Fanfic: Legend of the Seeker
This story was actually set for the Rahlmas activity at peoplespalace, but illness got in the way of the final edit so I wasn't able to actually post it, and personal stuff then got in the way of ever posting it. I thought I'd show it to you guys now, with a few changes here and there :) Remember it was supposed to be set at another time, so that will show through out :p Hope you enjoy :)
Title: Darkentine Dinner
Show: Legend of the Seeker
Rating: PG
Characters: Darken Rahl/Cara, Egremont
Genre: Humour
Summary: It's been a long Rahlmas season, which ends with Darkentine
Note: I didn't use a beta for it and I'm not a native speaker of English, so do point out any mistakes I made :)
Word Count: 1409
Written: February 2012
Darkentine Dinner
“Cara.” Rahl looked out of the window where small flakes of snow were whirling down into the Palace’s square.
“Yes, my lord?” Cara had been waiting at the entrance door.
“Why are you not smiling?”
“Should I, my lord?”
“It is the season to be jolly, as they say,” Rahl said as he walked over to Cara, one arm across his belly, the other leaning on its hand, touching his lips. “You know the Rahlmas season extends to Darkentine. You must look merry!”
“Says who, my lord?” She was standing firmly in the doorway.
Rahl smiled slightly. “Where have you been?”
“Training young girls, my lord,” Cara answered proudly.
“So you have spent the entirety of Rahlmas in a dungeon?”
“I don’t mind, my lord.”
“You should,” Darken responded. “Rahlmas is the time to be with your lord, with me. You have forsaken your duty.”
He noticed a slight frown show for a split second on Cara’s face, which usually showed little to no emotion. Rahl was now standing so close to Cara, he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. “Come with me.”
Dutiful, she followed him to an adjacent room. When they approached the door, she could hear laughter and music coming from the other side. She rolled her eyes. This would be fun, she thought to herself. Obligatory smiles.
Darken opened to door and Cara sensed the entire room was now watching her master enter. “Continue,” he merely said to his people, as he stepped aside to let Cara through. She looked at him, unsure whether to proceed before her master or not. He looked sure of himself, so she walked into the room, while she heard the guards at this side of the door close it.
Darken showed her where to sit. Next to him.
Of course, Cara thought to herself. He probably saw it as his personal task for tonight to make her enjoy Darkentine. She knew it was inappropriate for her, as his most important Mord’Sith, not to celebrate the entire period of Rahlmas with him, but she thought she would make it up to him later that evening. He would have no use for a Mord’Sith who would only be snarky or silent.
But now she had to put on her fake smile and be merry.
She sat down and the first thing she grabbed was a jug of Glühwein. Maybe this would warm her up to the festivities a bit.
Darken sat down next to her and gave her his most devilish smile.
Before she knew it, a local female was standing next to her with a baby.
“Could you take care of her for a while? My husband and I want to dance. It is Darkentine after all, a day to spend with your beloved.”
“No. Find someone else.”
“Cara,” Darken responded, again with the smile.
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I do not understand why I should take care of it. Have Egremont do it. He’s much better with babies, I imagine.” She turned away from the woman and Darken, and downed the rest of her jug of Glühwein. From the corner of her eye, she saw Darken stand up and before she knew it he had dumped the baby in her lap.
“My lord!”
“It’s Darkentine, Cara. This is the holiday where we show our love for one another and my people, you know that as well as I do. I haven’t seen you at all these past few days and you need to make that up to me, particularly today, and to them,” he waved his hand around the room to point out he meant all the locals of the Palace present. “Take care of this baby while his parents dance, you know that is tradition. Now,” he clapped his hands to urge the band to continue play. They had stopped when their master had stood up.
“More wine please,” Cara urged a servant who was closest by. She wasn’t able to pour herself a new one. She could not be sure she wouldn’t pour the entire content over the baby.
Was it a girl or a boy, she wondered. Not that she cared.
As soon as her jug had been filled, she downed it again with her right hand, holding the baby to her chest with her left so it wouldn’t fall off her lap. After all, it wasn’t her plan to have this baby get wounded. If it did turn out to be a girl, she could always see in a few years if she was suitable to become a Mord’Sith. Until then, she might as well keep her fed.
She dangled a bit of cheese in front of the baby. The baby snapped its mouth at it, but before it could reach it, Cara was already chewing on it herself.
Darken put a grape in his mouth as he amusedly watched his Mord’Sith struggle with the tiny human.
After a few minutes of teasing the kid with cheese, Glühwein and grapes, Darken had had enough.
“Give me the baby, Cara.”
He reached for it, but almost had his fingers bitten off by Cara. “No!” She yelled, as she turned her lap away from her master, giving him the evil eye.
It made Darken laugh out loud, which made her even angrier with him.
She stood up and paced to the dance floor where the baby’s parents were dancing. They smiled as they saw their child, but their smiles vanished when they saw the look on Cara’s face. The mother put her arms forward to welcome her baby back, but Cara had other plans.
From his place at the table, Darken could see Cara walk unsteadily with the kid. To his utter amazement he suddenly realised what she was doing: she was dancing. Cara, his best Mord’Sith, was dancing with a baby in her arms. He wished he could walk over to her and take her in his arms and dance with her, but that was impossible. The Lord never danced himself, not even on Darkentine, that was only for the locals. And this year for a drunk Mord’Sith too.
Cara continued swaying on the dance floor with the baby in her arms for a good fifteen minutes and Darken kept his eyes firmly attached to her.
Egremont took Cara’s place at the table. “Are you enjoying your feast, my lord?”
“Very much, Egremont. Excellent food, good drink and good company,” Rahl answered.
He talked for a while with his right-hand man about the latest news from the Palace. They had been distributing festive foods and drinks around the Palace. It was an annual tradition to give out food while Rahl was having his two months Rahlmas feast. People had responded well this year. It had been a year with a good harvest just outside the Palace, so people were in a good mood, with enough bread and other food to go around.
“Do you never miss this feast, Egremont? You have never been present for it all,” Darken asked him.
“No, my lord. I do not miss it at all. I am not one to celebrate this particular day.”
“Nonsense,” Darken responded. “Everyone needs to let loose a little from time to time. Even you, Egremont. This feast is perfect for it. Look at all the people, feasting, dancing, being merry. And there must be someone special in your mind too,” Darken winked.
“Bah, humbug,” Egremont said.
“What? What did you say?”
Darken and Egremont had been so deep in conversation they had not noticed Cara had walked back to the table.
“Bah, humbug? Here,” Cara held the baby in front of Egremont. When he didn't respond the way she wanted, she sighed annoyed and put the child in Egremont’s lap. “There. No more humbug. Love will come.”
Without looking at either again, she walked back to the dance floor and continued dancing without a baby in her arms.
Darken watched after her with an open mouth.
“What…” Egremont started, “What is wrong with Cara, my lord?”
Darken looked amused at his dancing Mord’Sith. “A little Glühwein and a little festive cheer, my dear Egremont,” he answered. Not taking his eyes off of Cara, he stood up and made for the dancefloor. Gasps went around the room as he took her in his arms and kissed her.
Egremont frowned at his master, before remembering he had something sitting in his lap that was reaching for the cheese in front of him.
Title: Darkentine Dinner
Show: Legend of the Seeker
Rating: PG
Characters: Darken Rahl/Cara, Egremont
Genre: Humour
Summary: It's been a long Rahlmas season, which ends with Darkentine
Note: I didn't use a beta for it and I'm not a native speaker of English, so do point out any mistakes I made :)
Word Count: 1409
Written: February 2012
Darkentine Dinner
“Cara.” Rahl looked out of the window where small flakes of snow were whirling down into the Palace’s square.
“Yes, my lord?” Cara had been waiting at the entrance door.
“Why are you not smiling?”
“Should I, my lord?”
“It is the season to be jolly, as they say,” Rahl said as he walked over to Cara, one arm across his belly, the other leaning on its hand, touching his lips. “You know the Rahlmas season extends to Darkentine. You must look merry!”
“Says who, my lord?” She was standing firmly in the doorway.
Rahl smiled slightly. “Where have you been?”
“Training young girls, my lord,” Cara answered proudly.
“So you have spent the entirety of Rahlmas in a dungeon?”
“I don’t mind, my lord.”
“You should,” Darken responded. “Rahlmas is the time to be with your lord, with me. You have forsaken your duty.”
He noticed a slight frown show for a split second on Cara’s face, which usually showed little to no emotion. Rahl was now standing so close to Cara, he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. “Come with me.”
Dutiful, she followed him to an adjacent room. When they approached the door, she could hear laughter and music coming from the other side. She rolled her eyes. This would be fun, she thought to herself. Obligatory smiles.
Darken opened to door and Cara sensed the entire room was now watching her master enter. “Continue,” he merely said to his people, as he stepped aside to let Cara through. She looked at him, unsure whether to proceed before her master or not. He looked sure of himself, so she walked into the room, while she heard the guards at this side of the door close it.
Darken showed her where to sit. Next to him.
Of course, Cara thought to herself. He probably saw it as his personal task for tonight to make her enjoy Darkentine. She knew it was inappropriate for her, as his most important Mord’Sith, not to celebrate the entire period of Rahlmas with him, but she thought she would make it up to him later that evening. He would have no use for a Mord’Sith who would only be snarky or silent.
But now she had to put on her fake smile and be merry.
She sat down and the first thing she grabbed was a jug of Glühwein. Maybe this would warm her up to the festivities a bit.
Darken sat down next to her and gave her his most devilish smile.
Before she knew it, a local female was standing next to her with a baby.
“Could you take care of her for a while? My husband and I want to dance. It is Darkentine after all, a day to spend with your beloved.”
“No. Find someone else.”
“Cara,” Darken responded, again with the smile.
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I do not understand why I should take care of it. Have Egremont do it. He’s much better with babies, I imagine.” She turned away from the woman and Darken, and downed the rest of her jug of Glühwein. From the corner of her eye, she saw Darken stand up and before she knew it he had dumped the baby in her lap.
“My lord!”
“It’s Darkentine, Cara. This is the holiday where we show our love for one another and my people, you know that as well as I do. I haven’t seen you at all these past few days and you need to make that up to me, particularly today, and to them,” he waved his hand around the room to point out he meant all the locals of the Palace present. “Take care of this baby while his parents dance, you know that is tradition. Now,” he clapped his hands to urge the band to continue play. They had stopped when their master had stood up.
“More wine please,” Cara urged a servant who was closest by. She wasn’t able to pour herself a new one. She could not be sure she wouldn’t pour the entire content over the baby.
Was it a girl or a boy, she wondered. Not that she cared.
As soon as her jug had been filled, she downed it again with her right hand, holding the baby to her chest with her left so it wouldn’t fall off her lap. After all, it wasn’t her plan to have this baby get wounded. If it did turn out to be a girl, she could always see in a few years if she was suitable to become a Mord’Sith. Until then, she might as well keep her fed.
She dangled a bit of cheese in front of the baby. The baby snapped its mouth at it, but before it could reach it, Cara was already chewing on it herself.
Darken put a grape in his mouth as he amusedly watched his Mord’Sith struggle with the tiny human.
After a few minutes of teasing the kid with cheese, Glühwein and grapes, Darken had had enough.
“Give me the baby, Cara.”
He reached for it, but almost had his fingers bitten off by Cara. “No!” She yelled, as she turned her lap away from her master, giving him the evil eye.
It made Darken laugh out loud, which made her even angrier with him.
She stood up and paced to the dance floor where the baby’s parents were dancing. They smiled as they saw their child, but their smiles vanished when they saw the look on Cara’s face. The mother put her arms forward to welcome her baby back, but Cara had other plans.
From his place at the table, Darken could see Cara walk unsteadily with the kid. To his utter amazement he suddenly realised what she was doing: she was dancing. Cara, his best Mord’Sith, was dancing with a baby in her arms. He wished he could walk over to her and take her in his arms and dance with her, but that was impossible. The Lord never danced himself, not even on Darkentine, that was only for the locals. And this year for a drunk Mord’Sith too.
Cara continued swaying on the dance floor with the baby in her arms for a good fifteen minutes and Darken kept his eyes firmly attached to her.
Egremont took Cara’s place at the table. “Are you enjoying your feast, my lord?”
“Very much, Egremont. Excellent food, good drink and good company,” Rahl answered.
He talked for a while with his right-hand man about the latest news from the Palace. They had been distributing festive foods and drinks around the Palace. It was an annual tradition to give out food while Rahl was having his two months Rahlmas feast. People had responded well this year. It had been a year with a good harvest just outside the Palace, so people were in a good mood, with enough bread and other food to go around.
“Do you never miss this feast, Egremont? You have never been present for it all,” Darken asked him.
“No, my lord. I do not miss it at all. I am not one to celebrate this particular day.”
“Nonsense,” Darken responded. “Everyone needs to let loose a little from time to time. Even you, Egremont. This feast is perfect for it. Look at all the people, feasting, dancing, being merry. And there must be someone special in your mind too,” Darken winked.
“Bah, humbug,” Egremont said.
“What? What did you say?”
Darken and Egremont had been so deep in conversation they had not noticed Cara had walked back to the table.
“Bah, humbug? Here,” Cara held the baby in front of Egremont. When he didn't respond the way she wanted, she sighed annoyed and put the child in Egremont’s lap. “There. No more humbug. Love will come.”
Without looking at either again, she walked back to the dance floor and continued dancing without a baby in her arms.
Darken watched after her with an open mouth.
“What…” Egremont started, “What is wrong with Cara, my lord?”
Darken looked amused at his dancing Mord’Sith. “A little Glühwein and a little festive cheer, my dear Egremont,” he answered. Not taking his eyes off of Cara, he stood up and made for the dancefloor. Gasps went around the room as he took her in his arms and kissed her.
Egremont frowned at his master, before remembering he had something sitting in his lap that was reaching for the cheese in front of him.