Brushback Pitch
We'd been at the monastery for a full day before I allowed myself to relax. The monks had built a separate building to house outsiders who wanted to experience the peace and quiet of their daily lives, without the rigid discipline they required. It was far enough from their main building that we weren't tripping over their robes every minute, yet near enough for them to attend to our needs. A large garden, split in two by a wide stream stood between the main temple and the guest house. Stone benches were arranged around the saaman trees planted on either side of the simple bridge that connected both sides of the garden, their wide branches stretching longingly towards each other over the span of water. I sat on the bench closest to my sister's room so I'd hear if she woke.
I was grateful for the relative quiet and privacy while my twin recovered from her latest fit. Mathilde had spent too much of her energy reversing a curse she'd placed on our other companion, Princess Lystria, and I'd had a hard time dealing with both women's reactions to the aftermath of the broken spell. I'd divided the week's journey to the monastery between reassuring the temperamental princess she would not suddenly turn back into a cat and trying to keep her away from Mat so she wouldn't see my twin wasn't exactly...herself.
"Trevor?" I turned my head to see Princess Lystria approaching. She wore a simple white dress that left her arms bare, and her dark hair was loose around her face. I rose as she came near, and she stopped in front of me, wrapping her arms around herself, looking small and vulnerable. She shook her head at my offer of the seat I'd left.
"I had that dream again. I was that ugly cat..."
Actually, she'd been a lovely cat, with grey eyes and sleek black fur, but I wisely kept that opinion to myself.
"The curse is lifted, Your Highness. Mat saw to it." She shuddered, not reassured by my words. "It was horrible."
"I know Princess, but it also helped save you from your father's enemies. No one looked twice at a cat when they were searching for a woman. So it did turn out for the best that Mat couldn't turn you back earlier."
I saw the flicker of rage cross her face at my twin's name before she raised tear-filled eyes to mine. "I'm all alone now, aren't I? Father's dead and my kingdom is lost unless Aunt Yalis agrees to help me."
She stepped closer to me, and rested her hand on my chest. "You and Mathilde will help me get to her safely, won't you? I'm sorry about the way I treated you before when you rescued me from the dragon, I was just upset...you don't know what is was like, being held captive by that horrible thing."
I felt my heart freeze as I remembered the things she'd said to me. I watched her closely as the tears fell from her eyes. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, and I pulled her into my arms. I held her as she cried, murmuring the useless things that men usually say in awkward situations. After a while, she pushed me away, wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I must look like such a mess." She said with a watery-sounding laugh.
"I have never seen a more beautiful woman than you." I told her honestly.
Lystria smiled triumphantly and swayed closer to me, her face upturned in anticipation of my kiss. I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and held her away. That smile had confirmed what I suspected, knowing our little princess.
"I just wish you weren't so very ugly on the inside." Her grey eyes flew open in shock, and I saw them darken with rage, all trace of tears gone.
"You dare..." she began. I cut her off before she could begin one of her tirades.
"You wanted to make me fall for you to boost your ego now that you don't have a kingdom of fearful subjects to worship you. And maybe as a form of revenge against my sister for making you afraid."
I watched Lystria's mouth work as she struggled to form a reply.
"Don't deny it. Mat terrifies you. That's fine. She scares me sometimes also." I grinned at the thought of my fierce tiny sister, then sobered when I remembered all that Mathilde kept hidden inside her.
"You thought you'd seduce her stupid simpleton of a brother, who she'd do anything to protect. At least then you'd have some illusion of control over her." I shook my head when I thought of how badly that could have ended. Mat had brought the princess back to life, something no other mage could do. If Mat got mad enough during one of her episodes, she would destroy the princess, and the world along with her. Preventing that was my main task.
Princess Lystria trembled beneath my hands, whether from rage or fear, I didn't know. I felt very sorry for her as I realised something. I struggled to put it into words. Sometimes I wished I could be as quick with my thoughts like Mathilde.
"You have nothing, just like Mat and me. Everyone hated you and your father so much that no one will flock to your banner to help you regain your throne. You're going to your aunt's kingdom to beg for sanctuary because you have nowhere left to go. Your only bargaining tool is if what's between your legs can strengthen her political ties to other kingdoms. You're not going to waste that on the likes of me. It's demeaning to both of us."
I saw the slap coming, but didn't block it, as I realised I could have phrased things better. At least I think I used the word demeaning properly, so she got my point.
"You...you OAF! How dare you!" I shut out most of the rest of her tirade, and only bothered to block her kicks and punches if I saw she was getting too close to my important parts. She had a tendency to repeat insults, and I'd already heard most of them in our time together. She finally stormed off, promising to have my head when she got back into power. I shrugged. Seemed fair considering I'd cut her head off when we first met.
"That was harsh, Trev."
I felt a tension I didn't even know I had melt away. I turned to see Mat leaning out the window of her room. She looked like hell, but she was back.
"Did I have another fit? How long was I out this time?"
I side-stepped the question, not ready to think about it.
"It was necessary. She needs to grow up and stop playing childish games if she wants to survive."
Mat's lips quirked into the one-sided smile that passed as her laugh. "That one? You only set her back for a while. She will just regroup and try coming at you from a sneakier angle. I meant calling yourself stupid."
I jerked my shoulder, embarrassed. "I know what I am."
"Trev." Mat's voice commanded my attention. "I know I give you a hard time, but...I only know about what I read in books and to do sorcery. When it comes to reading people and the practical things that go into keeping us alive? You've always been wiser than I am."
I didn't have anything to say to that, so I just nodded and went to find her something to eat.
I was grateful for the relative quiet and privacy while my twin recovered from her latest fit. Mathilde had spent too much of her energy reversing a curse she'd placed on our other companion, Princess Lystria, and I'd had a hard time dealing with both women's reactions to the aftermath of the broken spell. I'd divided the week's journey to the monastery between reassuring the temperamental princess she would not suddenly turn back into a cat and trying to keep her away from Mat so she wouldn't see my twin wasn't exactly...herself.
"Trevor?" I turned my head to see Princess Lystria approaching. She wore a simple white dress that left her arms bare, and her dark hair was loose around her face. I rose as she came near, and she stopped in front of me, wrapping her arms around herself, looking small and vulnerable. She shook her head at my offer of the seat I'd left.
"I had that dream again. I was that ugly cat..."
Actually, she'd been a lovely cat, with grey eyes and sleek black fur, but I wisely kept that opinion to myself.
"The curse is lifted, Your Highness. Mat saw to it." She shuddered, not reassured by my words. "It was horrible."
"I know Princess, but it also helped save you from your father's enemies. No one looked twice at a cat when they were searching for a woman. So it did turn out for the best that Mat couldn't turn you back earlier."
I saw the flicker of rage cross her face at my twin's name before she raised tear-filled eyes to mine. "I'm all alone now, aren't I? Father's dead and my kingdom is lost unless Aunt Yalis agrees to help me."
She stepped closer to me, and rested her hand on my chest. "You and Mathilde will help me get to her safely, won't you? I'm sorry about the way I treated you before when you rescued me from the dragon, I was just upset...you don't know what is was like, being held captive by that horrible thing."
I felt my heart freeze as I remembered the things she'd said to me. I watched her closely as the tears fell from her eyes. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, and I pulled her into my arms. I held her as she cried, murmuring the useless things that men usually say in awkward situations. After a while, she pushed me away, wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I must look like such a mess." She said with a watery-sounding laugh.
"I have never seen a more beautiful woman than you." I told her honestly.
Lystria smiled triumphantly and swayed closer to me, her face upturned in anticipation of my kiss. I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and held her away. That smile had confirmed what I suspected, knowing our little princess.
"I just wish you weren't so very ugly on the inside." Her grey eyes flew open in shock, and I saw them darken with rage, all trace of tears gone.
"You dare..." she began. I cut her off before she could begin one of her tirades.
"You wanted to make me fall for you to boost your ego now that you don't have a kingdom of fearful subjects to worship you. And maybe as a form of revenge against my sister for making you afraid."
I watched Lystria's mouth work as she struggled to form a reply.
"Don't deny it. Mat terrifies you. That's fine. She scares me sometimes also." I grinned at the thought of my fierce tiny sister, then sobered when I remembered all that Mathilde kept hidden inside her.
"You thought you'd seduce her stupid simpleton of a brother, who she'd do anything to protect. At least then you'd have some illusion of control over her." I shook my head when I thought of how badly that could have ended. Mat had brought the princess back to life, something no other mage could do. If Mat got mad enough during one of her episodes, she would destroy the princess, and the world along with her. Preventing that was my main task.
Princess Lystria trembled beneath my hands, whether from rage or fear, I didn't know. I felt very sorry for her as I realised something. I struggled to put it into words. Sometimes I wished I could be as quick with my thoughts like Mathilde.
"You have nothing, just like Mat and me. Everyone hated you and your father so much that no one will flock to your banner to help you regain your throne. You're going to your aunt's kingdom to beg for sanctuary because you have nowhere left to go. Your only bargaining tool is if what's between your legs can strengthen her political ties to other kingdoms. You're not going to waste that on the likes of me. It's demeaning to both of us."
I saw the slap coming, but didn't block it, as I realised I could have phrased things better. At least I think I used the word demeaning properly, so she got my point.
"You...you OAF! How dare you!" I shut out most of the rest of her tirade, and only bothered to block her kicks and punches if I saw she was getting too close to my important parts. She had a tendency to repeat insults, and I'd already heard most of them in our time together. She finally stormed off, promising to have my head when she got back into power. I shrugged. Seemed fair considering I'd cut her head off when we first met.
"That was harsh, Trev."
I felt a tension I didn't even know I had melt away. I turned to see Mat leaning out the window of her room. She looked like hell, but she was back.
"Did I have another fit? How long was I out this time?"
I side-stepped the question, not ready to think about it.
"It was necessary. She needs to grow up and stop playing childish games if she wants to survive."
Mat's lips quirked into the one-sided smile that passed as her laugh. "That one? You only set her back for a while. She will just regroup and try coming at you from a sneakier angle. I meant calling yourself stupid."
I jerked my shoulder, embarrassed. "I know what I am."
"Trev." Mat's voice commanded my attention. "I know I give you a hard time, but...I only know about what I read in books and to do sorcery. When it comes to reading people and the practical things that go into keeping us alive? You've always been wiser than I am."
I didn't have anything to say to that, so I just nodded and went to find her something to eat.