Post by Muse on Mar 30, 2011 14:13:14 GMT 10
Title: So It Starts
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 483
Pairing: Jonathan/Keladry
Round/Fight: 1/F
Summary: To Keladry’s fury, Jonathan of Conte has changed his mind again. (“You change your mind like a girl changes clothes” Part of the series: Hot ‘n Cold; lyrics by Katy Perry.) For Nat—Happy Birthday!! ☺
“Excuse me, sir,” Keladry of Mindelan knocked on the doorframe of Jonathan’s study. Glancing up and seeing her in the open door, the king smiled.
“Lady Knight Keladry,” Jon waved her into a chair opposite his desk. “How can I help you?”
Kel settled into the leather-padded chair, fidgeting slightly as she twined her fingers together. “Sir,” she couldn’t bring herself to be less formal, though he had given her permission, “…I am your vassal.”
Jon raised an eyebrow slightly. “Of course, Keladry. Is there something of issue, here?”
“Sir, I am a Knight of the Realm. As such, I allowed, no, encouraged to take a squire, am I not?”
Jon’s sigh was heavy. “You’re here about the message.”
“It isn’t fair.” Kel wanted to jump to her feet and lean both hands on Jon’s desk. She settled for clenching her fists in her lap. “You issue no orders to any other knights regarding their potential choice of squires; such a decision is the knight’s, and theirs alone.”
“You say this as if you were not already decided upon taking Fianola of Blue Harbor as your squire, Kel, and we both know that isn’t the case.”
Kel glared at Jon. “I thought you were rethinking the probationary year, only to find this on my desk.” She placed the Royal Writ on the desk with a little more force than strictly necessary. “Why can’t I take a squire of my choice? Give me one good reason.”
Uncomfortable, Jon shifted in his chair before looking her in the eye and stating calmly, “The conservatives are…concerned, that you choosing a female squire would lend the girl an unfair advantage.”
Kel held her breath and counted to ten, imagining as she did so the guilty pleasure of raising her voice and giving into her anger. “What kind of advantages? I have no Gift, and I passed my examinations and my Ordeal under my own strength.”
Jon studied the wood grain under his fingers carefully. “You might not, but you and Lady Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop are close, are you not?”
This was too much. Kel straightened, face pale but set, only the slight quaver in her voice giving way to her fury. “I was under the impression that it was the King’s duty to put his loyalty, and his trust, in his knights.”
Jon rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Kel, it isn’t fair, an—“
“—Change it. You’re the King.”
“…I can’t.”
“You won’t, you mean.” Kel had no idea what possessed her to talk back to her king, and she bit her lip.
Jon shook his head. “I can’t. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, you are forbidden from requesting the service of Fianola of Blue Harbor as your personal squire.”
He waited, studying Kel in the wake of his words, but all she gave him was her back as she strode from his study.
QC by: wordy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 483
Pairing: Jonathan/Keladry
Round/Fight: 1/F
Summary: To Keladry’s fury, Jonathan of Conte has changed his mind again. (“You change your mind like a girl changes clothes” Part of the series: Hot ‘n Cold; lyrics by Katy Perry.) For Nat—Happy Birthday!! ☺
“Excuse me, sir,” Keladry of Mindelan knocked on the doorframe of Jonathan’s study. Glancing up and seeing her in the open door, the king smiled.
“Lady Knight Keladry,” Jon waved her into a chair opposite his desk. “How can I help you?”
Kel settled into the leather-padded chair, fidgeting slightly as she twined her fingers together. “Sir,” she couldn’t bring herself to be less formal, though he had given her permission, “…I am your vassal.”
Jon raised an eyebrow slightly. “Of course, Keladry. Is there something of issue, here?”
“Sir, I am a Knight of the Realm. As such, I allowed, no, encouraged to take a squire, am I not?”
Jon’s sigh was heavy. “You’re here about the message.”
“It isn’t fair.” Kel wanted to jump to her feet and lean both hands on Jon’s desk. She settled for clenching her fists in her lap. “You issue no orders to any other knights regarding their potential choice of squires; such a decision is the knight’s, and theirs alone.”
“You say this as if you were not already decided upon taking Fianola of Blue Harbor as your squire, Kel, and we both know that isn’t the case.”
Kel glared at Jon. “I thought you were rethinking the probationary year, only to find this on my desk.” She placed the Royal Writ on the desk with a little more force than strictly necessary. “Why can’t I take a squire of my choice? Give me one good reason.”
Uncomfortable, Jon shifted in his chair before looking her in the eye and stating calmly, “The conservatives are…concerned, that you choosing a female squire would lend the girl an unfair advantage.”
Kel held her breath and counted to ten, imagining as she did so the guilty pleasure of raising her voice and giving into her anger. “What kind of advantages? I have no Gift, and I passed my examinations and my Ordeal under my own strength.”
Jon studied the wood grain under his fingers carefully. “You might not, but you and Lady Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop are close, are you not?”
This was too much. Kel straightened, face pale but set, only the slight quaver in her voice giving way to her fury. “I was under the impression that it was the King’s duty to put his loyalty, and his trust, in his knights.”
Jon rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Kel, it isn’t fair, an—“
“—Change it. You’re the King.”
“…I can’t.”
“You won’t, you mean.” Kel had no idea what possessed her to talk back to her king, and she bit her lip.
Jon shook his head. “I can’t. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, you are forbidden from requesting the service of Fianola of Blue Harbor as your personal squire.”
He waited, studying Kel in the wake of his words, but all she gave him was her back as she strode from his study.
QC by: wordy