Joy upon joys, we got Radiant Dawn! I'm enjoying it so much! This is another one shot, set in RD time, with an OC of mine. I'd like to set up her story, in case I ever decide to post something longer!
Madilynn hid in the shadows and waited for the guards to pass. It was ridiculous, really. Here she was, the eldest daughter of a great house, in a country that had recently been at war, the people having to cope with Begnion forces taking full control and doing as they pleased, and yet she was trying to sneak out of her family's keep.
Her life, along with nearly everyone else's life, had changed. It not for the better.
A proper marriage was expected of her. Ladylike behavior was expected of her. She had, in the past couple of years, tried to push everything out of her mind, convinced that the war would make finding a "proper husband" hard, but that day, which had gone from bad to worse, proved otherwise.
Dawn had risen early that morning, but she was awake long before the sun. Her hair, a pale blonde she had long been dying colored streaks into, was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, ragged, worn tights covered her legs, and an old tunic had been pulled over her head. As she was pulling on her old boots, two of her mother's maids had entered the room.
She looked up, feeling caught. The silver sword on her bed glittered in the morning light.
"M'lady," one of the maids said in greeting. She was slightly younger than Madilynn, and she looked timid. The older maid looked stern. They were followed in by two more servants carrying a large wooden tub.
Her morning had not been full of swordplay as she desired, but instead in a tub of water that grew cold as the maids tried to wash the orange coloring from her hair. She had cried, fought, and struggled, splashing her room and the women. Most of the orange had been poured out with the cold water.
It was only when she sat, sulking, in a robe as her hair dried, that her mother had arrived to explain what was happening.
"Oh, Madi," she had sighed at the sight of the room. She crossed over to the vanity, careful to avoid the wet spots, and sat down by her daughter. "You cannot act like this tonight. Lord Brycen is coming."
"Lord who?"
"Your betrothed."
"What?" Madilynn had risen to her feet in anger. Her mother reached out and grabbed her hand. "You cannot do this! Why would you spring this on me now instead of giving me any warning! Don't I have any say?" She tried to free herself from her mother's grip, but her mother tightening her grasp on her eldest daughter.
Her face a stern mask, she said, "Do not act like this tonight! The war is over, and it is time life resumed."
Madilynn continued to struggle to free herself from her mother's grip. The idea of leaving had already been planted in her mind before. It had come one night as she crossed blades with one of the young boys from the stable. She had brushed it away at first, not wanting to leave her family behind. It had never left. The desire grew stronger as her parents began talks of looking for a suitable husband. The urge to run had grown the strongest it had ever been after her morning of having been forcefully scrubbed and cleaned.
Her mother had finally released her grip on her daughter when the maids returned. The younger one carefully and gingerly carried a dress while the older one carried grooming supplies. Madilynn was then dressed and primped, though not without complaint. A gown in the softest silk had been made for her. It was beautiful and delicate, a sweet shade of lavender that brought out her eyes. Still, she struggled, hoping that perhaps if she tore it, she would not have to meet this Lord Brycen.
As she was being fussed over by her maids and mother alike, she could hear her brothers outside. Their shouts carried to her window as they practiced in the yard below with their swords. She sighed wistfully. She belonged in the yard, not in her bedchambers with her hair being pinned back.
After they were done dressing her like a doll, Madilynn hoped that she would be able to slip away. Her mother, however, had expected that much of her willful child. She spent the morning watched over by two guards. She had sat at the seat beneath her window, envying her brothers their fun. She quickly lost track of time, her mind elsewhere. The sound of approaching horses brought her back to her room and made her stomach drop. She did not need her youngest sister, Rina, giddy in her own fancy gown, to burst into her room to announce that her husband-to-be had arrived.
"You look pretty, Madi," Rina added. She squinted and tilted her head to the side as she studied her sister. "But I miss the orange in your hair." Madilynn had done her hair with orange streaks because it was Rina's favorite color.
"Me too, little one." Madilynn reached over and grabbed Rina's hand. She allowed herself to be pulled from her room by her excited sister. Out in the hall, they bumped into two of their brothers. Erich, the oldest, and Nyles, wore matching outfits, though Nyles wore green while Erich wore a deep sapphire. "Sorry about this, Madi," Erich began, reaching for his sister's arm to escort her to the entrance of the keep.
Madilynn recoiled and pulled away. "You knew?" Madilynn demanded, narrowing her eyes to purple slits.
"Well, yes, Father - "
She looked at Erich's still outstretched hand as though it was a disgusting insect and stepped closer to Rina. Rina, a mere child, had done nothing wrong. She could not help her glee at such an important event, and she did not notice her sister's displeasure. Her brothers, who she had spent many days battling across the yard, had given no indication of this. No warning. They had not thought of her in the least. 'Betrayers,' she thought.
Rina had taken great pride in her sudden role of being the person to present Madilynn. In her own innocent way, she took Madilynn directly to this Lord Brycen. "This," she began, her voice swelling with pride," is Madi." She placed her sister's hand in the lord's, not knowing much about the formalities.
"Madilynn," her father corrected her sternly. He turned to the young lord beside him and started to apologize.
"But we call her Madi!" Rina's mouth twisted into a pout. Madilynn thought of comforting her, but the lord's chuckle stopped them all.
"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Madi," he said, tipping a wink to Rina, who smiled and blushed as Lord Brycen bent to kiss Madilynn's hand.
Madilynn felt a nudge at her back, certain it was Erich. She let out a small noise, perhaps one of disgust, and sighed. "The pleasure... is mine," she muttered, looking down at the floor. She wanted her hand back.
Lord Brycen himself was handsome, or at least most of the women in the family seemed to think. His hair, black as night, fell in loose curls past his shoulders. His eyes were a soft aquamarine, made more prominent by the blue tunic he wore. He had sharp features, a muscular build, and he was tall. Even Rina seemed happy when he paid her attention.
That evening's meal had marked the worst meal of Madilynn's life. She had been placed across from her betrothed, though that was not what had ruined her appetite. Her other sister, Yvette, sat three seats down from Madilynn, but she was openly gawking at Brycen. She sat cupping her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table though no one scolded her for being improper, her focus only on their guest. Rina beamed whenever he acknowledged her. And her mother even blushed and tittered like a young girl when he spoke.
'If they want him, why can't one of them take him?' Madilynn thought. Her mother was out of the question, of course. Rina was, too, as she was merely a child. Yvette would be a good replacement, as the second eldest daughter. The issue there, though, was she fourth eldest.
Madilynn sat pushing her food around on the plate, ignoring the conversation even when it turned to her. The sight of her plate being removed was a welcome one, as she hoped the meal would be over. Then came the dessert. Perhaps as a way of making her happy, the chef had made several different miniature fruit tarts. Whenever they were made, she would slip into the kitchen to swipe some for herself and Rina.
She tried to ignore the sweets, but once Rina hopped out of her seat with a cherry tart to offer to her, she could not say no. She allowed her sister, her fingers sticky from cherry filling, to crawl into her lap and put it in her mouth. "Isn't it good, Madi?" she asked. "I know it's your favorite!"
Her mother and father looked appalled. Lord Brycen chuckled. "I see you are wonderful with children, Madi."
"I love my sister," she said, her tone defensive as she pulled Rina close.
"My apologies. I did not mean to hurt or offend; I was only saying that motherhood would suit you."
All of a sudden, the cherry tart felt like it was coming back up. She managed to excuse herself, put Rina down, and leave the room. Who was this presumptuous man? She clenched her fist, wanting the day to be over with so she could destroy Erich as they sparred in the morning. She unclenched her fist and sighed. She had to get through this nightmare first. After a few deep breaths, she returned to dinner.
What made her change into her old clothes, tie the silver sword around her hip, and wait in the shadows as the guards stood talking for what seemed like a century, happened later that evening. At her father's request, or, more specifically, at his demand, she had taken Lord Brycen for a tour around the grounds.
At first, things seemed well. He even offered her an apology. "I am sorry, Lady Madilynn, this seems quite sudden for you."
"It is." They were strolling the grounds, walking through the well maintained garden. Flowers blossomed on every side, their scents mingling. She had not allowed him to take her arm, crossing her arms over her chest instead. " I learned of all this only this morning. How long?"
"Pardon?" He had stopped to smell a large purple blossom.
"Have you been talking to my father?" She thought for a moment, then added, "And my brother, I suppose."
"Ah," he chuckled. "It has been several months. Your father actually approached me before the recent conflict." He laughed again as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You have a willful spirit."
"Thank you?" She was not sure it was a compliment or not.
He left the flower and stepped closer to her. "Perhaps that explains..." he reached forward and touched her hair, "this?" She stepped back. As she did, her hair slipped between his fingers, the orange obvious in the moonlight. He sighed and said, "It is not becoming to color your hair like that."
"Do you expect it to stop?" she asked, bristling.
"Well, yes. It is not something proper ladies do. And besides, how would a mother look with her hair streaked like a commoner?"
"You keep going back to motherhood - "
"I need an heir, Madilynn. That, and allegiance, are the reasons for marrying, are they not?"
"An heir." Her voice was flat.
He let out an exasperated sigh. Perhaps he thought he was dealing with someone slow witted. "Yes," he began slowly, "to carry on my family name, to take over my keep, control my holdings - "
It was her turn to cut him off. "And do you propose I give up the sword as well?"
He smiled a smile that someone else might have considered charming. She found it strained. "Well, yes, how are you to nurse with a sword in hand? I told you father I would want to have an heir within the year."
Madilynn had heard enough. That was neither her father or Brycen's place to make such a demand. Children came when they did or sometimes not at all. She turned to go. He caught her hand as she did, but she turned back and gave him a shove, sending him tumbling into the roses.
As soon as her father had gotten word, he demanded an apology. Lord Brycen, covered in scratches, had told him it was her "willful nature" and he held no grudges. As soon as she was given leave, she headed to her room. She was not going to rest and apologize in the morning. She was going to pack. From the back her of wardrobe she had pulled a pale gray bag. It had been put there by a maid during the war should she needed to pack and flee with her family.
Well, she would use it to pack and flee that night.
Several pieces of garb went into the bag, none of them fancy gowns. Those were for proper ladies. The one she wore, made for that night, she tore off, balled up, and threw into the corner. She replaced it with the clothing she had picked out that morning. On her clothes she placed a small pouch of gold, a few bits of jewelry in case she ran out of money, and she started to place her vials of hair dye on there as well. Then she stopped.
With a grin, she took the brightest pink she had and put several bold streaks in her hair. Waiting in the keep was not smart, she knew. Someone could come to her room, her father perhaps, to confront her. But she wanted the joy of the bright, vibrant pink. Perhaps it would give Lord Brycen a fainting fit?
On top of that, to keep the vials from rattling and her gold from jingling, she placed a couple of cloaks. It was too hot that evening to wear one, but she would eventually need them. She shut the bag, tossed it over her back, and grabbed her sword.
A quick glance outside the door gave her the chance to get away. There was no one in sight.
Her luck changed near the entrance. The door itself was unguarded, but the hall was not empty. Two guards stood nearby, propped up on their lances. They were discussing their visitor.
"Comes off as fake to me," one was saying. He shook his head. "You really think they could do better."
"There's no lack of lordlings," his companion agreed.
Their conversation went on for several minutes. As Madilynn crouched in the shadows, she knew she could not stay there any longer. Her legs were starting to cramp. She slipped back the way she had come, but this time she ducked into one of the empty rooms in the hall. It was a den, one her mother used to sit and sew in. At times, her father and Erich would take it over.
She crept to the window and unlocked it. In no time, she was out of the window and in the garden. She stuck to the shadows. The moon was nearly full, and it would give her away. However, it had also blessed her. Its light glinted off the guards' armor, showing her exactly where they were.
Madilynn walked along the treeline, though a laugh bubbled in her throat as she passed the rose garden. The poor plants themselves had not deserved to be crushed by an arrogant lord, but she saw it as a small victory in a day that had been so difficult.
At the wall, there was an old tree. One she had climbed in as a child. Rina did not take well to tree climbing, but Erich and Nyles had taught her to climb. She grabbed a low branch and hoisted herself up. At the top of the wall, her heart started to race. This was it. This would be the chance to get away or to get caught. She had to do this quickly.
She hoisted herself onto the wall, her heartbeat thudding in her ears. No shout reached her. She took one quick glance to the ground below, then slid off the wall, rolling as she landed. Nothing sprained, nothing broken. She looked back at the keep just for a moment, wishing she could have at least brought Rina along, before she ran off into the night.