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kiramaru7Title: Whatever Doesn’t Kill You, Makes you Stronger
Author/Team: kira/ Team Rainbow Fish
Fandom/Original: (Fandom Name or Original): Original
Rating: G
Triggers: none
Summary: Hilde spends time sparring with her brother, only to incur her mother’s wrath…
ConCrit: (Y/N): No, but general comments are welcome.
Prompts: Daily prompt April 14; I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again
Word Count: 1265
Author’s note: Please note this is unbetaed and any mistakes therein are my own. Please also note that this is cross-posted to WriteIt! and Madrona Project.
Hilde von Meyer got knocked off her feet by her older brother Albert when he swung his practice sword at her. She tried blocking the blow and landing one of her own, but he countered her attack, by sweeping her feet out from under her with his foot, and sending her sprawling onto her butt. She glared angrily up at him when he held out a hand to help her up.
“Nice try, Hilde,” Albert said. He was very impressed by her ferocity and her cool headedness during their sparring. It was in sharp contrast to their younger brother Klaus, who always fought to kill and took any form of criticism badly. “By the time we head to the City for Sovereignty Days, you’ll be able to hold your own in the melee!” He grinned. “Papa will be so proud!”
“Danke.” She got up without his help, dusted herself off, and resumed her fighting stance. They continued their sparring, and despite getting knocked down several times, she continued to get up each time as if it was no big deal. By the time they were finished, Hilde was beginning to be able to give as good as she got. She dusted herself off a final time, feeling very proud of herself as they headed back to the manor house.
Her mother was waiting for her when she entered, the look of anger on her face sending her brother scurrying for his rooms. “Brunhilde von Meyer!” Countess Wilhelmina stood there with her arms folded neatly across her ample bosom, tapping her foot. She glared at her daughter. “What are you doing? And why are you dressed like that again? Hmmm?!”
Hilde swallowed and looked her mother in the eye. She took a deep breath, composing her thoughts before answering. The look on her mother’s face made her feel like a child, instead of the young woman she was. Hilde was unpleasantly reminded of the all the times her mother had punished her for not acting a lady. Having grown up with eight brothers, who always treated her like one of the boys, it was hard to conform to her mother’s ideas of femininity.
“I was sparring with Albert. Papa said I could and if I was good enough, I could take part in the reenactments at Sovereignty Days.”
“Oh really?!” Wilhelmina arched an eyebrow.
Hilde nodded. By now several servants had assembled, drawn by the countess’ shrill tone and she prayed her mother would not do something to embarrass her. Memories of last year when her mother caught her skinny dipping and forced her to walk naked through the yard and the manor house, while her mother called her a whore, had her eyes smarting with unshed tears.
“Answer me when I speak to you!” The countess slapped her daughter’s cheek.
“Yes, Mama,” she said softly. Tears slowly coursed down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, but Papa said I can learn to ride and fight like my brothers.”
Wilhelmina wordlessly huffed. Her husband’s treatment of their only daughter was a sore spot between them, with the countess wanting to “act like a lady” and the count acting like he had nice sons. “Go get clean up!” she said, before turning on her heel and striding off to go look for her husband.
Hilde let out a sigh of relief, although she did feel sorry for her father would be bearing the brunt of her mother’s ire. She winced as her mother’s shrill voice echoed down the hall. Hilde hurried upstairs to her rooms.
Calling the giggling servant girl, who had just left her brother Karl’s rooms, Hilde ordered the girl to draw her a bath. While the girl hurried off to do her bidding, Hilde opened the door to her rooms and stepped inside. Her governess Frau Schultz was there, waiting for her.
Frau Schultz shook her head at her charge. “Hilde, what have you been up to now to incur your mother’s wrath?” She bustled over to her and wrapped her arms around her like she often did when Hilde was a little girl.
Hilde sniffled. “I was sparring with Albert.”
“You know how your mother feels about that.”
“I know, but Papa says I can do it!” Hilde pulled away from her. She walked over to the window and stared out of it, while the servants filled her bath. When they left, she turned back to her governess. “I know Mama just wants me to marry well and be a proper lady, but Papa says I can be one and still know how to ride and hunt with my husband. He says he’d love me for it! Mama…” Hilde shrugged and walked behind her dressing screen.
“You can still ride, but leave the fighting to your brothers.” Frau Schultz walked over to her and helped her undress.
Hilde shrugged. “Mama called me a whore…” She sniffed back her tears. “It wasn’t like I was showing Albert anything, and besides, he only likes boys.”
“Child?” Frau Schultz frowned.
“Mama called me a whore when she found out that the stable boys were watching me swim in the pond and they saw me naked. She was so mad; she made me walk home like that. Papa was angry too, but he said he was proud of me for holding my head up and then he told me if I want to run around naked, he was going to take me to Licentia and leave me there.” She shimmied out of her breeches and stood there in her shirt and her socks. Hilde lifted her feet one at a time so her governess could remove her socks. “Karl says the women there are all naked.” She pulled her shirt over her head. Naked except for her chest binding, Hilde began to remove it, while her governess picked up her discarded clothing. “Is that true?”
Frau Schultz blushed. “I have no idea,” she lied, having lived there during her youth. It was where she had met her late husband, while working at one of the many inns. She shuddered to think what the countess would say, if she knew the woman who looked after her daughter was from that “den of iniquity.”
“Oh…” Hilde walked out from behind the screen and got into the bath. She let out a contented sigh as its warmth soothed her tired muscles. She lay back and luxuriated in the bath. Closing her eyes she said, “You may go, Frau Schultz.” Hilde just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
“Of course.” Frau Schultz left the room.
Hilde tried to let her thoughts drift away to nothingness, but they kept coming back to the fact, that she never let herself get over anything except in the moment. Her older brother Wilhelm had put it the best, when he said it was like she would get knocked down, only to get right back up again, all the more stronger for it. It certainly helped whenever she fought with her over the stupidest things, otherwise, Hilde felt she would drowned in despair.
When the water got cold, Hilde got out, dried herself off and dressed in something more to her mother’s liking. There was no use poking the bear, if she did not have to. She figured it was more important to fight that battle over something more important than what she was wearing or doing for that matter. Smoothing her skirts, when she got up to leave, Hilde went in search of her father. She hoped her mother had not yelled at him too much.
Author/Team: kira/ Team Rainbow Fish
Fandom/Original: (Fandom Name or Original): Original
Rating: G
Triggers: none
Summary: Hilde spends time sparring with her brother, only to incur her mother’s wrath…
ConCrit: (Y/N): No, but general comments are welcome.
Prompts: Daily prompt April 14; I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again
Word Count: 1265
Author’s note: Please note this is unbetaed and any mistakes therein are my own. Please also note that this is cross-posted to WriteIt! and Madrona Project.
Hilde von Meyer got knocked off her feet by her older brother Albert when he swung his practice sword at her. She tried blocking the blow and landing one of her own, but he countered her attack, by sweeping her feet out from under her with his foot, and sending her sprawling onto her butt. She glared angrily up at him when he held out a hand to help her up.
“Nice try, Hilde,” Albert said. He was very impressed by her ferocity and her cool headedness during their sparring. It was in sharp contrast to their younger brother Klaus, who always fought to kill and took any form of criticism badly. “By the time we head to the City for Sovereignty Days, you’ll be able to hold your own in the melee!” He grinned. “Papa will be so proud!”
“Danke.” She got up without his help, dusted herself off, and resumed her fighting stance. They continued their sparring, and despite getting knocked down several times, she continued to get up each time as if it was no big deal. By the time they were finished, Hilde was beginning to be able to give as good as she got. She dusted herself off a final time, feeling very proud of herself as they headed back to the manor house.
Her mother was waiting for her when she entered, the look of anger on her face sending her brother scurrying for his rooms. “Brunhilde von Meyer!” Countess Wilhelmina stood there with her arms folded neatly across her ample bosom, tapping her foot. She glared at her daughter. “What are you doing? And why are you dressed like that again? Hmmm?!”
Hilde swallowed and looked her mother in the eye. She took a deep breath, composing her thoughts before answering. The look on her mother’s face made her feel like a child, instead of the young woman she was. Hilde was unpleasantly reminded of the all the times her mother had punished her for not acting a lady. Having grown up with eight brothers, who always treated her like one of the boys, it was hard to conform to her mother’s ideas of femininity.
“I was sparring with Albert. Papa said I could and if I was good enough, I could take part in the reenactments at Sovereignty Days.”
“Oh really?!” Wilhelmina arched an eyebrow.
Hilde nodded. By now several servants had assembled, drawn by the countess’ shrill tone and she prayed her mother would not do something to embarrass her. Memories of last year when her mother caught her skinny dipping and forced her to walk naked through the yard and the manor house, while her mother called her a whore, had her eyes smarting with unshed tears.
“Answer me when I speak to you!” The countess slapped her daughter’s cheek.
“Yes, Mama,” she said softly. Tears slowly coursed down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, but Papa said I can learn to ride and fight like my brothers.”
Wilhelmina wordlessly huffed. Her husband’s treatment of their only daughter was a sore spot between them, with the countess wanting to “act like a lady” and the count acting like he had nice sons. “Go get clean up!” she said, before turning on her heel and striding off to go look for her husband.
Hilde let out a sigh of relief, although she did feel sorry for her father would be bearing the brunt of her mother’s ire. She winced as her mother’s shrill voice echoed down the hall. Hilde hurried upstairs to her rooms.
Calling the giggling servant girl, who had just left her brother Karl’s rooms, Hilde ordered the girl to draw her a bath. While the girl hurried off to do her bidding, Hilde opened the door to her rooms and stepped inside. Her governess Frau Schultz was there, waiting for her.
Frau Schultz shook her head at her charge. “Hilde, what have you been up to now to incur your mother’s wrath?” She bustled over to her and wrapped her arms around her like she often did when Hilde was a little girl.
Hilde sniffled. “I was sparring with Albert.”
“You know how your mother feels about that.”
“I know, but Papa says I can do it!” Hilde pulled away from her. She walked over to the window and stared out of it, while the servants filled her bath. When they left, she turned back to her governess. “I know Mama just wants me to marry well and be a proper lady, but Papa says I can be one and still know how to ride and hunt with my husband. He says he’d love me for it! Mama…” Hilde shrugged and walked behind her dressing screen.
“You can still ride, but leave the fighting to your brothers.” Frau Schultz walked over to her and helped her undress.
Hilde shrugged. “Mama called me a whore…” She sniffed back her tears. “It wasn’t like I was showing Albert anything, and besides, he only likes boys.”
“Child?” Frau Schultz frowned.
“Mama called me a whore when she found out that the stable boys were watching me swim in the pond and they saw me naked. She was so mad; she made me walk home like that. Papa was angry too, but he said he was proud of me for holding my head up and then he told me if I want to run around naked, he was going to take me to Licentia and leave me there.” She shimmied out of her breeches and stood there in her shirt and her socks. Hilde lifted her feet one at a time so her governess could remove her socks. “Karl says the women there are all naked.” She pulled her shirt over her head. Naked except for her chest binding, Hilde began to remove it, while her governess picked up her discarded clothing. “Is that true?”
Frau Schultz blushed. “I have no idea,” she lied, having lived there during her youth. It was where she had met her late husband, while working at one of the many inns. She shuddered to think what the countess would say, if she knew the woman who looked after her daughter was from that “den of iniquity.”
“Oh…” Hilde walked out from behind the screen and got into the bath. She let out a contented sigh as its warmth soothed her tired muscles. She lay back and luxuriated in the bath. Closing her eyes she said, “You may go, Frau Schultz.” Hilde just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
“Of course.” Frau Schultz left the room.
Hilde tried to let her thoughts drift away to nothingness, but they kept coming back to the fact, that she never let herself get over anything except in the moment. Her older brother Wilhelm had put it the best, when he said it was like she would get knocked down, only to get right back up again, all the more stronger for it. It certainly helped whenever she fought with her over the stupidest things, otherwise, Hilde felt she would drowned in despair.
When the water got cold, Hilde got out, dried herself off and dressed in something more to her mother’s liking. There was no use poking the bear, if she did not have to. She figured it was more important to fight that battle over something more important than what she was wearing or doing for that matter. Smoothing her skirts, when she got up to leave, Hilde went in search of her father. She hoped her mother had not yelled at him too much.
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no subject
Date: 2021-04-26 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 07:14 pm (UTC)I know! It's been hard for poor Hilde, but she'll manage & be all the stronger in thee end for it.
Yeah? :D I'm glad you like her! :D
I need to get back into writing again. XD I was having fun with Hilde, but I kinda lost her story. Hopefully I can coax her back into talking to me again. XD