Rating/Disclaimer: Our good friends at Fireworks and their associates own the characters of Queen of Swords and, consquencently, our asses. No infringement is intended. This story is rated G, both het and slash wise. White Queen, Black Queen
- Queen of Swords slash/het fanfiction -
Prologue
On the surface it was like any one of Montoya's feather-smoothing parties. The dons complained and the doñas socialized. Montoya had listened only so long to Grisham's concerns about a group of bandits that had been sighted near Santa Elena before moving to a lighter conversation with Dr. Helm.
Tessa observed all of this, unlike her usual behaviour at such a gathering. She had tried several times to present an amiable nature, but she hadn't been able to keep it up. Again, the reason presented itself. As she went to chat with Vera Hidalgo, Montoya glanced over to her. He smiled at her for a rather prolonged second. She felt her stomach churn and she did her best coy smile back to him. She wasn't stupid; she knew the reason for this attention. She just didn't want to admit it and comfirm it to herself.
The past month had been particularly trying. There hadn't been any bandit attacks. There hadn't been incessant beatings of poor rancheros who couldn't afford to pay their taxes. There hadn't been any exhibition of megalomania on Montoya's part. No- it was this new insidiousness of his that drove her to confusion and fear.
Montoya's new plan was clear: he was wooing her. And was damn incessant about it. It made her uneasy, to say the least. Attention, gifts, looks- these were things she most certainly did not want from Colonel Montoya. If she hadn't known better, she'd have had a suspiscion that even this party was an attempt to turn her head. No matter how much he tried, no amount of posturing, struting or puffing out his chest was going to impress her.
The strains of the quartet that played quietly in the corner stopped as Montoya whispered to the guitarist that seemingly lead the ensemble. In the full silence that followed, he stated to his party guests that he had an announcement.
"No," he amended. "Not an announcement." He approached Tessa, bowing curtly. He took her hand and lead her to the centre of the cleared floor. "A question," he finished.
Tessa's heart pounded in fear and apprehension as Montoya got down on one knee before her and pulled out a ring.
"Maria Theresa Alvarado, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
To Be Continued...