Random jottings

I rounded out sad day yesterday with sick day.  I think what happened is that I dealt with the need to eat without also dealing with the fact that I dehydrated and my body rebelled like whoa.  Woke up today and felt fine at first, but feeling sick slowly reared its head again.

Except I'm pretty sure, not completely but close, that it's not a hydration thing today.  So still not good for writing.

Regardless even if I can't write, I don't want everything here to be all, "Woe is me."  It especially since people have chipped in to help and now instead of needing $2,000ish that I don't have it's more like $1,500ish and, while that still feels pretty daunting to me, I'm very grateful to help and having more posts about things sucking doesn't seem the best way to demonstrate that gratitude.

So, random scraps of things:

* * *

From future installments of Ash:

El wasn't letting it go, "How many more hints does the universe have to drop Cinderella?"

Ash snorted.  "I am not Cinderella,"

"Then why were you cleaning out the hearth?" El asked.

"Because I got stuck with all of the chores for a month and somehow 'cleaning the fireplace' became a chore instead of 'that thing we never even consider doing,'" Ash said.  Do you want me to list the ways that this is not Cinderella?"

"Oh, yes," El said. "Please do."

"My dad is still alive," Ash said.

"You said it yourself, that relationship is dead," El said.  "And it dying coincided with..."

"I'll grant you the wicked stepmother," Ash said, slightly angrily.  This was mostly fun-bickering, but some memories were best not relived.  "There's no prince charming."

"I told you already," El said, as if this were completely obvious, "Zenia will be there."

Ash shrugged, El smiled.  A point to El.

"If I'm Cinderella," Ash said, "then that would make you the evil ugly stepsisters.  You're not evil, you're not ugly, and you're not plural," Ash said, counting the three points on her fingers,

"Well maybe the production can't support a full cast," El said, "Budget restrictions, a lack of availible talent, whatever, and so they combined the characters of the step sisters with the fairy godmother."

"Because that makes so much sense," Ash said.

El just smiled.

"Just because you're in the drama club doesn't mean everything's a play," Ash said.  "Nor does it mean you should look at the world as if that were true."

"But," El countered, "All the world is a stage."

"No one even performs that play," Ash said, "but speaking of Shakespeare, remind me which one the masquerade ball is in?"

El didn't respond to that one.

Ash knew she had, if not a winning one, at least a decent argument, "There's no masquerade ball in Cinderella, but in the play where there is one... well, remind me.  How did Romeo and Juliet turn out?"

"We are not in a generational blood-feud with Zenia's family," El said.

"Neither are we in the mythical land of the Middleish Ages in which the only surefire route out of poverty and oppression was to become a monarch-spouse to a monarch who is a decent human being."

"Exactly!" El said. "Exactly..." and then she didn't say anything.

"You just wanted to so say, 'exactly' so it would seem like I was making your argument for you," Ash said.  "Didn't you?"

"No, of course not," El said, not even trying to hide the fact that she was lying.  "I merely meant bringing Cinderella into a modern day setting necessitates certain changes.  We make them all the time when we edit or update a play.

"The most notable one here being that, while it is believable that a prince might not recognize all of his subjects and thus have to resort to something as bullshit as testing shoe size, that doesn't work for two students in the same high school so it only makes sense if--"

"Just give up on this one, El" Ash said.  "You're tangling yourself in--"

"I deal with knots the Alexandrine way, thank you very much," El said, though she was visibly relieved to be out of that explanation.  She didn't admit to that, of course, she said, "Besides, how do you know that my recognition of this as a total Cinderella situation--"

"Which it isn't," Ash said.

"is because I'm in the drama club?" El said.  "Did you ever consider that maybe I took a class on Chinese folklore and that's what allowed me to see the obvious parallels?"

"Did you?" Ash asked.

"No," El said, "but--"

"And how do you know that Cinderella has roots in Chinese folklore?" Ash asked.

El gave an impish grin.  "Drama club."

"I rest my case," Ash said.

"You may have won today," El said, "but it'll be overturned on appeal!"

Ash laughed.  "You're such a doof,"

"The only reason I can't refute that," El said in a completely serious tone, "is because neither one of us knows what a doof is."

Then they both laughed.

* * *

Jacob, last seen in this though I think I've aged him down since then and am considering making his boss female:

Dramatic moment: "Release the mongeese!"

Nothing happens.  Into radio, "Yes I know that's not the proper plural ... because mongeese sounds like a million times better.  ... Look, there are heroes here trying to destroy our work and possibly blow up our home, so I really don't think ... fine."

Dramatic Moment: "Release the mongooses!"

* * *

Mongeese scattered, security forces routed, everything falling apart

"I told myself I would never do this, but you leave me no choice," *Jacob points to a place behind the heroes* "Monkey Ninjas!  Attack!"

The highly honed reflexes of the heroes had them spun around and in defensive positions in the blink of an eye.

Boss said, "I didn't know we had--" before Jacob grabbed boss by wrist and ran for the bolt hole, hitting the self destruct button on the way out.

There were no monkey ninjas.

* * *

(months later)

"Release the octopi!" pause "We talked about this." pause "Look, we really don't have time for..." *sighs* "Release the octopodes!"

* * *

(the next year)

"Monkey Ninjas!  Attack!"

The heroes weren't distracted, which allowed the monkey ninjas to take them completely by surprise.  Once safely clear of the blast radius Jacob stopped, caught his breath, and looked at the boss.  "I love that trick," he said, "but it only works twice."

* * *

[the band story]

"Come on, we go our separate ways tonight." *pause* "I know, but when are you going to get another chance to play live in concert?  Come on, give it a chance.  You pick the song, I'll help you hit-"

"Isa, your mic is still on," Angela said.

"Oh shi--" and Isa turned the offending microphone off.

Angela looked out and saw a lot of confused fans in the audience.  The concert was over, after all.

When Angela heard notes she knew by heart coming over the speakers, in the unmistakable sound of Isa's glass armonica, she decided that maybe the concert wasn't over.  Even though they'd never preformed this song before.

When the time came, she started to sing, "Now the seats are all empty // Let the roadies take the stage // Pack it up and tear it down..."

Cassy and Kaki, who had been packing things up because they didn't actually have roadies, came running back on stage, Kaki actually vaulted over ... something or other, to get back by her mic and ready to play.

* * *

From "The Princess Story"

---

Actually this is the part where I get distracted for several hours.

---

"Ok, so," Melitta said, "we have no money, no supplies, no identification, and people who are presumably trying to kill us in the general vicinity.  Plus, if anyone hears me speak they'll assume I'm a spy or worse."

"Pretty much," Lara said as she carefully rolled the wounded carpet.

"Any ideas on what to do now?" Melitta asked, fairly sure she didn't want to hear the answer.

"Get food," Lara said, putting the carpet into its case.

"No money," Melitta repeated.

"I know that, now let's get food," Lara said, standing up with the case strapped to her back, "the market's this way."

* * *

Melitta picked up a karaba, and looked it over.  It was a twisted tuber that looked more or less like any any other karaba.  She'd picked it, though, because it showcased a problem that all of the karaba at the stand had, only moreso: it was too white.

"I'm not impressed," Melitta said to Lara, showing her the karaba.

"What would an Eray know--" the merchant said.

"They royal kitchens employ people from all regions," Lara said, "and you would do well to respect those who work in them if you wish to maintain your contract."

Melitta wasn't sure this ploy would work, but there was a sudden change in the merchant's demeanor.

"I was just taking this one out," Lara said, "because some of the newer staff have been buying ... substandard," Lara said the word like it was some particularly hideous and unmentionable disease, "karabas of late."

"Certainly not from me," the merchant said.  "I grow the finest karabas in the islands.  I only bring the best to market, the rest can be given to livestock."

Melitta raised an eyebrow and showed the karaba to Lara again.

Lara took it, looked at it, and then the others in the merchant's offerings.

"Honestly," Lara said, "this was merely meant to be a trip to train this one," she gestured to Melitta, "but I'm strongly considering recommending that the kitchens look to other vendors if these are your best."

"It's been a hard season for karabas," the merchant said.  "I can't control the weather."

"Perhaps," Lara said, "you might show us evidence of what you can control.  If you've tilled your soil properly, it should be visible in the state of your," and then Lara started a list of a dozen crops, each of which was to demonstrate the merchant's supposedly exemplary cultivation practices.

The merchant gave them all of the requested food.  For free.

When they'd taken their spoils to a secluded spot on the island's coast where they could eat, Melitta finally asked, "How did that even work?"

"Who supplies food ingredients to the royal kitchens is a closely guarded secret," Lara said, "to reduce the chance of would-be assassins poisoning it."

"It can't be guarded well enough that just mentioning a contract with the kitchens automatically means you must work there," Melitta said.

"No, but it raises the possibility," Lara said. "As does the fact that I have the accent of the royal court."

"Whatever, I'm just glad we managed to get juice-fruit out of the deal," Melitta said, taking a huge bite out of a slice she'd cut.

"That's disgusting," Lara said.

"What is?" Melitta asked, genuinely confused.

"You're getting it all over your face," Lara said.  Melitta noted that there was juice dripping from her chin, but that was to be expected.  Juice fruit was many things; clean was not one of them.  "Didn't anyone teach you manners, honey bee?" Lara asked.

Melitta took an inventory of the seeds in her mouth.  The soft ones she'd already eaten.  The hard ones though...  she got the first in position and said, "Oh you'll pay for that, seagull," and spat a seed at Lara.

Then another.  And another.

"Wait!" Lara shouted.  Melitta fully expected the other princess to say something about decorum or the like.  Instead Lara said, "I'm unarmed," and lunged for a slice of the juice fruit.

After Lara took a bite Melitta had to dodge incoming fire.

Princess Story, Part 6

[Previously Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5]

"Mel, I can't sleep," Apo said, knocking on his sister's door.

There was no response.

"Mel, I know you're not a light sleeper."

Still no response.

"Come on Mel, I want someone to talk to," Apo said.

When he got no response again he sighed and opened the door.  She had a bad, and unsafe, habit of leaving things unlocked.  On the one hand, the sound of a door opening would be sure to wake her up --royal quarters, even the ones intended for foreign royalty who were visiting as guests, had very strong doors, which almost always meant very loud doors-- on the other hand it was a bad habit.

When he walked into the room he was considering whether it was worth talking to his sister about the value of locked doors, again, or just to let it slide.  When he approached the bed he realized that he'd been focused on the wrong bad habit.

After securely closing (but not locking -- he didn't want to lock her out) the door to his sister's room, Apo sprinted to the quarters of the captain of his guards and knocked softly.

"Who is it?" a groggy female voice asked.

She sounded at least somewhat annoyed, and Apo new she had reason to be as her duties often meant she got less sleep than almost anyone else.  So Apo approached the matter with formality.

"Captain Arga, this is Prince Apobammos.  Princess Melitta is not in her quarters."

After a mumbled sound that Apo guessed was profanity, followed by some shuffling, the door opened.  Captain Arga was dressed in her night clothes, which revealed more Apo would normally be comfortable with, but at the moment there was business.  Apo simply waited for Arga to speak.

"How long as princess Melitta been gone?"

"Her bed hasn't been used."

"Are our guests aware of her absence?"

"Not that I know of.  I'm hoping to keep this quiet; do you know where your opposite is?"

Integrating the Eraymobatai royal guard with the local palace guard had been one of the first priorities.  Of course captain Arga knew where to find the captain of the palace guard.  The question, on its face, was silly.  But it wasn't just a question, it was a request.  She nodded and closed her door.

Soon she returned dressed in light clothing and adorned with a short sword that was made for speed rather than power.  If something happened in the palace she expected speed, rather than armor or powerful weapons, to be the key to victory.

After locking her door, captain Arga led her prince to the head of the palace guard.

"We had better hope that they don't have any dark secrets," Apo said, mostly to himself, "if they do she could stumble on one and kill the entire treaty."

"You're not worried about your sister's safety," captain Arga said.  It was more statement than question, but still left the impression that a response was expected.

"She can take care of herself," Apo said.  "You trained her."

"And she learned well."

"Better than me."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

"So," Arga said, "what are you worried about?"

Apo thought for a moment.

"That she'll get so caught up in exploring a strange place looking for adventure that she won't turn up for a month," he said.  "At which point ... at which point it'll be too late to stop a war and countless people on both sides will die."

"Probably a reasonable fear," Arga concluded.  "Let us hope that they don't have catacombs."

"Let us indeed," the prince said.

***

Soon they reached the central guard station in the palace.  Captain Arga spoke to the outermost guard:

"Tell captain Robur of the palatial guard that captain Arga of the Eraymobatai wishes to speak with him, and that the matter is to be kept quiet."

A few moments later a burly man in ceremonial (but, Arga noted, quite functional) armor came to see captain Arga and prince Apobammos.

"I thought you were sleeping," he said to Arga.

"I was," Arga said.

"Your majesty," he said, with a slight bow, to Apo.

"Captain," Apo replied.

"What's going on," captain Robur asked them both.

"My sister is missing," Apo told him.

"She likes exploring," Arga explained.  "Does the palace have catacombs, disused wings, a dungeon?"

"Empty places that you haven't told my captain about because they mean little defensively, but tempting to a young woman who finds the unknown exciting," Apo added.

Robur nodded.  "We have a deep underground," he said.  "Layers of passages laid down over centuries as the area turned from a fishing village to today's city."

Prince Apobammos and captain Arga hung their heads.

Captain Robur confirmed their worst fears, "She could spend years down there and not see everything there is to see."  With a sigh he added, "We haven't fully charted it ourselves."  After a pause he added, "After all, our primary concern was to make sure they couldn't be used to sneak into the palace, which we have, but only by sticking to the perimeter and making sure any open passages there had gates added to them."

Captain Arga said, "We have to organize a search for her."

Apo added, "And we have to do it quietly.  The entire reason we're here is political, the political ramifications could be catastrophic."

"Majesty?" Robur asked.

"My sister is presumably just having harmless fun, but if word gets out that she's wandering the under-structure of the palace complex the wrong person can spin that into her being a spy meant to infiltrate the complex and find a way in.  It would cause the war we're hear to prevent."

Robur nodded.

"I'll select only my most trusted guards."

"You have untrusted guards?" Arga asked, a bit of a smirk on her face.

"I trust all of the guards with my life, my freedom, and the lives and freedom of my royalty," Robur said in a
very serious tone. "But trusting someone with secrets is another matter entirely."

Apo and Arga nodded.

-

A few miles of the coast a small storm was brewing and it turned the calm surface of the ocean into a ragged landscape filled with moving mountains of dark waters and scarred by whitecaps.  Rain pelted anything unwise enough to venture within the storm.

"Closer!" Melitta shouted.  "Closer to the water!"

Princess Lara laughed and obliged.  She couldn't remember the last time she felt such pure joy, and she steered the magic carpet into the troughs between waves, mere feet above the water at its lowest, the high points towering over them.

She needed all of her skills to dodge the tall masses of water pushed about by the storm, but she hardly noticed.  She had never felt so alive; everything was coming naturally to her.

Lightning struck the sea to her left and she headed toward it.  She was looking for the center of the storm, and enjoying every drop of rain in her face and every salty splash when water erupted from the sea.

"Don't stop," Melitta said.  "Don't you dare stop."

Lara smiled, but then realized that, since she was behind Melitta, the other princess couldn't see her.  "Don't worry.  I have no intention of stopping."

"Is it always like this?"

"What?"

"Having a magic carpet."

"There isn't always a storm," Lara said.

-

Hours of fun later Lara and Melitta were flying over calm seas, and now Melitta was learning to fly the carpet.  The two had traded positions, but Lara was facing back so she could see Melitta and advise her on how to guide the carpet.

Both were still damp from rain and sea spray --salty too-- but their adrenaline filled joy from before had transformed into a much mellower feeling of contentment and well being.

Melitta's skills were slim, but, going slowly and letting Lara guide her under the moonlight above the clouds, she was able to learn all the basics of controlling the carpet.

Just as they were about to trade places for the return Melitta heard something.  Slowly, carefully, guiding the carpet lower through the clouds she was surprised to see what seemed to be the lights of a village.

"Did we go in a circle?" Melitta asked Lara.

"No," Lara said, looking over the side of the carpet to see where they were.  "We wen't further than I realized."

"Where are we?"

"It's called Insula Agorum. It was our first farming colony at sea.  Now it's the center of a duchy and an important trading hub."

When they were fully under the clouds and the view was as good as it would get, Melitta carefully crawled forward on the carpet and tried to get a better look at the island and the surrounding sea.

The noises she had heard came not from a village, but from a boat heading toward the island.  The lights she had thought came from a village, now unobscured, were from a city of some size with a couple smaller cities and dozens of villages visible.  The island itself was impossible to see, where not lit by the lights of a settlement it was inky blackness.  She was only able to make out the shape because she could see the ocean reflecting the moonlit clouds, where it was invisible the island must have been.  It seemed to have at least one mountain on it.

"Can we fly there?" Melitta asked, offering the drivers position to Lara.

"We really shouldn't," Lara said.

"Of course we shouldn't," Melitta said, a smile on her face even as she tried to hide it.  "Can we?"

Lara just smiled back as she took over flying the carpet herself.

-

[Previous][Princess Story Index]
[Original Work]

Princess Story, Part 5

[Previously: Part 4.  Earlier installments can be reached via the index.]

When Lara returned to her room something didn't feel right.  Quietly and as subtly as she could, she drew a dagger small.  She'd have preferred a longer weapon.  Not a full sword, she kept her bedroom too cluttered to make easy use of one, but the kind used on ships, designed for close quarters, would be ideal and she'd settle for a dirk.  Instead what she had was the easy to conceal dagger that she kept with her at all times.

She made her way into her darkened room slowly.  If there was really something amiss she planned to use her knowledge of the room to maneuver better in the dark than whomever had invaded the room, so she didn't light a torch.  If someone was listening for her she wanted her footsteps to be hard to hear, so there could be no rushing.

There was an intruder, but would one who meant her harm really be standing in the moonlight coming through her window?  She chanced moving closer, and then realize who it was.

"Melitta?" She asked.  Quickly using a flint and steel to light a nearby torch and then returning the dagger to her hand.

Melitta dropped what she had been holding, faced her empty palms to Laura and said, "It's not what it looks like."  Then quickly added, "Unless it looks like something good.  In that case it's exactly what it looks like."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just ... can you put down the knife?"

Lara sheathed the blade and took a closer look at what Melitta had dropped.

"I was just-" Melitta started.

"Stealing my flying carpet," Lara said.

"Borrowing without asking?" Melitta offered.

"Which is otherwise known as stealing."

"Yes," Melitta admitted.  "But stealing with every intention of getting it back to you before you even noticed it was gone."

"Why?"

"I've always wanted to use one and-"

"You could have asked."

"You could have said, 'No.'"

"I could have said, 'Yes.'"

Melitta sighed, "Look, neither one of us wants a war over this.  So why don't I go back to my room and as soon as the wedding is over you can exile me from your country never to return."

Lara wasn't about to ruin their chance at peace because the foreign princess had tried to take something of hers without asking, and she didn't intend to exile Melitta over the violation either, but an idea was playfully forming in her mind.

Melitta must have misinterpreted the silence and said, "Or something.  Whatever.  Just step out of my way and I'll be out of your room and promise to never to come back."

The idea in Lara's mind was fully formed.  Everything Lara had ever been taught said that it was a bad idea.  The kind of idea no sensible person in her position would ever even consider.  But the adventure books she loved pulled her in another direction and finally she gave into the irresponsible side of the internal conflict.

She'd been responsible her entire life and soon she'd be married, maybe it was time for some irresponsibility.

Melitta interrupted her internal processes by saying, "I'm sorry, ok.  I shouldn't have done it.  I had no right and breaking into someone's room is all kinds or wrong even if you're not stealing.  I just wasn't thinking.  Now if you'll just let me go back to where I'm supposed to be I promise that I won't mess things up any more than I already have.

"But then you'd never get to fly on a magic carpet."  Lara said.

"What?"  It was hard to interpret Melitta's tone of voice, but Laura chose to see it as shock deadening other emotions.

"If you leave the room now, you'll never get your magic carpet ride," Lara said, a slight grin forming on her face.

"You mean...?"

"One ride, and I'm chaperoning."  Lara didn't wait for an answer, she picked up the carpet from where Melitta had dropped it, walked to a set of doors and opened them to reveal her balcony.  She untied a strap around the carpet that had been keeping it rolled up, unfurled the carpet on the balcony, and muttered a few words while holding her right hand to the carpet.

Moments later the carpet began hovering a few inches off the ground.  Lara sat on it near one end facing the other.

Melitta looked on with obvious wonder in her eyes.

"Well," Lara asked, "do you want to go for a flight or not?"

Melitta nodded and quickly ran over.  "Where do I sit?"

"Wherever you like."

Melitta sat toward the middle, facing in the same direction as Lara.

"I'd tell you to hold on," Lara said, "but there's nothing to hold on to."

The carpet rose above the balcony's railings and then short forward.

-

[Previous][Princess Story Index][Next]

[Original Work]

The Princess Story Index

It's a story.  About a princess.

Also possibly the only story I've been working on that's being produced in strictly chronological order.

Part 1 - Introduction to the princess (of the kingdom by the sea) and also the political situation that necessitates a royal marriage (the only legal alliance strong enough to overrule belligerent notabilities' desire for war.)

Part 2 - The foreign prince and his sister (of the agrarian kingdom) approach the kingdom by the sea and discuss the situation.

Part 3 - The three royalty meet, and we finally learn some names.  The foreign prince and princess see the ocean for the first time.

Part 4 -  The three royalty have a quiet dinner together, since Melitta had already ruined formality.

Part 5 - Lara and Melitta start a journey.

Part 6 - Prince Apobammos notices his sister, Princess Melitta, is missing.  Princess Melitta and Princess Lara are having fun over the ocean on Lara's flying carpet.

Random Jotting of a part not yet reached

Princess Story, Part 4

[Previously parts One, Two, and Three.]

Since all decorum had been shattered with Princess Melitta's rush toward her first view of the ocean, Princess Lara decided not to have the formal banquet that had planned and instead allow herself, Melitta, and Prince Apobammos to have a smaller meal, at a private table, where they could talk without worrying about appearances.

Prince Apobammos finally learned Princess Lara's name and Princess Melitta told Lara to call her brother, "Apo," when Lara stumbled over, "Apobammos."

There was some small talk then Apobammos asked Lara, "So, how do you feel about being forced into a marriage."

Lara kept all emotion from her voice, "I always knew it was possible."

Apobammos, "As did I, but it doesn't mean either of us has to like it.  I don't."

"And you expected what?" Lara asked, "To marry for love?"

Apobammos and Melitta just looked at each other.

The silence started fine, but as it dragged on it grew awkward.

Finally Melitta said, "Our parents did, so Apo and I always hoped..."

"Mine say they were married five years before they even liked each other," Lara said.

"What about now?" Apobammos asked.

"That's awfully personal," Lara said.

"You brought it up," was Melitta's reply.

"They like each other well enough, but as far as I know they haven't shared the same bed since I was born," Lara said.  After a pause she added, "We're royalty.  Love is not for us."

Apobammos muttered, "We didn't choose to be royalty."

"But we were rewarded for it," Lara replied sharply.  "Every time I have to do something that I don't like because I'm royal I remind myself of all of the things, unearned, that have been given to me because I was born royal.

"That's the deal we all get when we're born prince or princess: instead of getting the things we earned we have to earn the things we've already gotten."

The silence was total and Lara realized she'd been far to harsh, she barely knew "Apo" and she was lecturing him.  It was too easy to assume the worst of someone who said a few things she disagreed with.

So she changed the subject, "Apo, tell me about your home."

Lara realized she'd chosen the right subject when Apo's eyes lit up.

"Pagorrytos sits at the border of the eastern desert, it is said to be where our ancestors first settled.  At its center is the sacred spring, it has no name.  It is simply called Kranon, one of the words for spring in the ancient tongue.

"Once it was vital for our survival, now there are aqueducts and the sacred spring is left untouched except for religious rituals.

"The city becomes newer the farther one travels from the spring.  Nearest the spring there are no buildings, only tents, said to be--"

"Reproductions," Melitta interjected

"Exacting reproductions of the ones our ancestors used.  Now they form our main temple.  They're ill suited for the job since they were designed as living quarters and such, but to step into the tent complex is like stepping into the past.

"Around those are mud brick buildings surrounded by a primitive wall.

"Then things become more advanced, as one moves closer to the edges of the city.  Our greatest buildings are at the perimeter, sculpted of marble.  Beyond them is the current defensive wall, which will some day be abandoned as the city expands and reformed into homes and businesses.  But for now beyond it lies the border."

Apo paused and for a moment Lara thought he was done.

"The eastern desert is left as a desert, but with the help of water from elsewhere, farms have been irrigated to it's edge.  Surrounding the city on the east is nothing but sand, on the west lush green farmlands."

This seemed like a ludicrously inefficient arrangement to Lara, but she admitted to herself that a sharp line between verdant fields and sandy desert would be a sight to behold.

Also a show of power.  The desert and farms would constantly be at war with each other, plants from the farmland trying to expand into the desert, sands from the desert encroaching on the farms.  To keep the border strictly enforced would require constant weeding and sand removal, an army of workers.  To be able to expend those resources on something that didn't actually matter would impress upon anyone smart enough to understand that the Eraymobatai were a much more powerful kingdom than their name suggested.

There was a short silence and then Melitta added, "And there's a spot, maybe halfway between home and the western border, where the lavender fields go on for as far as the eye can see.  Farther actually.  When they bloom..." she showed no signs of finishing her sentence she just smiled and seemed lost in thought or memory.

"The beautiful thing about Pagorrytos itself," Apo said, "is the sense of history.  To walk from the wall to the spring is to walk through time.  To see how building styles and materials have changed in the time since the founding.

"Some say the city clashes with itself, that it's discordant, but they're wrong.  The city remembers itself, and isn't afraid to be what it was and what it is at the same time."

Melitta added, "And some say that we all make deals with dark spirits and have flying carpets."

They discussed this for a bit, Lara had a flying carpet and was surprised that Melitta and Apo hadn't even known for sure they were real.  None of the discussion in that direction seemed very important to Lara and she forgot most of what was soon after it had been said.

When that had run its course she tried to learn more about her future husband, "Did you enjoy our library?" she asked.

"It's wonderful," he said, his voice full of enthusiasm.  "But somewhat strange to me.  Your lady, I'm afraid I've forgotten her name--"

"Margarita," Lara offered.

"Margarita," Apo continued, "explained that the moist air is a danger and so most works have to be kept sealed."

Lara nodded.

"Our libraries are completely different," Apo said, "everything, parchment, tablet, hide, is placed on a shelf open to the air."

"You enjoy libraries, Apo?" Lara asked.

"Books are practically his god," Melitta said. "If he revered them any more it would be blasphemous."

"I prefer adventures," Lara said.

"I like them well enough," Apo said, "but my heart belongs to history, poetry, and philosophy."

These were at least areas that Lara could speak on, and so she did, Melitta excused herself, clearly not interested.  Lara was able to find some common ground with Apo, but ultimately was unsatisfied.

The thing she agreed with him on most was not liking that circumstances would force them to marry.  In her beloved adventures love and marriage went together, even if she had always known that they wouldn't in her life.  Apo, Prince Apobammos of the Eraymobatai, was someone she could see herself becoming friends with, the best of friends even, but she saw no romance there.  Fiction always said that was wrong kind of love for a marriage.

Reality tended to indicate it was the best she could hope for.  And she'd known much worse was possible.  So why was she depressed when she returned to her chambers?

-

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Princess Story, Part 3

[Previously parts One and Two.]

The entry into the city and approach to the palace had been carried out perfectly.  The gates were opened and closed with such precision that the foreign caravan had not needed to slow until it stopped within the palace itself.

While supply carts regularly journeyed into the palatial complex it was unusual for carriages to enter the complex instead of stopping at the entrance and depositing their guests there.

The princess of the sea kingdom watched the carriages come and reflected on what it meant.  She sighed.  It meant that even within the city walls they could not trust that their guests would be safe.  It meant that even here, at home, in a place she had known all her life amoung the people she had grown up mingling with, no one could be trusted.  It meant that only the walls of the palace, her family home, and the guards of the same, could protect people who should need no protecting in the first place.  It meant that she had to fear her own people, lest they murder what should be honored guests and plunge the world into devastating war.

It had been a weary sigh.

She watched as various people emerged from the carriages.  A priestess, the other kingdom's own guards, lawyers, assorted people who wore various uniforms and insignias she didn't recognize but assumed to be advisors --and the guests themselves.

They had been two of the first out of the carriages but amoung the last she got a good look at.  They wore the markings of their royalty.  Every kingdom the princess knew of had its own method of distinguishing royalty, this kingdom --whose legends said they came from the eastern desert before settling the farmlands that occupied the majority of their holdings-- marked royalty with intricate designs of jewelry made chiefly from copper and mica extracted from the same desert.

They were both about her age --that was good, she supposed-- the girl was wide-eyed, looking everywhere and taking in every detail as if she were afraid the things she didn't notice would disappear before she got a chance.  The boy, the one the princess was to marry, looked joyless.  His feet barely cleared the ground as he walked.  Eyes stayed downcast.  His expression never seemed to change, regardless of what he was looking at.

This was who she was to marry?

When the entourage had assembled the prince finally looked up, his eyes met those of the princess and he spoke in formal tones, "I am Prince Apobammos of the Eraymobatai, this is my sister--" he stopped as he noticed his sister was no longer with him.

For a moment he frantically looked around then he saw her.  The foreigner was looking over a wall by the sea.

The princess followed as he ran to his sister.  She heard them speaking:

"Have you ever even imagined anything like this?" the foreign princess asked.  "It's as big as the eastern desert but it's ... blue."  Her brother didn't reply.  "And look, it's got it's own dunes.  But they're tiny and move fast."

Finally the prince spoke, "It's amazing."

His sister responded, "But what is it?"

The princess tried not to laugh at their ignorance, doubtless she would find many things in their kingdom strange.  She, trying not to sound condescending, said, "It's the ocean."

"It can't be," the foreign prince said.  "The ocean is made of water."

"And water is clear," his sister added.

This time she couldn't stifle the small laugh that came.  She quickly explained, "Shallow water is clear."

They didn't exactly say it in unison, but it was close enough that the princess wasn't sure which started speaking first when they asked, "That's water?"

The three spoke a bit more about the ocean, but the foreign prince soon tired of it and asked if he could visit the local library.  The princess gave her his permission and sent her lady in waiting to lead him to it.  The various members of the courts had scattered to begin the the work of integrating in preparation for, and defense of, the wedding.

That left the local princess and the foreign one to have a conversation that ranged all over and ended with the foreign one saying, "I still don't know your name."

"Lara."

"Melitta."

"You're named 'Honey Bee'?" Lara said, not even thinking to keep the laughter from her voice.

"You're named 'Seagull'," Melitta replied defensively.

"It... it might mean 'Mew'."

"Which is another word for 'Seagull'."

A staring contest began, and soon ended when both princesses broke into laughter.

-

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---

[Ok, seriously, how boring is it to decide to name a character "Seagull in Latin" and find out the word is Larus, which would have a feminine form of Lara which is a pretty standard name?  I mean I could call her Merga (loon) or make up a word: Avimare (bird-sea, to mean seabird) or Maravis (sea-bird to mean seabird) but I wanted "Seagull" damn it.  Arabic and Persian have been suggested to me as other possible languages to mine, but when I decided to make the ancient languages of the two kingdoms from which names were drawn be real world languages I picked Latin and Greek.]

Princess Story, Part 2

[Part 1 here]

A caravan approached the palace by the sea from the agrarian kingdom war loomed with.  Several identical closed carriages so that none might know which housed the envoy.

Inside one of the carriages the princess of the agrarian kingdom tried to look through the curtains to see the outside.

"Don't," her brother said.

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

She spoke the reason in monotone, having heard it more times than she thought could possibly be necessary: "Because every assassin hired by war mongerers on both sides would like nothing more than to kill us before we reach the safety of the palace."

"It's serious," her brother said.

"Deadly serious," she replied in monotone.

"And it's just mongers.  Only one "er" in it."

"It doesn't make any sense," she said, suddenly animated.

"The spelling?" her brother asked confused.

"No, the war."

"Since when do wars make sense?"

"That's not what I mean.  Why would both sides want war?"

"The same reason they always do," her brother said, suddenly sounding tired. "The ones on our side think we'll win.  The ones on their side think they'll win."

"But they can't all win; they have to know that."

"They do, they're just convinced they're each right.  The Earl of Dunich thinks he can conquer the lands of the Duke of Falsome.  Meanwhile the Duke of Falsome is convinced when the dust settles he'll be the new ruler of Dunich.  It's that way all across the borderlands."

"I know but... but if I were thinking of going to war with someone and I found out that they wanted to go to war with me that would give me pause."

"And you'd be smarter than eighty percent of the nobles.  So what?  You don't have to be smart to start a war."

"It just doesn't make sense."

"We've been following court politics since we could speak..."

In unison the two said, "It never makes sense."

There was a pause during which only the wheels of the carriage and the hoof beats of horses could be heard.

Then the princess said to her brother, "Let's talk about something that doesn't involve death."

"Like what?"

"You're getting married."

"Let's stick with the death.  Have you considered that-"

"No, seriously, you haven't told me how you feel about it yet."

"Getting married to someone I've never met in a kingdom I've never seen because a bunch of nobles decided to create no less than 76 casus belli and show no signs of stopping... It's just what I always wanted."

"Everyone says she's beautiful."

"I don't even know her name."

"So what?  If you don't like each other then you can get a concubine and she can get a concubinus.  Or concubines and concubini.  Why stop at just one?"

"If I weren't being forced into a marriage, I could get a wife whom I liked."

"We've always known that we might have to marry for political reasons.  Royals don't get to marry for love."

"Mom and dad did."

"Mom and dad married in the middle of thirty years of unprecedented peace and prosperity.  They got lucky."

"I wish I could-" the carriage stopped.  "Either we're here or the caravan has been taken hostage by bandits."

"I prefer a fight to sitting in here where we can't see anything," the princess said.  She motioned to the door, "Shall we?"  Her brother nodded, and they got out.

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Princess Story, Part 1

[So I realized/remembered that some people come here through things that show only the most recent post, which happened to be an extremely short thing trying to use creepy to solve plot holes in the third Left Behind book.  That's not the best thing to have out front, so I wrote this as perhaps something better.]

Once upon a time in a palace by the sea, there lived a princess. The palace, and all the city's residences, lay on a hill, beyond the reach of the worst the sea could offer, but close enough that the same walls that protected the palace also protected the port and so the kingdom thought itself immune from siege. If an army came they could close their gates an count on the sea to sustain them. If a navy came it would surely lose, for the kingdom had the greatest navy in the known world.

Thus the princess grew up with a sense of safety in a time of peace. She learned the arts of diplomacy and negotiation. She learned to negotiate for grain without revealing how badly it was needed, thus preventing the other side from gaining leverage, and she learned how to tell when revealing one's need might result in a lower price. She learned these things though they were never likely to be necessary, because they are what a princess must know.

She learned to take the pulse of public opinion and public health, she learned to move the people with speeches and shift conversations. She learned that her birth had placed the needs of the kingdom above her own and that whatever power or luxury she enjoyed was either to allow her to serve the people or to compensate her for that service. A service she had never been asked if she was willing to preform, but would none the less.

She learned the arts of self defense. Close quarters combat should an assassin sneak into her room. The difficult art of defending oneself while surrounded by panicked innocents she must endeavor to protect, should an assassin attack her in a crowd. The way to turn her knowledge of the land and architecture to her advantage, should a fight range.

She learned philosophy, for it was expected of royalty. She learned theology of many shades, for it was expected that she not only know of the kingdom's gods, but also of those of potential allies, enemies, and trading partners. She learned law, because it would be hers to uphold. She learned mathematics because without it she could not be sure of being equitable. She learned to host a dinner and multiple styles of dance.

She learned and grew in peace and stability until she had become an intelligent and beautiful woman. At which point she learned to say no to many, many suitors. Sometimes politely, sometimes without even words, sometimes harshly, sometimes loudly, sometimes with armed guards.

And then something changed in her life that no one had expected.

It started small, some minor disagreements between members of her kingdom by the sea and a neighboring landlocked kingdom. But the minor disagreements multiplied and escalated. Bloodshed followed.

It became clear that the situation was rapidly moving toward war. A war which the Royalty of neither side wanted. The land kingdom had an army that was second to none, her sea kingdom had a navy of similar distinction. A war would be without foreseeable end. The capitols would be safe, and instead war would take its toll on smaller colonies. Farms and towns. Anywhere too small to have a great wall, or too isolated to survive a siege.

A war would be without winners, but full of losers.

Unfortunately the local lords, barons and dukes and other such leaders, did not see it that way. They saw war as a way to expand their holdings and settle past grudges. On both sides a segment of the nobility was working toward war, and clamoring for it. Power was distributed enough that, even against the royalty's objection, they could have it.

The laws of both kingdoms were hodgepodges collected over a thousand years of whatever seemed best at the time. After frantic searching, double checking, and hasty comparisons, it was clear that there was only one thing that the nobility on both sides would be forced to recognize. Only one thing that could avert the war: Alliance by royal marriage.

The princess was an only child, and one of the children of the landlocked kingdom's king and queen was a son.

Triple and quadruple checking confirmed that it was the only way the law would force the lords into peace. So while the bellicose lords gathered armies in preparation for the coming war, the royalty of the two kingdoms hastily prepared for a wedding.

-

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