Fic: 'First Impressions' (Crown Duel, gen, G, 1/1) Title: First Impressions Fandom: Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel Characters: Shevraeth Word Count: 267 Rating: G Spoilers: Erm, takes place in the first seven chapters or so, do with that what you will. Challenge: Leap for Prompts (6/29): Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, Vidanric (Shevraeth) Disclaimer: No one mentioned belongs to me. Summary: The prisoner in question was not a pretty sight when the Marquis of Shevraeth ducked into the tent for interrogation.
First Impressions
The prisoner in question was not a pretty sight when the Marquis of Shevraeth ducked into the tent for interrogation. She was scrawny, hair hefted back in a thick and matted braid, and she was spattered head to toe with drying and dark mud. She reeked of keem leaves and stingflower. In spite of all of this, her tone was as sharp as the teeth of the trap that had nearly severed her ankle. Perhaps unaware of quite how badly she'd been injured, she was groggy as a result of the healer's cautious ministrations, and surly as a result of being groggy.
His methods of interrogation were somewhat unorthodox, his colleagues believed, but starting off with threats and violence only worked against specific kinds of people. With an injured rebel, barely strong enough to sit up, he opted for a calmer approach. He could subtly hint at what might be in store should she choose not to cooperate, but he believed scaring her outright was an unnecessary tactic.
Still, he was surprised at the level of venom she possessed, given her state. Not to boast, but he was not entirely unused to females fluttering in his presence. Ladies of the Court though they may have been, this prisoner's reaction was altogether unique to anyone, man or woman, that he'd met.
The Marquis had interrogated a number of prisoners before. He had been ranted against, insulted, sworn at and spat upon, swung at by both fist and by sword, and had willfully accepted the brunt of any number of rageful tirades. But he had never before been amused.