House of Cards Contributions Log

Different Strings

posted by Blake at 06:25 PM, October 14, 2003 | Filed under : Fiction | Comments and Followups

Immediately following “The Turning of Age”

“He said no, didn’t he.” Carina said, turning her gaze from the sea to look at Jerod. Her comment, more a statement than a question, caught at Jerod, made him pause in his notations. The wind blew up for a moment and he adjust a lock of hair, sniffing unconsciously at the sea smell, watching as emerald green hair, light and soft and beautiful, waved around her head. Jerod looked at her for a moment, not wishing to confirm the truth though he knew that his expression had already told her as much. He nodded to her. “Yes, last night.”

Her expression was sad for a moment as she returned the nod, looked back to the sea from their perch, looking down as she always did when they sat there. Jerod watched her for several moments as he sat on the blanket, the remains of their meal packed away. He always marvelled that this surface view could hold her attention so much. Even though he knew the reason, just as he could watch for hours the school migrations while in Rebma though she barely noticed them. It was different. It was special to her.

“You didn’t fight too much, did you?” Carina asked, a concern creeping into her voice. She sat very still as she watched the waves crash and roll, feeling the ocean that was her home calling to her. She knew she was betraying her tension when she sat like this. He could feel it from her, no matter how far away he was. He always knew how she felt, no matter how she tried to hide it.

“Not much.” he replied. “There wasn’t much opportunity for it. It’s just the way it went I suppose.”

“We expected as much when you went there after he summoned you.” she said. “We always suspected he would figure it out. He’s not stupid.”

“One can hope sometimes.” Jerod said, a touch of bitterness in his voice. But he suppressed it. He knew that she does not like to hear it from him.

“You don’t mean that.” she replied, a touch of reproachment in her voice, unconscious but there.

“No. No, I don’t.” He said, lowered his eyes back to the page. The quill remained still for a moment before he began to scribble again, letting the rage flow out.

“What did he say?” she asked, settling down beside him, her proximity making him stop to focus on her. He put the quill down, put the paper aside to look at her. She knew he could not do anything else when she was this close. He knew it too.

“He said…that I needed to be discrete.” Jerod said, the breath coming from him slowly. “He said that there are other considerations. Other duties. He told me my responsibilities demand that I put personal views aside. In favor of the interests of the kingdom.” He laughs a little at the last word. “What a pile of shit.”

“Is it?” she asked. “You know that your father is not wrong in this. He is important. The King has made no selection of a successor and many give their support to your father.”

“Grandfather step down?” Jerod said, finding the idea both humorous and ludicrous. “Not likely.”

“Maybe not. But we both know that forces maneuver here as they wish to. Even if your father never becomes King, he is still important. He commands respect amongst the nobility and the commoners alike. None of his brothers or sisters can do as he has done. They have their little cliques and groups, those who are like minded. Gerard with the navy. Julian with the Rangers. But your father gathers from all the parties.”

Jerod nods. “He can certainly do that, can’t he.”

“He can read others for who they are.” Carina says. “I’ve seen him in Rebma when he is in session with the Queen. Some call him arrogant. Proud. Intolerant. They say his sister, Princess Fiona, that she can read others better than anyone. I’ve seen her too. She can read how others are behaving…what they might be thinking. But your father. He can *judge* a person. He knows how to pick those who are loyal, and see through those who have only deceit in them. He demands much from those around him. But he rewards those who are loyal from his own purse. And he may fight you, but he will never lie to anyone who is loyal to him. And he demands of himself the same he asks of his people. I wonder if any of the others can say the same.”

“So he’d be a good King you think?” Jerod asks. “That doesn’t help us. It means he’s that much better a candidate were Oberon ever to step down. And that means that I’m just as screwed as before. That we’re screwed.” He stops to take a breath. “That we can’t be together.”

“Not officially.” Carina counters. “He said for you to be discrete. And that marriage was not acceptable. But he knew well enough not to say to stay away forever. Had he done that…”

“He knew he’d have lost the moment he said it.” Jerod says, finishing her sentence.

“But instead, you’re still there. You hate what he has done. But you do not leave.” Carina said. “He knows just how far to push, and when to offer the reward to you. I wonder if you would have received such graciousness from the King.” She leaned in a little, tilting her head a little to look at him and smiled.

He looked at her, scowling for just a moment. She knew he could not resist this smile, or her being this close. The scowl fades after the moment and he returns the smile. “The King knows not of graciousness, m’lady.” he says eloquently. “For thouest alone possesses such in abundance and grants to me your boon, and your love.”

“Gracious words, m’lord.” she whispered, leaning closer as he reaches for her, meeting his kiss gently, barely touching for the moment, letting it settle upon them. Then he pulled her closer, lowering them both to the ground, still held in their embrace, for a discrete moment together.

Who’s come to slay the dragon?
Come to watch him fall?
Making arrows out of pointed words
Giant killers, at the call
Too much fuss and bother
Too much contradiction
And confusion
Peel away the mystery
Here’s a clue to some real motivation

All there really is
The two of us
We both know why we’ve come along
Nothing to explain
It’s a part of us
To be found within a song

What happened to our innocence -
Did it go out of style?
Along with our naivete -
No longer a child
Different eyes see different things
Different hearts
Beat on different strings
But there are times
For you and me
When all such things agree

All there really is
The two of us
We both know why we’ve come along
Nothing to explain
It’s a part of us
To be found within a song

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