Post by Rosie on Feb 25, 2012 16:24:07 GMT 10
To: Katty
Message: Well, this was awkward! Did you know? I had huge guilts, and I just about died when you asked me to write your Dear Author letter, and then when you offered to read over...!
Had fun with this, and I hope you enjoy!
Don't worry; this isn't really Daine/Numair. Though I was tempted.
From: Rosie
Title: Two's Company
Rating: PG
Words: 1,095
Wishlist Item: 3. Raoul/Cythera
Summary: In a confusing time, Raoul and Cythera seek solace in a deserted drawing room and a pack of cards.
--
"You're late."
"I know, I know," Raoul said hastily, nearly throwing himself into the vacant chair. "I suggest you take it up with his almost Majesty; I did try to explain why I wanted to get away on time."
"I intend to," Cythera replied, and then she smiled at him, the crisp exterior melting away. "'Dear Your Almost Majesty, Please ensure you do not hold your Commander up with matters of the realm, so that he may be free to pursue the time-honoured tradition of entertaining ladies.' What do you think?"
And, of course, he couldn't help but smile back. It gave him a chance to really look at her, framed by the late sunshine filtering through the window. She was dressed plainly, as they all were these days, but the light caught her hair, drawing out golden tones. Raoul wasn't a poetic man, and couldn't have spoken about the effect Cythera had on him, but it was enough that she made his heart lighter in these few hours they'd spend together.
She shuffled the cards in front of her. "I do have to warn you, good sir, whilst you have been defending the state, I have been neglecting my flower arranging duties, and practising with Gwynnen."
"My lady is full of surprises," he replied, watching as she dealt the cards out. "And a new deck of cards."
"The last one did not survive my attempts to teach Gwynnen," she revealed. "But this set matches the room better."
It was true, but Raoul felt the familiar pang of guilt when he was reminded of their surroundings. This had been Queen Lianne's favourite drawing room; one of her preferred retreats. But for their occasional ventures into it, it went largely unused now - as far as he was aware, anyway.
They had been drawn together quite by chance, when he had been seeking respite from all the whispers that nepotism and not skill had won him his new role. The worst moments were when he thought it might be true - and there was Cythera, remembering her late queen and quite willing to be distracted with a pack of cards.
He picked up his hand of cards and flicked through them, choosing three to discard and drawing new ones from the pile. "The king-" It still felt wrong to call Jonathan that, still felt as though they were playing at running the kingdom till the adults returned. "-has an errand for me."
Cythera's eyes were on his as she discarded five cards and replenished her hand. Clearly, his lessons on caution when discarding last time had not stuck. "Oh?"
"You'll have to find a new card partner for a few weeks," he said, ducking his head but raising his eyes at the last moment to watch the disappointment registering in her face. "Sir Alanna is on her way back - I'm being posted to guide her home."
"She couldn't have a better guide," Cythera replied with a warm smile, but Raoul had wanted to be Cythera's guide through the days ahead. He had wanted to let her lean on him, and - maybe - to lean on her himself as Jon's cousin declared himself, as Jon's friends worked on bringing the kingdom round to the new king.
But Jon wasn't confident Alanna's feet would find their way to Corus without a little gentle nudging, and Raoul was being sent to smooth the path. And that was fine, really, it was, but Raoul had never wanted to stay put more.
He had no royal cards - typical. Gary's royal connections let him stay put. Although that wasn't quite fair; Gary had a way with words and speeches which Raoul simply didn't have, and without fighting, Raoul was a mere figurehead.
"Blank," he said, showing Cythera his cards. "Discard... four."
Cythera nodded, but he noticed she kept her own cards still. Ten points to him. "I'll miss you," she told him suddenly, eyes bright.
His breath caught, and he had to move his hand under the table so she wouldn't see how it shook. It was more than he had hoped for; they retreated to this place as often as they could, but he hadn't had any idea of how she felt about him. "You won't notice I'm gone," he assured her, laying out a four card sequence.
"Three Queens," she announced, putting them down triumphantly. "Gwynnen isn't nearly so easy to beat."
"Some practise," he said, gathering the cards up again. "I can see that when I get back, I won't have even the hope of winning."
"Unless I have pined away for you," Cythera replied, and her tone was light, but something in her eyes made his heart skip.
--
"Gary, when do I ask you for anything? Just play cards with her till I get back. We have a - routine."
Gary's eyes were sharp, and Raoul was uncomfortably reminded of Duke Gareth. "In my aunt's drawing room? Raoul, I don't know. I've got so much to do."
Raoul nodded. "Fine. It was worth a try. You're working too hard yourself, though. You could do with a rest every now and then."
Gary sighed, and Raoul knew he was won over. "Right. What time?"
That was how Gary had ended up taking Raoul's role in the latter's absence, and Raoul kept repeating the conversation in his head. There must be some sort of sign - something that revealed Gary's ulterior motive. Eventually, Raoul conceded that if Gary had had an ulterior motive, it hadn't been obvious back then.
The memory of the triumph he had felt made him feel sick to his stomach now.
On his return, Gary had clapped him on the back, thanked him for his service to the realm, and studiously avoided any mention of Cythera. She, likewise, had tried not to mention Gary, and Raoul had been tricked for a time into thinking everything was the same.
Everything was not the same, and Cythera found excuses not to meet up with him, and the look in her eyes was now awkward and uncertain.
Raoul rubbed his face, finding himself outside the Dancing Dove without having intended to visit. Maybe it was the thought of George having given Alanna up to Jon for years that had brought him here, but right then, Raoul didn't want to know whether he played Jon or George to Cythera's Alanna. Tomorrow, he'd have to tell Gary that the path to Cythera was free, should he wish to take it.
Right then, he just wanted to forget.
Message: Well, this was awkward! Did you know? I had huge guilts, and I just about died when you asked me to write your Dear Author letter, and then when you offered to read over...!
Had fun with this, and I hope you enjoy!
Don't worry; this isn't really Daine/Numair. Though I was tempted.
From: Rosie
Title: Two's Company
Rating: PG
Words: 1,095
Wishlist Item: 3. Raoul/Cythera
Summary: In a confusing time, Raoul and Cythera seek solace in a deserted drawing room and a pack of cards.
--
"You're late."
"I know, I know," Raoul said hastily, nearly throwing himself into the vacant chair. "I suggest you take it up with his almost Majesty; I did try to explain why I wanted to get away on time."
"I intend to," Cythera replied, and then she smiled at him, the crisp exterior melting away. "'Dear Your Almost Majesty, Please ensure you do not hold your Commander up with matters of the realm, so that he may be free to pursue the time-honoured tradition of entertaining ladies.' What do you think?"
And, of course, he couldn't help but smile back. It gave him a chance to really look at her, framed by the late sunshine filtering through the window. She was dressed plainly, as they all were these days, but the light caught her hair, drawing out golden tones. Raoul wasn't a poetic man, and couldn't have spoken about the effect Cythera had on him, but it was enough that she made his heart lighter in these few hours they'd spend together.
She shuffled the cards in front of her. "I do have to warn you, good sir, whilst you have been defending the state, I have been neglecting my flower arranging duties, and practising with Gwynnen."
"My lady is full of surprises," he replied, watching as she dealt the cards out. "And a new deck of cards."
"The last one did not survive my attempts to teach Gwynnen," she revealed. "But this set matches the room better."
It was true, but Raoul felt the familiar pang of guilt when he was reminded of their surroundings. This had been Queen Lianne's favourite drawing room; one of her preferred retreats. But for their occasional ventures into it, it went largely unused now - as far as he was aware, anyway.
They had been drawn together quite by chance, when he had been seeking respite from all the whispers that nepotism and not skill had won him his new role. The worst moments were when he thought it might be true - and there was Cythera, remembering her late queen and quite willing to be distracted with a pack of cards.
He picked up his hand of cards and flicked through them, choosing three to discard and drawing new ones from the pile. "The king-" It still felt wrong to call Jonathan that, still felt as though they were playing at running the kingdom till the adults returned. "-has an errand for me."
Cythera's eyes were on his as she discarded five cards and replenished her hand. Clearly, his lessons on caution when discarding last time had not stuck. "Oh?"
"You'll have to find a new card partner for a few weeks," he said, ducking his head but raising his eyes at the last moment to watch the disappointment registering in her face. "Sir Alanna is on her way back - I'm being posted to guide her home."
"She couldn't have a better guide," Cythera replied with a warm smile, but Raoul had wanted to be Cythera's guide through the days ahead. He had wanted to let her lean on him, and - maybe - to lean on her himself as Jon's cousin declared himself, as Jon's friends worked on bringing the kingdom round to the new king.
But Jon wasn't confident Alanna's feet would find their way to Corus without a little gentle nudging, and Raoul was being sent to smooth the path. And that was fine, really, it was, but Raoul had never wanted to stay put more.
He had no royal cards - typical. Gary's royal connections let him stay put. Although that wasn't quite fair; Gary had a way with words and speeches which Raoul simply didn't have, and without fighting, Raoul was a mere figurehead.
"Blank," he said, showing Cythera his cards. "Discard... four."
Cythera nodded, but he noticed she kept her own cards still. Ten points to him. "I'll miss you," she told him suddenly, eyes bright.
His breath caught, and he had to move his hand under the table so she wouldn't see how it shook. It was more than he had hoped for; they retreated to this place as often as they could, but he hadn't had any idea of how she felt about him. "You won't notice I'm gone," he assured her, laying out a four card sequence.
"Three Queens," she announced, putting them down triumphantly. "Gwynnen isn't nearly so easy to beat."
"Some practise," he said, gathering the cards up again. "I can see that when I get back, I won't have even the hope of winning."
"Unless I have pined away for you," Cythera replied, and her tone was light, but something in her eyes made his heart skip.
--
"Gary, when do I ask you for anything? Just play cards with her till I get back. We have a - routine."
Gary's eyes were sharp, and Raoul was uncomfortably reminded of Duke Gareth. "In my aunt's drawing room? Raoul, I don't know. I've got so much to do."
Raoul nodded. "Fine. It was worth a try. You're working too hard yourself, though. You could do with a rest every now and then."
Gary sighed, and Raoul knew he was won over. "Right. What time?"
That was how Gary had ended up taking Raoul's role in the latter's absence, and Raoul kept repeating the conversation in his head. There must be some sort of sign - something that revealed Gary's ulterior motive. Eventually, Raoul conceded that if Gary had had an ulterior motive, it hadn't been obvious back then.
The memory of the triumph he had felt made him feel sick to his stomach now.
On his return, Gary had clapped him on the back, thanked him for his service to the realm, and studiously avoided any mention of Cythera. She, likewise, had tried not to mention Gary, and Raoul had been tricked for a time into thinking everything was the same.
Everything was not the same, and Cythera found excuses not to meet up with him, and the look in her eyes was now awkward and uncertain.
Raoul rubbed his face, finding himself outside the Dancing Dove without having intended to visit. Maybe it was the thought of George having given Alanna up to Jon for years that had brought him here, but right then, Raoul didn't want to know whether he played Jon or George to Cythera's Alanna. Tomorrow, he'd have to tell Gary that the path to Cythera was free, should he wish to take it.
Right then, he just wanted to forget.