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The Cohen Clover Caroline & The Chancellor E copyright comidacomida 2025 Caroline had heard at one time that the lead-up to a life event was often more involved and draining than the event itself but whoever believed that had obviously never experienced an Oolou wedding. The two weeks after the trip to the processing center were a blur of activity as the entirety of Ka Hoda prepared for the celebration of the union between Chancellor Calther of the Oolou and Dr. Caroline Ashley of the Unity Programme. As the bride-to-be, most of those activities included her, and her time was at a premium as everyone wanted more and more of it, especially as the day drew closer, and it had all started two days after the trip to the processing center when Antha, Chairman Dughl's wife went into labor. Caroline was with the family for nearly ten hours before Antha gave birth to a healthy puppy girl. She was beyond speechless when they decided to name her Karil, after the Human doctor. It was her last function as a professional before the rest of her tome was dominated by wedding prepearations. In addition to having to be fitted for a dress, Caroline also needed to prepare the Oolou equivalent to a vow. It was purely ritualistic, but she planned to do it right and, more over, she resolved to speak her piece in the Oolou tongue; at the very least she hoped it would improve the opinion of her among the people of Ka Hoda. None of the lowest caste would be at the wedding, of course, but she was absolutely certain that the reporters would be certain to mention it. Part of her hated that everything she did carried with it the possibility of political side effects, but, realizing that, she resolved to make certain that she helped to improve the appearance of both the Unity Programme and Chancellor Calther. The ceremony itself went so smoothly that it could have passed without any notice, except for the fact 90% of his was heavily performative and her role could easily have been the leading lady in a broadway musical... and Caroline had always hated musical theater ever since her middle school acting class. Regardless, she played her part flawlessly and the hundreds of guests provided positive feedback in all the right ways. Later, as she and the Chancellor stood arm-in-arm, he spoke quietly aside to her while waving to the crowd. "Well done, my dear. You were the picture of perfection." His praise was heartwarming, which helped because, as they entered the post-wedding celebration venue, she realized that it was cold. The temperature changed quickly however once the guests closest to the family joined them; almost a hundred Oolou in total contributed enough heat via their bodies to raise the ambient temperature enough that she was glad that her wedding dress was sleeveless. The gathering after the ceremony was nearly as grand as the event itself, and the food prepared for it was like nothing she'd ever had. Although much of her time was spent on the arm of the Chancellor, she didn't feel restrained or hemmed in-- far from it, he seemed to be more inclined to follow her lead, letting her take him wherever she felt like. Seeing as she knew barely a third of the Oolou present, she chose to focus on the dining table where finger foods and drinks had been arranged. Calther noticed; she was sure of it. Fortunately he didn't object, simply choosing to go where she led, a content smile on his muzzle. Caroline liked the look on him; the Akita usually spent so much time being dour and serious that he rarely if ever managed to light up like he was that evening; he was handsome when he was happy. That thought struck her immediately; they were married out of convenience, so 'happy' didn't really have to factor into it. Sobered by the thought, she simply let the thought of his smile be a fact in its own right and didn't dig too deeply into its cause. The two shared more idle chat back and forth; Caroline appreciated how at-ease he could make her feel with little more than small talk and yet, in his case, even banter seemed to carry with it a significant meaning. When he spoke with her she had his entire attention-- few people could claim that distinction when it came to the Chancellor, and tha made her feel special... valued.... appreciated. That sensation was only heightened when, as the band began to set up for the music presentation that night, he leaned closer to her, his whiskers flicking against her neck as he spoke into her ear "You are absolutely gorgeous tonight, Ash... more than usual, which I had not thought possible." She found herself blushing despite realizing that Calther was just playing his role as a dutiful husband; he really did help her feel at ease. They would make a good team, she knew, and, in the spirit of collaboration, she offered the same feel-good compliment in return. "And you are quite dashing yourself. Very handsome, Calther." Caroline was surprised when the insides of his ears reddened noticeably. He opened his muzzle to speak but, before he could, Chairman Dughl had stepped up onto the stage in front of the band. As one of Calther's friends, he had elected to control the events of the post wedding celebration. "Genteels, I would like us all to raise a toast to the Chancellor of Ka Hoda, my dear associate, and friend to all Seekers present in person and in our thoughts." He raised his arm, silver chalice in his paw glinting in the overhead lighting. "To Chancellor Calther, and his lovely wife Doctor Ashley!" Those gathered raised their drinks and over a hundred voices in unison repeated the toast. "To the Chancellor and Dr. Ashley!" Once the showmanship event was over, Dughl's tail began to sway. "And now, what I'm sure you are ALL waiting for, let the couples dance begin!" Even the afterparty had a degree of ceremony to it and, thankfully, Caroline had done her research on the proper conduct so she wasn't surprised when Calther disengaged from her. The Akita touched his muzzle to her cheek as he stepped away, moving toward the stage. "I will see you soon... my dear." The first dance of the night after a wedding relied on couples of the same sex. Men danced with men, the partner of higher station leading; Caroline didn't miss that her husband gravitated immediately to Chancellor Dughl and the two interlaced arms, moving toward the dance floor. A moment later a pleasant voice called to her from the side. "It appears that our husbands are as close as ever... practically still puppies." Caroline turned to regard Antha. Although she'd given birth less than two weeks prior her body was already shedding the weight and her bright eyes and wagging tail suggested that she'd overcome post partum with the resilience and fortitude due to her as an Oolou. The Husky woman held her arm out to the Human, who accepted it. Thinking up a quick response, she stated "It's a good thing they have wives like us to keep them in line." Antha tittered, leading Carline to the dance floor; unlike among the men, it was the women of the lower status who led in the female dance. Caroline considered herself lucky since she was still a novice when it came to the dances of Ka Hoda, which, fortunately for her, meant that anyone with whom she danced would be in the lead. The music began and Antha immediately started the dance; Caroline could immediately tell that the Husky was a great dance partner, and she had no qualms about mentioning it. "You are an amazing lead." The Husky smiled. "Thank you, dear Doctor Ashley..." Antha leaned in a little closer, the volume of her voice dropping. "I'll tell you a little secret: Dughl has been shedding in worry over this dance so he all but demanded that I work with him so he could practice being led. I suppose that benefitted both of us, now didn't it?" While couples usually traded partners with husbands and wives of two couples switching off for the first dance of a wedding afterparty it was never a guaranteed match-up, so Caroline was glad things worked out. Smiling back at the Husky, the Human woman felt compelled to continue the conversation; talking helped clear her head of anything that could make her second-guess her dancing steps. "You chose a gorgeous dress tonight, Antha. How are you faring away from your little one?" Like Humans, Oolou mothers often had a close connection to their newborns. Antha offered a placating smile, but Caroline could tell that it was a mask. "This is an important celebration, and Karil can survive without me for a few hours. The wet nurse has extensive experience and I am certain everything will be fine until our return." As the song slowly came to an end, Caroline gave the Husky a hug, saying quietly. "I'm so very glad you're here, Antha... but, if you need to leave before the end of the night I won't fault you. I know how important she is to the two of you." She went to disengage, but the Husky held the embrace a moment longer. "You are a wonderful person, Caroline... if the rest of the Humans are like you then I know Ka Hoda's future will be bright indeed." Antha disengaged after touching her muzzle to each of Caroline's cheeks. The second dance was about to begin, which meant that the first dance of mixed sex was set to start. Caroline realized that she wouldn't be dancing with Calther, since the spouse dance was always the third of the night. The moment she saw Antha head over to the Chancellor, Caroline knew who her next partner would be even before she saw the piercing blue eyes of Dughl Eskon facing her from a few steps away. Without a word, he held out a paw to her, which she accepted. The moment the music started, the Husky took her away across the dance floor at a sure pace with steps that somehow compelled her to follow; if his wife was a good dancer, then Dughl was a master. As with Antha, as they started moving, Dughl began conversing. "Calther is a lucky man." Caroline hadn't quite expected how much talking would be included in dancing, so her response was inadvertently vain. "I know." Dughl chuckled with good-natured mirth. "Dr. Ashley, I wanted to thank you again for taking such good care of Antha... as you know, we have been in a... delicate frame of mind since the loss of our last puppy. I cannot begin to tell you how much of a relief it has been having you involved with her last months of pregnancy... not to mention the delivery." Nodding her head at the appreciation, Caroline was able to default to her usual professional response. "It was my pleasure. I'm just pleased that everyone involved is healthy and everything turned out well in the end." The Husky continued with steps faster than what she would have expected but, somehow, he managed to remain synched to the music perfectly; she remembered something about the beat of Oolou dances being designed mathematically to accomidate three paces for dancers-- Dughl obviously preferred the fastest of the three. What really astounded her, however, was that she was able to keep up without making any mistakes. It wasn't specifically that she was uncoordinated... she simply didn't have the kind of experience most Oolou had in their native dances. Nevertheless, she was doing it! The music concluded while Caroline was still attempting to figure out where on the dance floor she was; she'd been kept moving all over by the Husky, focused on his piercing blue eyes and his idle banter that she had completely lost track of her location. Considering her next dance would be with her new husband, she had to figure out where-- A gentle tap on her shoulder called her attention behind her, where Calther stood, his paw extended. There was something regal in his pose, the overhead lighting providing the perfect sheen on his well-kept fur and the little extra 'padding' around his midsection was well hidden by his fine wedding overcoat. Smiling warmly, the Chancellor gave his fingers a light wiggle. "I have been waiting for this all night." Dughl let her go without a fight-- in fact, he had the kind of smirk on his muzzle that suggested that he'd maneuvered her into the perfect spot during their dance on purpose. As they disengaged, the Husky offered a sweeping bow at the hip, holding out his paw as he did so, allowing his wife to take hold of it as he straightened up. "You are beautiful together, my friends. Remain so for all the days of your union." With that serving as a farewell, Dughl and Antha locked arms even as Calther gently eased Caroline into his arms. His smile was still present, and seemed to grow even; the Akita's deep brown eyes gleamed as he gaze down at her. "Although I know our union is for diplomatic purposes, would it be uncouth for me to say how lucky I feel knowing that, for a time at least, I can call you my wife?" Caroline's entire face felt warm as the dance started and Calther began to guide her around the dance floor at the slowest of the three paces, moving purposefully and calmly as he gazed into her eyes. When she found her voice, she responded playfully. "Now I can see why you're such a good politician: you always know the right thing to say." His smile widened faintly and he licked his nose; in the time that she'd known him, Caroline had become what she considered fairly competent at reading his body language, and the nose-lick was a tell; he was apprehensive which, she had to admit, was quite endearing. "Only when I am properly inspired. Ka Hoda inspires me..." To her surprise, he pulled her more closely to him, dancing torso to torso as he murmred quietly, "And apparently, you do as well." She felt a bitter sweetness at the words; there were so many reasons why Chancellor Calther could have been considered the perfect husband if they'd met and had a chance to know one another in any 'normal' setting but, as the leader of the last Oolou city and a visiting doctor from a different Earth their relationship went no further than professional collaboration. She wondered why that thought hurt so much. Calther drew back, his furred brow furrowing in concern. "Is something wrong, Ash?" He reached up a gloved paw, drawing it tenderly across her cheek; Caroline hadn't realized she had been shedding tears until that moment. Clearing her throat, she shook her head, forestalling any further comment by laying he head against his chest; she hated how wonderful it felt to have him right there to comfort her despite having planned to just use it as a way to avoid the question. Several more beats into the dance, she managed to gain enough courage to ask "Calther? Are... you really okay with..." she sighed, forcing the words out "Marrying me as political theater?" She'd come to know the popular dance songs of Ka Holda to realize that the one they were dancing to was coming to an end, but it still had several more stanzas so she was surprised when the Chancellor stopped dancing. He disengaged several inches, his gloved paw reaching to curl a finger beneath her chin and raise her face up to meet his. The Akita's smile was reserved, but no less handsome, deep brown eyes peering at, and seemingly THROUGH her. "Ash..." his baritone rumbled compassionately. "There are any number of reasons a politician must do something, but I do not think of you that way." She paused at that, the rest of the dancers moving around them. "You don't?" He shook his head ever-so-faintly, just the softest movement of his muzzle from left to right. "No." He leaned forward and provided her a very human-like kiss on the forehead. "You are not someone I HAVE to marry, Ash. You are amazing. Intelligent. Beautiful. Caring. You silly girl... I GET to marry you." Any public displays of affection more intimate than holding paws without gloves on among the Oolou of Ka Hoda were usuall considered somewhat vulgar, which is why Caroline was caught completely by surprise when the Chancellors' muzzle lowered further even as his finger beneath her chin pushed it upward and, his muzzle a hair's width from her lips, his breath washed across her face as he asked "Would I be overstepping acceptable conduct if I were to kiss you, my de--?" Caroline silenced him by giving him her answer: she closed the distance, pressing her lips to his. His tail was wagging so powerfully she could feel it through his embrace. * * * * * The ride home in Calther's carriage brought up a number of emotions in Caroline. Rather than sitting across from one another, she found herself sitting not only in the same bench as the Chancellor, but seated in his lap, her back against his chest, with his arms draped intimately around her. He had his muzzle resting atop her head, apparently having found a way to embrace her with his entire body. She didn't mind. Although the present moment was wonderful, her mind continued to take her back to when they'd last shared the carriage: she kept hinking about the would-be assassin who had been so adamant about taking her life. She dwelt on it long enough that Calther seemed to take notice. Nuzzling the top of her head, the Chancellor gave her soft squeeze. "Is everything alright, Darling?" It was the first time the Akita had used such an intimate term; although it warmed her to hear such affection, she also realized that his concern seemed very real. Squeezing his forearm that was wrapped around her midsection, she replied. "A few weeks ago you stepped between me and a man who wanted me dead." The Oolou behind her offered a 'mmm' of agreement, nose still buried in her hair. He elaborated. "The man has been sentenced, and he will have an opportunity to be redeemed. You helped save his life by testifying on his behalf, requesting leniency even after he had wanted to take yours. I can tell that it still bothers you..." He was right, but Caroline wasn't sure how to put it into words. Her fingers brushed across the sleeve of Calther's overcoat; his wound had completely disappeared after just over a week and, with that gone, everything should have been fine... but it wasn't. "I want to change the minds of the lower caste. I want them to know that we're here to help... not to opporess, Calther." The Chancellor let out a long sigh, nuzzling her hair. "And you will, my dear. Change... REAL change takes time. We'll work together to see it happen. I promise." She'd heard empty promises before from any number of people; in most cases she expected promises to be worth the paper they were written on but, in that moment, she really and truly believed him. Everyone around her had often said that Calther wanted to create change in Ka Hoda. The next words came out of her before she had a chance to think about them. "I... think I love you, Calther." His body tensed for a moment, and she felt his breath hitch. Several second passed before he let it out at a slow, measured pace. He didn't speak until his next one came to him. "I am overjoyed at the prospect, Darling, but I will not overreact, since I know there was a fair amount of alcohol at the festivities, and I do not expect to hold you to anything you might say while inebriated. I am no ignorant puppy to think that you--" Caroline interrupted him. "I only had one glass during the toast... I'm not drunk, Cal." She wasn't sure in the moment why she shortened his name, but the casual nature of her addressing him seemed to catch the Chancellor by surprise. Rather than address that, however, his tone changed slightly and she heard a hint of playful banter to his response. "And here I thought Humans had better alcohol tolerance than us Oolou." The Human woman countered by jabbing her elbow into his gut. "And here I was all night thinking you were a gentleman." He humored her with an 'oof' despite being far too studry for her 'attack' to have any real effect on him. He pulled her even tighter, squeezing her in a hug as he settled back into his bench seat. His follow up words were far more serious. "When you say that you THINK you love me... what do you mean by that?" She thought about her own admission; she hadn't told him that she loved him... just that she thought she might. "I... haven't ever really been in love before, Cal. I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to feel like." Rather than address her statement, he inserted a comment of his own. "I like that, my dear-- when you call me Cal." The comment, despite being separate from their disussion, gave her a warm feeling inside to go with the warmth of his body against her back. She felt a tempest of emotions internally and yet, somehow, she still seemed able to maintain her composure externally. Caroline realized it was going to be difficult to explore those thoughts aloud until she could mull them over in private. She quickly changed the topic. "I'm sorry Kalsur wasn't able to join us tonight for the ceremony." Calther sighed. "Mmm... his mother did not let him attend my wedding to Doctor Loris either. It is..." he paused as if seeking the right, non-insulting choice of words before ultimately settling on "...her way." The two fell into silence after that, a strangely comfortable lack of discussion as she leaned back against him, listening to his strong heartbeat in a much more consistent pattern than the uneven cobblestones that created the bumpy ride for their carriage. Her mind was just starting to grasp at addressing her emotions when Calther adjusted his hold of her, one of his paws rising up to her shoulder. The Oolou's strong fingers pressed into her skin and her eyes opened wide as his touch manipulated her muscle, making her entire arm go numb; it was a surprisingly pleasant experience. She asked a single word question, "What?" He nuzzled the back of her head as his paw continued moving. "You asked me what I would have done had I not been a Chancellor." Caroline remembered. "A Yuchtah." He nodded behind her, his second paw loosening its hold on her mid-section as his fingers began to manipulate the connective tissue between her ribs. "Mmm. Yes. A 'touch therapist'-- 'accupressure', I believe you said." Caroline smiled at that, finding it surprisingly easy to give him access to her, leaning back against his chest, enjoying his caresses and the way the pressure of his digits seemed to dispel the stress that had accumulated throughout the day. "That's... funny in a way." An indignant 'hurk' scame out of the Chancellor, followed by an almost humorously demanding "Funny? How is it funny?" She laid a hand on his forearm. "Not funny like that-- funny because it seems no matter what you'd planned on doing with your life, it was about helping people." Calther chuckled softly in response to her statement. "An astute observation, Darling... one I had never really considered in the past but, you are very much correct. I wish for Ka Hoda to be a better place, and that does not happen by sitting idly by." The next words came out of her mouth before she could consider what she was saying. "It's a better place for me with you around." "Oh is it?" the tone of his voice made it obvious that he was smiling ear to ear, but Caroline was saved from further embarrassment when the sound of uneven cobblestone switched to asphalt and Nikas, the driver, called to them "We've arrived back at the state, Chancellor." From there it was less than a minute until the carriage had come to a stop and the Samoyed had the door open, arm extended with the palm of his paw facing upward to accept her hand. Caroline let Nikas help her down, followed thereafter by Calther. The Akita held his elbow out to her even as he spoke aside to the driver "Thank you, Nikas." Setting her hand into the crook of his arm, Caroline let the Chancellor lead her back into the house. "I really DID enjoy the ceremony this evening, Cal." He chuckled, apparently bemused. "I am glad to hear that, my Darling... I had worried that it was too much and that you would be uneasy." Resting her head on his shoulder, she ascended the steps to the front door beside him. "I was just fine with you there." A soft, deep rumble emerged from his chest. As he walked by the servants of the house greeting them, he offered a simple nod. "You may all take the rest of the night off. Have a good evening." None of them objected; they simply nodded, and departed, leaving Caroline alone with Calther. She waited until the sounds of doors closing signaled that they were alone. She wasn't entirely sure how to approach the next topic on her mind, settling for a simple assessment of the time. "I can't believe how late it is..." The Akita nodded. Her arm still in his, he ascended the steps with her beside him. "Most after-ceremonies last nearly three hours. I suppose going a half hour beyond that is reasonable considering they insisted that a Chancellor's lovely wife have a proper celebration to welcome her to her new role." She offered a smile at that. Pausing at the top of the steps, she turned to face Calther. Taking hold of both of his paws in both of her hands, she looked up at him. The Akita was more than two decades older than she was; they were of a different species; they were from vastly different cultures; he was practically royalty. In that moment though, all Caroline saw was her husband. Feeling her cheeks flush, she reiterated permission, which was something she knew was important to him. "We can... kiss... if you like." A warm smile spread across his muzzle and he released one of her hands, his paw moving to gently cup the side of her face. His head descended and she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his proximity, and then the warmth of his muzzle. It was the same, tentative, courteous kiss that he'd given to her at the ceremony, and it was wonderful... but Caroline was surprised when she felt his tongue caress her lips, and surprised herself all the more when she opened her mouth to admit it entry. Calther, despite his reserved nature, was an incredible kisser-- so much so that it took her breath away and made her weak in the knees. Her husband was also strong, having no trouble whatsoever pulling her close to him to keep her on her feet; that was when, for the first time, she felt the firmness between his legs. She felt her heart quicken at that but, even as she was taking the significance into account, he disengaged, breaking the kiss. Smiling at her still, he licked his muzzle. "Thank you, my dearest Ash. I could not have asked for a finer wedding present." Offering a genteel bow, Calther leaned forward to give her another, gentle, chaste kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight." When he turned to head to his room, Caroline reached out, grabbing his wrist. When he looked back to her quizzically, she felt her face flush deeply as the words flowed past her lips. "We... don't have to sleep separately... if you don't want to." Those warm, deep, rich brown eyes peered down at her as he stopped. "What--- are you suggesting, Darling?" Her fingers gently squeezed his wrist as her embarrassment became nearly unbearable. "Would you... like to... sleep... together?" She'd seen a number of different emotions fail to disturb his professional demeanor during the time she'd known the Chancellor but, in that moment, she saw his courtly indifference come to an end. The perfect mask of gentility slipped, revealing a desire that he'd done so very well at hiding. The single word emerging from his muzzle was a mix of voice and deep, primal growl. "Absolutely."