NaNoWriMo Day 14
Nov. 15th, 2009 12:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolfanficsCurrent mood: Sore from housework. XP
Current music: Black Bugs - Regurgitator
Progress: Well. Hmm. I am not sure if Craig is pleased with current developments. :/
Word Count: 28,777/50,000
Managed 3k today. :D One scene, mostly, that was supposed to involve Andrew discovering what, exactly, his grandfather had hidden away in his room and, well, it turned into this...
Chpter Six
Treasure more precious than gold
Three hours later, all that was left was the chest that contained the items collected from Andrew's grandfather's room. They had left them til last so they could sort through them properly. Andrew had waited until William was free to assist them, since it was his inheritance as well and there seemed no point in leaving him out of it. After a suitably satifactory lunch, which Craig was rather grateful for, they returned to Andrew's chambers to see what was left. Andrew closed the curtains and locked the door to prevent them being disturbed.
"This seems a little excessive, don't you think, sir?" Craig said.
"Of course I trust Charles, but I would prefer to know what is in here in private so we can decide what to do with it and whether it will need to be kept hidden. You may think I am being too careful, but I would remind you that what we found had been very deliberately hidden from us, and I should like to think our grandfather would not want us to reveal them," Andrew said.
"You still hold to the theory that he was being forced to hide his work because he was considered heretical?" William said.
"Having read some of his notebooks, yes, I still believe this to be true. His magical practice and his experiments he more frequently describes as being done in the utmost secrecy, and he suggests there is some sort of schism in the Society he was a part of. This was just before the riots that broke this city in two. I am not sure what happened after that. His notebooks are scarce and I fear he may have merely stopped altogether, or at least, he has stopped recording in the notebooks I have. There may be others in here," Andrew said.
"Well, I suggest we begin. There is hardly any point in delaying further," William said.
Andrew knelt in front of the chest and opened it. He and Craig carefully lifted out everything they had concealed in there and set them about the room, making sure there was enough room for when they were returned to their correct sizes. They stood back to admire the small items, and moved the chest they had been stored in to one side.
"Watch and learn, sirs, I'll show yer how to do magic," Craig said, flexing his fingers.
William shot Andrew a look before Craig performed the spell. The floor shook a little, and the items began to spark, before everything that had been shrunk was no longer shrunk. It was an odd collection of things that sat before them. There were many crates with strange symbols, many books, the model of the planets had managed to survive in one piece, and the telescope.
"I would advise, sir, against trying to pry 'em open by force. They got magic seals. I can feel 'em. Lemme have a go, yeah?" Craig said.
"Well, you seem to be more adept at magic than either of us, so go ahead," Andrew said.
Craig knelt by the closest crate and leant his hands against it, trying to feel the magic that protected it. He pressed an ear against the lid. "Man, this is advanced stuff. Can't say I'll be able to break it, but I'll give it a go."
The more he courted the seals and tried to discover their secrets, the more he liked the magician who had cast them. It was not a form of magic Craig had ever used before, but he did sort of remember it being mentioned in one of the books he studied from. It was not, however, a chapter he had paid much attention to, and at that moment, he rather wished he had. He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything that might help. It was complicated magic, and several approaches did not work at all. One actually caused his finger tips to burn, and he pulled them away from the chest in pain.
"Nasty little bugger. I think I'm almost there, sirs. Just one more attempt I want to try before I give up," Craig said.
With a sigh, he approached the chest again and tentatively rested his fingers on it in case they started burning again. When they did not burn, he touched the chest more firmly, and set about his last attempt to open the chest. He sat up when he discovered what he had to do. The chest had apparently taken a liking to him and let slip its secrets. With a swift wave of his hand and a strong uttering of a word neither Andrew nor William knew, the chest glowed and clicked open. Craig, wide grin on his face, opened the lid.
"There, that wasn't so hard. I wonder if they're all sealed in the same way," Craig said, moving onto another chest. "You'll forgive me for unsealing them all first. It'll make the process much quicker, sirs."
"You're the magician," Andrew said.
The second chest did not open with the same spell. Craig again pressed himself close to the chest to elicit its secrets. This time, it did not take as long, and soon he sat up and performed the spell to open it.
"I think I know the system your grandfather used. Or at least I've made an educated guess at its sequence, sirs," Craig said.
"Well, aren't we clever then?" Andrew said, pleased by his progress. He had not expected a common thief, even one so good as Craig, to know such advanced magics.
Craig beamed and set about opening the rest of the chests. He had to tweak his sequence of gestures as he had not quite guessed as accurately as he had thought, but he was very pleased it worked. The last chest, however, was proving stubborn, and when he found the spell to perform, he was not expecting it to blast him with magic and send him flying backwards across the room. Andrew and William shielded their eyes from the blast. The chest did sit there open, waiting for its contents to be taken out, but that was not exactly the point.
Andrew rushed over to him as he lay against the wall, winded badly. William knelt beside him, curious as to his well-being. Their cause for concern was not just because Craig had been blasted with magic. There was something odd about his appearance. His body was not quite the same shape, and his hair had lengthened a little, as if the magic had tried to transform him into a woman but the magic was not complete and had only half-worked.
"I... Ohhhhh, I'm sorry, sirs. I hardly thought it would do that," Craig said. He thought he sounded as tired as he felt, and he could manage no more than a raspy whisper.
"Are you alright, Craig? You look... different," Andrew said.
"Different? How? I don't have coloured hair, do I?" Craig said, a hand reaching up to feel his hair.
"Can you stand? I feel I ought to show you," Andrew said.
"I-uh, maybe. Gimme a hand?" Craig said.
Andrew and William helped him to his feet and helped support him as they walked him over to the floor-length mirror Andrew had shunted away in a corner. Craig gazed at his appearance in horror. It could not be true, not after all these years. His clothes were torn, and his skin blackened in places, and he reached a hand out to touch his reflection, just to see if it was real.
"No. Not now. It can't be," Craig whispered.
"I fear the poor man is in shock, Andrew. We should let him rest," William said.
"An excellent idea. Come, over to bed with you," Andrew said.
Craig was too dazed to protest and let them carry him to bed. Andrew peeled away the clothes while William retrieved some water to clean his grazes. Andrew was not expecting the body he found, but he decided it was some sort of trap set for someone trying to break into that particular chest, and wondered if there was any sort of cure for it. William soon returned and dipped a strip of cloth in the water and began cleaning him up.
"I have no idea what caused this. I am so sorry for this. If I had known, I might have done the spell myself. You are not in any pain, are you?" Andrew said.
Craig gazed down at his half-female body and wanted to cry. How could he hide now? It was all over, and he would be severely punished for what he'd done. He covered his face to hide his tears.
"Not in any pain, sir. I'm sorry. I must look so ugly to you," Craig said.
"You are far from ugly. We will consult with some magicians tomorrow and see if we cannot have this reversed," Andrew said.
"I do not think that will work. I-I have a feeling I know what that spell was, and what it's done to me. I-I think it was to reveal someone's true identity, in case someone- disguised themselves in order to break in. I... I think it has revealed me, and I was quite certain the disguise I was using had become permanent. It must disgust you to see me like this," Craig said. He was aware his voice was not exactly as deep as it once was, and his accent was slipping.
Andrew was not entirely sure what he was seeing. The more Craig lay there, the more the magic appeared to be working, and Craig's body was becoming more female. His hair lengthened, and his breasts swelled and his hips became more pronounced. Whatever magic Craig had done to himself before, it was being reversed before his very eyes.
"You... You are really a woman? I do not believe it. I cannot believe it," William said.
"There is no point in hiding. I am Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia. I-I ran away more than ten years ago, and I have been living as a man ever since. I expect you will report me and I will be arrested and executed," Craig said, her voice wavering as she spoke.
William grabbed Andrew's arm and pulled him aside. "I would think very carefully about what do to next. We are harbouring a member of the Royal Family. If we are caught-"
"I know full well what would happen, William. We cannot just let her go. We have promised her haven. Perhaps we can disguise her again. I do not think it would be in our interests to denounce her. I cannot do so to our dear Charles. He would not like it at all," Andrew whispered back.
"So what are we do to? She is a woman, and a Princess. As Royalists, how can we consider hiding her away?" William said.
"Because the risks would be too great if we denounced her. No, we will not reveal her. Not at all. She will be kept here until we can find a suitable disguise for her again," Andrew said.
"Oi. I'm still here, you know," Sophia said, doing her best impression of her old male voice.
Andrew and William turned to look at her and bowed awkwardly. It was difficult to know the protocols in such a situation as this. How did one act towards a naked princess? Surely you should never be in the presence of a naked princess unless you were her husband. Andrew wanted to cover her up and give her something decent to wear.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. We - I just - well, we are not entirely sure what to do with you," Andrew said, stepping forward.
"Just find a way to turn me back. I am not staying like this," Sophia said.
Andrew straightened. "You... You wish to remain a man? You do not wish to return to the palace?"
"I would be killed if I did, and I do not desire to be shut up like a silly songbird. You, sirs, have never had the pleasure of living as a woman. I can tell you it is no pleasure at all. I have lived more freely as a man than I have ever lived as a princess. No, you shall assist me in becoming a man again, and you will mention this to no one," Sophia said.
"Yes, Your Highness," Andrew said, bowing again.
Sophia sighed. "Will you two stop that? I am no princess to you, nor do I wish to be treated like one. It is a tiresome privilege and I much prefer being a thief than a princess. I will take freedom, true freedom, over Royalty."
"I suppose that is why you work for the Dissenters, then," William said.
"I support neither cause. But the Dissenters at least have a sense of humanity. You know, all you stuffy peers would do well to live a time in their shoes. The ones who work for you and slave away for a pittance. It changes everything. Maybe then you would be more grateful for their obedience," Sophia said.
Andrew said nothing, feeling suitably chastised. William held his tongue. Andrew wasn't sure what to do next. Sophia acted for him. She slid off the bed and walked stiffly towards them. She stopped in front of them and Andrew met her eyes. It was all he could do to stop himself gazing at her body.
"I mean no disrespect, Your-"
"What did I say about that? I am still Craig. You have seen nothing of this. Fetch me some more clothes so I might be a little warmer. I do not appreciate being naked for so long in front of men I do not intend to sleep with," Sophia said. Craig said.
Andrew was still struck silent. William dared not speak.
Sophia threw her hands up in despair. "Men are all pathetic. Look at you, standing there awestruck. If I was insisting on royal protocol, I could have you put to death. All I am asking for is some male attire. Is that so difficult to manage?"
Andrew recovered his senses and busied himself as he tried to find something suitable for her to wear. He returned presently from his wardrobe and handed her something he thought she might like.
"We'll, just, we'll be in the next room," Andrew said, backing off. He took William's hand as he went.
"Just turn your backs. It's not like you've not seen me naked," Sophia said.
"Yes, of course. That will do," Andrew said, unable to disagree.
Sophia watched them turn their backs on her and she dressed. She had not seen her female body in years, and it was a strange sight indeed. She wished to be rid of it and tried the same spells that she used the first time to make her disguise, hoping she would not have to conceal herself for too long. She approached the mirror again after dressing to see if the magic had worked. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her old male self staring back at her.
Satisfied, she turned back to the two brothers. "You can look now. Craig's back."
Andrew turned to see Craig staring back at them. Now that was easier to deal with, though now he would always see her face staring back at him. Craig approached and took Andrew's hand, unsure why he still felt tied to him.
"I had never meant for you to see me like that. I'm so sorry to have burdened you with this secret. I hope you can forgive the deception," Craig said.
"I can understand why you did so. Your secret is safe with us, is it not, William?" Andrew said.
"I will not breathe a word of this to any soul on this good earth," William said.
"If I may be honest, Craig, I think I prefer you this way," Andrew said.
"Good. So do I. Now, shall we go through all this now, or wait til later? Because I'm still terribly curious as to what's in there, seeing as how I got blasted with magic for me troubles," Craig said. Slowly, his accent was returning. Soon he would speak the way he had for the past decade, and no one would be any the wiser.
"I think I can agree to that. Come on, let's go see what's in there," Andrew said.
Craig took his hand and William's and led them back to the chests.
So, er, yes. I am not sure how this will end. We'll see. D:
Current music: Black Bugs - Regurgitator
Progress: Well. Hmm. I am not sure if Craig is pleased with current developments. :/
Word Count: 28,777/50,000
Managed 3k today. :D One scene, mostly, that was supposed to involve Andrew discovering what, exactly, his grandfather had hidden away in his room and, well, it turned into this...
Chpter Six
Treasure more precious than gold
Three hours later, all that was left was the chest that contained the items collected from Andrew's grandfather's room. They had left them til last so they could sort through them properly. Andrew had waited until William was free to assist them, since it was his inheritance as well and there seemed no point in leaving him out of it. After a suitably satifactory lunch, which Craig was rather grateful for, they returned to Andrew's chambers to see what was left. Andrew closed the curtains and locked the door to prevent them being disturbed.
"This seems a little excessive, don't you think, sir?" Craig said.
"Of course I trust Charles, but I would prefer to know what is in here in private so we can decide what to do with it and whether it will need to be kept hidden. You may think I am being too careful, but I would remind you that what we found had been very deliberately hidden from us, and I should like to think our grandfather would not want us to reveal them," Andrew said.
"You still hold to the theory that he was being forced to hide his work because he was considered heretical?" William said.
"Having read some of his notebooks, yes, I still believe this to be true. His magical practice and his experiments he more frequently describes as being done in the utmost secrecy, and he suggests there is some sort of schism in the Society he was a part of. This was just before the riots that broke this city in two. I am not sure what happened after that. His notebooks are scarce and I fear he may have merely stopped altogether, or at least, he has stopped recording in the notebooks I have. There may be others in here," Andrew said.
"Well, I suggest we begin. There is hardly any point in delaying further," William said.
Andrew knelt in front of the chest and opened it. He and Craig carefully lifted out everything they had concealed in there and set them about the room, making sure there was enough room for when they were returned to their correct sizes. They stood back to admire the small items, and moved the chest they had been stored in to one side.
"Watch and learn, sirs, I'll show yer how to do magic," Craig said, flexing his fingers.
William shot Andrew a look before Craig performed the spell. The floor shook a little, and the items began to spark, before everything that had been shrunk was no longer shrunk. It was an odd collection of things that sat before them. There were many crates with strange symbols, many books, the model of the planets had managed to survive in one piece, and the telescope.
"I would advise, sir, against trying to pry 'em open by force. They got magic seals. I can feel 'em. Lemme have a go, yeah?" Craig said.
"Well, you seem to be more adept at magic than either of us, so go ahead," Andrew said.
Craig knelt by the closest crate and leant his hands against it, trying to feel the magic that protected it. He pressed an ear against the lid. "Man, this is advanced stuff. Can't say I'll be able to break it, but I'll give it a go."
The more he courted the seals and tried to discover their secrets, the more he liked the magician who had cast them. It was not a form of magic Craig had ever used before, but he did sort of remember it being mentioned in one of the books he studied from. It was not, however, a chapter he had paid much attention to, and at that moment, he rather wished he had. He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything that might help. It was complicated magic, and several approaches did not work at all. One actually caused his finger tips to burn, and he pulled them away from the chest in pain.
"Nasty little bugger. I think I'm almost there, sirs. Just one more attempt I want to try before I give up," Craig said.
With a sigh, he approached the chest again and tentatively rested his fingers on it in case they started burning again. When they did not burn, he touched the chest more firmly, and set about his last attempt to open the chest. He sat up when he discovered what he had to do. The chest had apparently taken a liking to him and let slip its secrets. With a swift wave of his hand and a strong uttering of a word neither Andrew nor William knew, the chest glowed and clicked open. Craig, wide grin on his face, opened the lid.
"There, that wasn't so hard. I wonder if they're all sealed in the same way," Craig said, moving onto another chest. "You'll forgive me for unsealing them all first. It'll make the process much quicker, sirs."
"You're the magician," Andrew said.
The second chest did not open with the same spell. Craig again pressed himself close to the chest to elicit its secrets. This time, it did not take as long, and soon he sat up and performed the spell to open it.
"I think I know the system your grandfather used. Or at least I've made an educated guess at its sequence, sirs," Craig said.
"Well, aren't we clever then?" Andrew said, pleased by his progress. He had not expected a common thief, even one so good as Craig, to know such advanced magics.
Craig beamed and set about opening the rest of the chests. He had to tweak his sequence of gestures as he had not quite guessed as accurately as he had thought, but he was very pleased it worked. The last chest, however, was proving stubborn, and when he found the spell to perform, he was not expecting it to blast him with magic and send him flying backwards across the room. Andrew and William shielded their eyes from the blast. The chest did sit there open, waiting for its contents to be taken out, but that was not exactly the point.
Andrew rushed over to him as he lay against the wall, winded badly. William knelt beside him, curious as to his well-being. Their cause for concern was not just because Craig had been blasted with magic. There was something odd about his appearance. His body was not quite the same shape, and his hair had lengthened a little, as if the magic had tried to transform him into a woman but the magic was not complete and had only half-worked.
"I... Ohhhhh, I'm sorry, sirs. I hardly thought it would do that," Craig said. He thought he sounded as tired as he felt, and he could manage no more than a raspy whisper.
"Are you alright, Craig? You look... different," Andrew said.
"Different? How? I don't have coloured hair, do I?" Craig said, a hand reaching up to feel his hair.
"Can you stand? I feel I ought to show you," Andrew said.
"I-uh, maybe. Gimme a hand?" Craig said.
Andrew and William helped him to his feet and helped support him as they walked him over to the floor-length mirror Andrew had shunted away in a corner. Craig gazed at his appearance in horror. It could not be true, not after all these years. His clothes were torn, and his skin blackened in places, and he reached a hand out to touch his reflection, just to see if it was real.
"No. Not now. It can't be," Craig whispered.
"I fear the poor man is in shock, Andrew. We should let him rest," William said.
"An excellent idea. Come, over to bed with you," Andrew said.
Craig was too dazed to protest and let them carry him to bed. Andrew peeled away the clothes while William retrieved some water to clean his grazes. Andrew was not expecting the body he found, but he decided it was some sort of trap set for someone trying to break into that particular chest, and wondered if there was any sort of cure for it. William soon returned and dipped a strip of cloth in the water and began cleaning him up.
"I have no idea what caused this. I am so sorry for this. If I had known, I might have done the spell myself. You are not in any pain, are you?" Andrew said.
Craig gazed down at his half-female body and wanted to cry. How could he hide now? It was all over, and he would be severely punished for what he'd done. He covered his face to hide his tears.
"Not in any pain, sir. I'm sorry. I must look so ugly to you," Craig said.
"You are far from ugly. We will consult with some magicians tomorrow and see if we cannot have this reversed," Andrew said.
"I do not think that will work. I-I have a feeling I know what that spell was, and what it's done to me. I-I think it was to reveal someone's true identity, in case someone- disguised themselves in order to break in. I... I think it has revealed me, and I was quite certain the disguise I was using had become permanent. It must disgust you to see me like this," Craig said. He was aware his voice was not exactly as deep as it once was, and his accent was slipping.
Andrew was not entirely sure what he was seeing. The more Craig lay there, the more the magic appeared to be working, and Craig's body was becoming more female. His hair lengthened, and his breasts swelled and his hips became more pronounced. Whatever magic Craig had done to himself before, it was being reversed before his very eyes.
"You... You are really a woman? I do not believe it. I cannot believe it," William said.
"There is no point in hiding. I am Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia. I-I ran away more than ten years ago, and I have been living as a man ever since. I expect you will report me and I will be arrested and executed," Craig said, her voice wavering as she spoke.
William grabbed Andrew's arm and pulled him aside. "I would think very carefully about what do to next. We are harbouring a member of the Royal Family. If we are caught-"
"I know full well what would happen, William. We cannot just let her go. We have promised her haven. Perhaps we can disguise her again. I do not think it would be in our interests to denounce her. I cannot do so to our dear Charles. He would not like it at all," Andrew whispered back.
"So what are we do to? She is a woman, and a Princess. As Royalists, how can we consider hiding her away?" William said.
"Because the risks would be too great if we denounced her. No, we will not reveal her. Not at all. She will be kept here until we can find a suitable disguise for her again," Andrew said.
"Oi. I'm still here, you know," Sophia said, doing her best impression of her old male voice.
Andrew and William turned to look at her and bowed awkwardly. It was difficult to know the protocols in such a situation as this. How did one act towards a naked princess? Surely you should never be in the presence of a naked princess unless you were her husband. Andrew wanted to cover her up and give her something decent to wear.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. We - I just - well, we are not entirely sure what to do with you," Andrew said, stepping forward.
"Just find a way to turn me back. I am not staying like this," Sophia said.
Andrew straightened. "You... You wish to remain a man? You do not wish to return to the palace?"
"I would be killed if I did, and I do not desire to be shut up like a silly songbird. You, sirs, have never had the pleasure of living as a woman. I can tell you it is no pleasure at all. I have lived more freely as a man than I have ever lived as a princess. No, you shall assist me in becoming a man again, and you will mention this to no one," Sophia said.
"Yes, Your Highness," Andrew said, bowing again.
Sophia sighed. "Will you two stop that? I am no princess to you, nor do I wish to be treated like one. It is a tiresome privilege and I much prefer being a thief than a princess. I will take freedom, true freedom, over Royalty."
"I suppose that is why you work for the Dissenters, then," William said.
"I support neither cause. But the Dissenters at least have a sense of humanity. You know, all you stuffy peers would do well to live a time in their shoes. The ones who work for you and slave away for a pittance. It changes everything. Maybe then you would be more grateful for their obedience," Sophia said.
Andrew said nothing, feeling suitably chastised. William held his tongue. Andrew wasn't sure what to do next. Sophia acted for him. She slid off the bed and walked stiffly towards them. She stopped in front of them and Andrew met her eyes. It was all he could do to stop himself gazing at her body.
"I mean no disrespect, Your-"
"What did I say about that? I am still Craig. You have seen nothing of this. Fetch me some more clothes so I might be a little warmer. I do not appreciate being naked for so long in front of men I do not intend to sleep with," Sophia said. Craig said.
Andrew was still struck silent. William dared not speak.
Sophia threw her hands up in despair. "Men are all pathetic. Look at you, standing there awestruck. If I was insisting on royal protocol, I could have you put to death. All I am asking for is some male attire. Is that so difficult to manage?"
Andrew recovered his senses and busied himself as he tried to find something suitable for her to wear. He returned presently from his wardrobe and handed her something he thought she might like.
"We'll, just, we'll be in the next room," Andrew said, backing off. He took William's hand as he went.
"Just turn your backs. It's not like you've not seen me naked," Sophia said.
"Yes, of course. That will do," Andrew said, unable to disagree.
Sophia watched them turn their backs on her and she dressed. She had not seen her female body in years, and it was a strange sight indeed. She wished to be rid of it and tried the same spells that she used the first time to make her disguise, hoping she would not have to conceal herself for too long. She approached the mirror again after dressing to see if the magic had worked. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her old male self staring back at her.
Satisfied, she turned back to the two brothers. "You can look now. Craig's back."
Andrew turned to see Craig staring back at them. Now that was easier to deal with, though now he would always see her face staring back at him. Craig approached and took Andrew's hand, unsure why he still felt tied to him.
"I had never meant for you to see me like that. I'm so sorry to have burdened you with this secret. I hope you can forgive the deception," Craig said.
"I can understand why you did so. Your secret is safe with us, is it not, William?" Andrew said.
"I will not breathe a word of this to any soul on this good earth," William said.
"If I may be honest, Craig, I think I prefer you this way," Andrew said.
"Good. So do I. Now, shall we go through all this now, or wait til later? Because I'm still terribly curious as to what's in there, seeing as how I got blasted with magic for me troubles," Craig said. Slowly, his accent was returning. Soon he would speak the way he had for the past decade, and no one would be any the wiser.
"I think I can agree to that. Come on, let's go see what's in there," Andrew said.
Craig took his hand and William's and led them back to the chests.
So, er, yes. I am not sure how this will end. We'll see. D: