first chapter; action/video

[cagemyhappiness]

[action]

[Anyone happening to be near the outskirts today might be treated to something of an unusual sight; one of the guardian wolves padding into sight, carrying Eleanor by the scruff of her shirt. Both are soaking wet, and Eleanor bears the unmistakable signs of someone taken for a very rough ride. The watchful wolf lays her small, unconscious

Comments

[runawayalot]

What're you s'posed to be, royalty?

[cagemyhappiness]

[staredown]

Obviously.

[runawayalot]

Well, too bad, 'cause nobody cares here. And you can't go back.

[cagemyhappiness]

You're talking rubbish. [and yet, sounding disinterested:] Of course they would care. That's how it works.

[runawayalot]

Not anymore. I guess you can try to boss people around, but nobody's gonna listen.

[cagemyhappiness]

That's not my job. [and, by and large, it isn't: sure, back home, she could throw her weight around...but that's something Meg or Diana would do.]

[runawayalot]

What is it, then? Smiling and waving?

[cagemyhappiness]

No. There's nothing to smile about, so I don't.

[ponderously, getting back to the question]

Whatever I please, I suppose.

[runawayalot]

That's not a job. Jobs're like chores and stuff.

Don't you hafta do what, um, the princess says?

[cagemyhappiness]

Royalty doesn't do chores. Those are for the beggars.

[eyeroll]

Yes, she plans the games and so leads us. But the Duchess and Baroness.....[a shrug]

[runawayalot]

Are you stupid? Beggars don't do chores. They beg. Servants're the ones that do chores. [Laura's read fairytales! She knows what's up!] But royalty hasta... [um...] rule. And kill dragons.

[cagemyhappiness]

They can do both. They're filthy and wretched, so it's all they're good for.

[blink]

....dragons.

[runawayalot]

Nuh-uh, they get to hang around with squirrels and pigeons and stuff and they know all the secret passageways in the city! [Bums: Totally Awesome, as far as Laura's concerned.]

Yeah. Well, since you're a girl, I guess you'd have to get kidnapped instead, and have a prince save you. But there's no boys here, so you'd just be stuck waiting forever and ever and then you'd grow old and die.

[cagemyhappiness]

Only if they actually live there, which they don't. [she didn't

nose wrinkles] Rubbish.

[runawayalot]

Do too! I know a bunch in Ashfield.

You're just lucky there aren't any dragons or anything here.

Hey, what's your name, anyway?

[cagemyhappiness]

[she'd ask what sort of filthy slum Ashfield is except oops DON'T CARE]

Maybe there are. Maybe they'll come gobble you up.

[oh right, the name thing]

Countess Eleanor.