Milk Chocolate 30, Pineapple 16, Spiced Pear 29: Differences
Author: lady_leia_solo
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/ Index/ Timelines)
Title: Differences
Challenge: Milk Chocolate 30: attraction, Pineapple 16: cat got your tongue?, Spiced Pear 29: question & answer
Topping(s) and Extra(s): None
Word Count: 432
Summary: The King and his lady have supper. They talk.
Rating and Warning(s): PG; None
Note(s): This takes place around 1134 AW. After the death of Queen Martine. Cosette is around 31 and Henri is in his early fifties.
“Tell me about the New Religion,” Henri said. He popped a bit of beef into his mouth as he waited for her to begin.
Cosette wiped her mouth with her kerchief. She looked uncertainly at the King.
“I'm not going to hang you for expressing your beliefs,” Henri said jokingly.
Cosette smiled. No, she supposed he wasn't.
“What do you want to know?”
“How is the New different from the Old?”
Cosette was quiet.
“A key belief in the Old Religion is the need for the clergy,” Cosette began.
Henri nodded.
“But in the Melopist religion we believe in faith alone.”
Henri raised his eyebrows.
“What I mean,” Cosette said hurrying on. “Is that we believe that the people have the means to connect to God alone. The Old Church believes you must have someone in between.”
“Ah,” Henri said pouring some wine into a goblet. “Interesting.”
Cosette smiled slightly.
“I can see you are very passionate about it,” Henri observed.
Cosette nodded.
“My wife...well my fourth wife, she introduced me to the New Religion.”
“Yes, Queen Analise.”
Henri nodded.
“I didn't think anyone could be more passionate about the New Religion than she was,” Henri said somewhat amused.
“It's quite easy to be passionate about something you believe in,” Cosette said quietly.
They were both quiet.
“How would you feel if I told you how beautiful you were,” Henri said suddenly.
Cosette blushed.
“I'd be very honored.”
“Yes, but how would you feel?”
“I don't know,” Cosette said truthfully.
Henri stood and walked toward her.
“You are a very beautiful woman, Cosette. I'd like to have you,” he said bending down beside her.
Cosette opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.
“Cat got your tongue?” Henri asked.
“I--”
Henri took her hand and kissed it.
“I think you would be a good queen, Lady Cosette.”
Cosette was quiet.
“My children...they need a mother and I? I need a wife and my son needs a brother.”
“There are plenty of women,” Cosette said finally.
“Yes, but I want you.”
Cosette looked away from him.
“Is there someone else?” Henri asked.
Cosette looked back quickly.
“No,” she said shaking her head.
Henri stood. “Think on it.”
Cosette watched him walk back to the end of the table. He sat down and then looked at her.
“Shall I call for the next course?” He asked.
Cosette nodded even though she'd lost her appetite.
Story: The Mondian Chronicles (Archive/ Index/ Timelines)
Title: Differences
Challenge: Milk Chocolate 30: attraction, Pineapple 16: cat got your tongue?, Spiced Pear 29: question & answer
Topping(s) and Extra(s): None
Word Count: 432
Summary: The King and his lady have supper. They talk.
Rating and Warning(s): PG; None
Note(s): This takes place around 1134 AW. After the death of Queen Martine. Cosette is around 31 and Henri is in his early fifties.
“Tell me about the New Religion,” Henri said. He popped a bit of beef into his mouth as he waited for her to begin.
Cosette wiped her mouth with her kerchief. She looked uncertainly at the King.
“I'm not going to hang you for expressing your beliefs,” Henri said jokingly.
Cosette smiled. No, she supposed he wasn't.
“What do you want to know?”
“How is the New different from the Old?”
Cosette was quiet.
“A key belief in the Old Religion is the need for the clergy,” Cosette began.
Henri nodded.
“But in the Melopist religion we believe in faith alone.”
Henri raised his eyebrows.
“What I mean,” Cosette said hurrying on. “Is that we believe that the people have the means to connect to God alone. The Old Church believes you must have someone in between.”
“Ah,” Henri said pouring some wine into a goblet. “Interesting.”
Cosette smiled slightly.
“I can see you are very passionate about it,” Henri observed.
Cosette nodded.
“My wife...well my fourth wife, she introduced me to the New Religion.”
“Yes, Queen Analise.”
Henri nodded.
“I didn't think anyone could be more passionate about the New Religion than she was,” Henri said somewhat amused.
“It's quite easy to be passionate about something you believe in,” Cosette said quietly.
They were both quiet.
“How would you feel if I told you how beautiful you were,” Henri said suddenly.
Cosette blushed.
“I'd be very honored.”
“Yes, but how would you feel?”
“I don't know,” Cosette said truthfully.
Henri stood and walked toward her.
“You are a very beautiful woman, Cosette. I'd like to have you,” he said bending down beside her.
Cosette opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.
“Cat got your tongue?” Henri asked.
“I--”
Henri took her hand and kissed it.
“I think you would be a good queen, Lady Cosette.”
Cosette was quiet.
“My children...they need a mother and I? I need a wife and my son needs a brother.”
“There are plenty of women,” Cosette said finally.
“Yes, but I want you.”
Cosette looked away from him.
“Is there someone else?” Henri asked.
Cosette looked back quickly.
“No,” she said shaking her head.
Henri stood. “Think on it.”
Cosette watched him walk back to the end of the table. He sat down and then looked at her.
“Shall I call for the next course?” He asked.
Cosette nodded even though she'd lost her appetite.