After all the farewells are made, the group that plans its return to Paris meets in the appointed parlor. Merlin is already waiting there with a traveling bag in hand: a small one, because he of course has clothes and a suite with art supplies in Paris.
Conner arrives looking much the same as they all left him. He has had a chance to wash his face and change into a fresh shirt. He has a large rucksack over one shoulder but from the way it sags, there is not much in it. Halosydne hangs at his hip.
Vere is not bringing any clothes other than the ones he is wearing. He has a pack that has a strap allowing it to be carried, but that can also be easily carried on his back to free his hands. The pack contains flint and steel, candles, paper, pens and ink, chalk, fruit and jerked meat, a flash of water and a flash of ale, a dark lantern, heavy cord, old rags, a crowbar and a hammer. He's not wearing any weapon other than his usual knife, although he has a half dozen billiard balls secreted on his person as throwing weapons.
Celina is ready and with a cold determined aspect to her usually fluid manner. She's improvised a long tunic dress from local stock but has put a fancy chemise over the dress in a matching color that looks more like a corset arrangement from a distance. Soft leather 'castle slippers' are on her feet with glass bead trims. A long sash in contrasting color runs from shoulder to hip, but Conner and Vere can tell there is a brace of throwing knives (by the size of the sheaths) under that sash. In a leather wrist reticule, she has the best three 'palm mirrors' that the Steward was able to supply on short notice. In an inventive moment at the infirmary, Celina found two tins of opium powder and put them in the reticule as well.
She takes in her companions, and motions to Merlin, "Trump to Paris. Gentlemen, for Family and Necessity."
Merlin starts to shuffle out his cards and find Paris. "Sister, do you wish to do the honors and tell the Princess about our new cousins?"
Celina responds easily, "We shall gather Bend and we want Aunt Florimel's continued grace, so yes. Except I don't know much more than their names."
Vere smiles slightly and nods his head at the "Family and Necessity" remark, and remains silently ready for the transfer to Paris.
On that note, Merlin changes tack and picks out his Florimel Trump, and asks for her to bring them through.
Florimel greets each of them in turn, then adds: "What news from Xanadu? Do you know when Corwin is coming back?"
Celina shakes her head 'no', "Father was dealing with Random about something hushhush. He waited until everyone was clearing out. So no idea when he's headed back. Xanadu was full of new cousins. There was a Trump call from Huon where he was in a Klybesian lockup. He found family members there under duress. He held the Trump while we passed in to relieve the monks of their family hostages. A young man, Alex, a woman, Delta, who seems to have Rebman ancestors, a captain of arms, Pen, and an otherkin fae, who also passes as a pretty girl, named Misao."
Florimel makes a bit of a face at the news about Corwin, but her expression shifts to interest at the mention of new cousins.
Celina adds, "Since the monks are now on alert elsewhere, it may be that we can make a sudden visit to their base here and gain surprise."
Celina looks at Vere and Conner and Merlin to see if they want to add anything.
Vere adds, "The Klybesians appear to have been doing experiments on our cousins, although they seem uninjured from the experience. The Klybesian facility was destroyed and a prisoner was brought to Xanadu for questioning. I am of the opinion that action against the local monks should be taken immediately, before they have a chance to reflect and either increase their security or abandon Paris and flee elsewhere."
"I agree. We should strike at once. I've asked Lance to make the Guard ready. We can discuss the question of new family later." Florimel turns her full attention to Vere. "And I'assume you'll be dealing with any--concern--that may have arisen from your sister's activities?" This is nominally a question, but Vere intuits that it is a courtesy warning for him to make sure Avis is in line before someone else has to do it.
Vere nods. "Is my sister currently in Paris itself? When last I spoke with her she had settled our people in the forest beyond the city. King Bran was getting along well with Corwin and was settling his people closer to the city, and the Witch Queens were planning on moving further away, into the Deep Forest outside Corwin's sway. I have not heard anything since then."
Conner also turns his attention to Vere and then to Florimel. The answer clearly interests him.
Florimel tells the tale in brief form to catch Vere up: "Your sister's people have taken up a residence in the Abbaye-aux-Bois in the 7th Arondissement. Not all of them, but those that are needed for trade and leadership in the city. Papillon, who used to work for Reid, has been my agent in dealing with the Eye in the Pyramid, which is her name for the Klybesians. She suspects, and I trust her, that something is going on that involves Celina's mother, your sister--" Florimel nods to Vere "--and the Klybesians. Bend, who escaped once, is now back in custody, and she has claimed the Klybesians have a potential heir to Rebma in their hands, which only Bend and her mistress can deliver safely into our hands. If we follow their directions.
"But it sounds as though we may have short-circuited her. Tell me about this girl Delta with the Rebman ancestors," Florimel suggests.
Celina thinks she's got the most recent info, so she explains, "Delta thought the stories of her granddam were fanciful. An underwater city, a place Coral, the grandmother, could go to ponder whatever she would. Coral wasn't supposed to be there, was the impression Delta had. Maybe something bad had happened. I'm having Llewella look into it. But if there was a political whirlpool in the past, it seems to me she would not have been using her real name in exile. So...." Celina shrugs.
And adds, "We are agreed we should move quickly. Yes, the Guard would be helpful to make sure we don't get flanked or bottled up. My priorities are twofold: clear Avis of a deeper tangle with Klybesians and take away hostages. If a lot of monks get killed in the process I'm not sorry. If the Rebman hostage was actually Delta being held in a connecting shadow, well we shall see."
Florimel nods her way through this story.
Celina asks Florimel, "Do you want Lance in charge of this to keep things smooth in Corwin's absence? Or are you fine with Conner and Vere leading? They probably have more experience than Lance."
"The Klybesians have proven adept at having escape routes that lead to other Shadows," Vere adds. "It would be important that things happen quickly once we move on them."
"On that point," Conner adds, "the ship Huon and the archivists were on was wrecked off Honfleur and a Klybesian group took them prisoner," Conner explains to his Aunt. "Assuming these groups are linked, I suggest getting the Navy to patrol that area in case it is an escape route or possibly going in by land and sea."
"Then let me send Lance to deal with that and Conner and Vere can take charge here," Flora agrees. "Corwin doesn't have a full-on Navy the way Amber does--and I don't think Random does yet other than by plundering Amber's Navy either--but I'll weigh in with both of them and Caine to get them to guard the routes more closely. They'll have to coordinate until they stabilize things, and that may take a while."
Vere looks at Conner. "The most efficient thing may be for me to head directly to my sister's... embassy, for want of a better word, and discover what I can of what is going on, while you gather intelligence on the monk's stronghold and formulate plans for a raid?" His tone makes it more a question than a statement.
"And we have Bend's help," Celina says with a neutral expression. "I'd rather not give Moire any data before we decide our course. That limits how we use Bend."
"What exactly has Bend told us already about where the monks are?" Conner asks.
"We have the strongholds we know from Papillon under surveillance," Florimel says. "But we don't know which of them the prisoners are meant to be in. So that is what we need to know, preferably not from Bend, whom I trust not at all."
Celina nods once in agreement. "I'm the novice in all this combat but here is how I see it. Aunt Florimel rallies the convential forces of navy to patrol the river and something fast like cavalry to keep them looking here as we know they spy a lot. Bend stays here because she's valuable and we can only trust her until she's near Moire's orbit and then not at all."
Celina nods at Vere, "Our weakness current is in protecting Avis and finding out why she's bought into what the monks are selling. So yes. Vere needs to get over there."
Celina looks at Conner, "It strikes me that the back door entrance is where a 'timely' penetration of the monks is needed. Not so much an attack as a raid of opportunity and stealth. Havre?"
Celina smiles, "I take Papillion and scout the strongholds. If need be, I get backed up by Lance and his Guard. Thoughts Gents?"
"Rules of engagement?" Vere asks. "Are we going in with murderous intent, or should we be aiming at subduing anyone who is not attempting to use lethal force?"
"They received their warning to stay out of Family business when Jerod, Osssian, and Raven went to retrieve Reid's body." Conner replies. "Then they kidnapped Huon and our new cousins. Capture some of the higher ranks if you can, but I think we have reached murderous intent as our default." Conner does not grin. "I mislike us splitting up in this way. We were advised to always travel in pairs due to risk of ambush by the enemy. To approach a stronghold of these enemies individually is unwise. I accept the courtesy of letting Vere deal with this own people." Conner nods to him. "Merlin, you have not taken a task. If you will accompany the Queen on her mission and if some of Paris's guard can be spared for my task," Conner looks to Aunt Florimel, "then I am agreed to our plans."
"I will go with Celina," Merlin agrees firmly. "I will not be of such use as I was in the rescue: I am tired and both my sorcery and my shapeshifting will be of less use in the City. But I can wield a blade as needed."
Celina tucks that info away. She had not assumed such an adverse connection between the magic of shaping and Paris. Shaping fascinates her.
"If we find Moire, of course, she must be taken prisoner. As for the monks, my opinion is capture the seniors, offer the juniors the chance to surrender for questioning, and the same for any warriors of the mercenary type. But if they won't surrender, it's on their heads," Florimel says dismissively.
"Conner is quite right, the Leaders have been warned," Celina watches Florimel carefully. "And splitting up is a risky idea, but speed works in our favor against numbers." There is a tiny pause. "Hold back nothing of your response. Let Halosydne roar full necessity. Be wary but smart."
Celina says to Florimel, "Clothing that works with Papillon's attire but hides weapons, I need your help."
"Seems I will need what ships can be pressed into service at short notice and the fastest way to get to them." Conner comments.
"And I need directions to the Abbaye-aux-Bois." He tilts his head to one side. "Where should I go afterwards to rejoin you?"
Flora looks up at Celina. "If we were further away from Paris, we could conjure anything, but we will have to rely on the Palace's seamstresses to work magic for us in this case.We can send for whatever we want and keep sending for it until someone provides."
Celina nods.
To Vere she says "The Abbaye is across the Seine, about a mile from here, on the way to the Luxembourg Gardens. Despite the charming name, it's not actually in the woods. Conner, you'll want to talk to Lancelot, and most likely Captain L'Ouverture. They should be able to get you ships. Unless you can readily get ships from shadow.
"Shall I just wait here in case Bend needs someone to take hostage?"
Celina reacts as if....
"I think that takes being a considerate hostess too far, my Aunt." Conner smiles thinly. "If you wish to join me aboard ship or Celina in her discrete observation, your expertise would be more than welcome."
... But closes her mouth on what she thought about that. She does sigh at 'discrete'.
Vere smiles slightly as well, then says. "I shall take a carriage. Probably better if I am not seen walking through the streets towards my sister's people, in case of spies. And where should I rejoin you, once I have handled this matter?"
Celina offers, "I think we gather at the observation post so that we all know where it is. If we decide we are underequipped for this, someone will Trump family to bring others in there." She looks around at them all.
"We should suggest to Bend that we're moving on other information, and let her sit in a cell. Give her a chance to volunteer anything useful, and then move. Given those options, I shall accompany Conner." Flora gives absolutely no indication that she intends to explain her choice.
Vere summons a carriage and discreetly has the blinds drawn. There will be many such about town on a night like tonight, when the Opera had opened a new season this evening.
Versailles doesn't have any nondescript carriages, but at least Vere will not be immediately identified as 'Prince Vere, brother to the High Priestess Avis'. The ride across the bridge to the rive gauche is short, and would be a brisk walk under normal circumstances. The carriage driver, for once without the footmen who normally accompany a royal party, asks Vere if he should wait nearby or return later.
He doesn't exactly suggest that Vere has an assignation planned with one-or-more nuns, but the carriage drivers of the nobility are shocked by nothing.
Vere smiles a small, discreet smile, and slips the driver some coins as he thanks him. He closes his eyes for a moment, centering himself in a mental map of Paris, notes that he is only about three kilometers from the Eiffel Tower, an easy walk (or dash, if need be) for a son of Amber, and opens his eyes. "No need to wait," he says. "I may be here a while, and shall find my own way afterwards."
The man takes the coins and they disappear. One gets the feeling that a Parisian prostitute who tried to roll a noble under this carriage driver's protection would regret it.
The Abbaye-aux-Bois is not in the woods, and likely never was. It covers a large portion of a block, with an alley beside it leading to several smaller outbuildings. Vere thinks it could easily be home to hundreds of people, if they didn't mind close quarters.
The front gate is shut for the night, but the adjacent chapel to Our Lady of the Isles is open. The doors will never be closed to those who wish to reflect on the Goddess.
Vere slips silently into the chapel. He will check first of all to see if anyone is inside. If not, he will begin searching the walls for an entrance from the chapel into the main building. If there is someone in the chapel then his actions will depend on who they are and how observant they are being.
The chapels of the left bank are many, and some of them provide their patrons with opportunities to give timely donations as penance for assorted transgressions. If the carriage driver's implication is truly a widespread occurrence, perhaps even transgressions at this very establishment.
But of course, that could just be a rumor.
There are dual altars here, primed for the worship of the the Lady and another goddess. Along the walls are numerous niches and alcoves for veneration of saints and other holy entities. The floor is a patchwork of tiles and memorial stones, with dates on them going back for centuries.
There is a middle aged woman kneeling in front of one of the small side-shrines. She pays no attention to Vere.
There is a door at the back, to the left of the altars.
There are also at least three ghosts here. One of them is trying to remove a particularly large floor tile. They also are paying no attention to Vere.
Vere is a creature of curiosity above all things, and he cannot resist pausing to take in the various interesting puzzles. He observes the second altar, looking for any indication of whom this second goddess might be.
It's well labeled: Melusine, called our Lady of Paris, who is a protector of the land and associated with dragons.
Vere nods to himself, adding that interesting tidbit to his store of knowledge.
He also observes the three ghosts, looking for clues about who they might have been in life, and whether there is anything of particular note about the floor tile the one is so interested in. He does this, as far as possible, without doing anything that might draw the attention of the ghosts, or give any sign that he has noticed them.
The other two would take some pursing, but the one trying to lift the floor tile up is more aware of his surroundings. The tile he's trying to lift is large, but looks as if it could move. It's one of the few that isn't specifically marked as memorials or graves. The ghostly figure is wearing knightly regalia.
Another fascinating mystery that has to be put off due to the necessity of duty. Vere silently mourns the mounting list of things he didn't have the time to investigate and turns away from the ghost.
Finally, without seeming to pay attention to her, he is noticing everything possible about the woman who appears to be praying. Devotion is such an excellent cover for covert observation, after all, and he looks for any indication that her seeming inattention to his presence is artifice rather than reality.
Vere thinks she heard someone come in and wasn't interested in knowing more. She's at the altar to Our Lady of Paris, she's dressed as a Parisian of at least moderate means, in all black clothes, and has a veil. Other than the time of evening, she would not be out of place at any other chapel in Paris.
Vere notes all that, silently hopes that she doesn't later prove to have been someone he should have tried to apprehend, and bypasses her to head for the door in the back of the chapel. He tries the handle, gently and silently.
The door opens smoothly into an outer courtyard that is home to a garden on one side and a group of graves on the other. Most are small stones but there is one above-ground tomb.
At the far end, past the vegetable garden, is a door that's likely a kitchen door for the abbey. It's closed, but light escapes underneath it. It's probably not ideal for this weather.
Vere walks quietly to the door and listens at it. If he does not hear any sounds from within he will gently try the handle.
The door is thick enough to provide some protection from Parisian winters and eavesdroppers. Vere can't hear anything from outside.
However, the door is closed but not locked. Who would steal from nuns? It opens easily and the room inside is a large-ish kitchen. It could easily have 8 workers, but at this hour, there's only one. She seems to be watching some ovens, and the smells of the kitchen make Vere think she's making bread. She looks up from her seat by the fire when Vere opens the door, but doesn't speak.
Vere smiles pleasantly and nods to her. Before speaking he considers her carefully -- face, figure, hairstyle, body language, and clothing. Does she appear to be Parisian, a resident of the Isles, or something else? Any clues he can gain go into the mix as he analyses who she might be and the correct way to deal with her.
She seems Parisian, or at least not of the isles. Her clothes are modest and warm, fitting for someone in a Parisian winter, even if it's mild by the standards of the northern Isles. Her hair is covered but the start of wrinkles on her face suggest she's not the youngest person in the Abbeye by any means.
The old woman smiles and waves Vere over. That this will have the effect of shutting the door is a perhaps an added bonus. The house is reasonably quiet, but Vere can detect other people moving around in other parts of it.
Vere closes the door and approaches her. "Hello, grandmother," he says. He sniffs and nods. "The bread smells very good, indeed."
She cackles. "You'd be one of them Isle folks, wouldn't you? In Paris, they normally call us 'Sister' when we're in our habits. There's bread in the basket if you're hungry."
She smiles, and then asks him very directly, "So, what brings you to the back door of a nunnery in the middle of the night?"
Vere breaks off some bread as she asks her question and holds it as he answers her. "I have a message to deliver to our queen, and I understand that she is here?" He makes it a question, and takes a bite of the bread while he awaits her answer.
The bread is simple but tasty. The old woman looks disappointed. "That's no reason to sneak into a girl's school, young man. Yes, she is, or is likely to be. They are our guests, not our charges. But the Abbeye is closed at the hour and the foreigners are likely asleep."
Vere gets the feeling that it's not even necessarily untrue, just that she doesn't know and has been told to try to get rid of visitors.
Vere smiles at her. "I am affianced to the most amazing woman in the world, and thus have no reason other than duty to sneak into such a place." He thinks of Robin for a moment, before shaking his head and coming back to the current time and place. "The message is rather urgent. Do you know if she has brought any of her guards with her, perhaps Commander Siege or Hartwell? They would vouch for me. Or if her Chancellor, Vianis, is with her? She sleeps very little, I have heard."
She smiles, not unkindly. "Oh, such a romantic young lad. Thank you, but I'm a bit beyond the age of needing to know the names of soldiers, although I remember such a time fondly. The men are somewhere nearby, but not in the Abbeye itself. The Chancellor is certainly here. I can send word of your arrival, or ask her to meet you in the chapel, if this is a secret assignation."
"Not an assignation, but the message is for the Queen's ears." Vere takes another bite of the bread and thinks for a moment, then says, "Could you send a message to the Chancellor, then, and ask her to meet me in the chapel. Tell her that the guide from the long journey has a message for the Queen."
She nods. "Yes, I can do that." She turns towards an alcove. "Come out, you, you're going on messenger duty." A young woman, dressed well, steps forward. "Did you hear the message for the Lady Vianis? Yes? Then git, and I won't report you."
The girl turns and is gone.
The nun laughs. "She was checking to see if the noise was her paramour trying to sneak past me. Your message will be delivered."
Vere nods, not losing his smile even though he is a little chagrined that he did not notice the presence of another person close enough to overhear his conversation. He finishes the bread, then bows to the elderly woman. "Thank you, Sister. I shall await the Chancellor in the chapel." He waits to see if she has anything else to say before leaving the kitchen.
Once outside he stands silently for a moment, extending all his senses to be sure there is no one else around. His failure to spot the listening girl inside the kitchen still rankles. Once certain he is alone he will return to the chapel, and ascertain whether the praying woman is still there, and whether there is anyone else present.
Vere returns to find the chapel empty. The candles lit at the particular altar the woman was praying at are still lit, but they have burned almost out.
Only once he has determined that will he allow himself to regard the ghosts once again.
The nearest ghost is a knightly figure. There are two others, but they are less distinct. "Who comes to the chapel, armed, and at this hour?" the ghost says, looking straight at Vere. "Is that you, Your Grace?"
"The King's nephew, good sir," Vere replies. "May I ask what you are about?"
"You almost spooked me, good sir! If they find me here before we've finished our mission, it will all be for naught. I just need to get this slab up so I can hide the body," he says, prying ineffectually at the stone. "I prepared the corpse as you suggested, they'll be looking in the cellars and not in the Abbeye for the cause."
"The service of the king can be a heavy burden," Vere observes mildly. "This night's work may weigh upon you in years to come."
"Aye, but the King only knows what his ministers tell him, and they won't be telling him that this was their doing if we are the ones who are caught. See if you can lift this slab, would you?"
Vere nods, leaning forward and giving the impression he is about to reach out for the slab without actually doing so. "Which of his ministers was responsible for this particular plan?" he asks.
He laughs, although it sounds hollow. "Our patron may know, and I'm sure I woudn't care to guess. Just as I wouldn't care to be guillotined. Can you get the lip of the stone up?"
Vere kneels and examines the stone, looking for any clues as to how long it may have been since it was last disturbed. "I suppose many would say that giving one's life for the defense of the realm is a noble cause," he observes. "Even if it given to protect those who gave the orders, rather than in honourable combat."
"You are certainly philosophical this evening, Prince Vere," answers the Chancellor, from the doorway. "Are you giving life lessons to the dead?" She looks as timeless as ever, which is to say no older than the old woman he has always known her to be.
Vere rises and turns from the ghost with a small smile for the Chancellor. "Occasionally, leading them to see what is holding them here is the key to releasing them. Other times, such questions can lead me to find what wrong it is that needs righting." He shrugs very slightly. "But it is not why I am here tonight, I must confess. Could you take me to my sister? I have business of great import to discuss with her."
She looks skeptical, but she often does. "Of course. Follow me." The Chancellor steps out the back door and through the cemetery. She avoids the kitchen door and takes a path towards another entrance. This one has a night watch on it, but they open the door promptly for the Chancellor. She glides silently across the floor and towards the chapter room of the abbey and stops in the doorway. Avis is speaking to a group of perhaps twenty, half of whom look to be priestesses and the other half of whom are Parisians. She nods when she sees the Chancellor.
She turns to a side room. It's longer and narrower, and has racks for robes all along it. "You may await your sister here. Is this a personal matter or an affair of state?"
"Personal concern over a possible matter of state," Vere answers with a small smile. He shrugs again. "At our level politics is often personal, as you well know."
The Chancellor nods, although Vere thinks she may be unimpressed with his response. "If you can offer no guidance, I'll wait with you and let your sister decide if I should leave, then."
Avis walks in with two attendants, and takes off her outer, formal robe. "Vere, I didn't know you were in Paris!" She offers him her cheek. "Chancellor," she says to The Spider. It seems formal, and not as warm as her mother might have been to Vianis.
Vere kisses her cheek, then spontaneously hugs her. "It is good to see you, Sister," he says. He glances at the two attendants, then back at Avis. "I am here on a matter of Family business," he says, and allows a touch of formality to enter his own voice, "It was desired that someone speak with you, and I desired that it be myself."
Avis hugs him back, and for a moment, they are both children again, but she quickly becomes the High Priestess. "Chancellor Vianis, thank you for your assistance in this matter. Doubtless, I will wish to discuss what my brother and I speak of at a later time. Can you take these sisters back to the chapter room? And then resume your duties and I will find you."
Vianis nods. She stands, bows to Vere, and says "Thank you, Priestess." She sweeps up the two sisters with a look and the three depart like a small flotilla sailing off to battle.
Avis sits, and gestures for Vere to sit. "What brings you to the Abbaye?", she asks, without further formalities.
"Enemies of the Family," he responds as he sits. He doesn't obviously watch her, but he is intensely focussing on her reactions as he speaks. "There is an ancient order, sometimes pretending to be religious in nature, sometimes pretending to be natural philosophers, who have become obsessed with the idea of gaining the powers of my father's family. They have gone so far as to kidnap and experiment upon members of the Family. They are known to be currently in Paris." He pauses, watching her, before continuing, "And it has been said that you have had dealings with them."
She laughs. "I have dealings with many people, as we have tried to make a home here. We are in negotiations with an order of Religious Banker-Knights that I assumed might well be of Amber to purchase this Abbaye for our own. My husband is with them now, negotiating.
"We have listened to many houses of religious belief, for the gods of the Parisians honor builders and proselytizers, and we strike tham as potential customers, one way or another. All profess fealty to King Corwin of Paris, and none have claimed to be Enemies of your Family."
She sits straight on the stone bench and gestures for Vere to join her.
"Of course, we would not have dealings with anyone so depraved as to rebel against the King. How can we tell them, if we do not have you here for guidance?"
While aware that she might have thrown that tidbit out there as a way to distract him, Vere can't resist the diversion. "Husband?" he asks, as he sits beside her.
"Hartwell," Avis says. "His grandmother was hoping for less of a transfer-of-loyalty than actually happened." Avis smiles and leans in towards her brother. It's clear she isn't dissatisfied with the results. "But it keeps the peace, and one day her great-granddaughters may take my place." She pauses. "They're still hypothetical, of course."
Vere nods. "I had not heard that the marriage had taken place. A good choice, politically." He taps a finger to his lips. "I hope he is not in the midst of negotiations when my relatives visit justice upon them for abducting members of the Royal Family, or that he is wise enough not to try to protect them." He shrugs. "It is possible, of course, that they are not the same as the enemies of the Family, but 'Religious Banker-Knights' sounds just the sort of cover they prefer to use."
Avis agrees. "Banker-Knights is, perhaps, an unkind description, but I do not feel the hand of the Goddess in their calling. When Hartwell returns, I shall have him provide you with a full report. If they are your enemies, we will not hold back. Your father's family has been very generous to our people."
She pauses. "The Chancellor wants us to start a school here, to teach children as the Abbaye here does. Many of the Order would prefer to have a more rural base. There is merit in both ideas, I think, but a longer lasting commitment if we are given land."
Vere nods. "I deliberately stepped away, Avis, so that your rulership should not be muddied with people appealing to the son of a god if they do not like your orders. That said, I will do whatever I can to support you. Openly if you wish, behind the scenes if that is your preference. The fact that I was sent to look into the reports that you were aiding the Klybesians.." he pauses, then explains, "That is the name for the overarching conspiracy that stretches through many worlds. Individually the groups use many names, and many disguises" He smiles at the digression, a trait of his conversation that used to annoy his sister. "As I was saying, the fact that I was sent to investigate should be taken as evidence that there is no serious concern. Else they had sent one of my more ... intense ... cousins." He regards her, thinking. "You have not heard anything else of Moire, have you, since she appeared and stole away half the Children of Llyr?"
Avis frowns. She seems less inclined to the impatience she had when they were younger. "We've seen signs. You'll be unsurprised that she's reached out to us. Indirectly, of course. We told her we wanted our men-at-arms back, or compensation. She might've gotten a more favorable reception if she hadn't done that."
It's also unlike her to explain as much to Vere as she is doing. "And I speak here for the Priestesses of all camps. Even the most traditional of them do not feel sympathy for a woman who makes men foreswear their oaths. The Sisterhood of Mysteries is by no means unified, but this is a common point.
"She may have more sway amongst those to whom she can make promises."
"Be very wary of becoming involved with her," Vere warns. "She is determined to take her throne back from her daughter, and she is a mistress of manipulation. Her powers as an adept of the Rebman art of Mirror Sorcery must not be underestimated, any reflective surface makes it difficult in the extreme to evade her gaze, and she has killed one of my cousins by causing a mirror to shatter violently." He pauses for a moment, weighing conflicting loyalties, then adds, "The situation is made more complicated by the fact, not widely known, that her daughter's father is King Corwin. So Rebman politics merge uneasily with Parisian politics, and it is best to attempt to sidestep them as much as is possible."
She nods. "The Sisterhood I can speak for, it is my duty. We brought a large contingent of people from the Isles. I am nominally in charge, but gratitude as a motivational force only goes so far. And it was important to have the sisterhood of priestesses here, because it is the center of things. We have people who are living the lives of their foremothers, but on the outskirts of Paris instead of the outermost isles.
"And they are not so readily warned, especially the ones who may have formed bonds with the Sons of Lyr."
Her lips harden a bit. "I can have someone investigate."
She doesn't say 'The Chancellor', but it would be the Chancellor.
Vere nods, only now realizing that he inherited that gesture from his mother rather than his father. "How are things between you and the Chancellor?" he asks. "I thought I sensed a certain ... tension?"
"Well, not as tense as Mother had it, of course." She smiles. "Don't worry, my brother. I have learned how to deal with differences of opinion, even at the height of the sisterhood. We have more in common with each other than the other refugees, much less the Parisians. She knows where the lines are and I know not to mention them.
"It is a very practical arrangement."
"Excellent." Vere shifts to a different topic. "You might hear rumors of a rift between King Random, the head of my father's family, and his Queen. It is possible they will be slanted to make the Queen sound a victim. Again, these are matters it is best to steer well clear of, but to aid you in making sense of them let me tell you that she was either suborned by or controlled by the Queen of Air and Darkness, an ancient and powerful entity. Mother seems to think she is the Dark Mother herself, although I do not know that there is any direct evidence of that." He smiles. "Mother's opinions, of course, are not always dependent on evidence, although no less correct for that."
"Mother has her lens for seeing the world. It's a compelling model, but not the only one. She has good reason to see the hand of the divine in every action, since her husband is of the lineage of the Gods. I find that the powers and forces are very real, but are less personal than Mother's experience of them."
When Vere mentions Vialle, she nods. "It is possible to both be a victim and a villain, she may be both."
Vere nods at that comment.
"Is there a third deposed villainous queen for you to warn me against? Or is this not that kind of romance?"
Vere chuckles. "I could go on at some length about all the potential dangers you might face," he answers. "Your meeting with the Goddess, and the Exodus from the Isles, have set you into a new realm of Powers. But I believe I have warned you of the ones most likely to approach you here in Paris." He gestures broadly at the area around them. "When Ysabeau said that the Isles were doomed and you should lead our people away, one of my principal reasons for wanting to take you to Rebma, and then to stay in Paris when Rebma proved impossible, was to put you in a position where you could establish our people as being of importance, in a Realm of True Power. That brings danger, as well as opportunity." He shrugs. "I tell you nothing you do not already know, but I hope my saying it helps to drive home the potential dangers."
Avis nods. "Our people, indeed all the people of the isles and the mainlands, suffered due to being too close to the Gods to be be safe, yet too far from them to be protected. If we are to stay anywhere, it needs must at least be close to the center. We are too close to the godhead to do other, but it is neither comfortable nor safe, and those at one remove may have other choices." Avis does not seem discontented with this fate.
"Paris is... more alive than the Isles. It matches the way your father talked to Mother about Amber. Just as some of our people and some of King Bran's left the march to stay somewhere that appealed to them, so too would we find those who would stay in Paris, even if we chose to move to Rebma. It's an easy place to become Parisian. But if this is what the Goddess calls us to, should we not embrace the change?"
Vere nods once again. "I want the folk of the Isles to remain true to themselves, but I also want to avoid holding them back from growing into what they are destined to be. It is another reason I think it is better that I absent myself from constant contact with them. I have learned that one of the powers of my Father's people is to bend reality to what we wish it to be, or believe it should be, even without being aware of it. My nostalgia for what the Isles were could cause stagnation." He sighs. "Change is a constant, even among us. With the death of Oberon Amber has lost its place as a center of Order. It fades. Paris, Rebma and Xanadu have vibrant, powerful monarchs, and shine as beacons of Order and Stability."
He laughs. "Listen to me, holding forth like a wise matron. I was ever inclined to go on, wasn't I?" He smiles again at his sister. "You have assuaged my concerns about any involvement with the Klybesians. Before I depart is there anything you would have of me?"
"One of the things that coming to Paris instead of Rebma, and traveling with King Bran did for myself and the Initiates of the Goddess was to learn that Men can be wise, and not just in the wisdom of the hunt." She looks sober. "If you are your grandfather's child, you may live nearly forever, which is a blessing and a curse I am not burdened with.
"I will ask you one thing, and it is for the long term, and it is the kind of thing one asks of a god. Look after our people, whatever they become, without holding them back from even painful growth."
Vere doesn't think there is any way that could've been said by a Priestess of the Isles while in the Isles.
"It will be done," Vere answers in an equally sober manner. He smiles then, and adds, "It is one thing to be told that I am near immortal, but I think it will be long and longer still before I truly understand what that means."
"I am pleased to solicit your assistance before you comprehend, then. Our people may need assistance that cannot wait upon full compression."
He tilts his head to one side. "Before I depart, let us return to the banker-knights that own this building. Where has Hartwell gone to meet with them? I suspect it is not the same place they are using to hold prisoners, if they are the group we are seeking, but it might still be a gathering place of their leaders."
"Oh, they were meeting in public. At the Opera. It's apparently where most city politics take place amongst the very wealthy of the city."
Vere smiles. "The opera does seem central. It is where one of Moire's chief agents was captured, whose information seemed to implicate you with the Klybesians. Have you ever met a woman named Bend? She might, of course, have used a different name." Vere gives a detailed description of Bend.
"I've heard she's active. That might be a better conversation with the Chancellor. As the High Priestess, I am somewhat intentionally isolated, to make a meeting with me a valuable commodity to be sought after." She smiles at him. "The sister in the kitchens is part of that network. She's used to turning away young nobles and gentlemen seeking a particular student. And while you might not be surprised at how many might claim to be someone's brother, few would claim to be mine. She's not used to us yet.
"I'm sure we've spoken with Bend, but I haven't."
Vere nods once again, then bows his head for a moment before raising it once more and looking his sister directly in the face. "It has to be asked," he says. "Is it possible that the Chancellor is dealing with Moire, or with the monks, without bothering you with the details?"
Avis considers. "It's unlikely but not impossible. It's more likely that someone in her Chancellory is. You were always isolated from it, by virtue of your sex, but Mother, the Chancellor, and most of the leading Priestesses were hard to get an audience with. It's a little different in Paris, because we aren't temporal rulers, but it isn't completely gone.
"Our biggest risk is those who were close to the Sons of Lir who deserted us. I haven't heard about any of them being recaptured. I can have the Chancellor speak to those women, though. They might know something."
"Queen Celina has not mentioned anything about any of them returning to Rebma, so I suspect they remain in Moire's service." He frowns thoughtfully. "Speaking with them would probably be wise. They are women of the Isles, and thereby probably more politically astute than men of Rebma, who..." he smiles slightly, "...have much in common with the men of the Isles."
Avis nods. "If we stay here for much longer, that will stop being the case." She pauses to see how Vere reacts to that.
Vere smiles and nods. "That would be a change, certainly. And while on the surface it seems to me that it would be a positive one..." he shrugs, slightly. "Who can say where such changes lead? In a thousand years I may know the answer."
"You'll have to tell my descendants."
Vere laughs gently and stands. "I shall do so." He glances at the doorway, then back at his sister. "Do you think it worth while for me to ask the Chancellor about any dealings with Moire, Bend, or the Klybesians, or shall I just leave it to you to explain why such entanglements would not be beneficial to our people?"
Avis also stands. "Some things I still keep in the Sisterhood, my brother. Regardless of how different things are from how Mother ran the Chapel of Mysteries." There's no sting in her voice, but it's clear that she intends that to go no further externally.
"If you have other duties, I won't keep you. Perhaps you could come for a social visit at some point? I miss your ridiculous stories."
"I should love that, and to have you and Robin get to know one another better." He offers her a hug, and then adds, casually. "Oh, and did you know you have ghosts in the chapel? Two are but faint spectres, but one is quite talkative, albeit focussed on his earthly crime."
She nods. "I am not surprised. Paris is ripe for it. The City of Light must needs be home to many shades. They are birthed from regret, as I understand it."
She pauses. "Have you thought about why you are gifted to see other people's regrets? I hadn't thought about it, before now."
Vere blink, once. "That... " He pauses, then begins again. "I asked Mother, once, and she simply said it was the Will of the Goddess. I accepted that, then." He looks pensive. "I have not actually given it much thought since I learned more about what it means to be of the Blood of the Unicorn. It..." he pauses again, a bit longer this time. "It does bear thinking upon. Thank you for shaking me out of my complacency on this."
Avis smiles. "Mother used to say that one of her most important duties as a Priestess was helping people ask questions of themselves about their relationship to the world and the Goddess. We all need someone doing that for us. Moreso if we are touched by the Divine."
Vere laughs and hugs her one more time. "I should be going, there is still much to do tonight. Oh, and while I cannot take the time for it tonight, I hope you will not mind if I come back soon during the day and pull up one of the stones in the chapel. The ghost hid a murdered man's body there, and I think it might be important to find out what that is all about."
Avis hugs him back, gently. "You may delve into the catacombs from here at your leisure, as long as the ghosts stay put. If you run across your brother-in-law, send word to me."
"I will. Take care, and do not hesitate to send word to me through Corwin if you need me for anything." And Vere makes a note that he really does want to try to get a Trump of himself done for Avis.
Last modified: 25 September 2021