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[Disclaimer]
Scrapped Princess | Prelude of the Stray Cat Princess | The Scrapped Princess's Casket | Part 10/10
The snow accumulated bit by bit.
The long winter had begun. The beautiful and the unclean--pure whiteness blotted them all out without bothering about the particularities. Perhaps we consider such a thing beautiful because, after all, in the course of a human life, one ends up seeing more ugliness than beauty.
Life is not pretty. It truly is not the least bit pretty.
As Shannon gazed up at the sky from his seat on the coach box, he reflected on these thoughts.
"Thank you . . . Sorry to put you to so much trouble."
Beside the coach, Raquel was bowing her head to Finebel, the one and only person who had come to see them off. Finebel had brought both the coach that Shannon sat on and the horses that drew it.
They were not exactly of superior quality. The four heads of horses, the coach box, the passenger compartment1, and the rumble all made it a standardized passenger coach. It would hold four people at the most. It was painted primarily in black, and decorations of any kind were nowhere to be seen.
At first glance, it looked as though someone had simply remodeled an ordinary freight coach of the kind used by traveling merchants . . . but in reality, it was equipped with various measures and devices that would allow it to stand against even four military war-carriages, though the only ones who knew this were Shannon and the people who had prepared it.
"I only did as I was ordered."
As usual, Finebel spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. For one reason or another, she had Desert Eagle--who had become a ball of feathers, fluffed out against the cold--hugged to her breast.
"And Count Franchi . . . ?" said Raquel. No one but the Casull siblings and Finebel were in that place . . . beside the city gates.
"Despite appearances, My Lord is quite the bashful one," Finebel said, giving a faint wry smile. "You probably had not noticed, but . . . to the childless count, you are like his very own children."
"Parents don't usually drive out their children."
"Shannon."
Shannon, still on the coach box, turned away from Raquel's reproving voice.
"It seems we have another bashful person," Finebel muttered, and she caught sight of a small . . . a very small smile on Shannon's profile. "You are not the only ones. All of the citizens of this town are that man's children. And so, for that very reason, he forces himself to be a callous parent for the sake of his other children. You understand that, do you not?"
"On an intellectual level, sure."
"That alone is enough."
" . . . but I guess it doesn't really matter anyway." By chance, Shannon's gaze fell on Finebel's bosom. "Are you really gonna keep that chicken?"
"Isn't she adorable?"
Finebel lovingly caressed the glassy-eyed2 chicken in her arms. For some reason, this chicken--whose name was a byword for "frenzied rage" in their neighborhood--sat docilely in her arms.
"Well . . . there's no accounting for taste."
". . . she's back," said Raquel.
Shannon and Finebel looked over their shoulders and saw Pacifica passing through the city gates. Asking for just a little time . . . she had set off on her own.
"You do what you needed to do?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Pacifica nodded at Shannon's inquiry.
". . . Princess."
Heedless of the snow dampening her knee, Finebel knelt and fixed her eyes on Pacifica. Pacifica gave a slight shake of her head.
"You can call me 'Pacifica.'"
"Well then, Pacifica. I have a message from the count. 'You are not by any means cursed to misery. At the very least, you already have something for which everyone wishes, yet cannot manage to obtain. Treasure it, and live your life proudly.'"
". . . I kind of get it, and I kind of don't."
Pacifica inclined her head doubtfully.
"I think that you will understand in time."
"I hope so."
Pacifica nodded, smiling. Then her gaze turned to the chicken that Finebel was cradling.
"Desert Eagle. This is good-bye."
The chicken, of course, said nothing, but she suddenly jumped down from Finebel's bosom and squatted on the ground.
". . . keh."
Beneath the curiously watchful eyes of Pacifica and Finebel, the chicken crouched motionless for a while . . . then she abruptly stood, lightly flapped her wings, and returned to Finebel's breast once more.
Left behind was . . . There in the white snow was one even whiter, freshly laid egg.
Pacifica and Finebel exchanged glances. They could not possibly think that a chicken understood the situation, but . . .
". . . a parting gift, right? Thank you."
Pacifica took the white egg in hand.
". . . let's go," Shannon said, as though it were a bother just to talk.
Pacifica climbed into the passenger compartment, and Raquel joined Shannon on the coach box.
He gave the reins a flick, and the carriage started slowly forward. Finebel and Desert Eagle silently saw them off, the coach passing before their eyes.
Shannon's voice drifted back from the coach box.
"Tell him we're grateful."
"I will."
Finebel nodded earnestly as she gazed at the coach now departing from their hidden town.
Thus.
Shannon's, Raquel's, and Pacifica's ordinary, everyday lives came to an end.
Their story began to unfold, and time began to pass in haste. And one day, even that would become their new "everyday life."
So long as they had the will to go on living, this would become ordinary in time.
And so . . .
---
[Next] [Previous]
Notes:
1) Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
badtzphoto for suggesting a better translation for "客室." That said, it is rather lacking in . . . romance? XD So if there is another word for the interior of a horse-drawn carriage, feel free to drop a comment. Back
2) I think that's what "据わった目つき" means, anyway. If you know better, please feel free to correct me. Back
[Disclaimer]
Scrapped Princess | Prelude of the Stray Cat Princess | The Scrapped Princess's Casket | Part 10/10
The snow accumulated bit by bit.
The long winter had begun. The beautiful and the unclean--pure whiteness blotted them all out without bothering about the particularities. Perhaps we consider such a thing beautiful because, after all, in the course of a human life, one ends up seeing more ugliness than beauty.
Life is not pretty. It truly is not the least bit pretty.
As Shannon gazed up at the sky from his seat on the coach box, he reflected on these thoughts.
"Thank you . . . Sorry to put you to so much trouble."
Beside the coach, Raquel was bowing her head to Finebel, the one and only person who had come to see them off. Finebel had brought both the coach that Shannon sat on and the horses that drew it.
They were not exactly of superior quality. The four heads of horses, the coach box, the passenger compartment1, and the rumble all made it a standardized passenger coach. It would hold four people at the most. It was painted primarily in black, and decorations of any kind were nowhere to be seen.
At first glance, it looked as though someone had simply remodeled an ordinary freight coach of the kind used by traveling merchants . . . but in reality, it was equipped with various measures and devices that would allow it to stand against even four military war-carriages, though the only ones who knew this were Shannon and the people who had prepared it.
"I only did as I was ordered."
As usual, Finebel spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. For one reason or another, she had Desert Eagle--who had become a ball of feathers, fluffed out against the cold--hugged to her breast.
"And Count Franchi . . . ?" said Raquel. No one but the Casull siblings and Finebel were in that place . . . beside the city gates.
"Despite appearances, My Lord is quite the bashful one," Finebel said, giving a faint wry smile. "You probably had not noticed, but . . . to the childless count, you are like his very own children."
"Parents don't usually drive out their children."
"Shannon."
Shannon, still on the coach box, turned away from Raquel's reproving voice.
"It seems we have another bashful person," Finebel muttered, and she caught sight of a small . . . a very small smile on Shannon's profile. "You are not the only ones. All of the citizens of this town are that man's children. And so, for that very reason, he forces himself to be a callous parent for the sake of his other children. You understand that, do you not?"
"On an intellectual level, sure."
"That alone is enough."
" . . . but I guess it doesn't really matter anyway." By chance, Shannon's gaze fell on Finebel's bosom. "Are you really gonna keep that chicken?"
"Isn't she adorable?"
Finebel lovingly caressed the glassy-eyed2 chicken in her arms. For some reason, this chicken--whose name was a byword for "frenzied rage" in their neighborhood--sat docilely in her arms.
"Well . . . there's no accounting for taste."
". . . she's back," said Raquel.
Shannon and Finebel looked over their shoulders and saw Pacifica passing through the city gates. Asking for just a little time . . . she had set off on her own.
"You do what you needed to do?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Pacifica nodded at Shannon's inquiry.
". . . Princess."
Heedless of the snow dampening her knee, Finebel knelt and fixed her eyes on Pacifica. Pacifica gave a slight shake of her head.
"You can call me 'Pacifica.'"
"Well then, Pacifica. I have a message from the count. 'You are not by any means cursed to misery. At the very least, you already have something for which everyone wishes, yet cannot manage to obtain. Treasure it, and live your life proudly.'"
". . . I kind of get it, and I kind of don't."
Pacifica inclined her head doubtfully.
"I think that you will understand in time."
"I hope so."
Pacifica nodded, smiling. Then her gaze turned to the chicken that Finebel was cradling.
"Desert Eagle. This is good-bye."
The chicken, of course, said nothing, but she suddenly jumped down from Finebel's bosom and squatted on the ground.
". . . keh."
Beneath the curiously watchful eyes of Pacifica and Finebel, the chicken crouched motionless for a while . . . then she abruptly stood, lightly flapped her wings, and returned to Finebel's breast once more.
Left behind was . . . There in the white snow was one even whiter, freshly laid egg.
Pacifica and Finebel exchanged glances. They could not possibly think that a chicken understood the situation, but . . .
". . . a parting gift, right? Thank you."
Pacifica took the white egg in hand.
". . . let's go," Shannon said, as though it were a bother just to talk.
Pacifica climbed into the passenger compartment, and Raquel joined Shannon on the coach box.
He gave the reins a flick, and the carriage started slowly forward. Finebel and Desert Eagle silently saw them off, the coach passing before their eyes.
Shannon's voice drifted back from the coach box.
"Tell him we're grateful."
"I will."
Finebel nodded earnestly as she gazed at the coach now departing from their hidden town.
Thus.
Shannon's, Raquel's, and Pacifica's ordinary, everyday lives came to an end.
Their story began to unfold, and time began to pass in haste. And one day, even that would become their new "everyday life."
So long as they had the will to go on living, this would become ordinary in time.
And so . . .
---
[Next] [Previous]
Notes:
1) Thanks to
badtzphoto for suggesting a better translation for "客室." That said, it is rather lacking in . . . romance? XD So if there is another word for the interior of a horse-drawn carriage, feel free to drop a comment. Back2) I think that's what "据わった目つき" means, anyway. If you know better, please feel free to correct me. Back
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-09-12 05:17 am (UTC)Thanks for this.
regarding 1: I was told "Passenger compartment" but in this case, I think cabin does convey the idea nicely. And there's landau but it usually has open roof, so ... I'm no help!
Eagle is so sweet. I know it's contradict her image when she fought Pacifica nails and teeth for the egg last time!
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 01:19 am (UTC)Landau--that's a fun word. But yeah, Wiki says it's a convertible, so I guess I don't get to use it. "Passenger compartment" sounds about right . . . Yep, googling around seems to support it. So you were helpful. Thanks!
Eagle's awesome. Don't even think about taking her eggs, but she may give one to you, if she feels like it.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 06:31 pm (UTC)yeah, I see what you mean. Less is more and it leaves a lot to readers to imagine and speculate...
"it is rather lacking in . . . romance?"
heh :) that's why I thought "cabin" sounded better. "Passenger compartment" sounds too technical
no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 04:41 pm (UTC)I like how Sensei rounded the chapter off, a closure as well as anticipation of things to come.
(Count Franchi manages to be awesome even when he doesn't appear)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 01:21 am (UTC)I really wish Count Franchi had been in the anime. Of course, I really wish the anime had been like fifty episodes, so. XD I like Finebel a lot too--deadpan and practical, but also super loyal and has an affinity for killer chickens. Someone needs to draw her cuddling Desert Eagle!
. . . someone who is not me!