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rainbowfic2026-04-25 08:37 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2026-04-25 08:37 pm
Entry tags:
Azul #8 [Starfall]
Name: Promises Kept
Story: Starfall
Colors: Azul #8 (Oath)
Supplies and Styles: Silhouette
Word Count: 1035
Rating: PG
Warnings: Discussion of arranged marriage.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray, Imoren Fioris. Follows on directly after Picnic in Ruins.
Summary: Viyony's betrothed is finally here.
Viyony was in her bedroom, in the middle of changing her sea-stained clothes after her picnic with Leion and his niblings, when she heard doors banging below her and the rustlings of a household suddenly in motion—followed by a brisk, light tread on the stairs, probably her aunt, certainly someone coming in search of her. She didn't need to be told why.
Imoren's ship had finally come in.
"Viyony," said Imoren as she reached the hallway. She lingered at the bottom of the stairs for a moment before taking the final step to join him.
He held out his hand to her. She took it and he exerted a brief pressure with his fingers, before letting go in order to give her the deep formal nod in greeting.
"How are you? I heard you had been unwell."
Viyony looked up at him. Here, standing in front of her, she found him uncomfortably real—neither the stone-hearted grey figure that she had slid into thinking of him as, but taller than she remembered, and his every movement was brisk, decisive, perhaps even a trifle regimented. He glanced around even as she stood there trying to collect herself, and ordered one of the porters to take a case round the back with only a crisp, clear wave of his hand. Not someone she could easily ignore or imagine away.
"That was a few weeks ago," she said. "I'm much better, thank you. I'll explain later, but it's all over now."
He inclined his head. "I am glad to hear it. You know—I do appreciate you keeping your word as to our arrangement. I confess I thought you might not, what with this, ah, jaunt to Portcallan."
"Not entirely a jaunt," she told him. "I have arranged to rent out warehouse space, too. Mother wouldn't agree to the marriage unless I had this time away from home first, that's all. But my reasons for accepting haven't changed—I can't change my mind."
He put a hand to her arm. "Yes. Thank you."
"You saw Father when he was in Lialia, I suppose? I trust he didn't—he didn't say anything -?"
Imoren gave a short laugh. "Nothing you should worry about. It is perfectly right and proper for your parents to be concerned—but I believe we shall deal very well together. We know where we stand, and that is the important thing."
"Yes," said Viyony, and all the while thought guiltily of sunshine and sea and sand and running about foolishly with Leion and the Valerno children. That had been barely an hour ago. She shook the memory away, reminding herself instead of her recurring dream—the one where a great mass of alionrel vines grew up around Eseray and tumbled it down into the ravine below. The hallway seemed to darken about her at the mere thought of it.
"After Imai Reohrsyn left me, he took a boat off into the wetlands. I believe he was chasing a water plant of some kind. I gather that he won't be back in time to attend the wedding?"
Viyony laughed. "Did he? That sounds like Father. And, no. He's had this trip planned for a very long time and he couldn't alter it, not even for this. But Mother will be here—we're expecting her to arrive today or tomorrow, and then we can confirm the date."
"Good," Imoren said. "I shall be very happy to see Imai Isiyan again." He hesitated, a minute frown crossing his face. "Viyony. Ours is a business arrangement, I know, but I promise to always treat you well and fairly. I hope that you will afford me the same courtesy."
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Viyony escaped outside into the communal yard as soon as she decently could. She leant against the sun-warmed wall, out of sight of the people who were preparing the evening meal. She clenched one trembling hand into a fist. She had to do this. Even if she was willing to let Eseray go to ruin or to have Imoren come all the way here only to humiliate him with a last minute refusal, she couldn't fail to act on one of the most persistent and urgent true dreams she had ever had. It might well kill her. She had tried to ignore dreams before and she knew the consequences—headaches, insomnia, the sense of a suffocating weight pressing down on her until she was driven into madness or she found a way to do something to stop the events of the dream from coming true. She shivered.
Talking of Father reminded her that he had told her months ago at Kalna, that there might have been a way out. She had refused to listen. Could he have been right? Might she have been spared this, if she'd been willing to try? But then again, it always came back to the dreams—if Father hadn't been right and they had only wrecked her engagement to Imoren in the process, how could she have saved Eseray then?
She couldn't easily dismiss the notion, though—perhaps she could have restored Eseray and still had a life for herself. Maybe even Leion, if she wanted; if he was willing.
"Ha," she said under her breath. "You couldn't ever be with Leion." Leion Valerno belonged here in Portcallan every bit as much as she belonged in Eseray. He would only have broken her heart again, even if there was no Imoren, no threat to Eseray. She ought to know that by now. Love was simply out of the question for her.
She wondered, though—would Leion break his heart over her? She didn't exactly want to hurt him, of course, but she rather wished she could believe he might, if only a little. Probably not, though—and just as well. He did care for her to some degree—but Portcallan was a city bristling with people and he was the sort who'd always find someone new to love. He'd be all right. He wasn't cursed, like Viyony.
She was safer with someone who didn't want anything to do with her heart. No love—no betrayal—no heartbreak. It was better that way.
Story: Starfall
Colors: Azul #8 (Oath)
Supplies and Styles: Silhouette
Word Count: 1035
Rating: PG
Warnings: Discussion of arranged marriage.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray, Imoren Fioris. Follows on directly after Picnic in Ruins.
Summary: Viyony's betrothed is finally here.
Viyony was in her bedroom, in the middle of changing her sea-stained clothes after her picnic with Leion and his niblings, when she heard doors banging below her and the rustlings of a household suddenly in motion—followed by a brisk, light tread on the stairs, probably her aunt, certainly someone coming in search of her. She didn't need to be told why.
Imoren's ship had finally come in.
"Viyony," said Imoren as she reached the hallway. She lingered at the bottom of the stairs for a moment before taking the final step to join him.
He held out his hand to her. She took it and he exerted a brief pressure with his fingers, before letting go in order to give her the deep formal nod in greeting.
"How are you? I heard you had been unwell."
Viyony looked up at him. Here, standing in front of her, she found him uncomfortably real—neither the stone-hearted grey figure that she had slid into thinking of him as, but taller than she remembered, and his every movement was brisk, decisive, perhaps even a trifle regimented. He glanced around even as she stood there trying to collect herself, and ordered one of the porters to take a case round the back with only a crisp, clear wave of his hand. Not someone she could easily ignore or imagine away.
"That was a few weeks ago," she said. "I'm much better, thank you. I'll explain later, but it's all over now."
He inclined his head. "I am glad to hear it. You know—I do appreciate you keeping your word as to our arrangement. I confess I thought you might not, what with this, ah, jaunt to Portcallan."
"Not entirely a jaunt," she told him. "I have arranged to rent out warehouse space, too. Mother wouldn't agree to the marriage unless I had this time away from home first, that's all. But my reasons for accepting haven't changed—I can't change my mind."
He put a hand to her arm. "Yes. Thank you."
"You saw Father when he was in Lialia, I suppose? I trust he didn't—he didn't say anything -?"
Imoren gave a short laugh. "Nothing you should worry about. It is perfectly right and proper for your parents to be concerned—but I believe we shall deal very well together. We know where we stand, and that is the important thing."
"Yes," said Viyony, and all the while thought guiltily of sunshine and sea and sand and running about foolishly with Leion and the Valerno children. That had been barely an hour ago. She shook the memory away, reminding herself instead of her recurring dream—the one where a great mass of alionrel vines grew up around Eseray and tumbled it down into the ravine below. The hallway seemed to darken about her at the mere thought of it.
"After Imai Reohrsyn left me, he took a boat off into the wetlands. I believe he was chasing a water plant of some kind. I gather that he won't be back in time to attend the wedding?"
Viyony laughed. "Did he? That sounds like Father. And, no. He's had this trip planned for a very long time and he couldn't alter it, not even for this. But Mother will be here—we're expecting her to arrive today or tomorrow, and then we can confirm the date."
"Good," Imoren said. "I shall be very happy to see Imai Isiyan again." He hesitated, a minute frown crossing his face. "Viyony. Ours is a business arrangement, I know, but I promise to always treat you well and fairly. I hope that you will afford me the same courtesy."
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Viyony escaped outside into the communal yard as soon as she decently could. She leant against the sun-warmed wall, out of sight of the people who were preparing the evening meal. She clenched one trembling hand into a fist. She had to do this. Even if she was willing to let Eseray go to ruin or to have Imoren come all the way here only to humiliate him with a last minute refusal, she couldn't fail to act on one of the most persistent and urgent true dreams she had ever had. It might well kill her. She had tried to ignore dreams before and she knew the consequences—headaches, insomnia, the sense of a suffocating weight pressing down on her until she was driven into madness or she found a way to do something to stop the events of the dream from coming true. She shivered.
Talking of Father reminded her that he had told her months ago at Kalna, that there might have been a way out. She had refused to listen. Could he have been right? Might she have been spared this, if she'd been willing to try? But then again, it always came back to the dreams—if Father hadn't been right and they had only wrecked her engagement to Imoren in the process, how could she have saved Eseray then?
She couldn't easily dismiss the notion, though—perhaps she could have restored Eseray and still had a life for herself. Maybe even Leion, if she wanted; if he was willing.
"Ha," she said under her breath. "You couldn't ever be with Leion." Leion Valerno belonged here in Portcallan every bit as much as she belonged in Eseray. He would only have broken her heart again, even if there was no Imoren, no threat to Eseray. She ought to know that by now. Love was simply out of the question for her.
She wondered, though—would Leion break his heart over her? She didn't exactly want to hurt him, of course, but she rather wished she could believe he might, if only a little. Probably not, though—and just as well. He did care for her to some degree—but Portcallan was a city bristling with people and he was the sort who'd always find someone new to love. He'd be all right. He wasn't cursed, like Viyony.
She was safer with someone who didn't want anything to do with her heart. No love—no betrayal—no heartbreak. It was better that way.