Writing: Tatsuo and Shard

    Maybe one of these days I'll actually write something that isn't at least vaguely romantic, eh? But, to quote Aragorn, "It is not this day!"

   I can't rightly remember the inspiration for Tatsuo and Shard. It probably all started with the very first line that Shard utters. I tend to do that. Growing a story idea out of a simple line of dialogue, that is.

   There isn't much to tell about this scrawl that isn't explained within. The dragons are at war with the elves and Shard -- or Shardallian, as her people call her -- is a prisoner at the dragon king's castle. Please know that none of the other elves are quite like Shard, making her something of a curiosity not only to her own people, but to the dragons as well. I won't detain you on rambling details any longer.

   Wait, hold on, one more thing to say. If you've read my post entitled "Jaq", please note that Tatsuo and Shard's story is in no way related to Jaq's.


    “You want me dead? Then do it yourself, coward. Drive the knife into my heart with your own hands. I dare you.”
    She slammed the weapon into his chest, eyes burning with rage. “If you can’t work up the gut to do the deed yourself, then don’t kill me at all!”
    With that, his short prisoner turned and stomped away, hissing to herself under her breath, leaving him standing with a dagger in his hand and the eyes of the room on him.
    The dragon prince growled low in his throat, fingers tight around the blade’s hilt. One day, the elf would pay for her impudence towards his person.
    But he would never be able to make her pay with her life.
    It wasn’t because of her usefulness as leverage against their enemies, nor because she held any information of importance, but because she’d made his mother laugh.
    He had no remembrance of his mother laughing when he was a child, not even of her smile. But when this golden-eyed prisoner had been captured and brought to the palace, his mother had been captivated with her from the start.
    The first time the elf had made her laugh had been during a meeting involving both his parents and many of his father’s councilors. Tatsuo had made a passing remark as to the elf’s, Shard’s, heritage, if only because she was far from the elven norm. She had heard him and, in front of the entire room, had shouted many choice words regarding Tatsuo’s own bloodline.
    He and his father had been ready to tear her to pieces when Mother had started to laugh. Not quietly, either. She had been almost in tears, gasping for breath, as if it had been lying in wait for years, awaiting such an opportunity.
    The dragon-kind had been flabbergasted. Shard had been smug.
    And that had been the end of the confrontation. As cruel and heartless as the dragons were made out to be, the remarkable display of emotion from their normally serene queen was something to be encouraged, not stamped down.
    Since then, Tatsuo had born many of the elf’s tongue-lashings just to see the amusement on his mother’s face. He never encouraged it, of course, but Shard often found fault in things he said and had no issues in letting him know.
    Today, she had blatantly disrespected not only himself, but his father, grandfather, and their mental health in front of several of his father’s generals and advisors.
    He had threatened to kill her on the spot if she didn’t control her tongue, and her fiery words had been the end of it.
    And in the last few moments, he had realized he’d never, ever be able to kill the source of his mother’s joy.

  
    Did I mention this would be rather short? I do have a fair amount more written, but, as per usual, it skips about a bit and it's old, meaning I would have to edit through it. Yeesh, editing. Writer's worst enemy and best friend.

    Thank you so much for reading and should you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it. Also, as I stated on my last post, OYANers without an account enabling them to leave comments can feel free to drop a note on PenWielder62's profile feed.

    Ad astra per aspera.
    To the stars, through difficulties.