Post by Muse on Sept 1, 2013 12:14:42 GMT 10
Title: Stuck Still
Rating: PG-13
Category: Tortall >1,000
Length: 1174
Original and Subsequent Haunts: Goldenlake
Summary: Thayet never means for any of this, but she isn't a Princess when she's around him and they have the road before them.
Warnings: Mentions canon-character death.
Author's note: It's been a while since I wrote smaller pieces for fun, and when perusing old entries on LJ, this list sparked my interest.
Title inspired by and taken from lyrics of "Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine.
Non-Glake Prompt: Run for your life if you can, from an old prompt list, 31 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
*
“Are you ready for this?” Liam asks Thayet as she cranes her neck to watch the big courier vessel pull into the harbor at Udayapur. Wavelets lap at its hull, tiny crests that break and bow over from one moment to the rest. Already, Thayet is becoming accustomed to the tangy salt smell of the sea that sticks to her clothes and gathers at the edge of her hair.
“For what?” Thayet asks, and Liam leans on the rail next to her, close enough that their shoulders rub together. Liam waves his hand at the ship, glistening in the sun.
“All of this, Princess. The ship, the sea, an adventure on the horizon…”
Thayet chuckles. “I’m just an ordinary citizen now,” she insists again, pursing her lips in mock-annoyance.
“Alright, Princess,” Liam leans over, grabbing the back of her hand to kiss it before Thayet shoves his shoulder.
“Alright, Dragon.”
*
The calm in Sir Myle’s house sinks into Thayet’s bones, and she breathes the cool Corus air deeply. It’s noisy, here in the City, something that has Buri jumpy like a mare with fleas. After so long on the road, though, it’s nice to hear the innocent sound of people’s lives weaving their way through the evening air.
She could get used to this, Thayet decides.
“Settling in, Princess?”
Liam lounges against the doorframe behind her, the one that connects this protected balcony to the main body of the house. Smiling tiredly, Thayet nods. “It’s nice here. I never expected Corus to be like this.”
“It is surprising, this city,” Liam agrees, moving to look over one side and watch the street below as vendors start packing up their goods for the evening.
The tone of his voice is strangely dim. Resting her chin on her hands, Thayet watches a baker load loaves of bread onto his cart. “You sound…” she begins, but struggles to find the right word.
“Bitter?” Liam smiles humorlessly, his eyes a hard, bright green as he catches Thayet’s gaze.
“…Wistful.”
The sun dips behind the edge of the city, rooftops in relief as the last rays of light paint the city a deep golden red. In the long moments before twilight, silence ripples out from them like a pebble in a pool.
“It sounds like you’ll belong just fine, Princess.”
And as much as Thayet knows Liam, knows the way the Dragon loves the open road, the answer is suddenly staring her in the face.
“Stay with us, for a while,” she tells the air in front of them, knowing without looking that Liam is turning to face her, studying her face with those blue-green eyes of his. He says nothing, and the solemn Palace bells cresting over the late-spring evening break their quiet.
“Think about it,” Thayet advises, stretching her back as she straightens. Before she leaves the balcony, she kisses Liam on the cheek, her lips grazing close to the corner of his mouth for a tiny moment.
*
Thayet frowns into her tea.
“What has the poor drink done to you?”
It’s Liam; he’s the only one left in Sir Myles’ house since Jon—who did not come to visit her, thank you very much, Alanna—dragged the knight back to the Palace to practice her speech.
“…Nothing,” Thayet remarks distractedly.
Liam fixes himself a cup, and Thayet knows she hasn’t convinced him in the least.
“They’ve invited us to the ball,” she admits, finally, when he’s done stirring sugar into his tea and has tasted the result.
“Lovely sentiment, that,” Liam replies, oddly focused on his cup, and Thayet finds it easier to speak when he’s not looking at her.
“But I don’t want to be royalty here, and no one remembers.”
Restless, Thayet paces. “Alanna, and Sir Myles, and Prince Jonathan are very kind, and very generous, but no one has time to listen and everyone’s forgotten what I said—“
Liam is in front of her, sans tea, and Thayet comes up short to avoid walking right into him. When he moved, she has no idea.
He steps forward, far too close, close enough to tuck her head under his chin.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
Instead of stepping back, instead of correcting herself, Thayet looks up at Liam. Their noses brush, and his lips brush hers softly.
“Thank you.” Between them, the words don’t sound awkward the way Thayet expects them to. Liam tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Anytime, Princess.”
*
The night of Alanna’s official return, Thayet can’t help but watch—from the dais, where they’ve installed her just below Jonathan’s throne—as the Shang Dragon lights up the room. Above and behind her sits a good man, but Jon wears his rank and becomes untouchable without knowing it.
Stiffened red silk passes under her fingers as Thayet worries at her dress. Even from here, Liam only looks her way and he is right there, in her space. He winks at her before his restless gaze slides over the rest of the court again.
After, when the eyes of the Court have stared enough, she escapes to a balcony where there is no one to watch her, no one to look at her in one instant and Jonathan in the next with speculative glances, no one to call her “Princess”.
Somehow Liam knows, and they never say a word; his arms come up to cup her elbows and hold her close enough. His heartbeat pounds like hooves on the road and Corus is suddenly far too small for both of them. Slowly, he gives her back herself, kiss by kiss, until she feels like Thayet again.
He doesn’t call her Princess this time, and she doesn’t call him Dragon; he just kisses her forehead, her nose, her mouth.
*
They are standing together when Jonathan kneels, bowing his head to receive the crown.
They are standing together when the first shuddering groan knocks them off their feet as dust showers down on them from the rafters.
“Go!” Thayet shouts when Liam hesitates, looking from her to Jonathan to the archers pouring into the room from all sides. “Liam, get out of here!”
He is all harsh, brilliant lines in that instant, flaming hair and blazing eyes and sorrow writing every feature into her mind. He tugs her towards him, slamming her against him for a brief moment as he kisses her once, hard, and then turns and runs for the nearest attacker.
“What are you waiting for?” Buri screams behind her, and Thayet grabs a bow herself off the man Buri’s already laid out on the ground.
*
"Ye're late, Dragon," Coram remarks, grinning tiredly as Liam finishes off the Tirragen men that had poured into the hall moments earlier.
Liam's eyes cloud for a moment. "I was delayed. Where's Alanna?"
George watches him, speculatively, but doesn't ask.
*
She sees him for one shining moment as he leaps onto the dais, raging blue green gold fire.
It’s only when he doesn’t get up that she understands how he’s saved them all.
Rating: PG-13
Category: Tortall >1,000
Length: 1174
Original and Subsequent Haunts: Goldenlake
Summary: Thayet never means for any of this, but she isn't a Princess when she's around him and they have the road before them.
Warnings: Mentions canon-character death.
Author's note: It's been a while since I wrote smaller pieces for fun, and when perusing old entries on LJ, this list sparked my interest.
Title inspired by and taken from lyrics of "Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine.
Non-Glake Prompt: Run for your life if you can, from an old prompt list, 31 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
*
“Are you ready for this?” Liam asks Thayet as she cranes her neck to watch the big courier vessel pull into the harbor at Udayapur. Wavelets lap at its hull, tiny crests that break and bow over from one moment to the rest. Already, Thayet is becoming accustomed to the tangy salt smell of the sea that sticks to her clothes and gathers at the edge of her hair.
“For what?” Thayet asks, and Liam leans on the rail next to her, close enough that their shoulders rub together. Liam waves his hand at the ship, glistening in the sun.
“All of this, Princess. The ship, the sea, an adventure on the horizon…”
Thayet chuckles. “I’m just an ordinary citizen now,” she insists again, pursing her lips in mock-annoyance.
“Alright, Princess,” Liam leans over, grabbing the back of her hand to kiss it before Thayet shoves his shoulder.
“Alright, Dragon.”
*
The calm in Sir Myle’s house sinks into Thayet’s bones, and she breathes the cool Corus air deeply. It’s noisy, here in the City, something that has Buri jumpy like a mare with fleas. After so long on the road, though, it’s nice to hear the innocent sound of people’s lives weaving their way through the evening air.
She could get used to this, Thayet decides.
“Settling in, Princess?”
Liam lounges against the doorframe behind her, the one that connects this protected balcony to the main body of the house. Smiling tiredly, Thayet nods. “It’s nice here. I never expected Corus to be like this.”
“It is surprising, this city,” Liam agrees, moving to look over one side and watch the street below as vendors start packing up their goods for the evening.
The tone of his voice is strangely dim. Resting her chin on her hands, Thayet watches a baker load loaves of bread onto his cart. “You sound…” she begins, but struggles to find the right word.
“Bitter?” Liam smiles humorlessly, his eyes a hard, bright green as he catches Thayet’s gaze.
“…Wistful.”
The sun dips behind the edge of the city, rooftops in relief as the last rays of light paint the city a deep golden red. In the long moments before twilight, silence ripples out from them like a pebble in a pool.
“It sounds like you’ll belong just fine, Princess.”
And as much as Thayet knows Liam, knows the way the Dragon loves the open road, the answer is suddenly staring her in the face.
“Stay with us, for a while,” she tells the air in front of them, knowing without looking that Liam is turning to face her, studying her face with those blue-green eyes of his. He says nothing, and the solemn Palace bells cresting over the late-spring evening break their quiet.
“Think about it,” Thayet advises, stretching her back as she straightens. Before she leaves the balcony, she kisses Liam on the cheek, her lips grazing close to the corner of his mouth for a tiny moment.
*
Thayet frowns into her tea.
“What has the poor drink done to you?”
It’s Liam; he’s the only one left in Sir Myles’ house since Jon—who did not come to visit her, thank you very much, Alanna—dragged the knight back to the Palace to practice her speech.
“…Nothing,” Thayet remarks distractedly.
Liam fixes himself a cup, and Thayet knows she hasn’t convinced him in the least.
“They’ve invited us to the ball,” she admits, finally, when he’s done stirring sugar into his tea and has tasted the result.
“Lovely sentiment, that,” Liam replies, oddly focused on his cup, and Thayet finds it easier to speak when he’s not looking at her.
“But I don’t want to be royalty here, and no one remembers.”
Restless, Thayet paces. “Alanna, and Sir Myles, and Prince Jonathan are very kind, and very generous, but no one has time to listen and everyone’s forgotten what I said—“
Liam is in front of her, sans tea, and Thayet comes up short to avoid walking right into him. When he moved, she has no idea.
He steps forward, far too close, close enough to tuck her head under his chin.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
Instead of stepping back, instead of correcting herself, Thayet looks up at Liam. Their noses brush, and his lips brush hers softly.
“Thank you.” Between them, the words don’t sound awkward the way Thayet expects them to. Liam tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Anytime, Princess.”
*
The night of Alanna’s official return, Thayet can’t help but watch—from the dais, where they’ve installed her just below Jonathan’s throne—as the Shang Dragon lights up the room. Above and behind her sits a good man, but Jon wears his rank and becomes untouchable without knowing it.
Stiffened red silk passes under her fingers as Thayet worries at her dress. Even from here, Liam only looks her way and he is right there, in her space. He winks at her before his restless gaze slides over the rest of the court again.
After, when the eyes of the Court have stared enough, she escapes to a balcony where there is no one to watch her, no one to look at her in one instant and Jonathan in the next with speculative glances, no one to call her “Princess”.
Somehow Liam knows, and they never say a word; his arms come up to cup her elbows and hold her close enough. His heartbeat pounds like hooves on the road and Corus is suddenly far too small for both of them. Slowly, he gives her back herself, kiss by kiss, until she feels like Thayet again.
He doesn’t call her Princess this time, and she doesn’t call him Dragon; he just kisses her forehead, her nose, her mouth.
*
They are standing together when Jonathan kneels, bowing his head to receive the crown.
They are standing together when the first shuddering groan knocks them off their feet as dust showers down on them from the rafters.
“Go!” Thayet shouts when Liam hesitates, looking from her to Jonathan to the archers pouring into the room from all sides. “Liam, get out of here!”
He is all harsh, brilliant lines in that instant, flaming hair and blazing eyes and sorrow writing every feature into her mind. He tugs her towards him, slamming her against him for a brief moment as he kisses her once, hard, and then turns and runs for the nearest attacker.
“What are you waiting for?” Buri screams behind her, and Thayet grabs a bow herself off the man Buri’s already laid out on the ground.
*
"Ye're late, Dragon," Coram remarks, grinning tiredly as Liam finishes off the Tirragen men that had poured into the hall moments earlier.
Liam's eyes cloud for a moment. "I was delayed. Where's Alanna?"
George watches him, speculatively, but doesn't ask.
*
She sees him for one shining moment as he leaps onto the dais, raging blue green gold fire.
It’s only when he doesn’t get up that she understands how he’s saved them all.