Vere is walking down the Long Gallery after his meeting with Castor when he hears footsteps approaching from behind with the cadence of a long stride. Before he can turn fully, he hears Brita call out, "Cousin Vere! I have been Meaning to Speak with You."
Vere stops and turns. He waits until she is close before speaking. "Cousin Brita," he says with a nod of his head. "I would be delighted. I was just wondering whether I might be able to requisition a motorbike to make it to the other end of this gallery." He smiles very slightly.
"Motor Bike?" Brita asks, "Are Those the Noisy Little Mechanical Things that are Starting to Clog the Thoroughfare around the Arc Du Corwin's Triumph?" She eyes the length of the hall and the array of portraits of various vintages staring down at them. "That Might be Frowned Upon Here." She turns back to Vere, "I Wished to Ask if you had Heard of Cousin Robin's Impending Duel?"
"Robin mentioned the fact of an upcoming duel when we met in Xanadu," he answers. "A perceived insult to the honour of Captain Venesch, as I understand it. I do not know the specifics. We had other things to discuss, and she said it was something that she needed to handle." He tilts his head to one side slightly, regarding Brita. "She did mention your name in connection with the duel," he notes. "She said that you understood the reasons for it, perhaps better than she did. I would be pleased if you can tell me more of the details."
"Cousin Robin Prevented Captain Venesch from Performing Ritual Suicide as a Result of his Perceived Dishonor at Losing Uncle Huon. She Took him to Reality Xanadu to try to get the King's Ruling. Since Cousin Robin was the one who Sent our Uncle to Former Reality Amber without Family Escort or Instructions, Captain Venesch and Others questioned her Loyalty. Captain Venesch went so far as to Name her Traitor, although Cousin Robin and I believe that was Lashing out to Try to Trigger the Holmgang - Honor Duel. Cousin Robin took an Action at the Time that Seemed Correct to her - Stay and Fight the Arden Dragon and get Uncle Huon Away from the Field and Green Dagger. Prince Garrett gave Judgement that there would be an Honor Duel - to First Blood. Cousin Robin asked me to be her Shield Bearer - Second. Cousin Jerod is Second to Captain Venesch. I Spoke with Cousin Jerod to see if a Settlement could be Reached. Cousin Robin must Apologize to King and Captain. I am Not Sure we can Meet the Full Terms to Avoid the Honor Duel, but We Will Try. My Brother has Agreed, although Reluctantly, to Assist us with the Apology Words."
"Ah," Vere says. His eyes narrow as he fits this information into what he already knows. He is silent for a moment, then nods, decisively. "Thank you, Cousin, for this explanation. And my thanks to you for agreeing to be Robin's Shield Bearer. I do not know if you have heard that we are betrothed, and are to wed so soon as my vow to restore my father's health is kept. As for the terms to avoid the duel, I can see that this will be difficult. I, myself, do not see that Robin has anything to apologize for at all, although an explanation of her actions would be reasonable. Give my thanks to your brother for his assistance." Vere smiles thinly. "While neither Robin nor I accept the mantle of godhood, if she were a goddess she would be a goddess of the wild and untamed places, and words and explanations do not come easily to her. She is what she is, and does not think o'ermuch on questions of identity, as those of us less sure of our natures are given to do."
Brita is beaming by the end of Vere's impassioned speech. A hearty clap on the back almost knocks Vere off his feet as she says, "You Two are Well Suited; Congratulations!" She continues as she steadies Vere with a quick hand to his shoulder, "I Agree that Cousin Robin did Nothing to Warrant this Attack; She Did what she Believed to be Best given the Situation." She reaches into her jacket and pulls forth a small leather wrapped packet that is quickly revealed as her trumps as she slips one off the top. "I do not Know how long it will Take to Resolve this Honor Duel, but I believe Cousin Robin has Intentions to go Back to Forest Arden on its Conclusion. I Know she is Not Accepting of Trumps and your Journey may be Long. I wish you to Take This. Even though Cousin Robin may not be In Forest Arden, the Rangers will Know how to Reach her." The card she proffers is one that shows a glade amidst some white barked trees with a rough wood structure off center to the left in the glade. "It is Post 9," she notes, "closest to Forest Arden's Heart. Ranger Vista keeps This Post Constantly Manned. It will Likely be the First Place Cousin Robin goes After the Honor Duel is Resolved."
Vere accepts the card and gives a slight bow to Brita. "This means a great deal to me, Cousin," he says. "I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart." He slips a wrapped fortune deck from inside his clothing, unwraps it, and adds the trump to it, then rewraps the deck and returns it to its place of concealment. "When are you planning to return to Xanadu, if I may ask? I am sending my second-in-command from my recently disbanded war band to aid Robin. He is of an important family in Rebma, and can advise her on matters of court protocol and diplomacy, besides being a doughty warrior in his own right. If I may, I would have him return to Xanadu with you."
"I will be Returning within the Next Day or Two, after I ensure Cousin Lucas's Memorial is Well Started. I had to Utilize Local Artisans to Produce the Appropriate Quality for Cousin Lucas," Brita explains. "Your Man may Return with Me. Will Cousin Robin Accept him?"
"She will," Vere answers with certainty. "We have already discussed this matter, and she knows he is coming. She will consider his advice carefully." Vere is careful himself not to say that she will necessarily take it. "He may or may not be accompanied by a companion, as well. His name is Castor, and I will ask him to contact you as soon as he may, to coordinate his return with you. Thank you again." He smiles sadly. "I look forward to seeing the memorial for Lucas when I return to Paris. For now, is there anything I may do, or tell you, that will aid you in the matter of Robin, or in any concerns of your own?"
"Assuming the Artisans do Exactly as Asked, your Best View of the Memorial will be from the northwest or southeast. The Sight should be Remeniscent of Cousin Lucas's Humor," Brita notes wryly. "I can Take Both Back with me with No Problem. I do Not Think there is Anything Else..." Brita pauses briefly then shakes her head, "Well, there is Actually Something. Did Cousin Cambina have Any News of Import to Our Current Issues when you Spoke to Her? Have you Spoken to Cousin Lucas? Did He have Any Input?"
Vere smiles. "Lucas was primarily concerned with giving instructions about how his funeral was to be arranged," he answers. "Some of which his mother followed, and some of which she ignored. He did give valuable information about the events leading up to his death, although it merely confirmed what his mother had already decided had happened." He frowns, "As for Cambina..." He shakes his head. "I was barely able to contact her at all, and she answered nothing satisfactorily. It was unlike any other experience I have ever had, and had Jerod and Brennan not been so adamantly opposed to discussing the matter at all I would have raised certain concerns with them. But they are most wroth with me, and have made it clear that the matter is not to be discussed." He shrugs. "I will investigate when I can, to try to determine the reason for my failure. And I will hope it is a minor matter, and not serious."
"Could her Spirit have been Trapped Elsewhere? You Spoke with her, though. Was she Whole or Different than Others? Perhaps in your Exploration of Shadow, you can Ask about this Anomaly in Realms where Spirits are not Undiscussed, like Shadow Asgard."
Vere nods. "That is one of the possibilities that concerns me," he says. "That her spirit is trapped, most likely in Tir. She was able to speak, but she claimed to be missing her memory, and wanted to be taken back to where she died. She seemed ... incomplete to me. A less unpleasant possibility is that she chose, willingly, to somehow merge herself with Tir upon her death. There are two other possibilities that have occurred to me as well, one benign and one most dire indeed. The benign one relies upon the fact that I have never before attempted to contact a spirit in a shadow other than the one in which the person died. That is something I can test in the future. If experimentation shows that I have similar difficulties with speaking to the dead when I have moved their bodies out of the shadow in which they died, I shall no longer worry about this matter."
He shakes his head, frowning. "The final possibility, and one that I do not have a way to test without taking a longer time that I currently have, is that the majority of her personality was consumed by a Lord of Chaos. That might have a similar effect to what I experienced in attempting to speak with her."
"That Would be Distressing," Brita agrees. "Both for the Indignity Done to Our Cousin and the Knowledge the Other would Gain. Have you Alerted the Kings to That Possibility?"
Vere shakes his head. "I indicated that my difficulty in speaking with her was unusual, but no one wished to pursue the matter. They are all too convinced that it is wrong to speak with the dead to wish to consider the matter in any depth. They do not wish to examine their prejudices, and the matter is too fresh, and the feeling that I trespassed too strong, for me to push the matter in any way just now. I shall eventually have a chance to test the hypothesis that it was merely a matter of being in a different shadow. If that hypothesis is not borne out, then I shall consider how to test other hypotheses. But I shall not risk further anger on the part of the kings by intruding upon them with what they would consider to be no more than a wild speculation, and perhaps would see as an attempt on my part to justify my actions."
"Yes, I see the Difficulty." Brita muses for a bit, then comments, "The Issue, however, is that If One has Consumed Cousin Cambina, the Knowledge they have Gained could be Detrimental to Our Cause as it is." She looks at Vere, "I can Mention the Concern to my Mother."
Vere nods. "I would be grateful if you would," he responds. "Your mother was among the first to know of my ability, and she was with me when I spoke with spirits in the room beneath the temple of the Paresh. Tell her of my thoughts, and stress that I have very little evidence for the more dire concerns. They are merely concerns, but I will be more easy knowing that she is aware of them."
"Of course," Brita agrees. "Mother Knowing of your Skill will make it Easier to Broach the Subject. I will Bring it to Her Attention as Soon as I can." Brita cocks her head to the side, "You Go to Find a Solution for Uncle Gerard. I wish you Safe Journey and Swift Return."
"Thank you," Vere says. "You have eased my mind on several matters." He pulls her into a hug for a moment, before releasing her. While he may not have her strength his embrace is surprisingly solid, a reminder that he is indeed the son of Gerard. "May you find calm seas and fair winds," he wishes her.
Brita's smile is reminiscent of one her brother's - brilliant - as Vere releases her from his hug. "Thank you and may We see Each Other Again Soon." Brita bows slightly as she leaves Vere to navigate the Long Gallery and returns the way she came.
Vere watches her leave, then has a message sent to Castor to tell him to speak with the Lady Brita about travelling with her to Robin. Then he continues on his way to his luncheon meeting with Celina.
After the family meeting, Ossian asks a servant where he can find Solace. He somberly waits for her to receive him.
It is already too late for Solace to receive visitors that evening, but the pages can show Ossian where to visit Solace the next day. Her quarters and those of her children have been moved since her husband's death, Ossian learns.
At a decent hour in the morning, Solace receives Ossian in the parlor of her new suite. It's too late for breakfast, but she does have chocolate in the form of both the drink and little flaky pastries made in the Parisian style. The new room lacks the elan of Lucas' quarters in Castle Amber, but here someone (probably Florimel) has taken aesthetic advantage of the comparative regularity of the rooms of the Louvre to create harmony in the setting. The colors are appallingly bourgeois, but Ossian can hardly expect anything different given that the household is in mourning.
The lugubrious valet that had once served Lucas shows Ossian in and vanishes to fetch drinks and croissants and chocolate.
"Do come in and sit down, Ossian," Solace suggests. The mourning garb someone picked out for her suits neither her style nor her coloring. The dress swamps her; the shade of black makes her skin look sallow. Lucas would not be pleased.
Ossian sits down. Sighs. "Solace, I have an apology to make. Something I couldn't do as long as your husband was alive. Do you know of Trumps, and how they work?"
"Not really," Solace says, "other than they didn't work during the Regency and you were all preoccupied by that. They're cards, I know that. What do you think you need to apologize for, Ossian?"
From her tone, she has some idea, perhaps of things he didn't think suitable to tell Florimel.
"For not being honest. Do you remember that I painted a portrait of you and the kids? Lucas wanted me to try to paint a Trump of you. He... I tried. It did not work normally. I didn't know they could be hurtful in that way." Ossian looks worried.
"When I tried to use it, it caused your fainting spell. "
Solace's brow furrows in confusion. Clearly she expected the confession of an entirely different transgression. "But--how? And why did Lucas ask you to do that?" The part about not telling her goes unverbalized, although Ossian feels it might be on her mind.
"Well. The cards are only supposed to work for Oberon's descendants." Ossian looks a bit pained. "There were rumors. About you. Lucas wanted to find out."
Confusion morphs into hurt on Solace's face. "He never told me. I mean, I know--about the rumors. About my mother and Prince, King, Eric. But Lucas never gave me any hint that he cared about them one way or another." She shifts on the overstuffed chair, clearly too disturbed to stay still.
"From what he told me he didn't care, but wanted to protect you from people who did." Ossian says "He really did care about you."
"Protect me from what? And what did the experiment tell you? Why did it hurt me so?" Solace's agitation is growing as she asks Ossian the questions.
"Lucas thought your parentage could be used against you." Ossian shrugs "He was more experienced than I in such matters. What the experiment told us; well, I do not think I would have been able to make contact at all if you didn't have any Royal blood. But it could very well be many generations back.
"Why it hurt you? I don't know. Maybe you are not enough close to Oberon."
"But if the rumors are true, I'm as close as any of you to King Oberon." She shakes her head, still confused. "So you're saying they're not?"
Ossian smiles just a little when he says "I'm saying I haven't got the slightest clue. You would have to ask one of the sorcerers to get a better answer, I think. Or just maybe Random, or Corwin. I'm so sorry that got you into this."
Solace looks away, blinking, her jaw set, clearly not satisfied with Ossian's answer. It takes her a long moment to compose herself and recall her duties. "I accept your apology," she says, which is, Ossian feels, the best grace she can manage in the situation.
"I am very grateful for that, my lady." Ossian says.
It speaks nothing of sins unconfessed and unapologized for.
Ossian, of course, does not think of these things as sins.
The page stands quietly while Celina reads through Vere's invitation to meet. Celina feels his admiring gaze wander particularly to her hair and neck.
Very Rebman. Celina smiles. Perhaps Paris has even more in common with the Emerald City than Bill Roth believed.
She turns Vere's note over and scribbles a reply on the blank, folds it once and hands it back to the youth. "Lord Vere will expect this. Thank you."
The note reads:
Vere
Thank you for seeking me out. Yes, I can meet you for lunch. I will arrange it. Look for me in the terrace garden south. There is a long pool celebrated by green dolphins. A table will be set in the shade of the flowering arbor.
Celina
The page sketches an elaborate bow, very smooth and very dashing. Celina nods to show he's done it well. She turns and does not watch him go. Instead she moves to find Alice and have things prepared.
Rebman business. That's what he'll be asking about.
So as the garden shadows stand at their smallest Celina waits on Vere at the appointed place. As he arrives, she is playing with several pieces of ice on her plate. She's found that blowing on them increases their melt and also sails them slowly about like ships on a china sea.
She stands. "Hello, Vere. I hope your travels have been rewarding. I'm glad my brother will be working with you on your next travels. He did agree, yes?"
"Indeed he did," Vere answers with a small smile. "I am most grateful to him. I would feel guilty about taking him from you, save that he indicated he expected you to be returning to Rebma, and he feels it is a dangerous place for him."
"Ah," Celina nods, frowning, "yes. I have reason to believe that Lady Dara has involved herself with Rebman events. He's probably right. She may be looking to access that Pattern for her own goals or to harm us. You should both be careful as you can."
Celina motions to a chair and drifts down into her own seat. "I hope I can help you with other tasks." She slips the linen lapguard from the tablecloth and arranges it as the Parisians do.
Vere waits until Celina is seated before he takes his own place at the table. "Some day," he says ruefully, "We shall be able to meet for a quiet talk with no favours to ask. Alas, that day is not yet." He shakes his head. "The favours I would ask are not for me, but for the men I recruited in the Isles. I have released them from my service, those who did not betray their oaths at Moire's command, and have sent them, well-rewarded, homeward. But some of them had families on the other side in the recent political struggle, and I would not see them suffer for that. I know I am asking you to swim into a sea of jellyfish, but might I ask if there is anything you can do to protect them?"
Celina starts into the cold platter to allow his words to settle a bit. She considers the Court and how Things will be both calmly cautious and very very conflicted. "Well, I am a known quantity returning to Court with changed leverages. I'll be approached by the Other Side for a number of reasons, some being my mother, some being my access to Khela. If they don't realize my connection to Paris right away, some might try to capture me and take me out of play. I would extend myself in toothy waters for you, Vere. It would be a danger you and I both could measure and hope to understand." She pauses and pours wine. "With your men, they may not understand. It is possible however, that my protections would cost these fine men. Having me speak for them might rob them of choice in slipping back into their family politics. In short, I might be the last person they want to have honor them."
Vere's shoulders slump very slightly. "Perhaps you are right," he says, with only the faintest trace of diappointment in his voice. "I had hoped the new Queen would bring a new reality to Rebma. She has a reputation for loving justice and fairness in the way your ..." he pauses, "Her predecessor loved power. I was foolish to be so optimistic. My sister Avis calls me a romantic."
Celina's face lights with a very restrained smile. "Well, there are much worse things for a sister to say." She studies the light passing through her wine glass. "These men would not really know about your request. Neither would their families..."
"No, indeed," Vere says, leaning forward slightly. "I am concerned about the men, not about them knowing they are being watched over. It would be best, indeed, if they never had any idea that I had spoken to you. If the queen could just ensure that no one sought to abuse them, in a misguided effort to curry favour, or for petty revenge..." He shakes his head, and visibly recovers himself. "I know the queen herself suffered unjust accusation and punishment, when Calimatia had the Lady of the Neapward Banks murdered, and the Liberationists blamed for it."
"Ah," Celina marks the name as a possible family history to look for. "This would be before I was born." She shakes her head. "I cannot promise a thing from Khela, but I do think a list of names of these men from you could be checked against the archive list of those who volunteered. We could filter that and have a better idea of those who went with Moire also. So I can say for myself that I will try to 'watch over' these fellows. That should suffice, eh?
"Even if Khela likes the idea, she would probably work through me." Celina smiles, "You are quite right. She is very concerned with justice."
Vere returns the smile. "I look forward to eventually meeting her," he says, "And while I am theoretically neutral in the matter of Rebman politics I must say that Moire has personally offended me regarding the Children of Lyr." From an inner pocket of his tunic he produces a tightly rolled bundle of vellum pages, tied with a gray ribbon. "Here is a list of the Children," he says, handing it to her. "The material and the ink are waterproof. It includes the names and the significant female relations of each of my men, whether or not they left with Moire, and for those that remained faithful a brief notation of their actions in my service, and personal remarks by me regarding them. There are two lists, actually, the first a listing of all the men, arranged by their captains, and the second list separating out those who held to their oaths and those who left with Moire. I trust this will be sufficient?"
"Very sufficient and I thank you," Celina nods before taking the list with TaKhi gravity to her hand motions. "In the matters of politics, I have not been schooled or polished. I hope that my emotional reactions to changes in my life will lend me strength and honesty in addition to the travails and embarrassments I have awakened. You have all been patient."
Celina switches gears just a bit. "Tell me Vere, you seem to be a scholar. What is the deadly fate of those who fail the Pattern? Does that failure damage the Pattern in any way?"
"I am not an expert on these matters," Vere cautions her, "So what I say must be understood to be hearsay, not fact. But my understanding is that those who fail to master the Pattern are consumed by it, burnt away to smoke and ash. I have never heard any speculation that such a failure would in any wise damage the Pattern."
Celina sets her wine glass down carefully. She moves her hand slowly away and rests both hands in her lap. "Ah, well, if there is that much incineration, then I suppose the Pattern would be fairly protected from consequence." She tries not to frown, not to breath out of rhythm. "I suppose in the realm of Air... being vaporized makes much sense."
Vere remains silent, but there is a look of sympathy on his face.
Celina backs away from her detour into Pattern lore. "Are you leaving anyone behind that might be consulted if something odd about the Children of Lir arises? Someone I can discuss these lists with?"
"Castor, my second in command, will remain in Paris briefly. You might know him, he was an officer in the Coldstream Guard before I recruited him." Vere frowns. "He is in a delicate position. He was in command of the Children of Lyr when Moire appeared and demanded their service. There may be some in Rebma who see his failure to attempt to arrest her, an attempt that would have ended in death and failure, as treason. There are certainly those who will see his failure to prevent men under his command from leaving with her in that light. I believe he acted correctly, any other action would have resulted in out and out strife between men sworn to each other as brothers. But to prevent any problems in the near future, I have refused to release him from my service. I am sending him with our cousin Brita back to Xanadu, to act as aid to my betrothed until such time as I return from my own mission."
Vere tilts his head to one side slightly as he regards Celina. "Perhaps you could sound out the queen's feelings on this matter, when you discuss the other men? I know he is a more sensitive matter."
"But what Castor did will become public anyhow, I think," Celina responds, "so asking the queen is a good idea. If she doesn't want to deal with him, he will be in another realm doing good work." She likes the idea of Khela surviving her walk and having all sorts of complex decisions to make regards Xanadu. Even if it appears a slim chance, she holds the idea close. "Now for a tougher question. What do you think your men need from me if Moire returns as queen?" Celina is sure Vere will at least appreciate a chance to comment on that chance.
Vere's eyes narrow slightly. "An interesting question," he observes. "While I can foresee numerous possibilities that would result in Moire retaking the throne, in few of them do you desire, or have the ability, to remain in Rebma with a position of influence, such that you could aid them. Unless...." he blinks. "Ah," he says. "Forgive me. I see now. You are concerned about the possibility that Khela will die on the Pattern, a death not of Moire's causing, and thus not one that puts you in a position requiring you distance yourself from your mother. Moreover, you are considering your allegiance to Khela's cause to be a personal loyalty to her, not a commitment to her plans for Rebma, and thus if Khela falls with no blame to attach to Moire you can freely allow her to take the throne, rather than feeling compelled to try to take it yourself, in the furtherance of Khela's ideas and desires."
Celina finds her heart warming as she grins at Vere. "An interesting answer." She adds more food to her plate as she begins to enjoy the conversation a bit more. "Moire still has means to force her way back to Rebma by several options; a Loyalist killing Khela if nothing else. My position with my royal half-sister and Rebman relatives has never been that strong due to how my Mother arranged things. In considering the throne, I'm allowing for disaster."
She nods and goes on, forking a morsel. "While my position might be very weak with Moire back, your men might not need more than a weak Court ally. That was most of my thought. Helping you was the rest of it."
Celina pauses while she chews and thinks. She decides her intense liking of Vere should be made plain. "I haven't really discussed my relationship with Khela and the politics except in personal terms. But there is an idealist agenda that I am sympathetic to if it does not cross the Family Will. Yes, Khela could perish on the Pattern, leaving quite an uproar. The Pattern danger is not trivial. I am not the only Rebman Pattern initiate to desire protection of the city. As for the Triton agenda, I fell in love with the Tritons before I knew of Khela's political ambition. I've been drawn to them from the first. However, I also know now that they are dangerous and not of a unified mind. If the Tritons threatened the Family, I'd have to change my affections. Their freedom includes the freedom to endanger."
She stops to give him a chance to comment before she adds more.
Vere nods. "It is quite possible, given last night's discussions, that the Tritons freed will be different creatures entirely from the Tritons enslaved. I confess to a personal bias towards giving them their freedom, but the potential dangers are great, as you have noted, and I am relieved to know that those potentialities will be investigated before an irreversible action is undertaken."
He smiles slightly. "And that's leaving aside the most unlikely, but still theoretically possible, scenarios, such as that the Mother of Tritons killed Khela, ate her memories and her personality, and took her form."
Celina's eyes widen, she sets fork to plate and she stares at Vere. "Un...likely." She shakes her head. "Pearls! What a scenario. But the Blade would not answer to the Dragon. However, it is something to keep in mind regards possible allies of Lady Dara. There could be a Hollow Person involved. There was that moment when I saw Dara with a Sorceress." She taps a finger in thought.
Celina leans forward. "Don't you find it interesting that Lords of Chaos are very careful, say miserly with their progeny and sharing power, but the Nedra Dragon has many powerful children? Tritons are not affines but true sons of the Lady." Celina realizes that she's straying off topic due to the shock of Vere's suggestion. She shakes her head. "Well, as for the question you didn't ask so adroitly. I think I would take the throne if Khela were lost because I think Moire cannot protect Rebma's Pattern and Llewella has made some bargain not to oppose Moire. Rebma's Pattern holds some secret of Moins' enduring blessing. I shall be looking into that as I can. It is my feeling that in Khela's death I would face direct conflict with Moire. In part that's why I support Khela despite the way I've been used." She doesn't add that if Moire killed Khela directly, that Llewella would be a released force to reckon with.
Vere nods thoughtfully. "I do not mean to intrude," he says, "And far be it from me to give political advice in a situation I do not fully understand, but I would suggest discussing these matters with Brennan and Martin, and letting them know that you and Khela are not heedlessly running headlong into something you do not understand. Consider speaking with Jerod, as well. His loyalties in this situation are divided, but if Khela can win his allegiance he will be a valuable ally. And if he chooses to actively aid his grandmother he will be a powerful aid to her chances to retake Rebma." He shakes his head. "But first and foremost, Khela must walk a Pattern. Until then, even if she holds the throne, she won't be considered an equal by any of the family, let alone by Corwin or Random." He leans forward. "If you have any reason at all to doubt her ability to take the Pattern, you might want to consider taking the throne yourself, with Khela as your advisor."
Celina does not respond to Vere for several minutes. Her expression shades towards sadness until she pushes the plate away and shares her thoughts. "I should get to know Brennan, but I'd rather have Conner with me to translate when I talk to him. I suspect I'm so much younger than Brennan that his commentary would be opaque like my father's. Like most of the meeting we had with the Elders." She sighs. "Jerod wants what is best for Rebma and knows how to speak plainly, so he will find me if he intends to share his support. I thank you for thinking of that though...it leads to other things I was not thinking of."
Celina smoothes a finger along the tabletop edge. "You've put the finger on a problem. Khela will not consider herself equal to the task until she walks a Pattern. Having come this far, how do you suppose Khela would step aside and let a younger, less worldly lass sit the throne just won? I do not think it is in Khela's nature to shy from completing her victory. I have reason to doubt her Patternwalk, and would sit the throne to save her life. How would you talk an older brother out of such a course?"
Vere is silent for a moment, then says gently, "It is my belief that the creator of a Pattern has an instinctive knowledge of whether someone cannot possibly survive an attempt to walk it. It does not mean they can guarantee that someone can survive it, that depends on the willpower and determination of the individual. But if there is no chance that Khela can survive the Pattern, I believe your father will know that. Ask him. If she cannot possibly survive, then you must find a way to stop her from making the attempt, or else know that she goes to her death. If there is the possibility that she can master the Pattern, however slight, then I do not believe you have the right to forbid her the attempt."
'However slight.' The words are dark ice slid silent into her heart. Celina smiles into the pain. She nods. "Well, I've had that conversation with the queen. I may still get Khela to put the question to Corwin or Random. Paris already holds Rebma close. Thank you, Vere. It confirms other things I've heard."
But she wants him to answer the rest. "So if Khela won't ask or won't listen if I ask, what sort of persuasion would turn her from the course? Hypothetically." She smiles again, with some effort.
Vere leans back and lets his gaze drift from Celina to a spot above her left shoulder and somewhere behind her. "Concern for her own life will not deter her, from what you have said of her. Appeals to duty might. Delay her, suggest she resolve the situation with the Tritons first, in a way that can not be undone by her death on the Pattern. Point out that many would take her dying upon the Pattern as evidence that her philosophy was wrong, and there will be a hardening against freeing the Tritons if that happens, setting the Liberationist movement back, potentially forever. Suggest that until Moire is captured there is no way of knowing that she has not conspired with Chaos Lords or someone else in such a way as to set some sort of trap upon the Pattern, which will slay Khela even if she might otherwise have walked it. Tell her mother your concerns, and seek her aid in changing Khela's course."
He blinks, then focuses on Celina once more. "Those occur to me immediately. There might be other arguments as well, but you know her better than I."
Celina studies him. "Possibles." She laces her fingers on the table. "Moire is good leverage because she seems capable of almost anything and has obviously exploited information the rest of us do not have." Celina likes the way Vere thinks and finds added attraction there moreso than their initial conversations so long ago in Castle Amber. She tilts her head a bit trying to think past the fatal test of Khela's walk.
"Frankly, I wonder how you imagine me taking the throne. You know how young I am. What incentive does Rebma have to support me? We are not permitted to discuss the Pattern. Am I right on this? So I cannot tell them it is for their best eternal regard. I would have to appeal to them on some pragmatic level. Is it that you think once I convince Khela all else follows?"
Vere raised an eyebrow, "'Permitted' is a word Queens use, not a word that is used to them," he observes. "I would be very surprised if none of Moire's advisers know of the Pattern's existence, although they may very well not understand what it is. In any case, you are right, appeal to courtiers pragmatically, not metaphysically.
"As for your youth, Queenship is not reserved for the most experienced or capable, but for those who can take it and hold it. To think otherwise veers dangerously close to republicanism. If Khela did not exist, and if Moire had acknowledge you, and she and Rilsa had both been killed in Huon's attack, would you hesitate to take the throne?"
Celina smiles.
He smiles. "Besides, youth and inexperience may be played to your advantage. It allows you to surreptitiously approach important courtiers, and ask for their support. Allow them each to think that they will be the power behind the throne. You can disabuse them of that notion when you are safely upon it."
He considers, then adds, "Additionally, any who have shown support of Khela must be concerned for their future, if Moire returns. If Khela does fall, or if she is unable to hold the throne for some other reason, then they will fear that Moire will punish them if she once again rules. If you do not stake a claim they may cast around for some other possible claimant, opening the path for treason and civil war."
Celina considers all this as Vere shares it. She wonders why Moire provided her with a merchant's upbringing when the future would hold defending a realm based on will. There is something there that seems important. She nods as he finishes. "Civil war is where everything is poised now. I fully expect some families will insist that is where we go if the Tritons are freed. But Khela has freed some already and I think perhaps Moins did too. She just never told anyone."
She smiles. "Thank you, Vere. This has been very helpful. There aren't any answers I like, but the trick will be finding the one I can do that I like best."
Vere nods and returns her smile. "Understand, Cousin," he says, "That I am not advising you to take the throne. In very sooth, for your personal happiness I would advise against it. But I wished to make it clear that, in my opinion, if you do decide that the best thing for Rebma would be for you to be queen, it is merely the ambition of others that prevents you, not any unworthiness on your own part."
The Seaward Lass nods. Too many ideas swim here to go back to food, but she refreshes the drinking goblets. "Then I take that as a vote of confidence. I will not stand by while the City gets pulled down by lack of queen. So let's hope it doesn't come to that. I hope Martin knows this. I will tell him my intentions and I thank you for your good counsel."
Vere nods, and takes a long drink before answering. "I hope my thoughts proved of some value to you, and I thank you for your consideration in the matter of my men." He sets the goblet back down. "I still need to bid my sister Avis farewell. Your brother and I will depart first thing on the morn. I do not know if you have had an opportunity to bid your own farewells."
I am not happy about losing him to Chaos travel. But perhaps Dara will misstep with Rebma while he is gone. He could return to a better situation and less danger while he is gone.
Celina nods to Vere. "I shall see him today. I'm sure he's busy with preparations. You can be sure I look forward to his return." She thinks suddenly that was too formal and constrained. She smiles and shrugs. "Merlin is so unique that he makes me feel more real. Father and Moire make me feel less real. A foolishness I have no answer to." She shrugs.
"Our parents are creatures of legend," Vere says. "Ancient and powerful beyond our easy understanding, and yet with all too human failings. It is easy to be overwhelmed by them." He leans forward, his eyes catching hers, "But we, too, are beings of power, Celina. We are walkers of infinity, shapers and shatterers of worlds. You have walked the Pattern of Rebma, but have you had a chance to use its power yet? Have you walked in endless Shadow, and bent it to your will? Make the time, even if only a day snatched here and another stolen there, to stride out from Paris and Rebma, and learn what it is to be a Pattern Initiate. Learn what you are, and you will find that you can look at your parents, if not quite as equals, as beings of the same kind as you, and you will be able to hold to yourself in their presence."
He relaxes then, and settles back once more, smiling kindly. "And perhaps you will find yourself more at ease when talking to your father, and less provoked when dealing with your mother." He shrugs, a mirror of her motion of a moment ago. "So says the lad who has only just learned to assert himself against his mother's well-meant plans for him."
"I cannot explain the delight that I have in our conversations," Celina confides, "as we have spent so little time together. But thank you again for seeking me out." Celina reaches and squeezes his hand.
Vere returns the squeeze, and smiles at her again, holding her hand a moment before releasing it and standing. "On a purely personal note," he says, with the trace of a laugh in his voice, "May I say that I hope that Khela succeeds, so that once I have completed my quest to restore my father's health Robin and I can include a friendly and thriving Rebma on our wedding tour."
He bows low. "Your highness," he says. "By your leave, I shall depart."
Last modified: 15 August 2010