RVA: Shadow of Doubt, Apologies Rendered
Since Ali was still forbidden from accompanying Salli to official functions, she had to drag Zaker along with to the second part of Lady Highglider’s investure ceremony, which involved a trip to her new manor house in Highglider domain. Which unfortunately was also the old manor house that Countess Evelina Highglider, and her son, had occupied. And for two brief and terrifying years, Salli had as well.
She stepped out of the ground skimmer, and had to pause, looking up at the thick stone walls of the main house with trepidation.
Highglider and her son are dead, she told herself, with less conviction than she liked. No one here means you harm.
“Lady Sallivera,” Aganatha Highglider asked cautiously, as she exited her own vehicle, “are you alright?”
“I… I have not been here for four years. Not since the night…” Unable to finish the sentence, Salli settled for touching the scars running diagonally across her face and eye socket.
“Ah, of course.” Aganatha gave an embarrassed duck of her head. “Well, for what it’s worth, if it weren’t for it being on the historical register I’d bomb this blasted pile from orbit. As soon as I’m able I’ll turn it into a museum or some such. I intend to build a home for myself that’s smaller, sensible and modern, with lots of windows and light.”
“That could only be an improvement,” she readily agreed.
Salli allowed her mother and Aganatha to shepherd the party inside. Though the interior was familiar, to her relief someone had taken away every piece of furniture from the old Countess’ collection, replacing it with more modern styles which, while clashing slightly from the manor’s interior lines, held no memories for her. From there her only part of the ceremony was to stand and smile benevolently in the ballroom as Aganatha sat on a chair and took formal oaths of service from a long line of people, mostly Military/Service caste, but also a few prominent Commoner community and business leaders, along with the usual scattering of very minor Nobles whose only material claim from their title was the ability to get into the better class of clubs.
And then it was over, and the festivities moved on to a much anticipated brunch buffet, which spilled out onto the back portico as people gathered in small groups to chat and eat food from precariously balanced plates.
Salli chewed her food, mindful of the need to take her meds on a full stomach, and for the most part managed to maintain a neutral air, despite the location. Only occasionally did she find her view drifting upward, the windows of the suite she had shared with her late husband Kevinaugh. But the shiver of fear that she’d felt when she first arrived did not come again. Perhaps it was the sunny and warm weather this morning. Perhaps it was having her parents nearby. Perhaps it was just the knowledge that Kev and his atrocious mother were dead and could no longer touch her.
I’m alive, they’re not. I win.
There was a movement out of the corner of her good eye, high and to the left. Salli turned and looked upward. Some twenty meters up and away was a tiny drone grey drone, hovering on small reactionless thrusters, of the sort military units used for quick and disposable reconnaissance missions.
“Lady Aganatha, is that your security?” Salli called out. Aganatha turned away from a conversation she was having with someone in the uniform of a senior public librarian, to look up where Salli pointed.
“Not mine,” she growled, striding up. She turned to an elderly servant who had been discreetly following her, “Wilmid, my pocket comp, please.” The servant, who had been evidently carrying the device for her, since her dress had no pockets, handed it over. With a look of almost malicious delight, Aganatha tapped in a command. A moment later a line of red light briefly flashed in the air from the corner of the manor’s roof, and the little drone sparked and fell into the bushes.
“What was that?” Salli asked, as some of the guests laughed nervously at the drone’s incenteration.
“The drone or the laser?”
“Both.”
Lady Aganatha snorted. “I’ll wager real acreage that drone was from Oceanic News. They actually wanted to send a reporter to an invitee only Noble ceremony, the snoops. The laser is from a privacy defense system I had installed a few days ago, when it seemed like they were having a hard time accepting ‘no’ as my final answer. Always be ready to defend your ground, that’s my motto. Still, it doesn’t explain why they were so hot on getting snaps of the event.”
“My fault probably,” Salli said with regret. “I surmise they were looking for pictures of myself with Ali. They’re pushing for an interview with us. I’m sorry they disrupted the event.”
“No harm done,” Aganatha said. Her expression sobered. “I do owe you an apology though, for showing you that article when I attended your party. It was both rude and a display of poor judgement.”
“I will confess I was wondering what prompted such an… untimely revelation. I’m afraid it did sour my opinion of you.”
“When you’re Military caste, or working closely with them as I always have, you tend to trade politeness in favor of getting information across as quickly and accurately as possible. Which means I tend to be a bit more… blunt… than a proper Noble ought to be.” She shrugged apologetically. “That, and all I knew about your Alinadar was that she was a convicted pirate. Your relationship with her seemed very odd, even from perspective of Noble/Commoner romances.”
“I’ll grant you that much,” Salli allowed.
Aganatha nodded. “I wasn’t aware of her tragic upbringing. I have since had my perspective corrected. For my ignorance and whatever pain my actions caused you, I apologize.”
“Thank you. I accept your apology with the same humility in which it was rendered.” She smiled warmly. “Whatever mistakes you made, you seem determined to correct them. Keep that up and you should do well with your new authority, Lady Highglider.”
Aganatha smiled back and gave her a little bow. “Thank you, Lady Darktail.”
“Though might I ask who you spoke with? So I can thank them for correcting your information.”
The newly advanced noblevixen hesitated briefly. “I am honestly not at liberty to say, Lady Darktail. Though I can assure it’s certainly no one you has ill intentions towards you, Miss Blacksailor, or your House.”
Salli hesitated a moment. “It wasn’t my father, was it?”
“No,” Aganatha answered immediately. She raised up a restraining palm. “I can’t say more than that at this time. I really can’t.”
Salli raised an eyebrow. “Very well then.”
Interesting.
She stepped out of the ground skimmer, and had to pause, looking up at the thick stone walls of the main house with trepidation.
Highglider and her son are dead, she told herself, with less conviction than she liked. No one here means you harm.
“Lady Sallivera,” Aganatha Highglider asked cautiously, as she exited her own vehicle, “are you alright?”
“I… I have not been here for four years. Not since the night…” Unable to finish the sentence, Salli settled for touching the scars running diagonally across her face and eye socket.
“Ah, of course.” Aganatha gave an embarrassed duck of her head. “Well, for what it’s worth, if it weren’t for it being on the historical register I’d bomb this blasted pile from orbit. As soon as I’m able I’ll turn it into a museum or some such. I intend to build a home for myself that’s smaller, sensible and modern, with lots of windows and light.”
“That could only be an improvement,” she readily agreed.
Salli allowed her mother and Aganatha to shepherd the party inside. Though the interior was familiar, to her relief someone had taken away every piece of furniture from the old Countess’ collection, replacing it with more modern styles which, while clashing slightly from the manor’s interior lines, held no memories for her. From there her only part of the ceremony was to stand and smile benevolently in the ballroom as Aganatha sat on a chair and took formal oaths of service from a long line of people, mostly Military/Service caste, but also a few prominent Commoner community and business leaders, along with the usual scattering of very minor Nobles whose only material claim from their title was the ability to get into the better class of clubs.
And then it was over, and the festivities moved on to a much anticipated brunch buffet, which spilled out onto the back portico as people gathered in small groups to chat and eat food from precariously balanced plates.
Salli chewed her food, mindful of the need to take her meds on a full stomach, and for the most part managed to maintain a neutral air, despite the location. Only occasionally did she find her view drifting upward, the windows of the suite she had shared with her late husband Kevinaugh. But the shiver of fear that she’d felt when she first arrived did not come again. Perhaps it was the sunny and warm weather this morning. Perhaps it was having her parents nearby. Perhaps it was just the knowledge that Kev and his atrocious mother were dead and could no longer touch her.
I’m alive, they’re not. I win.
There was a movement out of the corner of her good eye, high and to the left. Salli turned and looked upward. Some twenty meters up and away was a tiny drone grey drone, hovering on small reactionless thrusters, of the sort military units used for quick and disposable reconnaissance missions.
“Lady Aganatha, is that your security?” Salli called out. Aganatha turned away from a conversation she was having with someone in the uniform of a senior public librarian, to look up where Salli pointed.
“Not mine,” she growled, striding up. She turned to an elderly servant who had been discreetly following her, “Wilmid, my pocket comp, please.” The servant, who had been evidently carrying the device for her, since her dress had no pockets, handed it over. With a look of almost malicious delight, Aganatha tapped in a command. A moment later a line of red light briefly flashed in the air from the corner of the manor’s roof, and the little drone sparked and fell into the bushes.
“What was that?” Salli asked, as some of the guests laughed nervously at the drone’s incenteration.
“The drone or the laser?”
“Both.”
Lady Aganatha snorted. “I’ll wager real acreage that drone was from Oceanic News. They actually wanted to send a reporter to an invitee only Noble ceremony, the snoops. The laser is from a privacy defense system I had installed a few days ago, when it seemed like they were having a hard time accepting ‘no’ as my final answer. Always be ready to defend your ground, that’s my motto. Still, it doesn’t explain why they were so hot on getting snaps of the event.”
“My fault probably,” Salli said with regret. “I surmise they were looking for pictures of myself with Ali. They’re pushing for an interview with us. I’m sorry they disrupted the event.”
“No harm done,” Aganatha said. Her expression sobered. “I do owe you an apology though, for showing you that article when I attended your party. It was both rude and a display of poor judgement.”
“I will confess I was wondering what prompted such an… untimely revelation. I’m afraid it did sour my opinion of you.”
“When you’re Military caste, or working closely with them as I always have, you tend to trade politeness in favor of getting information across as quickly and accurately as possible. Which means I tend to be a bit more… blunt… than a proper Noble ought to be.” She shrugged apologetically. “That, and all I knew about your Alinadar was that she was a convicted pirate. Your relationship with her seemed very odd, even from perspective of Noble/Commoner romances.”
“I’ll grant you that much,” Salli allowed.
Aganatha nodded. “I wasn’t aware of her tragic upbringing. I have since had my perspective corrected. For my ignorance and whatever pain my actions caused you, I apologize.”
“Thank you. I accept your apology with the same humility in which it was rendered.” She smiled warmly. “Whatever mistakes you made, you seem determined to correct them. Keep that up and you should do well with your new authority, Lady Highglider.”
Aganatha smiled back and gave her a little bow. “Thank you, Lady Darktail.”
“Though might I ask who you spoke with? So I can thank them for correcting your information.”
The newly advanced noblevixen hesitated briefly. “I am honestly not at liberty to say, Lady Darktail. Though I can assure it’s certainly no one you has ill intentions towards you, Miss Blacksailor, or your House.”
Salli hesitated a moment. “It wasn’t my father, was it?”
“No,” Aganatha answered immediately. She raised up a restraining palm. “I can’t say more than that at this time. I really can’t.”
Salli raised an eyebrow. “Very well then.”
Interesting.