#featuring: keelan being Super Normal at a ball. maura Roasting The Shit out of the sovereign of another country. Gay 15 Year Olds. etc. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

reneesbooks · 10 months

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lacuna snippet: the dragon purges

y'all voted for the dragon purges in the make me write poll--it won with 8 votes and i promised 10 sentences for each vote. This is a bit over 80 sentences, but i hope you will forgive me ;)

lacuna taglist (ask to be added <3): @serenanymph @lyssa-ink @oh-no-another-idea @lena-rambles @ashen-crest @tragicbackstoryenjoyer @serpentarii @allianaavelinjackson

under a cut bc she's long!

Maura folds her hands in front of herself, smiling at the assembled crowd. “Welcome and thank you for your presence at tonight's ball. I am honored to present the Emperor of Guildi, First Star of the Empire, Nikandros the Seventh, and his son, Crown Prince of Guildi, Second Star of the Empire, Leonnatos the First.”

The crowd applauds as the emperor and prince bow and smile. Maura continues, her voice carrying over the quickly hushed crowd. “Prince Leonnatos will select a partner for his first dance.”

The prince's face pales quickly as he surveys the crowd. Keelan thinks of how nervous he'd been the first time he'd been to Morbhard. He'd been Leo's age then. The prince looks more like he's going to throw up.

Leo finally turns to Maura with a smile and bows deeply. “I would be honored if our esteemed hostess would allow me her first dance.”

Maura's eyes dart to Keelan and someone in the crowd gasps. Keelan makes a mental note to speak to that someone later. Maura smiles at her cousin, setting her hand in his. “Of course, Your Highness. You do me a great honor.”

Keelan stands next to the emperor as Leo leads Maura through the first steps of a simple dance that he doesn't know the name of. He's awful at most court dances anyway, following Maura's lead as much as possible, so he doesn't need to know that kind of thing. Leo is three inches shorter than Maura. He doesn't appear to be leading either.

Nikandros doesn't deign to speak to a mere soldier, so Keelan is left to stew in his thoughts as Leo dances with Maura. He can feel eyes on him and does his best to school his expression into something that doesn't scream murder.

He's sure his eyes flash when Leo's hand touches Maura's waist, but he tries not to think about it. Leo's just a kid, and Keelan is being ridiculous. His fingers tighten on the hilt of his sword and he has to force himself to let go of it.

The two of them step apart and Maura's deep curtsy looks different from this angle. He doesn't like it. Maura calls for the guests to enjoy the ball and leads Leo over to some eastern duchess who immediately pushes forward a blushing son that bows shakily to Leo. Having successfully passed him off, Maura makes her way back towards Keelan. He feels tension drain from his shoulders with every step she takes up the steps of the dais. He takes his place at her side and she gives him a small smile. “Leo's an awful dancer,” she says quietly. “I pity that poor little duke from Hertfordge. He'll have bruised feet within an hour if Leo likes him as much as he likes Leo.”

Keelan snorts. “Are your feet going to be alright, then?”

“Oh, I trust I won't have to worry about any other dance partners stepping on my feet,” she says airily.

“Queen Maura,” Nikandros says, waving a dismissive hand at Keelan. “May we speak privately?”

“We may not.” She folds her hands in front of her and smiles at him. “I can't leave my guests and Sir Keelan is the only person in this city that I trust. Anything you wish to say to me I wish for him to hear. We may speak here, where I am still within view of my guests and am not abandoning them as their hostess, and where Sir Keelan can hear our conversation, so that he may advise me on your intentions.”

Nikandros's face is a bright red. “Queen Maura, this is not—”

“I beg your pardon, but this is Raedora.” Maura leans forward. “You will not scold me in my own castle, on my own lands, at my own ball.” She leans back, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off her silk skirt. “What is it you wished to discuss, Nick? It's looking like a good ball, and I'd hate to miss it.”

Keelan isn't sure he'll ever get tired of the way Nikandros's mouth opens and closes silently when Maura dismisses him like that. He's beginning to hope that Leo doesn't find somebody to marry at the ball, just so that he can watch this idiot playing at emperor get put in his place for another two weeks.

“I saw a dragon fly over the castle earlier today,” Nikandros finally says through gritted teeth. Maura turns to face the dancing crowd, tipping her head towards him to show that she's still listening. It's a courtesy that Keelan doesn't think Nikandros deserves, but he says nothing, just flicks his cloak over his sword so that the purple fabric hides it from view.

“That isn't an uncommon sight,” Maura says, measured. “There are many dragons in Raedora.”

“Why?” Nikandros demands. “Your father outlawed magic, didn't he? Didn't you?”

Maura turns her head to look at him. “What do you know of Raedora's laws? Are the Guildin Empire's laws not superior enough that you don't bother to learn how things are in the uncivilized lands?”

Nikandros blanches. “How do you know about that?”

“It was bold of you to have a conversation like that on one of my ships,” Maura says, acidic. “I spoke with Leo earlier and let him know that your little talk with him did not accurately reflect Raedora's customs. Hopefully he won't say something rude to one of his dance partners and embarrass himself.” She looks away from Nikandros again. “Really, Nick. You couldn't find diplomacy if I tied it to your dick. As for my father, he outlawed witchcraft. Dragons do not practice witchcraft, so the law didn't apply to them. Any further ignorant questions about my country, or have you finished insulting me for the day?”

Nikandros says nothing, his face progressing to a shade of purple.

“I will take that as a no.” Maura gives a shallow bend of her knees in his direction. “I believe I promised to speak with someone over there.”

Keelan follows her to the snack table, where she picks up a glass of champagne and drains it. “I could still kill him for you.”

“No,” she sighs, grabbing another glass from a passing server and sipping it this time. “It would be such a headache to cover up, and Leo doesn't deserve to lose his father, as incompetent as he is.”

“Hm.” Keelan snags a pastry off the table and pops it into his mouth. He chews for a moment, watching Nikandros pace on the dais, his eyes scanning the crowd. “Do you think Leo will be any better?”

“Not particularly.” Maura's eyes drift to where Leo is still talking to the future duke of Hertfordge. “But he's got a heart. It's more than can be said for his father.” She takes another swallow of champagne. “More than can be said for a lot of rulers.”

Keelan slides his hand along her waist. “Dance with me.”

She smiles around the rim of her glass. “You want to dance a quadrille?”

“I don't know what that is.”

“Of course you don't.” She laughs a little. “I'll have to do the rounds, greet the people who think themselves important.”

“Dance with me first.”

She rolls her eyes but lets him lead her to the dance floor.

#featuring: keelan being Super Normal at a ball. maura Roasting The Shit out of the sovereign of another country. Gay 15 Year Olds. etc.#lacuna #writeblr #original fiction #fantasy novel #dark fantasy #writeblr community #rb original #keelan #maura #those of you who voted for jack: don't worry i'll feed y'all next #imagining throwing out sentences like bread crumbs and going pspspspsppspss as my mutuals crawl out of the bushes

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