Post by wordy on Jul 5, 2012 10:25:57 GMT 10
Title: King’s Champion
Rating: G
Prompt: #71 broken dreams
Summary: Even monarchs have their disappointments.
Zahir was waiting for him after the ceremony. Shinko squeezed his arm gently—an offer of comfort, Roald supposed—then took her leave. The corridor resonated with silence as the two men watched each other.
“I wasn’t sure if you would be here, today,” said Roald finally. He lifted the crown from his head, carefully, and held it in his hands. The thin metal was an assurance of sorts, almost as good as having his sword in hand.
Almost, but not quite.
Zahir looked at him for a moment longer, weighing his thoughts, no doubt. “You’re my king. Where else would I be?”
Roald felt relief flood him. He shook his head and laughed shortly, working the crown between his fingers. When he looked up again, Zahir was wearing something approaching a smile.
“I am sorry,” said Roald, not for the first time. “You were always my choice. And the smart choice, too, perhaps; but the council were looking for someone more...”
“Conservative?”
“Conservative,” Roald agreed. “After the Lioness. You understand.”
“I do.”
The silence stretched out again, but a more familiar one, this time. The tension and anxiety of the past month had slipped away as swiftly as a fish downstream.
Roald sighed and looked down at the crown in his hands. It had been too long since he had wielded a tangible weapon, many months since he had swapped arrowheads for words. Yet all his words had held no sway over his council, when it had come to claiming his Champion.
Zahir may have forgiven him that, but Roald was unsure if he could ever forgive himself.
“I expect your pretty queen will be waiting for you,” said Zahir.
“I expect so. Though if she overheard that remark, she will surely be expecting much grovelling on my part, in addition to my presence.”
Zahir’s smiled thinly. “Then I’ll consider my role fulfilled; are knights not made for trouble, and kings to get them out of it?”
“So it seems,” said Roald dryly.
With a last salute, Zahir left him. Roald doubted he would visit the crowd gathered below, except perhaps to pay his respects to certain persons. Roald himself had had enough courtly interaction for one day; with a soft sigh, he entered his chambers, where his wife awaited him.
Rating: G
Prompt: #71 broken dreams
Summary: Even monarchs have their disappointments.
Zahir was waiting for him after the ceremony. Shinko squeezed his arm gently—an offer of comfort, Roald supposed—then took her leave. The corridor resonated with silence as the two men watched each other.
“I wasn’t sure if you would be here, today,” said Roald finally. He lifted the crown from his head, carefully, and held it in his hands. The thin metal was an assurance of sorts, almost as good as having his sword in hand.
Almost, but not quite.
Zahir looked at him for a moment longer, weighing his thoughts, no doubt. “You’re my king. Where else would I be?”
Roald felt relief flood him. He shook his head and laughed shortly, working the crown between his fingers. When he looked up again, Zahir was wearing something approaching a smile.
“I am sorry,” said Roald, not for the first time. “You were always my choice. And the smart choice, too, perhaps; but the council were looking for someone more...”
“Conservative?”
“Conservative,” Roald agreed. “After the Lioness. You understand.”
“I do.”
The silence stretched out again, but a more familiar one, this time. The tension and anxiety of the past month had slipped away as swiftly as a fish downstream.
Roald sighed and looked down at the crown in his hands. It had been too long since he had wielded a tangible weapon, many months since he had swapped arrowheads for words. Yet all his words had held no sway over his council, when it had come to claiming his Champion.
Zahir may have forgiven him that, but Roald was unsure if he could ever forgive himself.
“I expect your pretty queen will be waiting for you,” said Zahir.
“I expect so. Though if she overheard that remark, she will surely be expecting much grovelling on my part, in addition to my presence.”
Zahir’s smiled thinly. “Then I’ll consider my role fulfilled; are knights not made for trouble, and kings to get them out of it?”
“So it seems,” said Roald dryly.
With a last salute, Zahir left him. Roald doubted he would visit the crowd gathered below, except perhaps to pay his respects to certain persons. Roald himself had had enough courtly interaction for one day; with a soft sigh, he entered his chambers, where his wife awaited him.
