Post by Shhasow on Apr 20, 2011 21:42:39 GMT 10
Title: Rumor, PG, (Alterations #1)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 803
Pairing: Jon/Kel
Round/Fight: 2/A
Summary: Instead of Alanna, Jon’s pages get Kel, and everyone knows it.
When they heard the rumor, the pages gathered in Jon’s room. They sat on various objects arrayed in a half circle with the prince in the center. Alex perched on the bed with Francis, Raoul flipped a chair around and crossed his arms on the back, and Gary lounged back in his chair, his brown eyes sharp on his royal friend who leaned against an armoire.
“Is it true?” Raoul said abruptly, breaking the silence. The other boys held their breaths.
Jon’s mouth twisted slightly. “Yes, it’s true.”
The other boys muttered distant oaths and shook their heads, but no one spoke up directly until Francis ventured a question. “Why?”
“This goes no where else,” Jon began, and only continued when they gave scattered agreements. “My honored father has decided to oblige the request of the Yamani royal family. It seems that this girl and her mother saved precious Yamani relics from pirates, and the Emperor wishes to reward her.”
“By making us take on a girl!” Alex swore. “Mithros, Jon, can he really do that?”
Jon met his friend’s black eyes until the lanky page glanced away. It had been Jon’s father’s decision, after all. King Roald.
Gary sighed. “Apparently he can. The question is, what do we do?”
“We don’t have to do anything,” answered Raoul angrily. “If she’s anything like my sister’s, all she’ll want to do is needlepoint and painting and,” he shuddered, “dancing.”
“She’ll be a disgrace to all of us,” muttered Alex.
“She’ll probably fail out herself,” pointed out Francis. “We won’t have to do anything to help or hinder.”
“But she shouldn’t even get the chance,” spat Raoul. “She’s a girl! She’ll never make it through, and if she does, she’ll get one of us killed, either on the practice courts or in the field.”
“There have been females knights before, Raoul,” uttered Francis softly. “They only diminished when the need for them disappeared, not because of inherent weaknesses.”
As Raoul made a rude gesture, Francis turned to Jon. “What’s her name, anyway?”
“Keladry of Mindelan.” As they memorized that name and tried to imagine what such an audacious girl might look like, Jon made the decision for the group.
“We do nothing,” Jon said, his voice hard and resolute despite his youth. “We cannot oppose the king, nor should we. His Majesty has many reasons for this odd allowance. She will likely fall behind without our interference. Keladry of Mindalen will sink or float on her own merit.”
“Sink to the bottom of the ocean until she runs back to those pansy Yamani,” Alex said under his breath as he left the room. Raoul caught his eyes and nodded grim agreement.
Gary was more neutral, willing to wait and see the girl before he passed judgment on her.
Francis was the last to leave. He turned to Jon thoughtfully. “This Keladry, does she have any experience? You said that she helped defend the relics.”
Jon smiled. Somehow, he had known that this friend would notice that. “She’s been in the Islands since she was four, and they train all women in polearms, those who wish to learn. And I believe she studied with the Imperial training master.”
“Since she was four?” Francis raised a blond eyebrow. “If she’s been training for so long, she might just make it here.”
Jon gave a lazy shrug. “Perhaps.”
“Well, I hope she succeeds. If nothing else, she’ll turn those lazy conservatives on their heads.” With that, Francis sketched a quick wave of farewell and strolled out of the room, humming a tune under his breath.
Jon surveyed the mess his friends had created of his room and shook his head in amused exasperation. As he rearranged the furniture, he continued to ponder this new girl. She’d be arriving the upcoming year, when everyone started their third year.
The prince knew that his voice carried a lot of influence among the pages and even the squires, and he was not afraid to use it when it was a worthy matter. Though, even if he disliked the girl, he could hardly cut her in public, not when it was his father who sponsored her. That would be awkward at best.
Still, that didn’t mean that he had to accept the girl, and it certainly did not mean he had to offer a hand in friendship.
Raoul and Alex were probably right. Jon had yet to find a girl who could keep up with boys, or even had the inclination to do so, but he’d be like Gary, neutral, and wait and make an informed judgment.
Even so, there was a part of him that was pleased that at least one of their group would attempt to help the girl. Francis was too good a person, Jon decided. Much too good.
QC: by Cassandra
Rating: PG
Word Count: 803
Pairing: Jon/Kel
Round/Fight: 2/A
Summary: Instead of Alanna, Jon’s pages get Kel, and everyone knows it.
When they heard the rumor, the pages gathered in Jon’s room. They sat on various objects arrayed in a half circle with the prince in the center. Alex perched on the bed with Francis, Raoul flipped a chair around and crossed his arms on the back, and Gary lounged back in his chair, his brown eyes sharp on his royal friend who leaned against an armoire.
“Is it true?” Raoul said abruptly, breaking the silence. The other boys held their breaths.
Jon’s mouth twisted slightly. “Yes, it’s true.”
The other boys muttered distant oaths and shook their heads, but no one spoke up directly until Francis ventured a question. “Why?”
“This goes no where else,” Jon began, and only continued when they gave scattered agreements. “My honored father has decided to oblige the request of the Yamani royal family. It seems that this girl and her mother saved precious Yamani relics from pirates, and the Emperor wishes to reward her.”
“By making us take on a girl!” Alex swore. “Mithros, Jon, can he really do that?”
Jon met his friend’s black eyes until the lanky page glanced away. It had been Jon’s father’s decision, after all. King Roald.
Gary sighed. “Apparently he can. The question is, what do we do?”
“We don’t have to do anything,” answered Raoul angrily. “If she’s anything like my sister’s, all she’ll want to do is needlepoint and painting and,” he shuddered, “dancing.”
“She’ll be a disgrace to all of us,” muttered Alex.
“She’ll probably fail out herself,” pointed out Francis. “We won’t have to do anything to help or hinder.”
“But she shouldn’t even get the chance,” spat Raoul. “She’s a girl! She’ll never make it through, and if she does, she’ll get one of us killed, either on the practice courts or in the field.”
“There have been females knights before, Raoul,” uttered Francis softly. “They only diminished when the need for them disappeared, not because of inherent weaknesses.”
As Raoul made a rude gesture, Francis turned to Jon. “What’s her name, anyway?”
“Keladry of Mindelan.” As they memorized that name and tried to imagine what such an audacious girl might look like, Jon made the decision for the group.
“We do nothing,” Jon said, his voice hard and resolute despite his youth. “We cannot oppose the king, nor should we. His Majesty has many reasons for this odd allowance. She will likely fall behind without our interference. Keladry of Mindalen will sink or float on her own merit.”
“Sink to the bottom of the ocean until she runs back to those pansy Yamani,” Alex said under his breath as he left the room. Raoul caught his eyes and nodded grim agreement.
Gary was more neutral, willing to wait and see the girl before he passed judgment on her.
Francis was the last to leave. He turned to Jon thoughtfully. “This Keladry, does she have any experience? You said that she helped defend the relics.”
Jon smiled. Somehow, he had known that this friend would notice that. “She’s been in the Islands since she was four, and they train all women in polearms, those who wish to learn. And I believe she studied with the Imperial training master.”
“Since she was four?” Francis raised a blond eyebrow. “If she’s been training for so long, she might just make it here.”
Jon gave a lazy shrug. “Perhaps.”
“Well, I hope she succeeds. If nothing else, she’ll turn those lazy conservatives on their heads.” With that, Francis sketched a quick wave of farewell and strolled out of the room, humming a tune under his breath.
Jon surveyed the mess his friends had created of his room and shook his head in amused exasperation. As he rearranged the furniture, he continued to ponder this new girl. She’d be arriving the upcoming year, when everyone started their third year.
The prince knew that his voice carried a lot of influence among the pages and even the squires, and he was not afraid to use it when it was a worthy matter. Though, even if he disliked the girl, he could hardly cut her in public, not when it was his father who sponsored her. That would be awkward at best.
Still, that didn’t mean that he had to accept the girl, and it certainly did not mean he had to offer a hand in friendship.
Raoul and Alex were probably right. Jon had yet to find a girl who could keep up with boys, or even had the inclination to do so, but he’d be like Gary, neutral, and wait and make an informed judgment.
Even so, there was a part of him that was pleased that at least one of their group would attempt to help the girl. Francis was too good a person, Jon decided. Much too good.
QC: by Cassandra