"No. I'm sure it went in there. Look over in that dark spot." Robin's voice echoes oddly from where she teeters on the edge of the coldwell; her head, arms, shoulders and torso hanging down into the darkness, her ample weight and legs swinging wildly over the kitchen floor and counters. Beside her on the lip of the coldwell, two concerned bronze firelizards eye the situation dubiously, chirping out the occasional inquiry below or keeping a close watch on their friend's balance.
"Ooo! Peep! I see it! Back there behind those bottles!"
A triumphant peep answers the girl and shortly a beaming gold firelizard flies upward bearing a very drowned mouse in its front claws."
"Aaahhhh...." A small sigh of relief ripples through the Xanaduvian kitchen staff as both lizard and girl emerge from the coldwell, not the least worst for the wear.
"Okay, so what have we learned about carrying live prey?" Robin says raising an eyebrow while hugging the returning hunter to herself.
"Peep," comes the slightly abashed answer.
"Exactly. Make sure it?s thoroughly cowed first."
Robin turns her beaming grin back toward the staff to be met with mixed reactions. There are definitely some amused twinkles, but just as many scowls at the interruption.
"Ah, well. All done. Sorry." She shrugs, "We'll just be going now?"
"Lady Robin?" As the crowd of cooks, scullery maids, spit boys and oddsbodies break into motion once more, a dapper looking page makes his way through the bustling kitchen to reach the Ranger. "Prince Vere has ret-"
"Where?! Where!?!" Robin pounces before the lad can finish his sentence. Her voice climbing with joy and excitement to an ear-piercing whistle. Afire with delight, she grabs the boy's arm and starts dragging him from the kitchen with reckless speed. Around her, the firelizards are caught up in the excitement and are calling and piping loudly as they dart & wheel around Robin.
The kitchen staff wisely takes to the ground as the four plus unfortunate page blow through and out of the kitchen with all the grace and decorum of a tornado.
Leaning against a wall in one of Xanadu's libraries, Vere's head snaps up from his reading. He tosses the book he was perusing, Escher's Elements, onto a small table and steps into the hall, gazing in the direction from which the well-remembered piping of firelizards is coming.
Peep is first around the hallway corner. A streak of gold that emits a happy triumphant call as her whirling eyes light upon her bonded's heartsfire. Chirrup and Ooot follow soon after and dart toward Vere to dance around him, fanning his hair with excited wingbeats and happy pipings. A heartbeat later, Robin careens around the corner; rumpled, dirty, wet to the armpits and lit with anticipation.
Vere laughs in delight as the firelizards arrive, holding his arms outstretched and piping back in imitation of their calls.
At the sight of Vere, her eyes flare with joy as the empty place inside her fills. Robin launches herself down the hallway so quickly that there should be afterburner marks on the walls behind her. And the raptor's exultant call that emerges from her lips could shatter windows.
Vere replies with an answering cry, a triumphant sound that combines the joy of a successful hunt and the call to a mate.
Her arms outstretched, the girl flings herself to Vere, wholly and without reservation.
He catches her and spins her around, the firelizards joining in a dizzying dance of wings and necks. He kisses her, deeply, then with lighter kisses, again and again. Sounds rumble in his chest and throat, but never quite become words.
Robin returns his kisses: breathing her Love's breath in, tasting him, feeling him. For a long time, there is only Vere. And wings. And joy.
Eventually, she bumps her forehead gently against Vere's. Oh, he gave her a scare. Going off to pudify himself. Testing the bounds of identity... and oh, she's become such a coward. Only she should be taking those kinds of stupid risks. Not her Heart.
With a chuckle, Robin tucks herself under Vere's wings, perfectly content to stay there forever.
Vere answers her chuckle with one of his own. For a long time he just holds her, reveling in the sense of peace and wholeness he had almost forgotten.
Eventually he pulls back slightly, not releasing her, but far enough to be able to look down at her. He whistles a short interrogative, and when she looks up he glances over at one of the large windows overlooking the falls, and lifts an eyebrow. He takes a small step in that direction, and cocks his head at her.
Robin gives a happy chirp of confirmation and, with her arm firmly around Vere's waist, bounces alongside of him toward the window. Around them, the firelizards' swirl takes purpose and three glittering forms zip out the window in happy braiding patterns.
Robin laughs again, contentment and joy fill her form with light. Light that only comes from one source. At the window sill, Robin plumphs herself down, twining around Vere all the more comfortably. A warm ripples goes through her at the memory of the last time she coiled in a window with Vere. How well that turned out and here they are again.
After a few moments, Robin reaches slowly for words. "Castor says," There's something about her phrasing that indicates that this might be a growingly common phrase for her, "think of Impression before climbing out windows." She grins up at Vere with rueful pride.
Then she rolls her eyes, obviously still willing to climb out of any window that presents itself.
Vere laughs. "Indeed," he says. "It does not mean not to do it, merely to think before." He looks out the window, Robin in his arms, and adds, "Sometimes climbing out the window is quite the proper thing to do." He smiles, kisses the top of her head once again, and than asks, "Ready for words, my love?"
"Suppose." She sounds not totally pleased. But comes up with. "You start. Hearing is easier than talking. No pudding?" She finishes with a cheerful chirp, snuggling herself further into Vere's embrace.
"No pudding," he assures her. "Still Vere." He falls silent for a few minutes, then continues, "Merlin and I talked of Shapeshifting, and Chaos, and I thought on it as we traveled beyond the tree. Eventually, I decided that I am a creature of Order, and I prefer wearing this shape." He chuckles. "So I became a Sorcerer instead, and learned to violate the Principals of Order."
“Ah.” Robin nods, satisfied. That makes a great deal of sense. One of the things she loves about Still Vere is the intricate interlacing patterns of his thoughts and moods and his beautiful, beautiful form. Though, of course, she’d still love him as a pudding... though it’d be different.
“Sorcerer?” She perks up and looks at him. “Violating sounds fun.” She says with a mischievous grin. “What was your favorite?”
He grins back at her. "I am still learning, but I have learned to ... violate ..." his grin grows wider, "the Principal of Space. Moving things at a distance, seeing and hearing locations far away, making things be in two places at once. Such things." He chuckles. "I would show you, but Random does not wish any of the young Sorcerers of his court to play such games with the fabric of Reality in Xanadu itself. But it should prove useful."
“That does sound useful. And fun.” She chuckles her appreciation of Vere’s new skills. Then tips her head as she considers. “Yeeeaaah, no sorcery in Xanadu. Might make a node.” She wrinkles her nose. “Bleys says those are bad. But making other things...”
His look grows thoughtful. "In fact, I believe that I might very well be able to create a talisman that would allow us to speak with one another, across Shadow. Like a Trump, but without the annoying invasion of the mind."
Robin gives a croon of delight and wriggles around in Vere’s grasp. “That’d be nice. Buut....” Her eyes wander off as part of her starts taking logistics, design and other more esoteric things into account. Eventually, she just shrugs. “Can I help when the time comes?”
"By all means," Vere answers enthusiastically. "I shall want to experiment first. I have not yet made any items of power, not even weak ones, and I shall need to learn how to do it effectively. Your aid will be a great assistance." He kisses her once again. "Anything I can do, I can do better with you at my side."
A little wriggle of happiness goes through the girl.
“Soooooo,” Robin stretches in her Love’s arms and asks oh so casually, “what was Chaos like?”
Vere leans back against the side of the window and considers for a few moments before answering. "Odd," he says finally. "And not at all what I was expecting. From what I have been told I never penetrated far into Chaos; I was still in what the residents of that side of the Tree would consider Order-tainted realms. And yet I found much about it incomprehensible. The..." he tilts his head, considering his words before continuing, "The distinctions that we make, between alive and not alive, between intelligent and not intelligent, between being and object and place... They do not exist in the same way for Chaosians."
Robin's eyes narrow as she takes that in. But she nods, remembering Aisling's story shortly after her return from Danu. Eating opalescence... or was it luminosity? She can’t remember, but she remembers Aisling’s delight that food stayed food, even when one wasn’t concentrating on it.
So while it sounds intriguing, since Robin believes she can’t breathe spaghetti – no going to Chaos anytime soon.
He shakes his head. "A part of my reason for this trip was the desire to come to better understand our Chaosian cousins. Knowing Aisling and Merlin had misled me into thinking that was possible. But true Chaosians consider Merlin and Aisling to be Ordered beings, however Chaotic they may appear to us. Now..." he shakes his head again, more firmly this time. "Now I am of the belief that it is not possible for Ordered being such as us to comprehend Chaos without being fundamentally changed. And changed in a way that I do not believe I would approve."
“Approve?” Robin cocks as her head as she looks at Vere. Curiosity about his word choice is foremost in her eyes, but way behind it is a growing fear.
From outside the window, Peep chirps inquisitively and gently alights on the girl’s shoulder.
Vere's eyes meet her. "I do not believe that I would not approve of the changes that would have to happen to us to enable us to understand Chaos," he says. "I am not speaking of the effects that might occur through being forced to confront Chaos. That is another matter entirely."
“Thank you, Love.” Robin blushes a little at her own fears, and rests her head fondly on Vere’s shoulder.
“But... ‘approve’ still...” her brows furrow as she tries to chase down the words. “I’ve... spent some time with non-Ranger people. And what they don’t approve of – their morality, I guess – is so different from one another, I can’t figure it out. Jerod, Raven, Venesch, Silhouette, Brennan, Castor, the King... I hate trying to guess what people don’t approve of.” She flumps herself grumpily in frustration.
"Ah," Vere says. "I see the problem. I do not believe I am using the word in the same way that they are. I am not making a moral judgment..." he chuckles, "At least I do not believe that I am. What I am trying to say is that I believe that Chaos is so antithetical to everything that I understand about reason, logic, and rationality, that to truly comprehend Chaos I would have to change so drastically that I would no longer be something that Vere-As-I-Am would be able to recognize. And that I do not wish to change into something other than what I am."
He chuckles once again. "Does that make any sense, my love? For all my fondness of words, there are some things that words cannot completely convey, and this would appear to be one of them."
“Makes perfect sense.” Robin assures him. “Personal choice of Vere’s, not sweeping declaration for the rest of creation. You wouldn’t believe how many people here do that. I think it’s a side effect of being Ordered.” She wrinkles her nose. “Or maybe just the besetting Family sin of arrogance. Hmmmm, maybe the two are not unrelated.
Vere nods. "Indeed," he says.
“Anyway,” she chases that thought away with a laugh. “I love your fondness of words, my Love. And I love that you understand their limitations. ‘Cause really, they never completely convey anything. They’re just place holders.” She smiles as she scratches Peep under the chin. The little gold settles down in her lap as Chirrup and Ooot sweep in.
Vere strokes her cheek and his smile grows wider. "There are some things for which words are insufficient," he agrees.
He tilts his head to one side. "Which reminds me, did the Rangers bring you the present I sent?"
Robin's breath catches and she opens her eyes to look up at Vere in pure wonderment. Slowly she nods. He did it. HE DID IT. Across time and space, with everything else going on, after one aside comment in their very first conversation, he returned her music to her.
Miraculous. Beyond belief. How did she ever become so blessed that this Man would be hers?
With shaky fingers, Robin digs in a pocket to bring out the ocarina she's kept with her ever since Couth returned it to her hands. The same ocarina that she has not played. Until now.
Chirrup and Ooot land graciously on the windowsill beside the pair, their eye's swirling in anticipation.
"Play for me?" Vere asks.
Robin gives a wriggle of delight - so inadequate for the joy welling up inside of her. Settling herself into Vere's arms, cradled in the strength of his arms, Robin casts her eyes out over the Falls of Xanadu. Her lungs fill slowly as she lifts the occarina to her lips.
The first note quavers lightly through the air; uncertain, tentative, creeping from the darkness out into the open. The notes that follow grow in strength, hinting at something grand and unstoppable approaching. The skirling notes of the occarina climb ever higher and instead of becoming shrill, they grow more full and more... golden. Suddenly, antcipation is fulfilled and Robin's song is filled with the glory of sunrise. The girl is playing the Dawn.
Her music does not so much follow any known scale or keep to a refrain or beat. In fact many of her notes are not even notes, but soft taps upon the wood of the occarina and her own vocalizations mixed interspersed with the music. But any listener can hear the glory of warm light spilling out over the land, creatures rising and stirring about their business, the leaking away of darkness and fear and the joy of another day of life welcomed and celebrated.
As the music of Robin's soul lifts in the air, it is joined by a piping descant harmonizing perfectly with the completely extemporaneous composition. Peep sits on Robin's knee; her neck extended, her eyes swirling and her throat opened in glorious song.
For a moment, Robin's music laughs in surprise but then it welcomes the little queen's addition to the paean.
Vere listens at first, holding Robin tightly in his arms, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. When Peep joins in his eyes open, and a surprised laugh melds into the Music of the Dawn. Then he begins to whistle, a separate tune that complements without exactly matching, sometimes in harmony and sometimes in counterpoint, and then again totally distinct without in any way detracting from Robin's music. It follows her, dancing around and within her music. While she plays the coming of the light, he whistles the sparkles of that light on the waves, and the dappled light on leaves. When she plays the waking of the land, he whistles the joyous calls of birds and beasts, welcoming the coming day. And as she plays the joy of the new day, he whistles the glorious bliss of meeting that day in the company of a beloved mate.
Even better.
Robin's music twists and twines around the music of Vere and Peep; blending through them, skirling away with teasing laughter, skipping back to support and heighten. Playful, laughing and full, daylight has come in the company of one's heart's family. An exultant grin tugs at Robin's lips as the music leaves her, spreading the love she has for Vere (and Peep) out into the world.
As the last fading notes of Peep and Robin's serenade drift out over the falls, the girl squirms around in Vere's lap to face him, her eyes bright with light and wonder.
"Dawn." she whispers with heartfelt purpose as she lays her hand over Vere's heart. "Dawn of Reason." Robin names him with the best words she can find. And hopes that her music and her own heart can explain what He means to her.
"Light of My Heart," Vere replies, laying his own hand over her heart. He gazes into her eyes, no other words necessary for this moment.
Squeeeee! Robin foompfs with glee and bliss. She throughs her arms around Vere with wild abandon and only the firelizards extreme agility keeps out of the way. Laughing, kissing, crying with joy, Robin tugs Vere out of the window and onto a narrow grassy ledge for an extended snuggle session.
A timeless time passes without words. Eventually, lying with Robin in his arms, Vere makes an interrogative sound.
Robin looks up from where she lays and playfully nose-boops him. "Okay, words. What did you want to know?" She grins at her ever-curious Love.
Vere chuckles and tightens his arm around her for a second, before relaxing it. "So many words in my head," he jokes. "Just poke me if they get too much."
He watches the clouds drift by over their heads as he says, "So much I want to say and hear. So let me detail them in one of my famous lists, and you should feel free to pick and choose what you wish to say, to hear, or to ignore. There is talk of the past, the present and the future.
"Of the past, I would tell you of my trip to Chaos, and things I learned and unlearned," he chuckles, "And of my playing for the Dark Fae of a doomed land and my fight with the draugr, to recover your music, after I had raised the thing in the first place through my sense of courtesy. Also of the past, I would hear how you have spent your time, what hunts you have had, and every little thing that has happened since we parted.
"Of the present, I would speak of thoughts I have regarding my Father," he frowns slightly. "And of how I think I have been a poor son, through being too certain of my own rightness, and failing to give proper respect and deference." He shakes his head, then the frown departs and he laughs. "And as well, I would hear what tasks and obligations you are under at the moment, and how I might aid you in them.
"And then, of the future." He kisses her forehead, then her eyes. "Of the future, we must speak, though it can wait if you wish. For I am still under my Oath, and that limits what may be for the time being. But the future will take care of itself, for we have but one future, and it is together."
Robin wriggles with delight under his kisses and nuzzles him in return; then reluctantly drags herself up into a sitting position with her back resting against the castle wall.
Vere takes advantage of her change in position to stretch out and lay his head in her lap. He gazes up at her as she speaks.
"Okay," she says, getting down to the talking business. "Sounds like you've got five paths there -- Past for each, Present for each and Future together." She checks in with Vere to make sure she's on track.
"Mmm hmmm," Vere agrees, watching the delightful way her lips move when she talks.
"Beeeefffoorreee I started snuggling you," she grins wickedly at her beloved, "I remember I had four paths to walk with you. But since then... well, I've forgotten two of them." Robin shrugs. If the other two were important, she'll remember them later. And if she doesn't? Well, then they mustn't've been that important.
"The two I remember were People I've Been Talking To and Things I'm Afraid Of. Oh! That reminds me of the third. Things Vere Should Know." She nods in satisfaction.
"Now, People I've Been Talking To sounds like it'll dovetail into your Robin's Past path. And from your preface, I think Things I'm Afraid Of is going to nicely parallel your Vere's Present path. And while I very much want to talk about our mutual future, the Things Vere Should Know path should probably be walked before that one. What do you think?"
"I think you are far better with words than you believe, my love," he replies. "Your paths make perfect sense to me, and as you say they fit well with the ones that I have laid out." He thinks a moment, then says, "Do you think the Things Vere Should Know path should come first, or should we walk a less fraught one first?"
"You Hear well, My Love." She bends down to drop a quick kiss on Vere's lips. "Other people just blink at me." She chuckles ruefully.
“Iiiiii’mmm thinking that Things Vere Should Know will probably have more context after the Past & Present paths are done. I just want to make sure we don’t forget it.” And by we, she means her.
"Quite reasonable, Beloved," Vere agrees. "Let us begin with the past, as is reasonable. Would you prefer to begin by listening, or speaking?"
"I choose Listen." Robin says, settling herself comfortably with Vere in her lap and firelizards gathered about. She's so content that she can't help the little purr but definitely has her attention on Vere's beautiful fac... words.
Vere chuckles. “Yawn if you begin to grow bored,” he tells her.
“Hwaet! Hear now, how it came to pass. After our last talk, before I departed from the realms of Order, I journeyed to Paris, for the Family conference. There, I am most pleased to relate, I met with your Father, and we did have conversation. While Prince Julian is no man to show his feelings freely, yet I left him believing that the conversation was all to the good, and I was well pleased with the things we discussed.” He reaches a hand up to stroke her cheek. “And he seemed well-pleased by certain declaration I made, concerning the welfare of one who is close to him."
Robin gives a whistle of happiness and kisses Vere's palm. Brave soul. While there are worse fathers to brave regarding one's intentions toward their daughters (poor Garrett), Julian still wouldn't have been easy. And it thrills her that He took that formal step.
"Then came the Great Conference, where duties and missions were passed about by King Random. I made clear that I could accept none until I had resolved the issue of my Father’s health.” He pauses then, and his eyes narrow slightly. “That leads to matters that will come later, regarding the present and future. But for now, we pass on.”
Robin nods in understanding.
“Before I left Paris I spoke with Castor, regarding the matter of giving you aid and counsel. I trust that he proved of use?” He waits to hear her answer before continuing.
"Yep," Robin chirps. "He got me a room to use here at the Castle. While it's kind of deep for my taste, it holds the clothes and stuff. I'm not sleeping in there yet, and probably never will. But it gives people a place to send notes. Which Castor says," there's that phrase again, "is very important. He's also doing a great job of keeping me out of Court until I can get some more practice in. He's not as good a talking coach as Victor is, but we're making progress."
"Victor?" Vere asks. "I do not believe that I know that name."
"Crossing of the People I've Been Talking To and the Things Vere Should Know paths, my Love." She smiles down at him. "In a nutshell, Victor's my ex, connected to Raven, and he and I are just friends. Pending your decision, of course. You want him gone, dear heart, he's gone."
Vere smiles up at her. "If he is of importance to you, beloved, then I look forward to meeting him." He chuckles. "But we will save talk of him for the later paths. Along with this Raven with whom he is connected.
"Swa! After speaking with Castor I spoke with other members of the Family, and with those from the Isles, on a variety of topics. You can well imagine them, and I do not think any of these discussions were of such moment as to warrant more discussion at this time.
"Save for one." He pauses for a moment, and an expression of sadness crosses his face.
"I spoke with Celina. My primary reason was to ask her to give such aid and support as she could to the men of the Children of Lyr, as they returned to Rebma. But we also spoke of her beloved, the new Queen of Rebma, and how she would reign. I advised that she needed to walk the Pattern, and that if it was believed that she could not survive the walk then Celina should consider taking the throne instead." He shakes his head. "I have heard that Khela did not survive that walk, and that Celina now reigns. I grieve for her. If Celina thinks harshly of me now, I will well understand it."
He is silent for a while, contemplating lost love.
"I wouldn't worry about it, my love. That's a big 'if.' And while I don't know Celina hardly at all, she's strikes me as just about as..." Robin searches for a word, but doesn't quite succeed, "emotionally-flowey as me. She may think poorly of you for a moment, but that would soon be swept aside by her awareness of how genuinely awesome you are.
"And... well, that's one of the reaons I... kind of charged at you, dear one. Our lives are too unsteady to risk never knowing. I grieve for Celina. And Llewella. But I rejoice that they did have the time they had."
Wisely said, my love," Vere answers her. He reaches up and strokes her cheek.
Then he smiles once again, and continues, “Then passed the brave heroes from the realms of Order, and headed they towards mad Chaos. Prince Merlin did allow his novice friend to lead the way through Shadow, to gain more skill and art in the shifting thereof. And gladly did the young novice take the lead, for he sought not only to lead the way towards Chaos, but to find the lost music of his Lady Love.” He blows her a kiss.
Which she gladly returns.
“And after much seeking, they did arrive at a realm much like that of his birth. The scent of it, the feel of it, how well they matched the Isles. And yet, no women nor men of the Isles did they find, but satyrs and such fae creatures, who did greet them in the name of the one they awaited, the great god Adaeonysis.” He pauses then, and raises an eyebrow, watching her.
“Hunh.” Robin blows out a breath. “Ah, well. You’re stuck with my crazy family and their Shadows now, dear heart.” Her lips cock wryly.
Vere chuckles. “I take the fact that I run into Shadows that know Shadows of your family as just more confirmation of the obvious fact that we are one, my love,” he tells her. “Well, and so, we joined them in their revels. And, truth to say, as they grew more frenzied and mad, I was not surprised when they told me how they had killed all the humans of their world. I joined in, playing a flute of bone and silver.” His eyes narrow and he looks strangely predatory for a moment. “I was angered by their crimes, and their callous natures, and sought to use their music and their passion to raise the ghosts of those they had slain, to take rightful vengeance upon them.” He shakes his head. “I am not usually given to such desires for vengeance. Perhaps their music was having an effect upon me. Or perhaps the blood of the Family runs more hotly in my veins than I usually credit.”
He laughs. “It matters not. You will be amused to know that they fed me drugged wine, and thus took me.” He grins up at her.
Robin looks down at her obviously fine Love. Echoes and echoes indeed. She tssks her tongue and shakes her head, "Always a bad idea. Did they bite off more than they could chew?" She asks with false solace.
“Well, they did not eat us, as it happens, but locked us away in a larder. Perhaps for later, or perhaps because they were unsure of what sauce would go best with us. Once I was awake again we found the body of a priestess of the Isles, dead many a long year. I spoke with her, and learned how she came to be lost during the Exodus and ended up in this Shadow, and how the dark fey had slain her and her companions through treachery. We left that place." He smiles again, "The door truly had not been designed with Amberite strength in mind. Merlin sought out a place of power, where I was sure we would find that which I sought. It proved to be the tomb of Enkelon, a great king of the humans, who had fought against the evil fae. I thought it rude to rob a tomb without leave of the occupant, so I called upon the king to rise. Merlin thinks that might have been an error in judgment, although he was never so lacking in manners as to say so.” Vere chuckles.
“To my surprise, Enkelon the king rose not as a shade, but as a draugr, a walking corpse. We discussed the coming of the dark fae to his world, and it sounded to me that they had been a manifestation of the Black Road. Our discussion did not go well, and we came to blows.” He smiles thinly. “During this time a wind blew through the chamber, blowing aside cobwebs and revealing a shining sword of black iron. How convenient! And perfectly innocent, no doubt. I chose to ignore this blade, and brought the barrow down upon the liche’s head instead. I do not trust suddenly revealed magic weapons found in moments of dire need.”
He chuckles again. “I took your ocarina, and left the undead king to take his vengeance upon the creatures of that shadow. It seemed to me they deserved each other.”
“Wow, beloved. That sounds... epic! I wish I could’ve been there. What fun!” Robin’s eyes gleam with the thrill of Vere’s story; dark fae, cursed undead, a mystical blade. Too bad they were both busy. Ah well, maybe there’ll be time for epic quests together later.
“Thank you again for my ocarina. I... just amazing. You are so amazing.” Oop, losing words again. Better to just kiss him. So Robin does.
He kisses her back, and a span of time passes without words. Eventually Vere laughs and clears his throat. "Well then." he says, "We passed on towards Chaos. I sent your present back, via a trump to Arcadia that Brita had loaned to me. And Merlin and I talked, of Shapeshifting and Sorcery, of personal desires and duties, of Will and stubbornness. And very much of Chaos and my misapprehensions of it. Somewhere in there, I came to the decision that I would prefer to learn the Art of Sorcery, rather than Shapeshifting, as I originally wished. I still do not know if that was a decision based on wisdom, or on selfish personal desire.”
He shakes his head. “Eventually we came to Ygg. It is … quite remarkable. And not at all what I had expected. I had an image in my mind of the great World Tree, stretching up into the heavens, with roots like mighty rivers and branches like mountains. That is not at all what it is.”
“Probably a good idea to avoid the shapeshifting.” Robin notes. “The... prejudice that Daeon and Aisling faced was just – ugly.” She presses her lips together in disapproval. “Merlin’s got it better. But not by much.
“It’s a shame, really.” The girl shakes her head. “There’s nothing like talking to shapeshifters to expand your horizons and make you question your assumptions. Love it.
“And besides, you were talking about sorcery shortly after we met. It’s probably more... core to you than shapeshifting.” Robin shrugs off-handedly.
“Sooooo, what was the Tree?”
"Have you not seen it, love?" Vere asks, surprise in his voice. "According to everything I have heard, it is supposed to be impossible to pass from Order to Chaos, or Chaos to Order, without passing it. I theorize it was placed there by Oberon or Dworkin as a bottleneck, to force foes to a chokepoint." His eyes narrow. "But perhaps the Black Road was a way around that..."
“I... I don’t know, Vere.” Robin voice grows hesitant. “I... never went out that far before, you know, stuff. And that time – I don’t think I got very far before, before... I Fell.”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, centering herself between her little anchors and her Love. “When I - when it was over, I was not far from Arden. Still well within the Ordered Realms. I, I, I – it might have been an extrusion. Of Chaos. Or something. Nnnn....”
Robin shakes her head with a sad smile and gives up at that point. She’s getting better, she’s still here and not blacking out. But whenever she talks about that she really has to focus. And she’s listening to Vere now.
"Shhhh..." Vere says, reaching up and stroking her cheek. He cheeps, mimicking the firelizards, and smiles as he gazes into her eyes and traces her jaw with his fingers.
Robin kisses his fingertips gently and lets her distress fade.
After a few minutes he begins talking again. "Ygg is ancient, and like no other tree I have ever seen, save one in Paris, which I suspect is related to it. It is small, but you can feel the power it represents, equally Order and Chaos. It sits beneath a sky of constantly changing colours, above a valley filled with mist that also changes hues. The tree is Real, in the same way that members of the Family are. Beyond it the Shadows truly run mad, and having been there once I would not return, without a native guide. Shadows change so quickly on their own that it would take greater skill than mine to shift them effectively.
"Merlin summoned a filmy. Have you heard of them?" Vere gestures with his hands as he talks, trying to convey the image of a floating flatness. "A kind of floating carpet, or a sheet of solid energy. They can be used for rapid transportation. We traveled for..." he shrugs. "Who can tell how long. Time flows oddly beyond Ygg. Eventually we came to Madoc, which took the form of a floating castle, indifferent to Ordered notions such as gravity or fixed geometry. An interesting place, actually."
“Hmmmm.” Robin hums appreciatively. “I – I’d like to see it someday. When I’m better. It sounds wonderful. But – I don’t know if it’s me, but the Tree. Is really a balance between dichotomies? I... always kind of hoped that the universe was bigger than just Order and Chaos.”
“Madoc.” Robin tastes that word. “Isn’t that Aisling’s progenitor?”
"Indeed it is." Vere smiles, "Or he, as I prefer to say. If Chaosians choose to present themselves as male or female, then it seems courteous to refer to them that way." Vere is silent for a moment, then continues, "As I understand it, the forms that we so often see might be the entirety of a Chaosian such as Aisling or Merlin, but for a true Lord of Chaos such as Madoc or Clarissa they are merely parts of the whole. The entire realm that a Lord of Chaos inhabits can be considered as part of the Lord." He smiles. "The Queen is the Land, the Land is the Queen. Even more so for Chaosians."
Robin nods her understanding. “I remember how proud Aisling was when CeeEee became part of it... her. Oh, drat, Vere.” The girl pouts.
“Is it okay if I just still say ‘it’ when referring to Chaosians between us. Or maybe ‘they’ - still for the singular? Ordered language, well it’s just stupid sometimes. Mountains and sunrises are magnificent, powerful and all-encompassing and don’t need to be gendered. I don’t understand why Jovian thi... thought that calling someone an ‘it’ was derogatory or belittling. If anything, it seems the other way around. When something is beyond gender, why limit it because of your own silly language/framework? Maybe I just spend too much time around non-humans....” Robin frowns sadly.
But Peep’s comforting bump under her chin brings a smile to the girl’s face along with a good reminder of the joys of spending time around non-humans.
“Indeed, my love,” Vere replies. “I understand your point, and I believe that I am still overly influenced by my own upbringing in a culture that put too much emphasis on gender. In the Isles whether one was male or female influenced most aspects of one’s life. Being able to see past that is admirable.” He leans up to kiss her once again, then lets his head drop back into her lap. “I shall endeavour to learn from your example."
"You do great, my love." Robin smiles as she kisses him back.
“But to return to my time at Madoc, and with Madoc. The training in Sorcery was fascinating for me, but I suspect dull to hear about. But Madoc had a guest, and a protégé. The guest was Weyland Smith.” Vere pauses, apparently expecting Robin to know the name.
She nods. “Smith. Sword-maker. Father of Signy.... Wait, there’s something else. Something fron Danu...” Robin’s eyes narrow as she hunts around in the jack-daw’s nest of her mind. “Oo! Got it. Volund. A Smith God who might have been a dragon living as a man for his own draconic reasons.”
Robin smiles at Vere. “Kourin told me when I was asking about dragons.”
"Exactly so," Vere says with an answering smile. "I did not wish to seem rude, so I did not ask him any of the many questions I had when I was first introduced, assuming that I would have time to do so in future conversations. That being the case, he naturally departed soon after. I met him only the once." He chuckles ruefully. "I am afraid that experience is teaching me that politeness serves poorly with our elders. Grab them and question them when you have the chance, you may not see them again for years. All I really was able to determine from that brief conversation was that he is a member of the family, though I am unsure of exactly where he fits in."
"Hunh." Robin blows out a breath. "Which means we can't kill him, no matter how much he pisses us off." Her voice definitely takes on a put-out teen tone. "Oh, well - I suppose it'd be bad form to kill Signy's father without asking her first anyways...."
"Indeed," Vere says. "She is here in Xanadu, by the way. I met her and Edan at Ygg on the way back, and we travelled together. Her relationship with her father sounds ... complex. And not friendly. Although Weyland did ask after her in Madoc, and expressed some measure of concern for how she way doing." He shakes his head. "Parents and children. I have thought much on this topic recently. I mentioned a protege of Madoc, you recall? That was Saeth. The child of Aisling."
“Oo! What’s it like? I always wondered if it retained any of Aisling’s memories of our time together.” Robin perks up with classic Family self-interest.
"She remembered me and Father, although more as though she had been told of us and our conversations than as though she had been the one to speak with us," Vere says. "She struck me as young, as as perhaps even more naive than Aisling had been. And, alas, she was the cause of my leaving Madoc earlier than I had planned." He frowns. "After I had spent some time studying, I sought her out for conversation. And she spoke eagerly of her desire to travel to Ordered realms. She remembered Order with fondness, and felt that she was oppressed by Madoc's refusal to allow her to leave his realm." He shakes his head. "I sympathized with her, and counselled that she wait until she had more knowledge and wisdom, agreeing with Madoc that there were dangers on our side of the tree for her kind. And yet, somehow, what she took from my conversation was that I agreed with her on the importance of individual freedom, and of the way Ordered creatures could relate to each other. She fled her grandfather's realm shortly after our conversation."
Robin listens carefully and as Vere reaches his conclusions, her eyes narrow and she begins to run down various tracks in her mind. Shortly, one side of her mouth ticks and her shoulders twitch with a suppressed laugh. The look she gives Vere is filled with sympathetic humor.
“Sorry, love.” She manages to get out before she is overcome with laughter.
Vere lifts an eyebrow. His lip quirks up slightly on one side while he watches Robin laugh.
After a moment, she wipes one corner of her eye and shakes her head. “Who knew? With all the differences, teenage girl drama seems to be universal.” Robin starts snickering again.
“Okay, okay. If she makes it this far, we’ll deal with it then. But in the meantime, it’s good to know that an undereducated and rebellious adolescent from an allied tribe is on the loose.” She chuckles again.
"Indeed so. Family blood runs true, it appears." He chuckles, then becomes serious again. "Lord Madoc did not see the humour in the situation, however. I have been charged with keeping an eye out for her, and informing him when I have any information on her."
He lifts one arm and shakes back a sleeve, revealing a mark on his arm like the tattoo of a bird. "Lord Madoc marked me, and says this portion of his power will return to him when I have information on Saeth for him. Obviously, I have considered the possibility that it is more than just a means of communication. I informed Random of the mark, and he does not seem to be concerned about it being used for espionage or control."
“Oooooo.” Robin leans forward to peer at the mark. “Can you feel it?” She says, incautiously poking the bird with one curious finger. Before checking her own fingertip to see if some of it has come off.
“Makes sense that Madoc would be overpr... concerned. Given what happened to Aisling.” From the darkening of Robin’s eyes, it’s clear that she’s none too pleased herself.
Vere nods. "He did not force this upon me; I accepted it because I also believe that Saeth does not fully understand the dangers she will face." He looks at the mark. "It is like a tattoo or birthmark," he says, in aswer to her Robin's question. "There is no particular feeling that there is anything there. I would not know it was there if I did not see it. Edan called it a 'bird of desire.'"
“Well, that’s kind of spooky.” She says looking at Vere with concern. “A mark placed upon you that you can’t feel... oh, well. I suppose Madoc wouldn’t have been able to place it that way if you hadn’t accepted it.” Though she sticks out her tongue eloquently at the Chaosian mark.
“Hopefully, we’ll find Saeth stuck in an Order-bramble and smelling of Amber skunk before anything hungrier does. Ooo, you should mention it to Paige. After all, if Saeth makes it this far, it’s probably going to start running into real Order problems in Broceliande. Not to mention Leif and Brooke...” Another wry chuckle ripples through Robin at the thought of that particular FUBAR.
"Paige is here, as well?" Vere asks. Then he chuckles."There I go, diverting off to another path. We can cover who is here later. Swa, to return to the path of the past. Saeth's departure and my acceptance of this mark from Madoc marked the end of my training in Sorcery. Merlin and I departed, and soon returned to Ygg, where we met Signy and Edan, and two men of Signy's. We travelled together from Ygg to Xanadu, discussing a variety of matters. Among them was Signy's father. Considering her poor relationship with him, and the 'teenage rebellion' of Saeth, set me to thinking about my own relationship with my parents, and whether I might also have certain deficiencies in that regard. And that brings me to matters of the present, and my narrative of Vere's adventure in Chaos to a conclusion."
“Nicely told, my love!” Robin claps appreciatively. The firelizards all peep and chirp happily as well, probably responding to Robin’s mood more than any actual understanding. The smile that lights the girl’s face is as warm as the Xanaduvian sunlight – she so does love Vere’s voice. And the way words dance for him. How magnificent.
“Hmmmm,” she shifts a little. “I suppose that means it’s my turn. Let’s see, when we last... spoke,” she flashes him a sultry look, “I said I wanted to learn how to speak with and be among Non-Rangers. To see if I could become known to and trusted by my Family. To that end, I’ve been – well, dawdling around the Castle and City. With mixed results.” She pulls a quick grimace.
“No matter what anyone tells you love, I did not start a riot. I didn’t.” Robin’s very sure on that point.
“Anyway, since you left, I’ve had big good talks with Silhouette, Brita, Brij and Prince Garrett. I’ve had... interesting conversations with Victor, Jerod, the King, Scarlet and Paige. I didn’t argue with Raven – though it was a near thing. And I spoke a little with Iron Eyes, Ashe and Edan. Oh! And Signy and Fletcher were pointed out to me, but I didn’t get the chance to speak with either of them.
“Soooo, which would you like to hear about first?”
"Here is a chance for you to practice with words, beloved," Vere observes. "Putting together a story is much like observing the traces left at a campsite, to determine how many people were there, who they were, what they did, and where they have gone. Consider how these various conversations relate one to the other, and how what was said in one conversation might be useful to know before another conversation is discussed. There are numerous ways of telling the story, and no one right way."
"But... if I do that, Vere, than I would be imposing my own order on your perceptions instead of letting you build your own structure and connections. That seems.... kind of... limiting, I guess." Robin is genuinely confused by that thought.
"Exactly so," Vere says in approval. "Language is the imposition of Order on the Chaos of raw thought. The way we tell a story to someone influences how they understand it. But there is no option. Save implanting your memories directly and instantaneously into my mind, you must tell them in some order. Do you see?"
“You... guide people through the forest of your thought instead of letting them pick their own routes?” Robin’s nose wrinkles as she tries out the metaphor. “But how do you know which is the best trail for them?"
"Oh, excellently done!" Vere exclaims. He sits up and spins around to face Robin, his eyes lit with excitement. "I like this metaphor most well! Yes, let us think of language as a way to guide someone through a forest. Lies are a way to lead them astray, diplomacy a way to lead them to where you want them to go. Truth is a proper and true trail, but even then you must consider whether they are capable of following you via the most direct route, or whether it is best to lead them by less direct but simpler paths." He claps his hands together. "Two people who have tracked together many times can simply indicate to one another, by the merest gesture, signs that others would never notice."
Robin nods, following Vere’s own thought-trail easily; though the permutations and side-thoughts cause her head to bob and her eyes to wander off.
"The best trail?" He shrugs, eyes still dancing. "Who is to say what is best? It is a judgment call, one that comes with experience. But better to do one's best to show the trail, than to remain silent and let them struggle blindly through the underbrush. No?"
“I always thought it was… presumptuous to just drag people after me. Buuuuttt struggling blindly through the underbrush does explain a lot of the reactions I get when I open my mouth.” Robin’s still skeptical, but willing to learn.
“Hmmm. Organize my trails and clearings for Vere to see...” She grins at her sparkling-eyed beloved.
“I know I want to start with Silhouette. She made the biggest impression on me most recently. And that would lead us to Scarlett’s – which does cover a lot of the other folks. But how to weave in the Castle Folk without a 'meanwhile'?...”
“Okay.” Robin flumphs her feathers. “I’m thinking too much and nothing good ever comes of that.
“Let’s start with Silhouette. Do you know her, my Heart?”
"I know of her," Vere answers. "That she claims to be Eidothea, Princess Flora's daughter, a claim that Aunt Flora vehemently denies. That she made weapons for Huon, possibly including the cannon that slew Canareth. That she was acting as Huon's representative to the Family, in seeking terms. Little else."
“Ah, yeah. The cannon. I could hold that against her, but I’ve decided to hold it against Huon instead. Maybe that’s a sign of just how good Silhouette is. I... hmmm...”
Robin drifts off for a moment, her eyes darting over invisible thoughts. Soon thereafter she sits up straight and claps her hands together. “Ooo! I got it!
“Listen now, my Love, to a life that dashes and tumbles down from the isolated mountain peaks to eventually calm and greet its peace with the sea.” She leans forward to quickly kiss her sea. “Turned this way and that by events and peoples it doesn’t understand and pays even less heed to. Yet still alive and useful and bringing life and use to those around it.
“This portion of the river finds it stiller, slower than usual. Not pulled forward by inexorable event, but winding slowly through a sheltered meadow, intersecting with other streams and ponds, blending and separating, learning.
“Of all the things met in this meadow, the most amazing to the stream was the mill. – Silhouette. Vere – I find her… beautiful.” Robin breathes out the word in a soft sigh.
“I have named her my friend and she has named me hers.” There’s a sense of ritual to that statement that’s not totally at odds with Robin’s sense of duty, but is probably not her own phrasing. “Just so you know.” Robin’s eyes dance to Vere’s with wry humor in them.
“That being said, Silhouette is totally evil.” Wicked glee lights Robin’s eyes. “She swans around emitting mass quantities of Seductive Dark Sorceress pheromones. I didn’t even realize how much a Family like ours needs one of those until I got a whiff of Silhouette. Oooo, she just clicks into place, I tell you. And her ‘love-me, love-me’ behavior is – possibly – even better than Folly’s.
“But the thing I like best? Silhouette does not think that food comes from kitchens. She does not think that because one is breathing, one should be... respected, taken care of, or is special. Silhouette has had to fight to eat, kill to survive and knows what it feels like to be completely and utterly defeated. She even remembers dying.
“She has the most impressive and best set of survival skills I’ve seen outside of Martin. And again, she *might* even be better. Oh, Vere! It’s like whirling blades surrounding razor-wire before one gets to the minefield. From that point one can see the bunker maze, but Iiiii’mmmmm not stickin’ my hand in there. It’s AMAZING!
“And sooooo restful. Half the time I’m here, my Love, I don’t even know how or why people are snapping at me. With Silhouette, I know exactly when she’ll stab at me. When I threaten her or her survival. Or when the trade-off is right. Easy. Clear. Understandable.” Robin sighs happily. “I really like Silhouette.”
Vere listens intently as Robin speaks, smiling several times. When she finishes he laughs, and says, "I must confess that she does not sound at all like the sort of person that I would name as friend. But I think I can see why you like her. Our family's Seductive Dark Sorceress, eh?" He chuckles once again. "Well enou. She sounds like someone I can respect, if not like, and I shall be careful not to give her reason to think I threaten her. She is your friend, and that makes her life important to me."
“Someone else I’m going to do a disservice to is Raven.
“As the river continued bouncing along and was in one of its more... playful moods, it came across a fresh spring bubbling up from the ground; newly emerged to meadow, open air and its own forcefulness. The spring was not happy about this. Not at all.
“Raven’s still in that... you know, angry denial stage of Family membership. I gather he was raised in Amber’s dockside and is not overly fond of his mother, Scarlet – a prominent and successful business woman of the docks. If he knows who his Father is, he didn’t mention it to me. But the King has recognized him as Family.
“And Captain Raven’s pretty grumpy about it. He doesn’t have any use for folk who don’t understand the value of an honest day’s work or a living wage. He’s learning. Slowly. But he ain’t one to take advice. I figure he’s going to hit his own damn fool head on a few more rocks before he figures out what a very small part of his duties are comprised of an honest day’s work or living wage. And why none of the rest of us are sweating that level of detail.” Robin ticks her tongue and shakes her head in sympathy.
Vere nods. "I understand. Yes, you are right; only time and experience will help him overcome that. Prince Garrett might be able to assist, if Raven take overlong to learn his lessons." He tilts his head to one side. "I never had any dealings with Scarlet in Amber, but I heard her spoken of from time to time at the Red Mill and the Naval Club. A hard-headed businesswoman who took no nonsense, from what I recall. I never heard any rumors of a relationship with a Royal, so she is obviously good at keeping her secrets."
“Reeeaallll good at keeping her secrets.” Robin rolls her eyes. “And not at interested in coattail power-brokering as she has not one but two Royal sons. Both of whom she did not tell and did not mention to us.” Robin chuckles.
“See, Captain Raven has a younger half-brother – about eight, if I remember right – who is Lucas’ son. Now that they’ve both have been outed, Scarlet’s dancing a little to get used to all the unwanted Royal attention.” Robin snorts. “Unfortunately, I’m one of the elephants that keeps tromping through her kitchen.”
"Poor woman," Vere says, with no sympathy. "She should have remembered the old saying. 'When you lie down with Royals, you get up with politics.'"
“True.” Robin laughs. “But I think she was expecting Jerod’s kind of politics eventually. What she wasn’t expecting was mine.
“See – as the river was bouncing along through the meadow, it met up with an old friend; a fusty old pike it had frolicked with back on the mountainside. Now washed down in a separate rivulet to meet up once again at the confluence in the Xanaduvian meadow. Victor.” Robin smiles fondly in memory.
“Victor and I met on the outskirts of Arden where we fought over whose prey the lothos-snatcher was. I won by the way. Don’t let him tell you any different. Anyway, Victor’s a demon-hunter by trade, and since he and I shared so many interests - the hunting down and destruction of inimical supernatural lifeforms and such - we started spending more and more time around each other.”
Robin snorts appreciatively. “Wild days for sure. Looootttss of drama. Ended dramatically too. But it seems we’ve both gotten a bit older and wiser since then.
“Iiiitttt turns out he’s Rebman by origin. And I have no idea how I missed that one. He and Scarlet are estranged brother and sister. Which makes Max and Raven, his surprise nephews. So when Scarlet starting getting threats concerning Max, he asked me to poke my nose in. Which I did. Not toooo far ‘cause Raven’s got the better claim and Jerod’s proxying for Martin’s interests. Buttttt... me and my antics are in the mix.”
Vere nods. "The family of a friend. You definitely have a claim, even if it is not as strong as Raven and the Prince's." He smiles again, then chuckles. "You and Jerod working on the same matter. That must have been ... interesting."
“It was.” Robin acknowledges with a wry chuckle.
“As the river continued to wind and wend its way onward, it came – once again – across a particularly large and... firm rocky outcropping. This outcropping was one that the river had avoided in the mountains that held both their sources. But now in the meadow? Unavoidable. Though the outcropping does its best not to drop too many rocks onto the river and the river tries not to grind too hard against the stone; still the experience is mutually grating.
“Right now, Jerod and I are smiling at each other through clenched teeth. But I think we both respect our mutual positions and duties too much to break out into open dissent or violence.”
Robin shifts uncomfortably. “Look, my Love, I know that Jerod is your friend and I will try to have as much care and respect as you have shown for Silhouette, but... “ she shakes her head and ticks her tongue.
“Beside the natural disinclination due to our various natures, there’s also... well, Jerod and I are both old school. We grew up, fully aware of our natures, in or around Amber during Oberon’s reign. There’s a certain... ruthlessness, I guess, to all of us who did that. We express it differently, but it’s there behind Conner’s shark-like smile, Paige’s flirty disregard, Martin’s lethal intensity, Jerod’s arrogant assurance and my proclivity for violence. Our Family... was not our allies or friends, Vere. They were the most dangerous beings in the universe and we had to figure out what to do about that or we died. That simple.
“Now, both Jerod and I are easing out into the meadow. I don’t think it’s any easier for him to ‘trust’ folks than it is for me. I do think he’s trying. As I am. But a quick hand-full of years is a short time to unlearn the habits of a lifetime.”
"Indeed," Vere says. "I shall be walking carefully around Cousin Jerod for some time, after the matter of Cambina. I hope to win back his friendship eventually, but it may take decades. Or centuries."
“Awwwww....” Robin frowns, her eyes full of sympathy, and leans forward to gather Vere into a warm embrace.
“Don’t fret too much about it, Love. Jerod was in pain. And being a dick about it. Lots of folk do that, it’s natural.” She nuzzles the top his head fondly. “Just remember that Jerod was raised to assume malice aforethought in everyone he met. Hopefully, he’ll grow out of that soon. Maybe someday we all will.”
Vere folds her into his arms. "I cannot blame Jerod for his reaction. Truth to tell, I think he is right, in that my sister rather stretched the truth to convince me to raise Cambina. She thought she was doing so for the right reasons, and indeed she might even claim that she did not really tell an untruth; but the facts are that she did not tell me just what our father and Corwin had said about raising Cambina's soul. And I did not consider closely enough what Cambina's nearest might think about it." He shrugs, his arms still around her. "Water under the bridge, to continue you metaphor, most beloved. Let us continue with the adventures of the sweet river of my heart and soul."
Robin wriggles in delight in his arms and whistles a little burbling sound.
“Ah. Next would be the heron and the bend. The river had come to part of its course that was particularly tumultuous; dashing, frothing, full of silt and fury, barely manageable even by the best of banks. First was the bend – Brita. Who didn’t control or steer. Just accepted and showed the river how to flow where it need to, without tearing through the fences.
“She did a really good job getting me through that whole ‘duel’ ordeal. Which by the way, Prince Garrett said was a closed subject so I won’t go into it. Other than to say – it’s over.”
"A closed subject?" Vere raises and eyebrow and thinks about that for a moment, then nods. "That was well said of the prince. Very well said. Well then, it is behind us and over with. Excellent well."
“Yep,” Robin nods in agreement, the beads and what-nots in her hair clacking. “That whole thing is something Jerod, me and Venesch could pick at forever! And then it’d never heal... I wonder. Do you think Grandfather was doing something similar when he had my mother put on the ‘no-talking about list?”
The girl shakes her head slowly, “I tell you, my Love, the more new cousins and nieces and nephews I meet – the more sympathy I have for our aunts and uncles.” She finishes with a wry huff of breath that is almost a laugh.
"Family can be trying," Vere agrees. "It goes back to what you said about relationships during Oberon's reign." He frowns thoughtfully, "And I wonder how much of that is a holdover from our being descended from Lords of Chaos?"
"I... don't even know how to guess. I always thought that Grandfather created the universe whole cloth. That everything that was was because he willed it so. And unlike my clever love, I don't know if I've ever met a Lord of Chaos." Her brow furrows. "Nor am I'm sure they can be used as reference or comparison to one another..."
"Ah," Vere says. "Now there is a logical conclusion that I should have reached long ago. Well done, my love. Yes, you are correct; one cannot really draw conclusions about the Lords, plural, from any experience with a Lord, singular." He considers that for a moment, then says, "I think I can see some of the reasons that Oberon did not reveal greater cosmology to his children. Chaos is dangerous and almost impossible to describe, and had he told them about it and then forbidden them to have any dealings with it, he would only have guaranteed that his rebellious offspring would have snuck over there on the sly. Better to simply not tell them about it, and trust that their travels through Shadow would never take them to such odd places."
Robin beams with delight at Vere’s praise. And chuckles wryly at his conclusion.
“See what I mean about sympathy for our Aunts and Uncles? You see it now. But just imagine how you would have felt had your Father said ‘Really, son. It’s better that you don’t know.’ Or how you still feel when you discover that Uncle Bleys knew all along and decided not to mention it.
“I’m facing those decisions all the time with the new cousins I meet. And I find myself becoming all cryptic and misleading with lots of empty spaces in my talk. Just like I remember Dad being with Jove. Or me.”
Vere nods. "Most disturbing," he says somberly, "To think that perhaps our elders were right and we did not know as much as we thought we did."
Robin bursts out laughing. "Or even worse, that we're growing up into our parents!"
"Goddess forfend!" Vere says in mock horror. He chuckles then, and tightens his grip on Robin for a few seconds, before relaxing once more.
"Well and so," he says. "Has our river reached the sea yet, or are there yet more adventures before it?"
“Ooops! Sorry, my Love. The river's meandering; as it’s wont to do so near the ocean.” She chuckles and kisses him fondly.
“One more meeting – the heron. Graceful, plumed, beautiful hunter. Sure of herself as she fishes in the meadow. When the river met her, the heron was happy to meet the burbling water and willing to trade tales of the mountains for knowledge of the meadow lands – Brij. Julian’s grand-daughter, my niece, Huon’s ex, Bley’s most recent and Folly’s mother. Oooh, she’s fun, Vere. And I totally see where Folly gets it. Though, since I know that Folly and Brij don’t get along, I’m only going to say that to you.” Robin puts a finger over her lips in a mime of secrecy.
Vere smiles when she puts her finger over her lips, but his eyes are calculating. "Grand-daughter of Julian would not explain Folly's strength in the blood," he muses. "Huon's ex, you say? Has the possibility that Folly is Huon's daughter been considered?"
"Considered and acknowledged, I believe. I forgot to mention it 'cause I was getting tangled with describing Brij by her relations to others. Which she would hate. Brij is always and totally her own woman. She just enjoys powerful company."
"Indeed. Huon and Bleys. A woman with eclectic tastes." He nods. "I shall look forward to meeting her. You say that she and Folly are not on good terms? Is this just more of the same parent-child dynamic of the Family that we were discussing earlier, or do you think there is more to it?"
"Eclectic? Really - I don't see that much difference between the two.
"Anyway, I think that Brij and Folly are both Stars who don't like to share the spotlight. 'Especially not with her!' So yeah, standard parent-child dynamic." Robin rolls her eyes; artists.
Vere laughs. "The theatrical temperament," he agrees. "I have known bards and minstrels like that."
"Me too." Robin agrees heartily.
"Thooooouuugggghh - I shouldn't be too hard on Folly. I remember the time I was complaining to her about being too rough on men. And she suggested I take up with a bag-pipe player." Robin raises an eyebrow at Vere.
"Her argument was that if I broke one, no one would miss it. I think she underestimated the... fortitude of bag-pipe players." The smile that spreads across Robin's face is lascivious as she finally reaches her sea and pounces on Vere.
The pouncee laughs and rolls over on the grass with his beloved. "I am loved only for my bagpipes!" he exclaims, before his words are lost in another round of kisses.
And since both are wind-instrument players, it's a while before Robin comes up for air.
Draped over her beloved's form, Robin lazily traces Vere's jaw line with one admiring finger. And then chuckles as her stomach growls. "Snacks in a library, Love? As we track our second trails?" she suggests.
"An excellent thought, Beloved," he agrees. He lies on the ground for a few more minutes, still holding her in his arms. "We shall have to get up first," he finally points out.
"Oh, you're no fun." Robin thumps Vere lightly on the chest.
"I suuuupppossseee," she drawls as she reluctantly wriggles free, "that if we were mighty and powerful Lords of Chaos, we could just enforce Library and Snacks around us."
Rising, she offers a hand up to Vere. "But then one of us would have to eat the other and that would be just... messy. Vebin? Rore? Nope. Doesn't work."
Vere takes Robin's hand and rises. "Messy can be amusing, in the right circumstances," he notes. He laughs then, and takes her arm in his and leads her back towards the window. "But I do believe that I prefer the Ordered form of Library and Snacks."
"Me too." Robin chirps, "Less work."
She hops over the window sill without truly ever letting go of Vere and then waits for him to do the same.
"Speaking of messy circumstances - Iiiiii don't think we've ever shared a meal, my Love. Ummm, look out."
"Indeed?" Vere asks as he steps back into the palace. "The little ones?"
"Well, them too. Though they're getting much better." Robin beams as the firelizards swirl in after them.
"But mostly I meant me. Dad made sure I understood the basics. But I still tend to eat with my knife and fingers more than all those weird table implements." Robin shrugs off-handedly.
"Ah, I see," Vere replies, equally indifferently. "If you ever decide that you would like to master the complexities of formal dinner etiquette I can instruct you. But it is not of any importance."
"I'mmm working toward a decision on that with Castor. Maybe I can get your input later. But for now, if it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me." She finishes with a smile for her beloved who rolls around in the grass with her.
He stands in the hallway for a moment, and raises his head as though orienting himself, then says, "I know of two library rooms not far from where we are now. A small one, with a small number of tables and chairs, down that way," he gestures down the hall, "Down a set of stairs, and up three doors. It has the advantage of being seldom used, but has the disadvantage of having no external windows. There is a larger library room, more of a traditional library, in fact, up the stairs two floors. It has a balcony facing the waterfall, and you might find it more to your liking. It is more likely to be in use."
Vere smiles. "I have not yet explored sufficiently to have found any others, so if you would prefer another room please feel free to lead us there, my love."
"Hmmmm, let's try the more open one first. If anyone is there, we can then head for the deeper one for our private conversations. But I'd like to at least take a shot at windows before... stretching for the harder target."
Vere nods, and leads Robin to the library in companionable silence. When they pass a servant in the hall he requests food be brought to the library, "A wide variety of meats, I should think, for the little ones, as well as for us" he says, looking at Robin for confirmation.
Robin nods.
"Fruits and vegetables, bread and cheese. Ale, and water. Some small cakes and biscuits." He lifts an eyebrow and asks Robin, "Is there aught else you desire, beloved?"
"Is there anything else?" Robin laughs in delight at the thought of having this man order her meals for the rest of her life.
"No, that will be fine," she tells the servant.
And then she heads into the library, holding on to Vere's hand and trying not to look too much like a love-struck adolescent. Something she suspects she's failing at.
Once in the library Vere leads Robin to the balcony, moving chairs so that they can sit side by side, looking out over the great waterfall. A light mist occasionally sweeps across them, when the wind is from seaward. Once they are seated he takes her hand in his again.
"That brings us the present, I believe, my love?" he asks.
"Yep." Robin leans her head on Vere's shoulder, enjoying the contrast between cool mist and warms flesh.
"Well and then," Vere says. "The most important thing about the present..." he pauses, then chuckles. "No, despite what I was about to say, the most important thing about the present is that I am with you." He kisses the top of her head, then turns his face and rests his cheek against her hair.
Robin contents herself in that wonderful moment for quite a while. But eventually her restless spirit drives her to ask, “Gathering courage, my Love?”
"Something like," he answers. He sighs into her hair, then kisses the top of her head once more. "I mentioned already," he says finally, "That my conversations with Saeth and Signy made me consider my own relationship with my parents, and whether there were certain unspoken assumptions I was making. Erroneous assumptions."
He is silent again for a little while, before continuing. "I never questioned why Father might be slow about seeking healing. I simply assumed that he was being irrational, and that it was my duty to force him to seek a way to heal his legs. Now, I wonder whether my insistence that he put his healing above everything else, and my oath to force him to do so, were not more the actions of a wilful child than a dutiful son."
Robin nuzzles the side of Vere's neck comfortingly. "Probably both. And other things that you've forgotten now."
She cocks her head under his. A breath goes out of her as she gathers her thoughts. Finally Robin has her path.
"Beloved? I am at my very worst when I am second-guessing myself. Judging and remaking decisions of the past based on knowledge and understandings of the present. Thinking and rethinking and re-re-thinking, over and over, endlessly knotting more and more tightly inward. So lost in what was, that I can barely function in what is. You've seen me like that."
She untucks her head to look at Vere with sad eyes. "Remember after the drowning? Not good. Not useful. Not well."
Vere meets her eyes and nods.
Robin's eyes grow serious and her mouth firm as she reaches up to cup her Love's chin. "I know -- without a doubt -- that you were doing the absolute best you could at the time. And you know it too. You're not one to be careless or precipitous with that kind of decision." A fond smile for her True love dashes across her face.
He matches her smile with one of his own, and turns his head slightly to kiss her hand.
"Trying to recast the decision now... it's like blaming the past you for not knowing the future. Or for not behaving with the wisdom of experience you hadn't earned yet. It just... doesn't work that way. The only way for linear-time Ordered beings like us to learn is to make mistakes and move on." She finishes with clear enunciation.
"It's hard and it sucks - I know. But if we don't, we'll always be stuck in the past. And, and I don't want to be there anymore." A shiver runs through Robin's frame.
"I don't think you do either."
"Wise, my love. So wise," Vere says quietly. "This is what we are meant to be, beloved. Checks on one another, balances for each other when we lose our stability, guides when we lose our way." He kisses her hand once again. "Thank you."
"Any time." Robin says and leans in to kiss Vere warmly and firmly.
"And you're right about the balancing. After all," she continues with a rueful laugh, "you helped me after the drowning. And we know I'm going to get there again. Sooo, I'm going to hang on to my Vere when I flail. And be thrilled that I can be helpful when he flails." She wrinkles her nose at him. ""Cause it works!"
Vere laughs and says, "How did I live before you, love?" He shakes his head then, and grows more serious. "Very well, then here is where I think I am. I need to sit down with Father and Mother and ask them seriously what they want to do, and how I can help them. I shall make it clear that I have not given up on finding a way to heal Father, but I shall also make it clear that I shall not ignore his own desires and his own needs. If there are things more important than must be attended to first, so be it."
He sighs and closes his eyes for a second, then opens them and kisses Robin once again before continuing. "But that will have repercussions for us, as well, my love. My oath still stands. We cannot truly consumate our love until Father walks. I worry that this is unfair to you."
“Unfair?” Robin’s brow furrows as she tastes the word, considering.
“I suuuppppoooosse I can see how some might think of it that way. But I don’t.
“Let me be clear, love. I very much want to drag you into the bushes and tear your clothes off – never doubt that for a minute.” She grins at him with fire in her eyes.
“But...” Robin’s gaze wanders as she runs down her thoughts, “I’m not going to let the wanting of something I don’t have, spoil the absolutely amazing miracle of what I do have. That’d be dumb.” The beads in Robin’s hair clack as she shakes her head briefly.
“I won’t say I’m ‘content’ with the way things are because that’s not true. What I am is incredibly grateful for the way things are. And if they get better? Awesome. If they don’t? Still far, far better than I ever imagined for myself.
"So I guess you’re right, Vere. It’s not ‘fair.’” Robin chirps at him, all warm and fluffy. “’Cause I win, either way.”
Vere's answer is not in words, which is why the servants who arrive shortly thereafter with several trays of food look away with practiced grace, and only the barest traces of blushes.
Seated once again at the table, now covered over with food and drink, Vere smiles at his love and says, "So, then, that is the main thing I have to think about for the moment. Nothing else can really be settled until I know what Father and Mother want, and need."
“Well, that and let Paige know that there’s a wandering scion of Maddock headed this way, full of youthful impressions regarding the Ordered-verse.” Robin chuckles around a mouthful, still obviously delighted by someone else’s adolescent hijinx.
“Oh,” she realizes and puts down her biscuit and meat. “Are we done with the Vere’s Present path and moving to Things Robin’s Afraid Of?”
"Ummm," Vere answers, then he swallows and expands, "Indeed so, my love, if you are ready for that path."
“Well, I said I was gonna walk it, sooo...” Robin shrugs.
“There’s two things I’m primarily afraid of: one – that I’m doing it again and, two – uuuhhhh,” the girl stammers and pales a little. Her eyes wander off, she bites her lip, shifts restlessly in her seat and generally flutters before working back up the nerve to look at Vere.
She leans forward in her seat and whispers to her love, measuring each word as though she doesn’t really want them to escape her lips. “I’m scared of talking to Dad... you know, about the Canareth/Jovian thing.”
"I understand, my love," Vere answers quietly. "And that is something that you need not do along. I think it would be good for you, for us, to speak with your father soon." He takes her hand. "If you will have me beside you, then I say we should travel to find Prince Julian as soon as may be, together."
“Oh, Vere...” Robin lifts their hands to kiss Vere’s fingertips and rub her cheek along the back of his hand. “Is it fair of me to ask that of you? And if we do do that, you will be bound to Prince Julian in very intimate ways – is it fair of me to ask that of either of you?” She whispers as her eyes trail off across the room, trying to see if her way is one of cowardice or mature interdependence.
Vere laughs then, loudly and with a smile wide across his face.
“Unfair?” he asks, laughter still in his voice. “I suppose I can see how some might think of it that way. 'Cause I win, either way.”
Robin blinks in surprise. And then joins Vere with laughter of relief and delight. Dishes clink and cups slosh as she leans over the table to kiss him emphatically.
As she comes up for air, Robin is still chuckling. There is a twinkle in her eyes as she shakes her head at her Love and his well-crafted and utterly fair shot. “It is easier to give advice than to take it, isn’t it?”
Once she’s settled down, she looks over at Vere in wonder. “So that’s how it is – we’re flying together from now on?”
Vere takes Robin's hand in his. "Together," he says firmly.
“I... wow.” Robin’s words abandon her in the enormity of what’s been given. And what’s needed. She finds herself blushing and bobbing her head as her eyes drop. So precious, so wonderful that even Robin must take a moment for the silent awe.
But only a moment as the girl’s natural exuberance gets the better of her. And she looks back up to Vere alight with joy and determination.
“Okay, then.” Those words are terribly insufficient, but then any words would be.
“I, uh, guess that takes care of my first set of worries – that I was Doing It Again.” She chuckles ruefully.
Vere tightens his grip on her hand for a second, before releasing it and loading more food onto his plate. "'Doing It Again' could cover a multitude of sins," he says with a smile. "And I have not seen any obvious signs of any of them."
He chirps at the fire lizards, then tosses some sausages into the air for them to catch.
Robin smiles fondly as Chirrup snatches one of the sausages out of the air and lands delicately on Vere’s shoulder to eat. Peep and Ooot are no slouches either as none of the sausages make it down to the carpet. Robin nods happily, they’re getting much better.
Her sense of satisfaction is evident as she meets Vere’s eyes. He may not be able to raise her children (as she won’t be having any) but He will live with and help raise her various friends and companions. That thought makes her flush with warmth and wonder.
“Well, you weren’t there this time.” Robin shrugs reasonably, but is a little surprised at the hint of pain she feels.
“Anyway,” she continues, shaking it off, “when I... first got back to Amber. After, you know. Well, I wasn’t... thinking so clearly aaaannnddd my main goal was to-stay-out-of-Arden. So I tried... you know, hanging around the Castle and stuff. Pretending to talk to my cousins. Did a little shopping. And generally avoided being any kind of useful or... well, committed to anything.” Robin’s speech comes in starts and rushes as she tries to get her jerking thoughts out.
“Since I’ve been here... I’ve stayed out of Arden. Even though it’s in very real danger. I’ve hung around the Castle and stuff. Talked to my cousins. Did a little shopping. Completely missed the boat to wherever the King wanted me to go and been kind of unuseful and disruptive.
“And I was worried that I was Doing It Again. Or that I appeared to be Doing It Again.
“But now, I don’t think that. I... think I was waiting, Vere. Waiting for you.” She peeks up at him from beneath her brows. “I-I’ve never done that before. Waited like that. It feels... strange...”
Vere nods thoughtfully. "I agree. But delightful, as well." He sets down his knife and fork and says, "Now, as to appearances. I agree that it is important, now that We Are Together, that we make certain there are no misapprehensions of your Doing It Again. This missing the boat regarding the king's desires that you mention. What was this regarding?"
“Ummmm...” Robin leans back in her chair, a frown of concentration on her face as she tries to remember. Talks with the King are important, she knows that, but there was a mental... situation in close confluence to that talk so her memory isn’t as clear as she’d like it to be.
“The King summoned me.” Her eyes are still searching but she remembers that. “After I arrived in Xanadu and Garrett had made his initial judgment. We met in the kitchen and there were sandwiches. I think the King was sounding me out. I remember getting all dramatic and promising not to bleed in the fountains. I told the King that I was most definitely loyal to him and Xanadu but that I was going to be trouble ‘cause... well, I’m just trouble.” Robin shrugs.
“I remember him asking if I had any ideas about what I wanted to do. And I didn’t. So he suggested he send me to a place where Huon had convinced the locals to bleed Marius.... Gateway, I think? Since they do not get to do that no matter who talked them into it -- and his Majesty said he didn’t think it needed to get to the ground-salting stage but he’d leave that up to me -- I thought the whole expedition sounded great! So he said ‘make a list.’”
“And then... things happened. I got sidetracked, blurry and time did that little slipping thing again. And it turns out that I never did get back to the King and now Raven and Jerod have gone and not me and I know that can’t come off as good no matter how much I wanted to wait for you, Vere, maybe especially ‘cause I wanted to wait for you and it probably looks just like Heather Vale again to the King...” Robin ruffles sadly as her words stumble off into unhappy fretting noises.
"Mmmmm," Vere says thoughtfully. "The king said nothing of this to me. The Queen and my mother were together when I went to greet my mother, and she mentioned that you had done some hunting for the king, of basilisks and errant subjects. So she at least believes the king still sees you as useful to him." He tilts his head to one side. "May I say what I think we should do, my love? With the caveat that what I say is merely advice?"
“Cockatrices,” Robin amends quietly and mostly to herself. “And errant subjects is on the Future path. But, I didn’t hunt those for the King – I hunt those ‘cause it’s what I do. I hunt and slay monsters for the Crown and the populace. It’s what I’ve always done, what I’m good at. But now...
“Yes, please Dear One. I would welcome your advice.” Robin’s green eyes are earnest.
"Well and then," Vere says, passing Cheep another sausage. "I think the first thing you should do is send a message to the king, asking to see him at his earliest convenience. You cannot leave him thinking that you simply ignored his request that you handle this matter. I am happy to accompany you, but I think we must be very careful not to give him the impression that now that I have returned I am 'managing' you." He frowns. "That would do you no good at all."
Robin perks up for a moment and then falls. “Oh. Yeah. Children get managed, savages don’t.” She grins one of her pointy-teeth smiles to Vere and the sausage nibbling Chirrup.
Vere grins back at her.
At which point, Peep flits up into Robin’s arms and lets her know what the little Queen thinks about Chirrup getting more sausage. Robin chuckles and immediately administers bacon to the imperious gold. And another sausage is tossed the hunting Ooot’s way.
A sigh goes out of the girl as she thinks about bracing Random. “Is bothering the King personally really the right thing to do? I always kind of felt that he had enough on his plate and would rather we fix things ourselves with the occasional report in....”
"I do not know the king well enough to truly say what he would prefer," Vere allows. "But consider how your father would react if he had given a task to a ranger, who was not able to carry it out in a timely fashion. Would he not want a personal report and explanation?"
Robin’s green eyes open wide in shock for a moment. Then her elbow thunks into the table as she face-palms. “Dung...”
After a second, she leans back in her chair. “Okay.” Robin’s expression gets very matter of fact and the Rangers’ second-in-command becomes evident.
“Okay. If it was me – what would I want me to say?
“Your majesty – I... sustained an injury in the last war that periodically distorts my sense of passing time. I regret that this makes me somewhat unreliable for long term missions or...” she searches for it, “intelligence-gathering assignments. It does not, however, interfere with my ability to serve the Crown on short-term or single-focus tasks. And I very much want to serve the Crown.
“In order to compensate for my situation, I would like to ask that Vere to accompany me in my services to give me warning whenever he observes... symptoms evidencing. He has proven effective in the past at mitigating such occurrences and re-grounding me in the tasks at hand.
“I regret the inconvenience that removing Vere from other duties might impose but I assure you that the two of us togeth... oh, drat – I lost the rest.”
Robin looks up at Vere, suddenly uncertain.
He smiles reasurringly. "The two of us together compensate for the failings of each. Vere is able to bring Robin back to focus on the task at hand, and Robin is able to keep Vere from focusing obsessively on the multiple possibilities of a situation." He tilts his head to one side and aks, "Somthing like that, I think?"
Robin chuckles warmly. “I don’t think we need to go into your failings, my Love. As they are miniscule compared to the issues at hand.” She blows him a kiss.
“How about - … other duties might impose but I believe that Vere is free at this time and has indicated his willingness to assist? How does that sound?”
"Very well indeed," Vere says. "My love, you may not like words o'er much, but when you choose you can use them excellently well."
She blushes at the compliment. “Well, when I’m calm and in excellent company – they’re great toys. But if either of those things changes? Bwwwwkkkk.” Robin finishes with an exploding sound and accompanying gesture.
Grabbing another handful of bacon to split with the firelizards, Robin
summarizes, “Okay, sooooo far the Future List is –
Talk with your parents
Tell Paige about Saeth
Send a note to the King
Talk with my Father – oog.
"Anything we missed on your Present Path, oh Most Wonderful One?” She smiles at one of the few things in the universe that is categorically better than bacon. Well, two of them if you count Chirrup.
"That covers the main items," Vere replies. "There are a few smaller details, such as my speaking with Hannah about Father's health, and with Castor to determine if he has suffered sufficient pennance teaching you court manners to think his crime redeemed, or if I need to keep him in my service a while longer." He smiles, and feeds another sausage to Chirrup. "What of you, beloved? Have we covered all of your trails yet?"
“Yeeeep,” Robin replies. “I guess we’re good to start the Future Together and Things-Vere-Should-Know paths.” She smiles, fully committed.
"Future Together is simple, I think," Vere says, leaning forward and reaching out to take her hand once again. "While we may part briefly for particular missions, for King or Family, we shall, so far as possible, travel, work, and play together, from now forward."
Robin croons with happiness and wriggles in delight. Dishes are disturbed again as she leans over the table to kiss Vere emphatically.
Once she settles back into her seat, she keeps ahold of Vere’s hand but lets her eyes wander out over the falls. Her eyes unseeing of the vista in front of her but tracking her thoughts instead.
Eventually, Robin sighs. “The Future is the scary bit, isn’t it beloved?” She looks over at him with a sad gaze.
“I have no cute or story-ordered way to tell you the things you should know. So I’ll just jump in. You already know that my ex is in town and that we’ve been working together. You already know that I’ve allied myself with distinctly dangerous new Family member. But the one I haven’t mentioned yet...”
Robin removes her hand from Vere’s grasp to rub her eyes wearily and looks back outward.
“I totally blew it when I was being all dramatic with the King – even more than I mentioned. When... when we talking, I – oh, my timing was just awful and I’m soooo sorry. I, uh, I asked him for permission to marry you. And, and he said no.” Tears start sliding down Robin’s cheeks as she keeps her gaze out over the Falls, terrified to look at her Love.
“He... he said there was a good reason that his Father had forbidden such things. And that he didn’t see a good reason for overruling that decision. He, he said that we were free to live ‘in sin’ but... no marriage.” Robin gulps as her breath starts becoming ragged.
Vere's face grows cold and hard for a few seconds, and his breath stops. He starts to speak, then stops, closes his eyes, and forces himself to breathe deeply for a minute.
Then he opens his eyes again, and his expression becomes calm. He leans forward and touches Robin on the shoulder.
"My first reaction, my love, was anger at the king for saying that," he tells her softly. "But I have put that aside. Let us look at this calmly. We are in no different a situation than we were before. My oath prevented us from marrying for the near future. The king's refusal to grant his permission changes nothing."
He considers for a moment, then adds, "We are not planning on having children. Anyone whom we care about will know what we are to one another. Considering Oberon's history with marriage, perhaps it is a tradition better ignored. We are bound by our love. What other binding can matter?"
“Oh, Vere...” Robin cries, throwing herself into his lap, table and dishes scattered in a clattering mess.
For a while there is some unsightly sniffling and bawling as Robin is not a pretty (or neat) crier. Eventually, she subsides to hiccups and the occasional nose-swipe on the back of her sneeze.
“You – hic – you know you are amazing, right?” She looks up at Him with loving wonder. “It took me – hic – much longer to get there.
“I’m not mad at the – hic – King. He’s balancing forces I can see but will never understand; Us - the Lords of the Universe – hic. Benedict and me. Caine and Brennan. Huon, Ossian, Paige, Silhouette; all without killing or – hic – caging any of us.” Robin shakes her head in sympathy, as well as holding her breath to get her hiccups under control.
“I don’t know,” she squeaks “what impact the Marriage of the two of us would have on the Universe. Buuuuttt, it sounds like it might be something considerable. Soooo, okay – I’ll wait, do my best, heal, let Random get used to both of us. Then ask him again. ‘Cause I will, over and over. Until I can fix or wear out whatever the objection is.”
“Because My Love,” Robin says firmly, grabbing Vere by collar, “I Do Mean To Have You As My Husband.” Her words are very clear, very distinct and punctuated by very intent kisses.
He chuckles and returns the kisses with equal fervor.
“It’s not the binding that matters to me, Vere. It’s the Identity. I want to be Mrs. Vere. I want you to be Mr. Robin. I want us to be Vere-and-Robin. Maybe Merlin’s right after all....” She finishes in a sad slump.
One of Vere's eyebrows raises and he says, "You have run ahead of me, my love. What is it that Merlin may be right about?"
“Oooh,” Robin cocks her head to one side as she thinks. “I don’t know Merlin very well. He’s hard to listen to because of all the kkkkk-kkssqu-kkkk.” Robin makes a noise that sounds like radio static. “But he skitters whenever I’m around and he squicks whenever we’re around together.
“I thought the skitter might just be ‘cause I’m a loud, thunderous, reckless Lord of Order.” She rolls her eyes ruefully. “But the squick I thought was because he thought I might Eat you. Or do something else nasty with your identity...”
Vere laughs. "No, it is a bit simpler than that, I think," he says. "Merlin finds the ordered way of mating quite ..." he smiles, "Quite 'icky.'" He grows thoughtful. "I had not considered that his unease about sex might be because it makes him think of Lords of Chaos devouring one another, but that may well be it."
Robin giggles, catching some of Vere's mood. “Maybe it’s like... uh, sitophilia or something to him. You know, Playing with food.” Her giggles lead to an indelicate snort.
"Arrhh!" Vere cries, leaping across the table at her and sending the fire lizards into confused flight. "I shall eat you up, my tasty treat!"
The table crashes onto its side and food and dishes go flying as he grabs her and rolls with her across the floor of the balcony, mimicing the noises of a ravening beast.
Robin whoops in glee, applies the blueberry jam warpaint and enters into the contest with a will.
Meanwhile the firelizards sensibly take care of the rest of the breakfast meats.
Last modified: 4 November 2012