WARNING: If you are not a fan of the Horace/Cassandra pairing, turn back now. There will be lots of Horace/Cassie fluff in this chapter.
Set #3: No time limits, character centric. This time around, I'll be focusing all of the songsnippets on a certain character:
This round's character: Horace
THERE WILL ONLY BE 5 STORIES THIS TIME. Why? Because I feel like it. :P And because these are going to be rather long stories.
Also, this time around, I'll be doing something that my sister recommended. I'll list the length of the songs (m:s), but instead of limiting myself to one repetition only, I'll play the song however many times it takes to finish the blurb, and then list how many times I listened to the song while writing the blurb, so y'all get a general idea of how long I spent on each one. Just a fun little idea.
P.S. By the way, I'm sorry that the last chapter only had nine shots – I didn't realize this until someone pointed it out in a review. Terribly sorry.
Anyway, enjoy the Horace blurbs and Horace/Cassie fluffermuffins!
1. If Everyone Cared (Skillet) – Length: 3:34 – Repetitions: 4
Horace sighed as he ran his hand across his face. When Duncan knighted him all those years ago, he'd known, however vaguely, that knighthood would come at a price. It wouldn't always be a cushy existence of celebrity status and glorious battles. Since that day, he'd learned very well that battles were by no means glorious, and a knight's life was anything but cushy.
But the one thing that he hadn't been expecting since that day was the sheer amount of depravity surrounding him.
Each day he spent longer in his position, the more pompous, heartless sods he met in seats of power. They were self-consumed. They were spiteful. They wanted everything. They shared nothing. And most of all, they didn't care about anybody. There were no such things as 'relationships' to them – only 'relations'. Assets. Tools. It all went against everything that Horace had learned and valued over his years of experience, and dealing with those idiot barons, knights, and nobles, let alone working with them, taxed at Horace emotionally and mentally.
He hung his head against the cool granite pillar and wished that he could, for just a moment, escape from it all. He let out another deep sigh.
A small hand came to rest on the crook of his arm. He opened his eyes slowly, to look sadly over at Cassandra.
"You alright?" She asked him.
He shrugged. "Oh, you know. Just the same as always." He looked away.
She frowned at him. "No you're not. The Horace I know doesn't sulk like this. What's on your mind?" She prodded kindly.
Horace sighed, looking out into the dusk. "Oh, it's just… Everything, I mean, everyone that seems to be in charge of this country gets on my nerves." He said. Cassandra turned to glare sharply at him. He corrected himself quickly. "I mean, not everyone – not you and your father or anyone like that, it's… Just… Oh, Cassie, surely you know what I mean. There are so many barons… So many lords and knights who just… Ugh!" He pounded his fist against the balcony railing. "They're such…" Horace's mouth twitched a few times, but his voice faded off before he could use rude language in front of the princess.
Cassandra smiled at his close restraint, but it was a sad smile. "Yes, I know what you're talking about." She told him. She said nothing for a moment, simply resting her hand on his arm, studying his features as he stared broodingly out into the horizon.
"Horace, you can't change them." She told him eventually.
He sighed, and nodded in resignation. "I know. But I just wish that…"
"That they would change? Horace, if they're ever going to change their stubborn ways, it'll their own decision, not yours. All you can do is give them a good example to follow. And maybe, when life knocks them off their feet, they'll look at you, and decide to be more responsible. Until then," She told him, "There's really nothing you can do."
Several moments passed before Horace responded. "I suppose. I just wished that they… Well, that they cared."
Cassandra smiled sadly, looking at him appraisingly. Horace had a natural sense of responsibility about him. He wanted to solve every problem, fix every issue. She knew he couldn't, but his willingness to try and his concern for the problem showed the good heart he had beneath his sometimes simple exterior. Not for the first time, Cassandra was incredibly thankful to have Horace as a friend.
"If everyone cared as much as you do, Horace, the world would be a better place." She told him, drawing nearer to him. "But until then, I'll be ever-grateful for your caring heart." As she said it, she wormed her way between him and the railing so that she could wrap her arms around him lovingly.
Slightly taken off guard, Horace returned the embrace.
"Cassie?" Horace asked after a while.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think they'll ever change?"
She smiled. "If you stick around long enough, Horace, they just might."
A/N: Here I will apologize in advance for the overload of Horace/Cassie fluff that is sure to ensue in this chapter. I just can't get enough of them. I must admit that they're my favorite RA couple right now. :P
2. Love Like Crazy (Lee Bruce) – Length: 3:37 – Repetitions: 6
"Arg! I'm gonna get you!" The huge hands came down upon the innocent little boy, and he screamed and ducked away. Strangely, it was hard to tell if the child was screaming in fear or laughter.
"Not if I get away first!" He squealed, making for the couch, which he dived behind enthusiastically. The huge monster perusing him could never follow him here, he thought.
Of course, he hadn't counted on the fact that the monster had such long arms. They snaked behind the furniture and grabbed him by the feet, dragging him up to a dizzying height. He screeched again, but the giant only laughed at him.
"Haha! I have you now!" It gloated, bringing him in closer.
Knowing the peril that awaited him in those deep clutches, the boy wriggled this way and that, trying to escape. "No! No, ahhh!" He grabbed with miniscule fingers at the huge claws, but it was of no use.
The enormous hands descended upon his belly, and he dissolved into a fit of giggling. Oh, the torture! How could he ever overcome the dreaded Tickle Monster? It was a daunting feat only accomplishable by the bravest of knights.
Which, of course, should have made this relatively easy for him, considering he was the most bravest knight to ever walk on the earth. Unfortunately, bravery did not translate into sheer strength - he might just need some help on this one.
"Ahhh! Help!" he cried. Though slightly disoriented from his upside-down position, he could make out the form of his trusty steed in the distance. "Help!" He cried towards the majestic animal, "Lancey, help me!"
Lance came bounding dutifully towards his master, but he couldn't seem to figure out how to help the hanging young knight.
Now growing tired from laughing and hanging and clawing at the monster, the knight was beginning to wonder if he would survive. Lance was being no help whatsoever - how would he escape?
"What's going on in here?" A voice appeared. It was his salvations.
Oh, what joy! Finally, a vision of hope before his eyes! He may yet be delivered from the tortures of this foul beast! Through painful giggles, he mustered a call for help.
"Mommy, save me!"
Cassandra smiled lopsidedly at the red-faced toddler and reached to pluck him from where he hung. She righted him and set him on the ground. He quickly set off running down the hall to another room, the huge, bounding wolfhound, Lance, following close behind him. Cassandra shook her head, before turning to the 'Tickle Monster'.
"Oh, the trouble the two of you get up to. I could hear you from the council room, you realize."
"Well, lucky thing that council isn't in session." Horace smiled cheekily at her, kissing her cheek.
"You are crazy, you know that?"
"And if I am, you know you love me for it."
She shook her head again. Before she could comment further, Lance came trotting back into the room, a toddler balanced on his tall shaggy back. As the dog passed, Cassandra casually picked her son up and plopped him in her lap.
"Liam, what have I said about riding around on Lance?"
He hid his small face.
She scoffed. "Oh, you are such a crazy little man. You take after your father." She glared over at Horace, who looked offended.
"Did you hear that, Liam?" Horace looked astonished over at his son. "She called us crazy. Well, I'd say that she's crazy, don't you think?"
Liam shook his brown-haired head. "Nope."
Horace's eyebrows rose at that. "And what about me? Is daddy crazy?"
Liam smiled widely, green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yep!"
Cassandra laughed, and Horace sniffed in annoyance. Lance came and laid his long shaggy head down on Horace's knee. Despite being bred as a hunting dog, Lance was really a giant teddy bear, who liked to think that he was something of a lap dog. The man looked down at his dog now.
"You know, Lance, I do believe this is something akin to 'mutiny'." The dog looked back up at him intelligently, and licked at Horace's hand in consolation.
"Well, it may be mutiny, but it's the truth." Cassandra rose and went over to him, balancing Liam on her hip as she did so. "You are crazy. But you are also right – I do love you for it." She kissed him, and turned back to her son.
"You too, little man." She kissed Liam's forehead. "You may both be crazy, but I love you both for it."
"Hmm… Speaking of 'crazy'…" Horace innocently rose from his seat, and drew closer to his son. Suddenly, his hands came down upon the boy.
"You'd better run!"
Enthusiastically rejoining their game, Liam wriggled free of his mother's grasp and made for the hallway, Horace in hot pursuit.
Exited by the action, Lance barked and ambled after them. Cassandra only sighed and watched them go. They were crazy, all of them.
But she loved her boys, for however crazy they were.
A/N: I've been wanting to do something like that for a while, now. I tell you, there's a whole slew of post-RA stories running around in my head, wanting to be written. By the way, I'm not sure how well this was conveyed in the story, but Lance was written to be an Irish Wolfhound – they're amazing dogs. Go look up a picture to get an idea of just how big they are – they're more or less small horses, not dogs. And Liam is the shortened version of 'William', which I picked as a kind of reference to a line in book 8 where Horace promises to name all of his grandchildren (or children, in this case) after Will because of a rather dubious favor that the ranger did for him. I hope you enjoyed it!
3. Undignified (David Crowder Band) – Length: 3:34 – Repetitions: 4
Horace gulped as he surveyed the huge animal. Horses were much more intimidating up close, he decided. Especially battlehorses.
When he'd agreed so readily to learn to ride, he hadn't given the experience a second thought. It would be a fact of life from now on he knew, and he hadn't really expected to meet much resistance from a simple-minded horse. In all honesty, he had thought learning to ride might be something along the lines of learning to climb a ladder. Unfortunately, he'd been wrong.
His assigned horse, Kicker, was giving him nothing but trouble. Horace was a strong boy; consequently, he'd been paired with a strong horse. However, Kicker had so much muscle, it made Horace look like a wiry little cat standing next to a bear.
"What, afraid of a little pony, baby?" Jerome, one of Horace's quickly-acquired enemies, taunted. Horace grit his teeth in annoyance. Swallowing his dread, he quickly mounted up on the horse with surprisingly little effort. However, being on top of the beast didn't exactly ease Horace's nerves. The giant hulk of horseflesh moved and shifted beneath him, constantly reminding him of the fact that though it may obey his commands if it felt like it, this horse was most definitely alive, and could do whatever the heck it dang well felt like doing, with no difference to Horace's relatively insignificant weight on its back.
Gulping, he tapped the reins lightly against Kicker's neck, and the steed started forward.
Rodney watched at a distance as Horace and the other apprentices mounted up. Some had already learned, and some where naturals at it. Most of them had moderate control of their animals, though a few were still struggling to mount.
Horace, though he may have looked a touch knightly atop his mighty steed, felt quite certifiably terrified. Don't get too nervous, the Horsemaster's words rang in his head, horses can sense your emotions, and can tell if you're an experienced rider or not. If you tense up, so will they. If you're nervous, they'll be nervous. The last thing you want is to be on top of a battlehorse while it's skittish. People get hurt that way.
Horace gulped again, taking a deep breath, wishing he was somehow not as terrified as he was. Kicker's ears flickered from side to side in a nervous manner. Experimentally, Horace tugged on the reins, and directed the horse in a circle. Encountering no trouble, he tried to nudge the horse into a faster gait. Kicker obeyed, and though Horace was still rather tense, he was beginning to think that he'd gotten a handle of things.
Then his foot came out of the stirrup.
Curse whoever had adjusted that darned thing to be so short. In a strangely blurry sequence of events, Kicker reeled around and bolted for the stables, going much faster than Horace would have liked, before turning suddenly and throwing the battleschool apprentice high into the air, to let him land in a very unfortunate spot of ground.
A chorus of groans and gasps, and three sets of laughter (he could already guess from whom) sounded as he disdainfully pulled his face from the ground.
There was absolutely no way to remain dignified, Horace thought, with one's face covered in horse manure.
A/N: Hehehehehehehe! I'm so mean. This reminds me strangely of several events in Merlin… :P
4. Safe and Sound (MercyMe) – Length: 3:43 – Repetitions: 3
It was late. Not too many people in Castle Araluen were awake this time of night, and so the general welcome home was lacking in enthusiasm, but that was alright with Horace. He was simply glad to be home. He was battered, worn, tired and slightly injured, but he was alive, and he was home.
He'd been gone for nearly two months, now, on a campaign to the southern fiefdoms, to join in the fight against a small uprising that threatened to ravage the crops and villages of southwest Araluen. It had been a long, hard fight, and Horace was glad to be headed home. He'd been traveling for three days, now, and despite darkness, he'd ridden on through the night to reach the Castle at long last.
The night guards greeted him warmly – they knew him well. He simply nodded, and went on to his quarters. There was really only one welcome that he wanted to have receive at that moment. He washed himself down from the dust of the road, and changed into some clean clothes, before heading up the deserted stairwells to the royal suite. The guards let him pass without question. Horace was one of the few men who was allowed in the royal apartments in and of his own title. He bypassed a number of doors until he reached the one he'd come for. Passing through a cushy anteroom, he headed to an understated wooden door.
He'd promised her he'd let her know the moment he got home. He knocked on her door.
Hair mused from sleep, nightgown wrinkled, Cassie answered the door with a sleepy expression. Her eyes widened as she recognized Horace's voice.
"Well, I've actually been home for several moments, but I figured that you-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as Cassandra launched herself at him, hugging him with a strength that contradicted her small size and drowsiness.
"You're safe." She said, as if letting out a breath she'd been holding for weeks.
Horace smiled, burying his face in her hair, reveling in her presence. Only then did he realize just how much he had missed her.
"Yes, I'm safe." He assured the princess, who was falling asleep rather quickly against his chest, "Safe and sound."
A/N: Aww, another little thing that I've been waiting to do for a while. I really like this whole little song-stories deal. It lets me write down all of the fluffy stories that aren't actual stories and post them for you guys to read. It also helps me procrastinate from papers that are due in a few days. :P
5. Revelation (Third Day) – Length: 3:33 – Repetitions: 4
It was rather ridiculous that he had never realized it before then. In fact, it was nearly impossible to believe that he had been so dense as to not realize it sooner. It was so blindingly clear that an idiot would have seen it from a mile away. It was natural; it was perfectly blatant; it was so utterly and completely, inexplicably and disgustingly obvious that Horace felt like smacking himself upside the head for not noticing it sooner.
He was in love with the crown princess.
When he had blurted out this new revelation rather unexpectedly in Will's company, the ranger had laughed quite heartily at Horace's expense. "You're just now figuring that out, are you?" Will had commented through laughter, "Well then, I'm glad you finally admitted it." Annoyingly, from then on, Will couldn't be in both Horace's and Cassandra's presence without snickering in a very unbecoming way.
Halt, unfortunately, offered no more consolation than his overly amused former apprentice.
"You know, why Duncan enlists the counsel of such oblivious knights is beyond me," the jaded ranger had said after Horace had confided in him, "of course you're in love with Cassandra. It's not like I didn't know that beforehand." As he'd said it, one of Halt's eyebrows had been perked precariously above a dark gaze. If what Will said was to be believed, this was the Halt equivalent of a smirk.
The world was against him, Horace was convinced.
After a great deal of confusion and annoyance, the knight had finally mustered up the courage to inform Cassandra herself of his brilliant new revelation.
When she heard him say it, her face had broke into a grin. At first, Horace had thought that she too might poke fun at his slowness of mind, but instead, she had grabbed his face and kissed him.
You know, Horace thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around her, she always seems to appreciate my revelations more than everyone else.
Horace decided that he might just have to come up with some more revelations some time soon.
A/N: Oh, that knight's mind is SO much fun to mess with, isn't it? I enjoyed writing these. :P If you enjoyed them, please review!