Cruel Fate Decides To Play Games

[wingsofsage]

"Try explaining that to the helpful submissive and the rampaging dominate outside...." Then, before she can move she says, "And no, your not getting up, your not well and you need your rest, I will handle this through you. Tell me what to do and I will do so. I will chain you to this bed if I have to, please don't make me do that.... I'm more worried about your health than I am about you being pissed at me..."

[starcrossed]

"I'm fine," Julianna insists, but not exactly eager to see the werelions she remains in bed. Sighing, she says, "Tell them to elect someone else. Maybe one of them would like the job. I'll pay for an ad in The Daily Prophet if it'll get them to leave me alone."

[wingsofsage]

"As you wish." He walked over to her and placed a kiss on her hand while whispering, "Thank you for staying in bed." He walks out of the room and leans back against the door fram as before. "Can't you elect someone else to be your leader, I mean, it doesn't have to be her does it?"

[starcrossed]

Zane makes a sound of disgust and says, "It's her responsibility. She just expects to waltz in, slaughter our Rex, and skip off without a care in the world? She killed him, it's her duty to step up." Turning to shoot the other werelion a glare, Stephen said calmly, "I thought you didn't want her to be our Regina." "I don't," Zane snapped. "I was simply illustrating why she's too irresponsible to be a good Regina. The least that Her Highness," this he says sarcastically, "could do is be courteous enough to speak to us herself instead of sending her lackey."

[wingsofsage]

Frost slams Zane into the far wall and moves back to his 'post' with inhuman speed. With a surprisingly calm voice he says, "I'm not a lacky and the reason she's not speaking to you is my fault, take the problem up with me, don't insult her. You bad mouthing the Regina shows that your not worthy to live.... in the pard anyways. So, I say again, I'm an old, prideful, vampire and if you call me any sort of title lower than you, I shall put you in your spot. I thought young boys your age knew better to insult a vampire." He turns to Stephan and kindly says, "It's a very complicated situation that I can't, and/or won't explain. It was revenge she was after, not a title. What can we do to help?"

[starcrossed]

Zane growls, baring his feline fangs, his eyes shifting to cat-eyes as his beast rises within him. A moment later, within the blink of an eye, Stephen was by his side, close but not touching him. "Not now, Zane," he said softly, carefully. "You're only stirring up more trouble than we can afford. If you really wanted to protect the pride, you could start by protecting us from yourself." Zane's anger continues to boil for a moment as he stares venomously at Frost, then slowly he begins to simmer down and his beast recedes. He reaches out and pulls Stephen to him, growling softly and blending their scents as he rubs his cheek along the top of the shorter man's head. He then releases him so that Stephen - who is clearly the more diplomatic of the two - can approach Frost again, at a respectful distance. "If I could avoid all of this and let Julianna go on her own way, I would. But you see, she's sort of left us in a dilemma.. There are no pride members left strong enough to hold the pride together and protect it from invading lions.. Lions who could be worse tyrants than our previous Rex. In one mere month, already we are crumbling.. though some of us remain in denial." He glances significantly at Zane at that last comment.

[wingsofsage]

"She's got too much going on here, and like I said, she's sick right now. She doesn't want to be your Regina. I'm sorry, I had tried to come alone and kill him myself, but she had say on the matter... I couldn't stop her..." he paused and walked over to Stephan. He put both his hands lightly on his shoulders and said, "My friend, I wish I could help you, but I don't see how.... Julianna will not do this. She wouldn't be strong enough, not to mention her temper could probably be just as bad as your previous Rex..."

[starcrossed]

Eyebrows raising slightly in surprise, Stephen replies, "Not strong enough? My good sir, how much experience have you had with shifters? She's the strongest I have yet to see. Even Zane cannot deny that she's got an unusual amount of power." Though he gives a reluctant grunt of agreement, Zane insists, "That doesn't mean she's suited for the job."

[wingsofsage]

"I didn't mean her strength, I meant...well...." He paused for a slight moment and then continues. "Did you see what happened after she consumed your rex's body? That's what I was talking about."

[starcrossed]

Zane gives a short, harsh laugh, and says, "Oh, that's rich. A Regina with delicate sensibilities."

[wingsofsage]

"Well, you see, she can't and won't do it. I'm sorry." He turns and starts to go back inside.

[starcrossed]

Stephen hesitates a moment, then sighs and says quietly, "There's children. Cubs of the pride. They were lucky not to be killed under the old Rex's rule. Their chances aren't good if another like him should happen upon us. Please.. just tell Julianna to consider it. For the cubs."

[wingsofsage]

"Shit," He whispers. "Hold on, I'll be back out in a little while." He returns inside and says, "There are cubs Julianna, they're using the kids against you now. What are you going to do? You have to do something..."

[starcrossed]

Julianna groans, pressing the palms of her hands against her forehead, and says, "I can barely take care of one adolescent shifter, let alone a whole pride.."

[wingsofsage]

"I know, I have told them everything I could to change thier minds, but it's not working. What are you going to do?" He moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead lightly.

[starcrossed]

"What can I do? I'm only eighteen. I still go to school. I'm willing to bet that most of them are older than me. Even if I did agree to be their queen person, what good would come of it? It's not like they'd even listen to me."

[wingsofsage]

Sage: "Tell them that, get dressed while I stall for a few minutes and then bring them in here. Maybe you can talk sense into their heads..." He heads for the door. Once he got out the door, he looked at them and said, "She'll speak with you, just let her get decent." He looks down at her floor and stands motionless at the door entrance.

Star: Reluctantly, heaving a sigh, Julianna gets out of bed and locates the leather pants and silk halter Frost had bought her and dresses it again. Going into the bathroom, she quickly washed her bite off, found some gauze, and secured it over her wound with medical tape. Then she went to the door and, with a wary look in her eyes, says, "Alright, lets get this over with."

Sage: Frost waved them into the room and shut the door behind them, watching Julianna to see if she was still not well enough to do this.

Star: Zanes gaze immediately snaps to the bandage on Juliannas neck. Realizing the significance of it, he bares his teeth and roars in sudden rage, hand streaking out like lightning to rip away the bandage and reveal the bite mark. "You see!" He snarled to Stephen. "You would have coffinbait rule us?! She is no more than a puppet of his!" In the next instant, Julianna had him slammed up against the wall, her hand around his throat and her claws - which hadn't been there a moment before - drawing five pinpricks of blood where they pressed into his neck. "Still your tongue or I will rip it out," she whispered, her voice like poisoned honey.

Sage: Frost moved up beside her to make sure she wouldn't kill him and didn't know if he should say something, or let her deal with telling him what she wanted about thier relationship.

[starcrossed]

"Bite me," Zane managed to rasp past the choking grip of her hand, which suspended him nearly a foot above the floor. For a moment she looked as though she would do good on her threat, but then she simultaneously released her hold on his throat and swiftly jerked her knee upwards to connect solidly with his groin. A high yowl of pain tore itself from him as he collapsed to the floor, hands covering his groin as he rocked back and forth and took shuddering, hissing breaths. "That's your only warning," Julianna said cooly, flicking a strand of hair out of her face.

[wingsofsage]

Sage: Frost chokes back a laugh and moves back away from them. He goes over to stand by Stephan and continues snickering.

Star: Turning to Stephen, who had remained stoical except for a tightening around his eyes at the sight of the bite mark, Julianna said flatly, "Say your piece, so we can all be done with this." Stephen took a deep breath, then told her all he had told Frost. When he was done, Julianna cursed under her breath and began to pace. Zane was still wimpering on the floor.

Sage: Frost walked over to Julianna and laid his hands on her shoulders. He softly said, "What do you think we should do?"

Star: Julianna sighed, then said, "YOU arent obligated to do anything. This is my responsibility. And so..." Turning to the werelions, she grits her teeth and says, "I will stand in as your temporary Regina - temporary being the key word. I will extend my protection to the pride only until you find and establish a new Rex or Regina who can protect you."

Sage: Frost's eyes go wide and then he nods his head. Before walking out on the balcony he whispers, "I was just trying to help." Once he gets out to the balcony, he thinks about what this will mean and/or cost them both.

Star: Juliannas gaze flicks back to Frost as he leaves, a frown flitting over her features. "Thank you. You have no idea how grateful--" Julianna held up a hand to cut off Stephen, then said, "Stay here a moment." Without waiting for their reactions, she walks out onto the balcony behind Frost, shutting the door behind them. "Look, I just dont want to drag you into this. You shouldnt have to deal with this shit too."

Sage: Frost looks out into the star-filled sky. He didn't say anything for a few moments, but finally decided to tell her, "It's okay, I just want to be here for you to help you through this. You shouldn't have to go through this alone either." He still trails off from thier conversation to again think about what this all means for them.

[starcrossed]

"I don't want you to have to take risks just for me, though." Julianna persists.