Two More Snippets from my NaNo
Nov. 25th, 2008 06:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fastfeetnella
Ethel awoke to find herself lying down on a soft couch. She felt disorientated and didn’t recognise her surroundings. There were flowers and other plants everywhere. She could make out the shape of a person by a very pretty, large window. The figure was bent over a writing desk writing with what appeared to be a feather pen.
“Um, hello?” she said, trying to get up but finding that it made her feel light-headed, she sat back down.
“Oh, ah, sorry, I didn’t notice that you had woken up. Guten Abend. Did you have a nice rest?” He turned to face her and recoiled instinctively in disgust. Ethel hurt, even though that was the reaction she had been expecting. She was made up to look like the total opposite of Rudolf’s type of girl and yet it still stung.
She had also recoiled, not in disgust but in surprise, as she had not expected Rudolf to be.... so young. Her Master had told her that the two of them were old friends so she was prepared to meet someone his age. But Rudolf didn’t look old enough to have known Mordred for a long time, though Master Illusionist Mordred could hardly be called old. Rudolf, with his youthful glow, a sparkle in his oval eyes and a cute button nose, looked only a year or two older than herself.
“Per- ah, Mordred left you sleeping there only a few moments ago. At least, I think so. I was very caught up on my writing,” he said nervously, sitting down next to her.
“Oh, what are you writing,” Ethel enquired politely.
“A letter to the love of my life, my sweet Udana. Yes, I know how sentimental that sounds but it is true. I’m a true blooded, incurable romantic and I will never apologize for it. Okay,” he said with a small, cheeky smile, “that’s not entirely true. I’ll apologize for anything. I have no idea why I just said that. A hopeless romantic, that’s me!” he said in a silly manner. Ethel giggled at his antics, wondering why Mordred hadn’t bothered mentioning to her that Rudolf had such a self-deprecating humour.
Rudolf was showing Ethel some of the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen in her life when the conversation turned to the topic of love.
“Do you have a leman, Miss Darnell?” Rudolf asked as he pointed out a small patch of tiger lilies beneath some poplar trees.
“Yes I do. And didn’t I already tell you to just call me Ethel?” She bent down to take a closer look and got orange pollen all over her hands. Thankfully she had already removed her white gloves, along with most of her makeup.
“Are you in love with your leman, Miss Ethel?”
“But of course I am!”
“Then don’t you find it strange that your master said nothing of it? The gaining or finding of leman is very important milestone in the life of an apprentice,” Rudolf said, a strange glint shining in his vivid green eyes.
“Please don’t Master Mordred about her!” Ethel blurted out before she could think about what she was saying.
“Her?” he said an impish look upon his cherubic face. When Ethel made to explain, Rudolf held up two fingers to silence her. “You needn’t worry, Fräulein Darnell, I shan’t tell him. Though must warn you, he will find out, some way or another. As for your secret leman being a girl, well, what difference does it make? After all, your master himself-, well, you know all about that.”
“No, no I don’t. Whatever do you mean?”
“You mean you really don’t know? Perc- I mean, Mordred’s leman when we were all apprentices was another boy. His Mistress’s other apprentice, as it were.”
“Um, hello?” she said, trying to get up but finding that it made her feel light-headed, she sat back down.
“Oh, ah, sorry, I didn’t notice that you had woken up. Guten Abend. Did you have a nice rest?” He turned to face her and recoiled instinctively in disgust. Ethel hurt, even though that was the reaction she had been expecting. She was made up to look like the total opposite of Rudolf’s type of girl and yet it still stung.
She had also recoiled, not in disgust but in surprise, as she had not expected Rudolf to be.... so young. Her Master had told her that the two of them were old friends so she was prepared to meet someone his age. But Rudolf didn’t look old enough to have known Mordred for a long time, though Master Illusionist Mordred could hardly be called old. Rudolf, with his youthful glow, a sparkle in his oval eyes and a cute button nose, looked only a year or two older than herself.
“Per- ah, Mordred left you sleeping there only a few moments ago. At least, I think so. I was very caught up on my writing,” he said nervously, sitting down next to her.
“Oh, what are you writing,” Ethel enquired politely.
“A letter to the love of my life, my sweet Udana. Yes, I know how sentimental that sounds but it is true. I’m a true blooded, incurable romantic and I will never apologize for it. Okay,” he said with a small, cheeky smile, “that’s not entirely true. I’ll apologize for anything. I have no idea why I just said that. A hopeless romantic, that’s me!” he said in a silly manner. Ethel giggled at his antics, wondering why Mordred hadn’t bothered mentioning to her that Rudolf had such a self-deprecating humour.
Rudolf was showing Ethel some of the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen in her life when the conversation turned to the topic of love.
“Do you have a leman, Miss Darnell?” Rudolf asked as he pointed out a small patch of tiger lilies beneath some poplar trees.
“Yes I do. And didn’t I already tell you to just call me Ethel?” She bent down to take a closer look and got orange pollen all over her hands. Thankfully she had already removed her white gloves, along with most of her makeup.
“Are you in love with your leman, Miss Ethel?”
“But of course I am!”
“Then don’t you find it strange that your master said nothing of it? The gaining or finding of leman is very important milestone in the life of an apprentice,” Rudolf said, a strange glint shining in his vivid green eyes.
“Please don’t Master Mordred about her!” Ethel blurted out before she could think about what she was saying.
“Her?” he said an impish look upon his cherubic face. When Ethel made to explain, Rudolf held up two fingers to silence her. “You needn’t worry, Fräulein Darnell, I shan’t tell him. Though must warn you, he will find out, some way or another. As for your secret leman being a girl, well, what difference does it make? After all, your master himself-, well, you know all about that.”
“No, no I don’t. Whatever do you mean?”
“You mean you really don’t know? Perc- I mean, Mordred’s leman when we were all apprentices was another boy. His Mistress’s other apprentice, as it were.”