Brita's eyes are sparkling with suppressed excitement. She catches Robin's eye and smiles, "That was Perfect, Cousin. I am Glad we could End This without Unpleasantness. Where are You Off to Next?"
"Oo, Brita. Thank you!" She hugs her Cousin.
"And thank you for your help too! Stup..." Robin cuts herself off. Better not to get started on that in public
"I'm off to fling bloody gobbets of meat into the air. Wanna come?" She invites with a grin. Peep, Chirrup and Ooot perk up noticieably.
Brita returns the hug, "You are Most Welcome, Cousin, although I did Little in This. I would Love to Help Fling Meat. I will Join you Shortly."
"You did alot, Brita." Robin says nodding, she knows how hard she is to keep calm while inside. "Don't underestimate yourself.
"Tell you what. There's this little green, off from the kitchen's herb gardens?" Robin proceeds to describe the sward where she and Garrett engaged in mouse-tossing. "We'll meet you there?" By now, Peep, Chirrup and Ooot are sitting up expectantly, their eyes starting to spin with excitement.
Brita nods in acknowledgement of the location and acceptance of the meeting.
Robin tosses a wave to her Cousin, nods to Jerod, and bounces off in Brij's direction.
Brita gives a slight wave back, a bemused expression on her face.
From across the room, Martin catches Jerod's eye. They're not in Rebma, so there's no hand motion of the sort that would touch Jerod with a current to call him, but Jerod can imagine there would be one if they were.
Jerod responds to Robin's nod courteously and another to Brita. "Enjoy yourself." he says simply, meaning it, before he makes his way through those still remaining towards his friend.
"Your highness." he offers, once within a range for quiet conversation. His tone is precisely polite enough to show he means the term, and just off enough to show that he recognizes that between friends, there are other titles of more importance.
"I am so glad that bit of silliness is over with, at least in its current incarnation."
"You and me both, coz. I think Dad was thinking about an exhibition, in which case I was considering sending for my blade and limbering up to make a point or two of my own." Martin's eyes roll skyward. "Venesch needs to get out of Xanadu and Amber both. Do you have something lined up for him, or can I recruit him?"
"I had vague ideas about bringing him along for a military mission of some type, a final hurrah if you would, but I'm not sure about that." Jerod says. "I've already offered to take him home but he's indicated that's not a viable option. And with the current situation, he's burned in a number of ways here and Amber. He's looking old, and he's sounding old, and I'm wondering if he's looking to finish what Robin interrupted. If that's the case, he'll disappear someplace quiet. No chance of interruption.
"What have you got in mind?"
"Several possibilities. As you know, I can always find work--some of it honorable enough to suit Venesch--for a reliable man. Or woman."
Martin glances past Jerod for a moment; if he follows the line of sight, Jerod can see Folly heading into what he can guess is a private receiving room with Random. Vialle is talking to several ladies of the court, Corvis among them, and doesn't seem to have noticed the King's departure. He lowers his voice and continues "--and that would be another option. It's getting to the point where it may become politically convenient for me and Folly to be unavailable for business, if you know what I mean. We're considering a vacation out of Xanadu that may last a while. While nobody is getting through me to get to Folly, it wouldn't go amiss for me to have backup. Venesch is one of the people I have in mind for backup.
"Or I could plant him somewhere cushy in my network and let him plant a garden and take courier packages if he's not up for that. Huon notwithstanding, he's earned retirement if he wants it."
Jerod's own voice is quiet and his lips barely move when he speaks as he watches the play of Court, watching the swirls in the crowd like currents of a pool. "Barring family or going to Shadow to find a perfect backup, I doubt you'd find someone better. He made a comment just prior to the apology beginning about having faced other royals for duels and I really wish Robin had been close enough to hear it." he says, with just a touch of a wolfish smile.
"I think either option would be acceptable. It's all about the duty for him, not the fighting. If he thinks it's worthy, he'll take it. You want me to send him over to you?"
"Yeah, do that." Martin nods, once, to emphasize the words. "Who did he fight? Do you know? Because that's got to be one hell of a story. And he's court-smart enough that it has to have been relevant somehow or he wouldn't have mentioned it."
"He never mentioned it." Jerod replies, motioning for a page and whispering a message for Venesch to arrange an appointment with immediately with the crown prince. "If I were to hazard a guess it would have been recent, maybe during Dad's reign. That I didn't hear about it means it wasn't widely passed around. That would make me tend to think it was personal, not political.
"One particular individual comes to mind that might fit that description."
The page takes the message, bows, and departs.
"I know he was Ben's man before he was your father's," Martin says, "but I don't know enough about the history to figure out who it might have been. He was promoted to Captain after Corwin and Bleys came up the mountain, right?" His tone turns speculative. "I don't even know if he could cry challenge then, personal or on behalf of the king. I guess it would depend on whether your dad let him. And I can think of some people your dad might have wanted to embarrass, if they were at court."
"Venesch served in a number of capacities. I know that he declined an award from Oberon, which in itself is near staggering. I don't think I'd ever heard of anyone declining something that Oberon offered them, unless it was sharp and pointy. I believe you are correct though. By the time Bleys and Corwin were running up the side of the moment, Venesch had long since finished my training. He would have been suitable as a Captain given the losses that were taken amongst the locals. And Dad was never one to waste someone with potential." Jerod says.
"As for court embarrassments, I've got one or two people in mind who might fit the bill with regards to Venesch's mystery duel opponent. I'm just curious as to whether my theories are correct or not. I'll be doing a tiny bit of digging, hopefully before I head off to Amber, just so I can consider them closed."
"If he tells me, I'll let you know. I may just ask; it's not like the man who has balls and smarts enough to turn down Grandfather has anything to hide in terms of an honor duel with one of our uncles, even if he did lose." Martin's tone suggests he's not sure Venesch did.
"So Amber's your next stop?" Martin asks. It's probably not an entire change of subjects from matters to do with the duel.
"The first on a trip." Jerod says, adjusting his stance so his face, and voice, are only available for Martin. "Gateway needs investigation. I had some contact with the Chancellor during a trade trip for Corwin, so he's looking to see if I can expand on that. The Chancellor would either be involved, or she's opposed by factions, based on what Marius said. Need to find out for sure which. I also had a dealing or two with her niece Thalia, who's also involved in this whole thing. I'm going to see about going in under the radar, spin some details on what's up there. Then higher management can decide what response to give."
"Couple of other things to deal with in Amber too. Old retainers need homes sorts of stuff. I also want to deal with the Weir. Unless Cambina did something with them, I'm guessing they're still lurking on the fringes waiting for guidance. I'm thinking I might give them some...and take a few with me to Gateway. They can be handy in a place like that."
A single nod marks Martin's agreement with that. "Gateway's a mess. I don't envy you that job at all, and I think a bunch of Weir might be just the trick to keep up your sleeve while doing a recon job that's likely to go bad. I wish I'd thought to have asked Cambina about them a couple of times, now that I think about it." He puffs out his cheeks and exhales, making a noise that may not be a sigh.
"This isn't for public consumption, but Folly and I are about to bail too, I think. There are a couple of things I need to deal with but it's getting to the point where my being unreachable would be convenient for me, and probably not that bad for other people. So I'll be out of touch unless we can figure out how to arrange a Trump sketch, or you're willing to go through someone who can reach me. That's probably either Dad or Paige, since I think Merlin's out of reach with Vere. So if I can line up any help with the Gateway stuff, or anything else, I need to do it before I go."
Jerod thinks for a moment. "I had been waiting for Merlin to show up to ask him to do up another trump to give to you but he's off for awhile. There should be enough family who can sketch who know me. If you need my help, you've got permission to do one up, assuming they've got enough of an imprint and you trust them." and he pauses for a moment. Martin could always pick Ossian he realizes, but he shakes his head. Martin knows well enough to remind Ossian what would happen were he do to something as foolish as doing up an extra sketch of Jerod. There are worse things than dying.
He takes a moment to look around at the Court. "My intention is to go in quietly on the fringes, following the trade route that was set up to Paris. There should have been an increase in trade traffic over time, bleed-in from adjacent shadows picking up on the strength of the path, enough that foreigners will be a semi-regular sight. I want to reconnoiter first to lay some insurance policies, and get the feel for the shadow strength, in case things go really bad and I have to do something nasty enough that requires me apologizing to your dad. I'm not looking to do that, but I'm not going to get bled either. A hundred foot wall of water can come in handy sometimes.
"I also need to get an idea of how the outlying mages are handling things, whether they're part of this whole deal or if they're just going about their daily business and it's only Gateway proper. Finally, I need to see about the strength of the path I laid. As a last resort, if there are problems and we want to isolate them for awhile, if it's weak enough, I can see about trying to snap it. Create enough local chaos to keep them busy and out of touch with others. I'd rather not mind you.
"That means a decent ship, good crew...people who are used to being inconspicuous and trampy, but who know what to look for. I can't afford to have people that need a lot of babysitting and they'll need to be able to think on their feet if I give them a signal. And if I've got Weir with me, they can't be skittish either. Know anyone who might fit the bill?"
Martin listens as Jerod explains his plan, nodding in several places as it seems appropriate. "And you've got Raven for this? He seems solid enough and that's a start. I'd look for a merchant marine crew and staff it with whoever he and Gerard thought would be reliable. Most of my agents are entrenched enough that I shouldn't move them, but I can give you the passphrases and contact information for someone I had in Gateway. Caine may also have some people. They could be gone, though, given the problems they've had plus the war."
"Be sure that anyone you might decide to let me know about is expendable." Jerod says, not without some sympathy. "Anyone too valuable to expend should be left alone for the future. I'm figuring if we wanted Gateway already flattened, we'd have sent Benedict or Bleys already. Since I'm going, the decision to pound them into rubble is still in abeyance. Having agents on the inside as they rebuild will be a good thing."
Martin nods, once, and ponders the question of who to send for a bit. "Let me think overnight about who I could shake loose for you. Gateway's high priority; the problem is that most of my people are more useful for gathering information. I scooped up parts of Lucas' network, and they're still free, but most of them wouldn't be any good. Have you met his tobacconist?" His eyes roll skyward a little at the very idea of the man with the Weir.
"I never had the pleasure. Is he someone we might want to take with us to Gateway...someone expendable?" Jerod asks wolfishly.
"I think he's expendable," Martin says with the sort of perfect indifference to human life of which all others are but shadow. "Lucas used his shop as an agency, to receive information. He transferred to Paris when Lucas did, after Bend and Montage left a body in front of his shop when they got crosswise with me a while back. Lucas didn't have the stomach for that kind of war." It's not hard to imagine that Martin thinks less of Lucas for it.
"He might be useful for getting into places you can't go if you use his trade connections and stock, even if you want to leave him be for the moment."
"It's a thought." Jerod replies. "Given the priority, do you think it worth the time to divert to Paris?"
Martin shakes his head. "I'll send for him and have him meet you in Amber, if you like. Lucas' people have the fear of me put pretty thoroughly into them by now. Folly doesn't like it," and he glances with something that might be guilt in the direction of the door by which she left the audience chamber with Random, "but it's useful to have someone that people are properly wary of." His eyes move toward his brother and Raven. "I've got at least one more job I may have to do something about along those lines before I go."
Jerod nods a grateful nod at Martin's offering as he turns the motion into a modest sweep of the room, follwing the line of the glance with not even the slightest break in his focus, taking it in while not even appearing to notice, a movement worthy of one raised in the Court of Rebma. "Oh?" he asks. "It sounds not at all pleasant.
Martin drops his voice again. "Folly and I had an eye on on our newest cousin's younger brother. We're wondering whether a certain other late cousin of ours didn't have a taste for rougher trade than we knew."
Jerod's expression does not change when he hears this, nor in some respects does it surprise him. He has always been a firm believer in the rule "let others see what they wish to see", and he is not foolish enough to believe that others would not use such a rule if it suited them.
"Just how rough was our foppish cousin up to?" Jerod asks, matching Martin's volume level precisely.
"Tough and low-rent but nothing he couldn't handle. Certainly nothing either of us couldn't." Martin wrinkles his nose in distaste. "Her name's Scarlett and the boy's name is Max. Maximilien, he told me. I need to doublecheck but I'm pretty sure Silken will confirm he was paying her off, just like she was Darling and her little girl.
"You know what I really want to know out of all this, and with him being dead, I probably never will? I want to know why he was fathering those kids and keeping track of them when Ben and Dad are kicking everyone's ass not to have any more."
"How nasty are you prepared to think of our dear departed cousin?" Jerod asks. "If he was really ruthless...well, we know how valuable we are for...component work."
Martin comes as close to blanching as Jerod imagines he ever does in court.
[Jerod]
"He might have also had a need for an offspring of the blood who could
actually survive the walk. Not everyone's blood is thick enough."
He looks over at Raven, then back to Martin. "You want me to do some digging through, see this Max? See maybe where it leads with this Scarlett? If she's used to hanging with Lucas, I'd assume she won't frighten easily. You could always use some deniability. And if this Max does have the blood, I don't think either of us would want him stuck at that level. Perhaps even the good Lord Raven might be open to the idea...properly offered of course."
"Yes," Martin manages, his voice a little thick. "I don't like to think that of anyone but he was our late uncle's student, wasn't he? And that's why we can't leave kids on the loose like Dad did with my brother. I put it in your hands, Jerod."
"As his highness wishes." Jerod replies with a nod. Just enough formality for Martin to know Jerod means it. "I'll let you know what I find, old friend."
"You do that." He reaches for Jerod in what would look like a clasp to an outsider, but would probably be strong enough to break small bones if Jerod weren't another Amberite. "I need to find Folly and tell her I've got an errand to run before we head on our way, and about Venesch."
"Take care of Folly." Jerod says, returning the clasp. "She's a chocolate confederate. You know how hard it is to find someone who appreciates the good stuff. And you take care of yourself too."
As court is breaking up, Folly -- who slipped in a few minutes late and immediately got sucked into a discussion of city planning issues with the Lord Mayor and some of her docksider friends -- catches the king's eye from across the room and flashes a couple of old hand-signals: Got a minute? Need to talk. Private.
Random nods, unslouches from the throne, and heads out through a curtain. There's a small chamber back there, and access to family quarters as well. It's clear she is invited.
Folly glances in Martin's direction -- ah, good, he's talking with Jerod; that should give her a few minutes, at least -- and slips off after Random.
"Sorry you didn't get your duel," she says as she catches up to him.
Random continues unbuttoning his doublet and runs his hand through his hair. "While there is normally nothing more entertaining to me than to watch two people who've both screwed up go at each other with live steel, I'm not really sorry this duel didn't happen. If I was wrong and Venesch really wanted to kill himself, it might've messed Robin up if I let it happen. Plus, I didn't want him to have satisfaction."
Folly nods; facilitating Suicide By Amberite would have been a terrible outcome.
"The next time someone insists on dueling in court, I am picking the weapons. I'm thinking 'crumhorns'."
"Or perhaps cream-horns," Folly offers. "Actually, I'm not sure which would be messier; a poorly-deployed crumhorn might have all of court bleeding from the eardrums...."
It's clear this isn't really what she came to talk about, but she's glad to give Random a few moments of post-court unwinding before turning to more serious topics.
"Sounds perfect, except some of 'em would bleed on the floor. At least it would've been interesting to see how she did compared to--"
Random stops abruptly and gets the faraway look of a man taking a trump call. He frowns. "Bad news, Celina? What is it?"
So much for unwinding. Folly glances briefly back toward the curtain, alert for anyone who might be about to interrupt inadvertently -- or not -- but barring any such intrusion, she remains close at hand.
Random's face hardens and his eyes look momentarily old, as if he's remembering something. It may just be a coincidence, but the room seems to get colder. "Oh, crap. I'm sorry you had to get elevated by the bitch in the basement. Xanadu will send official condolences and support you, of course. If you need advisors or soldiers, you just have to ask. Is there anything you need now? Tea and sympathy, if nothing else."
Folly knows what Khela intended to do, so it takes her but an instant to work out what has happened. She closes her eyes -- and then clutches at her side as her child, perhaps figuring it out too, somehow, or maybe just responding to Folly's sudden surge of emotion, thrashes against the bottom of Folly's ribcage.
She opens her eyes again as the pain passes -- the physical pain, anyway; her heart aches for Celina, and for Random, who has already lost far too many loved ones this way. She does not quite reach for him, but she turns her open palm toward him -- an offer, rather than a request. She's there if he needs her -- whatever he needs.
Random nods into the distance, and then nods again.
"My practical experience is a few months as King. If you want my impractical experience, I've got that in spades. As to agreements, in a nutshell, Khela and I agreed that Xanadu and Rebma and Amber would have good relations, that Khela did not actually need to go to war with Gateway, and that I was sending an emissary to work out the details of formal recognition of her government. I think Khela planned to use that to smooth over the fact that I wasn't going to give her Huon's head, so keep that in mind when you take over those negotiations."
He reaches out and touches the tips of his fingers to her palm, petting her. She doesn't seem to be part of the trump conversation, but she could take his hand and join it, if she wished.
He's probably comforting himself by comforting her.
Folly brushes her thumb soothingly along the back of Random's fingers, but she is careful not to join the contact: though she would gladly offer her condolences to Celina, she intuits this is a call between heads of state, and not the time for her less formal, more familiar words of comfort. She focuses instead on offering quieter comforts to her king and friend.
His fingers move in the little syncopated pattern from Elegy for the Living, which was after he left. Soren must have taught it to him.
Random nods. "I'm sending Sir Fletcher. I'll try to brief him on the state of things before he leaves, but I may miss him. As to Gateway, I find myself inclined to be severe, but it was one of their own who saved Marius and Raven."
Folly leans a little toward him, probably without quite intending to, and says in a low, even voice that complements the rhythm of his fingers, "Did they ever find the Rebman Jewel?"
Random nods. The pattern changes, briefly. He heard her.
It's not that she's looking for the answer to that question, exactly; rather, she's letting Random know that Celina is aware of the existence of the Jewel, but perhaps knows little more than that. He can do with that as he wishes.
"We'll see after we've investigated. That's Jerod's job. So, speaking of Huon, that's another emissary that's going to land in your lap. My deal with him is that he's going to surrender to you as long as he doesn't get executed and you and his agent can agree on terms. His agent is your cousin Silhouette, who we talked about at the meeting. My advice there is that at the least you should get an accounting of what he did and who helped him in Gateway."
Folly's nostrils flare at the talk of Huon and his deeds -- or maybe at the mention of Silhouette.
"Oh, and did you recover the Rebman Jewel? It's important."
Folly nods a little, in time with the beat, but remains quiet, listening.
Random closes his eyes. "Hmm. I'm only coming up with bad ideas. However they're the best I've got. This is exactly the kind of problem that going to Tir-na Nog'th is helpful with." He opens them. "Given the hostility and danger of the place, it's explicitly closed to you, but I'd be willing to consider a plan for someone else to go there."
He pouts. "Crap. I knew that was going to be a bad idea the minute I had it. Well, it's better than my second best bad idea."
She can't really meet his gaze while he's focused on a trump contact, so Folly does her best to suppress a wry smile. Knowing him, she's willing to bet his bad-idea-number-two is about sex, somehow.
She continues to listen while she ponders reasonable ways to get someone to Tir-na Nog'th.
Random's lips purse slightly. "I'm sure Martin knows where Meg is and he'll know the rest of the situation shortly. But you've reminded me, now would be a very good time to speed up plans to send Huon's army home, or at least elsewhere. Especially if they surrendered to Khela. They might not be adequately surrendered to Celina." He pauses for a second. "At least she isn't there with her mother."
"...that we know of," Folly mutters under her breath. Her thumb soothes the back of Random's knuckles.
Random nods, then says "I don't, actually. I lost my Trumps in shadow, and I gave Ossian the last full deck. Unless you can make a trek out to Flying Rock, I'm afraid we'll have to communicate the old fashioned way." He looks slightly put out by this, but only slightly.
He's good at looking slightly put out.
Folly represses the urge to reach up and pet his shoulder in a mix of sympathy and fondness -- represses it, barely, even though she's pretty sure Random has enough control over what leaks visibly through the trump contact that she could do so unseen.
She's beginning to feel a bit guilty over what she came to talk to him about.
Random slumps back in his chair, his eyes refocusing on the room, his hand, and finally Folly. "Well, the news of the day sucks, m'lady." He reaches beneath the chair and pulls out a beer, which he offers to Folly.
Folly takes it and waits while he gets a second one for himself.
"If you ever wondered why I wanted Garrett to wait before he walked the damned thing, well you can probably guess by now." Random cracks the beer and sips off the foam before it can escape.
"Yeah," Folly replies grimly. "Although age doesn't seem to have helped Khela's chances any." She cracks open her own beer, takes a sip -- and then does reach out to lay a comforting hand on Random's shoulder. "My condolences, love." She's probably not talking just about Khela.
Random's eyes close and his jaw tightens. "Hazards of temporary immortality. I may proclaim a law making getting killed a capital offense. None of my family is allowed to die on pain of death."
The King hangs his head backwards and opens his eyes, looking at Folly upside down.
"Sensible, fair, and just," Folly replies. She gives him a rueful little smile and brushes her fingers gently through the front of his short hair, spiking it up a little as she pets him. She knows she should get on with what she came to talk about -- Martin will come looking for them soon -- but she can't quite bring herself to, not quite yet. Instead she asks, "What do you need?" Her voice has gone a bit husky.
Random's forehead is just slightly sweaty, and there's a crease where he had the royal circlet on it. "Right now? Breathing room. Something to go well enough that people think we have things under control. A solid first single to get people excited about the upcoming album."
He pauses. "And a pony. Made of ice cream."
Folly, who had been nodding along, can't help but chuckle at that last. She lays a friendly, almost maternal kiss on his brow and says, "We'll see what we can do -- on all counts. Even if some of it we may have to do from a temporary distance...."
She lets out a sigh and half leans, half sits on the arm of Random's chair. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know the plan was for me to stay here 'til the baby is born, but with all the upheaval in Rebma.... We thought it might be advisable for Martin and his unborn child to be not so easily findable for a little while. And much as I hate to leave at a time like this---" (Random can almost certainly detect the unspoken 'you' after 'leave') "---that holiday off the grid is sounding more and more sensible."
Random blinks. "That wouldn't be the worst idea ever, as far as Rebma politics goes. It would sorta suck for me, since I depend on both of you so much. And it's not like you can zip off to someplace speedy, squirt out your bundle of joy, and come back, because the Rebman matter will still be fresh. Martin's first daughter is also a complication, and Martin might need to help out with that one if needed."
He sits up straighter. Not court-straight, but not sprawled out. "I was hoping your godawful public wedding would be a good candidate for 'something that went right', but if you think you need to go, I'll reluctantly give my blessing, if you tell me how soon you'll come back."
"Mmm, I'd wondered whether the godawful public wedding was still part of the near-term plan -- I mean, I see your point about the 'something that went right', but with so many of our family still mourning recent losses, shoving a wedding in their faces just seems a bit tonally off, you know?"
Random doesn't seem worried about that, but doesn't argue.
Folly chews her bottom lip; she's got that look she usually gets when she's working out the lyrics to the next verse. "On the other hand... perhaps a naming ceremony would be just what we're looking for. You know, new life and hope for the future and all that. And although it would put our daughter into the public eye, having the ceremony here in Xanadu would also send a very public message about where our primary loyalties lie.
"As to timing...." Folly lays a hand on her belly. "I think the little muffin still has two or three months of baking left to do, plus whatever extra time we need to get used to being parents or wait for the Rebman situation to calm down a little. Martin has a place or two in mind for us to hole up, but I don't know what the relative timeflows are. Best guess, we'd be looking at a minimum of a couple of months. But we'll be just a trump call away if you need us."
Random nods. "I certainly understand the appeal of a boring vacation, and one day hope to take one. All I can tell you on where to go is don't just go get lost in shadow. If you're not going somewhere you tend to end up in somebody else's destination.
"I'm not thrilled you're leaving, considering how badly it worked out when I took off on you, but you need to do what you need to do. I'll try not to destroy the universe while you're gone.
"Then let me state for the record that I promise to come back as soon as I reasonably can. Even if I end up married to someone else." She gives him a wryly affectionate smile and kisses the top of his head.
"Martin," Random says in greeting to the Prince, who has appeared in the doorway. He gestures him in.
"Martin," Folly echoes, and bobbles to her feet, not quite as gracefully as she might have hoped, thanks to recent changes in her center of gravity.
Martin is still in his court gear; he hasn't loosened up at all. To Folly, who knows him very well, he looks like he's not very happy; anyone else would be pressed to see it. But she recognizes something about the shape of his mouth and the wrinkles around the corner of his eyes that says something has happened.
"Folly," he says, and moves to embrace her, perhaps a touch more tightly than usual.
Folly holds him tightly in silent comfort. After a long moment, she loosens her grip just a little but does not release him as she says in a low voice, "I'm afraid we've had some bad news from Rebma."
"Khela," Random adds quickly. "Celina is taking the throne, as Khela wished if this happened."
Whatever Martin was expecting, it wasn't this. His mouth opens slightly, as if he's about to say something, then it hinges shut. He nods once, his lips pressed together slightly. "What about my daughter?"
"Not mentioned, as far as I know," Folly replies, and looks at Random for confirmation. "I'm not even sure she's still in Rebma."
Obviously Folly infers Martin really is talking about 'my daughter' rather than 'our daughter', or he would've said so. She continues:
"But we've got the go-ahead for our original plan to lay low for a while, and let Celina get things in hand in Rebma before anyone else thinks to ask that question. But if you want to talk to Celina first, I could probably manage a sketch in a couple of hours, if we don't have one already."
Martin shakes his head, before Random can interrupt. "No--I said I wouldn't interfere. I mean, I'll need to talk to her but--not now. If I talk to her now, I'll get dragged down there and I'm not doing that." Martin repeats himself in a firmer voice. "I'm not doing that."
Random grunts. "Not only no need to, but that fits with Xanadhavian policy. Officially, we would not dream of involving ourselves with the Rebman Succession. Pragmatically, we don't have the attention to spare for it, even if it wasn't a bad idea. You recall the story of Belagamon, which Conner says is now 'Halosydne', by the way." Random turns to Folly. "Short version: Amber wasn't involved with Rebma's Triton Wars until Cneve went there and got killed, and then they were. But they weren't busy on seventeen other fronts like we are now." Random turns back to Martin. "Shorter version: We need not to have anyone die down there in a way we have to respond to, which fits your plans well."
"Do we know who killed her?" asks Martin.
"Not 'who'," Folly says. "'What'." She looks at Martin in grim sympathy. "She tried to take the Pattern."
Martin starts to say something that might be "why?" but bites it back before he can quite vocalize it. After a moment, he says, "I guess that keeps me out of a bad situation with worse options.
"I think," he adds after a moment, "we need to get a move on sooner rather than later. I have one more errand I need to run before we lie very low. It's in Paris but I don't have to be seen to do it; it can be unofficial. I just need to put the fear of me into someone to get some cooperation for Jerod. I've delegated everything else except a couple of final arrangements Folly and I need to discuss."
Random nods. "About six months. I can spare you that long. I'll try not to have to call you up for any emergencies before then."
Folly lets go of Martin long enough to give Random a hug. "Thanks, love. We'll be back as soon as we can."
Random smiles, lopsidedly. "You do that. Tell Gilt I need him, and that I want to know who's still here."
After the not-duel, Ossian approaches Brita "Nice work there cousin. I suspect you helped Robin with that?"
Brita is watching Robin practically bounce out of the room with her squadron of mini dragons, a slight smile on her lips as Ossian approaches. She turns and the smile broadens. "I was Simply a Sounding Board. She Can Hold Her Own when she puts her Heart to It."
Ossian smiles "Good work anyway." It might be that Ossian is not entirely honest here. "I'd like your advice on another matter. I don't know if the family gossip has reached your ears yet. " Ossian pauses for a moment. "I thought I had a daughter. Turns out she's Reid's."
Brita's jaw does not gape open precisely, but her expression looks completely dumfounded. "Master Reid's? Are you Sure? " She shakes her head in disbelief, finding it difficult to wrap her mind around her teacher having a child and all that implies. Her expression clears a bit as she thinks and remembers certain experiences. Out of sight, out of mind, she thinks as a small smile spreads. "Do you Know Her Mother?"
"I do." Ossian smiles "And you have met her. Do you remember Darling? Your mother figured out that Reid was the father.
"I have claimed guardianship over the girl until I can find Reid."
"Ah! Amberite Darling and her Young Daughter, Yes. The Child was Well Behaved on the Return from Former Reality Amber," Brita notes. Her head cocks to the side slightly as she mentally compares features and smell of the young child with those of Reid. Did she notice anything at the time about the child's Reality? Apparently not. She shakes her head slightly; the sea winds must have pushed the knowledge away. She comes back to Ossian, "Have you Tried to Trump Master Reid? I Know he had Gone Off to Shadow..."
Ossian nods. "I tried really hard. Ended up with a headache.
"So I was wondering if you had any idea of where he could have walked, after all you have known him for a longer time than anyone else."
"Well, He Was Researching Various Deaths and Events with Someone From Former Reality Amber - Miss Mai, I believe. He may have Returned to Visit Miss Papillion. Honestly, I Don't Know where Master Reid would Travel now that all of Shadow Travel is Open to him again."
Ossian nods "That at least gives me somewhere to start. Whose deaths was he investigating?"
"Merchant Harga'rel, I Believe. He was Investigating the Disappearances from Old Reality Amber, as Well - Although I think Those could have been People Transitioning to New Reality Xanadu." Brita pauses as if thinking about something. She adds, "He Did Often Speak of a Shadow from his Youth - a Place Called Clairvaux. When we Finally were Returned from the Lost and the Trumps Working again, he Mentioned Once trying to Find Lost Clairvaux."
"Brita, you are a treasure." Ossian says, smiling. "That's very good. He didn't say more about that place I guess?"
Brita shakes her head, "Nothing Useful - His Tales were all of Honor and Glory of that Land; They seemed Almost like Fairy Tales with Moral or Other Lessons the Goal of the Telling. He said Little of the Look of the Place other than to briefly touch on Vast Forests, Fertile Fields, Grand Castles and Other Background Scenery for his Stories." She thinks some. "He would Sometimes Sketch when He Spoke of Shadow Clairvaux while We were Lost. I Wonder if any of his Old Sketchbooks are Still in his Rooms in Former Reality Amber or if they were Brought to Reality Xanadu."
"That would be of great help indeed. Could he have left any in Paris?
"If I find him." Ossian says "Do you have any greetings?"
"Tell Him to Contact his Family More and to Be Wary," Brita smiles slightly. "As to Reality Paris, he Did have a Place there, but you would Need to Ask Uncle Corwin if it is Still His."
Ossian laughs a little. "Thank you Brita. This will be of great help."
Unless Brita has more Ossian will kiss her hand and retreat for other business.
Brita has nothing else but a quiet "Good Luck" as Ossian leaves.
Robin, all rumple-y and armed Ranger with feathers, beads and small bones braided into her short blond hair, bounces up to the periphery of the group: into Brij's line of sight, but not interrupting her and the... courtiers she's with. Obviously, Robin doesn't recognize any of the three and, having come late to Court, has missed any important type announcements that might have happened earlier.
The girl is smilling and somewhat ebullient. [Presumming she can catch Brij's eye] Robin rubs her stomach suggestively and points up to the three miniature dragons coiling around her shoulders, raises her eyebrows and makes a 'coming?' getsure. Two bronze and one gold set of wings are fluttering as restlessly as Robin is fidgeting. It is definitely time to get the not-so-tame animals out of the Court.
The dark-haired Navy captain in the group eyes the newcomer briefly, and evidently decides that it's time to beat a hasty retreat. Dragons - even tiny and hopefully tame ones - in Court are just a little bit too much for Raven today. "Er..." She clears her throat. "I've got somebody I ought to catch up with before they up and vanish. If you'll excuse me, sir, ladies?"
Brij nods and turns to her remaining cousins with a smile, "Well, I'm off to show that I supported Robin in this ridiculous farce. Would either of you care to take sides by joining me?"
Garrett approaches the group in time to catch the last bit. He smirks and says in his best 'let's poke Folly's mom by sounding like Random' voice, "Love to, Lady Brij, but I have newcomers to meet."
He turns to Raven and more politely introduces himself. "Good day, Captain. I'm Prince Garrett. You're new in town."
Signy gives a brief glance in Robin's direction, before shaking her head. "Unfortunately I think I should try to find Edan, and try to get ready for our little trip," she says, a slight note of disappointment in her voice at the missed opportunity.
She gives Garrett a quick smile and a half bow before turning back to Raven. "Welcome again to the Family," she says as she starts to make her way out of the court.
Garrett returns the smile and nods to Signy as she departs.
Raven shoots Signy a quick smile before turning her attention to the Prince, who she salutes briefly. "Aye, Highness. And I was just hoping to find you, on Prince Gerard's suggestion, if you have a few minutes."
Fletcher sees his opening and takes it. "Well then, I'll just let you two get acquainted. I don't want to take sides over a duel I know nothing about, so I think now is an excellent time to set out on my trip to Paris and Rebma. If there's anything I can do for either of you, feel free to call upon me. I don't have a social secretary in Xanadu yet, but if I'm not around you can just slide a note under my door."
With that, Fletcher bows slightly and makes to leave.
"I do, now that that mess is done," Garrett replies [to Raven], visibly relieved. "Shall we walk?" he suggests, nodding toward the nearest exit.
Garrett sees his father and Folly heading off into a private audience chamber as he and Raven head out of the throne room.
Raven waits until they're out of the room before she speaks again. "The Prince said you and I, we might have common roots, not being born to all this," she kind of gestures around, "and all, Highness. Said you might have some thoughts on finding out you belong up on the hill with the lords and ladies."
"Ha! Do I ever," Garrett chuckles. "Until a few months ago, I was a stablehand in Amber and none the wiser. What's your background, just so I can get a frame of reference?"
"Tavern brat," Raven answers, matter-of-factly. "Down dockside. Got my hide outta there and into the Navy soon as they'd take me. Ain't got much in the way of family - well, didn't have, but there's all this, and I got a brother I didn't have it before."
"Dockside, eh? I had family down there once. Spent a lot of time with my grandparents whenever Mum'd get nervous about me bein' up here," Garrett reminisces. As he speaks about the past, Raven can hear the working class accent creeping back in around the edges of the young prince's speech.
"They weren't really my grandparents, come to find out, but I didn't know that then," he continues. "The man I thought was me Da was Donovan, the Master of Horse at the stables in Amber. He married me mum after she dallied and got with child. Did his best to raise me right despite Mum being a bit of a challenge, to say the least." That last is said with a wry grin. The prince does seem to hold some exasperated affection for his mother.
Realizing he's running on, Garrett asks, "So no indication of who your Da might be? Or the lad's?"
Raven shakes her head and snorts in amusement. "My mother ain't a challenge. Begging your pardon, Highness, but she's a pain in the arse. It was just me and her when I was growing up, and we ain't got along for so long, it makes me nervous when she's nice. I been gone what, six years? And she's still playing silly buggers." There's not much in the way of affection to leaven the exasperation in her voice. "Based on what I got on my Da out of her - and believe you me, this is the first useful words I've got on the subject - the Prince said I ought to be talking to Lord Conner or Sir Marius. Ain't got the first clue on the boy. Kid was born while I was gone, and she's trying to play all mysterious about who his Da was. She'll string that crap on for years if she thinks she can."
"Navy man, huh? Hmm". Garrett thinks about it a moment. "The Prince was probably right, but then again, given my situation and yours, I often wonder how many of us might be out there. Bastards with no clue of who or what they are. Seeing how long-lived these royals are and how much most of 'em like the ladies, it's a fair bet there's more than just you and me. If you were sired by one of 'em, you might never know there was a connection."
"The way things go?" Raven asks drily. "There's probably way more or way less than you'd think. Can't see as how there'd be any good way to find 'em. Ain't like you could go door-to-door asking folks. 'Excuse me, sir, but are you sure your Da is your Da?'" She snorts. "Or better yet, 'Excuse me, ma'am, but did you ever get knocked up by someone from up the hill?' It'd go over like canceled leave."
Garrett laughs. "Yeah, I see your point. But there are ways to tell, if you know what to look for," he explains.
"Even as a lad, I could run much faster than any of me mates, even though I was short and skinny. And I was stronger too. At ten, I decked a lad twice my size for teasing a girl I knew. Broke his nose. I should never have been able to touch him. He'd never lost a fight to anyone. But yet I did. I know now why me parents were so nervous about the incident. They'd tried to hide my abilities and this called attention to it.
"That ain't to say that any kid with special skills could be a royal," Garrett continues, "but if you notice one, it might bear watching. Look for things like unusual strength, speed, endurance, that sort of thing. Also, someone who heals quickly when injured or seems to stay young while everyone around them gets older. That last wouldn't apply to your brother yet, but you might be able to judge on the rest."
"Ain't had much time to talk to the kid yet. Not as much as I'd like, anyway." Raven shrugs slightly. "So I can't say as how I have any way to tell any of that right now. If I make it back to Amber any time soon, I might be able to ask the girls. They knew more of what I was up to than my mother did, most days. She ain't any better at being a parent than she was before, by the looks of things; can't imagine that's changed either. As for me - " she grins. "Well, Highness, I might've been a bit of a troublemaker as a lad. Can't say as how I remember taking on anybody I shouldn't've, but I can't say I would've paid attention if there were anyone I shouldn't've taken on before I tried."
Garrett chuckles and says, "Yeah, I was lucky in that regard, I reckon. Dad gave me enough discipline to keep me in line most of the time. He was grooming me for life on the hill, as much as he could from the stables anyway. I gotta give him credit for his foresight. Mum was certain she could keep the secret forever, but Dad knew it would come out someday.
"So was there something in particular you wanted to ask about or just getting a general sense of what to expect?" Garrett asks.
Raven considers that for a moment. "General, I guess," she finally decides on. With a slight shrug, she shoves her hands in her coat pockets and adds sheepishly, "No offense, Highness, but so far, I ain't convinced they ain't almost all daft."
"I'm still not entirely convinced of that myself," Garrett admits with a smile. "But you get used to 'em after a while.
"First, they're a curious lot," he continues, "And I don't just mean strange. They'll all be lookin' to check you out, either to satisfy that curiousity or to see what you can do for them. Be prepared to tell your story over and over, if you haven't already. Family etiquette gives the elder or the one on home turf the right to ask the questions first, so be prepared for the disapproving look if you talk out of turn. They're funny that way."
"Don't sound much different than when the officers decided to 'drink with the men'," Raven observes. "Only with less drink, and it ain't likely that anyone's going to have to carry the Lieutenant home on account of his going to Lady Tammany's when he was told not to and getting coshed for his trouble."
"Hmm, that's right. You've held a command," Garrett remembers. "This might be less difficult for you than it could be for others. One of things I had the hardest time with is watching out for familiarity. You have to keep a distance between yourself and others lest they think you're showing them some kind of favor. It might lead to them thinkin' they can get something out of you when you really meant nothin' 'cept to chat. As a captain, you may already have some experience with this". He leaves it as a question for Raven to elaborate.
Raven snorts. "I ain't been a captain long, Highness, but I knew all about that rot before I ever joined the Navy. I 'spect what's like as not going to trip me up is who wants to be called what. Already been scolded once by someone who took exception to me calling them 'sir,' like I was going to wake up this morning and forget everything I ever knew and start calling the whole crowd of Royals only by name." She pauses, and then a sardonic smile appears on her lips. "Heh. Like I was related to them or something. But it ain't exactly that easy."
"No. It's not," Garrett agrees with a sympathetic nod. "I'm still learning the titles myself. And what makes it harder is that those who have spent time in Shadow might have other titles that you haven't heard of. I'd say if you get corrected, be polite and don't take it personally. Just file it away and don't make the same mistake again.
"That reminds me though," Garrett continues, "how much do you know about Shadow? And how reality works and all that?"
Raven frowns. "I ain't sure what you mean. I mean, I just spent years wandering around trying to get home; does that count?"
"Sort of, yeah," Garrett replies. His posture shifts slightly as he prepares for the long story. "Speaking as one, like you, who grew up here and never knew anything different, I always thought that Amber was it. I mean, you could leave Amber and travel to wherever, but you'd remain on the same plane, so to speak." He grimaces, not happy with his description, then remembers another conversation from way back and starts over.
"Uncle Gerard once explained Shadows to me. I didn't really get it at the time, but I do now. The way he described them made me think of nautical charts stacked in a pile, but in real life. Take each chart, imagine the real place, and lay those places on top of one other. Most people can only go horizontally, so they stay on the same chart, even if the chart is infinitely large. But those of the Blood, the Royal line of Amber, have the ability to pass between the charts vertically; to move from one world to another. I won't go into how yet, but we can do it.
"I suspect that's what was happening to you and your ship," Garrett speculates. "Because of the disturbances in Shadow caused by the Sundering, I'll bet you were somehow able to pass between Shadows at will, kind of like someone scattered the charts all over the floor. This of course got you hopelessly lost because you ended up on a different chart than you started on. Not sure how you got home, unless you stumbled upon a shadow path created by another Royal." Garrett shrugs at that one.
Raven starts nodding almost before Garrett has finished; clearly, this makes at least some sense to her. "More like someone dropped the charts on the floor and threw the ship's tom on top, if I've got the right of it. We'd see a sort of a hole, and we'd chase after it, and half the time when we went through, it weren't where we thought it was. And if we missed the hole, there weren't no guarantee that we'd see it again, or that it went to the same spot, or... well, anything. We was chasing down the rumor of one when we found Gateway, and we was brought home from there."
"Yep, that sounds like Shadow-shifting," Garrett confirms with a nod. "And I reckon you were some distance from here based on your description. As I understand it, the farther you go away from Amber, or Xanadu now, the wilder the Shadows become and the easier it is to move between them. Once you get to the Chaos end, there's practically no order at all, from what I've heard. For you to be able to move between shadows without having walked the Pattern, the shadow barriers would have to have been pretty weak."
"Can't say as how I could speak to that," Raven answers simply. "Charts and waters familiar, I know, and ships. These waters," and she gestures vaguely, apparently at the palace in general, and shrugs. "Well. If it ain't too much trouble, would you mind if I asked you questions later? Can't say as how I'd know exactly what to ask yet, beyond what I've already done..."
"Of course. It's hard to know what you don't know until it smacks you in the face," Garrett smiles wryly. "I may be out of town for a bit, but feel free to talk to me when I'm here."
"Thank you, Highness," Raven says, with an answering smile. "I guess I got one more thing, but it ain't really so much for me. These lads they got running errands and such," and she nods in the direction of a passing page, "they do all right by 'em?"
"For the most part, yeah," Garrett replies agreeably. He leans in closer and continues more quietly, "and them that don't? The servants have ways." He grins mischievously and leaves it at that.
Raven snorts. "Aye, I'll bet. They live up here, or they all still at home when they're not working?"
"Depends on the task," Garrett explains. "The house servants have quarters within the castle, generally. Those that work outside - stablehands, gardeners, masons, what-have-you - they live in quarters on the grounds usually. Farther down the mountain here in Xanadu and below the inner gate in Amber. I grew up in Amber's servants quarters. It wasn't a bad place to live. Two-room stone cottage with dirt floors and a thatched roof. It wasn't much, but it was cozy enough."
Raven nods. "Thank you, Highness. Sorry for all the questions; I just... well, the boy - my brother - I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad thing to get him out of there if he wants to go."
Garrett waves off the apology. "If you can get him here, they'll do right by him. I'll see to it," he says firmly, a sudden intensity flashing in his blue eyes. "I got a soft spot for lads like your brother. They remind me of me."
"As long as he don't remind me of me, I think he'll be okay," Raven says drily. "Thank you again, Highness. It may not come of anything; there's other things what mean I may not need to do anything with him, and I guess it's always possible he'd want to stay with our ma or something. But thank you."
Robin's green eyes sparkle as she watches the group break up billard balls. She can almost hear the 'clack' as Raven and Garrett meet.
Robin tips her head to her niece, curiosity in her glance. "Did I hear that right?" She murmurs, "They're all Family?"
A wry laugh bubbles up. "I don't know any of them." Robin shakes her head as she memorizes the faces and body language of her deparating relatives.
"I wasn't formally introduced either, but I did get a tipoff from Ashe, the Lord Mayor. That's Sir Fletcher, that's Captain Raven talking to Prince Garrett, and that's Signy. I don't know who their parents are, except nobody said anything about any of them belonging to our branch of the family." As Brij names each of the newcomers, she points, but not terribly ostentatiously.
"Signy." Robin nods, "I've heard her name before. She's Deirdre's." And that there, is the sum total of Robin's knowledge.
Brij elbows Robin and leans in. "What do you think of Raven?" she asks in a low voice, her eyes sparkling a little.
Robin chuckles sympathetically. "He looks totally gob-smacked, poor bastard. At least, I didn't have to show up in court after I was outed. Was he one of the hidden-in-plain-sight crowd? Or the adrift-&-clueless bunch?" She glances to Brij with a smile.
"Or peeerrhaps the not-here-right-now club? The raised-for-better-things-elsewhere posse?" Robin chuckles again as her words start getting the better of her and forces herself to stop.
"I think he was a 'didn't know', like me," Brij says. She catches sight of something and presses her lips together, looking not particularly pleased. Following the direction of Brij's gaze, Robin can see Folly and Random heading out of court together. The moment passes and Brij makes an effort to smile. "Fortunately I seem to have missed the court announcement as well. I can't imagine why that would be. Let's get out of here."
"Absolutely." Robin is in complete agreement about getting out.
Once out in the hall, she looks over at Brij sympathetically. "Listen, try not to let that King thing bother you. There ain't no good that can come from poking that with a stick." A sad frown crosses her face at the memory of Aisling's fate after she tangled with Martin.
"Anyway," Robin perks up. "There are tons of interesting people here who come without a Court to bother with." She winks to Bleys' paramour and her friend.
Last modified: 20 October 2011