shadowsong26: (sorell)
shadowsong26 ([personal profile] shadowsong26) wrote in [community profile] rainbowfic2014-07-05 10:56 pm

Bistre #10, English Red #13, English Green #19

Name: shadowsong26
Story: I've Been a Good Girl
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Bistre #10. Why is there ever this perverse cruelty in humankind, that makes us hurt those we love best?, English Red #13. O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! (Romeo and Juliet, III.ii), English Green #19. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. (As You Like It, IV.vii)
Supplies and Materials: graffiti (Lillith Fair, with reference to >this), bichromatic, pointillism, miniature collection, eraser (Queen Sela AU), watercolors, oils, stain, charcoal, pastels (my current gen + romance card B2 "truth"), novelty beads ("The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power." -- Mary Pickford), glitter ("Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand." – Hayley Williams), glue ("You are driven to talk about what you want because you recognize your goals may not be the same as others. You might feel as if you are getting the short end of the stick, but nevertheless it's best to downplay your personal desires...Ultimately, your patience will be rewarded if you step up to support the ones you love.")
Word Count: 487
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Sela and Nida
Warnings: References to parental/familial death, sexism, toxic politics, oblique references to the treatment of mages in Feredar.
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.



Sela recognizes that her father and her mother let her down--they set the stage for her whole life, her whole reign, keeping her apart as the spoiled youngest child and a daughter at that, to be cherished and protected and adored, but never trained, never trusted, never allowed to fall.


Nida always listened with respect, blue eyes quiet and serious and never open, but she never--she never tried to shield Sela from the darker currents, never lied to her, never kept her locked away.


Sela hates herself for it, but she feels like her brothers let her down, too; they died and left her with all this responsibility, all this horrible mess that she was in no way prepared for--but they didn't exactly choose to be murdered, did they, so how can she hate them for it?


Nida, when she found out about those dark, vicious, poisonous thoughts, never told Sela that they were wrong or that they were right, didn't judge her at all for it, and she earned the Queen's unending gratitude--Nida would never leave her drowning like that.


Sela can't really say that Levar let her down--she's never exactly had a good opinion of her half-brother anyway--but she does wish he had risen above her expectations instead, rather than trying to take advantage of her youth, her sex, her inexperience.


Nida rolled her eyes when she found out how Levar had tried to weasel his way into power, then shook her head and changed the subject--he couldn't be ignored, no, but they shouldn't waste more brainpower than they had to on the subject.


Sela doesn't quite feel her husband let her down, but part of her wonders if that's only because he hasn't had time--true, he's better than all the other serious candidates were, but she wonders if she detects a hint of ambition in his eyes when she tells him she's conceived.


Nida asked for nothing but her friendship, Nida claimed nothing but her friendship; Nida never tried to tell Sela she was just being paranoid but nor did she let her get out of hand; Nida was a patient sounding board, a welcome diversion, a trusted ally; Nida was simply Nida.


Sela finds out about Nida's politics when her child is a year old.


Nida would never do anything to harm her.


Sela can't quite wash away the stain of that betrayal, but something...something makes her wonder.


Nida would never betray her on purpose.


Sela knows that, in all this time, Nida is the one person who has not--will not--let her down.


Nida came to her court under false pretenses--but, then, didn't everyone?


Sela takes a deep breath, and starts to think.


Nida had changed since then, and so had Sola.


Sela comes to Nida's room, tosses the unsigned arrest warrant into the fire, and says, "I want you to tell me why."
bookblather: A picture of Yomiko Readman looking at books with the text "bookgasm." (Default)

[personal profile] bookblather 2014-07-11 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I'm glad, I'm glad Sela decided she could... not trust Nida exactly but maybe forgive her. I think she's going to need Nida more than ever.

[personal profile] greenling 2014-07-12 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
This is a nicely effective character piece.
shipwreck_light: (Default)

[personal profile] shipwreck_light 2014-08-10 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
I always enjoy a good compare/contrast story, but this, this is a great one. It just- it works and it moves and its full of yes.