Veteran of the field. ...Meaning court, of course

[Anonymous]

Cináed Kaleaster smiled a little, in a sardonic sort of way, as he walked through the halls of the court, pulling off his riding gloves as he did.  Well, here we are again… blasted court. I never get to take enough time off anymore.  Still, Nadia was happy to have me home, I think… He smiled a little in recollection, thinking back to his youngest child’s recent birthday.  Yes, even the long ride from Glauster to Arca was well worth the visit home and the time with family.  But there was, as always, work to be doneâ€"otherwise known as keeping his ear to the ground.  Yes, politics: the constant concern of the aging Duke of Glauster.  Or at least, that’s what his main concern was when things like bandit raids or some such nonsense going on.  Oh yes, Cináed was a man of Serendipity in every way: despite his rather… volatile temperament, his deepest wish was for people just to live and let live. …Or, as he would put it, stop being bloody idiots.

Not that he’d say it out loud. Well, not unless someone annoyed him.

Absently sticking his gloves in his belt, Cináed pushed his way through the halls, making as many attempts to avoid the young court butterflies as he possibly could.  He was rather noticeable, really, not being dressed like most of themâ€"still in his riding leathers, which, though very fine quality, were anything but noticeably indicative of his status.  In point of fact, only the signet ring really gave much indication of who he was.  All in all, it was a situation that agreed with him.  He had his authority to use if he wanted to, and if not, well, all the better if he could blend in more with the normal guard types.  Anything to limit contact with stupidity.  With any luck, it won’t rub off.  It hadn’t yet, so he reasoned his methods were working.  Besides, the sword at his sideâ€"an old habit, at this point, and one he didn’t readily forgoâ€"would hopefully discourage unwanted intrusions.

[Goldie]

The breeze was blowing gently through the open window, making the gossamer drapes billow and dance at their post.  It was a gorgeous day, with the sun shining and the birds singing their sweet little songs.  A perfect day for any lady to sit at her window and sew little flowers on handkerchiefs....

Or leave the room in a rush, letting the door slam closed behind her.

It was a good think Chailyn did not enjoy the fanciful life of a lady, or her position as head mage in the castle would be a tedious spot indeed.  She had arrived at the castle when Dawn was still ruling, just when the palace was under siege by a dark group; this time lead someone other than Mina.  It was not the work of the dread army...it was craftier, they had managed to break their way into the palace.  But theirs were not the only sins committed in that dark time.  Having captured a few of their soldiers, they were immediately transported down to the dungeons where another man waited for them.  Thankfully, after the castle got wind of what was happening behind those stone walls, the man fled, the prisoners escaped.  But at least that evil was no longer present behind the castle walls.

Since then, it had been relatively peaceful.  All of Chailyn's wounds had healed ages ago, at least the physical, and Dawn had left, leaving the castle in the hands of Fenway, the head of the Serendipity Army at the time, now he was head of a kingdom.

And that's where she came in.

She had never been in a position of power before, having always liked to slink on the sidelines, invisible to the world in case he...well, just in case.  But now she had to protect her king, the palace, and everyone of Serendipity if the orders were given.  It was her job to know every face that meandered into the palace.  Despite the increased security, both magical and brute strength, people who did not belong in the palace still found their way inside.  Usually it was just city folk coming to beg some sort of boon for the king.  They didn't seem to understand that there was a time twice a year when the king would have an open audience with the people.

Needless to say, when Chailyn saw a man practically strutting down the hallway, a sword at his belt, her guard rose.

"Excuse me." She addressed him, not even trying to play the part of an innocent noble woman.  Not only would that cause her to fall flat on her face, her attired was nothing of the sort.  The only thing feminine about her was her long red hair thrown hastily into a knot at the nape of her neck, her vibrant sea green eyes, and the fact that she had boobs.  Otherwise, her tunic was nothing special in their deep blue and silver which were Serendipity's colors.  All together, she was quite small for her age.  But it wasn't her appearance that gained her head mage.

She stood before the man and crossed her arms over her chest as she took him in, making sure that she indeed did not recognize him before carrying on with her scrutiny.

"I don't believe that I've seen you around the palace before." She just hoped he wasn't some stupid bumpkin who thought he could use a sword...she didn't want to have to hurt anyone today, "Who are you and where is your destination?  If you're awaiting an audience with the King, you'll have to return in three months time during the High Festival when he will hear your request."  Ah well, he didn't look like a man from Arca, but she had been wrong before, and better to let him know right off the bat before he started thinking he could weasel his way out of the situation.  If need be, she would personally escort him to the gates.

[Anonymous]

I knew it was a good idea to dress sensibly, Cináed thought as his lips twitched a little in an effort to hide a smile.  There was a time, when he’d been a young, hot-tempered idiot when a comment like that from someone a little older than this girl was would have had him snapping and having to restrain his automatic instinct to light something on fire with only partial success.  But a quarter century later, he’d learned.  Besides, the girl was young, and with the recent upheavals and fighting, he could hardly blame her for her caution.  Despite his resolution not to frighten the poor girl too much, he couldn’t entirely hide his amused smile.  Yes, any day one of the court mages (which he could tell almost instantly) could mistake him as anything other than a noble meant a good day.  He might even be able to avoid dealing with most of the noblesâ€"the particularly air-headed ones.  With any luck, they’d just overlook him as another man with a sword hanging around.

His warm brown eyes glinting with amusement, Cináed said congenially, “No business with the king in particular, although if there’s anything he needs to discuss with me, I’m entirely at his disposal.â€?  His lilting accent immediately placed him as Glaustrian, for anyone who knew how people of the region spoke.  â€œI was simply stopping by the court to see if I’ve missed too many schemes and machinations since I was last here.â€?  For a moment the amusement disappeared as he rolled his eyes slightly.  His opinion of the court and its happenings was at a particular low, having just come from couple weeks of quiet family time.  Then he returned his attention to the young womanâ€"well, girl to his eyesâ€"in front of him.

He still had the faint, half-smile of amusement as he bowed slightly to her.  â€œCináed Kaleaster,â€? he said with amusement lacing his voice.  He paused briefly, debating whether or not to admit to his nobilityâ€"but, well, either she knew already or would find out, and all in all it was easier to admit it. (Yes, as if it were a fault. He still wishes he didn’t have the title.)  â€œDuke of Glauster,â€? he added with wryness. “Unfortunately.â€?  He raised a hand to run through his greying red hair, although, as always, the gesture aborted to turn into a slight rub of his temple.  After the many times as a boy when he’d accidentally set his hair on fire with that gesture when angry, he’d been forced to break it.  As a result it occasionally looked as if he had a headacheâ€"which, in court, frankly was not far off. He gave the girl a quick look over.  â€œAnd you would be…?â€? A mage, he knew, but who would be useful informationâ€"especially as she seemed so devoted to protecting her king.

[Goldie]

ooc:  O_o that name really is a mouthful....lol.  How exactly do you pronounce it?

ic:

She couldn't help a sense of wariness show on her features.  No matter how long it had been since she had escaped her home, if she could even label it as such, keeping her head in the presence of an older, or rather any, man was a difficult task.  She had since learned to school her features to hide any sense of being uncomfortable, but that didn't stop her heart from racing, or her feet itching for the chance to flee.  It would not do for the head mage to run away from the first man who addressed her.

It became progressively harder to stand still as he scrutinized her.  Her mind told her that he meant no harm, but old habits die hard and she dealt with her unease by simply shifting her feet slightly and wrapping her arms tighter around her chest.

"I'm sorry that I did not recognize you." she replied, trying to keep her answers short, without being discourteous.  "I've been here long enough to know the regular faces but, if you'll forgive me, the new ones more often then not tend to be someone parading as someone important and really creating quite a mess of things."

"My name is Chailyn, and I am the Head Mage."  No last name, no homeland would ever be attached to her name.  After all, she could hardly call what she had escaped from in Adela a home, and she herself was still unsure about her true heritage.  All that she knew was that one of her parents had passed their uncanny ability with water down to their daughter.  A daughter whom they had abandoned to be found by them.

"I apologize again, My Lord, for not recognizing your station. I will not forget your face again, and you can be guaranteed safe passage through these halls."  She had had to be fairly rough with a pair of young girls who had wheedled their way into the courtyards by flirting with the guards, and she was sure that they wouldn't be trying anything again.  The mage could only hope that they would pass the tale of the cruel, red-headed wretch who had neatly picked them up and tossed them from the gates without so much as lifting a finger.  It was a good thing that humans are the house to so much water, or Chailyn's job would be that much harder.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: *Giggle* It’s not /too/ bad… first name’s Gaelic, second I totally just made up.  Cináed (“born of fireâ€?) â€" Kin-aid; Kaleaster [Kalea (bright; Hawaiian) + aster (star)] â€" Kah-ley-aster. …I’m a loser sometimes. Really. Odd trivia: Cináed was the name of the first king of Scotland.]

Cináed raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as he noted her unease and her every minor shift, and inwardly he wondered if he could possibly find some way to figure out who made such a promising girl like this so frightened.  And how to possibly make sure they felt very, very sorry they were ever born.  He’d seen a lot in his yearsâ€"and having been a knight on his own for the earliest, he’d seen more than he needed to recognize the signs.  So he relaxed a little outwardly, to try to put the girl at her ease a little.  He rather doubted it would work, but a little kindness couldn’t hurt.

“Don’t worry, lassâ€"the whole idea behind the lack of frippery is to seem as relatively normal as possible.  It’s amusing to watch the way it throws some people off.â€?  Some people, meaning the nobles.  He smiled a bit sardonically as he added bluntly (and far too cheerfully), “What, the regular faces are all important, then?â€?  He internally wondered a little how she could tell who was important and who wasn’tâ€"true, there was doubtless some rule about allowing nobles in, but nonetheless, he wondered what the rule of thumb was.  He’d known a few people who had tried to manage the court traffic who had done it simply by assumption based on rank, and that rarely turned out for the best.

Tilting his head to one side and drumming his fingers absently on the hilt of his sword, Cináed frowned slightly without entirely realizing it.  There was something he was missing, he knewâ€"something about the girl, something that wasn’t quite normal, not quite… human, but he couldn’t quite place it.  And while he didn’t have his son’s knack for seeing magic and what kind, he could tell how much she hadâ€"and it was making his fire magic itch.  Years of discipline kept it in check, but nevertheless, it nagged. “Head mage?  I can’t seem to recall seeing you around much before.â€?  True, he’d avoided court somewhat after Meriel’s debutâ€"he’d gotten far too much of it thenâ€"but he still thought he could remember most of the mages.

[Goldie]

ooc: ooooo, I love Gaelic names.  They're always so elegant :)  I love the author Juliet Marillier who writes mainly Gaelic and Irish mythology stuff, and I always swoon over some of her names XD  Faolan is probably my favorite.

ic:

She couldn't help the mistrust that flashed in her sea-green eyes.  Most people would simply walk away after hearing her statement of being Head Mage.  They didn't want any trouble and she was perfectly fine letting them back off and leave her alone.  Things were so much easier when she was on her own, so much simpler when she didn't feel as if she needed to walk on egg shells around the palace folk.

True, it hadn't been long since she arrived, but that didn't mean she wasn't put on edge when he refused to back down.  More questions...that's what this conversation would do, ask more and more questions until...

Until what?

She was in the palace, a Mage, she had more control over her uncanny abilities than she had ever had before, had gained the Kings trust, and, despite her misgivings, had been offered more than she deserved with this post.  Yes, she had saved the Queen's life when Dawn was still here, absorbing the force of an explosion by diluting herself with water.  The scars on her hands bore witness to that event.  After all, she was still human, and no amount of water would completely protect her from a raging fire.  It went well, she thought grimly when she had first seen the damage the explosion had wrought, with the scars on her back.

"King Fenway has placed restrictions upon those who can enter the palace.  The normal faces are those who have been approved by his Majesty as those welcome in the palace.  I did not recognize you as one." It was true, and his name had rung a bell in her mind as another who had been added to the "ok" list.  She wasn't about to apologize for not being able to see faces when she read, or heard, a name.

"Yes, Head mage." she curtly replied, trying to sound athoritative rather than shaken, "And I don't expect, if you've been away, that I would be a face you'd recognize.  I arrive at the palace just before the last battle with the previous ruler of the kingdom, Queen Dawn.  I gained her trust and respect in that battle, and King Fenway asked if I would take the open position.  I can hardly refuse, he is the King."

Right and wrong at the same time.  He had asked, and she could have refused, but she did not.  Something inside her had stirred for the first time in years; loyalty.  Even after that terrible battle, she felt the urge to stay and protect this new king with everything that she had.  Dawn had trusted her, and she would prove to the kingdom that the old Queen was not without wisdom.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: I know! I love Gaelic names too. Obviously.  Somehow they all managed to get them except for two of them--although at least three of them weren't even intentional. But seeing as they're basically Scottish? It worked out.  I'm gonna be trying to teach myself Gaelic this summer.

Juliet Marillier, huh? *Mental note, as has next to no mythology books that are, y'know, beyond just "This is what happened" for Gaelic/Irish* Thanks for the tip! *Grins*]

Unfortunately for Chailyn, Cináedâ€"and his family in generalâ€"was not at all fazed by the title of head mage.  Of course, for an experienced fighter and fire mage like he was, it was less a matter of being unperturbed as it was a matter of… professional curiosity, for lack of a better term.  Especially with someone who seemed so intelligentâ€"and powerfulâ€"and who would be heavily involved in the security of the kingdom, he couldn’t help a certain interest.  Besides which, he was a strong enough mage that just knowing someone else was a mage as wellâ€"even a high-ranking oneâ€"wasn’t nearly enough to bother him.  If anything, with the Kaleaster tendency towards over-arrogance, it might even prompt a certain amount of… well. Friendly competitive spirit might be the best description, though it isn’t quite accurate.  But it’s approximately accurate.

Cináed also noted, with some slight concern, how uneasy the girl was in his presence.  It wouldn’t do for a head mage to be so easily bothered.  He didn’t doubt her abilities as far as magic was concernedâ€"and the fact that she had been made head mage by either Fenway or Dawn indicated a degree of competency.  And while he would never bring it up as an issue, provided she wasn’t a complete idiotâ€"which he could tell she wasn’tâ€"or unless he found out she was abusing her powerâ€"and her attitude rather indicated she wouldn’tâ€"he needed to know how she might affect things.  Despite his own best intentions and wishes, Cináed Kaleaster really had turned into something of a politician.

“I’m sorry to say I missed that one,â€? he remarked in reference to the battle.  â€œWe were having a slight bandit problem and had to attend to it.â€?  And he did sound regretfulâ€"it might be just a little crazy, but he’d been something of a wild knight errant in his younger days.  He still missed the excitement at times.  He gave her a bit of a smile.  â€œIt is possible to refuse a king, you knowâ€"very politely and very carefully, mind, but possible.â€?  From his tone it was clear he was joking.

He raised an eyebrow slightly at her restatement of the new policy in the palace.  â€œIt’s a sound policy, in light of some of the recent upheaval,â€? he said rather mildly.  â€œAnd Fenway’s lucky to have someone so capable of enforcing it.â€?  He didn’t add that he wasn’t particularly surprised he was on the list.  Again, Kaleaster arrogance was acting up.  He also didn’t entirely notice his slight slip.  There were those who might object to his manner of referring to the kingâ€"but, well, Cináed really didn’t care.  Besides, his two oldest children were the king’s age.  No, he doesn’t get protective of nice, intelligent youngsters, why do you ask?

[Goldie]

ooc: well, Juliet Marillier is more Historical Fantasy if you will!  She takes a lot from fact, but because of the early time frame in which she writes, she gets to make up some pretty awesome stories!  I think that the Bridei Chronicles are the most rooted in fact, considering Bridei was actually a pictish King.  But yeah, there's my rant.  Hahaha, I'm on my Marillier kick because I just finished her latest novel and am itching for more....I hate having to wait over a year before her next one is published in the U.S.!

ic:

His attempt at a joke brought a wry smile to her lips.  At least, she thought it was a good attempt at a smile considering her entire body was tense with nerves.  There were only a few men around whom she could relax, and it would take more than a few choice words from this fellow to set her mind at ease.  Words meant nothing when it came to trust.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons Fenway had chosen her....he did not know the full story of her past, no one did, but he had gleened enough over the time before he was crowned to understand her apprehension.  When he had called her to a private meeting where he placed the position within her grasp, his eyes were understanding as she stuttered through fifty reasons why she would be a terrible choice.  He was intuative, that much was clear.  One had to be when you were the head of an entire army and then promoted to ruler.  People knew he was competent, they knew that he was more than a figure, but a person.  Chailyn had found that out in that fateful meeting.  After hearing her arguments, Fenway merely smiled and said, That is why it must be you.  Arrogance runs high with mages and does not mesh with powerful positions.  You have the ability to question yourself, to move beyond limitations.

It had been a shock.  After that, how could she possibly refuse?

"It was not a fun battle, let me assure you." she told him darkly, "Thankfully, the King was smart enough to make changes directly following so that the same mistakes do not happen again."  she looked at the ceiling, "I'm sure you can feel the magical protects that now enforce every wall.  The palace can practically protect itself now."  She tried to keep her voice light, hoping that her attempt at mirth was not masked by deep rooted emotions she could not quench.

Then the flattery.  It was worse than a man stepping forward and striking her with the back of his hand.  It could mean anything....it could be innocent of course, but her mind could not erase the words she had heard before...words that had lead to darker matters she was trying so hard to forget.

"You need not waste your breath." remarked Chailyn a little more quickly than she intended.  Her heart was in her throat again.  She needed to calm down, to breathe.  This was not Adela....she had escaped, had made a life for herself away from those memories that turned her into a frightened little girl during the night.  This man, Cinaed, was not Gothen....

She just needed to breathe.

"Flattering words do not work on some." It was made worse by the fact that he did not know her.  He had never seen her perform magic....he would not say such things if he had seen how she struggled to control her powers when she traveled with Arion...her watery friend who had come far just to see her safe.  Then, struggling more at the palace were she began to unlock her full potential, delving into a locked part of her mind she did not realize she could open if she just tried.

She wanted to get away, to flee back to the chambers she had left for fresh air and sunlight.  Now, they seemed a safe haven rather than constricting.  But she couldn't....not without being terribly rude.  One of the downfalls of her position meant she needed to recognize protocal.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: Ooo, historical fiction. There's this one called The Court of the Midnight King, not really anything stellar, but an interesting take on Richard III and it has magic women and earth goddess worship and stuff. Tis cool.  And thank you for providing me with <strike>fresh meat</strike> a new author to explore.  Pity my library system is so bad they're not likely to have much of anything...

Also, as I've forewarned Nightcandle and will go into more detail later with both you and Rhi... Aubrey and I have a plot that basically will probably screw with International Politics in a major way.  Probably not for a while, but... we're going to start putting it in motion soon, and I thought you needed to know.  I'll PM with more info.]

If he hadn’t had his suspicions already due to her attitude, Cináed was very certain now he was glad he didn’t have certain details about her life.  Names, for instance.  Murder wasn’t something he’d done as yet, and this time in his life really wasn’t the time to try, not with his heart a little weaker than it had been when he was younger.  Perhaps it was something cultivated by the years of raising his own children, but Cináed had developed quite the paternal streak, and this girl was awakening a great deal of that in him.  Admittedly, he did have a slight tendency to adopt people readily, but rarely so quickly.

Glancing around at the palace walls, he nodded slightly.  â€œI could feel it almost immediatelyâ€"admittedly I’ve never been strong on theory or standing spellwork, and I can’t exactly see it, but it’s definitely… a palpable force.  I’ve seen the idea before, of course,â€? namely, at Glauster, where generations of mages had slowly created something of a fortress, “but never anything so fast, or on this scale.â€?  He eyed the stonework critically.  â€œMyself, I’d still trust a thinking being over spelled defences, but it’s good work, and a good back up to have.â€?  And he meant it, too, but as he said, he was always a person to trust to people before objects.  Not one for technology, Cináed.  He also has a certain dislike for golems and the like for much the same reason.

He smiled a little, humourlessly.  â€œAnyone who says a battle is fun, child, complies with one of a very few conditions.  One is that they’re simply delusional or otherwise mentally ill and need a keeper.â€?  That is said half-jokinglyâ€"really, Cináed needed a healthy sense of humour.  It helped him get through life.  â€œIf not delusional, of course, the next most likely is that they’re a complete idiot who believes there is glory in painful death.â€?  His voice was dripping with scorn.  He appreciated sacrifices made, but not for the deathsâ€"for the lives possibly saved, yes, but not death itself.  â€œAnd if they’re neither of the above, they’re some kind of sadist who probably needs to experience death personally to understand.â€?  He has a brutal sense of justice sometimes.  â€œI still rather wish I could have been there.â€?

Still, despite his wish to find out more about the girl… he could tell she was near breaking point.  Maybe I’ll see if Kaimana or one of the girls can talk to her some time…  â€œYou probably have something incredibly pressing you want to be getting back to, I expect,â€? he said rather gently.  He felt slightly guilty for having indulged his own curiosity even knowing that she was so uncomfortable, and he felt that comment was enough to give her a way out if she wanted it.  â€œI suppose Fenway’s buried under paperwork, as usual,â€? he commented, mostly thinking out loud.  He’d want to catch up on matters with the king at some point, no doubtâ€"but after riding, he really felt like resting a little anyway.  He’d deny it if asked, but he wasn’t as young as he had been.  He added, after a moment, “If you ask around much, lass, you’ll find I’m not precisely one to be hesitant about what I sayâ€"and I generally don’t say anything I don’t have a reason to believe.â€?  It was his way of saying he didn’t do flattery.  A slightly roundabout way, perhaps, but it was also to emphasize that he’d seen enough to believeâ€"as Fenway hadâ€"that she was more than fit for the position.

[Goldie]

ooc: haha, you're very welcome!  I hope you enjoy the meat, and I hope that you become just as hooked as I am!  *slowly going insane waiting for a number of books to be released*  The next one I'm waiting for comes out in...HOLY CRAP!  It was released today!  I'll have to run to Barnes and Noble.....hehehehe

ic:

In the aspect of magic, Chailyn silently noted the similarities between herself and Cinaed.  She could not see magic like some mages either, it was more of a slight tickling sensation on the back of her neck that alerted her to its presence.  And it had to be strong magic to do even that.  She was not a wizard, and although she was labelled a "mage", she could not cast spells like them, mix potions, or any of that stuff.  She didn't need to use her hands when using magic -- although she liked to, it was more of a mental stability rather than necessity -- and could use her mind.  It was useful, not having to say spells or mutterings in order to do anything.

However, she didn't understand why he woud want to be in a battle.  He had made it clear that war was not something that the normal person enjoyed, but why would he wish he had been there?  Many good people had died.  She herself had been held hostage by the healers after the battle despite her desire to get up and move about.  Stopping that explosion from killing the queen had used enough of her energy to render her unconscious for the remainder of the battle, waking days later in the infirmiry, bandaged and restricted to bed rest.  If she could help it, she wouldn't be in any battles like that again.

"No, actually." she replied without even thinking, her mind momentarily lost in thought.  She blinked, realizing what she said had just said and silently cursed.  Oh well, nothing she could do about it now.  She needed to just breathe and let be.  He wasn't that bad, she could tell just from their conversation and the way he had so cunningly given her a way out.  Eventhough she was stupid and wasn't paying attention enough to take it.

"I was just going to the practice grounds."  Might as well tell the truth.  She spent more time practicing than she ever had before.  It had been a hard thing to do before in Adela, her foster family whipping her anytime they found her even attempting.  "You are welcome to come.  It would be nice to hear a veteran's view on the changes that have taken place."  Well, half truth.  But he might have some incite as to anything further they could do.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: *Thwap* Silly for not remembering the dates.  Have fun with your new book.  If I weren't currently broke I'd probably go out and take a look, but... *Makes a face* Hope it prevents some of the insanity.  I think preventing all of it is... probably too late for RPers in general...]

One of the reasons Cináed had decided he liked Chailyn had actually been because of the nature of her magic.  An elemental mage himself, he had little patience for spell-chanting and the like, and with his fire magic so nearly matching his personality… He may be an excellent and experienced mage, but planned, long standing spell-casting like that on the castle had never been a strong point with him.  He had always been far better with the spontaneous.  Perhaps his methods did tend to be a little flashy, but when they generally resulted in explosions of some sort or another, he couldn’t really help it.  His magic was the reason he’d had to learn to control his temper far younger than he would have liked to (that is to say, he had to learn at all) because for him, accidents were simply out of the question.  He could tell she wasn’t one of the spell-castersâ€"his magic was telling him that much, it always reacted to elemental magic more (although he didn’t realize it was water, though he really should have), and that someone other than a spell-casting mage was in charge was, in his mind, an indication of how competent she was that Fenway had noticed her.  In his experience, elemental magic was far undervalued.

It was, perhaps, the way his strong magic encouraged some of the wilder aspects of his personality despite even the years that prompted his occasional wistfulness for excitement.  True, the occasional bandit problems Glauster had were excitement enough, but above all else Cináed liked to feel useful, and as useful as he felt when he was taking care of his land and people… well.  He rather enjoyed politics and trying to work for the kingdom, although he would rather die than admit to the former, at least.  Besides which, he was starting to feel his ageâ€"only two of his children really were children anymore, and the niece he’d so readily adopted was on the verge of being an adult as well.  Battles were something of a remnant of his younger days, before he realized he was not, in fact, immortal.  And there are days he really, really wishes he could feel like that again.

Though he noted with some amusement her absent-minded ignoring of his offer of escapeâ€"he’d done similar things all too often as a young manâ€"he also was rather pleased by the slip.  It meant she was comfortable enough to be absent-mindedâ€"he knew if she hadn’t been put somewhat at ease she would have been she would have taken more immediateâ€"and eagerâ€"notice of his offer of an escape.  So he simply smiled.  Well, I suppose I’d better be kind and suppress my curiosity…  Or at least mostly.  Or not at all, reallyâ€"but if she really didn’t want company…  â€œI’m interested in them, of course, and if you’re not busy with I’d be more than happy to join you.â€?

[Goldie]

She wouldn't let the fact that he had accepted her invitation put her down.  After all, she had plainly invited him along.  Chailyn was still on edge, but she hoped that she would be able to work through the uncomfortable feelings and just live.  It was one of the harder lessons she had begun to learn in the palace.  Even if she could never truly trust someone else, she had to be able to put on the guise of being strong, dominating.  If not, people would feed on her weakness.

She hated it.  But she couldn't deny that the learning experience was one that she needed, head mage of no.  It was the way to live life.  She shouldn't let her past influence her future....but it was so much easier to think about the changes then to implement them.

"By all means." applied she in acceptance of the company.  She just needed to swallow her fear and go with it.  Besides, she had much more control now.  If she needed to, she could just....use the water he housed against him and escape.

Or, throw him over the outer walls.

Not that it was likely she would be forced into a position where she would need to use such a flashy display....or have the actual power to be able to throw him that far.  It was a hard thing, controlling the water inside of a living creature.  It was constantly moving, flowing, and harnessing it was a huge strike against nature, and nature fought against being controlled.  That much she had learned from the battle, when she realized that she could tear all of the liquid from the enemy, leaving them an ashen heap of dust to be blown away in the wind.

It was energy consuming, and she hated doing it.  She was glad that it was not a maneuver she had to repeat often.  Only in the most extreme circumstances.

She had begun leading Cinaed down the corridor towards the mage's training grounds.  It had been recently upgraded and, owing much to the generosity of the King, a pool of water had been added in order to make it easier for Chailyn to practice, without having to run back and forth with buckets of water before she began.

The courtyard was lush, filled with plants (courtesy of the mages who specialized in earthen magic).  It was unfortunate that the plant and fire mages were constantly at odds as the trees were destroyed by flames and a testy trainee raised a new one from the ground where it had been turned to ash.

At one end of the space, targets lined the walls, both moving and stationary, to help magic users focus their powers on aim and precision.  It was the perfect area for anyone to practice, and was blessedly located near the infirmary for those who were set on testing their latest shield charms.  More often than not, young students had to be carried to the wing and healed from burns, strange growths, and other oddities that came hand-in-hand with magic.

"This is it." she announced as they entered the courtyard.  Many of the people present turned and greeted Chailyn with a friendly wave, or a polite nod of the head.

One boy in particular raced towards the pair and gazed up at Chailyn, hope written across his features.

"Yari?" she asked softly, knowing what was coming.

"Can you pleeeeease make it swirl again?" he begged, "It was so cool how it chased Hashim around yesterday and no one believes that you did it!"  She glanced past him and saw some others his own age staring incredulously after him.  It had been an accident, the water chasing the boy, but they had found it such a great game that she turned her training session into both practice and entertainment for the children.

"You will address me as 'Madam'." she told him with mock severity, grinning inwardly at the look of horror on his face, "This space is not for play, but for practice.  If you are not prepared to take it seriously, I am going to have to tell you to leave."  While she was 'scolding' him, her eyes flickered over to the small pool of water where  small cyclone emerged from the surface and shot after the boy who, noticing the looming danger, giggled with delight and ran in the opposite direction, the tornado of water gliding after him, nipping at his heals.

She chuckled to herself as she watched his friends scatter when the water burst into their group, exploding into a thousand particles with landed perfectly onto every single one until they were soaked.

"Oh." she exclaimed softly, suddenly remembering that she and the children were not the only ones occupying the area, "Oh, I'm so sorry." she glanced at Cinaed apologetically and with a habitual raise of her hand, lifted the water off of the drenched children and deposited it neatly back into the pool.  "I hope you do not leave here with the wrong impression" she couldn't help the guilty smile that rose onto her lips, "It's just..." think fast Chailyn, "Easier for the children to learn that magic can be fun just as much as hard work and dedication."

Maybe he'd buy that....

What had she been thinking?  He probably viewed her as little more than a child herself, judging his age, and here she was acting like she was eight rather than eighteen.  Not to mention she was not living up to her title....

[Anonymous]

It was most definitely a good thing that Cináed had no intention of causing any trouble.  Considering that he had the advantage of more years of experience, and with a particular skill so directly in conflict with hers, it would most likely have not been at all a nice encounter, and dangerous for anyone in the near vicinity.  Besides, he had retained an unfortunate tendency to be… careless, when angry.  Collateral damage would have likely been very, very high.  Oh yes, it was most definitely a good thing that he was incredibly loyal to the kingdom and Fenway, and had decided he was unofficially adopting this girl too.  Which he had, if something subconsciously.

So he simply followed Chailyn rather quietly, examining the walls around him in curiosity.  The new spells on it would probably distract him for a while until he got used to them, but at the moment they were most definitely a novelty.  He also felt free to remain somewhat distracted by them as he suspected she would rather not have too much conversation and, despite the fact that he hadn’t set foot in the place for years, he still remembered his way to the training grounds.  Of course, the training grounds he remembered were far more utilitarian, boring, and generally severe.  He’d absolutely hated it there the times he’d had to be there as a boy, which was rarely.  As a second son, he hadn’t had much cause to be in the capital until it meant trying to find a way to support himself.  He also remembered, both at Glauster and here in the castle, certain… incidents which tended not to endear him to his teachers.

Generally they involved many scorch marks on stones, raised voices, a couple buckets of water from wells, and a hefty punishment for both careless use of magic and disrespect towards an elder.  He had been something of a teacher’s worst nightmareâ€"especially ironic considering he’d gone on to teach all his children himself.  Karma works wonders.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise and, truth be told, admiration as he saw the new changes to the area.  â€œVery nice,â€? he murmured, and he smiled as his eyes rested on the pool of water.  â€œNow that, there, is probably one of the better ideas I’ve seen,â€? he remarked.  â€œEasier on the water mages, and it’s so much more convenient if you don’t have to wait five minutes to put out stray fires…â€?  His voice became somewhat thoughtful as he started reviewing ideas in his mind, although really they were more or less simply idle speculationsâ€"only two of his children had magic of a brand that such an improvement would be helpful… and they were the two oldest.  Ah well.

He made a mental note to tell Fenway he could not have chosen better when he saw how the girl dealt with the younger children.  So he simply watched their antics and tried very, very hard not to start actually laughing.  But he smiled.  He hid it with a hand, but nonethelessâ€"he was clearly smiling.  And snickering quietly.  When he’d gotten more control over himself he said wryly, with amusement lacing his voice, “Lass, I have six children and a niece underfoot most of the time.  Believe me when I say I’ve seen,â€? and done, but he’d never admit to that, “far, far worse.â€?

He glanced around the yard again and smiled.  â€œBesides, I’ve known far too many pompous asses with no sense of humour who’ve tried to teach children.â€?  Some of which he’d smacked as a boy.  And gotten into trouble for it, too.  â€œFar better they have some fun with it than have learning to control their magic turned into a form of punishment.  Although,â€? he added, “I believe just the atmosphere here would help with that.â€?  Oh yes, he was impressed.  If there was anything Cináed Kaleaster was primarily after being a politician, it was a teacher, although that was far more subconscious than the other.  And he knew how to appreciate good work when he saw it.  And while he may think of her as a child… everyone had to start somewhere, and there was a difference between being a child and acting like one.

[Goldie]

Although he seemed to understand, Chailyn couldn't help the flush on embarassment rising in her cheeks.  She had been trying so hard to live up to her role, enough so that she didn't run away the moment she began feeling uncomfortable.  Yet, here she stood having completely destroyed her attempts in a brief show of magic to entertain the young.

"I have never been taught by these 'pompous asses'," she replied.  Her encounter with the children had noticeably put her at ease as she smiled fondly after them as their instructor dashed in to break up a small scuffle that had broken out between two of the children.  Thankfully, their powers were still such that the most they could do to one another was bruise the skin, or singe an eyebrow.  Control was the most important lesson in a child.  Power came when they were old enough to handle it.  "But I would think that being taught by the strict or laid back is better than being refused teaching at all."  Something in her voice gave away the fact that she believed this statement from first hand experience, "I would rather be scolded for doing it wrong than punished for showing potential."

Unconsciously her hand rubbed the back of her shoulder, her fingertips running over some of the raised scars on her back through her clothes.  It irked her that wherever she went there was always something there to remind her of the things she strove so hard to forget.

But then, there lay the curse of memories.

"Six children?" gasped she, her thoughts immediately taken away from their negative images, "How ever did you manage them all?  Or....do manage them."  How could a woman stand to have six? "I think that one would be enough to drive me completely insane." And even one would mean she would have to lay with a man.  She knew that people fell in love and that it was an act of sincerest reverance to their partner...but she could not quite believe it.  All of the women who spoke of it with awe simply must be lying.  There was nothing grand or beautiful about it.  It was repulsive down to its very nature.

[Anonymous]

Still struggling not to laugh, Cináed just watched the children play â€" or practice, as the case might be â€" with a distinctly fond, almost reminiscent expression.  Yet another thing that made him feel just a little older than he actually was: his children were almost grown, Nadia excepted, and she was a different case altogether.  He remembered when his children were that youngâ€"when he was that young.  And he remembered both having that same lesson of control drilled into him and later drilling it into his children.  For him, it had always had a certain importance.  Setting someone on fire was not exactly something to be encouraged.

“You’re lucky to have escaped that, lass,â€? he said with a wry smile.  â€œBelieve me when I say the world is far too full of them.â€?  However, at her words, he became rather pensive.  In theory, of course, what she said was correctâ€"that any teaching was better than none at all.  But there were issues… “It depends,â€? he replied slowly.  â€œIf the teaching is… boring, but accurate, for the basics of control then yes, some teaching is better than none.  Much more than those basics, though, and I think the possibility of the effects of bad teaching may be somewhat more frightening than the results of none at all.  Some people can go their whole lives, or much of them, without realizing they have magic and it doesn’t get out of hand.  An ill-taught mage, however, who thinks he’s solid on the method…â€? Cináed shook his head.  â€œThough if it’s a choice between bad teaching and being refused teaching, I suppose you’re right.  Potential is something to be encouraged.â€?

He saw the gesture she made, and sighed a little.  Still, the topic of his children was certainly one which tended to provide ample distractionâ€"and one he could elaborate on.  And with good humour.  Certain of his children were absolute well-springs of comedic relief.

“Yes, six,â€? he said with a small laugh.  â€œAnd a niece, and one of my nephews for a time.  It’s not so bad after the fourth or soâ€"they all just sort of congeal into a general mess rather than several individual ones.â€?  He was kidding, of courseâ€"in actual fact it was the youngest two who had been more likely to create messes.  â€œThe whole trick to it is to inform the older ones that they are the ones responsible for their siblings.  It makes them grow up a little, plus makes dealing with the numbers a little easier.â€? He smiled faintly.  â€œPlus, if some of them are ‘authority figures,’ it evens the odds a little in favour of the helpless adults.â€?  Giving her a bit of a sidelong look, he added, “Though you may want to reconsider the assumption that they didn’t drive me insane.â€?

And they didn’t, not really.  At least not until his youngest two started making trouble… “They’re almost all grown, as it is.  My youngest two aren’tâ€"my younger son might enjoy peeking in here some day, actually.â€?  He did not, however, even consider what Nadia would think.  Not because she wouldn’t enjoy itâ€"she would.  That was the whole problem.  The thought of why the idea of that many children might astonish Chailyn so much did not so much as cross his mind, rather uncharacteristically.  Then again, considering that the reason he had the means to marry Kaimana at all was because she was pregnant with Katrina and his older brother hadn’t wanted Cináed murdered by her father… no, it really wasn’t a thought that would have occurred to him.

[Goldie]

ooc:  My muse died O_o  so bare with me....

ic:

She could tell that Cinaed loved his children.  The way that he spoke of them was with a quiet fondness, despite the jokes he threw in to suggest otherwise.  Chailyn would have loved to be able to experience that kind of bond, to know that there was always someone there if you needed them.  She had grown up pretty much alone.  There was no one to dry her tears or kiss away the pain.  At the age of eleven, she had learned that there was no one but herself, and she could not rely on anyone or else she would be sorely disappointed.  She had been forced to grow up much sooner than girls her age and, despite being eighteen, her eyes had the look of someone ten years her elder.

Now, she did not want to find her real parents in the hopes of finding love.  No, she wanted to find them to ask them why.  Why had they abandoned her, only to be picked up by the worst people?  They could have kept her, raised her themselves.  Hell, they could have done anything to ensure her safety.  But they had decided she would be better off alone.  Unwanted, and completely alone.

But she would not let that be her ruin.  She had learned how to be strong since she had run away with Khona, the merman from the market.  She had struck her foster mother in her flight from the city.  After that, she had learned what it meant to have powers that were beyond her wildest imagination!  It had opened a new world of posibilities, and she thought that she had been happy there, in the ocean exploring.  Then even they left her, and she was forced to wander on her own again.

How long had she traveled?

Long enough to make it to a wintery cave up in the mountains where she met Arion, and then she meandered her way to Serendipity where she was thrust into an opportunity to make her magic grow.  

Yes, she had learned what it meant to be strong since then.  She didn't need anyone other than herself.

It was the only way to ensure being safe.

"More reason to never have any." she replied, "I do not envy your position."

A wail went up from one of the children who was running around the courtyard.  His sleeve was entirely engulfed in flames and he was in a panic.  The young girl who was in charge was calling after him to stop moving around, trying to douse the flame with a blucket of water she had grabbed from the side of the pool.  She was lucky that the boy couldn't be burned by his own fire, but anyone who suddenly saw their arm ignited would panic.

It didn't help that he looked little older than five.

Without so much as a thought, Chailyn pulled the water out of the bucket and shot it at the boy.  The flames immediately died down and the boy sat where he stood and wailed even louder.  The woman gave Chailyn an apologetic glance before scooping the boy into her arms and carrying him over with the rest of his peers where a long lecture began to unfold.

"At least they keep things interesting..." she added as an afterthought, unable to keep the grin from her features as she watched the young woman scold the children.

"Anyways.  What brings you back to Serendipity?"  Might as well be friendly.  After all, she couldn't even imagine what he must be thinking after her childish display, and now the other bits of excitement that came hand-in-hand with children, "Did you find yourself missing all of the joys of court life?"  the sarcasm could not have been clearer in her voice.  She had been to one formal court event (Fenways Corrination) and did not have any desire to repeat the experience.  She had been forced to wear a gown, which was too low, too colorful, and brought too much attention to herself.  It had been a nervewracking night and she was glad to have it behind her.

[Anonymous]

[Don't worry, my muse died too, and then packing and a trip intervened--may be spotty with posting for another week or so, but I'll try.]

Giving her a slight, side-long look, Cináed shook his head a bit at her statement.  â€œAs much trouble as they can be, there are most definitely rewards.  Admittedly, it wouldn’t be as pleasant if I couldn’t afford to support them, but… as it is, it was entirely worth it.  At least I think so, and my wife must or she’d’ve eviscerated me before this…â€? He smiled faintly at the thought.  Well, Kaimana might not have taken that… direct an approach, but she certainly would have done something rather painful.  There were hidden dangers that went with living with a Healing mage.  Many dangers.  Usually they involved protecting internal organs.

Even after years of working with mages and mage-born children, the sight of little accidents like this oneâ€"one which resonated all too well with his own childhoodâ€"still gave Cináed something of a startle.  Partly because he knew that the boy wouldn’t be harmed by his own fire, he didn’t concern himself nearly as much with the child; there would be fright, but little else in the way of damage.  Instead his reflexes translated into shielding the rest of the immediate vicinity.  If the child whose clothes were on fire was in no danger, his automatic concern was with the rest.

Still, the efficiency with which Chailyn dealt with the problem calmed his nerves, and he relaxed his guards fairly quicklyâ€"although feeling a little grumpy that he hadn’t gotten to handle the problem.  Fire was his specialty, after all.  â€œThey most certainly do that,â€? he said rather wryly, watching the boy with no little sympathy.  â€œI remember having that problemâ€"although for some reason my hair didn’t like to obey the rules of the rest of me.â€?  His mother had had a fit the first time he’d singed most of his hair.

Even though he still watched the children with a rather fond look on his face, Cináed was giving her his full attention.  â€œOh yes.  The endless rounds of meaningless double-talk and scheming feather-brained masses have unfathomable appeal for me,â€? he said with sarcasm so thick it could have formed an extra section of the mountain range.  Then, with a sigh and no irony at all, “Politics.  My son’s as good or better than I am at running the estate, and with the children independent now… it’s time I started paying attention to what’s going on in this country again.â€? Not that he ever stopped, not by a long shotâ€"but Cináed really did enjoy himself when he was working on national or international policy, however much he tried to deny it.  â€œBesides, Fenway needs someone with sense around here.â€?