Twice Royal, G

[sesquipedalian]

Title: Twice Royal
Rating: G
Summary: A closer look at something I missed the first time through.

Dove was listening to Aly being berated for her negligence, trying to understand that her sister had been tenacious enough, had been Temaida enough to elope with a Carthaki, leaving a rebellion and a family behind. Dove was scrambling to come up with new plan, to help Aly, to make herself useful.

Dove was listening, Dove was trying to understand, Dove was scrambling, and meanwhile the adults whispered in the shadows, trying to fix the whole basis of the rebellion.

But Dove was a child, fit to do nothing but listen mutely, occasionally add a clever comment to impress the grown ups, and play chess.

Dove was listening, Dove was trying to understand, Dove was scrambling.

“We have to get her back,” Chenaol was saying, meaning Sarai. “Some of us will have to go after her. And at least one of us should be a mage, in case this Graveyard Hag is hanging around.”
Dove thought, rather unkindly, She would have been a terrible queen anyway.

Ysul hand signed in reply that it would be a waste of resources.

Dove was listening, Dove was trying to understand, and Dove was thinking, Queens listen. Queens try their best to understand. Queens play chess all the time, just on a grander scale.

Dove quietly said, “Sarai isn’t the only one with royal blood from both sides of the family.”

Dove knew how to impress the grown ups with words. Queens needed to know that, too.

Of course, it wasn’t terribly reassuring that the first response from Aly was to faint.

[snowkab]

My favorite part:

Feb 2, 2012 11:33:58 GMT 10 sesquipedalian said:

Of course, it wasn’t terribly reassuring that the first response from Aly was to faint.

I'm not a huge fan of the Trickster series, but I really like how you've written it. I especially like the style, and how you've used Dove's name so many times.

[ubiquitous]

Lol, this is great. The last line was fabulous!

[max]

Yay Trickster fic!

I loved this part best: ...trying to understand that her sister had been tenacious enough, had been Temaida enough to elope with a Carthaki...

So well said and in character.

[sesquipedalian]

Thanks! I always thought that Dove's feelings about Sarai were never really expressed in canon, so when I stumbled across it again, I finally noticed that Kyprioth takes Aly right after Dove speaks.

[mistrali]

This really highlights Dove's leap from second fiddle and younger sister to a potential ruler in her own right. You picked a great moment for Dove to see and seize her opportunity. I love her reasoning behind becoming queen, too. It's calculating and observant beyond her years, but also petulant ("She would have been a terrible queen anyway"). I wouldn't be surprised if there was some jealousy there along with everything else - I know Dove's self-assured, but she can't have been perfectly fine with Sarai's beauty, nor her popularity and liveliness. I feel like Tammy focused so much on establishing these two as opposites that she never explored their bond and their probably complex feelings about each other.

[Kris11]

You actually surprised a laugh out of me with that last line. Brilliant.

I loved this. The repetition of the 'Dove was-'s was really effective, and gave the fic that sense of thought going in circles, which kind of reflects her panic. I love that she is sitting there thinking this through while everyone ignores her; she is a character I love and you captured her really well.

Still giggling about that ending.

[sesquipedalian]

Oh my god, two fantastic reviews. Thank you so much! Mistrali: I know, I love the relationship between the two sisters, and actually, just like Dove, in general. Kris: I had to reread the original scene in TQ four times before I could actually believe that yes, that's really how it happened.