Ch. 17
AN: I changed my mind. Well, not entirely. Narmorn is still Scotland, but they kinda took over Galla. Namorn is really big. Actually, Namorn is Russia too. Really really big.
Everyone stared at the messenger for a moment in disbelief. The duke was the first to respond.
"Sandry…Empress Sandrilene!" And he also fell onto one knee. Tears formed in Sandry's eyes as she watched her friends kneeling. A sob escaped her, and she felt pressure mounting on her chest. She couldn't breathe, and she needed to get out. She ran out of the room, leaving a shocked group behind her. Briar, who had only just kneeled, was the first to follow her. He knew she would want someone to comfort her. And he knew that he wanted to be the one to do it.
Neal was upset. When Sandry had merely been an almost Duchess, he had a chance with her. But now that she was Empress of Namorn, possibly one of the largest countries in the civilized world, he knew he had no chance to win her love. 'Well,' he thought, 'if I can't have her, no one will. Especially not that scum of the earth, Briar.'
"Sandry?" Briar's voice echoed through the stone corridors. He heard a suppressed sob in the sewing room. 'Just like her,' Briar thought to himself, smiling.
"Sandry." His voice was quiet. He didn't need to say anything else. She glanced up at him with puffy eyes. He smiled his familiar lopsided smile, and Sandry knew she couldn't hold herself together anymore. She burst out weeping. Briar quickly crossed the expanse, taking her slight figure into his strong arms. He smoothed her hair awkwardly, unaccustomed to the feminine softness. She buried her head into his shoulder and chest, gripping the careworn cloth of his shirt in perfectly sculpted fingers.
"I-I don't w-want t-to b-b-be Empr-ress!" She murmured softly into his shirt.
"Don't worry, Sandry. If it makes you feel any better, I'll come with you to your coronation! I'll even bring my tree, and we'll have picnics and make fun of all the old bags in Namorn." Briar, encouraged by her soft smile, continued describing all the things they could do together in Namorn to shock her new country.
"Well," Sandry said, sitting up straighter and wiping her eyes dry, " I know one thing."
"I'll bite," Briar said, "what's that?"
"I'll be the best damn Empress they've ever had." They smiled together at her use of an explicative. 'She will be the best damn Empress,' Briar decided, 'and I'll make sure everyone knows that.'
The Duke sat in his chair, talking quietly to King Jon. Their reserved tones indicated that it was a private conversation, and as such, no one interrupted. This left everyone else to form their own conversations. Tris and Daja stood in a corner uncomfortably surrounded by the Tortallan youth.
::What the fuck do they want?:: Tris asked Daja testily.
::Who knows? I know I'm ready to say Damn foreign relations, damn the stupid ball, and get out of here.::
::I'll join you,:: Tris replied. The two chuckled lightly, then laughed at the bewildered looks of Neal. A sudden movement at the door captured their attention. It was Sandry, leaning heavily on Briar. She looked…depressed. Resigned. Not like her usual self.
"Sandry?" Duke Vedris asked uncertainly. He didn't want to upset his young neice.
"Uncle. Your majesty, your highness," Sandy bowed her head slightly. The royalty acknowledged her with a bob of their heads. "I have come to the conclusion that immediantly following the ball, I should leave for Namorn, and embark upon a tour of the entire country, in order to better understand the people which I am to rule over. After this tour, and after what I hope will be a cordial welcome in every city I stop in, I will decide if I am fit to rule over this empire. If I am, I will at that point, and that point only, announce my intentions to the people and begin planning a coronation. If I find that I am unfit to rule as Empress, I will abnegate, and find someone more suitable for the job myself." She glanced around the room, looking for affirmation, then deciding she had it, inclined her head, and turned to leave. Briar placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her out.
She led them to her room. Briar hesitated at the door, unsure whether or not he should follow.
"Oh, come on, Briar. I'm just going to change out of this, and I could use an ear to listen. Besides, it's not like you haven't seen any of this before." He acquiesced, and sat down in a plump chair. "Oy, unzip this, will you? Thank you. I'm too young for this Briar. I've never had any experience ruling at all. Not even as a duchess, let along an Empress! How can they expect me to do this? I need to finish my training! I'm supposed to be a great thread mage, not a great Empress. And I certainly can't expect Lark to come to Namorn and teach me there." Briar listened patiently to her reasons for denouncing her throne. His breath caught in his throat as she watched her step out from behind her dressing curtain. She didn't have on much; only a velvet dressing robe, with a deep v-neck. The dark emerald color suited her skin and brought out her eyes. "But most importantly," Briar looked up, startled, he hadn't realized she was still talking, " I think I have to stay here. There's so much that I want, and it all has to be here. I doubt I could bring it with me."
"What do you want 'Drie?" Briar's voice was slightly husky. He thought he had a good idea what it was she wanted.
"I, I don't think I can tell you right now, Briar. Maybe later."
"No. I need to know now. Tell me." She shook her head no. He crossed the room, and lightly gripped her arms. "Tell me, Sandry. I need to know. Is it a person?" Seeing her nod yes, he took a deep breath, and went on, "I love you Sandry. Am I the person you want?" He held his breath, waiting for an answer. It felt like an eternity had passed when she finally raised her beautiful eyes to meet his.
AN: there you go. Hopefully, that one's a little longer than my other ones. Review, please, and you'll get more. I have to babysit this week, so I'll have freetime during the day, but that doesn't mean I'll necessarily use it writing. I won't, however, have freetime at night, I don't think. At least I hope not. I think my messing around and shit partner will be free this week…oh, I hope so! Again, REVIEW! PLEASE!
AN: I changed my mind. Well, not entirely. Narmorn is still Scotland, but they kinda took over Galla. Namorn is really big. Actually, Namorn is Russia too. Really really big.
Everyone stared at the messenger for a moment in disbelief. The duke was the first to respond.
"Sandry…Empress Sandrilene!" And he also fell onto one knee. Tears formed in Sandry's eyes as she watched her friends kneeling. A sob escaped her, and she felt pressure mounting on her chest. She couldn't breathe, and she needed to get out. She ran out of the room, leaving a shocked group behind her. Briar, who had only just kneeled, was the first to follow her. He knew she would want someone to comfort her. And he knew that he wanted to be the one to do it.
Neal was upset. When Sandry had merely been an almost Duchess, he had a chance with her. But now that she was Empress of Namorn, possibly one of the largest countries in the civilized world, he knew he had no chance to win her love. 'Well,' he thought, 'if I can't have her, no one will. Especially not that scum of the earth, Briar.'
"Sandry?" Briar's voice echoed through the stone corridors. He heard a suppressed sob in the sewing room. 'Just like her,' Briar thought to himself, smiling.
"Sandry." His voice was quiet. He didn't need to say anything else. She glanced up at him with puffy eyes. He smiled his familiar lopsided smile, and Sandry knew she couldn't hold herself together anymore. She burst out weeping. Briar quickly crossed the expanse, taking her slight figure into his strong arms. He smoothed her hair awkwardly, unaccustomed to the feminine softness. She buried her head into his shoulder and chest, gripping the careworn cloth of his shirt in perfectly sculpted fingers.
"I-I don't w-want t-to b-b-be Empr-ress!" She murmured softly into his shirt.
"Don't worry, Sandry. If it makes you feel any better, I'll come with you to your coronation! I'll even bring my tree, and we'll have picnics and make fun of all the old bags in Namorn." Briar, encouraged by her soft smile, continued describing all the things they could do together in Namorn to shock her new country.
"Well," Sandry said, sitting up straighter and wiping her eyes dry, " I know one thing."
"I'll bite," Briar said, "what's that?"
"I'll be the best damn Empress they've ever had." They smiled together at her use of an explicative. 'She will be the best damn Empress,' Briar decided, 'and I'll make sure everyone knows that.'
The Duke sat in his chair, talking quietly to King Jon. Their reserved tones indicated that it was a private conversation, and as such, no one interrupted. This left everyone else to form their own conversations. Tris and Daja stood in a corner uncomfortably surrounded by the Tortallan youth.
::What the fuck do they want?:: Tris asked Daja testily.
::Who knows? I know I'm ready to say Damn foreign relations, damn the stupid ball, and get out of here.::
::I'll join you,:: Tris replied. The two chuckled lightly, then laughed at the bewildered looks of Neal. A sudden movement at the door captured their attention. It was Sandry, leaning heavily on Briar. She looked…depressed. Resigned. Not like her usual self.
"Sandry?" Duke Vedris asked uncertainly. He didn't want to upset his young neice.
"Uncle. Your majesty, your highness," Sandy bowed her head slightly. The royalty acknowledged her with a bob of their heads. "I have come to the conclusion that immediantly following the ball, I should leave for Namorn, and embark upon a tour of the entire country, in order to better understand the people which I am to rule over. After this tour, and after what I hope will be a cordial welcome in every city I stop in, I will decide if I am fit to rule over this empire. If I am, I will at that point, and that point only, announce my intentions to the people and begin planning a coronation. If I find that I am unfit to rule as Empress, I will abnegate, and find someone more suitable for the job myself." She glanced around the room, looking for affirmation, then deciding she had it, inclined her head, and turned to leave. Briar placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her out.
She led them to her room. Briar hesitated at the door, unsure whether or not he should follow.
"Oh, come on, Briar. I'm just going to change out of this, and I could use an ear to listen. Besides, it's not like you haven't seen any of this before." He acquiesced, and sat down in a plump chair. "Oy, unzip this, will you? Thank you. I'm too young for this Briar. I've never had any experience ruling at all. Not even as a duchess, let along an Empress! How can they expect me to do this? I need to finish my training! I'm supposed to be a great thread mage, not a great Empress. And I certainly can't expect Lark to come to Namorn and teach me there." Briar listened patiently to her reasons for denouncing her throne. His breath caught in his throat as she watched her step out from behind her dressing curtain. She didn't have on much; only a velvet dressing robe, with a deep v-neck. The dark emerald color suited her skin and brought out her eyes. "But most importantly," Briar looked up, startled, he hadn't realized she was still talking, " I think I have to stay here. There's so much that I want, and it all has to be here. I doubt I could bring it with me."
"What do you want 'Drie?" Briar's voice was slightly husky. He thought he had a good idea what it was she wanted.
"I, I don't think I can tell you right now, Briar. Maybe later."
"No. I need to know now. Tell me." She shook her head no. He crossed the room, and lightly gripped her arms. "Tell me, Sandry. I need to know. Is it a person?" Seeing her nod yes, he took a deep breath, and went on, "I love you Sandry. Am I the person you want?" He held his breath, waiting for an answer. It felt like an eternity had passed when she finally raised her beautiful eyes to meet his.
AN: there you go. Hopefully, that one's a little longer than my other ones. Review, please, and you'll get more. I have to babysit this week, so I'll have freetime during the day, but that doesn't mean I'll necessarily use it writing. I won't, however, have freetime at night, I don't think. At least I hope not. I think my messing around and shit partner will be free this week…oh, I hope so! Again, REVIEW! PLEASE!