Meeting -- New 'Verse! (Summer Challenge, Chocolate Chip Mint)
‘Verse: The Sun, Radiant (new verse!)
Challenges/Toppings/Extras: Summer Challenge ‘14: Special Brownie #22 (Well, then can I walk beside you?) & Akutaq #12 (Outside), Chocolate Chip Mint #19 (ambiguous)
Rating: PG-13 (disturbing imagery)
Title: Meeting
Summary: After a long war, a king and a queen discuss diplomacy.
Notes: What is this? The tip of the iceberg!
“You come alone,” she said, still gazing upon her royal ancestor. “And unarmed, yes? You have… confidence.”
“That would depend on what you mean by ‘confidence’,” he replied carefully, stopping at a respectable distance. Every statue in the hall seemed to be staring right at him - a design feature to unnerve thieves sneaking to the treasury? - except for one, the one his Arambhi counterpart studied.
Queen Ruhana of Arambh tilted her head, still not turning. “Even in the immortality of stone, Rajshani kneels to all who pass.” Now she twisted to him, studying him.
“How did you know I was unarmed?” It was the wrong question, but he could not take it back. The other could wait.
Her lips, full and painted black, pulled to the left as if she was hiding a smile. Something lesser men would miss, but he had not claimed the throne with charisma and war tactics. “The footsteps of an armed man are surer.”
He knew it was true, at least generally, but he could not shake the feeling - perhaps it was paranoia - that the Arambhi queen was mocking him. “Are my footsteps not sure?”
“Of course they are. You walk as any of my forefathers, and they were swaddled in power from the womb. I mean that one foot is surer than the other. It is all relative, in any case. Come, will you walk with me? I am most curious about the westland, and I know any relationship between kingdoms begins at the personal level of the regents. That is, us.”
He nodded, falling into step with her, this mysterious queen of a land his people had warred with for generations long gone. She pointed out each statue, most of men in heroic poses, reciting each name and deed though there were no placards, no words carved into the stone that he could see. He found the people of Arambh - or at least her - did not deify their dead kings as his did; they did not even speak well of them in many cases. Here was Versk, whose greatest accomplishment was getting stabbed by a mistress, surviving, and dying by the poison-pouring hand of another a week later; here was Surashmibi, a thief before he was king; here was Valaysha, who executed any pretty girl she saw and bathed in their blood-
“And here is my song, yet to be sung,” Ruhana said quietly as the rows of statues ended, stopping before an empty pedestal. He almost didn’t notice it, between a large statue of a snarling man in full royal regalia and the wall as it was. “It will be made when I die, as is tradition.”
He knew was she was doing, then. She was teaching him that, while her royal ancestors’ legacy had been not all that encouraging for a diplomatic relationship between Arambh and Fallstar, she at least knew it and was willing to start over.
“Majesty,” he said, letting his tone carry the double meaning.
Challenges/Toppings/Extras: Summer Challenge ‘14: Special Brownie #22 (Well, then can I walk beside you?) & Akutaq #12 (Outside), Chocolate Chip Mint #19 (ambiguous)
Rating: PG-13 (disturbing imagery)
Title: Meeting
Summary: After a long war, a king and a queen discuss diplomacy.
Notes: What is this? The tip of the iceberg!
“You come alone,” she said, still gazing upon her royal ancestor. “And unarmed, yes? You have… confidence.”
“That would depend on what you mean by ‘confidence’,” he replied carefully, stopping at a respectable distance. Every statue in the hall seemed to be staring right at him - a design feature to unnerve thieves sneaking to the treasury? - except for one, the one his Arambhi counterpart studied.
Queen Ruhana of Arambh tilted her head, still not turning. “Even in the immortality of stone, Rajshani kneels to all who pass.” Now she twisted to him, studying him.
“How did you know I was unarmed?” It was the wrong question, but he could not take it back. The other could wait.
Her lips, full and painted black, pulled to the left as if she was hiding a smile. Something lesser men would miss, but he had not claimed the throne with charisma and war tactics. “The footsteps of an armed man are surer.”
He knew it was true, at least generally, but he could not shake the feeling - perhaps it was paranoia - that the Arambhi queen was mocking him. “Are my footsteps not sure?”
“Of course they are. You walk as any of my forefathers, and they were swaddled in power from the womb. I mean that one foot is surer than the other. It is all relative, in any case. Come, will you walk with me? I am most curious about the westland, and I know any relationship between kingdoms begins at the personal level of the regents. That is, us.”
He nodded, falling into step with her, this mysterious queen of a land his people had warred with for generations long gone. She pointed out each statue, most of men in heroic poses, reciting each name and deed though there were no placards, no words carved into the stone that he could see. He found the people of Arambh - or at least her - did not deify their dead kings as his did; they did not even speak well of them in many cases. Here was Versk, whose greatest accomplishment was getting stabbed by a mistress, surviving, and dying by the poison-pouring hand of another a week later; here was Surashmibi, a thief before he was king; here was Valaysha, who executed any pretty girl she saw and bathed in their blood-
“And here is my song, yet to be sung,” Ruhana said quietly as the rows of statues ended, stopping before an empty pedestal. He almost didn’t notice it, between a large statue of a snarling man in full royal regalia and the wall as it was. “It will be made when I die, as is tradition.”
He knew was she was doing, then. She was teaching him that, while her royal ancestors’ legacy had been not all that encouraging for a diplomatic relationship between Arambh and Fallstar, she at least knew it and was willing to start over.
“Majesty,” he said, letting his tone carry the double meaning.