H&M, Chapter 14

[rthstewart]

I posted chapter 14 of Harold and Morgan early this morning and you can find it here:



Again, my huge thanks to those of you who helped here, first with the block and second with how I crafted Morgan's choices and their relationship.  Thank you so much. Coming fresh off of the chapter of AW and the comments about Ed’s very mature conversation with his mother, I had to dial him back years for this chapter and that was really hard. Further, based on comments, I knew there were political and “career” issues I had to pose.

And then there was Edmund’s terrific misunderstanding/jealousy/insecurity with Rishta. I thought of omitting it for several reasons. However, the idea behind it, the epithet and stereotype that a Narnian’s brain is between his legs, is something I’ve had in my head since I started the story. I’ve been paving the way for it a long time, and across stories. On the one hand, I usually present the lustiness of Narnia as humorous and fun -- team Licentious Trees as anastigmatfic calls it. So it might seem surprising to see it viewed so negatively by some on the outside. Rather like some of my critics, I suppose? Ahem. At the very least, it makes Narnia seem rustic, which as Susan says in chapter 5 of BRD, it is. Narnia is not stupid or uncouth as many assume (the premise of BRD) but neither does she have sophistication of the other lands.

I really wanted to make this more fun and to show some of the good times that Edmund is remembering fondly in AW (h_dash_h, that was your comment). So, some of that is here even if there is angst as well (I’m tired of angst. Aren’t you? Just shut up and have sex, would you? Stupid characters.) In terms of actual sexual content – by which I mean descriptive, point of view activity – this chapter breaks no new ground. Yet, I’ve come to see that there’s something really important in this journey for some readers that is very adult.  This journey can affect readers personally. Morgan’s fierce assertion of her prerogative is one that in an ideal world, someone might imagine saying to a partner. Compromise plays out all the time as people balance career and personal lives. 

Goodness, too much navel gazing. We obviously need more Otter and Narnians trying to entertain the King and his consort in trees and marshes.  "There are bugs in the honeycomb!" Morgan hissed.  "I can't eat this!"  Harold, however, had already popped the comb into his mouth as the she-Bear looked on approvingly.  (If you have any other ideas, do share).

  Clio told me last night that the arc made sense – which I doubted. So thank her because otherwise I would have chucked it and started over.  Readers E and Doewe has also provided some wonderful help in email as I've parsed through this relationship.  This is all so much better for the thoughtful contributions of readers. 

Comments

Re: Wonderful stuff!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! Edmund is carrying some residual guilt and Morgan isn't helping the situation. I've been working on another scene in the next chapter where, instead of them both doing stupid things, they actually understand each other before there is a blow up. I did wonder about including the scene with Rishta. Sometimes things that have been in my head for so long really don't need to be there; similarly there is an exchange of lines that bothers me a little, too. But they need to have a good argument and then resolve it and move on and get the heck out of Anvard.

Director Linch expressed much the same thoughts as Rishta does -- that to keep Morgan as a toy for a King doesn't recognize her worth -- that anyone can be a King's mistress, but Morgan is a supremely valuable asset. And the idea that that wild Northerner is just sleeping with this valued treasure underscores the rumors and prejudices they have about the North -- they are bunch of uncouth, uncultured wild animals, children and savages who sleep with trees and things with hooves as Pierce thinks.

And as for Jalur, well, he's a tricky cat:

Jalur was, finally, able to lie down in the sitting room and relax. He found his favorite spot on the rug and stretched out. King Edmund and Banker Morgan had finally begun their usual courtship and mating and so he could just ignore them and the ruckus of leaving of Anvard for a little while. He smelled and heard Jina approach; the Hound had joined Harah for a turn outside once the rain had stopped and everyone had calmed down.

Jina pushed open the door, Harah flew in and Jina then pushed the door closed again.

Harah landed on a chair and Jina settled across from Jalur with a sigh.

“That was close,” Harah said. “Quick thinking, Jalur, to have me go find Morgan.”

“Yes,” Jina said. “Thank you. What happened?”

Jalur didn’t want to talk to anyone. He wanted to take a nap, bite into the flesh of some struggling game, preferably otter, and he wanted to criticize his Monarch and his Monarch’s lady.

He rested his head between his paws and sighed. “Tarkaan Rishta was very rude and said things that made King Edmund think Morgan was a slave and that he wanted to buy Morgan to mate with her.”

“But that is not what Rishta wanted at all!” Jina said. “King Edmund misunderstood.”

“He had reason to misunderstand,” Jalur replied.

“But why did King Edmund suddenly decide he was going to leave without Morgan?” Harah asked. “If another Crow wants to steal your Shiny, you hide it; you don’t leave it behind for someone to take.”

“I do not know,” Jalur said. “King Edmund was very angry. I tried to calm him. I told him it was all a mistake.”

“So you lied?” Harah asked. “Well done!”

Jalur growled at the Bird. He was tired of words, he didn’t like them, and all this speaking was making him irritable all over again. Well, even more irritable. He hadn’t lied. Not exactly. It was just more of this tedious Human business where they never said what they meant. “When King Edmund began preparations for leaving without Morgan, I thought it would be the mistake of Narrowhaven again. I did not want more months of that. They need to come back to Narnia.”

“Smart work, Jalur,” Harah. “But I still don’t see why he would leave Morgan behind.”

“Rishta likes Morgan very much,” Jina said. “King Edmund knew this and was jealous. Rishta made King Edmund think that he and Narnia were not fine enough for Morgan.”

Jalur growled again.

“That’s silly,” Harah said. “I shouldn’t have that fine silver knife from the dining room table, but I wanted it so I took it.” The Crow rustled her feathers. “Why does it matter if a Shiny’s too fine for me if I like it?”

Jina looked at him. Jalur turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. If Jina wanted to explain stealing to a Crow, she was welcome to try. He was going to take a nap.

Re: Wonderful stuff!

[(Anonymous)]

Oh --Jalur is having to manage his King a great deal lately. I bet he never envisioned all this emotional messiness when he first made his Guard's vow! But he is proving very adaptable and flexible. As you say, a very sneaky cat. I don't why I am surprised. In my limited experience cats are very good at managing humans. And you can see how Jalur is evolving into that big softie who gives away his precious otter chew toy to Edmund's cub.

Thanks again for the preview.

ClaireI