Fic: Grand Plans
Sep. 14th, 2012 07:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Grand Plans
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Kat
Pairing/Characters: Kat, Honor, Mairenne
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1057
Prompt: For the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
100_tales prompt 059. Trust.
Summary: Kat tells her grandmother she plans to go on the Tour.
Warnings: None
Notes: Honor's annoyed with Kat at this point for something that happened previously and will be elaborated on later.
Mairenne was sweeping the deck outside her cottage when the approached. She looked up and put the broom aside, waving at them. Kat jumped from her horse, and ran over to her grandmother. Mairenne hugged Kat tightly.
"I wasn't expecting you," Marienne said. Her snow white hair was gathered up into a bun and she had on an apron. They'd interrupted her during her chores, Kat thought.
Kat drew back and brushed her hair from her face. "I came for my new horse," she said, pointing at Vince. Honor, still sour faced, dismounted from Black Thunder. He bowed in Mairenne's direction.
"None of that," Mairenne said.
"You're the queen's grandmother," Honor said, leading the two horses over and draping their reins over a nearby tree branch.
"Yes, your grace," Mairenne said, with sarcasm. "If we start with formalities it will be nightfall before we're done. Come here and give me a hug."
Honor couldn't sulk in her presence and obediently came forward to let her embrace him.
"I'll make us some tea," Mairenne said, "and there's oatcakes freshly baked. Then you can show me your wonderful new mounts."
Kat followed her into the comfortable cottage, sniffing appreciatively. "Where's grandfather?"
"Gone on a fishing trip with Old Jonas," she said, taking off her apron and folding it neatly. "Told me he might not be back until tomorrow. No doubt there'll be a tavern or three to visit on the way. I told him, I'm going to the Citadel next month to do something I enjoy."
"You'll be most welcome," Honor said. "I'll arrange an escort."
Mairenne handed him an oatcake and gave Kat a quizzical glance.
"He can't help being so formal," Kat said. "He spends so much time being official he sometimes forgets to take the stick out of his butt." She probably shouldn't be mean while he was still upset about Vince, but she found Honor being officious in casual situations like this one deeply irritating.
"Katerina!" Mairenne shot her a sharp glance before she stirred the teapot.
Kat shrugged and took an oatcake. "I don't like to stand on ceremony."
"That's no excuse for rudeness," Mairenne said sternly. She pulled a shawl around her shoulders before she poured the tea.
They all sat at the table, and Kat wrapped both her hands around her mug. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was a little girl again, with the crackling of the fire, and the smell of warm oatcakes and drying herbs.
Not that all her childhood memories were good ones.
Kat shook herself mentally. No use dwelling on the past. She had to focus on the future. On the Tour.
Announcing her decision at the Council meeting had been easy. It had given her especial joy to see Ferran's face turn thunderous at this latest folly. Telling Mairenne was a little more difficult. She didn't think her grandmother would disapprove, but it meant at least a year away from home and would not be without danger. Mairenne would have concerns.
Kat had been putting it off but coming out here to take possession of her new horse meant she was in the area and it would have been rude not to visit. She couldn't avoid it any longer.
Kat opened her eyes, took a gulp of tea, and steeled herself. "I want to go on the Tour," she said without preamble.
Mairenne merely nodded. "Of course you do. All High Kings take the Tour, and so should the High Queen. Your father was about your age when he did the Tour, I think. It was before he met your mother, of course – the Council was hoping he'd find a wife on the way."
"I think the Council are hoping I'll find a husband," Kat said. "It might be the only reason they're letting me go."
Mairenne laughed. "Yes, well, the Council can want whatever they desire, but they can't force the monarch to wed. So, when are you planning on going?"
"I was thinking next spring. That will give us fourteen months or so to prepare. I can make arrangements for my absence, choose my retinue, and we can have scouts gather up to date information so I'm not taken too much by surprise." Kat sipped her tea.
"You've thought this through," Mairenne said with a smile.
Honor stared at the table and Kat relented. "Honor is helping me plan."
"Of course he is. He's your right hand. Why don't you just name him viceregent and have done with it?"
Kat blinked a few times, startled. "The Council –"
Mairenne gave an unladylike snort. "Never mind them. The Council don't want you to name one so that if you die – gods forefend – they can squabble over a successor rather than have the viceregent take command."
Kat shook her head. "They'd want Honor to stay behind then, and he's to come on the Tour with me."
Mairenne pushed the plate closer to Honor. "Have another one, my darling. Now you both know Viceregent Gregor went on the Tour with King Corrigan. He was your father's best and most trusted friend, Kat, and Corrigan wouldn't be parted from Gregor during the Tour any more than you want to go without Honor."
Kat had a lot to thank Gregor for, and that his presence at her father's side had set a precedent was one more thing she could be glad of.
Honor, another oatcake in hand, said, "It might not be the right time to stir the hornet's nest."
Mairenne shrugged and smoothed her shawl around her shoulders. "As you say. But better an empty throne with a named successor than one without."
Kat considered this for a moment. "I'll think about it." She had utter faith in Honor and he had always been her strongest supporter. To name him viceregent would only be making official what everyone already knew was the truth.
As always, her grandmother had a point.
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Kat
Pairing/Characters: Kat, Honor, Mairenne
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1057
Prompt: For the
100_tales prompt 059. Trust.Summary: Kat tells her grandmother she plans to go on the Tour.
Warnings: None
Notes: Honor's annoyed with Kat at this point for something that happened previously and will be elaborated on later.
Mairenne was sweeping the deck outside her cottage when the approached. She looked up and put the broom aside, waving at them. Kat jumped from her horse, and ran over to her grandmother. Mairenne hugged Kat tightly.
"I wasn't expecting you," Marienne said. Her snow white hair was gathered up into a bun and she had on an apron. They'd interrupted her during her chores, Kat thought.
Kat drew back and brushed her hair from her face. "I came for my new horse," she said, pointing at Vince. Honor, still sour faced, dismounted from Black Thunder. He bowed in Mairenne's direction.
"None of that," Mairenne said.
"You're the queen's grandmother," Honor said, leading the two horses over and draping their reins over a nearby tree branch.
"Yes, your grace," Mairenne said, with sarcasm. "If we start with formalities it will be nightfall before we're done. Come here and give me a hug."
Honor couldn't sulk in her presence and obediently came forward to let her embrace him.
"I'll make us some tea," Mairenne said, "and there's oatcakes freshly baked. Then you can show me your wonderful new mounts."
Kat followed her into the comfortable cottage, sniffing appreciatively. "Where's grandfather?"
"Gone on a fishing trip with Old Jonas," she said, taking off her apron and folding it neatly. "Told me he might not be back until tomorrow. No doubt there'll be a tavern or three to visit on the way. I told him, I'm going to the Citadel next month to do something I enjoy."
"You'll be most welcome," Honor said. "I'll arrange an escort."
Mairenne handed him an oatcake and gave Kat a quizzical glance.
"He can't help being so formal," Kat said. "He spends so much time being official he sometimes forgets to take the stick out of his butt." She probably shouldn't be mean while he was still upset about Vince, but she found Honor being officious in casual situations like this one deeply irritating.
"Katerina!" Mairenne shot her a sharp glance before she stirred the teapot.
Kat shrugged and took an oatcake. "I don't like to stand on ceremony."
"That's no excuse for rudeness," Mairenne said sternly. She pulled a shawl around her shoulders before she poured the tea.
They all sat at the table, and Kat wrapped both her hands around her mug. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was a little girl again, with the crackling of the fire, and the smell of warm oatcakes and drying herbs.
Not that all her childhood memories were good ones.
Kat shook herself mentally. No use dwelling on the past. She had to focus on the future. On the Tour.
Announcing her decision at the Council meeting had been easy. It had given her especial joy to see Ferran's face turn thunderous at this latest folly. Telling Mairenne was a little more difficult. She didn't think her grandmother would disapprove, but it meant at least a year away from home and would not be without danger. Mairenne would have concerns.
Kat had been putting it off but coming out here to take possession of her new horse meant she was in the area and it would have been rude not to visit. She couldn't avoid it any longer.
Kat opened her eyes, took a gulp of tea, and steeled herself. "I want to go on the Tour," she said without preamble.
Mairenne merely nodded. "Of course you do. All High Kings take the Tour, and so should the High Queen. Your father was about your age when he did the Tour, I think. It was before he met your mother, of course – the Council was hoping he'd find a wife on the way."
"I think the Council are hoping I'll find a husband," Kat said. "It might be the only reason they're letting me go."
Mairenne laughed. "Yes, well, the Council can want whatever they desire, but they can't force the monarch to wed. So, when are you planning on going?"
"I was thinking next spring. That will give us fourteen months or so to prepare. I can make arrangements for my absence, choose my retinue, and we can have scouts gather up to date information so I'm not taken too much by surprise." Kat sipped her tea.
"You've thought this through," Mairenne said with a smile.
Honor stared at the table and Kat relented. "Honor is helping me plan."
"Of course he is. He's your right hand. Why don't you just name him viceregent and have done with it?"
Kat blinked a few times, startled. "The Council –"
Mairenne gave an unladylike snort. "Never mind them. The Council don't want you to name one so that if you die – gods forefend – they can squabble over a successor rather than have the viceregent take command."
Kat shook her head. "They'd want Honor to stay behind then, and he's to come on the Tour with me."
Mairenne pushed the plate closer to Honor. "Have another one, my darling. Now you both know Viceregent Gregor went on the Tour with King Corrigan. He was your father's best and most trusted friend, Kat, and Corrigan wouldn't be parted from Gregor during the Tour any more than you want to go without Honor."
Kat had a lot to thank Gregor for, and that his presence at her father's side had set a precedent was one more thing she could be glad of.
Honor, another oatcake in hand, said, "It might not be the right time to stir the hornet's nest."
Mairenne shrugged and smoothed her shawl around her shoulders. "As you say. But better an empty throne with a named successor than one without."
Kat considered this for a moment. "I'll think about it." She had utter faith in Honor and he had always been her strongest supporter. To name him viceregent would only be making official what everyone already knew was the truth.
As always, her grandmother had a point.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 12:16 pm (UTC)I'd argue many are trying to recreate this 'golden age' when "men were men" and everyone of a different gender/race/sexual orientation knew their place. "Traditional" usually means exactly this.
I don't want to make Ferran too 'attractive'. I don't want readers siding with him because he's 'misunderstood', the way we view Darken!
All that said, I'm still constantly trying to sort out all the politics in my head!
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 09:16 pm (UTC)It's actually a very interesting problem. :D
Uhm... I hope you don't mind if I write a mini-essay on the subject... Please ignore my opinions if you disagree with them!!! O_O
So...
No matter how vile a character is there still will be people who support him. It's unavoidable. Even Joff in GoT has his fanbase.
So if Ferran truly believes women inferior it gives his supporters the ground to argue pro his worldview. (which is clearly not the worldview readers are supposed to cheer for, but it will happen anyway)
If, however, it was revealed in the end (and not clear from the beginning) that Ferran himself did not believe in the point he stood by, it would render his supporters powerless to argue in defense of this "golden age", "women should now their place" stuff. (which, I guess, is exactly the goal here).
Also if your favorite character is revealed to have an opposite point of view it makes you wonder, maybe your point of view isn't entirely right after all? It makes you think more and analyze things and maybe it will help someone see the flaws in their previous views. Which is totally a good thing.
If Ferran was revealed to have irrational, deep, sick, twisted fear of women that made him a misogynist... there would be a chance that some of his old "golden age" supporters would be converted to accept his real point of view ("women are freaking powerful"). Which is a step forward for them! Making someone think and change their mind is super cool!
And of course Ferran would gain new supporters (the "he is misunderstood" thing). But the point is that those new supporters would not share the "women are inferior" worldview. They would try to fix Ferran rather than bash women in his name. There will be countless AUs where he saw the error of his ways and became a hero. Which, again, is a very, very good thing and a step in the right direction.
So the way I see it that plot twist is a win all around.
Of course my logic is far from perfect and I may be very wrong about everything. O_O
I hope I'm not too annoying... Please forgive me if I overstep!!
I like your verse very much and I'm very emotionally invested in it so I tend to get over enthusiastic about everything and say stupid things. O_O
And in the end it's always your decision how to draw the characters and where to take the plot. :D