Brambonius

@brambonius

Officially an Earthling, creative in several ways and possibly out of the box (is there even one?), might use English, Dutch and other languages. Beware! Human rights and the golden rule are a minimum! All social constructs might need deconstruction...

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Brambonius @brambonius· 25d

For the #WIPsnips It's complicated, it's the late-summerfestival so everyone is in costume. The people in the scene are Zaiah (Zarkiah the horrible), Jano (Sumrel de blue demon king), teenage mother Elena (Elwia, Goddess of wisdom and purity) and her son Filo (teddy bear)

His sentence was interrupted by a newcomer calling Zaiah’s name.
‘I was looking for you, Zaiah!’
A goddess draped in a toga walked up, followed by a toddler in a bear costume.
‘Elena!’ Zaiah came to meet her in a hug.
‘Wow. You look, uh, impressive. Are you sure you won’t get the wrong kind of attention from the boys like that? That could be annoying.’
Zaiah started to laugh. ‘Boys? Vorlith has already dropped out, and I don’t think the rest even dare to speak to me.’
‘Vorlith? Wasn’t he with Anelle? They were together just last week.’
‘Just yesterday evening. He said so himself, yes. But they’re fighting. And then he was fighting with both Zarkiah and Zaiah, plus I have my boyfriend with me, Sumrel here.’
Elena looked a bit nervously at Jano’s mask. ‘Boyfriend? ‘Since when?’
‘Sometime after midnight? Or a whole lifetime, depending on how you look at it.’
Jano took off his mask and bowed. ‘Greeting, Miss Elena. Or is it the goddess Elwia of wisdom, protection, and purity herself?’
‘Ah, that castle boy, they said you were here. Greetings Jano, or Sumrel. But I don’t think Sumrel and Elwia would be good friends…’
‘A tiny splinter of Elwia’s light of divine purity would make Sumrel dissolve into smoke, I think. So Lady Zarkiah must protect her demon friend with her dark magic.’ Zaiah took Jano’s hand.
‘I can’t follow anymore, those are different stories and different worlds,’ said Jano.
‘I have always been between worlds, Jano, and so are you now if you want to be with me.’ But my place is ultimately here.’
‘You mean the matriarch’s partner will have to become a villager? Even if he comes from a caste?’ Elena asked.
‘Uh, something like that. With high mobility sometimes, but my home base will remain the temple. And so he will also have to babysit Filo sometimes.’
Little Filo looked at Jano and took his hand. ‘Yeees! Jano babysit!’

Brambonius @brambonius· 26d

For the #WIPsnips Zaiah and the paparazzi of her world... She wouldn't want there to be a next time, but people know now that she exists as the next in line to the most powerful family of Anka.

By the light of the enormous lantern, Zaiah looked at a recent edition of “High Spotters: A Glimpse into the Wonderful World of the Highborn,” with a photogram of herself in parliament on the front page and the title ‘Zaiah Ansifer: International Heartbreaker’.
‘Where did you get that rag?’ she asked, and sat down on the bench.
‘Your Uncle Xinder sends me those sometimes.’
‘Ah, of course, I should have known… The high-spotter-spotter. And what do they say about Zaiah the international heartbreaker? Did I break the peace with Alzalia by rejecting the desirable heir Bindar of the House of Koh’lil? That’s what the weekly newspaper said recently.’
‘Something like that. But you would also leave a trail of broken hearts among Ankan highborns.’
‘What? I have never even… Give me that!’
She examined the article with growing irritation. ‘Oh, I strung him along and eventually blew up a love triangle involving you too because you both bored me too much. Yeah, of course. I’m going to play with people’s feelings like that because I’m bored. Where do they get that nonsense? Why do they think they can even get away with this?’
‘They’ve always done that, especially regarding the Ansifer lineage. Did your uncle never let you read those stories about your mother and aunt?’
‘Yeah, they’ve always been terrible. I’m starting to understand more and more why my parents kept me hidden until I came of age.’
He sat closer. ‘Funny that most of the highborn knew of your existence, but the high-spotters didn’t.’
‘I think Mom has something to do with that. And especially Xinder himself. He has connections with the high-spotters. Aunt Penda even pays him as a double agent to keep the Ansifera out of their reports. Maybe I should do thattoo next time…’

Brambonius @brambonius· 27d

For the #WIPsnips, from 'Gorchbold' The things the Gorchboldians (a sort of devil worshippers, but their devils are the humans from our world) here have done to acquire a few old books and comics from our world are unspeakable...

Inhuë sat down and examined the secret books from the other world. They had gone to so much trouble to acquire them, made so many sacrifices and expenses, and now they could finally be used. Some were filled with what he knew as ‘Latin letters,’ which he had painstakingly learned to read in the meantime. Or at least decipher the sounds; the Oranderran language itself was not as easy as the letters. Others consisted mainly of drawings with the occasional bit of text in rounded rectangular frames. They were vividly drawn, with illustrations of strange figures walking through large cities and occasionally fighting one another with strange weapons and machines. Some also clearly possessed strong energetic powers.
‘This is a description of the mighty Gorchbolds and how they fight each other to determine who is the most powerful!’ declared Tholgo. ‘No pleasantries or compromises, but pure obedience to the law of the strongest. That ensures that no counciling or such nonsense is necessary.’
‘And what if you are not the strongest?’ Asanda asked doubtfully.
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘That doesn’t matter; I AM the strongest with the secrets of the Sonba-Dhamuë, and we will certainly be the strongest together!’

Brambonius @brambonius· 28d

For the #WIPsnips The guard is rushed and distracted. And those two might not be sleeping...

Their usual guard entered the cell that afternoon with his food. His thoughts must have been elsewhere, for he did not have his weapon immediately in his hand, and as far as they could see out of the corner of their eyes in the suddenly bright light, he was rather rushed today. Consequently, he paid no attention to the two youths, who seemed to be sleeping on their grubby mattresses on either side of the room at a good distance of privacy, and strolled towards the old tray with dirty dishes, which Zaiah had left standing right against the back wall.

Brambonius @brambonius· 29d

For this #WIPsnip game the follow-up scene of today's #WIPsnips snippet. Zaiah forgets to mention here she's not just a priestess, but has taken the vows of a priest-monk too in the order of Respect for All Life. Which doesn't always mean pacifism but sometimes defence of anyone who needs it...

"A girl like you is saying that?"
The other two joined in, but Zaiah did not so much as blink. Her hand remained calmly on her sword.
"I am a priestess of the Order of Respect for All Life," she said. "Which means I must protect innocent people with everything at my disposal, including my friend here... and the driver."
"A priestess?" His laughter only grew louder, echoed by the other two.
Then all three advanced towards the coach with weapons drawn.

The fight was over almost before the leader understood it had begun. Zaiah took him down with a knee between his legs and threw the weapon towards Bindar. "There are still two left."
The woman rushed at Bindar with an axe. In one fluid movement he caught the fallen sword and sprang forward, chopping into the wooden haft. The axe flew from her hands. An instant later she found herself staring into Bindar's eyes unarmed, and he still had the sword.
Meanwhile Zaiah was fencing with the third bandit.
His earlier mockery had vanished. For all their bravado, he too was hopelessly outmatched by her swordsmanship.

Brambonius @brambonius· 29d

For the #WIPsnips Short action scene with Zaiah, Bindar and some bandits who have chosen the wrong coach to rob...

Without any warning, the coach slowed sharply. Bindar almost tumbled from his seat before Zaiah caught him by the arm.
"What's happening?" she called towards the driver as Bindar leaned halfway out of the window.
Several felled tree trunks blocked the road. Three figures stood waiting beside them.
"Bandits!" the driver shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
"There are only three of them," Bindar muttered. "They're carrying swords."
"No bows?" Zaiah asked.
"I don't see any."
"Then we can handle them." She spoke with quiet certainty, and Bindar nodded as the coach came to a halt before two men and a woman dressed in ragged, threadbare clothes.
"Out of the coach," growled a rough-looking man with a stubbled beard and a long scar above one eye. "Come quietly and we'll spare your lives."
"Call off this robbery," Zaiah replied as she stepped down, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Bindar climbed down after her. "Then your lives will be spared."
The man burst out laughing.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 14

For the #WIPsnips The Gorchboldians (worshippers of the devil Bold, a local name for humans from Earth) have some big feelings in different phases. (The one thing they managed to summon here, a zoka, isn't a demon or monster, but technically an alien animal, which indeed cannot talk at all)

A tense atmosphere now hung over the secret cave of the Gorchboldians in Nuanderra. The high expectations the trio had harbored had been quickly torpedoed after a brief phase of ecstatic joy over their first result, when they realized that the ancient Sonbar-Dhamuë's machine was now defective. The only thing they had achieved was summoning a small monster which would utter no sensible word, and which, by now, could no longer be found in the shadows of the cave. Moreover, they had finally agreed that it probably hadn't come from Gorch’nderra after all.
Meanwhile, Tholgo and Inhuë were back at work on the machine, which had barely done anything since the explosion, while Asanda agitatedly browsed through the old book. They were so close! Surely there had to be a way to make this work? But so far, a few faint flickering sparks had been all they had manifested. ‘Come take a look, guys!’ Asanda suddenly said, pointing at the half-decayed sheet of ancient symbols and then at the keyboard on the machine. ‘I think a mistake happened with the order of the keys. These two symbols here on the board look alike, but this one has an extra dash. And look, the character has come off a bit there, and there might have been a dash there that is now invisible.’

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 13

For the #WIPsnips Don't ask me what's going on, it's complicated... (Zaiah is not speaking with Bindar at the moment, and there's a ball going on, and there's a lot of political and family backstory too...)

'He’s an idiot. All boys are idiots.’
‘Thank you, I guess.’
'You a little less than the rest.’
‘Thank you again, again…’ Jano looked at her for a moment and then remembered something. ‘Ah, and your aunt told me to come look for you. I think she's offended that you haven’t tried her cocktails yet at the party she organized especially for you.’
Zaiah sighed. ‘I completely forgot about that. I’m not in the mood for her stupid Passion Night nonsense. Even if there’s no love potion in it anymore.’
Jano grinned. ‘That would probably make it more interesting, though. But maybe I’d better keep you away from that Alzalian then before you do even stupider things. He’ll soon be gone, and apparently you still have enough broken heart from Perito. Soon there’ll be nothing left of you… That would be a shame.’
‘What do you care? Do you want to end up with me then? That’s new.’
Jano looked away. ‘According to the old scheme, the descendant of the Ansifera should have married the descendant of an Akebi married to a Lazoli, and then we’re almost at the perfect leader for Anka.’
‘The rotten Ansifera breeding line has been broken since Birgit, and the idea of political marriages makes me sick. Yes, your parents were lucky to be brought together by fighting against a forced engagement and eventually choosing each other anyway, but have you ever taken a good look at Penda? And that Alzalian idiot with his stupid fiancée from birth doesn’t make it any better. As a Koh'lil, he should have done something about that, that poor girl.’
‘It was a stupid joke, never mind. Forget all that. Now you have to reassure your aunt, and maybe you can try to make amends with Alzalia after all? A war out of heartbreak is not really ideal… Alzalia had something like that with Yanipol once, I think. But I thought you were serious about friendships, with those priestess principles and such. Friendships are relationships too.’

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 11

For the #SummerOfStories the possible last paragraph of Ronan and Pyra's story. You need to know the rest why I'd choose this, but sometimes the simple things of life are the best, and slice of life can be the closest to paradise...

It was a Monday morning and everyone on in the outlaw village was sleepy. At the city walls Rebecca looked up from her Nation-coffee and opened the door for the boy on his bicycle without saying a word. He wasn’t a stranger and he didn’t have to say passwords or recite any pledges. He just waved at her and rode into town at high speed, to stop only at the little school building. This weeks classes were held here, and he was the first of his class to arrive. The only one who was already here was Pyra, whose hair was glowing like copper in this light.
‘Hey’ she said and give him a hug.
The sun shone on the green market square of Seventh City Ghost Town. A landgull that yet again had found no garbage made three circles and disappeared to The City again.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 11

For the #WIPSnips Little Filo attacks his special breakfast on the first day of the Latesummer festival... (It's a time when a young single mother can make some extra money as a waiter, so Elena is working and the temple family takes care of her son)

‘Me awake. Mommy not back?’
Zabelle took little Filo onto her lap. ‘Mommy has to work now; she normally comes back the day after tomorrow. But Jano is coming here for dinner tonight, a friend of Zaiah’s. He’s coming for the party.’
‘Jano, big boy from the castle? Coming to dress up too?’
‘Yes, is Filo going to dress up as well?’
‘I wanna dress up! Wanna be soldier! Or bear!’
‘We have a whole collection of dress-up clothes for your age in the temple; I think Penini would be willing to help you choose something. She still has to choose something herself too. By the way, could you go wake up your brother and sister, Zaiah?’

Zaiah nodded and walked toward the stairs while Filo attacked the plate of soft rolls. She rattled the two bedroom doors.
‘Get up, lazybones, it’s time for breakfast. The Late Summer Festival starts today!’
A grumpy voice came from her sister’s room. ‘You have become a traitor. You’ve been on the side of the adults since you got that stupid tattoo,’ Penini's stifled voice complained.
‘Me? On the side of the enemy?’
‘Who else? See any other new adults here?
'I’m just taking responsibility. And you need to remember that you were going to help Filo with his costume today. And coulc you put those costumes in the temple in the other room? We need a room for Jano.’
‘Ah, him is what we needed too. What is he doing here now?’

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 9

For #SummerOfStories Here's a description of the Empress of Yanipol, and her first husband, officially the parents of Hanada. The whole thing will be extremely alien to Zaiah when she arrives on a diplomatic mission...

Beside her sat the Empress, Bashtia III herself. Her dress alone, of silk and micro-embroidery in precious metal thread, was worth a small setrapate; even through a lens, one could see increasingly smaller patterns in threads of gold and silver, but also much more precious materials such as orichalcon and mithrilli. Her meticulously braided hair and makeup took an hour every day to complete for the evening meal and approached perfection almost from above. She was the embodiment of protocol and rules, and ate a piece of roasted snow hare with desert blackberry compote with a measured dignity that left nothing to be desired. Where she had used so many words just moments before, she now said nothing, and the facade ended, even with her family.
One seat further sat her first husband and Emperor-Consort Aberosh, from whom not a word could ever be coaxed. He resembled the statues and paintings of former emperors, with a long red robe and a perfect beard. His relationship with Hanada had always been extremely distant to virtually non-existent, especially now that she was an adult. The fact that he was not actually her father probably played a part in this, as he was much more cordial towards Ashta and Dari, who clearly resembled him. Who her real father was, incidentally, was of no importance here in the palace; she was the Empress's first daughter and therefore automatically the Crown Princess.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 9

For the #WIPsnips I'm not sure every teenager's brain works like this, but this is Liana's...

Liana stared boredly at the formulas on her paper. Apart from everything else, today she was first and foremost a student with homework. And she wanted to finish it before dinner so it wouldn't be running through her head all the time for the rest of the weekend, so she could have more fun with her best friend. At the moment, she was trying to understand what the discriminant of a quadratic function was. ‘b² - 4ac determines how many solutions a quadratic equation has,’ she mumbled to herself, in an attempt to spark a bit more interest in the subject. That didn't really work, but what did interest her was the more philosophical question of why on earth anyone would concern themselves with this sort of thing. What was wrong with a person finding this sort of thing interesting, and having the idea that teenagers would benefit from it? But teachers never really gave answers to the truly interesting questions, and preferred to keep themselves occupied with boring trivialities, so she had to get back to work on her series of equations. The process itself was simple; the only problem was mainly finding enough interest and focus.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 8

'bird'

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 8

For the #WIPsnips No 'humid', but this part of Ronan and Pyra's recollections of Héva, the land without men, has both 'moist' and 'wet'. And a sort of accidental agricultural espionage probably. I don't think the LM-42 is supposed to be exported...

‘So how’s the food in Héva?’ The girl with the freckles asked.
‘Ah, fine, I suppose. If you like moist chewy cubes with synthetic hot sauce that is. Industrial food is the standard there. Their gnokbok is quite the experience. And then I didn’t mention the coloured protein blocks.’ Ronan said.
‘Yeah, all things were cubical, and then they wonder why I didn’t recognise their weird carrot slices as regular vegetables. They were orange. That’s not natural at all.’ Pyra added.
‘They also eat a lot of duckweed stuff. He’s got his foot wet and under the LM-42 when we ran away and ended up in a Lemnarium. That’s where they create their green water lentil cubes. The surface didn’t look like water but it wasn’t very deep.’
‘What’s the LM-42?’ Fergo asked.
‘Oh, the highest quality of culinary duckweed in the history of womankind, according to a book I read. It’s a common term in Héva. I still have some on my old socks I think now that I think of it.’
‘Hmm, do you think those would still be viable?’ Fergo asked.
‘I have no idea. We can try…’

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 7

Can I get an Amen break?

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 7

For the #WIPsnips This ball scene is confusing, but at this point the romance arc has probably been averted for Zaiah and Bindar. Jano is rather confused about what's happening. (But who knows what would have happened it the drink had been lady Penda's original recipe from 25 years earlier...)

'You don't know how overwhelming you can be. You can keep saying that my fiancée is more beautiful, but maybe you're just deluding yourself, especially in that dress just now… And what was this stuff anyway, way too sweet?’
He looked at the cocktail, which had a whole gradient of colors and had various pieces of fruit floating in it.
‘Oh, that is Lady Penda’s infamous Passion Night cocktail, but with a quarter of the normal alcohol, and it used to be fortified with literal love potions too.’
‘Love po…’ Bindar looked at the drink in horror without saying anything further.
‘So the war with Alzalië has been averted and settled with love potions?’ Jano had suddenly reappeared.
‘No love potions and less alcohol than usual. I’m not going to follow in Penda’s footsteps in that regard, thank you very much. And no one is going to wage war over the humble priestess Zaiah Nembo… Plus, the man who ever really wants me will have to get used to the fact that this is going to be my life; I’m not going to abandon the temple and Elena and Filo for a few butterflies in my stomach.’
Jano ignored her provocative pose to show off her priestess tunic and pointed to her drink. ‘Be careful with the berries. Your father told me that the dwarf currants can also have a slight effect as a love potion.’
'Those too? This really is the cursed palace here… Heard it, Bindar? Don’t eat those blue-purple berries.’
Bindar put his cocktail all the way back on the tray, and then looked at Jella and Anna, who were also coming in with yet another new cocktail, and sighed. ‘Lady Ansifer, knight-monk in the Order of Protection of All Life, I ask for your protection.’
Involuntarily, she reached for the sword, which now hung very visibly from her belt again.
‘Against Jella?’ Jano looked confusedly at the girl in the red dress who was pointing in their direction and talking to her friends, clearly tipsy.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 6

For the word lovers:

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 6

The most basic principle in all relationships should be the golden rule, treat others like you want to be treated, don't treat others like you don't want to be treated. Especially in substantial friendships or intimate partner relationships that should be the bare minimum!

Post 1:
User: [Redacted]
Date: 17 u
Text: You can literally say the exact same things back to men in reverse, and they lose their minds. For many men, a relationship is not worth it unless they can establish a double standard that gives them unfair benefit from the relationship. Suss this out early.

Post 2:
User: [Redacted]
Date: 4 jul.
Text: So I went on a date. The guy says: I don’t want anything serious. I say: no worries, I’m not considering you as a serious option either. And you know what? He got offended.
Engagement:

Comments: 13
Retweets: 415
Likes: 5.2K
Views: 115K

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 6

This one cannot be pronounced I'm afraid.

Post 1:
User: facts-i-just-made-up
Date: Jun 11, 2017
Text: Sea lions are just seals with an extra electron.

Post 2:
User: sic-semper-hominibus
Date: May 27
Text: unionizes your seals

Post 3:
User: computationalcalculator
Date: May 31
Text: my seals are now on strike
Hashtag: #linguistics
Engagement: 26,846 notes

The word unionizes can be both un-ionizes (as in turn from ion into regular atom) or union-izes (as in organize in a trade union) with different pronunciations

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 6

For the #WIPsnips, back to Zaiah in Yanipol, with not just a stadium, but the Imperial arena complex, in which the Crown Prince Selections are held. It might not be the best way to find a partner indeed, but the crown princess has no say in that herself...

Suddenly, they were startled by shouts and cheers on the other side of the wall.
"So much noise they're making today..." mumbled Bindar.
"Oh, that's because they're holding the first selection trials for the Imperial Crown Prince. A sports competition or something like that. There's a huge arena complex somewhere over there," said Vester, looking up from a stack of economic statistics.
"Ah, that explains why there are no negotiations today. I suspect the Imperial Princess really wants to be there... Quite a strange way to choose a future emperor, sports competitions," said Zaiah.
"Oh, it's just the first trial. There are intellectual trials and such as that too," said Vester.
"Even then. Doing a whole competition to find a partner and then having to marry him immediately, that's even worse than our old system of centuries-old pre-arranged marriages that you aren't allowed to get to know beforehand."
'Don't forget that the princess ultimately chooses for herself; the results are an indication, but she is allowed to object. Ultimately, she decides for herself who her first husband will be.'
'Well, yes, but based on those kinds of games? What does that really tell about being a suitable husband?'
'Everything here is tradition and protocol. I'm glad I'm not her...'
'Maybe I should do something like that too, now that I don't have a fiancée anymore anyway... I'll probably get more than enough suitors if I announce it in the weekly newspapers.' Said Bindar, grinning.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 5

The low point for Zaiah here is only half-written, and consists of being poisoned and having weird dreams full of hallucinations. If her father wouldn't have been an alchemist it could have ended much worse too...

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 5

For the Saturday #snippetshare Zaiah has no problem being 'just' friends with the other sex; although it might not really work like that with Perito (son of the inn keeper) for other reasons... They have a history, and not all feelings are good feelings...

‘Ah, good evening Perito,’ she said with exaggerated cheerfulness to a young man her age coming around the corner.
Perito stopped when he saw her. ‘Zaiah? What are you doing here? And who is this now? Your new boyfriend? Weren’t you with Jano?’
‘Wrong twice. They are both just friends. This is Bindar, from Alzalia. We are on our way to Ansifer Castle.’
Perito took a step back. ‘An Alzalian? Are you sure he isn’t a spy?’
‘That would be cool. Are you a spy, Bindar?’
Bindar looked at her and started to laugh. ‘That friend of yours is suspicious.’
‘That would be fun too, if he really was one. Are you a friend, Perito?’
‘Uh…’ Perito looked from Zaiah to Bindar. ‘Boys and girls can’t be friends. In the end, feelings always emerge anyway.’
‘People always have an overdose of feelings, but that has never stopped me from having friends of all genders. Although, if those feelings are mostly irritation, like with some here…’
Perito pointed to Bindar’s ring. ‘Strange, though, that I always see you with the most handsome and richest guys, if you really you are the humble priestess you claim to be. This is the second time you’ve barged in here with a handsome young highborn, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.’
‘Isn’t it? I grew up with Jano as a friend, and met Bindar by accident in the capital, and then he was kidnapped with me. Escaping together does make you friends sometimes. You shouldn’t look for anything more behind that, and I can’t help it that you find them handsome and are jealous of them! It’s just your mother’s clothes he’s wearing.’
‘You can tell by looking at him that he’s that kind of guy. And hah, friends when you escape and travel around together? Like your mother and her alchemist, I suppose?’
‘I am not my mother, and I am not going to follow some highborn and abandon the temple to become a housewife in a castle where all the work is already done by servants. My place is and remains in the temple of Harnt.’

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 5

For the #WIPsnips Zaiah discovers the paparazi of her world. She's not amused.

‘Never mind…’ he said, and suddenly pulled something out of his bag. ‘Have you seen this?’
In the light of the enormous lantern, Zaiah looked at a recent edition of “High Spotters: A Glimpse into the Wonderful World of the Highborn” with a photogram of herself in parliament on the front page and the title ‘Zaiah Ansifer: International Heartbreaker’.
‘Where did you get that rag?’ she asked, and sat down on the bench.
'Your Uncle Xinder sends me those sometimes.’
‘Ah, of course, I should have known… The high-spotter-spotter. And what do they say about Zaiah the international heartbreaker? Did I break the peace with Alzalia by rejecting the desirable heir Bindar of the House of Koh’lil? That’s what the weekly newspaper said recently.’
‘Something like that. But you would also leave a trail of broken hearts among Ankan highborns.’
‘What?’ I’ve never even… Give me that!’
She looked at the article with growing irritation.
‘Oh, I strung him along and eventually blew up a love triangle involving you too, because you both bored me too much. Yeah, right. I’m going to play with people’s feelings like that because I’m bored. Where do they get that nonsense? Why do they think they can even get away with this?’
‘They’ve always done that, especially regarding the Ansifer lineage. Did your uncle never let you read those stories about your mother and aunt?’
‘Yeah, they’ve always been terrible. I’m starting to understand more and more why my parents kept me hidden until I was of legal age.’
He sat closer. ‘Funny that most of the highborn knew of your existence, but the high-spotters didn’t.’
‘I think Mom has something to do with that. And especially Xinder himself. He has connections with the high-spotters. Aunt Penda even pays him as a double agent to keep the Ansifera out of their reporting. Maybe I should do that next time too…’
‘Apparently there is a different conclusion about you as well.’ He pointed to another opinion piece she hadn’t noticed yet.
‘“Can her ambitions go any fur…

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 4

For the #WIPsnips She looked around at several circular rows, in the parliament of Anka, which she is presiding for urgent reasons. She'd never thought she'd ever do that...

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 3

For the #WIPsnips A little fighting scene, in which 3 bandits learn not to mess with Zaiah. (She's not just a priestess in the order of Respect for All Life, she's also trained as a knight-monk in that order, her education is quite varied, as Bindar has noticed)

"What's happening?" she called towards the driver as Bindar leaned halfway out of the window. Several felled tree trunks blocked the road. Three figures stood waiting beside them.
"Bandits!" the driver shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
"There are only three of them," Bindar muttered. "They're carrying swords."
"No bows?" Zaiah asked.
"I don't see any."
"Then we can handle them." he spoke with quiet certainty, and Bindar nodded as the coach came to a halt before two men and a woman dressed in ragged, threadbare clothes.
"Out of the coach," growled a rough-looking man with a stubbled beard and a long scar above one eye. "Come quietly and we'll spare your lives."
"Call off this robbery," Zaiah replied as she stepped down, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Bindar climbed down after her. "Then your lives will be spared."
The man burst out laughing. "A girl like you is saying that?"
The other two joined in, but Zaiah did not so much as blink. Her hand remained calmly on her sword.
"I am a priestess of the Order of Respect for All Life," she said. "Which means I must protect innocent people with everything at my disposal, including my friend here... and the driver."
"A priestess?" His laughter only grew louder, echoed by the other two.
Then all three advanced towards the coach with weapons drawn.
The fight was over almost before the leader understood it had begun. His sword was already lying on the ground.
Zaiah had dropped him with a knee between his legs and kicked the weapon towards Bindar.
"Come on," she said. "There are still two left."
The woman rushed at Bindar with an axe. In one fluid movement he caught the fallen sword and sprang forward, chopping into the wooden haft. The axe flew out of her hands. An instant later she found herself staring into Bindar's eyes, completely unarmed. Meanwhile Zaiah was fencing with the third bandit. His earlier mockery had vanished. For all his bravado, he was hopelessly outmatched by her swordsmanship.

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 2

For the #WIPsnips Knock, knock, who's there? It's Zaiah and Bindar, both looking like beggars but they're actually highborns, and Serena is aware of that, even though Zaiah like her mother usually ignores it herself.

Zaiah knocked on the door, and a woman in her forties opened it and looked at the trio in surprise.
‘Greetings, Mrs. Serena. I am on my way to Ansifer Castle, but we had some bad luck with highwaymen and it is late. Is it possible to eat here, change clothes, and sleep tonight? I will arrange for appropriate payment. We are leaving early tomorrow.’
The woman adressed as Mrs. Serena looked at her, and then at Bindar and the coach driver. ‘Zaiah? Zaiah An… uh Nembo? Well, this is an inn here, so...’ She looked at Bindar with a bit of concern.
‘Ansifer is fine for tonight. He knows my story by now. Bindar is from Alzalia and we are on our way to Ansifer Castle.’
‘Ah, Alzalia. Uh, welcome, young Mister Bindar.’
‘The pleasure is on my side, Mrs. Serena.’ Said Bindar with a bow that was clearly rehearsed.
‘Wow, if the boys here were so well-mannered in this village…’
‘He has studied our culture. “And he has a fiancée in Alzalia, so don’t think anything strange,” Zaiah said sternly. “And in all the things going on, we could really use a bath right now, by the way. Can that be arranged? And separate rooms, please, and dinner. We are leaving tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Ah, yes, of course…” Serena looked a bit confused from Zaiah to Bindar. “I will have two baths prepared. And I will look for of clean clothes.”

Brambonius @brambonius· Jul 1

Men need love Women need respect Now more than ever!