Post by opalgirl on Jul 1, 2011 17:20:18 GMT 10
Title: Friendship or Love
Rating: G
Couple/Character: Roald I/Lianne I
Event: Love long jump
Words: 645
Summary: Is enjoying the companionship of someone else love? Or is it something else?
Notes: Awww. Awkward bb!Roald is awkward. <3.
--
She is no breathtaking court beauty, with a simpering smile and a mind for intrigue. For all her lineage, bluer-blooded than his own, she’s sensible. She’s kind, gentle—all of the things he had begun not to associate with women of the court.
Her doting father has no husband in mind for her, allowing her to choose her own. The daughter of a duke, wedding for love? Unheard of. But the old man has allowed his only son to remain single well past the time he would be considered ‘eligible’, after all.
She’s as pleased with a simple gift—flowers or a little trinket—as she is with the more luxurious presents his status can buy her. With her mother’s early death and with no other lady in the household, she’s managed her father’s household the last few years.
For all her sweetness and gentle nature, she has a perceptive mind and a reasonable grasp of politics. Her education was not as thorough as his, but she never strikes him as particularly slow.
His father, ever sharp-eyed, noticed their companionship. “Have you a mind to marry the girl?” King Jasson asks.
Roald nearly drops his glass and his brother snickers. “Father?”
“The Naxen girl. Linne, Lenn—”
“Lianne.”
“Yes. Have you a mind to marry her?”
He’s considered marriage, but not marrying Lianne specifically. “His Grace The Duke of Naxen has given her leave to marry for love, Father. She may have someone else in mind.”
“Unfortunate.” The King’s brow furrows. “She would be a sound match. Ask her.”
“What?”
Baldric is snickering again and Roald resists the urge to kick his brother hard.
“Ask the girl, Roald. Is that so hard?” Baldric looks at him with a clever, knowing smirk. “She’ll drop any notion of marrying for love with a proposal from a prince.”
She might love him. He can’t speak for her, wouldn’t dream of it, but he loves her. Their companionship, the friendship—it might mean something else entirely. Has he been oblivious all this time? “I’ll go to her brother,” he reasons. “Sir Gareth might know of his sister’s… engagements.”
***
When he asks, his old friend shrugs. “You’d have to ask her. I’m not her chaperone, and Father has been incredibly lenient with her.” Gareth’s sharp brown eyes hold his. “You aren’t thinking of marrying my sister, are you, Your Highness?”
“I enjoy her company,” he replies carefully, remembering this man’s skill with a sword. “My father seems to think her a suitable possible match, but Lady Lianne desires to marry for love.”
“Ask her, Highness.” Gareth stretches the shoulder he wounded last year as he speaks. “What can it hurt? She does seem fond of you.”
When he gathers the courage and ignores his brother’s taunting—he’s gone through the Chamber of the Ordeal and he is no coward—and manages to ask Lianne for himself, she surprises him.
“I thought you would never ask,” she murmurs, holding onto his hands. “I—it would have been untoward for me to assume and the gossip suggested that you were to be wed to a foreign princess. I thought perhaps I was just a companion until your bride arrived.”
“No.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead; not the bravest gesture, but a gesture all the same. “No. I—I wasn’t thinking about it, but I do love you, Lia. I would be honoured to have you as my wife.”
She blinks at him and he holds his breath. If she turns him down, well, he’ll just have to accept that, but…
“Marrying you is a great deal of responsibility,” she says carefully, “but I’d be honoured to be your wife, Highness.”
He ignores the celebratory cheer from the cluster of bushes behind him except to think that it had better not be his brother hiding there, and kisses her properly.
Rating: G
Couple/Character: Roald I/Lianne I
Event: Love long jump
Words: 645
Summary: Is enjoying the companionship of someone else love? Or is it something else?
Notes: Awww. Awkward bb!Roald is awkward. <3.
--
She is no breathtaking court beauty, with a simpering smile and a mind for intrigue. For all her lineage, bluer-blooded than his own, she’s sensible. She’s kind, gentle—all of the things he had begun not to associate with women of the court.
Her doting father has no husband in mind for her, allowing her to choose her own. The daughter of a duke, wedding for love? Unheard of. But the old man has allowed his only son to remain single well past the time he would be considered ‘eligible’, after all.
She’s as pleased with a simple gift—flowers or a little trinket—as she is with the more luxurious presents his status can buy her. With her mother’s early death and with no other lady in the household, she’s managed her father’s household the last few years.
For all her sweetness and gentle nature, she has a perceptive mind and a reasonable grasp of politics. Her education was not as thorough as his, but she never strikes him as particularly slow.
His father, ever sharp-eyed, noticed their companionship. “Have you a mind to marry the girl?” King Jasson asks.
Roald nearly drops his glass and his brother snickers. “Father?”
“The Naxen girl. Linne, Lenn—”
“Lianne.”
“Yes. Have you a mind to marry her?”
He’s considered marriage, but not marrying Lianne specifically. “His Grace The Duke of Naxen has given her leave to marry for love, Father. She may have someone else in mind.”
“Unfortunate.” The King’s brow furrows. “She would be a sound match. Ask her.”
“What?”
Baldric is snickering again and Roald resists the urge to kick his brother hard.
“Ask the girl, Roald. Is that so hard?” Baldric looks at him with a clever, knowing smirk. “She’ll drop any notion of marrying for love with a proposal from a prince.”
She might love him. He can’t speak for her, wouldn’t dream of it, but he loves her. Their companionship, the friendship—it might mean something else entirely. Has he been oblivious all this time? “I’ll go to her brother,” he reasons. “Sir Gareth might know of his sister’s… engagements.”
***
When he asks, his old friend shrugs. “You’d have to ask her. I’m not her chaperone, and Father has been incredibly lenient with her.” Gareth’s sharp brown eyes hold his. “You aren’t thinking of marrying my sister, are you, Your Highness?”
“I enjoy her company,” he replies carefully, remembering this man’s skill with a sword. “My father seems to think her a suitable possible match, but Lady Lianne desires to marry for love.”
“Ask her, Highness.” Gareth stretches the shoulder he wounded last year as he speaks. “What can it hurt? She does seem fond of you.”
When he gathers the courage and ignores his brother’s taunting—he’s gone through the Chamber of the Ordeal and he is no coward—and manages to ask Lianne for himself, she surprises him.
“I thought you would never ask,” she murmurs, holding onto his hands. “I—it would have been untoward for me to assume and the gossip suggested that you were to be wed to a foreign princess. I thought perhaps I was just a companion until your bride arrived.”
“No.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead; not the bravest gesture, but a gesture all the same. “No. I—I wasn’t thinking about it, but I do love you, Lia. I would be honoured to have you as my wife.”
She blinks at him and he holds his breath. If she turns him down, well, he’ll just have to accept that, but…
“Marrying you is a great deal of responsibility,” she says carefully, “but I’d be honoured to be your wife, Highness.”
He ignores the celebratory cheer from the cluster of bushes behind him except to think that it had better not be his brother hiding there, and kisses her properly.