Thursday, January 26, 2012

A bright burning red, Iana's Story #19

From last time, and now we shall see what Iana discovered in the garden.
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A bright burning red, Iana's story #19

"It must be the first blossom from the orchards," Aunt Rosemary said. "I'll take whatever I can get this year. It has been the slowest spring coming. It's usually not this late, and this is much later than I've ever seen it. You can put the apple blossom on the table for now."

I looked down at my hand. I still carried the apple blossom I intended to bring her. I'd forgotten about it completely. I stumbled over to her work table. Flopping down on a stool I dropped the branch on the tabletop and stared at it, trying to sort out my wild thoughts and the uneasiness swirling around me. The dreaming had left me, or rather I'd finally left it behind, but the memory of it, the strangeness of it was beginning to shake me. It felt like I'd woken up, only I knew I had not ever fallen asleep.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Iana's Story #18

(From before, read how Iana stumbled into a dreaming, and now to see what she does next.)

Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Iana's Story #18

There was only one flower on the rose bush, a red bud so tightly coiled it looked more like a seed. There were too many thorns near it, so I didn't dare reach out and touch it. But I have to admit I was tempted. Some part of me wanted to feel how soft the petals must be. Without the thorns I would have easily plucked it right off the bush, like a sweet fruit.

I couldn't though. Fears of catching myself on the thorns kept my hands close to my body. Even in this dreaming it seems I was afraid of pricking myself. Finally I stepped away, dragging my feet. I couldn't stay there, kneeling as if in worship to a flower. I had to keep on. I thought about how Aunt Rosemary would know about the flower. I could ask her about it. She kept thick gloves and shears, perhaps I could borrow them and come back here. With thick gloves I could risk the deadliest thorns.

Friday, January 20, 2012

This dreaming, Iana's story, #17

(Since I'm having to break this next part up, I didn't realize it was going to be its open chapter, I'll post Iana's story more often. To read about how Iana got into this situation go here; read on to see what happens to her next.)

This Dreaming, Iana's Story 17

Even though I do not walk the gardens very often, not as my sister Joli does. It was unthinkable I could get lost within them. I dismissed the idea. Carelessness. My mind a bit distracted. That was all. It couldn't take that long to get to Aunt Rosemary's. So I kept to the path.

Perhaps it turned more than I remembered. I still felt certain I'd see Rosemary's glass house just around the next turn, just beyond the long needle pines. Just around here. Her house should be there, just beyond the leafy brown corpse trees, and the row of stone flowerbeds, but it wasn't.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

In the gardens of honey and apples, Iana's Story #16

From before.

Aunt Rosemary lived in a glass house in the gardens, at the southend of the keep. Since the roof of the west chapel collapsed the only way into the gardens was the long way.

It was so much simpler before, cutting through the chapel, now I had to take the passage from the back of the kitchens, follow it along the branching hallway that skirts all around the Great Hall and climb briefly through the tower of silent prayers. That place will always unnerve me. Though father doesn't keep prisoners there anymore, years ago they used to, and sometimes I can hear voices trapped inside the tower.

Monday, January 9, 2012

How the past lingers. (Iana's Story #15 )

Previously and now continuing from where we left off.

The only other thing Aunt Luna said was to remember the Kingdom of Winding is strong. That it has survived plenty of hardships in the past.

"You know your birthday a few years past, your fifteenth, was a rather troublesome time," she said slipping into a very old, very familiar story. I should have tried to escape while I could. "Even after we did all we could to prevent it, somehow you still managed to find a spinning wheel and prick your finger on it, didn't you? Gave us all quite the fright. "

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Eleven Noteworthy Fairy Tale Books from 2011

It's that time again for me to present a list of my favorite noteworthy books from last year. I've been looking over all books I read, picking out my favorites and remembering them all. Last year I did some unusual reading it seems, peculiar yet similar themes kept popping up all year long, from time traveling to mysteries abounding with Sherlock Holmes. Some books were frighteningly fluffy, others peerless literature. Some featured Victorian werewolves and vampires in a steampunk setting, and others had bizarre aliens, and one had a very strange dancing cat.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Iana # 14 Enduring

Previously from Princess Iantheia's journal, and then from Prince Rodier's travel journal and without further delay, (sorry I meant to post this last week, once a week is my goal), now continuing Iana's story.

This morning Aunt Rosemary mentioned she wanted apple blossoms. Aunt Adria had already asked me to air out the horse blankets, since the stablemaster has fallen ill. Aunt Hona and Aunt Ginger were scrubbing pots and sterilizing jars, a strenuous task to say the least. Aunt Clo had a mountain of threads to untangle. She would have me help her spin them, but knows I cannot go near her spinning wheel. If it wasn't one Aunt it was another.
I wish there wasn't so many of them.

It's no use complaining either. They just come up with more tasks for me, more errands, more chores. I run myself ragged. I suppose I could always refuse them, but then I'd never heard the end of it. These last few weeks they've been relentless. I'm starting to suspect they're doing it on purpose to distract me. From what I'm not exactly sure, but I know there is something. It is something secret that they won't speak of, and I'm determined to find it out what it is. What better way to pass my time?