18 . 3 . 08
Would you believe me if I told you I had every intention of updating one week ago? --dodges angry comments--
Special thanks to FaylinnNorse for writing inspiring lines (as you can see, I've just quoted her two chapters in a row) and ElvishKiwi's Venerated Patriarch for convincing me to shirk my duties and type this up when I should be doing other things. Should I thank him? Heh. Maybe YOU should thank him.
"You don't have to love me, Xavia, I still love you."
She said nothing, but smiled slightly through her tears. She had needed him to say that, needed to know that someone did, no matter what she thought of him.
Golden Sands –FaylinnNorse
Roderic watched them go, questioning of MacGregor completely forgotten, with an insurmountably varied range of emotions. He was overjoyed that Katharine might be alive, worried that the jester might not know what he was talking about, petrified that Katharine might be dead, incredulous about the general far-fetched-ness of the entire situation, and puzzled about Jody's opinions of him. He was painfully informal, with a dominative brusqueness that jarred his sense of normality. The man seemed to hardly respect the fact that he was a prince. While it did not anger him, it was immensely different from everyone else's preferential treatment of him. Jody made him feel – what do I feel? Normal. That is it. He makes me feel inferior, but in a comforting way, like the pressure is not on me this time. I do not mind that at all.
"Roderic?"
The sweet voice startled him and he turned around quickly. Samantha stood in front of him with an unsure look on her face. What time is it? he thought suddenly, wishing to have a clock within sight so he could gage when he needed to be in the kitchen.
"I was... looking for you," she said, to fill the silence Roderic had not noticed while he had been deep in his thought.
She caught his eyes, pools of brown drawing him in.
"You loved her, didn't you? At the end, you really fell for her."
He nodded wordlessly. Without anything else being said, she hugged him tightly. For once, it didn't seem suggestive or tantalizing, but simply friendly. She was trying to comfort him, the only way she knew how. He hugged her back tentatively, then she let go.
"That's awful, what happened, and it's making a mess of everything. I'm here if you ever want to talk, alright?" she said earnestly, her eyebrows pulling together in worry as she scanned his face.
I might have wanted to talk before, but now I have been told that Katharine might not actually be dead, so for the moment I believe I am handling everything well enough, given the circumstances. Thank you, anyway.
"Yes, thank you, but I believe I am alright, now," he said honestly.
She gave him one last anxious look, then started to walk away.
"Don't hesitate to call me," she reminded him before she turned the corner.
He entered his room, unwilling to spend too much time thinking about Samantha. There are far more important things to worry about at the moment, he thought. Like the time! He looked at the clock, and suddenly remembered that Meriwether was to arrive at three o'clock. It was now two-fifteen. Jody will be expecting me around six. Oh dear. I will have to run from dinner directly to the kitchen. I hope Meriwether is not the following-the-rules-to-the-letter type, because typically we would have tea following dinner. I will have to make an excuse for a few hours' absence. I cannot lie. I suppose, if I said I was going for a walk, it would not be a direct lie. He considered this, then shook his head. No. I cannot do it convincingly. Oh, Samantha!
He began to contemplate whether it would be faster to try to find her himself, or send a servant to fetch her, but Philip arrived before he came to a decision, declaring that it was time to dress.
"What do you wish to wear to greet the Princess?" the manservant asked, pulling his wardrobe open.
"Black, of course," Roderic murmured, mind elsewhere.
How am I going to speak with Samantha now? As soon as the Princess arrives, I will be obligated to stay by her side.
"Naturally, your highness," Philip said with a suppressed sigh, "but you just obtained six new black outfits. Which would you like?"
"I do not have an opinion. Choose something that is somewhat informal. She might be petrified of me, and I do not wish to scare her." He paused to think. "That might make her think me weak, however, so perhaps it should be more formal. Do I have anything that would make me appear regal, yet friendly and not intimidating?"
Philip eyed the wardrobe with a critical glare, then pulled out one of the new black outfits, edged in crisp white with silver vines twining through it.
"Will this do?" he asked respectfully.
Roderic took it from him and went into the bathroom.
"You are superb, as usual, Philip," he said through the door.
"With haste, your majesty; your hair looks like you've been running all over the palace."
Roderic smiled guiltily and pushed the buttons together meticulously.
Despite (or perhaps, because of) Roderic's impatient fidgeting, he hadn't a moment to himself before he was rushed to the front gates.
"Your hair is terrible," Philip fumed as he trotted down the hallway, gesturing Roderic after him. "It will never stay! It is a wonder the country respects you at all when you look like a peasant with that mop."
Maybe they respect me because I look like a peasant, Roderic contradicted him in his mind, scanning the halls for Samantha. He had considered telling Phillip to send Samantha to him after dinner, but he didn't want to have any suggestions of rumors floating about, especially with the heartbroken princess staying there for the next few days. She might have a better concept of morals than Katharine. Or, she might not. Either way, it is not worth jeopardizing my good standing in the eyes of my future wife. His eyes narrowed and him mouth tightened, almost in a flinch. Hopefully she will not be my wife, he thought, concentrating on the hope that Katharine might be alive.
He was arranged in position a respectful five feet from the head of the line of neatly dressed maids and manservants, to await the royal carriage. Phillip quickly took his place midway down the line.
There was silence.
The only sound, barely audible, was the sound of the Rijhadite and Terriotian flags rustling in the hot breeze. Roderic was sure he was not the only one sweating in the oppressive heat. The air was thick and heavy; the breeze did nothing to cool his face. The empyrean was clear and blue, filling his eyes with the promise of cool, clear water but offering nothing for its tantalizing aquamarine hue.
"How are you?" a whispered voice asked behind him. He almost jumped.
"Samantha?" he muttered, recognizing the sweet, childlike voice.
"On the nose," she said with a repressed chuckle. "So?"
"I am nervous, thank you. Could you bring yourself to do me a favor?" he asked.
"Anything in the world," she said, and Roderic couldn't tell if she was in earnest, or jesting. He continued on.
"I need to get away tonight. Will you come up with an excuse for me?"
"Wittle Wodewick needs Sammy to wie?" she said in a baby voice.
"No, not exactly," he said uncomfortably. "It might be true. Actually, it will be true if you tell them I'm going for a ride."
"That's not the whole truth. What about morals?" she teased.
"Samantha," he said, sounding more irritated than he meant to.
"Don't get your knickers in a bunch," she said, the surprise evident in her voice. "I'll take care of it. What are you going to be doing?"
"Do not worry about me," he said, not sure exactly why he wasn't telling Samantha what he was doing.
There was a momentary silence, and Roderic thought she might be angry, but her next words were soft.
"You take care of yourself, okay?"
Her hand slipped into his and squeezed it, sending a brief shiver up his spine, but he shook it off with a guilty conscience. Her hand slid out again.
"I do," he replied, tripping over his tongue. "I do take care of myself, and I will tonight."
He saw a large carriage emblazoned with the Terriotian royal family's crest emerge from the woods.
"You had better go inside before you get into trouble," he warned.
"Seeya," she said cheerfully, and she must have left then, though Roderic didn't hear her go.
He flexed his hand and curled it into a fist, trying to rid himself of the momentary comfort Samantha had offered.
The carriage was dusty, with dried mud crusted in the spokes of the wheels: evidence of the fierce Terriotian summer rains. The rains washed away most of the Terriotian crops, though the Rijhadite farmers had been including erosion prevention in their farming advice. Hopefully they are doing better this year, Roderic thought, as the announcer emerged from the carriage with his glinting trumpet.
"Announcing her royal highness, Princess Meriwether, accompanied by King Gollath, Crown Prince Everard, and Prince Willnim!" he declared, then trilled the royals' arrival on his instrument.
The small Terriotian flags on the carriage fell limp as it stopped, and the footman descended from his post elegantly, opening the door and helping King Gollath onto the smooth stone welcoming area. Roderic bowed.
"Your highness," Roderic said, as all the servants bowed or curtsied. "I hope the journey was agreeable?"
"It would have been much better under different circumstances," the king replied lightly. "But Meriwether is delighted to do her part in keeping the countries together."
Roderic nodded respectfully, catching a glimpse of pain in the older man's eyes. He moved into the castle, escorted by a servant. Prince Everard – Katharine's brother – had already been helped from the carriage. Roderic remembered him mostly from the conferences where they worked out the treaty, and recalled him as a hard and calculating man. He was only twenty-two, but held himself with a remarkably confident poise that mirrored his older sister's exactly.
"My lord," Roderic said to him with a bow as he approached.
Prince Everard bowed back. His usually cool, haughty bearing was not quite all there. He was obviously struggling with the news, and seeing all the sad people was beginning to make Roderic doubt the rhyming stranger's convictions.
Prince Willnim, Meriwether's father, was being helped down as a servant escorted Prince Everard inside. Roderic had not met him before, and was taken aback when he felt he was looking at a masculine version of Katharine, exactly down to the unreadable mask and dark eyes. He bowed to the man with a murmured,
"My lord."
The man bowed in return, though somewhat clumsily, as if he was out of practice, and grasped Roderic's hand, much to his surprise. It was cool and dry, just like Katharine's, and his mask slipped away.
"I beg of you, my prince," he said huskily, "I beg of you, please help her be happy. However that must be, I beg you, and please look after her. She is young and silly, and I have, foolishly I see now, kept her from many of the unpleasant aspects of this world. I—" He broke off and cleared his throat. "I know you are an honorable man."
Roderic squirmed internally, feeling scrutinized by the hauntingly familiar eyes, as he remembered Samantha's warm hand in his own. He mustered the confidence he had in the conference room and used it to level his voice.
"I will do everything in my power to make her at home. She will not be a prisoner under my care, and she will have whatever she needs and a great deal of what she desires. I will take care of her like she was my own sister," Roderic said reassuringly, though the tone was forced.
He felt sick. He gnawed his lip. It was just now hitting him that, in all likelihood, he would have to marry this girl. This girl, for she is a girl indeed, Roderic thought, watching as she stepped down. What did she do to deserve this? The girl was dressed to impress in a gown of deep purple and black, with a fitted bodice and a slightly puffed skirt. The dress was trimmed with gold to match the elegant chain around her neck and the fastenings in her golden brown hair. She was very tall, very tall. Roderic thought she might even be taller than he was. Not that I am extremely tall myself, he thought. It did not detract from her appearance; she was undeniably pretty, even past the rouge and other colors shaded onto her features at opportunistic points. Her whole outfit made her look four or five years older, which, Roderic noted, was probably the point. Even still, she looked strangely innocent, and very childlike. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy as she approached Roderic for her greeting, and her expression was frightened but curious. Yes, she is taller than me, by a safe three inches.
"Your highness," she whispered hoarsely, curtsying low before him.
He bowed in return and took her hand, clasping it gently. The other one was ringless.
"My lady. I hope you are well."
"I seem to have caught a cold," she said, looking down and blinking rapidly.
That moved his calm demeanor even more than her father's almost tearful entreaty. The obvious lies, from her dress, to her make up, to her claim at illness, all forced through the vehicle of the naïve and scared child shook him to the core.
"I hope you recover soon," he said politely, hopefully kindly, and offered his arm.
She took it without looking at him, and they joined her family indoors. They were led to a large parlor by Johnathon, who then offered refreshments.
"Thank you, but Willnim, Everard and I have things to discuss, after we change out of these dusty clothes," the King said, without even sitting down. "Meriwether, dear, talk with Roderic a while. Denise will be by shortly for you, after she has finished bringing in your clothes."
"Show them to their rooms," Roderic said to Johnathon, then turned to the three men. "When you are ready, just ring the bell and a butler will bring you to an empty parlor."
"Thank you, your lordship," Prince Everard said, with a bow.
The other two Terriotian royals bowed, and Roderic returned the gesture. Johnathon tipped him a sympathetic half-smile as he left the room. Meriwether and Roderic were left standing in uncomfortable silence, made more uncomfortable by the fact that there were butlers standing in the corners of the room. Meriwether looked down, fidgeting with a fold in her dress and swallowing hard every few seconds. Surprising himself, Roderic spoke some of the most blunt words in his life.
"Do I frighten you, milady?"
She ventured a look into his eyes, but then dropped her own as quickly as if he had glared at her. He double-checked his expression; he had thought it was kindly, but perhaps it was not.
"No," she said softly.
She paused, as if she wanted to say something, then bit her lip.
"Ask any question you wish," he said, sensing her uncertainty. "Living with Katharine has dulled my sensitivity to embarrassment."
She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, then blurted out;
"Did you love her?"
She looked up into his eyes, not wavering though her cheeks pinked with embarrassment.
"I did," Roderic said, the last vision he had had of her flashing before his mind. It hurt a little less this time, and he clung to the struggling hope that it was because she was still alive somewhere. "I loved her very much, more than anyone."
She nodded, lower lip trembling.
"I – well – I'm quite sure no one's told you, but I thought – I thought you deserved to know – even though they're trying to cover it up – " she stuttered, looking humiliated and pained. " – oh don't think me silly, please. I don't hate you, and I'm not terribly immature about marriage and everything, but I – well – "
Roderic, who had been trying to understand what she was saying in her stammering, finally cottoned on to what she was trying to get across and interrupted her, to spare her further discomfort.
"I know about Andrew," he said quickly, realizing that he was having one of the most straightforward conversations in his life.
Something about Meriwether urged him to do away with the formalities and eloquence. Something about her made him long to be real.
"How?" she asked, thin eyebrows coming together.
"I dreamt about the two of you," he explained, hoping she knew of his dreams.
Evidently she had, because the confusion slid off her face and her small mouth formed an O.
"Not very much," he hastened to add, in case she had felt he had been spying.
She looked slightly relieved.
"I just wanted you to know," she said quietly, twisting her hands into her skirt again. "Because I do love him. I love him, oh, ever so much."
She stopped, at a loss for words, then looked up at him sharply.
"But you know what I mean. You loved her too. I suppose I have it a little better. At least I can still see Andrew sometime."
Meriwether blinked hard and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Roderic reacted instinctively, partially due to the pain threatening to tear his ruined heart into crumbling detritus, and wrapped his arms around her. With anyone else, it would have been inappropriate, the source of talk, almost a scandal; but with Meriwether it was real. She was hurting in a way much like he was hurting, and embracing her was the only logical thing to do.
She put her hands on his chest and stepped closer to him, crying quietly onto the shoulder of his somber outfit. He, in the perplexing position of comforting a girl you couldn't look down at, just "sssshhh"ed soothingly with steady hands on her back. He let her cry for several minutes, trying to hold the pieces of his heart together with fierce effort. She stepped back eventually, sniffing and wiping her eyes on her hand before remembering her handkerchief. She looked down at him and her face grew more sympathetic than weepy. Softly, she put out her hand and brushed away tears Roderic didn't know he had been crying.
A lucent smile then dashed to the forefront of her expression, and she unconsciously smoothed his rumpled and damp shirt.
"I think we both needed that," she said simply.
Roderic didn't trust his knotted throat to speak, so he just nodded.
Final word count: 3067
Enter Meriwether, stage right. What do you think of her? What do you think of the Jody-Roderic factor? They're a dynamic pair, and it's very hard to write them.
Celestial Seraphim: Thanks! Any tips on where it needs to be smoothened?
Captain: Aye aye, Captain it is. Oh, bad sailing jokes. Sorry, I hope I didn't injure you too badly with that one. Rhyming. --shudder-- Yeah, I need to get used to it too. I have to admit though, it's rather fun. It is a writer thing, indeed; everyone wishes everyone else has the gumption to kill a main character. In my defense, I would like to point out that I have killed a main character before. It is? I'm flattered. Definitely flattered.
lorena: Thanks! --grin-- I hope this one was worth it too.
Crayola Color Sky: I actually wasn't sure if I was going to keep that line. It's one of those that rolled off my fingertips before it had proper clearance. Sometimes, those turn out to be the best. If Johnathon knew, I wonder what he would say... hm. They need him to marry some other lady of the royal bloodline to keep the treaty intact. Isn't that terrible? Uber proud, I'm sure. --can't help a grin-- Yeh, this wasn't soon. Sorry.
Bingo7: You only review when it's not depressing? That's more depressing. Well, you know how authors go. --zips lips-- It DOES take a while, to be sure, and thanks for the compliment. Brilliant ideas, heh, I'm glad you think so.
Ellsbetta: Making sense is overrated. You never know with those mysterious head injuries. He was mildly annoyed because Joseph didn't seem to take any situation very seriously (due to his singing and rhyming) and he just rescued the kid from people with obviously ill intent and didn't get so much as a thank-you. Nope, she wasn't.
silliana: Nope, we haven't seen her before. She's totally new, and more than a bit creepy. --shudder-- Things will clear up eventually. Eventually. That's a really strange solution. Hum. Yes, I think I'd go insane.
Tall One: --nod-- Yes, yes. He's just meeting her now; the marriage won't be for a little bit. Interpellate means interrogate, basically, only it sounds cooler. --laugh-- Four hours puts it 'til after dinner, which gives him time before he's missed.
FaylinnNorse: It would make a lot of people happy, and Roderic does need some happiness, poor guy. Heh, I was wondering if anyone would catch that. "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!" Turning into an opera. "Oh golly," Jody would say with a groan. The ones that come out of nowhere are sometimes the best. Especially in the case of creepy Adelaide. --laugh-- That's a good description of Roddy and Johnathon... And your little descriptive storyline there actually inspired me to write that scene. I could see it all happening as I was reading it. That was inspiringly wonderful. Thanks.
Evo422: I'm glad you thought it was worth it! I appreciate your taking the time to read it, and review. Thank you. I love eloquence, but brain overloads happen, I understand that. Maybe eloquence this time? Hm? --grin-- Writing Joseph's rhyming is hard, but surprisingly not as hard as it could be. That's probably mostly because I just write the first thing that comes to mind, since it's supposed to sound somewhat rough and unrefined. Two votes for Samantha/Johnathon. That would make sense, wouldn't it? Jody's so lovable. --sigh--
ElvishKiwis Venerated Ancestor: Little details make my world go 'round. --laugh-- Balance is key, and I'm glad I made it in the last chapter, at least. I do have an answer as to why Samantha was so close; Katharine does not have a steady lady-in-waiting, but the position is rotated from week to week. That week, apparently, was Samantha's. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the rhyming tips! Interesting thoughts, about Katharine. Oh, you read Nasap? Good gravy, it really needs to be rewritten. I hope it didn't pain you overmuch. I'm glad you caught the difference between them, though; this is much more of a sorting-out-your-difficulties story, rather than a true fairy tale.
ElvishKiwi: Yay for lots of yays that make me smile! --grin-- Good speculation about Joseph. You keep picking up on all these tiny clues! I have to know; do you figure them out all yourself or do your mother/father/sister/other-assorted-family-members mention them as well and you just add them all in to your review as a cumulative discovery? Yes, both of them were ready to put their differences aside, really. They're such wonderful friends that they couldn't bear to keep something Like this between them forever. Yes, moving on to important things is always a plus. Interesting thought about Johnathon. Whatever gave you that idea? I have to tell you; having written up through chapter thirty-something, writing about them as a group is very difficult. Writing about Jody and Roderic together is difficult. They're just so different, so completely different, that it's taxing to imagine what on earth they would do or say to each other. Half the time I write something in my notebook, and know that I'll completely change it as I type. I'm glad your family enjoyed it! --big smile--
Clar the Pirate: School. How ghastly. I feel the same way you do about Joseph, about the shaking prose out of him part at least. 'Scheme' and 'thing' was a long shot. --wince-- Yes, I'm quite bad at inventing a whole slew of characters. Thankfully, I've managed to make them interesting enough (but not too interesting) that no one's complained as of yet. However, I always have that peril. Would you believe that Meriwether was an afterthought? I can't imagine the story without her anymore! I love your analysis. It makes my day. Can't they, indeed. And another vote for Johnathon Samantha. Hum.
Youngesh/Darth Chocolate: Backhanded compliments all the way. Thanks for pointing out the typo; you get a shout out after I fix it.
A bag of Jolly Rancher © jelly beans for reviewing!
