Work in Progress: The Mermaid, The Bastard, and The Heir.
So apparently this month is femslash month (or will be in a couple of hours for you on the west coast), and hey. Why not share this thing that’s loosely based on The Little Mermaid with a smattering of other tales and all set in a Steampunk universe.
At some point I’ll get serious about the plotting and finish it. Maybe. Probably about the same time I get serious about The Dragon Knight.
BUT ENJOY ANYWAYS, I HAD FUN WRITING THIS LITTLE BIT :D
Prologue:
It was chaos in the ballroom, a cacophony of voices yelling and screaming at each other, a few pleading with others to remain calm, more accusing each other of the crime at hand.
Only two were quiet, the one examining the scene of the crime, the other watching over her.
Steadily she stood, smoothed out her dark clothing and then turned, making a slow pained approach to the stage at the center of the room, her cane making slight tapping sounds that distracted the others enough so that by the time she was ready to face them, the room was silent.
At first they stared at her, the tall and thin woman with pale skin that looked as if it never saw the sun and jet black hair stuck in a plain bun, no adornaments on her dark high necked dress, no rings on her darkly gloved fingers, and she leaned on her cane and stared at them with serious deep blue eyes behind dark glasses, then took out a piece of parchment and a quill from her vest, writing at length as everyone stared at her, then held up the paper.
Her companion, a sunny woman with darkly tanned skin and dressed so brightly and wildly that with the golden hair that she tied loosely back from her face, seemed almost a fire spirit, ran forward, snatched the message from her hands with a grin, then ran to the policeman in the room.
The crowd turned to him.
He blushed, coughing as he read, "The Lady Cordelia Fairchylde," he nodded to the woman, "Wishes us to know that the murder that occured tonight is the result of..." he frowned, "poison. A slow one given to him over time with the catalyst being given just a few moments before his death, the one who committed this crime was..." he paused and looked over to him, "Lord Flaughan, the boy's uncle."
The crowd then turned to the rather large man that was the host of today's gala, and no one dared to speak.
Except for the sunny companion that whistled, "Hey! That's pretty rotten," she grinned, "Knowing he was sick and inviting him for a bit of air and excitement, then killing him to get the family fortune," she looked back at Cordelia, "That's what happened right? The evidence is all on Lord William's body, huh?"
She said nothing, just gave the slightest of nods.
"Lies! Slander!" Lord Flaughan shouted, "I loved the boy like a son! It's not his fault that Father looked over me because Sister was his favorite! It's not William's fault he was wasting away! I just helped him! I didn't kill him!" he stepped towards Cordelia, who remained silent, "I know who you are! The witch that the Fairchylde estate took in! Why don't you speak, instead of using the bastard daugter!" he pointed to the woman, "She stole everything from you! Don't you see why I had to do it?"
The grin never left the sunny one's face, and Lord Flaughan turned back to Cordelia, who still said nothing.
"Why leave the company to a half-wit!?" in his anger, he seemed to miss the fact that he had confessed, and the police started to move in on him, grabbing him just before he reached out to take hold of Cordelia's neck.
She still did not react, watching him from behind her glasses as he was carried away and the ballroom emptied.
Her sunny companion was still grinning as she scooped her up, "Let's get you home milady!" she said cheerfully, "Did you know there was gonna be a murder? I was actually hopin' you'd have some fun for once!"
It was brief, but there was a smile, and she wrapped her arms around her companion's shoulders as the other picked up her cane, "Can't idiots see that you never stole anything from me," she continued as she carried her outside to the carriage, "I never wanted that stupid title and name, far too restricting," she placed her on the driver's seat next to her, "Come to think of it, you don't want it either, best leave it to my overly good half brother, he's boring enough to want to stay in one place, you and me, we got adventure to go on, right?" she winked at her before hopping up to sit next to her and taking the reins, snapped at the horses.
After a few moments, she glanced at her mistress with wide eyes, "Wait... you made a big show out of that to show Father you can handle us being on our own huh?"
She smirked, not saying a word, and her companion chuckled, "Milady! You pulled a fast one even on me! Father has to let us go make our way now! He can't even use your body as an excuse, everyone there saw you walking with the cane..." her face fell, "Your feet must be killing you, I'll get the bath running as soon as we get home."
Nothing more was said as she steered the carriage to the northwest, to a quiet home nestled in the forest overlooking the city.
Once upon a time...
A little mermaid made a deal with a sea witch, for the ability to walk on land and marry a prince.
She paid a hefty price, that of her voice, and every step she took was knives stabbing at her feet, every breath was fire in her newly grown lungs.
But the mermaid loved the world above the water, and the prince thought her a curious thing, she cried when the minister asked her to dance, she would place seashells as decorations in her hair, and she would sit at the aquarium in the great hall and seemingly listen to the fish.
He thought her his special prize catch from the sea, he said as much to the other royals, and when he went to marry the princess of the neighboring kingdom, he took her with him to show off to the nobles there, not thinking she minded his indulgences, after all, she was a silly little mute.
She thought herself in love with him, never seeing his tiny cruelties for what they were at her young and inexperienced age, never hearing the jeers behind her back that he instigated, or seeing the laughter at her tears when she was made to dance or dress in folded sails.
He and the Princess married on the ship, and she was heartbroken, and cried to the sea, where her sisters called to her, giving her a special knife, saying that she could return to them.
All she had to do was kill the Prince and his bride, and their blood would return her tail and gills. Or kill herself and become foam... Either way, she would return to the sea.
She quietly snuck into the bed chamber, and for a long moment, stared at the two.
Then turned away, crying silent tears.
She thought she knew what love was.
She thought she knew what it was she wanted. Yet as cruel as the Prince was, she could not bring herself to take his life.
She stared out at the sea and raised the knife, bringing it to her own heart.
It was stopped by a gentle hand, connected to a man with a hard but kind face, a noble from the country of the Princess.
And that is how this faerie tale begins...
Chapter One:
"Cordelia, it's a beautiful morning!"
She winced as sunlight hit her face and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking out the large window that the sunny woman was pulling the thick curtains from.
The gardens were right outside, she had been given a room on the ground floor that had an entrance into one that was made just for her, and every morning, great pains were taken to show her the most of that season. In winter, there was frost and berries for the birds, in spring and summer, blossoms and greens, and in autumn, so many golds and reds that it made her think the sun had come to earth.
"Father wants to speak to you at breakfast," her companion said in her cheerful tones, "I think your plan worked!" she went to the bed and bent down to pick her up, "Come on, I'll..." she stared as she picked up her cane instead and rose, "But your feet..."
She patted her head and smiled, wincing as she went to the bathroom also adjorning her room, "At least use the wheel chair!" she snapped, crossing his arms, "Milady, you proved your point!"
She gave her a look and pointed at her bedside table at the note there, and then slowly finished going into the next room, thankfully not locking the door behind her.
The Companion sighed, at least she wasn't being foolish in her stubbornness and picked up the letter, "I need to show Father that I am capable, in case something should happen to you. Therefore, no carrying me until he not only approves the trip, but also has seen us onto the airship..." her voice trailed off, "Milady, that could be months!"
Taps answered that, and then the sound of running water, and she sighed in defeat, going to lay out Milady's clothing for today.
"At least lean on me a little Milady," she said cheerfully, "You wouldn't let a talented servant go to waste would you."
More taps in their code, W.H.Y. W.O.U.L.D. I.?
Her smile turned much softer, "Good. I was worried you'd leave me alone."
D.O.N.T. B.E. S.T.U.P.I.D.
"Then Milady loves me?"
No taps answered that, and she chuckled, she was ignoring the question then.
But she couldn't blame her, that question was a rather loaded one around this estate.
The Lady Cordelia was not the only one that the elder Lord Fairchylde had brought home, there was also a small girl his legal son found nearly completely frozen one night, next to a burnt box of matches, a boy and girl, found in the forest, nearly starved and frightened out of their minds, both crying of a house made of food, a youth that wove poetry and medicine like tapestries, a beautiful woman that was rumored to be the bastard daughter's mother, who vanished in the middle of the night once.
She had asked the Lord about it... her father only looked out the window and sadly claimed that he could no longer keep her from her home.
Cordelia had snorted when he told her about it, tapping out that love was not what anyone thought it was. And too late does anyone figure it out.
Softly she tapped that she was sad that the woman didn't stay for her sake.
She had shrugged, saying that her father married a rather well choice after, her half-brother's mother was still very much alive, and just as bad as taking in strays as her husband was.
Granted, hers tended to be more animalistic. The estate was a zoo half the time.
Cordelia had laughed at that, a pretty one that sounded like the chiming of bells and always made her wonder what her voice once sounded like before she traded it for legs.
It was one of those midnight conversations that made her decide that somehow, she would find a way to buy it back from that witch.
It was because of this she suggested, hesitantly to her at first, that they go on travels, have an adventure rather than be cooped up in this manor.
She didn't expect Cordelia to jump on it so heartedly.
But then... Milady had traded her voice to see the world above the surface in the first place... perhaps it wasn't that great a surprise.
"Lin!" the small red head said happily, "Gwennie made this for you!"
She placed the plate of what might have been eggs and sausage in front of the younger Lord Fairchylde and he stared at it for a long moment, poking the blackened remains, before turning back to the child, "Gwen... it looks..."
He swallowed at her large green eyes, and hastily took a bite, "It's wonderful Gwennie," he managed, swallowing it down and then reaching for his glass of milk.
Merlin Fairchylde looked like a calmer, younger version of the Bastard, both had blond hair, those Lin's was kept a great deal neater and shorter, and both had blue eyes, both traits inherited from their father. Lin's skin was a great deal fairer, due to being kept indoors and studying... in his childhood, he was rather frail, some whispered due to a curse from the Bastard herself.
Lin never believed it. His half-sister and he have always loved each other, and besides, the Bastard was just too damn cheery to cast something like a curse.
There wasn't much else in common between the two, Lin was far calmer and more studious, he rarely smiled, and he didn't like going outside.
Too many people there, too many things that could...
"Merlin."
The calm voice of his father had him look up, "What do you think of Cordelia going off with her servant to explore the world?"
Once he had wondered why no one ever called his sister by her name.
Now he wondered if the Bastard ever had one.
Father never treated him like a daughter... Mother tried, but...
"Hans and Greta do most of her work anyways, and Sister has always wanted to see things outside of this home. She handled herself rather well last night."
"I thought so," he looked to his mother, a cheery person that coughed a little too frequently, someone that he thought Father married because she reminded him of something lost.
It was after all, why Father took in Cordelia and adopted her a few years ago. She reminded the elder Lord Fairchylde of Her.
"Thought so about what?" the Lord asked his wife, and she smiled and took his hand before answering.
"Cordelia is special dearest, like the animals I tame, she will only stay for a little while, she belongs out there," the Lady said gently, "Her eyes are like your eldest, she's a wild creature."
Lin nodded in agreement, though he looked warily at his father.
"Of course she's a wild creature!" yelled out a voice as Cordelia tapped her way to the table, taking a seat quickly, and Lin frowned at seeing the pain on her face as the Bastard started to bring breakfast in for the family, "Hardly anyone can be as tame as the Fairchylde heir."
He took it as a compliment, because the smile with those words was one of the few sincere ones the Bastard had, and nervously glanced to his father once more.
"Then it's decided. On the morrow, the Lady Cordelia will head forth into the world with her handmaiden," the elder Lord decided, "However, I think that perhaps Merlin and his favored servants shall accompany them."
That had his eyes widening in surprise, yet he nodded at the words.After all, he was a child of the house, it was not his place to question...
"Dearest, is that wise?"
As always, it was his mother that dared to question his father, though... if Cordelia could speak... he caught a glint in her eyes as she looked to the Elder.
"He has two fine servants in Gwendolyn and Taliesin, and there's a great deal to learn from the outside world. As for his health, sunshine and travel will be far better for him than the dreary weather we have here."
It was settled then, and Lin frowned as he picked at his food.
He had been born with the same delicate health as his mother, perhaps more so... his life was nothing but books and the medicines that various doctors attempted to cure his ailments with.
Lin had never even been outside the gardens... and that was only when the Bastard had snuck him out there.
Cordelia was giving him a look, he felt it before he saw it, and he stared in confusion and terror at her.
She nodded back at him, and then looked to the Elder Fairchylde, giving another nod.
"It's settled then. You both leave in the morning. I have already arranged passage."
He waited until breakfast was done, and the servants have entered to clear the plates after his parents both left, his mother quietly excusing herself, his father just leaving, before Lin swallowed and looked to Cordelia.
"Won't I get in your way?"
She gave him a wry smile and tapped on the table in her secret language.
"She said to worry about standing in your own way," the Bastard said smiling, "You need the fresh air as much as she does."
if im lucky ill grow up to be one of those people who makes a hilarious and relatable yet darkly real tv show that is a very obvious reflection of their own life and struggles with mental illness. that's basically my life goal right now. those tv shows that are like "haha i have severe depression and anxiety and possibly a personality disorder TIME TO MAKE SOME JOKES ABOUT MY HORRIFYINGLY LOW SELF-ESTEEM!!!" id be pretty good at one of those shows imo
