Zero Tolerance: Behind Lavender Eyes
Title: Behind Lavender Eyes
Rating: G
Characters: Ambrose, The Queen and OCs
Disclaimer: No legal claims implied.
Summary: Through The Queen's eyes.
Table of Contents
She approached her old friend. "I thought I might find you here," she quietly announced her presence, putting one hand on the tough fabric of Ambrose's coat shoulder. "You can't go back now, my old friend. Taking your brain away won't solve the problem. You'd just be running away from it. We both know that that's not quite your style. Is it?"
Ambrose smiled. "No, dear Queen. Not quite."
"The courts were always adversarial, Ambrose. By their very nature, someone gets hurt by someone else... sometimes I think it's just revenge with bureaucracy. Everyone pays." They both looked at the remnants of the old tower, little more than a hole in the ground. She suddenly smiled. "Do you remember, Ambrose, when you first invented the TDESPHTL machine? And you used it to get me out of that meeting with Eastern Guild?" Ambrose joined in smiling. "All you had to do was record me once saying... 'Gentlemen! Please!' and then I would sit for twenty minutes. And you set it up to continuously loop?"
"I remember. We went out to the orchards and picked apples," he was practically beaming now. "The Queen Father was furious!"
"Oh," she dismissed that with a wave. "He was just jealous that we got time off! Besides, I gave him a much better reason to be angry not long after that." Well, child? When am I going to be able to retire from watching you like a hawk? When are you going to settle with a man who thinks he can handle the extraordinary burden of keeping you out of trouble? Or are you just going to wait until one falls out of the sky? That doesn't happen everyday. She had given her father a secret smile. It only had to happen once, Father. He had just sighed in resignation.
"Why is it I just remember spending long hours teaching that man of yours how to dance?" Ambrose asked her, a smirk on his face. "He had two left feet!"
"It wasn't the feet that drew me, Ambrose. It was the hands." She giggled.
Ambrose was about to retort when a bang, not unlike a nearby fireworks display occurred nearby. But neither The Queen nor Ambrose were a minute fooled by the benign image. The city was under attack. "Your Majesty," One of her guards, Dennison, spoke up. He raised his arm, indicating the way.
"Find my daughters," she ordered. "And organise runners, I'll need damage reports." She looked over at Ambrose. "And my friend's intellect. They never did figure it out," she added, impulsively.
Taking his queen's hand, he followed her into the palace. She walked with great purpose and distinction, preparing herself and others she encountered with long-dormant yet still sharp skills. Just a few steps away, the sounds of gunfire were starting to be heard. More alarming though were the shouts and cries coming from her people.
Their flight to the palace was interrupted about halfway there. Her guards, hearing gunfire, escorted The Queen and Ambrose into a alleyway. The sound of bullets were louder now, signifying how close the Longcoats were. "Your Majesty, stay back." The Queen let out a frustrated huff in response. The price of DG's life was now making itself clear as it did all those years ago when Lonot had finally betrayed them. In times gone by, she would have simply erected a shield or blown these interlopers away. As it was now, her guards, Ambrose and any other innocents within the area were at risk.
Apparently, Dennison was feeling equally frustrated. "We're pinned down, Your Highness. My men can hold them off for a time, but until reinforcements come, we're stuck."
"Is there no other way?" Ambrose asked. "Not even a sewer? Not that I want to go down sewers..." He grimaced in disgust.
Dennison peered about for a manhole. "Doesn't look like it, Adviser. Ration your ammo, men," he added to the other guards. They started to mind their shots, waiting only for clear shots, which seemed few and far between. The Longcoats, on the other hand, appeared able to move in, slowly, but they were getting there.
Finally, Dennison dared to smile. "They're here, Your Highness," he told her, even as the gunfire got heavier. The surge soon abated, however and her rescuers, with luck some of Cain's or even her husband's detail.
A shadow appeared near the alleyway. The Queen recognised its owner immediately. "Arthur Bailey. This is indeed... fortunate."
"I don't think a dark alley is any place for The Queen of The Realm," Bailey smiled, though, as usual, his smile had several layers to it. "Do you? Allow me and my men to escort you to your palace."
Loathe to go near him, let alone trust him with protecting her, The Queen nonetheless acceded to his suggestion. "Of course, Mr Bailey. Proceed."
Maintaining his avuncular persona, Bailey nodded at Ambrose. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to either of you, especially given that Ambrose here has given us a most entertaining trial." He stepped out of the way, to allow the Queen entourage by.
Ambrose pushed out a heavy breath, even in his Glitch persona, he would have felt as if he had been just taken hostage.
The Day of the Wolves
Rating: G
Characters: Ambrose, The Queen and OCs
Disclaimer: No legal claims implied.
Summary: Through The Queen's eyes.
Table of Contents
She approached her old friend. "I thought I might find you here," she quietly announced her presence, putting one hand on the tough fabric of Ambrose's coat shoulder. "You can't go back now, my old friend. Taking your brain away won't solve the problem. You'd just be running away from it. We both know that that's not quite your style. Is it?"
Ambrose smiled. "No, dear Queen. Not quite."
"The courts were always adversarial, Ambrose. By their very nature, someone gets hurt by someone else... sometimes I think it's just revenge with bureaucracy. Everyone pays." They both looked at the remnants of the old tower, little more than a hole in the ground. She suddenly smiled. "Do you remember, Ambrose, when you first invented the TDESPHTL machine? And you used it to get me out of that meeting with Eastern Guild?" Ambrose joined in smiling. "All you had to do was record me once saying... 'Gentlemen! Please!' and then I would sit for twenty minutes. And you set it up to continuously loop?"
"I remember. We went out to the orchards and picked apples," he was practically beaming now. "The Queen Father was furious!"
"Oh," she dismissed that with a wave. "He was just jealous that we got time off! Besides, I gave him a much better reason to be angry not long after that." Well, child? When am I going to be able to retire from watching you like a hawk? When are you going to settle with a man who thinks he can handle the extraordinary burden of keeping you out of trouble? Or are you just going to wait until one falls out of the sky? That doesn't happen everyday. She had given her father a secret smile. It only had to happen once, Father. He had just sighed in resignation.
"Why is it I just remember spending long hours teaching that man of yours how to dance?" Ambrose asked her, a smirk on his face. "He had two left feet!"
"It wasn't the feet that drew me, Ambrose. It was the hands." She giggled.
Ambrose was about to retort when a bang, not unlike a nearby fireworks display occurred nearby. But neither The Queen nor Ambrose were a minute fooled by the benign image. The city was under attack. "Your Majesty," One of her guards, Dennison, spoke up. He raised his arm, indicating the way.
"Find my daughters," she ordered. "And organise runners, I'll need damage reports." She looked over at Ambrose. "And my friend's intellect. They never did figure it out," she added, impulsively.
Taking his queen's hand, he followed her into the palace. She walked with great purpose and distinction, preparing herself and others she encountered with long-dormant yet still sharp skills. Just a few steps away, the sounds of gunfire were starting to be heard. More alarming though were the shouts and cries coming from her people.
Their flight to the palace was interrupted about halfway there. Her guards, hearing gunfire, escorted The Queen and Ambrose into a alleyway. The sound of bullets were louder now, signifying how close the Longcoats were. "Your Majesty, stay back." The Queen let out a frustrated huff in response. The price of DG's life was now making itself clear as it did all those years ago when Lonot had finally betrayed them. In times gone by, she would have simply erected a shield or blown these interlopers away. As it was now, her guards, Ambrose and any other innocents within the area were at risk.
Apparently, Dennison was feeling equally frustrated. "We're pinned down, Your Highness. My men can hold them off for a time, but until reinforcements come, we're stuck."
"Is there no other way?" Ambrose asked. "Not even a sewer? Not that I want to go down sewers..." He grimaced in disgust.
Dennison peered about for a manhole. "Doesn't look like it, Adviser. Ration your ammo, men," he added to the other guards. They started to mind their shots, waiting only for clear shots, which seemed few and far between. The Longcoats, on the other hand, appeared able to move in, slowly, but they were getting there.
Finally, Dennison dared to smile. "They're here, Your Highness," he told her, even as the gunfire got heavier. The surge soon abated, however and her rescuers, with luck some of Cain's or even her husband's detail.
A shadow appeared near the alleyway. The Queen recognised its owner immediately. "Arthur Bailey. This is indeed... fortunate."
"I don't think a dark alley is any place for The Queen of The Realm," Bailey smiled, though, as usual, his smile had several layers to it. "Do you? Allow me and my men to escort you to your palace."
Loathe to go near him, let alone trust him with protecting her, The Queen nonetheless acceded to his suggestion. "Of course, Mr Bailey. Proceed."
Maintaining his avuncular persona, Bailey nodded at Ambrose. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to either of you, especially given that Ambrose here has given us a most entertaining trial." He stepped out of the way, to allow the Queen entourage by.
Ambrose pushed out a heavy breath, even in his Glitch persona, he would have felt as if he had been just taken hostage.
The Day of the Wolves