Oops sorry, it's Ettne not Etna. *Blush* My mistake.

That was impressive, most impressive. Etna was a good poet and it seemed be was well known. Putting his story and interaction was genius because this was their story, meetinjg them couldve gave him some inspiratio(Naima), and it gives insight on his work:
I liked the story even though I disagree with drinking. The acting of Etna was great. I thighht he was a stuffy scholar, but he was a vibrant artist.

I also acre with a previous reviewer, Drake & Saria have a lot in common, even not wanting the fixed marriage. It's be cool if they got together in a certiqn epilogue in a certaineq story by a certain talented author. It's just semi-popular demand.

Well written pieces as always. I didn't mind the fourth one (the deleted chapter) - it was interesting. And I like this one too. Good character interaction. :-)

Oh No!
I have just realised that I forgot to review this! *cowers away in dread of First Captain Slipshod appearing* I had better do it quick or our treaty will be null and void...

*pulls self up with one last furtive glance then strides toward the computer and starts typing frantically*

Right *ahem* where were we? ah yes The Poet Ettne.
Well I must say I was very surprised to meet him.
I assumed Ettne was a very ancient philosopher, whose bones had been turned to dust thousands of years earlier in some vault underneath a temple dedicated to the Blessed One. His quotes seemed like they had passed into folklore and had become the source from which all well educated young scholars filled their rhetoric with eloquence.

As expected I revelled in another opportunity to enjoy Naima in her aliveness. She is a woman after my own heart!
Who worries about ordinary things like cold feet when there is a lovely warm living horse hide to rub ones toes against?
Why let silly speculations about being burnt for a witch prevent you from being of use to some poor sick children?
How could Rowe clutter the airwaves with idle scoldings when there is a exquisite violet sunrise to admire? *glares at him*

Ettne is very funny! I like his unpredictability although I find myself respecting his insights far less now that I know they are the occasionally coherent ramblings of a habitual drunkard. I know that sounds terribly arrogant and prejudiced but there you have it.
I'd have much more respect for a solitary, impoverished hermit who spent his latter years day dreaming, after a life of disillusionment among the Asherian nobility. Giving up his wealth and title to be fed by the animals on nuts and seeds they foraged in the woods around his abode, and eventually dying of hunger and neglect mourned by no one except his animal friends, until 100 years later when some lost hunter stumbles across his bivouac and brings his writings back to civilisation to be carefully archived and treasured forever...
*glassy eyed romantic sigh*
Anyway the one you did is quite good too so don't worry, I am not rejecting him. If you want to borrow mine for any of your future stories feel free to. His name was Lord Snigelathon, but the children in the village closest to his hut, referred to him as Lord Sniggles, and threw stones at him whenever they dared creep close enough to spy on him.

Sorry, that wasn't much of a review was it? Still it might comfort you a bit to know that your story gave birth to another character who had never been given the dignity of being written down before...
...and I DID admire Naima and tell Rowe off for being a terrible boring travelling companion, who misses all the existential moments (a glare can communicate a thousand words!)
Love you
EVA

This chapter made me laugh. "Are you...talking in verse?" "Am I? How strange?"

I certainly remembered dear Ettne as soon as I saw the title. He did have some very good chapter headings. And I undersand comepletely adding this story to the supplementary tales. It's just not a true story without a poor, wandering, drunk poet wandering about in there somewhere.

As I read these supplementary tales I can't help but think of poor Saria and how she's basically all alone in that big castle. She'll to travel places all alone. Her brothers dead, her fathers dead and she's the living relic of a time that many people hated. And she totaly got rejected by Alden. Thats just like a slap in the face.
Then I think of Drake, all alone in a strange kingdom. His sisters going off with some guy he's not really sure he even likes. He has to cope with the fact that his entire life as king of Silvern just went out the window. The poor boy probably has no clue what to do with rest of his life.
Poor Saria and Drake, both completely diffrent people who have alot more in common then they could ever imagine. Wouldn't it be wonderful if some, brillant author named Captain Fantastic locked these two characters in a room and made them sort out their diffrences? Love your work!

Ettne is a guy? I did not see that coming. But he's wonderful. And drunk. And reminding me of both Waiting for Godot and The Little Prince, which is an odd combination.
The only bit of doggerel I know is the Hedgehog Song and given /its/ subject matter, the description of a person reciting doggerel making vigorous motions is quite unfortunate.
eternally misunderstood ... understood perfectly - I liked that bit. If I could be bothered tipping my cat off me and relinquishing my place by the fire, I would go find out what its fancy name is, but whatever it's called, it's good sentence structure.

I adore your level of world building--it's incredible. And we got to see more of Naima and Rowe. Nicely written!

YAY, dedication! thank you. i'm so honored. and no, no it isn't. i've been practicing, and it's not comfortable for me to pivot my front foot, and that cuts back on the power a lot. my cross is better. and, of course, my 'snatch out their eye with my hand like that one scene in Kill Bill' is my best.

so i'm kind of in love with ettne. hahahaha! "pausing occasionally for vigorous motions of illustration or a dramatic change of tone" i can just /see/ it, and it's really hilarious. and rowe and naima together are always a good time. let's see, two years? so this would be the same year as RB, or did we agree that was three years? i think it was two.

it's pretty hilarious, overall, but it's also kind of sad. because of the addiction and the poetry, both things i can relate too, and my suspicion that Ettne is not so joyously poetic all the time. i bet he could spit some pretty dark stuff when he wanted to, but that's just speculation. in any case, it makes me think of this one by Baudelaire, which i think is supposed to be all carpe diem but to me seems, well, also kind of sad. probably because of all that 'horrible burden of time' business. look, see:

"You have to be always drunk. That's all there is to it—it's the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk.

But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk.

And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: "It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish."

Ettne reminds me of Chaucer in A Knight's Tale. Only with more clothing, and a penchant for drinking rather than gambling. Take that as you will. I like him.

I feel there isn't much left to say. The style was impeccable; the idea made me smile; the characters made it shine. Brava, bellissima.

um, i don't remember reading this before. what the hell?
i want more cedric. MOAR. and more kylie, because she's fun. and drake is fun as an obnoxiously serious kid. and i want the Ettne one! where's my Ettne?
and i did not almost eat Eva alive. that was just a little snap.

there's not enough hitting in your stories. more people need to hit each other. and Drake's a pansy; he totally wouldn't kill Rowe if he hurt Ravyn. he'd punch him once and die by means of skewering.

This is so well done--I loved it. The best complement I can give is that after not having read this for many a month, I can still remember who all of the characters are!
:) PP

Yay! another dose of Arranged. I am so happy!
The reference to Drake as a 12 year old was really gorgeous. I would love to hear his theories on how the ratio of snakes and frogs in the palace garden effects the politics and law of the kingdom some day... *has a very boggled mind trying to work it out herself*
Rowe and Ravyn were great as usual, but I especially enjoyed seeing a bit more of Kylie. It was such a shame your story ended before we got to know her a bit more. It is one of your great talents that your minor characters have as much interest and complexity as your heroes. We could find plenty of material to write "Arranged" fan fiction! (Don't worry, I wouldn't dare! Slipshod almost ate me alive when I did it to her remember?!!)

Oh, I didn't realize this didn't make it in. How sad. I love this scene. Well, it's here now.

Drake and Rowe are just too funny. I'm glad Ravyn isn't of the type to take them seriously, because then she'd have a nervous disorder and it would all go downhill from there. They are all so imperfectly fitting for each other. I just love your characters! We should all have tea. Roderic and Drake would be great friends, I think, and Katharine, once she realized that Ravyn was not a threat, would probably loosen up enough to find great amusement in the spirited little thing. And Alden would fit right in with Jody, Celeste, and the Jamisons, with all their passels of children...

It's decided. I'll have my people call your people.