31 Flavours: Devil's Cub

[toujours_nigel]

Today's rec is a very modern Mary Challoner going on a whirlwind and fantastic Europe vacation with the awful terrible stupidly charming Dominic Alastair.

a thing with feathers (19920 words) by hazel
Fandom: Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Dominic Alastair/Mary Challoner
Characters: Dominic Alastair, Mary Challoner, Justin Alastair, Leonie Alastair, Sophia Challoner, Clara Challoner
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

--
Today's drabble is about
“As you wish,” is all her husband’s answer, when Vrishali suggests—at first timorous—how a garden ought be planted or a matter of policy enforced or even—as she grows in daring—what crops might grow best in Anga’s rocky soil, underneath the spreading trees.
It is heartening, when in any other land she would have been a minor wife married for pity, to find herself so prized, and she includes a ream of gratitude in her next letter to her father.
Karna, when she tries to thank him, says only, “You are a princess; I a charioteer’s son.”

Comments

[shneyele]

What would you plant in India?

[toujours_nigel]

Well, depends on where in India, I think most standard crops survive fine, but I have no real idea.

[shneyele]

https://www.reference.com/geography/crops-grown-india-ed74d240eb6f9ade

[toujours_nigel]

... I also didn't want this information, in case that wasn't clear.

[shneyele]

Sorry... :(

[bluewinged_songbird]

Holy s-! I know precious little about the Mahabharata, but Karna, Karna I know because every time I encounter his name on the internet I end up crying. How did you do it? How did you make him a background presence with one sentence and yet completely destroy my heart in a single strike? DAMMIT KARNA!

Ignoring that angst boi, I like how a lot of Vrishali's requests are tied to green and growing things. It's like she, too, is growing and flourishing like the plants she means to grow and see flourish in a hard, rocky place. I am so happy and proud of this woman I can't even...!

[toujours_nigel]

Crying about Karna is absolutely how I always engage with Angst Boi #1. *g*
And Vrishali is... well, I love all my mythical daughters equally, but Vrishali's story just has so much scope, and I love her so so much.

[bluewinged_songbird]

There is just nothing I have read about him that doesn't make me cry. I teared up at his wiki article for heaven's sake!

Speaking about wiki, wikipedia redirects Vrishali's name to Karna's entry and still won't tell me who she is. Google was also not very forthcoming so all I found out is that she was one of Karna's wives. So honestly, your series on the Mahabharata women? A gift to humanity.

[toujours_nigel]

I teared up at his wiki article for heaven's sake!
He's exceedingly saddening, yeah.

re: Vrishali, there isn't very much information available about her; she's barely a step above Unnamed Wife of [insert hero]. She's Karna's chief wife, possibly the mother of all/most of his sons (many of whom are also Vrisha-something-or-other), and from a mixed family like his adoptive parents. She's also praised by Duryodhana and Gandhari, which is a bit of a rare combination and I think most of us latched onto.

[bluewinged_songbird]

Karna can't seem to catch a break and I just want everything to stop happening to him.

Vrishali, there isn't very much information available about her; she's barely a step above Unnamed Wife of [insert hero]
You know you're a mythology fan when you'll gladly take a female character with a name as a victory and run away with that thread as far away as you can.