A Union of Peace - or War? (Captain Caramel & Panther_Queen)

Ayame went to bed soon after her sister left, and woke with the rising sun shining through her window. She greeted the sun graciously, as she did every morning, then proceeded to get up and get dressed. Today she put on a casual outfit, since she was going to give Danny a tour of her Tribe's land. 'Maybe not all of it today,' she thought to herself, 'I guess he spent most of yesterday traveling, so probably won't want to do the same all today...'


While brushing her hair, Ayame tried to pick out the most important areas near home to see today. The marketplace, meeting hall, bathhouse, and maybe the noodle shop for lunch. She waited a few hours after sunrise in case Danny was the type of person to sleep a bit later. Around 9 am, she approached Danny's door and knocked gently.
 
Danny sat with his head in his hands. He was already dressed. He'd been up for a while. He couldn't shake the images out of his head, so he finally resorted to sketching them out. His art stuff was scattered about the bed when he heard a faint knock at the door.


It startled him & he jumped slightly. He sighed. "In a minute." He hurriedly shoved his art supplies along with the satchel under his bed. He'd put them away later. He got up & opened the door a crack to see Ayame standing there. He opened the door farther to step out, shutting it behind him. He supposed it was time to start the tour she had promised her parents she'd give him.
 
"Ah, good morning!" Ayame said with a smile. She would continue the polite act... for now. "I'm glad you're awake. I'm a morning person, so I've been up for a while; I didn't want to bother you sooner, though, in case you like to sleep in," she explained as she started walking.


She gave him a quick tour of the house, including the wing where her family roomed, the bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, central living rooms, then out to the large garden. Though she knew he had seen some of it before, she tried to provide a comprehensive tour, with added commentary that included shortcuts, or ways to remember what was where. The large house could be somewhat maze-like if one didn't know the layout.
 
Danny gave Ayame a quick polite smile. No sense getting himself killed. He needed a way out safely, not in a casket. "Good morning." He returned her greeting, but didn't bother to mention he'd been up for a while as well. With what had happened yesterday he was finding it hard to look at her, let alone speak to her.


He followed closely behind her, keeping silent for the tour. He took in the sites to sketch later from memory. The place was big & confusing. He knew he'd more than likely get lost a couple of times while he was here. It was a lot to take in.
 
The silence of her guest was not lost on Ayame. As they were taking a side exit out of the garden towards the town, she frowned slightly, "I'm sorry if I'm bothering or boring you, but this tour was an order from Father, so we can't really refuse." She smiled as they stepped off of the dirt trail onto a stone-paved road, "But I'll try to make the rest quick. Everything important is on this main road" - the road was actually the one that ran to the entrance of the Leader's mansion - "so I figured we'd just walk down here and I'd point out things as we got to them. Is that alright?"
 
Danny looked at her briefly. "No, not boring or bothering me." It's true, she wasn't. He was just finding himself slightly nervous around her. That, mixed with his natural quietness, had apparently created an awkward silence he wasn't aware of.


He followed her down the stone-paved road. ""Alright." He answered her question simply. He kept trying not to stare at her. He'd noticed she was pretty yesterday, but how come he hadn't noticed exactly how beautiful she really was until now?
 
Ayame nodded in acknowledgment of his reply, then continued the tour. "That big building on the right," she gestured at a traditional building not unlike her house, "is the meeting hall. For more official things, though for little things the Elders and Councilmen just meet Father at home."


A little further down the road, and the street became wider, and with the larger size it also became more alive, "This is the marketplace, Ayame explained with a smile. Vendors had little stands and shops of various kinds lined each side of the street - "Here's the blacksmith, the seamstress is across the way, that shop on the corner is the herbarium." Three mid-sized streets, paved like the main road, ran perpendicular to it, expanding the marketplace a few blocks in either direction. At the first junction, Ayame gestured to the left, "The bathhouse is all the way at the end of this street. It's rather nice, some of the pools are on a natural hot spring."


The youngest princess spent a great deal of time among her people, and was well-loved. As they walked by, she greeted many of the them by name. Everyone greeted her warmly back, and though many looked at Danny, few mentioned him or greeted him. When they reached the third crossroads, however, a small group of children from the ages of 2-12 ran from the right-hand street, yelling and jumping on Ayame. When she got her breath back, she introduced him to the children but didn't even try to name them to him - it was a difficult task as none of them could stay still, and she doubted he would remember anyway. "These are the orphans of our tribe... The orphanage is down at the end of this street. I come every day to play with them," she explained to Danny, then turned to the children. "Scurry off!" she ordered, then added with a wink, "But if you're especially good for Nana, I'll come and help make dinner tomorrow." She waved at an elderly vixen who stood at the door of the building far at the end of the street.
 
Danny followed Ayame down the street. The first place she pointed out to him looked like her house & was just as big. When they got to the marketplace, there seemed to be a lot more people. He took in the information she gave him to the different places. His ears twitched a bit due to the hustle & bustle around them.


He could feel eyes upon him as they walked. He expected as much, but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable. It was as if they'd never seen a grey fox before, though many probably haven't. The tribes didn't mix & mingle much unless there was a reason to do so, like now. He greeted the few that greeted him, though not many did. That was just as well for him.


As they reached the crossroads, she was bombarded by a group of children. He stepped back out of the way. It wasn't that he disliked children. He had no problems with them. He just wasn't used to them was all. He wasn't used to many people & being in a strange land made it worse.


As she introduced him to the orphans, he gave a polite smile & nod in acknowledgement, but kept his distance. He wasn't used to them & he knew they weren't used to him, so it was better he let her have her fun & stay out of the way.
 
As the children ran back down the road to be ushered back into the orphanage by the older woman, Ayame apologized to Danny, noticing that he had stepped back, "Sorry, I should have warned you we'd be 'attacked'." She turned down the left-hand street to continue the tour. This street was emptier than the others, though at night it became relatively busy.


"At the end of the street are a few brothels, if you're interested in that sort of thing," Ayame said offhandedly. "And this..." she pointed at a small, covered stand, "is the home of the tastiest noodles in all our lands." Ayame looked up to check where the sun was to gauge the time, and realized they were there earlier than she had intended. Though, she assumed he hadn't eaten breakfast either, so might be hungry soon. Depending on his reaction, she might suggest he try it.
 
As Ayame apologized to Danny, he managed a polite smile, albeit a brief one. "It's ok." He wasn't the one attacked by the children, so he saw no reason for her to apologize to him.


He followed her down the street, relieved that this street wasn't as busy. As she mentioned the brothels, an image of her in the stream from yesterday flashed in his mind & he blushed slightly at the thought, though he tried to hide it. "No, not interested in brothels." He said it to reassure her that he wasn't some kind of pervert. Though he did find it interesting that a woman would point out such places to what was supposed to be her future husband, even in passing.


As she pointed out the quaint little stand, he realized he hadn't had breakfast. He wondered if she had. It smelled good. He glanced up at her briefly, trying not to meet her eyes. "May we?" He motioned toward the stand.
 
Ayame thought it funny, how Danny claimed to have no interest in brothels. It was quite common, especially in the upper classes. Her father had a wife and a few mistresses, yet even he would visit this district occasionally. The princess was interested, though, wondering whether he was serious or merely putting up a front for his betrothed. At least he wasn't like Akira - that jerk essentially bragged about frequenting the place.


Smiling at his question, Ayame replied gladly, "I was hoping you'd be interested." They stepped into the stand and the owner started to tell them that it wasn't open yet. His tune quickly changed when he saw his guests. She was one of his most frequent visitors, and had brought the Gray Fox that all the gossip was about. Rumors spread quickly in the town.


"Ah, Ayame, my dear! Come in," the slightly-grey man said jovially then looked at Danny, "and friend, don't be shy, have a seat!" Ayame seated herself and the stand owner continued, "What'll you have today, Ayame? We're low on pork, but just got some nice fish in this morning." Ayame was the only member of the Leader's family who let people call her by her name; in fact, she requested it of the people.


"Maki," she replied with a smile, "I tell you every time - I'll eat whatever you want to make me. It's even tastier when it's a surprise."


With a chuckle, he turned to Danny, "And what for you, sir?"
 
Danny was getting ready to suggest they find somewhere else as the place wasn't open yet, but before he could they were welcomed by the owner. He found it a bit odd that someone of Ayame's stature would allow a commoner to call her by name. Maybe she's not the spoiled royal brat he thought.


He took a seat next to Ayame, his tail wrapping around his waist almost instinctively & protectively. As he was spoke to, he gave a simple answer. "Beef, please." Ayame seemed so friendly with everyone. He felt really out of place being a stranger in this strange land.
 
Maki nodded and disappeared into the back to begin cooking. Moments later, a small face peeked through the doorway; the young granddaughter of the owner fled into the back when she was spotted.


Ayame crossed her arms on the raised bar-like take in front of them, and she laid her head sideways on them, facing Danny. "You don't like it here, do you?" she asked, though did not give him time to answer before speaking again. "You're very quiet. Is that normal, or are you being shy in a new place? What's it like in the Grey Fox Tribe? Is it very different from here?" Her long tail hung off the edge of her stool and swayed back and forth softly as she awaited his answers.
 
Danny was taken a bit by surprise by her questions. He hadn't really expected her to ask anything. He really didn't have a problem with being here, it was the whole marriage to a stranger that got to him. He was surprised she was taking it so well. He tried to do the best he could at answering her questions.


"Usually quiet. Stay to myself most of the time. My Tribe is small, nothing like here. Everybody knows everybody... & everybody knows everybody's business. But it's, um, friendly for the most part. Every town has it's occasional jerks. But it's very different. You're house is huge. Mine isn't that big. But it's big enough for my father to conduct business in. There's a town hall, but it's only used for town meetings & such when there's too many people to fit in the house."


That was probably the most he'd spoken in a while & he sighed a bit.
 
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