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edenfallingSummary: Shezan and Ilgamuth talk of paths not taken. (300 words exactly)
[ETA: The AO3 crosspost is now up!]
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Or Wonder, Till It Drives You Mad
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Shezan only spoke of her father once, in the early days of their courtship.
"I never knew him," she said. "He died so long before I was born that my mother was able to cross the breadth of the empire and return home to Tashbaan with a month and more to spare before her time. He was a younger son, though from a good family, and he left this life with his spear in his hand."
She set her cup on the inlaid table and turned her gaze toward the window, though from her seat in one of her mother's many rooms, none of the surrounding houses or gardens were visible: only blank sky shone through.
"I wonder sometimes what path I might have followed if he had lived," she added with a well-constructed smile.
Ilgamuth weighed his response carefully, aware from the very lightness of Shezan's voice that this topic meant more than she wished to acknowledge. There were a hundred and one things he wanted to ask... and yet, in truth, his questions were dew on the morning grass, burned up by the sun without regret.
"It is said the southeast is beautiful, though its summers are difficult to bear for those not born and raised in that green heat, where the very air and water seem to tremble with inner flame. I have never traveled to those provinces myself to know how close those sayings are to truth," he said. "But I think I could have learned to love the jungle for your sake."
Shezan's court smile cracked and fell away. "Flatterer," she said, and closed her eyes to hide some emotion she did not yet wish to share.
Ilgamuth poured them both more coffee and changed the subject to the long-awaited arrival of the Narnian queen.
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Inspired by the 6/21/15![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
15_minute_ficlets word #228: father
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Don't mind me, just doing finger-exercises...
[ETA: The AO3 crosspost is now up!]
---------------------------------------------
Or Wonder, Till It Drives You Mad
---------------------------------------------
Shezan only spoke of her father once, in the early days of their courtship.
"I never knew him," she said. "He died so long before I was born that my mother was able to cross the breadth of the empire and return home to Tashbaan with a month and more to spare before her time. He was a younger son, though from a good family, and he left this life with his spear in his hand."
She set her cup on the inlaid table and turned her gaze toward the window, though from her seat in one of her mother's many rooms, none of the surrounding houses or gardens were visible: only blank sky shone through.
"I wonder sometimes what path I might have followed if he had lived," she added with a well-constructed smile.
Ilgamuth weighed his response carefully, aware from the very lightness of Shezan's voice that this topic meant more than she wished to acknowledge. There were a hundred and one things he wanted to ask... and yet, in truth, his questions were dew on the morning grass, burned up by the sun without regret.
"It is said the southeast is beautiful, though its summers are difficult to bear for those not born and raised in that green heat, where the very air and water seem to tremble with inner flame. I have never traveled to those provinces myself to know how close those sayings are to truth," he said. "But I think I could have learned to love the jungle for your sake."
Shezan's court smile cracked and fell away. "Flatterer," she said, and closed her eyes to hide some emotion she did not yet wish to share.
Ilgamuth poured them both more coffee and changed the subject to the long-awaited arrival of the Narnian queen.
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Inspired by the 6/21/15
15_minute_ficlets word #228: father---------------------------------------------
Don't mind me, just doing finger-exercises...
(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-17 02:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2015-07-17 04:32 pm (UTC)