niece." A grim pause follows as the darkness creeps more omniously around.
"They should get a good price on me."
"Not likely, Sisay, used merchandise tends to lower the
value." The elder twin replies coldly, turning slowly to make her way back
to the door before pausing to look back. "I just need to know one thing,
Sisay. All things said and done - was the price of Uli's influence really worth
the loss of everything?" She falls silent for several moments, her violet
depths flickering hauntingly upon her sister. Finally, with a faint echo, she
replies softly. "I certainly hope so...I would hate to think you threw
away your family for a few nights of pleasure." Lowering her gaze with
finality, Delana turns to open the door and head out.
Sisay doesn't reply at all, leaving the surrounding darkness
and silence to infiltrate her soul and thoughts as happened so often in the
past days. As her sister walks to the door, Sisay's forms become more and more
indistinguishable untill she melts completely in the night. Her sister's
question remains utterly unanswered.
