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queen-scribbles · 7 years

Text

A Likely Story

For @pillarspromptsweekly #13. Roll For It the Third. I got Edér, runaway, and attraction. Naturally, this means writing Tavi being a filthy scheming shipper re: him and Charity.

Patience had never been Tavi’s strong suit. This was responsible for a large percentage of the fights she’d gotten in in her life, several grudges she could’ve avoided, and also was why she was currently wandering around Dyrford rather than helping Edér with dinner. In her defense, he had kicked her out(sort of); it wasn’t as if she’d abandoned him or anything. And it was the nicest she’d ever been kicked out of anywhere; a heavily hinting ‘Maybe you’d have more fun if you went for a walk’. Recognizing that her overabundance of energy was testing even Edér‘s near-infinite patience, Tavi saw herself out and started a meandering path to catalog how much Dyrford village had changed since his election as mayor.

There were definitely more people. Edér had wasted no time once he was mayor “borrowing” Raedric’s strategy of offering new settlers free land. Given that he was a much kinder leader than Raedric had been, it worked like a charm. And more people meant some of the more dilapidated buildings were repaired for use, business and trade picked up, and the economy was improving. Right now it was only incremental progress, but it showed promise of continuing for the foreseeable future.

“Hey, lady, look out!”

Tavi instinctively hugged the side of the building she was passing, just in time to get out of the way as two children--an orlan and a dwarf--barreled past in pursuit of a large, runaway wooden hoop. She watched them run, noting with amusement the hoop got further away with every second, the children’s short legs no match for gravity.

That’s not going to end well, she thought to herself. as she resumed meandering. But it was good to see children. There hadn’t been many on her first visit to the village.

As she passed the temple of Berath, Harbinger Beodmar waved a greeting from the front steps, and Tavi smiled as she waved back. This used to be considered the outskirts of Dyrford, but now that all the property was being settled and cultivated, the town’s western border extended another couple miles.

Charity’s land is out this way. The thought was a random one, but it made her grin, and Tavi’s meandering turned suddenly purposeful.

Charity was working in her garden, hair pulled up in a messy bun, and waved when she saw Tavi approaching. “Hey there, Watcher. You visiting our esteemed mayor again?”

“I was,” Tavi laughed. “Then I got bored and started bein’ a fuckin’ nuisance so he kicked me out.”

“Wow, you actually found the limits of his patience,” Charity said with a chuckle. “Though I have to say, kicking someone out doesn’t sound like Edér.”

“It may have been more.... suggesting I burn off some energy by going for a walk,” Tavi conceded, leaning against the split-rail fence. “He’s makin’ something time-consumin’ but delicious smellin’ for dinner an’ I don’t have the patience to help.” She grinned. “Hey, you wanna join us? From the look of things, there was way more than he an’ I can eat, and I know he enjoys your company.”

Despite Tavi’s best effort to make the phrase sound innocent, it looked like Charity still blushed faintly, streaking dirt across her forehead as she swiped at loose dark red strands. “You sure? I feel like he’s probably seen enough of me recently.”

“Nah, he won’t mind,” Tavi promised. “It takes a lot for Edér to get tired of people. ‘Cept Durance, but we all got tired of him pretty quick. Hey, if I can pry a little,” she tucked her hair behind her ears, “how’d you an’ Edér actually meet? He didn’t give me a whole lot of details.”

“Oh, well, it was back when I first moved here.” Charity patted the earth around the last of the flowers she’d been tending and stood, dusting her hands on her pants. “There was a really big stump over there-” she pointed at a patch of ground now covered in sprouting vegetables- “that I couldn’t get out by myself. And believe me, I tried. When there was a tree attached, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get my arms around the bastard. I’m no weakling, but that stump was not moving for one person. Still gave it my best shot, ‘cause I can be awful stubborn when I want to be, then went to the tavern to try an’ drown my sore muscles and complain.” She chuckled. “He was sitting nearby, overheard me grousing, an’ offered to help.”

“Sounds like Edér,” Tavi nodded. “Figures he’d still wanna help everyone individually, even as mayor.”

“See, I didn’t know he was the mayor,” Charity said with a sheepish laugh, twirling a loose lock of hair between her fingers. “New to town an’ all. Wasn’t til we were halfway through choppin’ out the damn roots; someone walkin’ by said Mornin’ Mayor Teylecg an’ I almost dropped my mattock. Edér waved it off, said he liked doing this kind of work and I was good company, that he wouldn’t have offered if he hadn’t meant it. It took us almost all day to get that damn stump out. In the course of talkin’ we realized we were both Eothasian, which led to more talkin’ and then to us building a little chapel on my land.”

“Yeah, that he mentioned on my last visit,” Tavi nodded, shifting position when a splinter dug into her arm. “Speakin’ of visitin’, I really am positive he won’t mind if you have dinner with us.”

Charity hesitated, clearly tempted. “When were you planning to eat? I’m something of a mess right now.” She gestured at her dirt- and sweat-streaked clothes.

“Oh, I’m sure there’s enough time for you to clean up,” Tavi said with a mischievous smile. “After all, Edér already hasta either come find me or wait ‘til I wander back. If I wander back with a guest, I doubt he’ll complain. ‘Specially if it’s you.”

This time, Charity definitely blushed; her olive complexion doing little to hide it even as she ducked her head. “Well, alright then. You can come in and make yourself at home while I make myself presentable.”

>O<

It wasn’t a long wait, but it did give Tavi enough time to notice the hints of who Charity was sprinkled through the front rooms. From the lighting via a single lantern in the center as a nod to her faith to the half-full bookshelves to the shield and flail mounted on the wall.

“Are you combat trained?” Tavi asked idly, raising her voice to ensure it carried. “I thought you were a farmer. And priest.”

“I am,” Charity replied, over the sound of splashing water. “I did a stint in my local militia just before I hit my twenties. Kept up the skillset, enough to take care of myself, anyway. When I... left, I did a bit of adventuring before I settled down here. Priests who can defend themselves are in high enough demand, most folk didn’t care if I worshipped a dead god. Long as I don’t get too preachy.”

“Nice for you,” Tavi said, studying the flail and shield. They were both good but standard quality, and the painted metal shield had plainly taken a beating. “What made you decide to leave?”

“Home didn’t want me anymore, so went lookin’ for a new one,” Charity said. She emerged from her bedroom clad in a clean shirt and trousers, face and arms clear of dirt streaks and hair tied in a ponytail rather than the earlier bun. “It’s a pretty common backstory for an adventurer.”

“Sorry for pryin’‘,” Tavi said, feeling just a tad sheepish for being so nosy. “My curiosity gets the best of me sometimes.”

“Happens to everyone, and I don’t mind,” Charity assured her. “Now, let’s get going. You’ve piqued my curiosity about this dinner.”

Tavi buried a smirk as she followed her out. Yeah, sure. Dinner’s what you’re interested in. She kept the thought to herself, however, and the women simply made small talk as they headed back toward the main part of town.

>O<

Tavi was right. When she walked in and announced she’d brought a guest and hoped that was alright, Edér spun around, grinned at Charity, and grabbed an extra plate.

“More the merrier,” he laughed. “Besides, there’s no way Tavi and I can eat all this food by ourselves. Hope you like boar.”

“Only thing better is a good venison stew,” Charity replied, a matching grin curving her lips.

“Woman after my own heart,” Edér nodded appreciatively. “That was the plan for tonight, but the deer must’ve been on to me; couldn’t find a damn one when I went huntin’ this mornin’.”

“I’m sure you’ll outsmart them eventually,” Charity joked. “But for now, boar’s fine. Tavi said you were preparing it some special way?”

“Yeah.” Edér vanished briefly into the kitchen for a carving knife. “There’s this glaze I learned about, honey and some other stuff, that I wanted to try. But you gotta put it on in thin coats, and watch it while it cooks slow to make sure it doesn’t burn.” He shot Tavi a teasing grin. “Watcher didn’t feel like helpin’ with that part.”

Tavi shrugged. “I have better things to do than watch fuckin’ meat cook, Teylecg.”

“Like kidnapping dinner quests?” he teased.

“I just asked,” Tavi defended, laughing. “There was no kidnapping involved!”

“That’s true, she did just offer,” Charity backed her up.

“Thank you,” Tavi said emphatically. “So, let’s see how well this takes-forever-to-cook boar of yours tastes.”

It tasted delicious. Not enough so that Tavi would ever cook it herself, but she did want the recipe for the cook at Caed Nua. But she had another question she was far more keen to get answered, one that had been bothering her for a while. “Anyone give either of you trouble for bein’ Eothasian?”

“It’s not like I go around blabbin’ about it, Tav,” Edér pointed out, swiping his thumb along the edge of his plate to collect glaze drippings and then sucking it clean.

“No, I know,” Tavi said. “But you don’t exactly go out of your way to hide it, either. So I’m just curious if Dyrford treats you any better than fuckin’ Gilded Vale.”

He shrugged. “Anywhere would be better than Gilded Vale. I’m sure there are rumors, some people less than happy about it, but most are willin’ to overlook it for free land.” He smiled sardonically. “No one’s said anything about hangin’ me yet, so that’s a good sign.”

Tavi laughed. “Sure is. I’d hate to hafta fight a whole fuckin’ town to save your ass.”

“Aw, you’d do that for me? That’s sweet.”

“Anything for a friend,” she said with a grin. “How ‘bout you, Charity? Anyone callin’ for your head?”

Charity smiled faintly, and shook her head. “The people next to me are from Aedyr, so they wouldn’t care. But most of the time when folk pry I just say I’m a former priest, which is true. I’m not actively serving as a priest; I’m a farmer, and militia volunteer, but not a priest. They don’t need to know I still worship Eothas, just privately.”

“But no one get suspicious of the amount of time of you two spend together? I mean, the rumored-Eothasian mayor and the “former” Eothasian priest?” Even as she spoke, an idea struck Tavi that made her fight to bury a grin. “For all the jokes out there about farmers and such bein’ slow on the uptake, they ain’t stupid.”

“‘Preciate the vote of confidence,” Edér drawled. “What’s your point?”

Tavi shrugged. “Didn’t have one, just idle curiosity. But I have an idea on how you two could avoid raising suspicions...”

“I’m all ears,” Charity said, pushing her plate away and picking idly at the handle of her tankard. “Not that I think there are suspicions, yet, but if we can avoid them altogether, that’s for the best.”

Tavi bit her lip to keep from smirking, her gaze flicking from Edér to Charity and back again. “You could court her.” Berath’s bony ass, she’d expected Charity to blush at the suggestion; the woman clearly had it bad. She hadn’t expected Edér to turn the color of a ripe tomato as well. “Just pretend,” she added hastily before one of them spontaneously combusted from the heat radiating off their faces. “Y’know, just for show. If people think you’re romantically involved, they won’t give a second thought to you visitin’ each other s’much.” They were still both staring at her like she’d grown a second head, so she rolled on. “For fuck’s sake, I’m not sayin’ you hafta stick your tongues down each other’s throats in the town square. Just... hold hands in public occasionally. Edér, bring flowers every so often when you visit her. Hel, I’ll help you pick good ones. You’re both nice people, who’re friends an’ already spend time together-” A lot of time together... -”It shouldn’t be that hard to pull off.” She grinned as their matching stunned expressions both turned thoughtful. “Someone give me some feedback, here.”

“It... could work,” Charity said slowly, after a healthy pause, playing with the end of her ponytail as she glanced at Edér. “But I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything...”

“I don’t,” Edér assured her, running one hand through his hair. “It makes more sense’n anything I could come up with, that’s for sure.” He scratched his beard and grinned at her. “Long as you don’t feel pressured.”

“No, no, it makes sense to me. And she’s right, we do get along and spend time together as it is. This ruse shouldn’t be too hard to keep up. I-If you wanted to try, I mean.”

Edér smiled-almost sheepishly-and cleared his throat. “Well, then. Charity, I would like to ask permission to pretend to seek your hand.”

“And I will grant you permission to permission to pretend to seek my hand,” Charity giggled, matching his smile.

They were both, Tavi couldn’t help but note, still blushing faintly. “Well,” she said, pushing back her chair and reaching for empty plates. “I’ll clean up while you two work out the details.” She as moving before either of them could protest.

It took a lot of willpower to wait until her back was turned to let out the smirk, but Tavi let it stay the entire time she was in the kitchen.

-----------------------------------

This is gonna be my first time writing fake dating, and it’s already fun. :3 There will be more. (also, I spent like ten minutes internally debating if there were tomatoes in the Dyrwood for Tavi to make that comparison, and then decided I don’t care :P)

#queens fic #pillars prompts weekly #tavi illani #eder teylecg #charity #do i need a ship tag for them now?

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