A/N: I knew, knew I shouldn't have posted that little bit I had running around my head over and over, because now my muse is all like "Oo! Oo! No more Dragon Age, we're gonna write some Fable!" Guess I don't have much choice: where the muse guides, I abide. So I took that original drabble, expanded it even more, took a little liberty with character conversations, and created a first chapter. Go me? Ha ha, hope you enjoy what I have in store.
Oh and just because I don't want people going: how do you say that? I named the Princess: Caitrin, said like Caitlin, but with an "R" instead of an "L." Carry on.
Disclaimer: Fable is owned by Lionhead Studios, all characters and locations belong to them, I'm just playing in their sandbox.
A dark shadow slipped through the bedroom door, completely silent on the plush carpet as they headed towards the bed. The figure paused at the foot of the large bed, watching the two shapes still deep in sleep before shaking their head and heading towards the heavy draperies. A practiced flick of the wrist opened the curtains allowing sunlight to pour into the room and fall on the sleeping figure of the Princess of Albion and her bedfellow. Caitrin, facing the window, grimaced at the intrusive light and tried to hide under her covers but Jasper's hardest job was done: she was awake.
"Rise and shine, Your Highness," the aging butler greeted the brunette, before continuing to open the rest of her curtains. "You have a busy day ahead of you."
"Five more minutes," came the muffled voice of Caitrin, still trying to protect herself from the bright sunlight.
"I'm afraid not, Your Highness," Jasper declined, opening the door to allow her handmaid into the room with the Princess' morning meal. "Master Elliot is already waiting for you in the garden, he wished to speak to you on a matter most urgent."
"Fine, fine," the brunette groaned, though a slight blush colored her fair cheeks at the chance to see Elliot. She sat up in bed watching Kelby get her clothing ready for her day while Jasper noticed the lump beside Caitrin and came up to the other side of the bed looking annoyed.
"And just who do we have here?" the aging man questioned warily, flicking back the covers revealing Caitrin's white and pale gray husky, Specter. "Your Highness, what have I said about your hound in bed?" Jasper admonished Caitrin, trying to fight the smile teasing his lips as the dog rolled onto his back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in happiness.
"Don't pay attention to the mean man, Specter," the blonde stated, her voice raising in pitch as when cooing at a small child before hopping up on her knees on the bed to rub the offered canine belly. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are."
The maid giggled at the princess' actions as she put the finishing touches on the two outfits Caitrin could choose between. Jasper sighed, understanding this was a battle he would never win, despite the difficulty in getting pet hair out of the bed linens, and watched the husky roll onto his feet before finally sitting on the floor in front of the aging man.
"Oh no you don't," Jasper tried to state firmly, his resolve failing at the doleful blue eyes and wagging tail. "Fine, here you go." The butler reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of dried meat holding it out above the dog's head. The pooch dutifully sat back on his haunches and begged for the scrap of meat hanging over his head. A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of Jasper's mouth as he dropped the jerky into the hound's waiting mouth. Caitrin giggled lightly watching her dog beg for the treat so effortlessly from Jasper, who tries too hard to be stern with the lovable Specter but invariably fails.
Jasper coughed regally before turning and walking to the breakfast tray to prepare Caitrin's normal cup of tea. When the butler's attention wasn't on the princess she nodded to Kelby and the two women shared a smile as the handmaiden began readying the more practical of the two outfits. Caitrin knew Logan and Jasper preferred her in the other outfit, they insisted the dress was becoming for a noble of her stature but the princess never like to do the expected and like her mother before her: tried to avoid dresses as much as possible.
"Highness are you sure I can't convince you to move back into the castle proper?" Jasper asked while the maid assisted Caitrin into her outfit.
The princess sighed, already tired of this discussion. For her sixteenth birthday, she had asked Logan to live out above the garden in what once was their Mother's private sitting room. She had spent hours out here with the queen as her mother would spend time painting, reading, writing, or having tea with her daughter until her passing when the princess was eight years old. Now Caitrin felt closest to her mother living in this room so Logan gave in to her request. Caitrin secretly thought he was happy to have her out from under foot and away from the rest of the household while he dealt with the affairs of the kingdom, but ever since that day Jasper would occasionally broach the topic of her return to the castle. The butler insisted it made his job more difficult since she lived so far away but the princess was happy living away from the bustle of castle life. Not bothering to answer Jasper, Caitrin finished getting dressed, ate her breakfast, and then rushed out the door heading into the garden with Specter hot on her heels.
The princess stopped when she reached her parents' mausoleum. The brunette could barely remember her father, he died when she was still a toddler, so her memories were very few. Sadness threatened to engulf the princess at their loss but she forced herself to remember the good times before whispering a quick prayer to the Light and turning to the back of the garden, where she knew Elliot would be waiting for her. When she noticed his handsome figure leaning against the back railing over looking the city, the princess slowed and watched the young man she was engaged to marry.
Growing up the two of them had been inseparable, they would often spend their time running through this very garden chasing each other, her brother Logan when he was able, or the kitchen's hens. When her mother passed, Logan had just reach the cusp of manhood and was forced to bear the mantle of king much too early. Thankful for the slew of advisers their mother had waiting for his rise, Logan was able to rule over the kingdom without too many difficulties. He had been a benevolent rules, just and though he led the people with a firm hand, he was always fair as well. When his sister grew older in years, he noticed the blushing exchanges between Elliot and the princess. Finally pulling both aside on separate occasions, Logan found they had begun to develop feelings and arranged for the two to wed when Caitrin reached her twentieth year.
More than a year away, the princess found she couldn't wait to tie her life to this young nobleman. Her heart always beat faster when he was near, and butterflies fluttered in her belly when she had to speak to him. As Caitrin watched him, she felt a smile light up her face as she watched the wind tousle his chestnut hair, his lean body was not that of a warrior's but a nobleman trained to fight who never had the need. He looked lost in thought as he leaned on the stone partition but she knew how soulful those eyes could look when they carried on a conversation.
Specter, impatient with waiting at his mistress' side, finally loped along and stood behind Elliot letting out happy bark. The young man turned, his eyes focusing on the husky now wagging his tail in feverish excitement. Caitrin walked forward slowly as she watched the interaction between the two. Specter and Elliot squared off, eying each other as they slowly took stock of their opponent. The nobleman lunged for the dog, while the hound danced away, preventing his capture with a silly doggy smile and yip of joy. Elliot laughed with the dog before he squared off again. This time Specter lunged for the young man, but Elliot was ready and caught the hound, resting the pooch's back on his thighs to rub the dog's now exposed belly.
"Who's a brave beast? Who's a great warrior?" Elliot asked as he rolled the dog back to his feet. The young man finally glanced up and a slight blush colored both sets of cheeks as their eyes met. "Your knights stand ready to protect you, my lady."
Elliot took Caitrin's hand, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. A thrill bolted through the princess' center at the feel of her betrothed's lips against her skin, as it always did. She beamed down at her young man, gently squeezing his hand as his lips pulled away, and she remembered the way his mouth felt against other parts of her body.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," the princess stated, proud of the training she had been receiving from Sir Walter, her mother's oldest friend and most trusted knight.
"I think you'll have to prove it to me," Elliot declared, a mischievous gleam alight in his eyes, as he stroked his bare chin in thoughtful contemplation. If anyone else had said those words, Caitrin would have punched them but coming from the young man in front of her, she suddenly felt daring, in spite of the fact they were out in the open of the garden. Taking his other hand, the princess leaned in and gently placed her lips against Elliot's. The young man grunted, initially surprised, but soon returned the affection without hesitation. As the kiss continued, Caitrin felt desire pool deep in her belly and suddenly wished they were not in her garden but in her bedroom. When Caitrin pulled back from the kiss, both of their faces were flush with surprise and delight.
"Yes, well," Elliot let out a nervous, happy chuckle as he glanced around to make sure they weren't being gawked at by the random nobility or castle guards in the garden. "I think you've proven your point, though I don't know how effective that will be in combat."
"True," Caitrin agreed as she let out her musical laugh. "I can't very well kiss my enemies to death."
"Did Jasper tell you I wished to speak with you?" Elliot asked after their laughter subsided.
"Yes, has something happened?" The Princess asked, taking Elliot's hand in her own.
"I'm not sure," the nobleman answered hesitantly, turning to look back out over the city and harbor. "The castle is in an uproar. They are quite angry with your brother. There's a rumor a factory worker was executed this morning on his order and it has them all worried. I told them you would speak with them."
"Of course," Caitrin agreed without hesitation, her brother had been much changed over the years. The benevolent ruler she remember was replaced by someone who led with a tyrannical hand after he returned from Aurora without any of his men just a few years ago. He had become distrustful, and with the exception of Walter, deposed his advisers.
The couple walked through the garden hand in hand back towards the castle kitchen so she could address the staff members. As the princess entered the kitchen with Elliot, she couldn't help but hear some of the servants' fearful voices and her heart went out to the state they were currently forced to live it due to her brother. As she addressed those gathered in the kitchen, she reassured them the rumors were unfounded and promised to look into improving their lives both in and outside the castle. As Caitrin spoke with the help, she noticed Walter entering the kitchen, no doubt on his way to find her for their melee practice. When she glanced at him she saw a small smile tug at his lips even through the thick goatee as she finished her speech.
"What no yelling and screaming?" Walter admonished Caitrin when she was done speaking, but she could hear the laughter in his proud tone. "I suppose that is one way to get them to listen to you: understanding their plight. If you're quite through, we have some training to do."
After a quick goodbye kiss between Elliot and Caitrin, the princess turned and followed the aging knight towards the training room on the far end of the castle. The brunette was suddenly very grateful she had worn her more practical outfit, she couldn't imagine trying to fight her mentor while in a dress. Her mother often complained about the difficulties when she would travel between locations in a skirt and get caught by a band of mercenaries haunting the roadway. As the duo neared the front doors of the palace, Walter was halted by a petitioner asking for the knight's signature to help improve things in the city. As Walter signed the petition, he also mentioned Caitrin might be willing to sign as well. The commoner was surprised but heartily agreed, and without reading through the whole of the petition, the princess signed readily knowing changes needed to happen and if this would help she was more than willing to comply.
Finally reaching the training room, Walter insisted the two fight each other. The princess felt a little fear pass through her at fighting the knight in front of her, knowing he was a much more experienced fighter. He had her practice her attacks, making sure her form was correct and she could flow between each stance effortlessly before the knight finally challenged her to hit him. Caitrin and Walter danced around the room while the princess tried to hit the knight, but without success. He was able to parry all of her attacks and as more and more of her attacks failed, she felt her frustration mounting. As Walter continued to egg her on, challenger her with each swing to hit him Caitrin finally paused. She watched the man in front of her for signs of attack as she poured all of her feelings into her next swing: the frustration she felt for the people of Albion, her frustration for the way her brother was treating everyone, her angst for being powerless to stop him, and her worry about what the future would hold if her brother continued down this path.
She brought her swords down to bear on Walter, and she felt her arm shiver in tandem with the sword as it connected with the knight's blade. She heard a clatter of metal and thought for a brief moment that she may have dropped her blade, since her hand was now numb from the force of her swing and she couldn't tell if she still held the weapon. When she managed to clear her hair from her eyes, Caitrin noticed the blade was still in her hand but Walter was standing in front of her looking completely dumbstruck with the sword in his hand with only about three inches of the blade above the cross-guard.
"Ho ho!" Walter cheered, a large smile lighting up his face. "Look at that you only went and broke it!"
"What?" she asked, disbelief written all over her face. "How is that possible?"
Before Walter could answer, Elliot threw open the training room doors.
"Walter!" the young aristocrat shouted. "You have to come. Quick!"
Walter and Caitrin quickly followed the young man back to the front of the castle.
"They're starting a riot," Elliot explained as they stopped in front of a large window overlooking the front courtyard.
"Balls," Walter swore, closing his eyes in frustration before looking out at the picketers. "They don't realize how dangerous your brother has become, this is not going to end well."
"Isn't there something we can do?" Caitrin queried, looking up at the aging knight towering over her.
"Your brother hasn't listened to me in years," Walter began, sorrow dripping from his words. "Let's pray he will now."
Caitrin watched the knight ascend the stairs for a moment before returning to watch at the commoners outside the window. She could hear the angry shouts and she listened in horror to some of the things she heard the people were forced to endure while working in Industrial under Reaver's watchful eye. Though she seldom left the castle and usually only to visit Elliot's family estate or other members of the nobility, she was appalled their countries subjects were forced into such dreadful conditions: children forced to work instead of going to school, sixteen hour work days, no pay, and as the shouts continued the princess was left with a growing sense of dread.
"The guards left," Elliot whispered to her, drawing her attention away from the riot on her doorstep. "We should see if we can help Walter. We shouldn't just stay here and do nothing."
"My brother would have been in the throne room hearing petitions or the war room with Hobson," the princess clarified for the young man.
The two hustled up the short flight of stairs and noticed Walter at the base of the stairs leading up to the throne flanked by two of Logan's elite guard, speaking with Logan who was pacing in front of the royal chair. The two entered the chamber hoping to go unnoticed, but Caitrin rushed forward when one of the guardsmen used the butt of his rifle to knock Walter's knees out from under him.
"No," she cried out firmly, helping the aging knight to his feet.
"You shouldn't be here," Walter whispered to her, as he stood.
"This is no place for children," Logan sneered down at his sister. "I have no time for your games, what are you doing here?"
"Apparently I'm here to stop you from hurting a friend of the family," Caitrin proclaimed, standing as tall as her petite stature would allow.
Logan let out a short growl of frustration at her words, as Elliot moved to stand at the Princess' side, the two watching with growing trepidation as Logan ordered the leaders of the resistance in front of the castle brought before him. Walter stood on his right looking as fear-struck as the two in front of the throne. The leaders of the strike were hauled into the throne room and pushed to cower in front of the tyrant king on their knees. A quick nod of Logan's head to the guards and the Princess could tell they were meant to be killed, unable to stay quiet any longer she stepped forward.
"You cannot do this!" she shouted defiantly at her older brother, rage quickly overtaking her fear.
"I am the King, dear sister. It is my sovereign right," Logan replied, a sneer crossing his thin lips. "Do you think you can do better?"
Logan rose smoothly from his chair and waltzed down the stairs to stand in front of his sibling. He met her eyes without fear and just a touch a malice before motioning for his guards to take Elliot as well, the poor boy now left undefended as the siblings squared off.
"Choose," Logan finally stated, watching the rage turn back to fear at his proclamation. "Choose between the leaders of this pathetic resistance or your betrothed."
"You cannot be serious," she whispered, watching her brother turn from her back towards his throne.
"Choose or they all die," Logan reiterated, a sardonic grin lighting up his face as he sat down on his throne, settling one ankle on his other knee.
The princess looked on in horror, knowing her brother's threat was very real. Her head traveled between Elliot and the three subjects. Her face was awash in panic, fear, and pain as she pressed a hand to her heart in a vain attempt to still its furiously beating. She met Walter's eyes and received no comfort from one of her mother's oldest friends, he too could only look on in disbelief at what Logan was asking of her.
I cannot do this. She thought to herself, closing her eyes briefly.
"You have to pick me," Elliot finally declared, puffing out his chest to prove how brave he could be, even though he knew he was asking for his death. "There is no choice here, pick me."
Tears began to prick the Princess's eyes as she finally dared a glance at the man who held her heart. Her breathing began to match the frantic beat of her heart and the edges of her vision grew cloudy as her panic truly set in. Her eyes darted to the group of picketing leaders and they cowered in fear, hardly daring to meet her gaze as they shrank in on themselves when they felt her eyes fall on them.
How does he expect me to decide? By Avo, these are our subjects, people he was sworn to protect. And Elliot, my best friend and the man I'm supposed to marry. How? How can I choose? Mother would be appalled right now, how can he so easily forget the lessons she taught us? Every life is sacred, every person to be treated with respect. How can I choose between them? What has happened to him to change him so much? Where is the brother who used to pick me up when I fell in the garden, who insisted on fixing my scraped knees himself and dried my tears? Where is the man who encouraged me to become betrothed to Elliot, despite my fears and young age because he could tell I had become infatuated with him? I no longer recognize this person in front of me. What has happened to him? How can he expect this of me?
"Well?" Logan broke in on his sibling's thoughts, forcing her to choose faster than her brain could process her decision.
She motioned to her choice, closing her eyes as the tears finally spilled over and her heart broke.
"No!" Elliot cried out as the three commoners were roughly escorted by Logan's elite guards out of the throne room. Guilt and shame washed over the princess in equal measure at her inability to sentence her love to death. "It should have been me! I told you to choose me."
"Get him out of here," Logan ordered, tired of the young aristocrat's outcries. More guards escorted the struggling noble from the throne room, leaving the Princess wallowing in her emotions as her betrothed's cries faded with the increased distance. As the crowds dispersed, Logan left the throne to watch his trembling sibling.
"I will never forgive you," she finally hissed, malice shining from her emerald eyes.
"Good," Logan spat in agreement. "Then you will never forget. You disappointed me, take her to her chambers."
Panic swept across Caitrin's face as her brother waved a dismissive hand and two castle guards came forward to escort her out of the throne room. She scanned the faces of those few citizens still in the room, begging silently for someone to speak on her behalf however no one would meet her searching gaze. She finally noticed Reaver leaning casually against the back wall close to the exit. When the two pairs of eyes met, the princess was taken aback to see surprise and amusement in the Industry leader's gaze. The princess did a double take, surprise was not an emotion she had ever seen from Reaver. She knew the man was centuries old from the stories her mother told her about her rise to becoming queen. THe fact that she had managed to surprise the deviant confused the young woman. However she wasn't able to consider Reaver's emotions for long before she was shoved into her bedroom and the guards escorting her, locked the door behind her.
A/N: This chapter is a fluke, much longer than anything I typically put out into the world. But who knows, maybe Fable will inspire me to write lengthier chapters, or my RL could get in the way as it tends to when I write for D.A. Anyway, don't know if future chapters will be this long, but this one certainly was.
I know that you can't actually have a husky in Fable 3, but there was one in 2 so, gosh nab it, they'll be one here too. I like huskies, what can I say? Fun tidbit: on a lark, I really wanted to name the dog Reaver but then decided against the shared name because it would get too confusing. The reason I wanted to name the dog Reaver as well was because I had a vision of the princess in town somewhere, her dog wanders off to play with some random kids and then human Reaver pops up and the princess is all "Reaver heel" causing human Reaver to go all bug-eyed as her pooch comes sauntering back. High-larious. No? Just me then? Okay. Though there could have been an incident with a gun and a suddenly dead dog... le sigh. Probably a good thing I changed the name.
And finally, to get more reader interest as far as a romance: what do people want to read? I'm pretty flexible and I have ideas for all the listed possibilities. I would see it as a writer's challenge to let my readers decide on the romance outcome. So there are five choices:
- Ben Finn (I love me some Finn and I was so upset he wasn't a possible romance in the continuity of the game but I see a lot of these romances, so I'm not sure if people want to see another)
- Reaver (not really a romance, per say, but I could make it work without going OOC for the deviant)
- Elliot (since he was saved, he is an option but I know he makes for lame romance in the game so I would spice it up)
- O.C. commoner or noble from random location in game
- Walter (say what?! yup, get a little tragic romance going, I could see it. a little Romeo and Juliet-like drama, could be fun)
Just let me know via review or PM what you think of this chapter and who you would like to see Caitrin romance. Have no fear on what I've written so far with Elliot, if you all so desire for her to explore a different relationship, it can always been written off as teenage love and infatuation, see I'm prepared. ;-)
Chapter two is almost written, I just have to add some tweeks depending on reader polling. Thanks for tuning in, I'll see you soon. :-)