Well, I'm not completely happy with the way I wrote this story, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. Might do some editing to it if I have the time. And the usual disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. The song at the end is called "With You" and it's by a band called Boston. It just fit so well I had to use it.
The Bad Song Contest
Vanyel walked into the hall where children were running around and playing and the teenagers were gossiping. Strange to think he'd left the hall a long time ago when he was sent to Haven to live with his aunt. At the moment, Van was preoccupied with his dark thoughts about the attack on his mother. But perhaps this would provide some relief for him... Van looked around for Stef. He found him talking to a group of teenagers. Suddenly Stef looked up and smiled at Van.
"I think it's time to start the contest," Stef said with a huge grin.
Van couldn't help but smile as well. "All right then." Just a few minutes earlier Stef had challenged him to a bad song contest. Racking their brains for the worst songs they knew, trite, badly-rhymed, badly-scanned, anything that sounded horrible, Van and Stef were going to try and sing the absolute worst to the delight of the children and rest of the audience.
"I believe I should give the first try to Vanyel," Stef said with a mocking bow and another smile.
"As you wish, Bard," Van retorted. He took out his lute and began tuning it while thinking of a good opening song. The song about the wandering Healer and his pet birds? No...not good enough. What about the one with the diplomatic mission to Rethwellan? No, that's not right. Van looked up from tuning to watch the children settle down by the fire near him and see Stef leaning against the fireplace with the smallest of smiles touching his lips. Hard to believe he's actually in love with me… As Van watched Stef grin as if reading his thoughts and toss his hair back, the perfect song to start with came to him.
"With your permission Stefen," Van nodded to him, "I would like to sing a song about being trapped in a magic circle for seventeen years."
With barely concealed glee, Stef nodded and grinned. "By all means, impress us with your appalling performance."
Some of the children giggled at that and paid close attention to Van as he started.
"As I wandered the seven kingdoms in search of glory
And traveled to hear of an exotic story
I came upon stunning creatures and mages
Such things I learned from timeless ages"
Van took a look around the room as he continued to sing the song and saw the children giggling and poking each other. Stef was still leaned against the fireplace and Van felt his amusement and love through their lifebond. Van took stock of his own emotions and found that despite his previous feelings that Stef was too young, too naive to know what he wanted, Van really loved him. And it shocked him just a little bit, but he knew that no matter what happened, Stef wasn't going to leave him and that felt comforting.
"And with trepidation, I saw him move too quickly
The shield he put on me, it was so sickly
No way to counter it and lo! I was trapped
The magic circle...such I was backslapped
"For seventeen years I did stay and wait
For there was no power to use a Gate
And I wondered what had become of my foe
Yet the circle was still there in a glow
"No way to escape from the infuriating trap
And then I made a vow unto myself in the gap
To revenge on the mage that had done this ill
I longed to leave the circle, I've had my fill"
Out of the corner of his eye, Van saw Savil leave while stifling laughter. Well no wonder. This song will take forever to finish…
With relief, Van finished the song about the magic circle and looked up. Stef grinned. "That was very good, Vanyel. Or should I say bad?" The children laughed as well as some of the adults who were listening in. "But I believe my song will be even worse than yours...if that's possible."
"Well go ahead and try then Bard! I'd like to see you beat that!" Van shot back.
Stef smiled, took a seat and began launching into a song about the sheep that had inhabited the fields of a northern town.
My gods, who would write a song about sheep? Stef thought. I mean really! Even a magic circle is more interesting than sheep! Sheep? And it's not even meant to be sung to children like a bedtime song. But in this case, Stef thanked whoever wrote the song for their lack of talent because it would help him win this contest.
"All fluffy and white with their black ears
Such innocent creatures with no fears
"Dedicated to them, a sheep's lament
They frolic in the fields to their heart's content"
Stef watched Van from the seat by the fireplace and read him carefully. Van was so damned good at hiding his emotions! It was so hard to figure him out! But Stef wasn't going to lose Van this time. There was no way Vanyel could leave Stef now. Stef smiled at his own thoughts and put his concentration back into the sheep.
A number of bad songs later, there was a close tie between who had won with what song. Half of the crowd was in support of Vanyel for his song about the deadly battle over a carrot and broken arrow. The other half was in support of Stef for his rendition of a song about different types of birds, which wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the badly tuned notes and melody. In the end, Stef won by a slight margin and favored the crowd with one last bad song about holly bushes.
Someone discreetly entered the hall while Stef was playing. Van looked up and was surprised to see his parents walking towards him.
"Well who and what won?" Withen asked. "Or is the contest still proceeding?," he asked noting that Stef was still playing.
"Oh no, Stef won," Van told him. "It was a song about birds that sounded absolutely horrid."
Teresa giggled. "I'm sorry I missed the contest."
"I'm sure someday Stef will challenge me to another," Van said smiling.
Stef finished his song to the loud applause of the audience. He bowed with all the flourish of a Bard and walked over to Van. "I believe I've beaten you for this time, Van. But perhaps someday you'll consent to having another contest with me."
"I'll be looking forward to that."
Van followed Stef out of the hall up to their room and thought of another song. Not a bad one though...a song that perfectly described how he felt right now...
My true love has come to call
The type of man I thought was dead and gone
And said, Sparrow, it's you I've come to see
'Cause with you is where I want to be
Oh, with you, with you
You take me higher
With you, with you
The waters parted the sea
With you, the stars shine much brighter
Fallin' into you, with you, with me
There's no way I'd ever resist
Or push away from your tender kiss
I give you my heart for the world to see
'Cause me with you, well it's destiny
Oh, with you, with you
You take me higher
With you, with you
The waters parted the sea
With you, the stars shine much brighter
Fallin' into you, with you, with me
Oh, with you
The stars shine much brighter
Fallin' into you, with you, with you
Oh, with you, with you, with me
With you, with me