Post by sesquipedalian on May 14, 2012 13:14:10 GMT 10
MASTIFF SPOILERS (okay, you could technically get the information from the Amazon summary, but if you don't like, don't read.)
Series: An Honest Living
Event: Drama Discus
Title: Maudlin
Rating: PG
Word Count: 585
Summary: Rosto and Flory discuss marriage with a ghost in the room.
Meant to go directly after Family .
“They’re getting married,” Rosto sighed over a cup of ale.
“I see,” Flory said in her most noncommittal tone.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“I am not looking at you, Rosto.”
“It’s not like I plan on carrying her off on the day of the wedding. It’s just that…something is off with him.”
“You cared for her once, you care about her now,” Flory said, and unconsciously, her eyes drifted towards the nursery. “Cousin,” she said more firmly, for him and also for herself, “she will look after herself.”
“She should be able to trust her own man,” Rosto said quietly, taking her wandering eyes as a warning.
“Who says she doesn’t?” Flory said stubbornly, pushing down memories with a gulp of ale.
“Flory, I hear them fighting at night. And I’m a building over.”
“Every couple fights, Rosto,” she said in a condescending tone, because she was quite certain that if she didn’t stop him talking now, he’d bring up memories she tried to forget.
“Do you have knives everywhere?” he asked suddenly, pulling out the one in the underside of the table and glancing at the one in the lantern.
“I’m a nervous sort,” she said agreeably, happy to change the topic. “I had some of Zolaika’s melted down by a friend. The Court of the Rogue is too unstable at the moment for me to risk anything.”
He gave her a knowing look over his mug. “And how many go to the Ladies of the Rogue?”
“Half, and part of that to any doxie without a blade, the rest allotted to the spintries, because they’re more likely to think themselves the stronger in a fight,” she rattled off, then realizing, “and I hardly think the sort of men they encounter are the same sort that Beka allows herself to become involved with. Usually.”
“Your concern is no different than mine,” Rosto replied, spreading out his hands.
“Rosto. She will be fine without your help, no matter the cracknob she gets engaged to,” Flory said with the ringing finality she generally left in the Court.
But her companion was a Majesty himself, and he asked her, “Was yours?”
She bit her lip, avoided his eyes, and hissed, “At least I understood that he was never mine.”
Because it hadn’t been a long, drawn out story, it had only been a young doxie who’d been careless and asked too many questions afterward and found someone unexpected. And, as it happened, fleeting.
She let him chew on her words in their entirety, and finally, he took a swig of ale and spoke again.
“Kora’s declared her intention of marrying Ersken,” he said comfortably.
She snorted in spite of herself. “I’ve also heard that woman declare her undying love for her cat,” she said dryly.
“I believe she may be serious. It is Kora, after all,” he said seriously.
“She must know it would never work,” Flory replied. “She’s too close to you.”
“I think that’s why she wants to marry him,” Rosto said, “because she can’t.”
“People want impossible things,” she reflected, “like grain, and a fistful of diamonds so I could stop having to beggar the Rogue.”
“Marriage isn’t so impossible, Flory,” Rosto said.
“Planning on getting a ring, cousin? A Rogue getting hitched? No, never.”
He shrugged. “Depends on who they marry,” he said, finishing off his drink.
She raised an eyebrow. “So long as it’s not Laddybuck, Rosto, I suppose that you could get away with marrying someone,” she said, wondering what was on his mind now.
Series: An Honest Living
Event: Drama Discus
Title: Maudlin
Rating: PG
Word Count: 585
Summary: Rosto and Flory discuss marriage with a ghost in the room.
Meant to go directly after Family .
“They’re getting married,” Rosto sighed over a cup of ale.
“I see,” Flory said in her most noncommittal tone.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“I am not looking at you, Rosto.”
“It’s not like I plan on carrying her off on the day of the wedding. It’s just that…something is off with him.”
“You cared for her once, you care about her now,” Flory said, and unconsciously, her eyes drifted towards the nursery. “Cousin,” she said more firmly, for him and also for herself, “she will look after herself.”
“She should be able to trust her own man,” Rosto said quietly, taking her wandering eyes as a warning.
“Who says she doesn’t?” Flory said stubbornly, pushing down memories with a gulp of ale.
“Flory, I hear them fighting at night. And I’m a building over.”
“Every couple fights, Rosto,” she said in a condescending tone, because she was quite certain that if she didn’t stop him talking now, he’d bring up memories she tried to forget.
“Do you have knives everywhere?” he asked suddenly, pulling out the one in the underside of the table and glancing at the one in the lantern.
“I’m a nervous sort,” she said agreeably, happy to change the topic. “I had some of Zolaika’s melted down by a friend. The Court of the Rogue is too unstable at the moment for me to risk anything.”
He gave her a knowing look over his mug. “And how many go to the Ladies of the Rogue?”
“Half, and part of that to any doxie without a blade, the rest allotted to the spintries, because they’re more likely to think themselves the stronger in a fight,” she rattled off, then realizing, “and I hardly think the sort of men they encounter are the same sort that Beka allows herself to become involved with. Usually.”
“Your concern is no different than mine,” Rosto replied, spreading out his hands.
“Rosto. She will be fine without your help, no matter the cracknob she gets engaged to,” Flory said with the ringing finality she generally left in the Court.
But her companion was a Majesty himself, and he asked her, “Was yours?”
She bit her lip, avoided his eyes, and hissed, “At least I understood that he was never mine.”
Because it hadn’t been a long, drawn out story, it had only been a young doxie who’d been careless and asked too many questions afterward and found someone unexpected. And, as it happened, fleeting.
She let him chew on her words in their entirety, and finally, he took a swig of ale and spoke again.
“Kora’s declared her intention of marrying Ersken,” he said comfortably.
She snorted in spite of herself. “I’ve also heard that woman declare her undying love for her cat,” she said dryly.
“I believe she may be serious. It is Kora, after all,” he said seriously.
“She must know it would never work,” Flory replied. “She’s too close to you.”
“I think that’s why she wants to marry him,” Rosto said, “because she can’t.”
“People want impossible things,” she reflected, “like grain, and a fistful of diamonds so I could stop having to beggar the Rogue.”
“Marriage isn’t so impossible, Flory,” Rosto said.
“Planning on getting a ring, cousin? A Rogue getting hitched? No, never.”
He shrugged. “Depends on who they marry,” he said, finishing off his drink.
She raised an eyebrow. “So long as it’s not Laddybuck, Rosto, I suppose that you could get away with marrying someone,” she said, wondering what was on his mind now.