Visiting Hours

Brennan supervises the two surgeons as they move Lilly on the makeshift stretcher over to Amber's infirmary, then chases them away as he and Ambrose set to work. No matter how much experience they may have treated Family members, Ambrose and Brennan are Family, and won't be second-guessing about the extent of the damage, the necessary repairs, or the prognosis afterward.

Half of their work is mundane, if painful without sedation-- cleaning the wounds, bandaging the burns, setting the breaks in splints or casts as appropriate. At length, when Lilly is made more comfortable, and their work is done, Brennan says, "You're not going to be able to walk on this for quite some time. But you will walk on it again. If you like, Ambrose and I can try to... hasten that, somewhat." If the sentence were Uxmali, it would be missing a very uncomfortable but obvious ideoglyph. He's listening to Lilly, but looking at Ambrose.

Through it all, even though Brennan has forgotten about his own aches and pains and bruises and burns, his body hasn't. By the time they're done working on her, Brennan's forgotten about it, but he's gone back to his own stiffened movements, avoiding certain muscle groups.

It's apparent from Ambrose's movements that he's been in some sort of a fight as well. He's stiff and slow and favoring one leg slightly. Like Brennan, he doesn't complain, just gets on with business. At Brennan's suggestion, he nods. "I can do that, I think, and still have the strength to go back."

"I am not opposed," Lilly replies quietly. "However, do not injure yourselves in the process. We are near immortal... there will be time to heal." She seems perhaps a bit distant and introspective, even for Lilly. However, given the circumstances, such a reaction is far from unexpected. "If you need your strength Ambrose, then you should keep it."

"But there are two of us," Brennan says to her, "And I think the King is going to need all the Knights he can get."

Then, to Ambrose, "Time? Entropy? Fundamentally, her body needs to do the healing, if she's going to be able to function in Xanadu and Paris, no? And I wouldn't want to run the shock of having the wounds heal instantly, even if we could."

Ambrose shakes his head. "You can't make it heal that quickly. The energy has to come from Lilly, or from us. Perhaps--" he stops and does some mathematics of his own in his head "--we can get her through the first day or two in a watch." He looks at Lilly. "You'll need to eat until you want to throw up."

He turns back to Brennan. "I learned this when I was fighting Chantico. Severe injuries were bad, even with sorcerous healing. There are limits to what the body can do."

Brennan scowls briefly at the doorway, then nods to Ambrose, "Stands to reason. I don't think we have much more than a watch, anyway. Caine wants us all out, and there's no way this would hold up to a Xanadhavian environment. I think if we turn this into an ambulatory recovery, we can declare victory."

He turns back to Lilly. "Give the word. But, yes, you're going to be hungry. Very, very hungry." That's something Entropy should be able to manage, if it's not a natural side effect of what they're going to do. "I'm not sure either of us has the personal energy to spare without collapsing." Then, muttering under his breath in Uxmali, "Too bad we chased that surgeon out."

If Lilly gives the word, Brennan will let Ambrose lead the effort since it seems like he has more, and more recent, experience of it.

Lilly has been listening closely to the conversation and weighing the options. This decision, unlike so many others, proved to be remarkably easy. "Well then, I certainly hope this 'castle' still have a fully functioning kitchen and a few servants willing to deliver food regardless of Caine's orders." She shifts her weight on the table in an effort to increase her own comfort as they work. "And, in case I forget, thank you." Far more lies beneath those simple words but it would take far more than a near death experience to coax that much emotion out of her.

"Then we'll do it," Ambrose says. "Brother, you should lead in this matter; your connections to Lilly will make the work go easier. And I still have to travel afterwards.

He moves to have some pages bring food from the kitchens, whatever Lilly likes, while he and Brennan prepare for the ritual.

Brennan nods, and begins the work. Although Lilly and Ambrose both know from personal experience that Brennan is capable both of fast, impulsive, almost rash actions, and also of careful, painstaking plans. This situation calls for the latter, as Lilly is not in imminent danger any longer, and they have the time and solitude to do things correctly.

Brennan's approach is methodical. While he knows that Ambrose is a brilliant Sorcerer in his own right, Brennan still takes great pains to make sure that he and his brother are both on the same page and working in concert before proceeding, as they carefully adjust Lilly's basic metabolic processes and the relationship of parts of her damaged tissue with time.

With Ambrose's support and guidance, Brennan is able to speed the recovery of Lilly's hip fracture so that it's properly bound enough that she can walk with assistance: crutches or a cane, perhaps. The casting takes about the predicted watch, and during the procedure Lilly finds that she is, in fact, famished as Brennan predicted.

So are Ambrose and Brennan.

When the work is done, Brennan stands back from the table, weary, but satisfied. "No fighting for at least a week, Lilly. No dancing for at least two. But you can walk through a Trump to Xanadu mostly under your own power, if you need to."

"That is what I like about you, Brennan," Lilly says while keeping her expression decidedly neutral. "You understand priorities. Though this might be a good time to learn to fence while sitting down." Of course, she has all ready conquered that feat to a great extent but there is always room to improve.

Brennan still isn't keen on the idea of eating, but he's not a stubborn enough fool to ignore his own body's warnings. When the servants bring the food, Brennan deems it likely that they will have interpretted Ambrose's instructions as generously as possible... although in deference to Lilly, it doesn't seem likely that they'd bring any particularly Uxmali fare to the recovery room, except for coffee. Strong, black coffee.

If Lilly wants to get up off the table and into a chair, Brennan will help her, especially so she can see how strong or weak her hip will be for the next few weeks, in a short controlled experiment. But once everyone has settled, gotten the first round of their supper, and so forth-- Brennan himself sprawls wearily and stiffly in a comfortable chair-- he'll ask the question. "So. Edan and Chantico. Two fire gods fighting over Uxmal. Is there anything left of the place? Where is Tayanna? How is Tayanna?"

Since lying on a table to eat is not the most comfortable nor the safest thing to do, Lilly gladly accepts the offer of help. While there is still pain, it is bearable. By the time they take the few short steps to the chair, it seems she has learned to adjust her weight in just the right way to make the task of walking easier. There are benefits to being in tune with one's own body.

Lilly nods in acknowledgement of the question then takes a swig of her coffee before answering. "Add Clarissa and your brother here to the equation of destruction. I don't not believe your home will be as you remember it. At least not for quite some time. But the majority of the battle happened elsewhere. And that place is truly devastated." She pauses for another taste of her drink. "As for Tayanna... that I can not say. I did not make her acquaintance and to be honest, I do not recall if Edan told me anything of her. Much was said and I think the battle has left me a little hazy on some of the details."

"Mother and the rest of my army is still back there, with Edan and the Trickster, who seems to have swept up most of the local godlings somehow. But we'd left Uxmal behind before Lilly and Edan caught up with us, so I don't know what happened there, other than that it was bad. I left a trap for Chantico, which she seems to have evaded." Ambrose scowls as he relates this story between bites of food.

"I have to go back as soon as I can."

When Lilly mentions Clarissa, Brennan suppresses a shudder, but says only, "Eat, Lilly. Don't just drink the coffee, eat." He's not pleased with that prospect for himself, but he loads a large split roll with the remains of dinner he'd previously skipped, and starts eating it without any particular joy or relish, while Lilly and Ambrose talk.

Then, "I'm confused. Or at least, hopelessly out of date. Who is still in Uxmal, and who is in this new place? What is this new place? And what does Chantico want, if it's anything more than generic self-aggrandizing power? Is she getting help from other meddling Family members? Lilly, how did you and Ambrose get mixed up in this?" It's not so much that Brennan expects Ambrose or Lilly to checklist their way down that raft of questions, as just fill him in on recent history.

"And don't leave before I catch you up on this end of things," he adds. "Nothing vital that concerns Uxmal-- as far as I know-- but there are things you'll both be interested in."

Lilly takes a moment to finish a bite of food. "As you may or may not have noticed," she says to Brennan, "I seem to have a wonderful knack for ending up in exactly the wrong place at exactly the right time. I was sent, or perhaps the more appropriate phrase is pushed, into Shadow by Madoc." Realizing this will only lead to more questions, she promptly adds, "Needless to say, negotiations did not go as planned and at some point here I really do need to catch up with Martin to discuss that. I can not say if it was luck or some higher intention that landed me so close to Edan but to make a long story short, I found his horse and the creature more or less took me to him. At that point I had no idea where I was or what was going on. But the matter concerned Family. So I stayed as assisted as I could. Not for the minute politics, but more out of the us versus them mentality." She shrugs and goes back to eating.

"Well, technically, she's Family, too," Brennan says. "But I'm not sure if she knows it. Yes, she knows Brand was her father, Ambrose is her brother and was probably quite disappointed to discover I was even still alive. But at the time, I don't think she knew anything more than that. I don't think she knew who or what Brand was, or what descent from Oberon actually entails.

"But I'm also not sure if that makes things better or worse. She doesn't exactly play by the newer, kinder, gentler rules, or even the older ones that allow for gloating in victory. Like Huon, I don't think she'd hesitate to wade through blood to get whatever catches her attention. This is not the sort of person I want even knowing what a Pattern is, much less where to find one. It's not the sort of person I want bumbling around as an ignorant weapon waiting to be picked up, either." Brennan shakes his head.

Lilly nods her agreement. The one meeting with Chantico was more then enough to prove all of this to her.

"Did she do or say anything to indicate she knew the Family?"

"She learned something somewhere, although I can't say where. Someone contacted her. Perhaps it was Dara, but it could have been anyone. And whoever it was armed her and her men. I took my people and Mother, to lead them to Xanadu, but she followed me, despite the traps I left behind for her." Ambrose shakes his head, scowling. "If you find out who got to her, brother, let me know, so I can close the reciprocal glyph."

Brennan fairly groans when he hears that someone has gotten to Chantico.

"Bank on it," he says, without even the wolfish smile that would normally accompany a promise of deserved violence. "I'd go back with you now, but..." He spreads his free hand. "I suppose I should catch you both up. I've got some things that have to be done.

"One of them is Cambina's funeral. She's dead," Brennan says, then pushes forward. "I'm told she washed up on the shores of Xanadu, the morning after she and Vialle went up to Tir. Vialle was missing for a time, but Garrett's told me a very muddled story about rescuing her from the High Marshall of the Moonriders or some such."

This earns Brennan a raised eyebrow from Lilly. Garrett? The former stable boy turned Prince? It was hard to believe and yet, on some level, it made her strangely happy to know he could manage such a feat. She would have to ask him about it... and soon.

Brennan pushes on. "I need to report to the King, as well. I promised. I was the only one in Amber now who was present for what happened in Rebma, and its sequel. The condensed version: Huon attacked Rebma, as a gambit to gain the Green Sword. As part of that gambit, he threatened to destroy the place by destroying Rebma's Pattern. I put an end to that; Conner and Jerod put an end to the battle, as far as I know. It's a long story, but it ended in a cross-Shadow chase, and Huon's capture. Rebma has its blade back. Huon escaped. Beat Corwin's record by a mile. Hence Caine's justifiable bad temper.

"And Huon is either a Sorcerer, or has a good one as an ally." He turns to Lilly, adding, "I got mixed up because I was hunting-- killing, I like to think-- the Eater under the Plain of Towers when, as far as I can tell, Huon... summoned it, right out from under me. It claims I owe it something. It lies. But every time we fought, I killed something in it or took something from it. It's still CloudEater, and some wyverns, and the Hob. It's no longer... what Daeon gave it. Called itself Robin Goodfellow the last time it gave a name, but it's probably something different, now. It's still out there."

Brennan scrubs both hands back through his hair, looking tired, close to exhaustion. "Lousy, lousy day."

Lilly shakes her head in sympathy. "I feel like we have this ever growing list of people to dismember," she says without a trace of humor. "We need to take control... of something. I'd really settle for anything at this point. I hate being forced into a defensive reactionary position but every time I attempt an offensive move, it seems I am three steps behind our opponents." A frustrated sigh escapes her lips. "Of course, now I need to take a step back and heal for a bit before I will be of much use to anyone. Perhaps the time away will give me some perspective or missing insight. At the very least, it will give me time to regroup my own thoughts."

Ambrose gives Brennan a sympathetic look of his own. "You have my sympathies for our family's loss, brother; if you would convey them to the King, if I have not returned by the hour of the funeral, I would greatly appreciate it. But I must be on my way, sooner rather than later, if I am to bring Mother and the survivors of the battle with Chantico to Xanadu."

There's an elliptical space in that glyph that suggests Ambrose lacks certainty that he's up to the task. He turns to Lilly. "Kinswoman, I thank you for your efforts on my behalf, and I wish you luck in your recovery.

"There is one thing I can do to aid you, though--" and Ambrose reaches into his jacket to pull out his trump deck. He shuffles out one and offers it, face down, to Brennan. "Will you give this to the King as earnest of my intentions?"

"Of course," Brennan says, taking the Trump and sliding it into his case. "And that you're trying to lead new citizens into Xanadu. They're getting a lot of that, I'm told. If you need something, don't hesitate to call, but..." the corner of his mouth twitches up, just slightly, just momentarily, "...maybe not with a floating disembodied head? If you catch up with Edan again, the obvious suggestion is to ask him to lay a false trail away from you, and lead her on a merry chase."

He puts his hands on his knees and pushes himself upright. Turning back to Lilly, he says coldly, "I should have executed him. I had it in my power to end him. But I obeyed the King." He pauses a moment, then says, "I expect you have a visitor waiting outside, so here are doctor's orders: Eat a sandwich. See your visitor. Eat a sandwich. Ride out on a Trump. Eat a sandwich. Then sleep for about eighteen hours."

Lilly manages something resembling a genuine smile. "I will do my best," she replies knowing full well her body will probably allow for very little else.

Brennan waits to see Ambrose off (or stays if Lilly wants him to stay) but is clearly in an exit mode.

Ambrose, having made his farewells, departs.

[Of *course* he's going to look. Later. No need to be gauche. He expects it to be Ambrose, drawn by Paige or Brita.]

[Oh, no, that's the Huon trump that Brand did!]

Brennan watches him go, then slides the Trump that Ambrose had given him out of the case to look at it. His eyes widen, marginally-- it's obviously not the image he had been expecting. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly turns it away and puts it back into the case, in a position where it will not be drawn by accident. (Brennan invariably keeps Amber in the front position, and whoever he thinks he's likely to need to get in contact with quickly in the back position-- at the moment, Bleys. Dangerous ones, like Huon, go in the middle where they won't be gotten by accident. Brennan does not like surprises with Trumps.)

"All right, then," he says to Lilly. "I'll see you when I see you. If you see the thing that was Eater, first, kill it."

"Count on it," this time the smile is much more feral. "There are few creatures in this universe I have come to despise more." Lilly pauses a moment then adds, "Be wary, Edan currently has a link to an affine as well. So far it appears to be under his control but, again, I really do not trust the very nature of those things."

With that final bit of information given, Lilly settle back with a large plate of food. "Go ahead and send the 'visitor' in. And be careful. You should try to get some rest yourself before going on to wreak more havoc. You'll be more effective." She waves him off then. "And hopefully we will meet up again with health on our side."

Garrett follows after Brennan, Lilly, and Ambrose and is waiting outside the makeshift infirmary. Shortly after they bring Lilly in, the two surgeons come out, looking uneasily at the door behind them.

The young prince, usually so genial, is as cold and stony as the surgeons have ever seen him. "Is there a problem?" he asks darkly. Piercing blue eyes indicate that elaboration on the potential "yes" or "no" is expected.

The elder of them looks angry. "No, your highness. Brand's children do not need the help of trained medical professionals to perform abominable magical rites on your cousin."

The younger one looks frightened, perhaps of the possibility that Brennan has heard him, perhaps of something else.

Garrett's jaw sets with pent-up anger. He stares coldly at the elder surgeon for long enough to chill the air between them. When he finally speaks, his voice is low and menacing. "Sir Brennan is a Knight of the Ruby, as is his patient. I suspect he was performing battlefield medicine before you or your forebears were even born. Your services are not required."

[The surgeon] nods his head.

He turns to the younger surgeon. "You. Find a page and have him send Abd-allah, my master-at-arms, back here," he says somewhat less frostily.

"Yes, Your Highness," the younger man says. Both bow and depart.

A few minutes later, a page is summoned and leaves with instructions from the sorcerers. When he is questioned, he says that has an order to bring food, and a lot of it, to the makeshift surgery.

"That's a good sign, I reckon," Garrett comments hopefully to the page as he departs.

Alone for a moment, Garrett sits on a nearby bench and rakes his fingers through his hair wearily. Until now, he had not realized how bone-numbingly tired he was. He thinks back, trying to remember when last he slept. Before dinner, he came to Amber with Signy. Before that, he helped rescue the Queen from the dream-shadow. Before that, he swam the channel and climbed the cliff to Benedict's castle. Before that, he'd been in the Tower with Brennan and Red Fox Claws. Before that, he was waking up on the plains after walking the Pattern. Before that...

Garrett finds that he can't remember much before that. Not clearly. It's as if life before that was a series of paintings into which some artist had sketched him. Two-dimensional and not quite... real. He chuckles. He gets it now. Maybe he should talk to Martin about it. He shivers unconsciously. Or not.

With a sigh, he digs his trump deck out of its leather case and shuffles out Random's card. He concentrates.

After a long moment, Random's face appears. His hair is disheveled and he isn't wearing a shirt. "Yes?" he asks.

His father's ragged appearance might have caused Garrett pause early on, but he now knows this could result from anything from an intense drumming session to something substantially more private. Garrett hopes it was not the latter. "It's Garrett, sir," he presses on. "I'm still in Amber, though I'm not certain for how long. Caine has ordered everyone out, but then Lilly showed up injured. I'm staying until I know her condition."

Random's lip twitches when Garrett mentions Caine. "Yeah, Caine called me. Let me give you an official-for-the-crown job. 'When you've determined how badly Lilly is hurt, call Benedict and tell him.' Ok, now you're on official business. Anything else?"

Garrett mulls this for a moment, obviously warring with himself about how much to press. "No, sir," he answers finally. "Except to check how much time is left before the funeral."

Random shrugs. "If Brennan is there, it ain't yet. Time flies like an arrow, kiddo. Never forget that."

"Right," Garrett nods. He looks about to close the contact, then blurts out, "Is Amber in immediate danger, sir? Is that why Caine wants everyone out?"

Random waves his left hand in the air, his mouth open. "Unless you want to take over for him, I'm not going to second guess him. Neither one of us is a theorist, and when the man-on-the-spot says 'there are too many of us here', I'm going with his gut instinct."

Garrett nods in resignation. "Very well. I'll leave it at that and get back to Xanadu as soon as I can." In his peripheral vision, he sees the door to the next room open. "'Night, Father," he concludes, closing the contact.

"Don't take any woolen nickels!", replies his father, letting the connection close.

By and by, Brennan comes out of the room where he and Ambrose and Lilly had entered, looking dead tired.

If Garrett is still in a Trump contact, Brennan will wait until Garrett either closes the connection or, more likely, tells whoever is there to wait. Brennan doesn't look at the card in his hand, but he guesses it's either Random or Benedict, either of which will want the news. When he's got Garrett's attention, he says, "She can walk through a Trump to Xanadu, or elsewhere, now. But she shouldn't walk much farther than that for another few days, and not without a cane or a walking stick. She'll be fine in a few weeks. Make sure she eats constantly until she goes to sleep, and have a huge breakfast waiting for her in the morning." He jerks his thumb toward the door he just came out of, and adds, "Go on, there's no one in there with her."

He'll stay if there's some overwhelming need to do so, but he doesn't offer to stay. Instead, he lets Garrett get back to his Trump contact, and unless hindered, departs. He obviously has a destination in mind, and from the fatigue in his motions and the expression on his face, it's probably not anything as comfortable as his bed.

Garrett is just closing the trump contact as Brennan enters the room. He stands, trump deck still in hand, to hear Brennan's prognosis and instructions. At the end, he nods. "Yes, sir. I'll also be contacting Prince Benedict, per Father's orders." He gives Brennan a tight, slightly uncomfortable smile. "I'll get her back to Xanadu safe," he says, moving toward the interior door.

There are voices outside the door after Brennan leaves, followed by a soft knock. The door creaks open slightly, but the familiar voice on the other side modestly stays behind it for the moment.

"Are you up to visitors?" Garrett asks, then adds, "Or another side of beef?"

A moment passes before the answer comes, "Visitors... Yes. But I think there is still plenty of beef. Are you hungry? The servants expected three very hungry family members not just one."

Lilly is propped up in a chair, looking more or less comfortable. Her skin is perhaps a bit more pale than usual and her eyes show the strain of a very difficult day but somehow she is managing a smile. On the table around her, there is food. Mountains of food. Plates are covered with meats and cheeses accompanied by baskets full of bread. There are some fruits and vegetables scattered throughout for balance. There are also several different varieties of liquid.

Garrett enters gingerly, as if unsure what to expect, but relaxes when he sees that Lilly is relatively intact. "I reckon Brennan meant for you to eat for three, from what he said," Garrett says, snagging a piece of cheese before leaning against a table at the wall. In his other hand, he is still holding a trump deck.

Now that her condition is not so dire, Lilly can see that Garrett looks slightly different than he did when she left Amber however long ago. While obviously still young, he looks less boyish than before. His eyes are less innocent, less naive. It's like he's beginning to take on something of the family 'look'. His smile is still the same though.

"It sounds like we'll need to get out of here sooner rather than later," he reports. "Caine's closing the castle. Father didn't go into details. Just said not to second-guess the man on the ground. I do have orders to let your father know what happened to you though." He raises the hand with the trump deck. "I can make the connection and bring you in so you don't wear yourself out if you like. Or would you rather talk privately?"

Lilly looks at him for a long a moment. "Well it would be quite difficult for father and I to open up and express our feelings to one another with you looking on..." she says while managing a neutral expression. "Because you know how sentimental we both can be." At the last, Lilly shakes her head and smiles. Then she pats the chair adjacent to her own. "Come sit. And we'll call him together. I suspect the conversation will be something like confirming I am alive and not mortally wounded followed by the obvious who did this and finished up with the all important 'and what did you do to them'. Should take three minutes at most. Then we can finish eating and say our good-byes to this place." And this might very well be the most candid speech Garrett has ever heard from Lilly.

Lilly's dry-humored jest breaks down Garrett's last bit of nervous formality. He grins more genuinely and sits down next to her. After popping a grape into his mouth, he shuffles out the trump of Benedict, but before he concentrates, he glances over at her. "By the way, I'm glad you're back," he smirks.

There is another bit of hesitation, the very hesitantly, with a few short stops along the way, Lilly places a tentative hand on his knee. "So am I," she answers. "I just wish the circumstances were a bit better. And because I know I will never think to say this again, you look good.... a little more 'grown up' or something."

With no hesitation at all, Garrett places his hand over hers and squeezes lightly. "Thank you. Lots of training and, um..." He pauses and grins, his eyes twinkling like a kid revealing a special secret. "I walked the Pattern."

Lilly stares at him for a moment then slowly breaks into a smile. "Well, you're still here so I suppose that means no one can dispute your heritage. That may make my foster mother very happy someday." Without pausing to elaborate she continues. "How did it go? Did you experience anything... interesting?"

Garrett quirks an eyebrow at what was implied in her comment, but since she leaves no opening, he lets it lie and answers her question. "I lived. That was the biggest thing. I was beginning to doubt that for a while," he says with a shudder.

"It was lots of images and a lot of force. And feelings. Strong ones. Kind of hard to explain. There was this wall of voices, people I knew, beating me down." He shrugs, realizing now why people rarely explain their own walks. "Doesn't sound like much, but I reckon you had to be there. Then I started remembering things. Things that people said that gave me strength. You were one of 'em." He smiles and squeezes her hand again.

"And then I made it through," he finishes. "The biggest difference is how you feel afterward. Like... you belong. Like you know now why things are the way they are, not just about the Pattern or shadow shifting but about everything. Did you get that afterwards?"

Lilly think on it for a moment, "Yes. Sort of. Maybe not as strong as you describe it but I think traveling to Choas all ready had some of that effect on me." She falls silent and uses her free hand to pop a small hunk of cheese into her mouth. The act of eating buys time to contemplate - how open should she be? Was now the time the share certain truths with him? Or should some things remains well hidden?

She looks over, and takes in his face - his eyes. No one else looked at her that way. It still frightened her. But with all the pain and death, running away - once again - from the one thing that might eventually make her truly happy seemed childish. Best to face the fear and take control. "Did I ever tell you what I envisioned during my walk?" Knowing any delay may cause her to change her mind, Lilly continues on in a rush of words before he can answer. "I saw our child... OUR child. Our child walking the pattern. Our child smiling at me in the same reassuring way you do. And I was so shocked by that, so afraid of fulfilling that destiny, that I had to leave. I had to run away from you for a time. I have never wanted to be a mother. To be honest, I would probably be horrible at it. I still really don't want that. Or at least I think I don't. Bringing a life into this mess we call family seems nothing short of insane. Why would anyone want to do that to an innocent being? But every time I get near you, I fell so much less sure of that. And it scares me more then the thought of being attacked off-guard by a horde of demons armed with magical weapons." And that is by far the closest Lilly has ever come to rambling on in her entire life.

Garrett's increasingly dumbfounded stare gives way to a chuckle at Lilly's last line, but he sobers immediately, not wanting her to think he's making light of such a personal revelation. He tries to speak once, and then again, but nothing comes out. Finally, he just shakes his head. "Lil. Whoa," he breathes incredulously.

He sets his trumps down on the table and takes both her hands in his. For a moment, all he can do is gaze at her warmly, trying to contain the grin that threatens to erupt as he searches for the right words. When he has them, he grows more serious. "It's all right that it scares you," he says finally, in that reassuring voice with which she is so familiar. "Gods, it scares ME. Neither of us is ready for that. Not now anyway." His smile turns to a mischievous smirk. "But that doesn't mean we never will be. We have centuries, after all."

Lilly nods back at him and breaks eye contact as she feels a flush come to her skin. The feeling of being emotionally exposed left her uncomfortable and more then a bit embarrassed. A daughter of Benedict is supposed to be strong and fearless. Garrett's presence stripped that away leaving her feeling vulnerable and uncertain. And yet, somehow, in spite of all of that, she found herself wanting to spend more time with him instead of less.

Garrett leans in and kisses her lightly on the lips, then pulls away to look into her eyes again. "I'm glad you told me. I wondered why you left."

As Garrett pulls back, Lilly meets his gaze fully. She starts to say something, then simply smiles and nods. Then without warning, she leans forward and returns his kiss without delicacy or hesitation. Pulling back slightly, she whispers, "I think I am ready to be back."

Garrett grins. "Good," he breathes and resumes where she left off.

After allowing for a few more moments of indulgence, Garrett pulls away with a wistful sigh. "We have orders," he says glumly. "I have to report to your father. You have to eat and get better. And we both have to get out of Amber before the Regent boots us out on our hindquarters."

Lilly nods, offers one more soft brush of her lips on his, then pulls back. As she begins to fill a plate with copious amounts of meats and cheeses she says, "Best call my father and get that out of the way. I have a feeling he will agree with the regent, for practical reasons, of course. So once that is done, we should probably take our leave. Though, to be honest, I might be happier going someplace in shadow where I can relax as I heal... but we can talk about that later."

Garrett quirks an intrigued eyebrow at that. Lilly never ceases to surprise him. "Right then," he sighs after a beat and reaches for his trumps. "We'll... talk later. First, we need to call your father and see how that goes." He takes a moment to run a hand through his hair and straighten his collar, though Lilly gets a sense that the delay is more to regain his composure than improve his appearance. After a couple of calming breaths, he shuffles out Benedict's trump and concentrates.

The image on the trump must be ancient, for Benedict looks young and hopeful, but still somehow sad on it. And he has both arms, of course. Garrett has never seen Prince Benedict whole, but this card shows him thus.

After a long moment. The elder Prince answers. "Who calls?", he asks.

"Garrett, Your Highness," Garrett answers, his demeanor growing more formal in the presence of his legendary uncle. "I'm in Amber. With Lilly. She arrived here injured, but is recovering well. Father thought you should be told. Would you like to speak with her?"

Benedict's eyes betray little. "I would. Were others injured?"

"None seriously, as far as I know. Lilly would be able to tell you more," Garrett answers. He reaches out to Lilly to enable her to join the conversation.

Lilly reaches for Garrett's hand, then decides it might give something away. Instead, she places her hand on his shoulder. As Benedict comes into view, she nods and in a flat, emotionless tone says, "Good day, Father. Edan and I were able to successfully extract Ambrose, brother of Brennan, from a difficult situation. Since Edan is a sorcerer, the brunt of the physical fighting fell to me. It may be a few weeks before I can walk without extensive assistance but other then that, I am fine."

Benedict's eyes turn to Lilly and he looks as if he's looking her over completely. "I am glad you will be fine, daughter. Describe the battle, please. Who were you fighting?"

"Apparently, the children of Brand do not stand united," Lilly replies. "The battle occurred in the land of their birth between Sir Brennan's brother and sister. Both sides had tremendous armies. Cousin Edan, Son of Bleys and I set forth to ensure to the safety of cousin Ambrose and quickly became embroiled in the battle. We were able to persuade Chantico, the sister, to fight me and me alone. It was to be a fair fight. Unfortunately, her sense of honor did not match my own and she managed to make her form incorporeal and incapable of being physically harmed. I did prove to be a strong distraction, however, and Edan was able to conjure together several acts of sorcery that allowed us to end the battle. I am afraid, the war itself still wages and believe Cousin Ambrose shall attempt to engage his sister again. But I feel he shall have more support and it will be a matter of time before she no longer poses a threat." It is a shortened version that leaves out many important points, but for now, Lilly decides it will do. If her father really wishes to become involved in this particular aspect of Family politics, she will provide more details.

Garrett listens, though his gaze remains fixed on his uncle, both to maintain the contact and to watch for reactions.

Benedict listens with still eyes, waiting for her to finish. "We will return to the discussion of the battle that you came upon later, but I would know more about your duel. Did you have reason to believe that Chantico would fight you fairly? Did you have reason to believe that she was corporeal?" He glances briefly at Garrett, and sounds more like a tacticsmaster than a father. He seems to be in a teaching mode.

"Shadow is effectively infinite, and what may appear to you as a dishonorable choice may be as natural and unavoidable as having longer arms in a contest of rapiers.

"Once you discovered your situation, how did you adjust your strategy to match the reality?"

Lilly's expression remains decidedly neutral. "I named the terms of the battle. Thinking back on my words, I feel I left few - if any - items opens for interpretation. However, almost as soon as the fight began, I sensed something was wrong. My opponent seemed too relaxed especially considering her lack of skill with regard to my own. I could have kept her at bay for days, I feel but decided to test the situation to see what she was hiding. My blow should have easily been fatal. I nearly detached her head from her shoulders. But it did not even slow her down. In fact, she laughed. It was then we discovered the treachery. All the fighting in the world would not have affected her at that point. So rather then rely upon my skill, I put my faith in my second - Edan. It had become a battle of sorcery not steel. I fought hard to keep her distracted and in doing so, put myself in a vulnerable position. Next time, I will not make such a mistake."

Benedict waits for a moment, making sure she is done. "More precision, please. Which mistake will you not make again?"

Garrett has nothing to add to this conversation, but he listens intently, soaking in the exchange like a sponge. To observe a lesson on battle and strategy from Prince Benedict to Dame Lilly, presumably one of his star students, is a rare opportunity, even for a bystander. Garrett does not waste a moment of it.

Lilly nods. "To gain her full attention, I attacked full out without regard to tactics. I acted upon mere instinct and in doing so, let my guard down enough for her to strike a near devastating blow. Thankfully, my training was enough to ensure that it was only a broken hip and not something more severe." She takes a moment to contemplate her own words. "Thinking on it now, I think perhaps the mistake has been only sparring under calculated conditions. Undoubtedly, there will be times when I need to rely upon instinct again in the future. I should perhaps remove my training regimen out of a controlled environment from time to time to better hone my reactions under such circumstances. But first, I need to take the time to heal properly.... In a place conducive to such healing. Now is not the time to be inpatient, I suppose."

Benedict seems a bit impatient, as if he has something else on his mind as well. "Yes, heal well. But remember well what I have taught you. Most battles are won or lost before the two forces step on the field. You did not know enough about your opponent's capabilities, strengths, or weaknesses to make the calculations that would have let you know if you would win or lose.

"It is not enough to be victorious due to strength and speed and skill. Be victorious before entering the battle and one will always have reserves to win with the opposition has unexpected reserves. Remember Pallon, on the day we left for Chaos? That was the training for this fight.

Of course this was the ideal solution. But sometimes ideal was not practical. Sometimes you simply had to leap before calculating the distance of the fall. To live fully, one had to take risks. Love, laughter, surprise, all involved bits of the unknown. For the longest time, Lilly had tried denied this but no longer. She knew the truth. Was it possible her father did not? Or had his risks simply taken Benedict to places her preferred not to be and therefore, had he shunned the very notion of pursuing any more? These thoughts saddened her.

Not trusting the words that might pour forth, Lilly keeps her silence and merely nods an acceptance of her father's teachings.

Benedict looks at Lilly again. "Do you wish to recover from your wounds here?"

She takes a moment to look at the background and tries to place his whereabouts. Infinite possibilities meant he could be anywhere. But there was one place, Lilly found herself hoping he might be. "That depends upon where 'here' is," she replies. "I was thinking of forgoing the hospitality of King Random and returning home for a time. I expect my foster parents will be less inclined to allow me to overwork my broken limb that just about anyone else I know... with perhaps one exception." At this she chances a sideways glance at Garrett. Her father had tested her, now it was time to turn the tables.

If Benedict notices, and there is no reason to expect that he would not, he does not react.

The slightest of smiles twitches at Garrett's lip at her glance. "Two things to consider though," Garrett says, speaking primarily to Lilly but also peripherally to Benedict. "First, it might be best to be close to a Pattern to help the healing process. Not sure how that works exactly, but people seem to swear by it. And Uncle Gerard can keep an eye on you medically.

"Second, Father wanted everyone back soon for Cambina's funeral," he finishes with an apologetic glance.

Benedict looks from Garrett to Lilly. "It is up to you, daughter. If you are near me, we will not miss the funeral. The advantage of healing in shadow is that time may pass more quickly. The advantage of a Pattern place is the imposition of Order."

Garrett nods in agreement and glances at Lilly. "Whatever you wish," he says to her with a slight smile of encouragement. He doesn't appear that he'd be offended if she went with her father. Or maybe it's just that he doesn't want to push too hard for the alternative in front of Prince Benedict.

Lilly looks back and forth between the two men a few times. On some level, she knows this decision is about far more than just her health. "For now, I will stay with Garrett and return to Xanadu. Afterwards, perhaps there will be time to visit the Tecys and take some time to heal mentally as well as physically." Her gaze turns fully to Garrett, "We can determine if that is a trip worth taking after we deal with duty."

With a deep breath, Lilly looks to her father again. "Thanks you for the advice, father. I shall keep it in mind. I am certain we shall have more opportunities to speak in the near future. If there is nothing else pressing, I shall speak with you then," she says to him in flat formal tones.

Benedict nods, curtly. "Very well, Lilly. May you heal well and learn from your battle. Prince Garrett, have someone trump me when it is time for the funeral." The connection is abruptly closed.

"Yes, s...," Garrett starts to reply, but trails off when the connection closes.

Shrugging, he shuffles the trump back in with the rest and turns to Lilly. "We? That's... whoa," he stammers, unable to stop grinning. He reaches an arm around her waist and squeezes gently, careful not to aggravate any injuries. "Well then, we should get ready to go."

"Yes, we should." Lilly replies with far more confidence then she is feeling. Most people, or at least anyone with even a minimal amount of intelligence, would not attempt to provoke Benedict. And yet she had done just that. Hopefully, she had made the right choice. Better to not dwell on that, though. There were too many things requiring her focus right now. "Or, I suppose to be more accurate, you should. I am ready." She manages a smile just before taking a bite into an apple.

"All right. One moment," Garrett says, holding up a forefinger as he steps over to the door. He exits and Lilly can hear him speaking with someone, a man with a deep voice, in the outer room. There is a few moments pause, more speaking and then Garrett returns.

"Poor bloke," he says glumly, shaking his head. "That was my master-at-arms. I just assigned him to escort my mother and sisters to Xanadu by ship." He grimaces. "I'm gonna owe him a fortune when he gets there."

Lilly nods as she finishes chewing the last of her apple. "It will be worthwhile. A few coins are easy to replace but sanity... that's much more difficult," she says in flat tones. "It's best to have multiple escape routes when parents are nearby and ships tend to have very few of them." Finally she smiles as she continues, "And most days I'd rather take my chances with my parents then be forced to hide with a bunch of seaward rats. You just can't kill those things fast enough.

"And speaking of rats, are we ready to return to your father's court or do you have other business to attend to?"

"No, I'm ready," says Garrett. He scans the room to make sure nothing is left behind, particularly Lilly's sword or other weapons. If she is not already wearing them, he gathers them up and brings them over. At her side, he takes the trump of his father out of the deck and returns the remaining cards to their pouch.

Then he hesitates, unsure whether to offer an arm, a shoulder or a full-body lift. He decides on an arm around her waist, for starters. "Can you walk or do you need to be carried?" he asks, with a little smirk that indicates he certainly wouldn't complain if she did.

Lilly shifts her weight slightly to test the pain level. There is a slight frown at one point but nothing more. "Neither," she states with somehting resembling confidence. "I think you shall have to play human crutch until we can conjure up something more suitable. And you will definitely need to help me up." She moves herself to the edge of her seat so Garrett can easily grasp her under the arms and hoist her into a standing position.

Garrett adjusts his grip around her midsection and leans lower so she can put her arm over his shoulders. "Ready? Up..." he says as he rises slowly, watching all the while to be sure he's not causing her too much discomfort. Once she is stabilized, he holds the trump of Random out before them both and concentrates.

Garrett has barely begin to concentrate when his father comes clear in the trump. "Yo!," Random says. 'Oh, ready to come though?"

"Yes, sir," Garrett replies, glancing at Lilly to see if she agrees.

Lilly gives a nod and reaches out her free hand to Random. She moves forward on her good leg obviously expecting Garrett to follow. Once on the other side, Lilly offers a simple, "Thank-you" before scanning the room to determine the nature of their surroundings.

Garrett comes through as well, into the large ballroom or throne room. There is a dais on the far side of the room, but the King and the Queen are alone in the middle of the space. Vialle smiles at him. "We were just headed upstairs for a late family Dinner, Prince Garrett. Would you join us?"

"I would like that, Your Majesty. Thank you," Garrett responds politely, not wishing to disappoint the Queen (and never one to turn down dinner in any case). "I should get Lilly settled first though. Sir Brennan bade her to rest." The queen can certainly detect the note of concern in his voice.

Random looks at the Queen, then Garrett, then Lilly, then Garrett, then he shrugs. "Okay. Meet us there when you can. You two can go."

Lilly returns the King's glance with one of amusement. She certainly does not look the part of the wounded dove despite the obvious way she refrains from putting any weight on her leg. "Thank-you your majesty," she says to Random. "I will be glad to fill you in properly on recent events when it is convenient for you. It would seems I am not going anywhere too quickly." She smiles briefly before looking to Garrett and waiting for him to take their leave.

"By your leave, Your Majesties," Garrett says with a smile and a slight bow before leading Lilly out.

As they make their way to Lilly's quarters, Garrett remembers something. "Oh! I was supposed to give you this," he exclaims. He fishes in a pocket of his jacket, grimaces, tugs, and finally retrieves a folded letter that had been unceremoniously shoved there earlier. "It's from Ossian."

"Thank-you," Lilly replies as she takes the letter from Garrett. She tucks it into a pocket for viewing after he leaves.

Lilly allows Garrett to help her get situated in her rooms before urging him off to dinner. She could use some rest and truth be told, she is curious about the contents of Ossian's note. Once alone, she removes it from her pocket and begins to read...