Irene for a Day
Feb. 18th, 2012 01:14 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefHi folks! So this is my several months late contribution to sharing what I gave my secret Santa buddy. I wrote a fic that turned out to be pretty long so I'll post one chapter at a time for the next few days. I hope you guys like it. I had a lot of fun writing it!
Chapter One
Costis could feel the beginnings of a nervous sweat on his forehead. In an effort to look casual he glanced around at his surroundings. He had to make this look like something he did everyday. He took in the fabrics that cluttered up shelf after shelf along the walls, the different styles and colors showing no apparent regard for order. The mannequins by the window were in similar disarray. One was bent and broken and all three displayed fashions that were at least ten years out of date (though they obviously weren’t at the top of the line even then).
Costis felt a sudden tingle on his neck and swatted away the spider that had landed there. He glanced up and noticed for the first time that the small shop’s ceiling was absolutely filled with cobwebs. Costis shivered and tried to find the least infested section of ceiling to stand under. As he shifted he heard the coins in his purse clink together softly and Costis was reminded of the extreme strangeness of his mission. He was standing in the cheapest, dingiest tailor’s shop in the city and yet he had enough money with him to buy at least three outfits of imported silk.
The tailor finished wrapping Costis’ order in some coarse, brown paper, then held out his hand expectantly. Costis quickly handed over a few coins, but noticed that the man was staring greedily at Costis’ bulging coin-purse.
“Are you sure this is really all you want, Sir?” asked the tailor. He indicated the numerous rolls of cloth along the wall. “I assure you that I can make a very similar outfit from much finer materials.”
Costis shook his head and picked up the small brown package. “No, thank you. I, um, need to be careful with my budget. I, er, heard taxes might be going up and you can never be too careful, right?”
The tailor raised a skeptical eyebrow, but before he could protest Costis turned and hurried out of the shop.
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An hour or so later he was back within the palace walls, still holding tightly to the package. He hurried through the familiar passages, trying diligently to shake off the feeling that he was some sort of thief in the night. Costis knew he had every right to be doing what he was. In fact, he was expected to. He was following orders.
They were just the most baffling orders he had ever received.
Finally Costis reached the room he was looking for. After a quick peak around to make sure that no one was watching, he quietly slipped inside. It was one of the palace’s numerous storage rooms. This one was used for storing bath soaps and cleaning supplies and as Costis entered his nose tickled with a hundred different scents. He looked around and as his eyes adjusted he saw that he was not alone in the room.
“Were you seen?”
Costis gulped. “I…I don’t believe so, you—.”
“Good,” the voice cut him off. “Let me see the package.”
He handed it over and soon the sound of ripping paper filled the room. A moment later the package was open and his companion was examining the garment inside. It was a dress made of crude, scratchy-looking fabric, dyed an unflattering shade of green. It was exactly what Costis had been asked to provide, but he still winced at seeing it.
“I’m, um, sorry about the material,” he looked at his companion uncertainly. “If you don’t like it I’m sure I can get a better one easily.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Costis,” and in the darkness Irene smiled playfully. “I’d say that it’s fit for a queen.”
Costis tried valiantly to keep his expression neutral, but inside his mind was in a state of utter confusion. Several days before the queen had summoned him in the middle of the night and met him in a similar out-of-the-way storage room. She’d sworn him to utter secrecy, then handed him a bag with a significant amount of money in it.
At that point Costis was fairly certain that he was either dreaming or inexplicably being bribed to do something horrible. He then sided firmly with the dream option after the queen then handed him a list of measurements and ordered him to go to the most disreputable tailor in the city and order a dress made from his poorest materials. The only reason that Costis actually went into the city and followed his dream-orders was that the money and measurements were still clutched in his hand when the morning sunshine woke him the next day.
The queen hadn’t bothered to explain her orders on that night and she seemed equally unlikely to now. In fact, she seemed to be too engrossed in inspecting her new outfit to consider acknowledging Costis at all. He tried to get her attention with a pleading stare. She needed to either give him further orders or, if he was lucky, dismiss him and let him put this whole bizarre incident behind him.
At last the queen seemed to notice his radiating desperation and met Costis’ eyes with her cold, regal stare. “You’ve done well so far, but there is still more that needs to be accomplished. Leave here as discreetly as possible and then wait outside the rear entrance of the kitchens. I will meet you there shortly.”
Costis felt his eyes widen and he quickly looked from his queen to the dress in her hands and back again. “Your Majesty! You’re not planning to…to run away are you?!”
She stared at him incredulously and then, in the most surreal moment of Costis’ life, he saw the queen of Attolia begin to laugh, to giggle even. For the umpteenth time that day the soldier pinched his arm to ensure that he wasn’t dreaming.
The sounds of Attolia’s mirth were loud in the small room and she quickly stifled them. “Oh, poor Costis,” she said with a trace of sympathy in her voice. “No, you haven’t been aiding a monarch who’s determined to abandon her kingdom.” Her tone became serious and once again Costis saw the icy queen he was accustomed to. “What you are aiding me with is a very important, and private, personal project of mine, the details of which will become more apparent as we continue. Are you prepared to serve your queen?”
The question wasn’t asked fiercely, but for Costis it may as well have been a blow to the heart. Of course he was prepared to serve her. At that moment if proving his loyalty had meant flinging himself from a cliff he would have done it without a second thought. Internally he cursed himself for questioning Attolia, for giving her any reason to doubt him.
He bowed to her, his face red. “Of course, my Queen. I will wait for you by the kitchens.”
He heard a smile in her voice as she dismissed him. “I am glad to hear it. Go, and remember to be discrete. No one is to know about our mission.”
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Edit: Hey, just so everyone knows, I'm posting the rest of this story in the queen's thief fanfiction community that we have. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the story!
Chapter One
Costis could feel the beginnings of a nervous sweat on his forehead. In an effort to look casual he glanced around at his surroundings. He had to make this look like something he did everyday. He took in the fabrics that cluttered up shelf after shelf along the walls, the different styles and colors showing no apparent regard for order. The mannequins by the window were in similar disarray. One was bent and broken and all three displayed fashions that were at least ten years out of date (though they obviously weren’t at the top of the line even then).
Costis felt a sudden tingle on his neck and swatted away the spider that had landed there. He glanced up and noticed for the first time that the small shop’s ceiling was absolutely filled with cobwebs. Costis shivered and tried to find the least infested section of ceiling to stand under. As he shifted he heard the coins in his purse clink together softly and Costis was reminded of the extreme strangeness of his mission. He was standing in the cheapest, dingiest tailor’s shop in the city and yet he had enough money with him to buy at least three outfits of imported silk.
The tailor finished wrapping Costis’ order in some coarse, brown paper, then held out his hand expectantly. Costis quickly handed over a few coins, but noticed that the man was staring greedily at Costis’ bulging coin-purse.
“Are you sure this is really all you want, Sir?” asked the tailor. He indicated the numerous rolls of cloth along the wall. “I assure you that I can make a very similar outfit from much finer materials.”
Costis shook his head and picked up the small brown package. “No, thank you. I, um, need to be careful with my budget. I, er, heard taxes might be going up and you can never be too careful, right?”
The tailor raised a skeptical eyebrow, but before he could protest Costis turned and hurried out of the shop.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
An hour or so later he was back within the palace walls, still holding tightly to the package. He hurried through the familiar passages, trying diligently to shake off the feeling that he was some sort of thief in the night. Costis knew he had every right to be doing what he was. In fact, he was expected to. He was following orders.
They were just the most baffling orders he had ever received.
Finally Costis reached the room he was looking for. After a quick peak around to make sure that no one was watching, he quietly slipped inside. It was one of the palace’s numerous storage rooms. This one was used for storing bath soaps and cleaning supplies and as Costis entered his nose tickled with a hundred different scents. He looked around and as his eyes adjusted he saw that he was not alone in the room.
“Were you seen?”
Costis gulped. “I…I don’t believe so, you—.”
“Good,” the voice cut him off. “Let me see the package.”
He handed it over and soon the sound of ripping paper filled the room. A moment later the package was open and his companion was examining the garment inside. It was a dress made of crude, scratchy-looking fabric, dyed an unflattering shade of green. It was exactly what Costis had been asked to provide, but he still winced at seeing it.
“I’m, um, sorry about the material,” he looked at his companion uncertainly. “If you don’t like it I’m sure I can get a better one easily.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Costis,” and in the darkness Irene smiled playfully. “I’d say that it’s fit for a queen.”
Costis tried valiantly to keep his expression neutral, but inside his mind was in a state of utter confusion. Several days before the queen had summoned him in the middle of the night and met him in a similar out-of-the-way storage room. She’d sworn him to utter secrecy, then handed him a bag with a significant amount of money in it.
At that point Costis was fairly certain that he was either dreaming or inexplicably being bribed to do something horrible. He then sided firmly with the dream option after the queen then handed him a list of measurements and ordered him to go to the most disreputable tailor in the city and order a dress made from his poorest materials. The only reason that Costis actually went into the city and followed his dream-orders was that the money and measurements were still clutched in his hand when the morning sunshine woke him the next day.
The queen hadn’t bothered to explain her orders on that night and she seemed equally unlikely to now. In fact, she seemed to be too engrossed in inspecting her new outfit to consider acknowledging Costis at all. He tried to get her attention with a pleading stare. She needed to either give him further orders or, if he was lucky, dismiss him and let him put this whole bizarre incident behind him.
At last the queen seemed to notice his radiating desperation and met Costis’ eyes with her cold, regal stare. “You’ve done well so far, but there is still more that needs to be accomplished. Leave here as discreetly as possible and then wait outside the rear entrance of the kitchens. I will meet you there shortly.”
Costis felt his eyes widen and he quickly looked from his queen to the dress in her hands and back again. “Your Majesty! You’re not planning to…to run away are you?!”
She stared at him incredulously and then, in the most surreal moment of Costis’ life, he saw the queen of Attolia begin to laugh, to giggle even. For the umpteenth time that day the soldier pinched his arm to ensure that he wasn’t dreaming.
The sounds of Attolia’s mirth were loud in the small room and she quickly stifled them. “Oh, poor Costis,” she said with a trace of sympathy in her voice. “No, you haven’t been aiding a monarch who’s determined to abandon her kingdom.” Her tone became serious and once again Costis saw the icy queen he was accustomed to. “What you are aiding me with is a very important, and private, personal project of mine, the details of which will become more apparent as we continue. Are you prepared to serve your queen?”
The question wasn’t asked fiercely, but for Costis it may as well have been a blow to the heart. Of course he was prepared to serve her. At that moment if proving his loyalty had meant flinging himself from a cliff he would have done it without a second thought. Internally he cursed himself for questioning Attolia, for giving her any reason to doubt him.
He bowed to her, his face red. “Of course, my Queen. I will wait for you by the kitchens.”
He heard a smile in her voice as she dismissed him. “I am glad to hear it. Go, and remember to be discrete. No one is to know about our mission.”
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Edit: Hey, just so everyone knows, I'm posting the rest of this story in the queen's thief fanfiction community that we have. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the story!
no subject
Date: 2/19/12 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/12 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/12 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/12 05:06 am (UTC)However, I thought I'd let you know we don't usually post fan fiction at Sounis. There's a separate comm for it:
no subject
Date: 2/19/12 05:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/12 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/12 09:54 pm (UTC)This is probably fine here. I would just repost the first chapter in the fan fic community, and update it there, and maybe add a link at the end of this post to the other post? That way people who want to find out what happens to Costis when he meets the queen in the kitchens can go there and put their comments on the new thread :)
no subject
Date: 2/21/12 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/21/12 08:59 pm (UTC)Sounds like this is going to be fun!
no subject
Date: 3/12/12 06:39 pm (UTC)