fic: In This Masqurade Of Stars
May. 18th, 2011 05:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: In This Masquerade Of Stars
Series: FE10
Character/Pairing: Sephiran, Sanaki
Rating: G is for Gen
Word count: 1125
Author's note:fe_contest: 13 (Starry, starry night). For myaru. I owed her something anyways. Geeen~ Title comes from Plans by Birds of Tokyo. Apparently in the same universe as Guidestone, A Sight Unseen and most of the other pieces I've done for fe_contest about these two (with the exception of Sparks).
Thanks to Joss for the Beta.
*
She's been restless all day. A heat wave has settled over Begnion, and for all her attachment to fire as her preferred tome, she doesn't stand the heat well. Sweat mats her purple hair to her forehead. She constantly calls for slivers of ice from the icebox, while one servant is kept on hand to use a large, intricately designed fan to ensure that Sanaki would not catch heat stroke again. The fashions of the day have adjusted to accommodate the weather. She wears a loose robe of white silk with a gold sash across her waist. Unlike the usual fashions, there are no layers where other material is sewn into sleeves and necklines to show hints of designs–birds in flight, the rose of damask.
Twilight has come, but the heat still lingers. It's almost as muggy as the forests of Gallia. He notices the first star, but makes no wish. He has no wishes left that cannot be accomplished by his own hand. It feels like an admonishment, a plague sent by a vengeful god. Even in the marble hallways of Begnion, the nobles do little better than the farmers on the outskirts of the land.
That is the way of things.
He looks through his notes which he gathered from a servant he pays a few coins to report back to him. She has been quite unproductive today. The senate did not meet, for the heat was too unbearable and Duke Tanas claimed he was too lovely a creature for sweat stains.
"You still have your lessons," Sephiran reminds her. "Etiquette was skipped, as was magic practice. There is still history and star reading to finish."
"You're chipper as ever," she mutters. "These sorts of things never seem to get you down."
"Thank you, my lady," he says, though he knows it isn't a compliment.
She's reached that difficult age–but then, Sanaki has always been difficult. Sephiran has thought to himself before that her terrible twos never quite left, but only evolved to slightly more terrible threes, fearsome fours, and so on. She is on the cusp of womanhood now, moody and filled with young girl's secret's and adult responsibilities.
A lesser woman would've crumbled under the pressure. This is why he encourages her spirited ways. It will take an inner fire to survive such weights.
"I fail to see how a study of the stars will change much," Sanaki says. The servant girl is young, mousy, and very nervous. Her shoulders are constantly stooped, and usually the first words out of her mouth are an apology for her clumsiness. At Sanaki's irritated remark, she looks up abruptly, as she is the one being chastised. She pauses, frozen with wide, frightened eyes for a few long moments.
"I didn't say you could stop," Sanaki says, an edge rising in her voice.
The servant murmurs several apologies.
"You are the Apostle. The people of Begnion expect you to read the future, to read the signs the Goddess may have left for us."
"Couldn't she have just sent a note?" Sanaki says sarcastically. "A comet seems a bit much."
Sephiran lifts up his sleeve to cover a polite cough. Behind his long, silken sleeves, he conceals a smile.
"She is enigmatic. It is the way of gods," Sephiran says.
Sanaki lets out a sigh. "If I see her, I'll be sure to let her know that frying her people isn't appreciated."
"I'm sure you will," Sephiran says. His tone is even, but he turns to conceal another smile. It wouldn't do to have her thinking he's laughing at her.
"Might as well be done with it. You can go," she says, a careless dismissal. The servant nearly drops the fan in her desperation to leave.
Sanaki slowly gets up from her settee, and stretches.
It is slightly cooler by the large windows. She tilts her head, as if she can manage to deign to give the stars her attention for a few moments.
"Why do people wish on stars?" Sanaki asks. She does not seem precocious as she says it. Instead, she seems almost vulnerable–the shades of the half-woman, half-girl who rules over the largest, most prosperous land in Tellius.
"People need something to believe in. Wishes make them believe their lives could be somehow changed for the better, however remote the chance," Sephiran says. He looks up to the constellations, knowing she is looking to him.
"You say that like you don't believe," Sanaki says. "Like my station of the Apsotle is just an act."
She sounds wary, even with a hint of fragility then. She may be all fire, but she isn't without her weaknesses.
"Of course not," Sephiran says. "The heat has merely made me...more dour than usual."
"So you do believe in me?" She persists.
"My lady, I believe in you more than any other ruler–or indeed, any other person in this land."
She is placated for the moment. He marks the stars, bringing out a map of the heavens with each constellation and group. Sanaki is not quite impressed with the glory that the skies have spread out before her.
"I still don't see how a misshapen square is supposed to really be a horse," she says crossly.
"The Zunanma saw things differently, it seems," Sephiran says.
Sanaki frowns. "How am I to read these and find any sense to them? They're like some child's drawing kept by its adoring parents."
An apt description, he thinks, when he remembers. Hearing the voice of the Goddess, looking up the stars and naming them. It was so very long ago, but the memory has not faded in his mind.
"You will find the way when it is time," Sephiran says.
The air has cooled, and a sliver of the moon hangs on the horizon. Just days ago, the Begnionian upper class set out for a moon viewing party on the inner courtyard. Sanaki had not mingled much, but kept looking up as if she could draw upon some well of knowledge from the Goddess.
But as always, she did not–and will not–find anything. He does not let her know this, however. Let her believe the Goddess listens to her prayers. It will not hurt to let her hope for a little longer.
Series: FE10
Character/Pairing: Sephiran, Sanaki
Rating: G is for Gen
Word count: 1125
Author's note:
fe_contest: 13 (Starry, starry night). For myaru. I owed her something anyways. Geeen~ Title comes from Plans by Birds of Tokyo. Apparently in the same universe as Guidestone, A Sight Unseen and most of the other pieces I've done for fe_contest about these two (with the exception of Sparks).Thanks to Joss for the Beta.
*
She's been restless all day. A heat wave has settled over Begnion, and for all her attachment to fire as her preferred tome, she doesn't stand the heat well. Sweat mats her purple hair to her forehead. She constantly calls for slivers of ice from the icebox, while one servant is kept on hand to use a large, intricately designed fan to ensure that Sanaki would not catch heat stroke again. The fashions of the day have adjusted to accommodate the weather. She wears a loose robe of white silk with a gold sash across her waist. Unlike the usual fashions, there are no layers where other material is sewn into sleeves and necklines to show hints of designs–birds in flight, the rose of damask.
Twilight has come, but the heat still lingers. It's almost as muggy as the forests of Gallia. He notices the first star, but makes no wish. He has no wishes left that cannot be accomplished by his own hand. It feels like an admonishment, a plague sent by a vengeful god. Even in the marble hallways of Begnion, the nobles do little better than the farmers on the outskirts of the land.
That is the way of things.
He looks through his notes which he gathered from a servant he pays a few coins to report back to him. She has been quite unproductive today. The senate did not meet, for the heat was too unbearable and Duke Tanas claimed he was too lovely a creature for sweat stains.
"You still have your lessons," Sephiran reminds her. "Etiquette was skipped, as was magic practice. There is still history and star reading to finish."
"You're chipper as ever," she mutters. "These sorts of things never seem to get you down."
"Thank you, my lady," he says, though he knows it isn't a compliment.
She's reached that difficult age–but then, Sanaki has always been difficult. Sephiran has thought to himself before that her terrible twos never quite left, but only evolved to slightly more terrible threes, fearsome fours, and so on. She is on the cusp of womanhood now, moody and filled with young girl's secret's and adult responsibilities.
A lesser woman would've crumbled under the pressure. This is why he encourages her spirited ways. It will take an inner fire to survive such weights.
"I fail to see how a study of the stars will change much," Sanaki says. The servant girl is young, mousy, and very nervous. Her shoulders are constantly stooped, and usually the first words out of her mouth are an apology for her clumsiness. At Sanaki's irritated remark, she looks up abruptly, as she is the one being chastised. She pauses, frozen with wide, frightened eyes for a few long moments.
"I didn't say you could stop," Sanaki says, an edge rising in her voice.
The servant murmurs several apologies.
"You are the Apostle. The people of Begnion expect you to read the future, to read the signs the Goddess may have left for us."
"Couldn't she have just sent a note?" Sanaki says sarcastically. "A comet seems a bit much."
Sephiran lifts up his sleeve to cover a polite cough. Behind his long, silken sleeves, he conceals a smile.
"She is enigmatic. It is the way of gods," Sephiran says.
Sanaki lets out a sigh. "If I see her, I'll be sure to let her know that frying her people isn't appreciated."
"I'm sure you will," Sephiran says. His tone is even, but he turns to conceal another smile. It wouldn't do to have her thinking he's laughing at her.
"Might as well be done with it. You can go," she says, a careless dismissal. The servant nearly drops the fan in her desperation to leave.
Sanaki slowly gets up from her settee, and stretches.
It is slightly cooler by the large windows. She tilts her head, as if she can manage to deign to give the stars her attention for a few moments.
"Why do people wish on stars?" Sanaki asks. She does not seem precocious as she says it. Instead, she seems almost vulnerable–the shades of the half-woman, half-girl who rules over the largest, most prosperous land in Tellius.
"People need something to believe in. Wishes make them believe their lives could be somehow changed for the better, however remote the chance," Sephiran says. He looks up to the constellations, knowing she is looking to him.
"You say that like you don't believe," Sanaki says. "Like my station of the Apsotle is just an act."
She sounds wary, even with a hint of fragility then. She may be all fire, but she isn't without her weaknesses.
"Of course not," Sephiran says. "The heat has merely made me...more dour than usual."
"So you do believe in me?" She persists.
"My lady, I believe in you more than any other ruler–or indeed, any other person in this land."
She is placated for the moment. He marks the stars, bringing out a map of the heavens with each constellation and group. Sanaki is not quite impressed with the glory that the skies have spread out before her.
"I still don't see how a misshapen square is supposed to really be a horse," she says crossly.
"The Zunanma saw things differently, it seems," Sephiran says.
Sanaki frowns. "How am I to read these and find any sense to them? They're like some child's drawing kept by its adoring parents."
An apt description, he thinks, when he remembers. Hearing the voice of the Goddess, looking up the stars and naming them. It was so very long ago, but the memory has not faded in his mind.
"You will find the way when it is time," Sephiran says.
The air has cooled, and a sliver of the moon hangs on the horizon. Just days ago, the Begnionian upper class set out for a moon viewing party on the inner courtyard. Sanaki had not mingled much, but kept looking up as if she could draw upon some well of knowledge from the Goddess.
But as always, she did not–and will not–find anything. He does not let her know this, however. Let her believe the Goddess listens to her prayers. It will not hurt to let her hope for a little longer.
