Live in Brass is a short story written for Seanan McGuire's Patreon supporters.
Men’s evil manners live in brass; their virtues
We write in water
—William Shakespeare, Henry VIII
Synopsis[]
For Dianda Lorden, rulership was inevitable. She was born to the regent's seat, born to protect and care for her people. Loneliness was also inevitable, especially once her father swam off to warmer waters, leaving her to rule over Saltmist alone.
For a moment, she thought she might have found the potential for happiness with Patrick Lorden...until even that was snatched away. Or was it?
Dianda's side of her engagement ball.
Plot[]
In Saltmist, Dianda supervises the harvest and sighs at being so feared by her subjects. She encounters some children and lectures them on being careful, and tries not to think of Patrick Twycross. She is bitter after Evening Winterrose sent her a message rejecting any possibility of courting between Dianda and Patrick.
Helmi helps her prepare for her engagement ball, and she has words with her fiance Inna before they go to the land.
Her party is welcomed by King Gilad, and she dances with her betrothed while reflecting on relationships between land and sea. She dances next with Theron of Golden Shore, who tells her how Evening hates Patrick.
Next Treasa dances with her, and stakes a claim on Patrick's interest. Dianda tries to extricate herself and encounters Simon, who directs her toward the kitchens.
She finds Patrick and they clear the air of misinformation. They kiss and Dianda promises to break off her engagement to Inna. She goes to tell Gilad, and finds him sneaking off with Sebille.
Characters []
- Dianda Lorden
- Patrick Twycross
- Helmi, Dianda's lady-in-waiting
- Gilad Windermere, King in the Mists
- Inna, Prince of Arkticheskiy and Dianda's betrothed
- Theron, King Upon the Golden Shore
- Treasa Riordan, Duchess of Almaden
- Simon Torquill
- Sebille, King Gildad's chatelaine
- Arden Windermere
- Nolan Windermere (unnamed)
Mentioned only []
- Dianda's father, unnamed
- Dianda's mother, unnamed
- Dianda's brother, unnamed
- Evening Winterrose, Countess
- Oberon
- Sylvester Torquill
- Amandine, Simon's wife
Locations[]
Mentioned only[]
- Dianda's mother's duchy, unknown
- Kingdom of Arkticheskiy, undersea
- Kingdom of Opona, land
- Kingdom on the Golden Shore
- Duchy of Almaden
See also[]
- Kraken
- Siren
- Hippocampus
- Merrow
- Cetae
- Easgann
- Daoine Sidhe
- Selkie
- Cephali
- Coblynau
- Gremlin
- Pixie
- Hob