Haman yawned as she undid her curlers and teased her rose pink hair up to it's proper volume. Mineva sat on the edge of her bed and watched with the intensity of a fascinated child. She gave it one last spray, and a deft little bump, and seemed satisfied. Haman turned to Mineva and held out her hand. "Let's go eat, we've both got work to do today don't we?" Mineva nodded, and took her hand. She palmed open the door and- nearly fell over. "Hey!-oh." As a matter of instinct the Regent was about to start shouting, but then she looked down and- "Look! It's a present!" Mineva smiled as Haman bent down to pick the positively beautiful bouquet, holding it to her face, and breathing deeply of it's calming scent. She had always loved that smell above all others. There was only one person who could have done this, and that part was beyond question. But it stunned her for a second. This was holiday she had tried had since her teenage years to ignore, and had more or less banished it existence from her mind. And this time last year they had been in bad shape, the very idea of it had slipped away... but to wake up to something like this, from Char, was a bit overwhelming, she stepped back in her quarters and let the door close. "Aren't you happy?" Mineva seemed confused by the way Haman covered her mouth with her hand. "They're so pretty." "Yes they are." Haman put the fine vase on the table, and left the little card beside it. "I'm very happy, don't worry." She patted the child on the head and swallowed her shock. "I had better get to work then, or else I'll be late to meet him, won't I?" They shared a smile, warm and resonate. "Our Duty must always superseded our desires, Mineva. But we can work hard, and efficiently, so we can take time for the things we want as well." It had already been over a year Mineva had been living in this way with Haman, and it was strange, and wonderful to see how much the cold iron grip Haman had held over the girl before, had shifted into a protectent adoration. Char's warmth, radiant as the sun, was surely melting the permafrost of Haman's icy heart, and these things where only the blessed byproducts.
1] Rhetorical: The sun goes down, the stars come out, and all we have is here and now.
Haman yawned as she undid her curlers and teased her rose pink hair up to it's proper volume. Mineva sat on the edge of her bed and watched with the intensity of a fascinated child. She gave it one last spray, and a deft little bump, and seemed satisfied. Haman turned to Mineva and held out her hand.
"Let's go eat, we've both got work to do today don't we?"
Mineva nodded, and took her hand. She palmed open the door and-
nearly fell over.
"Hey!-oh." As a matter of instinct the Regent was about to start shouting, but then she looked down and-
"Look! It's a present!" Mineva smiled as Haman bent down to pick the positively beautiful bouquet, holding it to her face, and breathing deeply of it's calming scent. She had always loved that smell above all others.
There was only one person who could have done this, and that part was beyond question. But it stunned her for a second. This was holiday she had tried had since her teenage years to ignore, and had more or less banished it existence from her mind. And this time last year they had been in bad shape, the very idea of it had slipped away... but to wake up to something like this, from Char, was a bit overwhelming, she stepped back in her quarters and let the door close.
"Aren't you happy?" Mineva seemed confused by the way Haman covered her mouth with her hand. "They're so pretty."
"Yes they are." Haman put the fine vase on the table, and left the little card beside it. "I'm very happy, don't worry." She patted the child on the head and swallowed her shock. "I had better get to work then, or else I'll be late to meet him, won't I?" They shared a smile, warm and resonate. "Our Duty must always superseded our desires, Mineva. But we can work hard, and efficiently, so we can take time for the things we want as well."
It had already been over a year Mineva had been living in this way with Haman, and it was strange, and wonderful to see how much the cold iron grip Haman had held over the girl before, had shifted into a protectent adoration. Char's warmth, radiant as the sun, was surely melting the permafrost of Haman's icy heart, and these things where only the blessed byproducts.