Friday, April 29, 2011

Magpie Tales 63d


Photo courtesy of Tess Kincaid, creator of Magpie Tales


by Margaret Pangert from the Creative Writing Circle at A Life Well Lived


Chantal was going to be presented to the Duc D'Orleans that evening. Her skin had been pumiced and polished, her hair made up into a chignon with a string of pearls following its curve.

It was now time, and two valets came for her. They placed her on a long, wide board and sprinkled parsley on her navel.

Chantal was taken into a high-ceilinged, brocaded drawing room, and she crossed her thighs voluptuously. Bertrand--fully dressed in velvet jacket and pants--slowly walked up to her. He bent down and licked the parsley from her navel, replacing it with an emerald. He continued to lick her body, each time marking the place with a diamond or a ruby.

Bertrand then lifted Chantal up and began dancing the tango with her, a sharp, small knife hidden in his turned-up sleeve. He began to dramatically tease her with the knife, making small nicks here and there on her body that drew blood. Each time she flinched and gritted her teeth but continued to dance.

At the end of the evening, Chantal went home with a cache of emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.


Magpie Tales is the vision of Tess Kincaid. If you would like to participate, just post your poem or vignette--based on Tess Kincaid's photo prompt--on your blog and link back to http://magpietales.blogspot.com.

22 comments:

  1. I was certain she would be dinner!

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  2. So, glad that in the end, Chantal received the beautiful jewels.

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  3. I liked 63d the best. The parsley in her navel is a most striking image. But I couldn't help wondering what happened to the carefully placed diamonds, rubies and emeralds when she got up from the board to dance the tango with the suave Bertrand.

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  4. Agree with the above. Your Magpie63(d) is extraordinary. Is there some special significance in the parsley? Perhaps a fragrant herb such as lavender or rosemary would enhance the erotic dimension of your story.

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  5. Tough price to pay for jewels. Excellent magpie, Margaret.

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  6. An interesting and erotic piece...unusual and well done. Vb

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  7. Wow, that was an amazing story. :)

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  8. holy moley margaret!!! your imagry is going to stay with me indefinitely. i will probably skip the parsley when i next prepare dinner :^)

    you are an evocative writer. the transition from herbs to nicks to jewels is flawless. a little creepy and totally impressive.

    always, i am,
    glad to know you.

    'love me'
    :^)

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  9. Your tales were very good Margaret. I read them all. You should write more stories.
    Love Di ♥

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  10. Hi Isabel~ She definitely was being served as dinner! Not literally, hopefully! ♥

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  11. Hi Choices~ I gues you could say he was an honorable Duke! ♥

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  12. Hi Trellissimo~ I'm sure Chantal made sure she put them in the leather pouch first! Thanks for the thumbs up! ♥

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  13. Thanks, Doctor! You have a good point--parsley was to create the image of dinner being served, but rosemary would have been more pungent and exotic! ♥

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  14. Hi Thingy! Yes, when you think of the 17th and 18th centuries, what choices did women really have? Today people are almost androgynous! ♥

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  15. Thanks, kj! They really had to have a lot of guts to play those games! Glad the options have changed (for the most part). ♥

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  16. Thanks, Diana! You should try your hand at a Magpie Tale--it's fun, and you're a great storyteller! ♥

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  17. To me, and I might be way off track to what your intended meaning was, but it seems Chantal paid a price for her cache. And the parsley seemed to signify she was something to be consumed. A woman's dilemma especially historically. Even so, being a visual person, I had a lavish time envisioning your tale, and loved the eroticism and the edginess.

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  18. Yes, Chantal was definitely not a feminist in 17th-18th century France. There were some strong women at that time, but I think their sacrifices were harsh. As women today who enjoy so much equality, we can't forget the road was splattered with blood.

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