SaDiablo Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer, Friday Night [Fandom Time]
It had been a long day, even though she'd slept through half of it. Karla was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and wanted little more than to just curl up and fall asleep again. Though that 'little more' encompassed a lot. She wanted to go home to Fandom and curl up with Warren--at least, if he wasn't too angry or upset with her. How soon until the portal arrived? Karla needed some time away.
WarrenWarren wasn't angry. Warren wasn't even feeling particularly sick to his stomach anymore. Warren was just worried. And maybe a little tired. It had been a long day, never mind week, and now he was rehearsing in his mind just what he was going to say to Karla when he finally got to see her.
It was currently sitting somewhere between 'stern lecture,' and 'I was so worried,' one of which had been touched on briefly, and the other being something that he probably didn't actually have the cojones to so much as attempt. He was really not the stern lecture sort.
Which probably became apparent as he stepped into the room, and rather than saying anything at all, he was making his way over to wrap her up in his arms and wings all over again. Those blankets didn't look like near enough.
KarlaKarla looked up when Warren came in and flailed about a little, trying to find the energy to stand and failing. Of everyone, this was the meeting she'd been worried about the most. Not because she thought he'd yell--Warren really wasn't the yelling sort--but for all sorts of stupid reasons that began with her looking like a walking skeleton and shifted over to a lot of guilt for making him come after her and experience Agio and ended right back to her looking like this.
Karla was many things. Unfortunately, right now she felt very much like a sixteen year old girl who had disappointed everyone.
"Hi," she said quietly.
Warren
"Hi, Karla," Warren replied. And no, he wasn't about to let go any time soon, this time around. "How are you holding up?"
At least he wasn't disappointed, for all that was worth. He was relieved, to some degree. His imagination had come up with a million worse things that could have happened to Karla herself, and most of them couldn't possibly have wound up with him holding her in his arms again.
His own issues besides, with Sookie's help, were at least very conveniently swept under a rug for the time being.
Karla
He had to ask the hard questions, didn't he?
"It's been rough," Karla said, wrapping her arms around him as if her life and everything else depended on it. "But I'm very glad to see you."
Because the only thing worse than seeing him like this would be not seeing him at all, and that was something that Karla just wasn't ready to contemplate. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and just breathed. "How about you?"
Warren"I've been worse," Warren admitted, which was sort of like a non-answer no matter how you filed it, and he was well aware of that. Worrying Karla was pretty low on his to-do list at the moment. "You had me worried, you know."
She still did, truth be told. Seeing her like this was breaking his heart all over again. But that much, he wasn't going to let show. Not right now.
Karla"From what I know of Rapture, that answer's not entirely comforting," Karla said dryly. "While I'm glad this visit doesn't beat it out for 'absolute worse,' I have a pretty good guess of how awful something can be and still let you claim that."
Hopefully that made sense. Thinking always got difficult when Warren was near, but this time it had more to do with her being so damn tired.
"I'm sorry I worried you," she added in a small voice. "I...I really screwed up this time. Are you mad at me?"
WarrenHe gave her a shadow of a wry smile, ghosting across his lips for a moment before he shook his head and started to run his fingers through her hair. She'd pretty much gone and called him out on that one. He still wasn't going to admit that he'd spent the better part of the past few days in and out of a haze.
"I had this long lecture all planned out," he admitted, softly. "But it wasn't an angry one, not really. And now I can't even remember what I was going to say."
It was probably a lot of don't frighten people that way anyhow.
Karla"If it helps, I've probably gotten most of it in bits and pieces all day," Karla offered, closing her eyes a little and relaxing into his hand. It was amazing how good simple human contact felt. "Not that I'm complaining, exactly. I know I deserve every lecture I've gotten and more besides."
Which was her way of saying that if he wanted to be angry or lecture her, she was okay with that. Especially if he was going to keep it all bottled up inside.
Warren
"I wonder if any of them would have done it differently if they had been put in your position at the time," murmured Warren. And then, a moment later, he couldn't help but add, "but this does mean that I'm not going to end up in tight leather any time this year, I'm afraid."
Stick that in your cookie and eat it.
KarlaSaddest. Karla. Ever.
She could point out that, technically, she hadn't violated any of the terms set forth by Dinah...but she had broken the spirit, if not the letter, of their agreement and she knew it.
Instead, she just cuddled a bit closer to him, wrapping her arms around his chest. "I know." Sadness. "Can I maybe sway you towards tight leather pants anyway? It's not a whole outfit."
She wasn't so tired she couldn't tease.
Warren"If you can hold out for Christmas, I might be talked into some leather pants," Warren replied, chuckling softly and burying his face in her hair for a moment.
Karla smell.
"I suppose asking really nicely would probably have the same effect, actually."
Karla"It'll be a little while before I'll feel like I can ask for anything, nicely or not," Karla said. She pressed a small kiss to the side of his neck, more to feel the warmth of his skin and the pulse beating right below it. He was here, with her, alive and if not well, at least dealing.
"You came for me," she whispered. She wasn't sure why that squeezed her heart so, but it did.
Warren
"I was worried," Warren replied, as if that explained it all. As if, maybe if he said it enough, that would say it all.
He couldn't imagine losing her. He didn't want to try imagining it. Just the thought made his heart stop and his pulse race all at the same time somehow.
Karla"I was frightened," Karla confessed. "At least, when I had enough time to think about what I was feeling."
The rest of the time, she'd been focused on her patients, dragging them back from the brink of death by will and Craft alone.
"And those few times I wasn't thinking about how scared I was, I was wavering between being glad you weren't there to see any of that and selfishly wishing that you were. With me."
Warren"For what it's worth, I don't think you're selfish." If she was selfish, she'd have a lot more weight on her, for starters. Warren chewed on his lip for a moment, and then went right ahead and tried to pull her into his lap. "And I'm glad I'm here."
Here right now. There were a lot of things that he'd seen over the past few days that he would never be able to get out of his mind's eye, not completely, and he wasn't particularly glad to have been there for that. But Karla was the priority, and if it meant knowing that she was safe... He'd face it all again.
KarlaIf anyone came in and had a problem with the way Karla was sitting and Warren was holding her, Karla would happily tell them exactly what they could do with it. She needed this a Hell of a lot more than their sense of propriety needed stroking.
She curled up in his lap, sighing in the closest thing to contentment she'd felt since she'd woken up from her nightmare. 'Keeping Karla safe' had been a priority of males since the day she was born. But it was different, with Warren. He wasn't here because he was born and bred to see it as his duty, or because of her caste, or because of his loyalty to Glacia. He was her for her sake, and hers alone.
"For what it's worth, I think you're wonderful," she murmured, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek.
Warren"I'm not that great," Warren replied almost reflexively, even as he smiled a bit at the kiss. "I just heard that you might be in danger, and I came."
And then he'd seen some Very Terrible Things that currently he was trying not to dwell on too thoroughly. At least Sookie had helped him some, in that regard. He was no longer prone to bouts of hugging his knees and spacing out at the ground, at least.
"So did other people too, I mean. We care."
Karla"I know," Karla said, nodding. "I'm trying to think of a way to thank everyone and failing miserably."
You know, other than not doing this again. That was a big one.
She settled back down, resting her head on his shoulder. "And you are that great." Lacking in the eloquence needed to fully explain why that was true, she settled for repetition instead. "You are. So there."
There was a long pause, and she added quietly, "I know what happened with Raven." She hugged him tightly, so he'd know she didn't blame him for it. "She says she's sorry. She'd apologize to you directly, but I don't think she's ready to face you just yet."
Warren"I don't think I'm quite ready to face her again, either," he replied, quirking one of those crooked little smiles that was far more about nerves than anything else. "Apology accepted."
Mostly because he didn't have the energy to hold onto a grudge. It didn't mean he wasn't going to be ridiculously anxious around Raven for a while, but it was something.
"You know... you don't have to make this up to us. You don't have to find some special way to thank us all. I'm pretty sure that everyone already knows."
Karla"She took the rest of the safframate out of Jaenelle's system," Karla said quietly. "I don't think she was fully prepared for how it would affect her." She rubbed her eyes a little, tired. "I don't think anyone really is until they experience it for the first time."
Ugh. Briarwood. Moving quickly on. To...to what? Oh, thank you's, gratitude, being beholden. Yeah, she could talk about that.
"I dragged you all into this mess because I wasn't thinking about anything beyond Jaenelle needing help. Not myself, not you, not Morton, not Glacia...nothing. I was thoughtless and you were all endangered because of it. I can't just write that off as thanks for being a friend."
Warren"Not even when... we just went and did the exact same thing you did?" Warren gave her a wry, tired little smile. "You were worried for somebody that you care for. So were we. The only real difference is, we were a small army."
... Granted, they hadn't been expecting what it was that they'd run into. But then, Warren couldn't imagine that Karla had been anticipating that slaughter, either.
KarlaNoooo. Karla had imagined a few days a grueling trek through Askavi--which she'd also gotten--but she most certainly hadn't expected the trap that was Agio.
And it had been a trap, without question.
"I wish we were back at school," Karla sighed. "I just want to cuddle up with you and nap for awhile. We could hold one another when the nightmares come--" and that was definitely a 'when' not an 'if' "--and share pineapples to keep the darkness away."
Warren"There will be plenty of pineapples when we get back to the island," Warren promised, his voice a bare murmur. "And that will be soon, I'm sure. Right now, we can do cuddles. And if you want to nap, I'm okay with that, too."
And anybody who had any problems with that would have to contend with a large pair of very protective wings, Warlord, Prince, or otherwise.
Karla"I might be able to fall asleep soon," Karla said. "This is the first time I've been really, fully warm since I woke up."
Karla wasn't sure if the cold was because she was too thin or too tired, or simply psychosomatic. She didn't really care, either. All that mattered was that it was gone now.
There were a few more minutes of light chatter and then, curled up in his arms, Karla slept.
Meanwhile, Karla's fate was being decided for her...
SaetanInside his study, Saetan listened to an abbreviated version of the conversation Lucivar’d had with Dinah. When Lucivar was finished, Saetan sent a wordless summons on a spear thread to Morton and sipped his yarbarah, deep in thought.
Clearly, things with Karla had gotten much more out of hand than any of them assumed. The question was: how do you solve a problem like Maria Karla.
MortonMorton knew better than to dawdle when summoned to this particular study. He arrived rather quickly. Even if it did mean stopping his endless pacing, and his mulling over what he was going to do about Karla.
He bowed his head slightly as he came to a sort of attention. "Sir."
Saetan"No reason to stand on ceremony, boyo." Saetan waved him to another chair. "So. Your cousin. How much do you know about what she's been up to on that island of hers, hmmm?"
LucivarLucivar snorted. "Like he's any further in the loop than we are. His letters are even more heavily edited than ours."
Morton"Not much," Morton admitted unhappily. "Talking to her classmates has given me some ideas, but..." He trailed off with a shake of his head.
Saetan"From Dinah?" Saetan asked. "She mentioned such things to Lucivar."
He sat back and steepled his fingers in front of his face. "What has she told you?" he asked.
Morton"She seems to think that Karla has... no sense of self-preservation." Morton was a bit hesitant before taking a deep breath as if he was going to say something else, then he shook his head and fell silent.
Saetan"And?"
One didn't have to have the whole slew of titles Saetan did to realize Morton was holding something back.
Morton"I think that she might just... be doing what a Queen does," Morton said softly. "Except that she doesn't have a Court there to watch her, to keep her out of trouble, to make sure she doesn't go to far."
And that was on him.
Lucivar"Bullshit," Lucivar said with his usual tact and eloquence. "There's a difference between being a Queen and running yourself into the ground. Sure, most Queens have a Court to fuss and hen-peck if needed, but they don't nearly commit suicide by Craft if they don't have one!"
Saetan"Jaenelle does with alarming frequency," Saetan pointed out dryly.
Lucivar"Jaenelle's got a lot of things riding her," Lucivar shot back. "Between Briarwood and Daemon and this latest shit with Little Terreille, it's no wonder she's kind of messed up."
He got up and began prowling the room. "Besides, Jaenelle's got so much Craft, that it's easier for her to burn herself out. I'm not saying it's good or it's healthy because we all know it's neither, but she's a skinny little thing wielding more Craft than any of us can comprehend. Karla isn't. For her to end up in that same boat, she's doing it deliberately."
Morton"But who does Karla look to as the perfect example of a Queen?" Morton asked, sounding tired.
"She needs a strong Court around her. One that understands. She has friends, but..." He sighed. None of them really understood the Blood, or Protocol.
Saetan"But they're not Blood," Saetan finished, nodding. "Lucivar, tell me again what Dinah said?"
Lucivar"That Karla needs to talk to a Black Widow, one that isn't Jaenelle," Lucivar said, sounding tired. "Karla pushes, runs herself into the ground. She can't say no if someone needs her help, even if the help they need is going to be detrimental to her."
He plucked the top off the decanter of whiskey, glanced around for a glass, shrugged, and began drinking straight from the decanter. "I saw that much for myself, in Agio. She only wears the Sapphire, but she kept Healing people like she had the Black to call on. I'm pretty sure the only reason she was eating and drinking was so that she could convince Jaenelle to do the same. Which Dinah says is the source of her other problem."
Saetan"The one where she doesn't feel like she can stop if Jaenelle doesn't," Saetan murmured. He took off his half-moon glasses and polished them with a sigh. "Dinah doesn't believe it comes from a desire to compete with Jaenelle, but, what? More guilt?"
MortonOh.
That.
Morton closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts. "Karla has never really been good at recognizing her limitations," he said quietly. "I don't think it's her competing so much as... trying to be like someone she really admires. Even though she knows that she can't, really."
He reached up to rub his face in frustration. "Mother Night," he mumbled. "What do we do?" For just a second there he sounded more like a young man terrified for his cousin than a First Escort concerned for his Queen.
Lucivar"Something like that," Lucivar agreed. "She understands she doesn't have the same power level as Jaenelle, but I guess that's not the point?"
Dammit, Dinah. Why'd you have to throw this all on him? Lucivar took another sip of whiskey, wishing his Ebon-gray wouldn't metabolize it so fast.
"Karla sees her best friend pushing herself and thinks that she hasn't had it as bad. She's never been through Briarwood, or lived in Terreille, and she doesn’t have to be Queen of Ebon Askavi one day. So she forgets that Jaenelle has the Jewels to see her through the crazy times and just tries to keep up, because she can't quit if Jaenelle doesn't. And so she pushes herself almost to the breaking point time and time again."
SaetanSaetan sent a small thread of comfort to Morton. Darkness have mercy, he and Karla--and Jaenelle and the others--were all much, much too young to be going through any of this. Morton had taken on the responsibilities of an entire Court and all before he'd needed to start to shave. Even acting on behalf of a normal Queen, it would be too much. For someone like Karla?
Saetan couldn't even think about what it must be like for the young male without admitting that he, too, had failed. Failed them both.
"She pushes herself beyond her limits because she idealizes Jaenelle, who, honestly, is no better."
How had everything gotten so messy so fast? Saetan felt like he was trying to build sandcastles on an incoming tide.
Lucivar"And let's not forget the exact nature of the danger she's been flinging herself into," Lucivar snorted. "Giant scorpions followed almost immediately by getting stabbed, and whatever else the little darling's been up to."
Saetan"What?!" Saetan asked, nearly spilling his yarbarah.
Lucivar had left that little tidbit out before.
Morton"What?!" Morton exploded simultaneously, eyes bugging out.
It seemed that some little witch hadn't been telling him exactly what sorts of trouble she'd been getting up to.
LucivarLucivar just leaned against the wall and watched them sputter. It was, perhaps, a little petty to take some enjoyment out of their reactions, but he'd had this mess dumped in his lap. He was going to take amusement where he could.
"Oh, yes," he said idly. "And that's just the stuff Dinah would confess to."
Morton"We can't let her go back," Morton snapped.
Which, if he wasn't in a state of not-so-mild panic would sound pretty stupid to him, but since he was in such a state it made perfect sense.
Saetan
Unfortunately, both Saetan and Lucivar nodded along with him, as if he were speaking perfect sense.
"Absolutely not," Saetan replied. "We sent her there to be safe. If she's not going to be safe there, then what's the point of her remaining?"
Lucivar"Especially since we can't trust her to be honest with us about just how safe it is or isn't," Lucivar said, crossing his arms over his chest. "At least if she stays here, we'll be able to keep an eye on her. A better eye."
MortonMorton joined the nodding. "We can't send her back to Glacia, of course."
Then he frowned just a bit. "In fact, we'll have to find some way of making sure she doesn't sneak off to the Territory on her own..."
That could get... complicated.
Saetan"Perhaps we could send her to another Territory?" Saetan mused. "The Dea al Mon, with Gabrielle and Chaosti? Gabrielle's another Black Widow Healer Queen, so Karla could continue her training..."
Saetan took another sip of his yarbarah. Perhaps one day, he could make it through a glass without spitting it everywhere.
"It might be dangerous, keeping her here. When Magstrom visited me at the Keep, he passed along an oblique warning about Karla. The Dark Council is watching the Hall, and they won't hesitate to tell Hobart where she is if they see her."
Lucivar"On the other hand, we could just keep her Black-locked in her rooms. That would solve so many of our problems," Lucivar said.
It was impossible to tell if he were joking or not.
MortonFor a moment Morton seemed to consider Lucivar's suggestion seriously. Then he sighed. "We can't lock her up. The point of sending her to Fandom was to let her grow with some amount of freedom, after all."
Besides, she was still his Queen, and he didn't think he could stomach making her a prisoner.
Lucivar"Yeah, and look where that got us," Lucivar pointed out.
Morton"She's still a Queen!" Morton snapped.
...
At a Warlord Prince who could tear him apart without even relying on his much, much darker Jewels.
Don't worry, the blood would totally drain from his face in a bit when he realized that part.
Saetan"Leash it," snapped the other Warlord Prince in the room, the one whose Jewels outranked them both. "Lucivar, we are not locking Karla in her room for the rest of her natural life, no matter how tempting the idea is at the time."
And Darkness knew, it was tempting.
"So, let's see where we are. Karla can't stay in Glacia, more than simply her life is in danger. She can't stay in Fandom. She can't stay here. That leaves shipping her off to one of the other Territories, which I am loathe to do, or letting her stay in Hell, which I am even more loathe to do."
Lucivar"There's always the Keep," Lucivar suggested. "Not that Geoffrey or Draca will be all that thrilled to play nursemaid, but she can stay there, it's big enough that the entire Dark Council could play hide and seek for months without spotting her, and Morton could stay there, too, giving Karla the care she needs."
MortonMorton liked that plan. Except...
"She won't like it," he said quietly. "At all."
Lucivar"Maybe she should have thought about that before getting herself stabbed," Lucivar retorted.
He took another sip and added in a quieter voice, "She nearly died. If her Healer friend, the one with the Red Jewel that isn't a Jewel hadn't gotten to her in time? She would have."
Morton"Could we... send someone with her? Someone to keep an eye on her?" Morton wanted Karla to be safe, but he also wanted her to be happy. If they could manage both.
Saetan"Are you planning on going to that school with her, boyo?" Saetan asked with a raised eyebrow. "If not you, who?"
Morton"Of course I'll go!" Morton announced.
Except... the who'd keep an eye on Glacia? Who'd keep secretly recruiting for Karla's Court and preparing for her return? Who'd work at keeping Hobart from destroying everything, or from searching for the missing Queen too much?
Saetan"The bond between Karla and her Warlord Prince is far too new to trust him with such a delicate task," Saetan said, his thoughts trending the same paths as Morton's. "Assuming you trust him to be subtle on your behalf. And the idea of sending him to Fandom is laughable."
From what Saetan had seen and heard of him, he'd make an excellent member of the Court, once he got himself knocked down a peg or two.
LucivarLucivar would be happy to do the knocking! Just putting that out there.
"So, then what do we do?" he asked. "Right now, the Keep is looking like the best option."
SaetanSaetan sighed, a heavy sound. "I don't like it any more than you do, boyo," he told Morton. "But I like hearing third-hand that Karla is endangering her life and her Craft even less."
Everything they had said was true. Still, it took Saetan a few moments to send out the mental summons. *Karla, I'd to see you in my study, please.*
KarlaKarla had been napping, curled up in Warren's arms and wings when she got Saetan's mental call. Blinking owlishly, she sent a pulse of wordless agreement before beginning the lengthy process of untangling herself from Warren, who had fallen asleep curled up around her. She didn't want to wake him; she doubted he'd slept much since Agio.
Hell's fire, she'd doubted any of her friends had slept much since Agio.
"Be right back," she whispered, brushing a feather-light kiss on his cheek.
She'd known this was coming, of course. There was no way she was going to escape a dressing down for running off after Jaenelle, scaring everyone to death, and causing her friends to come running. Hopefully, after Saetan was done yelling so hard the windows rattled, he'd tell her when the portal to Fandom was scheduled to arrive.
Karla really wanted to go home.
Morton"Is there any way we could at least keep her near Jaenelle?" Morton asked. "I don't want to bring her back here only to lock her up... At least not if I can help it."
If he couldn't, of course, then locked up it would be.
Saetan"Jaenelle has a suite of rooms in the Keep," Saetan said. "Perhaps she could be persuaded to stay in them for awhile, ease in the transition--"
Anything else he was going to say was cut off by a quiet knock on his study door. Even the knock sounded like it was trying to be meek.
KarlaKarla slipped inside, looking both apologetic and yet defiant, though mostly she just looked tired. It had been a long, slow walk from her rooms to Saetan’s study. She knew they were going to yell and they had every right to, but at the same time, she had still done what she thought was best. No, she hadn't gone about it the best way--and she was definitely going to leave a note next time--but she'd followed her heart and served her Queen.
Hopefully, if she put it like that, she could forestall some of the lecture?
"I just wanted to say--" She paused, halfway through a step. Morton, Saetan, and Lucivar were all looking at her, but rather than the stormcloud expressions she'd expected, they all looked...resigned. Unhappy. Almost...sad?
"Yeees?" she asked, a faint feeling of foreboding lodging in the pit of her stomach.
Morton"You can't go back to Fandom."
Way to ease into the difficult topic there, Morton.
KarlaKarla snorted. "Very funny, Morton."
SaetanSaetan, with a steely glare to Morton for that bit of diplomatic fail, replied softly, "He's correct, Karla. You...can't go back to that place."
KarlaCue confusion with more than a little bit of fear. They had to be joking. They just had to.
"I--I don't understand," she said, looking from one male to the next. "I can't? W-why not? Why can't I go home?"
MortonMorton blanched at the word 'home'. No, he hadn't missed that.
"Karla... how many times have you been seriously injured there? Nearly died?" See? That was more diplomatic than 'because you'll get yourself killed!'
Lucivar"What Morton's trying to say is that he's afraid you'll get your fool self killed," Lucivar rumbled, blunt as always. "Or broken. Of your own doing."
KarlaKarla glared at Morton and said frostily, "I told you, we had a Rule."
Then the rest of what they said sank in and she shifted uneasily in place. "What makes you think I've been seriously injured there?" she asked.
...Not, you know, denying it. Just asking.
RavenRaven always kept a thread of her power tuned to Karla (unless she was with Warren, because that would be rude). She'd retreated to her room once again to hide meditate when she picked up on Karla's sudden burst of despair.
Bolting out into the hallway, she almost ran into Dinah, who happened to be passing by. "Something is wrong with Karla!" she said frantically.
DinahRight, like Raven had to say that twice.
Dinah followed her at all speed, ready to take on whatever was messing with Karla *now*.
Morton
"Karla," Morton said, trying to sound chiding and responsible. It sort of-kind of worked.
Only not really.
Karla"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, Morton!" Karla flared. "You don't get to threaten to take me away from Fandom and then act like I'm just some stubborn child when I protest!"
Saetan"Perhaps if you acted less like a stubborn child before this, he wouldn't have to take that tone with you now," Saetan replied, his tone just as frosty as Karla's had been a moment before.
KarlaKarla recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "If this is about me chasing after Jaenelle." she began. "Look, I had my reasons, I was serving my Queen--"
Saetan"No," Saetan said, rising up from his chair. "This is about a pattern of behavior that has gone too far. This is about lies of omission and false pretenses. This is about stabbing and scorpions and who knows what else! It has gone on long enough, Karla. I'm just glad we were finally informed before you went too far and shattered the Sapphire!"
His golden eyes were practically glowing now, not from anger, but from hurt, frustration, and concern.
"I look upon you as my niece, Karla, and Jaenelle's best friend. But how am I, or Morton, or anyone supposed to react when we find out that you've nearly died--perhaps several times--and never said a word?"
KarlaKarla stepped back a few paces, then sank, unseeing, into a chair.
"Who told you?" she whispered, feeling a hundred, maybe a thousand times betrayed.
Lucivar
"Why does it matter?" Lucivar asked. "Someone who cares about you. Someone who's worried about what you're doing to yourself."
Karla"Why does it matter?" Karla repeated. "Why does it matter? It matters because you're threatening to take me away from friends, my home! You want to take away everything that has become important to me in the past year and a half and you wonder why it matters?"
RavenRaven had followed the feeling of Karla's distress until she arrived at the source. Forgoing any politeness, she burst into the room. "Karla!" she exclaimed. "What is wrong?" She hadn't exactly been expecting her to be with Saetan, Lucivar, and Morton, but she flew to her side regardless.
DinahDinah had a very, very bad feeling about this, just based on who was in the room. She followed at a more careful pace, but stood next to Karla, facing the other three. "Raven had a feeling you were upset," she said, watching them, and then glaring at Lucivar. You guys did something stupid. I can just tell. "Any particular reason?"
KarlaKarla had whirled around when her friends entered the room. Seeing Dinah--remembering Lucivar's words--yeah, that answered the question of 'who' quite handily.
"You!" she said, giving Dinah a look of anger mixed with hurt. "You're the reason I can't go back to Fandom! I hope you're happy now--I trusted you!"
There. That was nice and rational.
DinahDinah flinched for a second, then turned up the glower to eleven. "What are you thinking?" she snapped at Lucivar. Morton was hurting for Karla too much, and no way was she telling off Karla's scary uncle. Lucivar, however, was right there. "This is not what I told you for! I said she needed help dealing, not being back here!"
She looked at Karla, expression a mix of determination and guilt. "This is not what I wanted. I am so sorry if they're being high-handed."
MortonMorton hadn't moved since Karla had snapped at them.
His hand moved backward, and he blindly groped for a chair to collapse into.
"You want to go back," he said softly, staring blankly. It didn't sound like he meant those words quite how they sounded.
Raven"What?" Raven said, feeling a sudden surge of fury. She whirled on Saetan. "You cannot keep her here against her will. I will not allow it!"
Saetan"Listen, Lady Raven," Saetan said too softly. "This is my home and, more specifically, my study. Neither of you ladies were invited to participate in this discussion, so I am asking you both to kindly--"
KarlaKarla was already in trouble, already forbidden from returning to Fandom. So she had no compunctions about interrupting Saetan in his stupid, precious study to keep yelling at Dinah some.
"You're sorry they're being high-handed?" Karla snapped. "It wasn't what you wanted? Dinah, you told three Kaeleeran males about the scorpion and the sacrifice and who knows what else--"
Saetan"SACRIFICE?!?" The word was repeated in tones of shock and alarm from two corners of the room.
KarlaKarla continued on as if she hadn't even heard. "--and you're surprised they're acting high-handed and refusing to let me go back? What in Hell do you think they were going to do? Throw me a picnic? Why do you think I never said anything?!"
Lucivar"Maybe if you'd said something before, she wouldn't have had to!" Lucivar roared. "Don't go putting this all on her, witchling! A little bit of honesty--a little bit of trust--and we might not even be here right now!"
He paused, breathing rapidly, only barely remembering not to wag his finger in Karla's face. Judging by her expression, she'd happily bite him if he did.
"AND WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A SACRIFICE?!"
DinahIt was really, really disconcerting to have half of what she'd wanted to say said by someone else first. Dinah tried hard not to stare at Lucivar after that, because ... right, stay on topic.
"DON'T YELL." Oh, right. "Not helpful." She took a breath, finding herself angling her body to block Saetan's gaze at Karla. "We can't stay out of it, we're in it. And yes she screwed up," then she turned to look at Karla. "A lot. And I didn't mention the sacrifice." Yeah, Karla. Remember that. Keeping omissions straight is hard when it's not you. "But why do you think having her here will help?"
Lucivar"Sacrifice first," Lucivar said, folding his arms over his chest.
He didn't look like he'd be budging on this.
RavenRaven glared up at Lucivar. "Karla was injured aiding a friend, but I was able to heal her," she said. Okay, so she was leaving out just how injured. "As I always will should she ever come to harm. Fandom is not without its dangers, but I have learned much there, and Karla has as well. And I will not allow you to prevent her return."
LucivarLucivar looked down from his full height onto Raven. "Injured as in 'stabbed to the point of death,' I'm guessing?" he snarked. "Yeah, I know, Dinah told me. And this sounds like more of that 'helping her friends beyond the point where its safe and healthy,' which I also heard about. If we're going to keep Karla here for her own protection, it's the family's decision, not yours, little witch. And just how, exactly, were you planning on stopping me?"
All of Lucivar's diplomacy training had taken place in the Eyrien hunting camps of his youth. Sometimes, it showed.
...Like when he was talking. Ever.
Raven"I am her family," Raven said, tense with anger, red flashing in her eyes. She drew herself up to her full height, though she still had to look up at Lucivar. "But it is her decision, not mine or yours. And should her wish be to return to Fandom, I will take her there. You are the one who will be unable to stop me. You have no idea what I can and will do to protect Karla."
There was going to be a shortage of italics in Kaeleer by the time Raven was through.
MortonMorton had barely even followed the conversation from the time he sat down, but Raven's words had him surging out of his chair. "She's my cousin!" he exploded, throat tight and eyes maybe hinting slightly at watering.
"And you can't take her away from me!" That's what Hobart had wanted, and Morton had fought him every step of the way.
DinahOh, God, this was getting so out of control. "Morton, Morton--" Dinah reached out for him, even though she wasn't sure that was a good idea. "No, no, that's not what we meant. It isn't. I swear. I love her as much as you do, so does Raven although not the same way, no. Can we please talk about this stuff, instead of giving orders and yelling?" She took a breath, looked at Saetan and Lucivar. "Raven's not kidding, though. She could take her anywhere. So please, stop giving orders Karla will just get around. Okay?"
Saetan"EVERYONE BE SILENT!" And there was the anticipated window rattling.
"Sit down, be silent, or I will toss you out of my study and I don't give a damn who you are!"
Lucivar
"Now see what you did," Lucivar muttered. "He will too."
Saetan"That included you, Prince," Saetan said, completely with steely glare.
"Now then." He pointed to Morton. "Speak, boyo. What?"
Morton
Morton still looked a bit pole-axed from the yelling, but he took a deep breath. "Karla can't leave us. She's a Queen. She has a duty to her Territory."
And... she was his cousin. He loved her. She couldn't leave him either. Not without breaking his heart.
KarlaKarla's look was part incredulity and part exasperation. "Just barely!" she snapped. "I'm not a real Queen for another few years. Here, I'm nothing! A dead girl! Not Karla--at best, a symbol!"
Morton"But you will be a great Queen!" Morton shot back. His eyes flashed, just daring someone to claim otherwise.
Raven"Of course she will be," Raven said. "That is not a question here." She'd moved to stand beside Karla, ready to teleport her from the room if necessary.
Saetan"Wonderful," Saetan said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We all agree that Karla will make an excellent Queen. Assuming she survives that long, which with scorpions, stabbings, and sacrifices, I'm really beginning to worry about. And that is the point. Karla will make an excellent Queen. Our job to make sure she has the chance to grown up and become one."
Dinah"Awesome. We're all on the same page. We all want the same thing, basically. Karla alive and happy." Dinah took a breath, glad the atmosphere was calming slightly, if still tense. "We, and I think Karla, want that to be on Fandom. For the next two years. Can she make her case, before you put her in magic jail somewhere?" She looked over at Morton. "However it works. Please?"
Karla
"I have two more years before I can set up my Court and be the Queen that Glacia deserves," Karla said. "Is it so wrong I want to spend those years in Fandom? I can't go home and I can't stay here, either!" She darted a defiant glare at Saetan. "I heard you to talking to Lord Magstrom. I know the trouble I bring down on everyone here is I stay. So what are you going to do with me, huh? Bundle me off to some faraway Territory?"
SaetanSaetan raised a brow. "It was an option," he admitted blandly. "Or possibly the Keep. Everything I've heard recently gives me no reason to send you back? You've nearly been killed, you've been incredibly dishonest with us, and Dinah has told us about some of your more unhealthy tendencies. So, why, exactly, should I trust you to go back?"
[Part one of two. Alphabet soup goes here.]
WarrenWarren wasn't angry. Warren wasn't even feeling particularly sick to his stomach anymore. Warren was just worried. And maybe a little tired. It had been a long day, never mind week, and now he was rehearsing in his mind just what he was going to say to Karla when he finally got to see her.
It was currently sitting somewhere between 'stern lecture,' and 'I was so worried,' one of which had been touched on briefly, and the other being something that he probably didn't actually have the cojones to so much as attempt. He was really not the stern lecture sort.
Which probably became apparent as he stepped into the room, and rather than saying anything at all, he was making his way over to wrap her up in his arms and wings all over again. Those blankets didn't look like near enough.
KarlaKarla looked up when Warren came in and flailed about a little, trying to find the energy to stand and failing. Of everyone, this was the meeting she'd been worried about the most. Not because she thought he'd yell--Warren really wasn't the yelling sort--but for all sorts of stupid reasons that began with her looking like a walking skeleton and shifted over to a lot of guilt for making him come after her and experience Agio and ended right back to her looking like this.
Karla was many things. Unfortunately, right now she felt very much like a sixteen year old girl who had disappointed everyone.
"Hi," she said quietly.
Warren
"Hi, Karla," Warren replied. And no, he wasn't about to let go any time soon, this time around. "How are you holding up?"
At least he wasn't disappointed, for all that was worth. He was relieved, to some degree. His imagination had come up with a million worse things that could have happened to Karla herself, and most of them couldn't possibly have wound up with him holding her in his arms again.
His own issues besides, with Sookie's help, were at least very conveniently swept under a rug for the time being.
Karla
He had to ask the hard questions, didn't he?
"It's been rough," Karla said, wrapping her arms around him as if her life and everything else depended on it. "But I'm very glad to see you."
Because the only thing worse than seeing him like this would be not seeing him at all, and that was something that Karla just wasn't ready to contemplate. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and just breathed. "How about you?"
Warren"I've been worse," Warren admitted, which was sort of like a non-answer no matter how you filed it, and he was well aware of that. Worrying Karla was pretty low on his to-do list at the moment. "You had me worried, you know."
She still did, truth be told. Seeing her like this was breaking his heart all over again. But that much, he wasn't going to let show. Not right now.
Karla"From what I know of Rapture, that answer's not entirely comforting," Karla said dryly. "While I'm glad this visit doesn't beat it out for 'absolute worse,' I have a pretty good guess of how awful something can be and still let you claim that."
Hopefully that made sense. Thinking always got difficult when Warren was near, but this time it had more to do with her being so damn tired.
"I'm sorry I worried you," she added in a small voice. "I...I really screwed up this time. Are you mad at me?"
WarrenHe gave her a shadow of a wry smile, ghosting across his lips for a moment before he shook his head and started to run his fingers through her hair. She'd pretty much gone and called him out on that one. He still wasn't going to admit that he'd spent the better part of the past few days in and out of a haze.
"I had this long lecture all planned out," he admitted, softly. "But it wasn't an angry one, not really. And now I can't even remember what I was going to say."
It was probably a lot of don't frighten people that way anyhow.
Karla"If it helps, I've probably gotten most of it in bits and pieces all day," Karla offered, closing her eyes a little and relaxing into his hand. It was amazing how good simple human contact felt. "Not that I'm complaining, exactly. I know I deserve every lecture I've gotten and more besides."
Which was her way of saying that if he wanted to be angry or lecture her, she was okay with that. Especially if he was going to keep it all bottled up inside.
Warren
"I wonder if any of them would have done it differently if they had been put in your position at the time," murmured Warren. And then, a moment later, he couldn't help but add, "but this does mean that I'm not going to end up in tight leather any time this year, I'm afraid."
Stick that in your cookie and eat it.
KarlaSaddest. Karla. Ever.
She could point out that, technically, she hadn't violated any of the terms set forth by Dinah...but she had broken the spirit, if not the letter, of their agreement and she knew it.
Instead, she just cuddled a bit closer to him, wrapping her arms around his chest. "I know." Sadness. "Can I maybe sway you towards tight leather pants anyway? It's not a whole outfit."
She wasn't so tired she couldn't tease.
Warren"If you can hold out for Christmas, I might be talked into some leather pants," Warren replied, chuckling softly and burying his face in her hair for a moment.
Karla smell.
"I suppose asking really nicely would probably have the same effect, actually."
Karla"It'll be a little while before I'll feel like I can ask for anything, nicely or not," Karla said. She pressed a small kiss to the side of his neck, more to feel the warmth of his skin and the pulse beating right below it. He was here, with her, alive and if not well, at least dealing.
"You came for me," she whispered. She wasn't sure why that squeezed her heart so, but it did.
Warren
"I was worried," Warren replied, as if that explained it all. As if, maybe if he said it enough, that would say it all.
He couldn't imagine losing her. He didn't want to try imagining it. Just the thought made his heart stop and his pulse race all at the same time somehow.
Karla"I was frightened," Karla confessed. "At least, when I had enough time to think about what I was feeling."
The rest of the time, she'd been focused on her patients, dragging them back from the brink of death by will and Craft alone.
"And those few times I wasn't thinking about how scared I was, I was wavering between being glad you weren't there to see any of that and selfishly wishing that you were. With me."
Warren"For what it's worth, I don't think you're selfish." If she was selfish, she'd have a lot more weight on her, for starters. Warren chewed on his lip for a moment, and then went right ahead and tried to pull her into his lap. "And I'm glad I'm here."
Here right now. There were a lot of things that he'd seen over the past few days that he would never be able to get out of his mind's eye, not completely, and he wasn't particularly glad to have been there for that. But Karla was the priority, and if it meant knowing that she was safe... He'd face it all again.
KarlaIf anyone came in and had a problem with the way Karla was sitting and Warren was holding her, Karla would happily tell them exactly what they could do with it. She needed this a Hell of a lot more than their sense of propriety needed stroking.
She curled up in his lap, sighing in the closest thing to contentment she'd felt since she'd woken up from her nightmare. 'Keeping Karla safe' had been a priority of males since the day she was born. But it was different, with Warren. He wasn't here because he was born and bred to see it as his duty, or because of her caste, or because of his loyalty to Glacia. He was her for her sake, and hers alone.
"For what it's worth, I think you're wonderful," she murmured, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek.
Warren"I'm not that great," Warren replied almost reflexively, even as he smiled a bit at the kiss. "I just heard that you might be in danger, and I came."
And then he'd seen some Very Terrible Things that currently he was trying not to dwell on too thoroughly. At least Sookie had helped him some, in that regard. He was no longer prone to bouts of hugging his knees and spacing out at the ground, at least.
"So did other people too, I mean. We care."
Karla"I know," Karla said, nodding. "I'm trying to think of a way to thank everyone and failing miserably."
You know, other than not doing this again. That was a big one.
She settled back down, resting her head on his shoulder. "And you are that great." Lacking in the eloquence needed to fully explain why that was true, she settled for repetition instead. "You are. So there."
There was a long pause, and she added quietly, "I know what happened with Raven." She hugged him tightly, so he'd know she didn't blame him for it. "She says she's sorry. She'd apologize to you directly, but I don't think she's ready to face you just yet."
Warren"I don't think I'm quite ready to face her again, either," he replied, quirking one of those crooked little smiles that was far more about nerves than anything else. "Apology accepted."
Mostly because he didn't have the energy to hold onto a grudge. It didn't mean he wasn't going to be ridiculously anxious around Raven for a while, but it was something.
"You know... you don't have to make this up to us. You don't have to find some special way to thank us all. I'm pretty sure that everyone already knows."
Karla"She took the rest of the safframate out of Jaenelle's system," Karla said quietly. "I don't think she was fully prepared for how it would affect her." She rubbed her eyes a little, tired. "I don't think anyone really is until they experience it for the first time."
Ugh. Briarwood. Moving quickly on. To...to what? Oh, thank you's, gratitude, being beholden. Yeah, she could talk about that.
"I dragged you all into this mess because I wasn't thinking about anything beyond Jaenelle needing help. Not myself, not you, not Morton, not Glacia...nothing. I was thoughtless and you were all endangered because of it. I can't just write that off as thanks for being a friend."
Warren"Not even when... we just went and did the exact same thing you did?" Warren gave her a wry, tired little smile. "You were worried for somebody that you care for. So were we. The only real difference is, we were a small army."
... Granted, they hadn't been expecting what it was that they'd run into. But then, Warren couldn't imagine that Karla had been anticipating that slaughter, either.
KarlaNoooo. Karla had imagined a few days a grueling trek through Askavi--which she'd also gotten--but she most certainly hadn't expected the trap that was Agio.
And it had been a trap, without question.
"I wish we were back at school," Karla sighed. "I just want to cuddle up with you and nap for awhile. We could hold one another when the nightmares come--" and that was definitely a 'when' not an 'if' "--and share pineapples to keep the darkness away."
Warren"There will be plenty of pineapples when we get back to the island," Warren promised, his voice a bare murmur. "And that will be soon, I'm sure. Right now, we can do cuddles. And if you want to nap, I'm okay with that, too."
And anybody who had any problems with that would have to contend with a large pair of very protective wings, Warlord, Prince, or otherwise.
Karla"I might be able to fall asleep soon," Karla said. "This is the first time I've been really, fully warm since I woke up."
Karla wasn't sure if the cold was because she was too thin or too tired, or simply psychosomatic. She didn't really care, either. All that mattered was that it was gone now.
There were a few more minutes of light chatter and then, curled up in his arms, Karla slept.
Meanwhile, Karla's fate was being decided for her...
SaetanInside his study, Saetan listened to an abbreviated version of the conversation Lucivar’d had with Dinah. When Lucivar was finished, Saetan sent a wordless summons on a spear thread to Morton and sipped his yarbarah, deep in thought.
Clearly, things with Karla had gotten much more out of hand than any of them assumed. The question was: how do you solve a problem like Maria Karla.
MortonMorton knew better than to dawdle when summoned to this particular study. He arrived rather quickly. Even if it did mean stopping his endless pacing, and his mulling over what he was going to do about Karla.
He bowed his head slightly as he came to a sort of attention. "Sir."
Saetan"No reason to stand on ceremony, boyo." Saetan waved him to another chair. "So. Your cousin. How much do you know about what she's been up to on that island of hers, hmmm?"
LucivarLucivar snorted. "Like he's any further in the loop than we are. His letters are even more heavily edited than ours."
Morton"Not much," Morton admitted unhappily. "Talking to her classmates has given me some ideas, but..." He trailed off with a shake of his head.
Saetan"From Dinah?" Saetan asked. "She mentioned such things to Lucivar."
He sat back and steepled his fingers in front of his face. "What has she told you?" he asked.
Morton"She seems to think that Karla has... no sense of self-preservation." Morton was a bit hesitant before taking a deep breath as if he was going to say something else, then he shook his head and fell silent.
Saetan"And?"
One didn't have to have the whole slew of titles Saetan did to realize Morton was holding something back.
Morton"I think that she might just... be doing what a Queen does," Morton said softly. "Except that she doesn't have a Court there to watch her, to keep her out of trouble, to make sure she doesn't go to far."
And that was on him.
Lucivar"Bullshit," Lucivar said with his usual tact and eloquence. "There's a difference between being a Queen and running yourself into the ground. Sure, most Queens have a Court to fuss and hen-peck if needed, but they don't nearly commit suicide by Craft if they don't have one!"
Saetan"Jaenelle does with alarming frequency," Saetan pointed out dryly.
Lucivar"Jaenelle's got a lot of things riding her," Lucivar shot back. "Between Briarwood and Daemon and this latest shit with Little Terreille, it's no wonder she's kind of messed up."
He got up and began prowling the room. "Besides, Jaenelle's got so much Craft, that it's easier for her to burn herself out. I'm not saying it's good or it's healthy because we all know it's neither, but she's a skinny little thing wielding more Craft than any of us can comprehend. Karla isn't. For her to end up in that same boat, she's doing it deliberately."
Morton"But who does Karla look to as the perfect example of a Queen?" Morton asked, sounding tired.
"She needs a strong Court around her. One that understands. She has friends, but..." He sighed. None of them really understood the Blood, or Protocol.
Saetan"But they're not Blood," Saetan finished, nodding. "Lucivar, tell me again what Dinah said?"
Lucivar"That Karla needs to talk to a Black Widow, one that isn't Jaenelle," Lucivar said, sounding tired. "Karla pushes, runs herself into the ground. She can't say no if someone needs her help, even if the help they need is going to be detrimental to her."
He plucked the top off the decanter of whiskey, glanced around for a glass, shrugged, and began drinking straight from the decanter. "I saw that much for myself, in Agio. She only wears the Sapphire, but she kept Healing people like she had the Black to call on. I'm pretty sure the only reason she was eating and drinking was so that she could convince Jaenelle to do the same. Which Dinah says is the source of her other problem."
Saetan"The one where she doesn't feel like she can stop if Jaenelle doesn't," Saetan murmured. He took off his half-moon glasses and polished them with a sigh. "Dinah doesn't believe it comes from a desire to compete with Jaenelle, but, what? More guilt?"
MortonOh.
That.
Morton closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts. "Karla has never really been good at recognizing her limitations," he said quietly. "I don't think it's her competing so much as... trying to be like someone she really admires. Even though she knows that she can't, really."
He reached up to rub his face in frustration. "Mother Night," he mumbled. "What do we do?" For just a second there he sounded more like a young man terrified for his cousin than a First Escort concerned for his Queen.
Lucivar"Something like that," Lucivar agreed. "She understands she doesn't have the same power level as Jaenelle, but I guess that's not the point?"
Dammit, Dinah. Why'd you have to throw this all on him? Lucivar took another sip of whiskey, wishing his Ebon-gray wouldn't metabolize it so fast.
"Karla sees her best friend pushing herself and thinks that she hasn't had it as bad. She's never been through Briarwood, or lived in Terreille, and she doesn’t have to be Queen of Ebon Askavi one day. So she forgets that Jaenelle has the Jewels to see her through the crazy times and just tries to keep up, because she can't quit if Jaenelle doesn't. And so she pushes herself almost to the breaking point time and time again."
SaetanSaetan sent a small thread of comfort to Morton. Darkness have mercy, he and Karla--and Jaenelle and the others--were all much, much too young to be going through any of this. Morton had taken on the responsibilities of an entire Court and all before he'd needed to start to shave. Even acting on behalf of a normal Queen, it would be too much. For someone like Karla?
Saetan couldn't even think about what it must be like for the young male without admitting that he, too, had failed. Failed them both.
"She pushes herself beyond her limits because she idealizes Jaenelle, who, honestly, is no better."
How had everything gotten so messy so fast? Saetan felt like he was trying to build sandcastles on an incoming tide.
Lucivar"And let's not forget the exact nature of the danger she's been flinging herself into," Lucivar snorted. "Giant scorpions followed almost immediately by getting stabbed, and whatever else the little darling's been up to."
Saetan"What?!" Saetan asked, nearly spilling his yarbarah.
Lucivar had left that little tidbit out before.
Morton"What?!" Morton exploded simultaneously, eyes bugging out.
It seemed that some little witch hadn't been telling him exactly what sorts of trouble she'd been getting up to.
LucivarLucivar just leaned against the wall and watched them sputter. It was, perhaps, a little petty to take some enjoyment out of their reactions, but he'd had this mess dumped in his lap. He was going to take amusement where he could.
"Oh, yes," he said idly. "And that's just the stuff Dinah would confess to."
Morton"We can't let her go back," Morton snapped.
Which, if he wasn't in a state of not-so-mild panic would sound pretty stupid to him, but since he was in such a state it made perfect sense.
Saetan
Unfortunately, both Saetan and Lucivar nodded along with him, as if he were speaking perfect sense.
"Absolutely not," Saetan replied. "We sent her there to be safe. If she's not going to be safe there, then what's the point of her remaining?"
Lucivar"Especially since we can't trust her to be honest with us about just how safe it is or isn't," Lucivar said, crossing his arms over his chest. "At least if she stays here, we'll be able to keep an eye on her. A better eye."
MortonMorton joined the nodding. "We can't send her back to Glacia, of course."
Then he frowned just a bit. "In fact, we'll have to find some way of making sure she doesn't sneak off to the Territory on her own..."
That could get... complicated.
Saetan"Perhaps we could send her to another Territory?" Saetan mused. "The Dea al Mon, with Gabrielle and Chaosti? Gabrielle's another Black Widow Healer Queen, so Karla could continue her training..."
Saetan took another sip of his yarbarah. Perhaps one day, he could make it through a glass without spitting it everywhere.
"It might be dangerous, keeping her here. When Magstrom visited me at the Keep, he passed along an oblique warning about Karla. The Dark Council is watching the Hall, and they won't hesitate to tell Hobart where she is if they see her."
Lucivar"On the other hand, we could just keep her Black-locked in her rooms. That would solve so many of our problems," Lucivar said.
It was impossible to tell if he were joking or not.
MortonFor a moment Morton seemed to consider Lucivar's suggestion seriously. Then he sighed. "We can't lock her up. The point of sending her to Fandom was to let her grow with some amount of freedom, after all."
Besides, she was still his Queen, and he didn't think he could stomach making her a prisoner.
Lucivar"Yeah, and look where that got us," Lucivar pointed out.
Morton"She's still a Queen!" Morton snapped.
...
At a Warlord Prince who could tear him apart without even relying on his much, much darker Jewels.
Don't worry, the blood would totally drain from his face in a bit when he realized that part.
Saetan"Leash it," snapped the other Warlord Prince in the room, the one whose Jewels outranked them both. "Lucivar, we are not locking Karla in her room for the rest of her natural life, no matter how tempting the idea is at the time."
And Darkness knew, it was tempting.
"So, let's see where we are. Karla can't stay in Glacia, more than simply her life is in danger. She can't stay in Fandom. She can't stay here. That leaves shipping her off to one of the other Territories, which I am loathe to do, or letting her stay in Hell, which I am even more loathe to do."
Lucivar"There's always the Keep," Lucivar suggested. "Not that Geoffrey or Draca will be all that thrilled to play nursemaid, but she can stay there, it's big enough that the entire Dark Council could play hide and seek for months without spotting her, and Morton could stay there, too, giving Karla the care she needs."
MortonMorton liked that plan. Except...
"She won't like it," he said quietly. "At all."
Lucivar"Maybe she should have thought about that before getting herself stabbed," Lucivar retorted.
He took another sip and added in a quieter voice, "She nearly died. If her Healer friend, the one with the Red Jewel that isn't a Jewel hadn't gotten to her in time? She would have."
Morton"Could we... send someone with her? Someone to keep an eye on her?" Morton wanted Karla to be safe, but he also wanted her to be happy. If they could manage both.
Saetan"Are you planning on going to that school with her, boyo?" Saetan asked with a raised eyebrow. "If not you, who?"
Morton"Of course I'll go!" Morton announced.
Except... the who'd keep an eye on Glacia? Who'd keep secretly recruiting for Karla's Court and preparing for her return? Who'd work at keeping Hobart from destroying everything, or from searching for the missing Queen too much?
Saetan"The bond between Karla and her Warlord Prince is far too new to trust him with such a delicate task," Saetan said, his thoughts trending the same paths as Morton's. "Assuming you trust him to be subtle on your behalf. And the idea of sending him to Fandom is laughable."
From what Saetan had seen and heard of him, he'd make an excellent member of the Court, once he got himself knocked down a peg or two.
LucivarLucivar would be happy to do the knocking! Just putting that out there.
"So, then what do we do?" he asked. "Right now, the Keep is looking like the best option."
SaetanSaetan sighed, a heavy sound. "I don't like it any more than you do, boyo," he told Morton. "But I like hearing third-hand that Karla is endangering her life and her Craft even less."
Everything they had said was true. Still, it took Saetan a few moments to send out the mental summons. *Karla, I'd to see you in my study, please.*
KarlaKarla had been napping, curled up in Warren's arms and wings when she got Saetan's mental call. Blinking owlishly, she sent a pulse of wordless agreement before beginning the lengthy process of untangling herself from Warren, who had fallen asleep curled up around her. She didn't want to wake him; she doubted he'd slept much since Agio.
Hell's fire, she'd doubted any of her friends had slept much since Agio.
"Be right back," she whispered, brushing a feather-light kiss on his cheek.
She'd known this was coming, of course. There was no way she was going to escape a dressing down for running off after Jaenelle, scaring everyone to death, and causing her friends to come running. Hopefully, after Saetan was done yelling so hard the windows rattled, he'd tell her when the portal to Fandom was scheduled to arrive.
Karla really wanted to go home.
Morton"Is there any way we could at least keep her near Jaenelle?" Morton asked. "I don't want to bring her back here only to lock her up... At least not if I can help it."
If he couldn't, of course, then locked up it would be.
Saetan"Jaenelle has a suite of rooms in the Keep," Saetan said. "Perhaps she could be persuaded to stay in them for awhile, ease in the transition--"
Anything else he was going to say was cut off by a quiet knock on his study door. Even the knock sounded like it was trying to be meek.
KarlaKarla slipped inside, looking both apologetic and yet defiant, though mostly she just looked tired. It had been a long, slow walk from her rooms to Saetan’s study. She knew they were going to yell and they had every right to, but at the same time, she had still done what she thought was best. No, she hadn't gone about it the best way--and she was definitely going to leave a note next time--but she'd followed her heart and served her Queen.
Hopefully, if she put it like that, she could forestall some of the lecture?
"I just wanted to say--" She paused, halfway through a step. Morton, Saetan, and Lucivar were all looking at her, but rather than the stormcloud expressions she'd expected, they all looked...resigned. Unhappy. Almost...sad?
"Yeees?" she asked, a faint feeling of foreboding lodging in the pit of her stomach.
Morton"You can't go back to Fandom."
Way to ease into the difficult topic there, Morton.
KarlaKarla snorted. "Very funny, Morton."
SaetanSaetan, with a steely glare to Morton for that bit of diplomatic fail, replied softly, "He's correct, Karla. You...can't go back to that place."
KarlaCue confusion with more than a little bit of fear. They had to be joking. They just had to.
"I--I don't understand," she said, looking from one male to the next. "I can't? W-why not? Why can't I go home?"
MortonMorton blanched at the word 'home'. No, he hadn't missed that.
"Karla... how many times have you been seriously injured there? Nearly died?" See? That was more diplomatic than 'because you'll get yourself killed!'
Lucivar"What Morton's trying to say is that he's afraid you'll get your fool self killed," Lucivar rumbled, blunt as always. "Or broken. Of your own doing."
KarlaKarla glared at Morton and said frostily, "I told you, we had a Rule."
Then the rest of what they said sank in and she shifted uneasily in place. "What makes you think I've been seriously injured there?" she asked.
...Not, you know, denying it. Just asking.
RavenRaven always kept a thread of her power tuned to Karla (unless she was with Warren, because that would be rude). She'd retreated to her room once again to hide meditate when she picked up on Karla's sudden burst of despair.
Bolting out into the hallway, she almost ran into Dinah, who happened to be passing by. "Something is wrong with Karla!" she said frantically.
DinahRight, like Raven had to say that twice.
Dinah followed her at all speed, ready to take on whatever was messing with Karla *now*.
Morton
"Karla," Morton said, trying to sound chiding and responsible. It sort of-kind of worked.
Only not really.
Karla"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, Morton!" Karla flared. "You don't get to threaten to take me away from Fandom and then act like I'm just some stubborn child when I protest!"
Saetan"Perhaps if you acted less like a stubborn child before this, he wouldn't have to take that tone with you now," Saetan replied, his tone just as frosty as Karla's had been a moment before.
KarlaKarla recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "If this is about me chasing after Jaenelle." she began. "Look, I had my reasons, I was serving my Queen--"
Saetan"No," Saetan said, rising up from his chair. "This is about a pattern of behavior that has gone too far. This is about lies of omission and false pretenses. This is about stabbing and scorpions and who knows what else! It has gone on long enough, Karla. I'm just glad we were finally informed before you went too far and shattered the Sapphire!"
His golden eyes were practically glowing now, not from anger, but from hurt, frustration, and concern.
"I look upon you as my niece, Karla, and Jaenelle's best friend. But how am I, or Morton, or anyone supposed to react when we find out that you've nearly died--perhaps several times--and never said a word?"
KarlaKarla stepped back a few paces, then sank, unseeing, into a chair.
"Who told you?" she whispered, feeling a hundred, maybe a thousand times betrayed.
Lucivar
"Why does it matter?" Lucivar asked. "Someone who cares about you. Someone who's worried about what you're doing to yourself."
Karla"Why does it matter?" Karla repeated. "Why does it matter? It matters because you're threatening to take me away from friends, my home! You want to take away everything that has become important to me in the past year and a half and you wonder why it matters?"
RavenRaven had followed the feeling of Karla's distress until she arrived at the source. Forgoing any politeness, she burst into the room. "Karla!" she exclaimed. "What is wrong?" She hadn't exactly been expecting her to be with Saetan, Lucivar, and Morton, but she flew to her side regardless.
DinahDinah had a very, very bad feeling about this, just based on who was in the room. She followed at a more careful pace, but stood next to Karla, facing the other three. "Raven had a feeling you were upset," she said, watching them, and then glaring at Lucivar. You guys did something stupid. I can just tell. "Any particular reason?"
KarlaKarla had whirled around when her friends entered the room. Seeing Dinah--remembering Lucivar's words--yeah, that answered the question of 'who' quite handily.
"You!" she said, giving Dinah a look of anger mixed with hurt. "You're the reason I can't go back to Fandom! I hope you're happy now--I trusted you!"
There. That was nice and rational.
DinahDinah flinched for a second, then turned up the glower to eleven. "What are you thinking?" she snapped at Lucivar. Morton was hurting for Karla too much, and no way was she telling off Karla's scary uncle. Lucivar, however, was right there. "This is not what I told you for! I said she needed help dealing, not being back here!"
She looked at Karla, expression a mix of determination and guilt. "This is not what I wanted. I am so sorry if they're being high-handed."
MortonMorton hadn't moved since Karla had snapped at them.
His hand moved backward, and he blindly groped for a chair to collapse into.
"You want to go back," he said softly, staring blankly. It didn't sound like he meant those words quite how they sounded.
Raven"What?" Raven said, feeling a sudden surge of fury. She whirled on Saetan. "You cannot keep her here against her will. I will not allow it!"
Saetan"Listen, Lady Raven," Saetan said too softly. "This is my home and, more specifically, my study. Neither of you ladies were invited to participate in this discussion, so I am asking you both to kindly--"
KarlaKarla was already in trouble, already forbidden from returning to Fandom. So she had no compunctions about interrupting Saetan in his stupid, precious study to keep yelling at Dinah some.
"You're sorry they're being high-handed?" Karla snapped. "It wasn't what you wanted? Dinah, you told three Kaeleeran males about the scorpion and the sacrifice and who knows what else--"
Saetan"SACRIFICE?!?" The word was repeated in tones of shock and alarm from two corners of the room.
KarlaKarla continued on as if she hadn't even heard. "--and you're surprised they're acting high-handed and refusing to let me go back? What in Hell do you think they were going to do? Throw me a picnic? Why do you think I never said anything?!"
Lucivar"Maybe if you'd said something before, she wouldn't have had to!" Lucivar roared. "Don't go putting this all on her, witchling! A little bit of honesty--a little bit of trust--and we might not even be here right now!"
He paused, breathing rapidly, only barely remembering not to wag his finger in Karla's face. Judging by her expression, she'd happily bite him if he did.
"AND WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A SACRIFICE?!"
DinahIt was really, really disconcerting to have half of what she'd wanted to say said by someone else first. Dinah tried hard not to stare at Lucivar after that, because ... right, stay on topic.
"DON'T YELL." Oh, right. "Not helpful." She took a breath, finding herself angling her body to block Saetan's gaze at Karla. "We can't stay out of it, we're in it. And yes she screwed up," then she turned to look at Karla. "A lot. And I didn't mention the sacrifice." Yeah, Karla. Remember that. Keeping omissions straight is hard when it's not you. "But why do you think having her here will help?"
Lucivar"Sacrifice first," Lucivar said, folding his arms over his chest.
He didn't look like he'd be budging on this.
RavenRaven glared up at Lucivar. "Karla was injured aiding a friend, but I was able to heal her," she said. Okay, so she was leaving out just how injured. "As I always will should she ever come to harm. Fandom is not without its dangers, but I have learned much there, and Karla has as well. And I will not allow you to prevent her return."
LucivarLucivar looked down from his full height onto Raven. "Injured as in 'stabbed to the point of death,' I'm guessing?" he snarked. "Yeah, I know, Dinah told me. And this sounds like more of that 'helping her friends beyond the point where its safe and healthy,' which I also heard about. If we're going to keep Karla here for her own protection, it's the family's decision, not yours, little witch. And just how, exactly, were you planning on stopping me?"
All of Lucivar's diplomacy training had taken place in the Eyrien hunting camps of his youth. Sometimes, it showed.
...Like when he was talking. Ever.
Raven"I am her family," Raven said, tense with anger, red flashing in her eyes. She drew herself up to her full height, though she still had to look up at Lucivar. "But it is her decision, not mine or yours. And should her wish be to return to Fandom, I will take her there. You are the one who will be unable to stop me. You have no idea what I can and will do to protect Karla."
There was going to be a shortage of italics in Kaeleer by the time Raven was through.
MortonMorton had barely even followed the conversation from the time he sat down, but Raven's words had him surging out of his chair. "She's my cousin!" he exploded, throat tight and eyes maybe hinting slightly at watering.
"And you can't take her away from me!" That's what Hobart had wanted, and Morton had fought him every step of the way.
DinahOh, God, this was getting so out of control. "Morton, Morton--" Dinah reached out for him, even though she wasn't sure that was a good idea. "No, no, that's not what we meant. It isn't. I swear. I love her as much as you do, so does Raven although not the same way, no. Can we please talk about this stuff, instead of giving orders and yelling?" She took a breath, looked at Saetan and Lucivar. "Raven's not kidding, though. She could take her anywhere. So please, stop giving orders Karla will just get around. Okay?"
Saetan"EVERYONE BE SILENT!" And there was the anticipated window rattling.
"Sit down, be silent, or I will toss you out of my study and I don't give a damn who you are!"
Lucivar
"Now see what you did," Lucivar muttered. "He will too."
Saetan"That included you, Prince," Saetan said, completely with steely glare.
"Now then." He pointed to Morton. "Speak, boyo. What?"
Morton
Morton still looked a bit pole-axed from the yelling, but he took a deep breath. "Karla can't leave us. She's a Queen. She has a duty to her Territory."
And... she was his cousin. He loved her. She couldn't leave him either. Not without breaking his heart.
KarlaKarla's look was part incredulity and part exasperation. "Just barely!" she snapped. "I'm not a real Queen for another few years. Here, I'm nothing! A dead girl! Not Karla--at best, a symbol!"
Morton"But you will be a great Queen!" Morton shot back. His eyes flashed, just daring someone to claim otherwise.
Raven"Of course she will be," Raven said. "That is not a question here." She'd moved to stand beside Karla, ready to teleport her from the room if necessary.
Saetan"Wonderful," Saetan said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We all agree that Karla will make an excellent Queen. Assuming she survives that long, which with scorpions, stabbings, and sacrifices, I'm really beginning to worry about. And that is the point. Karla will make an excellent Queen. Our job to make sure she has the chance to grown up and become one."
Dinah"Awesome. We're all on the same page. We all want the same thing, basically. Karla alive and happy." Dinah took a breath, glad the atmosphere was calming slightly, if still tense. "We, and I think Karla, want that to be on Fandom. For the next two years. Can she make her case, before you put her in magic jail somewhere?" She looked over at Morton. "However it works. Please?"
Karla
"I have two more years before I can set up my Court and be the Queen that Glacia deserves," Karla said. "Is it so wrong I want to spend those years in Fandom? I can't go home and I can't stay here, either!" She darted a defiant glare at Saetan. "I heard you to talking to Lord Magstrom. I know the trouble I bring down on everyone here is I stay. So what are you going to do with me, huh? Bundle me off to some faraway Territory?"
SaetanSaetan raised a brow. "It was an option," he admitted blandly. "Or possibly the Keep. Everything I've heard recently gives me no reason to send you back? You've nearly been killed, you've been incredibly dishonest with us, and Dinah has told us about some of your more unhealthy tendencies. So, why, exactly, should I trust you to go back?"
[Part one of two. Alphabet soup goes here.]