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edenfallingIn which they don't actually trade the horse for the firebird, and we meet Ivan's parents. (Y'know, I know my sense of humor is obscure when not one of my relatives -- not even my sister -- recognized his mother. *sigh* Must learn to make clearer references, or else to snigger at all the ignorant fools who miss them.)
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Chapter Five: The Firebird
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The journey to Athimand took only two days on the horse that could outrun the wind (which was, they discovered, fond of having its ears scratched). Bluebell held the fox in her arms so it wouldn't tire itself keeping up.
This time, after he announced himself, the prince rode through the castle gates and waited in the courtyard for the king of Athimand to come outside. (This was not, strictly speaking, rude; he simply couldn't bring the horse into the castle, and he didn't want to let such a valuable creature out of his sight. Besides, he knew the king wanted to see the horse.)
The king of Athimand was almost as ostentatious as the king of Murlee, only his castle was silver instead of gold, and he covered his walls with mosaics instead of tapestries. The marble courtyard was cold and full of echoes.
Presently the king descended the steps of his keep, flanked by twenty guards in blue-and-silver (who carried swords), and extended his arms to the prince. "You have brought me the horse that can outrun the wind! How extraordinary," he said, spreading his arms. His hands glittered with jewels. "I will have the firebird brought shortly. But tell me, my friend, who is the beautiful girl behind you?"
"This is the princess of the ivory tower. She's traveling with me." The prince slid off the horse and handed the reins to a guard. The king glanced curiously at the fox, which jumped to the ground and sniffed at the guard's feet.
The prince noticed the king's interest and said firmly, "The fox is the princess's pet. It isn't for sale." The king sighed.
Just then, a nervous man brought the firebird out of the keep in a silver cage, which he held gingerly. The bird blazed in all the colors of the rainbow, making the king's jewels look like worthless glass. Bluebell gasped in spite of herself.
"Ah, you admire my treasure, princess?" The king of Athimand smiled. "Be wary. The bird is wild and bites those who come too near. It is controlled only by spells I myself wove into the cage." The bird cowered as the king took the cage from the servant and handed it to the prince, who bowed.
"Take the horse to the stables after the princess dismounts," the king said to his guards. "I am eager to begin its training."
The guard holding the reins stepped forward and offered Bluebell his hand, but the prince touched his shoulder. "Allow me," he said. He walked to the horse, handed the firebird's cage to Bluebell, and quickly swung into the saddle.
"Thief!" cried the king. "Stop him!"
The guard lunged forward, but dropped both his sword and the reins when the fox bit his leg. The horse flew through the castle gates and the king of Athimand's angry screams faded swiftly in the distance.
That evening they stopped by the edge of a forest. Bluebell hung the firebird's cage from a branch while the prince unsaddled the horse. "Please fetch some wood," she said, not looking at him. He sighed and vanished into the trees.
She offered a slice of bread to the bird, which tore at it eagerly. "Poor thing. I'm not surprised you don't like people if you're always locked in a cage or under a spell. The king of Athimand seemed quite unpleasant."
The bird snapped at her.
She served their supper (thin beef soup) in silence, but after a while her curiosity overcame her. "What will happen when we reach Tourmaline?" she asked the prince.
He glanced at her, surprised. "My father will declare me his heir and disinherit my brothers, after he and my mother welcome me home," he said. "I don't know what he'll do with the horse and the firebird. He wanted to kill the bird for stealing his apples, but since it was under a spell he'll probably declare war on Athimand instead. He doesn't like thieves."
The prince shrugged. "My parents will like you. You remind me of my sister, Aurora, who married the king of Topaz. She stubborn too, and she likes horses."
"I see," said Bluebell. "Why didn't your brothers go fetch the firebird instead of you?"
"Oh, they started to, but they didn't get very far. My oldest brother, Lucian, went south instead of east and became a knight of the Emperor of Alandia. He married one of the Emperor's thirty-three daughters and is now fourteenth in line for the Diamond Throne.
"My middle brother, Cedric, went north and died in Thule. A messenger brought us his sword and a tale of how he killed a dragon. I don't believe a word of it (Cedric was a wonderful brother, but he was never handy with a sword) but it makes my parents happier. So the quest is just a formality; I'm the only son left to inherit at all."
"The quest wasn't your destiny?" Bluebell asked, puzzled.
"It might have been." The prince put his empty bowl on the ground and leaned back on his elbows. "We don't have much to do with destinies in Tourmaline, though I hear they're more common in the east. We believe in responsibility. Do you have a destiny, my lady?"
"I don't know. I did, but I think I've gone past it, and I don't know what to do anymore. I may be caught up in yours. The fox says you have one, you know." Bluebell picked up the bowls and spoons and rinsed them.
"I didn't, actually. It never told me," said the prince. "I wonder why?"
"I think it likes being mysterious."
The prince laughed. "This is true. Though I think, in my case, it has more to do with promises I broke by not following its advice with the bird and the horse. I have no idea why I broke them; it was quite unlike me. I promised it a favor to make up for my lapse, but I think it likes irritating me anyway." He paused, seeming to think deeply. Then, in an overly casual voice, he said, "If I may ask, my lady, what was your destiny?"
"Oh, to wait in the ivory tower until you traded me for the horse that can outrun the wind. It was rather lonely," Bluebell said slowly, expecting him to laugh.
He didn't, though. Instead, he answered pleasantly and they talked for another hour or so, telling each other of their homes and families. She was surprised that the prince no longer seemed as unpleasant as she remembered. She supposed it wasn't his fault she had been locked in the tower; he was no more responsible for his destiny than she for hers. And he had saved the horse from the king of Athimand, even if he did steal it.
"It's getting late, and we have to travel tomorrow," the prince said finally. "Goodnight, Bluebell."
"Goodnight, Ivan."
That night, the fox did not wake Bluebell when it crept into their camp. It lay down beside her and she smiled in her sleep.
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Chapter Six: Tourmaline
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They rode slowly to Tourmaline, taking a week instead of a day, and let the fox walk. Prince Ivan and Bluebell talked every night and smiled more often. Occasionally he pointed out sights of his homeland. Bluebell commented politely; the fox kept its thoughts to itself.
They reached the king of Tourmaline's imposing castle at midmorning. "I've come home with the firebird," Ivan said to the four guards at the gate (who wore black-and-silver and carried pikes). "Please tell my father and ask him to meet me by the stables."
The guards bowed and one marched into the castle. Ivan directed the horse through the outer bailey to a cobblestone yard in front of a large stable, waving and greeting various people all the way. They smiled and cried his name, and shot curious looks at Bluebell and the fox.
"This is my home," Ivan said, gently halting the horse. "What do you think?"
"It seems much more friendly and normal than Athimand or Murlee," said Bluebell, "but still much larger and richer than my home. We haven't money to pay guards or pave courtyards." She handed the firebird's cage to Ivan after he dismounted. He set it on the ground and helped her off the horse.
"What happens now?"
"My father should come soon," said Ivan. A trumpet sounded from the keep. "Actually, here he comes now."
The king of Tourmaline (who had an impressively long white beard, though he was a bit stout) was preceded by a trumpeter and accompanied by various advisors and his queen (who was lovely, with black hair, red lips, and pale cheeks flushed from happiness). "Ivan!" the king said, and opened his arms. Ivan smiled and embraced his father.
"We missed you," said the queen, as she embraced her son and leaned her head on his shoulder. "The castle seemed very empty without you. Welcome home, Ivan."
"I see you brought more than the firebird," said the king, eyeing Bluebell, the horse, and the fox. "Who's the young lady? Should we expect any announcements?"
Ivan blushed. "I had some complications getting the firebird, Father," he said. "I had to fetch the horse that can outrun the wind to trade for the bird, and I had to fetch the princess of the ivory tower to trade for the horse.
"This is the princess, Bluebell of Florissant, and that's the horse that can outrun the wind. The fox (which is a magical fox) gave me advice (which I didn't follow nearly so much as I should have). It deserves a reward."
The fox looked uncomfortable and edged away. Bluebell grinned at it.
The queen coughed into her hand. "I see," she said. "Ah, but Ivan, if you'll pardon my question, how is it that the princess and the horse still accompany you, if you were supposed to trade them for the firebird?"
Ivan looked at his boots.
"I can explain that, your Majesty," said Bluebell, stepping forward. "The king of Murlee would have locked me in a room forever, but Prince Ivan saved me. The king of Athimand would have terribly mistreated the horse, but Prince Ivan saved it. He also saved the firebird, which has been bespelled for years.
"He was very brave and noble, and I'm grateful." Bluebell curtsied and stepped back to stand against the horse; it snorted and she scratched its ears. Ivan stared at her in disbelief.
"Harrumph." The king looked sternly at Bluebell and his son. "A most eloquent explanation, my lady, for which I thank you. For had I discovered Ivan to be a thief, I would have been forced to disinherit and banish him. No one is above the law, whatever those fools in Murlee and Athimand think."
There was a brief uncomfortable silence.
"Will you be staying with us, my dear?" the queen asked hastily, giving Bluebell a sympathetic look. "We would be most grateful for the company this winter, and perhaps beyond. The castle has become lonely with only one child left, and Ivan is grown now." She nudged her son in the ribs.
Ivan quickly stepped forward and offered Bluebell his hand. "Please stay, Bluebell. I would miss you if you left."
Bluebell looked at the cobblestones. "It's very kind of you to offer, but I should go home," she said. "My family misses me and I miss them. Besides, I'm only seventeen."
Ivan looked unhappy. "Are you sure you won't stay the winter?" he asked. "You could send your family a letter and go home in the spring."
"No, I want to go now, before winter. I miss Florissant." Bluebell rubbed her cheek. She would not embarrass herself by crying in front of strangers, or in front of Ivan. Especially not in front of Ivan's parents.
"Take the horse, then," said Ivan. "It's a long way to Florissant and you might not get there before the winter storms otherwise."
Bluebell looked up, surprised. "Oh, you don't need to do that!" she said. "I'm sure I'll manage by myself."
"No, take the horse. I have no right to keep it. Only..." Ivan flushed. "Only come visit me in the spring? Please? I'll miss you."
Bluebell studied him. He was very nice, once you got to know him, and he wasn't at all responsible for the circumstances in which they'd me. "All right," she said finally. "Yes. I'll visit you." She hugged him, very briefly, before stepping back. He looked stunned (for princes, like all young men, are never quite as self-assured as they would have the world believe) and very happy.
"Go in peace then, Princess Bluebell, and with our blessings," said the king, who had kept tactfully silent during the previous conversation.
"May the way be clear before you and the sun shine bright upon your journey," the queen added, smiling. She seemed to be stifling a dance of glee.
Bluebell clambered onto the horse, checked that her basket was still tied to the saddle, and looked down at Ivan. "Goodbye, Ivan."
"Goodbye, Bluebell," he said.
She kicked the horse gently and it trotted around the castle and out the gate; the fox followed. The guards saluted her and she waved to them, beaming.
As she rode down the hill, the sound of a thousand bells rose suddenly behind her. Turning, she saw the firebird hovering free over the castle, before it streaked south to the lands of the sun. Bluebell laughed in delight and kicked the horse into a gallop, letting the wind blow across her face.
She was free.
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Back to chapters 3 and 4
Continue to chapters 7, 8, and 9
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The next parts get a little heavy/weird, which I spent several days fighting against when I wrote the damn thing, but I eventually surrendered to the tendency of my stories to go peculiar and dark and philosophical. (You should have seen the rough draft. It was scary. Pages of discussion on... no, can't say yet. After it's posted. *evil laugh*)
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Am not feeling the writing bug at the moment. Am too interested in reading Spuffy smut and Skywalker family stories. Must stop falling into new fandoms, damnit! I write Harry Potter, not Star Wars or BtVS or DBZ or Ranma 1/2 or Gundam Wing or Dark Is Rising or PotC or...
Focus, Liz, focus!
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Chapter Five: The Firebird
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The journey to Athimand took only two days on the horse that could outrun the wind (which was, they discovered, fond of having its ears scratched). Bluebell held the fox in her arms so it wouldn't tire itself keeping up.
This time, after he announced himself, the prince rode through the castle gates and waited in the courtyard for the king of Athimand to come outside. (This was not, strictly speaking, rude; he simply couldn't bring the horse into the castle, and he didn't want to let such a valuable creature out of his sight. Besides, he knew the king wanted to see the horse.)
The king of Athimand was almost as ostentatious as the king of Murlee, only his castle was silver instead of gold, and he covered his walls with mosaics instead of tapestries. The marble courtyard was cold and full of echoes.
Presently the king descended the steps of his keep, flanked by twenty guards in blue-and-silver (who carried swords), and extended his arms to the prince. "You have brought me the horse that can outrun the wind! How extraordinary," he said, spreading his arms. His hands glittered with jewels. "I will have the firebird brought shortly. But tell me, my friend, who is the beautiful girl behind you?"
"This is the princess of the ivory tower. She's traveling with me." The prince slid off the horse and handed the reins to a guard. The king glanced curiously at the fox, which jumped to the ground and sniffed at the guard's feet.
The prince noticed the king's interest and said firmly, "The fox is the princess's pet. It isn't for sale." The king sighed.
Just then, a nervous man brought the firebird out of the keep in a silver cage, which he held gingerly. The bird blazed in all the colors of the rainbow, making the king's jewels look like worthless glass. Bluebell gasped in spite of herself.
"Ah, you admire my treasure, princess?" The king of Athimand smiled. "Be wary. The bird is wild and bites those who come too near. It is controlled only by spells I myself wove into the cage." The bird cowered as the king took the cage from the servant and handed it to the prince, who bowed.
"Take the horse to the stables after the princess dismounts," the king said to his guards. "I am eager to begin its training."
The guard holding the reins stepped forward and offered Bluebell his hand, but the prince touched his shoulder. "Allow me," he said. He walked to the horse, handed the firebird's cage to Bluebell, and quickly swung into the saddle.
"Thief!" cried the king. "Stop him!"
The guard lunged forward, but dropped both his sword and the reins when the fox bit his leg. The horse flew through the castle gates and the king of Athimand's angry screams faded swiftly in the distance.
That evening they stopped by the edge of a forest. Bluebell hung the firebird's cage from a branch while the prince unsaddled the horse. "Please fetch some wood," she said, not looking at him. He sighed and vanished into the trees.
She offered a slice of bread to the bird, which tore at it eagerly. "Poor thing. I'm not surprised you don't like people if you're always locked in a cage or under a spell. The king of Athimand seemed quite unpleasant."
The bird snapped at her.
She served their supper (thin beef soup) in silence, but after a while her curiosity overcame her. "What will happen when we reach Tourmaline?" she asked the prince.
He glanced at her, surprised. "My father will declare me his heir and disinherit my brothers, after he and my mother welcome me home," he said. "I don't know what he'll do with the horse and the firebird. He wanted to kill the bird for stealing his apples, but since it was under a spell he'll probably declare war on Athimand instead. He doesn't like thieves."
The prince shrugged. "My parents will like you. You remind me of my sister, Aurora, who married the king of Topaz. She stubborn too, and she likes horses."
"I see," said Bluebell. "Why didn't your brothers go fetch the firebird instead of you?"
"Oh, they started to, but they didn't get very far. My oldest brother, Lucian, went south instead of east and became a knight of the Emperor of Alandia. He married one of the Emperor's thirty-three daughters and is now fourteenth in line for the Diamond Throne.
"My middle brother, Cedric, went north and died in Thule. A messenger brought us his sword and a tale of how he killed a dragon. I don't believe a word of it (Cedric was a wonderful brother, but he was never handy with a sword) but it makes my parents happier. So the quest is just a formality; I'm the only son left to inherit at all."
"The quest wasn't your destiny?" Bluebell asked, puzzled.
"It might have been." The prince put his empty bowl on the ground and leaned back on his elbows. "We don't have much to do with destinies in Tourmaline, though I hear they're more common in the east. We believe in responsibility. Do you have a destiny, my lady?"
"I don't know. I did, but I think I've gone past it, and I don't know what to do anymore. I may be caught up in yours. The fox says you have one, you know." Bluebell picked up the bowls and spoons and rinsed them.
"I didn't, actually. It never told me," said the prince. "I wonder why?"
"I think it likes being mysterious."
The prince laughed. "This is true. Though I think, in my case, it has more to do with promises I broke by not following its advice with the bird and the horse. I have no idea why I broke them; it was quite unlike me. I promised it a favor to make up for my lapse, but I think it likes irritating me anyway." He paused, seeming to think deeply. Then, in an overly casual voice, he said, "If I may ask, my lady, what was your destiny?"
"Oh, to wait in the ivory tower until you traded me for the horse that can outrun the wind. It was rather lonely," Bluebell said slowly, expecting him to laugh.
He didn't, though. Instead, he answered pleasantly and they talked for another hour or so, telling each other of their homes and families. She was surprised that the prince no longer seemed as unpleasant as she remembered. She supposed it wasn't his fault she had been locked in the tower; he was no more responsible for his destiny than she for hers. And he had saved the horse from the king of Athimand, even if he did steal it.
"It's getting late, and we have to travel tomorrow," the prince said finally. "Goodnight, Bluebell."
"Goodnight, Ivan."
That night, the fox did not wake Bluebell when it crept into their camp. It lay down beside her and she smiled in her sleep.
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Chapter Six: Tourmaline
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They rode slowly to Tourmaline, taking a week instead of a day, and let the fox walk. Prince Ivan and Bluebell talked every night and smiled more often. Occasionally he pointed out sights of his homeland. Bluebell commented politely; the fox kept its thoughts to itself.
They reached the king of Tourmaline's imposing castle at midmorning. "I've come home with the firebird," Ivan said to the four guards at the gate (who wore black-and-silver and carried pikes). "Please tell my father and ask him to meet me by the stables."
The guards bowed and one marched into the castle. Ivan directed the horse through the outer bailey to a cobblestone yard in front of a large stable, waving and greeting various people all the way. They smiled and cried his name, and shot curious looks at Bluebell and the fox.
"This is my home," Ivan said, gently halting the horse. "What do you think?"
"It seems much more friendly and normal than Athimand or Murlee," said Bluebell, "but still much larger and richer than my home. We haven't money to pay guards or pave courtyards." She handed the firebird's cage to Ivan after he dismounted. He set it on the ground and helped her off the horse.
"What happens now?"
"My father should come soon," said Ivan. A trumpet sounded from the keep. "Actually, here he comes now."
The king of Tourmaline (who had an impressively long white beard, though he was a bit stout) was preceded by a trumpeter and accompanied by various advisors and his queen (who was lovely, with black hair, red lips, and pale cheeks flushed from happiness). "Ivan!" the king said, and opened his arms. Ivan smiled and embraced his father.
"We missed you," said the queen, as she embraced her son and leaned her head on his shoulder. "The castle seemed very empty without you. Welcome home, Ivan."
"I see you brought more than the firebird," said the king, eyeing Bluebell, the horse, and the fox. "Who's the young lady? Should we expect any announcements?"
Ivan blushed. "I had some complications getting the firebird, Father," he said. "I had to fetch the horse that can outrun the wind to trade for the bird, and I had to fetch the princess of the ivory tower to trade for the horse.
"This is the princess, Bluebell of Florissant, and that's the horse that can outrun the wind. The fox (which is a magical fox) gave me advice (which I didn't follow nearly so much as I should have). It deserves a reward."
The fox looked uncomfortable and edged away. Bluebell grinned at it.
The queen coughed into her hand. "I see," she said. "Ah, but Ivan, if you'll pardon my question, how is it that the princess and the horse still accompany you, if you were supposed to trade them for the firebird?"
Ivan looked at his boots.
"I can explain that, your Majesty," said Bluebell, stepping forward. "The king of Murlee would have locked me in a room forever, but Prince Ivan saved me. The king of Athimand would have terribly mistreated the horse, but Prince Ivan saved it. He also saved the firebird, which has been bespelled for years.
"He was very brave and noble, and I'm grateful." Bluebell curtsied and stepped back to stand against the horse; it snorted and she scratched its ears. Ivan stared at her in disbelief.
"Harrumph." The king looked sternly at Bluebell and his son. "A most eloquent explanation, my lady, for which I thank you. For had I discovered Ivan to be a thief, I would have been forced to disinherit and banish him. No one is above the law, whatever those fools in Murlee and Athimand think."
There was a brief uncomfortable silence.
"Will you be staying with us, my dear?" the queen asked hastily, giving Bluebell a sympathetic look. "We would be most grateful for the company this winter, and perhaps beyond. The castle has become lonely with only one child left, and Ivan is grown now." She nudged her son in the ribs.
Ivan quickly stepped forward and offered Bluebell his hand. "Please stay, Bluebell. I would miss you if you left."
Bluebell looked at the cobblestones. "It's very kind of you to offer, but I should go home," she said. "My family misses me and I miss them. Besides, I'm only seventeen."
Ivan looked unhappy. "Are you sure you won't stay the winter?" he asked. "You could send your family a letter and go home in the spring."
"No, I want to go now, before winter. I miss Florissant." Bluebell rubbed her cheek. She would not embarrass herself by crying in front of strangers, or in front of Ivan. Especially not in front of Ivan's parents.
"Take the horse, then," said Ivan. "It's a long way to Florissant and you might not get there before the winter storms otherwise."
Bluebell looked up, surprised. "Oh, you don't need to do that!" she said. "I'm sure I'll manage by myself."
"No, take the horse. I have no right to keep it. Only..." Ivan flushed. "Only come visit me in the spring? Please? I'll miss you."
Bluebell studied him. He was very nice, once you got to know him, and he wasn't at all responsible for the circumstances in which they'd me. "All right," she said finally. "Yes. I'll visit you." She hugged him, very briefly, before stepping back. He looked stunned (for princes, like all young men, are never quite as self-assured as they would have the world believe) and very happy.
"Go in peace then, Princess Bluebell, and with our blessings," said the king, who had kept tactfully silent during the previous conversation.
"May the way be clear before you and the sun shine bright upon your journey," the queen added, smiling. She seemed to be stifling a dance of glee.
Bluebell clambered onto the horse, checked that her basket was still tied to the saddle, and looked down at Ivan. "Goodbye, Ivan."
"Goodbye, Bluebell," he said.
She kicked the horse gently and it trotted around the castle and out the gate; the fox followed. The guards saluted her and she waved to them, beaming.
As she rode down the hill, the sound of a thousand bells rose suddenly behind her. Turning, she saw the firebird hovering free over the castle, before it streaked south to the lands of the sun. Bluebell laughed in delight and kicked the horse into a gallop, letting the wind blow across her face.
She was free.
---------------------------------------------
Back to chapters 3 and 4
Continue to chapters 7, 8, and 9
---------------------------------------------
The next parts get a little heavy/weird, which I spent several days fighting against when I wrote the damn thing, but I eventually surrendered to the tendency of my stories to go peculiar and dark and philosophical. (You should have seen the rough draft. It was scary. Pages of discussion on... no, can't say yet. After it's posted. *evil laugh*)
---------------------------------------------
Am not feeling the writing bug at the moment. Am too interested in reading Spuffy smut and Skywalker family stories. Must stop falling into new fandoms, damnit! I write Harry Potter, not Star Wars or BtVS or DBZ or Ranma 1/2 or Gundam Wing or Dark Is Rising or PotC or...
Focus, Liz, focus!
