[Ficlet -- Chalion] Clean Slate

[shimotsuki]

Work has been really, really busy -- pretty much ever since the winter holidays. I had high hopes for fic writing during my time off two weeks ago, but not a lot got done.

So this is neither (1) my new "Order" chapter, (2) a "Kaleidoscope" update, (3) my contribution to the Ides of March HP event at fandomfusion, or even (4) the tiny Cazaril/Betriz ficlet I'm writing as a challenge response for mrstater. No, this is a completely random plotbunny that took over my brain yesterday morning on the way to work, and has nothing to do with any of my "real" projects.

But posting something is better than posting nothing. ...Right?

Clean Slate (712 words | G)
A bath boy recognizes a face and discovers that he once made a grave mistake indeed.

(Warning: Major spoilers for my very favorite plot twist in all of Curse of Chalion. Do NOT read this ficlet if you haven't read Chalion yet but plan to someday.)

Clean Slate
Gomo poured clean hot water over the last of the customers, making sure that all of the soap was rinsed away. He waited until the man had climbed into the gently steaming tank with the others before bowing politely and slipping through the door and out of the courtyard.

Papa was in the front of the shop, folding an enormous pile of soft linen towels.

“They’re all soaking now,” said Gomo. “Please, Papa, may I—”

“What, you want to leave your old father to handle this booming business all on his own?” Papa pretended to scold, but Gomo could see his eyes twinkling. “Yes, go and watch for a while, but don’t go far. I’ll call you when I need you.”

Gomo grinned his thanks and dashed outside.

He couldn’t have gone very far even if he had wanted to, though—the street was filled with yet another noble procession that had ground to a halt when it encountered the narrow twisting lanes of the old fortress town. So Gomo stayed back along the wall of the bath house and contented himself with looking at the horses.

Lords and ladies had been pouring into Valenda for days, come to attend the funeral of the old Provincara. Royina Iselle would attend, of course, since the Provincara had been her grandmother. Gomo supposed it would be exciting to see the royina, even though he could remember Iselle perfectly well from when she was only a royesse who lived right here in Valenda.

But what Gomo really longed to catch, in the infrequent moments of freedom from his duties in the bath, was a glimpse of Royse Bergon. Everyone said the royse-consort was tall, strong and handsome. Brave and wise. He and his mother the royina of Ibra had resisted his elder brother’s siege when he was only a boy. He had been kidnapped and rescued. He had raced from Ibra across half of Chalion to wed Royina Iselle when he was scarcely three years older than Gomo was now.

Even with no royse-consort in sight, however, there was plenty to look at, especially the elegant horses. A particularly fine black mare stood just in front of him, and Gomo gazed hungrily at her restless stamping hooves, the graceful arch of her neck, the silver trim on her bridle.

Then he looked up, curious to see what sort of lord would have such a fine mount. The rider was a tall man dressed in black and gray, wearing a heavy gold chain around his neck.

And he was staring at Papa’s shop with a very odd look on his face indeed.

Gomo gasped. It was him. The vile criminal. The man he had warned Papa about, that time.

How had such a man become a splendid lord? Didn’t anyone know? Gomo shrank back against the wall of the shop, trying to decide what to do.

A soldier captain, wearing the green and black livery of Baocia, hurried up alongside the black mare on foot. “My lord chancellor,” he called. “Please forgive the delay. We will have the procession moving again in just a moment.”

“Five gods,” Gomo whispered. The man on the mare was Chancellor dy Cazaril. How could someone so despicable have become—

Oh.

All at once, Gomo remembered the stories.

Dy Cazaril, they said, had indeed been flogged.

On a Roknari galley.

Saving the life of Royse Bergon.

Oh.

Dy Cazaril looked down, then, and saw Gomo staring. The chancellor stiffened, and stared back.

Son of Autumn, help me. Gomo began to shake. What would happen now? Would he be thrown into the castle dungeon? Would Papa’s shop be closed down?

“My lord,” he croaked. “I’m sorry for—for that time. I didn’t understand.”

Dy Cazaril was silent for another moment. Then, unexpectedly, the stern mouth relaxed into the beginning of a smile.

“Don’t look so frightened, son. What’s your name?”

“Gomo.” He licked dry lips. “My lord.”

“Gomo.” The chancellor sighed, but the lopsided smile remained. “Next time, maybe you will wait for an explanation before you rush to judgment?”

“Oh, I will.”

The horses began to move, but Gomo jogged alongside the mare, looking up into eyes that were friendlier than he would ever have dared hope.

“I promise!”

. * fin * .
[ To Chalion/Vorkosigan story index ]

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Comments

[jncar.livejournal.com]

It was a really nice idea to revisit Caz's not so glorious return to Valenda like this. I can imagine how ashamed that boy would feel if he was faced with that kind of realization.

This was a nice glimpse into a "coming of age" incident, when a young man is forced to re-evaluate the naive and prejudiced beliefs of his childhood and grow into a wiser man. I like the realism of it--I think that most people really do gain their understanding of the adult world through small moments and minor incidents that makes us open our eyes and our minds a little wider. You captured that very well.

And Caz's good-natured reprimand was very in character.

I like short fic--it's almost all I have time for anymore!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Short fic definitely has its appeal!

Thanks a lot for the comments; I especially appreciate your perspective as someone who has been spending time lately thinking about the structure of fiction. I'm glad you thought this works as a concrete moment of growth for the bath boy.

And good old Cazaril -- once he got over his initial tendency to quietly panic, I'm sure he'd handle the situation with humor and aplomb. ;)

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

What a treat this was to wake up to! That scene at the baths is so painful to read, so it's nice to see Caz get his name cleared even in this (and to see Gomo learn about not making judgments).

You've made Gomo so endearing with the way he gawks at all the noblemen and women in Valenda, and wanting to see his teen idol Bergon. ;) And I had to laugh at him fearing Caz would throw him in the dungeon and shut down the baths, lol.

Really good job. Hope you find more snatches of writing time!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

That scene at the baths is so painful to read

Oh, I know -- LMB sets that up so well, too, because Caz keeps thinking about how much he wants a nice hot bath even before he gets to Valenda, and then as soon as he thinks he's getting one, wham. :(

I'm glad you liked Gomo, especially since he's almost an OC, heh. (It was fun thinking up a pseudo-Spanish name, too.) I decided he'd imagine a powerful lord would be bent on revenge after being wronged...

Thanks for the comments. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this!

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm copying jncar's first line, but this scene is such a nice idea - and the title so very apt.

I think you captured a very young teenage boy admirably, particularly in his vocabulary and movements. Gomo sounds a bundle of pent-up energy as he dashed outside and gazed hungrily at the horses, and is filled with excitement and slight hero worship at the thought of seeing the gallant, daring and young Bergon.

How perfect, then, that it's another splendid (and gallant), older figure that takes his breath away. It's a nice moment to see Caz through Gomo's frightened eyes, and the fact that his stern mouth softens into a half-amused/resigned smile is what we expect, of course, but Gomo doesn't. I spent a good two minutes imagining Caz's thoughts at this point, lol.

I like the idea at the end that Bergon is all but forgotten, and Caz may have a teenage fan of his own who has learnt a valuable lesson that day. He deserves a fan club!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much, especially for the comments on Gomo's characterization -- I was trying to think from his worldview. (I had actually wanted to say a lot more about Caz, but concluded much of it was things that Gomo simply wouldn't have seen, or been able to verbalize if he had!)

I spent a good two minutes imagining Caz's thoughts at this point, lol.

Hee! I wonder what you came up with? ;) I was thinking his first reaction might well be panic and remembered shame, until he realized how terrified Gomo actually was.

Now that you mention it, I like the idea of Gomo becoming Cazaril's loyal lifelong defender among the townsfolk of Valenda. Caz certainly does deserve a fan club!

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

Hee! I wonder what you came up with? ;)

Acute embarrassment (I think Gomo's vile criminal would be resounding in Caz's own head, too), momentary shame at times not long past, then wry amusement at the slowly dawning realisation that clothes and appearance really do make a man - and, also, hide him?

It was a nice two minute daydream, so thanks for that!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

All that would be very Caz, wouldn't it? I was definitely thinking along those same lines.

[kerravonsen]

Oh yes, this fits so well. It warms my heart to see that ghost of shame laid to rest.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you think this fits into (well, after) the story.

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like this a lot! That scene in the baths is so heartbreaking, I love the little bit of closure Caz gets here.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

That was a heartbreaking scene, wasn't it! Thanks for the comment -- I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this.

[scottwashburn.livejournal.com]

Nicely done! I like this a lot!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words!

[wombathouse.livejournal.com]

oh, this is nice. Made me tear up and I'm not even sure why, which is a good sign.

I like your crow icon, too. Thank you!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your comments! I'm happy to hear the story made an emotional connection.

And the crow thanks you too. ;)

[solochan.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written peice of work! I havent read too much CoC fanfiction, but I'm getting there! I really really enjoyed reading this, as everyone else has mentioned - Caz's reaction was splended and how Gomo was able to apologize was also something very brave considering he was now a chancellor.

=) I need to write some fanfiction at some point, when I'm not animating crows...

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the encouraging comments! I like to think Gomo may grow up with integrity, and this was his first step...

I don't think there is very much CoC fanfiction out there. We should all do our part, eh? ;) Although animating crows sounds like a good thing too!

[bookish-brownie.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. The bathhouse scene in the book made my heart ache so much, so it's nice to see it somewhat remedied. Caz's reaction seemed in character, both reassuring and instructive. Good job.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know -- poor Caz, getting thrown out of that bath he'd been looking forward to for so long, and not even guessing there was going to be a problem until it hit him! (Although it made for great foreshadowing for the incident with the page and dy Maroc later on, of course...)

Thanks for reading, and for the comments.

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

Argh! LJ just ate my comment, the bastards.

Anyway, I think what I said was something along the lines of:

Ooh, Chalion fic. Yay!

I think this is a great little snippet. I thought Caz's reactions were very Cazish indeed - I could just imagine is panic and shame when he spotted the baths, and then Gomo himself. And the fact that Gomo assumed he would be angry created a nice bit of irony.

I also really liked Gomo's hero worship of Bergon. I hope he gets a glimpse! :)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for commenting and persisting in the face of bad LJ behavior!

I'm glad you were able to project panic and shame onto Caz here, despite Gomo's misreading of the situation, heh. That was definitely what I had in mind.

And I imagine the royse and royina are a little further back in the same procession as Caz, so if Gomo stays outside a few minutes more I think he'll have his chance. ;)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

What! I haven't commented on this? I'm feeling acute pangs of shame...

This is such a nice glimpse into what must be a turning point in Gomo's young life - when something that was a surety suddenly isn't anymore. I love the way you show his slow realisation and his horrified reaction and fear. Somehow I just love the image of Cazaril with a stern mouth, all stiff in his saddle with remembered horror. But then, of course, mellowing and reaching out to teach a lesson with a smile.

Thank you for sharing this with us!

ETA: just to agree with everyone else that the hero-worshipping of Royse Bergon is really great (I would probably do the same.... *shifty eyes* )

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

No shame, please!! I always appreciate your lovely comments, though. :)

Somehow I just love the image of Cazaril with a stern mouth, all stiff in his saddle with remembered horror.

I think that's my favorite part, too -- Cazaril's having a quiet little panic/embarrassment moment, and poor Gomo thinks it's anger instead, heh. But Caz is too honorable (and kind) to leave the poor boy all frightened, once he understands what was going on!

Hee hee for Bergon, too. ;)