Edan makes a polite goodbye as Garrett disengages, and watches the Prince walk away. He then turns back to Hannah.
"Well," he says, after a long moment. He hopes he's kept the stupid grin off his face. "Look at you."
Hannah smiles. "I'd pirouette, but not right now." She holds her hand out for his help in rising. "Shall we go on to get something to eat?"
Edan pulls her up and offers an arm for an escort. "Indeed...well, not for me yet. I am doomed to eat cold sandwiches afterward. I can't eat anything significant before a dance."
"I'm looking forward to seeing it," Hanah says, taking his arm. "Unless tonight is the night, in which case I may be delayed. Estimaza will be there. You've heard about what happened to him, I assume?" When Edan indicates he hasn't" "He's somehow managed to retain his youth from the Blue World. And Fiona has suggested to him that he may be descended from Corwin. I'm going to need to ask her about that." Hannah looks as if this possibility worries her.
She lets him lead her to a seat at the long table. "Since you aren't eating, I hope I can ask you to get up and make plates for me."
"Anything." Edan hasn't quite made the worried look disappear, the one he adopted when he realized that Hannah is that close to time. They make it a few more steps before he says, "Why does it worry you, if Estimaza is related to Corwin? What does it mean?"
Hannah leans in very close. "Random indicated to me that my father was unlikely to survive the family ritual. Estimaza has rarely let power go willingly. I thought it would be hard enough to keep him from it when he thought he might just be some distant relation of Dworkin's. If he thinks he has a direct line, even a... grandparent, in our parents' generation, I don't think I could stop him. And should I, even? That troubles me just as much. I think I must try, for the King's sake as much as my papa's." She relaxes back and turns to meet Edan's eyes for a second - to give him a smile. "Yes, there is more there. In my head, I mean. I think we'll have to talk about it later. Prie Dieu pour l'opportunité.
"Oh! While I have you, I plan to perform this birth as my people do. That means no men. Will your feelings be hurt? Paige has picked some room with a long hall for pacing." She tries not to smile at that last.
"I-" Edan looks about to really protest, but then thinks about it. "No. That is how things are done in the Land of Peace, as well. I can pace and fret until it is done." They get a little more distance to themselves before he adds, "Everything has progressed well, yes? I am... different than all our cousins. It has been my own private worry."
"Oh, Edan. Everything has been absolutely normal, healthy. Perhaps we have a little dancer here, because the kicking... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be away so long. The baby has finally settled, which is how I know it will be soon. There isn't room left for my organs and this child. That's really the worst of it - it can be uncomfortable right now to sleep, to stand, to sit." She squeezes his arm.
"I will need to be out in shadow again before long. We have some logistics to figure out, I'm afraid. Whatever have you been up to? Did you figure out if you're engaged to the lady of the knife?" She asks the last with a teasing tone, but her curiosity isn't hidden.
"I helped my father for a while against the Moonriders," Edan says, "but then I came back to Xanadu. Random asked me to recover some lost Trumps, and when I went out to find them I discovered that they had fallen into the hands of the Klybesian Order-- the same monks that have proved such a nuisance to the rest of the Family. Since it is such an enigmatic group, and since they apparently employ a mercenary army, I had to raise one of my own." Edan gestures at the air. "The Knights of the Lamp. They will serve a protective function here, when it is all over. One might almost think that this was the King's plan all along."
"Likely, they both were. And more beside - that's how rulers think," she claims, like she knows.
He falls silent, and they make it a few more paces before he adds, "As to the other, I've been thinking about that. Outside some comedy involving islands and volcanoes, you would expect both sides of an engagement to have clearly committed to it, and that certainly did not happen. I think more that we have an understanding not to attack one another on sight." Edan smiles. "Or it means she's marked me as target number one, whichever it is. So no, no engagement."
Hannah snorts in disbelief, but holds up her free hand. "I will let your sister be a bad influence on me and call that plausible deniability. Since you're not engaged..." she stops him a minute to lean over and whisper something in Edan's ear.
Somehow, Edan manages not to stumble. "Why...I like that idea. I like it a lot." And if his skin appears redder by the second, that might be from the lighting. "Do you think we will make it to the King's meeting tomorrow?"
Now she's grinning ear to ear. "I suppose we must. It is why everyone got called home. But we could do it now." She's quite serious, but then the grin falls a little. "Although, if you have to fast before your dance, one assumes you mustn't indulge in other hungers either, yes?"
But before Edan can answer, Solange enters the room, looking round and smiling a bit nervously at some of the relatives assembled in the room. Though she's cleaned up as much as Jerod and the rest, she's also clearly come from some sort of field situation: she's wearing trousers and her shirt has some stains on it, and her hair's a bit flyaway. When she locates Gerard, she comes to him at once, nodding apologetically at Raven. "Father," she says, "I've been told my exile is lifted. Is the King here?"
Gerard's voice takes on that loud and booming quality that got him heard over many a storm. "I'm acting as Regent, and in the King's name, I lift your exile, Solange. You are welcome to Xanadu. Be at peace--and get a plate. It's dinner."
Hannah's eyes catch and follow Solange. She sighs after Gerard speaks, with no little relief. Quietly she says, "Now she just needs find a way to make it right with Jerod, and Brennan, and..." Hannah waves her free hand to indicate the room in general. And then her free hand goes to her back, where she rubs. Again, quietly, she says, "If you've got twins on me, Sir Firedancer of the Lamp, I will make you pay." She smiles though.
There is a soft susurrus of parting between the Warden of Broceliande and Princess Flora after the Regent's declaration and Paige turns from the conversation with her aunt, appraises the room and makes a path toward one of the clusters of family. An interesting word, she considers, when one considers that she could likely count just as many family enemies as allies on certain days. The redhead's green dress flutters as she crosses the room and she admonishes herself for such flights of fancy. They weren't truly her enemies, just those of the Crown, but it was like enough the same when you served at His pleasure.
Catching the end of Hannah's comment, she chuckles warmly, a smile in her eyes for her brother as well. "Twins don't run in his side of the family. That was the other," she greets them. Paige leans in for a hug and kiss for each.
"The hard part is over, now that there is no more exile. It will work itself out." Edan definitely had had the look of, 'I do believe my dance can wait for more important things with you', but with the one-two punch of Solange's arrival and Paige's greeting, the look resolves into a wry smile at the chaos fate can bring. "Afterwards?" he asks Hannah before he turns to greet his sister.
Hannah's nose scrunches up. She doesn't like that suggestion at all.
"I told you that you would wow the room. I hope people will pay attention to me when I dance," he says to Paige.
She accepts the flattery, but obviously has no intention of stealing his spotlight.
Hannah lets go of Edan reluctantly and returns Paige's kisses, cheek to cheek. "Yes, you're lovely when you aren't covered in space-engine oil. Are the children here, or are they out in the wood?" Hannah asks. She places a hand on the top of her belly and makes an uncomfortable face. "Can we sit?"
Page's expression suggests it's a question a pregnant woman never need ask a mother. "Of course," she replies. "And perhaps the dancer will be convinced to massage your feet, away from the food of course."
"As to my twins," Paige teases, "They should be in camp, but 'out in the wood' is likely more accurate."
Ossian leaves the bar and joins Hannah, Edan and Paige. He looks slightly confused. "Greetings cousins!" Paige gets a big smile of course, and Hannah too. "...congratulations!.. " Ossian looks at Hannah, then his eyes flicker to Edan for just a short moment and then back to Hannah again.
He offers Edan his hand. "We need to talk, Cousin."
"Of...course. Well met, Cousin," Edan says as they clasp hands. He waves his other hand to include Hannah and Paige, as if to say, 'it's fine to talk here, if you wish'.
Hannah interjects. "Dear Ossian, come and catch up with all us a moment, will you?" She motions to seats. "If I have my way I'll be in labor soon and Edan will have plenty of need for the distraction of talking then," she explains, answering the unspoken question, and also asserting what she considers her privilege here, laying her hand back on Edan's arm. "I just got him back," she grins.
Paige takes no shame in steering Hannah by her other arm and, by connection, Edan to the indicated seats. "Let's allow your daughter the privilege of making her own decisions about timing, yes?" she suggests.
Edan is already smiling, having been wondering whether- and how- Hannah and he would be making announcements about themselves and the baby. It seems that things would be working out well enough.
"I am so incredibly not qualified to argue timing. Perhaps I should get us..." his voice trails off. "Daughter?"
Hannah gives Paige an unamused look. "She's guessing, Edan. She does like to play with you."
Ossian stifles a chuckle and follows the trio to the seats. Not finding a chair nearby, he simply squats in front of them. He smiles. "Insensitive of me", he says "Don't worry, Hannah. It's not that urgent, so I can speak with Edan later. I think my father has already conveyed the main points anyway.
"It's good to see we have not outgrown play," he adds.
"I missed out on decades of sibling rivalry," Paige agrees. "I will take every opportunity I can."
"I probably deserve it anyway," Edan says, "after I sent you that bird of desire that bled all over your party."
She winks at Hannah, commenting nonchalantly, "As to her gender, well, one of us speaks to spirits, the other divines the future. I know where I'd lay my money."
Edan shakes his head and adds, "I refuse to use Sorcery as a tiebreak. The methods would be most uncomfortable."
Edan gets the same look his sister got from Hannah. "No one will be anything-ing about my person at this time, at risk of bodily harm. No divining. No sorcerying. Nothing." She scowls a little, but can't hold it.
Hannah looks to Ossian. "Aside from whatever you and Brennan and Edan, what have you been up to? Any adventures?"
Ossian raises an eyebrow. " I am getting paranoid... I have learned that behind every corner and everything that happens to me, and many others, there's a Klybesian monk." He snorts "So I am starting to try to get even. I and Silhouette found them in Kyril's home shadow, and..." He stops.
Paige scans the immediate surroundings, as obviously Ossian's paranoia is contagious.
Edan, with his typical level of insight says, "...and did something to them?"
Hannah readjusts her weight in the seat and lays her hand on Edan's knee. "Wait, they were in Kyril's home? As in, had been there for some time? What led you and Silhouette there?"
Ossian takes a deep breath and shakes his head "We don’t have proof of them being there. But we reached that place through a tunnel from the Land of Peace. Where they definitely were established." his mouth twitches. "I'm so sorry."
Paige nods in understanding of her cousin's concerns even if she isn't current on the monks and their schemes.
"I...what?" Edan's eyes narrow. "I was just there. Where did you find them?" He can't help but glance in the direction of the room where his dance is being set up.
Hannah looks at Edan with a great deal of concern, surprised, and follows his eyes across the room. She looks back at Ossian. "Maybe you can give us the high points?" Hannah pulls out her medicine bag from inside her tunic and rubs her thumb along its edge.
Ossian frowns. "I could be mistaken. They spoke of a departed Sultan, I thought that was you. Was there an earthquake?"
Paige might not be the artist that Ossian is, but her fingers itch to remove her Trumps from the small gold purse on her wrist. Still she resists and listens further.
Edan sighs and slides the heels of his palms over his eyes. "No," he says after a moment. "I mean, maybe. My home has weight. If you were nearby, you would go there unless you were trying to avoid it. I would be that Sultan. An earthquake, that may well have happened while I was gone." He drops his hands. "The monks would have to be up in the mountains or out in the desert...no, not the desert. I was far away, recruiting in the cities." He looks at Ossian. "I cannot begin to tell you the irony in that."
Hannah's brow is furrowed. She asks Ossian, "So, they are deeply entrenched in the Land of Peace. Did you interact with them there?"
Ossian nods. "We talked, and did some spying. I had to earthquake them to get away.
"We were in a city, the monks were disguised as... monks for the Merciful One and scientists. Invited from the northlands by the Alcalde." Ossian pulls out his sketch book, and draws a quick sketch of the temple.
Paige turns to her brother as the artist sketches. "I'm sure I'm missing something here, Edan. Perhaps I should have been studying holy orders instead of drilling Rangers."
Edan's attention is on the sketch as it appears under Ossian's hands. "In my short experience, I have found nothing holy about the Klybesian Order," he says, almost as an aside.
Ossian nods to this.
He points to the picture. "I know this place. No wonder I didn't hear of it. It is two thousand miles and more from where I called up my knights. Even the fastest train or ship would take a week to deliver news." He drops his hand, says, "This...this goes back to the Black Road War. That temple, its town, was liberated nearly a decade ago. We cleaned it up, restored the mindfulness and worship of the Merciful One...and left. There was so much else to fix, and the hamaaj were still everywhere. I had not been back, even after we broke the hamaaj and sealed the gate."
Edan's voice is monotone, wooden, but pressed next to him Hannah can feel that his muscles are coiled and tense, and his eyes are a bright, molten gold. "So. Let me get this straight. The Klybesians came from the north, took over the temple, suborned the worship away from the Merciful One and to their own ends, and created a nest that included a pathway to Kyril's...Pacifica. They've had up to a decade to spread their influence in my home. Do I have that right?"
Hannah lets go of her pouch and takes Edan's hand instead. She is unhappy to have this confirmed.
Ossian frowns. "The theologians of that place would claim that the Merciful One is still worshipped there. They are a bit more subtle than an obvious take-over. But other than that, you are correct.
"They have brought technology there if I understood correctly, and are quite popular."
Paige notices Hannah's posture and proceeds to start massaging with strong, firm pressure the knot that's apparently forming in the small of her cousin's back.
"It's when they're still subtle that you have to deal with religions," the Warden offers. "If they're confident enough to act overtly, it's likely too late."
Edan thinks a moment or two longer, cooling off as he does, then says, "It's not going to change my timetable. The men still need more training. We still have to work on the same logistics. I thought we would be starting our journey with Abford, but it seems there is a better place to begin." He nods to Ossian. "Thank you, cousin. I can't think of a better motivator than what you have just told me."
Hannah shifts and makes a grateful sound in the back of her throat. A backrub was just what she didn't know she needed.
Seemingly aside from the topic of conversation, Hannah asks, "Is it really true that Huon will be here?"
Ossian shrugs. "I don't know, would spice this up, wouldn't it. If you're going to Abford, Edan, I'll gladly help."
Paige hesitates only a moment in her ministrations to Hannah. "Family is the spice of life," she agrees. "At least he's on the Ordered side of the family."
Edan nods agreement with Ossian. "If we follow the trail there, I will do my best to contact you. I...do not have your Trump, Lilly had it that time."
To the others, he adds, "I saw Huon, when I was in Rebma. He acted...pleasant. I wonder if he was purposefully acting on good behavior."
"I would expect he is perfectly capable to adapting his social behavior to get what he wants," Hannah says dryly. "I'll need to speak with him, if I can manage the opportunity. So, Edan, is your plan right now for all your knights to go from one shadow to another, together, hunting evil monks? What is to stop them from just slipping over to their brothers in another shadow? It seems they have evaded and could keep doing it for a long time."
Ossian grins. "I will try to make at least a sketch for you, Edan. It all depends on how much time we have.
"We should preferably strike in several places at once, I guess." Ossian says. "The trick is to find their leaders. Brother Chew always seem to slip away."
Paige shakes her head. "I've enough in preparing for more Family to visit, and someone's impending child bearing to even consider offering to help," she apologies.
"It's going to be very frustrating at first," Edan agrees. "They obviously have good boltholes, and they will use them. They must have endured periods in their history of being hunted by any number of opponents or rivals. And that does not include whatever internal schisms they have had. But there are places they would be loath to give up. With a mobile army, there have to be places they consider strongholds. Places of research, places sacred to them. Those are the targets that we will seek. We will have to do our due diligence to find them." He smiles then, slightly. "But we have Time and Mind on our side."
This makes Hannah smile too. "Yes." She reaches back to pat Paige's knee and leans on the arm of the couch to push herself up. She sighs happily, and notes, "Just have to stand a minute. So, can someone... I think I'm missing something about...." She shifts her weight from foot to foot, thinking. "You know what, it's too complicated right now, and who knows what all we'll know shortly. It all makes me wonder if I didn't know some of these monks on Makato, but it may be my mother left me as she did to keep my existence from more than family."
Ossian nods. "That is very possible. Given the monks interest in our family, I wouldn't be surprised at all.
"We can surely disrupt their organization by attacking key places, but I still think hitting the key people will do more damage."
Paige doesn't exactly frown, as much as her ever present smile falls from her eyes, if not her lips. "Cutting the head off a dr... serpent is all well and good, but it forces her brood into the shadows.
"Leave them no shadows to run to by bringing the light before taking the head," the Warden agrees with her brother.
"I was thinking of place versus person, too," Edan adds. "Much easier to find a place than hunt a person, and then worry about stopping an escape attempt. Dragging along an army, it's going to be slow and clumsy and I'd rather entice them to come to me, anyway."
"Does anyone know where they keep their lore? Attacking that place, trying to capture a substantial portion of their knowledge or records would get their attention." Hannah shifts her weight again, her hip against the arm of the couch, revealing the bright red-dyed buckskins she has hidden under her full black skirts, and her sky-blue beaded moccasins. And she glances at Edan, with, "Think about getting some medic-knights."
Then she smiles at Ossian. "You have steady hands, Ossian. You'd do well with both cutting and stitching, if you can take the blood - and the smells."
Ossian laughs. "I have no trouble with blood. And I am fairly competent with a needle. Most soliders don't like their scars artsy, though."
Paige's own laughter is light and warm. "You'd be surprised how many soldiers wouldn't mind," she observes. " As long as they live and have something gruesome to show their women."
"As it so happens, Brennan and I have set up an exchange program of sorts," Edan says. "I expect medical training is one thing the Knights of the Ruby can help provide." He leans his head against Hannah's. "But I have been remiss and kept you talking. Let me gather something for you to eat. It is almost time for the dance."
Her expression softens and she grins. "Just fruit, please. And water."
Signy crosses the room over to join her brother.
"Marius. You're looking a bit better then when I last saw you."
Marius has fetched himself a drink and raises it to his sister. "It's good to hear you say that, Signy. How have you fared? I see you've made at least one friend of late."
Signy gives a wan smile. "We both got here around the same time, so it's nice to have someone that's also new to this whole thing to talk to. Plus, she's a craftswoman as well."
She collects a drink from the nearby bar, before turning back to her brother. "I've been spending a while in Aunt Fiona's Shadow, working on a project for Ambrose. Interesting, but so far no real successes and I feel almost like I'm getting introduced to all this," she says as she waves her drink in a vague semicircle, "all over again."
She takes a sip.
"Have you been in Xanadu recuperating?"
"Yes, and dealing with the administrative end of the Order of the Ruby. There's a lot to be done and with the other Commanders absent on the King's business, I'm the one they come to when decisions have to be made. I told Brennan I wanted to be the Order's diplomat. I didn't tell him it was so I could stop dealing with the paperwork." He smiles wryly at Signy.
Signy manages to avoid looking too confused at yet another layer.
"Where would they be posting you?"
She pauses for a moment, before she throws out her follow-up to see if that answers the first question.
"Would the Order be getting involved with the Monks?"
"Probably," Marius says. "They're becoming a larger problem, or at least a many-headed one. How much of our resources will be devoted to them is the question. I understand the Knights of the Lamp, Edan's new order, will be more toward the front than we will."
He starts to say more, but a blonde woman enters the room, looking round and smiling a bit nervously at some of the relatives assembled in the room. She's tall, blonde, and hearty, and though she's cleaned up as much as Jerod and the rest, she's also clearly come from some sort of field situation: she's wearing trousers and her shirt has some stains on it, and her hair's a bit flyaway. When she locates Gerard, she comes to him at once, nodding apologetically at Raven. "Father," she says, "I've been told my exile is lifted. Is the King here?"
Gerard's voice takes on that loud and booming quality that got him heard over many a storm. "I'm acting as Regent, and in the King's name, I lift your exile, Solange. You are welcome to Xanadu. Be at peace--and get a plate. It's dinner."
Signy nods, and allows Marius to set whatever physical direction is appropriate.
"What's your take on Brother Tomat?" The formality of his title feels unfamiliar to her, but provides a little distance.
"I don't know if I can trust him completely," Marius says after a few moments' consideration, "but," and he pokes a finger in Signy's direction, "I think you can. He never deliberately steered me wrong when he was leading me to you, but there was never any question in my mind that it was you he wanted to get to." His smile turns sly. "Do I need to perform a brother's office and discourage him?"
Signy briefly wonders if this is how The Family's rather notorious sibling spats start, with something like this.
"No," she says somewhat more sharply than she had initially intended, before moderating her tone. "He's been his usual self, as much as one can be when your entire world is upended and thrown upside down the way his has."
She sighs.
"But while I understand how others view him with suspicion, I'm worried that I don't view him with enough, and that I'm allowing others to take advantage of him."
"Ah," Marius says, and, his tone has moderated as well; he clearly knows he's made a mistake and is choosing to step around it. "I found him reliable when he was leading me to you, in direct defiance of the Klybesians and whatever oaths he'd taken to them, so I'm willing to speak up in his defense if you feel he's being unfairly criticized. But Signy, the thing about anyone who comes close to being one of our equals--and he's not, entirely, but he comes closer than many--is that they're dangerous. Dangerous to others and dangerous to themselves. We're tougher than anything out there and people who are close to us choose that danger. We can't keep them out of it. So maybe you're letting others take advantage of him, but you can't protect him from the world we live in, any more than you and I could protect ourselves from our father and mother."
Signy inwardly winces. Maybe another drink would help her mood some, or at least numb her a bit for when people poke at that subject.
"I think that the 'criticisms' of Tomat are that he's a Klybesian, and if not actively involved in the plots against us he's part of some subtle plot that he and we don't realize yet."
She sighs, and grabs a whisky from a convenient page wandering by.
[OOC: no pages! Nobody but Pattern initiates in the room, but she can steal Marius'.]
"I'd swear that he is not a knowing agent of theirs, but I don't know how to prove that he's not an unknowing agent, even to myself."
She takes a pull from the glass, emptying half in one go.
"I never knew our mother -- did we need protecting from her as well?"
"Mother was a born schemer," Marius says seriously, but without condemnation. "She had Corwin and Eric wrapped around her fingers from the day she was born and she rarely hesitated to use it. She had a fine mind, and a good sense of the long term and whose motives were negative, or could be. She'd be right in front of the crowd pointing fingers at Tomat if she felt it served her purposes.
"Our grandfather didn't have much use for daughters, so she meant me to be her play for the throne. No offense intended, but I can see how you wouldn't fit into her schemes. I'd never say you were better off without her, but I know where I fit in her plans, and it wasn't as an independent actor. You would have been the same. And I've assumed I would have been the same for our father."
Signy looks surprised. "It seems that neither one of our parents would win any awards?" She frowns, "My sense was that Weyland was never very happy about their parting. I always thought he wasn't happy over losing her, but maybe he just didn't get the best of whatever bargain they struck?"
She pauses, before starting to count out in her head. "It seems like their generation had a habit of raising kids the way that others would raise prized livestock," she notes to him very quietly.
"Oh yes," Marius agrees, "I think that's true of all of them. All of us. Except for the ones that didn't know they had children. Some of those were better off without, even with the hard luck stories. They weren't pawns in the greater war for the throne."
Raven slips back into the room quietly - clean, freshly re-clothed, and feeling about as ready for dinner as she figures she's going to get. She really ought to talk to Marius, too, see about meeting with him later too. But she isn't so sure she wants to deal with "needed sense beaten into him as a child" and "clearly crazy, not sure why we left him unsupervised" on the same day. Or at least within an hour of each other.
Instead, she heads for Gerard, greeting him with a polite, "Sir."
"Captain," Gerard says, and the booming voice is still his even if the frame of his body, especially his lower body and legs, is diminished. "Welcome to Xanadu. Have ye had a bite to eat?" Someone has fetched him a plate already, and he's working his way through it. "Fetch yourself something and then tell me how your journey went. Successful, I hope."
Raven snorts. "I'd say it's ongoing." She grabs a plate and loads it up. "No one's dropped any meteors on anything this time, but I ain't so sure that adding Weyland to a mage fight don't count as one."
"Weyland Smith? Mage fight? Sounds as if you've had quite a time of it." Gerard's smile is encouraging and friendly; that, at least, hasn't changed. "Is your story fit for talk at table? If so, let's hear it. If not, it can wait until tomorrow, unless it can't. And if it can't, tell me so I can just stop eating at the gruesome bits."
"I can skip the gory bits," Raven says, smiling. "Pretty sure they mostly landed on Jerod, anyway. So far's I know, the plan right now is to air the whole thing tomorrow and ask for opinions about the sticky bit we hit, so do you want the whole thing twice or just the exciting parts for now?"
"Start with the highlights and I'll ask about the details as seems needful," Gerard says. "I'll wait until I need to ask Jerod about the bits that landed on him. Not that I think whatever's going on out there--" he gestures in the direction of the private conversation going on outside on the balcony "--is any less grisly from the looks on their faces and the quantity of alcohol Robin just took out there."
Raven looks that way curiously. "I know Jerod and Robin," she says, "but I'm still figuring out who's who half the time. Who are the other two, sir?"
"The redhead," Gerard points at the man he means with his fork, "is Brennan Brandson, Knight Commander of the Ruby. Not a sailing man, so no reason you'd know him. And the dark-haired lad with him is my own son, Vere." His voice picks up a trace of pride as he speaks.
At about that point, a blonde woman enters the room, looking round and smiling a bit nervously at some of the relatives assembled in the room. She's tall, blonde, and hearty, and though she's cleaned up as much as Jerod and the rest, she's also clearly come from some sort of field situation: she's wearing trousers and her shirt has some stains on it, and her hair's a bit flyaway. When she locates Gerard, she comes to him at once, nodding apologetically at Raven. "Father," she says, "I've been told my exile is lifted. Is the King here?"
Gerard's voice takes on that loud and booming quality that got him heard over many a storm. "I'm acting as Regent, and in the King's name, I lift your exile, Solange. You are welcome to Xanadu. Be at peace--and get a plate. It's dinner.
"Solange," he adds, in a more normal voice, "this is Captain Raven, your kinsman. Raven, this is your kinswoman, my daughter, Solange."
Silhouette's sleek, masculine form circles the crowd, heading toward the buffet table. She pauses at Gerard's pronouncement, cocking her head with interest.
She drifts over to the pair, offering them a warm smile. "Regent Gerard," she says, bowing her head. "Thank you for inviting me to this gathering."
Turning to Solange, she extends her hand, "And may I be the first to welcome you home, cousin."
"Guess that makes me second or so," Raven adds. She eyes Silhouette curiously, but doesn't offer further comment for the moment.
Silhouette returns the silent gaze, nodding in welcome.
“Thank you, cousins,” Solange says, and seems about to say more but a slender, hooded figure enters the room looking fresh from the ride. There is a pause at the doorway as she scans the room then promptly makes her way over to Gerard. Once beside the regent, she drops the hood, revealing her long dark hair and almond eye- Lilly. "Uncle," she says with a bow of the head. Her attention turns to those standing in his circle, "Cousins." Lilly does her best to smile politely. "Forgive my interruption. I bring word from my father for the regent. Benedict plans to be here by morning."
Silhouette smiles politely, "Cousin."
"I'd hoped he'd be here tonight, but needs must. Glad to see you, lass, and I hope you've recovered from your injuries." Gerard is too conscious of her dignity to offer her the sort of hug he gave Solange, and in any case she's not one of his nestlings from the relatively long years of the Regency. "I thank you for your news, Lilly."
Realizing he probably ought to make introductions, he adds, pointing at each of the cousins in turn: "And in case you don't know, this is Captain Raven and this is Silhouette. And with that, you and Solange are both free to get dinner."
Raven gives a nod of greeting, but otherwise keeps her mouth shut to let the newcomers get sorted out.
Silhouette’s gaze drifts toward Raven, her forest-dark eyes sparkling with interest. "A naval captain, then? You would not, by chance, have heard word from Vanderyahr? Its ships tend to cross many paths."
"Thank you, uncle," Lilly replies. She gives a slight bow and turns to take her leave of the group.
Silhouette dips her head lightly, then returns her focus to the others. Her tone is quiet, "Forgive my ignorance, but are there specific rules of decorum I must follow tonight? I'm certain one attendee will be paying particular attention to my behavior and I do not wish to risk an... incident."
Gerard shakes his head. "Best stay clear of her, but beyond that I reckon there's nothing to be done. Whatever the truth of the matter, you're proven of the blood and that earns you your place here and on the morrow. But if it'll make you feel better--" and he looks at Solange here.
Solange nods, the trappings of 'the Regent's daughter' falling over her. Any disappointment she might feel about not getting a chance to speak to Kyril immediately is squelched. "I'll come with you to the buffet, cousin. The worst that can happen is she'll talk to me and egregiously ignore you."
Silhouette chuckles, "Oh, I suspect there could be worse fates within her power. But thank you."
She nods to Gerard and heads toward the buffet.
After the balcony is no longer filled so close to capacity, Brennan fills another glass-- Jerod permitting, with whatever 'that' is, instead of Corwin's absinthe.
"It's good to see you again," Brennan says. Then he gestures inside, off the balcony, "More of than I expected, even considering the summons. Word on the street is, banishments and exiles are lifted all around, at least for the next few days. Apparently all of them, including Huey, whom I haven't seen yet."
"Good to see you too." Jerod says, making sure to fill Brennan's glass liberally. It's dark, scotch and smoky, and for the moment it suits Jerod's mood.
It suits Brennan's, too-- he lifts his glass in thanks after he samples it.
"Huon huh? I was wondering what was up when we got the call," Jerod says. "Brita picked it up when we were in pursuit of Dexamene and her Chaosi. They were making a run from Gateway, with us and Weyland in pursuit. She was heading in the direction of the Towers. We managed to bag her before she got there. It was vaguely fun actually. The assault on the castle in Gateway, not so much. Got the second one there but a lot of casualties involved. The Triumvirate weren't interested in worrying about collateral damage."
"I assume Brita gave you the reasons," Brennan says, "or you wouldn't have broken off what you were doing: The King's production of an heir. Edan's new order tonight seems mostly a matter of good timing for him. Whole thing has me wondering if he doesn't have another shoe to drop at the Family meeting tomorrow, though." He shakes his head, to shake it off. "Just a nagging feeling, no real reason for it.
"I'm not well plugged into Gatwegian politics," he continues. "But...Chaosi? That's unexpected. Anyone we know?"
"No one relateable if that's what you mean." Jerod says. "I would guess based on the appearance of them they were more run of the mill but the appearance of Weyland sparks my paranoia. His official reason for being there was vengeance for Marius. A very admirable pursuit I would admit and one that I would have no trouble engaging in. But he seemed very interested in destroying them rather than learning anything about what they were up to.
"Now, he could just be like all the stories that have rippled through Shadow...nut-bar smith whose goods you don't buy unless you're equally as crazy, with the whole Chaos Lord deal thrown in. But part of me wonders if he might not know more than he's letting on.
"And the details for the recall were short and sweet. Though I suspect given what's still in Gateway I'd have to be back at some point. Can't take on a zombie army by myself. I've got an army if I want one, but I have to go and collect it."
"Someone related is mostly what I meant-- Dara, cleph, Madoc, that whole branch of the Family. Could be someone's affines, I suppose," Brennan says.
"As for Weyland, I would assume he always knows more than he says. Always. He can be flattered into interest, but probably not enough to give away what he could make you pay for-- I asked him pretty directly what his relationship to Oberon was, which should hardly be a state secret, and got nothing useful. I don't have quite the negative reaction to him everyone else seems to, but I wouldn't get within fifty yards of trusting him. I can't think of any motive for destruction over capture unless the destruction would have left enough pieces to ask afterward, though."
Then, "Zombie army?"
"Yeah, Dexamene, the leader, got stoned by Weyland. Literally." Jerod says with the straightest face possible, no doubt helped by his drink. "She's still available for questioning with the right methods.
"Second of the Triumvirate got whacked during the battle. Not much left. I'm guessing their tag-alongs didn't worry too much about casualties among the locals cause after the battle was done a really big chunk of the castle was gone.
"The third, is underground. Raising a zombie army. Too much without support apparently. We brought a rather shifting fellow back from there, named Phillipe...who warned us not to take it on without an army. On the surface, it makes sense. He still bears checking out.
"So, it's not done yet. Need to make sure the King knows that. He might think from my appearance that things are hunky-dory. Not by a long shot."
"I would think we have enough talent in-house to get some answers out of Dexamene," Brennan says. "Stone or not. Nothing about a zombie army sounds good to me, especially not coming from the same crew that did what they did to Marius.
"And I personally wouldn't take anyone's presence to mean that anything is fine. Even before this business Vere brought up, I've had a bad feeling about this whole event." Then he changes direction, somewhat abruptly. "What would you say if I told you I've got reason to believe Montage is alive?"
"I'd says that Martin got sloppy." Jerod replies. "That's not like him. What makes you say that? And does it involve my oh-so-favorite grandmother?"
"It's not like him at all," Brennan says, "which is one of several reasons I'd hoped to talk to him. And yes, it does relate to Moire, and Avalon, and Rebma. I'm convinced she's in or meddling in Avalon as we speak. How much detail do you want?"
"All of it." Jerod says. "Or rather, as much as can be done by the time this is finished." and he points at the bottle.
"She's meddling in Avalon and Benedict hasn't handed her ass to her yet? Grandmama is getting more impressive the longer I'm away from her. What are you seeing?"
"It started with a set of suppositions: That the Faiella-Bionin is a circluar road, which I think we all suspected after the last great Family Meeting. That if so, Moire knew. That Moire, being limited in mobility, would seek to use it. Well, it is a circular road and it does run from Rebma to Avalon: Fletcher and I found the road with a bit of help from Conner, and went there. I presented my concerns to Benedict, that Moire might seek to lead an invasion from Avalon. He admitted it was possible, but had no conclusive evidence, yet. I won't recount the whole conversation, but I now know Moire definitely knew about it and could use it.
"Benedict faces a war back in Avalon, but that is absolutely unsurprising. It is the nature of the place. He did, however, ask me to undertake some scouting tasks for him in that vein, with a wide degree of latitude. I chose to follow up the one I thought had the greatest possibility of indirectly serving Moire's purpose-- leaving the Avalonian gate to Rebma undefended." Here Brennan can give military details as though he can still see the sand table in front of him, but does not unless asked.
"I got lucky. Fast forward some months to breaking a siege against one of Benedict's allies at a place called Monparnasse. It was a near thing-- betrayed from within, attacked by corsairs, who were led or assisted by a hedge wizard of some competence. It became very obvious that the wizard-- Cameleopardis-- had his mind tampered with. After his capture, he was very cooperative, but could not remember certain things she should have been able to. He consented to have the spells that bound him broken, and it turns out he had been manipulated by Moire. Unfortunately, the process also killed him." Brennan says that last a little too quickly-- it's obvious it bothers him.
"The captain of the corsairs was similar, I think. By the terms of their defeat, we had to let him go, so we left the spells intact, but he spoke with eerie devotion of an Admiral and his mother. The last piece comes with the inside betrayal I mentioned, a man named Cledwin. He fled during the siege, but afterward I tracked him down and he also had the same signs of memory tampering to hide someone's identity. I took him to Cameleopardis' people, who partly broke the enchantment. He could not remember the woman's face, but he was able to sketch this mysterious Admiral's face: That, as I'm sure you've foreseen, is Montage. Or a close but older relation."
Brennan hands Jerod the sketch of Montage that Cledwin made.
"See what I mean? It could be his father, or it could be him after years in a fast Shadow. Now, there is a lot that I left out of that story for brevity, much of it about Cameleopardis. But that covers up to the point where I'm convinced Montage or someone who looks just like him is screwing around in Avalon with the end goal of leading an invasion into Rebma."
Jerod is silent throughout, absorbing and nodding at intervals, but beyond that, he is simply processing information. He takes the proffered sketch and looks at it for a long moment.
"Anyone know where his sister is?" he asks finally.
"Held in Paris, as far as I know," Brennan says.
Jerod is quiet for a moment, sifting information. "Bend and Montage were Moire's fixers." he says. "If Montage is still around, she'd have an idea as to why. She'd also likely know if there was someone who looked like him, barring a Shadow of course. A distant relative, a close copy.
"Might be advised to speak to Corwin on that front."
"Or Flora, through Corwin," Brennan says. "If I were Bend, I'd be far more worried about Flora than Corwin. But that was my question, and you've answered it-- do you know of anyone that would bear this sort of resemblance to him. Assume I'll ask and warn Martin, too, if he attends."
Last modified: 14 August 2017