thewidewideworld | (no subject)

{Continued from here}

Sinric heads down the stairs and out into the gardens, a wrap pulled around his shoulders and his hair still damp. He breathes in the scent of approaching evening as if committing it to memory before turning towards the lake.

He has no idea which way Athelstan might have gone but the lake always seems like a good place to start.

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From:

thewidewideworld

Sinric pucks them carefully, only taking those he can reach. "I wonder perhaps if I should climb up and get those higher, leaving the lower ones for others."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"If you feel able to", Athelstan agrees, "why not?"

From:

thewidewideworld

Sinric considers for a moment before carefully tucking his gown into his belt. He slips off his shoes and reaches for the low branches, pulling himself up into foliage.

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Just don't fall", Athelstan warns. "If you break your leg, I would have to leave you to fetch help."

From:

thewidewideworld

"I'm quite safe, but thank you. The branches are strong and easy to grip." He leans down, carefully offering Athelstan a handful of cherries.

From:

athelstanthescribe

He holds up the basket to receive them.

"Did you have much chance to climb trees as a child?"

From:

thewidewideworld

"Sometimes. In the palace gardens and then the week we spent out in the woods for Constantine's birthday. We had rather a lovely time, playing in the trees."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"You went out there with tents? Or just slept under the trees?"

From:

thewidewideworld

"Oh, we had tents. Rather large pavilions in fact." Sinric smiles, ducking in and out of the branches. "Even when running away, Constantine did it in style."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Of course. It wasn't the luxury he was running away from."

From:

thewidewideworld

"Oh no." Sinric laughs, his hair falling over his shoulder as he leans down with another armful. "The pressures of court and the responsibility of his position, yes but not from luxury."

From:

athelstanthescribe

Athelstan lifts the basket again.

"And no one could begrudge him a short holiday from the responsibilities, providing he returned."

From:

thewidewideworld

"Oh, there were a few in court who very much begrudge him that." Sinric laughs, carefully inching out to the edge of a branch before carefully dropping back down to the grass. "Very much. He didn't exactly give them much warning."

From:

athelstanthescribe

Athelstan shrugs.

"The clever ones would take it as a chance to prove themselves."

From:

thewidewideworld

"If I recall, the clever ones who tried to prove themselves found themselves facing Leo without his father's restraining hand. They seemed very intent that Constantine should live a long and prosperous life and have many more birthdays."

The memory no longer hurts as it once might have, now he knows Leo is dead.

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Ah." He grimaces. "Yes, Constantine would have been more - amenable to allowing that."

From:

thewidewideworld

"Looking back, I suspect he may have done it on purpose, to remind them all not to take him for granted." Sinric muses, reaching for the branch of the next tree, clambering up. "I look back now and wonder how much of the court politics I was too young and naive to notice."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"Well, you were only a child. And even when older, he likely shielded you from most of the complications of it."

From:

thewidewideworld

"You may be right." He lays around the branch, dangling lean limbs as he passes a handful of cherries down to Athelstan. "If not to protect our innocence, then to keep a part of his life uncomplicated by court intrigue."

From:

athelstanthescribe

Athelstan nods.

"And if it was all-encompassing outside that room, it must have been a welcome reprieve."

From:

thewidewideworld

"We were his little birds, his indulgences away from the pressures of his position. Looking back, I realise most people would frown on what was done to us." He sighs, letting his hair fall over his face. "But time has not diminished my love for him."

From:

athelstanthescribe

"People from the future are living in a different world", he points out gently. "Perhaps it is a better one in many ways, but they can't understand. You and I were both exceptionally lucky in our slavery."