Title: Opportunities for Eternity [1/10]
Rating: PG+ ratings will go up later :P
Warnings: Violence, mentions of murder, dueling, Berdine in a dress, Cara dress "as a man" and a gun.
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth
Characters: Cara, Denna, Berdine, Raina, Kahlan, mentions of Richard, Zedd and other characters
Summary:
Cara stared, she couldn't understand how the woman just kept talking. Obviously this world far excited her more then D'Hara had. Perhaps it was, in Berdine's words, how "rich the history is," or something equally as stupid.
What does a 'rich' history have to do with anything?
The weapons on the other hand...nothing was like their magic, or even really came close to her agiel (excluding electricity) but there were still interesting happens.
"She was the great-granddaughter of the great Augustus, daughter of Germanicus, sister of emperor Caligula, wife of emperor Claudius, and mother of emperor Nero. Not to mention that she held immeasurable and unprecedented power for a woman of the period. According to the written evidence provided by men such as Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio, it was because of a few reasons; Proximity to powerful male members of Roman politics and society, her lineage, and her charm, beauty and sexual allure." Finally, Berdine looked up from the children sitting at their desks. "Yes?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"Agrippina the Younger." Cara looked over the school children. All of them were around the age of twelve to fourteen. Mostly male, but females dotted here and there. Most likely due to parents hearing of Berdine elegance and matter of teaching. The woman was curious, insatiable and "Class, this is Cara."
"Good morning Cara," they chorused. Cara looked up at Berdine to see the woman beam at how well taught they were. Rolling her eyes, she stalked over.
"Aren't women meant to wear dresses?" A student asked. Berdine slapped a cane over their hands, hard enough to leave a red mark.
"We raise our hands in this class," Berdine said, the familiar cruelty returning to her now cold voice, "and we wait for your superiors to allow you to speak." The student, a young boy with messy blonde hair and wide brown eyes, nodded as he rubbed at the red mark. "Now what do you say?"
"I'm sorry Mistress." Cara smirked at Berdine. Suddenly, the scent of blood, rust and old stones his Cara's nose before the memory faded away.
Sometimes she missed those days, todays seemed to be one of them.
"Just like the old days I see," her eyes trailed the classroom, over the maps of the world, different languages and texts; mathematics, biology, art, poetry, prose, all of which were in English, Latin and Greek, before finally coming back to Berdine. The woman stood tall and proud in the deep blue dress, where Cara preferred to wear a more practical, if masculine, attire. A fitter red waistcoat, dark pants and a simple white shirt.
Her jacket was hung up, with the weather being to warm and people looking at her even more curiously, she decided to forgo the complete outfit. She even left her cane behind, not that she usually took it, but when she wore her jacket, she liked to take it so she could hit at people's shins.
Berdine looked at Cara, a small glimmer of nostalgia winked at the blonde woman, before she turned to the young child.
"Now, Timothy, what did you wish to say?"
"I wished to ask Lady Cara why she does not where the dresses that the other ladies do." Berdine nodded before turning to Cara, her blue eyes sparkeling with delight.
"Quickly answer the child Cara so you may ask your question and I may return to teaching them about the fine qualities of Agrippina the Younger and her son, Nero." Cara smirked, Berdine always had a passion for women in power. It was one of the many reasons that she had followed Raina and herself with the Mother Confessor. Raina was probably the most prominent reason.
"I prefer this attire so that I may prove to male counterparts that I am of equal, if not then more, status then themselves. After all, a simple kick to my groin would not leave me incapacitated on the ground, and I have better aim than anyone I've come to meet." Cara's pride shone brightly to the classroom, briefly letting the class hold their breaths as she pulled her shoulders back
Timothy had nothing more to say, and remained gaping at woman.
"So what did you come here for?" Berdine asked after a moment of silence was held long enough. Cara smiled bitterly and adjusted the gloves on her hands so she could feign busyness. With one look from Berdine, she knew that her sister saw right through her, and would have none of it. She dropped her hands to her side and cut straight to the point.
"I came to ask about a matter at hand, it appears I may have..." She trailed off as she looked over the children. Berdine would do more then severely harm her if she even dared to tarnish her reputation as a model citizen. "Done something to a very powerful man," she finished instead. Berdine sighed.
"Why haven't you gone to Kahlan?"
"She doesn't need to hear of my problems," Cara snapped back, "the woman would try to give reason and make me apologize to the damnable fool!" Berdine snapped her can on Cara's hip. The sound cracked but Cara barely flinched.
"No swearing."
"Yes, Mistress," she replied snidely. Berdine shook her head and turned to the children. "Read until I return. If I hear any speaking, not only will I tell your parents, I will make sure that beyond a doubt, you understand never to speak without permission and disobey a direct order." The class went still and watched her walk out the tall wooden tall and close it, with a sharp snap, behind her.
In the hall, Berdine crossed her arms and glared at Cara.
"What?" Cara asked as she placed her own hands on her hips.
"There's a time and a place. When I'm in the middle of teaching is not a good time." Cara made sure to do an excessively dramatic eye roll, to prove how little she cared for Berdine's way on income. "Why are you coming to me now?" Cara went still and stared at Berdine, feeling her cheeks burn. "Be silent all you like, but I won't help you until you tell me why you're here now."
Cara eyes trailed over the dress as she drummed her fingers on her hips before throwing out an arm and gesturing to Berdine, "Because you wont judge me like Kahlan and Raina do. They're all about 'feelings' and all I want is a clear-cut answer on how to fix this problem without ending up having to get rid of another body late at night."
"Another body?" Berdine pinched her brow, "Cara, what are you doing?"
She breathed a sigh and lifted her sea green eyes to see the clear blue of Berdine's. "I duel, for money. It works out well for me. People from all around come to take me on, bet high money, and I shoot them and win everything they own. Usually I only kill a few of them. I also run a black market for things that I win. Sometimes drugs...organs...whatever. Last night I shot a man in the leg, what I didn't realise, was that he is a whiny brat with a powerful father. Now I have a hit on me and am the public enemy or whatever."
Berdine stared at Cara before shifting her wait. Dropping her arms to her side, she cleared her throat and asked, "Who did you piss off?"
"Some bankers son." Berdine's eyes narrowed.
"You're not telling me something."
Cara's jaw rolled, "I may have gotten into the duel when he caught me in bed with his wife." Berdine rubbed at the swelling headache. "I would have invited him but where she's attractive, he falls short. Literally as well. He's like four and half feet tall. His gun also must compensate if we take his wife's words to heart," she snickered.
Berdine groaned, "What is it with you and people already married."
"I didn't know that Percy was married, but Mary went right along with it! The Shelley's were quite interesting." She stopped to remember before shaking her head. "I didn't come him to discuss my morals. Will you help me or not?"
"Just go and talk to Kahlan, I'm sure she can reason with him. Many people know who she is in the upper class, she holds much status."
"I'd rather fight off the assassination attempts."
"You have to be important to be assassinated Cara." Cara resisted the urge to turn into a petulant child, but quickly, the resistance fell short when Berdine gave her well known 'Mother' look.
"Go back to teaching children how to be idiots. I'll handle this myself." She went to turn before she paused, "Mention this to Raina and I'll kill you and make it look like an accident."
Berdine raised a perfectly arched, dark eyebrow before shaking her head and walking back to the classroom. Cara barely moved a step when she heard the cane slam down a flesh. She smirked as someone howled out in pain and stepped outside of the building the carriage waiting for her on the road.
"M'lady?" The driver asked.
"Take me to the warehouse," she waved her hand at him, dismayingly, before she climbed into the carriage. Inside sat a woman. "Good evening," Cara said as she looked her over from the deep red material of the high collar down the shoes peeing from beneath her skirt. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." The woman reached behind her and pulled out a gun, pointing it at Cara.
"Oh no sweetheart, you haven't kept me waiting."
With a sigh, Cara leant back and crossed her legs. "You have my undivided attention."