triangularity | AUs of our AUs: A timeline diverges, and a would-be queen leaves her kingdom behind.

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hadand

AUs of our AUs: A timeline diverges, and a would-be queen leaves her kingdom behind.

Hadand knew he was here. She waited in the throne room, dressed in her family's green rather than the royal crimson, a black sash at her waist. Cama stood by in Shield Arm position, having had both the faith in Hadand and Evred and the air of authority necessary to take over the Guard and back Hadand's orders. When Evred finally reached the throne room, his arrival heralded as much by the people's gasps and murmurs as by any formal announcement, she saluted, fist to heart.

Everything blurred together after that. Evred got her alone at first opportunity, taking Hadand by the hands once they were safely shut into the royal nursery where they had grown up together. "You held the kingdom. There's nothing greater anyone could ask."

It struck her suddenly, how tall and straight he'd grown. Only his expressions distinguished him from his late father. There were new lines around his eyes since last she'd seen him. Even at twenty, he was old enough and wise enough that Hadand could easily trust him with a kingdom. She would trust Evred with anything, herself included. He could never care for her romantically, of course, and she stamped out any faint tendrils of attraction before they could take root and grow strong.

"Sponge--" she started, cutting herself off at use of the childhood nickname. "Evred, I know you have far more than your share of worries right now, but could I ask you to take on one more?" At his nod of assent, an unspoken 'of course' implied in the look that accompanied it, she continued. "There are whispers in the palace. Eyes follow me, and people stop speaking when I enter a room. I've no wish to burden you, but things changed after my father went home to Choread Elgaer. I fear it may mean more trouble coming."

He squeezed her hands briefly before releasing them. "Hadand," and he paused here to consider his words, "you know that I trust you completely, and know you too well to believe any testimony against you." The one bit of broken trust between them had been long-since forgiven, though never forgotten. Evred loved her like a sister. He had always trusted and looked up to her, in a way he never had his own sibling.

"That means there is false testimony," Hadand concluded, as he'd known she would. "Lies to further muddy the waters, as if things weren't bad enough. What do they say?"

Evred's mouth twisted. "You were implicated in my brother's assassination." At her look of outrage, he continued, "I doubt they can get you executed for it, but they will almost certainly have you imprisoned in the numbers they are amassing to back their story.

"Hadand, I want you to go. Like Inda." He never mentioned Inda aloud anymore, but Hadand knew her youngest brother was always in Evred's thoughts. The name alone was proof of his seriousness. "I want you out of reach of this, and there will be no honorable return to Iasca Leror. It is all I can do for you. You deserve to be Hadand-Gunvaer, and hailed as Deheldegarthe by the people. You earned that place. You defended the throne with your own two hands, and I had thought to ask..."

He trails off momentarily, before shaking his head. "Go to Lindeth Harbor. Sail on the ship with least ties to home."

Hadand had remained stoic throughout the speech, but that last word, home, broke her facade. Evred could see how lost she felt now, rather than just surmising it. She knew nothing of space travel. When Barend came home to speak of his time aboard ships, it sounded like nonsense to her. And Iasca Leror was, of course, her home. Hadand could recall no time when she had not known that she would be its queen one day. Her life was here. Her family, what little of it remained to her, was here.

Her family.

With Hadand gone, that would leave not a single one of her parents' children alive and within the kingdom. Her mother would be left with the two girls she'd raised to wed the two sons now lost to her, and not even any letters from a daughter in the royal city as consolation.

That was unacceptable. "If I go," she said quietly, "I need a promise from you. As my friend, my family, and my king."

"Anything," he promised, "if it is within my power to do."

Hadand breathed deep before she spoke again, chin jutting out stubbornly. "Bring my brother home. Swear it to me, and swear it to my mother. Write to my mother from time to time. Tell her I escaped safely. Pass along my love, if you can manage it." She reached out, very lightly touching Evred's arm. Her voice was very soft. "Inda's situation was nothing like mine. He refused a whipping after contrived boyhood dishonor, not because he was afraid but because he did not deserve it. Find a way to set it aside. The revelation of your uncle's other treachery should help. Find Inda, and set things right."

He said he would, and so, she left.

As luck would have it, Hadand found the most foreign ship of all, one whose ties were in an entirely different part of the galaxy. Hadand pled her case with Captain Janeway of the Voyager and was allowed aboard. It pained her to leave Iasca Leror and know that there would truly be no return, but at least now there can be no second guessing.

Hadand can never go home.

She tries to settle into her new life aboard ship, the greenest of new recruits but willing to learn. Hadand cautiously works her way into the crew trying to find a place and a purpose after losing the only ones she'd known.

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She recognizes that concern. While she appreciates it, it's also so unfamiliar as to be almost uncomfortable. Hadand squares her shoulders and leans back enough to meet Chakotay's eyes. "Sometimes, but I don't mind. There's nothing malicious in Tom. If there were, I would handle the matter myself."

Years of bearing other people's expectations haven't fostered much willingness to ask for help. Hadand is stubbornly self-sufficient because she always needed to be, and she copes with whatever she faces. The fact that Chakotay offers more than she's used to in every respect, not just romantically, will take some adjustment. She'll probably always insist on handling her own problems unless she's already tried and failed.

"Besides, how much trouble could Tom get me into, when a single look at Harry's face is nearly always enough to give away his stings?" Sting is Marlovan slang for pranks and practical jokes, so commonplace that Hadand doesn't stop to think about whether she's used the term before with Chakotay, or whether it might need explanation.

Chakotay's smile warms and he leans over to gently press a kiss to Hadand's temple. He never doubted her; protection and loyalty are just the presiding traits of his character. "I keep forgetting how capable you are," he murmurs gently. He's used to a different sort, after all. Kathryn is somewhat similar, but she would brush off his offers with a joke or an unamused snap, depending on the situation and her mood. Hadand simply points out his assumption and her reality, something Chakotay can appreciate.

Her question makes him laugh lightly before he tilts his head a little but. He can guess at what she means, he thinks, but this sounds like something he will want clarification with. "Stings?"

"I was never allowed to forget how capable I needed to be," she admits wryly, though she can't help the soft smile that spreads across her face at that kiss. It's just the way she was brought up. She had very few actual responsibilities, but she had the promise of them. Even the promise of the kingdom resting on her shoulders was heavy as an eight year old girl being pushed to shoot more accurately.

"Stings are... jokes, but more often through actions rather than words. Like little boys putting eggs in the shoes of all the guards and then making sure an alarm is sounded. Or putting something in the food that dyes everyone's teeth green temporarily. Tom sticks with words, though I'll be in trouble if I act on the wrong ones." Nothing dangerous, just very embarrassing.

"You would have fit in well with the Klingons," Chakotay observes, not for the first time, as he kisses the tip of her nose this time. "And that's why you're doing so well with us here." There are many reasons why Hadand is working so well aboard Voyager and her capable nature is definitely one of them.

"So would what Paris does be more like barbs?" he asks jokingly. Ensign Kim will undoubtedly prevent any terrible mishaps and if not, Chakotay will have them both up for the most unpleasant duty on the ship for a full week as a deterrent for future transgressions.

Hadand freezes in momentary surprise at the kiss on her nose, then laughs. No one has ever done that, in part because no one has ever loved her like this, but mostly because her rank drew a boundary between her and the people around her. It probably seemed beneath a future queen's dignity to kiss her on the nose. She slides a hand behind Chakotay's neck and pulls him back down for a proper kiss, smiling against his lips at the thought that those boundaries have broken down entirely.

"I fit in better since you spoke to Lieutenant Tuvok on my behalf. And all the time you've spent with me helped." She's grateful the Voyager is the sort of ship that expects everyone to contribute according to their own strengths. Hadand wouldn't know what to do with herself otherwise.

Grinning, she counters, "Pinpricks, maybe. No real harm in them."

Hadand's reaction to the kiss to her nose is so endearing that Chakotay can't help laughing at it. She really is the light to his life now and he doesn't ever want to think of a life without her. So he doesn't. Instead, he takes the kiss warmly and happily before pulling back to do something else she probably hasn't had much of: nuzzling his nose against hers.

Who knew he was such a secret softy?

"Good. Wouldn't want them to actually hurt." And he's glad that she fits in better now, glad that the crew seems to be giving her a fair shake. That's all he can ask right now. "Now that that's out of the way, we should think about what we want to do for dinner. And the rest of the evening."

Hadand huffs a soft breath that isn't quite a laugh, standing on tiptoe and kissing Chakotay on the cheek. "I have a few ideas for the rest of the night," she assures him, grinning, "but first we should decide whether to eat here or face all of the gossips. We'll need to do that eventually."

If Chakotay wants to wait a little longer, postponing that until the two of them have had a little more time to settle into the new relationship between them, she won't fault him for it. Hadand is sure that gossip has already spread through the ship like a brushfire, of course. It's just a matter of publicly displaying their feelings in front of the rest of the crew. Both she and Chakotay are clearly affectionate enough that it will be obvious to anyone with eyes. She expects plenty of good-natured teasing the next time the two of them share a meal in the mess hall.

Squeezing his hand, Hadand smiles reassuringly. She would be happy with another night to themselves or one shared with friends. Whatever Chakotay chooses, his company is already exactly what she was hoping for.

Chakotay winces through his smile, knowing that her question is legitimate. They likely have already had gossipers talking about them -- after all, the Gossip Squadron has been active lately -- but if they wait another day, it'll just get worse. With Tom at the head of the Squadron, Chakotay just knows what sort of rumors will get passed around if he and Hadand don't turn up tonight.

"I think, in the effort of quelling more gossip than has already been spread, we should probably think about taking dinner in the mess hall tonight," he suggests reluctantly. "I would much rather have you here all to myself, but I know Tom Paris will have wild ideas if we don't show up."

Wild ideas indeed.

"I would not call Tom's ideas wildly off the mark," Hadand teases, pulling him against her for a moment. Any jokes at their expense from the crew, she'll just laugh off. She thinks Chakotay is far more likely to be offended than she is. "You can have me here all to yourself once we eat and indulge the gossips."

She'll see about making some of those wild ideas realities once he does.

Drawing back, Hadand slips a hand back into Chakotay's. The gesture isn't second nature to her, at least not in public. It's partly the fact that no one can draw knives with her hands occupied, and partly that she could never be seen depending on anyone. If he wants to keep her hand when they leave her quarters, Chakotay will have to hold onto it.

"That's exactly my point," Chakotay teases in return. The crew's jokes won't likely be offensive for him, but they will be embarrassing. He fully expects for Tom to imply more than one embarrassing thing about their personal lives. And preferences. Hadand will likely deal with this better than Chakotay will.

"I look forward to it," he says simply, leaning down to kiss her one last time before they head off to indulge the gossips. He isn't used to public displays, either, so he will let her drop his hand once they leave.

When they enter the mess hall, they find a celebration already in progress. Hawaiian-themed to keep it PG for Naomi Wildman. But the message is clear to Chakotay as soon as they step in. Tom Paris walks up and casually adorns each of them with leis.

"Congratulations," he says simply in that tone that always spells trouble. "Hope you enjoy the party."

Chakotay groans.

"Almost as much as I do," she returns, grinning. Hadand is still absolutely delighted at the prospect of having Chakotay in her bed tonight, but she's looking forward to dinner with him and the rest of their friends too. Honestly, that teasing might even make her feel more at home, rather than embarrassed. Marlovans aren't shy on the subject. If someone's out of child's smocks, lewd humor is entirely acceptable.

She expected teasing. She did not expect a party. Hadand bursts out laughing when Tom approaches to congratulate them. With a look around the party, she asks innocently, "Are the flowers another human custom I ought to know about?"

Hadand has a feeling those are a joke on Tom's part, nothing to do with a more widespread custom. She'll play along for a minute, though, the smile she's stifling evident around her eyes.

Somewhere across the room, Harry is sitting at a table with his head in one hand while he suffers from secondhand embarrassment. It's a different kind of Harry Kim: Bullshit Meter ^TM for Hadand this time.

"Ask Harry," Chakotay says, eyeing B'Elanna as she sidles up to him. He has a feeling he's about to get bombarded by his best friend and he would really rather not have B'Elanna ask him things like why he didn't tell her first with Hadand nearby to tease him red in the face.

This is going to be the longest dinner hour ever.

Oh, Hadand will tease him red in the face, she's only a little sorry to say. She has every intention of making it up to him very thoroughly later, though.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Chakotay?" she starts, seeing right through his real goal. Merriment is obvious in her face and voice as she nods a greeting to B'Elanna. "I would never begrudge you time to yourself with a friend, so that almost seems like a diversionary tactic."

In case Harry could hear, Hadand grins his way and waves hello to assure him it wasn't a slight. She'll be happy to stop by and check in on the second-most dismayed guest at this party in a little while, if he doesn't come over first.

Before Chakotay can even think to respond, B'Elanna takes over the conversation. "No, he's just afraid I'm going to ask something like why he didn't tell me about this earlier," she huffs in what he can tell is a playfully serious tone. "I'm supposed to be your best friend, Chakotay. These are things you tell your best friend."

"Like you told me when you and Paris started making out in the maintenance shafts?" he shoots back.

"That was different," she retorts.

"Right, because we were all being pushed around by invisible aliens performing experiments on us."

It sounds utterly ridiculous, more so because they know it's true, and neither of them can keep a straight face after that. B'Elanna leans in so both Chakotay and Handand can hear. "At least you two didn't get lectured by the captain while she'd had a week-long migraine."

Chakotay snickers in spite of himself, grinning at Hadand. None of this answers her question but maybe it'll give him a little bit of a headstart in dealing with how to answer. Hopefully before B'Elanna takes over.

Hadand watches the banter between Chakotay and B'Elanna appreciatively, a smile on her own face. It's good to see that kind of comfortable friendship, because they both deserve it, even if a part of her still finds it strange after growing up in a society so divided by gender. Men and women could be, and were, friends, but the sort of easy camaraderie that Chakotay and B'Elanna have was rare outside of one's own sex. She likes, actually, that Voyager doesn't have all of the divisions she's used to.

She lets them wind down and then lets Chakotay off the hook to actually answer. He may wish she had kept her attention on him soon enough. Instead, she turns to B'Elanna and tells her, "In his defense, he didn't have much chance to tell you. I caught him off guard last night."

She doesn't intend to put on a show for the whole crew gathered to laugh at them, but Hadand won't avoid contact with Chakotay either. A light, affectionate touch to his arm punctuates her soft teasing, "I thought kissing him the only reasonable response to a love story, but Chakotay seemed very surprised by it."

Very pleasantly surprised, if his response was anything to go by. Then everything that came after the kissing... it felt inevitable. There was no separating Hadand from Chakotay if he was willing to have her.

One other thing caught her attention in that exchange, and Hadand suppresses a grin. "Ours wasn't the first lecture Captain Janeway has given, then?"

B'Elanna's eyebrows shoot up, only heightening Chakotay's embarrassment. He should have headed them both off at this rate.

"Oh, you gave her one of your stories?" she chides. "And you didn't expect anything to happen?"

"I didn't want to assume!" he protests, feeling childish.

"So selfless, Chakotay. It's a good thing one of you takes charge."

A smirk meets his groan.

"That's what the party's about, you know," B'Elanna continues, leaning towards Hadand despite any attempt Chakotay gives to stop her. "It's an Earth custom from a place called Hawaii. These flower necklaces are called leis. What you two did last night has a similar name."

"B'Elanna..."

It's no use and he knows it. Her smirk widens.

"Congratulations, you two. You got laid."

Chakotay lifts a hand to his face. What he wouldn't give for the ability to tunnel his way out of here.

"I didn't know how well I was hiding my feelings for you, Chakotay. Am I right, that most of the ship had already assumed? I almost think you were the only one who didn't." The party they've thrown today would imply it. The crew is clearly very... invested... in this relationship, and not shy about showing that.

Hadand's mouth quirks in amusement at Chakotay's protests, silent and otherwise, and when B'Elanna offers her that bit of Earth slang, she bursts out laughing.

The sight of Chakotay in much the same posture as Harry was when they came in does nothing to dampen her humor.

"Thank you, B'Elanna," she says, completely unembarrassed. "I think the occasion is worth celebrating, I just didn't expect the whole crew to agree with me."

"They might not," B'Elanna admits, grinning at Chakotay's response. "But when your biggest fan is Naomi Wildman, it's hard to argue."

Chakotay had known they were getting Naomi in on things. He had just known.

"I think I'll leave you two to your gossip," he mutters, deciding that he and Harry Kim have a lot more in common right now. It might be better to let B'Elanna and Hadand talk out of his earshot.

Hadand puts a hand on Chakotay's arm as he moves to walk away. The look she gives him is half worried, half apologetic. Embarrassment is one thing and she'll make it up to him later. She just wants to make certain she hasn't upset or offended him. That was never her intention.

"I'd like to get to know Naomi," Hadand says thoughtfully. "I am fond of children, and if she's so supportive while I'm still a near stranger, I ought to thank her."

Don't worry, she won't scandalize the little girl with the kinds of jokes she'd tell B'Elanna.

B’Elanna takes note of that touch and as soon as Chakotay is out of earshot and over by Harry’s table, she’s quick to reassure. In her own way.

“Don’t worry about him. By tomorrow, he’ll be laughing at this whole thing.” He will. She has no doubts that he will.

“Naomi is here. Her mom couldn’t convince her to stay away.” B’Elanna smirks, glancing through the crowd. “There she is. Over by Tom.”

Naomi is currently standing on one of the couches in the corner of the Mess Hall, talking animatedly with Tom and a couple other crew members. Looking back to Hadand, B’Elanna smirks. “Want to meet her now or should I arrange a chance meeting?”

"You're sure?" Hadand asks, smiling in thanks for the assurance. "Marlovans don't hesitate to talk about sex unless children are present, so I'm never certain where human boundaries are on the subject. Teasing is more comfortable for me than any other response you could come up with. It's like home."

Hence her utter lack of embarrassment.

She grins. "Now is as good a time as any."

"In two days, I'll have reminded him of the time Tom and I got a lecture from the captain and he'll look back on this whole thing with amusement," B'Elanna assures her, leading the way over to Naomi. The little girl grins up at Hadand with no shame in her eyes. In fact, she looks pretty mischievous.

"Naomi, this is Hadand."

"I remember seeing you," Naomi comments, offering a hand to shake. "I'm Naomi Wildman, Captain's Assistant. You're Commander Chakotay's special someone."

She laughs. "I defer to you. You've known him much longer, and I didn't expect to end up in this situation. No one has scolded me in years." And then she follows B'Elanna

Hadand and Chakotay hadn't gotten around to discussion of terminology, and she takes Naomi's hand firmly in her own warm and calloused one. With an amused smile down at the girl, she replies, "I suppose so. Is that the preferred term for it?"

"At least your scolding didn't come in the middle of the captain's week-long migraine," B'Elanna points out with a smirk. That had been an experience.

Naomi is almost the picture of innocence. Almost. If that mischievous smirk weren't on her face, it might work better. "That's all they let me call you," she clarifies, knowing well that there are other adult terms everyone else uses. "He loves you. Anyone can tell. The important question is, do you love him?"

She does her best to limit the smile at Tom and B'Elanna's expense, but doesn't bother hiding it completely. "I'll be grateful for that, yes. What was yours for? I'm sure you've already heard about our lack of foresight."

Hadand laughs softly at the first part of what Naomi says, but the second? She looks the little girl very seriously in the eyes and says, "Oh, yes. I love him very much, and I should have told him sooner." It seems silly now, all of her doubts about whether Chakotay returned her feelings. The entire ship had guessed. In fairness, the entire ship has known him longer than Hadand has.

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