and now for something different
Jun. 12th, 2008 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrNot sure where this is going, or if it's even worth anything. Not terribly creative, but it's biting at me hard. So, we'll see.
Normally Arabella loved to linger in her rose garden, admiring the colors and breathing in the delicate scents of her prized flowers.
This evening, however, she just wanted to start grabbing and shredding. Only the fact that destroying her roses was no substitute for wringing her father's neck.
"You look about how I feel, dearest."
Arabella turned around, scarlet skirts whipping about, her irritation easing a bit as she registered the sound of her best friend's voice. "Elise."
She looked like a thundercloud, the curly black hair coming loose of its pins, dressed in gray and dark blue, a scowl on her hard, pretty face. "Your stepfather?"
"Of course. Your father?"
"Naturally. He put his foot down today," Arabella said with a sigh, dropping down on the marble bench where Elise had sat. "I'm to pick a Champion for the Royal Tourney - and by Champion, he of course means husband. Or else." She grimaced in annoyance. "I asked if I had to marry the man if he lost, or only if he won. Father was not amused."
Elise gave an unladylike snort. "Why should you have to marry a man who embarrasses you by losing?"
"It does rather add insult to injury," Arabella replied. "I wish I could just select a Champion who I did not have to marry."
Elise scowled at a yellow rose. "I do not see why you must choose at all. Honestly, I'm not certain if it's better or worse I'm being shipped off to Convent rather than throw down the marriage aisle."
Arabella smiled. "We'll compare notes after a year or two."
"Have you picked out a lesser evil? To which did your father finally narrow it down?"
"Grimmar, Housely, or Walting," Arabella said sourly. "I suppose I should be flattered I get that much choice. Poor Tiffany and Lila did not."
Elise grimaced. "Those are your options? There is always poison."
Arabella tucked back a strand of dark blonde hair which had slipped free of the braid in which she had bound it that morning. "For me or them?"
"While it would be easier to poison yourself, dearest," Elise said, "I do not think you should have to die because they are asses."
"Hmm," Arabella said pensively. "As fat as Housely is, consummating the marriage will likely be enough exertion to kill him – assuming the Tourney does not, at that. Not a pleasant night for me, of course, but I can survive one awful night to be a free widow."
Elise dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "He's healthier than he looks, for all he looks like a fat toad. Anyway, why do you think he makes all his whores ride on top?"
Arabella coughed into one deep scarlet sleeve. "Elise!" She smothered a laugh. "Where do you hear such things?"
"Servants, mostly. Soldiers who don't realize I'm in the next stall over, or just out of sight in the armory."
"That is my Elise, too informed for anyone's piece of mind."
Elise shrugged. "Grimmar?"
"He drinks heavily, as everyone knows. Heavily and frequently," Arabella replied. "Likely he will drown himself in wine before too many more years have passed. Shrewder than the others at politics, for all he's never sober. Housely is better in with the merchants and tradesmen. Walting has the best foreign relations. Of the three, Grimmar is the least likely to beat me."
"True enough," Elise said, making a face. Everyone knew Housely and Walting both believed, as did most men, that dogs and women required a heavy hand when it came to maintaining discipline. Elise pursed her lips in thoughts. "I suppose Grimmar could be helped along in drinking himself into the grave. Walting is not worth considering at all. Besides the beatings, he already has a daughter, and he is very likely to drag you out of the country. He has land and money aplenty, but fat good that does if you never enjoy the benefits of it."
Arabella sighed softly, looking at her slippers against the pale tiles that made up the garden walkways.
"So that leaves the corpulent toad or the drunk rat," Elise continued with a sigh of her own.
She did not bother to reply; there was no need. Arabella reached out and gently broke off one lush, pink rose, holding it to her face to smell it, stroke the soft petals against her cheek. She refused to think too hard about anything, because if she did she would give in to tears and now was not the time for a good cry. That would come later.
"He has arranged for me to leave for the Moonstone Convent after the Royal Tourney," Elise said softly into the silence.
"What?" Arabella exclaimed, dropping the rose in surprise. It landed in her lap, pink petals breaking off to scatter across the scarlet fabric, before the rose tumbled off to fall against the pale gray tiles. "Elise! No!" She did cry then, throwing her arms around her oldest and dearest friend, hugging her tight.
Elise in a convent was a bird in a cage – and the best way for her stepfather to get the money and land Elise's father had left to her. Her friend would wither and die in such a life. "Oh, Elise, no. I thought he would not go through with it; you have been fighting so hard. I do not understand. You are marriageable."
"Hardly," Elise said with a sad laugh. "I was ruined years ago, and not much of a blushing rose anyway."
You were kidnapped," Arabella hissed, angry as always at the abuse heaped upon Elise for something that had not been her fault.
"It's all the same," Elise replied, voice calm. "It littler matters to me, save that he wants to lock me up in that damnable convent."
Arabella drew back, wiping away tears. "Oh, Elise. Misery with you I could have borne. Misery alone, I may tip the poison into my own glass after all." She sighed softly, clearing away the last traces of her tears.
She reached out almost absently to touch the sword Elise wore. Given the hour, no doubt she had been on her way to practice in solitude while her stepfather was at dinner. "I wish you could be my Champion," Arabella said wistfully. "That would solve both our problems."
"You would still have to marry," Elise said. "I would still go to convent. Even pretending for a moment it would work – that I would be allowed to fight, that I could find a sponsor, that I could win, still they would make us do as we are told at the conclusion of the Tourney."
Arabella shook her head. "No, the victors of Tourney are threefold – the Champion takes a boon, the damsel takes a boon, and the sponsor gets obscene amounts of money. The boons may be whatever the Champion and damsel ask that is within the High King's power to give."
"If he feels like giving it," Elise said. "There are a few instances where he has refused to give the boon requested. I cannot see he would allow either one of us our freedom. You are too useful a Princess, and I am a woman with too much of her own money."
"Well, I cannot see why it's not worth trying."
"I can think of plenty," Elise said cynically, but a moment later she smiled faintly. "It is a nice thought, though, I grant you that."
Arabella fell silent for a moment, turning things over and over in her mind. "I guess the important thing is – would you want to be my Champion?"
"Yes," Elise said softly, reaching out and taking her hand, squeezing it firmly. "To free you, to free me, I would pay any price."
"No doubt it would be a thrill to swing a sword at certain heads as well," Arabella said with a snicker.
"A true lady never lets evil thoughts cloud her mind, but only of helping others," Elise said primly.
They shared a smile, hands still clasped.
"We should go read books," Arabella said at last, letting go to stand up and shake out her skirts, before holding her hand out again.
"Books?"
Arabella nodded. "Yes. Let us see what sort of precedent might have been set in past Tourneys that we might use to gain you entry. Then we'll work on sponsorship and permission. If we sneak through the chapel, we should be able to reach the library without interference."
Elise took her hand and together they left the rose garden, exchanging snickers as they snuck and slunk through the palace halls.
Champion
Normally Arabella loved to linger in her rose garden, admiring the colors and breathing in the delicate scents of her prized flowers.
This evening, however, she just wanted to start grabbing and shredding. Only the fact that destroying her roses was no substitute for wringing her father's neck.
"You look about how I feel, dearest."
Arabella turned around, scarlet skirts whipping about, her irritation easing a bit as she registered the sound of her best friend's voice. "Elise."
She looked like a thundercloud, the curly black hair coming loose of its pins, dressed in gray and dark blue, a scowl on her hard, pretty face. "Your stepfather?"
"Of course. Your father?"
"Naturally. He put his foot down today," Arabella said with a sigh, dropping down on the marble bench where Elise had sat. "I'm to pick a Champion for the Royal Tourney - and by Champion, he of course means husband. Or else." She grimaced in annoyance. "I asked if I had to marry the man if he lost, or only if he won. Father was not amused."
Elise gave an unladylike snort. "Why should you have to marry a man who embarrasses you by losing?"
"It does rather add insult to injury," Arabella replied. "I wish I could just select a Champion who I did not have to marry."
Elise scowled at a yellow rose. "I do not see why you must choose at all. Honestly, I'm not certain if it's better or worse I'm being shipped off to Convent rather than throw down the marriage aisle."
Arabella smiled. "We'll compare notes after a year or two."
"Have you picked out a lesser evil? To which did your father finally narrow it down?"
"Grimmar, Housely, or Walting," Arabella said sourly. "I suppose I should be flattered I get that much choice. Poor Tiffany and Lila did not."
Elise grimaced. "Those are your options? There is always poison."
Arabella tucked back a strand of dark blonde hair which had slipped free of the braid in which she had bound it that morning. "For me or them?"
"While it would be easier to poison yourself, dearest," Elise said, "I do not think you should have to die because they are asses."
"Hmm," Arabella said pensively. "As fat as Housely is, consummating the marriage will likely be enough exertion to kill him – assuming the Tourney does not, at that. Not a pleasant night for me, of course, but I can survive one awful night to be a free widow."
Elise dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "He's healthier than he looks, for all he looks like a fat toad. Anyway, why do you think he makes all his whores ride on top?"
Arabella coughed into one deep scarlet sleeve. "Elise!" She smothered a laugh. "Where do you hear such things?"
"Servants, mostly. Soldiers who don't realize I'm in the next stall over, or just out of sight in the armory."
"That is my Elise, too informed for anyone's piece of mind."
Elise shrugged. "Grimmar?"
"He drinks heavily, as everyone knows. Heavily and frequently," Arabella replied. "Likely he will drown himself in wine before too many more years have passed. Shrewder than the others at politics, for all he's never sober. Housely is better in with the merchants and tradesmen. Walting has the best foreign relations. Of the three, Grimmar is the least likely to beat me."
"True enough," Elise said, making a face. Everyone knew Housely and Walting both believed, as did most men, that dogs and women required a heavy hand when it came to maintaining discipline. Elise pursed her lips in thoughts. "I suppose Grimmar could be helped along in drinking himself into the grave. Walting is not worth considering at all. Besides the beatings, he already has a daughter, and he is very likely to drag you out of the country. He has land and money aplenty, but fat good that does if you never enjoy the benefits of it."
Arabella sighed softly, looking at her slippers against the pale tiles that made up the garden walkways.
"So that leaves the corpulent toad or the drunk rat," Elise continued with a sigh of her own.
She did not bother to reply; there was no need. Arabella reached out and gently broke off one lush, pink rose, holding it to her face to smell it, stroke the soft petals against her cheek. She refused to think too hard about anything, because if she did she would give in to tears and now was not the time for a good cry. That would come later.
"He has arranged for me to leave for the Moonstone Convent after the Royal Tourney," Elise said softly into the silence.
"What?" Arabella exclaimed, dropping the rose in surprise. It landed in her lap, pink petals breaking off to scatter across the scarlet fabric, before the rose tumbled off to fall against the pale gray tiles. "Elise! No!" She did cry then, throwing her arms around her oldest and dearest friend, hugging her tight.
Elise in a convent was a bird in a cage – and the best way for her stepfather to get the money and land Elise's father had left to her. Her friend would wither and die in such a life. "Oh, Elise, no. I thought he would not go through with it; you have been fighting so hard. I do not understand. You are marriageable."
"Hardly," Elise said with a sad laugh. "I was ruined years ago, and not much of a blushing rose anyway."
You were kidnapped," Arabella hissed, angry as always at the abuse heaped upon Elise for something that had not been her fault.
"It's all the same," Elise replied, voice calm. "It littler matters to me, save that he wants to lock me up in that damnable convent."
Arabella drew back, wiping away tears. "Oh, Elise. Misery with you I could have borne. Misery alone, I may tip the poison into my own glass after all." She sighed softly, clearing away the last traces of her tears.
She reached out almost absently to touch the sword Elise wore. Given the hour, no doubt she had been on her way to practice in solitude while her stepfather was at dinner. "I wish you could be my Champion," Arabella said wistfully. "That would solve both our problems."
"You would still have to marry," Elise said. "I would still go to convent. Even pretending for a moment it would work – that I would be allowed to fight, that I could find a sponsor, that I could win, still they would make us do as we are told at the conclusion of the Tourney."
Arabella shook her head. "No, the victors of Tourney are threefold – the Champion takes a boon, the damsel takes a boon, and the sponsor gets obscene amounts of money. The boons may be whatever the Champion and damsel ask that is within the High King's power to give."
"If he feels like giving it," Elise said. "There are a few instances where he has refused to give the boon requested. I cannot see he would allow either one of us our freedom. You are too useful a Princess, and I am a woman with too much of her own money."
"Well, I cannot see why it's not worth trying."
"I can think of plenty," Elise said cynically, but a moment later she smiled faintly. "It is a nice thought, though, I grant you that."
Arabella fell silent for a moment, turning things over and over in her mind. "I guess the important thing is – would you want to be my Champion?"
"Yes," Elise said softly, reaching out and taking her hand, squeezing it firmly. "To free you, to free me, I would pay any price."
"No doubt it would be a thrill to swing a sword at certain heads as well," Arabella said with a snicker.
"A true lady never lets evil thoughts cloud her mind, but only of helping others," Elise said primly.
They shared a smile, hands still clasped.
"We should go read books," Arabella said at last, letting go to stand up and shake out her skirts, before holding her hand out again.
"Books?"
Arabella nodded. "Yes. Let us see what sort of precedent might have been set in past Tourneys that we might use to gain you entry. Then we'll work on sponsorship and permission. If we sneak through the chapel, we should be able to reach the library without interference."
Elise took her hand and together they left the rose garden, exchanging snickers as they snuck and slunk through the palace halls.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 02:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 02:48 am (UTC)-TOD
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Date: 2008-06-13 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 08:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 06:13 am (UTC)Thanks so much, can't wait to see if we hear more about Elise and Bella!
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Date: 2008-06-13 09:48 am (UTC)But, eee, I'd love to see how things work out for Elise and Arabella!
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Date: 2008-06-13 11:34 am (UTC)i say pft to the 'not creative'-- we certainly can't make that judgment yet, and i feel you tend to be a bit negative about your own work-- and i'm glad it's biting you hard. because while i may not love anyone yet, i'm still intensely curious about what you do with it.
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Date: 2008-06-13 12:07 pm (UTC)Question: Would you make it femmeslash or het?
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Date: 2008-06-13 12:10 pm (UTC)I'm angling for femslash, though it could wind up gen. Not het, though. There's a guy that appears shortly, who helps them, but he's no romantic interest (I have other plans for him, way down the road).
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Date: 2008-06-13 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 12:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 12:11 pm (UTC)Femslash is my goal, we'll see if the chars cooperate. I'm sure they will.
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Date: 2008-06-13 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 01:14 pm (UTC)Happy Friday! I hope it treats you well. *hugs*
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Date: 2008-06-13 02:06 pm (UTC)Could you do me this huge favour when you have the time? I really like your story 'The Dragon's Treasure' and I thought I'd like to draw Tate (if you can call it drawing but y'know, never hurts to try) only there isn't a description of him. So could you please tell me what he looks like in human form? Vital stats included -snicker-
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Date: 2008-06-13 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 05:01 pm (UTC)Apparently, it's to reduce prostitution.
O.O Yes, it boggles the mind. It actually made me think a little of your story, where poor Arabella needs to choose between a rock and a hard place with marriage.
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Date: 2008-06-13 11:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-14 12:44 am (UTC)In case you haven't noticed, I like femslash. Heck, I love regular slash, but I've found very few good femslash stories, so you(who are a totally amazing author) writing femslash is muchness love. <333
PLEASE WRITE MORE!!!
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Date: 2008-06-14 12:56 am (UTC)I want to know the rest of the story, even though f/f is not what I normally like to read. *slow smile* oh the look on the various fathers' faces when Elise wins and both of them get what they want..freedom.
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Date: 2008-06-14 01:22 am (UTC)But this looks very interesting~
no subject
Date: 2008-06-15 06:01 pm (UTC)