Vulcan, 2267

T'Pau read her carefully chosen words.

"The human, James Kirk, has issued an apology for his untoward actions, fearing as he did that Spock was deceived by thee. Since this was the true case in this instance, his concern and his humanness both excuse his own deception. A month has passed, T'Pring Of Sindel. Where is thine own apology, so that this matter may be done and done with?"

T'Pring always managed to exceed mere Vulcan control and actually seem cold, at least to T'Pau's eyes, and hers were just discerning enough to see such distinctions.

"An apology, my Lady, is a defense of one's actions. Since those actions were all logically taken, I see that they require no such defense."

T'Pau felt a twinge of anger, but it was of course buried under multiple layers of hard-won discipline, and never surfaced for even a nanosecond.

"Thee, child, are not Human. And even to Kirk, I grant that excuse only once. Thee disrupted an event of sacred bent in a profane and devious manner. Thy Kalifee could have been issued in such a way that Spock's lands would have been thine, at least in part. You risked life, and you risked propriety, knowing full well all of our laws, and the reasons they were crafted."

T'Pring did not relent, even one iota.

"I judged the possible gain of all of your house's lands to be a desirable and logical extension of the interests of my house. Again, I see no conflict created by actions that, had they played out as I had hoped, would have had me in your place, seated where you are now."

T'Pau had perhaps anticipated something like this happening. She raised her arm.

"Then now accept Judgement. T'Pring, thee are of high birth, so I offer unto thee a choice : Either thee shall cede The Keevan Hills to James Kirk, as just payment, or else thee shall yield up 130,000 Credits that a gift may be purchased in your name for James Kirk."

As Mistress Of The Vulcan Order Of The Ancient Destroyer, T'Pring had been manipulating T'Pau for years. Inwardly, she now smiled. Surely this choice meant the older woman was losing her mind. No filthy human would touch the smallest part of her family's lands. While 130,000 Credits would seem steep to some, T'Pring was wealthy enough that it would never be noticed.

"I choose the Credits, Lady T'Pau. They are paid into the public account, by my command. What cheap trinket or gaudy bauble shall you purchase the human with such a sum?"

T'Pau would never openly smile, but her mouth was not downturned at all, a fact T'Pring instantly noticed.

"We purchase for James Kirk in thy name something of great worth and rare vintage. By thy generosity, T'Pring Of Sindel, Captain James T. Kirk and all of his heirs are given the hereditary honor and title True And Full Citizen Of Vulcan. He shall be informed of this, forthwith."

The back-and-forth between the Order-Mistress and The Mistress Of Order would continue for some time. But on that day, as T'Pring quietly withdrew, T'Pau ordered none of the doors closed. At last, straining her ancient hearing, The High Priestess of emotional control heard a sound that ill bespoke that control, for the sheer delight it caused her.

T'Pring, you see, was screaming.