Post by Seek on Apr 14, 2013 5:19:19 GMT 10
Title: Verdant IX
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 658 words.
Pairing: Alanna/Jonathan
Round/Fight: 1A
Summary: AU. Alanna and Jon talk about her search for the Green Knight, continued. And it all ends.
Warnings: Violence, reference to beheading.
-
"You cheated," Jon said, later that evening, in his study. Alanna had won the race back to the palace, by about a horse-length, mostly due to her lead. Darkness had swiftly closed the distance between them, but it had not been enough.
"You owe me a meal at The Jugged Hare," Alanna said, sweetly. "Consider it payment for the story, if you don't want to count my victory."
Jon sighed. "Squires," he said sadly. "They grow up, and become knights, and this is what happens."
Alanna elbowed him. "Well, d'you want me to go on?"
"Alright then, so what happened?"
"Well, he laughed at me, and made a pass with his hands. Some kind of gesture, and then I realised he was none other than Lord Byren."
"What?"
"I know, that was my reaction. I was just shocked; I must have stood there staring at him for a long while. He laughed, and told me to come with him and he would explain. I must have sheathed my sword at some point. Nevertheless, I said that I would rather not, until I knew what had transpired. He explained that he had been chosen by a sorcerer in Mithran orange and a lady in green silk to test the mettle of the King Jonathan's famed knights. He was particularly delighted when his challenge was taken up by none other than the Lioness and the King's Champion herself."
"A Mithran sorcerer..." Jon repeated, slowly. "You don't think...?"
"Well," Alanna said, "You could send a messenger over to the cloisters to see if Master Thi-An knows anything about this."
"I believe," Jon said, "That I will. Perhaps this explains why neither of us could turn up anything about the sorcery employed by Lord Byren in his guise as the Green Knight."
"Yes. He must have been amused when I asked him to bring Moonlight back to Fief Bertilak! In any case, he explained the three blows to me, that they had been for each day of our wager. He'd expected me to falter on the last day, but as I'd given him back the ribbon, he spared me on each day for a promise kept."
Jon shuddered. "So if you'd kept the ribbon..."
Alanna said, "Yes."
"Well, so why do you have the ribbon? It is that ribbon, isn't it?"
"He gave it to me, and asked me to keep it in memory of that meeting. To remind myself there were things more important to a knight than fear of his or her life. Honour, for one. Integrity. Keeping his or her promises. And then we both returned to Fief Bertilak, where he hosted me for about a week more, feasting. But there were no more wagers. Although there was an uncomfortable encounter or two with his wife in the baths..."
Jon grinned. "I'd bet," he said, teasing.
"So after that, he gave me a cat his craftsman had carved from the horn," Alanna reached into her pocket, and produced a small cat. Masterfully carved, it looked like it could spring into smug life at any moment. Jon took it, and inspected it, running his thumb along the carved lines. If he didn't know any better, he would have said it had been a carving of Faithful. But Faithful was dead, another casualty of the battle during his coronation. "And then I was homesick, so I left, riding for Corus and the palace. Which was where Raoul found me, when he brought me up to the palace."
"Sacherell gave you a bear-hug; he was so glad to have you back. Had to fight Stone Mountain in another duel. That man's too stubborn and persistent for his own good."
Alanna shuddered. "He's welcome to him. I don't know how many times I have to keep beating him before he'll give up."
Jon pulled her close, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Welcome home, Lioness. I'm proud of you. We all are."
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 658 words.
Pairing: Alanna/Jonathan
Round/Fight: 1A
Summary: AU. Alanna and Jon talk about her search for the Green Knight, continued. And it all ends.
Warnings: Violence, reference to beheading.
-
"You cheated," Jon said, later that evening, in his study. Alanna had won the race back to the palace, by about a horse-length, mostly due to her lead. Darkness had swiftly closed the distance between them, but it had not been enough.
"You owe me a meal at The Jugged Hare," Alanna said, sweetly. "Consider it payment for the story, if you don't want to count my victory."
Jon sighed. "Squires," he said sadly. "They grow up, and become knights, and this is what happens."
Alanna elbowed him. "Well, d'you want me to go on?"
"Alright then, so what happened?"
"Well, he laughed at me, and made a pass with his hands. Some kind of gesture, and then I realised he was none other than Lord Byren."
"What?"
"I know, that was my reaction. I was just shocked; I must have stood there staring at him for a long while. He laughed, and told me to come with him and he would explain. I must have sheathed my sword at some point. Nevertheless, I said that I would rather not, until I knew what had transpired. He explained that he had been chosen by a sorcerer in Mithran orange and a lady in green silk to test the mettle of the King Jonathan's famed knights. He was particularly delighted when his challenge was taken up by none other than the Lioness and the King's Champion herself."
"A Mithran sorcerer..." Jon repeated, slowly. "You don't think...?"
"Well," Alanna said, "You could send a messenger over to the cloisters to see if Master Thi-An knows anything about this."
"I believe," Jon said, "That I will. Perhaps this explains why neither of us could turn up anything about the sorcery employed by Lord Byren in his guise as the Green Knight."
"Yes. He must have been amused when I asked him to bring Moonlight back to Fief Bertilak! In any case, he explained the three blows to me, that they had been for each day of our wager. He'd expected me to falter on the last day, but as I'd given him back the ribbon, he spared me on each day for a promise kept."
Jon shuddered. "So if you'd kept the ribbon..."
Alanna said, "Yes."
"Well, so why do you have the ribbon? It is that ribbon, isn't it?"
"He gave it to me, and asked me to keep it in memory of that meeting. To remind myself there were things more important to a knight than fear of his or her life. Honour, for one. Integrity. Keeping his or her promises. And then we both returned to Fief Bertilak, where he hosted me for about a week more, feasting. But there were no more wagers. Although there was an uncomfortable encounter or two with his wife in the baths..."
Jon grinned. "I'd bet," he said, teasing.
"So after that, he gave me a cat his craftsman had carved from the horn," Alanna reached into her pocket, and produced a small cat. Masterfully carved, it looked like it could spring into smug life at any moment. Jon took it, and inspected it, running his thumb along the carved lines. If he didn't know any better, he would have said it had been a carving of Faithful. But Faithful was dead, another casualty of the battle during his coronation. "And then I was homesick, so I left, riding for Corus and the palace. Which was where Raoul found me, when he brought me up to the palace."
"Sacherell gave you a bear-hug; he was so glad to have you back. Had to fight Stone Mountain in another duel. That man's too stubborn and persistent for his own good."
Alanna shuddered. "He's welcome to him. I don't know how many times I have to keep beating him before he'll give up."
Jon pulled her close, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Welcome home, Lioness. I'm proud of you. We all are."