<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://s300.photobucket.com/user/SociallyToxicBeauty/media/f9baa897-e285-4e2a-92b5-e0eb263a67ea.jpg.html"></a><a class="postlink" href="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn24/SociallyToxicBeauty/f9baa897-e285-4e2a-92b5-e0eb263a67ea.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><br/><span style="color: #408000"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Alida</span></span></span></div><br/><br/>Alida let out a short scream before she was surrounded by water. Izu's arms were around her waist as he pushed forward to bring them up for air. By the time they broke the surface of the water, the lithe female managed to twist in her mate's arms, facing him. She gave him a playful shove back into the water. Izu reached out quickly to reclaim her and retaliated by dunking her under water. She leapt at Izu as she came up, but he caught her easily enough and began to tickle her. She fidgeted and wiggled in effort to get out of his grasp, the entire time letting out gaspy laughing.<br/><br/>Suddenly the mood changed and Izu pulled her towards him, their lips locking. She felt his tongue press against the seam of her lips and she granted him access, her own tongue meeting his. Only a few moments passed before they pulled away from one another, but Alida found that those moments weren't long enough. Izu seemed to agree as his hands began to wander over her, causing goose bumps to appear where ever he touched. Her breath caught when a hand landed between her legs, he slipped in a finger and Alida let out a soft whimper of need. He leaned forward some, his lips in a seductive grin,<span style="color: #FF0000">"You think we have enough time for so-" </span><br/><br/>Izu was cut short by a voice and his sudden movement caused his finger and their footing to slip away. They tangled and turned about in effort to stand again, but the only thing that ended up happening was Izu's girth sticking up between her legs as they finally faced the King. Alida, aggravated to be teased and tossed, shoved Izu back into the pool and then snapped at the King,<span style="color: #408000"> "What?! Why are you in here!? Can you just knock!?" <br/></span><br/>The king seemed completely unbothered by his younger sister's outburst, only giving a placating nod with no real intentions of ceasing his behavior.<span style="color: #4000FF"> "Ah, yes...Sorry,"</span>he stated without much effort,<span style="color: #4000FF"> "I was just coming by to let you know that Hest will need you a little before the festival so you can retrieve your...pet." </span>Alida gave a dull look at her brother, unimpressed by his news. Hest had already told them that. He blinked at her for another minute before something seemed to dawn on him,<span style="color: #4000FF">"Oh! And I brought Izu something he might like to wear. I know humans are strangely attached to fabric on their bodies, so perhaps this will work for him for now."</span>Izu, by now, was simply trying to recover from embarrassment.<br/><br/>The green-haired girl reached out for the offered garment and the equally green-haired man put something on top of the pile,<span style="color: #4000FF">"Don't forget your arm-cuff for tonight."</span>She looked down and, sure enough, her royal arm-cuff was still in existence. She had assumed it was gone from the attack. But there was more than just hers--it seemed Izu was getting a silver arm cuff that represented his station. The girl couldn't help but give a smile.<span style="color: #408000">"Thank you, Zoltan." </span>He gave a single nod, but there was something distant about the way he looked at Izu and her. It was then she realized he was probably recalling Shina, his mate.<br/><br/><span style="color: #408000">"Zoltan?" </span><br/><br/><span style="color: #4000FF">"I will see you later, Princess Alida--Prince Izu,"</span>Zoltan gave a tip of his head and seemed to rush out of the room, closing the door behind him with a solid thud. Alida stood for a moment and Izu came to stand next to her, inquiring about the clothes.<span style="color: #408000">"Zoltan seemed to have procured you a garment of some kind,"</span>she replied distracted, her eyes worriedly looking at Zoltan's previous spot. She finally turned to meet Izu's gaze, holding up a silver arm cuff that twisted around at least three times,<span style="color: #408000"> "He also brought you this to wear tonight at the festival." </span>With no more explanation, she slipped the arm-cuff onto Izu's upper arm. She decided the look was only a benefit to Izu and gave a happy grin,<span style="color: #408000">"It fits so well."</span><br/><br/>Alida then put on her own arm-cuff. It, too, wrapped around three times--but it differed in style and metal. Her own arm-cuff was gold, shaped to look like vines and leaves crawling up her arm. The gold seemed to bring out a shimmery look to Alida's already radiant skin. The girl gave a satisfied nod, then looked to her mate,<span style="color: #408000"> "We should probably go meet with Hest. If Zoltan mentioned it, it is likely because he meant now."</span>She paused as Izu struggled with the garment that Zoltan had brought,<span style="color: #408000">"....Uh, Izu? Do you need...help?"</span>