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31_days2007-04-20 02:27 pm
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-04-20 02:27 pm
[April 20, 2007[Original] The Koyan Family Flowers
Title: The Koyan Family Flowers
Day/Theme: April 20, 2007 sisters
Series: Original, extra piece loosely related to Cara's story
Character/Pairing: Hans and various members of the royal Koyan family
Rating: G
There were fields full of poppies, orange and red, reaching from Castle Kotiyan to the sea. During other seasons, these same fields were spotted with other wildflowers: daisies, blue-eyed grass, lupin, and sunflowers. But this was the season of poppies, of the white hot sun beating down on the brows of delicate maidens who ventured out among the weeds to picnic and to play.
The ladies of Castle Kotiyan were an extended family. The few who had not been born there had married men who had or been adopted in by the royal family. Kotiyan was the home of kings. It had become essentially the capital of the country when the last Arquest monarch had died, leaving only a sister who had married into House Koyan. The dukes had met at the Solari Senate building for the first time in over a hundred years and decided to pass the crown to the Koyan family by way of Atylia Arquest-Koyan. Queen Atylia allowed her husband, King-Consort Feiyo, to rule as her co-monarch. Everything had proceeded fairly smoothly from there onward.
House Koyan was largely dominated by women. That suited the dukes just fine. The Koyan dynasty was viewed as relatively weak in comparison to the Arquests before them, but that also suited the dukes. A king looking for more power and meddling in their affairs was nothing but trouble. They wanted kings and queens who would be content with token tribute, nominal titles, and newly conquerored border lands named for them. So far, the Koyans had provided just that.
The current king was the family's third. On this day, he dozed in a comfortable chair under the watch of a single guard. He doubted there would be any threats to his life anytime in the future. In Solari, dukes needed to stay on guard, but kings had little to fear. Hans Smythe, the official court musician, sat on the ground beside the golden-haired monarch and idly strummed his harp.
Queen-Consort Rina Lestari-Koyan followed her daughters through the flowers, enjoying the heat of the sun on her dark hair. The two blond princesses had recently learned from Hans how to make flower chains and they were excited to test their technique with crowns and necklaces of orange poppies.
"This is a good kind," Laurel told her younger sister. She held up the flower so the smaller girl could see what she meant. "The stem is thin enough to put a hole through, but thick enough to hold well."
Laburnum listened carefully. "I see. I'll look for more."
Shira, the brown-eyed sister of the king, returned from her wandering to sit by Hans. "Why don't you play a song? Play the Queen Atylia song, Hans," she suggested.
"As you wish, m'lady," the rag-tag musician agreed with a smile.
The king's other sister had blue eyes. Attracted by Shira's strong voice twisting and twirling around Hans' in the air, Eliska danced over to the source of the music. "Let's dance," she said to her brother's guard in a sugary voice.
The tall man blushed and bit his lip. Wasn't Princess Eliska being just a bit out of line?
"Go ahead, do it," said the king.
"You were awake, Your Highness?"
"I am just resting my eyes." He winked and closed his eyes again. "Feel free to obey the wishes of women without consulting or being concerned about me, Berniad. The women's favor is the only thing keeping me in power."
Day/Theme: April 20, 2007 sisters
Series: Original, extra piece loosely related to Cara's story
Character/Pairing: Hans and various members of the royal Koyan family
Rating: G
There were fields full of poppies, orange and red, reaching from Castle Kotiyan to the sea. During other seasons, these same fields were spotted with other wildflowers: daisies, blue-eyed grass, lupin, and sunflowers. But this was the season of poppies, of the white hot sun beating down on the brows of delicate maidens who ventured out among the weeds to picnic and to play.
The ladies of Castle Kotiyan were an extended family. The few who had not been born there had married men who had or been adopted in by the royal family. Kotiyan was the home of kings. It had become essentially the capital of the country when the last Arquest monarch had died, leaving only a sister who had married into House Koyan. The dukes had met at the Solari Senate building for the first time in over a hundred years and decided to pass the crown to the Koyan family by way of Atylia Arquest-Koyan. Queen Atylia allowed her husband, King-Consort Feiyo, to rule as her co-monarch. Everything had proceeded fairly smoothly from there onward.
House Koyan was largely dominated by women. That suited the dukes just fine. The Koyan dynasty was viewed as relatively weak in comparison to the Arquests before them, but that also suited the dukes. A king looking for more power and meddling in their affairs was nothing but trouble. They wanted kings and queens who would be content with token tribute, nominal titles, and newly conquerored border lands named for them. So far, the Koyans had provided just that.
The current king was the family's third. On this day, he dozed in a comfortable chair under the watch of a single guard. He doubted there would be any threats to his life anytime in the future. In Solari, dukes needed to stay on guard, but kings had little to fear. Hans Smythe, the official court musician, sat on the ground beside the golden-haired monarch and idly strummed his harp.
Queen-Consort Rina Lestari-Koyan followed her daughters through the flowers, enjoying the heat of the sun on her dark hair. The two blond princesses had recently learned from Hans how to make flower chains and they were excited to test their technique with crowns and necklaces of orange poppies.
"This is a good kind," Laurel told her younger sister. She held up the flower so the smaller girl could see what she meant. "The stem is thin enough to put a hole through, but thick enough to hold well."
Laburnum listened carefully. "I see. I'll look for more."
Shira, the brown-eyed sister of the king, returned from her wandering to sit by Hans. "Why don't you play a song? Play the Queen Atylia song, Hans," she suggested.
"As you wish, m'lady," the rag-tag musician agreed with a smile.
The king's other sister had blue eyes. Attracted by Shira's strong voice twisting and twirling around Hans' in the air, Eliska danced over to the source of the music. "Let's dance," she said to her brother's guard in a sugary voice.
The tall man blushed and bit his lip. Wasn't Princess Eliska being just a bit out of line?
"Go ahead, do it," said the king.
"You were awake, Your Highness?"
"I am just resting my eyes." He winked and closed his eyes again. "Feel free to obey the wishes of women without consulting or being concerned about me, Berniad. The women's favor is the only thing keeping me in power."