21 Days of Valdemar!
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21_daysWelcome to 21 Days of Valdemar!
Put on your party hats - it’s time for the Dead Vanyel Memorial Party! Vanyel is OFFICIALLY the Woobiest of the Woobies, and we celebrate in his honour!
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Day 1 -Aug. 9 - Prompts! You will have seven days to put as many prompts as you'd like on this post. And if you start writing them early, well that's just good planning!
Day 8 - Aug. 16 - Prompting ends, posting begins! You have 14 days to write, draw, and potentially diorama as many prompts as you can.
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(Click on the dates for countdowns; the fest is following MDT/Mountain Time)
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FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 06:46 pm (UTC):Sweetheart. You're not alone. I feel for you, love.: That was Gala, uneasy as she talked him down again. Slowly, it subsided to a point where the throb of outrage was just a background counterpoint again, pulsing in time with his heart.
Of course he was outraged; he suspected Vanyel was right. This was some kind of trap.
There'd been enough nods to something going on here—something that was, if not illegal, perhaps something that should be illegal. There'd been enough chatter about this being a place that noble houses tended to send disreputable children so the monks could shape them up to be heir—or to vanish so another child could inherit. A convenient way of avoiding the the messy disputes of determining if a disinheritance was legitimate, of dodging the legal side of blood rights.
Vanyel had been here longer than Tylendel by far, and Tylendel had already heard so many dubious things. If Vanyel had suspicions that the people involved might trap him into something, he had a better perspective on it than anyone from the outside.
:Calm down, my darling. Get some perspective yourself,: Gala urged, picking up the word from his mind and pushing it forward.
Perspective. Right.
First: One way or another, it was a known factor that Vanyel had been sent here to be made into an obedient heir. It was also pretty clear that the attempts to break his 'disreputable' behavior had been successful in at least some way.
Was Vanyel in danger of being 'disappeared', assuming that was something that did happen here rather than just people running away?
Lord Withen of Forst Reach didn't have a reputation as a cruel man; he was blunt and no-nonsense and (as Savil had said many times) a prejudiced blockhead. Sending Vanyel here to rehabilitate him was well in line with his known behavior. Sending him away to get executed was not; Savil had in no way expected Withen to try to harm his own son. The fact that said rehabilitation would break Vanyel's will was not something that he would consider as harmful, most likely; he might, like many of his kind, consider it a way to save his son and his reputation all at once.
No, Withen wouldn't want Vanyel disappeared. Tylendel could, most likely, pack up and go and not worry that anything he had done would expose or harm Vanyel. Beyond that, Vanyel was an adult now; he was able to decide to stay here or leave as he saw fit. He could confront his father if he saw fit.
But him being an adult didn't help. The fact he technically could leave couldn't be taken out of context: victims of abuse couldn't, not easily. They'd been taught not to, had fear put into them, coaxed only with what they could keep or gain from enduring their suffering. Tylendel was very sure that Vanyel was subject to that sort of abuse. That weird obedience to authority, his desire for his father's approval, being sent here as punishment...
Besides, what if Tylendel was wrong on his assessment of what little he knew of Withen? If he were wrong, and if Tylendel's own association with Vanyel meant that his father would never want him back, Vanyel could be harmed. The fact that he didn't think it likely didn't mean it was an acceptable risk.
:I don't even like him,: Tylendel protested to Gala distantly. But, dammit, I want to. I think there's something in there behind that brittleness and coldness and sharpness and I want to see who that person is. I don't want to leave him to have whatever's left stolen from him. I don't think I can. It feels like it's against my very nature.:
:I do feel you there, my darling. I agree it's not likely that they'd kill or sell him, but the damage that's been done could keep working on him,: Gala agreed.
That didn't comfort Tylendel at all. But he tried to keep perspective, keep sorting through the situation.
Second: Something was going on here that needed to be looked into. Perhaps those 'vanishing' heirs all did run away; perhaps the novices' gossip about the monastery itself being used to clean up messy inheritance issues without getting the law into it was just gossip. But whether it was or wasn't, it was something the crown would want to look into.
So, he thought. I need to get this place investigated. I could leave quietly, but if I do, I have to leave Vanyel. I don't know whether or not they'll decide he fell into their 'trap', that I was just too tempting, and harm him after I'm gone. What a horrifying thought. If I announce that I will be sending someone for further investigation I can take him as evidence whether or not he wants to come, but anyone I've talked to here may be endangered. Brevec's clearly the ringleader of whatever's going on, and he might escape...
He rubbed his face, finally fully calm and a little uncomfortable. What he needed was Savil, but even in deep trance his Mindspeech reach was no good. :Gala, love, I don't suppose Haven's still in your range? I'd like to drop a word to Savil.:
:Well out, sweetheart. I can't get a peep to Kellan. Let me just... hm. I can reach Gersham's Companion Melannye. They're a day or two from Haven, however, and while I can reach her, Melannye's range is particularly weak; she's well matched to Gersham that way, unfortunately. But if you want to pass a message along, that'd be faster than waiting until we're back:
Tylendel considered it, then discarded the thought. :No good. It's a complicated mess and if I'm going to ask for permission, I'd have to wait for it. No, I'll just have to use Savil's name without permission and apologize later.:
:She's going to twist your ear off.:
Despite himself, he grinned. :She sure will, but we're going to need to send someone to investigate and her name will shut down protests much faster than mine. Anyway, you know she'll approve despite herself. That kind of method is near and dear to her heart.:
***
Vanyel came down to breakfast from the library; he made sure he was seen coming from the library, too. He couldn't seem to get his thoughts in order; they were scattered and like something hot to the touch. But if he were to maintain the status quo, he needed it to be seen that after he learned about Tylendel, he didn't stay in the same room with him—
Why bother? some part of himself asked quietly, and he had no answer.
Tylendel wasn't at breakfast, though; he could only hope that meant that the Herald-Mage had left at first light. It was a long trip to Haven and since he'd been planning to leave today, it would only be reasonable to head out as soon as possible. The thought felt weird inside him, heavy and betrayed, even though he felt that he would feel the same way had it turned out Tylendel was still here.
But just as he found himself thinking that, Tylendel strode into the dining hall.
The Herald was in a different set of whites than the two that Vanyel had seen so far; fancy and eye-catching. Conversation dropped quickly as Tylendel passed through the room, like a cloak of silence was following him. Vanyel found the already-hard food turn into a lump in his stomach.
Although Vanyel knew Tylendel's injury still bothered him, the Herald showed no sign of it, striding evenly and calmly up to Brevec. Brevec rose from the head of the table and began to come around it to talk to him, to (presumably) see him off, but something on Tylendel's face seemed to give him pause. Rather than stepping aside to gesture Tylendel out the door behind himself, he stopped where he was.
"Herald Tylendel," Brevec said. "Is there a problem?"
"Indeed there is." Tylendel's voice was as Vanyel had never heard it: rather than friendly and casual, it had become something firm and unshakable, completely confident and with an air of authority. This was a man who was used to being taken very, very seriously, Vanyel realized with a startled twist in his chest.
"Can I ask—"
Tylendel didn't let Brevec finish his mild question. "I apologize for misleading you, Father Brevec. My injuries and business elsewhere were something of a cover," he said. "So let me make myself completely blunt: I was sent here in trust of Herald-Mage Savil Ashkevron to determine if rumors of abuses of those in this monastery's trust were true."
A whispering began around the place. Vanyel felt his own heart seem to stutter in his chest. His aunt had? No, that couldn't be possible—Tylendel was faking this. He was sure of it. Or was he? Why would he? he asked himself silently. It's believable enough. But there wasn't a hint of it before.
"I have determined that the evidence has indicated the probability that you have been at the head of such things. To conduct a deeper investigation, I will be confiscating the novice Vanyel, whose behavior you had given me the opportunity to observe in person, and I will be taking you along. I will be borrowing two of the monastery's horses to take the two of you back to Haven with me to unravel this situation." Tylendel's voice didn't waver, completely confident. "Do you have any objections?"
Vanyel stared down at his plate to try to avoid looking at Tylendel. He was being... confiscated? The whispers had increased and he could hardly hear them over the noise and confusion in his own head, the pounding of his heart. A fey Herald, coming here, "confiscating" him—there was no way he could go home now. So many rumors... but then what? What was the point? He'd go to Haven and then what?
"I have no objections," Brevec said calmly. He stepped forward. "My innocence will be revealed in front of the queen and we can get this whole silly mess behind us. Will you be binding me, Herald Tylendel?"
Vanyel looked up to see Brevec raising his left hand, as if offering it for binding; Tylendel glanced to it. Abruptly, Brevec lunged, foot rising to kick Tylendel hard in the arrow wound.
Tylendel was flung backward by the force and Vanyel thought it should be chaos, but nobody rose; everyone was frozen in their seats, staring, unknowing what to do. Even the other Fathers, the other acolytes, were just stunned, apparently not understanding what was happening.
Blood had blossomed on Tylendel's leg again, seeping through his pants, and Vanyel felt something weird wrench inside him. I spent so long binding that damn thing—!
Brevec alone hadn't frozen; he pulled a straight razor out from inside his sleeve and advanced on Tylendel, grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head back.
A sudden banging at the door was all the distraction that was needed, Brevec paused for barely a second and the razor suddenly was yanked from his hand by an invisible force, spinning across the stone floor. Tylendel's hair, where not held, whipped around his head as a strange wind and pressure rose around him.
In a clear sudden panic, Brevec dropped him and tried scrambling across the floor for his razor. It slid again, and as he reached for it, a chair spun out across the floor, yanked out from underneath Novice Provine, and slamming into the Father, throwing him across the floor as well.
Tylendel picked himself up as Brevec scrambled the other way, grabbed a knife that had fallen from the table, and tried to fling it at Tylendel. It flew with deadly accuracy but didn't land, floated in the air in front of Tylendel. Slowly, it turned to face Brevec.
Brevec broke and ran for the door, reaching to open it; it opened in front of him, but Tylendel's Companion was on the other side, rearing up, strong front legs kicking sharp hooves at the Father.
It was over quickly.
"I trust," Tylendel said, rising, panting a little for breath, one hand pressed over the reopened injury, "that there will be no further protests?"
Nobody said a word.
"Vanyel. Follow me. The rest of you, stay. Go about your daily business and do not leave. If this place does not stay exactly as I'm leaving it today, it will be taken as evidence of conspiracy," Tylendel said.
Vanyel remained where he was, frozen with indecision. If he left now, he'd be willingly going along with Tylendel. If he did not, then—what? He'd stay here, and then what? It was already too late. His father would hear about this and assume the worst. There was nothing for him here. There was nothing for him there. There was nothing anywhere.
Suddenly and helplessly, he resented the man standing in front of him, commanding the entire room.
Tylendel waited. He didn't offer a hand; he didn't seem to be a person any longer but a Herald, the authority of the queen and a strange power in his own right, a terrible authority.
"Vanyel," Tylendel said again.
"Yes, Herald," Vanyel said, gaze downcast, and followed the limping Tylendel, resenting him. He took the horse's reins that Tylendel offered him, one of the old mares of the monastery's stables, and resented him. He rode behind him silently to their first rest stop, slept with his back turned to him, and resented him. He didn't dare do anything but resent him. Anything else would require hope and he didn't dare have that.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 07:20 pm (UTC)A face Vanyel had finally been able to find beautiful, after so many years of looking at the wrong faces and not being able to feel anything at all.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 07:24 pm (UTC)Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 09:44 pm (UTC)The whole situation at the monastery is super creepy, especially when you remember how young these kids getting broken* and maybe disappeared are.
*Oh God it just hit me that he's essentially at a Pray Away The Gay camp. D:
I love how the moment most folks would start warming to their rescuers, Vanyel panics and doubles down on the ice prince routine.
Gotta say I adore this Tylendel too. He still has rage issues but he's much more grounded. His past with suicide is really poignant too, given how close Vanyel seems to be edging towards it in the beginning.
Love this so much. :D
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-25 06:32 am (UTC)Ice is much safer than gratitude. Ice can't betray you...!
Thank you so much. I'm really having fun writing a Tylendel fic, I normally just write Stefen!
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 10:29 pm (UTC):O dang, Brevec fights dirty. But so does Lendel XD I really love how he reacts when Lendel puts on the Herald-Mage Tylendel routine. Van has an authority kink, woah. Wonder how Savil will react... Not sure she'll be as happy to have Van dumped on her as Lendel expects.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-23 10:43 pm (UTC)Van has an authority kink, woah.
Oh my God, that's going to complicate things in all the best ways. The potential for him to displace too much of his "need to please the authority figure" fixation onto Tylendel is just...ouch. :)
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-25 06:34 am (UTC)It's a real danger for sure. We know how malleable young Van is!
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 4/?
Date: 2015-08-25 06:34 am (UTC)