Femslash Ficlet #6: Bujold's Barrayar, PG-13

[browngirl]

"A hundred worlds and more," Princess Kareen murmurs, her head tipped back against the back of the garden bench, her wine-glass tilted between her fingers. There's a royal reception behind them, its noise and lights muffled by the intervening walls of foliage and most likely hidden soundproofing, but right now it all sounds very distant to Cordelia. Kareen's soft, even breathing sounds, well, not so much louder, but much more important.

Still, the party's not so far away, Cordelia reminds herself, and someone must notice the absence of the Princess sooner or later. Also, this wine is really rather strong. Cordelia sets her glass down beside her hip before she leans closer to Kareen. "Many more," she replies, pointing up at the stars. "See that one, the yellowish one, about ten degrees down from north?"

"Is that Beta's sun?" Kareen asks, wide-eyed as a girl, but wistful.

Cordelia laughs, more than she should, louder than she should; she can see a lock of Kareen's hair blow sideways before she stops herself. Extraordinarily strong wine. "Actually, no. We can't actually see Beta's sun from Barrayar; it's behind that star, blocked by it. But seeing that star lets me know it's there."

"I'd like to see Beta," Kareen says, shrugging almost immediately after. "Not that Barrayaran royalty would be exactly welcome there."

Cordelia wants to suggest some crazy plan, but really, she has more sense than that. "I didn't really think a Betan military officer would be welcome here, but you and Lady Alys have made me feel very welcome."

Kareen smiles at that, turning towards Cordelia, taking her hand in a long smooth one. "You are welcome. As welcome as a breath of fresh air." Her smile starts to twist wryly again, so before it can get there Cordelia leans forward and kisses her.

Damn strong wine.

Comments

[quietann.livejournal.com]

oooooooo!

***luvs on you***

Is it OK to post this link to bujold_fic, with the warnings? (I promise that if anyone objects to vorkosiverse femmeslash, I will rush to your defense. But that's highly unlikely; the folks who don't like this sort of thing tend to be polite and just not read it...)

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*grins at you* I'm really glad you liked this.

And I'd be delighted if you posted a link to the Bujold Fic community! Let's see what happens.

[dsudis.livejournal.com]

oh, HEART! Cordelia! Being so ... gently drunkenly BETAN with Kareen! ♥ ♥ ♥

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

I always loved Beta, and Cordelia, and Kareen. :)

[petronelle.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*grin* Danke, and I love your icon.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*curtseys* Thank you, very much. :)

[katarik.livejournal.com]

I have no idea who these people are, but already you're making me care about them.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

Lois McMaster Bujold's heroine Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan, if I spelled everything correctly. And Princess/Empress Mother Kareen. And I think you'd like their exploits, as well as those of Cordelia's sons Miles and Mark. *plugs, grinning*

(Also, thank you, sweetie. *blush*)

[vass]

Guh.

The Vorkosiverse needs so much more f/f. And m/m, and polyfic (is there any?) but especially f/f.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

It totally does. (And whatever we'd call fic about honorable herms such as Bel Thorne, the single character of Bujold's *I* would personally most like to sleep with.)

[danachan.livejournal.com]

This is so awesome. And so lovely.

I can't say I know the characters (yet! because I have not read as much Bujold as I should), but I love this look at them anyhow.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*beam* Thank you, sweetie.

You're going to love Cordelia, I do believe.

[zvi-likes-tv.livejournal.com]

Scrolling my way through bujold_fic, and this was sweet and extremely Cordelia-like.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*big smile* Thank you!