Oooh, I am so proud of myself for writing the ending! Please R&R, and I don't mind flames etc. as this is my first fanfic.
Thayet and her Pink Tissue Dress
Chapter 3: Rescue
"She WHAT?" the king of Tortall shouted at the ball of deep blue fire in his palm. The voice which responded was fuzzy; it was traveling by way of speaking spell all the way from Fief Runnerspring to the palace.
"Yes, your majesty. She went only with one armed guide, no others. She said there wasn't time to gather forces."
Jonathan of Conte snapped his fingers, vexated and worried. How could Thayet have done something like this? Was she insane? Thinking quickly, the king spoke again into the fire in his hand. This time, he spoke calmly, his deep voice imperious despite its fuzziness on the other end.
"Runnerspring, is it? The Third Rider Group should be nearby. Contact their mage and send them to help her."
"Right away, Majesty. If that's all...?"
"One more thing... did she change clothes? Or is she still in that pink dress with the pearls?"
Runnerspring's mage cringed. "No, your majesty. I mean, yes, she's still in the dress. We tried to persuade her to change, but..."
Jonathan sighed. "Oh, well. I just want her safe. Now go help her or I shall be most displeased."
"I'm on it, your majesty."
* * *
The Third Rider Group's mage called out the message, directing her group towards Thayet and the Fifth. As they neared the scene, the dismounted silently and reorganised. The twenty-five men and women spread out to form a circle around the bandits and their captives. They used stealth to go unnoticed, waiting behind trees for the most opportune moment to rescue their queen.
* * *
Thayet stood very still, vulnerable and very close to death -- the outlaw still had his bow trained on her throat.
"So," he growled. "How much do ye think we'll get for this pretty?"
"Well, ye know 'ow much the king likes 'er and all, so we'll get a bundle, I'm sure," another replied, his eyes and bowsight never moving from a Rider's forehead.
"What do you think, Highness?" he asked Thayet in a mocking tone. When she gave no reply, another bandit prodded her in the neck with a sharp knife, hard enough to draw just a drop of blood.
"Well, you'll get nothing if I'm dead. Should you leave me alive, I'd say--"
She broke off as an arrow caught her captor in the shoulder. He fell, bewilderment in his eyes. The other bandits panicked, seeing their other leader fallen. Emerging from carefully chosen hiding spots, all twenty-five of the Third Rider Group appeared with a bowsight trained on a bandit.
"Right on time," Thayet commented, cool and composed as though she hadn't just been about to be killed. She signalled for the rest of the Fifth to bind the outlaws' hands and feet, then moved to the two fallen Riders. The Third's mage stood beside Thayet, light blue fire eddying around her fingers. She knelt and touched the two, then looked up at Thayet with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Majesty" was all she said as she gently closed their eyes. Thayet nodded, face set and determined. After a long pause, she said, "We will remember them. Considering the enemy, we did well."
Turning from the fallen Riders to address the others, she said, "I thank you, for your loyalty to me and to Tortall, and for your bravery and ability in the face of battle. Now let's go get cleaned up." She smiled at them, assuring them silently that they had done their duty.
Searching out the Third's mage, Thayet asked, "Could I speak with Jon, please?" The mage nodded and brought a light blue ball of fire to rest in her palm. "King Jonathan?" she said. "Your queen," and nodded to Thayet.
"Jon?"
"Thayet? Thank the gods the Third got there in time. It was all I could do. Are you all right?"
"I'm bruised, slightly shaken, but all in one piece. It's good to hear your voice." She bit her lip and added, "Jon? Please don't be angry with me --"
"I'm not angry with you," he interrupted. "I was just worried. You mean so much to me."
"Thank you. You mean the world to me, too. But that's not it, Jon. It's..." She trailed off.
"Yes?" the king prodded.
Swallowing hard, she said, "My dress. It's a goner. I'm so sorry! I know I should have changed but --"
Jonathan cut her off, laughing and assuring her that he was glad she was safe and that he didn't care what had happened to the dress as long as its wearer was still in one piece. With a final chucke, he added, "Just try to change next time."
So whadda ya'll think? Sorry bout the uninspired ending, I was at a loss for what should happen, so I did the obvious. I never like reading stories where the obvious happens. Forgive me! Anyhoo, R&R, flame if you like, give me suggestions, imput, whatever, and thanks for reading!
Bises!
Thayet and her Pink Tissue Dress
Chapter 3: Rescue
"She WHAT?" the king of Tortall shouted at the ball of deep blue fire in his palm. The voice which responded was fuzzy; it was traveling by way of speaking spell all the way from Fief Runnerspring to the palace.
"Yes, your majesty. She went only with one armed guide, no others. She said there wasn't time to gather forces."
Jonathan of Conte snapped his fingers, vexated and worried. How could Thayet have done something like this? Was she insane? Thinking quickly, the king spoke again into the fire in his hand. This time, he spoke calmly, his deep voice imperious despite its fuzziness on the other end.
"Runnerspring, is it? The Third Rider Group should be nearby. Contact their mage and send them to help her."
"Right away, Majesty. If that's all...?"
"One more thing... did she change clothes? Or is she still in that pink dress with the pearls?"
Runnerspring's mage cringed. "No, your majesty. I mean, yes, she's still in the dress. We tried to persuade her to change, but..."
Jonathan sighed. "Oh, well. I just want her safe. Now go help her or I shall be most displeased."
"I'm on it, your majesty."
* * *
The Third Rider Group's mage called out the message, directing her group towards Thayet and the Fifth. As they neared the scene, the dismounted silently and reorganised. The twenty-five men and women spread out to form a circle around the bandits and their captives. They used stealth to go unnoticed, waiting behind trees for the most opportune moment to rescue their queen.
* * *
Thayet stood very still, vulnerable and very close to death -- the outlaw still had his bow trained on her throat.
"So," he growled. "How much do ye think we'll get for this pretty?"
"Well, ye know 'ow much the king likes 'er and all, so we'll get a bundle, I'm sure," another replied, his eyes and bowsight never moving from a Rider's forehead.
"What do you think, Highness?" he asked Thayet in a mocking tone. When she gave no reply, another bandit prodded her in the neck with a sharp knife, hard enough to draw just a drop of blood.
"Well, you'll get nothing if I'm dead. Should you leave me alive, I'd say--"
She broke off as an arrow caught her captor in the shoulder. He fell, bewilderment in his eyes. The other bandits panicked, seeing their other leader fallen. Emerging from carefully chosen hiding spots, all twenty-five of the Third Rider Group appeared with a bowsight trained on a bandit.
"Right on time," Thayet commented, cool and composed as though she hadn't just been about to be killed. She signalled for the rest of the Fifth to bind the outlaws' hands and feet, then moved to the two fallen Riders. The Third's mage stood beside Thayet, light blue fire eddying around her fingers. She knelt and touched the two, then looked up at Thayet with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Majesty" was all she said as she gently closed their eyes. Thayet nodded, face set and determined. After a long pause, she said, "We will remember them. Considering the enemy, we did well."
Turning from the fallen Riders to address the others, she said, "I thank you, for your loyalty to me and to Tortall, and for your bravery and ability in the face of battle. Now let's go get cleaned up." She smiled at them, assuring them silently that they had done their duty.
Searching out the Third's mage, Thayet asked, "Could I speak with Jon, please?" The mage nodded and brought a light blue ball of fire to rest in her palm. "King Jonathan?" she said. "Your queen," and nodded to Thayet.
"Jon?"
"Thayet? Thank the gods the Third got there in time. It was all I could do. Are you all right?"
"I'm bruised, slightly shaken, but all in one piece. It's good to hear your voice." She bit her lip and added, "Jon? Please don't be angry with me --"
"I'm not angry with you," he interrupted. "I was just worried. You mean so much to me."
"Thank you. You mean the world to me, too. But that's not it, Jon. It's..." She trailed off.
"Yes?" the king prodded.
Swallowing hard, she said, "My dress. It's a goner. I'm so sorry! I know I should have changed but --"
Jonathan cut her off, laughing and assuring her that he was glad she was safe and that he didn't care what had happened to the dress as long as its wearer was still in one piece. With a final chucke, he added, "Just try to change next time."
So whadda ya'll think? Sorry bout the uninspired ending, I was at a loss for what should happen, so I did the obvious. I never like reading stories where the obvious happens. Forgive me! Anyhoo, R&R, flame if you like, give me suggestions, imput, whatever, and thanks for reading!
Bises!