23 September 2023

… no magic circle…”

As I got ready to respond, I noticed one of the other guards chanting under her breath, her eyes locked on Robin. I whipped my pistol out and point it at her right when Elsenaia stepped between everyone, arms outstretched. “Stop! Just, stop.”

Her eyes focused on the chanting guard, whose cheeks burned bright red before she averted her eyes from Elsenaia. I cautiously lowered my gun, but I didn’t return it to my holster.

Another of the guards, a man with forest-green hair, moved next to the blushing guard. “With all due respect, Your Highness, the humans attacked us. Shouldn’t we–”

“As I recall, Goodman Rivlett, it was Captain Darrett attacked first. And provoked or not, for a decorated captain of the guard to lose his composure so easily…” Elsenaia’s smile turned vindictive. “Well, that is quite the embarrassment, isn’t it, Captain Darrett?”

Darrett’s expression was as dark as a power outage on a moonless night, but he said nothing. Adam sidled up next to me, hands on his weapon. “Uh, by any chance, would you mind telling us what the heck is going on?”

“Well, basically, the guards are all freaking out because Robin took out their captain so easily. Especially since she wasn’t using any magic. So Elsenaia–that’s the princess, there–is telling them to knock it off, especially since her captain attacked us first. I think she wants to make peace with us.”

Elsenaia started a bit when I said “without magic”, but she recovered quickly. She turned to us and bowed her head. “That’s correct. I apologize for my rudeness earlier; we… didn’t really know what to expect.”

Adam and Robin remained wary, but I shrugged and waved it off. “It’s fine. I think.”

Adam gestured to Darrett. “I’m not so certain. If you don’t mind me asking, why did he try to attack my brother anyway?”

“Ah, that was probably my fault.” I flashed Adam a cheeky grin. “He was being an asshole, and I called him out on it.”

Robin chuckled while Adam sighed and shook his head. To all of our surprise, Elsenaia let out a loud burst of laughter, before she promptly clapped her hands over her mouth and her cheeks turned scarlet. All eyes, both elven and human, focused on her.

She focused for a moment or two, and then coughed and straightened her outfit. “Right. Well. Back to business.”

Most of the guards snapped themselves out of it, and they began discussing options. Tairsi, however, just watched Elsenaia in shock.

2 August 2023

Ever since I first read it in seventh grade for class, the short story The Lady or the Tiger has always fascinated me. I’d periodically find myself chewing on it, wondering not so much what would the princess choose, but what’s the best outcome overall? I consistently come back to the solution I present below. I should note this explicitly goes against what it says in the original story; it makes it very clear the princess’s beau fully expects her to help him survive the trial. Which always rubbed me wrong.

I had some vague ideas about a potential story arc after the dude kills the tiger, but it’s not a particularly high priority at the moment; we’ll see if and when I get to it in the future.

Princess Nikka could only stare in shock, her blood roaring in her ears. Her father, the king, looked thoroughly pleased with himself, as he sat smugly upon his throne. Did he not realize what he’d just done? Of how utterly he’d just ruined all hope she had for her future?

Of course he didn’t. It didn’t matter how she felt about Leug, or what promises they’d made. It only mattered that the king thought she’d defied him. And so Leug would be put to the Trial. And no matter which doom he chose… She’d lose him. Forever.

Unbidden, and unwelcome for the weakness they implied, tears welled in the corner of Nikka’s eyes. One moment, visions of blood swept over her, as she imagined Leug eviscerated by the tiger. The next, images of Leug’s arms around another woman, while she was forced to watch from afar as she grew old and lonely. Or worse, chained to the side of whatever clan chieftain or foreign dignitary had gained Father’s favor.

A hand rested on Nikka’s shoulder, pulling her out of her waking nightmare. Leug, bound in chains and yet somehow still more noble in bearing than all her father’s court combined, flashed her a smile and whispered, “Send me to the tiger, will you? When the day comes. I know you’ll find out which is which; so when you do, send me to the tiger.”

Nikka’s blood turned to ice. “Do you not wish to live? For your own happiness?” She ignored Father’s souring expression.

Leug chuckled. “Of course I do. But what life, what happiness is there without you? Nor could I be so cruel, to either you or my wife-to-be.”

“So you have given up hope?”

With a shake of his head, Leug explained, “There’s still a way. One single path I can see.” He flashed her a smile, one full of false bravado to mask his fear. “I just have to kill the tiger.”