The Hollow Crown: Henry V
Tag Archives: thewarriorking
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“Your every action belies your speech.” Despite her tears, anger emboldened Summer; she clasped his hand with one of her own, and reached up to brush his face with her fingertips. “Henry. Answer me. Why, last night? I thought it a dream. But you tell me ‘twas reality. /Why/?”
Henry sighed.
“I… in truth I do not know why I kissed you,” he said, “Perhaps it was an impulse I could not fight, to kiss you… because I wanted to… since that day when I missed you at the library.”
“You — /you/ chose. Do you not see, Henry? You say you do not know your own heart, and yet — do you truly not see? Even before you heard me expose my heart, here, already you encouraged my emotion, and yet deny your own.” She stopped, looking earnestly up at Henry. “If in the end, in the end, Henry, it is not to be, I would wish to know that we took the chance. That you allowed yourself the chance.”
He looked at her and touched her face.
“I do not wish to break your heart if it is not meant to be… I would never wish that upon you but…” he stopped and looked at her again, and he leaned in closer, his lips almost touching hers again.
“I do not think I would deny you…”
Slowly, Summer closed the space between them, pressing her lips to his. Offering. Asking. After a moment, she pulled away, whispering, “For my own, if my heart be broken, it will ache the less for that I loved thee. Let me choose this, Henry. Mine heart is thine already, wilt not accept it?”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you treated me with such kindness. Certainly before you kissed me. Why, then? I will know why.” In her anger and frustration, tears spilled down her cheeks. “My lord, I asked not even a chance, and yet you offered one, and now take it away.”
He looked at her and put his hand on her face, concerned and upset at how she was reacting to his words, “This is why I wished to say nothing, and my mind did tell me to not kiss you… to not touch you… and to not wish you within my arms, but… I could not listen to it, I could not hear upon those words.”
“Your every action belies your speech.” Despite her tears, anger emboldened Summer; she clasped his hand with one of her own, and reached up to brush his face with her fingertips. “Henry. Answer me. Why, last night? I thought it a dream. But you tell me ‘twas reality. /Why/?”
Henry sighed.
“I… in truth I do not know why I kissed you,” he said, “Perhaps it was an impulse I could not fight, to kiss you… because I wanted to… since that day when I missed you at the library.”
“You — /you/ chose. Do you not see, Henry? You say you do not know your own heart, and yet — do you truly not see? Even before you heard me expose my heart, here, already you encouraged my emotion, and yet deny your own.” She stopped, looking earnestly up at Henry. “If in the end, in the end, Henry, it is not to be, I would wish to know that we took the chance. That you allowed yourself the chance.”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“What lead?” Summer asked. “What /lead/, my lord? Am I not already there? What then will you have me do? I cannot leave your city, my lord, for that there is no one to escort me. I cannot stay, seeing you every day.” She pulled away, rising and taking a few strides along the shore. “If there is no hope — and you say there can be none, which I must believe — then I would you did not know. ‘Twould be simpler.”
Whirling, she looked at Henry. “Am I to have no choice at all?”
He looked at her.
“I mean that I would lead you to something that I know not what it is.” he said to her, “To have you grow such emotions for me, when I… I do not know my own yet, I do not recognise them. Perhaps it is best that we leave such things alone, for I do not seek to break your heart…”
And he sighed.
“Though I fear I already have.”
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you treated me with such kindness. Certainly before you kissed me. Why, then? I will know why.” In her anger and frustration, tears spilled down her cheeks. “My lord, I asked not even a chance, and yet you offered one, and now take it away.”
He looked at her and put his hand on her face, concerned and upset at how she was reacting to his words, “This is why I wished to say nothing, and my mind did tell me to not kiss you… to not touch you… and to not wish you within my arms, but… I could not listen to it, I could not hear upon those words.”
“Your every action belies your speech.” Despite her tears, anger emboldened Summer; she clasped his hand with one of her own, and reached up to brush his face with her fingertips. “Henry. Answer me. Why, last night? I thought it a dream. But you tell me ‘twas reality. /Why/?”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“What lead?” Summer asked. “What /lead/, my lord? Am I not already there? What then will you have me do? I cannot leave your city, my lord, for that there is no one to escort me. I cannot stay, seeing you every day.” She pulled away, rising and taking a few strides along the shore. “If there is no hope — and you say there can be none, which I must believe — then I would you did not know. ‘Twould be simpler.”
Whirling, she looked at Henry. “Am I to have no choice at all?”
He looked at her.
“I mean that I would lead you to something that I know not what it is.” he said to her, “To have you grow such emotions for me, when I… I do not know my own yet, I do not recognise them. Perhaps it is best that we leave such things alone, for I do not seek to break your heart…”
And he sighed.
“Though I fear I already have.”
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you treated me with such kindness. Certainly before you kissed me. Why, then? I will know why.” In her anger and frustration, tears spilled down her cheeks. “My lord, I asked not even a chance, and yet you offered one, and now take it away.”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
Summer said, softly, “I could never think such. You are not such a man. Have I not said so before? I wish I could say, I will cease to love you, but I cannot. God has shaped me so, to love you, for your kindness and your wisdom.” Kneeling again, she seized his hand and kissed it. “You cannot take advantage of the willing heart. And I give you all mine.”
He knelt down beside her and he took her hand, “Please, do not do such things, I do not like to consider myself as a King when I am with you – but you know of such things, you know how the weight of the crown would ruin such things.”
Henry looked down at their hands.
“I do,” Summer sighed. “But surely God does not mean us to — to,” she broke off, unable to find the right words. “My lord, may I … I wish that you would kiss me again … “
He looked at her as she said those words, in slight apprehension and in slight confusion, she knew now that he did not know how to feel about her, and he would not know – but he knew he wished to kiss her again.
Henry touched her face softly, his eyes glancing to her lip but he shook his head.
“I cannot,” he said, “I will not lead you into something that I know not where it shall go.”
“What lead?” Summer asked. “What /lead/, my lord? Am I not already there? What then will you have me do? I cannot leave your city, my lord, for that there is no one to escort me. I cannot stay, seeing you every day.” She pulled away, rising and taking a few strides along the shore. “If there is no hope — and you say there can be none, which I must believe — then I would you did not know. ‘Twould be simpler.”
Whirling, she looked at Henry. “Am I to have no choice at all?”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“My lord, you are the King. It cannot be so.” Summer made herself meet his eyes. “I would entrust myself to your hands at any time. But,” she hesitated, searching his face turned down to hers, “why? You must have overheard me.” She coloured, but pressed on. “I meant to keep my feelings locked in my heart.”
He looked at her and then turned away, moving from her side.
“I do not wish you to think that I did such things because I am King or because I wished to take advantage of your thoughts and of your heart.” he said, and he sighed, “In truth… I know not how to feel about such things.”
Summer said, softly, “I could never think such. You are not such a man. Have I not said so before? I wish I could say, I will cease to love you, but I cannot. God has shaped me so, to love you, for your kindness and your wisdom.” Kneeling again, she seized his hand and kissed it. “You cannot take advantage of the willing heart. And I give you all mine.”
He knelt down beside her and he took her hand, “Please, do not do such things, I do not like to consider myself as a King when I am with you – but you know of such things, you know how the weight of the crown would ruin such things.”
Henry looked down at their hands.
“I do,” Summer sighed. “But surely God does not mean us to — to,” she broke off, unable to find the right words. “My lord, may I … I wish that you would kiss me again … “
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“My lord, you are the King. It cannot be so.” Summer made herself meet his eyes. “I would entrust myself to your hands at any time. But,” she hesitated, searching his face turned down to hers, “why? You must have overheard me.” She coloured, but pressed on. “I meant to keep my feelings locked in my heart.”
He looked at her and then turned away, moving from her side.
“I do not wish you to think that I did such things because I am King or because I wished to take advantage of your thoughts and of your heart.” he said, and he sighed, “In truth… I know not how to feel about such things.”
Summer said, softly, “I could never think such. You are not such a man. Have I not said so before? I wish I could say, I will cease to love you, but I cannot. God has shaped me so, to love you, for your kindness and your wisdom.” Kneeling again, she seized his hand and kissed it. “You cannot take advantage of the willing heart. And I give you all mine.”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
“No, no please — don’t — Henry — ” As his name fell from her mouth Summer froze, certain that now, now his kindness would vanish like snow in summer, now she would be justly punished. Tears overflowed down her face, pulled to the surface by conflicting emotions.
Henry looked at her, worried that she no longer wanted him and he let go of her as they balanced from where they were standing, and his eyes fell to hers and he saw the tears on her face.
He should turn to leave, as he had that night, but once again his mind did not respond, and he moved and pressed his lips against hers again, pulling her closer to him.
His kiss was so familiar, Summer responded without thinking, swaying in to his body. For a long moment there was nothing but his mouth against hers and his arms holding her, and then memory stomped a hoof and she broke the kiss. “M-my lord?” It was hard to find the words, to shape them into her sudden apprehension. “My lord, were you in my rooms last night?”
Henry pulled away from her lips as she spoke and he sighed, closing his eyes he nodded in affirmation of her thoughts.
“Yes, I was upon your rooms last night.” he said, as he looked at her, seeing the memory – or perhaps she thought it a dream- in her eyes and he blinked at her, “Forgive me… I had acted too boldly.”
“My lord, you are the King. It cannot be so.” Summer made herself meet his eyes. “I would entrust myself to your hands at any time. But,” she hesitated, searching his face turned down to hers, “why? You must have overheard me.” She coloured, but pressed on. “I meant to keep my feelings locked in my heart.”
Lady Archer | @the-warrior-king
Involuntarily she looked up, hearing the movement of the other, and actually looked for the first time.
Poiters. The King’s favourite mount. And Henry the King.
A choked cry emerged from her mouth. Summer dropped to her knees, utterly heedless of anything else, and ducked her head. “Your Grace, I — ” Her throat closed up and words failed her. All she could do was wait for his wrath to descend on her, for her temerity in not recognising him immediately and in confessing such an unseemly emotion.
He stopped as he recognised her and he took a deep breath, as he stopped to look over at her.
“Lady Summer,” he said to her, and he saw her kneeling, and thought that she had fallen once again of her ankle, and he rushed to her, carefully picking her up. “You should not be riding with your ankle still unwell.”
“No, no please — don’t — Henry — ” As his name fell from her mouth Summer froze, certain that now, now his kindness would vanish like snow in summer, now she would be justly punished. Tears overflowed down her face, pulled to the surface by conflicting emotions.
Henry looked at her, worried that she no longer wanted him and he let go of her as they balanced from where they were standing, and his eyes fell to hers and he saw the tears on her face.
He should turn to leave, as he had that night, but once again his mind did not respond, and he moved and pressed his lips against hers again, pulling her closer to him.
His kiss was so familiar, Summer responded without thinking, swaying in to his body. For a long moment there was nothing but his mouth against hers and his arms holding her, and then memory stomped a hoof and she broke the kiss. “M-my lord?” It was hard to find the words, to shape them into her sudden apprehension. “My lord, were you in my rooms last night?”