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rainbowfic2013-10-10 09:36 pm
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2013-10-10 09:36 pm
Admin Yellow #8, Byzantium #10, Dirt Brown #19
Name: kay_brooke
Story: The Eighth Saimar
Colors: Admin Yellow #8 (there's no such thing as a risk-free life), Byzantium #10 (it is crueler to be always afraid of dying than to die); Dirt Brown #19 (rooted)
Styles/Supplies: Seed Beads
Word Count: 1,084
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Naydyn's fear.
Note: Lint Roll answer forthelinesoflearning, who asked Naydyn what scares her. My last lint roll answer, finally! Also my last Byzantium.
After Enovi disappeared, Naydyn didn’t leave the palace for over a year.
At first, she told herself she was far too busy. Ever since she had confirmed her pregnancy Andran was around a lot more, like a particularly unwanted barnacle. She was handling more and more of her father’s affairs in preparation for the day she would become Albrey--a day she hoped was far off yet, but it was essential to be prepared--and avoiding her husband at every turn. Fitting all of that around the bouts of morning sickness--a complete misnomer, she discovered, as it happened at any time it pleased--and poring through every message received at the palace for some hint of her sister would be taxing for anyone.
Then she told herself it was because of the baby, as she grew larger and more unwieldy. What benefit was there to be had in hauling herself up into a carriage, or gingerly picking her way down the steep steps that led into the city proper when she could no longer even see her feet? There was no reason to accompany her father to the council meetings in Ayst, not while sitting on a stiff carriage seat for a three-day journey would kill her back. She told herself all would be back to normal the following year, after she had given birth.
Then the baby--babies, as it turned out, a set of tiny but perfect twins--came, and her excuse was that she was just too tired from looking after them. They had a wet nurse, of course, and whatever number of servants and maids she desired, but Naydyn’s own mother had done the bulk of raising her two daughters, and Naydyn felt she needed to do the same.
And when Andran asked her to accompany him into the city to see the sights, she told herself she only declined because the less time she spent with Andran the happier she would be.
Then it came time for the council meetings again. There was no reason she shouldn’t go. There were more than enough people to watch her children for the days she would be gone. She no longer had to worry about a sore back and swollen ankles, the pain exacerbated by an uncomfortable journey. Andran was going, and she knew it was more important than anything that he never be seen in an official capacity without her by his side, just so everyone would remember who was the real heir to the throne of Artesia.
But she couldn’t do it. She saw the carriage waiting on the cobblestones in the courtyard, her luggage already bundled up for the journey. She saw her father standing patiently at the open carriage door, she saw her husband in his finest doublet talking to the driver about the horses. She saw Breda, her personal maid, blink in confusion as she started toward the carriage and then realized her mistress was not following.
She heard her breath quicken in her throat. She felt her heart start to pound harder. The carriage was nothing more than a beast, waiting to take her away into the unknown. Into the wide world, the one full of mad men and monsters, the Jasmara who had murdered her sister out of hatred for her father. They were waiting just beyond the gates, ready to snatch any more of House Tierlach that made the mistake of wandering off palace grounds.
“Albreyasen,” said Breda quietly, coming over to her. “Are you quite all right? You’ve gone so pale.”
“I’m fine, Breda,” Naydyn managed. “I must...I must check on the children.”
“I just left the children,” said Breda. “They’re well. Napping as peaceful as anything.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t go to Ayst,” said Naydyn even more quietly. She didn’t want Andran to overhear, not yet. He would of course have to be barred from going, too, and she didn’t want to have that fight right at that moment, not when she was having trouble catching her breath. “The children are still so young, and lately Astal cries and cries if I’m not holding him. He won’t even stand to be touched by his nurse when he’s not feeding.”
“It’s common,” said Breda kindly. “The boy’s too young to be hurt by your absence. He’ll cry himself to sleep, and when you come back he won’t even remember you were gone.”
Naydyn shook her head. “No, I’ll just spend the whole time worrying about him--”
“Naydyn!” her father called. “We must leave soon if we want to reach the inn by sundown.”
Breda looked her over, nothing but concern in her eyes. “Albreyasen, is there some other reason you don’t want to leave? I’ve noticed it’s been quite some time since you’ve even been down to the marketplace--”
“No!” Naydyn snapped. “My movements are none of your business, Breda, and neither are my reasons for doing or not doing what I choose, unless I decide it is your business.”
Breda ducked her head. “Please forgive my forwardness, Albreyasen.”
Seeing her reddened face, Naydyn felt ashamed. Breda had only been trying to help. But she couldn’t force the apology out, not now. Her breathing had leveled, but dread sat in her belly like iron chains dragging her down, and she could not take steps toward the carriage.
“I’m not going,” she said to Breda. “Please tell my father so. And tell Andran to come see me. He is not to leave with my father. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Albreyasen,” said Breda, clearly puzzled but unwilling to inquire any more about Naydyn’s reasons. “Where will you meet with the korenast?”
Truthfully Naydyn hadn’t planned to meet with Andran at all. She just had to keep him from leaving for Ayst. She supposed he would demand some sort of explanation, though, so she might as well meet with him, and try to come up with an explanation for herself in the meantime. She had never been afraid of anything in her life, but the carriage and the thought of leaving the safety of the palace made her want to run as fast as she could in the other direction. She didn’t understand why, and that bothered her most of all.
“I’ll be in the nursery,” she told Breda. “Please tell him to hurry.” Gathering up her skirts, she turned back toward the palace and strode inside, trying to forget the dark thoughts that followed.
kay_brookeStory: The Eighth Saimar
Colors: Admin Yellow #8 (there's no such thing as a risk-free life), Byzantium #10 (it is crueler to be always afraid of dying than to die); Dirt Brown #19 (rooted)
Styles/Supplies: Seed Beads
Word Count: 1,084
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Naydyn's fear.
Note: Lint Roll answer for
thelinesoflearning, who asked Naydyn what scares her. My last lint roll answer, finally! Also my last Byzantium.After Enovi disappeared, Naydyn didn’t leave the palace for over a year.
At first, she told herself she was far too busy. Ever since she had confirmed her pregnancy Andran was around a lot more, like a particularly unwanted barnacle. She was handling more and more of her father’s affairs in preparation for the day she would become Albrey--a day she hoped was far off yet, but it was essential to be prepared--and avoiding her husband at every turn. Fitting all of that around the bouts of morning sickness--a complete misnomer, she discovered, as it happened at any time it pleased--and poring through every message received at the palace for some hint of her sister would be taxing for anyone.
Then she told herself it was because of the baby, as she grew larger and more unwieldy. What benefit was there to be had in hauling herself up into a carriage, or gingerly picking her way down the steep steps that led into the city proper when she could no longer even see her feet? There was no reason to accompany her father to the council meetings in Ayst, not while sitting on a stiff carriage seat for a three-day journey would kill her back. She told herself all would be back to normal the following year, after she had given birth.
Then the baby--babies, as it turned out, a set of tiny but perfect twins--came, and her excuse was that she was just too tired from looking after them. They had a wet nurse, of course, and whatever number of servants and maids she desired, but Naydyn’s own mother had done the bulk of raising her two daughters, and Naydyn felt she needed to do the same.
And when Andran asked her to accompany him into the city to see the sights, she told herself she only declined because the less time she spent with Andran the happier she would be.
Then it came time for the council meetings again. There was no reason she shouldn’t go. There were more than enough people to watch her children for the days she would be gone. She no longer had to worry about a sore back and swollen ankles, the pain exacerbated by an uncomfortable journey. Andran was going, and she knew it was more important than anything that he never be seen in an official capacity without her by his side, just so everyone would remember who was the real heir to the throne of Artesia.
But she couldn’t do it. She saw the carriage waiting on the cobblestones in the courtyard, her luggage already bundled up for the journey. She saw her father standing patiently at the open carriage door, she saw her husband in his finest doublet talking to the driver about the horses. She saw Breda, her personal maid, blink in confusion as she started toward the carriage and then realized her mistress was not following.
She heard her breath quicken in her throat. She felt her heart start to pound harder. The carriage was nothing more than a beast, waiting to take her away into the unknown. Into the wide world, the one full of mad men and monsters, the Jasmara who had murdered her sister out of hatred for her father. They were waiting just beyond the gates, ready to snatch any more of House Tierlach that made the mistake of wandering off palace grounds.
“Albreyasen,” said Breda quietly, coming over to her. “Are you quite all right? You’ve gone so pale.”
“I’m fine, Breda,” Naydyn managed. “I must...I must check on the children.”
“I just left the children,” said Breda. “They’re well. Napping as peaceful as anything.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t go to Ayst,” said Naydyn even more quietly. She didn’t want Andran to overhear, not yet. He would of course have to be barred from going, too, and she didn’t want to have that fight right at that moment, not when she was having trouble catching her breath. “The children are still so young, and lately Astal cries and cries if I’m not holding him. He won’t even stand to be touched by his nurse when he’s not feeding.”
“It’s common,” said Breda kindly. “The boy’s too young to be hurt by your absence. He’ll cry himself to sleep, and when you come back he won’t even remember you were gone.”
Naydyn shook her head. “No, I’ll just spend the whole time worrying about him--”
“Naydyn!” her father called. “We must leave soon if we want to reach the inn by sundown.”
Breda looked her over, nothing but concern in her eyes. “Albreyasen, is there some other reason you don’t want to leave? I’ve noticed it’s been quite some time since you’ve even been down to the marketplace--”
“No!” Naydyn snapped. “My movements are none of your business, Breda, and neither are my reasons for doing or not doing what I choose, unless I decide it is your business.”
Breda ducked her head. “Please forgive my forwardness, Albreyasen.”
Seeing her reddened face, Naydyn felt ashamed. Breda had only been trying to help. But she couldn’t force the apology out, not now. Her breathing had leveled, but dread sat in her belly like iron chains dragging her down, and she could not take steps toward the carriage.
“I’m not going,” she said to Breda. “Please tell my father so. And tell Andran to come see me. He is not to leave with my father. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Albreyasen,” said Breda, clearly puzzled but unwilling to inquire any more about Naydyn’s reasons. “Where will you meet with the korenast?”
Truthfully Naydyn hadn’t planned to meet with Andran at all. She just had to keep him from leaving for Ayst. She supposed he would demand some sort of explanation, though, so she might as well meet with him, and try to come up with an explanation for herself in the meantime. She had never been afraid of anything in her life, but the carriage and the thought of leaving the safety of the palace made her want to run as fast as she could in the other direction. She didn’t understand why, and that bothered her most of all.
“I’ll be in the nursery,” she told Breda. “Please tell him to hurry.” Gathering up her skirts, she turned back toward the palace and strode inside, trying to forget the dark thoughts that followed.
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Thanks for reading.