#Calia Ansel | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ace-malarky · 9 months ago

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Peace

In which Calia sees a means to escape and maybe paint herself as a hero but mostly. escape by any means necessary

(bleeds into Pirate's Dancer as a bit of set up)

~~~

Calia doubted that she has ever known what peace was like. She’s never been in a battle, never used her sword for anything more than practice, never heard the roar of cannons across the sea. There weren’t any true battles, not like the ones she’s been taught of, or hears when a ship came back into port with its crew worse for wear.

But she’s never known peace, and she’s not sure if she can blame Elfionn or her sister for it this time.

Her father’s roar ripped through the fortress. Calia tumbled from her perch and grabbed up her sword, heart rate rising as she whirled about.

There were birds squawking about the outside of the tower, startled out of their rest as much as she had been.

There was no one else in the room with her, which – on the one hand, was finally time to herself. On the other, it meant that she didn’t know where Myrtle was, which meant that she’s possibly in danger.

Calia ran from the room, sword held before her to clear the way.

The servants have emptied out of the corridors, as they always do when her father roared. There was no one between her and the stairs, her and the door.

There was someone between her and the courtyard.

Sayr caught her with his spear haft as she barrelled through and she almost dropped her sword. “Sorry, Calia. It’s not – wise, right now. He received a letter.”

There were very few letters that could do this to her father; he was pacing back and forth, one hand clenched around his sword and one tightened into a fist. His normally dark face was even darker, thunder clouds drawing across a restless sea.

“Is someone contesting his rule?” she asked.

Sayr hesitated. “Yes,” he said eventually. “But it should not come to war.”

Calia nodded. “Have you seen Myrtle?”

Sayr frowned. “She is not with you?”

“No,” she replied, tightening her hand on the hilt of her sword. “I will find her.” She flicked a glance to her father. “Don’t let him know.”

Sayr nodded.

Calia turned away, already thinking through the many places on the island that Myrtle was likely to be.

“Calia.” Her father’s rumbling voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Yes, father.” She turned back towards him.

Sayr still stood partially between them, and didn’t seem willing to move.

Her father beckoned her forward with his sword. “Leave us.” His tone didn’t leave any space for an argument.

Sayr dipped his head. “Captain,” he murmured. He shot Calia a warning look as he passed her.

Calia took a steadying breath, shifted her grip on her sword, and walked forward to meet her father.

“These upstarts presume too much,” he said. “My mother was too lenient with them.”

It was the Nightgales then, Calia knew. She should have known in any case, when there were no other signs of a raid; they were the only thing guaranteed to send her father into this much of a rage.

“What are they asking?” Calia asked, when her father said nothing else.

“They wish–” he scoffed and thrust a crumpled scroll at her.

Calia fumbled the letter and had to slide her sword into her belt to smooth it out with both hands so she could read it.

The writing was spidery, slanted and thin and spiky. It took her a moment to be able to read it, and then she skimmed through it.

“They want – they want to be left?” Calia’s voice rose, understanding in a beat why her father was so incensed. “Not even to pay tribute, to acknowledge you? Even with their link to Magicen, they presume much.”

“My mother should have shot that upstart as she was ordered.”

“She was ordered to shoot the Nightgale captain?” Calia asked. Her father rarely spoke of their history.

“By her father, when he was king.” He nodded grimly. “He knew that she would only cause trouble for us from the moment she appeared. And now look – she has swallowed a clan and seeks to put herself above all.” He glared at the letter so hard that Calia feared it might catch fire.

“What – what would you like to do?” Calia asked carefully. “They must be brought to heel.”

“I would scour them from the sea,” her father spat. “I would wipe them out, if it wouldn’t cause another war.”

“There is no telling that it would.” Calia was thinking, tapping her fingers against the letter. “What if – she has grandchildren? Or someone in her line of my age?”

“Two grandsons, two granddaughters.” Her father watched her. “I doubt they will turn on her.”

Calia didn’t think of how he’d turned on his own mother, how he’d all but imprisoned her to one island. She didn’t think of her mother, gone who knew where. “No. But if you were to propose an alliance – to help legitimise them in the eyes of the rest of the sea – and grandmother might approve.” She frowned. “If one of them is unattached.”

“They wouldn’t dare refuse.” Her father bristled. “Not knowing what I will do otherwise. And that would bring them under heel.”

“And should their captain meet with an accident – so much can happen at sea.” Calia was proud of how smooth she kept her voice.

A slow smile curled across her father’s face as he grasped what she was saying, a sight so foreign that Calia couldn’t help but stare.

He clapped her shoulder and let out a laugh. “That’s my daughter! You’ll do me proud yet.”

“You’ll propose it?” Calia tried not to flinch under her father’s hand. She passed back the letter.

“Where’s Sayr? He will help me prepare and word this.” He turned away, roaring Sayr’s name.

Sayr stepped through the archway. “My king?”

“Come, come, Calia has given us an excellent plan to put in motion.” He squeezed her shoulder.

Calia gave Sayr a smile she hoped was reassuring. “I will leave you to finalise the details.” She didn’t phrase it as a question, but couldn’t help the edge of her request break into her voice.

Her father nodded.

Calia fled the courtyard at a steady walk, breaking into a run when she was out of sight.

It was to keep the peace. It was to stop a war. But she would finally leave the island, finally escape her father–

“Calia!” Myrtle slammed into her. “Where have you been? We heard father roar.”

“With father. He received a letter.”

“Is grandmother alright?”

“Are you alright?” Elfionn asked, following Myrtle.

“Yes. Yes, I’m… we have a plan to deal with the Nightgales. I’ve got a part in it.”

“What do you mean?” Elfionn frowned. “You’ve – are they coming here?”

“No – well, I suppose they ought, but better. I’m getting onto their ship.”

“You–”

“You’re leaving me?” Myrtle asked.

“Yes, but I have to, it’s to make sure the peace is kept. Father is counting on me.”

“But we had a plan.” Myrtle drew back.

“I’m sure your sister knows what she’s doing,” Elfionn said, her voice carefully level.

“Yes,” Calia said. “I do.”

Myrtle pulled herself free and fled the corridor.

“Wait, Myrtle–” Calia reached for her, but she was out of reach. “It’s to keep the peace.”

“Of course,” Elfionn said. “That’s important.”

“Yes.” Calia frowned, not quite liking Elfionn’s tone. “You’ll look after her?”

“Of course. Just – make sure you come back for her.”

Calia nodded. “Once I have prevented a war.”

#writing pieces #leritheyar #Calia Ansel #The NightGale Saga #in pirate's dancer calia is definitely vv mad with elfionn for reasons and like. some of those reasons are now here!!#I mean I knew them anyway in a nebulous way but like. love to have that fleshed out lmao

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