Out of Character (OOC) Thread

[Evie]

Looks like the usurping Drapers are going to be out of Meara by dawn

Given that the "Drapers" are all in Laas right now, I doubt that, but Rory and Noelie will be annoyed at not being able to return home from their family celebration as quickly as planned.

[revanne]

You're welcome.

[HoundMistress]

So many threads to weave together! Can't wait to see what happens next!

[DesertRose]

Because it was bugging my brain, Kelric and Columcil are second cousins, once removed.  Kelric's father (Alaric) and Columcil's grandfather (Duncan) are first cousins, since their mothers were sisters (and twins no less), so Dhugal and Kelric are second cousins, because their fathers are/were first cousins.  Columcil being Dhugal's son (albeit from the wrong side of the blanket) adds a generation of remove between himself and His Grace of Corwyn.

[DerynifanK]

What a beautiful  interaction between  Kelric and Columcil, a comfort to both. Whether Dhugal ever finds out, Columcil does have a source of support  and I'M sure this has done much to calm his fears. And perhaps it will give  support  and comfort  to Kelric too, just lovely , sigh...

[DesertRose]

It was indeed a lovely scene between the two.

I can feature Dhugal being upset if/when he finds out that Columcil is his son, if for no other reason than that he would have acknowledged and directly supported Columcil as he grew up had Dhugal but known Columcil existed; I can see him feeling like he missed out on Columcil's childhood, rather the way that Duncan felt when they all found out that Dhugal was his and Maryse's son.

I can't really see Dhugal behaving any other way; though he might seem angry at first, it would be anger that he never knew that he had this son, which is not remotely Columcil's fault.  The Duke of Cassan might have some choice words for his own father, though! 

[DerynifanK]

So true.

[Demercia]

Yes I can envisage Dhugal being annoyed with Duncan.   And some muttering when he realises that he has a priest for a son as well as one for a father 😀

[Laurna]

I think Kelric is much relieved to discover Father Columcil's origins. That is one mystery solved and one more man he realizes he can trust. Columcil's actions have already proven that he is worthy, this just solidifies the Duke's good opinion of a man who is now family. Kelric may just wonder how it was that his younger brother seems to have missed the clues. Washburn had reveled to Kelric how he sensed a familiarity between Columcil's magic to that of Uncle Duncan, but had put it down to the one training the other. Not to a blood inheritance.  Kelric will wonder what will happen if Washburn figures it out. He is certain his brother has enough integrity to also keep the secrete. Besides those two have become friends.

Revanne thank you for the lovely interlude.

[revanne]

I don't think that Duncan is to be blamed for not telling Dhugal, as it was not his secret to tell. Columcil's mother had never revealed who his father was, and only did so when it became clear that Columcil had a calling to priesthood and asking the local priest to reveal his true parentage to Duncan was the only way, or at any rate the best way, of getting the bar of his illegitimacy overridden.  Duncan never met Columcil's mother - she would no more have thought of approaching a man of Duncan's status than fly to the moon - and he did not have her permission to share the secret with anyone else. The fact that he insisted that Columcil be told was technically in breach of the seal but one that he felt was owed in justice to Columcil. Columcil's mother is now dead, and I think that Duncan will feel that it is down to Columcil whether Dhugal is told. Columcil will feel himself bound by his oath to Duncan. At the time of Duncan's original decision he also acted to protect Dhugal (as indeed did Columcil's mother) not knowing whether Columcil might cause, or try to cause, trouble for Dhugal. Having kept an eye on Columcil over the years, and especially having Washburn and Kelric's estimation of his character, that fear will have been assuaged, but whether or not it would be helpful for either Dhugal and Columcil to have their relationship revealed at this late stage is another matter. Hopefully they will not just bump into each other without any warning.

I'm also not sure whether the comparison with Maryse holds as had things gone differently she and Duncan would have been openly married and Dhugal their legitimate son. Columcil's conception was the result of Dhugal's seduction by a girl far below his social standing, and who lied to him about the chances of her becoming pregnant. Whether she had hoped to entrap the young laird of Transha, or whether it was a chance roll in the hay which she didn't want to miss out on, became irrelevant once Kelson appeared at Transha and Dhugal's obvious renewed friendship and blood-brotherhood with the king took him for ever out of her reach even before his true birthright was revealed.

If Dhugal ever find out, (I have no idea at this stage) it will surely be her that he is angry with, although it is unlikely that he even remembers her or the occasion. By her lights though she was loyal to him and had no wish to either embarrass him or expected anything from him.

[revanne]

Thanks DR for working out the precise relationship between Columcil and Kelric, which I gave up on (and cheated by having Kelric give up on it too).

Laurna, I don't think that Washburn knows Dhugal anything like as well as Kelric does. Because Duncan and Alaric fathered their sons at such different ages, although Dhugal is technically the same generation as Kelric and Washburn he is old enough to be even Kelric's father. I would imagine that when Kelric suddenly and traumatically became Duke of Corwyn Dhugal would have taken him under his wing and they would have become very close, a closeness not available to Washburn. So although Washburn picks up something he cannot as easily place it as Kelric. Also it is the informal, at ease Dhugal that Columcil most reminds Kelric of, and again Kelric is more likely to see Dhugal "out of Duke" than Washburn is.

[revanne]

Oh dear. Not the best idea Lord Jaxom has ever had.

[DesertRose]

Thanks DR for working out the precise relationship between Columcil and Kelric, which I gave up on (and cheated by having Kelric give up on it too).

Laurna, I don't think that Washburn knows Dhugal anything like as well as Kelric does. Because Duncan and Alaric fathered their sons at such different ages, although Dhugal is technically the same generation as Kelric and Washburn he is old enough to be even Kelric's father. I would imagine that when Kelric suddenly and traumatically became Duke of Corwyn Dhugal would have taken him under his wing and they would have become very close, a closeness not available to Washburn. So although Washburn picks up something he cannot as easily place it as Kelric. Also it is the informal, at ease Dhugal that Columcil most reminds Kelric of, and again Kelric is more likely to see Dhugal "out of Duke" than Washburn is.

You're very welcome.  The exact degree of cousin-ship doesn't really add anything particularly to that scene or the story in general (as far as Kelric is concerned, Columcil is an honorable man and a cousin, and thus he's in Kelric's good books likely to stay, and as far as Columcil is concerned, His Grace of Corwyn is an honorable and noble [in both birth and conduct] man and a cousin, and Kelric is likewise in Columcil's good books there to stay--and that's the important part, which is well established by, "Eh, we're cousins of some degree"), but I'm pedantic like that and wanted to sort it out! 

And no, you're right, the situation between Dhugal, Duncan, Columcil, and Columcil's late mother isn't very like the situation a few decades earlier regarding Duncan, Maryse, Caulay and Adreana, and Dhugal himself, except that Duncan didn't know he had a son at all until that son was a young adult, and now Dhugal has a son he doesn't know exists who is now middle-aged.

In the event that Columcil's parentage becomes known, I can still see Dhugal being a bit upset with Duncan, because Duncan knew and didn't tell him, even though Duncan had plenty of very good reasons not to tell Dhugal.  Emotions aren't very logical sometimes. 

[DesertRose]

Oh dear. Not the best idea Lord Jaxom has ever had.

My thought was, "Someone bit off more than he can chew, and it wasn't Darcy!" 

[DerynifanK]

Way to go Darcy! Think Jaxsom made a really bad choice  trying to spy on Aliset. He really needs to grow up before he ends up in a dangerous  situation  he can't get out of