Vignettes

A collection of short stories mostly written
as challenges for the Queen of Swords
Fan Fiction Yahoo Group
by Maril Swan

Disclaimer: The characters from the Queen of Swords are copyright to Fireworks. I have borrowed them for these vignettes with no expectation of financial reward. The stories and other characters are copyright to the author, Maril Swan.

Feedback: yes, please. It is always a pleasure to hear what others think of these stories.

Trio Challenge: bar of soap, wine bottle, latch-key

My Fair Bandita

"Get her, you idiots!" Montoya shouted out his office window as he watched the black-clad figure disappear into the night. She galloped away on her dark horse, leaving just a cloud of dust. Ruefully, he pulled the latch-key to his vault from his pocket and stared at it. 'I might as well put a swinging door on that room for all the good a lock does to keep her out. I'm almost getting used to this.'

Montoya, breaking into a fine tenor:

"I've grown accustomed to her ways,
She almost makes the night begin.
I've grown accustomed her guise
Which scarcely hides her eyes...
Her mask, her lips, her swords, her whips,
Are a pain in the arse to me now
While she's breathing out and breathing in.

I could get away with murder
Until the day we met
Surely, I could always do that again, and yet...

I've grown accustomed to her mask,
Accustomed to her laugh
Accustomed to her thefts."

I'm very grateful she's a woman
She should be so easy to get;
Rather like a rabbit
One can always catch and yet,

I've grown accustomed to the trace
Of bullets in the air;
Accustomed to the chase."

He dropped the key into his pocket and walked down into the pueblo street where he noticed Doctor Helm standing aloofly with a smug expression on his face. "I see your lady love has managed to thwart the legal authorities once again, Doctor. I do not see how you could possibly admire her."

Helm whirled at the sound of Montoya's voice, a crooked smile already spreading over his features. Helm, launching into a warm baritone:

"I have often walked down this street before;
But I've never felt so much heat before.
All at once am I
Just a regular guy
Who's in love with a bandit queen.

Are there yucca trees in the heart of town?
Can you hear a gunshot in any other part of town?
Does excitement pour
Out of ev'ry door?
No, it's just in the town where you thieve!

And oh! my senses are reeling
Every time you give me a kiss.
The overpowering feeling
That one of these times a soldier might not miss!

Soldiers stop and shoot. They don't bother you.
For there's nothing else on earth that you would rather do.
Let the time go by,
I won't care if I
Can be here in the town where you thieve."

Montoya grimaced and strolled away, convinced that the doctor had become mentally unhinged.

***********
Tessa rushed into the secret room, her face flushed with excitement, eyes dancing with delight. Marta regarded her in annoyance and said, "It is very late. Where have you been?"

Tessa, beginning to sing in a lovely sound-alike Julie Andrews voice:

"I had to ride all night
I had to ride all night
And could have rode some more.

When I stole that gold
From Montoya's hold,
I should have grabbed some more.

Marta, it was so exciting
All at once, my horse took flight
And then I had to flee
When the soldiers fired at me
I had to ride, ride, ride
All night."

"Well, you're home safe now. I have drawn a bath for you in your room."

Tessa followed dutifully. She disrobed then slid gratefully into the warm suds. Marta handed her a cloth and a bar of soap.

"By the way, Tessa, you have a letter from your friend, Luisa." Marta picked up a sealed bundle from the dresser and showed it to the younger woman.

"Read it to me, Marta," Tessa said as she plunged under the foamy water of the tub. Emerging with water streaming off her face, she beamed a warm smile at the Gypsy woman.

Marta read the contents and then stopped. "It seems they are having bad weather in Madrid."

"What do you mean, Marta?" Tessa leaned on the edge of the tub, looking up expectantly.

Marta, whipping out her castanets and a fan, begins to do a slow flamenco. She sings while dancing:

"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."

Tessa: "Now once again, where does it rain?"

Marta, with fervour: "On the plain! On the plain!"

Tessa: "And where's that soggy plain?"

Marta: "In Spain, in Spain."

Duet: ""The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."

Stronger: "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain!"

********

The soldiers slouched over their weary horses as they trooped along the trail back to the pueblo. At their head, Capitan Grisham sighed several times as he glanced at the lightening of the dawn sky.

Next to him, his sergeant asked, "What is wrong, Capitan? We did our best."

Grisham, glaring at the sergeant, breaks into a deep baritone:

"There'll be a court-martial in the morning
Boom, bang, the guns are going to blast
'Cause I couldn't stop her,
I'll have to tell a whopper
Or Montoya will kick my ass.

So I've got to be there in the morning
Spruced up and looking mighty fine
Vera come and kiss me
Show how you'll miss
Cause now my life ain't worth a dime."

The sergeant leaned back and pulled a wine bottle out of his saddlebag. "Here, Capitan. You look like you need this more than I do."

END

a linen towel, a bear, red ribbon

Leaves from a Diary

May 3, 1803
Today I am eight. I had such a nice birthday. All my cousins were there. Ricardo and Sandro gave me a pretty doll and Elena made a satin pillow for the doll. If only Mama could have been here too.

May 16, 1803
Today Papa left for California. Uncle Alejandro took him to Cadiz where the ship will sail from. I am left here in Madrid with the Gypsy woman, Marta. Though I liked her, now she suddenly seems like a stranger. I am a little afraid of her. Before he left, Papa said I was to mind her and do what she says. The house feels so empty without Papa, and I am already missing him.

May 24, 1803
My new mathematics tutor came today. He is old and smells funny. Marta said I must learn about numbers but I see no reason for it.

May 26, 1803
Marta won't let me go out into the courtyard to play with my dolls until I have finished my mathematics exercises. She corrected my work and made me do it again. I think she is mean.

May 30, 1803
Today I went to a party at a villa a few streets away from ours. I met a new friend named Luisa. She has a brother named Antonio. Marta was pleased that I made a friend. I think Luisa's mother didn't like Marta. She gave her strange looks all afternoon.

June 4, 1803
Papa has been gone for a whole month. I miss him so much. I wish he had taken me with him to California. I hate Spain and this city. There is no place to ride a horse, even if I had one. I miss my horse, Chiquita. She was a lovely pony. I hope she won't forget me.

June 5, 1803
Today I went to visit Luisa. We had a good time. Except for Antonio, Luisa's brother. He is a pest. We both hate him.

June 6, 1803
I am not speaking to Marta ever again. Today I tore my dress climbing a tree in the courtyard. She tried to make me sew it but I will not. She has refused to give me any food until I do. But I won't. That is what servants are for.

Tonight I am so hungry. But I will starve myself to death before I give in. Then she will be sorry.

After I sewed the tear in my dress, Marta gave me a lovely dinner and a special treat. But she made me pull out the stitches and do it again. She said I must learn to do things for myself and not depend on others. Why do we have servants then?

June 26, 1803
Today I received a letter from Papa. It was posted from Santo Domingo. I looked it up on the atlas. So far away. His letter made me cry and Marta gave me a hug and we went out for a walk on the Puerto del Sol. We looked at the shops and vendors, and laughed a lot.

July 3, 1803
I am writing to Papa to tell him how Marta mistreats me. She will be sorry. Today I said a bad word to her. I was angry with her. She took the soap and washed my mouth with it. I can still taste the soap. I hate Marta.

July 5, 1803
Today when I came down to breakfast, there was a strange man in the kitchen with Marta. She said her was her brother, Rafael. Same name as my father. He gave me a carved bear made of wood. Rafael said he carved it for a special señorita. Then he picked me up and swung me around and made me laugh. I like Rafael. It is too bad Marta is not as nice as her brother.

July 8, 1803
My music tutor is a nasty old woman. Today I told her that Marta plays the violin and she did not believe me. She said Gypsies were savages and couldn't learn anything. I will write to Papa and ask if he could find me another music tutor. Señora Rodriquez will not allow Marta in the room while I learn to play the pianoforte. She says she is afraid of the evil eye. I don't know what that is, but I don't think Marta has it.

July 15, 1803
Today I fell and hurt my knee while running away from Antonio. He was trying to pull my hair. Marta cleaned the sore with a linen towel and put something on the hurt that took out the sting. She was almost as nice as Mama was when I hurt myself in California. I miss my Mama so much.

August 2, 1803
Today when I was at Luisa's, Antonio came into her room and pushed over her little table, spilling Luisa's toy teacups. He pushed me down and I got back up and hit him. Luisa's mother was angry at us, but mostly at me. I had made his nose bleed. She told Marta to take me home. Marta scolded me and said some problems could not be solved with fists. But once we were outside and some distance from the house, she started to laugh. She wouldn't say why, but she gave me a big hug, and said I was a brave girl. We took the long way home and she bought me a red ribbon for my hair.

Tonight I will remember Marta in my prayers. I hope my Mama in heaven will forgive me, but I love Marta now too.

END

– Maril
Yes, I know it's sappy, but that's the mood I was in today.

Satrap, finial and gnomon

The Hostess with the Leastest

The striped canvas canopy snapped and ballooned against the ropes as the workers hammered the wooden pegs into the ground. They strained to tighten the guy ropes to hold the canopy's supporting poles firmly upright. Marta watched apprehensively for a moment, then turned to Tessa.

"Do you think it was a good idea to have your party so near the ocean? That breeze is beginning to get stronger."

Tessa glanced at the tent with a slight frown then smiled. "This is the prettiest spot on the hacienda, Marta. Everyone remarks on the view from this cliff overlooking the ocean, ...and everything is already set up here. Look at the tables and chairs under the canopy, and the streamers and bunting..." Just then, a piece of the bunting tore loose from the tent and floated out over the cliff to finally snag on a scrubby bush on the rock face. Tessa shrugged and called loudly over the wind to the workers, "Tie the bunting on more securely."

"Now, what time is it, Marta? The party starts at one o'clock."

Marta peered at a tree whose shadow was like the gnomon of a sundial. "It is just past eleven. Shouldn't the musicians be here by now? Where are they?"

"I asked Rosa to give them a lunch in the kitchen before they came out."

A worried frown crossed Marta's brow. "Where is the wine for the party?"

"In the kitchen. Why?" Tessa's mouth dropped and she exclaimed, "Oh no."

Almost as one the two women raced to the wagon, and Marta grabbed the reins and whipped the team into a gallop as they sped back to the villa.

Rushing into the kitchen such a spectacle met their eyes, they were speechless. The musicians were hammering away on their guitars in a wild rendition of flamenco while Rosa, her bulky form jiggling and her skirts flying, danced in gay abandon. Many wine bottles lay empty on the floor and more were open as the men swigged down the wine while hardly missing a beat of the music.

When they saw Tessa and Marta in the doorway, the music stopped abruptly. Rosa flopped into a chair, huffing, her large bosom heaving, her moist round face crimson from the dancing.

One of the musicians stood up, wavering drunkenly, and with an exaggerated flourish of his sombrero, said, "Shenorita Alva ...Alverosa ...Eldorado, permit me to introduce myshelf. I am Miguel Mendoza, and this is my little band. We are honoured to play for you today. We thank you for your gracious hospitality." He stepped back to sit on his chair, missed and fell onto the floor. His companions laughed uproariously as their leader struggled to get back on his feet.

The kitchen was a shambles. All the hors d'oeuvres were either eaten or mashed beyond recognition. Much of the wine was gone. Of the desserts, Tessa could see nothing. Rosa was supposed to be working on them. Tessa glared at her.

Rosa seemed to be having difficulty focussing on her mistress. "I am sorry, patrona. I will finish the meal..." She yawned and leaned back in the chair. "As soon as I have a little siesta." With that, she abruptly fell asleep and began to snore.

Tessa looked around in panic. Nothing was ready for the party and the musicians were too drunk to play. She sent an imploring look at Marta, but her companion's face was a stormcloud of anger.

Marta marched over the leader. "I am going to make some coffee for you, and you had better get your band sobered up, pronto! I don't care how you do it." She grabbed his collar and gave him a shove toward the rest of the musicians, two of whom were snoozing with their heads resting on the kitchen table. "You don't want to know what kind of Gypsy curse I am planning for you if you fail to appear for the party."

The leader's eyes widened in fear. Quickly, he shook his men and they staggered out of the kitchen. Marta heaved a deep sigh and began to clean up the mess. "We still have a few hours. We can make everything again."

Tessa was shaking her head. "It's too late. We'll never make it. All those people coming here for my first party. It's a disaster." She gripped the finial of a chair, sunk in gloom as she gazed around the kitchen.

Marta chucked her under the chin. "I have an idea. Everything will be fine, chica. Go back and finish with the decorations. I will take care of the rest." Marta gave her a slight push toward the door and Tessa left after casting one last rueful glance at the mess.

*****

Soft music rose above the crackling of the tent flaps as the guests milled around under the canopy or strolled near the cliff to enjoy the view. The four musicians sat with their sombreros pulled low over their bloodshot eyes, and if their playing was less enthusiastic than previously, no one seemed to notice.

Tessa smiled and greeted her guests, stopping here and there to chat. Now and then, she cast an anxious glance at the road that led to her villa, then at the nearly empty tables inside the tent. Only the wine had arrived so far. 'Perhaps,' Tessa thought hopefully, 'if the guests drink a lot of wine, they won't notice there is no food.' That vain hope sank when Colonel Montoya strolled over after dismounting from his horse. He looked regal, like a satrap, in his gold-braided uniform and impeccably white shirt.

Taking her hand and kissing it briefly, he said, "Señorita Alvarado, what a charming place for a fiesta. My poor Rose Courtyard pales in comparison with the beauty of these natural wonders." Montoya gestured broadly to the rugged cliffs and the crashing surf on the beach below. "You are to be congratulated on your hospitality. It is such a pleasure to be a guest for a change at one of these fiestas. Alas, I see I have arrived too late for the meal."

"Actually, Colonel, I must confess ..." Tessa stopped as a general murmur arose from her guests and she followed the direction of their gaze to the road. A line of wagons could be seen coming over a slight rise, heading toward the fiesta site.

A half dozen wagons and carts drew up near the tent and immediately the workers began unloading the baskets and bowls, carrying them inside the tent. Marta dismounted one of the carts and went into the tent, directing the placement of the food.

Tessa excused herself from the colonel and hurried to Marta's side. "Marta, how did you do it? All this food in such a short time."

Marta took her arm and led her a short distance away. In a lowered voice, she said, "These are the workers' lunches. There is quite a variety of foods here, though not the fare the guests may be used to. Do not tell them what the meats are, they may not eat it." Marta chuckled at the shocked look on Tessa's face. "Now let us feed the guests. By now, they must be ready to eat just about anything."

Tessa could only mumble, "Thank you, Marta." Her radiant smile said the rest as she went back into the tent to invite her elegant guests to partake of the peasant meal.

END

TRIO CHALLENGE: chopsticks, ink, bullfighting
QUOTE 3: "I want to live bravely and love without fear." - Jewel

Pearls of Wisdom

Marta watched with growing impatience as Tessa picked up the rice a few grains at a time and abstractedly put them into her mouth. Finally, Marta took the chopsticks out of her hand and gave her a fork. "Use this," Marta said tartly. "I do not want to spend my whole evening at the dinner table while you try to learn to use these strange things." The red lacquered chopsticks had been a parting gift from Kami, and Tessa had never tried to use them until tonight.

She expected some resistence but Tessa merely took the fork and continued to eat in silence. The younger woman's eyes held a far-away look. It was a look that Marta knew too well. Her ward was in an introspective mood, probably coming to some decision. Usually, Tessa would ask her advice, but sometimes she made her decisions alone.

Tessa set her fork down suddenly and said, "I'm not going back to Spain, Marta."

Marta started, then frowned slightly. "You have been thinking of returning to Spain? Since when?"

"For months, I have thought of little else. All this turmoil in my life, all these problems, all this guilt on my conscience." Tessa paused, taking a deep breath. "I have finally resolved to stay here where my parents are buried." She regarded Marta seriously and continued, "My life in Spain was so easy and carefree ...but it had no purpose. Just galas, parties, the excitement of the corrida and the bullfights, all those lavish diversions that I spent my days and nights pursuing. Being part of the Court was glorious but even it palled after a while."

"I was longing for it though, Marta." A wistful smile played over her lips as she seemed to be remembering those halcyon days. "Now I see I could never fit in there again. I could not go back to being that silly girl who lived for pleasure and the flattery of men. Here my life has meaning and I have a destiny to fulfill. I want to live bravely and love without fear."

The dark eyes seemed to search Marta's face looking for something, some reaction. Seconds ticked by as Tessa waited for her to speak.

Marta's throat constricted as she gazed on this child she had raised to become a woman. She had grown so much since returning to California. "I am so proud of you, Tessa," Marta whispered finally as she reached for her hand.

~~~
Hours later, Marta entered Tessa's room to say goodnight. She found her seated at her writing table. Tessa set down the quill pen and blotted the ink on the letter she was writing. Around her neck was a strand of matched pearls. In the flickering candlelight, they gleamed warmly against her skin.

Tessa turned and smiled self-consciously. "I feel my mother's presence in these pearls. She wore them for her portrait." She touched the pearls reverently. "I am writing to Uncle Alejandro to ask him to send Mama's portrait here. Papa left it with me in Spain so I would remember what she looked like, but now that I have decided to stay, I want to put the painting with Papa's over the mantle. They belong together." She smiled softly. "As I now think these pearls belong to me. I know my mother would have given them to me if she had been able. They will never be shut away in the dark again."

THE END

©Vignettes6 - Maril Swan - September 2001

Please send your comments on these stories to the author, Maril Swan