Julianna listened to his explanation of what happened to the bridge with a neutral expression. She didn’t believe a word of his story. It was perhaps her bias that kept her from taking him seriously. She had already attributed the act to a deliberate measure taken to stall the prince. Though she couldn't pinpoint the emperor’s reason for doing so. She pointedly ignored the insult he laced into his farcical retelling.
She snorted when he claimed the new bridge would be named after himself, rolling the kiwi she had kept between her palms and watching the way his hands imitated the new structure. “Why was I not informed immediately of this incident?” she demanded, brow furrowing. She pulled a small paring knife from her sash and sliced off one end of the fruit, letting it fall to the ground. “I’ve already sent supplies of my own to take care of the damage, and now it seems as if the effort is wast-”
The queen paused in her task. She’d not been paying attention to him in the moment that he had bit into the fruit. She looked up when he complained noisily. She laughed, she couldn’t help it. Holding the knife between thumb and forefinger she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say between chuckles. It was unclear whether she was apologizing for her laughter or for not explaining the proper way to eat it. “You were just supposed to hold it,” she explained, with some difficulty, her entertainment still shook her spotted shoulders. She dropped her hand and took a deep breath to compose herself. “You have to peel it,” she explained, still smiling. “I was going to give this one to you,” she gestured with the fruit she had already started to skin.
“I’m sorry, truly. I wasn’t trying to trick you.”
Maeve waited patiently for Holland’s response. She kept her eyes on his face, though he seemed keen on attending to her fingers. She almost pulled her hand away from him, to force him to stop until he answered her question. She wouldn’t admit it, but she sort of liked the way he was determined to assist her, so she let it be.
“Oh,” she breathed. Her surprise obvious to find that he was responsible for the letter. She didn’t have a moment to address the issue further; she rubbed her fingers together, feeling the slickness that he was warning her of. She glanced over her shoulder, surveying the direction in which he indicated, even though she knew the layout of the room by heart. With a polite smile and quick thanks, she stood. She was inclined to acquiesce to his offer, hoping she would be able to get the answers she wanted from him if she did.
Her steps were silent as she crossed the room, still worrying over her fingers. Even though they were clear of the offending ink, she could still feel the warmth of his skin on the back of her hand. She looked up once more as she stepped into the other room. The basin was where she expected it to be, so she walked towards. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, so she quickly looked over at the bed.
What she saw lounging languidly on a nest of sheets drew a small surprised scream from her. A sound she quickly bit back, be slapping a hand over her mouth. It was a very large tiger. In a different context, a magnificent creature with vibrant orange fur marked with ebony stripes. The tiger made no threatening moves, and Maeve made no moves at all. Finding herself frozen in place in the face of an animal three times her size.
The cat rolled over and lifted its head to look at her. It blinked slowly, before yawning. It stretched out it front paws and made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a complaint, as if Maeve had woken it. She dropped her hand and cursed in Eskran.
Holland could have warned her about the tiger.
She snorted when he claimed the new bridge would be named after himself, rolling the kiwi she had kept between her palms and watching the way his hands imitated the new structure. “Why was I not informed immediately of this incident?” she demanded, brow furrowing. She pulled a small paring knife from her sash and sliced off one end of the fruit, letting it fall to the ground. “I’ve already sent supplies of my own to take care of the damage, and now it seems as if the effort is wast-”
The queen paused in her task. She’d not been paying attention to him in the moment that he had bit into the fruit. She looked up when he complained noisily. She laughed, she couldn’t help it. Holding the knife between thumb and forefinger she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say between chuckles. It was unclear whether she was apologizing for her laughter or for not explaining the proper way to eat it. “You were just supposed to hold it,” she explained, with some difficulty, her entertainment still shook her spotted shoulders. She dropped her hand and took a deep breath to compose herself. “You have to peel it,” she explained, still smiling. “I was going to give this one to you,” she gestured with the fruit she had already started to skin.
“I’m sorry, truly. I wasn’t trying to trick you.”
Maeve waited patiently for Holland’s response. She kept her eyes on his face, though he seemed keen on attending to her fingers. She almost pulled her hand away from him, to force him to stop until he answered her question. She wouldn’t admit it, but she sort of liked the way he was determined to assist her, so she let it be.
“Oh,” she breathed. Her surprise obvious to find that he was responsible for the letter. She didn’t have a moment to address the issue further; she rubbed her fingers together, feeling the slickness that he was warning her of. She glanced over her shoulder, surveying the direction in which he indicated, even though she knew the layout of the room by heart. With a polite smile and quick thanks, she stood. She was inclined to acquiesce to his offer, hoping she would be able to get the answers she wanted from him if she did.
Her steps were silent as she crossed the room, still worrying over her fingers. Even though they were clear of the offending ink, she could still feel the warmth of his skin on the back of her hand. She looked up once more as she stepped into the other room. The basin was where she expected it to be, so she walked towards. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, so she quickly looked over at the bed.
What she saw lounging languidly on a nest of sheets drew a small surprised scream from her. A sound she quickly bit back, be slapping a hand over her mouth. It was a very large tiger. In a different context, a magnificent creature with vibrant orange fur marked with ebony stripes. The tiger made no threatening moves, and Maeve made no moves at all. Finding herself frozen in place in the face of an animal three times her size.
The cat rolled over and lifted its head to look at her. It blinked slowly, before yawning. It stretched out it front paws and made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a complaint, as if Maeve had woken it. She dropped her hand and cursed in Eskran.
Holland could have warned her about the tiger.
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you.
The following 1 user Likes megs's post: saronym
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Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-16-2016, 02:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-18-2016, 04:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-23-2016, 08:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 06:58 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 03:04 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 04:01 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 05:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 05:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-26-2016, 01:17 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-26-2016, 03:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 02:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 04:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 07:49 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 08:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2016, 08:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-28-2016, 08:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-01-2017, 05:23 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-02-2017, 11:48 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-05-2017, 10:16 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-07-2017, 02:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-11-2017, 03:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-12-2017, 11:36 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-16-2017, 09:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2017, 11:16 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2017, 10:39 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-18-2017, 10:06 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-19-2017, 09:08 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2017, 02:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-14-2017, 09:10 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-18-2017, 11:30 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 04-12-2017, 08:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-01-2017, 05:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-07-2017, 01:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-07-2017, 09:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-10-2017, 11:49 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 06:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-30-2017, 08:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-12-2017, 08:55 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-20-2017, 07:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-22-2017, 09:00 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-22-2017, 10:08 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-22-2017, 10:37 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-24-2017, 05:36 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-24-2017, 07:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-25-2017, 09:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-25-2017, 09:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-25-2017, 10:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-26-2017, 10:29 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-26-2017, 08:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-27-2017, 11:32 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 06-29-2017, 12:12 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 06-30-2017, 06:01 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-17-2017, 07:45 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-07-2017, 07:37 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-10-2017, 11:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-14-2017, 11:42 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2017, 04:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 11-02-2017, 06:36 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 11-29-2017, 02:14 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 11-30-2017, 04:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-03-2018, 09:47 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 10-14-2018, 04:46 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 11-13-2018, 01:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-24-2019, 10:57 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 08-26-2019, 12:19 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-26-2019, 03:55 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 08-27-2019, 01:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-27-2019, 02:34 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-04-2019, 05:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-05-2019, 04:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-17-2019, 01:33 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-17-2019, 05:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2019, 08:44 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-12-2020, 07:10 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-14-2020, 07:14 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-29-2019, 02:17 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-14-2020, 06:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2020, 02:35 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2020, 05:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-31-2020, 06:36 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-06-2020, 06:24 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-21-2020, 05:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2020, 04:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-01-2020, 02:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-07-2020, 02:26 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-21-2020, 09:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-01-2020, 05:47 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-10-2020, 07:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-04-2020, 12:48 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-25-2020, 12:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-02-2020, 11:19 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-14-2020, 12:34 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 07-23-2020, 09:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-25-2020, 11:02 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-12-2020, 01:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2020, 01:11 PM