The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

FanFiction => Evie's FanFic => Visionaries => Topic started by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 09:04:10 AM

Title: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 09:04:10 AM
   Chapter Ten

   Rhemuth Castle
   September 6, 1136—late evening


   "Didn't I tell you you'd done everything properly?" Duncan teased Helena after Master Janos took his leave of them, stepping onto the Transfer Portal with his apprentice and returning to the Torenthi Court.  "But of course you wouldn't take it from me."

   "Of course not," Helena replied with a smile.  "You've not had much more experience with eye injuries than I have, for all that you've used your Healing powers for far longer.  It was a relief to hear Master Janos confirm that that I did well, though.  I'll have to send word back to Da and Hal that the clouded vision is merely a temporary setback."  She glanced at the entrance to the main Library.  "Do you suppose Father John is up this late?"

   Duncan considered the question.  "Awake?  Most likely.  In the Library?"  He cast his senses to the room beyond the Annex's secret entrance.  "No," he said after a moment, "I don't feel him nearby.  I had sent him word earlier on that I'd walk Master Janos back to the Annex tonight, so he might have decided to leave a little early and steal away to his room for a private hour or two spent poring over one of those ancient Gabrilite texts that Brother Everard finished copying for him last week."  

   Helena glanced at him, a delighted smile on her face.  "A fresh copy?  Will it be available for public viewing soon?"

   The rector laughed.  "I should never have told you.  Now I'll have to compete with some long dead Gabrilite for your free moments."  He glanced back over his shoulder at the Transfer Portal stone.  "As much as I'd prefer to just spend the next hour or two here alone with you, I suppose we should head back towards the Basilica.  We could just Portal back, of course, though it's a nice enough night to walk back the way we came.  Or we could take the hidden passage back, though I can understand if you'd prefer not to."

   "Is there some reason Master Janos doesn't use the Transfer Portal in your study?" Helena asked.  "It would be more convenient."

   Duncan nodded.  "It would.  But this Portal is more secure, not to mention it's already known to King Liam-Lajos and Count Matyás.  Kelson would rather not give the Torenthi Court any more Portal locations within the Castle perimeter, even if we do happen to be allied with the current regime.  There's no way to speak for the next generation or the one after, and the Annex Portal has better protections built into it."  He shrugged.  "Kelson and I have briefly discussed the possibility of creating an additional Portal someplace in the City that's convenient to the southern gatehouse, if the Schola should grow enough to warrant having an additional Portal nearby for students needing the convenience.  That would allow for Portal travel in a location that doesn't compromise the castle's security or require people to pop into the Cathedral sacristy unexpectedly at odd moments—Archbishop Cardiel would hardly thank us for that!"

   Helena pondered the idea.  "Would it be a private Portal, with the location shared only with our scholars and their families, or would it be made available for public use?"

   Duncan leaned back against a bookshelf, chuckling.  "I have no idea, sweeting.  You're thinking a lot further ahead than either of us did.  It was a very brief conversation, and the subject was barely touched upon." He paused, considering both options.  "I would imagine Kelson would want to keep it private at first.  Perhaps later, once we're certain that anti-Deryni sentiment has died down enough to prevent any sort of uproar from the public over a more openly-used Portal, he might consider making it available for more general use.  The Privy Council might want to have a say in the matter as well, if things ever reach the point where that option's on the table for consideration."  He straightened, offering her his arm to lead her back through the Annex entrance and into the main library.  "Shall we stroll back through the gardens and parklands, then?"

   Helena took his arm, feeling a warm glow from his earlier casual endearment, though she shook her head at the question.  "Actually, if you don't mind, let's go back by way of the wall passage."  At his surprised look, she added, "I know what to expect this time, and I'll keep well shielded when we pass that point of the passage."

   "All right. I suppose that route is less likely to draw unwanted attention as well."  Duncan extended his shields to envelop Helena as well, leading her through the barrier between Annex and Royal Library.  As they walked past the curtained garderobe in its niche and emerged in the main Library, Helena stifled a laugh.  

   "It's probably just as well John's locked up the Library for the night.  Imagine what some late-night book browser might think of us both leaving a garderobe together!"

   Duncan grinned.  "I don't need to imagine; that's how Sophie discovered the Annex, only on that occasion it was me, John, and the King all walking out from behind the curtain! "  He sent her a brief image of Sophie's astonished face, causing Helena to clap her free hand over her mouth to hold back a burst of laughter.  "Thank God it was Sophie; I can't imagine what sort of cover story we'd have had to come up with on the spot otherwise!"  He selected the Library key from the ring he carried and unlocked the outer door, allowing Helena into the corridor and following her out before turning to lock it again.

   You could do that with your powers just as easily, Helena Mind-Spoke as she watched him secure the chamber.

   I could, but if someone were to round the corner just at that moment, locking the door with a key wouldn't attract undue notice.  People tend to assume the worst of one's intentions if they see powers they don't understand being used casually.
  Here in the main part of the Castle, the two kept a discreet distance apart as they walked down the corridor towards the nearest hidden entrance to the secret passageway leading beyond the royal apartments and through the Castle's curtain wall to its far exit at the Basilica's courtyard.

   At the end of the corridor, Duncan glanced around briefly to ensure no one else was in sight.  After assuring himself of their privacy, he sketched a glyph in the air, and a section of wall slid to one side just enough to admit them entry.  Helena entered before him, taking a few tentative steps into the dark passage before cupping her hand and creating handfire.  The secret door silently slid back into its original position once Duncan stepped through.

   Duncan created handfire of his own once the door had closed, sending it drifting slowly down the corridor just ahead of them to light their way forward.  "Curious about the hidden passageways, are you?  Or did you just wish to avoid prying eyes?" he asked once they were assured of their privacy again.

   Her cheeks turned pink in the pale silvery light of his handfire.   She doused her own, finding it redundant now that he'd sent his glowing orb forward to illuminate the passageway for them both.  "A little of both, actually." She glanced around at their surroundings.  "Sometime when I'm not ready to drop dead from exhaustion, I'd love to explore them more.  Sophie said she's mapped all the secret access corridors."

   "Not all, but most, yes."  Duncan's smile grew at Helena's surprised look.  "She may have missed one or two; a few access points and side-passages are very well warded.  Kelson doesn't want all his secrets known, even among those of us he knows and trusts."  He began to lead the way down the narrow passage, taking Helena's hand once they reached a slippery patch of stone.  "We're coming close to the stairs, so mind your step."

   Helena did so, tightening her shields as well, for they were swiftly approaching the area where Tiercel had once met his unexpected end, and she had begun to pick up some resonances of those energies as they drew closer to it.  She spent the next couple of minutes focusing on keeping her mind off the Deryni teacher's death and firmly on keeping her footing as she negotiated the curved staircase, breathing a lot more easily once they were on level ground again and several yards beyond the spot where Tiercel's body had lain after Prince Conall's unexpected betrayal of his tutor in the magical arts.  She tentatively relaxed her shields again, and sensing that they had passed the worst of the lingering taint, sent a tentative mental probe Duncan's way.

   He smiled back, his own shields relaxing to allow a light link to form between them, allowing each other access to surface-level emotions and thoughts.

   "I hope the dressing down that you mentioned His Grace giving you this morning wasn't too severe?" Helena said quietly.

   Duncan shrugged.  "Not unduly so."  He shared his memory of Alaric's private conversation with him in his study earlier that day, leaving out only the parts of it in which Alaric alluded to having bonded with Richenda while she was still married to Bran Coris, which Duncan assumed his cousin had meant him to keep in strictest confidence even though that revelation hadn't been shared under the seal of the confessional.
 
   Helena stopped briefly, staring at him in surprise.  "Do you agree with him?  About...."  She fought down a blush.  "About us sharing a deeper level of rapport, I mean.  Is that...do you want that?"

   He gave her a wistful smile.  "I've hardly had any time since then to give the matter any serious thought, to be honest."  He leaned against one of the stone walls, studying her.  "I suspect it might be a little premature, though, sharing rapport at that deep a level.  After all, I'm still working on trying to get past the idea that I can have feelings for a woman without...."

   "Without worrying about something happening to her?" Helena questioned softly.

   He gave her a startled look.  "Well, actually I was thinking more along the lines of lightning striking me dead, and more by way of a jest than any serious fears of that actually happening.  But I could hardly blame you if you're worried about what might happen to you if our relationship grows any closer, given my history.  Are you?"

   Helena shook her head.  "No, not really.  I suppose if I had any intention of trying to steal you from God's service or tempting you into forsaking your vows, I might have cause for more concern, but I haven't."  She looked up at him.  "You're not worried that you caused your wife's death by turning aside from your vocation in order to marry her, are you?"

   Duncan took her hand in his again, stroking the back of it lightly with his thumb as he frowned slightly, briefly lost in thought.  "Not anymore.  I did wonder for quite a long while, though, when I was younger, even though it wasn't a deliberate turning aside from my calling.  At the time, I was far less certain about it than I am now, and my vows weren't final."  

   "I thought not."  Her blue eyes locked with his.  "Though later, once you did enter holy orders, you were less free in your options, yet you still found enough room in your life to allow another woman into it.  Were you in love with your anamchara, or was that never more than a close friendship?"

   "Jesú, you're direct, sweeting!"  Duncan glanced away, searching for the best way to explain that complex relationship.  Words seemed inadequate to the task.  At last he ventured, "It was more than friendship between us, but as to whether or not it was love...well, yes, I suppose it was love, though I wasn't exactly in love with her.  There was a bit of attraction earlier on, when my heart was still trying to make sense of what I felt for her.  But I wasn't in love with her in the same way that I was once in love with Maryse, at any rate, if that makes sense.  It's like...."  He cast about for the proper words to express his thoughts again.  "I love my son with all of my heart, as I once loved his mother.  I also loved Catriona that fully, as I love my grandson by her now, but I loved her—and Duncan Michael—in a far different way from my love for either Dhugal or Maryse.  And Sophie Arilan, as you once noted, I love as the daughter I never had the chance to sire.  Every love is different for me, including mine for you." He brought her hand up to lay a tender kiss upon her fingertips.  "And of course, above all of those other loves is the first and foremost One I've vowed to serve."

   "Yes."  Helena glanced at their clasped hands.  "I won't prove a detriment to that, I hope?"

   "No.  An occasional distraction, perhaps, while we work out proper boundaries.  I'm still a man despite also being a priest, after all, and the natural instincts of both don't always peacefully coincide.  It's possible I might make a misstep along the way from time to time, though hopefully without wandering off the right path altogether."  He grinned.  "It does help that you're not hell-bent on luring me off that path completely and having your wicked way with me."

   She averted her eyes, though he sensed her silent laughter through the shallow link between them.  "I suppose I should send my new Nur Hallaji dancing costumes straight back to the merchant, then?" she joked.

   Duncan laughed out loud, not bothering to hide his amusement here in the privacy of the secret passage.  "Jesú, Elen my heart, don't even joke about that!  You have no idea what sort of dreams I'm likely to be plagued with tonight if I get that image set in my head, and I'm officiating the early Mass tomorrow morning."  He shook his head with a wry grin.  "Believe me, a chuisle, you've nearly stopped my heart often enough even in your simple gray woolen robes and bleached linen."

   They continued on, negotiating the steep set of stairs near the end of the passageway until they reached the bottom.  Duncan reached out to touch the stud that activated the doorway on that end, but stopped, extending his senses beyond it to see if anyone else was nearby.  He glanced back at Helena.  "Are you heading back to your chamber now?"

   "Yes.  Aren't you?"

   A mischievous twinkle lurked in his eyes as he answered, "Heading to your chamber?  No.  I imagine Sister Therese would toss me out on my ear if I did."

   Helena laughed.  "She'd be more likely to drag you inside and throw nubile young maidens at you in hopes you'll breed more Healers for the Kingdom, but I meant aren't you heading back to yours?"

   He shook his head.  "I need to stop by my study first.  But it's probably better that we part ways here.  Shall I see you at Mass tomorrow?"

   She gave him a pained look.  "The early Mass?  Duncan, I'm exhausted!  After the fatigue-banishing spell I needed to get through Master Janos's lesson tonight, I think I'm going to need to lie in tomorrow morning and catch Father Shandon's Mass instead."

   He chuckled.  "Later in the morning, then.  Or sometime in the afternoon, if you prefer, Mistress Slug-abed."  He dodged the playful swat she directed at him, casting his senses outward once more before pressing the door stud.  They stepped out together into the cool starry night.

#

   Rhemuth Castle—Royal Chapel
   September 7, 1136


   Lady Ædwige surreptitiously peeked through her sheer black veil at the handsome young Earl across the chapel aisle from her, his red-gold hair reverently bowed as Father John led his congregants in prayer.   Lady Briony had invited Ædwige to join her in attending Mass in the Royal Chapel that morning with Queen Araxie's other ladies-in-waiting, as the Queen had graciously consented to young Briony extending an invitation to her newly-returned friend to join their company during the morning's devotions, and Ædwige's heart had leaped at the chance to form new acquaintances within the Royal Court.  Oh, she was quite fond of Briony herself as well, despite the few years that separated them in age, but it was quite handy that the girl happened to be a Duke's daughter.  And not just any Duke's, but the King's Champion himself.  No, Ædwige would probably have gone out of her way to cultivate Briony's friendship even if the girl weren't so likable, but fortunately spending time with the eldest Morgan daughter was no hardship.

   Nor was gazing upon Briony's older stepbrother at all painful to her eyes, Ædwige reflected, keeping her thoughts discreetly hidden beneath adamantine shields.  The prayer ended, and Earl Brendan looked up, not in her direction of course, but at Father John, paying heed to whatever the King's chaplain was nattering on about now.  She'd lost track, merely going through the motions of the service by rote, far too distracted by the novelty of being invited to attend a Mass in the Royal Chapel among such highborn company to pay proper attention to the service.  

   She vaguely remembered that Sir Brendan been knighted the previous Twelfth Night and had come into his earldom at that time as well.  She'd missed those festivities, of course; Papa had been tiresome enough to call her home to prepare for her marriage to Sir Gilrae before the Christmas Season had even ended.  While everyone in Rhemuth had been celebrating the Twelfth Night festivities, she'd been en route back to Jenas, dissolving into tears at every stop along the way, although her sire had remained unmoved, damn his hide!  "I know you're upset about having to leave your Schola, pet," he'd told her, "but you'll thank me for this someday.  Sir Gilrae's an excellent catch—he'll leave you well provided for—and once you've given him a son or two, I'm sure he'll let you play at being a scholar again.  He seems like an indulgent sort."  Six months of marriage to Gilrae hadn't given Ædwige any greater appreciation of the old lecher than she'd had when they'd first wed, nor did she give a rat's arse about being any sort of scholar, but the waste of time she could have spent gaining more precious training in the use of her Deryni powers—that had been most maddening of all.  Though he had left her well enough off in the end, for a mere knight.  She'd have enough dowry now to attract a better husband when she chose to.  If she chose to.  She supposed she'd have to someday, even if the thought of letting another man paw at her like Gilrae had done filled her with shamed disgust.

   She spared another peek at the handsome young Earl across the aisle.  Perhaps, though, it might not be quite so bad with the right husband.  She'd enjoyed kisses and caresses well enough after all, when she'd allowed herself to be lured into the dark corners of the cloister walk last summer by Lord Sivney, the Queen's younger half-brother.  Now that had been quite the adventure, sneaking off with Siv late at night after she was supposed to have been sound asleep in the dormitorium, using their powers to steal away under cover of darkness, whispering and stifling their laughter to avoid getting caught.  And they hadn't been, although they'd come close to it once, and Sivney had had to stop just when things were about to get more interesting.  She hadn't been certain what he'd been up to at the time, just that it had felt quite nice and that she'd wanted to learn more.  She suspected, now that she'd experienced marriage, that she could make an educated guess at what he'd intended to try to sweet-talk her into that summer night.  Surely it would have to be more pleasant with someone like Sivney or Brendan, though, wouldn't it?  Else why would any widow remarry, once she knew what the marital chore was all about?

   Unless, of course, one's next husband were rich and titled enough. Ædwige supposed that could keep a woman well content enough to put up with all that nocturnal prodding and grunting, the mess and discomfort and embarrassment of it all.  And maybe even that act might be bearable enough with the right man.  After all, Sir Gilrae's kisses had never given her that pleasurable flutter deep in her belly that Sivney's had, or that she imagined that Earl Brendan's would also, if he ever kissed her.  Just imagining his lips on hers made her heart pound faster!

   Maybe she could make him want to offer for her.  Wouldn't an Earl be a fine trophy to bring home to Eddington once her studies were completed?   Though she supposed it wouldn't be to Eddington she'd be returning, but to Marley.  Ædwige allowed herself to daydream about what it might be like to be the Countess of Marley.  True, it was a devilish long way from the Court, but surely he had a Transfer Portal there by now, so she could return to Rhemuth whenever she liked.   And she'd have Briony for a sister, too.  Though Briony was soon approaching marriageable age herself, and there was no telling who the Duke of Corwyn intended to give her to, or whether she'd end up living nearby or somewhere clear across the Kingdom.  Still, there'd be Christmas and Easter Courts to look forward to, assuming Briony's future husband allowed her to make regular visits to Rhemuth.  Ædwige was certain Earl Brendan would be reasonable enough to allow her to do so, especially once she discovered what entreaties and inducements would make him most amenable to wifely persuasion.  She'd discovered Sir Gilrae's susceptibilities easily enough, after all.  All she'd had to do was lie still for him while he worked at getting an heir, and murmur encouragements that sickened her now to think about, and he became as sweet and biddable as any woman could hope for the next day.  She'd worked that to her advantage several times.  It had gotten her a visit to Concaradine on market day, hadn't it?

   Then again, Brendan Coris was still a mostly unknown factor in her plans.  What if she couldn't catch his eye?  She'd not have to work as hard to recapture Lord Sivney's interest, having caught his attention once already, and he was the half-brother of a Queen and nephew to the Hort of Orsal, after all.  Not such a bad catch, if one looked at him that way, even if he was nothing more than a baron's heir.  He'd have influence in two Royal Courts, and as his Baroness, so might she.

   Earl Brendan was handsomer, though, and he'd been so gallant two evenings ago when she'd gotten to know him better during those far too brief minutes in the Basilica courtyard.  She'd seen him before, of course, and had known who he was, but that had been the first time she'd had an opportunity to actually carry on a conversation with the young man, and he'd been charming.  She struggled not to laugh as one of the witty observations he'd shared that night popped into her mind again unbidden.   He'd been there to escort Briony, of course, not to visit her, but he'd been as delightfully attentive to his sister's friend as he'd been diligently protective of young Briony.   It was clear there was a great deal of affection between the two.  She snuck another peek at him, frowning in thought.  Would he mind that she was carrying another man's son?  Or might he think that was a benefit?  Maybe he'd actually prefer a wife who already knew what he was about the first time he bedded her.  True, younger men usually sought out virgin brides, but perhaps there was some way she could turn her loss of innocence to her advantage.  It's not as if she could somehow undo it after all.  Her child by Gilrae would inherit Eddington, so it wasn't as if he'd be any threat to his own firstborn son's inheritance.  No, if she set things up right, she could probably manage to convince him that she'd make a better bride for him than some untried little maiden.  After all, he'd need an heir for Marley someday, and she was undeniably fertile.  And if he balked at raising her late husband's heir, well, she could always send the boy and his nursemaid back to Eddington Manor once he was old enough to foster out.  His uncle could see to his knightly training, and Martin Steward could teach him how to manage his inheritance well enough, probably even better than she could, when it came right down to it.  He was used to handling all that tedious stuff.

   Briony stood, glancing questioningly at Ædwige, and with a start the young widow realized it was time for the Blessed Sacrament.  Did she dare partake of it with unconfessed sin on her conscience?  Not that she felt particularly contrite, nor could she bring herself to feel that she'd really done much of anything wrong; certainly she'd done nothing but perhaps speed along something that was bound to happen anyway.  But still, Father Lars, her father's chaplain, had spent countless hours expounding on the nearly endless list of sins he proclaimed as deserving of the hottest fires of Hell if not repented of straightaway, hoping to scare her into piety if he couldn't win her to faithful devotion in some gentler way, so she hesitated now, afraid.  Meeting Briony's puzzled gaze, she mimed a distressed look, clapping a hand to her mouth as if suddenly feeling ill.  It was only half a lie; in the uncertainty of that moment, her stomach had started to rebel, making her feel queasy.

   Briony gave her a sympathetic smile, looking as if she wanted to say something, perhaps offer her assistance, but the lady seated on the other side of her moved into the aisle, genuflecting before heading towards the altar, and Briony followed suit behind her.  Ædwige paused briefly to sketch a hasty genuflection towards the front of the chapel before rushing out of the chapel to lose her breakfast down the nearest garderobe shaft.


Chapter Eleven:  http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php?topic=817.0 (http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php?topic=817.0)
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Elkhound on January 13, 2012, 10:19:54 AM
I hope something decidedly unpleasant happens to that scheming little b___; seeing her get her comeuppance will be most satisfying.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 10:36:20 AM
*chuckle*  I hope you mean Ædwige rather than Helena!   ;)  But yes, she'll eventually discover that the universe doesn't really revolve around her, as much as she'd like to think that it does.   :D
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: AnnieUK on January 13, 2012, 12:28:40 PM
LOL at the Nur Hallaji dancing girl costumes!

I'd like to think that Brendan at least is sharp enough to spot a gold-digger when he sees one. His stepfather will have dodged a fair few in his time and I'm sure he's had a word or two with the lad along the way.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Jerusha on January 13, 2012, 12:53:02 PM
Whew!  Spending several paragraph's inside of Ædwige's mind is an unsettling experience! :o

Brendan may see through the little golddigger, but Briony is about to learn a rough lesson about true friendship.  While I am also looking forward to seeing Ædwige get what she deserves, I wonder what will become of her son?

It's nice to see the relationship between Helena and Duncan developing so well and honestly.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 01:33:40 PM
Good question, Jerusha.  Sometimes when the guilty get what they deserve, the innocent suffer.   :(

And if you think the inside of Ædwige's mind is unsettling now...heh, just wait a few more chapters!   ;D

This is the last glimpse of the Helena/Duncan relationship we'll see for a while, as the storyline's focus starts to center more on Ædwige.  And yes, Annie, Brendan's a fairly smart cookie, and I'm sure he's learned well from his stepfather.  But then again, sometimes it takes a little longer to be certain of a young lady's true character when one doesn't have the benefit we've got of being able to see her from the inside....  (Well, not without breaking all sorts of Deryni ethical standards of practice, anyway, and I'm pretty sure Ædwige would have well-developed shields.  She'd need them....)  :D
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Alkari on January 13, 2012, 03:25:12 PM
Aedwifge's such a "charming" little piece, isn't she?  :(   

QuoteBriony is about to learn a rough lesson about true friendship.
Yes @ Jerusha's comment.  Alas, I strongly suspect that Aedwige's little son and Briony will not be the only ones who get hurt along the way.

Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Elkhound on January 13, 2012, 03:52:00 PM
Quote from: Alkari on January 13, 2012, 03:25:12 PM
Aedwifge's such a "charming" little piece, isn't she?  :(   

Her son can become a Royal Ward and istalled in the nursery; Aedwidge will be sent off to a convent in the back of beyond with a good large donation to the Reverend Mother for her trouble and instructions to be sure that everything she eats and drinks be dosed with Mersha to prevent any jiggery-pokery.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Alkari on January 13, 2012, 05:02:02 PM
I hardly think her son is of sufficient rank to get installed in the royal nursery!  As Aedwige's scheming little mind notes, she is only the widow of a mere knight, so I would assume that His Majesty would ensure that Sir Gilrae's brother (or some other suitable knight) would be given the wardship and care of the child.   
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: bronwynevaine on January 13, 2012, 07:44:55 PM
I wouldn't trust Gilrae's brother to care for his nephew. He'd gain too much from the child's death.

Aedwige's planned pursuit of Sivney and Brendan makes Oksana's pursuit of Brion and Nigel rather tame. They should be sent away for their own protection.

For the sake of the story, I hope it's later rather than sooner. Aedwige would allow a young man more intimacy than would a well-bred maiden...and she's neither!

I'd hate to be either of those young men if they were caught. She'd be too devious to blame herself and they'd be too gentlemanly to blame her. They'd not soon forget the dressings-down from Alaric, Kelson, Richenda, Araxie et al. Especially if the responsible adults had not yet realized what a scheming little A-witch the young widow is!
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: derynifanatic64 on January 13, 2012, 08:24:29 PM
However, our favorite young widow has only 1 thought on her mind at the moment.  That poor garderobe deserves better.  That garderobe needs to hire a lawyer and sue for damages.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 09:51:58 PM
Quote from: derynifanatic64 on January 13, 2012, 08:24:29 PM
However, our favorite young widow has only 1 thought on her mind at the moment.  That poor garderobe deserves better.  That garderobe needs to hire a lawyer and sue for damages.

ROFL!!!  ;D
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Alkari on January 13, 2012, 10:08:58 PM
Aedwige had better hope that her morning sickness is very temporary and doesn't interfere too much with her 'activities'.   I doubt that she would consider it to be a suitable aphrodisiac for attracting handsome young high-ranking single males ... :D 



Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Evie on January 13, 2012, 10:10:24 PM
Quote from: bronwynevaine on January 13, 2012, 07:44:55 PM
I wouldn't trust Gilrae's brother to care for his nephew. He'd gain too much from the child's death.

While that's true enough on the surface of things, exactly the same thing could be said of Nigel, another second son whose nephew inherited instead of himself.  And yet if something had happened to Brion while Kelson was a baby, I doubt Nigel would have been any less loyal to his infant liegelord.  How well Gilrae's brother can be trusted depends entirely on his character, which may well be of equally sterling quality as Nigel's. We've not met him yet, so at this point, who can say?  Well, AEdwige might not trust him or his wife, but that could well be more a reflection on her character and expectations than on his....
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Alkari on January 13, 2012, 10:20:43 PM
In addition to love and dedication such as Nigel's, I guess it could also depend on whether Sir Gilrae's brother has children of his own.  If he and his wife are childless, or perhaps only have daughter(s), then they may be very happy to raise Aedwige's son.   

Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: AnnieUK on January 14, 2012, 04:08:15 AM
I also got the impression from Nigel that he genuinely didn't want the crown and all the trappings that went with it. And let's face it, as Duke of Carthmoor he's hardly keeping the wolves from the door, is he? 

I'd say the situation is more akin to Seisyll/Sextus (at least pre Sextus marrying up), since Sextus wasn't well off and would have benefitted financially from Seisyll's line suddenly and unexpectedly dying out. Not that Sextus would have done anything either, but just a closer comparison I think.
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: bronwynevaine on January 14, 2012, 12:50:34 PM
I believe Gilrae's brother has children, his wife offered Aedwige the services of his midwife. Not sure if there's an heir or "only daughters" (LOL Alkari). Either way, I don't credit them with Nigel's honor and loyalty. Sextus is honorable and loyal, albeit slightly tarnished. He'd much rather his brother and nephew be the respectable ones! Gilrae's brother shouldn't harm the child for the sake of vengeance or inheritance, but...
Title: Re: Visionaries--Part Two--Chapter Ten
Post by: Elkhound on January 16, 2012, 08:51:48 AM
Sextus would be horrified at the idea; not only because he loves his brother & nephew very much and would be devastated if anything happened to them, but also because he--at least before he grew up a little (not too much, otherwise he wouldn't be Sextus any more)--avoided responsibility as he would foul water.