[DailyPrompt] "Duty"
Jun. 3rd, 2011 03:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kc_obrien"It's easy," he murmured, chasing Alexis down the corridor.
"Like hell it is," she snarled, fire burning from her sidelong glance.
"A simple sacrifice."
"A simple sacrifice," she growled back at him, picking up her pace, "Simple for you maybe."
He sighed, "Alexis... you know I can't keep up with you when you're moving like that."
"That's the fucking point, Jonathan. Shut your mouth or leave me the fuck alone."
She turned down the corridor that led from the Annex into the central building, her sensible heels resonating off the marble floors. Jonathan chased behind her, the leather soles of his shoes making a similar racket.
"We all make-" he started before she rounded on him.
"We all make what, Jonathan? Sacrifices?" She shoved him hard, sending the stocky man she once adored down to the floor in a tumble. "Some things..." she spat out, her eyes burning, "they can't be sacrificed. If we lose that part of ourselves..." her voice trailed off and, not for the first time tonight, she swallowed back tears. "Then... what's the point of survival."
"The point of survival?" He asked, shifting onto his knees, then up to his feet. "The point of survival is survival. Not for us, but for the future."
She scoffed, the pure rage having burned off already and reached into the small handbag for the flask that seemed to be her last lifeline on sanity. She cracked it and sipped the sweet confection within; a tincture of some honey-based liqueur and a mild opiate. She sighed as it rolled over her tongue and spread tendrils throughout her chest.
"The ends justify the means, Lexy."
"Don't you fucking call me that, Jonathan." She barked even as she walked around and dusted off his suit coat. "After all that you're putting me through, after all the cajoling and the harassment and taking..." no, she wouldn't let him win, couldn't, not yet, "...after all the bullshit you've put me through, you can't call me that. Not tonight."
"Of course, my lady." He insisted, his voice growing cold with formality.
She groaned and, at a more companionable pace, continued the procession towards the central chamber. "Can you blame me, Jonathan?" She slowed, turning to look into those crystal blue eyes that once stole her heart (and would occasionally threaten to once again), "Can you really expect me to give it up so easily?"
"Easily?" He parroted, shaking his head, "No. If it were easy it wouldn't be a sacrifice, and it would mean absolutely, positively nothing. Would get us nowhere."
She bit her lip and started down the hall again. It progressed downward, into the living earth, moonlight and candle replaced by torchlight. After a long while, with the cold oppression of a subterranean stone fortress pushing down around them, she finally whispered, "I can't do it."
"I'll be here," he insisted quietly, offering her his arm.
"I don't know if that's going to help me or to hurt me, Jonathan." A single tear rolled down her cheek, the edge of her fury consumed by the remnants of liquid fire in her chest. "I'm not Esmerelda. It's not," she hesitated, "it's not just dead weight. Not to me. It never was and never could be."
"I know, Lexy."
They walked in silence as the corridor circled around to the front of the amphitheater where the ceremony would be held, stopping in front of the door. It was guarded by two of her father's household knights. They stood implacable in immaculate armor dark as nightmare and twice as imposing. They held halberds that crossed in front of the iron studded double doors, barring their way. The two were a reflection of one another, unmoving sentinels.
"Are you ready?" Jonathan asked, not bothering to turn and look at Alexis.
"No, but that's never stopped me in the past."
Together they stepped forward and green fire lit in the eyes of the armor. "Who goes there?" Two voices like the grinding of ancient stones echoed from within the clockwork knights.
"Crown Princess Alexis di Moldova and Escort." Jonathan replied solemnly.
The knights lay silent a moment, and the green fire was replaced by amber. New voices emanated from the knights, familiar voices to both their ears, the voices of the knights who had sacrificed themselves to serve their King eternally. "And what brings you here?" They asked in unison, the monotone nature of their familiar voices in a way more horrible than the previous tone.
Alexis took another step forward, and with a final sidelong glance to Jonathan murmured, "My Duty."
==
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dailyprompt
Prompt: 'can't be sacrificed'
"Like hell it is," she snarled, fire burning from her sidelong glance.
"A simple sacrifice."
"A simple sacrifice," she growled back at him, picking up her pace, "Simple for you maybe."
He sighed, "Alexis... you know I can't keep up with you when you're moving like that."
"That's the fucking point, Jonathan. Shut your mouth or leave me the fuck alone."
She turned down the corridor that led from the Annex into the central building, her sensible heels resonating off the marble floors. Jonathan chased behind her, the leather soles of his shoes making a similar racket.
"We all make-" he started before she rounded on him.
"We all make what, Jonathan? Sacrifices?" She shoved him hard, sending the stocky man she once adored down to the floor in a tumble. "Some things..." she spat out, her eyes burning, "they can't be sacrificed. If we lose that part of ourselves..." her voice trailed off and, not for the first time tonight, she swallowed back tears. "Then... what's the point of survival."
"The point of survival?" He asked, shifting onto his knees, then up to his feet. "The point of survival is survival. Not for us, but for the future."
She scoffed, the pure rage having burned off already and reached into the small handbag for the flask that seemed to be her last lifeline on sanity. She cracked it and sipped the sweet confection within; a tincture of some honey-based liqueur and a mild opiate. She sighed as it rolled over her tongue and spread tendrils throughout her chest.
"The ends justify the means, Lexy."
"Don't you fucking call me that, Jonathan." She barked even as she walked around and dusted off his suit coat. "After all that you're putting me through, after all the cajoling and the harassment and taking..." no, she wouldn't let him win, couldn't, not yet, "...after all the bullshit you've put me through, you can't call me that. Not tonight."
"Of course, my lady." He insisted, his voice growing cold with formality.
She groaned and, at a more companionable pace, continued the procession towards the central chamber. "Can you blame me, Jonathan?" She slowed, turning to look into those crystal blue eyes that once stole her heart (and would occasionally threaten to once again), "Can you really expect me to give it up so easily?"
"Easily?" He parroted, shaking his head, "No. If it were easy it wouldn't be a sacrifice, and it would mean absolutely, positively nothing. Would get us nowhere."
She bit her lip and started down the hall again. It progressed downward, into the living earth, moonlight and candle replaced by torchlight. After a long while, with the cold oppression of a subterranean stone fortress pushing down around them, she finally whispered, "I can't do it."
"I'll be here," he insisted quietly, offering her his arm.
"I don't know if that's going to help me or to hurt me, Jonathan." A single tear rolled down her cheek, the edge of her fury consumed by the remnants of liquid fire in her chest. "I'm not Esmerelda. It's not," she hesitated, "it's not just dead weight. Not to me. It never was and never could be."
"I know, Lexy."
They walked in silence as the corridor circled around to the front of the amphitheater where the ceremony would be held, stopping in front of the door. It was guarded by two of her father's household knights. They stood implacable in immaculate armor dark as nightmare and twice as imposing. They held halberds that crossed in front of the iron studded double doors, barring their way. The two were a reflection of one another, unmoving sentinels.
"Are you ready?" Jonathan asked, not bothering to turn and look at Alexis.
"No, but that's never stopped me in the past."
Together they stepped forward and green fire lit in the eyes of the armor. "Who goes there?" Two voices like the grinding of ancient stones echoed from within the clockwork knights.
"Crown Princess Alexis di Moldova and Escort." Jonathan replied solemnly.
The knights lay silent a moment, and the green fire was replaced by amber. New voices emanated from the knights, familiar voices to both their ears, the voices of the knights who had sacrificed themselves to serve their King eternally. "And what brings you here?" They asked in unison, the monotone nature of their familiar voices in a way more horrible than the previous tone.
Alexis took another step forward, and with a final sidelong glance to Jonathan murmured, "My Duty."
==
From
dailyprompt Prompt: 'can't be sacrificed'
