Celina receives a note from Brother, now Archivist, Tomat asking for a meeting at her pleasure, regarding matters in the archive. As Queen, it is of course hers to choose a time and place for such a meeting, whether it would be walking down to the archives or inviting Tomat into her own lair.
Celina reads the note twice, already imagining the setting here in the royal apartments. She is eager to learn more about the thread of history in Rebma, and Tomat's outsider view is bound to add flourish. She begins a long list of food to be brought in for the two of them.
And stops. And stares at her hands. And scrubs the oil-board of her marks.
Celina stands and goes to the door, drawing a page inside to speak quietly for several minutes. After a bit the page heads out to the archive to deliver two messages; one goes to the senior archivist, asking her to check any history on building projects started by Moire when that queen was new to the palace chambers of queen. This also gives a reason for the page to be present in the archive and return.
The second message is delivered by the page once Tomat is alone or leaving the Archive, "Please see me in the Blue Forest Tower. The page shall guide you." Celina asks the page to be very careful to come by a circular route. She calmly points out there may be danger, the page is responsible for making sure both of them arrive with no entanglements.
Celina looks long at the young girl, "This is not a die for the throne adventure. This is a live at all costs adventure."
The page takes the message with wide eyes. While "die for the throne" opportunities occasionally arrive even for pages, she didn't expect fetching the archivist to be one of them, clearly. But the implications of the message to the head of the archives and the separate message to Tomat are clear.
It is later in the day when the page brings Tomat to the Blue Forest Tower. He is concerned and wary, and when he sees Celina, it clearly relaxes him. "Your Majesty," he says, making an obeisance, "I didn't expect my message to cause such consternation.”
Celina takes care of training business first. "Was the page nervous? Too attentive? What consternation did you observe?" There is no sideboard of distracting food and drink in the room.
"She was very helpful and her demeanor was--" Tomat hesitates, fumbling for a good word "--normal? I suppose for someone leading me to a secret meeting with the Queen. I didn't expect our meeting to be confidential in this way, though given the method of information-keeping in Rebma, and how much of it is dependent on keeping the resources in question alive, I suppose it makes sense." He shrugs before recalling himself, and Celina's self, and adds, "If it please Your Majesty, that is."
Celina allows her relief to show plainly to her visitor. "Indeed it does please me. A number of things that might happen to you don't please me however, so other than the obvious, I don't want to give anyone reason to think you are a high priority person in my inner circle." And she just won't mention at all how delicious the prospect of chatting a couple hours with Tomat over food and drink were to her initially. "It's good the page carried herself well. I appreciate your observations."
Celina gestures to a seat and relaxes into a nearby lounge. "What do you make of your new learning routines? Is the Archive run well?"
Tomat makes a bit of a face that Celina intuits has more to do with not wanting to displease her than a negative report on the archives. "I don't think it's run badly given the necessary caveat I've mentioned. It's a bit overwhelming for someone who's more used to--" He looks for a good word "--external resources. Like books. I think it would be easier to teach children the sort of routines for rote memorization that are necessary than it is to teach me. But I'm learning, and I have good teachers.
"I hadn't realized so much of it was singing, either. But it makes sense."
Celina nods and smiles. "Excellent. Singing combines at least two mnemonic categories; a reinforcement of learning process. I would like to add kinesthetic modality to the process." Celina laughs, "Of course I have some priorities to shuffle before then. So what I am hearing from you is that you are settling in and being treated fairly."
"There are definitely those who are unhappy to see me in the archives, both because I'm a man and because I'm a foreigner." Tomat is phlegmatically resigned to that kind of treatment "But officially I seem to be receiving all sorts of cooperation. I didn't realize how much history there was in Rebma, not that there's not every place, but I think I'll be learning the basic songs for months, if not years, even as I specialize."
"Your patron will be back soon," Celina offers warmly, "There is no need to rush things yet. Learn what you can. I'll appreciate your perspective, and even if you just nudge a few minds in the direction of outsiders can be trusted, you will have aided Order."
"I am glad to have done so, Your Majesty. I have a question for you, though, that you may want to consider for your future choices in the archives." Tomat leans forward, almost as though he expects to be overheard. "Have you considered choosing a personal archivist, or how various archivists are selected to recall court functions? For it seems to me that your choices would make a great deal of difference."
Celina feels inclined to blush, as she knows her mind is going places that Tomat was not even thinking about. She does not. "Well, that is a good suggestion. I have considered it. I'm intrigued to test the reasons I set it aside against your sense of bringing it up now."
Celina smiles. "My sense is that telling the story of my court would be best as a Legacy of youth and change. A younger person would report with less expectations built in, but also with less leavening of the context. Still I prefer someone younger, as a deliberate nod to the Order of Things being new, to distance my reign from my mother's." Celina pauses, adds, "Perhaps then you can see why I have not selected such a person."
"It would be a difficult political choice, even without those complications. If I were in your shoes, I might choose a novice without connections. Who is," Tomat adds in a way that suggests he knows he sounds like he's advocating for the post, "a traditional choice in other ways, like female."
Before he can continue along those lines, a knock interrupts them.
[Assuming Celina interrupts their tete-a-tete]
It is a page, asking for Celina's assistance with a Family matter, coming from Llewella and Robin.
Celina asks the page to wait, she will be attending the call in a moment.
She turns back to Tomat. "I think given the past, that two or three people would be better. What do you think of that?" She stands, making obvious she will go in a moment.
"Ideally, yes. Possibly an older archivist and the newcomer we discussed. The Queen has so much to do that cross-coverage will be required. And of course that means that there will be multiple records of the Queen's deeds." Tomat stops there and lets Celina work out the rest of his (rather obvious) meanings for herself.
Celina nods, her mind moving through the very short list of candidates available.
"Thank you, Tomat," Celina says. "I'm going to leave you now. You might visit the palace entry galleries before returning to your normal routes back to the Archive to confuse the geometry of your movements." She reaches and squeezes his shoulder.
The gesture is apparently unexpected, but he smiles, if somewhat awkwardly. "At Your Majesty's command."
She departs with the page to see Llewella and Robin.
Some moments later, Celina arrives coming through the door after a long scratch along its surface. She has her hair up and coiled in braids. In something of a change, she's wearing a light floor-length purple vest of some kind that fastens thrice across her waist.
The remnants of a hearty meal are still in place, and there's enough left for Celina to have a snack if she wants one.
Celina eyes the temptations but stays on topic.
"Your Majesty." Robin smiles as she stands. While still very much a being of the forest, Robin is neat, clean and composed this morning. Her trio of firelizards are also buffed, beautiful and comporting themselves well. Yet all four of them are quietly flickering with fiery life.
Llewella bows by way of greeting.
Celina smiles in energetic style, she seems eager to involve in the current situation. "Good day to you both."
Llewella waits until the page has been sent on her way to address Celina about the reason for the meeting. "Robin here has a slight problem. According to Fiona's sorcery, there is a hole in Robin's soul where something hid during the Black Trench and Road. It's gone now, and Robin has walked the Primal to get rid of its influence, but--I'd like to see what we can find out with mirrors. Looking in the past. And I thought two heads would be better than one alone both for the planning and the working." She leaves the indirect question to Celina to answer.
"Ah, interesting," Celina fixes Robin with a direct emerald look. "So are you more interested in what it appeared to be, or what it did while you were unaware?"
"Weeeellll," Robin rolls eyes that glimmer with self-directed humor, "it was that latter question that drove me to bother Brennan on what was probably one of the worse days of his life. He examined me and reassured me that I wasn't unconsciously being steered some damn Moon-thingie or rigged to explode by some damn Black Road-thingie."
Robin leans in to confide, "It had been a really... scattered day for me and I was needing some reassurance."
"Anyway, while managing very well for being so peeved, Brennan mentioned that he felt it would be A Really Good Idea to find out and hunt down what had nested in me." Robin shrugs, "I had other things on my plate at the time and I was in more of a 'what's done is done' mood. So I didn't.
"Later, Princess Fiona was able to confirm the same hole, the same no on-going damage, the same not-sleeper-agent situation. So I'm not too terribly concerned about that anymore. Though Princess Llewella," Robin gives her Aunt a nod, "has indicated that Mirrors show different things than Sorcery, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to loooook..." even though she's saying and meaning yes, Robin's nose scrunches in a squick.
"Long way round to, mostly I'm curious as to what it was and where it's got to." Yep, Robin's a hunter not a healer.
Celina listens very closely, at times she seems to mirror hints of Robin's body language, closing with Robin even as the Ranger leans to Celina. Finally she nods. She looks briefly at Llewella, then back to Robin, "Well, mirror work might tell you something about where it is now, but really that's quite a bit more speculative until the base line is well established. The past, and giving you a look at what it was. That's much closer to exactly what mirrors do. You are still what you were then. The space within you is yet something of what it was then. And therefore, delving into that image is close to everything you want to know now about then."
Celina adds with a hint of mischief, "And really it is much more exciting."
Celina then takes on a balance of waiting just by a change of her shoulders. She listens while Robin and Llewella react and discuss.
Llewella nods to Celina's proposal. "That was what I thought of at once: looking into the past to find out what had hidden in Robin's soul, as it were. But I didn't want to proceed without your awareness and involvement, particularly since I know we're being careful with mirrors right now. Because of Moire, and in part because of what happened to Lucas," she adds, mostly for Robin's benefit.
Robin's lips press together unhappily at the mention of what happened to Lucas. Then she tips her head in thought and asks the air speculatively, "Is there a 'Kill On Sight' order out on Moire or is it more of a 'Retrieve Alive, Maiming Optional' situation? Just in case you know, cause some folk get around to odd places..."
Celina is quick with a response on that subject, "Aunt Florimel appears to be hunting with full intent of vendetta. It also appears that Moire has further plans to destabilize the realms, at least she gathered warriors while in Paris and vanished into the countryside. I do not think Kings Random or Corwin have issued any 'Kill on Sight' instructions, I'm sure I would have heard. The Sapphire Throne would prefer she not die. If she were brought to Paris, I think she would be killed to honor Florimel."
Celina looks at Llewella to see if there is anything to add.
"If Random was willing to let Brand walk after what he did to Martin, he'll probably be willing to let Moire walk. Into jail, because he doesn't like her, but walk nonetheless. And I think Corwin's pretty firmly in the no-kill camp, too. Moire may not be family in her line of descent, but she's too closely related to many of us for the laws of vendetta not to apply. So, remember who you might be riling up when you maim her," Llewella says to Robin, her tone wryly amused and not offended that they're discussing killing her sister and Celina's mother.
"Yep," Robin nods her understanding, "I thought that might be the case but wanted to check." However, Robin figures she's a small enough badge that if she accidentally trips over Moire, she's got to seriously disable the crafty bitch before she can handle her. And apologize to wolf Florimel later.
"Okay, then. Anything I need to do before we get all reflecty on my erstwhile passenger?" Robin rubs her hands together and looks over to her more investigative relatives with a cheerful grin.
"Yes," Celina offers, "when I want to see myself more clearly, I remove the masks I put on for Others. Is it possible that you would be willing to do this sort of mental and physical stance? I could join you in dropping my defenses if it made you more comfortable, or leave if you'd prefer to work with only Llewella. We can proceed without this, but I'm trying to make the time as valuable for you as possible. One deep way to do that is to see you as you really see yourself, without trappings."
"Or I can leave, if you'd rather I did. Whatever makes you most comfortable," Llewella offers.
"That won't be necessary, Aunt." Robin says fondly.
"Hmmmmm," she cogitates. "I'm not unwilling. You and Aunt Llewella have done a wonderful job of calming my fears and making me feel welcome." She smiles at them both. And even underwater too, who'd've thought?
"But I think the metaphor might be off. Being a child of the Wild, what few social masks I have are really," Robin flicks her fingers playfully, "new and flimsy. Not very entrenched at all.
"When I'm hiding from myself or Others, I tend more to use... chaff or flack strategies?" Her brows furrow as she reaches for a metaphor. "Lots of sound and fluff and excitement, all going in several directions at once. Once there is sufficient... distractions/opportunities, I pick a direction and fly it. Sometimes right into the ground. Sometimes to the stars." The girl lifts a shoulder in an off-handed shrug, it works for her.
"Do you think your stances will work for that?"
"I can work with anything," Llewella says, "so that question is really for Celina. But generally the answer is, 'it will work more or less well and we won't know for sure until we try'. Celina, how would you like to proceed?"
Celina nods to Llewella and offers to Robin, "I follow your answer and appreciate that you are comfortable. I'm going to assume you're ready to start because you aren't in sound and excitement mode?"
Robin nods with a grin for Celina’s perception.
Celina looks back to Llewella. "On the off chance that the reading invites something of Chaos to snoop here, I'd like to use redundancy of Order. I was thinking of three mirrors in balance, equally spaced around her, none in opposition. Three poles is very stable, and returns information about multiple axis, less chance to hide something important. It would also provide Robin with multiple ways out of the center focus, in case she feels a threat."
Robin looks around at the experts, ready & willing to stand wherever, breathe however, they want. Then she raises an inquiring eyebrow toward the fair of firelizards in her arms and on her shoulders.
"That's a good setup," Llewella agrees. "With something protective in one of our hands as the backup. Either a mirror or something else, like a trident. Not one attached to a Triton either. Shall I send for the mirrors, or do you have a setting in mind?" She lets Celina weigh the merits of sending for the mirrors versus going where they are.
Celina suspects that the balanced mirrors that she has access to are not as good as the ones Llewella would choose, so she defers to her. "Three alike mirrors, and in deference you should choose them. As for where..." Celina eyes the firelizards. She discounts the airy room, for it is too close in the palace to Court and not easy to move furniture into or out of. This room likewise has too rich a level of irreplaceable art and is too high in the palace.
"Not here, but let us use the Gallery of Wind, we can remove the musical instruments stored there quick enough." Celina explains to Robin that the Gallery contains accumulated gifts to the throne that are musical and fair better in air over long periods of time. It has the advantage of being unremarkable but in a lower stout area out of the way.
Celina says, "I think the firelizards would be more useful and comfortable in air."
Robin's eye glimmer at the mention of a dry room, especially one that might have stuff stored in it. Boxes and crates are far more interesting to her than displays. And with any luck, one or two of those 'gifts to the throne' could be actually dangerous or something. But, Robin figures, it's probably best not to get her hopes up.
"Both them and me." Robin agrees with a grin.
Celina half-smiles and nods once.
While Llewella begins to make the preparations to have the mirrors arranged in the dry chamber that Celina has suggested, Celina feels the press of an oncoming Trump call.
A few minutes later, Llewella pauses and gets the distant look that tells Robin someone has contacted her by Trump. Llewella turns to Robin and says, "Robin, it's your father, and he has news for you. And me." She stretches out her hand to bring Robin into the connection.
For a brief moment, the startled look of every busted teenager darts across Robin's face. But then the 'and me' penetrates and she starts to get really worried. Robin grabs Llewella's hand quicker than thought. "Sir?" She thinks loudly. After all, there is a war going on in Arden...
Julian's presence in the contact is warm and solid, and Robin can sense his pleasure in seeing her, and so well. "I was told you were in Rebma, Robin, and so I took the liberty of contacting you in this way, and to give the news King Random has given me to both you and Llewella."
Robin smiles in relief and fondness to see him well too.
"The King has asked me to call both of you to Amber for a family gathering. There will be a general jubilee--and, Robin, there is an amnesty for Solange, who has been reached as well, and I expect she will be joining us. The occasion is one where it's important to present family solidarity, so as much as I know it may be difficult for you, I must ask you to attend. I know Llewella will have sympathy for your situation."
Llewella laughs. "Family gatherings. My favorite. What's the occasion, Jules?"
Julian's answer is swift, and to the point. "Queen Vialle is with child."
"Oo!" Robin makes a soft noise of surprise. Quickly, she gets her too-editorial mindbirds under control, though worry, sympathy and a strong desire to keep her oars out of that particular river escape her before she quite gets them all herded back into the brush.
"Understood, sir. I will be there." She smiles at him, love & humor sparkling in her eyes. "And I'd really love to see Solange again. When? And can I bring a 'plus one'?" 'Cause you know, she's got ancient unknown responsibilities as well as youthful fire-breathing responsibilities.
"Only Family will be welcome at the Family meeting, though of course you may bring anyone you wish to celebrate in Xanadu," Julian replies. "The meeting will be tomorrow morning, and since Xanadu time should be running parallel to Rebma now, as I understand from Fiona, that should give you time to gather what you need. Tonight is some kind of celebration of Edan's new order of knighthood and one of Random's parties, which I assume you'd rather miss."
Through the contact, Robin can feel Llewella's amused agreement with that last. "Will everyone be there?"
"My understanding is that Random wants all the members of the family to attend."
"Okay," Robin nods. Then, thinks about it. "Ummm, just in case -- if you don't see me in Xanadu, would you mind Trumping me before the meeting?" While Robin feels she is better, she does not want to have another timeslip before this meeting.
I can contact Llewella but I can't be sure of reaching you," Julian says. "Will that serve?"
"Oh! Yeah..." Robin says. How could she forget that there are no Trumps of her? Weird.
There's some amusement in Llewella's voice and the touch of her mind through the connection. "I'll be here. If you want me to come in on your Trump, Jules, I can do that."
"Thank you both." Sensing some sort of brother-sister thing, Robin turns her mind to seeing if Ossian or Brita has time to rectify the No Trump problem...
Celina opens slowly to the Trump. "Who calls?"
"It's your father," Corwin says.
Celina opens to the energetic intrusion.
"I've got news for you. Random is summoning us for an all-family conclave tomorrow. Edan has something tonight but only the gathering tomorrow is mandatory. Will you permit Huon to attend? I'll come to assist with the escort if you want me to." There's a beat and he adds, "He's announcing that Vialle is in the family way."
Celina frowns over this odd phrase and then catches up a moment later. She nods. "Unless there is something unduly precarious about my journey to Xanadu, I don't think I need walk at your side Father. I appreciate you offering. Do you judge Huon would take this time as a reason for his agreement to change? It does him honor to be offered a part in the full conclave does it not?"
Corwin makes a face, but he is, as ever, hard to read fully through a Trump. "It's a mark of, if not favor, less disfavor for Huon to be allowed into family council. I have no idea what Random has planned for Huon, but I know he's lifted Solange's banishment. He told me he's already talked to her. I don't know how Jerod and Brennan are going to take that, but her crime was significantly smaller-scale than his. I also don't know how Marius is going to take it when and if Huon shows up."
"Based on the conversations I've had with Random, Huon may remain unpopular for a long time, but Marius will have to bring his complaint to me. I shall be glad to bring Huon. The Thrones have made a point of trying to save the Family from itself. If Huon sees value in the opportunity, he will be with me as my guest.
"I do think he would appreciate your concern for his safety. Do I have your permission to mention it? The sentiment might sway some regard. Or challenge Huon to attend against his own preference."
I'll trust your judgement on that. I assume you'll be coming through on a Trump; I can arrange to make the contact just before the Family gathering, assuming you don't want to come to Random's shindig tonight. In theory, at least, we're working monarchs." Corwin says this last a bit wryly, as if he might not be, for all that Celina knows that he is in his own way, if one more concerned with the metaphysical than the financial or political.
Celina thinks a moment, and adds, "Thank you. If I can arrive in Xanadu tonight I shall call you. It sounds as if the King would like an informal event before the Family event. I may not be able to get everything here ready that fast. If Huon has no interest in attending, that will also delay my departure. I will be bringing archivists with me. Father, for taking time to give me this news, you have my best regards. I hope you may leave a strong surprise behind in Paris when you travel to Xanadu. Upon Reflection, you might add to your Snares." Celina makes to end the contact unless Corwin has more agenda.
"I have good people to put in charge, and if anything--or anyone--turns up, they can reach me. I hope the same is true for you, especially since Llewella will need to be in Xanadu as well as you," Corwin answers. "I'll keep an ear out, as it were, for your call."
On that note he lets her end the contact. When her attention refocuses on the room, she can hear Llewella and Robin talking to Julian.
Celina returns from Trump reverie and studies Robin and Llewella for a moment. Then she goes to the door and quietly engages a page with whispered instructions that she requires the Senior Archivist and a gather of half the Archivists ready for a journey to Xanadu. The page is to carry regards to Prince Huon and ask him to attend the Queen at Court, Celina names an hour in the morning watch. The she instructs the page to send two additional pages off to Red Fox Claws and Archivist Tomat with news that if they wish to send messages to Xanadu, the Queen will carry them.
Celina returns to a artful stance near the two women.
"Then I will see you early on the morrow," Julian says. "I look forward to it."
"See you then," Llewella says.
"Until then. Love you, Dad." Robin will never, ever leave her Father again without letting him know that.
Julian closes the connection.
Llewella turns back to Celina. "Did you just get a Trump contact about a family gathering tomorrow too?" she asks Celina.
"Indeed," Celina responds, "my father was forward in sharing the news, and offering to 'help me' ward Huon if I escorted Huon to the Summons. I need to identify a regent for my absence, for I don't intend to miss this gathering. Did you just get the same information about an heir? Considering how few and far between pregnancies are, what do you think of Vialle having caught, Aunt?"
Oooo, yeah. Rebman politics with Moire on the loose. Robin's going to let the experts and those with a stake in that game hash it all. She's just going to stand quietly and let the rulers talk.
"Probability manipulation shouldn't work in Amb--Xanadu. Any more than it works here." Llewella shrugs. "It's a convenient moment for Vialle. I wonder how Garrett and Martin are going to take it."
"I think it gives them more options, which they should like," Celina responds. She smiles at Robin then. "Well, let's get ready for the trip. Robin, I assume you will not want to do anything metaphysic until after such a meeting? Mirror work after, if you like?"
"Certainly." Robin answers automatically, though given her usual antics at Family get-togethers who knows where sheis going to end up. Meanwhile, another part of her flock is wondering about 'let's get ready for the trip' and she realizes with a sinking stomach that she's signed up to head to Xanadu in company of the Royal Rebman Procession.... ooog. If was just her, it'd be grab Ophiuchius, maybe her pack and go. But these gracious ladies with responsibilities and prisoners and the like are not going to bounce like that.
Her brow furrows as she feels her way around the social things; Castor did not cover this in his lessons. "Ummm, is there anything I can do to help? Besides gather up Sir Ophiuchius?"
Llewella looks to Celina to answer that question, since she is the Head of the Rebman Procession, such as it is.
"Indeed," Celina says. "I would appreciate someone in our party that can keep half an eye on my wet sisterhood as we visit Xanadu. I'm taking some young ones with us for historic reasons, and I think you know what it is like to be so far from home and completely ...out of water."
"I think we ought to do the mirror work first," Llewella says to Robin and Celina. "If we don't, there's a reasonable chance one or another of us won't be back here afterwards. Your father might send you off again, Robin, and who knows when you'll be back to Rebma. Unless you'd rather do it in Xanadu--but the quality of mirrors may be chancier there. If there are any after all the trouble with Lucas."
Celina gestures to Robin, that it is clearly her choice, as if to say she does not disagree with Llewella about mirrors in Xanadu.
Robin nods. "I think we should do the mirror work first as well, if nothing than so we can give a better report on it at the Family palaver.
"And I'd be glad to guide some of the wet sisterhood," a smile darts across Robin's lips at the words. "I even have experience being a fish out of water in Xanadu."
"Everybody but brother Random is a fish out of water in Rebma. Except his girl." Llewella chooses not to elaborate further. Instead she and Celina send pages for the mirrors and snacks and everything else they consider necessary.
Robin nods in half-understanding, though there's a flicker of confusion at 'his girl.' But she doesn't press. And does her best to keep herself and the firelizards out of the way of the preparations. Though not too far from the snacks, of course.
After much work and hustle, the floor markings are to Celina's satisfaction in the Gallery of Wind. The three matched mirrors arrive and are set on the floor per the diagrams. Celina admires the workmanship as these are something Llewella had available. The three are positioned about a meter apart, equal distant to a center that Robin can walk into. Celina talks to Llewella and Robin all through the preparations.
Robin does her best to pay attention and be polite through the preparation. And maybe something is leaking into her mind and burying itself somewhere in the clutter therein. But she isn't trying very hard to follow the more esoteric theory. Robin is definitely not a book-learnin' type.
No mirror reflects another, thereby avoiding recursive difficulties, and all of them are set to show Robin in full, being adjusted to her height and angle.
Celina cautions Robin that the little dragons are not invited, this time.
Robin nods her understanding. Comforting her friends with soothing cuddles, she assures them that she will be alright (probably) and that this is like Aunt Fiona's medicine; something that is fine for her and dangerous for them.
Celina consults with Llewella, agrees that they should both be armed. Llewella with a mirror weapon of her choice, as she suggested. Celina will have the scepter as a focus of Order and Rebma, and be willing to use it as a mace with full authority.
Robin cocks an eyebrow at the two skimpily-clad Court Ladies talking about 'armed.' But as the Mirror and Mace of Power come out, she emits a little croon of understanding and a chuckle at her own 'unarmed' state, despite the sword, the knives, the other little surprises, etc.
For the work, Celina has drawn focus inspiration from the Tower and the clockwork clouds, only in this case, she has gold metal cutouts of clouds, sun, and moon. These are control pieces for as they spin backwards, countersky, they will fine tune the looking into the past in the mirrors. Celina has from Robin a very clear explanation of what she was wearing during and after getting lost and 'nested' by this thing out in shadow, so she can recognize when they have the approximate time correct. Celina then is Agent of Order Stepping into Yesterday, holding the sky pieces, she will revolve backwards. Llewella is Agent of Knowledge, regal, immortal and applying the steady pressure to take the images along and keep them stable. Llewella should focus on the images. Celina will be steady, heavy lifting, and endurance.
Robin is the focus. The idea is to peel images of Robin season by season back into the madness.
Okay, now Robin is getting nervous. A nervousness she quickly calms so as to avoid disturbing the firelizards. But she's... uneasy about messing with time. And images of herself. It all evokes "Laurel" to her. And the beginning of everything going TU. But with a couple of deep breaths, she returns herself to the 'been there, done that' dispassion she shared with Princess Llewella earlier. Just more diagnostics and more fuss. Been there, done that too.
Prepping with some meditation, [Celina] is ready if Llewella is.
Robin indicates with a gesture that she's ready to go to.
Images of Robin appear, at first slowly, and then with increasing speed as the spell presses back towards the discontinuity Robin knows, intellectually, is there. Each older image flies back into the series of images and becomes like a temporal fugue, or a series of drawings which, when flipped forward, would animate.
Robin recognizes various events, and can even begin to see some changes. There was the fight with Grimey. Earlier, a basilisk. Still earlier, she thinks she recognizes herself when she met Vere. She seems less-broken with him, but that may be her own interpretation. Closer to the events, she sees herself with Father, and meeting Jovian. She's very close, and she can feel her emotions rise.
She sees herself wet and mad, standing in the lagoon at the bottom of a cliff in the darkness. She now recognizes the place she was that looked painted as Xanadu.
Robin goes further back, to the lost patrol, to the painted forest, to a pattern in an underground chamber.
Llewella speaks, for the first time. "Paris..." And the cathedral on the isle with the stairs under the altar may well have been Paris, but it's hard to know.
And Robin is lying on the ground of the shattered pattern chamber, her body covered by that of the Unicorn, who has the Jewel around her neck. And then back a beat to the Unicorn stabbing her horn through Robin's head.
And the mirrors shatter, all at once, sending shards of glass flying throughout the small room.
Everyone has small cuts, but no one is seriously wounded.
Llewella, at least, is breathing heavily.
Celina lowers her scepter from the cross-block position that shielded her eyes at the last. She looks to Robin first, in case there is triage to do. Her eyes drop to her left hand next. That hand aches with glass bits sticking from it. Celina grimaces, realizes that when she saw the jewel at the Grandmare's neck, she reached for that learning, and her left hand again pays most of the price for it.
Order is sharp and clarifies the memory.
Suddenly she's stepping closer to Robin, tucking the bleeding left hand behind her back. "Are you all right now? Did you see or feel anything in the images that helps?"
Robin's surprised explicative at that final image is immediate and loud, despite the crash of shattering mirrors. And she has startled backward even before the shards fill the air. But once the initial instinctive shock fades, she quickly calms herself but in no uncertain terms wants her little friends with her now!
The firelizards fly to Robin at once, the queen comforting her and the other two close by to assist but eyeing Celina and Llewella with suspicion, as if they're directly responsible for whatever is wrong with Robin. Not to mention the flying glass, which they didn't like at all.
Robin's brain birds are everywhere and the girl is visibly gawping as she tries to come to terms with what she just saw. As Celina approaches, calm and concerned, Robin swallows some of her more extreme consternation. Firelizard snuggles help too.
A faint smile, a gesture at her lips and a shake of her head indicate that while Robin is well, she is not yet verbal. The girl turns and carefully picks her way through the mirror shards back to the seat where she waiting and snacking. Once there, she curls up, hugs her firelizards and just watches the brain birds for a while, trying to sift through a myriad of reactions and ideas and fears.
Llewella watches all of this with mild consternation, or so Celina reads her expression. "Perhaps," she says to Celina, "we should repair to another chamber nearby and discuss what happened. And have someone patch up our injuries."
Celina eyes the dragons, and Robin, nodding a bit to Llewella's suggestion. She begins to hum a cetacean lullaby softly in the hopes the tune provides a path of calm meditation and lets the flying children know she is unlikely to be planning mischief.
With the sound of the lullaby comes the realization to Robin that she is being rude. And her awareness snaps back to the real world. First thing, a gentle 'tckk' of the tongue and reassurance to Chirrup and Ooot. They are so brave, so wonderful, such lovely guards but this was not Llewella and Celna's intention. It was an accident, like... like fireburps.
With a shaky smile, Robin licks her lips and tries to get some of her thoughts out into words. Unfortunately, they're still a bit of a flustered flock.
"My apologies. I wish I had multiple voices. I'd... rather not be alone right now. I'm so sorry about your mirrors, Aunt. What did you guys see?" Robin presses her lips together with a self-conscious duck of the head before any more discontinuous thoughts escape. Besides, those were probably the most important ones anyway.
Llewella makes no move to approach, given the firelizards, but she straightens and starts picking tiny glass shards out of herself with her fingernails.
Celina relaxes and finishes the song. Having long ago asked Llewella to teach, Celina knows that Llewella prefers to get Celina's impressions before she shares her own, so Celina answers Robin's question. "I saw Julian, Vere, Jovian, beasts, shades of Xanadu, Paris, and finally I saw intervention of the Grandmare piercing something in your head."
Llewella nods as Celina is speaking. "I saw the same things," she adds, when Celina finishes. "Family, and then the Unicorn. Whatever happened there was violent, but it seemed to be to the good. What did you see and feel, Robin?"
She's still carefully eyeing the firelizards, who are quite excited and defensive even after Robin's reassurance and the lullaby. They don't seem as likely to do anything offensive but Llewella's strategy of staying away seems to be wise for the moment.
"Feel? Mostly nothing beyond the expected nervousness. And I think I saw the same things: Dad, Vere, Jovi. Though that wasn't a shade of Xanadu, it was more like proto-Xanadu. And Paris? I mean, I thought it might be Paris, a strong shadow of Paris or perhaps even a proto-Paris, but I've never been there." A brief look of guilt flashes across her face.
"The rest I recognize: critters, Dad, Jovian, wet-adventures. I... Hmmmmm." Robin pauses as she approaches her thoughts from another angle. "I don't remember the Unicorn in that context." One hand waves toward the shattered mirrors. "And I don't remember being stabbed in the head." Her hand returns to her temple thoughtfully. "Though I do remember being hit on the head."
She looks up at the two concerned ladies. "Sorry, I was just so... startled by that image. But, you think 'intervention' and 'good'? Like maybe I wasn't alone in all of that?" There's something childlike and vulnerable lurking in Robin's eyes.
"Once you accept motherhood," Celina says, "you never stop being a mother. Or a grandmother." She sits next to Robin. "So yes, I think what I saw was good. She was there. You were not alone. For all of it? I don't know. But She was there when you needed it."
"I'm not a redhead, as they say," and Llewella catches Celina's eye and smirks, "but if you had been alone through this, I don't think you were at the end. I think there was an intervention. But if you want to ask Fiona, or anyone else in the family who's likely to know, you'll get your chance at Random's gathering. This is the sort of thing we should talk about. Though," she adds by way of reassurance to Robin, "of course I won't divulge anything without your permission."
"Noooo, I think we should divulge away. I'm coming to understand that my Rangerly sense of privacy is creating an environment of distrust. And that my natural reticence is withholding critical information from the Family gestalt. Soooo, I'll get over it." She waves casually.
Celina nods in agreement with Llewella's caveat. Celina looks at Llewella and adds, "Let's do some clean up and then get ready for the trip. I ask you to choose a page with cleaning supplies and call the Forge for a craftbucket of molten lead. I'm not leaving my blood anywhere in this room and Robin may feel the same. This glass debris also needs to be rendered into its components."
Llewella neck-bows at the command.
Robin's eyebrows go up as she finally gets the clue that gracious ladies may not be as used as she is to standing bleeding among the wreckage working things out.
"Oo," she chirps, standing. With quick practiced hands, she makes sure that one - the firelizards are glass free and uninjured. (She'll also use that time to see about calming them down a little more.) And two - making sure that she is glass free. Bleeding or not bleeding doesn't bother Robin. She knows she'll heal and she's left more than enough blood throughout Arden and Shadow to be too concerned about unpleasant conjurings. Of course, she isn't the Queen of a Pattern Realm with possible internal enemies.
"I really am sorry about your mirrors, Aunt." She say to Llewella again as she prepares to be herded wherever the gracious ladies would like. "Why do you think they exploded like that?"
"If the Unicorn intervened, that would do it," Llewella says. The expression on her face says she's considering what she needs to do to fulfill Celina's commands by the time she'll need to be ready to go to Xanadu. After a moment, she turns her attention to Celina. “Is it all right if I have the room flooded as part of the cleaning? I think it’ll be a good end to the process and dilute any magical remnants, blood or otherwise."
"Complex, but wise," Celina does not add more as she knows Llewella will check and preserve the contents of the room from the possible water damage. "Yes, and it can stay watered while we are gone to Xanadu. We'll set it back to rights later." Celina looks at Robin and adds to Llewella's comment, "If you imagine there is a tension in glass, especially mirrors. They are deeper spaces than they appear to be, though quite Ordered. The Unicorn is a Higher Order and Too Deep to be constrained by the glass. Shallow waters must give way."
"Ah," Robin nods. "And since we are Deeper Waters than the mirrors, we don't explode when she’s around." That makes sense to her.
She nods again as she and her fair of firelizards pick their way out of the room.
Last modified: 4 December 2016