Interlude Four: Family Matters
Jason Caldwell ran his hand nervously through his hair, a ball of tension knotting tightly in the pit of his stomach. He was waiting in a small antechamber of the main Elemental Temple of Desay, and it was ten minutes until his wedding started. His soon-to-be wife, Elaina, was making the final preparations in a separate antechamber; her bridesmaids and maid-of-honor were there as well, helping her out. Jason sighed, idly brushing his mildly sweaty hands on his pants as he got to his feet. A knock at the door made him jump and involuntarily reach for his currently non-existent hip holster.
“Jason, are you in there?”
Blinking back his surprise, Jason crossed over to the door and opened it, a grin forming when he saw who was on the other side of the door.
“Kitten!” Jason drew the tall blonde standing across from him into a tight hug, ignoring her soft chuff of mild annoyance at the nickname.
“Jason,” Lee said in fond exasperation as Jason released her, absently straightening out her dark blue robes and briefly revealing her low kitten heels; silver earrings set with blue gems graced her ears, and a matching necklace glinted at her throat. “How many times have I told you not to call me that?”
Jason laughed. “Far too many times to count,” he said with a cheeky grin. A soft chuckle from behind Lee drew Jason's attention to his ex-partner's companions. A tall man stood there, holding onto the hand of a young black-haired girl who seemed no older than ten or so. She wore a simple purple dress, paired with a set of simple black patent-leather shoes.
“Who's this?” Jason asked, nodding at Lee's companions. A bright smile lit up Lee's face as she turned her head and looked at the others.
“Jason Caldwell, may I present Ian and Samantha Nahinu?”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Jason said with a smile.
“Same here,” Ian replied. “Lee's told us a lot about you.”
“Hopefully nothing too bad.”
Ian shook his head. “Nope,” he said, grinning. “Well, she did tell me about the oatmeal incident, but other than that...” He shrugged, trailing off.
Jason rolled his eyes and then sighed. “You'll never let me forget that, will you, Lee?”
“Nope!” Lee said brightly. “So, you ready for this, Jace?”
“Gods, I don't know,” Jason said. “Elaina is fantastic-- I know I don't have to tell you that -but I'm still amazed that she chose me as her husband.”
“You'll be fine,” Lee told him with a soft smile. “We're going to go sit down. See you in there.”
Jason nodded and then embraced Lee, squeezing her tightly before letting her go.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
“I wouldn't have missed it for the world,” Lee replied. She turned to the others. “Come on, guys; we'd best go sit down.”
Ian took her hand with his free one before Lee led the way into the main sanctuary, leaving Jason behind.
~/~
The ceremony was about an hour long. Ian was slightly surprised to find that it wasn't all that different from the weddings he'd been to back home, though with a few new twists to it. The fact that each of the elements had been represented by five different mages in correspondingly colored robes- blue for water, green for earth, red for fire, yellow for air, and white for spirit -was new, as was the spell that bound Jason to Sirali House, giving him a long life by proxy and slowing down his aging so that Elaina wouldn't outlive him. The reception was held in a nearby hotel's ballroom, catered with some of the best food and drinks that could be found. Ian was enjoying himself, sitting at a table with Lee, Sammy, and a few of Lee's former coworkers, when a tall blonde woman with a definite resemblance to Lee came up to the table.
She was wearing an elegant red dress, its full skirts whispering along the floor as she moved. Her waist was fashionably tucked thanks to a corset, and her posture was forced straight due to the corset as well. Her dark blonde hair was swept up into an elegant chignon, collected neatly at the nape of her neck. Lee stiffened at her approach, her hand suddenly tightening against Ian's thigh, where it had been resting loosely.
“Alinaria. I'm surprised to see you here,” the woman said. She had a moderate accent, far more refined than Lee's own.
“Mother,” Lee replied tersely, her entire body nearly vibrating with her tenseness. “Jason invited me. I wasn't about to miss the wedding of one of my good friends.”
“Still, given how long you've been away from the Empire and your House duties, I find it strange that you're here.” Her red-hued lips pursed in a moue of distaste as she looked over the other occupants of the table, lingering on Ian and Sammy the longest. “And in the company of kenvali, too.”
Judging from the various surprised or mildly disgusted reactions from the people around the table, Ian figured that whatever kenvali meant wasn't complimentary in the least.
“Kitava Sirali!” a woman said, looking shocked. “There are children in the area.”
“It's true, though,” Lee's mother replied, not looking phased in the slightest. She turned her attention back to Lee. “I have been trying to contact you, by the way.”
“Oh?”
She nodded. “Yes. I have no wish to ruin such a festive occasion such as this, but as this is most likely the only time I'll be seeing you for quite some time, I imagine, I might as well tell you now.” She took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, drawing herself up to her full height. “Alinaria Rindov Shinalon na Sirali, you are hereby proclaimed jeshri, and as such, are relieved of your House rank. You may give me your House regalia before you leave again.”
Lee's face went blank, her eyes widening in shock. Her grip tightened painfully against Ian's leg, her fingers digging into the muscle there. “I-- I-- Has Grandmother Jadefern okayed this?” she finally managed, her voice wavering.
“She needn't know.”
“Needn't know what?”
Lee's mother turned around, her skirts rustling. A lithe tan-furred Lithrani stood behind her, dressed in simple blue-green robes that complimented her cobalt blue eyes; her brown hair was pulled away from her face in an intricate braid. She was accompanied by a tall man with kind green eyes that reminded Ian of Lee's, as well as dark blond hair cut short and close to his head. Both looked to be in their early thirties, but Ian had learned never to trust appearances, particularly when dealing with magic-based universes. They also both had small brass gryphons pinned onto their clothing, right under their left clavicles.
“Ah. Mother. Father. It's been a while,” Lee's mother said, giving the two newcomers a short nod.
“Renavia,” the Lithrani replied calmly. Her gaze flickered to Lee, and a bright smile formed on her face, showing off the tips of her fangs. “Amelia! It's been a while since I've seen you, dearheart. We had heard you were supposed to be coming, but I wasn't sure if we would see one another before you left.”
“Grandmother, I--”
“You know I prefer just Jade, Lee; I won't hold it against you if you call me that. Besides, Grandmother is for old greyfurs; I have plenty of time before I'm one of those.”
Lee sighed softly, nodding. “Oh, all right,” she said, giving in. Ian noticed that her grip on him had loosened, and her posture had relaxed as well. So far, so good.
“So, Renavia, what was it that you and Lee were speaking about?”
Renavia shifted at the question, a brief look of uneasiness passing across her face before she regained her composure. “A House matter, father,” she replied. “Nothing for you two to worry about.”
“Nothing for us to worry about? If it's a House matter, then it's definitely something to be worried about, particularly if it involves Lee.” He looked at Jade. “Right, love?”
“Right, Nate.”
“It's a private matter between myself and Alinaria,” Renavia said pointedly. “There's no need for you to--”
“What's a jeshri?”
All eyes turned to Sammy, who was wearing one of her most innocent looks. Neither Lee or Ian were fooled; for all she spoke about peace and love (they had a running bet going as to which department she'd eventually end up in; Ian said Bad Slash, while Lee held out for Medical), Sammy could be devious when she wanted to be, and knew how to turn on the charm to fool unsuspecting strangers.
“And why do you want to know that?” Nate asked kindly. “It's not the kindest of terms for a young cub like you to know.”
“I'm nine, sir, and she--” Sammy pointed at Renavia, “--just called my-- just called Lee that and told her she didn't have a House rank any more.”
“Is this true?” Nate asked Renavia. His tone was soft, but there was a sense of steel behind the words. A change had come over both him and Jade; no longer were they the affable couple that had approached the table. Now, they seemed far more dangerous than Ian had expected.
Ah, he thought, so that's where Lee gets it from.
Renavia took a deep breath and then drew herself up. “I did,” she said haughtily, “and it's been a long time in coming. Alinaria has been nothing but trouble since she left for school. All those tales about your days as a Pair in the service of Kelnir the Blessed, gods rest his soul, poisoned her mind against doing her duty by the House. I--”
“Her name is Amelia.”
It was Ian's turn to be scrutinized, but he stayed in his chair, forcing himself to look relaxed.
“What?”
“Her name,” he repeated, allowing a slow drawl to enter his words, “is Amelia, though she prefers Lee. You should know that, what with being her mother.”
“Ian!” Lee muttered, but Ian shook his head.
“No,” he replied, not bothering to keep his voice down. He kept his gaze on Renavia. “Did you know she was worried about coming here?” he asked her. “I had to ask her why several times, and then she told me about you, and how you treated her after learning about what she wanted to do with her life. Said you wouldn't be happy to see her again. That got me thinking. What kind of parent wouldn't want to see their kid again, particularly one who knew exactly what they wanted out of life and worked their ass off to get there? I mean, sure, you obviously have more than enough power and wealth to not have to work a day in your life--” he gestured at Renavia's fine clothing and jewelry “--but what was the harm in letting Lee do something she obviously loved?” He shook his head. “Seems to me like you didn't like a bit of change in your life, nor the power you held over others.”
Ian turned to look at Jade and Nate, who had remained silent throughout his monologue, and grinned. “You two, however... I haven't been able to get Lee to shut up about you. Looks like she wanted to follow in your footsteps.”
“That was a dangerous path, though!” Renavia blurted out. “By the Bright Lady herself, it leads to nothing but heartache and pain. Battles have been fought because of it. I couldn't have you walk the same path that so many other Guardians have died on. The two of you know how dangerous it is, or did you forget the Great Separation as easily as history seems to have? You lived through so much turmoil; pardon me if I wanted to spare my daughter that same trouble.”
“Battles?” Lee scoffed. “Mother, that's stupid. Besides, I'm a grown woman. I can decide what I want to do with my life. And I did, even if I never was an official Guardian.”
“Yes, but--”
“Enough,” Jade said sharply. She looked at Renavia. “Ren, you have no authority to pronounce Amelia jeshri, and the fact that you would go behind our backs to do it is reprehensible. I am still the Head of this House, and while I'm still alive, we're going to be doing things the way Lady Sirali herself set them down at the Founding, which means a full Conclave of House representatives are needed to decide whether or not someone is going to be ejected from the House.”
“As for Lee not being an official Guardian, that was only because she never found her Anchor,” Nate said, continuing on from where Jade left off. “However...” He trailed off, looking speculatively at Ian, who could've sworn the other man's eyes turned a brighter shade of green for a few brief moments. “I think that's changed, and for the better.”
“Sorry, what?”
“I'll explain later, love,” Lee said absently. “Now, Mother, may we go back to our food? Unless you have another bombshell to drop?”
Renavia shook her head and then stalked away, back held straight and head high. The tense mood dissipated once she was out of sight, with Lee relaxing fully against Ian, her head coming to rest against one of his shoulders.
“May we join you?” Jade asked.
“After all of that, we would insist that you do, Anchor Sirali,” one of the other guests at the table replied, gesturing at the free seats available.
The two of them sat down, and soon the conversation became lighthearted once more, with abandoned meals and drinks being consumed and a good time had by all. Lee perked up a little as time went on, and she was soon drawn into a conversation with her grandparents about all the major events that had happened after she had left.
“I think Finn and Adam are around here somewhere,” Nate was saying. “They're still doing ambassadorial work with the drakakyn in the Western Lands, but they're home right now.”
“It's been ages since I saw them last,” Lee said after taking a drink of water. “It's hard to believe they're still doing that kind of work after all this time. You'd think they'd want to enjoy the gifts Emperor Kelnir gave them for their work in the Unification, gods bless his soul.”
Jade shrugged. “Those two have always been a bit odd,” she said. “Then again, a vampire and a dragon-shifter marrying was unheard of even back then, so they've never been short of surprises.”
“So was a werewolf and a Lithrani, dearest, but that didn't stop us,” Nate told her with a soft laugh, taking hold of one of her hands. “I think those at the Agency were surprised that we Paired so well when we did.”
“Aye, I suppose you're right.”
“Paired?” Ian asked, feeling slightly out of his depth. “And you're a werewolf?”
Nate nodded. “Yes, so your lovely lady there is a quarter 'wolf,” he said, gesturing at Lee. “It's probably why she's so good with elemental magics; the 'wolf in her draws it out, while the Lithrani gives her good control. That's why she's lasted so long without an Anchor.”
“And what's a Anchor? You mentioned that earlier...” Ian shrugged. “I'm not exactly from around here, if you hadn't guessed.”
“What, they don't have Pairs in the Pearl Isles?” Jade asked, amused. “No matter. An Anchor helps their Guardian be more settled and in control of their magics. I'll wager you ten copper Lee has had better control over her magic since you two have known one another.”
“I did lay a pretty solid protective spell on him that hasn't worn off yet,” Lee mused, “and that was at least a year ago.”
Ian nodded. “Does... does being her Anchor affect me in any way? Any negative way, I mean?”
Nate looked thoughtful. “Well, traditionally, if you're separated for too long, the effects can get pretty harsh. That's what Renavia was talking about when she mentioned the Great Separation. Long story short, if a Guardian and Anchor are physically separated for long periods of time-- over a year, usually -then it's detrimental to the involved parties. I'm sure Adam could tell you more; he's done extensive research into all of that. Of course, the weaker the bond, the less the effects are apparent. You two...” Here he trailed off, looking at the two of them with too-bright eyes once again. “...your bond is solid, but not as great as some Pairs I've met. It's a good start for a working relationship, as well as something more.”
Ian sat there, idly toying with his fork as he processed all of this information. The talk at the table soon slipped away to other subjects, the talk of people and places Ian didn't recognize washing over him in a flow of white noise. It was only the warm presence of Lee at his side that kept him from flowing away entirely on the tide.
They left the wedding several hours later, with Sammy tucked sleepily against Ian's chest, the young girl dozing quietly as they waited for a ride back to their lodgings. The amount of people they'd met had worn her out; some of her favorite people to talk to had been the aforementioned Adam and Finn, with the dragon-shifter being the top pick. Lee stood next to Ian, leaning gently against his solid frame with a quiet noise of weary happiness.
“So,” Ian began, keeping his voice low so as to not wake Sammy. “Your family seems... nice. Well, except for your mother.”
Lee sighed softly. “She's too tied into tradition,” she replied, her voice quiet as well.
“You take after your grandparents,” Ian noted. “They're good people.”
Lee smiled. “Yeah, they are. It helps that they approve of you two.”
“I'm glad they do,” Ian commented. “Your granddad is downright spooky when he's angry.”
Lee couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, quickly muffling it when Sammy stirred. She looked up at the sky, the first stars of the evening just barely visible past the soft glow of the ælectric lights. It was good to be home, even if only for a short while.