Athynae Sarethi: The Making of a Princess, Entries from Athynae's childhood journals Options

[Athynae]

Hey guys, well seeing as Athynae and sometimes Athlain's antics as children have been referenced in Blood on the Moon and each time I have found myself writing the "memory", mostly in an effort to better understand her, I thought I would share some of those blasts from the past with you. The entries will not necessarily be in order, just snapshots from here and there at different ages and occasionally some entries from the PoV of other friends and family just to add some spice. The first entry will be the story of Athynae getting her first journal and why.




I hope you enjoy Athynae's childhood antics, I have sure had fun writing the handful that I have so far. Even better are some of the "memories" from others who know her. Just be cautious while reading with any beverages close as she has a tendency to speak her mind (like you didn't know that) and we all know what that can mean when a child is involved.




"Mama are housecats baby Khajiitt??" While standing next to a family of Khajiit in market square kind of thing.




*Note: It has been pointed out that Athynae seems a bit mature for her age in some of the entries and if I were gauging her by my two eldest children that would be true(quite normal but no less wonderful), however two ideas mingled together in regard to her intelligence and maturity; One- She is her own person and there is no comparing her to anyone on that level; Two- I sort of combined my two youngest children, my daughter who is and always has been an adult (just ask her) and my son who, at the age of two, slipped out the sliding glass door, off of the deck that was 5 feet off the ground (we have no idea how he did it), climbed the fence and went to the neighbor's to help him work on a car, oh, and he only had on a pull-up, my motorcycle goggles and his sister's paten leather dress shoes.




Please do what you do, comment, correct, suggest but most of all I hope you enjoy.





Athynae Serethi- The Making of a Princess…





I dedicate this endeavor to the three people who are responsible for Athynae's existence:




minque for creating her and graciously sharing her with treydog




treydog for making her a part of Athlain's world and subsequently introducing me to her through his story then allowing me to become her writer




and of course




Black Hand who has allowed me to make Seth such an important person in Athynae's life.

THANK YOU SO MUCH

This post has been edited by Athynae: Feb 3 2012, 03:09 AM

[Athynae]

Intro for this one, 16th birthday sends her back to her 12th, the first time she and Athlain were actually alone as guests of honor...you'll see.

There are two things that reside at the top of Athynae's list of "This is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable", one is a color the other is the word previously mentioned as the word only Athlain knew but would never tell. This particular story just tells a bit of how she reacts to one of those...enjoy.


Sixteen. What did that mean to me? For starters, it meant an enormous celebration. I don't think I will ever accustom myself to the celebrity associated with being the first born in Vvardenfell after the Blight. I wasn't the one that had ended the Blight, but I was the living, breathing proof that it was over and no one in Vvardenfell would let me forget it.

Don't get me wrong, parties are ok, but my birthday wasn't just a party, it was an island-wide holiday that lasted for days…formal ceremonies, reenactments, carnivals, fireworks and the list goes on. So, there I was, presiding over another exhibition or play I don't know…when I was younger it was ok; it was like it wasn't really me- it was Mother and I just happened to be there holding her hand. And Athlain was there because he was the second born and Mother and Aunt Baria thought it was just the cutest thing.

The age of twelve brought changes. Mother and Aunt Baria no longer sat or walked or rode the litter or…, you get the picture. Now I was supposed to be the diplomatic one, acting as if I enjoyed this and smiling and waving when all I wanted was to be on the practice field, dressed in my leathers, sparring or shooting my bow or training Rah, or watching Athlain play with his giant twig, (staff to those who are unsure of the reference). Athlain was still with me, not because he really wanted to be but because I gave him little choice. Sometimes I could be an awful person. But this was a test of fortitude and patience that I did not want to endure alone.

Ceremonial duties were one area that he did not tease me about; well, not after the first time. All the apologies in the world would never make up for what I did. I was at one of the exhibitions, not unlike this one, feeling like a mud crab that had somehow wound up in the desert, all primped and polished. I was also in a state, as I had had a bit of conflict with Kausha while I was getting dressed.

"You really expect me to wear that t h I n g? It's, it's puh, puh, pe, pu hin k! Why can't I just wear my leather armor; that's who I am, not this abomination of fluff." I was mortified. Not only did I disagree with the chiffon, the flowers, the lace- the fact that it was that color that shall not be mentioned was pushing it over the edge. I don't know what it was about that color, just the pale shade mind, that made me want to throw up, but it did. Mauve was ok, deeper shades of ….red/white mix were ok, but that, that was absolutely NOT ok.

"I am not going to disobey your Mother. This is the dress she sent for you, and missy, you will put it on or I will pull a paralyze spell and put it on you." Kausha was tiny but she was a force unto herself. Now though, since I was older, the only time she did anything for me was in situations like this when Mother needed to make sure I did as she instructed, like wear a puh, puh, p…nevermind… dress. What was she thinking?

"I won't disobey her either, but Kausha, you have to see the torture in this. Not only do I not get to wear what suits me, what represents who I am, but I have to go to the other end of the universe." I had not whined in years, not really but I pulled it up from the depths of me. "IT'S PPPPPIIIINNNNKKKKK!!!!!"

"I don't care if it is imitation guar skin stripes with the head still attached- you will put it on and you will do it now."

Which meant now, not "five minutes from now." If I waited, I would be on the floor paralyzed for the duration of the dressing process. "Well fine, give me the thing." And I donned the dress, trying to keep from regurgitating the entire time. And I had then sat blank faced at she put my hair in curls and pins and braids. It was just stupid, STUPID.

Then to top that whole thing off Athlain was late arriving, so I had to step up to the seat in the box on the raised dais to the roaring cheers of the crowd BY MYSELF. I was not a happy Redoran, no I was not happy at all. He stepped up onto the platform just after the introduction and took one look at me and started:

"Wow, pink" eyes wide; "that's really pink," as he attempted to keep from laughing out loud. "I think the dressmaker made a mistake; surely Aunt Serene didn't pick, didn't pick," he lost his hold.

BBASAHAHAHAHAHAHA! "Careful, your face will stick like that, with that pink reflection on it, looking kind of purple…"

And then he was sailing backward, over the edge of the platform because there was no rail to stop him. I had hit him mid chest with a 'repel' spell, which I had done before with no harm, but I hadn't considered that we were fifteen feet off the ground. It reminded me of his leap off the roof when I yelled "Boo," only this time there wasn't an awning to break his fall. All Oblivion broke loose. Guards and spectators running in every direction, then some stupid jerk yelled:

"He tried to kill the First Born! I saw it, I saw it all- he tried to kill her!" And he was running hither and yon like someone had put a hot coal in his pocket. But his cries had alerted the battlemages that were standing guard a short distance away and they charged. I didn't think; I just jumped, surrounded by pink chiffon frill and lace, and landed beside Athlain.

"I'm sorry, are you ok? Can you walk?" Urgency was all over my face and in my voice.

"I think so, what in the name of Talos did you do that for?"

"No time. We gotta go, NOW! Someone is screaming you tried to kill me and the battlemages are coming and Mother is on the opposite side of the arena." As I helped him up I realized the dress was in tatters. There was no way I was going to run in it. Thank you sweet Azura! I had my breeches on underneath, so I ripped the trailing tails and we were off…almost.

Battlemages were behind us and a contingent of Mother's personal guard were in front, being led by three that I had not met. Wonderful. As hard as I searched, there was no easy way out, and no. It did not occur to me to say, "NO! HE DIDN'T!" I was about to get frantic when Uncle Trey appeared out of the throng of spectators.

"Are we having fun kids?" And he put his hands up to stop the impending crash of mages and guards. It was amazing, once I had a chance to think about it. There they were, intent on magic and mayhem, and he just… stopped them. "Not a word, not one, not yet. Let me get these fellas taken care of and on their way, then we will talk."

I wish sometimes I was more 'girl' and less 'warrior,' I would have fainted dead away, or done a good act of it, just to keep from facing another round of "What were you thinking?" But instead I had to stand there while Uncle Trey explained to both sides it was just a misunderstanding and sent then back the way they had come. Then there were Mother, and Father, and Rah, and Aunt Baria and of course, Uncle Seth, all looking like they were afraid someone had died, except for Uncle Seth, who was looking at me with an expression I could not define. With a mix of laughter and mortification, if there is such a thing, he took in my apparel.

I put my hand up in the air, "As if there were any question- it is my fault." I stopped there; no need to give information that wasn't requested; I had enough making up to do with Athlain as it was without everything else. How did everything I touched end up being like this?

"We can wait for explanations later, young lady, and I will have them when this is over, but right now you need to get your Redoran behind back up on that dais so the ceremony and exhibition can proceed. Am I understood? We will also discuss your choice of underclothes." And she gave me that 'you would be better off facing Dagoth Ur at Red Mountain' look. Geez.

I was really shocked when I took my seat on the dais and Athlain settled into the one beside me. He was either a glutton for punishment or I had adled his brain for good this time. "I am sorry Athlain."

"I know; you always are." He was staring straight ahead. "Just do me a favor- tell me who I took the hit for this time." And he just glanced my way then back to the arena.

"Everyone, no one, pink." I was still truly disturbed by the color of the dress. "I argued with Kausha about it, I still think I should be able to wear my armor, but she threatened to paralyze me if I didn't put it on. Then she swirled, twirled, knotted and pinned my hair and then you show up trying to be funny when I was already as mad as a cliff racer that can't fly. And for Azura's sake Athlain, IT'S PINK! PINK! What was my Mother thinking?"

I don't know if Athlain was feeling my pain or stifling laughter when he dropped his head, but either way it was better than what I deserved. "So, I am sorry. I just blew a brain cell. I so hate pink."

"I know. I'm sorry too, I know how you feel about that color. I don't know what I was thinking either. I should have just kept my mouth shut. But Thyna, the look on the people's faces when you jumped down off of that dais and ripped the ends of your dress off will live in infamy forever!" Then he bent double in his seat, tears rolling down his cheeks, he was laughing so hard, but then again, so was I. I looked down and I have to say it was an interesting combination, a pink frilly lacy chiffon bodice with tendrils dangling and dark brown leather chausses and boots.