Turns out this story was a heck of a lot harder to write than my LotR stories. I hardly ever write romance fics so this was like walking into shark infested waters. Please tell me if I need to stay away from Romance Fics please!
This story takes place during the Midwinter festival, in the middle of Squire. ya know, where Kel, Yuki and Neal all decide to help spur Roald and Shinko's romance on a little. This is my take on what was going through the princes and princess's minds before and after.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tamora Pierce's characters.
The night was becoming a bore, Princess Shinkokami was having a difficult time conversing with her husband to be. She wasn't sure what to talk about; if she spoke of Yamani tactics and strategies and weapons Roald may think her unmaidenly. Shinko blinked, but his mother was a commander, she fought bandits! Shinko, no matter how disgraceful it was, wanted to scream in frustration. She decided to give talking to Roald one last try, before she did anything irrational. "How goes the crop gathering this year?" she asked wincing inwardly at her ridiculous question, Roald smiled, "They're going as well as can be expected, what with the coming war and immortals all over the kingdom." he answered. They both fell silent. "What about the crops in The Yamani Islands? They're fairing well I hope?" Roald inquired after a few moments, Shinko nodded,"They always do such a fine job, our farmers." Roald nodded and again, they fell silent.
The Yamani Princess sighed inwardly stroking her silk fan, her dark eyes searching for a friendly face. Yuki spotted her mistress eyes smiling, giving a bit of comfort to her friend. She tapped her fan twice against her satin sash, their secret code for 'intercession?', Shinko replied tapping her own fan slowly three times. 'Yes.'
Yuki glided over, her politest Yamani face on, "Princess." she bowed, palms flat against her thighs, "May I join you and the Prince?" she asked in common, her voice silky smooth. Roald and Shinko smiled their "Yes." Yuki sat gently beside her princess and began to speak to her about unimportant things until Roalds attention was turned to a big red-headed fellow whom both Yuki and Shinko recognized as Cleon of Kennan. While he was temporarily distracted, Yuki spoke under her breath in Yamani, "How are you two getting along?" She asked, Shinko's face was empty of emotion but when she spoke you could tell how sad she was. "Not as well as I thought. We are forever talking about the weather and the crops." She paused, "I feel like snapping my fan in two." she said with a little more emotion than she intended. 'Bite your tongue princess." Yuki said looking around, "We may not be in the Islands any more, but so much emotion could very well get you into trouble." Yuki left at that moment for she had been called over to an adjoining room by Kel, now Shinko really did want to snap her fan, she quickly began to think of the surface of a lake. She was calm, for the moment.
It seemed like years had passed since Yuki had gone, Shinko was on the verge of excusing herself when Yuki walked from the room she had disappeared into. "Princess, Lady Kel and I would be honored if you joined us in the other room." Shinko wasn't sure what to make of this, Yuki never used such formal tones with her, and never had her eyes been so emotionless. Yuki was hiding something.
Slowly Shinko stood, and cautiously she walked to the room Yuki had mentioned, inside on the far wall was a large fireplace, by the fire stood a very big man. Raoul saw the two Yamani nobles walk in and smiled at them, behind him Kel was talking to Buri the Commander of the Queens riders. "C'mon you big chicken." Shinko looked behind her, Cleon and Nealan were dragging Prince Roald in behind them. The prince was walking as slowly as he could, but when he saw his future wife he straightened and walked tall to where the Knight commander stood. Shinko smiled and followed Yuki and Nealan over to the gathering group by the fireplace. Conversation was slow at first, but when Buri asked Shinko about Yamani weapons, it was rapid fire after that.
Roald watched Shinkokami as she excitedly explained to Buri about a Yamani strategy used when fighting immortals with wings. "... to find a low center of gravity, one should place his feet wide apart, whether on level or uneven ground. The knees must be slightly bent so that when the winged immortal swoops one could simply come up with a 'the broom sweeps clean' motion, slicing at the joint where the wing and back connect, therefore disabling the opponent." There was more but Roald didn't hear the rest, all of the sudden this polite faced Yamani girl who seemed so, dull, was now throwing a net over his heart and pulling him in. "... What do you think? Roald?" The prince looked up, Raoul of Goldenlake was looking at him, "Forgive me, what was the question?" Roald asked, shamefully aware of Shinkokami's eyes on him. "That a spear may be an excellent substitute for a Glaive." Raoul repeated, Roald nodded, "It's already been proven by your squire, sir." he said with a nodd towards Kel, who nodded back. Yukimi was shaking her head, as Shinkokami began to speak with the authority of a Yamani princess. "It may be an excellent substitute for Tortallan's who do not have access or experience with a Glaive. But for a Yamani there is no substitute for it. It is a weapon not to be replaced, except in the event it breaks... which is highly unlikely." The group was quiet for a moment, before Roald was brave enough to venture, "But what if you're ambushed? And your glaive is out of reach? What then?" Shinkokami thought about that before answering, "If it was a typical Yamani warrior they would use a series of quick jabs, punches and kicks to disable the enemy long enough to get to the glaive. Or if they were prepared, pull out their concealed weapons." Roald looked at the princess, "Then you are prepared?" Shinkokami smiled, "More than you will ever know." That settled it, she was the one. They spent the rest of the party debating a multitude of strategies, Yamani and Tortallan. Finally as the embers of the fire started to die down, Neal raised his arms over his head and stretched, "I do beleive I am going to head off, I have an early morning ahead of me." he said, referring to him and his knight master The Lioness. "Come Lady Yukimi I will escort you to your room." Neal held out his arm for Yukimi to take and together they walked off, soon after Roald decided it was also time to turn in, "Princess Shinkokami, if it pleases you." the prince held his arm out to Shinkokami, she gave the slightest of smiles and accepted his invitation.
Shinko took Roalds arm, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, they walked out still debating a certain technique Raoul had brought forward. "I do believe the Knight Commander is a lunatic, a lance against anything but a giant wouldn't help much. It would only slow you down."
"Unless you were on horseback?"
Roald nodded, "Unless you were on horse back."
Shinko couldn't have hoped to have had such an excellent time with someone she had believed to be stiffer than a Yamani elder, when she said such to Roald he laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Dare I say, you weren't as boring as I had first thought." It was Shinko's turn to laugh. They stopped, Shinko had not noticed that they were standing outside her chambers until Roald said goodnight.
Shinko didn't want him to go yet, "Wait." Roald had turned to walk away, but stopped to turn back around, his eye brows were raised. "I enjoyed tonight. Perhaps we can talk more tomorrow?" Roald laughed gently, Shinko liked his laugh, "I enjoyed tonight as well. But I leave tomorrow with my knight master." he said this with, what Shinko thought was, a bit of sadness in his tone. "Oh. Then I will wait for you to return. Be it one month or one year." Roald smiled at her, "You know, you are quickly becoming the very woman I could only have dreamt of marrying." Shinko was embarrassed by this, but flattered, so she did what any proper Yamani lady would do, she snapped open her fan and covered the bottom half of her face.
She had put on her mask, Roald knew it well from his experience with Kel, but it looked so much more, entrancing, on Shinko. But god's curse it she was covering up half of her beautiful face.
Shinko stared at Roald for several minutes as he seemed to be thinking about something, finally he spoke. "Might I see your fan?" he asked as politely as he could. A rude request in the islands, but, like Yuki said, they weren't in the islands any more. Slowly Shinko handed over her fan, Roald seemed to be reaching for the fan, but he put his hand over hers and pushed it down gently.
He wasn't sure if he should be doing this, but he wanted to so badly. Shinko was looking at him curiously. He must have gotten too close, because Shinko raised her fan hand up again and covered her face again. Roald wouldn't have that, he probably should heed her warning... but what family member of his, past, present and future, ever heeded warnings?
Shinko watched him, unsure of what his next move would be. Oh, she wanted him to do it, but would he do it the way she had always wanted her betrothed to?
Roald moved closer to his future wife, gently, he placed his hand on the outer edge of her fan and pushed it closed.
Then softly, sweetly, his lips brushed slightly against hers. "Luck to my betrothed on this midwinters night."
He was gone when Shinko opened her eyes. Dazed the princess opened her door and slipped into her room, some how she ended up on her bed.
Suddenly, without warning, Roald had become the very man she had always dreamed of marrying. Roald had become whom Shinko had so properly named in her dreams as HIM.
So there it is! Tell me what you think please! Surprisingly I had a blast writing this... I didn't want to finish it because it looked boring at the beginning... but the end turned out better than I thought it would. Anywho I hope you like it! Let me know how I did.
Alyss M.
*Foot note: When I describe the Yamani strategy for fighting winged immortals, I made that up. I do not know for sure if that is an actual Yamani strategy.