One Acquainted with the Night, PG-13, Champagne Challenge143
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:31 am
Title: One Acquainted with the Night
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight, nor am I making any money from this, though I'm certainly having fun playing with the characters. No infringement intended.
Warnings: References to the life of a courtesan, but nothing graphic.
Summary: Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
A/N: Written for Champagne Challenge #143: Nightfall. The title was taken from Robert Frost's poem. Coming across the poem is what inspired the fic.
You can read the poem here.
As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the source of all inspiration.
~*~*~*~*~
One Acquainted with the Night
Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
Her older brothers had locked her in the cellar once, thinking it a merry prank. The cellar had been cold, filled with old wine, and the stone walls were rough to the touch. Her brothers hadn’t opened the door until hours later, expecting to find their six-year-old sister in tears, begging to be saved from the monsters that lurked in the shadows. Instead, she’d only smiled, and walked away without a word.
Yet, though she had never feared the dark, it wasn’t until her mother’s death that Coraline began to equate the night with peace - a reprieve from her father’s constant yelling and her brothers' increasing cruelty. Every night, she waited until the rest of the household slept, and then made her way quietly from her room and into their little-used study. The smell of musty books tickled her nose as she sat on the window ledge, staring out into the darkness beyond, where the moon cast its silver light.
As Coraline grew, so too did the speculative gleam in her father’s eyes when he looked at her. She was sixteen the first time he brought her with him to the Court, still too young and too naive to realize what her father intended for her to do. But, she had learned quickly.
It was simple enough to charm the men her father wanted her to, in exchange for their favor and support before the king. Her father did not push her, at first, to offer them more than her company, but that eventually changed. The dead of night became a special refuge, then, when she was free from unwanted caresses and whispered endearments for a few precious hours.
Perhaps that was why, when the soldiers came for her with that infernal brand, Coraline ran into the night, trusting the darkness to protect her. It had, until news of a defiant courtesan spread and a mob rallied, their torches lighting the dark alley where she had hidden. It wasn't long before the searing pain from her shoulder and the scent of her own scorched flesh made her too weak to stand. So, Coraline lay there on the ground, silently yearning for the cool night air to wrap around her like a cloak, to sooth the fire still burning her skin.
Her place as a courtesan sealed, the night took on new life from that point forward. A courtesan never ceased to play the part expected of her, and so the hours after dark became a blur of illicit kisses and embraces, most from men far older than herself. She did not suffer - many showered her with jewels and affection, and she even came to revel in the power she had over them, those countless men who simpered and pleaded for her attention. But, nonetheless, she cherished those rare moments when the night was calm and still, when the darkness hid the secrets the light would reveal.
Perhaps it was fitting, then, that He came to her in one such moment. He appeared soundlessly in the room, the movement of the curtains the only indication of his entry. Tall and dressed in a black cloak, he blended seamlessly with the shadows. He extended his hand to her without a word, and she took it, sliding from beneath the silken sheets of the bed where she lay, unconcerned that she would wake the Duke next to her. The Duke had drunk heavily that night, and he did not hold his liquor well. He would sleep for hours yet.
The black-clad figure waited for her to retrieve her robe, then stepped outside to the balcony. She followed him from the room, curiosity mingling with something almost like anticipation.
It was there, on that balcony, that her world changed.
That man wove a tale more incredible than any she had heard before, filled with old battles, ancient rivalries, and long-standing claims to power. He had plans, many plans, and he wanted her to be a part of it all. Her brothers already were, and her father…her father was dead. She nodded, utterly unmoved by that fact, and listened with rapt attention as he told her of a strange new world, one of vampires and blood and endless nights, and she pulled her long hair aside before he even finished speaking, baring her throat to him in invitation.
After all, Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
Fin
~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Thank you for reading, and of course, please let me know what you think!
-Laughter
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight, nor am I making any money from this, though I'm certainly having fun playing with the characters. No infringement intended.
Warnings: References to the life of a courtesan, but nothing graphic.
Summary: Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
A/N: Written for Champagne Challenge #143: Nightfall. The title was taken from Robert Frost's poem. Coming across the poem is what inspired the fic.
You can read the poem here.As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the source of all inspiration.
~*~*~*~*~
One Acquainted with the Night
Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
Her older brothers had locked her in the cellar once, thinking it a merry prank. The cellar had been cold, filled with old wine, and the stone walls were rough to the touch. Her brothers hadn’t opened the door until hours later, expecting to find their six-year-old sister in tears, begging to be saved from the monsters that lurked in the shadows. Instead, she’d only smiled, and walked away without a word.
Yet, though she had never feared the dark, it wasn’t until her mother’s death that Coraline began to equate the night with peace - a reprieve from her father’s constant yelling and her brothers' increasing cruelty. Every night, she waited until the rest of the household slept, and then made her way quietly from her room and into their little-used study. The smell of musty books tickled her nose as she sat on the window ledge, staring out into the darkness beyond, where the moon cast its silver light.
As Coraline grew, so too did the speculative gleam in her father’s eyes when he looked at her. She was sixteen the first time he brought her with him to the Court, still too young and too naive to realize what her father intended for her to do. But, she had learned quickly.
It was simple enough to charm the men her father wanted her to, in exchange for their favor and support before the king. Her father did not push her, at first, to offer them more than her company, but that eventually changed. The dead of night became a special refuge, then, when she was free from unwanted caresses and whispered endearments for a few precious hours.
Perhaps that was why, when the soldiers came for her with that infernal brand, Coraline ran into the night, trusting the darkness to protect her. It had, until news of a defiant courtesan spread and a mob rallied, their torches lighting the dark alley where she had hidden. It wasn't long before the searing pain from her shoulder and the scent of her own scorched flesh made her too weak to stand. So, Coraline lay there on the ground, silently yearning for the cool night air to wrap around her like a cloak, to sooth the fire still burning her skin.
Her place as a courtesan sealed, the night took on new life from that point forward. A courtesan never ceased to play the part expected of her, and so the hours after dark became a blur of illicit kisses and embraces, most from men far older than herself. She did not suffer - many showered her with jewels and affection, and she even came to revel in the power she had over them, those countless men who simpered and pleaded for her attention. But, nonetheless, she cherished those rare moments when the night was calm and still, when the darkness hid the secrets the light would reveal.
Perhaps it was fitting, then, that He came to her in one such moment. He appeared soundlessly in the room, the movement of the curtains the only indication of his entry. Tall and dressed in a black cloak, he blended seamlessly with the shadows. He extended his hand to her without a word, and she took it, sliding from beneath the silken sheets of the bed where she lay, unconcerned that she would wake the Duke next to her. The Duke had drunk heavily that night, and he did not hold his liquor well. He would sleep for hours yet.
The black-clad figure waited for her to retrieve her robe, then stepped outside to the balcony. She followed him from the room, curiosity mingling with something almost like anticipation.
It was there, on that balcony, that her world changed.
That man wove a tale more incredible than any she had heard before, filled with old battles, ancient rivalries, and long-standing claims to power. He had plans, many plans, and he wanted her to be a part of it all. Her brothers already were, and her father…her father was dead. She nodded, utterly unmoved by that fact, and listened with rapt attention as he told her of a strange new world, one of vampires and blood and endless nights, and she pulled her long hair aside before he even finished speaking, baring her throat to him in invitation.
After all, Coraline DuVall had never been afraid of the dark.
Fin
~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Thank you for reading, and of course, please let me know what you think!
-Laughter
I love how you've portrayed night as a time of safety, comfort, and peace. 
Coraline has been through a lot, but she has remained brave and strong. She'll be ready for whatever awaits her in the future...
Excellent contribution to the challenge, Laughter!