"I trust you will be in the city for a few more days," he said.
"No, actually I plan to leave—"
"I see. When will you be returning?"
Karigan gaped. "Excellency, I don't plan to return. I'm going home to my family. My father is a merchant. It's spring, and he will need me."
The king's expression froze, and she wondered what he did not want her to read. As a king, he must be a master at masking his expressions, or otherwise possess no political leverage, just as a merchant must maintain a neutral gaze during a transaction.
"Are you sure?" he asked her. "After all, you are a Green Rider now. At least in name if not legally sworn in."
"I'm not a Green Rider," Karigan said, maintaining her self-control admirably, she thought.
"I could command you to sign papers to become a Green Rider, to work in my service, but I don't think that will be necessary, and I can only guess how much you would resent it. Coercion is not my usual tactic. Laren— Captain Mapstone— informs me that being a Green Rider is more a matter of spirit than desire, a compulsion, if you will. Something about hoofbeats." Zachary strode across the balcony to the telescope and bent down to peer up at the moon. He pulled back, blinking. "It's bright."
Karigan blinked, too, as if struck. King Zachary had reminded her of someone, the someone she had seen in the brass telescope of the Berry sisters. Images she had seen, of a man much like Zachary, with brown almond-shaped eyes, but slightly older with careworn lines on his brow, imploring her not to… not to go away; that he needed her and could not bear to lose her. Karigan trembled. A future vision? Blood drained from her head and she wobbled.
The king steadied her. "Are you all right?"
"No! Yes. Please, just stay away. I'm leaving. I'm not a Green Rider and never will be."
Driven by a fear that the future might happen if she stayed there with him, with his hands on her arms, she ran from the balcony without bowing, ran past the Weapon Fastion who stood in the doorway, his usual stoic expression scandalized. When she erupted into the glare of the ballroom, a few heads turned to look, then resumed conversation and sipping wine. The orchestra tuned up, and the sound of off-key notes clamored in her ears.
Alton D'Yer tugged at her sleeve. "Karigan, are you—?"
She yanked her sleeve away from his grasp and pushed unapologetically through the guests in desperation to leave. She broke free near the entrance and looked back over her shoulder. King Zachary stood by the balcony doorway watching her with a bemused expression, Alton D'Yer was lost in the swarm of aristocrats, and the Eletian, though in the midst of a group, seemed to stand apart, almost godlike with his golden hair and perfect features. He caught her eyes and smiled. That smile of secrets! She was not warmed by it, and without looking back, she darted into the darkness of night.
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timeasmymeasure
Memory snippet for sharing: I trust you'll stay
Date: 2014-12-14 10:14 pm (UTC)"No, actually I plan to leave—"
"I see. When will you be returning?"
Karigan gaped. "Excellency, I don't plan to return. I'm going home to
my family. My father is a merchant. It's spring, and he will need me."
The king's expression froze, and she wondered what he did not want her
to read. As a king, he must be a master at masking his expressions, or
otherwise possess no political leverage, just as a merchant must maintain a
neutral gaze during a transaction.
"Are you sure?" he asked her. "After all, you are a Green Rider now. At
least in name if not legally sworn in."
"I'm not a Green Rider," Karigan said, maintaining her self-control
admirably, she thought.
"I could command you to sign papers to become a Green Rider, to work
in my service, but I don't think that will be necessary, and I can only guess
how much you would resent it. Coercion is not my usual tactic. Laren—
Captain Mapstone— informs me that being a Green Rider is more a matter
of spirit than desire, a compulsion, if you will. Something about
hoofbeats." Zachary strode across the balcony to the telescope and bent
down to peer up at the moon. He pulled back, blinking. "It's bright."
Karigan blinked, too, as if struck. King Zachary had reminded her of
someone, the someone she had seen in the brass telescope of the Berry
sisters. Images she had seen, of a man much like Zachary, with brown
almond-shaped eyes, but slightly older with careworn lines on his brow,
imploring her not to… not to go away; that he needed her and could not
bear to lose her. Karigan trembled. A future vision? Blood drained from
her head and she wobbled.
The king steadied her. "Are you all right?"
"No! Yes. Please, just stay away. I'm leaving. I'm not a Green Rider and
never will be."
Driven by a fear that the future might happen if she stayed there with
him, with his hands on her arms, she ran from the balcony without
bowing, ran past the Weapon Fastion who stood in the doorway, his usual
stoic expression scandalized. When she erupted into the glare of the
ballroom, a few heads turned to look, then resumed conversation and
sipping wine. The orchestra tuned up, and the sound of off-key notes
clamored in her ears.
Alton D'Yer tugged at her sleeve. "Karigan, are you—?"
She yanked her sleeve away from his grasp and pushed unapologetically
through the guests in desperation to leave. She broke free near the
entrance and looked back over her shoulder. King Zachary stood by the
balcony doorway watching her with a bemused expression, Alton D'Yer
was lost in the swarm of aristocrats, and the Eletian, though in the midst of
a group, seemed to stand apart, almost godlike with his golden hair and
perfect features. He caught her eyes and smiled. That smile of secrets! She
was not warmed by it, and without looking back, she darted into the
darkness of night.