Post by opalgirl on May 24, 2010 11:31:52 GMT 10
Title: Someday
Rating: PG
Prompt: #2--Walk the line.
Category: Up to 250 words
Word count: 250
Summary: After Tortall has fallen to Tusaine, the man once known as Arram Draper must face his children, who thought both parents were dead.
Warning: Mention of an off the pages canon character death.
Notes: Set within Mandi/Journeycat's "The Last Conte" AU. The piece stands alone without the greater context of the AU, though.
Numair steadied himself as two small figures hurtled through the kitchen door. His children were whole and healthy and he forced himself to think of that.
"Papa?" Sarra tilted her head to one side, as she looked at him. "Didn't Mama come with you? She said she would…."
"Not so many questions, cara mia," Ambra Draper interrupted gently as she came up behind her grandchildren. "Your Papa is tired. Go now, and take your brother with you."
Sarralyn scowled but voiced no protest. When the children had disappeared through the kitchen door, Ambra turned, the yellow fire of her Gift streaming from her fingers to protect them from eavesdroppers.
"You didn't come all this way without Veralidaine." It was not a question. "You wouldn't have left her behind with Tortall in ruins, Arram, and she wouldn’t have stayed, not with her children here. Is she dead?"
Something around his heart clenched tightly and he felt the grief and rage threaten to swamp him once again. "They captured and executed her when the City of the Gods fell."
His mother's aged face and eyes showed her grief, plainly. “Tusaine is a nation of monsters, not men—how many mothers have they taken from children? Would you rather I tell them?" she asked.
"No, Mother. I believe they've thought I was dead, all this time, and I sent them away—I owe them that much."
"You kept them safe, my son. That's what any man owes his family—someday, they will understand.”
Rating: PG
Prompt: #2--Walk the line.
Category: Up to 250 words
Word count: 250
Summary: After Tortall has fallen to Tusaine, the man once known as Arram Draper must face his children, who thought both parents were dead.
Warning: Mention of an off the pages canon character death.
Notes: Set within Mandi/Journeycat's "The Last Conte" AU. The piece stands alone without the greater context of the AU, though.
***
Numair steadied himself as two small figures hurtled through the kitchen door. His children were whole and healthy and he forced himself to think of that.
"Papa?" Sarra tilted her head to one side, as she looked at him. "Didn't Mama come with you? She said she would…."
"Not so many questions, cara mia," Ambra Draper interrupted gently as she came up behind her grandchildren. "Your Papa is tired. Go now, and take your brother with you."
Sarralyn scowled but voiced no protest. When the children had disappeared through the kitchen door, Ambra turned, the yellow fire of her Gift streaming from her fingers to protect them from eavesdroppers.
"You didn't come all this way without Veralidaine." It was not a question. "You wouldn't have left her behind with Tortall in ruins, Arram, and she wouldn’t have stayed, not with her children here. Is she dead?"
Something around his heart clenched tightly and he felt the grief and rage threaten to swamp him once again. "They captured and executed her when the City of the Gods fell."
His mother's aged face and eyes showed her grief, plainly. “Tusaine is a nation of monsters, not men—how many mothers have they taken from children? Would you rather I tell them?" she asked.
"No, Mother. I believe they've thought I was dead, all this time, and I sent them away—I owe them that much."
"You kept them safe, my son. That's what any man owes his family—someday, they will understand.”
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!