A Child's Tale
A/N I got this idea from a Tamora Pierce fanfic that Lady Dragon of Spirit's Fire wrote called Bedtime Story. My friends and I loved her fic, so I thought I'd write a T/D one of my own.
Disclaimer: All of everything belongs to Mercedes Lackey.
"Papa, tell me a story!" five year old Jemmie said indignantly. Dirk grinned widely.
"Are you done yet?" Talia stepped inside the room. Dirk stared at her, his eyes lit with love that hadn't dimmed since the day she'd returned from her internship, if not before.
"How can I be done if I just got here?" he asked, smiling up at her. She sat next to him on their son's bed.
"Tell me a story!" Jemmie demanded. Talia smiled at her husband as an idea hit her.
"Once upon a time," she said quietly. "There was a very confused Herald. She'd just become a Herald after completing a dangerous first circuit with one of her best friends, a very handsome Herald. Both she and he thought all their troubles were over, but on their return to Haven, they found out that one of his best friends, another Herald with a homely face and the most beautiful heart of any Herald, was madly in love with her."
"What they didn't know," Dirk said, picking up the story where Talia left off. "Was that he thought that the Herald was in love with his best friend, the very Herald she'd gone on circuit with, the very handsome Herald. She became even more confused, for on circuit, she'd realized that she loved the homely Herald. Before long, all three of them, the woman, the handsome Herald and the homely Herald, were fighting." Talia giggled slightly, sounding more like an eighteen year old than the middle-aged Queen's Own of Valdemar.
"Then, the homely Herald got pneumonia," she said, her eyes brimming with love for her husband.
"What's pneumonia?" Jemmie asked.
"He got very sick," Talia amended. "And while he was sick, the handsome Herald and the woman had to go to another country, to investigate one of their princes as a prospective husband for their own princess. But there was treachery at work. Shortly after their arrival, he had the handsome Herald killed and the woman imprisoned." She swallowed back tears and bad memories. Jemmie's eyes grew wide. Dirk hugged his lifebonded around her shoulders.
"But the homely Herald, with the help of several Companions and the princess, Fetched her back to him. And he told her how much he loved her." "And the Herald showed him how she loved him with all of her heart," Talia said, softly, looking only at her love. Jemmie stared from one to the other.
"Ewwwww," he said finally. Dirk and Talia broke from their trance.
"What?" Talia asked.
"You looked like you was about to kiss," Jemmie said with the dignity that every five year old possesses. "And kissing is gross."
"Romantic," Dirk argued.
"Gross," Jemmie said stubbornly.
"Romantic," Talia and Dirk said together.
"Gross."
"Romantic."
"Gross."
Dirk tickled his son and Jemmie collapsed back against his pillow laughing. "Stop- it- Dad!" Talia laughingly pulled her husband back.
"He needs to go to bed," she mock scolded. Jemmie made a face.
"But Mom!!!!" he wailed. Talia smiled.
"Good night, Jemmie," she said. She kissed him on the forehead and, taking Dirk's arm, walked out of the room.
Once in their room, Dirk turned her around to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Wonderful story, little bird," he teased.
"Haven't I grown out of that nickname?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Never," he said and kissed her again. Talia laughed.
"We tell good stories," she said quietly. "The best thing is, they're true."
A/N I got this idea from a Tamora Pierce fanfic that Lady Dragon of Spirit's Fire wrote called Bedtime Story. My friends and I loved her fic, so I thought I'd write a T/D one of my own.
Disclaimer: All of everything belongs to Mercedes Lackey.
"Papa, tell me a story!" five year old Jemmie said indignantly. Dirk grinned widely.
"Are you done yet?" Talia stepped inside the room. Dirk stared at her, his eyes lit with love that hadn't dimmed since the day she'd returned from her internship, if not before.
"How can I be done if I just got here?" he asked, smiling up at her. She sat next to him on their son's bed.
"Tell me a story!" Jemmie demanded. Talia smiled at her husband as an idea hit her.
"Once upon a time," she said quietly. "There was a very confused Herald. She'd just become a Herald after completing a dangerous first circuit with one of her best friends, a very handsome Herald. Both she and he thought all their troubles were over, but on their return to Haven, they found out that one of his best friends, another Herald with a homely face and the most beautiful heart of any Herald, was madly in love with her."
"What they didn't know," Dirk said, picking up the story where Talia left off. "Was that he thought that the Herald was in love with his best friend, the very Herald she'd gone on circuit with, the very handsome Herald. She became even more confused, for on circuit, she'd realized that she loved the homely Herald. Before long, all three of them, the woman, the handsome Herald and the homely Herald, were fighting." Talia giggled slightly, sounding more like an eighteen year old than the middle-aged Queen's Own of Valdemar.
"Then, the homely Herald got pneumonia," she said, her eyes brimming with love for her husband.
"What's pneumonia?" Jemmie asked.
"He got very sick," Talia amended. "And while he was sick, the handsome Herald and the woman had to go to another country, to investigate one of their princes as a prospective husband for their own princess. But there was treachery at work. Shortly after their arrival, he had the handsome Herald killed and the woman imprisoned." She swallowed back tears and bad memories. Jemmie's eyes grew wide. Dirk hugged his lifebonded around her shoulders.
"But the homely Herald, with the help of several Companions and the princess, Fetched her back to him. And he told her how much he loved her." "And the Herald showed him how she loved him with all of her heart," Talia said, softly, looking only at her love. Jemmie stared from one to the other.
"Ewwwww," he said finally. Dirk and Talia broke from their trance.
"What?" Talia asked.
"You looked like you was about to kiss," Jemmie said with the dignity that every five year old possesses. "And kissing is gross."
"Romantic," Dirk argued.
"Gross," Jemmie said stubbornly.
"Romantic," Talia and Dirk said together.
"Gross."
"Romantic."
"Gross."
Dirk tickled his son and Jemmie collapsed back against his pillow laughing. "Stop- it- Dad!" Talia laughingly pulled her husband back.
"He needs to go to bed," she mock scolded. Jemmie made a face.
"But Mom!!!!" he wailed. Talia smiled.
"Good night, Jemmie," she said. She kissed him on the forehead and, taking Dirk's arm, walked out of the room.
Once in their room, Dirk turned her around to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Wonderful story, little bird," he teased.
"Haven't I grown out of that nickname?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Never," he said and kissed her again. Talia laughed.
"We tell good stories," she said quietly. "The best thing is, they're true."