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Rose: Rude Awakenings and a Short "honeymoon"

Rose woke from a strange dream. She was flying away from some cute foxies that wanted her attention to go face angry fire-breathing monsters. So when she heard the voice from the dream in her head again, it startled her.

"Gah!" Rose shouted, and hopped out of the big oak bed. Her oak bed- that's right, she was the Kitsune Queen now.

<Need your help. Find Broden> the voice said again in Rose's head. She finally recognized the voice. Flan. Some relation of Dragon's, though she hadn't puzzled out the exact "how" of that one. Still... if she was asking, it usually meant that Dragon couldn't. Rose took a deep breath to calm herself, before turning toward the wardrobe to get dressed.

"Gah!"

Sitting on the bench next to the wardrobe and folding screen was-

"Nissa's... head?" Rose stared at the thing, but it didn't move or answer or anything. It must be broken. And if Nissa's broken, then there is a lot more trouble going on than I know.... she thought.

Trying to ignore the decapitated robot head, Rose got dressed quickly, in something less regal and a little more... travel-worthy. As she stepped out of the room, ANTIE-D greeted her.

"Your Highness. Good morning. Today, apparently, we must-" started ANTIE-D.

"-Cancel all my plans for the day, at least." Rose said, cutting off ANTIE-D and handing the surprised android Nissa's head. "We have family matters to help with."

Striding off to the Royal Study, Rose thought while she walked. She really needed a secretary or something. Passing a kitsune royal servant (and suppressing her inward happiness that the staff had already changed uniform colors to add the blue in with the white), she stopped the girl.

"I need someone to dictate to. And... notarize things. Um... make them official? Is there someone that could do that for me?" Rose asked.

The servant nodded, still in her curtsy, and ran off before completely standing again. Rose hoped she hadn't scared the girl too much.

Three minutes later, the servant led Sahm into the study, where Queen Rose was pulling books off the shelves and pacing.

"Your Majesty." Sahm said as he kneeled and placed his right fist over his heart.

Rose tried not to scoff. She knew Sahm was one of those kitsunes that strived on rituals and honorarys and stuff.

"Rise, Speaker Sahm, and speak freely." Rose said, trying not to roll her eyes at herself.

"How may I help you, My Queen?" Sahm asked, walking closer to her- since she was all the way across the large study.

"Look, Sahm. I need help. Well, I don't need help, but I need to help, so I need- ugh." Rose hated feeling like she was talking in circles. "Will you take down what I say, and put it through as an order? Legally, and everything?"

Sahm had frowned a little when Queen Rose seemed to be confused and overwhelmed. When she got to the point of it, he smiled. "Yes, Your Majesty. Any Speaker can do that for you. It is part of our duty- to Speak on behalf of the Dens, and to carry Royal decrees."

"Great. So, take this down." Rose said, and tossed another book into a messenger bag Sahm hadn't noticed before now that seemed to contain more than a few books. "I, Queen Rose Blueaecid, hereby decree Den Warden Kyrre of the Fifth Leaf Den to be my Viceroy. His word will be respected, honored and obeyed as mine when I am away from my Kingdom, and only my word shall supersede his."

Sahm had started writing, but had slowed near then end. "My Queen?" Sahm asked, still writing in his official, flowery script. "Not that I intend to question Your Royal Judgement, but... this kind of a decree isn't necessary until you plan to actually..." he slowed, as he looked again at Queen Rose. She was in rough pants, her crown was on the back of a chair near the messenger bag, and she was restless.

Rose looked back at him with a knowing look. She knew what he was going to think next.

"Look, it's not by choice. I... know I have obligations here. But, well... as much as you guys needed me, so does my Godmother, and unfortunately, while my magic might assist me here, it is absolutely necessary for what they need." She saw Sahm start to open his mouth in protest. "I know- I just started this gig. Position. Obligation. But my Godmother? I can't let her down now. She's royalty too, did you know that? A Queen, and the last surviving member of her planet. If I can't help her, how can I be trusted with all of you?" Rose sighed. Sahm opened his mouth again, and Rose braced for the accusations.

"Please, My Queen." Sahm started. Rose felt the crushing weight of guilt coming on. A people she had just pledged to protect- yesterday! "Do not be gone for too long." Sahm continued. "Kyrre will do well, the people remember his father and will respect him. But they have just witnessed the betrayed of Estefan, and still need a secure Royal foundation. Be safe, and return quickly."

Rose smiled, the expected weight never going near her. She ran over to Sahm and caught him in a big hug.

"Thanks. Thank you, Sahm." Rose said. She felt like crying- stupid overemotional rollercoasters. She took a few steps back. "Do... do I need to do anything else before I go?" she asked.

Sahm nodded curtly. "Just sign this order, right.... here." he said, and held the quill out to her above the indicated spot. Glancing over the document (as she intended to never sign something she didn't read), Rose nodded at it and signed. Sahm pulled a stamp out of his pocket, stamped it, signed it as well, and even called one of the guards over to witness-sign it as well.

"You're all set, then." Sahm said, and Rose nodded.

"Soon- I promise." Rose said, and grabbed the messenger bag and literally flew out of the room, down the hall, and out a window. Thankfully, Flan had indicated where Broden would be, and Rose met him shortly thereafter.

Sahm stood in the study, shaking his head. She was going to make a great Queen- if only they could convince her that theirs was the most important cause. Someday, she would have to be told about the Source Well. Maybe then, he wouldn't be stuck trying to explain to a Council why they now had a Viceroy temporarily, why said viceroy was his best friend, and why he didn't know where or for how long the brand new Queen had gone. Sahm wished he could expect Queen Rose to owe him for this- but how do you tell a Queen they owe you a favor?

For now, Sahm snapped his fingers, and the guards followed him out of the study. After all, he had an immensely important document to deliver to Kyrre.