Post by Lisa on Dec 10, 2021 3:29:58 GMT 10
Title: Midwinter in Naxen
Rating: G
For: Rosie
Prompt: Something set in Fief Naxen
Summary: Cythera comes to Naxen to celebrate her first midwinter after marrying Gary.
Notes and Warnings: Merry Christmas, Rosie! I honestly hadn’t planned on touching anything Naxen, but somehow my brain kept coming back to the time Tammy confirmed my suspicion that Duke Gareth’s Gift was pink. You know I can’t just let that sit. <3
“Come, my dear,” the duchess said, her tone as imperious as ever. She was the kind of woman no person could ignore. “Don’t just stand there.”
Cythera found her footing around the tower of trunks and packages filling the great hall, side-stepping the footmen who were coming to take them to her rooms. Gary had, of course, sequestered himself with the duke immediately upon arrival. Not that she felt particularly abandoned – she understood that he and his father had much to talk about, regarding both the estate and the nation. But Roanna of Naxen was a force to be reckoned with at the best of times, and Cythera was never sure where she stood with the older woman.
“We’ll have tea while the men catch up on the news of the realm,” the duchess said, leading the way toward a smaller room. It boasted the same seven-foot tall fireplaces that were seen throughout the main floor of the grand home, but somehow managed to look cozy in the warm light of the setting sun, and comfortable, well-worn furniture. A wall of paned glass gave them a stunning view of the gardens, now blanketed in snow except for random bursts of pink from the hellebore blooms.
“I forget how lovely it is outside of the capital at midwinter,” Cythera said, pausing to look out at the gardens and frozen lake beyond. “Corus is mostly mud this time of year.”
Roanna chuckled, her voice low-pitched and gravely. “The dirty, muddy streets are what keep me out of Corus through the winter and spring. I don’t think I’ve spent the whole season there since I was on the marriage market.” She sat down at a small, oak table at one end of the room where a servant had set out tea for two. She directed Cythera to the other seat with a nod of her head, and Cythera complied.
“I can see why you would stay in Naxen,” she said breathily. “It’s beautiful here.” Glancing around the room, she appreciated the Midwinter decorations throughout; evergreen garland strands were strung from the mantlepiece, tied with the traditional white and gold ribbons. The flowers, however, were unusual in that they were pink hellebore.
“Midwinter is my favorite holiday,” Roanna said. “I was a summer child by nature – always running barefoot through my father’s lands, swimming in the creeks, picking flowers…. But I met Gareth at a Midwinter ball, and we married the following year, right before the holiday.”
“Ah, winter weddings are so lovely!” Cythera smiled over her teacup, enjoying the softening countenance of her mother-in-law. “Was the pink in your wedding decoration? It’s unusual for holiday décor.”
“Oh, no. The pink is in honor of Gareth, and our first holiday together.” At Cythera’s inquisitive noise, she continued. “When we married, it was the coldest winter on record. Lianne begged us not to leave the capital, she was so worried about the snow and frigid air, but we were determined to get back to Naxen. Gareth had just been named duke not three months earlier, and he had responsibilities and duties to uphold. And to be perfectly frank, I just wanted to leave Corus. I wanted the comparative solitude to properly get to know my new husband, and to escape from the madness that was our wedding. Better than that, his mother wanted to remain in the city. And you know how mothers-in-law can be,” she added with an impish smile.
Cynthia smiled, neither protesting or agreeing; she and the duchess had never had any direct conflict, but she had the feeling that she would lose the battle, were issues ever to arise.
“We were probably one day out of Corus when the snowstorm hit,” Roanna went on. “Gareth and I were traveling alone, without footmen or any traveling companions, and I must confess that I was completely useless. I brought provisions because I was completely unable to cook over a campfire, but Gareth took the lead while we traveled and whenever we needed to set up camp. We rode as quickly as we could, yet still found ourselves stranded in the blizzard two days later. Lianne never let us hear the end of it.”
“That sounds dangerous, and a little dreamy,” Cythera said with a wistful sigh. Her friends had all sorts of travel adventures. Thayet told her stories of Alanna falling in love with the Shang Dragon, and their party’s ascension to the Roof of the World. The furthest Cythera had ever been was Tyra, and that was an excursion to buy proper Tyran lace for her sister’s wedding.
“At the time it didn’t feel incredibly romantic,” Roanna replied, laughing. “We were so cold and wet and miserable. We found an outpost in the royal forest – one of those two-sided shelters that hunters use for a bit of cover during a long hunt. We hunkered down in the corner and snuggled together, riding out most of the storm. And, since our marriage was arranged – albeit with our approval – we spent those three days truly getting to know one another.”
“But where does the pink come in? Was there hellebore growing nearby?” Cythera asked, thinking of the pink garden on the other side of the glass. “Is that why you choose to decorate with it?”
“Oh no – not a flower in sight!” she answered. “All the firewood Gareth could find was damp and impossible to light. I was certain we would freeze to death, even with the shelter we managed to find. And that’s when Gareth confided in me that he was Gifted. Imagine my surprise when he summoned rose-colored flames to finally ignite the wood. For three days he tapped into his magic to keep the fire going whenever the wood was stubborn.
“We survived because of his Gift. It’s one of the reasons he encouraged Roald to train the pages and squires who had magic – you never know when it will save your life.” She smiled wryly. “I think we’ve learned that lesson incredibly thoroughly, these last few years.”
“Yet he still keeps quiet, the fact that he has magic,” Cythera observed.
“Indeed. It was different when we were young,” Roanna replied. “Magic was something for hedge witches and great wizards, but not the average knight or lady. I’m happy to see times have changed. Back then, learning that Gareth had this inkling of power meant learning that we wouldn’t likely die in the cold. It was all the sweeter when the storm broke and the roads cleared; we made our way back to Naxen and I vowed never to spend winter in Corus again.” She took a long sip of her tea, then set the cup down. “Of course, I went back. But we’ve tried to celebrate Midwinter here whenever we can. It was placed on hold while Gareth was training pages and squires, so I’m glad to have him to myself again – despite the cost.”
The duke was still recovering from his heart attack in July, but it was clear that his progress had not stalled. Cythera took her mother-in-law’s hand in her own and squeezed it. “We’re all so grateful that he has improved so much, and that he’s home with you.”
“Except Gary,” Roanna said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “He would like his father back in the capital to be prime minister, no doubt, so he can focus on other things.”
Cythera laughed outright. “Perhaps. He enjoys being buried in census information and infrastructure plans, but I think he misses his father’s guidance.”
“We shall give them their time together,” Roanna said firmly. “Let them revel in the details of how this nation works, while we teach you the ways of this estate. It will be yours one day, when you’ve decided you’ve had enough of assisting the queen with her own busy life. Naxen is a wonderful place to raise children, after all.”
“It is,” Cythera said. “Which is the other reason we came home for the holiday. Gary and I have exciting news.”
Rating: G
For: Rosie
Prompt: Something set in Fief Naxen
Summary: Cythera comes to Naxen to celebrate her first midwinter after marrying Gary.
Notes and Warnings: Merry Christmas, Rosie! I honestly hadn’t planned on touching anything Naxen, but somehow my brain kept coming back to the time Tammy confirmed my suspicion that Duke Gareth’s Gift was pink. You know I can’t just let that sit. <3
“Come, my dear,” the duchess said, her tone as imperious as ever. She was the kind of woman no person could ignore. “Don’t just stand there.”
Cythera found her footing around the tower of trunks and packages filling the great hall, side-stepping the footmen who were coming to take them to her rooms. Gary had, of course, sequestered himself with the duke immediately upon arrival. Not that she felt particularly abandoned – she understood that he and his father had much to talk about, regarding both the estate and the nation. But Roanna of Naxen was a force to be reckoned with at the best of times, and Cythera was never sure where she stood with the older woman.
“We’ll have tea while the men catch up on the news of the realm,” the duchess said, leading the way toward a smaller room. It boasted the same seven-foot tall fireplaces that were seen throughout the main floor of the grand home, but somehow managed to look cozy in the warm light of the setting sun, and comfortable, well-worn furniture. A wall of paned glass gave them a stunning view of the gardens, now blanketed in snow except for random bursts of pink from the hellebore blooms.
“I forget how lovely it is outside of the capital at midwinter,” Cythera said, pausing to look out at the gardens and frozen lake beyond. “Corus is mostly mud this time of year.”
Roanna chuckled, her voice low-pitched and gravely. “The dirty, muddy streets are what keep me out of Corus through the winter and spring. I don’t think I’ve spent the whole season there since I was on the marriage market.” She sat down at a small, oak table at one end of the room where a servant had set out tea for two. She directed Cythera to the other seat with a nod of her head, and Cythera complied.
“I can see why you would stay in Naxen,” she said breathily. “It’s beautiful here.” Glancing around the room, she appreciated the Midwinter decorations throughout; evergreen garland strands were strung from the mantlepiece, tied with the traditional white and gold ribbons. The flowers, however, were unusual in that they were pink hellebore.
“Midwinter is my favorite holiday,” Roanna said. “I was a summer child by nature – always running barefoot through my father’s lands, swimming in the creeks, picking flowers…. But I met Gareth at a Midwinter ball, and we married the following year, right before the holiday.”
“Ah, winter weddings are so lovely!” Cythera smiled over her teacup, enjoying the softening countenance of her mother-in-law. “Was the pink in your wedding decoration? It’s unusual for holiday décor.”
“Oh, no. The pink is in honor of Gareth, and our first holiday together.” At Cythera’s inquisitive noise, she continued. “When we married, it was the coldest winter on record. Lianne begged us not to leave the capital, she was so worried about the snow and frigid air, but we were determined to get back to Naxen. Gareth had just been named duke not three months earlier, and he had responsibilities and duties to uphold. And to be perfectly frank, I just wanted to leave Corus. I wanted the comparative solitude to properly get to know my new husband, and to escape from the madness that was our wedding. Better than that, his mother wanted to remain in the city. And you know how mothers-in-law can be,” she added with an impish smile.
Cynthia smiled, neither protesting or agreeing; she and the duchess had never had any direct conflict, but she had the feeling that she would lose the battle, were issues ever to arise.
“We were probably one day out of Corus when the snowstorm hit,” Roanna went on. “Gareth and I were traveling alone, without footmen or any traveling companions, and I must confess that I was completely useless. I brought provisions because I was completely unable to cook over a campfire, but Gareth took the lead while we traveled and whenever we needed to set up camp. We rode as quickly as we could, yet still found ourselves stranded in the blizzard two days later. Lianne never let us hear the end of it.”
“That sounds dangerous, and a little dreamy,” Cythera said with a wistful sigh. Her friends had all sorts of travel adventures. Thayet told her stories of Alanna falling in love with the Shang Dragon, and their party’s ascension to the Roof of the World. The furthest Cythera had ever been was Tyra, and that was an excursion to buy proper Tyran lace for her sister’s wedding.
“At the time it didn’t feel incredibly romantic,” Roanna replied, laughing. “We were so cold and wet and miserable. We found an outpost in the royal forest – one of those two-sided shelters that hunters use for a bit of cover during a long hunt. We hunkered down in the corner and snuggled together, riding out most of the storm. And, since our marriage was arranged – albeit with our approval – we spent those three days truly getting to know one another.”
“But where does the pink come in? Was there hellebore growing nearby?” Cythera asked, thinking of the pink garden on the other side of the glass. “Is that why you choose to decorate with it?”
“Oh no – not a flower in sight!” she answered. “All the firewood Gareth could find was damp and impossible to light. I was certain we would freeze to death, even with the shelter we managed to find. And that’s when Gareth confided in me that he was Gifted. Imagine my surprise when he summoned rose-colored flames to finally ignite the wood. For three days he tapped into his magic to keep the fire going whenever the wood was stubborn.
“We survived because of his Gift. It’s one of the reasons he encouraged Roald to train the pages and squires who had magic – you never know when it will save your life.” She smiled wryly. “I think we’ve learned that lesson incredibly thoroughly, these last few years.”
“Yet he still keeps quiet, the fact that he has magic,” Cythera observed.
“Indeed. It was different when we were young,” Roanna replied. “Magic was something for hedge witches and great wizards, but not the average knight or lady. I’m happy to see times have changed. Back then, learning that Gareth had this inkling of power meant learning that we wouldn’t likely die in the cold. It was all the sweeter when the storm broke and the roads cleared; we made our way back to Naxen and I vowed never to spend winter in Corus again.” She took a long sip of her tea, then set the cup down. “Of course, I went back. But we’ve tried to celebrate Midwinter here whenever we can. It was placed on hold while Gareth was training pages and squires, so I’m glad to have him to myself again – despite the cost.”
The duke was still recovering from his heart attack in July, but it was clear that his progress had not stalled. Cythera took her mother-in-law’s hand in her own and squeezed it. “We’re all so grateful that he has improved so much, and that he’s home with you.”
“Except Gary,” Roanna said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “He would like his father back in the capital to be prime minister, no doubt, so he can focus on other things.”
Cythera laughed outright. “Perhaps. He enjoys being buried in census information and infrastructure plans, but I think he misses his father’s guidance.”
“We shall give them their time together,” Roanna said firmly. “Let them revel in the details of how this nation works, while we teach you the ways of this estate. It will be yours one day, when you’ve decided you’ve had enough of assisting the queen with her own busy life. Naxen is a wonderful place to raise children, after all.”
“It is,” Cythera said. “Which is the other reason we came home for the holiday. Gary and I have exciting news.”