Fic: Curse or Coincidence?
Oct. 26th, 2012 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Curse or Coincidence?
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series:Kat
Pairing/Characters: General Series
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 914
Beta: by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dorothydeath
Summary: After meeting MacBride, Kat and Honor discuss MacBride, Simkins, and the power of the curse.
Warnings: None
Notes: This takes place immediately after the events of "To New Friends And Long Lives" (A shorter and less polished version of this originally made up the first part of "Curses, Coincidences, and Concoctions")
At last, Kat stood and excused herself, making ready to retire for the night. MacBride followed her and Honor out into the corridor.
"Your majesty," MacBride said, "I am going out riding tomorrow, heading for the border of the kingdom. I intend to gather some sloe berries to add flavour to our evening's feast. Would you care to accompany me?"
Honor put one hand possessively on Kat's arm. "Our plans for tomorrow have not been finalised."
MacBride nodded and lowered his gaze. "Of course. Moreover, I may yet not live to see the morrow."
Despite the circumstances, Kat bit back a laugh at his obvious attempt to guilt her into going with him. "I will sleep on it," she said.
MacBride grinned at her. "Hopefully I shall see you at breakfast, and you can tell me of your decision then." He bowed low. "Your majesty. Your grace."
Kat watched MacBride stride off down the hallway as if he owned the place, his cloak swishing about him. Honor tugged at her slightly and she began to move towards her rooms.
"Do you think he'll die?" she asked and wondered how cold-blooded she sounded.
Honor shrugged, perturbed. "We've seen the curse kill before."
"It might have been coincidence." Kat was not convinced and the doubt showed in her voice. Few people believed that, and fewer still were willing to test the theory.
Honor stopped by one of the many torches lining the thick stone walls. "You can't feel guilty over this. He clearly knew the risk when he took your hand."
Honor met her gaze and Kat nodded. He was bathed in the yellow glow of the flames and Kat could see he was desperate to reassure her. Honor sighed and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear in a caring gesture.
"Now, tell me what got you so angry in the first place."
She did so, sure to emphasise Simkins's views and behaviour, and how violated she'd felt by his touch. Honor's hand on her arm, MacBride's grasping of her hand; neither of these had been meant to dominate or intimidate her and would never have caused her to lose control.
Honor's cheek twitched. "Then I should have been watching you closer." She'd accused him of not paying enough attention, but now she wasn't feeling so vulnerable, she was able to be rational.
"No. You couldn't know he was going to cross the line. I should have put him in his place earlier." She hadn't, mostly because she was trying to be polite and not cause a scene. She couldn't have known it would lead to the complete opposite.
Honor shook his head angrily. "No. The onus was on him to not encroach upon your boundaries – let alone the royal person! He must have seen your distaste for him, Kat. You are more expressive than you think. I can read your moods better than most, but there's not a sighted man in all the kingdoms who cannot see when you are becoming enraged."
Yet so many of them refused to back down. For some it was pride or its cousin arrogance, for some it was the belief that they were superior and their desires more worthy than hers. Sometimes though she wondered if there was a more twisted aspect to the curse. That it made people keep going when they ought to stop, goading her until she issued a dire proclamation.
As if the curse needed to be freed sometimes.
The thought was disquieting and she tried not to dwell on it.
"The king said you could choose the punishment. Do you have any thoughts?" Honor asked, his voice softer in response to her sudden silent introspection.
She shook her head. "I can't think right now. Let me sleep on that, too."
"Of course." Yet after a moment, Honor couldn’t help but ask doubtfully, "Are you actually thinking of going riding with this MacBride tomorrow?"
"Maybe. I really don't know anything about him to persuade me either way."
Honor gestured and they began to walk along the corridor again. "Nor I. Where's Cal when you need him?"
"Probably getting drunk, or laid, or both." There was no judgement in her tone. "We'll catch up with him tomorrow, and see what he knows or can find out."
Regardless of what Cal knew or didn't, Kat had already decided to accompany their new acquaintance on his expedition. She didn't dare tell Honor this though, for his distrust of MacBride was obvious and she was too tired to argue right now.
At the door to her chambers, Riku was waiting patiently.
"I've searched the room," he said. "Since there was some trouble I thought it best."
Word travelled fast. Kat nodded. "Thank you."
"Yes," Honor told Riku with obvious approval. "I know I said we were safe here but at least for tonight, I think you ought to stand guard at the door. I'll find Barton and tell him to relieve you when your shift finishes."
As he made to depart, Kat caught at Honor's sleeve. When he paused, she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good night."
He stroked her hair, no longer angry with her, only at the situation. "Sleep well."
He went in search of Barton, and Kat bid Riku a peaceful guard shift before shutting the door behind her.
She undressed quickly and didn't bother to brush her hair at all, gratefully falling into bed. Sleep came quickly, and, thankfully, she didn't dream.
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series:Kat
Pairing/Characters: General Series
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 914
Beta: by
dorothydeathSummary: After meeting MacBride, Kat and Honor discuss MacBride, Simkins, and the power of the curse.
Warnings: None
Notes: This takes place immediately after the events of "To New Friends And Long Lives" (A shorter and less polished version of this originally made up the first part of "Curses, Coincidences, and Concoctions")
At last, Kat stood and excused herself, making ready to retire for the night. MacBride followed her and Honor out into the corridor.
"Your majesty," MacBride said, "I am going out riding tomorrow, heading for the border of the kingdom. I intend to gather some sloe berries to add flavour to our evening's feast. Would you care to accompany me?"
Honor put one hand possessively on Kat's arm. "Our plans for tomorrow have not been finalised."
MacBride nodded and lowered his gaze. "Of course. Moreover, I may yet not live to see the morrow."
Despite the circumstances, Kat bit back a laugh at his obvious attempt to guilt her into going with him. "I will sleep on it," she said.
MacBride grinned at her. "Hopefully I shall see you at breakfast, and you can tell me of your decision then." He bowed low. "Your majesty. Your grace."
Kat watched MacBride stride off down the hallway as if he owned the place, his cloak swishing about him. Honor tugged at her slightly and she began to move towards her rooms.
"Do you think he'll die?" she asked and wondered how cold-blooded she sounded.
Honor shrugged, perturbed. "We've seen the curse kill before."
"It might have been coincidence." Kat was not convinced and the doubt showed in her voice. Few people believed that, and fewer still were willing to test the theory.
Honor stopped by one of the many torches lining the thick stone walls. "You can't feel guilty over this. He clearly knew the risk when he took your hand."
Honor met her gaze and Kat nodded. He was bathed in the yellow glow of the flames and Kat could see he was desperate to reassure her. Honor sighed and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear in a caring gesture.
"Now, tell me what got you so angry in the first place."
She did so, sure to emphasise Simkins's views and behaviour, and how violated she'd felt by his touch. Honor's hand on her arm, MacBride's grasping of her hand; neither of these had been meant to dominate or intimidate her and would never have caused her to lose control.
Honor's cheek twitched. "Then I should have been watching you closer." She'd accused him of not paying enough attention, but now she wasn't feeling so vulnerable, she was able to be rational.
"No. You couldn't know he was going to cross the line. I should have put him in his place earlier." She hadn't, mostly because she was trying to be polite and not cause a scene. She couldn't have known it would lead to the complete opposite.
Honor shook his head angrily. "No. The onus was on him to not encroach upon your boundaries – let alone the royal person! He must have seen your distaste for him, Kat. You are more expressive than you think. I can read your moods better than most, but there's not a sighted man in all the kingdoms who cannot see when you are becoming enraged."
Yet so many of them refused to back down. For some it was pride or its cousin arrogance, for some it was the belief that they were superior and their desires more worthy than hers. Sometimes though she wondered if there was a more twisted aspect to the curse. That it made people keep going when they ought to stop, goading her until she issued a dire proclamation.
As if the curse needed to be freed sometimes.
The thought was disquieting and she tried not to dwell on it.
"The king said you could choose the punishment. Do you have any thoughts?" Honor asked, his voice softer in response to her sudden silent introspection.
She shook her head. "I can't think right now. Let me sleep on that, too."
"Of course." Yet after a moment, Honor couldn’t help but ask doubtfully, "Are you actually thinking of going riding with this MacBride tomorrow?"
"Maybe. I really don't know anything about him to persuade me either way."
Honor gestured and they began to walk along the corridor again. "Nor I. Where's Cal when you need him?"
"Probably getting drunk, or laid, or both." There was no judgement in her tone. "We'll catch up with him tomorrow, and see what he knows or can find out."
Regardless of what Cal knew or didn't, Kat had already decided to accompany their new acquaintance on his expedition. She didn't dare tell Honor this though, for his distrust of MacBride was obvious and she was too tired to argue right now.
At the door to her chambers, Riku was waiting patiently.
"I've searched the room," he said. "Since there was some trouble I thought it best."
Word travelled fast. Kat nodded. "Thank you."
"Yes," Honor told Riku with obvious approval. "I know I said we were safe here but at least for tonight, I think you ought to stand guard at the door. I'll find Barton and tell him to relieve you when your shift finishes."
As he made to depart, Kat caught at Honor's sleeve. When he paused, she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good night."
He stroked her hair, no longer angry with her, only at the situation. "Sleep well."
He went in search of Barton, and Kat bid Riku a peaceful guard shift before shutting the door behind her.
She undressed quickly and didn't bother to brush her hair at all, gratefully falling into bed. Sleep came quickly, and, thankfully, she didn't dream.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-27 08:31 am (UTC)*HUGS*
no subject
Date: 2012-10-27 11:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-27 08:23 pm (UTC)That it made people keep going when they ought to stop, goading her until she issued a dire proclamation.
As if the curse needed to be freed sometimes.
The thought was disquieting and she tried not to dwell on it.
That's a fascinating idea :) I also like that Riku was there to check for Kat's safety :D
no subject
Date: 2012-10-28 11:32 am (UTC)