Post by Pandesme on Dec 13, 2010 16:11:01 GMT 10
To: ladyarianne
Message: So I don't think this is what you had in mind per-say. And I know that you didn't want angst, and I did try my best but this is the way it came out...
From: Pandesme/Kaelie
Title: Observations
Rating: PG
Wishlist Item: #3, Kel/Joren
Summary: Raoul notices things.
Word-Count: 1,168
Raoul was an observant man, of that he was certain. He had to be, for his position. But he couldn’t help but wonder if he was beginning to slip. Because he really hadn’t expected this, whatever this was. He had of course heard of the Stone Mountain boy, Joren. He had made it his business to know about his squire’s page years, her friends and enemies. He had heard about her troubles with the Stone Mountain boy, and her war on hazing. The general impression he had gotten, one he was sure was shared by the vast majority of the population, was that they hated each other.
So he watched as Lalasa spoke to Kel, voice deliberate and hard. “He has not been named, but servants talk. Sir Paxton of Nod has attended each day. So too has Elbroin of Genlith, who is Corus steward and representative of Lord Burchard of Stone Mountain.”
He also watched as Kel’s face slowly bled from righteous anger into... hurt? Hurt for what, he couldn’t be sure. But he couldn’t help but think that it had more to do then just being hurt on Lalasa’s behalf. He had never seen that expression on her face before, she rarely let anything other than good humour show, and he felt that perhaps the fact that hurt had slipped through her mask at all meant that it ran quite deep.
“His father’s steward?” He murmured, distracted by Kel’s face, and the hurt that still shone through. He would do anything to erase that look from her face, the daughter that he never had. “Not his father?”
Lalasa’s friend Tian put in, somewhat delicately, “I heard one of the Stone Mountain men-at-arms say the old lord refuses to treat this as if it means anything.”
Raoul wasn’t too surprised, he was acquainted with Burchard, and if the son was anything like his father then he must be quite the piece of work. He could feel his blood starting to boil at the thought that he might have done something to put that look on her face. “That sounds like the old stiff-rump, if arrogance were shoes, he’d never go barefoot.” Turning his attention back towards Kel herself he added, “You don’t seem surprised.” Hoping to draw her out, and gain some sort of clue so he would know just who he had to hunt down and kill. Or maim at the very least.
He watched her as she tried to push down the hurt and let anger take over again, and listen as she ranted on about Joren. “...and to put a smile on his face, and tell me how I might get a husband, when he was groping for a plan like this...!”
And suddenly he understood. He could see it in her eyes that she had thought that perhaps Joren might have wanted to be that husband. “Lalasa, Tian, thank you. My lord? If you’ll excuse me, I need to think a bit.”
He nodded slowly, reluctant to let her go. “Kel...” But she just bowed to him and retreated into her rooms, shutting the door firmly behind her.
The next day as Raoul sat with Kel in the court room and they both watched as Joren was brought in and led to his seat without so much as glancing in Kel’s direction. He could feel Kel’s entire body go rigid beside him. And when Joren’s voice cut across that of the Master Advocate, he felt her tense even more. She was practically trembling, although she showed no outward signs of emotion. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, although it did not have the desired effect.
“Oh, stop this currish babble. Elbroin and Muirgen have talked at me for days. I’m weary of it. I paid those idiots to steal the wench and stash her on Balor’s Needle. I paid a-“ And as Muirgen and Ebroin jumped up, no doubt to stop Joren’s speech, he felt Kel relax somewhat beside him. Glancing sideways at her he could see the hurt that had been ever present throughout the day fade somewhat, and what he thought might be hope start to replace it.
Hope at what he wasn’t sure. That perhaps Joren’s confession was an apology of sorts? That perhaps his confession meant that he did care for her? But as Joren continued on, speaking about honour and how female’s warriors were a disgrace, he could see Kel viciously stamp down the hope that had been slowly working its way in.
“I had her coming and going.” Joren spat. “Either she failed in her duty to her servant –and I’d have made sure the world knew the wonderful Keladry had shirked her first obligation as a noble – or she’d be so late she’d have to repeat the whole four years. No one would do that.” With those words her mask was firmly slammed back into place.
So Raoul went with her as she spoke to the King and Queen, unsure if he should try and stop her from doing something that she might later regret. Not that he thought it was a mistake, but he knew that if she did anything rash and later wanted to... take back up with Joren that it would make things difficult. Not that he thought she would do that either, but love made people do crazy things, and one could never be too certain.
That night as he returned to his quarters he immediately noticed that the door joining his and Kel’s rooms was ajar. As he made his way over to close it he couldn’t help but overhear Kel speaking to someone. Naturally he had to listen, for his squire’s own well being of course.
“Please Kel, you have to believe me, I-“ Ah, Joren then. Raoul wondered if he shouldn’t step in after all.
“Believe you? Why should I? You made it perfectly clear how you felt back in the court room!”
“I had to! Don’t you see? If my father ever found out how I felt...”
“And what about me?! How could you do this to me? To Lalasa?”
“That was before!”
“Before what?! Before you lied to me? Told me you loved me?”
“I do love you!” Abruptly their conversation dropped off, and Raoul backed away closing the door softly behind him. He could only imagine, rightly so, that Joren had silenced her with a kiss. He would give her some time with him, and would come back to speak with her later. Joren was no good for Kel, of that he was certain. He was also certain that Kel knew this as well, but he would speak to her about it later.
He never did get around to having that talk with her. So as he sat with her later that year, the news of Joren’s death freshly delivered thanks to Burchard of Stone Mountain, he wished desperately that he had. Perhaps if he had then he could have spared her this pain.
Message: So I don't think this is what you had in mind per-say. And I know that you didn't want angst, and I did try my best but this is the way it came out...
From: Pandesme/Kaelie
Title: Observations
Rating: PG
Wishlist Item: #3, Kel/Joren
Summary: Raoul notices things.
Word-Count: 1,168
Raoul was an observant man, of that he was certain. He had to be, for his position. But he couldn’t help but wonder if he was beginning to slip. Because he really hadn’t expected this, whatever this was. He had of course heard of the Stone Mountain boy, Joren. He had made it his business to know about his squire’s page years, her friends and enemies. He had heard about her troubles with the Stone Mountain boy, and her war on hazing. The general impression he had gotten, one he was sure was shared by the vast majority of the population, was that they hated each other.
So he watched as Lalasa spoke to Kel, voice deliberate and hard. “He has not been named, but servants talk. Sir Paxton of Nod has attended each day. So too has Elbroin of Genlith, who is Corus steward and representative of Lord Burchard of Stone Mountain.”
He also watched as Kel’s face slowly bled from righteous anger into... hurt? Hurt for what, he couldn’t be sure. But he couldn’t help but think that it had more to do then just being hurt on Lalasa’s behalf. He had never seen that expression on her face before, she rarely let anything other than good humour show, and he felt that perhaps the fact that hurt had slipped through her mask at all meant that it ran quite deep.
“His father’s steward?” He murmured, distracted by Kel’s face, and the hurt that still shone through. He would do anything to erase that look from her face, the daughter that he never had. “Not his father?”
Lalasa’s friend Tian put in, somewhat delicately, “I heard one of the Stone Mountain men-at-arms say the old lord refuses to treat this as if it means anything.”
Raoul wasn’t too surprised, he was acquainted with Burchard, and if the son was anything like his father then he must be quite the piece of work. He could feel his blood starting to boil at the thought that he might have done something to put that look on her face. “That sounds like the old stiff-rump, if arrogance were shoes, he’d never go barefoot.” Turning his attention back towards Kel herself he added, “You don’t seem surprised.” Hoping to draw her out, and gain some sort of clue so he would know just who he had to hunt down and kill. Or maim at the very least.
He watched her as she tried to push down the hurt and let anger take over again, and listen as she ranted on about Joren. “...and to put a smile on his face, and tell me how I might get a husband, when he was groping for a plan like this...!”
And suddenly he understood. He could see it in her eyes that she had thought that perhaps Joren might have wanted to be that husband. “Lalasa, Tian, thank you. My lord? If you’ll excuse me, I need to think a bit.”
He nodded slowly, reluctant to let her go. “Kel...” But she just bowed to him and retreated into her rooms, shutting the door firmly behind her.
The next day as Raoul sat with Kel in the court room and they both watched as Joren was brought in and led to his seat without so much as glancing in Kel’s direction. He could feel Kel’s entire body go rigid beside him. And when Joren’s voice cut across that of the Master Advocate, he felt her tense even more. She was practically trembling, although she showed no outward signs of emotion. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, although it did not have the desired effect.
“Oh, stop this currish babble. Elbroin and Muirgen have talked at me for days. I’m weary of it. I paid those idiots to steal the wench and stash her on Balor’s Needle. I paid a-“ And as Muirgen and Ebroin jumped up, no doubt to stop Joren’s speech, he felt Kel relax somewhat beside him. Glancing sideways at her he could see the hurt that had been ever present throughout the day fade somewhat, and what he thought might be hope start to replace it.
Hope at what he wasn’t sure. That perhaps Joren’s confession was an apology of sorts? That perhaps his confession meant that he did care for her? But as Joren continued on, speaking about honour and how female’s warriors were a disgrace, he could see Kel viciously stamp down the hope that had been slowly working its way in.
“I had her coming and going.” Joren spat. “Either she failed in her duty to her servant –and I’d have made sure the world knew the wonderful Keladry had shirked her first obligation as a noble – or she’d be so late she’d have to repeat the whole four years. No one would do that.” With those words her mask was firmly slammed back into place.
So Raoul went with her as she spoke to the King and Queen, unsure if he should try and stop her from doing something that she might later regret. Not that he thought it was a mistake, but he knew that if she did anything rash and later wanted to... take back up with Joren that it would make things difficult. Not that he thought she would do that either, but love made people do crazy things, and one could never be too certain.
That night as he returned to his quarters he immediately noticed that the door joining his and Kel’s rooms was ajar. As he made his way over to close it he couldn’t help but overhear Kel speaking to someone. Naturally he had to listen, for his squire’s own well being of course.
“Please Kel, you have to believe me, I-“ Ah, Joren then. Raoul wondered if he shouldn’t step in after all.
“Believe you? Why should I? You made it perfectly clear how you felt back in the court room!”
“I had to! Don’t you see? If my father ever found out how I felt...”
“And what about me?! How could you do this to me? To Lalasa?”
“That was before!”
“Before what?! Before you lied to me? Told me you loved me?”
“I do love you!” Abruptly their conversation dropped off, and Raoul backed away closing the door softly behind him. He could only imagine, rightly so, that Joren had silenced her with a kiss. He would give her some time with him, and would come back to speak with her later. Joren was no good for Kel, of that he was certain. He was also certain that Kel knew this as well, but he would speak to her about it later.
He never did get around to having that talk with her. So as he sat with her later that year, the news of Joren’s death freshly delivered thanks to Burchard of Stone Mountain, he wished desperately that he had. Perhaps if he had then he could have spared her this pain.
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!