Chance Encounter
Title: Chance Encounter
Author: tour_treasure
Artist: trishkafibble
Genre: romance, fantasy
Pairing(s): Olive/Ciano (implied)
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2,125
Summary:
Olive stepped onto the decking and ran her fingers over the engravings on the panels that enclosed it. Energy flowed through the grooves, crackling and reaching for her fingers. She muttered a few quiet words and it appeared that the energy was appeased by the low hum that was emitted.
She heard a faint flapping of wings and then the clunking of metal against the wood of the railing. “Good morning, Albert,” she greeted.
The clunking paused and she turned to see the dragon scurry closer a smile on it’s face. At least she hoped it was a smile else it would mean something was terribly wrong. It was probably best not to think about that...
Olive brushes dark hair back from her face and then steps down from the veranda and onto the grass. Her feet find the large paving stones easily enough and soon she’s walking towards the temple. She hears wings flutter behind her and then a light breeze when Albert gets close.
The closer she gets to the temple the closer Albert gets to her until the dragon is clinging to her dress and hiding underneath her hair. It’s been the same ever since Albert arrived here but she’s not sure why. She can feel the tips of the beautiful wings pressed against the back of her neck and they’re quivering slightly. “You’re going to have to get over this fear one day,” she points out.
The only response she receives is when Albert shifts further back and she hopes that it’s not going to be too tiresome to untangle later because it really had been bad enough the last time. She crossed the threshold to much clattering of Albert’s legs and more fluttering of wings. There was a faint sound of protest as the whispers of the ancients rose from the ground where she walked. To Albert it was probably terrifying but it had happened to Olive since she was a young girl so it was merely expected.
She crossed over to the candles to light two before pausing briefly on her way out. There would be time enough later to come back for prayers and contemplation. Now she had to check everything was as it should be after the long night.
Fiorenza was a convergence zone and sometimes there were trespassers from another time. Only a few could pass through the thin shield that kept their worlds apart and Olive was one of them. At the right time of day she can see the future and the past as clearly as she sees the Estate in the distance whilst at others it’s just a blurry haze that sometimes she thinks she’s imagined.
She walked back along the path and returned to her veranda. When she got there she noticed that breakfast had already been laid out on the table along with a letter. She glanced around for Leonardo and finding he was nowhere in sight she sat in her chair. She’d have to talk to him about his duties when he returned but until then there was little she could do except open the envelope herself.
Once she saw the papal seal on the back she signed and placed it to one side. His Holiness could wait until she’d eaten her breakfast. Albert thankfully scuttled from his hiding place and flew down to the table beside her. Eyes watched her closely as she sipped at her water and reached for her folk.
It was easy to forget that a few short months ago Albert hadn’t been here given how natural this whole thing was to her. The dragon was now so intertwined with her daily life she didn’t like to think about how one day she might be all alone again.
~ * ~
Three Months Previous
“We’ll see you when you get back darling,” her mother said before getting into the carriage.
“I’ll write,” she promised.
“I still can’t believe that scoundrel!” her mother muttered as her father hugged her close.
“Stay as long as you need, everything will still be there when you’re ready,” he said.
She reluctantly released him and watched as the carriage and guards disappeared down the road. Olive wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to return but that wasn’t exactly something she could say to her parents. She could hope that given some time things would be easier when she returned home but she wasn’t expecting it. At best there would be less gossip than if she stayed and watched her long term companion flirt with half the female population of Fiorenza.
She wasn’t going to think of Maximus, she promised herself, he wasn’t worthy of her attentions. He had made his choice and there was no altering it now even if he wanted to. It would not matter if he came to his senses at a later date, she could not accept him back. Turning away from the now empty road she entered the silence of the house and prayed it would provide her sanctity. If not at least she had correspondence she should really get back to...
A week later she was walking through the grounds enjoying the solitude and the peace. She always missed this when she was in town, it was so busy and the noise there drowned out the sound of everything else. Here she could hear the birds sing and the numerous other sounds of the world waking up after a long night. It was the most glorious experience and she was going to miss it when she was forced to leave.
She was walking through a meadow going back towards the house when she first heard the clicking sound. Initially she ignored it and continued on her way but it continued and was getting closer. “Albert?” She heard a man calling. “Albert come back here!”
She frowned at the sound and turned to attempt to find the interloper. This was private property and nobody had asked for permission to cross it recently, she would have remembered. Olive wouldn’t have been let out unaccompanied for starters if they had so obviously nobody had known of this intrusion. She was suddenly aware of heat coming from her left and she leapt back and yelped in an undignified manner as the bush besides her went up in flames.
A man appeared almost instantly and she looked at him in alarm as she stepped further back. “Albert!” the man said angrily. “Stop that!”
Olive looked down and made a distressed sound at the black marks on her dress and another one when she saw her shoe had been scorched. This had the potential to turn into a very bad day indeed she concluded and turned her attention to the man who had stopped a safe distance from her. “This is private property, you’re trespassing,” she stated. “Identify yourself this instance!”
“My name is Ciano, my Queen,” he greeted as he bowed.
Queen? Who was this lunatic? “I think you have me mistaken for somebody else,” she pointed out.
“I know exactly who you are, Olive,” he said with assurance.
She took a step back in the hope that it would provide her with greater protection. Why, oh why had she insisted on coming out alone this morning? She should know better than to go out unescorted by now. She took another step back and he raised a placating hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She made a sound of disbelief and took another step back. “I don’t mean to alarm you, I came after my dragon,” Ciano explained. “He slipped through the divide and I had to come after him, he’s still young and he’s prone to doing foolish things. I didn’t want him setting fire to anything.”
“Bit late for that,” she quipped.
Ciano smiled and she felt herself relax which was not the usual state of affairs when she was accosted by a complete stranger. “He can be impetuous.”
There was a rustling of the grass and then she saw a small head pop above the tips of the grass. Gold in colour with opulent wings Olive was surprised that Albert was so beautiful. It was probably a necessary disguise to prevent being discarded as a nuisance.
She was surprised when the wings fluttered and the dragon flew in her direction. When Albert hovered at the same height for a while she held out her hand and watched as the dragon settled there. They watched each other closely for a few moments before Olive was treated to a vast display of teeth. “Albert likes you,” Ciano said.
“I’m not so sure.”
Ciano laughed and she found herself smiling at him. This was ridiculous, she didn’t behave like this around men. His hands reached out in the direction of the dragon but Albert scuttled up the arm of her dress and settled on her shoulder, tail curling round and clinging She couldn’t decide it if was adorable or just plain wrong. “He recognises his Queen.”
Maybe that tipped this situation more towards the latter. Olive sighed and wished the man would not insist on addressing her in such a manner, it was embarrassing. “I suggest you take your... dragon and return to wherever it was you came from,” she said.
Ciano looked surprised at her words and reached up to brush dark brown hair from his face. He was immaculately dressed, she noted, so he didn’t look like he had escaped from somewhere. “Please accept my apologies, my... I have let my enthusiasm get the better of me. If you will permit me, I have a gift for you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. She raised an eyebrow at him and then watched him flick the lid, mutter some words and then nothing happened. She thought that was ridiculous and she’d just been about to tell Ciano as such when she noticed the change in the pattern of her dress. She brushed at it but it remained intact. It was one of her favourite dresses and now it was ruined. She caught sight of the singed fabric, more so than it was already she adjusted.
Olive looked up again just in time to see Ciano pull a necklace out of the box. He holds it out to her and she looks at it warily. “Only my Queen may wear it,” he says by way of explanation.
“Look, there’s been one mistake-” she started.
He reached out to take her hand and she’s surprised she doesn’t pull it away immediately. “No mistake. Hasn’t your father said something to you?”
“Papa?”
Ciano sighs and wishes the sad expression on his face would go away. “Can you not tell me?”
Hazel eyes meet hers and she steps closer. “It’s not my place to-”
“Please?” she asks.
“No,” he’s firm. “You have much to learn before it would be proper for us to have that conversation. If you’ll permit me I will leave Albert with you.”
She tilts her head to glance at the dragon now sleeping happily on her shoulder. “I think he’s comfortable.”
“That he is,” Ciano agrees. “I should take my leave.”
“Will I see you again?”
“I hope so,” Ciano replies.
~ * ~
(Present Day)
Olive watched as Albert tried to crawl into her bowl. Maybe being alone would have it’s merits. She waved a spoon around and Albert moved back slightly and sat down right by the rim of the bowl. She shook her head and pulled it forward. Albert opened his mouth and then shut it again at her warning glance. “I wonder if Ciano will write today,” she mused aloud and saw the dragon nod.
They had been corresponding for the past month after she’d spoken to her father and she had to admit she liked receiving the regular mail. Whether that was for it’s contents or just to see Albert struggle with the letter she wasn’t quite sure yet.
Olive wasn’t sure whether her relationship with Ciano would develop the way their families envisaged but she wasn’t going to rule it out just yet. After all three months ago she hadn’t known Albert and now she’s glad that the dragon is about. A sudden gust of wind blew Albert across the table and deposited him on the ground at her feet.
Olive laughed and watched as Albert tried and failed to stand again. After a little strategic help the Dragon was soon flying back up to the table. She made no comment about what had just transpired but was happy when she spotted the letter propped up on the table. Things weren’t dull in Fiorenza and she hoped when she returned home the adventure could continue. It would be entertaining if nothing else.
Author: tour_treasure
Artist: trishkafibble
Genre: romance, fantasy
Pairing(s): Olive/Ciano (implied)
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2,125
Summary:
Olive stepped onto the decking and ran her fingers over the engravings on the panels that enclosed it. Energy flowed through the grooves, crackling and reaching for her fingers. She muttered a few quiet words and it appeared that the energy was appeased by the low hum that was emitted.
She heard a faint flapping of wings and then the clunking of metal against the wood of the railing. “Good morning, Albert,” she greeted.
The clunking paused and she turned to see the dragon scurry closer a smile on it’s face. At least she hoped it was a smile else it would mean something was terribly wrong. It was probably best not to think about that...
Olive brushes dark hair back from her face and then steps down from the veranda and onto the grass. Her feet find the large paving stones easily enough and soon she’s walking towards the temple. She hears wings flutter behind her and then a light breeze when Albert gets close.
The closer she gets to the temple the closer Albert gets to her until the dragon is clinging to her dress and hiding underneath her hair. It’s been the same ever since Albert arrived here but she’s not sure why. She can feel the tips of the beautiful wings pressed against the back of her neck and they’re quivering slightly. “You’re going to have to get over this fear one day,” she points out.
The only response she receives is when Albert shifts further back and she hopes that it’s not going to be too tiresome to untangle later because it really had been bad enough the last time. She crossed the threshold to much clattering of Albert’s legs and more fluttering of wings. There was a faint sound of protest as the whispers of the ancients rose from the ground where she walked. To Albert it was probably terrifying but it had happened to Olive since she was a young girl so it was merely expected.
She crossed over to the candles to light two before pausing briefly on her way out. There would be time enough later to come back for prayers and contemplation. Now she had to check everything was as it should be after the long night.
Fiorenza was a convergence zone and sometimes there were trespassers from another time. Only a few could pass through the thin shield that kept their worlds apart and Olive was one of them. At the right time of day she can see the future and the past as clearly as she sees the Estate in the distance whilst at others it’s just a blurry haze that sometimes she thinks she’s imagined.
She walked back along the path and returned to her veranda. When she got there she noticed that breakfast had already been laid out on the table along with a letter. She glanced around for Leonardo and finding he was nowhere in sight she sat in her chair. She’d have to talk to him about his duties when he returned but until then there was little she could do except open the envelope herself.
Once she saw the papal seal on the back she signed and placed it to one side. His Holiness could wait until she’d eaten her breakfast. Albert thankfully scuttled from his hiding place and flew down to the table beside her. Eyes watched her closely as she sipped at her water and reached for her folk.
It was easy to forget that a few short months ago Albert hadn’t been here given how natural this whole thing was to her. The dragon was now so intertwined with her daily life she didn’t like to think about how one day she might be all alone again.
~ * ~
Three Months Previous
“We’ll see you when you get back darling,” her mother said before getting into the carriage.
“I’ll write,” she promised.
“I still can’t believe that scoundrel!” her mother muttered as her father hugged her close.
“Stay as long as you need, everything will still be there when you’re ready,” he said.
She reluctantly released him and watched as the carriage and guards disappeared down the road. Olive wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to return but that wasn’t exactly something she could say to her parents. She could hope that given some time things would be easier when she returned home but she wasn’t expecting it. At best there would be less gossip than if she stayed and watched her long term companion flirt with half the female population of Fiorenza.
She wasn’t going to think of Maximus, she promised herself, he wasn’t worthy of her attentions. He had made his choice and there was no altering it now even if he wanted to. It would not matter if he came to his senses at a later date, she could not accept him back. Turning away from the now empty road she entered the silence of the house and prayed it would provide her sanctity. If not at least she had correspondence she should really get back to...
A week later she was walking through the grounds enjoying the solitude and the peace. She always missed this when she was in town, it was so busy and the noise there drowned out the sound of everything else. Here she could hear the birds sing and the numerous other sounds of the world waking up after a long night. It was the most glorious experience and she was going to miss it when she was forced to leave.
She was walking through a meadow going back towards the house when she first heard the clicking sound. Initially she ignored it and continued on her way but it continued and was getting closer. “Albert?” She heard a man calling. “Albert come back here!”
She frowned at the sound and turned to attempt to find the interloper. This was private property and nobody had asked for permission to cross it recently, she would have remembered. Olive wouldn’t have been let out unaccompanied for starters if they had so obviously nobody had known of this intrusion. She was suddenly aware of heat coming from her left and she leapt back and yelped in an undignified manner as the bush besides her went up in flames.
A man appeared almost instantly and she looked at him in alarm as she stepped further back. “Albert!” the man said angrily. “Stop that!”
Olive looked down and made a distressed sound at the black marks on her dress and another one when she saw her shoe had been scorched. This had the potential to turn into a very bad day indeed she concluded and turned her attention to the man who had stopped a safe distance from her. “This is private property, you’re trespassing,” she stated. “Identify yourself this instance!”
“My name is Ciano, my Queen,” he greeted as he bowed.
Queen? Who was this lunatic? “I think you have me mistaken for somebody else,” she pointed out.
“I know exactly who you are, Olive,” he said with assurance.
She took a step back in the hope that it would provide her with greater protection. Why, oh why had she insisted on coming out alone this morning? She should know better than to go out unescorted by now. She took another step back and he raised a placating hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She made a sound of disbelief and took another step back. “I don’t mean to alarm you, I came after my dragon,” Ciano explained. “He slipped through the divide and I had to come after him, he’s still young and he’s prone to doing foolish things. I didn’t want him setting fire to anything.”
“Bit late for that,” she quipped.
Ciano smiled and she felt herself relax which was not the usual state of affairs when she was accosted by a complete stranger. “He can be impetuous.”
There was a rustling of the grass and then she saw a small head pop above the tips of the grass. Gold in colour with opulent wings Olive was surprised that Albert was so beautiful. It was probably a necessary disguise to prevent being discarded as a nuisance.
She was surprised when the wings fluttered and the dragon flew in her direction. When Albert hovered at the same height for a while she held out her hand and watched as the dragon settled there. They watched each other closely for a few moments before Olive was treated to a vast display of teeth. “Albert likes you,” Ciano said.
“I’m not so sure.”
Ciano laughed and she found herself smiling at him. This was ridiculous, she didn’t behave like this around men. His hands reached out in the direction of the dragon but Albert scuttled up the arm of her dress and settled on her shoulder, tail curling round and clinging She couldn’t decide it if was adorable or just plain wrong. “He recognises his Queen.”
Maybe that tipped this situation more towards the latter. Olive sighed and wished the man would not insist on addressing her in such a manner, it was embarrassing. “I suggest you take your... dragon and return to wherever it was you came from,” she said.
Ciano looked surprised at her words and reached up to brush dark brown hair from his face. He was immaculately dressed, she noted, so he didn’t look like he had escaped from somewhere. “Please accept my apologies, my... I have let my enthusiasm get the better of me. If you will permit me, I have a gift for you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. She raised an eyebrow at him and then watched him flick the lid, mutter some words and then nothing happened. She thought that was ridiculous and she’d just been about to tell Ciano as such when she noticed the change in the pattern of her dress. She brushed at it but it remained intact. It was one of her favourite dresses and now it was ruined. She caught sight of the singed fabric, more so than it was already she adjusted.
Olive looked up again just in time to see Ciano pull a necklace out of the box. He holds it out to her and she looks at it warily. “Only my Queen may wear it,” he says by way of explanation.
“Look, there’s been one mistake-” she started.
He reached out to take her hand and she’s surprised she doesn’t pull it away immediately. “No mistake. Hasn’t your father said something to you?”
“Papa?”
Ciano sighs and wishes the sad expression on his face would go away. “Can you not tell me?”
Hazel eyes meet hers and she steps closer. “It’s not my place to-”
“Please?” she asks.
“No,” he’s firm. “You have much to learn before it would be proper for us to have that conversation. If you’ll permit me I will leave Albert with you.”
She tilts her head to glance at the dragon now sleeping happily on her shoulder. “I think he’s comfortable.”
“That he is,” Ciano agrees. “I should take my leave.”
“Will I see you again?”
“I hope so,” Ciano replies.
~ * ~
(Present Day)
Olive watched as Albert tried to crawl into her bowl. Maybe being alone would have it’s merits. She waved a spoon around and Albert moved back slightly and sat down right by the rim of the bowl. She shook her head and pulled it forward. Albert opened his mouth and then shut it again at her warning glance. “I wonder if Ciano will write today,” she mused aloud and saw the dragon nod.
They had been corresponding for the past month after she’d spoken to her father and she had to admit she liked receiving the regular mail. Whether that was for it’s contents or just to see Albert struggle with the letter she wasn’t quite sure yet.
Olive wasn’t sure whether her relationship with Ciano would develop the way their families envisaged but she wasn’t going to rule it out just yet. After all three months ago she hadn’t known Albert and now she’s glad that the dragon is about. A sudden gust of wind blew Albert across the table and deposited him on the ground at her feet.
Olive laughed and watched as Albert tried and failed to stand again. After a little strategic help the Dragon was soon flying back up to the table. She made no comment about what had just transpired but was happy when she spotted the letter propped up on the table. Things weren’t dull in Fiorenza and she hoped when she returned home the adventure could continue. It would be entertaining if nothing else.