Author's Note: alright, I'm sorry about the wait. I lost the notebook. I really should organize all these spiral bounds before someone starts throwing them away. Anyway, I thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter. *bows*
Aranel: hmmm, am I really that dark and serious? *checks other writings* Okay, so that would be a 'yes'. Yeah, I spent fifteen minutes trying to get that sentence right. Oh well. When I complete this thing, I'll probably just repost it with corrections. It's all I can do to get the new chapters up, much less edit the old ones. Um, well it's Synys, but for some reason my fingers kept switching back and forth. Bleh. I'll double check this time and make sure. Remember, I'm going this alone, without a beta reader, because I can't find one that'll be free to do every chapter.
Natalie: thanks! Oooh, if you think THIS is interesting, just wait until I post that Corsair story up on the GOO...
Steel S: yeah, I'm one of those famed young people too. I always reply 'so what? Complications make life interesting!' Thanks for your comments!
Lu: hey chick, glad you could review! Thanks, I try. Um, the complicated names; well, I decided to have fun with them in this one, although I only think there's one or two that are completely confusing. I decided that since everyone would be reading this instead of speaking it aloud, I could get away with it and make up a few strange ones. Sorry if it's upsetting your reading experience, but bluntly, I like them so I'm not changing them(yeah, how gracious of me *rolls eyes*). However, I will include a helpful pronunciation guide at the bottom of this chapter. I'm trying to work on the whole 'show, don't tell' thing as far as appearances go, but you'll be getting more in this chapter and future ones. Conflict and character thoughts? I'll see what I can do. I'm going for a more streamlined fairytale, focusing more on plot and dialog than anything else. Also, I first wrote this as a play script and I'm adapting it now as a story, so that's why you might not have seen much in the way of description. I'm working on it.
An aside, I'm using the term 'lover' in the sense of 'boyfriend' the way it was once used, not the way it's used today. And now, onto the show!
Less Questions, More Answers, and Complications
The sun had set and night had drifted over the kingdoms. An overcast sky made the darkness seem yet darker, and drew one's attention to a soft glow of light in the Public Gardens. This light was emanating from a lantern, held by Synys, who waited with Kri for the arrival of who the maidservant had began referring to as 'Kri's lover'. The princess herself was pacing up and down the walkway, in a rather foul mood. Tol was late and Synys had been less than wise in telling Kri her nickname for the manservant.
"How many times do I have to tell you, he is NOT my lover!"
"This would be the fifth time you've said that, my lady," Synys said wearily, wishing she had never brought the subject up. The princess could be a true pain in the you-know-where when she was one of her 'righteously indignant' moods. ~I should have know better~ she thought and winced as Kri went on in a louder tone. ~If that's even possible~.
"He is simply an aquaintance who happens to know my future husband. I'm only using him for information. Hmph!"
Kri stamped her foot on the hard stone in emphasis, then winced and furtively tried to shake away the pain. ~I shouldn't have worn these boots~ she thought. ~When I get back to Igsnor, they go straight into the garbage bin.~
"Of course dear," Synys assured her. "That perfectly explains why you have to stay here to the early hours of the morning talking to him. I only wish you might not do so for much longer, the last two months haven't been easy on me. I'm older, I need my sleep."
The instant the maidservant spoke, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Kri tossed her floppy mane of brown hair and started up the ranting again.
"Are you saying I'm getting INTERESTED in this servant?! I just want to be THOROUGH. Honestly must you read into everything? Why I-"
Suddenly, the sight of Tol coming through the gates of the gardens bearing another lantern interrupted her tirade. Quickly she made her way to him and he just as eagerly walked to her, stopping just short of any suspicious distance. They smiled at one another, not saying anything.
"Well, I'll be waiting outside," Synys informed, thumping past them. The two make no sign that they heard any word she just said. The maidservant rolled her eyes. "Not that anyone notices. 'Oh, he's NOT my lover!' Hah! What a load..."
Her brisk voice faded into the distance. Tol and Kri strolled side by side through the gardens for a moment, glancing at everything but the other person.
"You're late," Kri commented finally.
"The Prince had to have a fitting for his wedding attire," Tol replied, kicking at a loose stone on the path. "I had to listen to him rave for an hour about how pointless the marriage was."
"It's nice to know I-the Princess isn't the only one," she said ruefully, reaching out to stroke the soft petals of a tulip. "Sometimes I would how S-I stand it." ~Remember, YOU are Synys~ she scolded herself. ~No, you're Kortny. Whatever! Stop messing up!~
"Well," Tol exhaled uncomfortably, not wanting to disturb the amiable silence. "I believe it's your turn to answer a question. What does the Princess hate?"
Kri picked the flower and stared at it for a moment.
"She dislikes small spaces," she said quietly. "And really hates being restricted to the castle so much. Not many people know this, but her younger sister was kidnapped when walking around without an escort. They found her later, dead. She had been drowned by someone who blamed the king for something, I'm not sure what. The woman was clearly mad. Ever since then, she's guarded night and day, to prevent anything from happening to her."
Kri now focused her attention on plucking out each dainty petal of the tulip, one by one, her face dark. Tol wondered at this, but assumed it was just in sympathy with her mistress. ~With a terrible event like that, it's easy to see how someone so close to the Princess would be affected~.
"And you?" he asked. "How do you feel about being under the same restrictions? I'm assuming you are, considering your relationship with her."
She shrugged and flung the scarred flower into a bush.
"Alright, you're up Ryn," she announced a little more lightly. "My question is-"she paused for dramatic effect. "Why your master ever convinced my innocent Lady to make such a stupid promise?"
She smiled sweetly and backed away a few lengths, watching as his shock turned to a playful anger.
"Innocent?! Why you little-!"
Tol tried to grab her. Shrieking, Kri dodged behind him and began running, off the path and through the tamed foliage surrounding it. Right behind her she could hear Tol, running easily. Suddenly, the brown stone of the wall enclosing the gardens appeared before her out of the thick leaves and vines.
"Uh oh," Kri squeaked.
She turned around to see Tol coming towards her. Still in the game, she backed against the wall, grinning. Tol caught her wrists, stopping her from an escape.
"Got you," he gasped, slightly out of breath.
Their eyes met again, nearly on the same level, for Tol was only slightly taller. Unconsciously they each leaned forward, Kri freeing one of her wrists from his grasp to reach up as if to stroke his face. ~What am I doing?!~ she thought to herself. ~I'm engaged! Granted, I don't even KNOW the fellow, but still, this shouldn't be happening. I really should..stop..~ They grew closer and closer-
"Kortny!" Synys' voice was heard. "A storm's coming in! We need to get home!"
They each breathed a mutual sigh, then began making their way back to where the maidservant stood impatiently on the stone path. ~Well, I'm glad she stepped in~ Kri thought. ~Aren't I?~ She was about to leave, but Tol's hand still held her other wrist.
"There's going to be a ball in Nylbryn," he said. "It's to celebrate a hundred years of honesty among the King and Queen. It's supposed to boost morale. It's mostly for the common folk, I usually don't attend, but-
"Are you inviting me?" Kri asked.
"Looks like you just invited yourself," Tol remarked with a sly grin. She blushed and he hastily continued,"but yes, I'd love it if you would come."
"Well-"
"Kortny!" The maidservent glared at her.
"I'll try and make it," she promised, easily slipping her wrist out of his hand and following Synys out of the gardens.
Tol watched her leave, then returned to his castle in Nylbryn, whistling. Kile stood up as his master entered his suite of rooms.
"Have a pleasant night, my lord?"
Tol nodded.
"I invited her to the ball," he announced.
"Didn't you say you were planning on it, my lord?" Kile asked him, taking his cloak and hanging it up.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" he answered absently. ~I just didn't expect her to accept~ he thought to himself. ~Or I did, but-oh well, it's no use to worry over it now. She's a friend and I invited her as a friend. Right~. "Goodnight Kile."
He headed to his bedroom, thinking over what had almost happened that night. In her bed at Igsnor, Kri was considering the same thing.
___________________________
Alright, here's that guide I said I'd put up!
Lly=However you want to say it.
Lndr=However you manage to say it.
Prista=Pris-sta
Tas=Tas(with an s sound, not a z sound)
Kriella=Cree-ella
Tolrin=Tol as in tollbooth, rin with an 'in' sound
Synys=Sinnis
Kile=Kyle
Nylbryn=Nilbrin
If you have any other pronunciation problems, do tell me. Thank you!
Aranel: hmmm, am I really that dark and serious? *checks other writings* Okay, so that would be a 'yes'. Yeah, I spent fifteen minutes trying to get that sentence right. Oh well. When I complete this thing, I'll probably just repost it with corrections. It's all I can do to get the new chapters up, much less edit the old ones. Um, well it's Synys, but for some reason my fingers kept switching back and forth. Bleh. I'll double check this time and make sure. Remember, I'm going this alone, without a beta reader, because I can't find one that'll be free to do every chapter.
Natalie: thanks! Oooh, if you think THIS is interesting, just wait until I post that Corsair story up on the GOO...
Steel S: yeah, I'm one of those famed young people too. I always reply 'so what? Complications make life interesting!' Thanks for your comments!
Lu: hey chick, glad you could review! Thanks, I try. Um, the complicated names; well, I decided to have fun with them in this one, although I only think there's one or two that are completely confusing. I decided that since everyone would be reading this instead of speaking it aloud, I could get away with it and make up a few strange ones. Sorry if it's upsetting your reading experience, but bluntly, I like them so I'm not changing them(yeah, how gracious of me *rolls eyes*). However, I will include a helpful pronunciation guide at the bottom of this chapter. I'm trying to work on the whole 'show, don't tell' thing as far as appearances go, but you'll be getting more in this chapter and future ones. Conflict and character thoughts? I'll see what I can do. I'm going for a more streamlined fairytale, focusing more on plot and dialog than anything else. Also, I first wrote this as a play script and I'm adapting it now as a story, so that's why you might not have seen much in the way of description. I'm working on it.
An aside, I'm using the term 'lover' in the sense of 'boyfriend' the way it was once used, not the way it's used today. And now, onto the show!
Less Questions, More Answers, and Complications
The sun had set and night had drifted over the kingdoms. An overcast sky made the darkness seem yet darker, and drew one's attention to a soft glow of light in the Public Gardens. This light was emanating from a lantern, held by Synys, who waited with Kri for the arrival of who the maidservant had began referring to as 'Kri's lover'. The princess herself was pacing up and down the walkway, in a rather foul mood. Tol was late and Synys had been less than wise in telling Kri her nickname for the manservant.
"How many times do I have to tell you, he is NOT my lover!"
"This would be the fifth time you've said that, my lady," Synys said wearily, wishing she had never brought the subject up. The princess could be a true pain in the you-know-where when she was one of her 'righteously indignant' moods. ~I should have know better~ she thought and winced as Kri went on in a louder tone. ~If that's even possible~.
"He is simply an aquaintance who happens to know my future husband. I'm only using him for information. Hmph!"
Kri stamped her foot on the hard stone in emphasis, then winced and furtively tried to shake away the pain. ~I shouldn't have worn these boots~ she thought. ~When I get back to Igsnor, they go straight into the garbage bin.~
"Of course dear," Synys assured her. "That perfectly explains why you have to stay here to the early hours of the morning talking to him. I only wish you might not do so for much longer, the last two months haven't been easy on me. I'm older, I need my sleep."
The instant the maidservant spoke, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Kri tossed her floppy mane of brown hair and started up the ranting again.
"Are you saying I'm getting INTERESTED in this servant?! I just want to be THOROUGH. Honestly must you read into everything? Why I-"
Suddenly, the sight of Tol coming through the gates of the gardens bearing another lantern interrupted her tirade. Quickly she made her way to him and he just as eagerly walked to her, stopping just short of any suspicious distance. They smiled at one another, not saying anything.
"Well, I'll be waiting outside," Synys informed, thumping past them. The two make no sign that they heard any word she just said. The maidservant rolled her eyes. "Not that anyone notices. 'Oh, he's NOT my lover!' Hah! What a load..."
Her brisk voice faded into the distance. Tol and Kri strolled side by side through the gardens for a moment, glancing at everything but the other person.
"You're late," Kri commented finally.
"The Prince had to have a fitting for his wedding attire," Tol replied, kicking at a loose stone on the path. "I had to listen to him rave for an hour about how pointless the marriage was."
"It's nice to know I-the Princess isn't the only one," she said ruefully, reaching out to stroke the soft petals of a tulip. "Sometimes I would how S-I stand it." ~Remember, YOU are Synys~ she scolded herself. ~No, you're Kortny. Whatever! Stop messing up!~
"Well," Tol exhaled uncomfortably, not wanting to disturb the amiable silence. "I believe it's your turn to answer a question. What does the Princess hate?"
Kri picked the flower and stared at it for a moment.
"She dislikes small spaces," she said quietly. "And really hates being restricted to the castle so much. Not many people know this, but her younger sister was kidnapped when walking around without an escort. They found her later, dead. She had been drowned by someone who blamed the king for something, I'm not sure what. The woman was clearly mad. Ever since then, she's guarded night and day, to prevent anything from happening to her."
Kri now focused her attention on plucking out each dainty petal of the tulip, one by one, her face dark. Tol wondered at this, but assumed it was just in sympathy with her mistress. ~With a terrible event like that, it's easy to see how someone so close to the Princess would be affected~.
"And you?" he asked. "How do you feel about being under the same restrictions? I'm assuming you are, considering your relationship with her."
She shrugged and flung the scarred flower into a bush.
"Alright, you're up Ryn," she announced a little more lightly. "My question is-"she paused for dramatic effect. "Why your master ever convinced my innocent Lady to make such a stupid promise?"
She smiled sweetly and backed away a few lengths, watching as his shock turned to a playful anger.
"Innocent?! Why you little-!"
Tol tried to grab her. Shrieking, Kri dodged behind him and began running, off the path and through the tamed foliage surrounding it. Right behind her she could hear Tol, running easily. Suddenly, the brown stone of the wall enclosing the gardens appeared before her out of the thick leaves and vines.
"Uh oh," Kri squeaked.
She turned around to see Tol coming towards her. Still in the game, she backed against the wall, grinning. Tol caught her wrists, stopping her from an escape.
"Got you," he gasped, slightly out of breath.
Their eyes met again, nearly on the same level, for Tol was only slightly taller. Unconsciously they each leaned forward, Kri freeing one of her wrists from his grasp to reach up as if to stroke his face. ~What am I doing?!~ she thought to herself. ~I'm engaged! Granted, I don't even KNOW the fellow, but still, this shouldn't be happening. I really should..stop..~ They grew closer and closer-
"Kortny!" Synys' voice was heard. "A storm's coming in! We need to get home!"
They each breathed a mutual sigh, then began making their way back to where the maidservant stood impatiently on the stone path. ~Well, I'm glad she stepped in~ Kri thought. ~Aren't I?~ She was about to leave, but Tol's hand still held her other wrist.
"There's going to be a ball in Nylbryn," he said. "It's to celebrate a hundred years of honesty among the King and Queen. It's supposed to boost morale. It's mostly for the common folk, I usually don't attend, but-
"Are you inviting me?" Kri asked.
"Looks like you just invited yourself," Tol remarked with a sly grin. She blushed and he hastily continued,"but yes, I'd love it if you would come."
"Well-"
"Kortny!" The maidservent glared at her.
"I'll try and make it," she promised, easily slipping her wrist out of his hand and following Synys out of the gardens.
Tol watched her leave, then returned to his castle in Nylbryn, whistling. Kile stood up as his master entered his suite of rooms.
"Have a pleasant night, my lord?"
Tol nodded.
"I invited her to the ball," he announced.
"Didn't you say you were planning on it, my lord?" Kile asked him, taking his cloak and hanging it up.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" he answered absently. ~I just didn't expect her to accept~ he thought to himself. ~Or I did, but-oh well, it's no use to worry over it now. She's a friend and I invited her as a friend. Right~. "Goodnight Kile."
He headed to his bedroom, thinking over what had almost happened that night. In her bed at Igsnor, Kri was considering the same thing.
___________________________
Alright, here's that guide I said I'd put up!
Lly=However you want to say it.
Lndr=However you manage to say it.
Prista=Pris-sta
Tas=Tas(with an s sound, not a z sound)
Kriella=Cree-ella
Tolrin=Tol as in tollbooth, rin with an 'in' sound
Synys=Sinnis
Kile=Kyle
Nylbryn=Nilbrin
If you have any other pronunciation problems, do tell me. Thank you!
