Black Raspberry 30 + Gummy Bunnies: One Step Forward
Author: lady_leia_solo
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/ Index/ Timelines)
Title: One Step Forward
Challenge: Black Raspberry 30: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Topping(s) and Extra(s): Gummy Bunnies (#4: silk for the my writerverse Table of DOOM and Att skiljas är att dö en smula which means "To separate is to die a little" in Swedish)
Word Count: 584
Summary: Once again the Queen Mother must be parted from one of her children. Will it be any different now that one is returning to the land she left some twenty five years ago?
Rating and Warning(s): G
Note(s): The Marguerite that appears in this piece is the Elder and is the younger sister of Henri. Segra is a land located in northeast (??? I suck at cardinal directions, so YMMV) of Adeodata. The year is 1107 and this takes place two years after the death of the old king (Jean XI and Marguerite's father) and the ascension of Henri. The marriage is apart of the renewal of the Mondian-Segrian Alliance which was first sealed with the marriage of Marguerite's parents.
Marguerite looked at herself in the mirror. She was clothed in a glorious golden silk gown. Her dark brown hair was flowing freely down her back and shoulders as she was unmarried...at least for the moment being, she reminded herself.
Though the gown was beautiful, Marguerite loathed to wear it. The seamstresses had worked on it for weeks. This gown was her going away gown.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Marguerite called softly.
The door opened and her mother stepped in. Marguerite could feel her mother's eyes upon her, but she wouldn't meet them. If she looked at her mother, she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.
“Aasen has been working himself into a tizzy asking if you are ready,” Elisabeth said softly.
Marguerite sighed. “I guess I am as ready as I'll ever be.”
Elisabeth came to stand next to her daughter. She bent down beside her.
“Segra is a beautiful place.”
“I know,” Marguerite said without looking at her mother. “I remember all the portraits you painted of the countrysides.”
Elisabeth smiled which showed off her dimples.
“You'll be in the capital. The capital is much more prestigious with universities and banks and theaters.”
“That sounds nice,” Marguerite said hollowly.
Elisabeth took her daughter's hand and kissed it.
“When I left Segra some twenty five years ago, my mother said something to me.”
Marguerite finally looked at her mother. There were tears in Elisabeth's baby blue eyes.
“What?”
“She said 'to separate is to die a little'”
A sob caught in Marguerite's throat. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She was going to make her father proud and go towards her future like a good daughter would. She wouldn't cry like a child.
“Oh Maman,” Marguerite cried, the tears flowing freely now.
Elisabeth gathered Marguerite in her arms. Marguerite sobbed into her mother's gown knowing that she wrecking it. But it didn't matter. This was probably the last time she would see her mother in the flesh. She had already lost one parent and she was loathe to lose the other.
“You must be brave,” Elisabeth whispered into Marguerite's ear. “Never let them see your fear. You are a du Bois and du Bois's are fearless.”
Marguerite nodded and bit her lip. Her mother kissed her forehead.
“Aasen is a good man. He will help you. Show him your favor, but move carefully.”
“What if the King doesn't like me?” Marguerite asked.
“Why wouldn't he like you?” Elisabeth asked.
“He asked for Amelie first and I'm not...beautiful like Amelie,” Marguerite whispered.
“Margaux,” Elisabeth said exasperated.
“It's true, Maman. I take after Papa. His looks work well on a man, but I am woman and they are doing me no favors.”
“Margaux, you are beautiful. So you look different from Amelie-”
“And you,” Marguerite said noting her mother's fair beauty.
Elisabeth chuckled lightly. “You are striking, you just have to believe it.”
“If you say so,” Marguerite said softly.
“I do.”
Elisabeth pulled her daughter to her and squeezed her tight just as a knock came once again.
“Your Majesty, it is time. The Segrian is insistent.”
Elisabeth played away and looked at Marguerite.
“Are you ready to take the first step towards your new life?”
Marguerite stood and nodded. “I am ready.”
Elisabeth smiled sadly. Her baby was leaving her.
She stepped back and allowed Marguerite to go to the door.
“Tell Aasen, I am ready,” Marguerite said. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/ Index/ Timelines)
Title: One Step Forward
Challenge: Black Raspberry 30: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Topping(s) and Extra(s): Gummy Bunnies (#4: silk for the my writerverse Table of DOOM and Att skiljas är att dö en smula which means "To separate is to die a little" in Swedish)
Word Count: 584
Summary: Once again the Queen Mother must be parted from one of her children. Will it be any different now that one is returning to the land she left some twenty five years ago?
Rating and Warning(s): G
Note(s): The Marguerite that appears in this piece is the Elder and is the younger sister of Henri. Segra is a land located in northeast (??? I suck at cardinal directions, so YMMV) of Adeodata. The year is 1107 and this takes place two years after the death of the old king (Jean XI and Marguerite's father) and the ascension of Henri. The marriage is apart of the renewal of the Mondian-Segrian Alliance which was first sealed with the marriage of Marguerite's parents.
Marguerite looked at herself in the mirror. She was clothed in a glorious golden silk gown. Her dark brown hair was flowing freely down her back and shoulders as she was unmarried...at least for the moment being, she reminded herself.
Though the gown was beautiful, Marguerite loathed to wear it. The seamstresses had worked on it for weeks. This gown was her going away gown.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Marguerite called softly.
The door opened and her mother stepped in. Marguerite could feel her mother's eyes upon her, but she wouldn't meet them. If she looked at her mother, she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.
“Aasen has been working himself into a tizzy asking if you are ready,” Elisabeth said softly.
Marguerite sighed. “I guess I am as ready as I'll ever be.”
Elisabeth came to stand next to her daughter. She bent down beside her.
“Segra is a beautiful place.”
“I know,” Marguerite said without looking at her mother. “I remember all the portraits you painted of the countrysides.”
Elisabeth smiled which showed off her dimples.
“You'll be in the capital. The capital is much more prestigious with universities and banks and theaters.”
“That sounds nice,” Marguerite said hollowly.
Elisabeth took her daughter's hand and kissed it.
“When I left Segra some twenty five years ago, my mother said something to me.”
Marguerite finally looked at her mother. There were tears in Elisabeth's baby blue eyes.
“What?”
“She said 'to separate is to die a little'”
A sob caught in Marguerite's throat. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She was going to make her father proud and go towards her future like a good daughter would. She wouldn't cry like a child.
“Oh Maman,” Marguerite cried, the tears flowing freely now.
Elisabeth gathered Marguerite in her arms. Marguerite sobbed into her mother's gown knowing that she wrecking it. But it didn't matter. This was probably the last time she would see her mother in the flesh. She had already lost one parent and she was loathe to lose the other.
“You must be brave,” Elisabeth whispered into Marguerite's ear. “Never let them see your fear. You are a du Bois and du Bois's are fearless.”
Marguerite nodded and bit her lip. Her mother kissed her forehead.
“Aasen is a good man. He will help you. Show him your favor, but move carefully.”
“What if the King doesn't like me?” Marguerite asked.
“Why wouldn't he like you?” Elisabeth asked.
“He asked for Amelie first and I'm not...beautiful like Amelie,” Marguerite whispered.
“Margaux,” Elisabeth said exasperated.
“It's true, Maman. I take after Papa. His looks work well on a man, but I am woman and they are doing me no favors.”
“Margaux, you are beautiful. So you look different from Amelie-”
“And you,” Marguerite said noting her mother's fair beauty.
Elisabeth chuckled lightly. “You are striking, you just have to believe it.”
“If you say so,” Marguerite said softly.
“I do.”
Elisabeth pulled her daughter to her and squeezed her tight just as a knock came once again.
“Your Majesty, it is time. The Segrian is insistent.”
Elisabeth played away and looked at Marguerite.
“Are you ready to take the first step towards your new life?”
Marguerite stood and nodded. “I am ready.”
Elisabeth smiled sadly. Her baby was leaving her.
She stepped back and allowed Marguerite to go to the door.
“Tell Aasen, I am ready,” Marguerite said. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.