Post by luinae on Mar 15, 2011 10:42:46 GMT 10
Title: Execution (The Last Conte)
Rating: R
Word Count: 760
pairing: Kalasin/Wyldon
Fight: 1/C
Summary: Wyldon tells Kalasin how her family died. character death. Part of journeycat's "The Last Conte" Universe. Warning: rape is mentioned.
“They executed them, didn’t they?” Kalasin says. Her voice is set hard with grief; her eyes are lost.
Wyldon blinks. He’d forgotten how bright she was, and most of all, he didn’t want to tell her this story. He didn’t want to be remembered as the man who had brought the Empress the tales of her family’s gruesome execution.
“You were there, weren’t you?” Wyldon nods. “Tell me,” she whispers. “I have to know.”
“They walked them down from the palace, all chained together. The people – they went mad. They were screaming and crying, and a rain of flowers kept falling over them.” Kalasin smiles sadly; Wyldon continues. “They set up a platform in the middle of market square, and they had invited all the remaining Tortallan nobles.”
“He didn’t even allow them the choice of a private execution?” Kalasin demands, outraged.
“No. They took Roald first, but Shinkokami, she stepped forward and she said that ‘I will not stand by why you murder my husband.’ So they killed her first.”
“Just- like that?”
“Just like that. Kalasin, I’ve seen war and battles aplenty.” Wyldon shook his head. “I’ve never seen so much blood in my life.”
“They told your parents that it would be their final punishment, to watch all of their children die,” Wyldon continues. Kalasin’s face is thick with tears. Wyldon reminds himself that just because she’s heard stories like this; just because she knows what executions look like – it’s a lot different when it’s your family. “Roald kissed his sisters, and knelt for his parent’s blessing, and then he was just gone. Liam struggled all the way to the block-”
“That is – that was – Liam,” says Kalasin.
“Jasson didn’t say anything, but Lianne-” Wyldon broke off with a shudder, tears falling down his face. Kalasin took his hand and leaned onto his shoulder.
“What did they do to my sister?” Kalasin asks- her voice is fierce; she sounds furious.
“She just kept screaming and screaming – I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die – until, until the axe fell. Vania, they’d hurt her, somehow.” Even now, Wyldon can’t bring himself to say the word rape out loud, like it will make it all too real; all too horrible, and right now it’s better to pretend that it is all a nightmare. “She had a bruise that spread all the way down her face. She made quite a speech, your youngest sister did.”
Kalasin makes a sound that is half way between laughter and a sob. “Of course she did.”
“She denounced all of Tusaine,” Wyldon recalled. “She said ‘Tyrants may oppress you, but you have no idea how much they fear you, no idea how much you can do. When Lianokami comes, rally behind her banner, fight for her. Hold your heads high, countrymen and women.’ It was brilliant. Then the king, of course.”
“Papa,” Kalasin moans, like a child in a nightmare she can’t wake up from.
“He didn’t say anything. He was so calm, so quiet. His majesty kissed Thayet, and she brushed a few hairs back from his face, and then the axe fell and he was gone. I’ll never forget how the queen looked then, standing in the blood of her children; her husband’s blood splattered across her beautiful face. They didn’t need to kill her; she was already dying.”
“Mama was always so brave,” Kalasin remembers.
“Until the very last,” Wyldon agrees. “They held a knife to her neck and were trying to march her to the block, but-”
“What did she do?” The tears are still falling fast on Kalasin’s face, but they are tempered with a fierce pride for her family, mixed with a deep settled pain and denial.
“Her majesty took the knife from the guard, and she knifed him, and ran to the edge of the platform. And then she jumped, and slit her own throat.” Wyldon swallowed. He would never forget the image- Thayet’s broken body lying on the ground, her blood shockingly red against her white throat.
“I know why,” Kalasin whispers. “She wanted to end life on her own terms.”
Kalasin stood shaking out her skirts. “I’m the last Conte. Me and Lianokami.” Wyldon stands beside her and wraps an arm around her like he would his own daughters. “Oh, my family. My family,” Kalasin finally breaks down in tears, sobbing.
Its hours before they can move, and when it happens Kalasin doesn’t look like an Empress anymore.
She looks like a little girl who has lost her entire world.
Which she has.
QC by: jazzyjess
Rating: R
Word Count: 760
pairing: Kalasin/Wyldon
Fight: 1/C
Summary: Wyldon tells Kalasin how her family died. character death. Part of journeycat's "The Last Conte" Universe. Warning: rape is mentioned.
“They executed them, didn’t they?” Kalasin says. Her voice is set hard with grief; her eyes are lost.
Wyldon blinks. He’d forgotten how bright she was, and most of all, he didn’t want to tell her this story. He didn’t want to be remembered as the man who had brought the Empress the tales of her family’s gruesome execution.
“You were there, weren’t you?” Wyldon nods. “Tell me,” she whispers. “I have to know.”
“They walked them down from the palace, all chained together. The people – they went mad. They were screaming and crying, and a rain of flowers kept falling over them.” Kalasin smiles sadly; Wyldon continues. “They set up a platform in the middle of market square, and they had invited all the remaining Tortallan nobles.”
“He didn’t even allow them the choice of a private execution?” Kalasin demands, outraged.
“No. They took Roald first, but Shinkokami, she stepped forward and she said that ‘I will not stand by why you murder my husband.’ So they killed her first.”
“Just- like that?”
“Just like that. Kalasin, I’ve seen war and battles aplenty.” Wyldon shook his head. “I’ve never seen so much blood in my life.”
“They told your parents that it would be their final punishment, to watch all of their children die,” Wyldon continues. Kalasin’s face is thick with tears. Wyldon reminds himself that just because she’s heard stories like this; just because she knows what executions look like – it’s a lot different when it’s your family. “Roald kissed his sisters, and knelt for his parent’s blessing, and then he was just gone. Liam struggled all the way to the block-”
“That is – that was – Liam,” says Kalasin.
“Jasson didn’t say anything, but Lianne-” Wyldon broke off with a shudder, tears falling down his face. Kalasin took his hand and leaned onto his shoulder.
“What did they do to my sister?” Kalasin asks- her voice is fierce; she sounds furious.
“She just kept screaming and screaming – I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die – until, until the axe fell. Vania, they’d hurt her, somehow.” Even now, Wyldon can’t bring himself to say the word rape out loud, like it will make it all too real; all too horrible, and right now it’s better to pretend that it is all a nightmare. “She had a bruise that spread all the way down her face. She made quite a speech, your youngest sister did.”
Kalasin makes a sound that is half way between laughter and a sob. “Of course she did.”
“She denounced all of Tusaine,” Wyldon recalled. “She said ‘Tyrants may oppress you, but you have no idea how much they fear you, no idea how much you can do. When Lianokami comes, rally behind her banner, fight for her. Hold your heads high, countrymen and women.’ It was brilliant. Then the king, of course.”
“Papa,” Kalasin moans, like a child in a nightmare she can’t wake up from.
“He didn’t say anything. He was so calm, so quiet. His majesty kissed Thayet, and she brushed a few hairs back from his face, and then the axe fell and he was gone. I’ll never forget how the queen looked then, standing in the blood of her children; her husband’s blood splattered across her beautiful face. They didn’t need to kill her; she was already dying.”
“Mama was always so brave,” Kalasin remembers.
“Until the very last,” Wyldon agrees. “They held a knife to her neck and were trying to march her to the block, but-”
“What did she do?” The tears are still falling fast on Kalasin’s face, but they are tempered with a fierce pride for her family, mixed with a deep settled pain and denial.
“Her majesty took the knife from the guard, and she knifed him, and ran to the edge of the platform. And then she jumped, and slit her own throat.” Wyldon swallowed. He would never forget the image- Thayet’s broken body lying on the ground, her blood shockingly red against her white throat.
“I know why,” Kalasin whispers. “She wanted to end life on her own terms.”
Kalasin stood shaking out her skirts. “I’m the last Conte. Me and Lianokami.” Wyldon stands beside her and wraps an arm around her like he would his own daughters. “Oh, my family. My family,” Kalasin finally breaks down in tears, sobbing.
Its hours before they can move, and when it happens Kalasin doesn’t look like an Empress anymore.
She looks like a little girl who has lost her entire world.
Which she has.
QC by: jazzyjess