Post by luinae on Jul 2, 2011 5:42:24 GMT 10
Title: Failed Rebellion
Rating: PG-13
Character: Winnamine Balitang
Event: AU Pole Vault
Words: 596
Summary: The rebellion has failed, and Winna is held captive.
They are letting Dove live, but Winna knows it isn’t out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s so they appear nice and kind- look at us, we’re so merciful, we’ll let your little pet princess live and she can happily live her days out in Tortall.
Petranne is sentenced to death.
Winna is in chains.
Her cell smells like blood that she doesn’t know if she’s been (or remember) bleeding. Winna knows that she’s dirty and filthy and probably smells horrible, but she doesn’t care. They’ve sentenced Petranne to death. All for saying she hated the queen, for throwing a punch at Rubinyan. Imajane had simpered softly, patted Winna on the arm, and said, “Treason must be rooted out. You understand, don’t you dear? For the good of all the other children, we can’t let her live.”
Winna sees her daughter being dragged away, still screaming, both of them screaming, every time she closes her eyes.
“Oh, Winna, we couldn’t execute you. You were tricked, darling, it’s not your fault.”
The queen wears a necklace of copper tears. Winna isn’t fooled. She’s been dragged into the throne room to kneel in front of the queen, dirty, smelling of urine and blood, clothes torn, a bruise masking one side of her face. She looks pathetic, and Imajane looks every inch a queen, and everyone knows it.
“Please,” she begins, but her voice is cracked from not being used. “She’s just a girl, please, please, I’ll give you anything, she’s my last child, and I’ll give you anything, please-”
The queen stops her with a wave of the hand. “Why, Winna,” she says, smiling, and looking down at the kneeling woman before her. “What could you possibly have to give us?”
Winna knows the answer that they want, but she can’t make her bloody, broken lips form the words.
“My dear wife is correct. Treason must be rooted out, for the good of all of us, don’t you agree?” The nobles lining the walls simper in agreement.
And Winna finally finds the courage to speak the words she knows they want to hear.
“My life. You can have my life.”
When they let Petranne see her, her daughter clutches her like a lifeline, as if she is the one still about to die.
“I’m so sorry, mama, I’m so sorry, I love you, I love you, who won’t they let you live?”
“It’s complicated, Petranne.”
“I hate them,” Petranne whispers, with all the fierceness of a little girl who doesn’t know what to do. “I hate them.”
“I know,” Winna says, and she finally realizes that she hasn’t stopped holding Petranne, nor does she plan to.
“What can I do?” sobs her daughter, wiping away the tears on her bloody face. (Why is there so much blood? She’s so tired of blood.) “I’ll do anything, mama, please tell me.”
“Go with Dove to Tortall. Aly managed to escape, try and find her. Stay with her family. Stay with Dove. Never come back here.”
“I will, mama, I will,” Petranne says, her tears slowing to a trickle. “Is there anything else? I’ll do anything, promise.”
Winna pauses for a moment. “One more thing, Petranne.”
“Anything,” her daughter whispers. “I will, mama, for you.”
She takes a deep breath and prepares to ask her daughter to do the hardest thing that she’ll ever have to do. “You have to promise to live. You have to live.”
Petranne shudders and takes a deep breath. “I promise.”
That’s all Winna needs to hear. Now she can prepare to die in peace.
Rating: PG-13
Character: Winnamine Balitang
Event: AU Pole Vault
Words: 596
Summary: The rebellion has failed, and Winna is held captive.
They are letting Dove live, but Winna knows it isn’t out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s so they appear nice and kind- look at us, we’re so merciful, we’ll let your little pet princess live and she can happily live her days out in Tortall.
Petranne is sentenced to death.
Winna is in chains.
Her cell smells like blood that she doesn’t know if she’s been (or remember) bleeding. Winna knows that she’s dirty and filthy and probably smells horrible, but she doesn’t care. They’ve sentenced Petranne to death. All for saying she hated the queen, for throwing a punch at Rubinyan. Imajane had simpered softly, patted Winna on the arm, and said, “Treason must be rooted out. You understand, don’t you dear? For the good of all the other children, we can’t let her live.”
Winna sees her daughter being dragged away, still screaming, both of them screaming, every time she closes her eyes.
“Oh, Winna, we couldn’t execute you. You were tricked, darling, it’s not your fault.”
The queen wears a necklace of copper tears. Winna isn’t fooled. She’s been dragged into the throne room to kneel in front of the queen, dirty, smelling of urine and blood, clothes torn, a bruise masking one side of her face. She looks pathetic, and Imajane looks every inch a queen, and everyone knows it.
“Please,” she begins, but her voice is cracked from not being used. “She’s just a girl, please, please, I’ll give you anything, she’s my last child, and I’ll give you anything, please-”
The queen stops her with a wave of the hand. “Why, Winna,” she says, smiling, and looking down at the kneeling woman before her. “What could you possibly have to give us?”
Winna knows the answer that they want, but she can’t make her bloody, broken lips form the words.
“My dear wife is correct. Treason must be rooted out, for the good of all of us, don’t you agree?” The nobles lining the walls simper in agreement.
And Winna finally finds the courage to speak the words she knows they want to hear.
“My life. You can have my life.”
When they let Petranne see her, her daughter clutches her like a lifeline, as if she is the one still about to die.
“I’m so sorry, mama, I’m so sorry, I love you, I love you, who won’t they let you live?”
“It’s complicated, Petranne.”
“I hate them,” Petranne whispers, with all the fierceness of a little girl who doesn’t know what to do. “I hate them.”
“I know,” Winna says, and she finally realizes that she hasn’t stopped holding Petranne, nor does she plan to.
“What can I do?” sobs her daughter, wiping away the tears on her bloody face. (Why is there so much blood? She’s so tired of blood.) “I’ll do anything, mama, please tell me.”
“Go with Dove to Tortall. Aly managed to escape, try and find her. Stay with her family. Stay with Dove. Never come back here.”
“I will, mama, I will,” Petranne says, her tears slowing to a trickle. “Is there anything else? I’ll do anything, promise.”
Winna pauses for a moment. “One more thing, Petranne.”
“Anything,” her daughter whispers. “I will, mama, for you.”
She takes a deep breath and prepares to ask her daughter to do the hardest thing that she’ll ever have to do. “You have to promise to live. You have to live.”
Petranne shudders and takes a deep breath. “I promise.”
That’s all Winna needs to hear. Now she can prepare to die in peace.