T'yeellaa didn't waver her eyes-forward disposition at Kes' words, and when the Royal Choral Battalion began their rousing rendition of the Cizeri Anthem, she spoke within earshot carefully.
"He'ss the fjirrsst conssorrt," she reminded, as if he needed to know more about exactly what benefits the queen enjoyed, "of a multji-mjilljion man harrem."
Her ears raised a bit at the thought. If T'yeellaa had her pick of several million husbands, she probably could find dazzling eyecandy as well.
"Sshe doessn't have to ssettle forr anjythjing."
Just then, a familar face appeared in the background of the royal procession. It was hard to tell, but T'yeellaa was sure that she saw...
"Daanarri?"
A surprised blink. She'd entered into the High Mother's court, that she knew. T'yeellaa didn't know she was a part of the royal procession itself. A wave of pride buoyed in the elder Meorrrei's heart, and she smiled across the divide.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the outer threshold of the rally...
A few Jaanni'saari posted to guard the cordon looked down at a hirsute alien who had ignored the more polite roped barrier that was to keep the civilians away. One of the marines gestured back to the divide.
"The rralljy jiss clossed to the publjic. Pleasse sstep behjind the ljine."
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