Post by Seek on Apr 14, 2013 1:05:36 GMT 10
Title: Kally
Rating: PG
Word Count: 548words.
Pairing: Alanna/Jonathan
Round/Fight: 1A
Summary: Alanna and Jon fight over Kally.
Warnings: None.
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Jonathan had expected the figure in his study room. He knew she would be there, slipping through the concealed passageway beneath the old woven tapestry of King Gareth of Conte. Or perhaps she would have used the brass key, the one only she and Gary had. She would have been there once she'd heard the news.
He closed the door. The Lioness sat in the worn leather armchair before the fire, boots propped on his desk. "Alanna--"
She turned to glare at him, violet eyes blazing with fury. "You said you would let her choose."
Jon said, calmly, "It was for the best." He told himself that. Thayet had already turned him out of their room, and he knew they wouldn't be speaking for a while. It was looking like this was going to be one of their worst fights yet. "Take your boots off the table, Lioness."
She did so, reluctantly, and stood up, hands on her hips, looking as though she'd like nothing more than to draw her sword and strike him down on the spot. "She wanted to be a knight. You're shipping her off to Carthak."
"It's for the best."
"She's your daughter, Jon. She's a cursed bright young thing, and in eight years, she could be one of the best knights of the realm and you're shipping her off to Carthak to be married to the young emperor there when we already have an alliance with Carthak."
Jon raised his eyebrow.
"Kally's been coming to me for lessons," Alanna said bluntly. "Things like how to strengthen her arms, basic skills with a sword. She's been dreaming--all her life, Jon!--of the moment she can enter page training, and you've forbidden her from doing so. You promised when you took the throne that we'd make Tortall a better place for young women. What's the point of that proclamation allowing girls to become knights if you won't let your own daughter follow her dreams, Jon? It's not worth the paper on which it was written."
Jon ground his teeth together. "Alanna, would you just listen--"
"I'm not finished!" Alanna snapped. "Have you seen Kally's expression? All her life she's been trying to be the princess you want her to be. And now because she doesn't want to disappoint you, she's been telling you, of course she'd gladly go to Carthak and marry whoever you told her she should. For the good of Tortall."
"We do many things we don't want to for Tortall," Jon said, quietly.
"I hear that from a lot of people," Alanna retorted. "I heard that from Stone Mountain, the last time I had to disarm him and then stick a sword through him because he wouldn't stop coming. I've heard that from all the conservatives who would rather you turn Tortall back into the kingdom it was before you took the throne and tried to make things better. And you know what, Jon? I'd never thought I'd hear this from you."
She strode out of the study. "Alanna--" Jon began, and was greeted by the sound of the door slamming. He sighed. That, he thought, went just as about as well as could be expected. He sat there in the study, now, alone with his troubled thoughts.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 548words.
Pairing: Alanna/Jonathan
Round/Fight: 1A
Summary: Alanna and Jon fight over Kally.
Warnings: None.
-
Jonathan had expected the figure in his study room. He knew she would be there, slipping through the concealed passageway beneath the old woven tapestry of King Gareth of Conte. Or perhaps she would have used the brass key, the one only she and Gary had. She would have been there once she'd heard the news.
He closed the door. The Lioness sat in the worn leather armchair before the fire, boots propped on his desk. "Alanna--"
She turned to glare at him, violet eyes blazing with fury. "You said you would let her choose."
Jon said, calmly, "It was for the best." He told himself that. Thayet had already turned him out of their room, and he knew they wouldn't be speaking for a while. It was looking like this was going to be one of their worst fights yet. "Take your boots off the table, Lioness."
She did so, reluctantly, and stood up, hands on her hips, looking as though she'd like nothing more than to draw her sword and strike him down on the spot. "She wanted to be a knight. You're shipping her off to Carthak."
"It's for the best."
"She's your daughter, Jon. She's a cursed bright young thing, and in eight years, she could be one of the best knights of the realm and you're shipping her off to Carthak to be married to the young emperor there when we already have an alliance with Carthak."
Jon raised his eyebrow.
"Kally's been coming to me for lessons," Alanna said bluntly. "Things like how to strengthen her arms, basic skills with a sword. She's been dreaming--all her life, Jon!--of the moment she can enter page training, and you've forbidden her from doing so. You promised when you took the throne that we'd make Tortall a better place for young women. What's the point of that proclamation allowing girls to become knights if you won't let your own daughter follow her dreams, Jon? It's not worth the paper on which it was written."
Jon ground his teeth together. "Alanna, would you just listen--"
"I'm not finished!" Alanna snapped. "Have you seen Kally's expression? All her life she's been trying to be the princess you want her to be. And now because she doesn't want to disappoint you, she's been telling you, of course she'd gladly go to Carthak and marry whoever you told her she should. For the good of Tortall."
"We do many things we don't want to for Tortall," Jon said, quietly.
"I hear that from a lot of people," Alanna retorted. "I heard that from Stone Mountain, the last time I had to disarm him and then stick a sword through him because he wouldn't stop coming. I've heard that from all the conservatives who would rather you turn Tortall back into the kingdom it was before you took the throne and tried to make things better. And you know what, Jon? I'd never thought I'd hear this from you."
She strode out of the study. "Alanna--" Jon began, and was greeted by the sound of the door slamming. He sighed. That, he thought, went just as about as well as could be expected. He sat there in the study, now, alone with his troubled thoughts.