But Also Shes Really Tired From Challenging Gods And Just Wants A Nap - Tumblr Posts

Okay, but! I have ideas now. 

Ava tags along with Beatrice because Beatrice is retrieving “The true crown” from the kingdom of the Gods. Ava doesn’t want that, she wants something else. It’s in the same place so Beatrice lets her come. Beatrice talks with the Gods and is very convincing for why the ‘true crown’ should be returned to the mortals. Then one Goddess comes in all flustered. Ava’s stolen something that belongs to them. Ava’s stolen the Spark of Life. With the Spark in human hands all humans will heal faster, better. They will heal without potion or magic or science. Beatrice is having such a face palm moment because this idiot. But also, she loves this idiot very much and the Gods are preparing to go hunt her down and kill her. Beatrice could let them. Could walk out of there with the ‘true crown’ and win the competition definitively. All it would cost is Ava. 

Beatrice uses even skill and all the daring she possesses. “Our plan worked then,” she says calmly and the Gods freeze. Like, unhumanely still.

“Your plan?” The Council of Gods Voice asks dangerously. 

Beatrice scoffs and fiddle with the crown in her hands. It’s beautiful. The jewel on it sparkles like there’s a sun buried inside. “Of course. You didn’t think I came just for this trinket, did you?” She is lying her ass off to all the Gods her people worship to save the life of someone who thinks she hates them. A new low, but she’s used to finding those when it comes to Ava. 

War places a hand on her weapon. Justice bares her teeth. Knowledge shakes her head in disappointment. “You have to know this doesn’t end well for you mortal.” The Voice of the Gods whispers. 

Beatrice boxes away all her fear and all her hesitation. She keeps out only her pure burning drive to keep Ava safe. She looks up to meet the eyes of the Gods, one by one. “I know how mortals challenge Gods,” she says as she spins the Crown in her hands. The True Crown that King Benjamin had lost while challenging the Gods for the city of Atlantis. It’s an old story and one she researched diligently before choosing her item. 

The Gods had decided the city of Atlantis had sinned too heavily and too often. They sent portents that the city would be destroyed. Atlantis itself had sent a challenger to the Gods. A trial, their champion against any three Gods at any three games. The winner would decide Atlantis’ fate and keep the True Crown. The Gods accepted. The mortal won the first game, then the second, and finally the third. The mortals had won and King Benjamin, in his ego, had bragged. He’d thought them safe as Gods were bound by the Heavens to honour the wager. War had gotten upset enough to lash out, knowing it was futile. The blow landed. The Heavens did not protect Atlantis from the fury of a God and in doing so laid King Benjamin’s trickery bare. The mortal champion was in fact one of five identical siblings who had switched out with each other in order to win their games. The Crown was taken and Atlantis destroyed within the hour. King Benjamin was exiled and his line shamed. Not for tricking the Gods but for letting his ego and pride reveal it. 

Beatrice arches an eyebrow, taunting the proud beings before her. “Or do you think you’ll fail?”

***

Ava arrives back at the capital with guilt eating at her heart. She should have told Beatrice. Should have let Beatrice prepare somehow. But she couldn’t, not when Beatrice was going to face the Gods and ask them directly for the item she was after. And she couldn’t wait for Beatrice to do so. The Gods were distracted, it was the best opportunity Ava had. Ava is, faintly, surprised that the Gods have not tracked her down yet. 

She’d ran as fast and as true as she could to return to the capital before they caught her. So long as she longed her item as retrieved they wouldn’t be able to take it back. Bound by the Heavens to honour how the humans chosen their ruler. Her… well, she was prepared for them to catch her. As long as humanity got to keep the Spark of Life it was worth it. Some things matter more. 

She hoped Beatrice understood. One day.

***

The Trial of Rulers formally ends when all contests have returned, given up, or died. It takes a month after Ava’s return for Beatrice to make it back through the main gate of the capital. She looks the same as when she left. Shoulders back with confidence and pride, gaze steady. If she’s uncertain about being the last contestant to return she doesn’t show it. 

Ava’s uncertain about it. Unable to draw her eyes away from how Beatrice stands placidly in line with the other contests at the Grand Reveal. The part where every contestant steps forward and declares the item they brought back and how it will better their people. The ultimate act of the Trial of Rulers and the one that matters most. Kings and Queens are judged throughout history for what they bring. Legends are made here, on this stage. 

Ava nudges her hand against Beatrice’s and Beatrice grabs then releases Ava’s in silent comfort. Ava’s shoulders relax and she feels the odd sense of burning where there should be none. 

“Ava Silva,” calls the Queen, “what did you bring to your people.”

Ava steps forward at the cue, straightening her stance. Not with pride, but success. “From the Gods themselves, I have brought the Spark of Life.”

The Queen nods and says, “Beatri-wait. What?!”

Ava smiles at the growingly shocked faces in front of her. “The Spark of Life!” She shouts louder as though she’d been unheard. 

“But, how?” The Queen protests even as the watching crowd begins to murmur. 

Ava grins. “Quickly.” Beatrice stifles a chuckle beside and behind her. 

The Queen scowls and raises her hands for quiet. The crowd disgruntledly obeys. “Beatrice Xin, dear niece, what did you bring to your people.”

Beatrice steps up, face neutral. “Nothing,” she says. 

The Queen’s eyes narrow, the crowd murmurs again. “Excuse me?”

“I brought nothing,” Beatrice repeats steadily. Ava furrows her eyebrows. She’d been certain that she saw Beatrice holding something gold and shinning in the Council chamber as she was sneaking out.

The Queen opens then closes her mouth. She tilts her head questioningly and Beatrice nods. The Queen blinks, slowly, almost mournfully and turns to address the next contestant. 

Warm, rich laughter rings out through the stadium. It feels like a mother’s hug on a sad day. Love steps from behind Beatrice like she’s always been there, hidden in Beatrice’s shadow. She drops an arm across Beatrice’s steady shoulder and meets Ava’s narrowed glare with a smirk. “That’s not exactly true, now is it dear girl?”

Beatrice frowns at the Goddess twined about her. “I have nothing for my people.” She repeats. 

Love pouts and walks her fingers up Beatrice’s shoulder to pull her cheek. Ava glares harder. “I must say, you truly impressed me with your performance. Heavens, you impressed all of us. Except, perhaps for Truth.” Love says thoughtfully, pivoting closely around Beatrice’s body to escape Ava’s murderous stare. 

“Performance, Your Holiness?” The Queen asks.

“Oh?” The Goddess gasps dramatically, “our dear girl didn’t tell you?” Love raises a hand to her mouth, as though she didn’t know full well Beatrice had told no one. “And after such a compelling showing, for shame dear girl.” Love tsks in clearly faked disappointment. 

“I know what your doing and it won’t work,” Beatrice whispers stoically. 

Love nudges her head under Beatrice’s chin with a purr. “It already has, dear girl.” She whispers back loud enough for Ava to hear it. Ava unclenches her hands long enough to shake the blood from her palms and takes a half step closer.

“Well, I suppose it would be a shame for humanity to have it’s hero go unsung,” Love says to the crowd. “Especially one as handsome as this.” She trails the tips of her fingers down the middle of Beatrice’s chest with a suggestive wink. 

Ava crowds up to Beatrice’s elbow and growls at the Goddess. “Haven’t you ever heard of personal space?”

Love laughs again, like hot cocoa on a cold day, and spins to put Beatrice’s arm around her shoulders on Beatrice’s other side. “This lovely mortal came right up to our Godly gates, pretty as you please,” Love says. “She asked for entrance, as one should. Consent is soo sexy.” Love purrs and rubs herself against Beatrice. She kindly ignores the fingers Ava jabs into her from the hand around the back of Beatrice’s waist. “Our dear girl wanted to talk with the Council of Gods about the True Crown. We were hesitant at first but she talked her way into our hearts.” Love flutters her eyelashes up at Beatrice adoringly.

“How does someone kill a god,” Ava growls lowly, “asking for a friend.” Beatrice fights off a smile. 

“She was very, very persuasive and soon denuded us of our, hmm, better sense.” Love tickles at the red flush on Beatrice’s cheeks. 

“Please stop making it sound so suggestive,” Beatrice asks. 

Love giggles and it feels like a lovers kiss against a bare back. “So we foolish Gods gave up our Crown to her.” Beatrice flushes deeper at the insinuation. “Only to discover, as all foolish lovers do, that our dear girl was not as faithful to us as we’d thought. For while she distracted us with pretty words and her,” Love caresses the muscle on Beatrice’s forearms, “handsome form her partner had snuck inside our house and stolen our glowing golden light.”

Ava, half behind Beatrice and full shoving against the Goddess, stops. Beatrice didn’t have a partner (she checked). Ava had travelled to the city of Gods alone with Beatrice. The Spark of Life hums into golden glowing existence from between Ava’s shoulder blades where it hid. They blamed Beatrice for Ava’s theft?

Love places a gentle kiss against Beatrice’s shoulder and winks down at Ava. “We were, understandably, quite put out that our dear girl chose this little scamp over us. The day, we’d thought, was one of broken hearts.” The watching crowd shivered, made aware by divine ability that it as less emotionally broken hearts and more physically rended and torn ones. “Until our dear, brave girl decided that the Wrath of Gods was best met with a,” Love licks her lips, “challenge.”

The crowd pales. The Queen takes a single unconscious step backwards. Ava sticks her arm in the middle of the Goddess and Beatrice in an attempt to lever herself between them. Love lets Ava nudge her away from Beatrice but pulls Ava away with her. 

“Niece, you didn’t?” The Queen asks aghast. 

Beatrice meets her aunt’s eyes calmly. Never spark a conflict until you know the odds, Ava remembers Beatrice telling her. “I did what I had to,” Beatrice says peacefully.

Love laughs and it sounds like a grandfather’s amusement as seeing his grandchild experience the first marvels of living. “Oh don’t worry,” she waves a relaxing hand at the tense populous. “She didn’t risk you.” Love turn her eyes to Ava who shivers and feels her back throb with stolen divinity. “Beside, Love makes fools of us all.” Ava swallows dryly. 

“What did you lose?” The Queen asks her niece. 

Love makes a thoughtful noise. “Dignity, mostly,” she eyes Ava up and down. Ava scoffs and Beatrice turns away to repress her smile. “But I suspect she was always going to lose that.” Love smiles and the sun gleams brighter. “Rejoice mortals, for the first time in all recorded history (and before) your champion has won the challenge against the Gods!”

The despair in the Queen’s eyes turns to greed. She licks her lips nervously. “What did you win?”

Love grabs Ava by the scruff her neck and lifts her easily with one hand. Ava dangles awkwardly, feet kicking at air. “Your prize, dear girl.” Love says as she holds Ava out to Beatrice. Beatrice opens her arms and accepts Ava completely. “May it serve you well,” Love purrs with a saucy wink. Then Love steps forward and disappears into the shadow behind Beatrice and Ava’s combined bodies. 

“As I said,” Beatrice says as she holds Ava easily in her arms. “I brought nothing for my people.” She tightens her arms around Ava. Ava snuggles her face into Beatrice’s neck and grins. She’d been telling Beatrice she should do more things for her and it was nice to see Beatrice finally do so. 

For the challenges: perhaps a small pilgrimage, where each contestant has to retrieve something they believe is lacking and will be valuable to the land (think Athena and Poseidon's gifts to Athens; also they have to present it, there's a ceremony and speeches, it's a whole event). Maybe B's parents want her to retrieve a long lost family jewel and present it to her aunt to remind her they are family, but she fails the quest, because it's either it or whatever Ava's bringing (maybe a manuscript for a cure or some invention that would be helpful to the people) and she decides it's much more important to help Ava AND their people, than to make nice to her family.

Good luck with the idea, hope you get around to writing it!

anon you are genius THIS IS PERFECT for like the final test and maybe the entire reason Ava joins in the first place is that if she gets to this stage it’s the monarch who funds their trip to retrieve said item so all Ava wants to do is help. also maybe bea does go get the jewel but somehow meets Ava in between like 10 times and they have to help each other maybe bea gives up the jewel to keep Ava safe in a knife to throat situation. THANKS