shadowsong26: (sorell)
shadowsong26 ([personal profile] shadowsong26) wrote in [community profile] rainbowfic2013-05-18 12:54 am

Sherry #11, Flame #5, Fever Red #20

Name: shadowsong26
Story: At Least
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Sherry #11. 'Tis little I—could care for Pearls— / Who own the ample sea—, Flame #5. match, Fever Red #20. toast
Supplies and Materials: eraser (Queen Sela AU), acrylic, stain, charcoal
Word Count: 273
Rating: PG
Characters: Sela, Nida
Warnings: Marriage for politics more than affection
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.


Sela felt Nida finish working through a knot in her hair, and decided this was as good a time as any.

"I'm getting married."

Nida paused, then resumed brushing. "You finally chose someone?"

"Yes." She didn't nod, because Nida probably wanted her head kept still. "We're announcing probably tomorrow."

"Does he make you happy?"

"He..." Sela trailed off. "You know what it's like, how it can't be about what we want. I'm sure your mother has plans for you and your sisters..."

"Of course," Nida said. "Do you want it braided, or just pinned?"

"Braided, please," she said. "But...of all the candidates, the ones my council has been pushing particularly hard..." She sighed. "He treats me like...he doesn't treat me like a goddess, or a child, or...you understand?"

"Yes," Nida said, splitting Sela's hair into even sections and then setting the brush down.

Sela caught her friend's hand briefly. "I wanted you to know, before the announcement."

Nida's breath caught behind her, and she felt a flicker of motion from the other girl's hand. "Thank you," she said.

And Sela could hear a smile in her voice, lying over something else she couldn't name.

She let go, and Nida quietly resumed working on her hair. Sela closed her eyes, feeling safe and loved, under Nida's smooth and steady hands. Whatever happened with the announcement tomorrow, with her marriage, with all the things that women did, she was sure that this friendship would always be there for her. And if her marriage wasn't perfect--which she couldn't dare to dream of--she would at last have this.

She would at least have Nida.
kay_brooke: Stick drawing of a linked adenine and thymine molecule with text "DNA: my OTP" (Default)

[personal profile] kay_brooke 2013-05-21 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Poor Sela. Arranged marriages are no fun for anyone. I'm glad she can take at least some comfort in the thought that she'll still have support in the form of Nida.
bookblather: A picture of Yomiko Readman looking at books with the text "bookgasm." (Default)

[personal profile] bookblather 2013-05-25 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I think that connection is so important, to have someone you know loves you just for you. I realllly hope that Nida's secret doesn't get out, because quite apart from the ensuing explosion, Sela would be devastated.

(also, I just realized that King Sorrell is played by Finch. brb mind exploding)
shipwreck_light: (Default)

[personal profile] shipwreck_light 2013-05-27 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
And we will at least have this beautiful fic.

I especially like this line: "He treats me like...he doesn't treat me like a goddess, or a child, or...you understand?"