A/N: I just tried.
Disclaimer: Don't need it yet, cause in this very first chapter everything is my own (except of the title - it's highly inspired by.well, you know). Later there will be figures from A Knight's Tale and I will put a proper disclaimer.is this o.k.?
Please review so I know if it's good.
I'm going to make it a romance story with Geoff. Let me know if you don't like the idea. And if you do this please tell me what else to let happen, O.K.?
Enjoy the story!
~*~
A Girl's Tale
By Sa-Sa
*Maureen has always been a strange girl. Shy, privately, silent. In fact most of the people in her village (Corton) thought she was dumb for a very long time. Her quiet voice was seldom heard in Corton. She was so very unalike her father who was very expressive, outspoken and popular with everybody.
Maureen's mother, whom she had her name from, died during the birth. And the older Maureen became the more she looked like her mother. But Maureen's mother also never had been shy or privately. When you spoke to Maureen she would shyly look out from her dark-brown eyes up to you. Her curly uncontrollable jet-black hair hanging over her pale forehead and partly over her face. Either she would answer very short or say nothing and simply turn away. She was a mystery to everybody.
Nobody knew about her father beating her. Because he couldn't bear his daughter looking so much like her mother. He accused her of causing the death of his beloved wife. He couldn't bear having her in the house but also hadn't dear abandoning or even killing her. There was the midwife and people would have asked unpleasent questions. This made him even more furious about his daughter.
Maureen accepted the rage of her father as a part of her life. She believed in her guilt of her mother's death for this she had been told by her father ever since he spoke to her. It was an infringement upon the Ten Commandments and she would go directly to hell for that. Later she learnt that living a god-fearing life would make Him gracious. And so she endured the beatings, the long and sad nights, the terrible nightmares coming with sleep. She tried to comfort her father in every way possible. Finally she was the only female person in the house for her father never married again. Maureen's mother was the only one he ever loved. He even wasn't sure if he loved his daughter. In some ways he hated her (for which he felt very guilty) but also liked her. He was angry about his own splitted feelings and let his daughter feel his anger whenever possible. He was angry about her not being able to sew (actually nobody ever taught her!), he was angry about her being afraid of horses (when she was but five she fell off of a pony and since then she avoided horses) and he was angry about her being so shy. But she avoided the contact to others because she didn't want to like someone and then being hurt by this person, too, just as her father did. And also because she was afraid they could discover the bruises all over her body she always tried her best to hide. It would make them remember her guilt. Although she never heard them speaking about it she was sure they thought exactly as her father did. And he was always right. He was HER FATHER after all and she loved him.
She wasn't satisfied with her life. But she wasn't supposed to be either, considering the fact she had caused the death of her very own mother. She deserved it.
There was only one thing to light up her life: her father had a little box and in it there were a silvery necklace with a small green stone and a drawing of her mother. The necklace once had been her mother's. Her father kept it as a memory. As often as possible Maureen looked lovingly and longingly at the picture (which become more and more like a mirror with the years) and held the necklace in her hand.
When she was 14 the boys (and men) in the village began seeing her with other eyes. Especially one: Cole Slawn, six years older than Maureen and the son of the richest man in the village. He began visiting Maureen and her father. She didn't like him for he was snobby and deceitful. She didn't want to talk to him at all. So she sat silently next to her father when Cole was at their's and hoped he would leave soon. What she didn't know was that Cole and her father already had made an arrangement: when she would be in her 20th year Cole would marry her. Her father saw the money and prestige coming with the marriage. Cole saw the beauty of Maureen and the envy of his friends and foes coming with a beautiful wife. Additionaly it wiould bring him much prestige in the village when he marries that little motherless child. Sure, she was under his status but her father wasn't that poor either. Cole would teach her how to behave he was sure. Just as he had taught his servants.
Maureen's father didn't tell her about this arrangement nor did Cole. And so her life went on as usual. Until her nineteenth birthday came. She didn't knew it but this day would change her life completely. She was now a grown-up beauty and although she didn't knew she had many admirers in the village. Cole took care that nobody approached her.
Her father promised her a nice surprise for her birthday. And so she waked up happily excited for the first time in her young life. What would the surprise be? Perhaps one day off or a nice bunch of flowers... She hurried with her washing and dressing. She even hummed as she combed her hair - to no use: she couldn't tame it. So she let it flown down her shoulders as it always did and hurried down the steps to the kitchen with an expecting grin on her face. However the grin faded very quickly as she saw Cole sitting on a bench and talking with her father. As they noticed her he began staring strangely at Maureen. In his mind he already saw the jealous faces of all the others. He couldn't help but grin which made him even more disgusting to Maureen.
Her father invited her to sit down and began speaking:
"You are a very lucky girl, my dear daughter."
Has he just called her "dear daughter"? He never did that before! Maureen began feeling suspicious.
"You know Cole has visited us ever since you are fourteen. And he had a very special reason for it. Long story short: his only wish ever was to marry you but waited till now so you could get to know him better and grow your own love. But we both now agree that you are ready for becoming his wife. The marriage will be in two weeks."
She was stunned. Only two weeks? How could they have decided that without her? Since she was 12 she knew that she never would marry. And she wasn't going to break that promise to herself now. She never was unruly to her father but now the time has come she decided. But she didn't know how to express it properly. All she could say was
"Don't I get time for thinking about my answer?"
She could literally see how the furious rose in her father.
"WHAT did you just say?"
"I said 'Don't I..."
"I UNDERSTOOD IT VERY WELL!"
So why did you ask? Maureen thought and was very surprised about having such rebellious thoughts.
Cole who had been silent all the time decided that it would be best to leave. Maureen's father would sort out everything for him.
Maureen wasn't relieved as Cole went out of the kitchen as she usually was when he left the house. For this time it meant that she was left alone with the anger of her father. She felt fear crawling up her neck. A kind of fear she had never felt before. She often had painfully suffered from her father's tempers. But this time it was different. Her father looked at her with a weird glance in his eyes.
"DO YOU THINK YOU HAD A CHOICE?"
"But father."
The first slap came. Her cheek burnt.
"DON'T DARE SPEAKING TO ME!"
Second slap on the other cheek. Tears began welling up although she tried her best to fight them down. On some inexplicable reason she didn't want to show him her weakness.
He came very near and she could smell a strong sense of alcohol in his breath.
"Slawns son is the best thing that could possibly happen to you. Don't you see that?"
She winced as he continued beating her.
"STOP WHIMPERING! It's disgusting!"
The smell of alcohol and the fear made her head swirl. Suddenly she felt a new strength in her. She tried to push him away. Wrong choice - it made him even more furious. Surprised he backed away.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?"
His hands searched behind him over the kitchen table - and found a bread- knife. He picked it up and looked strangely at it as if sseing it the first time in his long life. Maureen anxiously observed him.
Suddenly he stepped forward to her and yelled something incomprehensible. Her reaction was fast. She grabbed the first thing she could reach and threw at him to hold him back from her. Only as he collapsed she noticed what she actually had done: she had thrown a huge unhewn block of fire wood at him at hit him very hard at the head. She would never had thought of being able to even lift the block and now she had THREWN it. And seemingly with much strength. Next thing she did was taking away the knife from her father. She felt better now and thought about the consequenses this would have. He obviously was unconscious - or was he. OH NO! Realization hit her very hard.
"First I caused the death of my mummy and now I killed my father!"
She did the first thing which came into her mind: run. As she was out of the house she hesitated wheeled around and ran back into the house and up to her father's chamber. There she took the little box with the necklace and drawing of her mother and left the house again. The only thing she wanted was getting away. Away from this awful place, away from these awful people, away from her awful life. She avoided being seen in the village and rounded it. She ran towards the wood and deep into it. After what seemd hours of running she tripped over a root, fell and kept lying down. She cried for a long time.
As she finally calmed down she pondered what to do next. Sure enough she couldn't (and didn't want to) go back. But how could she live on now? She considered just laying down and waiting till god would finish her useless life. But again she felt this new and unknown strength in her. It was almost like a voice telling her to go on. To see it as a chance.
Suddenly she knew what she would do. She WOULD go on. She WOULD see it as a chance. She would move out into the world and see what it held ready for her.
But she was a murderer after all. She would live a haunted life. She would life as an outcast. But well, she had been all the time, already.
At this moment she noticed that she still held the bread-knife in her hand. Startled she dropped it. Then picked it up again. With a determined look she cut off her hair. She would go on as a boy now. She just had to find some boy's clothes and a bandage to lace her breasts which weren't that big anyways.
How should she call herself (she began feeling about it as a game)? Ryan...why Ryan? Oh yes, she bitterly remembered. Her father always told her he wanted a boy instead of a useless girl. His name would have been Ryan. Well, now she would be the boy he always wanted...*
Disclaimer: Don't need it yet, cause in this very first chapter everything is my own (except of the title - it's highly inspired by.well, you know). Later there will be figures from A Knight's Tale and I will put a proper disclaimer.is this o.k.?
Please review so I know if it's good.
I'm going to make it a romance story with Geoff. Let me know if you don't like the idea. And if you do this please tell me what else to let happen, O.K.?
Enjoy the story!
~*~
A Girl's Tale
By Sa-Sa
*Maureen has always been a strange girl. Shy, privately, silent. In fact most of the people in her village (Corton) thought she was dumb for a very long time. Her quiet voice was seldom heard in Corton. She was so very unalike her father who was very expressive, outspoken and popular with everybody.
Maureen's mother, whom she had her name from, died during the birth. And the older Maureen became the more she looked like her mother. But Maureen's mother also never had been shy or privately. When you spoke to Maureen she would shyly look out from her dark-brown eyes up to you. Her curly uncontrollable jet-black hair hanging over her pale forehead and partly over her face. Either she would answer very short or say nothing and simply turn away. She was a mystery to everybody.
Nobody knew about her father beating her. Because he couldn't bear his daughter looking so much like her mother. He accused her of causing the death of his beloved wife. He couldn't bear having her in the house but also hadn't dear abandoning or even killing her. There was the midwife and people would have asked unpleasent questions. This made him even more furious about his daughter.
Maureen accepted the rage of her father as a part of her life. She believed in her guilt of her mother's death for this she had been told by her father ever since he spoke to her. It was an infringement upon the Ten Commandments and she would go directly to hell for that. Later she learnt that living a god-fearing life would make Him gracious. And so she endured the beatings, the long and sad nights, the terrible nightmares coming with sleep. She tried to comfort her father in every way possible. Finally she was the only female person in the house for her father never married again. Maureen's mother was the only one he ever loved. He even wasn't sure if he loved his daughter. In some ways he hated her (for which he felt very guilty) but also liked her. He was angry about his own splitted feelings and let his daughter feel his anger whenever possible. He was angry about her not being able to sew (actually nobody ever taught her!), he was angry about her being afraid of horses (when she was but five she fell off of a pony and since then she avoided horses) and he was angry about her being so shy. But she avoided the contact to others because she didn't want to like someone and then being hurt by this person, too, just as her father did. And also because she was afraid they could discover the bruises all over her body she always tried her best to hide. It would make them remember her guilt. Although she never heard them speaking about it she was sure they thought exactly as her father did. And he was always right. He was HER FATHER after all and she loved him.
She wasn't satisfied with her life. But she wasn't supposed to be either, considering the fact she had caused the death of her very own mother. She deserved it.
There was only one thing to light up her life: her father had a little box and in it there were a silvery necklace with a small green stone and a drawing of her mother. The necklace once had been her mother's. Her father kept it as a memory. As often as possible Maureen looked lovingly and longingly at the picture (which become more and more like a mirror with the years) and held the necklace in her hand.
When she was 14 the boys (and men) in the village began seeing her with other eyes. Especially one: Cole Slawn, six years older than Maureen and the son of the richest man in the village. He began visiting Maureen and her father. She didn't like him for he was snobby and deceitful. She didn't want to talk to him at all. So she sat silently next to her father when Cole was at their's and hoped he would leave soon. What she didn't know was that Cole and her father already had made an arrangement: when she would be in her 20th year Cole would marry her. Her father saw the money and prestige coming with the marriage. Cole saw the beauty of Maureen and the envy of his friends and foes coming with a beautiful wife. Additionaly it wiould bring him much prestige in the village when he marries that little motherless child. Sure, she was under his status but her father wasn't that poor either. Cole would teach her how to behave he was sure. Just as he had taught his servants.
Maureen's father didn't tell her about this arrangement nor did Cole. And so her life went on as usual. Until her nineteenth birthday came. She didn't knew it but this day would change her life completely. She was now a grown-up beauty and although she didn't knew she had many admirers in the village. Cole took care that nobody approached her.
Her father promised her a nice surprise for her birthday. And so she waked up happily excited for the first time in her young life. What would the surprise be? Perhaps one day off or a nice bunch of flowers... She hurried with her washing and dressing. She even hummed as she combed her hair - to no use: she couldn't tame it. So she let it flown down her shoulders as it always did and hurried down the steps to the kitchen with an expecting grin on her face. However the grin faded very quickly as she saw Cole sitting on a bench and talking with her father. As they noticed her he began staring strangely at Maureen. In his mind he already saw the jealous faces of all the others. He couldn't help but grin which made him even more disgusting to Maureen.
Her father invited her to sit down and began speaking:
"You are a very lucky girl, my dear daughter."
Has he just called her "dear daughter"? He never did that before! Maureen began feeling suspicious.
"You know Cole has visited us ever since you are fourteen. And he had a very special reason for it. Long story short: his only wish ever was to marry you but waited till now so you could get to know him better and grow your own love. But we both now agree that you are ready for becoming his wife. The marriage will be in two weeks."
She was stunned. Only two weeks? How could they have decided that without her? Since she was 12 she knew that she never would marry. And she wasn't going to break that promise to herself now. She never was unruly to her father but now the time has come she decided. But she didn't know how to express it properly. All she could say was
"Don't I get time for thinking about my answer?"
She could literally see how the furious rose in her father.
"WHAT did you just say?"
"I said 'Don't I..."
"I UNDERSTOOD IT VERY WELL!"
So why did you ask? Maureen thought and was very surprised about having such rebellious thoughts.
Cole who had been silent all the time decided that it would be best to leave. Maureen's father would sort out everything for him.
Maureen wasn't relieved as Cole went out of the kitchen as she usually was when he left the house. For this time it meant that she was left alone with the anger of her father. She felt fear crawling up her neck. A kind of fear she had never felt before. She often had painfully suffered from her father's tempers. But this time it was different. Her father looked at her with a weird glance in his eyes.
"DO YOU THINK YOU HAD A CHOICE?"
"But father."
The first slap came. Her cheek burnt.
"DON'T DARE SPEAKING TO ME!"
Second slap on the other cheek. Tears began welling up although she tried her best to fight them down. On some inexplicable reason she didn't want to show him her weakness.
He came very near and she could smell a strong sense of alcohol in his breath.
"Slawns son is the best thing that could possibly happen to you. Don't you see that?"
She winced as he continued beating her.
"STOP WHIMPERING! It's disgusting!"
The smell of alcohol and the fear made her head swirl. Suddenly she felt a new strength in her. She tried to push him away. Wrong choice - it made him even more furious. Surprised he backed away.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?"
His hands searched behind him over the kitchen table - and found a bread- knife. He picked it up and looked strangely at it as if sseing it the first time in his long life. Maureen anxiously observed him.
Suddenly he stepped forward to her and yelled something incomprehensible. Her reaction was fast. She grabbed the first thing she could reach and threw at him to hold him back from her. Only as he collapsed she noticed what she actually had done: she had thrown a huge unhewn block of fire wood at him at hit him very hard at the head. She would never had thought of being able to even lift the block and now she had THREWN it. And seemingly with much strength. Next thing she did was taking away the knife from her father. She felt better now and thought about the consequenses this would have. He obviously was unconscious - or was he. OH NO! Realization hit her very hard.
"First I caused the death of my mummy and now I killed my father!"
She did the first thing which came into her mind: run. As she was out of the house she hesitated wheeled around and ran back into the house and up to her father's chamber. There she took the little box with the necklace and drawing of her mother and left the house again. The only thing she wanted was getting away. Away from this awful place, away from these awful people, away from her awful life. She avoided being seen in the village and rounded it. She ran towards the wood and deep into it. After what seemd hours of running she tripped over a root, fell and kept lying down. She cried for a long time.
As she finally calmed down she pondered what to do next. Sure enough she couldn't (and didn't want to) go back. But how could she live on now? She considered just laying down and waiting till god would finish her useless life. But again she felt this new and unknown strength in her. It was almost like a voice telling her to go on. To see it as a chance.
Suddenly she knew what she would do. She WOULD go on. She WOULD see it as a chance. She would move out into the world and see what it held ready for her.
But she was a murderer after all. She would live a haunted life. She would life as an outcast. But well, she had been all the time, already.
At this moment she noticed that she still held the bread-knife in her hand. Startled she dropped it. Then picked it up again. With a determined look she cut off her hair. She would go on as a boy now. She just had to find some boy's clothes and a bandage to lace her breasts which weren't that big anyways.
How should she call herself (she began feeling about it as a game)? Ryan...why Ryan? Oh yes, she bitterly remembered. Her father always told her he wanted a boy instead of a useless girl. His name would have been Ryan. Well, now she would be the boy he always wanted...*
