![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marycatelli posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
picture_prompt_funTitle: Before Breakfast
Fandom: original
Character: original
Length: 596
Rating: G
The castle gleamed gold, up the hillside, in the swirling mist. Aurelie forced her gaze away, back to the path, back to the bright greenery about it. At least she could recognize a glamor now. . . .
The bridge caught her eye, and the castle had no more interest for her. A brook, to be sure, not a river, but the bride arching over it had been built of rough stone, and had no hand rails. Or, for that matter, enchantments to keep those crossing on it. That was the downside of learning the magic.
Asteria strode over it as if it were a floor, with Rose-Lily fast after her. Aurelie let her breath out and trudged over it.
"You'll have to be faster," said Asteria, without a glance back. "The tide matters."
Aurelie kept her mouth shut. She would look in the library if she had to, when they got back.
The path went around a slope, and suddenly the air smelled of sea shore. Her nose wrinkled. And of a port where fishing was practiced. Asteria did not slow down. Minutes later, the city appeared ahead of them. It was built of weathered brick, sometimes invisible behind brilliant pastel paint. And where other cities had streets, it had streams of water.
Asteria walked straight to a dock, where a white boat was painted sky blue inside -- and was not tied to the dock. No sooner than they had gotten in, with it bobbing a bit under their feet, than the boat, without oar or sail or engine, set out down the streams. Aurelie noted, now, that all the windows were barred, as if they were the cells of a medieval dungeon.
The boat glided on, swiftly. After a time, the air cleared. They came to the edge of the city, and the boat docked itself by broad marble steps, leading up to a door shadowed by a portico. Next to it sat a man, strumming on a guitar. Practicing, not trying to play for them, thought Aurelie as they disembarked. Perhaps readying himself to serenade some fair maiden.
The boat glided off. And there was only one door before them. It towered in bronze, with relief sculptures of lions, bears, suns, towers. . . .
Even Asteria must have found it unnerving. They walked up the stairs side by side. The doors opened, silently. The great hall behind went up three stories. Its floor was vast blocks of black and white, set like a chessboard where even the pieces had to be giants. The door shut, shadowing the room.
"This way, my dears," called a woman, her long black hair pulled back, and her gown all in blue. They all scurried toward her, and the lit doorway she stood in. Behind it was a small room, set with a table. On a brightly checked tablecloth, waffles and blueberries, strawberries and butter, with a pitcher of orange juice, were waiting for them.
"They said they had to rush you off, for safety, before breakfast," said the woman.
Rose-Lily nodded solemnly.
She went to get a small pitcher of maple syrup for them. "I should speak with whomever came with you."
"There wasn't anyone," said Asteria.
"They said," said Aurelie, carefully, "that since we were the maidens of Three Maiden Cottage, we could look after ourselves."
She looked at Aurelie for a long moment. Then she put the pitcher down with a thud and rushed out the door.
A minute later, Aurelie said, "I guess we have to look after ourselves at breakfast, too."
Fandom: original
Character: original
Length: 596
Rating: G
The castle gleamed gold, up the hillside, in the swirling mist. Aurelie forced her gaze away, back to the path, back to the bright greenery about it. At least she could recognize a glamor now. . . .
The bridge caught her eye, and the castle had no more interest for her. A brook, to be sure, not a river, but the bride arching over it had been built of rough stone, and had no hand rails. Or, for that matter, enchantments to keep those crossing on it. That was the downside of learning the magic.
Asteria strode over it as if it were a floor, with Rose-Lily fast after her. Aurelie let her breath out and trudged over it.
"You'll have to be faster," said Asteria, without a glance back. "The tide matters."
Aurelie kept her mouth shut. She would look in the library if she had to, when they got back.
The path went around a slope, and suddenly the air smelled of sea shore. Her nose wrinkled. And of a port where fishing was practiced. Asteria did not slow down. Minutes later, the city appeared ahead of them. It was built of weathered brick, sometimes invisible behind brilliant pastel paint. And where other cities had streets, it had streams of water.
Asteria walked straight to a dock, where a white boat was painted sky blue inside -- and was not tied to the dock. No sooner than they had gotten in, with it bobbing a bit under their feet, than the boat, without oar or sail or engine, set out down the streams. Aurelie noted, now, that all the windows were barred, as if they were the cells of a medieval dungeon.
The boat glided on, swiftly. After a time, the air cleared. They came to the edge of the city, and the boat docked itself by broad marble steps, leading up to a door shadowed by a portico. Next to it sat a man, strumming on a guitar. Practicing, not trying to play for them, thought Aurelie as they disembarked. Perhaps readying himself to serenade some fair maiden.
The boat glided off. And there was only one door before them. It towered in bronze, with relief sculptures of lions, bears, suns, towers. . . .
Even Asteria must have found it unnerving. They walked up the stairs side by side. The doors opened, silently. The great hall behind went up three stories. Its floor was vast blocks of black and white, set like a chessboard where even the pieces had to be giants. The door shut, shadowing the room.
"This way, my dears," called a woman, her long black hair pulled back, and her gown all in blue. They all scurried toward her, and the lit doorway she stood in. Behind it was a small room, set with a table. On a brightly checked tablecloth, waffles and blueberries, strawberries and butter, with a pitcher of orange juice, were waiting for them.
"They said they had to rush you off, for safety, before breakfast," said the woman.
Rose-Lily nodded solemnly.
She went to get a small pitcher of maple syrup for them. "I should speak with whomever came with you."
"There wasn't anyone," said Asteria.
"They said," said Aurelie, carefully, "that since we were the maidens of Three Maiden Cottage, we could look after ourselves."
She looked at Aurelie for a long moment. Then she put the pitcher down with a thud and rushed out the door.
A minute later, Aurelie said, "I guess we have to look after ourselves at breakfast, too."
