Manela Tintivira

[Ra-Aqikha]

Nestled in one of the busy outdoor gardens, a small gethering clamours around a makeshift stage. Ra, Svriti and several other male and female entertainers are telling a little story.
"brother has lied to you! I'm innocent mother!"
The old Indian women makes a face and cuffs Ra across the head.
"I did not eat mud!"
"Hmph! Your not so poor to eat mud!"
She glances up as the palace guards move away, and geatures to the other dancers. She continues the song, letting several veiled women come forward.
"Don't we have sweets? Do we have..."
Each of the women unveil themselves, revealing small, tight costumes, cleavage, thighs and bronzed bodies. Ra nods, himself dressed in a long shawl. and the girls sing, one after another;
"Don't you have sweets to eat?"
"Don't you have spicy savoury to eat?"
"Don't you have hot sweats to eat?"
Ra himself removes his shawl to reveal his dark red costume.
"When i serve you exotic treats..why did you eat mud my dear?"

The music changes from a gentle tinkle to a pounding drum beat, and the dancers do there things, turning away from the audience and shimmying, there belsts jangling. Such shows where of course, against the rules of the palace, but you can't stop people having fun...

[Queen Thais ♥]

Thais wasn't supposed to be in Persia; afterall, she was going to help defeat them in the upcoming war, how could she so casually pop in for a ride round their city? Yet who was to stop the queen from galloping in their on her ebon horse. When asked who she was she smiled saying she was sent to the king. Actually the men there were quite suprised. Not everyday you sea a beautiful woman riding bareback on a giant stallion dressed in a little brown dress and a lot of fur. And ofcourse glammed up with random accessories from braclets and necklaces to rings and earings. But finally with raised eyebrows they let her in.

Thais instantly began exploring the mysterious country she was soon to fight. It wasn't as different from most other places she's been at but it certainly differed from Greece. The women watched her from underneath their dark clothes. They seemed amazed to see a women dressed in such a manner; actually most spartans were suprised at this site too. Thais drew her stud to a steady halt when in one the streets when saw a group of people gather outside cheering to several story tellers. Thais stopped her stallion and watched them, a small smile forming on her face.

[Ra-Aqikha]

The dance is in full flow, the audience getting a bit rowdy as the dancers gyrate and thrust on stage.

"Why do you eat mud my dear?"

Ra picks on one man in the audience, running his fingerrs delicately along his jaw before giving him a playful slap.

"When i offer you the fruit of my youth?"

The egyptian leers and rejoins the main dance, the pounding drum beat unerlined by the metallic chiming of anklets and bangles. Ra is having a whale of a time, a born performer, the untouchable figure of sexuality and youthful virtue. he spies someone different, a women on a horse of trule huge proportions. He prayed that she wasnt an official from Xerxes, the last thing they wanted was interferance from the law.

[Queen Thais ♥]

Thais caught the eyes of the egyptian and slipped of her stallion. Altive followed her as she made her way towards them, watching the handsome egyptian dance. The lad surely knew what he was doing. She inspected their movements to the music and finally retaurned her gaze to the lad.
The cheering muffled as the noticed the newcomer around them, all wondering who she was. She didn't look anything like the women from around Persia thanks to her clothes. Finally everything apart from the entertainers was silent and all eyes lay on Thais. She stood silent her usual smirk forming at her lips.

[Ra-Aqikha]

The mood almost visibly changed, the audience turning away from the performers and concentrating on the strange women. The dancers to, stopped and stared, and one by one the musicians stopped.

"Hmph."

Ra turns and nods to Svriti, who beckons to the girls and orders all the musicians away, the girls form up behind her and she stands, her arms crossed across her chest. The very image of the mother hen. Ra himself is less threatened, he stands with his hands on his hips, his face the very image of a sulk.

"And who are you?"

[Queen Thais ♥]

Thais chuckled at how she managed to stop everything.
''Just a friend of the king.'' Thais said placing her hand on her hip with a twirl of hand.
''Didn't mean to disturb the little dance.''Thais said circling them round to retaurn to the other side of her horse.
''I see wherever I go I cause the same hiatus, don't I?'' she said looking at her horse who snorted in agreement.
''Don't worry I won't report you. The more trouble you cause the better.''she added.

[Ra-Aqikha]

Ra snorted and advanced on the women, throwing a dark red burqa over himself, only his decorated eyes visible know. He felt better, concealed from prying eyes.

"A friend of the king? How much of a friend?"

He looked her up and down, she didn't look like a harem whore. But then again, he doubted he did either. Xerxes did enjoy a bit of spice know and then...no, this women wasn't in his harem.

"I could say i was a friend of the king, but it depends on your definition of the word."

His hand snakes out from the burqa, his expressive gestures adding a dance-like rhythmn to his speech.

[Queen Thais ♥]

Thais leaned against the stud's muscular shoulder and looked at the boy.
''Buisness partner in one way or another.''she responded to him. The boy didn't need to know who Thais really was actually, not like it was much of his buisiness.
''Now dance boy. Why stop when you can move so well?''the queen said biting her lower lip. Slowly, she slid down against her stud's leg and was sat on the ground.
''Come on, don't be shy, I'm just a girl who came to visit the king. I won't hurt ya.''

[Ra-Aqikha]

Ra smiles beneath the burqa's fabric.

"Oh, i think it's safe to assume that i'm in no danger...."

He claps his hands together and whispers something in Svriti's ear. She grins and rearranges the musicians and dancers, know all wearing headscarfs and cloaks, completely covered like Ra. The old woman steps up and takes a little bow, a twinkle in her eye. An audience of one was as good as an audience of twenty.

The dance starts almost instantly, the dancers throwing off there veils as they form up around Svriti and Ra. He begins to shake, his his ankle, then his chest, his hips, his wrists. Creating a strange background noise as the older women starts to sing.


Ra holds burqa up across him, slowly letting it fall off his body as he twists and turns. The girls join in behind him, dancing a dance taught to them by foreignors. Not bellydancing, but something more exotic, more fluid and expressive.

[Queen Thais ♥]

Well this was definatley not something you'd see in Greece anyday. Actually you'd have to be lucky to ever see something like that. Thais watched the boy's body move in rythm to the music which sent shivvers down Thais' spine. She looked up at the boy trying to catch his eyes to see if he was ready to gaze right at her as he followed the beat of the music. It was all strange, so extravagant even Thais couldn't beat it with her V-cut tops and short dresses. It seemed so sexual, seductive but Thais couldn't see what exactly attracted her to it. She would have danced herself but she knew no one would welcome her here. It was their lands, why would they watch her hips whirl?

Thais glanced up at her horse whos ears were pinned against his head while the dancers pranced around. He seemed fairly suprised to see something like this on the streets. His knee pushed the Queen to get up and dance along but Thais angrily elbowed his leg saying,''Shsh you.''

[Ra-Aqikha]

He felt the womens gaze on him. But Ra couldn't just look at her. No, that was far too simple for his liking. Instead he continued the dance, reaching the edge of the stage, turning away and slowly bending backwards, his hands outstretched, making small circles as he gradually bends completely backwards, almost into a "n" shape. Thats when he met her eyes. He grinned and winks, standing up straight again, turning sideways and thrusting out his chest and backside at the side time, his frighteninly flexible body practically in an S shape.

She was a strange one for sure. Ra wasn't quite sure what to make of her. But he doubted she was a friend of Xerxes. She looked too obviously surprised by there dance tob e any close friend to the king of debauchery. How strange...

[Queen Thais ♥]

The boy's sudden glance suprised Thais. She wasn't even expecting him to look at her. She smiled back and glanced at his body as it twisted and turned in all these unnatural yet appealing shapes. The beat vibrated against the earth gently while the music played almost forcing Thais to get up from slight discomfort. But she didn't, she sat right there eyeing the man who played with music like a snake in sand. She never saw a man dance like that. Her slave girls danced like that with their lips twisting from east to west, but a man? No, that Thais hasn't heard of. The girls were ofcourse impressive, but this lad, well he was different More wild, more free.

''Oh how wonder who you are...''she whispered, practically to herself, her gaze not leaving the group, espeically the boy.

[Ra-Aqikha]

Ra gyrates and sways, his arms and legs as fluid as his hips. He grins at the women. Svriti was nearing the end of the song, going up and down her vocal scale with remarkable skill for one her age.

The music builds up, a pounding almost tribal rhythmn, and the dancers match it perfectly. It goes faster and faster, the dancers coloured tops merging with one another as they move past. Then, with a single chime the song stops and the dancers stop, some in mid-step. A perfect set of statues.

"So..wadya think?"

[Queen Thais ♥]

''I think this is the most sex some of those people had in years.''Thais chuckled glancing round at the audience.
''But ofcourse I'm kidding.'' she added getting up,''I think you're a marvelous dancer. It was all kind of breathtaking.''Thais said, the last sentece she almost whisprered. Thais brushed back her locks over her shoulders smiling at the boy, but not her usual smirk, something sweeter and gentler,''I'm Thais. Queen Thais.''she whispered to him the queen part. She wasn't ready for the whole of Persia to know her identity just yet.

[Ra-Aqikha]

Ra makes a face and claps his hands.

"Ahhhh...i knew you weren't a Persian..."

He bows to here and takes her hand, turning it over and kissing the palm.

"I am Ra-Aqikha. It's a pleasure..."

He waves to a few of the departing audience members, bowing to others, various cultural ways of saying goodbye, then turns back to her.

"May i ask, Queen of where?"