Several weeks later, the commander stopped by again one evening, rapping at the door for several minutes. When no one came to answer his knocking, he glanced questioningly at the H"San posted nearby. They nodded to indicate that Casina was home, so he decided to go in unannounced. Pressing his thumb to the security panel to verify his right to enter, he quietly pushed open the heavy wooden door when it beeped. Inside, he was surprised at the loud whoops of laughter, giggling, and chattering coming from the dining area. This explained perhaps why no one had heard him knocking. Soft music could be heard playing from a v"d"mr somewhere in the background.
The entry foyer was dimly lit by the brightness of the light cascading into it from the dining area. The foyer itself led into a large room, with but a few pictures on each wall, a large mirror just inside the door, and a small receiving table to the right. To the left were a set of carpeted stairs leading to the second floor.
Uri carefully secured the door behind him and moved toward the larger dining room. His footsteps were muffled by the thin carpeting beneath his booted feet.
He halted just inside the high arch of the adjoining room, his mouth dropping at sight of Casina lying on her belly, with chin in hand, propped on her elbows. She was facing away from him, with one dainty bare foot raised and wiggling midair as she lay there. She was wearing a short, cheerful day dress, which gave him full view of her spectacular-looking legs.
La"ara and H"non were also on their stomachs, still in their work clothes. The maid was directly across from Casina, and H"non was to Casina"s right. All were settled around a square wooden board in the middle of the room. The repast table and chairs had been moved against the wall to allow them room on the floor. Three small bowls of fruit and goblets of water were beside them. Several piles of numbered paper squares rested beside them also, as well as a pile of buttons and odd-shaped wooden pieces.
Never expecting to see anything like this, Uri stood silently in the shadows awhile, observing what they were about. Whatever game it was seemed to be something they all were enjoying a great deal, if he had to base that assumption on their loud guffaws and laughter. Since they were not imbibing at all, it amazed him how much fun they seemed to be having just by drinking water.
Facing the open doorway, La"ara threw two small blocks of wood across the board, unaware he was watching them. "Quai"i!" she shouted in Kathian, as she eyed the makeshift dice resting on the board. Then she reached out to move a small red button six spaces around the outer edges of it. When she halted her piece, she let out a loud yelp of victory as she hastily snatched up a small, thin peta leaf, apparently taken from their garden. Several leaves were haphazardly piled in the center of the board, like a deck of Zarconian playing cards. She read whatever had been written on her leaf, then groaned her dismay. Pouting playfully, she read it aloud in English then retreated her piece back a few spaces. Feigning disappointment, she then resigned herself to awaiting the next player"s turn.
Casina, with her back to the foyer, eagerly snatched up the two small wooden blocks, shook them in her hand, blew on them amidst several loud giggles, then tossed them across the board.
Overzealous in her efforts, one overshot the board, and there was more loud laughter as poor H"non had to crawl beneath the repast table to recover the piece. She apologized, but neither female could refrain from laughing at sight of his rotund behind squeezing between the legs of the table to find it. Even Uri couldn"t control the twitching of his own lips at this uncommon sight.
This went on for several more rounds, until Uri decided to make his presence there known. They were all in good spirits, but the need to interrupt their fun seemed inevitable.
La"ara was just about to move her playing piece when a movement drew her attention from the board. Raising curious eyes, her mouth dropped and a loud gasp of shock escaped her at sight of the commander peering down at her with arms crossed.
H"non, following her gaze, instantly choked back his own surprised gasp at sight of their unexpected visitor, and hastily rose to his feet. La"ara was quick to follow, both bowing respectfully and hurriedly straightening their garments.
Casina, still with her back to him, was in too good a mood to care who was standing behind her. She rolled back onto an elbow, to peer up at the commander, who was staring down at her with an odd expression on his face.
"Well, hello, Commander," she greeted, grinning up at him with amusement.
He nodded, then immediately lapsed into Kathian, directing his comments to the servants who were all but cringing before him. His presence had knocked the gaiety right out of them, it seemed.
They bowed self-consciously, then hurried to clear away the dishes and get back to their responsibilities. When they had hurried off into the bake room, the commander then turned his attention to Casina who still lay as before on the floor. Only this time, instead of amusement, anger was creased into her delicate features, and her violet eyes were smoldering.
"Did you have to do that?" she asked, her voice shaking. "We were having so much fun."
He sighed regretfully. "I know. And I"m sorry."
"Then...why?"
"I know you probably won"t understand, but if I allow servants to cavort with you or others under my care, then it will send the wrong message to my--that is, to others in Jupitar."
"Perhaps," she admitted. "But who was to know? Had you not come in when you did, even you would not have known. I doubt La"ara and H"non would have said anything. They do know their place here. But I was so bored, I didn"t think it would hurt. I cajoled them into playing, despite their refusal in the first place."
"I"m sorry. I just did what I felt was necessary. I guess I should have asked you about it first instead of jumping all over them."
Casina rolled over with resignation. Sighing, she then moved to a kneeling position, yanking her dress down, as she began clearing away the remnants of their game. The wooden board was hollowed underneath. As she turned it over, she proceeded to place all of the game pieces and dice in the groove, then made to stand up. He tried to assist her, but she shook him away, clearly miffed. He watched ruefully as she walked across the room and quietly set everything aside on the imported Vendran buffet. But she kept her back to him, and he could read the anger in her countenance, with her back stiff and proud as she avoided looking at him.
He moved closer, hoping to rectify things. "That was an...interesting game. However did you devise it?"
She gave an audible sigh as her head dropped, and he observed how her fingers nervously fiddled with the game pieces.
"It was a game I used to play with my family. When they were alive." She quickly stepped away from the buffet, turning toward him, yet keeping space between them. She nervously played with her fingers, keeping her attention on the floor. "Every Sunday night we would play, until someone monopolized the board." She smiled to herself at some distant memory. "We used to have so much fun. Just like we did tonight." "And I ruined it."
But she ignored his comment. "I, uh, had H"non bring me the wood and leaves and things. And a knife so I could whittle the houses and hotels from small pieces of wood. I thought that I could make my own game board so we could play. It"s a real estate game, where we buy and sell properties and stuff." She was unable to continue then, and he felt like the biggest ass on the planet when he saw her blink away the tears that were threatening. To have her go from happy laughter to this state of sad memories had never been his intention. Maka. Would he never get things right with her? he wondered. He should have just walked out the door without interfering.
He moved closer and put a hand to her shoulder. "I truly am sorry," he said. "Had I known..."
But she shrugged him away, then moved to punch the pause button on the v"d"mr which rested on a smaller sideboard near the bake room door, silencing the happy music that had been playing. She turned to cross the room, deliberately walked past him, and made toward the front door. "It"s all right. Don"t trouble yourself, Commander. It"s over and done with."
"But--"
"Please, just go, Commander. I feel a headache coming on and really must get to bed."
"You have off tomorrow, correct? The aviary is closed to the public."
"Yes," she said, "but I am tired. Now, will you please just go. Home to your wife."
He frowned, considered the sadness and disappointment he had caused, then nodded and left. As he walked off into the darkness, he wondered how he would be able to make things up to her after this. Chiding himself, he was in a foul mood himself by the time he reached TrCasinaar.
* * * *
Casina, meanwhile, cried herself to sleep that night.