She Shall Be Free (Summer Challenge, Strawberry Banana)
‘Verse: The Sun, Radiant
Challenges/Toppings/Extras: Summer Challenge ‘14: Special Brownie #12 (Late at night, when she thought, that no one was watching at all) & Akutaq #3 (cache), Strawberry Banana #21 (pillow talk)
Rating: PG-13 (drug use, nudity)
Title: She Shall Be Free
Summary: A queen’s vulnerability.
Notes: Using “cache” in the more general meaning, not the Alaskan one which is much more difficult to accommodate in this ‘verse. The title is another lyric from CSN’s “Guinnevere”, same as the first prompt.
Vasyasa woke to the feeling of the sheets sliding on his arms. Instantly he was on alert, listening for any threat to his queen. But he heard no intruder, just the sigh of the bed as Ruhana set her feet on the floor and got up. He hazarded to open his eyes, seeing the moonlight through the sheer curtains dancing on her skin as she stood there, naked and beautiful, in the royal bedchamber. It was easy to forget that she was a queen and not a goddess sometimes, he thought, and he was possibly the second luckiest man upon the great earth. Ravir claiming the top spot, of course.
For the thousandth time in three days he wondered after his fellow consort; where was he? Ravir on the hunt was no one to be trifled with, as Vasyaza well knew, but three days was a long time to be chasing after an assassin, especially one that used poison and was almost certainly in the employ of ex-High Princess Jalenashi.
Ruhana’s sister, the source of so many troubles for the queen and Arambh as a whole. The disgraced former heir still ravenous for her birth-promise: the throne. Vasyasa had never met the state’s greatest enemy, having been chosen as consort after Ruhana was firmly queen and Jalenashi run to ground, but the gossip he had heard... Ravir was said to have become First Consort during the tumultuous few months when they were actively warring, but he refused to talk about that time.
The queen sighed and stepped lightly across the mahogany floor. Vasyasa dipped his eyes to peek out his eyelashes, curious as to what she was doing. She knelt by the wall, fiddling with something down low he could not see clearly in the shadow of the wardrobe. There was a slight click and Vasyasa opened his eyes fully as a panel in the baseboard came loose and the queen popped it off, revealing a hole in the wall. He couldn’t see what was inside, but she had obviously hidden something there, reaching in gingerly and feeling around.
After a moment, she withdrew a small, ornate jewelry box, of the same kind as the one that sat on the vanity. She set the panel back in place and rose gracefully, holding the box as if it held the answers to all the great problems. It couldn’t, he knew, but he thought he might know what it did hold. His queen lifted the lid an inch, let it back down with a sigh.
“Vas?” Ruhana turned back with her prize but stopped when she saw him laying there with eyes open, her voice startled but low enough that the guards posted outside would not hear unless they were pressed up against the door.
The Second Consort slowly sat up, bunching the sheets - it was a hot night, they almost could go without those too - around his waist and rubbing at an eye.
“Vas, I…” She sounded guilty, a thoroughly alien emotion for him to see in her.
He needed to reassure her. “It’s alright. If you want me to go back to sleep I will.”
She nodded, but still stood there. For a long moment he just looked at her, and she at him. Finally, she came back to bed, carrying the box with her. She sat at the edge and swung her long legs over, sitting next to him with the box in her lap. “I shouldn’t have hidden it for so long,” she said, almost to herself. “Ravir knows, but then he knows a lot of things I don’t want him to.”
A twinge of jealousy, but it faded as quickly as it came. Vasyasa said nothing, watching her hands fidget over the etched designs - flowers and the sun - in the wood of the box. He’d be here for her.
“This… is my vice.”
She opened the box in one smooth motion, setting the lid back like one would rip off a scab. Despite himself, Vasyasa leaned closer. Inside was a pipe, a pouch of something musky-smelling, and a bundle of matches. “Wash-weed, it’s called. I have it imported from the west.”
“It’s... a drug?” He’d never thought of her as one to indulge, but being an absolute ruler had to be stressful at the best of times. He couldn’t blame her. If it was a relaxant, that was.
“Yeah.” She let out a shuddering sigh. “I haven’t touched it in years, it’s how only Ravir knows, but… Vas… I just can’t tonight.”
Feeling bold, he reached out and covered her shaking hand with his larger one, and met her eyes when she looked at him. “Ruhana-” Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t protest, so he continued. “I understand. You don’t need to explain anything to me, you know. If this ‘wash-weed’ is helping you, then please, take it. It calms you, yeah?”
She nodded, some of her old composure coming back. “Pain-reliever, too. Not as powerful as some of the things that grow here, but less side effects. Listen, Vas. You can’t let anyone know. If my sister is back I can expect an attempt at a coup, and I need to stay in the people’s good graces.”
He nodded seriously and withdrew his hand, leaning back against the headboard while Ruhana pressed a pinch of the weed into the pipe and lit it. She took a drag and let it out, her whole body relaxing.
She was beautiful, his queen, and he was so very lucky. He could hold onto this secret for her, hold it close to his heart. Thus he vowed as the heady smoke reached his nose and set his eyes to drooping. He slid back under the sheets and closed his eyes, too tired to keep his head up.
Beside him, Arambh’s Queen took one last pull. She tucked everything away again, and, returning to bed, planted a kiss to his temple. She snuggled up against his back, flinging one arm over his side possessively, and intertwined her fingers with his.
He didn’t mind.
Challenges/Toppings/Extras: Summer Challenge ‘14: Special Brownie #12 (Late at night, when she thought, that no one was watching at all) & Akutaq #3 (cache), Strawberry Banana #21 (pillow talk)
Rating: PG-13 (drug use, nudity)
Title: She Shall Be Free
Summary: A queen’s vulnerability.
Notes: Using “cache” in the more general meaning, not the Alaskan one which is much more difficult to accommodate in this ‘verse. The title is another lyric from CSN’s “Guinnevere”, same as the first prompt.
Vasyasa woke to the feeling of the sheets sliding on his arms. Instantly he was on alert, listening for any threat to his queen. But he heard no intruder, just the sigh of the bed as Ruhana set her feet on the floor and got up. He hazarded to open his eyes, seeing the moonlight through the sheer curtains dancing on her skin as she stood there, naked and beautiful, in the royal bedchamber. It was easy to forget that she was a queen and not a goddess sometimes, he thought, and he was possibly the second luckiest man upon the great earth. Ravir claiming the top spot, of course.
For the thousandth time in three days he wondered after his fellow consort; where was he? Ravir on the hunt was no one to be trifled with, as Vasyaza well knew, but three days was a long time to be chasing after an assassin, especially one that used poison and was almost certainly in the employ of ex-High Princess Jalenashi.
Ruhana’s sister, the source of so many troubles for the queen and Arambh as a whole. The disgraced former heir still ravenous for her birth-promise: the throne. Vasyasa had never met the state’s greatest enemy, having been chosen as consort after Ruhana was firmly queen and Jalenashi run to ground, but the gossip he had heard... Ravir was said to have become First Consort during the tumultuous few months when they were actively warring, but he refused to talk about that time.
The queen sighed and stepped lightly across the mahogany floor. Vasyasa dipped his eyes to peek out his eyelashes, curious as to what she was doing. She knelt by the wall, fiddling with something down low he could not see clearly in the shadow of the wardrobe. There was a slight click and Vasyasa opened his eyes fully as a panel in the baseboard came loose and the queen popped it off, revealing a hole in the wall. He couldn’t see what was inside, but she had obviously hidden something there, reaching in gingerly and feeling around.
After a moment, she withdrew a small, ornate jewelry box, of the same kind as the one that sat on the vanity. She set the panel back in place and rose gracefully, holding the box as if it held the answers to all the great problems. It couldn’t, he knew, but he thought he might know what it did hold. His queen lifted the lid an inch, let it back down with a sigh.
“Vas?” Ruhana turned back with her prize but stopped when she saw him laying there with eyes open, her voice startled but low enough that the guards posted outside would not hear unless they were pressed up against the door.
The Second Consort slowly sat up, bunching the sheets - it was a hot night, they almost could go without those too - around his waist and rubbing at an eye.
“Vas, I…” She sounded guilty, a thoroughly alien emotion for him to see in her.
He needed to reassure her. “It’s alright. If you want me to go back to sleep I will.”
She nodded, but still stood there. For a long moment he just looked at her, and she at him. Finally, she came back to bed, carrying the box with her. She sat at the edge and swung her long legs over, sitting next to him with the box in her lap. “I shouldn’t have hidden it for so long,” she said, almost to herself. “Ravir knows, but then he knows a lot of things I don’t want him to.”
A twinge of jealousy, but it faded as quickly as it came. Vasyasa said nothing, watching her hands fidget over the etched designs - flowers and the sun - in the wood of the box. He’d be here for her.
“This… is my vice.”
She opened the box in one smooth motion, setting the lid back like one would rip off a scab. Despite himself, Vasyasa leaned closer. Inside was a pipe, a pouch of something musky-smelling, and a bundle of matches. “Wash-weed, it’s called. I have it imported from the west.”
“It’s... a drug?” He’d never thought of her as one to indulge, but being an absolute ruler had to be stressful at the best of times. He couldn’t blame her. If it was a relaxant, that was.
“Yeah.” She let out a shuddering sigh. “I haven’t touched it in years, it’s how only Ravir knows, but… Vas… I just can’t tonight.”
Feeling bold, he reached out and covered her shaking hand with his larger one, and met her eyes when she looked at him. “Ruhana-” Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t protest, so he continued. “I understand. You don’t need to explain anything to me, you know. If this ‘wash-weed’ is helping you, then please, take it. It calms you, yeah?”
She nodded, some of her old composure coming back. “Pain-reliever, too. Not as powerful as some of the things that grow here, but less side effects. Listen, Vas. You can’t let anyone know. If my sister is back I can expect an attempt at a coup, and I need to stay in the people’s good graces.”
He nodded seriously and withdrew his hand, leaning back against the headboard while Ruhana pressed a pinch of the weed into the pipe and lit it. She took a drag and let it out, her whole body relaxing.
She was beautiful, his queen, and he was so very lucky. He could hold onto this secret for her, hold it close to his heart. Thus he vowed as the heady smoke reached his nose and set his eyes to drooping. He slid back under the sheets and closed his eyes, too tired to keep his head up.
Beside him, Arambh’s Queen took one last pull. She tucked everything away again, and, returning to bed, planted a kiss to his temple. She snuggled up against his back, flinging one arm over his side possessively, and intertwined her fingers with his.
He didn’t mind.