*Disclaimer* Bah. You'd think they'd get it the first 30 times...
A/N: Look, this is longer. Yay? Read on!
Chapter 31-Romance
The idea was to make Rosellyn out as a tragic little hero, with her bruised face and pitiful tale of being the lone voice of truth in Awaren's choir. This required very little effort on anyone's part; she could hardly hide the bruise, and the tale needed no embellishing to make it an outrage to everyone. The army was more than happy to throw their lot in with them, and all the children looked to her as a sign of hope.
This was all very new to her, but she supposed it had been going on almost her entire life. First, the father she couldn't remember had abandoned her and taken her brother and sister. Then, her mother had died on the battlefield, leaving her an orphan. Meira and Ellie, her adoptive sisters, kidnapped by the Riders.
And now, when she was supposed to be the one person Awaren should listen to, the one person who knew more than anyone else about pain and loss, he had hit her, and tried to lock her up. Della said her life was exactly like a soap opera, but that didn't make sense; what did soap have to do with singing, and what did singing have to do with her mother?
But she was kept cooped up, and not much in the thick of things. Awaren, after all, couldn't realize she had gotten out, and going back to her room with Fia was out of the question. So she bunked with Tracie and another girl, pelted with constant warnings to keep the door locked when alone and to stay away from the window. Sometimes she would be alone for days, only seeing Tracie and her roommate when they came to sleep, and sometimes they didn't even do that.
When she did she Tracie, though, she filled her in on what had been happening: plans that the army had made, tweaks to the original ones, all sorts of things, how Awaren still didn't know she was gone. And, inevitably, the conversation always turned to Benvenue.
Under Legolas's insistence, Benvenue still believed Rose to be languishing in the cells, and Tracie reluctantly agreed to go along, though she didn't see why. But she would tell Rose how Benvenue had smiled at her when she gave an idea for something, or how he had complimented her on her hairstyle that day. Rose took this as a hope that maybe he was getting over her and falling for her friend. If they loved each other, it would be one less rat in her hair.
One night, while Rose was writing her book on Della's world, there came a knock at the door. But not just any knock; two taps, a pause, then a real knock. That was Tracie's code for 'Hide, there's someone with me.' Rose threw down her quill and dived under the bed. She heard Tracie say, "Oh, Nellas must be out right now, but you can come in anyway." She peeked through the lacy bed skirt to see who Tracie's mystery guest was. Awaren wouldn't have any business with her, unless he knew...
But it wasn't Awaren. It was Benvenue. He looked fidgety, and out of place, exactly as he looked that day on the platform. She was excited for her friend, and hoped she didn't muck it up.
"Miss Tracie, how kind, but I'm afraid I can't stay long. I...your brother will be looking for you, for certain, and I will not keep you waiting." Tracie giggled.
"Benvenue, the meeting's over, Forest's going to bed, and I will be too, in a minute, so don't worry about him." Benvenue's feet shuffled.
"Ah, of course, I, I should have thought of that, you must think me a fool."
"I don't think you're a fool, just the opposite, in fact. You have some really good ideas for us, you know."
"That's...kind of you to say. Your help is invaluable as well, of course." He moved so his toes were almost touching Tracie's. Seeing as he was somewhat preoccupied, Rose took the chance of poking her head out a little bit, to get a better view of what was going on. Tracie was blushing scarlet and staring determinedly at her own toes, and Benvenue's face was just the opposite, somewhat pale. He fingered one of Tracie's bright red braids. "You have beautiful hair, Tracie." She raised her beet red face to him. "And eyes, as well, and a beautiful face...you are a beautiful girl..."
This seemed all the more fascinating to Della from a spectator's point of view. Benvenue's hand lowered from Tracie's hair to the side of Tracie's face as he spoke. When he trailed off, he pulled her close to him and kissed her softly. ~Well,~ Della observed, ~He pulled that off a lot more gracefully with her than he did with us, I must say.~
But Rose wasn't listening. She also found watching two people kiss strangely interesting. It was a pretty long kiss, and when they finally broke off, Tracie was redder and Benvenue was dead white. But they kissed again, even longer, this time. Benvenue broke it off hurriedly, though. "That--that was going a bit too far. I--I only wished to bid you goodnight, miss Traceheart..." Tracie smiled crookedly.
"I think you can call me Tracie now." Benvenue cleared his throat rapidly.
"Ah--ahem--yes, of course. Tracie. Well, ah, I must be going back, your room mate will no doubt be returning shortly...good night." Tracie waggled her fingers after him as he strode away rather quickly.
"Goodnight," she said in a dreamy voice. As she closed the door, Rose wiggled out from under the bed and pounced on her friend.
"Will you look at that? He's in love with you, Trace!" Tracie stared at her.
"Oh! I completely forgot you were in here! You mean you were watching? Of course you were. But, he kissed me, Rose! Twice! Oh, I don't think I'll ever sleep tonight! How can I? It's been so...perfect and so...wonderful!" Rose bounced on the bed.
"Well? Don't keep waiting, how was it?" Tracie flopped next to her and propped herself up on her elbows.
"Magical," she said, in the same dreamy voice, "just like all the stories Anti used to tell us, and Damita. Wet, too," she added, wrinkling her nose slightly. Rose laughed long and loud at that.
"You are truly something else, my friend," she said. Tracie laughed too, and threw her arms around Rose.
"Aw, thanks. Rose...this is the best night of my life. I never want it to end. For those few seconds, I can forget that we're fighting a war, and all that. That's why I love him, that's why I want to...I want to..." Rose stopped her. She stepped back a little and surveyed her friend.
"Don't say it, Trace. I know what you're going to say, and don't say it, not yet. I know you want to, more than anything, but...if he were an Elf, he would be almost two and a half times your age. That's a big gap. Your parents might not allow it. Wait until after the war, and then we'll see, all right?" Tracie sighed pitifully.
"I know, that's what makes sense, but I don't want to wait, Rose, I want him now." Rosellyn nodded sagely.
"I know you do. But it's foolish to pledge love in the middle of a seige, and that's the plain and honest truth. Let's get some sleep, all right? We're sure to need it. Oh, I've been meaning to ask...do you know how Ellie and Meira were taken?" Tracie's face clouded up.
"I was hoping you wouldn't." She sighed. "The most likely thing is, they probably wanted to be like you, and escape. The sentries probably fell asleep and didn't see them. You know how lax they've been. But no one knows for sure. We'll have to ask them when this is all over." Her optimism was oddly comforting.
"I hope we can, Trace, I really hope we can. Thanks for telling me."
"What are friends for? Now get to sleep. I'm too excited to even think about it."
A/N: There. You get a theory about what happened to M&E. But only a theory. What if something worse is afoot? Oooh. Yes, I do find a sort of perverse pleasure in making people wait...
A/N: Look, this is longer. Yay? Read on!
Chapter 31-Romance
The idea was to make Rosellyn out as a tragic little hero, with her bruised face and pitiful tale of being the lone voice of truth in Awaren's choir. This required very little effort on anyone's part; she could hardly hide the bruise, and the tale needed no embellishing to make it an outrage to everyone. The army was more than happy to throw their lot in with them, and all the children looked to her as a sign of hope.
This was all very new to her, but she supposed it had been going on almost her entire life. First, the father she couldn't remember had abandoned her and taken her brother and sister. Then, her mother had died on the battlefield, leaving her an orphan. Meira and Ellie, her adoptive sisters, kidnapped by the Riders.
And now, when she was supposed to be the one person Awaren should listen to, the one person who knew more than anyone else about pain and loss, he had hit her, and tried to lock her up. Della said her life was exactly like a soap opera, but that didn't make sense; what did soap have to do with singing, and what did singing have to do with her mother?
But she was kept cooped up, and not much in the thick of things. Awaren, after all, couldn't realize she had gotten out, and going back to her room with Fia was out of the question. So she bunked with Tracie and another girl, pelted with constant warnings to keep the door locked when alone and to stay away from the window. Sometimes she would be alone for days, only seeing Tracie and her roommate when they came to sleep, and sometimes they didn't even do that.
When she did she Tracie, though, she filled her in on what had been happening: plans that the army had made, tweaks to the original ones, all sorts of things, how Awaren still didn't know she was gone. And, inevitably, the conversation always turned to Benvenue.
Under Legolas's insistence, Benvenue still believed Rose to be languishing in the cells, and Tracie reluctantly agreed to go along, though she didn't see why. But she would tell Rose how Benvenue had smiled at her when she gave an idea for something, or how he had complimented her on her hairstyle that day. Rose took this as a hope that maybe he was getting over her and falling for her friend. If they loved each other, it would be one less rat in her hair.
One night, while Rose was writing her book on Della's world, there came a knock at the door. But not just any knock; two taps, a pause, then a real knock. That was Tracie's code for 'Hide, there's someone with me.' Rose threw down her quill and dived under the bed. She heard Tracie say, "Oh, Nellas must be out right now, but you can come in anyway." She peeked through the lacy bed skirt to see who Tracie's mystery guest was. Awaren wouldn't have any business with her, unless he knew...
But it wasn't Awaren. It was Benvenue. He looked fidgety, and out of place, exactly as he looked that day on the platform. She was excited for her friend, and hoped she didn't muck it up.
"Miss Tracie, how kind, but I'm afraid I can't stay long. I...your brother will be looking for you, for certain, and I will not keep you waiting." Tracie giggled.
"Benvenue, the meeting's over, Forest's going to bed, and I will be too, in a minute, so don't worry about him." Benvenue's feet shuffled.
"Ah, of course, I, I should have thought of that, you must think me a fool."
"I don't think you're a fool, just the opposite, in fact. You have some really good ideas for us, you know."
"That's...kind of you to say. Your help is invaluable as well, of course." He moved so his toes were almost touching Tracie's. Seeing as he was somewhat preoccupied, Rose took the chance of poking her head out a little bit, to get a better view of what was going on. Tracie was blushing scarlet and staring determinedly at her own toes, and Benvenue's face was just the opposite, somewhat pale. He fingered one of Tracie's bright red braids. "You have beautiful hair, Tracie." She raised her beet red face to him. "And eyes, as well, and a beautiful face...you are a beautiful girl..."
This seemed all the more fascinating to Della from a spectator's point of view. Benvenue's hand lowered from Tracie's hair to the side of Tracie's face as he spoke. When he trailed off, he pulled her close to him and kissed her softly. ~Well,~ Della observed, ~He pulled that off a lot more gracefully with her than he did with us, I must say.~
But Rose wasn't listening. She also found watching two people kiss strangely interesting. It was a pretty long kiss, and when they finally broke off, Tracie was redder and Benvenue was dead white. But they kissed again, even longer, this time. Benvenue broke it off hurriedly, though. "That--that was going a bit too far. I--I only wished to bid you goodnight, miss Traceheart..." Tracie smiled crookedly.
"I think you can call me Tracie now." Benvenue cleared his throat rapidly.
"Ah--ahem--yes, of course. Tracie. Well, ah, I must be going back, your room mate will no doubt be returning shortly...good night." Tracie waggled her fingers after him as he strode away rather quickly.
"Goodnight," she said in a dreamy voice. As she closed the door, Rose wiggled out from under the bed and pounced on her friend.
"Will you look at that? He's in love with you, Trace!" Tracie stared at her.
"Oh! I completely forgot you were in here! You mean you were watching? Of course you were. But, he kissed me, Rose! Twice! Oh, I don't think I'll ever sleep tonight! How can I? It's been so...perfect and so...wonderful!" Rose bounced on the bed.
"Well? Don't keep waiting, how was it?" Tracie flopped next to her and propped herself up on her elbows.
"Magical," she said, in the same dreamy voice, "just like all the stories Anti used to tell us, and Damita. Wet, too," she added, wrinkling her nose slightly. Rose laughed long and loud at that.
"You are truly something else, my friend," she said. Tracie laughed too, and threw her arms around Rose.
"Aw, thanks. Rose...this is the best night of my life. I never want it to end. For those few seconds, I can forget that we're fighting a war, and all that. That's why I love him, that's why I want to...I want to..." Rose stopped her. She stepped back a little and surveyed her friend.
"Don't say it, Trace. I know what you're going to say, and don't say it, not yet. I know you want to, more than anything, but...if he were an Elf, he would be almost two and a half times your age. That's a big gap. Your parents might not allow it. Wait until after the war, and then we'll see, all right?" Tracie sighed pitifully.
"I know, that's what makes sense, but I don't want to wait, Rose, I want him now." Rosellyn nodded sagely.
"I know you do. But it's foolish to pledge love in the middle of a seige, and that's the plain and honest truth. Let's get some sleep, all right? We're sure to need it. Oh, I've been meaning to ask...do you know how Ellie and Meira were taken?" Tracie's face clouded up.
"I was hoping you wouldn't." She sighed. "The most likely thing is, they probably wanted to be like you, and escape. The sentries probably fell asleep and didn't see them. You know how lax they've been. But no one knows for sure. We'll have to ask them when this is all over." Her optimism was oddly comforting.
"I hope we can, Trace, I really hope we can. Thanks for telling me."
"What are friends for? Now get to sleep. I'm too excited to even think about it."
A/N: There. You get a theory about what happened to M&E. But only a theory. What if something worse is afoot? Oooh. Yes, I do find a sort of perverse pleasure in making people wait...