Ossian leaves for the stables without talking to anyone (unless approached). He is going to take a horse and ride down to Darling's house down in the city.
Darling's house was in a fine neighborhood before the Sundering and the Regency, but since those days, and even since the coronation, the neighborhood seems to have gotten worse. But still, there is a servant to open the door and invite Ossian in.
Everything just seems shabby after the time he's spent in Xanadu.
Darling comes out to greet Ossian, her clothes artistically chosen as always. She isn't wearing the drapes, but she could make them work if she chose to. "Ossian. How are you?"
"Fine, just fine. How about you, and your daughter?" Ossian asks as he takes her hand and kisses it (in a gentlemanly fashion, not flirty)
"We're doing all right, as well as can be expected." Darling accepts the kiss for what it is. "Our old circle has diminished. The Thrush Pack rarely meets, and the clubs are quiet now that so many of our gentlemen are gone. It's as if the spark of our old society has been snuffed out.
"But I have my daughter." And Darling smiles. "Would you like to meet her?"
Ossian smiles "But of course." He takes a deep breath.
Darling leads him into another room, clearly a nursery, where a toddler is playing, watched over by a nurse. Darling dismisses the nurse for a few minutes and picks up the child, bringing her over to Ossian for inspection. "Jasmine, this is Ossian. He's a very good friend to your mama and he will be to you, too."
Jasmine holds out a pudgy little hand to Ossian.
Ossian smiles and walks close to Jasmine, allowing her to touch his cheek. "Hello, little friend" he says.
If Darling seems inclined to let him, and Jasmine seems to want it, he will pick up the child.
"Ocean," Jasmine says, sounding out Ossian's name carefully from her mother's speech. Darling hands her to Ossian; Jasmine clings to him as if she's not quite certain Ossian won't drop her.
Ossian looks a bit perplexed by this. "So so" he says comfortingly.
"A sweet girl she is." he says. "As you might suspect, I came here with a purpose.
"Who's the father?" he asks.
"Let's talk a little in private," Darling suggests. Ossian does not feel that she means to lie to him, but this is clearly a topic she's uncomfortable discussing around Jasmine. She moves to take the child back from Ossian, if he'll allow that.
Ossian gives her back, but not without some pain. He nods.
Darling puts Jasmine down and calls the nurse back to care for Jasmine while she and Ossian talk in privacy. Once Jasmine is well in hand, Darling leads Ossian back to the sitting room and offers him a drink.
She still remembers his favorite.
While she pours one for herself (and one for Ossian if he wants it) she says, "I let Lucas think she's his, but I'm pretty sure she's yours. Lucas wants something from her, but I don't know what. He's kept us in funds so he could keep his hand in.
"It's been easier to let him think she was his than to let her starve."
Ossian looks surprised, and grim at the same time. "So she's maybe my daughter. Does not matter. I'll act as if she is.
"I don't think you want Lucas to be too involved, even if he is the father.
"Regardless, Amber is not a safe place. Least of all for my daughter."
There's surprise and gratitude. Ossian intuits that Darling expected a different reaction from him.
"Rumor says Lucas took his wife and their children somewhere. I'm willing to move on, but I don't know where to go, and I've no way to get there. I know some people are leaving, but they're workers, or they have more money than I do." Darling isn't bitter; just practical. "Where do you think we should go?"
"I can think of two places. You need my help to both." Ossian says "I think Xanadu might be better. Random's place.
"Two things: Being my daughter is not being safe. And I do this for her, and for the family's safety. Not for you."
Again, there's nothing but that practicality in Darling's voice. "I don't expect anything more, Ossian. But if I'm to try to protect my daughter, I'd at least like some idea of what I'm supposed to be protecting her from."
"Some of my relatives. The enemies of Amber. Eh. Most enemies are relatives in one way or the other.
"There's not much you can do. Except moving her to another place. Teach her independence and integrity. Another place might protect her from the people who are a danger to her life. But not from being used in one plot or another.
"You can trust Brennan, I think. Heck. You should probably trust him more than me."
"I'll remember that. Do you want to tell her she's yours? Because you can hurt me, but I don't want you to hurt her." Darling looks at Ossian shrewdly. "And if your relatives are the enemies, what does that make Lord Lucas?"
"A dangerous friend. I think. Not all relatives are enemies." Ossian says, looking a bit harried. "I'll tell her that she's my daughter. What does she know about Lucas?"
[OOC: How old is the girl?]
[According to best records she was born in year Three so she's pushing three years old now.]
"Jasmine just thinks he's a friend of mine; she's too young to understand much more than that. Lucas doesn't come himself that often these days. His mistress, Silken, brings the allowance and the pay for the nanny," Darling explains. "Or she has them sent, if she can't come herself."
Ossian nods. "Good. I will talk with Jasmine when we are finished here, then.
"And I hope by the Unicorn that she really is mine, or at least of the Family. Because people who have pretended to be usually meet gruesome ends." he looks sternly at Darling.
"How much time do you need to pack?"
"How much do I get to bring?" Darling's eyes narrow as she does some mental calculations. "For myself and Jasmine and our clothes, and presumably the nanny and hers, a day. If we're to close the house and bring the furnishings, closer to a week. Are you going to talk to Silken?"
"You don't need the furnishings. We will find you new stuff. Unless you've got some irreplacable art, of course.
"I can talk to Silken. No problem." Ossian says.
Darling looks relieved at that last bit. "Then I'll be ready with a day and a half's notice. If the ship's already been procured, I can start the process now, and you can spend some time with Jasmine, if you like."
"I have no ship right now." Ossian says. "And I'm not sure we will go by ship either. I'll see to it as soon as I leave here though. I will let you know as soon as I have a means of transport."
Ossian rises from his chair "But spending some time with Jasmine sounds like fun. We are not that much in a hurry."
"Then you should have that time." Darling moves to lead Ossian back into the nursery where Jasmine is playing.
[Assuming he follows; or, we can go into summary here if you prefer]
[I have two things to try with Jasmine.]
When they reach the nursery again, Darling dismisses the nurse and turns to go, leaving Ossian alone with Jasmine.
Ossian smiles and hunches to get more on level with Jasmine. He tears a paper out of his sketch book, and folds an origami bird. He hands the delicate bird to Jasmine. "A gift for a fine Lady." he says.
(something in the style of this.)
[Origami omg yay! It's been a while since we've seen Ossian do origami.]
"It's a BIRD." Jasmine takes the bird carefully from him and then begins to move around the room, making bird-like noises. "Thank you, Mister Ocean," she says as the bird flies in her hand.
Ossian smiles. He will play with her for a while, then ask "Jasmine, do you know who your father is?"
Jasmine shakes her head in the negative. "I have Mama." It doesn't seem to bother her; she accepts it in the way that small children accept circumstances that adults would find to be strange or troublesome. "Why?" she asks, drawing the single syllable out in a way that Ossian can tell isn't meant to be whiny even though some adults might perceive it so.
Ossian swallows "I think. That I'm your father."
"Okay." Jasmine doesn't seem to know what to do about that. "Does that mean you'll make pretty birds for me?"
Ossian smiles "Yes. But not every day."
Brita wakes early after her day of working on the Xanadu Trump. [Did that work, by the way?] She gathers Couth's letters and sets off for Arden. The day dawns clear and sunny and she makes good time into the Forest. At the first patrol, she will relay her intent to seek out Vista at Post 6.
[Is Brita working on a full Trump or a sketch, because the answer depends on the formula and there are different numbers for each.]
[Full Trump - she says she wants it as a means to get to Xanadu if there are Issues in the Sail.]
[It takes a minimum of a week to make a full trump, so she's not done.]
[You know Brita - she'll keep working on it. She'll spend at least 3 hrs a day at it.]
[OK. If nothing else, it should be doable while she's on the ship.]
Hawks are sent ahead to the Boneyard to advise Vista that Brita is coming. She changes horses so she has a fresh mount. There's a ride ahead of her to get to Vista.
Now that Brita has a Ranger's horse more familiar with the forest, she will increase the pace.
The new Rangers seem to have blended in with the old reasonably well, although there have definitely been some shuffles in seniority with the return of the older Rangers. Both groups show her deference, although the newer ones treat her more like a Ranger and the older ones are more formal and distant, as they might be to any castle-dweller.
That is as it should be and Brita responds as Ranger Brita to the former and Lady Brita to the latter.
Her ride out to the Boneyard is relatively uneventful. She's spotted and challenged well before she arrives, and on successfully meeting the challenge, brought in to see Vista.
The older Ranger looks like he's been on patrol himself when he comes out of his command tent to greet Brita. "Lady Brita. I heard you came down from the castle. What's the word?"
"Ranger Vista," Brita nods in greeting. "The Regent has Ousted Most of the Royals and is Locking Down the Castle for Defense. Prince Huon had Returned with Trouble to Mirror Rebma. He was Pursued, Captured, and then Managed to Escape from Amber Castle. I Feel That is Why the Regent is Closing Ranks." She pauses and looks around. "Have you Seen any Signs of the Impending Attack on Forest Arden that Ranger Robin Revealed?"
Vista shakes his head. "Nothin's changed much in the last few days. But I reckon I know what she means, and we're on guard for it." He frowns. "I don't know why she didn't tell her father. If it's what she fears, we need him sooner rather than later."
"She may Yet. She is going to Reality Xanadu. The Regent should Send Someone, but He did Not See Fit to Tell Me When he Would. The only Assistance I can Give at the Moment is This," Brita pulls out a card - it is the sketch of Chi Lin's room in Castle Amber. "Only You Should be Able to Activate it by Concentrating on it. It will Create a Portal to the Castle through which You can Send a Runner to Regent Caine. It will Likely only Work Once."
[GMs drew a card for the survival of the sketch: Death reversed.]
Vista takes the sketch carefully. "I've used 'em before. I know how." He tucks it away carefully, clearly making an effort not to look at the sketch or accidentally activate it. "You headed back up to the castle, or you stayin' here?"
"I will be Sailing to Reality Xanadu to Assist Lady Paige in Transporting Refugees. I will Check Back with you as Time Permits." Brita's agenda for the rest of the morning is to help Vista as needed with any planning or coordination he may need. She will also take whatever report is needed back to Amber. She'll head back to rendezvous with Paige and Couth afterwards.
Vista seems either remarkably unconcerned about the possibility of the Dragon showing up or remarkably confident that Julian will appear if needed. None of this is to say there are no preparations in the works, just that there should be no way Vista and the Rangers on hand can take a dragon without someone of Julian's caliber leading them.
He sends up a reply for Couth, and some messages to the rangers at the hostel and something to the palace. There's no reply for Robin, but if she's sent Brita to deliver her message, she won't be in Amber.
Brita accepts the deliveries and proceeds back to Amber. Unless sealed, she will read and commit the messages to memory. Once back in Amber City, she delivers the messages to the Rangers and sends a runner with the message for the palace. She also sends a message to Paige informing her of her return and that she will be in the hostel until needed [working on the Xanadu Trump; she will also begin a sketch of Arden, Post 6]
When Ossian heads down to the harbor to get news of which ships are headed out for Xanadu, he's told there's a ship heading out in the next few days, but he'll have to speak to the Captain to get a berth. The Captain is happy to accommodate him (and/or Darling and Jasmine), but tells Ossian he'll need to speak with the royal who'll be leading the ship.
Soon enough, having met with Paige and Couth and made all the arrangements, Brita arrives at the harbor, and is ushered in to see Ossian. The Harbormaster arranges for them to have privacy and brings them anything they need.
Ossian will give Brita a hug, if she allows it.
"Does your ship take passengers?" he says with a smile.
Brita returns the hug with a big smile reminiscent of one of her brother's high wattage smiles. "Of Course, Cousin Ossian, Although after our Last Adventure on the Seas, I was Certain You would Not Wish to Sail with Me." Certain that the 'anything they need' includes food, Brita waves Ossian to a seat and prepares to dig in herself. "Our Ships will Carry Refugees back to Reality Xanadu. There are Probably Faster Ways for You to Go, but I will Enjoy your Company. I Plan to Lead the Ships in Skilbladnir; you may have Your Previous Berth if that is Acceptable." Ossian would recall his berth as being a small room with a single loft like bed above a cabinet and alcove with small table.
"I'm not coming alone." Ossian says. "It seems I have a daughter here in Amber. She and her mother needs to be somewhere safer."
"And I don't think I shall expose them to Family magic. Yet. Therefore a ship."
"Ah," Brita nods, "A Safe Plan. Family Magic can Sometimes be Harmful to family. Well, If you Wish to Share the Larger Cabin, I can take Your Former Bunk." The main cabin would have a slightly larger bed, a full desk, a small table. Room could be made for a hammock or other small bed as needed.
"Nah. It's not like I'm married to her mother. Nor do I intend to." Ossian smiles "But they need a cabin suitable for mother and child.
"I can sleep wherever there is space."
"Not an Issue," Brita states. "You can Keep Your Cabin and the Main Cabin will Suffice for Your Daughter and Her mother. I'll Take the Deck Berth behind the Wheel; from There, I can Monitor the Progress of our Ocean Caravan." With that settled, Brita moves on to other matters. "Cousin Ossian, I would Value Your Opinion on my Current Project." She pulls out the sketches of the Xanadu Trump she is working on. "I Wished a Quick Access to Reality Xanadu like the Castle Gate Trump of our Elders. What do you Think of This Approach?" The sketches show the road leading to Just Rise with the palace and truncated mountain of Xanadu behind.
Ossian takes a close look at the picture. He nods "I am not very familiar with the place, so I cannot comment on the details. It looks fine. I think you should take look at the mountainside here - to find out if this line is a cloud shadow, or a stone feature."
Ossian will send a message back to Darling about leaving times. Then he will go looking for Silken.
Silken is at Red Mill, and not long after Ossian arrives he is shown up to see her. She is dressed impeccably, as always, and her cosmetics are perfect, but they can't conceal that she is worried about something. But she smiles at Ossian just the same, and shows him to a seat in her parlor.
"Ossian, welcome. What can I do for you? It's been too long since we've seen you at Red Mill."
"No card games in a while. We have all been very busy." Ossian shrugs "You seem worried. Anything I can do to help?"
"I don't suppose," Silken says a bit forlornly, "you bring word from Lucas?"
"Sadly no. I don't even know where he is." Ossian says as he sits down. "I'm here to talk about the Lady Darling and her daughter. I understand you have helped them."
"Oh," Silken says. "Yes." She brightens falsely at the change of subject. "Lucas asked me to keep an eye on them, make sure they got an allowance from his accounts, that kind of thing. It's no secret. What about it?"
Ossian nods. "I have not been very observant. And I thank you for taking care of them. As it turns out, Jasmine is probably mine."
If Silken doesn't believe this, she is either too fond of Ossian or too politic to say so. "Lucas has a habit of providing for fatherless children of good family. He said once that his own father died young. Perhaps that's why."
They both know better, but it's a nice thought anyway.
"Do you mean to take Jasmine into your own household, then?"
Ossian smiles "Maye. Not that I have much of a household. But I will take her and her mother from Amber. It's not safe for them anymore.
"They will get provided for."
Silken nods slowly. "I don't suppose you've spoken to Lucas about this, then." It's clear she doesn't think Lucas will be pleased, and that she'll probably end up on the business end of that. Squaring her shoulders a little, she continues, "What do you think is the danger here?"
"I'm sorry." Ossian says "Family matters. I guess you would call it magic. I will talk with Lucas, don't worry."
That reassures Silken a little and she nods. "I appreciate that. Will you send word back--even just a letter--when you do? I know word is difficult to send from Paris, but perhaps there'll be a ship you can send post with."
"I will."
When Brita returns to the Ranger hostel, Couth is waiting for her.
"I got some people I got to bring with. Special orders from Julian, through Vista. They're to go up to the Castle when we get there, though--not with the rest of the folk you're sending on to Broceliande. That gonna be a problem?"
Brita stares at Couth for a fairly long moment. She is getting a little tired of his attitude. "Rangers? How Many?" Her stance is formal and her expression is like the flat surface of a deep lake.
Couth seems to either miss that Brita is annoyed or be immune to it. It's not immediately obvious to Brita which it is. "Three youngsters. They can bunk with everyone else. The Warden'd appreciate it if no special attention's drawn to them. But he wanted you to know: it's Daeon's kids."
Brita's stance relaxes a bit at the revelation, "Ah! Family. They are Welcome Aboard. I would Like a Word with them Before we Depart, However."
Brita's desire is to meet them to get their scent more than anything else. Her words for them are basically that she knew their father and he was a brave man and was dedicated to the wellbeing of his Family. She will then gently warn them not to get into too much trouble on the voyage.
[I'm good from here and don't need to play the meeting unless there is anything odd that Brita would pick up.]
[Nope. He'll bring them down. This is the group of three youngsters he had with him at Daeon's funeral and if Brita got wind of them then, they smell the same. They are not tainted with Green. We can hold here or we can move Brita and Ossian on to the boat if Olof is ready, or do any other prep Brita needs to do (like working her trumps).]
[Brita will spend the intervening time working on her Trump and the Trump Sketch of Post 6 in Arden. She will also continue any organizational preparations necessary with the other Captains.]
At the appointed hour for departure, Darling has arrived with her trunks of things and Jasmine and her nurse. Couth has come down to see Breeze, Sage, and Tatter off to Xanadu, as well as to send off the prospective Broceliande Rangers to meet Paige. Last but not least, there is a member of the Xanadu Royal Guard escorting a woman and some children whom the Harbormaster has been instructed to find passage for.
There is also a letter for Ossian and Brita, sealed with the Regent's seal, which they may read.
Ossian will open the letter, preferrably in Brita's presence.
Brita is standing by.
The letter from Caine is to advise, with regret, that their cousin Lucas is dead. There will be a funeral in Paris for him, probably after Cambina's funeral.
Ossian and Brita can both intuit from the concise way that the letter is worded that there's more information that Caine chose not to commit to paper.
"Oh." Ossian says and looks at Brita. "Have you heard about this?"
Brita is mute, staring off into the distance. She shakes her head slowly at first and then shakes it as if she is clearing her head. "No. No, I had Not Heard." Her face goes sad, "Cousin Lucas. His Unique Wit will be Missed. There has been Too Much Death in Our Generation," she says as she turns to Ossian. "It Needs to End. Regent Caine will be Unlikely to Tell Us More. We Shall need to Ask the King."
Ossian nods, non-commitedly. He seems lost in thought for a few seconds.
"Oh, inkstains. Poor kids. Who will save them from Flora?"
"And Lady Solace, Although She has More Strength in her than Some Might Know. We should Remind the King of Their Needs, although King Corwin will Likely Also See to them." Brita shakes her head again, then straightens. "We Should Leave and Get to Reality Xanadu as Quick as Possible."
"Let's do that."
Brita confers with the captains of the other ships and ensures that all passengers are settled in their berths before leading the way out of Amber's Harbor in Skidbladnir. She mentally directs the boat as always to find its way to Xanadu - seeking that particular deep bluish purple of the Verduistering Sea, the verdant deep green of the Forests of Broceliande crowning the red pocket cliffs, and the flat topped majesty of Mt Abora rising above it all. She closely monitors the progress of her little armada as they move out into new waters.
Ossian will try to help Brita wherever he can. Even with the boring administrative chores of heading an armada.
The view of the sea is excellent from the weathered deck located in a better part of Ambertown, the weather fair with fluffy clouds and a steady salty breeze. Seagulls keen in the distance.
Solange sends away the hovering servant and brings out the brandy herself, from Bayle's select stock. She pours two finger's height into a couple of snifters and places one in front of Gerard before picking up the other to warm in her hand. "We have a lot to discuss, Father. A lot. No discussion is going to work, however, until we clear the matter of Cambina first."
She walks away a few steps to the railing and turns to face him. "I let my personal relationship with you affect my judgment and my actions and I did not give you the respect and deference I should have in regard to the position of authority you had at the time as regent. I'm sorry, Father. I was out-of-line. Will you accept my apology?"
Gerard warms his own brandy with his hands as he takes a moment to answer the question. Then he nods slowly and says, "I will. And I'm sorry I hurt you. But as Regent I must think of what's good for the King and the kingdom before anything else. So for all that I'm sorry, I couldna and wouldna change what I did."
"I'm not asking you to," Solange replies a tad defensively, wondering if Gerard still believes she asked for this talk for the purpose of trying to get him to lift the banishment. "I wouldn't want you to compromise your beliefs. And I'm not apologizing for mine--I'm apologizing for how I handled the situation."
"Aye, and I've accepted that. But it's not me who, by family manners, is worst wronged by your actions, by how ye handled things," Gerard explains. "It's not sae much that you've proven I'm no longer fit to serve as Regent; we knew this--" and he whaps his wheelchair with one meaty hand "--barred me long before ye broke the illusion of it. But apart from that, ye hae not thought much on what others would think or do, I reckon."
"Well, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, yes," she agrees soberly. She briefly considers restating a defense for her actions, but decides not to go there. He accepted her apology already--it would be a step backward to rehash that aspect of the situation. "I will just have to deal with reactions as they happen. I imagine my upcoming discussion with the king will set the tone for said future discussions with relatives."
She turns the glass in her hands and sighs, mentally preparing herself to broach the related topic. "Father, the king would not have given you the responsibility of the regency if he didn't think you were fit to accept it, wheelchair or not.
"Are you saying that because I disobeyed you it proves you're not fit to serve as regent?"
Gerard shakes his head. "Not because you disobeyed me. Because I couldna enforce the Regent's rede on ye. And because I couldna punish ye afterwards."
"So banishment wasn't a punishment?"
Gerard shakes his head. "That was protection. And not just o' Random, so it canna be said that he harbored you after, when Jerod hears about it. Also, it was to protect you, so ye dinna end up at blade's point with him if he takes the removal of his sister's body ill." The tone makes it clear he expects Jerod to take it exactly that way.
"Or from anyone else who might challenge ye for yer slight to the honor of her corpse. And protecting the rest of our kin from the need to take sides if someone made that challenge.
"If I'd meant to punish ye, I'd've reached through that Trump and dragged ye through and thrown ye in Random's dungeon."
Solange just looks at Gerard for a moment. A muscle in her cheek twitches.
"I appreciate your sentiment, Father. I know you love me very much, and it shows. But you're treating me like a child," she says mildly. "Part of the reason I disobeyed you was because I wanted to be treated like an adult. I'm sure the knee-jerk rejoinder you're thinking right now is 'start acting like one then,' and that's fair--I didn't handle things very well.
"But making mistakes is part of growing up, as is accepting responsibility for my actions. Let me do both."
"I'll treat ye more like an adult when ye act more like one. Adults in this family learnt from war just passed not to provoke a brother or a sister wi'out dire need. And the same should go for yer cousins. Ye despise Corwin, but ye ha' done what he did with Eric: treat him with despite and contempt because ye could. And now ye must deal with the consequences o' yer actions."
Gerard straightens somewhat in his chair. "Random and I hae spoken o' this matter. He says I let it happen, and so I must find a cure. And I say ye hae done it, so it is you who must find a cure. Random wants no warring at Cambina's funeral. Until ye make peace with Jerod and Corwin, and also with Brennan who was Cambina's dear friend, ye canna return to Xanadu."
Solange doesn't look very surprised at her father's decree. Her expression settles into something more pragmatic. "I expected something similar. It's fitting. Thank you."
She finishes her brandy in one drink and sets the empty glass on the table.
"Did Corvis come with you?" Solange asks. "I wanted to apologize for my reaction when I first met her."
"Don't thank me until you've spoken with Jerod and Brennan, never mind Corwin," Gerard says, shaking his head. "I left Corvis in Xanadu. Not knowing how this talk was likely to go, I didna see any reason to bring her."
Solange narrows her eyes and cocks her head at her father. "I have other things I want to discuss with you, including a couple of matters I can use some fatherly advice on, but if you're still too angry to talk to me then it makes more sense to postpone."
Paige seems satisifed with the plans as they stand with Halfhand and decides to move onto her other errands for the day. For herself and Alain, she arranges two horses and supplies for the several [GMs? days/weeks?] that the caravan from the Arden/Arcadia border should take to reach Xanadu. Once that's set in motion and prepared for the next day, she returns to the Prince's Retreat for lunch and shuffles out her Trump of the King, willing the connection.
"It's Paige, if you have a moment, Your Majesty," the redhead projects.
Random's head, but just his head appear. He is wearing a light golden circlet, which probably means he's about to be somewhere public. "I've got bunches! Mostly all in a row. What can Xanadu do for you?"
Paige doesn't hesitate, "I need a divorce for my quartermaster, Alan leClaire. I believe he's petitioned the crown already."
"Yeah. That, hang on." His head turns away. "Hey Gilt, what about the LeClaire thingy? Anyone care? Anyone we care about care?" After a short pause where Random seems to be listening to at least two people, he turns back to Paige. "Two conditions. First, he needs to re-petition. I can't grant it as written, because I won't disinherit his heirs. Second, he's got to work out a deal with the wife and her family so that they are satisfied, if not happy. She has to be taken care of.
"Can he handle that?"
Paige nods confidently. "And if he can't, then it's his issue and not mine any longer, but if I might..." She seems to be working out something in her head before continuing. "Heirs? I thought that the grounds of the suit were a lack of heirs. I haven't read the petition personally, so perhaps I was misinformed."
Random smiles as she nods. "The collateral lines that oppose the change are next in line and not without an interest." Random pauses for a moment and gets slightly unfocused. In a moment he's back. "Someone named Marble, apparently. If he won't kick, and the wife's family won't, then no one else has standing to do anything but gripe. Anything else? Funerals are in a few days, so try to be where you can get to them."
"I expect to be in Xanadu, Unicorn willing," Paige agrees before a moment's concern flashes across her face. "Wait, funerals? Plural?"
"Cambina I know you know about. And it looks like Moire killed Lucas. Unless he killed a shadow of himself so he could fake his own death and leave evidence to make it look like the former Queen of Rebma did it. In Paris. With a Mirror." Random looks grim. "I hope that's the case. I'd hate to think she finally actually grew enough of a pair to kill one of us. She's threatened it for so long I'd just about decided she didn't really mean it."
He brushes his hair back out of his eyes with a hand that appears in the trump and then just as abruptly departs. "Flora will probably usher everyone to Paris from Xanadu. Tour of the Capitals for those who haven't been there..."
Paige looks distraught. She recovers quickly enough. "If Lalal's Children of the Moon haven't made Xanadu yet, I'd appreciate someone Trumping me through. I can find someplace hospitable enough for them to camp for a day, also time tables being what they are in Shadow, I'll try to find someone to keep in touch."
"My thanks for your time," she offers in parting.
Paige arranges a dinner for herself and Alain, whether he'll be there or not, and sends off a note...
A,Spoke with the King. We can discuss it over dinner at the Prince.
P.
Alain arrives for dinner at the Prince at the usual hour. He has brought a small, slim box with him, which he presents to Paige. "Is the news good," he asks, "or shall we wait until after dinner to talk about it?"
Paige kisses him gently, hinting a continuing the embrace, but drawing back before he can act on it. "Its not bad news, at least, but let's eat first." She waves him to the table that was prepared and seats herself. Dinner is simple fair, whatever the kitchen is serving to the members downstairs, but there is more than enough and the wine is from what little stock Paige left here, which elevates the mood if not the food. She relates the preliminary plans for travel by the time dessert is served and eventually leaves the dishes where they sit.
Alain presents Paige with his gift, which proves to be riding gloves in a soft, buttery leather. They're probably too genteel for some of the work she'll be doing but they will at least suit if she has to wear armor to court.
Retiring to the couch, the redhead lays her bare feet across Alain's lap, suggesting a massage if not directly asking for the same. "My uncle had two conditions. I explained you would agree and likely have the paperwork for Gilt by the time we arrived in Xanadu.
"His conditions were that you need to re-petition as he won't disinherit your heirs and that you make your wife and her family happy, or at least satisfied." She has an almost academic look of interest in her lover's reaction.
His jaw tightens. "I thought I had them settled. I'll go back and see what they want this time."
"It's completely inappropriate, but can I be of help? Random's comments on the matter seemed, colloquial and I had some trouble making heads or tails of them." She reaches up and draws a hand across his cheek, gently willing him ease. "Do you want to talk about it? Something about collateral lines and Marble?"
"I think Collette's family is squabbling with one of my cousins. Collette's interests are already protected. The problem is that her family wants to pretend she's going to bear heirs and that the divorce will be because of my infidelity." He scowls.
"The truth of the matter is that she's not going to have a child with me. Marble's courting my sister and thinks he'd stand to inherit if I die without an heir, so he has every reason to obstruct. The truth is that Garner has all the money tied up in trust anyway and none of them will see so much as a farthing."
"So we need to get the cousin, Marble, to stop stirring up the in-laws," Paige summarizes, looking up into his eyes.
"You realize that you'll never want for anything with me?" she asks gently. "Can you abide me providing for you, beyond your salary as Quartermaster?"
He relaxes slightly. "I don't know. This isn't even about us; it's about family squabbles. I can make my cousins' faction happy or Garner happy, but not both. Maybe we can get Garner to forbid Marble to marry Bethany," he suggests, not sounding particularly hopeful.
"Random phrased it that If he won't kick, and the wife's family won't, then no one else has standing to do anything but gripe," she concedes, but obviously doesn't find it that helpful herself.
"Speak to them before we leave and let them know that you plan to have it settled by the time we reach Xanadu."
There's a nod, for all that Alain's expression is reluctant. "When do we leave?" By which he clearly means how long do I have?
Paige answers gently, concern apparent in her voice, "Day after tomorrow, but I can come back for you, or you might follow with Brita and Couth's recruits."
"I'll see what I can do in that time." At last, Alain puts his hands to Paige's shoulders to work out some of the tension, hers and perhaps his. "And if I can't buy them off? If Garner won't?"
"Then we figure it out in Broceliande and we continue as we ever have, discreetly," she answers, rolling her head to the side and enjoying the feel of his fingers, not concerned with how rough he might be. The redhead chuckles softly, "If our relationship could ever be called discreet.
"As I said, I have no concern over your finances or future... Well, not your future as a noble son, at least." She tilts her head back to catch his eye.
Her speech and movement get Alain's attention. He looks down at her, his hands still busy with massaging her shoulders. "Do you expect some other danger in our future?"
Paige's smile blooms up through her eyes. "I have shapechanging demi-god twins, charge of protection of an enchanted forest in a burgeoning reality, and the love of a good man. Whatever could be dangerous?"
"Still better than earthquakes and fires and the princes setting armies against each other and the sea lanes vanishing," Alain opines with a smile of his own. He works harder on the knots in her shoulders.
She settles back into his ministrations, closing her eyes and relaxing while she has the chance. "I can't guarantee that any of that won't happen. First of all, Caine's getting a bit grumpy as Regent with all of us Royals about in a Shadow not strong enough to support that much Reality."
Rolling her neck, Paige shrugs under Alain's hands. "I do have cousins marching armies across Shadow if not against each other, and oh... there's the formerly forgotten and recently parolled Prince Huon who just tried to lead his army into Rebma, for both strategic and materiel reasons, mostly so he can eventually lead it against Amber, and now likely Xanadu since it's taken Amber's role."
"So we are right back where we were under Eric." Alain shakes his head again, a motion that Paige can feel as much as see. "Maybe it will be safer in the forest even so. I hope Huon and Random can work through their differences without burning it down the way Eric did Garnath."
It's seldom that anyone talks honestly about those days any more.
"Random isn't Eric in many ways, most of them good," Paige answers after a moment's consideration. "And Xanadu is inexorably his as Amber never was Eric's. I can't think that it makes Huon's need to resolve his father issues any easier, but with my cousins at his hand, well... it's a resource that wasn't as readily available to Eric, at least not in the oathbound quantities that Random has gathered to himself."
"We'll make the forest safe, no matter what the Princes do," she resolves firmly.
Alain nods. "And if either of our families has to squabble, we'll tell them to go hang, and enforce it as we need to."
Paige catches him lightly behind the neck, drawing his lips close to hers as she turns closer. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
Last modified: 18 January 2010
