Princess and Prey by seta_suzume (Suikoden, Sasarai)
Title: Princess and Prey
Author: seta_suzume
Words: 702
Theme: Table 1, #3 princesses
Fandom: Suikoden series
Rating: PG, Luca being a bit creepy.
Disclaimer: Sasarai and Suikoden don't belong to me, but you all know that.
As a young girl, she had once visited the court of the king of Highland. Rumors leaked through the roughly made Valley Star newspaper run by two radical-leaning Leipzigs suggested there was talk of an alliance through marriage to strengthen the gradually loosening bonds between Harmonia and Highland. As Sasarai was little known at the time outside the Temple in those days, these rumors remained unsubstantiated for some time.
Princess Jillia was delighted by the visit of the Harmonian girl. As the trip was an official one, with Sasarai, as well as the older, more illustrious persons she accompanied coming in a diplomatic capacity, Jillia was freed from lessons for the week to keep her from beneath her father's feet and to foster a chance of friendship with Holy Hikusaak's daughter.
Jillia immediately found herself amused by Sasarai, who was close to a princess herself in her home country. Sasarai was nothing like the Harmonian aristocrats who visited on special occasions. First of all, her hair was on the short side compared to the popular styles of the time shown in the fashion illustrations from Harmonia. Though she wore two blue ribbons in it, the overall style wouldn't have been out of place on a boy. Secondly, though she seemed as delicate as a doll, she did not wear skirts or dressed, but blue and white robes, like a miniature priestess or bishop. With a sash tied close around her tiny waist, the robes billowed out in a way that would've seemed ridiculous on one of the accompanying bishops, but was rather fetching on a small girl. And those were only the obvious physical differences. Though her temperament was pleasant and calm as might be expected of a girl in her position, Jillia was coming to see that strange secret currents moved beneath her serene surface.
They spun tops on the flagstones of the courtyard, the slightly fallen sun sending the shadows of the tops spinning as well. The tops were of quality, made in the Island Nations where the game surged into fad-like popularity every twenty years or so only to fade away again into a children's pastime.
"What do you do for fun in Harmonia?" Jillia asked.
"I read or draw or play with dolls usually," Sasarai answered. Her top slowed to a stop while she was looking away from it. "Isn't your friend Klaus Harmonian?"
"Half-Harmonian," the black-haired girl explained. Her top circled slowly as it ran out of speed. "He spends most of her his time in Highland though."
"Bishop Hikami knows his mother."
A shadow fell across Jillia as the sun behind her was blocked by the lanky, looming form of her older brother. Sasarai looked warily into the prince's cold, hard eyes. He appeared both muscular and fierce, well-toned by extensive sparing practice, but still untamed on the inside. Luca was eighteen. Sasarai was not used to being paid much attention by people of that age. After all, she was only a young girl and teenagers had affairs of their own to deal with.
Jillia turned around to gaze up at her brother as well. "What is it, Luca?" she asked. Her innocent voice wavered from the swelling camaraderie and openness that had filled it when she spoke to Sasarai alone, shrinking to a decorous, careful murmur.
"You're Sasarai?" the prince scowled. "You're nothing but a useless brat. You're useless to me." He turned away as abruptly as he'd arrived. "I don't need a wife." He strode off irate and proud.
Jillia shook slightly in fear. She had managed to restrain herself in Luca's presence, but now the trembling chill passed through from her finger to her toes.
"He scares you too?" Sasarai realized.
"He scares more people than just you and me," the princess replied. She seemed resigned to this uncomfortable situation.
"I'm just glad he doesn't like me," the brunette declared firmly. "He's weird. I don't want to have anything to do with him."
"No," Jillia whispered, "It's better if he likes you. The people he doesn't like..." Her voice trailed off into unintelligibility and Sasarai reached out comfortingly to touch her wrist.
"I would trade places with you in an instant," Jillia thought.
Author: seta_suzume
Words: 702
Theme: Table 1, #3 princesses
Fandom: Suikoden series
Rating: PG, Luca being a bit creepy.
Disclaimer: Sasarai and Suikoden don't belong to me, but you all know that.
As a young girl, she had once visited the court of the king of Highland. Rumors leaked through the roughly made Valley Star newspaper run by two radical-leaning Leipzigs suggested there was talk of an alliance through marriage to strengthen the gradually loosening bonds between Harmonia and Highland. As Sasarai was little known at the time outside the Temple in those days, these rumors remained unsubstantiated for some time.
Princess Jillia was delighted by the visit of the Harmonian girl. As the trip was an official one, with Sasarai, as well as the older, more illustrious persons she accompanied coming in a diplomatic capacity, Jillia was freed from lessons for the week to keep her from beneath her father's feet and to foster a chance of friendship with Holy Hikusaak's daughter.
Jillia immediately found herself amused by Sasarai, who was close to a princess herself in her home country. Sasarai was nothing like the Harmonian aristocrats who visited on special occasions. First of all, her hair was on the short side compared to the popular styles of the time shown in the fashion illustrations from Harmonia. Though she wore two blue ribbons in it, the overall style wouldn't have been out of place on a boy. Secondly, though she seemed as delicate as a doll, she did not wear skirts or dressed, but blue and white robes, like a miniature priestess or bishop. With a sash tied close around her tiny waist, the robes billowed out in a way that would've seemed ridiculous on one of the accompanying bishops, but was rather fetching on a small girl. And those were only the obvious physical differences. Though her temperament was pleasant and calm as might be expected of a girl in her position, Jillia was coming to see that strange secret currents moved beneath her serene surface.
They spun tops on the flagstones of the courtyard, the slightly fallen sun sending the shadows of the tops spinning as well. The tops were of quality, made in the Island Nations where the game surged into fad-like popularity every twenty years or so only to fade away again into a children's pastime.
"What do you do for fun in Harmonia?" Jillia asked.
"I read or draw or play with dolls usually," Sasarai answered. Her top slowed to a stop while she was looking away from it. "Isn't your friend Klaus Harmonian?"
"Half-Harmonian," the black-haired girl explained. Her top circled slowly as it ran out of speed. "He spends most of her his time in Highland though."
"Bishop Hikami knows his mother."
A shadow fell across Jillia as the sun behind her was blocked by the lanky, looming form of her older brother. Sasarai looked warily into the prince's cold, hard eyes. He appeared both muscular and fierce, well-toned by extensive sparing practice, but still untamed on the inside. Luca was eighteen. Sasarai was not used to being paid much attention by people of that age. After all, she was only a young girl and teenagers had affairs of their own to deal with.
Jillia turned around to gaze up at her brother as well. "What is it, Luca?" she asked. Her innocent voice wavered from the swelling camaraderie and openness that had filled it when she spoke to Sasarai alone, shrinking to a decorous, careful murmur.
"You're Sasarai?" the prince scowled. "You're nothing but a useless brat. You're useless to me." He turned away as abruptly as he'd arrived. "I don't need a wife." He strode off irate and proud.
Jillia shook slightly in fear. She had managed to restrain herself in Luca's presence, but now the trembling chill passed through from her finger to her toes.
"He scares you too?" Sasarai realized.
"He scares more people than just you and me," the princess replied. She seemed resigned to this uncomfortable situation.
"I'm just glad he doesn't like me," the brunette declared firmly. "He's weird. I don't want to have anything to do with him."
"No," Jillia whispered, "It's better if he likes you. The people he doesn't like..." Her voice trailed off into unintelligibility and Sasarai reached out comfortingly to touch her wrist.
"I would trade places with you in an instant," Jillia thought.