In Defense of a Strategic Escape
Something I wrote for a promptfest at http://ineffort.livejournal.com/199061.html#cutid1 Which I hope works as a link. It's Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Also another response to this prompt was posted and I happen to think it's pretty awesome, I hope this link works: http://ineffort.livejournal.com/199061.html?thread=4947349#t4947349
Anyway, here's my response
It's a warm summer evening and Kazul is holding one of her dinner parties, which of course means Cimorene is preparing and serving a very great amount of chocolate mousse. As she enters the room with two armfuls she hears someone talking to Kazul about her "Runaway Princess". As she is quite obviously here she loudly inquires to know their meaning.
"You ran away from your kingdom, your family, your life, your respons..."
Cimorene cuts in, "I wouldn't call it running away. Is it running away when an abused partner leaves an unhealthy relationship? Is it cowardly to retreat when the enemy will consume you, destroy not just your life but the fabric of your being? That is what would have happened if I had stayed. I would have withered and died from unuse, no stimulation and no affection. I didn't run away from my life, I ran toward it."
With that she turns to leave while the rude guest sputters about her insolence, while Kazul gives her a toothy grin. Later that night as Cimorene cleans up the mess left behind Kazul asks her, "Running toward your life, was it worth it?"
"Yes. I know most people would think it strange, but I am safer here in the Dragon's den, than I ever was in Linderwall. What's more I'm also far more useful and happy than I ever have been before. So, thank-you for not frying me the day we met."
"You're welcome. I very much enjoyed your defense of a strategic escape, however I don't believe I'll be inviting that rather annoying pest back, so hopefully you don't have to offer a similar argument again."
"Good. Debates over dessert are distracting and when I've worked that hard on it, I expect the dish to be appreciated."
Anyway, here's my response
It's a warm summer evening and Kazul is holding one of her dinner parties, which of course means Cimorene is preparing and serving a very great amount of chocolate mousse. As she enters the room with two armfuls she hears someone talking to Kazul about her "Runaway Princess". As she is quite obviously here she loudly inquires to know their meaning.
"You ran away from your kingdom, your family, your life, your respons..."
Cimorene cuts in, "I wouldn't call it running away. Is it running away when an abused partner leaves an unhealthy relationship? Is it cowardly to retreat when the enemy will consume you, destroy not just your life but the fabric of your being? That is what would have happened if I had stayed. I would have withered and died from unuse, no stimulation and no affection. I didn't run away from my life, I ran toward it."
With that she turns to leave while the rude guest sputters about her insolence, while Kazul gives her a toothy grin. Later that night as Cimorene cleans up the mess left behind Kazul asks her, "Running toward your life, was it worth it?"
"Yes. I know most people would think it strange, but I am safer here in the Dragon's den, than I ever was in Linderwall. What's more I'm also far more useful and happy than I ever have been before. So, thank-you for not frying me the day we met."
"You're welcome. I very much enjoyed your defense of a strategic escape, however I don't believe I'll be inviting that rather annoying pest back, so hopefully you don't have to offer a similar argument again."
"Good. Debates over dessert are distracting and when I've worked that hard on it, I expect the dish to be appreciated."