TM Challenge 215
God, I don't even know how it happened! Don't ask me.
She came home with my brother. Gareth, the little one. He'd been off on his first quest, thought himself a true and proper knight doing valiant things, and he came back with a wife and her sister--sister was a shrew. His wife, Lyonors, was quiet and pretty and smiled a lot and hung off him, and we didn't much mind her--nice as Ragnelle, quiet like Gwenhwyfach always was with us. But the sister, Lynet--God, she looked to kill you soon as talk to you. Sharpest tongue I ever got cut by.
Well, there was to be a wedding for Gareth and Lyonors, but they put it off a bit because of some trouble in the hills, some pointless rebellion that took settling down. So there we were, Lyonors, Lynet, and me. My brothers had all gone off to help with the rebellion, but I'd just been thrown badly at a tourney, and I was left back in Camelot with my sword arm bound.
I stayed in my room--you know I'm not one for company. And one day the door pushed open and in came the sister. She had the longest brown hair a man ever saw, past her waist, all bound up and out of her way as though she didn't care a thing for it. She sat down in my chair and folded her arms and looked at me.
"My lady?" I asked, sounding like a fool.
"My sister is so good an I spend a moment more with her I shall kill her."
"Aye, that's no good. My brother'd be sore disappointed."
"More fool he. What's thy name? I don't mind it."
"Gaheris, lady."
"The clumsy one," she said.
"Aye," I said. "That's so."
"And I hear thou art a pretty fool."
"A misbegotten one, lady. Canst not see my face?"
She snorted, with a toss of her head, like a sulky horse--I should be struck down for thinking it, but I did, and I caught my breath. Understand, I'd never wanted a woman before, I as clumsy as she said, and half-mad when my mother sends me word, and afraid to be touched by anyone I don't know. I'd never met a woman I thought would want me. But Lynet, her strong face-- She wasn't beautiful, but, God, she was wonderful. I don't even understand it, I swear, I have no idea, but she sat in my chair looking at me sharp and I looked back because I didn't know what to say.
"Art not like thy brother."
"Thank God."
"I do. I am as like to kill him as my sister. Mayhap both at once, in the marriage bed--wilt not rid the world of a powerful horror?"
"A most evil innocence, lady. And do him good, I warrant, for he likes not the family, and had rather die than live tied to us."
"Then I'll be swayed not. I'd do it."
"But if they try thee, and thou'rt hanged, or burned, or aught?"
"What care thou?"
"Naught," I said.
She smiled.
I swan, I don't know. But when they finally got to the wedding, it was mine and hers, too.
Words: 542
She came home with my brother. Gareth, the little one. He'd been off on his first quest, thought himself a true and proper knight doing valiant things, and he came back with a wife and her sister--sister was a shrew. His wife, Lyonors, was quiet and pretty and smiled a lot and hung off him, and we didn't much mind her--nice as Ragnelle, quiet like Gwenhwyfach always was with us. But the sister, Lynet--God, she looked to kill you soon as talk to you. Sharpest tongue I ever got cut by.
Well, there was to be a wedding for Gareth and Lyonors, but they put it off a bit because of some trouble in the hills, some pointless rebellion that took settling down. So there we were, Lyonors, Lynet, and me. My brothers had all gone off to help with the rebellion, but I'd just been thrown badly at a tourney, and I was left back in Camelot with my sword arm bound.
I stayed in my room--you know I'm not one for company. And one day the door pushed open and in came the sister. She had the longest brown hair a man ever saw, past her waist, all bound up and out of her way as though she didn't care a thing for it. She sat down in my chair and folded her arms and looked at me.
"My lady?" I asked, sounding like a fool.
"My sister is so good an I spend a moment more with her I shall kill her."
"Aye, that's no good. My brother'd be sore disappointed."
"More fool he. What's thy name? I don't mind it."
"Gaheris, lady."
"The clumsy one," she said.
"Aye," I said. "That's so."
"And I hear thou art a pretty fool."
"A misbegotten one, lady. Canst not see my face?"
She snorted, with a toss of her head, like a sulky horse--I should be struck down for thinking it, but I did, and I caught my breath. Understand, I'd never wanted a woman before, I as clumsy as she said, and half-mad when my mother sends me word, and afraid to be touched by anyone I don't know. I'd never met a woman I thought would want me. But Lynet, her strong face-- She wasn't beautiful, but, God, she was wonderful. I don't even understand it, I swear, I have no idea, but she sat in my chair looking at me sharp and I looked back because I didn't know what to say.
"Art not like thy brother."
"Thank God."
"I do. I am as like to kill him as my sister. Mayhap both at once, in the marriage bed--wilt not rid the world of a powerful horror?"
"A most evil innocence, lady. And do him good, I warrant, for he likes not the family, and had rather die than live tied to us."
"Then I'll be swayed not. I'd do it."
"But if they try thee, and thou'rt hanged, or burned, or aught?"
"What care thou?"
"Naught," I said.
She smiled.
I swan, I don't know. But when they finally got to the wedding, it was mine and hers, too.
Words: 542