Susan Pevensie [Slight AU] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
calledmegentle) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sixwordstories2014-10-25 03:56 am
calledmegentle) wrote in sixwordstories2014-10-25 03:56 am
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A queen even without her kingdom.
There's something so distinct about being ripped away. There's something so uniquely painful about that loss.
It's so strange, seeing it someone else. It's impossible to step away from, even in the swirl of the rest of the world passing around them.
"Nothing-- ever changes that."
It's so strange, seeing it someone else. It's impossible to step away from, even in the swirl of the rest of the world passing around them.
"Nothing-- ever changes that."
The words startle her just slightly-- she hadn't realized anyone had overheard her musings. For a moment, she almost brushes it off.
Except there's something about the young man that makes her want to speak.
Her smile is thin, but it's still something like one, "No, nothing ever does."
Except there's something about the young man that makes her want to speak.
Her smile is thin, but it's still something like one, "No, nothing ever does."
He knows that smile. Not on her own lips, no, but he knows that smile. It's the sort of smile he's seen on the lips of more queens and princesses that he knows how to count. It's regal. It's dignified.
In its own way, it's angry in a way he can't help but gravitate toward.
"Just... seems like a shame that doesn't make it easier."
In its own way, it's angry in a way he can't help but gravitate toward.
"Just... seems like a shame that doesn't make it easier."
Her laugh is just the faintest bit sharp. She isn't quite so 'gentle' here, really.
"It is a shame. But I suppose it's wishful thinking to believe it could ever have been anything different."
Happiness and the life of royalty diverge so often.
"It is a shame. But I suppose it's wishful thinking to believe it could ever have been anything different."
Happiness and the life of royalty diverge so often.
The sharpness is a little different. The sharpness is more like the Queen he remembers from Snow White than the one he'd married.
"I mean-- I don't think it's... wishful to assume you'll get to stay where you belong."
That shouldn't be such a surprise.
"I mean-- I don't think it's... wishful to assume you'll get to stay where you belong."
That shouldn't be such a surprise.
"For some, it is."
Because she had never stayed where she thought she belonged. She'd been shunted from England to Narnia and back again, until she no longer knew where was home.
Because she had never stayed where she thought she belonged. She'd been shunted from England to Narnia and back again, until she no longer knew where was home.
"But not for us."
Which is presumptuous to actually say. Which is too much of himself and a bit too much of an assumption about her. She's not one of his, after all; and, wherever she's from, he's not one of hers.
"--sorry."
Which is presumptuous to actually say. Which is too much of himself and a bit too much of an assumption about her. She's not one of his, after all; and, wherever she's from, he's not one of hers.
"--sorry."
"You're lucky, if you can still wish," she murmurs to him, a bitter, longing expression briefly touching her face, "I know those who have had to give it up long ago or be lost."
Like her, for example. Even, just a little, like his own who had let themselves forget.
Like her, for example. Even, just a little, like his own who had let themselves forget.
The duck of his head is hardly polished. Then again, he's always been rather lacking in it.
"It seems-- impossible, really. Letting go of that hope."
"It seems-- impossible, really. Letting go of that hope."
"How interesting. It seems impossible to maintain it," she replies with a sigh.
She wants to ask how on earth he can manage it.
She wants to ask how on earth he can manage it.
"Not impossible."
He doesn't sound fully convicted in it, no, but there's a certain strength of belief that's clearly still at his core. It's not quite a religious sort of zeal, but it's something that's obviously integral.
"It just... It takes-- a lot of work. And a lot of... learning how to do it on your own. Without anyone else helping you."
He doesn't sound fully convicted in it, no, but there's a certain strength of belief that's clearly still at his core. It's not quite a religious sort of zeal, but it's something that's obviously integral.
"It just... It takes-- a lot of work. And a lot of... learning how to do it on your own. Without anyone else helping you."
"Seems like that's more trouble than it's worth."
She's certain her siblings would disagree, but that's them. It's not her.
"At least-- if you're not ever getting the chance to go home again."
She's certain her siblings would disagree, but that's them. It's not her.
"At least-- if you're not ever getting the chance to go home again."
He should let go of it. He should let her truth be her truth and breathe deep in his own.
But he's watched so many people he's loved fall completely out of themselves. He's seen so many lose everything to be someone they really aren't.
"--there's always a chance."
But he's watched so many people he's loved fall completely out of themselves. He's seen so many lose everything to be someone they really aren't.
"--there's always a chance."
She studies him curiously. It's always been a point of interest, figuring out how other people can maintain their faith in things when there seems to be nothing to support that faith.
It's just been some time since she encountered anyone who believed quite like he did, outside of her siblings.
"You really believe that."
It's just been some time since she encountered anyone who believed quite like he did, outside of her siblings.
"You really believe that."
"With every-- fiber of my being, Highness."
It's an entirely genuine slip. It's one that takes a few seconds to properly trip the wires in his own mind to look startled with himself; ashamed with himself.
"--sorry. Miss."
It's an entirely genuine slip. It's one that takes a few seconds to properly trip the wires in his own mind to look startled with himself; ashamed with himself.
"--sorry. Miss."
It brings her breath up short to be addressed with the title. It has her smile entirely strained a moment because she can manage to settle it a little more.
"It's-- all right."
It's been so long since she's been called that.
"It's-- all right."
It's been so long since she's been called that.
It's very much the sort of thing he's seen before. It's very much that soft line in a blurring reality that he's seen in so many faces he's loved and lost.
The shake of his head is embarrassed. The duck of his head is obviously familiar in his bones.
"No. I'm-- I'm sorry."
The shake of his head is embarrassed. The duck of his head is obviously familiar in his bones.
"No. I'm-- I'm sorry."
"It's all right," she repeats, and this time she almost means it.
"You just-- took my by surprise, is all."
"You just-- took my by surprise, is all."
"Which-- isn't fair."
He lives on the edge of it, after all. He lives in the continued understanding of his life as a tailor destined to marry a princess and rule as king.
Not everyone does. Lots of people push it down. Catching them by surprise is cruel.
He lives on the edge of it, after all. He lives in the continued understanding of his life as a tailor destined to marry a princess and rule as king.
Not everyone does. Lots of people push it down. Catching them by surprise is cruel.
"Well," she says, shoulders lifting in a delicate shrug, "Few things in life are."
She's come to accept that.
She's come to accept that.
"...guess so."
He hasn't seen fairness in the world. It didn't matter which lifetime--there had been as little fairness in his fairy tale as he's found now in the 'real' world around them.
"Just seems like there's enough of that without adding to the fire."
He hasn't seen fairness in the world. It didn't matter which lifetime--there had been as little fairness in his fairy tale as he's found now in the 'real' world around them.
"Just seems like there's enough of that without adding to the fire."
"I suppose that's true," she says with a delicate shrug.
"Most of us do our best, I imagine."
"Most of us do our best, I imagine."
It's all a person can do. It's certainly all he'd ever expect out of anyone else.
But there's frustration in the duck of his head all the same.
"But-- not everybody does, I don't think."
But there's frustration in the duck of his head all the same.
"But-- not everybody does, I don't think."
"No, not really."
She has to admit that. She's witnessed that several times, after all.
She has to admit that. She's witnessed that several times, after all.
"But... I'm sure you are."
It's important, after all, to have faith in other people. It's important to have faith in particular in other people who live in this altered space.
It's important, after all, to have faith in other people. It's important to have faith in particular in other people who live in this altered space.
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