Chief Raino had made use of few words, yet his stares were more telling. Though he quickly realized that Salīa was unwavering in squeezing out each minute of the remaining day to honor her duties.
She flinched each time someone referred to her as 'queen,' yet rushed to take over such duties without a complaint.
She sat in the screening room, which appeared as plain walls to the council chamber, yet from her end, it was almost like a transparent window in which she could see each member. Her mother had confided to her that she usually spent a few minutes here before appearing.
The council members invited were all the designated rulers of the individual villages.
She'd seen them many times in passing, but never long enough to get a feel of their tone and temperament.
Chief Raino pointed to each and helped her gather what she'd need to know.
The first thing he brought up is their bloodline. For each human in the realm has a descendant ancestral animal. It wasn't a secret, yet it wasn't a question politely asked of people, especially since the banning of transcendence.
Those of royal blood all had known ancestral animals, and so it was already known that the Salazāhn royals all had dominant tiger blood. And Chief Raino explained that the council chamber of Salazā was a jungle full of members who prided themselves heavily on their ancestral animals.
The first was the closest to the front and the oldest of the council members. A wan face, quite proud and gaunt with creases and shiny grey hair that swept up into a short ponytail and slid from the sides right up to his chin in a neatened beard.
His brows, just as grey, arched with his lightly greyed eyes watching the others with an upturned nose.
"Why's the grumpy elephant looking at us so?" asked one. "You'd think he'd missed us after not seeing us all for so long."
"This senile man can't help but give us looks that leave much to be desired."
"Shut up, you two, before I make you," the man scowled. "It's a miracle you cursed twins can even joke after all that's happened."
Chief Raino sighed as if resigned to the ways of them.
"That's Eli, the elephant, watcher of Senai. Many call him the tired elephant due to him having been the longest member in the council chamber since your grandparents and his rather settled ways. You'll find his memory impressive, and he's always got something to say in each meeting."
She could tell he was being intentionally selective of his descriptions.
Next to Eli was a young man with tightly coiled curls that formed a dome around his head, ceremonial wear that adorned his wrists to his ankles, and a serious face paired with his soft features. He stared at the room with arms folded.
"It's a wonder you two are even still on the council," said that man. "You can't even restrain yourself long enough to not serve a crude or sly remark."
"Simo, of Shumpa, is the secretary bird," said Chief Raino. "He is the cousin of the last representative, the late Kanja, who was wed into Crystali.
Like the bird, he too is a snake-stomper, and is known for weeding out any threats or poisons that threaten the land, whether inner or outer.
He is honorable to ceremony and is renowned for his poise, grace, and precision – yet has a low tolerance of those that can be too unreserved, known to snap in peak moments."
This much was evident on him keeping quiet while grinding his teeth as those in the room spoke on. A face stared at him with woeful, big hazel eyes, her short hair braided back in several rows.
She, too, had ceremonial beads layered in her earrings and necklaces. Her fingers fidgeted, yet her resting frown face contrasted quite heavily.
"Buhle, the bushback. She appears vicious yet has one of the softest natures. She worked quite hard to be the chosen member of her family to be Sana's representative.
Despite her grounded and inward nature, she's proven great.
From how she shows respect and love for the land with how she adorns herself, to how she listens to the people, and also in how compassionate and passionate she is in speaking, but that's only if she does speak."
"You want us to just hoot, hoot, hoot, like that owl over there?" asked one.
"Just staring at all, with nothing to say?" asked the other.
The boys speaking were on either side of the one they spoke of, who sat in the middle. Chief Raino sighed.
"That's Othu, an owl, of Sjino. A distant relative of Amahle who was the representative before marrying Timbana's King Benico around the time of your grandparents."
The man gestured too was tall, bronze, and with glimmering yellow-brown eyes that glowed slightly. His black locs were carefully tied back with gold ribbon, and he had a gold headband to match, while the rest of him was in black as per Salazāhn colors.
He didn't bother responding to any mockery and kept his shoulders back and eyes forward, observing, almost as if in meditation. Salīa had seen him before and thought of him as others did; he was a fierce and attractive man of few words.
"He is an avid taker of notes and is known for his deep connection with his ancestors and acute awareness. While he doesn't partake in most of the debates, he does speak on rare occasions if he has something important to say."
Salīa cleared her throat as Chief Raino tried to skip over the brothers, and a long sigh came from him. Then he pointed back at the boys who were well known in the land as the 'Worthy Twins of Shaka.'
Some might mistake it for their combat abilities, and while it's quite special, the true link of this title traces to the many women who thought these twins to be extremely attractive, charming, and 'worthy' of bedding anyone who was asked.
They had sharp features from their jaws to their noses to the slant on the edges of their large, flickering, almost golden eyes. Their complexion was smooth and a deep mahogany, particularly paired with moon-shaded hair ties that strictly slicked back their curls, and the crescent moon earrings both wore to match.
Their robes were either strictly white too, yet during celebrations, they wore patterns and colors of the animal that best suited their nature.
"Letu and Lefu, Shaka's twin leopards," Chief Raino said. "The youngest members on the council and the first dual representatives ever.
This was granted due to the blessings that twins bring, their dedication to the land, yet also under the condition that they have equal rule and that their final votes are unified. Both are notoriously quick-witted, cunning, and playful."
Chief Raino paused as if trying to find neutral words that don't expose his own thoughts.
"What makes them essential to the council is that they're extremely decisive and strategic, often enjoying debates – yet some wonder if it's for dedication to their land or for the thrill.
Either way, no matter how much trouble they stir up, they always conclude in unison, often by just glancing at each other. Yet I'm sure you know this too."
Salīa blushed. These twins were the first people Salīa ever had a crush on. They had also been playing during the ala-bala game that chipped The Awakened One.
They were probably the only ones who patted her on the back for being so steadfast in winning and even gave her a kiss on both cheeks to make her feel better when she was stifling tears due to her bloodied foot.
That was the last she ever spoke to them since she was advised by the elder woman of the palace to be aware of their mischievous and secretive nature.
"Let's simmer a little. We should at least show ourselves as respectful council members before Princess Salīa makes our acquaintance."
This soothing voice belonged to a smiling man of dark tan skin, long straight brown hair, and deep, honest brown eyes. He had quite the presence with his aura being extremely warm and commanding.
"That's—"
"Keanu, the kudu, of Sando," said Salīa. "As elegant as the horns of the kudu and as graceful and wise as its face appears, he is one of the most respected council members.
He is a strong pillar to Salazā and is devoted to the land and feels deeply for its people. He has the least martial knowledge of all present, but is quite strong and has charisma which surpasses it.
That's why all the land knows him by his infamous smile that even makes the weeping forget why they cry."
Queen Saoa often spoke favorably of him to Salīa. He was the one who'd show up the earliest and leave the latest. There was never a favor too big or too small.
And he truly did have a favorable smile, enough so that Queen Saoa always smiled with him on the days when not many were privy to see such an expression from her.
"Can you all be quiet? Or are your heads so empty that you have to keep saying words just to make it feel like something's up there?" said a woman, rubbing her temples.
This was a very, very beautiful woman. Her skin was a darker tan than Keanu's, yet her face almost naturally flushed. Her face was perfectly sculpted, and her lips full and eyes large with neatly arched brows.
Her hair was mixed with flaxen dye and intertwined with her black hair that was braided in an extremely intricate design, letting some strands loose and filling out around her.
Her hoops were bigger than Salīa's, and even her dress was of elegant golden and dark threads and carefully chosen patterns that resembled art. Even her frame was well-toned.
All that might have led Salīa to flirt with such a beauty in different circumstances. Yet this very beautiful woman had a very ugly frown with an evidently uglier temper.
"The black rhino has awoken again and is here to grace us with her mighty horn," groaned Eli. "Is there any other slights you'd like to humble us with before we begin?"
The woman tsked and rolled her eyes.
"Bana of Silio," said Chief Raino. "Daughter of the father who represented before and is also one of the most outspoken here.
Like Silio itself, she is headstrong, clever, and proud. She favors that which is elegant and elite, proving rewarding to Salazā's economy.
If there is a debate to be had, she is almost always part of it and prides herself on her logic and bluntness. Though this means she can be confrontational and hard-headed, which works in favor of staying strong on certain things, but also means she can resist other things just as strongly."
"I get it. I know she was mentored by my mother. So, she's strong on her loyalty to my mother, but will likely be weak on feigning any loyalty to me."
Chief Raino could not deny this.
"The chair beside her…" he continued.
"I know," Salīa said. "Was for the Silio representative, an ostrich, who was currently being treated in hospital and asked to be dismissed from the council due to his state. We've already discussed that it'll be your seat."
"Are you certain that—"
"Yes, Chief Raino. Let's not waste time on things I am certain about, as there's a lot more time needed on the things of which I'm not."
They entered through the screen doors.
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