Timewaster's Guide Archive

I hope this is the right place to post this.  I completed a short story for the writing exercise of "Dialogue".  Since I can't link it from the file on my computer, I have posted it in its entirety here.
Colleen


MASK OF FATES
By: Colleen Jess

“I don’t think you understand the consequences of what you’re about to do.”
   “So what?  So Merrilyn dies and we’re short a pair of hands.  We can make do.”
   “My God you’re arrogant!  How long did you really think this would last?  I can only help you so much!”
   “Look, I’ve tolerated your speeches through all of this, but it’s been my vision from the beginning.  If you’d left two months ago like you wanted to I could have done all of this myself anyway.”
   “It’s not about the realm of possibility, Cannos.  I had no doubt you would do this on your own, but I stuck around to make sure you didn’t destroy this kingdom while you did it.”
   “Well I never knew you thought me so capable.”
   “Don’t be a fool.  You’re about to change the future of this kingdom and all you care about is your precious Mask.  You’re risking far too much for the sake of a reputation.”
   “And what exactly would you know about reputation?  You’ve never achieved a Mask, you have no idea what it means to use it, especially in this way.  I’m setting an example, securing my place here and cleaning up your messes.  If you want to turn all noble and go save the girl, then by all means, go!  The only thing that will change is the timing.”
   “Sure.  What are a couple more hours to you if it means you could kill me too?  I don’t want to try to thwart you, I know what that will get me.  I want you to see the big picture and change your own damn mind.”
   “Ah yes.  The big picture of a stagnant leader left on the throne until his teeth all fall out while no one has the guts to push him aside and bring this kingdom back to power.  I can see how you’d prefer that scenario as opposed to mine.”
   “No!  The scenario you’re attempting will disgrace us forever!  You think that pushing aside our father to make room for your ascent to the throne is a step forward?  Have you even considered the reaction of the people?  You’ll cause a civil war!”
   “Now you’re just being melodramatic.  The disgrace will be on our father, not me and most certainly not you.  The people will see him give the order for Merrilyn’s death, effectively ending his rule, and I step in to my rightful place on the throne.”
   “A Mask was never meant to be used in this way.  Once you use it for selfish reasons you’re doomed and you know that.”
   “Like I said, you have no idea what it means to use a Mask.”
   “Maybe I can see it more clearly than you because I don’t have one.  I see what using it does to you.  I know that it weakens you.”
   “I am not weak!”
   “I’m not arguing that.  But if you’re afraid of a kingdom without power then think about what kind of a kingdom this would be being led by a crippled magician.  You know that’s where you’re headed.”
   “That’s what you want me to believe!  Never in the history of our people has anyone ever been known to be cursed by their Mask!”
   “And if you thought about this a little harder you’d realize that’s because no one has ever been so foolish as to use it to gain a kingdom!  Masks are instruments of goodwill!  The fact that I even know you have yours is a violation of their purpose!  How you ever managed to earn yours is beyond me!”
   “Well maybe our fates got twisted.  You’ve always been more of a do-gooder doormat than me.  Maybe I was chosen because I showed promise.  I proved that I wasn’t afraid to harness the Mask’s power and make a real difference.”
   “Yeah, and how that makes you a golden child I’ll never know.  What power was granted you when you got your Mask is going to consume you.  You can’t harness its power anymore than you can keep a wife.”
   “Merrilyn has earned her place on the chopping block!  She chose to die when she chose you over me!  You should just be glad I’m not sending you to the worms with her!”
   “Do you even know why I chose to stand by you all this time?  Why I didn’t just leave and get both myself and Merrilyn out of your reach?”
   “Because you’re weak.  The same reason you’ve never gotten your Mask.”
   “Because father asked me to stay.  Because I have honor.  And because my fate can change yours.”
   “Father…?”
   “You didn’t think he was oblivious to your plans did you?  You can’t fool a fellow Mask bearer so easily.”
   “Father has no Mask!”
   “Father has more secrets from you than you realize.  Like the fact that his throne is already promised.  You want to hear about the kind of disgrace you’d inflict on us?  You’d be killing the woman who carries the heir to the throne.”
   “You lie.”
   “Think about it.  She left you two months ago.  You found her in my embrace while she cried on my shoulder.  Your arrogance told you that she’d fled you in favor of me.  Did you even ask her why she cried?”
   “She refused to talk to me.  She never talked to me.”
   “She was terrified.  She had already lost two babies of yours.  She was afraid of losing a third along with any chance of giving you your heir.  The contract between her kingdom and ours depends on the birth of an heir.”
   “An heir…”
   “If you stand up there today wearing the face of our father and order her death it will mean war.  That’s the big picture.”
   “Merrilyn…”
   “You can still go to her, fix this.  Release her from her worry and be with your wife.  Please.”
   “…”
   “Please Cannos.  Merrilyn needs you.”
“I… I can’t go to her like this.  I can’t admit what I had planned.  I can’t hurt her again.”
   “You don’t have to.  Just change your damn mind.”
   “How?  How do I make this right?”
   “Let go of your judgments.  Don’t punish people for things you only accused them of doing.  Release your grip on hate.”
   “Then I release my Mask.”
   “No, use it.  But use it for what it was meant for.”
   “The only good deed I can think about doing doesn’t need a Mask to accomplish it.  The Mask is the only expendable thing I have left it seems.  The throne is our father’s, and the kingdom will have the greatest ruler possible just as soon as Merrilyn brings him into this world.”