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31_days2007-04-18 10:00 pm
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-04-18 10:00 pm
[April 18, 2007][Original] Duet
Title: Duet
Day/Theme: April 18, 2007 spring song
Series: Original (continuation from "Hans Smythe Tells All" and etc.)
Character/Pairing: Cara, Hans, the duke's chamberlain
Rating: G
"Captain Lestari isn't here," Cara told him at the gates of the castle. He's at the south border with the duke."
"Err, ah, now what shall I do?" wondered Hans. He clutched his harp even tighter and looked about at the bridge, the river, the castle ahead, and the forest behind.
"Is it private? Can you leave the message with another guard?" she inquired. Cara shifted the weight of her basket from one side to the other. "Briskel is a pretty reliable guy."
"No, no," Hans shook his head, "I was instructed to go directly to Captain Lestari himself. No lower authority will do."
"If you come to the castle you can wait for his return. I sort of wanted to talk to him too. Of course, that's assuming you can wait..."
Hans began walking again and Cara followed, passing through the gates into Lanimir Castle. The musician had been gradually pulling ahead of his guide, but one he had ventured a certain distance onto the castle grounds, he anxiously rushed back to Cara's side.
"I'm taking this load back to my quarters so I can chop it up later. After that, I'll lead you wherever you'd like to go in the castle."
The blond man nodded agreeably and stuck close to Cara, quietly taking in the castle's buildings. However, once she had deposited her large basket atop the chopping block outside her tiny home, Hans began his babbling again.
"Princess-Consort Rina had words for him too. Everybody at court wonders why Rey is wasting his life out here. I don't say that though. I think I understand the thrill of going out and doing things, not just lounging about at court like an overfed lapdog. He hasn't any wife or children to worry about anyway."
"Hans. Hans," Cara said forcefully to break through. "Where do you want me to take you? Who do you want to see? You've got to talk to some of the castle keepers if you want to get put up here until the captain comes back."
Hans, who had been pacing about as he spoke, stopped and rubbed his chin. "Well, who's in charge here with the duke away? His son?"
"Lord Thomas?" Cara asked, "Have you ever heard about him?"
"Oh, yes," the musician waved a hand dismissively, "I've heard plenty. He's up at the highest point with a kite. He's a red-head like his mother. He's still the heir, right? I don't see why I couldn't talk to him."
The wood cutter was shocked. Hans seemed to knew enough about Thomas that he would realize the duke's son didn't speak with just anyone, but he either felt he was important enough to bring the youth out of hiding or he was stupid enough to not believe the tales he heard. Cara decided to keep her mouth shut about Lord Thomas' habits. She just wanted to see what would happen. Perhaps this would be her lucky chance to see him up close or even to speak to him. "Yes, he is. Let's go and ask for an audience with him."
"Splendid!" Hans beamed.
The chamberlain was at first puzzled by Hans' request, then rather annoyed. He frowned and his pale face crinkled unattractively. "I don't believe the young lord will go for this, Sir Smythe."
"Please speak with him anyway on my behalf," the blond man pleaded with a convincing note of desperation in his voice. He had seemed far from desperate before. Cara had a feeling he was exaggerating.
"Fine," the older man replied. As he walked slowly around his desk past the pair, he paused to meet Cara's wide-eyed stare with a sour glare. He slunk around the corner and disappeared up a rickety staircase.
Hans, already acting as at home in the castle as though he had lived there all his life, sat down in the chamberlain's padded chair to wait. He leaned his arms on the armrests and crossed his skinny legs. Cara continued to stand, feeling a growing sense of apprehension. She was a little afraid that when Lord Thomas said no (as she was almost entirely sure he would), the chamberlain would have some strong words for her as a castle employee for making such a bold and foolish request.
"Don't be so tense," Hans said liltingly. He strummed his harp playfully and its sound was nearly beautiful, just marred by one out of tune string at the end. The musician winced at the bitter note hanging in the air and made a quick attempt at tuning the string. His next casual strumming was much better.
"A-hem," coughed the chamberlain, glancing pointedly at Hans' place in his chair. Hans did not take the hint immediately, only rising for the chair when the chamberlain put a gloved hand on its back and looked down meaningfully into the musician's eyes.
"So?" Cara's companion inquired expectantly.
"He says he will speak with you, but it will be in his quarters. Follow me."
Hans appeared pleased, but unsurprised. Cara felt her cheeks grow warm with a slight blush. She scrunched her fingers into tight fists as she trailed the two men up the winding staircase.
It was not one of the main staircases of the castle that she had used many times before. It was narrowed and a bit steep in its travels toward the top level. The room they steeped off the staircase into was painted a soft, mousy brown. To the side was a small, round table with matching chairs that seemed like the sort of place one might enjoy a cup of tea. A portrait of Duke Valdir and his late wife hung on one wall. A watercolor landscape with Lanimir Castle in the distance decorated the other. The room gave the overall impression of being someone's parlor. Beyond the pastel furnishings was an ornately carved, wooden door.
"Please take a seat," the chamberlain directed them to the table. "The young lord will be with you shortly. I will take my leave now."
Cara's curious look elicited a short note of explanation from the departing servant, "The young lord and I are not on the best of terms of late. He prefers to see as little of me as possible." With that, he hurried back down, the clack of his black shoes echoing away softly.
Cara felt no need to be too self-conscious with only Hans present, so she openly stared this way and that at the furnishings of the room. After a few short moments, a suddenly plucked note on the harp caused her to snap her head back around to stare at Hans, who seemed to be preparing to play a song.
This confirmed it. The "imperial musician" just had to be at least a little crazy.
"Birds are nesting, wind is blowing,
Flowering trees deck all the way.
Petal blizzards fill the city,
Warmer sun and longer days."
Hans accompanied himself on his harp as he sang and though his voice was a bit lackluster, he certainly sounded to better with a harp than anyone else Cara had ever met.
"Leaves unfolding, men are marching,
Homeward bound to tend the soil.
Seeds are sprouting, green and leafy,
Joyful songs will ease our toil."
As the final stanza began, another voice began to shakily sing along with the performer's. It was younger and sweeter, though it did not keep as good of timing with the melody.
"Frogs are hopping, river flowing,
Laughing children run and play.
Kites are flown on every hilltop,
Red and yellow, bright and gay."
Once he concluded, Hans tucked his harp under his arm and clapped while laughing heartily. A muffled chuckle joined in his mirth as the fancy door opened into the pastel-colored room.
Day/Theme: April 18, 2007 spring song
Series: Original (continuation from "Hans Smythe Tells All" and etc.)
Character/Pairing: Cara, Hans, the duke's chamberlain
Rating: G
"Captain Lestari isn't here," Cara told him at the gates of the castle. He's at the south border with the duke."
"Err, ah, now what shall I do?" wondered Hans. He clutched his harp even tighter and looked about at the bridge, the river, the castle ahead, and the forest behind.
"Is it private? Can you leave the message with another guard?" she inquired. Cara shifted the weight of her basket from one side to the other. "Briskel is a pretty reliable guy."
"No, no," Hans shook his head, "I was instructed to go directly to Captain Lestari himself. No lower authority will do."
"If you come to the castle you can wait for his return. I sort of wanted to talk to him too. Of course, that's assuming you can wait..."
Hans began walking again and Cara followed, passing through the gates into Lanimir Castle. The musician had been gradually pulling ahead of his guide, but one he had ventured a certain distance onto the castle grounds, he anxiously rushed back to Cara's side.
"I'm taking this load back to my quarters so I can chop it up later. After that, I'll lead you wherever you'd like to go in the castle."
The blond man nodded agreeably and stuck close to Cara, quietly taking in the castle's buildings. However, once she had deposited her large basket atop the chopping block outside her tiny home, Hans began his babbling again.
"Princess-Consort Rina had words for him too. Everybody at court wonders why Rey is wasting his life out here. I don't say that though. I think I understand the thrill of going out and doing things, not just lounging about at court like an overfed lapdog. He hasn't any wife or children to worry about anyway."
"Hans. Hans," Cara said forcefully to break through. "Where do you want me to take you? Who do you want to see? You've got to talk to some of the castle keepers if you want to get put up here until the captain comes back."
Hans, who had been pacing about as he spoke, stopped and rubbed his chin. "Well, who's in charge here with the duke away? His son?"
"Lord Thomas?" Cara asked, "Have you ever heard about him?"
"Oh, yes," the musician waved a hand dismissively, "I've heard plenty. He's up at the highest point with a kite. He's a red-head like his mother. He's still the heir, right? I don't see why I couldn't talk to him."
The wood cutter was shocked. Hans seemed to knew enough about Thomas that he would realize the duke's son didn't speak with just anyone, but he either felt he was important enough to bring the youth out of hiding or he was stupid enough to not believe the tales he heard. Cara decided to keep her mouth shut about Lord Thomas' habits. She just wanted to see what would happen. Perhaps this would be her lucky chance to see him up close or even to speak to him. "Yes, he is. Let's go and ask for an audience with him."
"Splendid!" Hans beamed.
The chamberlain was at first puzzled by Hans' request, then rather annoyed. He frowned and his pale face crinkled unattractively. "I don't believe the young lord will go for this, Sir Smythe."
"Please speak with him anyway on my behalf," the blond man pleaded with a convincing note of desperation in his voice. He had seemed far from desperate before. Cara had a feeling he was exaggerating.
"Fine," the older man replied. As he walked slowly around his desk past the pair, he paused to meet Cara's wide-eyed stare with a sour glare. He slunk around the corner and disappeared up a rickety staircase.
Hans, already acting as at home in the castle as though he had lived there all his life, sat down in the chamberlain's padded chair to wait. He leaned his arms on the armrests and crossed his skinny legs. Cara continued to stand, feeling a growing sense of apprehension. She was a little afraid that when Lord Thomas said no (as she was almost entirely sure he would), the chamberlain would have some strong words for her as a castle employee for making such a bold and foolish request.
"Don't be so tense," Hans said liltingly. He strummed his harp playfully and its sound was nearly beautiful, just marred by one out of tune string at the end. The musician winced at the bitter note hanging in the air and made a quick attempt at tuning the string. His next casual strumming was much better.
"A-hem," coughed the chamberlain, glancing pointedly at Hans' place in his chair. Hans did not take the hint immediately, only rising for the chair when the chamberlain put a gloved hand on its back and looked down meaningfully into the musician's eyes.
"So?" Cara's companion inquired expectantly.
"He says he will speak with you, but it will be in his quarters. Follow me."
Hans appeared pleased, but unsurprised. Cara felt her cheeks grow warm with a slight blush. She scrunched her fingers into tight fists as she trailed the two men up the winding staircase.
It was not one of the main staircases of the castle that she had used many times before. It was narrowed and a bit steep in its travels toward the top level. The room they steeped off the staircase into was painted a soft, mousy brown. To the side was a small, round table with matching chairs that seemed like the sort of place one might enjoy a cup of tea. A portrait of Duke Valdir and his late wife hung on one wall. A watercolor landscape with Lanimir Castle in the distance decorated the other. The room gave the overall impression of being someone's parlor. Beyond the pastel furnishings was an ornately carved, wooden door.
"Please take a seat," the chamberlain directed them to the table. "The young lord will be with you shortly. I will take my leave now."
Cara's curious look elicited a short note of explanation from the departing servant, "The young lord and I are not on the best of terms of late. He prefers to see as little of me as possible." With that, he hurried back down, the clack of his black shoes echoing away softly.
Cara felt no need to be too self-conscious with only Hans present, so she openly stared this way and that at the furnishings of the room. After a few short moments, a suddenly plucked note on the harp caused her to snap her head back around to stare at Hans, who seemed to be preparing to play a song.
This confirmed it. The "imperial musician" just had to be at least a little crazy.
"Birds are nesting, wind is blowing,
Flowering trees deck all the way.
Petal blizzards fill the city,
Warmer sun and longer days."
Hans accompanied himself on his harp as he sang and though his voice was a bit lackluster, he certainly sounded to better with a harp than anyone else Cara had ever met.
"Leaves unfolding, men are marching,
Homeward bound to tend the soil.
Seeds are sprouting, green and leafy,
Joyful songs will ease our toil."
As the final stanza began, another voice began to shakily sing along with the performer's. It was younger and sweeter, though it did not keep as good of timing with the melody.
"Frogs are hopping, river flowing,
Laughing children run and play.
Kites are flown on every hilltop,
Red and yellow, bright and gay."
Once he concluded, Hans tucked his harp under his arm and clapped while laughing heartily. A muffled chuckle joined in his mirth as the fancy door opened into the pastel-colored room.