#guylian

Guylian Chocolate Seashells Charm Bracelet

A series of non-linear vignettes exploring the life of Meredith Stannard. Written for @14dayscirclemages. CHAPTER 2: ARRIVAL | MEREDITH & WENTWORTH | WORDS: ~700 | RATED: M 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (AO3 LINK)

Most nights, Meredith dreams about how everything can change in an instant.

Her parents, alive, dead. Home, burned to ashes. Screams, silence. Her sister, the Thing.

“Maker’s breath,” Knight-Captain Wentworth had sworn upon discovering her hidden in the rubble, shivering and snivelling. “A survivor.”

His face, still so clear in her mind now, reaching out to her with concerned, compassionate eyes. He'd pulled her from the wreckage, screaming at the knights under his command. “You fucking morons! I told you to cover the bodies!” Meredith had looked. How could she not? Her mother and father still lay side by side in the kitchen, faces pale, rigid, unmoving. Her gaze travelled downwards, unwilling but unstoppable.

The demon’s talons had torn them apart. “Child,” Wentworth had started once she’d finished retching, a hand at her shoulder turning her away from full view of the scene, “what is your name?”

She’d wanted to yell at him, had wanted to pound at his chest with her fists, ask why it even mattered now nothing would be the same again. Instead, she’d clung to the templar, fingers finding grooves in his armour, desperately holding on. “Meredith, Meredith,” she’d chanted, her name her only other anchor in this strange new world. The knight-captain bent a knee so they were face to face. “Meredith,” he repeated. “Do you have any other family? In wake of…” This tragedy, she knows he’d wanted to say now, but even then he had been unable to bring himself to say the words. She’d shaken her head. “No.” There were no siblings, no cousins, no aunties or uncles. She was alone in the world. Except for the knight-captain with the kind eyes. “You’re a templar.” “Yes,” the knight-captain answered. “What do you know of the Templar Order?” They were walking now, away from the smoke, away from the fire. The templars—what remained of them—reassuring the neighbours everything was under control. That the situation had been dealt with.

The situation. Her sister. The Thing. There is no sight of it now. She is safe here, under the wing of the knight-captain. She’d swallowed hard, struggling to reconcile the past words of her parents with everything that had happened after. “Templars keep everyone safe,” she answers. Anxiety crawls up her throat, threatens to suffocate.

“I’m sorry,” she continues. Smoke and regret prick at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry we hid her. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, Meredith.” The knight-captain has a handkerchief. He hands it to her to wipe away her tears. Soot and grime come away with them as she rubs it against her face.  “It’s not your fault.” Then why does it feel like it is? 

But the words went unsaid. They always do.

“Where are you taking me?” she’d asked instead.

“The Chantry,” the knight-captain had answered. “It is their responsibility to take care of children in your situation.” Meredith had frozen in place. The knight-captain looked back in surprise. “Meredith?” “No,” she’d insisted. “Take me home with you.” “What?” “I want to become a templar. Like you.” The dream blurs then. It always does. She doesn’t remember the first time she’d passed through the Gallows’ gates; it almost feels like she’s lived here her whole life. Would, if it weren’t for the good dreams, the ones of the happier times. Before everything had gone to shit.

She remembers sitting in the infirmary, still smelling of vomit and smoke and slime, Ser Wentworth never leaving her side, a mage healing her injuries but being too tired to flinch away from the arcane unnatural energy.

The knight-commander’s scowl, more confused than angry as he’d peered closer. “Wentworth,” he’d said, “why in the world have you brought this child to the Gallows? She’s not a mage.”

🐚Guylian seashells 🍫

My family was staying at The Mercantile hotel right on The Rocks ( right next to the ship) It’s a hotel above a bar but it’s super duper close and that was the important thing.  It meant that I was able to meet them almost as soon as the ship docked!

The first thing we did was Pancakes on the Rocks. Which was delicious.

We headed over to the Opera House to do important Sydney things like take pictures of the harbor

The bridge

And, obviously, the Opera House.

Conveniently, the Royal Botanic Gardens is right next to the Opera House! Since they needed to board the ship at 2pm I thought this was the perfect place to explore and stay close to the ship!

We first walked along the bay to Mrs. Macquarie’s chair.

A stone bench carved out for the first Mayor’s Wife so she could look out on the bay.

We wandered inward to the garden. And mom was very excited about all the bees

We found a flower exhibit that was free!

And were able to look at the leaves and things close up….

Sure some of it was meant for children but pshhhhh

It’s definitely winter in Sydney which is almost exactly like winter in Tucson. So we decided to take a break from the not-so-bitter slight chill and get some chocolate from Guylian.

This is a delicious chocolatier just off the main drag on The Rocks. Their pastries are delcisous only made more delicious by their hot chocolate. Just hit the perfect spot! So good!

We finished our day around Sydney with the Rocks Market. It’s open every Saturday and Sunday but we rarely dock on such fortuitous days. It’s a big open air market with all kinds of wares

There is clothing, soaps, art, snacks, food, wood carvings. Anything and everything you could want.

After we made our rounds- and some purchases- we heard about another market across the bridge! We had time to check it out.

It was not as big or fancy as the rocks but it still had some really cute items! It was more clothing/ vintage based.

Finally it was time to get on the ship and sail away!