[Chalion/Paladin ficlet] Wishes
July 8th, 2009 10:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shimotsukiThis is a birthday drabble/ficlet for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hrymfaxe, who gave me the characters Illvin and Arhys and the prompt wishes. Happy (much belated) birthday. :)
Wishes (500 words | PG)
Arhys gives Illvin something new to wish for.
Wishes
“Peace, at last,” Illvin muttered, striding across the castle roof to look out over the battlements.
Inside, every inch of Castle Porifors was under siege—by guards, ladies, and servants, carrying furniture, flowers, and banners. But at least up here it was still, aside from the measured pacing of the sentry on duty.
And it was blessedly, blessedly silent.
He wondered how long he could stay here before someone discovered that they simply must have the services of the master of horse. Again.
“Illvin?”
He sighed. Not long at all, it seems.
At least it was Arhys who had sought him out, and not someone frenzied with preparations.
Illvin turned to greet his brother, reflecting as he did so that some prospective bridegrooms might in fact be a little frenzied. But not Arhys, of course. His smile was rather wide, but otherwise he was as calm and in control as always.
Arhys joined him at the edge of the roof. The two men leaned on the battlements and looked out over the rolling valley and the river that glinted in the reddening sunlight.
“I thought you might be up here.” Arhys nudged him with his shoulder. “It’s a good place to be out of the way of the rising tide of chaos.”
Illvin chuckled, shaking his head a little. “How many flowers are needed for one wedding feast, anyway?”
Arhys’s smile grew fond. “Catti loves heaps of bright flowers. I want everything to please her, tomorrow.”
“I’m sure it will,” said Illvin dryly. Arhys and Cattilara seemed to please each other exceedingly well.
“I never thought I’d marry again.” Arhys gazed across the hills in the direction of Castle Oby. “When Eleanora died—I thought that would be the end of marriage for me.”
Illvin rested a hand briefly on his brother’s arm. “I’m happy that you’ve found someone you want for your wife.” It was true, even if he didn’t quite see why Arhys had fallen so hard for the march of Oby’s headstrong young daughter. “I wish you both many years of happiness together.”
“What about you?” Arhys turned back to face him. “Don’t you have any wishes for yourself?” He smiled again, but with a hint of concern as well.
“Well,” said Illvin lightly, “now that you’re no longer eligible for conquest, maybe I’ll find a woman who will look at me first.”
It was nothing more than a joke. It had been years since Illvin had resented his brother’s talent for everything under the sun, including drawing the hungry gazes of women of all ranks and positions. And he knew that Arhys knew that perfectly well.
But instead of laughing, Arhys grew thoughtful.
Illvin waited.
“That’s not what you should wish for,” his brother said, slowly. “You don’t need a woman who will look at you first.”
Arhys smiled again, with the look of a man who was very much anticipating his wedding day.
“You should wish for a woman who will look at you last.”
. * fin * .
.
hrymfaxe, who gave me the characters Illvin and Arhys and the prompt wishes. Happy (much belated) birthday. :)Wishes (500 words | PG)
Arhys gives Illvin something new to wish for.
“Peace, at last,” Illvin muttered, striding across the castle roof to look out over the battlements.
Inside, every inch of Castle Porifors was under siege—by guards, ladies, and servants, carrying furniture, flowers, and banners. But at least up here it was still, aside from the measured pacing of the sentry on duty.
And it was blessedly, blessedly silent.
He wondered how long he could stay here before someone discovered that they simply must have the services of the master of horse. Again.
“Illvin?”
He sighed. Not long at all, it seems.
At least it was Arhys who had sought him out, and not someone frenzied with preparations.
Illvin turned to greet his brother, reflecting as he did so that some prospective bridegrooms might in fact be a little frenzied. But not Arhys, of course. His smile was rather wide, but otherwise he was as calm and in control as always.
Arhys joined him at the edge of the roof. The two men leaned on the battlements and looked out over the rolling valley and the river that glinted in the reddening sunlight.
“I thought you might be up here.” Arhys nudged him with his shoulder. “It’s a good place to be out of the way of the rising tide of chaos.”
Illvin chuckled, shaking his head a little. “How many flowers are needed for one wedding feast, anyway?”
Arhys’s smile grew fond. “Catti loves heaps of bright flowers. I want everything to please her, tomorrow.”
“I’m sure it will,” said Illvin dryly. Arhys and Cattilara seemed to please each other exceedingly well.
“I never thought I’d marry again.” Arhys gazed across the hills in the direction of Castle Oby. “When Eleanora died—I thought that would be the end of marriage for me.”
Illvin rested a hand briefly on his brother’s arm. “I’m happy that you’ve found someone you want for your wife.” It was true, even if he didn’t quite see why Arhys had fallen so hard for the march of Oby’s headstrong young daughter. “I wish you both many years of happiness together.”
“What about you?” Arhys turned back to face him. “Don’t you have any wishes for yourself?” He smiled again, but with a hint of concern as well.
“Well,” said Illvin lightly, “now that you’re no longer eligible for conquest, maybe I’ll find a woman who will look at me first.”
It was nothing more than a joke. It had been years since Illvin had resented his brother’s talent for everything under the sun, including drawing the hungry gazes of women of all ranks and positions. And he knew that Arhys knew that perfectly well.
But instead of laughing, Arhys grew thoughtful.
Illvin waited.
“That’s not what you should wish for,” his brother said, slowly. “You don’t need a woman who will look at you first.”
Arhys smiled again, with the look of a man who was very much anticipating his wedding day.
“You should wish for a woman who will look at you last.”
.
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 10:11 am (UTC)Thank you so much for writing this for me! I thought at first that we were in Porifors during the timeline of Paladin of Souls, which made me laugh because Illvin is describing the wedding preparations as though it was a battle taking place. ;)
And I love the relationship between the brothers. They both want the best for each other, and Arhys is wonderful in his happy anticipation of the wedding day.
“You should wish for a woman who will look at you last.”
Me! Me! Oh wait, that dratted dowager queen might fight me for him, and I'm not sure I can win, since he was a gift to her from a certain Bastard... (and also, is this a foreshadowing of this exact queen? Who looked at Arhys first, but Illvin last? :D)
Thank you again so much! :D
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 03:01 pm (UTC)I thought at first that we were in Porifors during the timeline of Paladin of Souls,
Good!
which made me laugh
Better! ;)
Who looked at Arhys first, but Illvin last? :D
And...you win the Grand Prize, lol.
Actually, one thing that was missing for me in Paladin was some kind of explicit recognition from Ista that she was transferring her interest from Arhys to Illvin. It just seemed to sort of happen, and it seemed to me that she didn't really reflect on it. I don't like to think of poor Illvin as nothing but a second choice because Arhys was
a walking corpseunavailable!I'm sorry Ista would beat you in hand-to-hand combat, lol, but I'm sure Illvin will appreciate knowing that he has your interest. ;)
Thanks again for the lovely comments, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 07:08 pm (UTC)I'm not sure how much was a "transfer" of interest.
Arhys was interesting to Ista, but he was also very much of the world she was trying to escape - dominant, landed and therefore tied to a particular land/location, courtly, and almost incestuously closely related (the son of your dead husband's lover?)
She might admire him, but I doubt she'd be able to lower her walls to him.
Further, Arhys plays the courtly game of courting impecibly, but he doesn't seem to see Ista (or perhaps any woman) as someone in her own right.
Illvin's status gives him the freedom to follow her, and gives her room to grow and be herself, in her new role as the Bastard's Saint. With Arhys, even if he'd been available, his ties to Portifors would have tied her (again!) to be the chataline of a man and his keep.
And Illvin sees her, Ista, not just a highborn lady to rescue and pay court to. He recognizes that she's not looking for a husband, or to step back into the role of wife. And he sees and admires her sense of humor (he can make her smirk!) as well as the power of her mind and her calling. He'll walk by her side barefoot into battle, he won't (as Arhys does for Catti) smother her with protection.
Ista may transfer her attention from Arhys to Illvan. But it isn't because Arhys is taken, or even because Arhys is a zombie. It's because Illvan is the better man for her, and she's the right woman for Illvan.
And I think your story captured that sentiment well - Ista might look at Arhys first (not counting her dream, and the "fine fair bird") but she looks at Illvan last, because he's the one who pleases her best.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 07:39 pm (UTC)I completely agree with everything you've said here. I have always believed Illvin to be a much better choice for Ista than Arhys would be, for all these reasons, never mind fidelity to Cattilara and the matter of who is actually still breathing. (More accurately, I had mused over most of these points, but hadn't thought of the argument that Arhys represents the traditional power structure that Ista is so desperate to escape -- that's an excellent insight.)
What still bothers me a little about Paladin, and what I was trying to express half-jokingly above with my "second best" remark, is simply that we never see any direct evidence that Ista herself has figured this out. (Granted, given her intelligence and way of sizing people up, it's most likely that she actually does -- but still, the reader doesn't see it happen). Ista has a visceral attraction to Arhys right away, and we see that again several times even after Ista meets Catti and understands that Arhys is off limits for many of the reasons you list above. True, we do get to see her growing attraction to Illvin, as well as a growing recognition that Illvin understands her and can even make her laugh. But she never, that I saw, has a moment of awareness that Oh, this one is a better fit for me. She could have had some stray thought along these lines in the "third best swordsman in Caribastos" conversation during the Roknari siege of Porifors, for example.
Actually, now that I'm thinking this through, we do at least get the moment in the March of Oby's camp where Ista compares the way Illvin really looks at her, and actually understands her, with the way the Baocia folks don't manage to do so. That's certainly satisfying -- but the contrast is between Illvin and people from Ista's old life, not Illvin and Arhys.
So I guess I have to say that I still would have liked to see Ista think something that represented a deliberate choice of Illvin over Arhys as the man she most wanted to have.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 07:53 pm (UTC)I don't think that she ever considered Arhys a serious "fit" for her at all.
She was charmed when he rescued her, and had a bit of a crush. But she was still 100% certain that no man could ever be a good "fit" for her.
And then events moved quickly - she finds that Arhys was married, and that he's only interested in her (Ista) as someone who knew his father, and then that he's dead, and then, by the time she's comparing Illvan to her Baocian relatives, he's fully dead a second time.
Ista never went from "Arhys might be a good fit for me" to "Illvan is a good fit for me." She went from "No one could ever be a good fit for me" to "Wow, that Illvan is a good fit for me - and it took the intervention of my God (that Bastard!) to make it happen!"
She does mention, at one point, the flattering attention of various sycophants at court, and how they were interested in her as Dowager Royina, and not as Ista. To her, Arhys is one more of that sort, particularly after he gloms onto her as a way to learn more about his father. A more flattering attention than being a way to try to reach and influence her Royina-daughter, but still, not a potential fit for her, in her own eyes.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 09:04 pm (UTC)She was charmed when he rescued her, and had a bit of a crush. But she was still 100% certain that no man could ever be a good "fit" for her.
Hmm. I agree that Ista lets us know several times that she had never considered herself the sort of woman who would find a lover -- what's that line, something like too young, then too mad, then too drab, then too late. But I thought that one of the plot-driving aspects of Ista's attraction to Arhys was that it was at least making her think about the possibility of finding herself attracted to someone for the first time. So I'm not sure about the 100% certain -- maybe her encounter with Arhys wore her down to 90% certain? ;)
That said, I have to agree with your contention that Ista never considered Arhys a serious "fit" for her at all, and to acknowledge that my choice of the word "fit" was a sloppy one. Ista was disappointed in all sorts of things about Arhys, including the fact that he turned out to be married, and the fact that he seemed to see her as a virtual stepmother because of her connection to Ias and Arvol.
But I still maintain what is at the heart of my slight unease: I would have liked to see Ista's flash of insight that Arhys may look good, but Illvin is the one for her to keep. Which is the comparison that lay behind my inspiration for this ficlet as well, I suppose!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 11:48 am (UTC)You've captured so much here in the relationship between these two that I enjoyed in Paladin. I think Arhys would rather relish being the centre of so much attention whilst wanting to please Catti (I bet she was Bride of the Year!), and Illvin would indeed regard both prospects with that wonderfully dry sense of humour and slight bafflement. How I like a man who sees past shiny trappings and a pretty face; obviously nearly as much as Ista and
My favourite thing of all is the affection and regard between the two, the sense that Illvin regards himself as the 'second' brother in most ways but Arhys doesn't. And the knowledge that Arhys' wish for his brother will come true.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 03:14 pm (UTC)Just the thought of Cattilara's wedding day makes me want to run away screaming, lol. Or maybe go up to the battlements for a breather...
Thanks for the encouragement, especially with respect to the interaction between the brothers. I remember how relieved I was when I first read Paladin to learn that Arhys wasn't some diabolical, deliberate parasite sucking away Illvin's life -- these two really had a wonderful, close relationship.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-10 03:12 pm (UTC)Wishes
Date: 2009-07-11 09:55 am (UTC)Both Illvin and Ista share the "Bastards" foul (rude) humor and sense of the ridiculous and are chosen for each other by that god.
As a girl myself I feel warm when any worthy man gives me favorable regard but I don't want to marry them all! Ista is allowed to thaw her feelings for a little under Arhys' heroic regard. But she is clearly happier with the love she finds with the clever, generous Illvin.
Keep writing Shimotsuki san!
Re: Wishes
Date: 2009-07-12 04:27 am (UTC)I think Illvin is exactly what Ista needs (and probably vice versa).
no subject
Date: 2009-07-19 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-20 03:08 am (UTC)I like just about everything about Illvin, including his close relationship with Arhys. And I'm sure Catti would drive me nuts, heh.