Fireside Chats

"I tend to finish my prayers at dawn," Thaddeus said with a grin. "I can meet you at the stables just after if you wish. It'll be nice to saddle up Yaromir again... Sometimes I think we rely too much on magic." he shook his head with a smirk. "Do you realize how long it took me to be able to ride a real, thinking, horse with all the dinner-ware?"

He patted her hair tenderly. "And don't worry about being too troublesome... After all, without a little trouble, you could end up quite boring..." he laughed at the absurdity of that image. Some things he couldn't quite picture...

Sarala threw her head back and laughed. "You know, that dinner-ware has become quite the second skin. A little wobbly on the horse without it, huh?" she giggled. "I wish I could have seen it!"

Sarala smiled. The wave of contentment that washed over her felt good. It was nice to be playful with Thad again. To talk with him without feeling a strain. Their relationship had become rather complicated lately and it felt good to smooth it out a bit. There had been so much misunderstanding... and the fey queen had been the catalyst. An odd and mysterious creature, Feluanil was for certain. Sarala wondered if she knew just how much of a stir she had caused in the siblings lives.

"You know, I had a talk with your betrothed at the Fall Festival." Sarala's now serious face looked back at her brother's. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as a look of worry crept across her face. "She had some interesting things to say."

Thad winced and nodded.

"Yes... yes I heard. Something about a dance lesson gone awry." He shook his head with a touch of annoyance but couldn't hold back a bit of grin too. "I'll be the first to apologize for her. Popular opinion is that you performed quite admirably. She's just... Feluanil. I suspect she'll be a difficult person when it comes to meeting expectations..."

Sarala chuckled though the worry didn't completely leave her eyes. "Oh no, this had nothing to do with the dancing. I asked for her to teach me, I should have expected what I got. But you know me, I tend to squirm under exacting instruction. I got a little... testy with her, but it's alright now. No need to apologize."

The sylph couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to grin but she held herself back. Thaddeus had actually made an excuse for Feluanil's behavior! Maybe this meant he was starting to accept her behavior. Maybe he was warming up to her. Sarala knew it wasn't much to go on but it was more than she would have expected from him. She still held out hope that Thad could make his relationship with the fey queen work. It could be possible...

Sarala turned her thoughts back to her other conversation with Feluanil. "No, this was different," she reaffirmed. "I had some questions for her, there were some things I wanted to know...

"I asked her about my father. Not our father, Olivarious, but my father-by blood. I wanted to know who he is. Her answer was somewhat disturbing..."

"Oh?" Thaddeus was stunned for a moment. Last time it had taken his sister months to share any new information about her heritage with him. It had been the cause for some serious hurt feelings. This time? Barely a week had passed since the Fall Festival. This was definitely a marked improvement to their communication.

"Well, Spill it! What did she say? Was he where the sylph blood came from? The shadow stuff? both?" He closed his eyes and chuckled dryly. "It seems every mystery we uncover, we get two more in its place!"

"Heh, I wish I had all those answers," Sarala gave him a disappointed smile. "What I got can be pretty much summed up by saying, 'the less you know, the better off you are'. I asked her if she would tell me about my father. See, she had mentioned something about how I would rue the day that I meet him the last time we talked about my... family. I got curious. I should have been more specific, asked who he is, what he is, tried to get some detail. Instead I asked if she would tell me, and you know how Feluanil is, she rarely ever tells you what you want to hear.

"She told me that he was a weakness if I gave him too much thought. I don't know if she meant that thinking about him would distract me from more important things or if thinking about him would consume me... maybe because I would worry about it too much. Either way it's not good. She also assured me I would indeed meet the man one day." She grimaced before continuing. "When I meet him it is supposed to be one of those kill or be killed situations. So apparently any sentimentality I may have over all this will just over complicate the issue.

"Now you see why I found it a little disturbing..."

Thaddeus sighed with familiar frustration. He knew too well what questioning his betrothed was like. He eyed Sarala and a small smirk appeared.

"I thought you were supposed to be more curious? I was the one that needed to learn patience..."

"I suppose..." Sarala returned absentmindedly. "But... that's not really the point, is it. I mean, think about it. The next time I meet my father I'll have to kill him! My own flesh and blood is something so terrible, so deadly, so cut throat that I'll have to end his life, and I may not even know... I may never find out who he is...

"But then, I don't know if I even want to." Sarala shrugged weakly. She stared at her hands as they hung in the air for a moment longer. "If my father is such a horrible person, what does that make me?" She closed her eyes and shook her head as if to dismiss the thought.

"One thing is for sure," she said with renewed confidence. "This is surely proof that whether it was for good or ill the fey saved my life when they took me in!"

Thaddeus nodded in agreement. If what Feluanil said was true, and Thaddeus chose believe it was, then leaving her with her original family would have been disastrous. Though... she had argued against giving her to HIS family.... He couldn't help but wonder if his betrothed had argued for a third option....

"I wouldn't worry about any... issues with your heritage," the king said with a grin. Cor and I are from the same stock... but I think that's where our common ground ends.

"Whoever... whatever your father is... His evil is his own. You are... whatever you want to be. People aren't born ev...."

He stopped in mid thought as he reconsidered what he had been taught.

"Actually, yes... Some people or things ARE born evil. Formed from the primordial essence of evil, and whatever choices they make... that evil will still be a part of their fundamental core... Basically, demons and devils from other planes. They produce, an aura that I have been blessed to be able to sense.

"However... YOU don't have that taint... Whatever evil your father is, it begins and ends with him."

Sarala narrowed her eyes at her brother. "You're always so sure of yourself whenever I'm not... how does that work?" She grimaced for a second before turning it into a grin. "It's kinda nice, though.

"And thanks. Thanks for believing that he didn't pass the taint on to me. I'm still not quite convinced. I mean, he passed something on to me. His blood runs through my veins. I just hope it wasn't anything... shady." She let out a cynical chuckle. "I guess I'm just going to have to keep a close eye on myself from now on."

It was difficult to wrap her head around all of this. She had been raised under false pretenses, pretenses set in place so no awkward questions would be asked. She wasn't angry with the way the Medvyeds had chosen to bring her into their family. She knew they had meant the best, misguided as it may have been. She just regretted the confusion that the truth caused her later. What she was, who she was, where she came from. One little answer was never enough to quell the questions that followed. It was distracting and she was getting tired of it. Maybe the lie that she was of Medvyed blood wasn't so bad after all. If only she could have lived believing it was the truth for a little while longer, some things may have been simpler. But was such ignorance truly bliss, or would she always have felt uneasy knowing there was something wrong inside? She didn't know. All she knew was what she had now, which despite the frustration really wasn't all that bad.

"You know we talked a bit about you, too, your queen and I did," Sarala glanced slyly at Thad while she changed the subject. "She's not trying to torture you, I hope you know."

The surprise on Thad's face was transparent. On one level he wasn't exactly comfortable with these two women talking about him behind his back... It just felt more awkward then the situation already was. On the other hand, he had personally asked his sister to find out what she could... It had just taken so long he'd abandoned any thought of getting results.

"No... I mean, yes.... I do know that," he said, his curiosity piqued. "That would require a certain level of cruelty, and I've never suggested that. Of course, that... doesn't mean I understand her actual motives or... mentality any better...

"Ummm... what... what did you two talk about?"

A sly smile spread across the sylph's face. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?"

She winked mischievously at her brother. Watching him squirm had always been a favorite pastime of hers. "What's with that look on your face? Have I done something wrong, brother dear? Am I not allowed to speak to the Queen about you without your permission? Should I not have told her all those stories from our childhood together?" Sarala blinked at him with feigned innocence, letting a slight wrinkle crease her forehead. She was enjoying this too much!

She held the look as long as she could, but when Thad started to sputter incoherently in reply the false expression on her broke into an honest grin as she chuckled at him. "Don't get so worked up about it, Thad. Our conversation concerning you lasted less than a minute. I asked her a question and she answered, simple as that. I wouldn't knowingly do anything to undermine your relationship with her. You know that!" Reaching out a slender hand she tousled the unruly brown locks on the kings brow. "As much as you think the situation of your marriage to her may suck you should know that I'm still routing for you. I have your best interests at heart. I want to help as much as I can, as much as you'll let me..."

She paused, thinking of all the times she had spoken her advice into deaf ears. There were times when Thad's requests to help him understand the queen felt patronizing. She knew in her head that he was being genuine in these requests, but the resulting conversations always seemed to leave them disagreeing.

"And since you're dying to know... I asked her why she's so hard on you..." Sarala gave Thaddeus a meaningful look. "Her answer was a question: 'When have I ever been hard on Thaddeus, the first of his name?' Then she proceeded to tell me that she has only ever been open and honest with you..."

Thaddeus rolled his eyes at the long teased explaination. Answering a question with a question shouldn't have been a surprise to him.

"Honest... yes. Open?? That I would debate... She has secrets. She has knowledge... She keeps too much to herself under the pretense that 'I don't need to know' or teaching me 'paitence' for me to agree with this 'openness'.

"Though... I wouldn't be surprised if she honestly does think she's being open with me... Some difference in cultures perhaps..."

Sarala threw up her hands in defeat. "Hey, don't take it out on me," she shot back defensively, "I'm just passing along the message."

The sylph brushed dust off her pants as if by doing so she could also rid herself of this needless drama. There was a constant undertow of friction with Thaddeus anytime Feluanil was even mentioned in conversation. Whenever the fey queen was around, it seemed as though he always held her at arms length away from him. And then there were the little disagreements. The petty, one-sided fights where Thad would pick apart nearly everything the fey queen had done or said. It was more than a little frustrating.

"Maybe, instead of complaining to me about Feluanil's lack of communication you should consider talking to the lady herself," Sarala shrugged. "What's the worst she can do? Give you another cryptic answer for you to gripe about and hate her all the more for in the long run?"

She shot him a look that said she was tired of his nonsense. Her arms were now crossed, one solitary finger tapping on her bicep as she impatiently awaited his reply.

Thaddeus' eyes shot up at the sudden change of attitude. Something he said had offended her, again. How was he supposed to suppress unrest in the kingdom when he couldn't even do it in his own family?

"You're taking this awfully personal o'sister of mine... Why do I get the impression that you prefer the fey definition of 'openness' to mine?" He chuckled lightly to himself. "You're also rather fond of the 'need to know' rationale. You above all should realize by now, that frustration over 'a lack of communication', is just that. Frustration. Not 'Hate'."

"Fine then, frustration. If your more comfortable with that term then so be it. Maybe the word 'hate' was a little... strong..." Sarala let out a sigh as she felt herself calm down again. It was so easy to get riled over some of Thad's problems, especially when it he didn't want to accept her help. Things would just be so much easier if... but it would be of no use to finish that thought. Things didn't always happen the way she wanted them to and she needed to start accepting that, especially where Thaddeus was concerned. This acceptance would only help the relationship get back to normal.

"I know you're frustrated. You may be able to hide it from the majority of your subjects but those of us who are close to you, we all know of your frustration. And it's not just about a 'lack of communication' either. Feluanil frustrates you in many ways. If you aren't somehow shocked by her actions (which happens occasionally) then you are frustrated with her. It's a constant thing. Even when you've resigned yourself to the idea of her there is still an underlying frustration."

Sarala bit the inside of her lip. She wondered if Thad was still listening to her or not. She knew she was rambling and she needed to get to the point before she lost him completely.

"I'm just trying to say that you don't have to tell me, you know?" she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her brow creased with concern. "I already know you are frustrated. I knew you would be before I even told you what Feluanil said. But, I wonder, have you told her of your frustrations? Just flat out told her, without trying to be polite about it?"

Sarala gave him a weak smile. Thad had a way about him that caused people to draw to him, it was a magnetism that he came by naturally. But there were times when he was dealing with people when he would do or say things that just drove her crazy. He would choose to be polite when he needed to be more frank, or he would throw away tact when it would have been better to beat around the bush. Sarala believed that Thad's relationship with the fey queen suffered greatly from these kinds of mistakes. If only he would see that and make the changes necessary... but no, things did not happen the way she wanted them to.

This acceptance was going to take some work.

"Maybe..." Thaddeus replied half-heartedly. "Truthfully, our conversations are different then anything I've experienced before. I word the questions I have carefully, hoping for as much information as possible... then I spend the next week or two replaying the whole meeting in my mind until I'm not certain what I did or did not say... and what she did say or what I simply implied from a vague answer...

"It's all very frus... confusing," he said with a dry chuckle. "I've considered having a scribe present at all times, but that really only implies a level of formality I'm hoping to get past.

"Add in that she's told me that 'If I have thought it, she knows it'... and I'm no longer certain what I verbally told her and what she simply knows. Regardless, she is aware of my frustrations as well as any of you are. I'm fairly certain of that.

"However, like questions of your father... I too receive answers akin to 'the less you know the better'. It feels like she's directing a play of some sort... Just trying to focus our attentions on certain directions and dismissing anything else. Though at the same time, she's not leading us in those directions, we have to find them on our own. If we ask the right question, at just the right time, we'll probably get an important answer...

"I suppose on that day, it'll feel like a reward of some sort." He shook his head in amazement. It was a difficult position to be in. Feluanil was Feluanil... he was beginning to get a glimpse of what that meant, though he doubted he would ever fully understand. He had tried being friendly, he had tried to be diplomatic, he was certain he had been straight forward and any other kind of approach he could think of. What he did simply didn't have an effect on who she was or how she would respond. He didn't understand why that was, and as a result he couldn't make Sarala understand it either.

Worse yet, while he was becoming accustomed to the vague non-answers of the fey queen, the idea that Sarala was being put through the same treatment didn't please him at all. Instead of becoming a common foil for the siblings to bond over, she only seemed to instigate another argument. Thad rarely even brought her up in conversation with Sarala anymore.

"I wish that you didn't feel like you have to be so cautious with her, so distant from her." Sarala spoke with sympathy. "I mean, I know she is naturally distant, and frustrating, and confusing... but I just wish all that didn't get to you so much. I wish it didn't pull you down so much. I can see why you have such a dour perspective about her, but I just wish you find more optimism..." She bit her lip again to stop the flow of words that had already been said before. She looked away and became lost in her own thoughts.

I know you think I'm crazy for trusting her, like I have this blind faith that says she can do no wrong. It's not like that. I get frustrated, too. I just try to accept the fact that she is trying to help me, not hinder, or hamper, or toy with me in anyway. Maybe it's the fact that you're a man that changes your perspective about her so. Maybe it's the fact that you have so much more to be responsible for, the weight on your shoulders changes the way you look at things. I don't understand it, and maybe, even if I did I wouldn't agree... I just want this marriage to work and work well. I guess I still believe that fairy tales do exist...

Sarala let out a small snort of good humored disbelief. It surprised her that such a childish idea would resurface at a time like this. Maybe she was crazy. Sarala chuckled.

"Why is it that we can never talk about Feluanil without getting irritated with each other? Like right now. We're not really fighting about it, yet just talking about her has made us both tense and defensive and just a bit touchy. What is the deal?"

"I'm going to believe that it's a case of caring too much," Thad said with a laugh. "It's difficult to watch someone you care about dealing with things you can't help with. Feluanil... well, she's just something that I have to work on, and we'll both hope for the best. It's simply too soon to expect results though. She's too... 'big picture' to allow little things to drastically change things. I believe things will get better... but it's going to take a LOT of time...

"Hopefully we'll be able to pass that time without arguing all the time," the king chuckled lightly. "At least about your in-laws... I make no guarantees on getting along with anyone you finally chose to be mine!" He swung his foot out and playfully nudged her boot and grinned mischievously.

"I can make you no promises," Sarala grinned back. "If my track record says anything, you're going to have a terrible time handling any in-laws I throw your way." She kicked back, managing to scuff her soft work boots in the process. "Your in-laws are going to make Feluanil look like a saint... It just seems to be the nature of the men I attract." She winked at Thad. As much as they meant to one another she always seemed to cause him no end of trouble. What if they fey had just pawned her off because she had caused them too much trouble and they had been tired of dealing with her. It was absurd but the thought made her chuckle. She knew her trouble was worth it in the end... most of the time.

"Maybe you're on to something there," her tone sobered slightly. "You know, about the whole caring too much thing." She stretched out her legs as far as they could go in the cramped space. The breezes that were ever present swirled around in thoughtful patterns, occasionally flicking tendrils of her white hair into perfect crescents as she mused about the possibilities that her brother could be right. How could the seed of their tension over the fey queen be something so simple? She wanted to agree with Thad but apprehension held her back.

"Anyway, I will certainly hope that you will hope for the best... because sometimes I wonder..." giving his shoulder a playful jab, Sarala flashed back a smile that mirrored Thad's mischief.

"Sometimes I wonder as well," Thad said with a laugh. "I'll promise to do my best though.

"Caring too much is better then caring too little at any rate. If I ever get too far out line... I can trust you'll be there to, um, bring it to my attention," he finished as delicately as he could and with a wide grin. If the past was any indication, when he needed things brought to his attention... it tended to include yelling and large mess to clean up afterwards.

Sarala laughed. "Yes," she said, "I certainly can be trusted to do that for you, and more." Her eyes twinkled with mischief. As Thad's little sister she knew it was her job to let him know when he was wrong, and she took her job very seriously. She smiled as she gently squeezed his arm.

"Oh Thad," she sighed. There was a hint of penitence in her voice. "I really have let you get the brunt of things, haven't I. And by things, I mean the whirlwind of my mood swings." She bit her lip with remorse. "You put up with an awful lot, just being my brother."

She shivered and looked up at the graying autumn sky. "The least I could do is let you out of this cramped hole before it gets dark."

Sarala stood up and gathered what tools were still left out on her work bench. She reached out for the sheep skin Thad was still sitting on and when he handed it to her she rolled her tools up into it and placed the bundle back into the armoire. Then she opened the door in the wall and motioned with mock deference for Thad to exit her tiny shed.

"Hey," she caught her brother's eye as he passed, "do you want to do dinner together, you know, just the two of us. No grand dining hall, just your office. I promise I won't make a mess of it this time. I'll even bring the food! I think I smelled the cook baking pies earlier... what do you say?" Her eyes twinkled at the prospect. It felt nice, this talk they had together. It felt like healing, and maybe even a little understanding again. Thad's betrothal to the fey queen had certainly brought changes to their relationship as siblings, few of which were for the better. But things were looking up again. And maybe they would stay that way for a while.

Neth 7th

The king's footsteps echoed down the hall as he approached the familiar door. It felt good to keep moving. Keep himself distracted. Distracted from the fact that Wynnsaren had stabbed him in the neck.

WYNN!! His friend and advisor had pulled a dagger on him and actually drawn blood. If he hadn't twisted fast enough he would have been killed... Again.

His too frequent brushes with the wrong side of death was enough to upset him, but to be sent there by a friend... that had his head spinning. He needed something to help him focus.

She hadn't been here the last few times he'd check, but perhaps this time would be different. Besides. It was good to keep moving.

With directness he rapped on the door belonging to Sarala.

Sarala was sitting on the floor with her adventuring gear and other sundry items strewn across the floor around her. She was in the process of recoiling a rope when the knock came on the door to her chambers. She called to the blonde girl who was sitting languidly reading a book in the high backed arm chair that say by the window. "Sasha, I need you to get the door," she said with cool authority. It was the same tone she adopted when she spoke to her Schmits. The girl looked up from her book with an empty. bored stare. After slowly putting the book down she stood up, stretched and strolled lazily over to do as she was bidden.

"Wear the apron this time, you need the practice," Sarala's words halted the girl's snail-like progression. She turned back and daintily plucked up the rumpled white cloth and tied it around her waist. "Don't forget this." A smaller white cloth flew over Sarala's shoulder and hit the girl squarely in the chest. With a huff the girl knotted up her hair and pulled on the servant's bonnet in a haphazard fashion. She strolled back to the door, just as indolently as the first time.

"Lady Sarala is mildly indisposed at this time," the door was barely open before Sasha started addressing the visitor in a snide monotone. She shot a barely perceptible roll of the eyes in Sarala's direction. "She asks that you state your business and be on your way... uh..." Her words faltered as the impressive features of the king of Novastasia came into focus before her, blush rising high on her soft cheekbones "...my liege."

"If that is the king then you may let him in," Sarala called from across the room. "I will see you when we return," she said, still addressing the girl. "You may take your leave. Thank you."

Sasha opened the door wider, gave a hasty bow to the king, darted across the floor to retrieve her book and slipped out, shutting the door behind her.

"Ready for our trip to the old stomping grounds?" Sarala asked Thad absently, without looking up from her work. "Ought to be a fun one, eh? At least we'll be able to avoid Cor... hopefully."

"We'd better..." Thaddeus said as he entered. "The last thing we need now is to start an incident with them. Flameforge was bad enough. Besides, I think there's been enough excitement today."

He looked over at the gear she was packing up. It always amazed him how much stuff she took with them on these excursions. He ususally believed a good sword and shield made him ready for anything. He was frequently wrong. Sarala's preperations had saved the day more then once. Still... that was a lot of rope...

He glanced back to his sister and sighed heavily. "What did you think? Did you believe Wynn? How would you have handled that?"