Post by Lisa on Jan 10, 2010 14:59:59 GMT 10
Title: A Snowy Morning
Rating: PG
Midwinter Advent Prompt: #23 – Sled
Summary: Owen and Margarry celebrate his knighthood with a morning of sledding.
Another night of non-stop snowfall left the palace grounds covered with an accumulation of eight inches of snow. And Owen knew of only one way to celebrate the beauty of a snow-covered world – and that was to go sledding.
He found Margarry shortly after breakfast and convinced her to join him. Well, convincing her to go sledding hadn’t been difficult; she loved anything that was fast and potentially dangerous, he had learned over the years from her letters. He’d had to persuade her to wear a pair of his breeches.
Mithros, she looked adorable, though. Her long curls were pulled back into low horsetail and a scarf had been tied around her head to keep her ears warm. Upon sight of her in the hallway, it had been all he could do to keep from kissing her. But the palace was bustling with servants and visitors for the Midwinter festivities; it wouldn’t do to be caught kissing a girl who wasn’t his betrothed. Yet.
He had kept Lady Vivenne’s delicate pearl ring in his pocket since their conversation the previous afternoon, waiting for the perfect moment to make his promises and requests to Margarry.
“Is this the best place?” Margarry asked when they reached the top of the largest hill on the palace grounds.
“No, but it’s the fastest,” Owen replied with a grin. He positioned the sled and gestured for her to climb on. They set off down the slope, Owen steering. Margarry clutched his waist tightly, shrieking all the way down the hill. They slowed to a halt, and her cries turned into laughter – joyful, bubbly laughter that he wanted to hear for the rest of his life.
“Again!” she shouted, jumping to her feet and running up the hill. Owen followed, towing the sled behind him.
They went for three more passes and on the fourth, Margarry lost her grip and tumbled off of the sled before they reached the bottom of the hill. Owen jumped off as soon as he realized what had happened and started running up to her, worried that she was not moving, but when he got closer he could hear her laughter. She clutched her gloved hands to her chest, trying to breathe through her giggles.
“I thought you were hurt,” he cried, collapsing next to her on the hill.
“Not at all,” she said, sitting up and taking huge gulps of air. Her cheeks were flushed from wind and amusement, and her brown eyes were wet with tears of mirth. “I’ve never felt better!”
“Daisy,” he said, pulling his gloves off and reaching deep into his pocket. “Would you want to live this way forever?”
Her smile faltered and her eyebrows rose. “Are you asking me—?”
“Yes,” he insisted, pulling the ring out. “I’m asking you to be my wife.”
She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. It was impossible to remain upright; they both tumbled several feet down the hill.
“I take it that’s a yes?” Owen laughed, pushing her hair out of his face and untangling their limbs.
“Of course it is, you marvelous boy!”
“Oh, cow pox!” he muttered. The ring had been knocked from his fingers and into the snow. “I knew I would do something stupid.” He got on all fours and began searching through the packed snow.
“I didn’t get a good look,” Margarry finally said after several wailing apologies. “Was it my mother’s ring?”
“The pearl one,” Owen replied. Of course, he’d lose a pearl ring in the snow.
They both crawled along their snowy path until Margarry finally found it. “Aha!” she cried, holding it aloft in her hand. She removed her gloves and placed it on her finger, then admired it. “We’re betrothed,” she whispered with awe.
Owen closed the distance between them, still on his knees, and took her heart-shaped face in his hands. He leaned his forehead against hers. “We are,” he whispered, before kissing her fiercely.
“We should probably go talk to our parents,” Margarry said with a sigh, when she finally pulled away from him. “But I’d rather sled with you a bit more – so this morning can be just ours for a little longer.”
“Let’s do it,” Owen replied with a grin. Together they slid down the hill to retrieve the forgotten sled.
Rating: PG
Midwinter Advent Prompt: #23 – Sled
Summary: Owen and Margarry celebrate his knighthood with a morning of sledding.
Another night of non-stop snowfall left the palace grounds covered with an accumulation of eight inches of snow. And Owen knew of only one way to celebrate the beauty of a snow-covered world – and that was to go sledding.
He found Margarry shortly after breakfast and convinced her to join him. Well, convincing her to go sledding hadn’t been difficult; she loved anything that was fast and potentially dangerous, he had learned over the years from her letters. He’d had to persuade her to wear a pair of his breeches.
Mithros, she looked adorable, though. Her long curls were pulled back into low horsetail and a scarf had been tied around her head to keep her ears warm. Upon sight of her in the hallway, it had been all he could do to keep from kissing her. But the palace was bustling with servants and visitors for the Midwinter festivities; it wouldn’t do to be caught kissing a girl who wasn’t his betrothed. Yet.
He had kept Lady Vivenne’s delicate pearl ring in his pocket since their conversation the previous afternoon, waiting for the perfect moment to make his promises and requests to Margarry.
“Is this the best place?” Margarry asked when they reached the top of the largest hill on the palace grounds.
“No, but it’s the fastest,” Owen replied with a grin. He positioned the sled and gestured for her to climb on. They set off down the slope, Owen steering. Margarry clutched his waist tightly, shrieking all the way down the hill. They slowed to a halt, and her cries turned into laughter – joyful, bubbly laughter that he wanted to hear for the rest of his life.
“Again!” she shouted, jumping to her feet and running up the hill. Owen followed, towing the sled behind him.
They went for three more passes and on the fourth, Margarry lost her grip and tumbled off of the sled before they reached the bottom of the hill. Owen jumped off as soon as he realized what had happened and started running up to her, worried that she was not moving, but when he got closer he could hear her laughter. She clutched her gloved hands to her chest, trying to breathe through her giggles.
“I thought you were hurt,” he cried, collapsing next to her on the hill.
“Not at all,” she said, sitting up and taking huge gulps of air. Her cheeks were flushed from wind and amusement, and her brown eyes were wet with tears of mirth. “I’ve never felt better!”
“Daisy,” he said, pulling his gloves off and reaching deep into his pocket. “Would you want to live this way forever?”
Her smile faltered and her eyebrows rose. “Are you asking me—?”
“Yes,” he insisted, pulling the ring out. “I’m asking you to be my wife.”
She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. It was impossible to remain upright; they both tumbled several feet down the hill.
“I take it that’s a yes?” Owen laughed, pushing her hair out of his face and untangling their limbs.
“Of course it is, you marvelous boy!”
“Oh, cow pox!” he muttered. The ring had been knocked from his fingers and into the snow. “I knew I would do something stupid.” He got on all fours and began searching through the packed snow.
“I didn’t get a good look,” Margarry finally said after several wailing apologies. “Was it my mother’s ring?”
“The pearl one,” Owen replied. Of course, he’d lose a pearl ring in the snow.
They both crawled along their snowy path until Margarry finally found it. “Aha!” she cried, holding it aloft in her hand. She removed her gloves and placed it on her finger, then admired it. “We’re betrothed,” she whispered with awe.
Owen closed the distance between them, still on his knees, and took her heart-shaped face in his hands. He leaned his forehead against hers. “We are,” he whispered, before kissing her fiercely.
“We should probably go talk to our parents,” Margarry said with a sigh, when she finally pulled away from him. “But I’d rather sled with you a bit more – so this morning can be just ours for a little longer.”
“Let’s do it,” Owen replied with a grin. Together they slid down the hill to retrieve the forgotten sled.