platinum and diamond

[go_meta]

They get to Casasha. Shara gets her cream puff and her fruit. Strangers incline their heads to her and call her "pennon"; a few recognize her personally or just know that there aren't any other Swanpennons her age and call her "princess". Casasha is pretty densely populated - there's farmland in parts of it, but the place the wilds spit them out in isn't it; it's a largish city by the source of the river they've been following, and after they spend a night in an inn there - and their horses are more thoroughly seen to than is possible on the trail - they'll be proceeding on a well-trafficked highway to the royal household.

Comments

[go_meta]

"Aw, here I was imagining that one of you had mastered spoons and the other only forks and you had to feed each other depending on the course."

[in_tatters]

Adarin snorts with laughter. "That's - you're hilarious, that would be the funniest thing ever."

[go_meta]

"And one of you could manage knives - perhaps not the same one who did forks, so you'd have to cooperate to cut up meat."

[in_tatters]

"We'd have to do the dishes together, too, one of us has mastery of sponges and the other mastery of towels."

[go_meta]

"Oh, and one of you must drink all your beverages with a straw because only the other one can manage cups correctly.

[in_tatters]

"Only one of us can open doors, too, and the other windows. Doorknobs are confusing things, after all."

[go_meta]

"One of you can walk normally and the other has only figured out how to hop. One of you can talk and the other can only sing. One of you can tie knots and the other has learned to use buttons. This sounds like a silly children's book."

[in_tatters]

"It does, doesn't it," laughs Adarin. "Too bad I swore off writing, otherwise I'd get rich from the book."

[go_meta]

"Terrible pity. Such a loss. Perhaps the world would be better off if you didn't keep to random promises made as a joke."

[in_tatters]

"Perhaps! But now I have to think of silly ways around the promises."

[go_meta]

"Maybe you have mastered making promises but only Zeviana has mastered keeping them."

[in_tatters]

Adarin laughs. "If we were that bad neither of us would ever be able to function."

[go_meta]

"Ah. Well, I don't think anybody but me heard you swear off writing. I could just release you from the promise."

[in_tatters]

"That's all right, I don't think I'd be much good at it. I'm more of a numbers person."

[go_meta]

"Fair enough."

[in_tatters]

"But I guess if we every figure out a way to tell your story in a math problem, I am your man."

[go_meta]

"I haven't the foggiest idea how you'd do that. Maybe I'm not mathy enough."

[in_tatters]

"Yeah, I've got no idea how I'll turn that into math, either. Sorry. You'll be the second to know."

[go_meta]

"Cool."

[in_tatters]

[go_meta]

They make it to Casasha City. Casasha City is huge and has very tall buildings, including the palace.

Shara rides up to it, is recognized by the guards, vouches for "my rescuees", and hands off the horses and proceeds into the building proper on foot.

"Let's grab my parents, they'll want to watch me making my try," she says. "In case it takes this time."

[pleating]

"Bet you it dooooes," sings Kayam.

[in_tatters]

"If it doesn't I'm making faces at it."

[go_meta]

"You are welcome to supervise too."

Shara asks the nearest palace staff for the last known whereabouts of either monarch and follows their directions to the king's study.

There, in his study, is the king! He is wearing his crown and everything.

"Father, I'm back! I brought rescuees! There were more of them but only these ones wanted to come along. This is Adarin and that's his sister Zeviana."

[try_me]

Zeviana inclines her head. "Your majesty."