fic: "Empty Circle" - PG-13 [Elizabeth/Simon]
TITLE: Empty Circle
SUMMARY: He's been restless. Now she knows why.
PAIRING: Elizabeth/Simon
NOTES: Another 'Black Jewels Atlantis' story. For the Truth/Dare challenge over at raisintorte's LJ. Requested by wojelah.
Empty Circle
Elizabeth found Simon standing at the door leading outside, staring out into the garden.
He turned a little as she came in, then returned to his contemplation.
"Teyla said you were looking for me," she said as she came across the floor and drew alongside him by the glass-panelled door, watching as the afternoon sky caught the planes and angles of his face in austere light. "What is it?"
He'd been restless since the tour of Atlantis Territory, discontent, although he'd performed his duties as her Consort as ardently as ever. Whatever had been bothering him, he hadn't brought it to her bed.
She wished he had.
Simon was her Consort, of her First Circle. She was there for all the members of her First Circle if they needed her - particularly the males. But whatever had been bothering him, he'd kept it from her, stating that he only wanted time to deal with it.
Elizabeth wondered if he'd dealt with it now.
Simon turned to her, and she was startled by the pain in his eyes. "Elizabeth, I..." He seemed to steel himself for what came next. "Lady, I beg to leave your service."
If he'd struck her across the face, he couldn't have shocked her more. She felt herself sway, dizzy with disbelief. "Simon..."
"I..." He crimsoned, the red flush rising steadily up his throat and across his cheeks. "I'm sorry."
The only question that came to mind was, "Why?"
He looked away, and in that moment, she had an inkling of what it was. Of why it was.
"There's someone else," he said, and she could feel his longing as it seeped out around the edges of his Tiger's Eye shielding. "I... It was long ago and we were young. She moved away and I met you."
Jealousy flared, took hold, hollowed Elizabeth out, a fire of bitter regret and resentful anger. She kept her voice even and low. "And you've seen her again."
"Yes."
"Here? In the court?" There'd been no visitors to the court in the last few days, and no-one had said, no-one had mentioned...
"No!" The denial was instant and true. "While we were out on the tour of the Territory," he said, softer.
Since the Territory tour. He'd been sleeping with her, lying with her - lying to her for that long. "And you couldn't have mentioned it sooner?"
He heard the anger in her voice and paled. "I don't belong here, Elizabeth. The others have always seen it--"
"Has someone insulted you? Did John--?" Of the First Circle, John was the most likely to have offended with a careless word or reckless action.
"No-one's said anything," said Simon, and for the first time, she heard the strain in his voice, saw it in his eyes as he met her gaze. "They don't have to - they know it. I'm not... Elizabeth..." One hand reached towards her, she let it brush her cheek before she turned away. She felt it drop, felt the absence of the warmth that had once been there - the absence of something she'd always assumed would be there. "Please, Lady, release me from your service."
For a moment, the temptation rose within her to deny him release, to insist on his continued service. This other woman shouldn't have him if Elizabeth couldn't!
The temptation died in moments. Trust was a fragile and necessary thing between a Queen and her Consort - between the Queen and any male in her court - her trust in him, his trust in her.
It took two tries for her voice to work and even then, it trembled. "I release you from service."
His relief was almost more than she could bear.
When Simon tugged the Consort's Ring from his finger, the now-empty gold circle that represented what he had been and would no longer be, it was more than she could bear. He folded it into her hand, bent to kiss her - a light kiss - and something crumbled within her. She felt the ache of tears gleam beneath her lids and broke away from him, unable to bear his closeness.
The door to her own personal quarters beckoned, and she went blindly to it, seeking solitude and control of her emotions. Too soon, she knew, the First Circle would feel her distress and come seeking her. Every moment was precious for her to regain composure.
She reached the connecting door between a Queen's Suite and her Consort's quarters, heard Simon murmur her name once, then pushed through to her own space and did not look back.
fin
SUMMARY: He's been restless. Now she knows why.
PAIRING: Elizabeth/Simon
NOTES: Another 'Black Jewels Atlantis' story. For the Truth/Dare challenge over at raisintorte's LJ. Requested by wojelah.
Empty Circle
Elizabeth found Simon standing at the door leading outside, staring out into the garden.
He turned a little as she came in, then returned to his contemplation.
"Teyla said you were looking for me," she said as she came across the floor and drew alongside him by the glass-panelled door, watching as the afternoon sky caught the planes and angles of his face in austere light. "What is it?"
He'd been restless since the tour of Atlantis Territory, discontent, although he'd performed his duties as her Consort as ardently as ever. Whatever had been bothering him, he hadn't brought it to her bed.
She wished he had.
Simon was her Consort, of her First Circle. She was there for all the members of her First Circle if they needed her - particularly the males. But whatever had been bothering him, he'd kept it from her, stating that he only wanted time to deal with it.
Elizabeth wondered if he'd dealt with it now.
Simon turned to her, and she was startled by the pain in his eyes. "Elizabeth, I..." He seemed to steel himself for what came next. "Lady, I beg to leave your service."
If he'd struck her across the face, he couldn't have shocked her more. She felt herself sway, dizzy with disbelief. "Simon..."
"I..." He crimsoned, the red flush rising steadily up his throat and across his cheeks. "I'm sorry."
The only question that came to mind was, "Why?"
He looked away, and in that moment, she had an inkling of what it was. Of why it was.
"There's someone else," he said, and she could feel his longing as it seeped out around the edges of his Tiger's Eye shielding. "I... It was long ago and we were young. She moved away and I met you."
Jealousy flared, took hold, hollowed Elizabeth out, a fire of bitter regret and resentful anger. She kept her voice even and low. "And you've seen her again."
"Yes."
"Here? In the court?" There'd been no visitors to the court in the last few days, and no-one had said, no-one had mentioned...
"No!" The denial was instant and true. "While we were out on the tour of the Territory," he said, softer.
Since the Territory tour. He'd been sleeping with her, lying with her - lying to her for that long. "And you couldn't have mentioned it sooner?"
He heard the anger in her voice and paled. "I don't belong here, Elizabeth. The others have always seen it--"
"Has someone insulted you? Did John--?" Of the First Circle, John was the most likely to have offended with a careless word or reckless action.
"No-one's said anything," said Simon, and for the first time, she heard the strain in his voice, saw it in his eyes as he met her gaze. "They don't have to - they know it. I'm not... Elizabeth..." One hand reached towards her, she let it brush her cheek before she turned away. She felt it drop, felt the absence of the warmth that had once been there - the absence of something she'd always assumed would be there. "Please, Lady, release me from your service."
For a moment, the temptation rose within her to deny him release, to insist on his continued service. This other woman shouldn't have him if Elizabeth couldn't!
The temptation died in moments. Trust was a fragile and necessary thing between a Queen and her Consort - between the Queen and any male in her court - her trust in him, his trust in her.
It took two tries for her voice to work and even then, it trembled. "I release you from service."
His relief was almost more than she could bear.
When Simon tugged the Consort's Ring from his finger, the now-empty gold circle that represented what he had been and would no longer be, it was more than she could bear. He folded it into her hand, bent to kiss her - a light kiss - and something crumbled within her. She felt the ache of tears gleam beneath her lids and broke away from him, unable to bear his closeness.
The door to her own personal quarters beckoned, and she went blindly to it, seeking solitude and control of her emotions. Too soon, she knew, the First Circle would feel her distress and come seeking her. Every moment was precious for her to regain composure.
She reached the connecting door between a Queen's Suite and her Consort's quarters, heard Simon murmur her name once, then pushed through to her own space and did not look back.
fin