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Happy St Patrick's Day. Enjoy the one day of the year when the whole world is Irish.

Balance of Power--Chapter Twelve

Started by Evie, October 02, 2015, 10:15:10 PM

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Evie

Previous chapter:  http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,1585.0.html


Chapter Twelve

Morning
Eirian House
Her Majesty's private suite
December 19, 2021


Lord Neville MacRorie, the latest in a line of Earls of Culdi stretching back to before the Haldane Restoration, stood attentively before Her Majesty Sophia II, his proud shoulders only slightly stooped with age. "All the surviving members of the Privy Council have been contacted, Ma'am, as well as the Great Council, for the swearing of their oaths of fealty to Your Majesty on Tuesday. I would have arranged for them to do so tomorrow, but some will be flying or taking a train in and may require the extra time for making travel arrangements and getting past the current tight security at Rhemuth Airport and Kingsmeade Station. Not to mention they will each need to be carefully vetted before being allowed into the Royal Presence to ensure Your Majesty's safety."

"Tuesday should be fine, Lord MacRorie. Is the Great Hall here at Eirian House large enough to hold the full assembly, though? It's only around half the size of the Great Hall at Rhemuth Castle, after all."

"It should be, Ma'am. If it's not, we can set up in the King's Courtyard under protective wards, as there is a light sprinkling of snow in the forecast. The alternative would have been holding Court at Valoret, but even though that would have been more centrally located, I'm afraid that the palace at Valoret is less prepared to host a multitude of guests at this time than we are, not to mention the security still needs upgrading, being even less up-to-date than Rhemuth Castle's was. Lord Arilan has offered to take a closer look at that and offer suggestions for improvement when time permits."

"Please ask if he would take Mr Carbury with him when he goes. Mr Carbury has quite an innovative mind, from what I've seen."

The Earl chuckled. "Indeed he does. I shall make a note to ask." He consulted his list. "Have you given any thought to whom you should like to invite to be your ladies-in-waiting?"

"I have." Sophia handed her Lord Chamberlain the list she had written down the night before while sleep had eluded her.

He took a quick glance at it before tucking it securely inside his tablet cover.  "I shall see they are contacted this afternoon, Ma'am."

"That reminds me, Lord MacRorie, am I permitted to use my mobile phone again?"

He looked back up at her.  "Oh yes, Ma'am, at least as long as you are on Eirian House grounds. That should be perfectly fine now. And if you will allow us another day or two, we should be able to make it at least relatively safe for use from any other warded location as well."




Later Morning
Eilonwy and Patrick Adams' flat
City of Rhemuth
December 19, 2021


The sound of muted bells ringing throughout the City drew Jennifer DeLisle's gaze out her guest room window at the crowd of people gathering at the Cathedral yet again.  Not that they had ever really left--not fully--but as the sun rose in the sky on this first Sunday morning after the Castle attack, they seemed to have grown even more dense than before. She sensed someone approach behind her and turned to see Eilonwy in the doorway. "Ready?" her hostess asked.

"As I'm ever likely to be," Jen replied, "although for once in my life I'd just as soon not go to the Cathedral today. It's bound to be a crush if we even try to go near the place, much less in it."

Eilonwy looked past her at the scene in the distance and winced. "I see your point. All right, Holy Cross, then? It's about the same distance from here, but in the opposite direction."

"Works for me," Jen replied, picking up her purse.

Eilonwy's phone rang, and she reached in her dress pocket for it, about to turn the ringer off, but when she saw whose face appeared on the screen she nearly dropped the phone in her excitement. Answering swiftly, she all but babbled, "Soph . . . ah, Your Majesty!"

Jen rushed to Eilonwy's side as she heard a familiar laugh over the phone's speaker. "Did you just offer me a sofa? I must say, that's the oddest greeting I've had yet!" their friend from university days teased.

"No, I meant . . . !" Eilonwy burst into laughter as well. "All right, then, I see your sense of humor hasn't changed, at least. Where are . . .Wait, are you allowed to answer that?"

"I'm afraid not just yet, although it should be announced sometime later today.  Listen, I can't talk long, I'm sure Father is nearly ready to begin Mass, so I ought to head over to the Chapel shortly. But I wanted to let you know and Jen also--is she still staying with you?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Eilonwy answered, glancing at Jen.

"Excellent! The Earl of Culdi should be contacting you later today, but I wanted a chance to speak with you personally first." There was a pause before she continued, "I'm in need of ladies-in-waiting, but . . . in light of recent events, I would understand if you needed a bit of time to consider first. My location is as secure as it's possible to make it, but there's still some . . . ."

"Yes." Eilonwy beamed. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Sophia giggled. "Well, you could have let me finish my sentence! I've been rehearsing it in my head all morning. If Jen's there, could you please hand her the phone?"

Jennifer took the phone from Eilonwy. "Are you certain an Americian is allowed to serve Your Majesty as a lady-in-waiting?" she asked.

"Only if you promise not to dump my perfectly good darja in your nasty Colonial harbor," the Queen all but purred.

Jen laughed.  "I'm a historian, Ma'am. I'd not miss out on this opportunity for all the world!"




Almost noon
En route to Church of the Holy Cross
City of Rhemuth
December 19, 2021


"You didn't tell her?!" Patrick stared at his wife, who bit her lip, looking flustered.

"No, it completely slipped my mind!" Eilonwy confessed, glancing at Jen. "We were just so happy to hear her voice, and so caught up in the moment . . . ."

"It's really not the sort of news we could break over the phone," Jen added.

Some passers-by walked past them, and in mutual silent accord the three discontinued their conversation until the other pedestrians were out of earshot. "She'll need to be told soon," Patrick informed his wife and house guest quietly as soon as it was safe to resume their conversation. "If an official announcement is supposed to let the public know where she is this afternoon, then it seems likely that the Great and Privy Councillors will be convening there sometime in the next day or two to swear fealty. She needs to be told before that happens, and so does the Duke of Corwyn!"

The excited glow left their faces, making Patrick feel like a heel for spoiling their joy, but there were greater things at stake. "Did she say when she'd be calling for you?"

Eilonwy shook her head. "No, but if you're right, I would imagine very soon. I mean, if everyone else is swearing in, wouldn't we be asked to as well?"

Patrick nodded, feeling somewhat reassured. "And His Grace should be there as well.  All right, that's going to cut quite close, but I suppose if it must wait a little longer, it must. But at your first private moment together, she must be told. Don't forget!"

Blue eyes and brown met his gaze with solemn expressions. "We won't," said Jen.




Earlier that same morning
Marbury Police Headquarters
December 19, 2021


"Yes, I received the sketches DI Montague sent over from Rhemuth," Detective Inspector Mary Hamilton in Marbury told Lady Maureen and Peter. "I'm chuffed there's been a surge of interest in trying to find Colin, don't get me wrong, but can you tell me why Rhemuth PD has taken a sudden interest and why two Deryni civilians are now involved?"

Maureen and Peter exchanged a moment of silent inquiry and decision before Maureen replied to the question. "We can't say for certain at this point, but Colin's disappearance might be at least tangentially related to the attack on Rhemuth Castle. My son-in-law is a DI in Anti-Terrorism, and according to some evidence found at the crime scene Colin's father appears to be the lead suspect in the actual infiltration and bombing, if not necessarily the originator of the plot against the Crown. There is some speculation that Colin might have been abducted to use as leverage to force Lloyd O'Malley to act as he did. If that is the case, then if Colin can be found and can tell us anything about his abductor, that might be of help to Rhemuth PD in solving their case as well."

"I see." DI Hamilton sat back in her chair and studied the pair seated across her desk from her. "And how do you two come into the picture?"

"Well . . . " Maureen gave Peter an uncertain glance. "If I'm going to have nightly nightmares about the boy anyhow, I figured I might as well come here and see if there's any way to help out. I may not be on the police force, Ma'am, but I've served as a consultant from time to time. If you're willing to accept volunteer help from two trained Deryni, that is. I am fairly sure that the boy in my dreams is your missing O'Malley boy, but even if he's not, I get the very strong sense that the child I'm seeing is running out of time."

Hamilton nodded as she considered Maureen's statement. She glanced at Peter. "And you? What's your involvement?"

"I'm Lady Maureen's friend." He smiled at Maureen. "Not to mention her temporary chauffeur and general dogsbody as required."

"I see. Any relation to the Peter Astari who owns the hotel chain?"

Peter inclined his head. "Guilty as charged."

"Interesting." She stroked her chin, studying them both. "I suppose I should be honored to have a duke's daughter and one of Gwynedd's wealthiest tycoons dropping everything to volunteer their services to find a missing boy, but I have one more question for the two of you before I decide whether or not that would be appropriate." She leaned forward, planting both hands on the desk between herself and her visitors. "Who is the man who blew the hell up all over one of my constables early this morning, killing him in the process, and what was he doing trying to break into the O'Malley home?"




Late Morning
Tre-Arilan
December 19, 2021


"What would you say Mr Whitfield's chances are of making a full recovery?" Carbury asked the visiting Healer who had stopped in to check on the patients remaining under his care. "His Lordship would like to know."

Healer Dr Karim Al-Sayid thought back on his examination of Tom Whitfield with a sigh. "I'm afraid he's still got a long road ahead of him. The psychic attack did a great deal of mind damage, and he may never fully recover, though I think he will recover most of his mental functions in time. I really need to consult with Healer O'Flynn on this patient as well as the one at Coroth Castle before I can commit to a more definite prognosis."

"The patient at Coroth, sir?" Carbury raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Not the prisoner?"

"She's both," Karim assured him. "Though that's another matter I will need to consult with O'Flynn about. It seems your home intruder was not acting under her own initiative. At least not entirely her own. There were . . . mitigating circumstances."  Stopping in front of Lady Violet's door, he asked, "Has Healer O'Flynn stopped back by yet this morning?"

"No, I'm fairly certain she is still at Eirian House," Carbury replied. "Her Majesty has gone on to her summer palace for the duration, and Healer O'Flynn accompanied her on the trip over. I believe His Lordship plans on bringing her back presently; he and the Lord Chamberlain are working on re-energizing the Eirian House Transfer Portal this morning, so once that's done, I'll sure they'll both return just as soon as His Lordship is quite certain that neither he nor Miss O'Flynn shall end up stuck in t-space for all time. That would be rather a nuisance, I'm afraid."

Karim laughed. "Yes, I'm certain it would be. Well, please have him ring me when he gets a chance; I need to speak with him about Mrs Whitfield's condition. For that matter, I'm sure Her Majesty would wish to hear the update as well, as it may have some bearing on more than just Tre-Arilan's and the Council Chamber's security. And I also need for O'Flynn to contact me."

"I shall be glad to convey the messages, sir. And as for Lady Violet, sir?"

"Well, let's just see about Lady Violet, shall we?" Healer Dr Karim braced himself before entering his cantankerous patient's door.




Early afternoon
Marbury Castle
December 19, 2021


Lady Alicia Coris was beyond annoyed. Several attempts to call Peter Astari had gone unanswered, as had her attempts to call Lady Maureen. Tom Whitfield was clearly in no shape to show up for a Camberian Council meeting, much less serve as coadjutor in Peter's absence, and Lady Violet had still not been pronounced fit to return to regular duties. Or so at least Alicia gathered, since Karim had left earlier to check on her recovery and had not yet returned to Alicia's lodgings in Marbury, where the two of them tended to spend their rare days off together.

That left only four out of eight Council members possibly available to meet--perhaps five if they were to meet at Lady Violet's bedside, though only if Lord James and Father Devlin could both manage to be excused from Her Majesty's presence long enough to attend if Alicia were to summon them to Council. But without those members present, that left only herself and Elspeth McIntyre to meet together to discuss the important question of the Haldane succession, and that was worse than useless. Not only were two Council Members not a quorum, considering Elspeth's strongly anti-monarchical sentiments the entire meeting would probably consist of little more than the waspish little bitch crowing with glee!

Her phone rang. Alicia checked the screen to see who was calling, and was relieved to see Maureen's number. She answered. "Hello, Maureen! It's about time you called me back. Where are you, and is Peter with you?"

Maureen's reply was as startling as it was unexpected. "Sweet Saint Camber!" Alicia exclaimed. "All right, give me a few minutes; I'll be right there."




Earlier that day
Marbury Police Station
DI Hamilton's office
December 19, 2021


"Who is the man who blew the hell up all over one of my constables early this morning, killing him in the process, and what was he doing trying to break into the O'Malley home?" DI Hamilton asked Peter and Maureen, carefully gauging their reactions to the sudden change of direction in her inquiries.

Both looked completely taken aback. "I'm sorry?" Peter replied first. "What man? Are you saying there was an intruder found at the O'Malley residence?"

"I . . . ." Maureen glanced at Peter, seeming genuinely confused. Peter appeared equally uncomprehending. "We don't have any idea, Ma'am," Maureen answered.

Both suspects turned almost in unison toward the door as they finished answering the question. Hamilton sighed. "You can come in now, MacGregor. They've sensed you out there." She waited for her Deryni colleague to comply, waiting until he'd closed the door behind him and stood leaning against it in a deceptively casual pose before asking him, "How did they Truth-Read?"

"They were telling the truth," DI MacGregor assured her. "At least about that last question. I couldn't very well Truth-Read them on the earlier ones without revealing my presence, but if you want to ask them again . . . ?"

DI Hamilton studied the two visitors carefully before making a judgment call. At last she went with her gut. She was no Deryni, but her instincts usually stood her in good stead. "No, I think they've been leveling with us. And I trust Montague's judgment. If he's sent them to help, then I'm willing to take that at face value."

DI Montague hadn't exactly meant for her to turn up in Marbury, Maureen reflected, though this hardly seemed to be the time to volunteer that information.

"Lady Maureen and Mr Astari," DI MacGregor continued, "I'm afraid that this matter has turned quite a bit more complicated now that we're dealing not just with a missing person and possible homicide, but also with what appears to be a related burglary attempt culminating in a proven homicide. So if you would truly like to help with the O'Malley case, perhaps you can tell us why an Unregistered Deryni might have attempted to gain entry into the O'Malley's home at a time when Mrs O'Malley was away from home, and why--no, never mind why--how his body apparently exploded and left one of our officers dead. Does that MO sound like anything either of you have ever heard of before?"

Maureen, turning pale with horror, shook her head mutely. Peter looked grim. "Your guess is as good as mine as to why he might have tried to break in," he said, "although we had also planned on stopping by the O'Malley home to ask Mrs O'Malley if there might be some toy or article of clothing that we could borrow to help Maureen and I get a better read on Colin. That is, if you don't already happen to have something of his here in the station." Looking at DI MacGregor, he added, "I imagine you've probably tried that already."

"I have," he told them. "I'm actually assigned to Homicide, not Missing Persons, though as a favor to DI Hamilton here, I gave it a go. I picked up several impressions that seem to correlate to the images Lady Maureen sketched, but unfortunately not anything more useful than that."

"Did you try map dowsing?" Maureen asked.

He grimaced. "Tried, yes. Unfortunately my skill in that area is not nearly as finely tuned as our colleague Montague's. I concur with his conclusion that they boy is somewhere between here and Iomaire, though that still covers a pretty wide area. I don't suppose either of you has a particular talent in that area?"

"Hard to say unless we're permitted to try, sir," Maureen replied. "Might we try?"

MacGregor deferred to Hamilton on the decision. "I'm inclined to let you," the Missing Persons detective said, "though let's see if you can answer a few more of DI MacGregor's questions first."

Peter and Maureen turned their attention back to the homicide detective.

"Where were the two of you last night just after midnight?" MacGregor asked, Truth-Reading them openly now.

"At my hotel here in Marbury, in the penthouse suite," Peter supplied.

"Together?"

Maureen's cheeks turned pink. "Not exactly."

"Same suite, different rooms," Peter supplied. "Since you already know we told you the truth about not knowing about your exploding burglar, how is this relevant?"

"Just double-checking. Lady Maureen's answer earlier seems to establish her innocence well enough. I'm afraid the phrasing of your answer made my Reading inconclusive. So let me reiterate, Mr Astari. Do you either know or suspect you know the person who was seen fleeing the O'Malley house last night just after midnight?"

"I do not."

"And you have not heard of any criminals in Rhemuth or elsewhere using this particular form of murder?"

"I can't very well answer that question unless you give me more details about the murder. You said your Unregistered home invader somehow blew up, and that the explosion also killed a police constable. Was the suspect holding a grenade at the time, or did he shoot a gas main? How exactly did he blow up?" Peter returned the Homicide detective's challenging glare.

"I can't release those details at this time," MacGregor said.

"Then how can you expect me to answer the question?"

MacGregor studied him for a long moment, then reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a tiny plastic pouch. Concealing the contents from view, he unsealed one end. "Hold out your hand, Mr Astari."

Peter, his eyes wary, held out one upturned palm. MacGregor emptied out the bag over it.

With a blistering curse, Peter nearly overturned his chair, his face ashen. "You pulled this from the dead constable, didn't you?"

"Yes. Are you an Empath? Sorry." MacGregor's tone failed to quite match the apology.

"Bloody git!" Peter muttered. Turning his hand palm-down over DI Hamilton's desk, he allowed the shard of crystal on it to drop to the desktop. "That's a jerramán crystal, or what's left of one at least. And no, I've not heard of any cases of murder by jerramáni in Rhemuth lately, or even less recently, though admittedly it's been awhile since I've frequented the sorts of circles where I'd be likely to have heard rumors of that sort. I know you've run your criminal through the Registry banks, but have you checked the International Crime Bank as well?"

"We're still waiting on Forensics to come back with enough identifiers from his DNA code to check for a match," MacGregor informed him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'd be looking at someone from a country with a more sophisticated understanding of jerramáni spellwork than most people in Gwynedd possess," Peter said. "Perhaps the Torenthi Federation, or Constantibul. Possibly even Camberia."

Maureen pulled out her phone. "Perhaps Lady Alicia can lend her assistance with expediting those results, Mr MacGregor," she said, looking not at all pleased by the detective's cavalier treatment of Peter. "I believe she's in Marbury this weekend; shall I call her?"




Early afternoon
Eirian House Great Hall
December 19, 2021


Jennifer DeLisle looked around the majestic Great Hall at Eirian House. While it wasn't as large as the Great Hall at Rhemuth Castle, it was still an impressive area despite that with its soaring 13th Century architecture and its spacious interior redecorated in a Neo-Medieval style just a decade earlier.  A sizeable crowd of dignitaries had begun to filter in from the nearer areas of Gwynedd, although not in such numbers that they threatened to overfill the Hall. Jen knew that their numbers would increase significantly by the time of Tuesday's Accession Council.

Eilonwy, duke's granddaughter that she was, appeared remarkably unfazed by the splendor of their surroundings despite her own modest living standards , but Jen felt overwhelmed with awe at the centuries of history she could practically sense emanating from the very walls of the ancient palace, not to mention a bit starstruck by some of the eminent personages she occasionally recognized among the new arrivals.

"Is that the Earl of Culdi I just spotted up near the Royal Dais?" Jen whispered to Eilonwy as her friend peered at the various passers-by around them, apparently seeking someone in particular.

Eilonwy took a quick glance in the direction indicated. "I believe so, yes."

"So, who is it we're looking for?" Jen asked.

"His Grace of Corwyn," Eilonwy answered her. "He's supposed to be meeting us to escort us to Her Majesty."

"Oh, really?" Jen grinned. "I don't suppose the present-day model is anywhere near as dishy as his Kelsonian era counterpart?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to judge for yourself," a voice behind them answered, sounding amused. Jen turned to see a tall man with sandy blond hair working hard to suppress a laugh. "I'm looking for Eilonwy Sheehan Adams and Dr Jennifer DeLisle." With a questioning smile at Eilonwy, he added "You're Lady Maureen's daughter, yes?"

"I am, Your Grace." Eilonwy sank into a graceful curtsey that Jen hoped she would not have to replicate, never having done one before. Some vague memory surfaced about Americians only being expected to offer a handshake or respectful inclination of the head, not being Gwyneddan subjects, and she seized upon the recollection gratefully. Hopefully His Dishyness of Corwyn would settle for the polite nod; she didn't think she could bring herself to shake his hand just yet without expiring on the spot from heart failure.

"It's been a few years since I've seen any of my McLain cousins, but I thought I recognized you." Turning to Jen, he added, "And that would mean you must be the Kelsonian scholar, Dr DeLisle?" A glint of humor lit up his pale green eyes. He extended his hand, to her intense consternation. She clasped it briefly, hoping her palms remained dry and were not disgracing her further. His smile widened. "Is the 7th Duke of Corwyn well known in Americia, then?"

He's doing it on purpose! she suddenly realized. He's enjoying having caught me off guard. The realization helped to ground her, bringing her back to herself like a sudden splash of cold water. Oh, it's on now, sir! She favored him with a dazzling smile back.

"Not especially, I'm afraid. I'm quite in the minority, having always had a bit of a fascination with medieval history and ancient relics, but I fear the average Americian wouldn't know a Duke of Corwyn from a duck."

"Ah." She could almost feel the silent laughter rolling off him in waves. "That reminds me, speaking of things historical, Her Majesty is waiting." He gestured toward a nearby doorway.

The two women followed, Eilonwy shooting Jen a questioning look. Were you meaning to bait the man?

He started it.





Afternoon
Tre-Arilan undercroft
December 19, 2021


"It is good to see you back, my lord," Carbury said as Lord Arilan stepped out of the Transfer Portal with Heather. "And you as well, Healer O'Flynn. Did you wish to check on Mr Whitfield? Healer Dr Al-Sayid stopped in a bit earlier and gave Lady Violet a clean bill of health, so I am afraid you've just missed her."

"Well, darn, so sorry to hear that!" Heather said quite cheerfully, causing the corners of Carbury's lips to quirk upwards almost microscopically.

"The Portal at Eirian House has been re-energized, I see."

"Yes, we got it sorted this morning," James informed him. "Any messages?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, my lord. Healer Dr Al-Sayid requested that you both call him at your earliest opportunity. He would like a second opinion not only on Mr Whitfield's condition and prognosis, but also on Mrs Whitfield's as well."

James glanced at Heather, who looked equally baffled. "On Mrs Whitfield's? Our uninvited visitor who enjoys cooking with acrinious gas?"

Carbury inclined his head. "The same, sir."

"Well, that's interesting. I'll call him at once."

"Shall I bring Healer O'Flynn upstairs to see Mr Whitfield now?"

"Yes, please."

Carbury started to escort Heather to the hidden staircase, though in Mind-Speech he told James privately, The Chief of Intelligence would like for you to track down Lloyd O'Malley's financials at your earliest opportunity. There has been a break in the Rhemuth Castle terrorist case, and Mr Whitfield's hunch about his involvement seems to have been substantiated, but there are still no leads as to who might have hired him. Not knowing when you might be free, I have taken the liberty of beginning that task in your absence.

Thank you, Carbury.


James heard the carved wood paneling at the top of the staircase slide open. As Heather exited onto the ground floor ahead of Carbury, James heard his butler's Mind-Speech once more in his mind.

Ah, yes, I nearly forgot! Lady Alicia Coris called earlier as well.  She asked me to tell you to 'pick up your effing phone.' I may have communicated her message to you a shade more delicately than she conveyed it to me, sir; she seemed rather upset at the time.

That's odd, and not much like Alicia at all. Did she happen to say why?

Not exactly, sir. Something about needing to meet here, but that she 'couldn't get enough together to form a bloody quorum.' It didn't make very much sense at all, I regret to say. But she says it absolutely has to happen before Tuesday, whatever 'it' is.


Before Tuesday. Why before then? The thought of the upcoming Accession Council flitted through James' mind, and he felt his gut clench.

I'll follow up with her immediately. Thank you.



Next chapter:  http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,1591.0.html
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

#1
Quote"I am, Your Grace." Eilonwy sank into a graceful curtsey that Jen hoped she would not have to replicate, never having done one before. Some vague memory surfaced about Americians only being expected to offer a handshake or respectful inclination of the head, not being Gwyneddan subjects, and she seized upon the recollection gratefully. Hopefully His Dishyness of Corwyn would settle for the polite nod; she didn't think she could bring herself to shake his hand just yet without expiring on the spot from heart failure.

OMG,  I have not even finished reading and I had a great laugh over this that I had to comment.   ;D ;D ;D ;D  back to reading.
May your horses have wings and fly!

Evie

Quote from: Laurna on October 02, 2015, 11:00:59 PM
Quote"I am, Your Grace." Eilonwy sank into a graceful curtsey that Jen hoped she would not have to replicate, never having done one before. Some vague memory surfaced about Americians only being expected to offer a handshake or respectful inclination of the head, not being Gwyneddan subjects, and she seized upon the recollection gratefully. Hopefully His Dishyness of Corwyn would settle for the polite nod; she didn't think she could bring herself to shake his hand just yet without expiring on the spot from heart failure.

OMG,  I have not even finished reading and I had a great laugh over this that I had to comment.   ;D ;D ;D ;D  back to reading.

Identifying with Jen there, are you?  ;)
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

#3
Well, I would not have compared the duke to a duck.. OH Dear God, wait....   I have done that misspelling a few times, haven't I.

****Laurna nearly curls into a ball crying--- with laughter.

"Ah... there is his picture...  Dishyness indeed!"

P.S.  I am at home with the flu so I am blaming my stuffy head for this.
May your horses have wings and fly!

Evie

The Duck of Corwyn. Now I'm imagining Morgan (either of them) holding a rubber ducky.  LOL!
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

May your horses have wings and fly!

Shiral

Lots of interesting developments in this chapter! Being Ladies in Waiting will certainly help Eilonwy and Jen empower Sophia. And they can er, help her pick new sofas when Rhemuth Castle is rebuilt.  Am wondering though how Sophia and Morgan will respectively react to Eilonwy and Jen's news about who's daughter Sophia really is. And will the Duck of Corwyn want to nest on the throne?  (Sorry, couldn't resist. Seems Morgans still breed true as to dishyness.)

Hope Colin is found soon! And by the people who actually want to help him. (That is, nobody who is connected to Malcolm.)

Melissa
You can have a sound mind in a healthy body--Or you can be a nanonovelist!

Demercia

Some nice allusions here.  Why would anyone want to throw Darja into a harbour😉
The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

Evie

Quote from: Laurna on October 03, 2015, 12:32:55 AM
I went searching of this image of the "Duck of Corwyn"...
http://www.hdwallpaperscool.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/black-duck-loving-hd-wallpapers-beautiful-desktop-images.jpg

But found this image instead...

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0200/9804/products/luxury-tuffy-duck-bud_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1381444452


P.S. I am still blaming the flu bug for this.

I hope you're feeling a bit better today, Laurna.  I love the black rubber ducky!  Now imagine it with a green gryphon painted on its chest....  :D

Quote from: Shiral on October 03, 2015, 01:33:59 AM
Lots of interesting developments in this chapter! Being Ladies in Waiting will certainly help Eilonwy and Jen empower Sophia. And they can er, help her pick new sofas when Rhemuth Castle is rebuilt.  Am wondering though how Sophia and Morgan will respectively react to Eilonwy and Jen's news about who's daughter Sophia really is. And will the Duck of Corwyn want to nest on the throne?  (Sorry, couldn't resist. Seems Morgans still breed true as to dishyness.)

Hope Colin is found soon! And by the people who actually want to help him. (That is, nobody who is connected to Malcolm.)

Melissa

You'll get to see more about how our two Haldanes react to the unexpected news in the next chapter.  And yes, the Ducks of Corwyn are birds of a feather....  *grinning, ducking, and running*

Quote from: Demercia on October 03, 2015, 02:44:15 AM
Some nice allusions here.  Why would anyone want to throw Darja into a harbour😉

My guess is that some earlier Haldane and/or his governing Council got a little too tax happy . . . .  ;)
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Jerusha

The Duck of Corwyn showed up briefly in St Valentine's Feast.  I almost hated to correct it, 😃

I liked the dialogue between Peter and MacGregor.  I didn't think Peter would take it meekly for very long.

Now I have to start counting the minutes until your next chapter is posted to find out how Her Majesty and His Dishyness react to the news.

One, two, three....
From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggity beasties and things that go bump in the night...good Lord deliver us!

 -- Old English Litany

Laurna

Quote from: Jerusha on October 03, 2015, 04:13:57 PM

Now I have to start counting the minutes until your next chapter is posted to find out how Her Majesty and His Dishyness react to the news.

One, two, three....

I am so counting right along with you, Jerusha.
I have the idea that neither our good Doctor nor His Dishyness  ;D truly want this responsibility, but both are raised to do what is best for the Kingdom. Interesting dilemma.
May your horses have wings and fly!

Evie

Quote from: Jerusha on October 03, 2015, 04:13:57 PM

I liked the dialogue between Peter and MacGregor.  I didn't think Peter would take it meekly for very long.


No, those two alpha males started butting heads almost the same moment they found themselves in a room together. Not exactly a planned thing on my part, but I just went with it, curious to see where it would lead.  ;D

Quote from: Laurna on October 03, 2015, 04:39:25 PM
Quote from: Jerusha on October 03, 2015, 04:13:57 PM

Now I have to start counting the minutes until your next chapter is posted to find out how Her Majesty and His Dishyness react to the news.

One, two, three....

I am so counting right along with you, Jerusha.
I have the idea that neither our good Doctor nor His Dishyness  ;D truly want this responsibility, but both are raised to do what is best for the Kingdom. Interesting dilemma.


If Sophia never expected to inherit a throne, imagine how Morgan must feel about the prospect! (Not to mention he also has his Ducal responsibilities to take care of.)
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!