Post by Shhasow on Apr 13, 2013 10:26:32 GMT 10
Title: Before Her First Adventure
Rating: PG
Word Count: 900
Pairing: A/J
Round/Fight: 1/A
Summary: One meeting explains why Alanna was so nervous to meet the Prince of Tortall. No Warnings, except perhaps for copious use of italics.
The note came from the twins’ father.
“What is this? What is this!”
Thom looked up from his book and blinked. “I don’t know, Alanna. You’re waving it around.”
“Can’t even take a minute away from his precious dried-up old dusty books - they probably remind him of himself! - to come down and tell us in person, or even just send Maude to get us!”
“Alanna.”
“And the note! What are we going to do? Thank you for giving us such clear instructions, my Lord.”
“Alanna!”
His sister couldn’t hear him, or chose not to hear him in favor of her own voice, so he reached over and plucked the ink-splattered strip of paper from her hands.
A few members of the Royal Family will be here tomorrow. Please dress and act appropriately.
Regards,
Lord Alan of Trebond
Thom dropped the paper to the desk, ears starting to burn at their tips. “I wonder if he’ll even show up,” he said bitterly.
“If he does, what are the chances that he’ll wear something that isn’t stained?” Alanna added glumly. “And what do we wear, for that matter?”
“Clothes?” He flinched when his twin turned her violet eyes on him. “I’m sorry, Alanna! I can’t help if you have to wear a dress.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” she said mulishly. “Who do you think is coming, anyway?”
“How many members of the Royal Family are there, anyway?”
Alanna counted them off on her fingers. “The King and Queen, of course, his eldest nephew, Roger - but he’s still away, Carthak, I believe. Her brother Gareth. And the crown prince, Jonathan. The King had a few brothers, but they’re either dead or in another country. I could tell you, but you wouldn’t care.”
He shuddered. “And this is why you ought to have been the boy. Genealogy is a waste of time better spent reading. Speaking of.” Thom dropped down in his chair and squinted at the pages before him. “Do you mind bringing in another candle? It’s getting dark.”
Alanna rolled her eyes at her twin as she opened up the curtains to let in the morning light. She stalked from the room, grabbing the bow and arrows she had left outside the door. The master-at-arms was waiting for her in the courtyard.
***
“Look at what you did! I had her lined up - why’d you go stomping around in a forest? Don’t you know that people hunt here? I missed my shot because of you!”
“Well, I-”
“What are you doing here, anyway? Did you get lost?”
“Not really, but-”
“You’re on Trebond lands, you know. No poachers!”
The boy seemed to rally his spirits at that. “I’m hardly a poacher. Are you supposed to be here?”
Alanna scowled. “Of course I am, bird-brain. Are you?”
The boy seemed taken aback. “Yes?”
“You don’t sound so confident to me. Are you that new butcher’s apprentice? You’re dressed awfully nice.”
He looked down at his brown tunic. “I just rode in this morning, but-”
“I knew you were coming, but I thought you had arrived already.” She frowned. “Fine. How about, you just leave right now, and I won’t mention anything to the butcher.” Alanna didn’t wait for him to respond, but turned to leave. She had to run back to Trebond now if she wanted a chance to clean up and dress appropriately for the Royal Members, whomever they might be. Probably all snooty, the lot of them.
“You might have missed and shot me, you know,” the boy called out.
She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. “You definitely must be new. Everyone around here knows that I never miss.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he heard a voice echo.
“Jon? Where are you - we’re almost at Trebond.”
“Coming, Uncle Gary!” Jonathan called. He turned back, but the small girl with fire-red hair had already disappeared.
***
“And here is my nephew, Prince Jonathan of Conte.”
Lord Alan - clean-shaven and lacking any ink stains - made a respectful bow to the ten-year-old, dressed in a fine blue tunic that matched his eyes. “Your Highness. If it would please you, I would like to present to you my son, Thom.”
Thom, a little surprised at his father’s success, copied his sire’s bow. “Your Highness,” he said.
Prince Jonathan bowed politely. “I am very pleased to meet you, Lord Alan. Trebond is one of Tortall’s oldest fiefs. Your service and history has not been forgotten. And you, Thom. Will you be pursuing your knighthood as your father did.”
Thom glanced towards his father, who seemed deep in conversation with Duke Gareth. “I guess, ah, I mean, yes. Yes I will. Be going for my shield, your Highness.”
“Then I will see you there in a few short years.”
“I look forward to it, your Highness.”
Then, the prince frowned slightly, making him look far older and more regal than any ten year old. “Thom. Don’t you have a twin sister?”
Thom swallowed. “Ah, well, your Highness. Normally yes, but apparently, not at this moment. I mean, she isn’t here.”
The prince paused. “I understand this might be an odd question, but might she be hunting right now? It’s just that I recently met someone with your exact shade of hair.”
Thom winced.
Alanna was in so much trouble.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 900
Pairing: A/J
Round/Fight: 1/A
Summary: One meeting explains why Alanna was so nervous to meet the Prince of Tortall. No Warnings, except perhaps for copious use of italics.
The note came from the twins’ father.
“What is this? What is this!”
Thom looked up from his book and blinked. “I don’t know, Alanna. You’re waving it around.”
“Can’t even take a minute away from his precious dried-up old dusty books - they probably remind him of himself! - to come down and tell us in person, or even just send Maude to get us!”
“Alanna.”
“And the note! What are we going to do? Thank you for giving us such clear instructions, my Lord.”
“Alanna!”
His sister couldn’t hear him, or chose not to hear him in favor of her own voice, so he reached over and plucked the ink-splattered strip of paper from her hands.
A few members of the Royal Family will be here tomorrow. Please dress and act appropriately.
Regards,
Lord Alan of Trebond
Thom dropped the paper to the desk, ears starting to burn at their tips. “I wonder if he’ll even show up,” he said bitterly.
“If he does, what are the chances that he’ll wear something that isn’t stained?” Alanna added glumly. “And what do we wear, for that matter?”
“Clothes?” He flinched when his twin turned her violet eyes on him. “I’m sorry, Alanna! I can’t help if you have to wear a dress.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” she said mulishly. “Who do you think is coming, anyway?”
“How many members of the Royal Family are there, anyway?”
Alanna counted them off on her fingers. “The King and Queen, of course, his eldest nephew, Roger - but he’s still away, Carthak, I believe. Her brother Gareth. And the crown prince, Jonathan. The King had a few brothers, but they’re either dead or in another country. I could tell you, but you wouldn’t care.”
He shuddered. “And this is why you ought to have been the boy. Genealogy is a waste of time better spent reading. Speaking of.” Thom dropped down in his chair and squinted at the pages before him. “Do you mind bringing in another candle? It’s getting dark.”
Alanna rolled her eyes at her twin as she opened up the curtains to let in the morning light. She stalked from the room, grabbing the bow and arrows she had left outside the door. The master-at-arms was waiting for her in the courtyard.
***
“Look at what you did! I had her lined up - why’d you go stomping around in a forest? Don’t you know that people hunt here? I missed my shot because of you!”
“Well, I-”
“What are you doing here, anyway? Did you get lost?”
“Not really, but-”
“You’re on Trebond lands, you know. No poachers!”
The boy seemed to rally his spirits at that. “I’m hardly a poacher. Are you supposed to be here?”
Alanna scowled. “Of course I am, bird-brain. Are you?”
The boy seemed taken aback. “Yes?”
“You don’t sound so confident to me. Are you that new butcher’s apprentice? You’re dressed awfully nice.”
He looked down at his brown tunic. “I just rode in this morning, but-”
“I knew you were coming, but I thought you had arrived already.” She frowned. “Fine. How about, you just leave right now, and I won’t mention anything to the butcher.” Alanna didn’t wait for him to respond, but turned to leave. She had to run back to Trebond now if she wanted a chance to clean up and dress appropriately for the Royal Members, whomever they might be. Probably all snooty, the lot of them.
“You might have missed and shot me, you know,” the boy called out.
She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. “You definitely must be new. Everyone around here knows that I never miss.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he heard a voice echo.
“Jon? Where are you - we’re almost at Trebond.”
“Coming, Uncle Gary!” Jonathan called. He turned back, but the small girl with fire-red hair had already disappeared.
***
“And here is my nephew, Prince Jonathan of Conte.”
Lord Alan - clean-shaven and lacking any ink stains - made a respectful bow to the ten-year-old, dressed in a fine blue tunic that matched his eyes. “Your Highness. If it would please you, I would like to present to you my son, Thom.”
Thom, a little surprised at his father’s success, copied his sire’s bow. “Your Highness,” he said.
Prince Jonathan bowed politely. “I am very pleased to meet you, Lord Alan. Trebond is one of Tortall’s oldest fiefs. Your service and history has not been forgotten. And you, Thom. Will you be pursuing your knighthood as your father did.”
Thom glanced towards his father, who seemed deep in conversation with Duke Gareth. “I guess, ah, I mean, yes. Yes I will. Be going for my shield, your Highness.”
“Then I will see you there in a few short years.”
“I look forward to it, your Highness.”
Then, the prince frowned slightly, making him look far older and more regal than any ten year old. “Thom. Don’t you have a twin sister?”
Thom swallowed. “Ah, well, your Highness. Normally yes, but apparently, not at this moment. I mean, she isn’t here.”
The prince paused. “I understand this might be an odd question, but might she be hunting right now? It’s just that I recently met someone with your exact shade of hair.”
Thom winced.
Alanna was in so much trouble.