The Memorial Service

It is early afternoon when all of you meet, dressed in somber court clothes, to proceed out of the castle to a field along the switchback road into the city where the memorial service will be held. Benedict and Merlin, neither of whom were known to be present, are among those riding down.

You all pass Corwin's cenotaph on the road to the field, which is where Oberon's and Deirdre's memorials will be built in due time.

[Unless a PC says he or she is absent, the GMs will assume you all attend. Ditto for wearing appropriate clothes, showing appropriate behavior, etc.]

Of course Lilly's idea of appropriate includes her sword...

[Considering that you're supposed to be guarding Vialle, Lilly, a sword is plenty appropriate.]

Lucas is there, relatively subdued, well dressed, and polite.

Robin's attire is still green, but dark pines and deep umbers. Around one arm, she wears a black armband. There is perhaps a smudge of black paint under each eye and her sword is worn 'reversed.'. During the walk, it is very clear that Robin does not want to speak to anyone. Not Jovian, not Julian, not anyone. The girl is completely locked down and spends most of her time watching her own feet.

Of course Brennan is there, wearing black, bearing arms. He feels out of place for not having known any of the dead except the one who is not eulogized, but he hides it well. He is appropriately solemn.

A crowd of nobles and prominent citizens is already beginning to arrive at the scene as the members of the family get there. There is an area marked off by the Royal Guard close to the front of the field where the royal family is expected to stand. There is also a dais at front where, you think, the speakers will stand.

A second area nearby has been set aside for foreign dignitaries and the like. Observant members of the family see that the delegations from the Land of Peace and Rebma, among others, are present. Leonardo Kaliq is greeting the ambassadors as they arrive.

At the appointed hour, the field is full and more than full of both Amber's wealthiest and her poorest. There are contingents from the Rangers and from the Navy, from the docksides, and even some of Amber's courtesans. There is no way to estimate how many are present, but a conservative guess would be in the tens of thousands.

Throughout the ceremony Vere's attention wanders from the speakers to the audience. Extremely observant watchers might think that he's looking for someone who isn't there, but whom he halfway expects to arrive.

After spending some time standing in the 'royals' section, watching rangers filter in... stand some more, watch more rangers appear, shuffle her feet, stare at the ground... stand some more, sigh... Robin quietly excuses herself. And clearly and distinctly jumps lines as she moves over to where the ranger contingent is located. Robin chooses to stand among the rangers for this memorial -- not the royals.

Before Robin moves, she might notice that Brita comes in from Arden and is standing with the Rangers.

Once among her comrades-at-arms, [Robin] exchanges a few brief words and hand-clasps before returning to her observance of her own footwear.

Brita acknowledges Robin's approach with a nod, but appears focused on the words being said about these people she has never known.

All of the uncles, Llewella, and Marius are pulled aside by Ember, who is handling some of the arrangements for Vialle. Martin, who is not, gives an inscrutable look to Merlin, who's standing next to him.

Random is the first to ascend the dais. He welcomes the crowd before turning the podium over to Benedict, who speaks briefly of his father and the early days of Amber when he was a boy and his father as King. He is, Reid thinks, surprisingly accurate.

Corwin brings his lute and plays a lullaby Deirdre loved, although only those nearby can probably hear him. Caine speaks of Oberon's efforts to make Amber into a great maritime trading power, and the prosperity he brought to the city.

[Meera, you can summarize Marius' remarks if you wish; otherwise we'll assume they're general reminisces. Marius has up to about 15 minutes to speak, although Marius doesn't have to use it all.]

No, he doesn't use his full 15 minutes to speak.

He does not talk of Deirdre as dead. He almost does not talk about her as his mother. He does say that she had a spirit in her that he hopes blazes as brightly in Amber's future as much as its past. He seems actually to be orienting his speech a little towards the women of the crowd... not quite as in taking the chance to make this the Pick-Up Eulogies of Which All Others Are But Shadows, but... [chuckle]

Bleys, oddly, speaks of his father as a man, rather than an icon, evoking strong memories from those who remember Oberon in person. Llewella speaks of him as father.

Conner pays most attention here as he was heard very little of Oberon the man.

Throughout the observance, Jovian maintains a sober, thoughtful parade-rest. Some present will remember, no doubt, that Jovian's first encounter with Oberon was at his funeral - his real funeral, clear on the other end of reality where you drink the punch and it tastes just like rum & cola...no, orange juice...no, whiskey...no, milk...

Ahem.

Deirdre, he never laid eyes on except in pasteboard. If, most of the time, his contemplative mien seems a bit impassive, perhaps he can be forgiven that.

To [Bleys and Llewella], Jovian seems to pay closer attention. Oberon as a man, as a father, is not a subject he recalls Julian spending much time on.

Julian, to the shock of most of the family, speaks briefly of Oberon and Deirdre, and then spends most of his allotted time speaking of Eric, reminding the crowd of the heroism of his late brother. To those who knew of his personal rancor about the burning of Garnath, the charity with which he speaks now is nothing short of amazing.

His son's eyes widen a millimeter, indeed...but he reflects further and nods to himself just a little.

Robin's face rises briefly to listen to her father's voice. When her head comes up, it can be seen that her lashes glisten with tears, her face is pale and drawn with pent-up sorrow. Once her father is done, Robin gulps back a shuddering sob and returns to the stoic observation of her feet.

Gerard speaks of Oberon's death, and how the sacrifice of his life saved the city from far worse than the Sundering (the party line on Oberon's death, established by the stories, seems to be that he died preserving Amber, without any details).

Random speaks last. He speaks of how no one remembers a time without Oberon, how Oberon was Amber. He speaks of the future, and how Oberon as father and king brought forth new strengths in his family and people that will overcome new challenges. He speaks of the war dead, and it is clear from his manner of speaking that he does not distinguish between the dead of the Sundering, the dead of the Abyss, and the dead of Kolvir. He refers to himself as taking the mantle of Oberon and of Eric on the next day when he is crowned.

Those very close to him will notice the tightness around Jovian's eyes and jaw. It would take a Vere looking at just the right time to notice he is not focused on the here and now for much of that time.

Reid takes mental stock...

Deirdre. Reid never met, nor had he heard of her until likely after her death. He's not necessarily moved by her loss. (Nor the unspoken Brand's.)

Eric. Reid knew Eric. Reid was around when Eric was born. In fact, Reid was kicked out of the castle BECAUSE Eric was born. There are probably some hard feelings there, but he doesn't let them show.There was childhood. They interacted. Reid went to live with Cymnea's group while Ossric went about doing Oberon's chores. As adolescence hit, Reid was still an outcast and Eric was a spoiled brat. That is most likely the last memory Reid has of Eric. He bears no ill will towards Cambina or Jerod though, and understands full well the feeling of losing a father. So to that, he's at least sincerely sympathetic.

Oberon. Ossric and Findo were probably sent to their deaths by Oberon. Reid will never know for sure. There's going to be some bitterness there as well, but the vividness of Benedict's remembrances probably softens the edge. Somewhat.

Mostly "at ease", Brita seems most moved by the descriptions of Oberon as father from Llewella.

Robin returns Brita's nod, but leaves her cousin to her own space.

Near the end of Julian's speech when Robin is focused on him, she will feel something being pressed into her hand. She turns to find Brita standing beside her. Brita's attention is focused on Julian, but she says softly, "It is good to know what Amber is built from." before she drifts back away. In Robin's hand are two pebbles, one from Arden forest and one from a courtyard of Amber.

The Ranger's green eyes squeeze tight in grief, and her hand jerks in a fitful gesture as though she doesn't know whether to throw the pebbles away from herself or clutch them to her heart. In the end, she just shakes for a bit with the pebbles clenched in her hand.

For Folly, listening to the reminiscences of her family is like watching someone else's home movies. She finds them fascinating and informative and occasionally moving, but ultimately she feels detatched from it all. The exception is Corwin's lullaby, which reaches her on some instinctive level and moves her to tears.

Aisling absorbs the words of all the speakers with her full attention. She dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief occasionally.

There is a seven-gun salute.

Those that happen to be watching, get to see the rare sight of seeing Conner jump. The bang of the salute clearly caught him off guard, or maybe it is the mere existance of the guns. Either way, the diplomat's mask is swiftly replaced.

The Royals who are close enough to see can see and smell that the guns really work, then Random dismisses the crowd.

It is not so simple as all that. Most of you find yourselves sucked into impromptu receiving lines. Everyone who has any hope of making even the bottom rung of royal society wants to express their condolences to a member of the royal family. Those who knew Deirdre approach Corwin and Marius; those who knew Eric approach Jerod and Cambina, and also Julian; those who mourn Oberon approach any member of the royal family they can find.

Marius welcomes them all with such warmth and fondness that he's obviously slightly manic again. If any clandestine rendezvous are planned, or anyone recommends a private reminiscence or such, he'll be sure to put them on his personal planner.

Vere conveys a totally believable sense of sorrow to anyone outside the family who speaks to him, while closely observing the behavior of everyone around him and noting who speaks to whom, for how long, and in what order.

Anyone who tries to suck up Robin at this point is risking life and limb. Seriously -- there is the hint of violence in her gaze and the line of her shoulder for any other than family or ranger who approaches her. She'll spend her time among the rangers, trading quiet words, hugs, the soft laughter of fond remembrance, and tears with any who so desire.

[Brennan] listens to each of the speeches carefully, cataloging them more as he would heirlooms than personal mementos.

When the impromptu receiving lines form, he tries to dodge out of that, at least initially, but instead makes his way over to cousins, then aunts and uncles to offer his own condolences. He takes it roughly in the order of precedence, but starts with his own peer group. Thus, Eric being the eldest dead uncle, he offers condolences to Cambina and Jerod for the loss of their father; then to Marius for the loss of his mother; and then to the aunts and uncles as available, offering condolences for the loss of father, brother and sister. Then the other grandchildren such that knew Oberon personally.

He does not mention Brand, not even to Bleys or Fiona. He cannot. Neither does he turn it into an apology for Brand's actions.

Anyone attempting to console him on the loss of Brand is met with graceful, if cool, thanks, unless they should bloody well know better. An icy glare should chase those away quick enough.

But hopefully his own circuit will prevent that.

It is difficult for him to make much of a circuit after the first couple of family members, as many people wish to offer him condolences. Most are on the death of Oberon, some also on the deaths of Deirdre and Eric. No one speaks of his father, but unless he mentions his name, it's unlikely that most know he Brand's son rather than Fiona's, or more likely, Bleys'.

Well, that's why he put his own peer group first-- for the most part, he's closer to them than to his aunts and uncles. Once he figures out how the rest of the event is going to go, he silently and privately resigns himself to it, puts on his game face, and accepts the condolences with the dignity and bearing that befits the Family.

(Hey, at least he's met Deirdre, and could say, if asked, that he'd probably have liked her. Not that he would put it that way at this place and time.)

Unless he knows of Reid's age (possible, but not necessary), it is unclear to [Brennan] which, if any, of Oberon's grandchildren knew him personally. (Except, of course, Cambina, who has mentioned it to him.)

(Actually, I think he can make a number of shrewd guesses, but it's not really an issue given the set up.)

At times, when Brennan isn't engaging some person, group, or task, he has a remarkable knack for being alone in a crowded room. The longer the memorial goes on, the more this aspect is written across him.

Still, it would take a pretty high Water, or someone who knows him well, to think that anything might be bothering him out of proportion to the circumstances. He probably doesn't think anything is bothering him, either.

All in all, though, it's a depressing and solitary event for Brennan, even though his nature insulates him from that sort of thing. Moreso than he would have expected.

In the fullness of time, he leaves. For a moment, he thinks that he might walk back, but then realizes that this is a silly idea, and takes a carriage back.

Those players of the PCs who know Brennan well enough to approach him doubtless already know that.

As luck would have it, Brennan's path will take him not too far from Cambina. Seeing this, he will make his way toward her if she seems receptive, and see if there is anything she needs, or anything he can do. Of respect for her and for the situation, he will not presume to step inside her circle of personal space without silent consent.

She'll understand.

She walks up to you, Merlin in tow. "That was excruciating," she says quietly in Brennan's ear.

He gives a guiet, non-verbal but amazingly expressive grunt of agreement. He's more comforted by her presence than most people would casually notice, and even more greatful that what she said doesn't require much of a reply.

She steps back and includes Corwin's son in the conversation. "Interesting choices our assorted uncles made, don't you think? Do you know our Cousin Merlin?"

Merlin bows.

"Of course. We met on the journey home. Hello, Merlin. How is Amber treating you?"

"It has been very interesting, so far, although not so interesting as tomorrow promises to be. Transitions of power are handled very differently where I come from." Merlin glances over at where the aunts and uncles are choosing carriages and mounts.

[Brennan]
"I can barely imagine. But perhaps we'll have the chance to speak of it some time."

Cambina glances in the same direction, and touches Merlin's arm. He glances at her momentarily, then turns his attention back to Brennan. "How are you finding Amber, cousin?"

"It's kept me busy, but it has its attractions." Pause, shifting conversation to Cambina as well as Merlin. "How are you holding up?" After all, it was her father's state funeral.

[It was only her father's funeral in that Julian went off-script...]

[Oh, really? I actually thought it was the state funeral for Eric as well as Oberon and Deirdre. Mea culpa.]

[Actually, says the she-GM snarkily, it was a memorial service. The technical difference being whether the honorees are present or absent.]

"A seeress should never be asked to witness the events she has predicted."

Merlin looks up, sharply. "I have some limited talent in that arena, cousin. Perhaps we could confer?" He seems troubled.

"Of course. Sir Brennan, do you think you could find a carriage for the three of us?"

Actually, Brennan is confident that he can find a carriage for the three of them. He summons one forthwith.

As Brennan returns, he hears the end of something Cambina is saying to Merlin: "--will definitely need to talk about that later." She looks up at Brennan and smiles.

Merlin looks grave, or perhaps concerned, but he often does.

Under ordinary conditions, Brennan would give a jaunty, "...But don't stop talking on my account," comment, followed up with an utterly charming, "Unless you're talking on my account."

But this isn't an ordinary circumstance, and Brennan is at the low ebb of his considerable energies; thus, he merely returns a genuine smile and does not pester them for details.

Cambina lets Brennan escort her to the carriage, and Merlin falls in behind them. He seems content to let Brennan handle hostly duties such as handing the lady into the carriage.

Brennan handles these duties with charm.

If Brennan has anything he would like to address with Cambina and/or Merlin, this is the moment. Otherwise, they will engage in quiet, limited pleasantries on the way up.

Pleasantries it is.

Ossian seems to be more moved by the memorial service than anyone would expect from someone who hasn't met any of the dead. He seems to be trying to store the memory of this event for later.

If he is approached by anyone wishing to express their condolences he will recieve them politely.

Conner accepts all the that approach him with quiet respect and thanks them for their concern. At one point, Conner is seen among the poor faction talking with the few people he knows from helping to support Folly's school.

Many of the poor leave when the service is over to be able to reach the city by dark. Others remain to express their condolences, and mix in the receiving line with the wealthy and powerful.

As the crowds begin to break up and reform, Folly appears at Martin's elbow. She lays a hand on his arm and looks up at him, sensing the things he won't voice, silently offering comfort. The wordless communication that passes between them is subtle and complex.

And so it is that the casual outside observer would see only that Folly nudges Martin's arm, makes sure she has his attention, and then says, "C'mon, let's go mingle with the masses."

Martin nods, once, and takes Folly's arm. As they head away from the others, Martin catches Jerod's eye, if he can, and mouths "later".

She heads straight for the commoners, of course, although she won't snub anyone who wishes to speak with her.

Martin lets Folly guide the way. While they are able to meet many commoners and docksiders, Martin's presence draws more members of the nobility than Folly might prefer, but her presence draws many docksiders into the receiving line.

Martin endures the entire business of receiving without complaint, seeming to draw strength from Folly's presence at his side.

In the "receiving" time Aisling will speak with anyone who will speak with her, with great consideration and attention, and as much pleasure at their company as can be respectably shown at a funeral. All the time she has until the guard comes is filled with talking to people.

As the sun begins to go down, Venesch and the members of the Royal Guard who are present begin to round up the various royals for their rides back to the Castle, or into the city, as they wish. For those attending either the poker game or Vialle's entertainment, there is time for them to engage in other activities between the funeral and their other commitments (e.g., Conner's dinner with Thalia).

As the rangers melt away to Arden, Robin is nowhere to be found.

Jerod is attentive while his uncles, Llewella and Marius speak, curious as to what they will say and occasionally surprised when he hears what they say, though not always surprised in other places. When Julian speaks however, Jerod pulls his Court face on, concealing any expression he might have from outside view. Only once does he look over at his sister, catching her gaze before looking back to Julian and the rest of the speakers. She'd know what Julian's words would mean to Jerod, if anyone did.

Cambina, standing next to Jerod, slides her hand into his as Julian speaks and squeezes it.

Afterwards, Jerod remains, accepting condolescences alongside his sister, answering questions and listening patiently as both the sincere and insincere make their way past. Near the end, he whispers to Cambina and motions towards Julian, leaving Cambina to handle the stragglers while he makes his way over to his uncle.

He pauses once he has Julian's attention, one of the few times in his life when it seems he is at a loss for words. In the end he just says "Thank you.", though it would seem there's a lot more to those two words than one might expect.

Julian nods in acknowledgement, but says nothing, perhaps feeling he has said what there is to say.

After that, he heads back to his sister, reminding her he's off to the poker game and he departs, making sure to arrive before the others so he can be sure things are ready.

As the horses and carriages are brought around for the return to the castle, Martin catches up with Jerod and the two of them cut out cross-country to ride down the side of the mountain. It's a slower ride than the switchback road, but probably not with the road so crowded.

After the crowds depart, Conner does as well as if in a hurry to make an appoinment.

Like Jerod and Martin, Conner probably cuts cross-country, but at a considerably quicker pace.

Jovian will move to his father's side as quickly as decorum permits. If he can manage two words before the throng of well-wishing social climbers descends upon them, those two words will be "Well spoken." Quietly, but with a fierce pride and the shared knowledge of where the dragonman got his own determination to do what must be done.

Julian offers Jovian the ghost of a smile, and then the well-wishers are upon them.

Paige, being one of the closest, is one of the first. "I assume you've heard the news, Uncle?"

Turning before he answers, "Cousin, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't attend yesterday. I'm Paige." She offers the rider her hand.

It seems to take a moment for this to register with Jovian, but then he covers her hand with his, bowing slightly from the neck. "Yes, of course," he says. "A pleasure to meet you. Congratulations, and I'm sorry."

Paige smiles warmly back at her cousin, slight amusement sparkling in her eyes.

Julian waits for the two of them to complete their exchange before saying, "Paige, you will do me the courtesy of riding back to the castle with me when we are finished here. At the moment, I am needed elsewhere to represent our family. If you will excuse me."

And Julian heads off into the crowd, purposefully.

To his retreating back she bow and answers softly, "Of course, Uncle. I'd be happy to join you."

With a heavy sigh for the conversation that must come, Paige turns back to the more pleasant prospect, Jovian.

"Might I ask what you're sorry for?" Paige asks.

"Various losses," he smiles back wanly. "And dubious gains."

"Yes. I only ever met Grandfather once and saw Aunt Dierdre from across the room one night when Lord Rein played for her, so such losses seem almost distant even days like today," Paige says. "And I've been resigned that Grandfather was gone almost six years now." Obviously she's not fully desensitized to the moment, as she obviously has shed tears today.

Changing the subject, she smiles, "Dubious gains? I suppose you're refering to your nieces or nephews still to arrive?" There's a mischevious spark to her gaze.

"I can't help but wonder how difficult one child of Daeon's would be to raise, never mind two at once," he deadpans. "Assuming the nut doesn't fall far from the tree."

"I really don't know your brother well enough to judge, but I'd love to hear about him," Paige answers.

"My brother," Jovian decides, watching the well-wishers and sympathizers of varying sincerity queue up in ever-deepening ranks, "is not one to be summed up in two words. But I'll try - sometime when we're not beset."

"I'll hold you to that," Paige promises.

[Paige]
"As difficult children go, I'm sure my father would argue my case."

"It should be interesting to see how he takes to grandfatherhood. Protectively, I hope."

Paige nods, and greets the first of many for the afternoon, amiably introducing locals to her recently arrived cousin if he doesn't get spun off in the eddies of the social current.

As things wind down, Lilly goes in search of her father. Her agenda is simple; offer greetings and determine if he needs her to fill him in on things.

Benedict acknowledges Lilly with a nod. "Daughter," he says. "I am pleased to see you doing so well."

"It is good to have you here with us father. Amber has treated me well so far. If you'd like I would be happy to fill you in on any details you may have missed." There is nothing relaxed about Lilly's demeanor. In her father's presence Lilly could not help but revert to an almost militatirstic style. She looked and felt like one of his commanders giving him a status report. It was not for lack of love but for lack of knowing how to express it. More then anything she simply wanted her father's approval.

Benedict nods, perhaps understanding Lilly better than she knows. "Tell me of Vialle, daughter. I know very little of the woman who will soon be Queen of this place."

"Vialle." Lilly repeats as she brings her thoughts together. "Her lack of sight hinders her surprisingly little. Her empathy has developed in such a way that I believe she can feel a person's presence. From what I have seen it would be near impossible to sneak up upon her." That was the easy part of the question.

Before continuing she scans the area to insure her words will not be overheard. "She always seems to be concerned with doing what is best and proper. It's as if she wants everyone to be happy. However her husband always seems to be top on her list. Occasionally I think she can get a bit stubborn. If something comes in the way of her plan she'll work to get rid of it. I think she would be capable of going to great extremes to have her ideal husband and her ideal Amber.

"It's not as if she is inherently bad though. Self righteous would be perhaps the ideal way to describe her. Fortunately she seems to have the King's best interest in mind. However I worry about her stifling him. With her naturally sweet demeanor most will underestimate her and see her as incapable of doing harm. One must remember not all harm is physical or obvious though." Lilly leaves her assessment at that for the moment. If her father wanted the reasons behind her opinion he would certainly ask.

He nods. "How do you think her Rebman background will affect the kingdom? And the King? Random will be gone for a short while following the coronation and Vialle will be regent. It will be interesting to see how she fares. Tell me, daughter, how is it being her bodyguard?"

"Interestingly enough, Vialle is apparently against the feminine movement some of my cousins are seeking out. Something about that disturbs me. I strongly suspect she seeks to be a power behind the throne. If that comes to pass it would be perhaps beneficial to her if Amber's women remain securely in the shadows. It will keep people from suspecting anything of her.

"If my guess is right, it then goes to follow that her regency should go smoothly. Look for her to try to undermine Folly and Paige. She seems to keep a special dislike for them. I am not sure why. Perhaps it has something to do with Martin."

"Then Vialle is short-sighted," he says, not noticing the double-meaning of his remark. "She will make enemies. You should take care to know who they are, and why they are her enemies."

Lilly nods. She finds his choice of words amusing but decides it's best not to comment on it. Instead she continues with her former train of thought.

"As far as being her bodyguard... all fares well. It gives me access to her social circles and good reason to be well acquainted with the castle guard. Plus I have had enough time to work with my fellow knight commanders, and spend some time getting to know Amber proper." All in all it is quite apparent Lilly is satisfied with the job but not completely overjoyed by it.

[Benedict]
"It will not be forever. We will talk again later about your role in Amber."

"Very good father. Send word when you wish to speak with me and I shall do what I can to accommodate you." It's not condescending. Not anymore then her father generally was anyway. She simply wishes her father to realize that her life is not going to revolve solely around his wishes.

As the royals gather to return to the castle or go down to the city, Fiona meets Brita and suggests they ride back up together in one of the carriages.

"Of course, Mother." Brita says. She motions to Needle to see to her horse.

Needle does so.

The carriages are closed, so no one can hear Brita's and Fiona's conversation. Nevertheless, Fiona waits until they are out of the crowd and further back up towards the castle to begin to speak of anything other than trifles about the service and the crowd.

Once she is reasonably sure the carriage is alone, Fiona says: "Do you feel that you are prepared to walk the Pattern, Brita? For you will do so after the Coronation."

A small smile flits across Brita's features. "You are psychic, Mother."

Fiona smiles indulgently.

"I was just going to mention that everyone seems to want me to have walked the pattern and to ask how I could do so." Before Fiona can ask, Brita continues, "By everyone, I mean Uncle Julian, specifically. A few of the Cousins have made mention of the need for pattern initiates as well."

"At this time, yes, the need is very great. And it is a rite of passage for our family for a child to walk the Pattern; you will learn more about yourself and your place in the universe than you could possibly imagine now," Fiona says.

"Tell me what Reid told you of walking the Pattern, and what you have learned from your other cousins."

"Master Reid tried to take me to the pattern on our arrival in Amber, but the one here was damaged and no other seemed reachable. He had explained that there are several trials - I think he called them veils - that one must push through, each more difficult than the last. One must remain on the pattern, never deviate from it and never stop until the center is reached."

Fiona nods in agreement, looking very serious.

"I heard several of the cousins discussing their examination of the broken pattern. Someone had placed boards across the breaks as if trying to recreate the pattern on some level." Brita pauses, thinking for a moment. "Will King Random create a new pattern at his coronation or do you know of another to use?"

Another slow smile spreads across Fiona's face. "I had not considered that option. We know it is possible, but the risks if he fails ... it would be fatal to him at least, and that would be the best outcome."

Brita seems puzzled by the last comment. "Best outcome? I am sure it would not be best for King Random and I do not want to have to attend another memorial or coronation so soon." She tugs briefly at an arm of her stiff formal jacket.

"I agree with those sentiments, Brita, but a failed attempt to inscribe a Pattern could have dire consequences for us all. Random's death is a negative outcome, but it is better than destroying the universe. And if he succeeds ... I still believe we need to investigate the consequences of the newest Pattern first."

Fiona continues: "Corwin attempted the same deed during the shadowstorm, when my father sent him the Jewel, and his reports indicate that he has succeeded. Merlin was able to walk that Pattern and come into his heritage. That he survived the ordeal is witnessed by his presence here today. We have access to his Pattern, no matter what Random does. If you feel you are ready, we will travel there with him after the coronation with him and you will walk it."

Brita nods acceptance. "Certainly, Mother. We can proceed whenever you wish." She pauses again, and then almost as an afterthought. "Do _you_ have any advice for me, Mother, on walking the pattern?"

"The effect of the Pattern is different on all those who walk it, and not reliably the same for a particular individual twice. For some it is a physical trial, for others a trial of character and emotion, for others a trial of will. Or all of the above. Be open to what the Pattern tells you and remember it, for it is important, but do not be so open that it overwhelms you."

Fiona's expression slides into felinity. "However, lest you forget it in the depths of your Patternwalk, many others have successfully won through. I am sure that any test that Lucas can pass will not be too difficult for you."

Fiona gets a bark of laughter out of Brita at the last comment. She quickly schools her features back into a semblance of seriousness before changing the subject to smaller talk....