Post by Seek on Apr 5, 2015 19:26:34 GMT 10
Series: The Drowned and the Saved
Title: Promises
Rating: PG
Event: 4x100 "Types of Love" Relay
Competition: Decathlon
Words: 400 words
Summary: Four promises in Taybur Sibigat's life.
-
1. Agape: Promises to Keep
He wakes up to find Dunevon gone, and after a brief, panicked search, finds the boy hiding in the cupboard, and is somewhat startled when the boy throws himself into Taybur’s arms, sobbing furiously.
He holds his charge, until the tears have mostly subsided.
"I'm scared," Dunevon sniffles.
"And making a mess of my tunic," Taybur smiles. But Dunevon is young, still, and he can't begrudge the boy-king the selfishness of childhood.
Right now, he’s just a boy who’s had nightmares.
Time for protocol later, Taybur decides, cradling Dunevon in his arms. "I'll protect you, now and forever," he promises.
-
2. Eros: Promises Unmade
"Have you never actually considered...?" Lady Hetnim asks, leaving the question to trail off. The other remains unasked. The wind on the palace wall tosses her proud hair; he swallows, can see why she's the renowned beauty of the Isles and the rose of the Carthaki court.
But roses, Taybur Sibigat reminds himself, have thorns. Carthaki roses, in particular, are exotic precisely because they are dangerous. He says, "I have my duty, milady. I find that takes up a good deal of my attention."
"Please," she says, taking his hand. A smile like sunlight through clouds. "Call me Sarai, Captain."
-
3. Storge: Promises Unspoken
"Next time, tell me," Dove snaps, and then the anger is gone and for a moment, dwarfed by the glittering headdress of the Haiming warrior queens, she appears so small, so lost. "You almost died."
He nods; a rueful acknowledgement, and chooses his words carefully. "It was...inevitable, your Majesty. No one trusts a guardsman who turns on his king."
She shakes her head, a picture of regal fury. "Dunevon was your king." Pain, even now. Bright luarin eyes, a child's laugh. She reaches out and takes his hand. "I’m…glad you’re still with us.”
“So am I,” he admits, “My Queen.”
-
4. Philia: Promises to Come
"How do you want to do this?" Aly asks, slipping a pair of thin-bladed knives out of her colourful sarong.
Taybur rolls his eyes and draws his sword. "I kill them, you talk to whoever who's left. Then I kill whoever let them in."
"Why, Captain," she says, with wide-eyed innocence, "If you kill them all, I won't be able to interrogate them, will I?" She gazes dispassionately at the sellswords moving up towards the empty dais. “I’m afraid you’ve got to pardon the Captain here; he’s dreadfully allergic to anyone so much as trying to sneeze on the Queen.”
Title: Promises
Rating: PG
Event: 4x100 "Types of Love" Relay
Competition: Decathlon
Words: 400 words
Summary: Four promises in Taybur Sibigat's life.
-
1. Agape: Promises to Keep
He wakes up to find Dunevon gone, and after a brief, panicked search, finds the boy hiding in the cupboard, and is somewhat startled when the boy throws himself into Taybur’s arms, sobbing furiously.
He holds his charge, until the tears have mostly subsided.
"I'm scared," Dunevon sniffles.
"And making a mess of my tunic," Taybur smiles. But Dunevon is young, still, and he can't begrudge the boy-king the selfishness of childhood.
Right now, he’s just a boy who’s had nightmares.
Time for protocol later, Taybur decides, cradling Dunevon in his arms. "I'll protect you, now and forever," he promises.
-
2. Eros: Promises Unmade
"Have you never actually considered...?" Lady Hetnim asks, leaving the question to trail off. The other remains unasked. The wind on the palace wall tosses her proud hair; he swallows, can see why she's the renowned beauty of the Isles and the rose of the Carthaki court.
But roses, Taybur Sibigat reminds himself, have thorns. Carthaki roses, in particular, are exotic precisely because they are dangerous. He says, "I have my duty, milady. I find that takes up a good deal of my attention."
"Please," she says, taking his hand. A smile like sunlight through clouds. "Call me Sarai, Captain."
-
3. Storge: Promises Unspoken
"Next time, tell me," Dove snaps, and then the anger is gone and for a moment, dwarfed by the glittering headdress of the Haiming warrior queens, she appears so small, so lost. "You almost died."
He nods; a rueful acknowledgement, and chooses his words carefully. "It was...inevitable, your Majesty. No one trusts a guardsman who turns on his king."
She shakes her head, a picture of regal fury. "Dunevon was your king." Pain, even now. Bright luarin eyes, a child's laugh. She reaches out and takes his hand. "I’m…glad you’re still with us.”
“So am I,” he admits, “My Queen.”
-
4. Philia: Promises to Come
"How do you want to do this?" Aly asks, slipping a pair of thin-bladed knives out of her colourful sarong.
Taybur rolls his eyes and draws his sword. "I kill them, you talk to whoever who's left. Then I kill whoever let them in."
"Why, Captain," she says, with wide-eyed innocence, "If you kill them all, I won't be able to interrogate them, will I?" She gazes dispassionately at the sellswords moving up towards the empty dais. “I’m afraid you’ve got to pardon the Captain here; he’s dreadfully allergic to anyone so much as trying to sneeze on the Queen.”