Never Been Kissed

Posted on Fri Jun 5th, 2020 @ 10:53pm by

Mission: Cruel Meridian
Location: Leyana's quarters
Timeline: evening, unknown day
2403 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Leyana dismissed her handmaidens with a dismissal wave. "Go... get out of here," she told them as she smoothened down the fabric of her dress. "Explore the ship, make some friends, I don't care. I don't need you here tonight."

"But.." one of the girls protested.

Leyana shot her a glare. "Mister Barr will be here for the evening, and we have important matters to discuss. Matters unfit for your ears and your gossips. Leave. Now." She watched the two girls leave, then stood, wondering why she had even bothered with dressing up.

She was starting to pull the pins that held up her her hair in an intricate pattern, when the chime went, just after her maidens had departed.

Barr stepped into the quarters after the doors quietly slid open. He’d had his injuries to his chest healed, although it was still a little sore there was no lasting evidence that he’d been burnt by the food he was carrying in the mess hall. Freshly showered with a change of clothes, Bert was ready for the evening.

“How are you feeling m’lady? No unexpected injuries from the incident earlier?” He asked, concern evident on his face.

"Don't you think that you can leave out the m'lady by now?" Leyana chuckled as she continued to pull out the pins. "I've dismissed the maidens and that contraption over there has dinner ready." She gave him an appreciative look. "You clean up nice...how are you feeling?"

“I’m sorry, m...” he quickly stopped himself from saying ‘m’lady’ again. “Princess, it’s just a force of habit. I’m feeling better, my chest is still a little sore and tight but I’m told that with subside over the next day or so.” He said as continued to walk to the VIP quarters where Princess Leyana had been staying. “Are you sure you don’t want me to sort out the replicator for you?”

"Princess... just call me Leyana," she snorted, "maybe you can help me with these dratted things the maidens put in my hair. I'm sure dinner will be ready shortly." She glared towards the device, which was still not producing any food which she was sure she had programmed.

Barr looked at the princesses hair, “I think my skill set would be better with the replicator, Leyana.” Bert said allowing the Princesses given name to roll off his tongue. He quite liked calling her by her name, made the evening suddenly feel more personal rather than work related.

"That still has a few minutes to go," the young woman grunted as she battled one of the pins. "Oh I hate these things," she scowled, "and I need your help with these. And I so want out of this dress, I found this fluffy thing on file in the replicator, it's utterly shapeless but it's so comfortable!"

“Change.” Bert said as he approached. “Be comfortable, don’t be uncomfortable on my account.” He said as he looked at Leyana battling with the pins in her hair.

"Are you going to help me?" she asked, casting him a look of utter frustration. "How do Human women do this? How do they do this by themselves? Non-royals I mean.... how are they so independent, not needing anyone to tend to them?"

“I suppose they just adjust accordingly and learn as they grow up.” Bert replied honestly as he looked at the pins in her hair and tried to the assist. “Unfortunately, I’ve had no experience in these things either but I can see a lot better than you.” He added with a smile as he stepped closely next to her and began to assist in her plight. Her perfume was intoxicating, he couldn’t help but keep looking at her beautiful features as he helped.

She closed her eyes as he tugged the pins out of her hair, then ruffled her fingers through it to loosen it up. "Sometimes, I wish I could do all these things myself. But as a princess you're expected to be waited upon and not do... non-royal things yourself." She reached back to try and get her dress undone. "Argh!" She gave a frustrated cry.

Bert felt the need to pull her in closely for a hug. He held Leyana closely against him resting his chin on her head. “Shhh.” He said quietly. “It’s ok, you can learn these things for yourself. Being royalty means you are obeyed, if you want to something yourself, tell them. This is the perfect time to start learning.”

"I don't want to have to rely on people to do things. I hate being treated as if I'm made of glass. Yes I like to test how far people are willing to go but I never let it go too far. I want to be able to fend for and take care of my self. Is that too much to ask?" She looked up at him, wondering why he was holding her like this. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her tone changing to curiosity, as she carefully disentangled herself from the embrace.

“It looked like you needed a hug.” He replied simply as he looked down into her wide innocence eyes. “You really do have beautiful eyes.” He whispered.

"I do?" Though aware that others of her own species would find her beautiful, she was very aware of how different she looked from the man staring at her. She looked up at him, her hands still resting on his arms. "Will you help me with this dress and show me how I can do this myself?"

“Of course.” He replied quietly, before swallowing hard. “And you do.”

She held still as he helped her out of her dress though she held up the fabric to give herself a sense of modesty. "You're really good at this," she said, briefly turning to face him. "I'll be right back."
Within a few minutes, she returned, wearing a way too large fluffy pale pink sweater that completely clashed with her skin and hair. "This is so much better," she exclaimed, offering a very relieved smile. "Is the replicator still not done?"

“You look much more comfortable.” Bert replied with a smile, before turning to look at the replicator. “I think it’s almost ready, want me to do the honours?” He asked as he began to move towards the replicator to start getting the meal ready.

"Sure..." She smiled, not sure if she did do it right with the unruly device. "yes I'm much more comfortable now. How about you? You're welcome to get anything more comfortable than that suit."

Bert smiled, “I am comfortable in my suit. I’ve always like to be dressed smart. Even when I was a kid I’d turn up to a party with a dickie bow tie on. I’ve always taken go care of my appearance.” He said as he approached the replicator and pressed the button to create the meal. As soon as the meal materialised a big puff of black smoke came of the replicator causing Bert to cough.

Another grunt of frustration escaped the princess as she sank down on the armrest of a chair. "See? I can't do anything right. Can't even make dinner... And I had wanted to make you dinner...what do we do now?"

“Well, I did smell ok.” Bert said with a chuckle as he fanned the smoke away. “You aren’t used to this sort of technology so you’re bound to get this wrong at the beginning. Would you like me to show you how to use it properly?” He asked giving her a smile.

"You do smell okay," Leyana confirmed with a grin, "and yes please... I want to be able to use this monstrosity myself."

“Alright then, what was it you were cooking?” He asked as he programmed the replicator to auto clean itself ready for the next set of instructions it would receive.

"I don't know. The program said something like lasagna or something?" She watched him program the thing, literally watching him like a hawk. "Why is this so difficult? I've not used this for entire meals before. It gives me simple things, but nothing elaborate."

“I suppose it’s just practice. The more you use it the more familiar you become with the technology.” Bert replied as he finished programming the replicator. “Ok, a couple of minutes and it should be done. Would you like a glass of wine?”

== a little later ==

Still sipping her one glass of wine, Leyana glanced across the table. "Well that turned out better once you saved the day," she said as she gently shoved her plate away. "But you grew up with this technology, didn't you?"

“I did.” Bert replied as he picked up the bottle of wine and topped up the princess’s glass. “Using them is second nature now. I’m guessing there isn’t any replicators where you’re from?” He asked before taking a sip of his glass of wine.

"I actually wouldn't know," Leyana confessed. "Everything is always done for me. If I want to do something myself I get told that a princess doesn't get her hands dirty. I get treated like I'm made out of something fragile, I can't do anything myself." She cast him a most frustrated look as she tipped back the contents of her glass. "I couldn't even get myself dressed, you saw what the maidens looked like when I dismissed them. Surely they passed you? They'd be horrified to know I got out of my own dress.... oh and that a man helped me do it." She giggled. "Oh the horror."

“Why are your people so protective of you? Even our dignitaries do the simple things for themselves.” Bert replied.

"Because I'm to marry this prince, and everything has to be in order. I have to be... pristine..." She scowled at the very idea. "I don't want to be pristine, I don't want to be perfect. I want to be me and do things myself."

Bert frowned with concern, “How long have you been destined to marry this prince?”

"For as long as I can remember, and I don't even remember ever having met him or seen him before. I don't even know his name, how bad is that?" She grimaced as she looked at him. "It's the right thing to do but no-one ever asked me what I wanted to do. Until I got on this ship....until i met you."

“Did you ever ask about him or was you just never told about him?” Bert asked, he didn’t like this arrangement when he first heard of but the more he got to know Leyana he hated it more and more.

"I asked yes but wasn't told much. He's supposed to be nice but he's older than me." She shrugged, reaching across the table to touch his hand. "It's my duty, it'll bring and keep peace. But I don't know this man, and I don't really want to do this."

“How can he be nice if he needs a bride to make peace.” Bert scoffed angry at the situation. “You deserve much better. You deserve to choose who you want to spend your life with!”

She found his anger very endearing and she squeezed his hand. "Don't be angry, this is all politics. All arranged when I was little. I bet the prince has as little to say about this as I do." She offered a small smile. "It's tradition," she added softly, "even if it feels ancient, out of date and barbaric. I'm not a prize to be traded and yet here we are." She stood to gather their plates together, leaning close to stack hers to his and pick them both up.

Bert took Leyana’s hand into his own. “But you deserve so much better. You are most definitely not a prize to be traded. This is all wrong.” He said looking into her bright big eyes.

Her free hand reached up to cup his cheek. "It is," she agreed, "but it's tradition." She leaned closer, their noses almost touching. "What would you do?"

Bert simply leaned forward and kissed the princess on the lips. The more time they spent together the more he started to have feelings for her.

The young woman's eyes widened a little, though she didn't return the kiss. Instead, she felt this funny feeling in her stomach which she couldn't explain at all. A little fuzzy and strange. She pulled back, staring at him. "What was that?" she asked curiously, without any kind of rejection in her voice. It was genuine surprise.

“It’s called a kiss.” Bert explained. “It’s a sign of affection.” He said softly as he rubbed her cheek gently.

She tilted her head as she studied him, feeling his fingers touch her skin. It made her feel all funny again. "A kiss," she repeated, "can you... teach me?" It didn't seem all too difficult, and she wanted to see if that would make her feel all funny again. She stood, pulling him up to his feet with her. "I am not familiar with this, no-one ever told me anything about uhm... intimacy. My maidens are to make sure I am... untouched?"

Bert lent forward again and kissed the Princess. This time with more passion and for longer. He knew it was wrong but it just felt so right.

There was that funny feeling again... Leyana closed her eyes, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, unconsciously pressing her body against his. "You make me feel all funny," she confessed after pulling back, "I don't know what it is, but I don't want it to go away." She gave him the most earnest look she could give him. "I want more," she finally stated.

“Are you sure?” Barr asked, he wanted to show her but he also wanted her to have the choice. Her life had been ruled enough already.

"Yes." She melted into his arms. "I want more. I want to know why I feel so funny. Does this make you feel funny too?"

“Very much so.” He replied before scooping her up off her feet and carried her to the bedroom.

---

Princess Leyana
Alien Royal
npc Lhaes

Herbert Barr
Mission Advisor