Post by Elcie on Jul 15, 2014 22:48:37 GMT -5
Here, have some Good End Xavier, and... a couple others. C:
this isn't actually my "canon" good end, by the way, because... well, he just wouldn't go about it like this. But it was a satisfying confrontation to write.
---
King Rafe was very surprised when he was told that he had a visitor from one of Kyth’s noble Houses. Kyth had not been terribly friendly in the recent decades since the crowning of their new monarch, and the tension between both nations had only grown. For a Kythian to be visiting now… well, this was intriguing news indeed.
“Try to win his favor, your majesty,” said one of his advisers knowingly. “House Jade is the foremost noble House in Kyth, after all, and the man who’s arrived here is an influential mage. They say he learned from the Archmage once.”
Rafe saw the point at once. Kyth’s House Jade was very secretive about the identity of their Archmage, but the Archmage’s powers were legendary. If this mage knew any of the Archmage’s secrets… “Well, send him in.”
Somehow, he’d expected something more… impressive. The mage of House Jade was a short, slight man with long red hair that brushed his shoulders, wearing a green tunic and cloak in the Kythian style. Though Kythian nobles dressed austerely compared to Courdonian nobles, the cloth was clearly expensive and the clasp of his cloak looked to be gold. Beside him was a dark-haired, dark-skinned woman who did not wear the colors of House Jade. King Rafe did not spare her much of a glance; obviously she must have been a servant or something for the Kythian mage. He would never understand that strange northern custom of paying lesser people for their services. Kyth was so eccentric.
King Rafe extended a hand magnanimously. “My greetings to the esteemed House Jade of Kyth,” he said.
The man gave a shallow bow. Something about the movement seemed familiar, but Rafe couldn’t place it. “Thank you, your majesty, but in fact, I am here on my own behalf, not that of my House.”
“Oh?” Rafe’s eyes narrowed a bit, but he still sounded polite. “Well, it is our pleasure to play host to an honored mage of the north. Lord Xavier, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Xavier gave a thin smile. “And I am here to ask a favor of you, your Majesty.”
Now, this was more like it. They could get Xavier in Courdon’s debt. Rafe smiled back at him ingratiatingly. “And what is that, friend?”
“Free the slaves of Courdon.”
Rafe stared at him. Then he threw back his head and laughed. It sounded, and was, a little forced. “Ha! An excellent joke! But tell me, why did you really come?”
“We’re not joking,” the woman spoke up, and Rafe stared at her indignantly at this impertinent comment. She stared back, entirely unimpressed. “What happens here is horrific. It needs to stop, and it’s in your best interests that you listen to us.”
Rafe glared. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. Not directly.” Xavier crossed his arms. “But it was foretold to me by a wise prophet of Kyth that slavery would be the downfall of your kingdom. If you free your slaves, this can be averted. Courdon can continue to prosper. We in the north could become your allies…”
“A prophet?” The king smirked. “No doubt a little white bird told him. You Kythians and your superstitions. I see now why you came alone – surely your fellows in House Jade didn’t want to be associated with this nonsense. But tell me, Lord Xavier – I have long known that the Kythians disapprove of our customs here, but none of them have ever bothered to tell us differently. What gives you the right?”
“Because I’m not Kythian.” Xavier pulled his cloak back from his right arm. The tunic was sleeveless, and Xavier turned so that the king had full view of what was unmistakably a Courdonian slave-brand. The king recoiled.
“Imposter!”
“No.” Xavier stepped forward, and though he looked no different, Rafe could feel the crackle of power around him. “I am the mage Xavier. When I was fourteen Lord Duval’s mages tried to strip my power from me, and they failed. I denounced Courdon and everything it stands for but I’ve returned to tell you that this must end. Keep going as you are, and Courdon will fall.” A strange smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “Strange as some of his visions were, Ambrose never lied to me about anything else. It stands to reason he was telling the truth about that, too.”
Rafe was making eye contact with the guards across the room. Amazingly, Xavier didn’t seem to notice, but the guard was so focused on the red-haired mage that he didn’t see the woman move just slightly. As he went to draw his weapon, standing behind Xavier, something pricked his wrist. The woman smiled at him cheerfully, holding her knife steady. “I wouldn’t.”
Xavier was watching the king rather sadly. “If you won’t listen to me, so be it. I rather thought you wouldn’t. But after seeing what happened in Kyth all those years ago… I wanted to avoid bloodshed here, too.” He shook his head. “So be it,” he said again.
As the two of them turned to go, Rafe found his voice. “GUARDS!”
But the guards seemed to have a difficult time moving. King Rafe thought he saw Xavier smile again. He watched, helpless and enraged, as the two swept out of the room, leaving him feeling unsettled and disturbed.
this isn't actually my "canon" good end, by the way, because... well, he just wouldn't go about it like this. But it was a satisfying confrontation to write.
---
King Rafe was very surprised when he was told that he had a visitor from one of Kyth’s noble Houses. Kyth had not been terribly friendly in the recent decades since the crowning of their new monarch, and the tension between both nations had only grown. For a Kythian to be visiting now… well, this was intriguing news indeed.
“Try to win his favor, your majesty,” said one of his advisers knowingly. “House Jade is the foremost noble House in Kyth, after all, and the man who’s arrived here is an influential mage. They say he learned from the Archmage once.”
Rafe saw the point at once. Kyth’s House Jade was very secretive about the identity of their Archmage, but the Archmage’s powers were legendary. If this mage knew any of the Archmage’s secrets… “Well, send him in.”
Somehow, he’d expected something more… impressive. The mage of House Jade was a short, slight man with long red hair that brushed his shoulders, wearing a green tunic and cloak in the Kythian style. Though Kythian nobles dressed austerely compared to Courdonian nobles, the cloth was clearly expensive and the clasp of his cloak looked to be gold. Beside him was a dark-haired, dark-skinned woman who did not wear the colors of House Jade. King Rafe did not spare her much of a glance; obviously she must have been a servant or something for the Kythian mage. He would never understand that strange northern custom of paying lesser people for their services. Kyth was so eccentric.
King Rafe extended a hand magnanimously. “My greetings to the esteemed House Jade of Kyth,” he said.
The man gave a shallow bow. Something about the movement seemed familiar, but Rafe couldn’t place it. “Thank you, your majesty, but in fact, I am here on my own behalf, not that of my House.”
“Oh?” Rafe’s eyes narrowed a bit, but he still sounded polite. “Well, it is our pleasure to play host to an honored mage of the north. Lord Xavier, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Xavier gave a thin smile. “And I am here to ask a favor of you, your Majesty.”
Now, this was more like it. They could get Xavier in Courdon’s debt. Rafe smiled back at him ingratiatingly. “And what is that, friend?”
“Free the slaves of Courdon.”
Rafe stared at him. Then he threw back his head and laughed. It sounded, and was, a little forced. “Ha! An excellent joke! But tell me, why did you really come?”
“We’re not joking,” the woman spoke up, and Rafe stared at her indignantly at this impertinent comment. She stared back, entirely unimpressed. “What happens here is horrific. It needs to stop, and it’s in your best interests that you listen to us.”
Rafe glared. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. Not directly.” Xavier crossed his arms. “But it was foretold to me by a wise prophet of Kyth that slavery would be the downfall of your kingdom. If you free your slaves, this can be averted. Courdon can continue to prosper. We in the north could become your allies…”
“A prophet?” The king smirked. “No doubt a little white bird told him. You Kythians and your superstitions. I see now why you came alone – surely your fellows in House Jade didn’t want to be associated with this nonsense. But tell me, Lord Xavier – I have long known that the Kythians disapprove of our customs here, but none of them have ever bothered to tell us differently. What gives you the right?”
“Because I’m not Kythian.” Xavier pulled his cloak back from his right arm. The tunic was sleeveless, and Xavier turned so that the king had full view of what was unmistakably a Courdonian slave-brand. The king recoiled.
“Imposter!”
“No.” Xavier stepped forward, and though he looked no different, Rafe could feel the crackle of power around him. “I am the mage Xavier. When I was fourteen Lord Duval’s mages tried to strip my power from me, and they failed. I denounced Courdon and everything it stands for but I’ve returned to tell you that this must end. Keep going as you are, and Courdon will fall.” A strange smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “Strange as some of his visions were, Ambrose never lied to me about anything else. It stands to reason he was telling the truth about that, too.”
Rafe was making eye contact with the guards across the room. Amazingly, Xavier didn’t seem to notice, but the guard was so focused on the red-haired mage that he didn’t see the woman move just slightly. As he went to draw his weapon, standing behind Xavier, something pricked his wrist. The woman smiled at him cheerfully, holding her knife steady. “I wouldn’t.”
Xavier was watching the king rather sadly. “If you won’t listen to me, so be it. I rather thought you wouldn’t. But after seeing what happened in Kyth all those years ago… I wanted to avoid bloodshed here, too.” He shook his head. “So be it,” he said again.
As the two of them turned to go, Rafe found his voice. “GUARDS!”
But the guards seemed to have a difficult time moving. King Rafe thought he saw Xavier smile again. He watched, helpless and enraged, as the two swept out of the room, leaving him feeling unsettled and disturbed.
