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rainbowfic2016-02-18 11:59 pm
bookblather) wrote in rainbowfic2016-02-18 11:59 pm
Color Party 40, First Light 13: Reunion
Author: Kat
Title: Reunion
Story: Shine Like It Does -- Tudors AU
Colors: Color party 40 (Damson), first light 13 (Clasp)
Supplies and Materials: Eraser (Tudors AU), pastels (back), novelty beads (Please don't change, please don't break/The only thing that seems to work at all is you)
Word Count: 646
Rating: PG
Summary: Charlotte is reunited with her dearest friend.
Warnings: none.
Notes: A few minutes late for Mary I's birthday, but here's some happiness for that poor girl anyway.
Charlotte's skirts were the deep purple of sweet dried plums, and they rustled about her as she waited, fidgeting, in the reception room of Hunsdon House. "Lady Mary is at her prayers," they had said, and of course she understood that-- had she not spent hours in prayer herself, during the long years of their separation? Poor lady, to be sent in service to her bastard half-sister when all the world knew she was the true and only heir.
Not that it mattered. She smoothed nervous hands down her skirts, and forced herself to be calm.
Five years. Five long years since she had seen her lady mistress, the dearest friend she had ever had, more sister than her own blood. Miranda had sighed when she heard that, a sharp huff of air through her nose, and Jack had looked troubled, but Charlotte did not care what they thought. Neither of them knew it, not really. She and the Princess Mary were so near in age, barely six months apart, and they'd been so close as children, sharing lessons and letters and every girlish confidence. Charlotte had even been allowed to accompany the princess to Ludlow Castle as her maid of honor.
And yet... it had been five years. Three years had been enough to work an irreversable change in Miranda and Jack-- what could five years, under the most unimaginable stress and pain, have done to her princess?
Oh, she should not have worn this dress. It was flattering to her, yes, and of the same style she and the princess had worn together as girls, but it was purple, the king's color, and surely Princess Mary would resent it? Charlotte had only meant it as a compliment, as a sign that she at least still respected the princess' right to the throne, but...
The steward struck his staff of office on the floor, and Charlotte jumped, torn from her reveire. "The Lady Mary Tudor!"
She sank immediately into a curtsey, her skirts pooling around her feet, mocking her.
Footsteps rang clear on the stone floor, and then halted, abruptly. "Charlotte?" said the Princess Mary.
"Your Highness," Charlotte said, and ignored the steward's cough. "I have come to serve you once again." There was a silent pause-- she swallowed. "My sister serves her Majesty the Queen-- she wrote and said his Majesty had given his permission-- I, I did not..."
"Charlotte," the princess said, and then the footsteps rang out again, coming close. Charlotte glanced up, startled into the breach of etiquette, and then Mary was down on her knees beside her, flinging her arms around her shoulders. "Charlotte!"
"Mary," she blurted, and hugged her right back. "I am so glad to see you!"
"Oh, and I you," Mary replied, and squeezed once, tightly, before she scrambled to her feet in a swirl of cloth. "Oh, get up, please, you must come and see, his Majesty has--" She stopped, abruptly, coloring lightly across the ridge of her cheeks. "You may leave us," she told the steward, lifting her chin.
"My lady," the steward said, disapproving, and left.
Mary looked back at Charlotte and rolled her eyes, and the both of them burst into giggles.
It wasn't seemly, and a little voice that sounded like Charlotte's mother was shrieking at her, demanding she behave as befitted her and the Princess Mary's dignity, but... but what did her mother know anyway? Mary came tripping back across the floor and extended her hand to help Charlotte up, unself-conscious, and if anyone would know the proper royal dignity it would be she, who had suffered so much for it.
"I am so glad I could come to you," Charlotte said again, and took her lady's hand.
"So am I," Mary told her, smiling. "Oh, and what a lovely dress!"
Charlotte glanced down at her damson-colored skirts, and smiled.
Title: Reunion
Story: Shine Like It Does -- Tudors AU
Colors: Color party 40 (Damson), first light 13 (Clasp)
Supplies and Materials: Eraser (Tudors AU), pastels (back), novelty beads (Please don't change, please don't break/The only thing that seems to work at all is you)
Word Count: 646
Rating: PG
Summary: Charlotte is reunited with her dearest friend.
Warnings: none.
Notes: A few minutes late for Mary I's birthday, but here's some happiness for that poor girl anyway.
Charlotte's skirts were the deep purple of sweet dried plums, and they rustled about her as she waited, fidgeting, in the reception room of Hunsdon House. "Lady Mary is at her prayers," they had said, and of course she understood that-- had she not spent hours in prayer herself, during the long years of their separation? Poor lady, to be sent in service to her bastard half-sister when all the world knew she was the true and only heir.
Not that it mattered. She smoothed nervous hands down her skirts, and forced herself to be calm.
Five years. Five long years since she had seen her lady mistress, the dearest friend she had ever had, more sister than her own blood. Miranda had sighed when she heard that, a sharp huff of air through her nose, and Jack had looked troubled, but Charlotte did not care what they thought. Neither of them knew it, not really. She and the Princess Mary were so near in age, barely six months apart, and they'd been so close as children, sharing lessons and letters and every girlish confidence. Charlotte had even been allowed to accompany the princess to Ludlow Castle as her maid of honor.
And yet... it had been five years. Three years had been enough to work an irreversable change in Miranda and Jack-- what could five years, under the most unimaginable stress and pain, have done to her princess?
Oh, she should not have worn this dress. It was flattering to her, yes, and of the same style she and the princess had worn together as girls, but it was purple, the king's color, and surely Princess Mary would resent it? Charlotte had only meant it as a compliment, as a sign that she at least still respected the princess' right to the throne, but...
The steward struck his staff of office on the floor, and Charlotte jumped, torn from her reveire. "The Lady Mary Tudor!"
She sank immediately into a curtsey, her skirts pooling around her feet, mocking her.
Footsteps rang clear on the stone floor, and then halted, abruptly. "Charlotte?" said the Princess Mary.
"Your Highness," Charlotte said, and ignored the steward's cough. "I have come to serve you once again." There was a silent pause-- she swallowed. "My sister serves her Majesty the Queen-- she wrote and said his Majesty had given his permission-- I, I did not..."
"Charlotte," the princess said, and then the footsteps rang out again, coming close. Charlotte glanced up, startled into the breach of etiquette, and then Mary was down on her knees beside her, flinging her arms around her shoulders. "Charlotte!"
"Mary," she blurted, and hugged her right back. "I am so glad to see you!"
"Oh, and I you," Mary replied, and squeezed once, tightly, before she scrambled to her feet in a swirl of cloth. "Oh, get up, please, you must come and see, his Majesty has--" She stopped, abruptly, coloring lightly across the ridge of her cheeks. "You may leave us," she told the steward, lifting her chin.
"My lady," the steward said, disapproving, and left.
Mary looked back at Charlotte and rolled her eyes, and the both of them burst into giggles.
It wasn't seemly, and a little voice that sounded like Charlotte's mother was shrieking at her, demanding she behave as befitted her and the Princess Mary's dignity, but... but what did her mother know anyway? Mary came tripping back across the floor and extended her hand to help Charlotte up, unself-conscious, and if anyone would know the proper royal dignity it would be she, who had suffered so much for it.
"I am so glad I could come to you," Charlotte said again, and took her lady's hand.
"So am I," Mary told her, smiling. "Oh, and what a lovely dress!"
Charlotte glanced down at her damson-colored skirts, and smiled.
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I love this. I just. I love this. The waiting ending in a squish. It's so perfect!
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