"The Knight-Champion and the Foreign Maid" (HnKnA; Ace, Alice)
Title: The Knight-Champion and the Foreign Maid
Fandom: Heart no Kuni no Alice
Characters: Ace, Alice
Rating: PG
Warnings: none.
Spoilers: none.
Prompt: au_bingo: royalty/nobility
Notes: ~750 words.
Summary: Medieval/feudal AU. In which the knight-champion of the Queen of Hearts encounters a foreign maid in the course of his duties, and makes a choice.
Once, in the Kingdom of Heart, it became known to the sovereign of that land that some villagers in her kingdom had seen fit to harbor an injured man from the Kingdom of Clover. To the queen, whose enmity with the Kingdom of Clover was great, this was intolerable and she bade her knight-champion visit the village and slay all who lived there, as a lesson to others of her kingdom who might consort with her enemies.
The knight, who scorned to wear any helm and was known to all who feared him by the shape of his red cloak, bowed to his queen and ordered his men ready themselves, that they might carry out the queen's will with all due speed. Upon arrival at the village the knight left his steed outside the village's limits so it would not be startled by the scent of the blood he was about to spill. He strode deep into village's heart and found it empty-neither man nor woman nor child could be seen, though he did not miss the shapes that huddled, miserable and fearful, within each home. Scarcely had he sent his men to bring out the villagers to meet their end when his eye caught sight of a young maid dressed in a foreign style, her hair the color of new-ripened wheat, her eyes the color of a clear summer sky. Though but a slip of a woman she strode up to the knight without fear.
Who are you to demand the deaths of all who live in this village, asked she.
I do but carry out the queen's will, the knight replied. And it is the queen's will is that all who in this village must die, for they dared to harbor a Cloverman, one of the queen's sworn enemies.
They did no wrong, she protested, for I brought the Cloverman here, not knowing the law of the land. Let their lives be.
Yet they harbored him, even if they did not bring him in, the knight replied. And so I cannot see how that changes my orders: all must die.
Growing angry, the maid asked, What land is this, that your queen may order the death of fifty men and their families without qualm?
It is the Kingdom of Hearts, the knight replied. And in the Kingdom of Hearts there is but one law here: the queen's word. Truly you must be a foreigner, if you do not know this.
It is true that I am a traveler, on my way to my sister's wedding, the maid replied. But I will not suffer such an injustice to go unanswered. The villagers did no wrong; I say to you, let them be.
The knight then drew his sword, and laid its tip against the maid's throat. She paled, but did not flinch. If you defy the queen's orders I must kill you, said he. Will you not step down?
I will not bow my head to this queen of yours, the maid said defiantly, and refused.
The knight regarded the maid for some moments. It was true he had slain many in the service of his queen, and had done so with an untroubled heart. One lone maid would require hardly any effort at all. But foreigners were few in his kingdom, and it had been many years since the knight had met a person whose death at his hand gave him even the slightest pause. And, seeing the defiance in her blue eyes, he found that the foreign maid was one such.
Thus, he sheathed his sword, and stepped up to the maid so that they were scarcely a handsbreath apart. She stepped away, but paused, and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. The knight pulled her hand from where they clutched her skirts and bowed over it, gallant as a lord with his lady, brushing his lips to her pale fingers. You will trade your life for the those of the villagers? he asked. Very well. I shall take you to make your case before the queen.
The knight caught the maid by the wrist and lead her out of the village. She followed, and made no protest when the knight lifted her onto his steed, nor when he mounted it behind her. Though she feared her life was yet forfeit, the maid knew that with her life she had bought those of the villagers some days of freedom and life and counted the trade fair. With a shout, the knight and his men thundered away from the village, and he returned to the castle with the foreign maid in his arms.
*
Further notes about this world:
- Blood's mafia is now the Kingdom of Diamond. Elliot is Blood's Knight-Champion.
- Gowland's carnival is now of the Kingdom of Clover. Boris is Gowland's Knight-Champion.
- The Cloverman Alice rescued was Boris. He knew it was a bad idea but gosh she was so pretty and no one's ever tried to take care of him before oh my.
- Julius is a sorcerer who lives alone in a tower, and who uses his magic to resurrect people so there will always be enough men to fight in the wars between the three kingdoms. His tower is on a bit of neutral land that located where the three kingdoms meet. He is generally reviled by the populace and even the nobles and rulers don't like him much either. Except for Ace, of course.
- Alice never makes it to her sister's wedding. When Lorena tries to investigate, she is captured by the Jokers so that she can't make Alice leave.
___
Fandom: Heart no Kuni no Alice
Characters: Ace, Alice
Rating: PG
Warnings: none.
Spoilers: none.
Prompt: au_bingo: royalty/nobility
Notes: ~750 words.
Summary: Medieval/feudal AU. In which the knight-champion of the Queen of Hearts encounters a foreign maid in the course of his duties, and makes a choice.
Once, in the Kingdom of Heart, it became known to the sovereign of that land that some villagers in her kingdom had seen fit to harbor an injured man from the Kingdom of Clover. To the queen, whose enmity with the Kingdom of Clover was great, this was intolerable and she bade her knight-champion visit the village and slay all who lived there, as a lesson to others of her kingdom who might consort with her enemies.
The knight, who scorned to wear any helm and was known to all who feared him by the shape of his red cloak, bowed to his queen and ordered his men ready themselves, that they might carry out the queen's will with all due speed. Upon arrival at the village the knight left his steed outside the village's limits so it would not be startled by the scent of the blood he was about to spill. He strode deep into village's heart and found it empty-neither man nor woman nor child could be seen, though he did not miss the shapes that huddled, miserable and fearful, within each home. Scarcely had he sent his men to bring out the villagers to meet their end when his eye caught sight of a young maid dressed in a foreign style, her hair the color of new-ripened wheat, her eyes the color of a clear summer sky. Though but a slip of a woman she strode up to the knight without fear.
Who are you to demand the deaths of all who live in this village, asked she.
I do but carry out the queen's will, the knight replied. And it is the queen's will is that all who in this village must die, for they dared to harbor a Cloverman, one of the queen's sworn enemies.
They did no wrong, she protested, for I brought the Cloverman here, not knowing the law of the land. Let their lives be.
Yet they harbored him, even if they did not bring him in, the knight replied. And so I cannot see how that changes my orders: all must die.
Growing angry, the maid asked, What land is this, that your queen may order the death of fifty men and their families without qualm?
It is the Kingdom of Hearts, the knight replied. And in the Kingdom of Hearts there is but one law here: the queen's word. Truly you must be a foreigner, if you do not know this.
It is true that I am a traveler, on my way to my sister's wedding, the maid replied. But I will not suffer such an injustice to go unanswered. The villagers did no wrong; I say to you, let them be.
The knight then drew his sword, and laid its tip against the maid's throat. She paled, but did not flinch. If you defy the queen's orders I must kill you, said he. Will you not step down?
I will not bow my head to this queen of yours, the maid said defiantly, and refused.
The knight regarded the maid for some moments. It was true he had slain many in the service of his queen, and had done so with an untroubled heart. One lone maid would require hardly any effort at all. But foreigners were few in his kingdom, and it had been many years since the knight had met a person whose death at his hand gave him even the slightest pause. And, seeing the defiance in her blue eyes, he found that the foreign maid was one such.
Thus, he sheathed his sword, and stepped up to the maid so that they were scarcely a handsbreath apart. She stepped away, but paused, and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. The knight pulled her hand from where they clutched her skirts and bowed over it, gallant as a lord with his lady, brushing his lips to her pale fingers. You will trade your life for the those of the villagers? he asked. Very well. I shall take you to make your case before the queen.
The knight caught the maid by the wrist and lead her out of the village. She followed, and made no protest when the knight lifted her onto his steed, nor when he mounted it behind her. Though she feared her life was yet forfeit, the maid knew that with her life she had bought those of the villagers some days of freedom and life and counted the trade fair. With a shout, the knight and his men thundered away from the village, and he returned to the castle with the foreign maid in his arms.
*
Further notes about this world:
- Blood's mafia is now the Kingdom of Diamond. Elliot is Blood's Knight-Champion.
- Gowland's carnival is now of the Kingdom of Clover. Boris is Gowland's Knight-Champion.
- The Cloverman Alice rescued was Boris. He knew it was a bad idea but gosh she was so pretty and no one's ever tried to take care of him before oh my.
- Julius is a sorcerer who lives alone in a tower, and who uses his magic to resurrect people so there will always be enough men to fight in the wars between the three kingdoms. His tower is on a bit of neutral land that located where the three kingdoms meet. He is generally reviled by the populace and even the nobles and rulers don't like him much either. Except for Ace, of course.
- Alice never makes it to her sister's wedding. When Lorena tries to investigate, she is captured by the Jokers so that she can't make Alice leave.
___