Over the Mountains
Nov. 20th, 2012 07:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feredarStory: Over the Mountains
Year: 1007 FY
Characters: Nolani, Isselu/Istell
It was drizzling the morning they made their final descent down the mountain, which, as always, excited Isselu just long enough for him to get covered in mud, then made him sulk when he realized that mud was, in fact, wet.
He sulked into the carriage with Nolani and wriggled into position next to her. She smiled down at him. "Have fun?"
He stuck his tongue out at her, still sulky. She smiled a little. "I can dry you off, if you want."
He peeked up at her, somewhat mollified. "Dry me, Mommy."
She arched an eyebrow. "What do we say?"
He heaved the exasperated, Mommy-why-are-you-asking-the-world-of-me sigh that only five-year-olds can manage. "Please dry me, Mommy."
"Of course," she said, spreading the heat around him until he was just dirty, no longer wet.
Gratified, he snuggled against her and watched out the window as they picked their way down the road.
The rain had stopped by the time they reached the border proper, where they were met by their usual escort. The captain smiled at her, then fixed his face to stony hardness. There was a little ritual they'd come up with years ago--whatever might happen in years to come with Isselu, whatever Nolani's mother dreamed, the crowns were still separate, after all.
"Who crosses the border?" the captain called.
"I, Nolani, Crown Princess of the City of Glass, here Queen Consort."
"Do you come alone?"
"I bring with me my son, Prince Isselu, here Crown Prince Istell."
Isselu--Istell suddenly piped up. "Mommy, why's my name different?"
Nolani blinked, and looked down at him, jolted out of the routine. She'd crossed with him before, but he'd never asked. "Because...it's a way to keep everybody happy, when we tell them stories about you."
Istell frowned. "That's silly. Why can't I have one name?"
Nolani smiled a little. "Because lots of people are silly about things."
Istell pouted, clearly unsatisfied with that answer, but the border captain picked up where they'd left off, forestalling any more of the child's questions.
Nolani thought he'd forgotten about his earlier questions, until they stopped for the night, and he squelched around in the mud and came to her to be dried off again. "I know why I got two names," he said, very seriously.
"Yes?" she asked.
"It's 'cause I got you and Daddy and you're both special enough to get your own name for me."
Nolani blinked, then smiled. "I like that answer."
"Good," he said, with a nod of satisfaction. "Now dry me." He caught himself. "Please."
She did as he asked, then held him as close as she could. She kissed his forehead. "I think you're special, too."
Year: 1007 FY
Characters: Nolani, Isselu/Istell
It was drizzling the morning they made their final descent down the mountain, which, as always, excited Isselu just long enough for him to get covered in mud, then made him sulk when he realized that mud was, in fact, wet.
He sulked into the carriage with Nolani and wriggled into position next to her. She smiled down at him. "Have fun?"
He stuck his tongue out at her, still sulky. She smiled a little. "I can dry you off, if you want."
He peeked up at her, somewhat mollified. "Dry me, Mommy."
She arched an eyebrow. "What do we say?"
He heaved the exasperated, Mommy-why-are-you-asking-the-world-of-me sigh that only five-year-olds can manage. "Please dry me, Mommy."
"Of course," she said, spreading the heat around him until he was just dirty, no longer wet.
Gratified, he snuggled against her and watched out the window as they picked their way down the road.
The rain had stopped by the time they reached the border proper, where they were met by their usual escort. The captain smiled at her, then fixed his face to stony hardness. There was a little ritual they'd come up with years ago--whatever might happen in years to come with Isselu, whatever Nolani's mother dreamed, the crowns were still separate, after all.
"Who crosses the border?" the captain called.
"I, Nolani, Crown Princess of the City of Glass, here Queen Consort."
"Do you come alone?"
"I bring with me my son, Prince Isselu, here Crown Prince Istell."
Isselu--Istell suddenly piped up. "Mommy, why's my name different?"
Nolani blinked, and looked down at him, jolted out of the routine. She'd crossed with him before, but he'd never asked. "Because...it's a way to keep everybody happy, when we tell them stories about you."
Istell frowned. "That's silly. Why can't I have one name?"
Nolani smiled a little. "Because lots of people are silly about things."
Istell pouted, clearly unsatisfied with that answer, but the border captain picked up where they'd left off, forestalling any more of the child's questions.
Nolani thought he'd forgotten about his earlier questions, until they stopped for the night, and he squelched around in the mud and came to her to be dried off again. "I know why I got two names," he said, very seriously.
"Yes?" she asked.
"It's 'cause I got you and Daddy and you're both special enough to get your own name for me."
Nolani blinked, then smiled. "I like that answer."
"Good," he said, with a nod of satisfaction. "Now dry me." He caught himself. "Please."
She did as he asked, then held him as close as she could. She kissed his forehead. "I think you're special, too."