Healer's Wedding (Fiction)
About Sediryl and Jahir's wedding.
Publication Data
- Series: Jubilee Summer
- Book: 1
- Publication Date: January 2019
- Editions: Ebook and Paperback
- Revisions: 1
Blurb
Nearly a year has passed since the conclusion of the Chatcaavan War… which means it’s time for Jahir and Sediryl to marry, and Sediryl to kneel for the coronet of the imperial heir! All their allies are gathering to celebrate, from the expected, like the Queen Ransomed and Lisinthir, to mentors and friends from years past. But life doesn’t pause for momentous events, no matter how joyous or anticipated. There are issues Jahir and Sediryl have yet to resolve, issues that reflect the greater challenges besetting their world and the Alliance. Before they can join hands for the wedding cloth, they’ll have to face at least one of those challenges… and it won’t be the first.
Healer’s Wedding, Book 1 in the Jubilee Summer duology, brings together the characters from Her Instruments, Dreamhealers, and Princes’ Game for a capstone season of politics and pleasure. Return to the homeworld of the Eldritch and the company of friends!
Tags and Content Notes
- Tags: politics, space elves; multicultural; bisexual content; city building; feel-good story
- Rating: R for references to adult relations, difficult family relationships
Buy Links
http://books2read.com/u/3yDBpn
Synopsis
Prologue
Beth continues her convent tour, where she plays up the fact that she's some kind of damaged person, skillfully manipulating the tenants into revering her while she travels. She arrives at the convent of Saint Militha, where she has a meeting with Amber. Amber tells her he dislikes Lisinthir, both because he rescued her and also, with Sediryl, declined to let him do something he found sufficiently dramatic to avenge Beth. Filing this away, Beth manipulates Amber into pledging himself to her cause.
Key Quote
"You speak of the Queen, now styling herself Empress, and her new heir, our cousin. And all their coterie of alien-lovers, who would throw our world into the arms of people who could not defend themselves from dragons. And they expect these failures to defend us?" - Amber
Chapter One
Sediryl is being given a tour of Jerent Mysfeldt's test plot, and she is amazed that these plants are growing on her home world. Qora, who with another Faulfenzair has volunteered to take the tour with her, reminds her that she also has to think of a gift (meaning for her investiture), also asking her what Beth brought to her investiture. However, Sediryl is more stumped on what to give Jahir as a troth gift for their upcoming wedding. At Maia's suggestion, Sediryl decides she'll turn to Vasiht'h for help.
Back at her office at Ontine, Sediryl is ambushed by Val, who presses her about her training. Qora volunteers to take over her training since she can't give Val the time he says she needs to take, and Val leaves, satisfied. Qora was serious, however, and intends to keep teaching her Faulfenza dance. Sediryl reluctantly agrees to give an hour each day to Qora right as the sun rises.
Chapter Two
Amber's coming home! And before the wedding! On less than a day's notice? Jeasa is excited and tells Jahir, Vasiht'h, Sehvi, and Marevhe about it, inviting them all to come, then goes off to prepare. After she's left, however, Sehvi wonders why now, since Jahir's been home from the war for months. Jahir reminds them that lacking modern technology, travel isn't a minor effort, but Sehvi presses. In the end, Sehvi volunteers to go round up whoever else might be able to come and apologizes to Jahir for "being too forthright", which Jahir accepts. Marevhe decides to leave as well, leaving Jahir and Vasiht'h to talk. Vasiht'h immediately begins with the possible political nature of Amber not showing up yet. Jahir floats that he could be returning in order to attend the wedding. Despite his misgivings communicated through the mindline, Vasiht'h expresses some optimism.
When he later talks to Sediryl, she is less sanguine about it, and offers to come. Jahir declines, citing Jeasa's desire to keep it to immediate family, though Sediryl points out Amber might not think so due to the presence of aliens. The conversation shifts to them discussing Beth's meddling via letters sent to the broadsheet before Jahir leaves for the day, opting to study in Firilith. Vasiht'h decides to come with, because his mother is going in that direction and he wants to eat Kis'eh't's pies.
Jahir settles into his favorite table at the new cafe in Forecourt, sampling the emotional presence of those around him and noting that while there was harmony, there was also some friction, but a healthy friction. The proprietor of the cafe's mother brings him some food and the broadsheet, leaving to get him some coffee, and Jahir begins to read. Vasiht'h doesn't like what he feels through the mindline, so (after some prodding) Jahir lets Vasiht'h read the latest missive some Beth, with the Glaseah providing caustic commentary. In the end, Jahir finally gets some studying in, and as he leaves, talks with Mistress Ivali, who makes pointed comments about not believing everything he reads.
Chapter Three
It's dinner time, and Jahir is looking over the table set for nine people: Vasiht'h's parents, Vasiht'h, Sevhi, Kovihs, aunt Sattri, Jeasa herself, and, of course, Jahir and Amber. The table is set with exquisite care with little cards for each of the participants, and Jeasa mentions to Jahir that she put all of Amber's favorites on the menu, which Jahir doesn't mind. Jeasa also brings up the matter of the succession (since Jahir is marrying out of the Seni line and into the imperial one), but Jahir assures her that it's not an issue.
This nice moment is interrupted by a servant bringing news of riders on the lane. At least 10. Vasiht'h, picking up Jahir's uncertainty at the amount of riders, comes along to see what's up. Two riders have come forward, one of them Amber. Jahir tries to sense the other rider, but finds that like Sediryl, he couldn't sense an aura off them. Vasiht'h, who arrives at this point, wonders aloud why Jahir is thinking of using his mind-mage powers to force himself into the stranger's mind. He also figures out that, by standing out on the lane and not approaching, they are both threatening and insulting the Seni household but with no clear reason as to why.
Jeasa goes to the top stair as Amber helps the other rider down... a woman. The guest reveals themself to be Bethsaida, and both Vasiht'h and Jahir figure that this dinner is going to go poorly.
Amber immediately questions the number of place settings, though Jeasa is still smarting (and hiding it) from Amber bringing a guest without warning her, denying her an opportunity to provide hospitality. Amber further objects to aliens (Vasiht'h and family) from attending, to spare Beth the reminders. Beth pipes up that she'll be fine, and after a quick conversation in the mindline between Jahir and Vasiht'h, Vasiht'h volunteers to go tell the rest that they've been uninvited.
During the dinner, Jahir (who can barely see that Bethsaida has an aura, from up close) sees the former heir spend most of the time sighing and not eating, with Amber shamelessly doting on her. Plus, Amber basically recounts a blow by blow account of Beth's letters to the broadsheet. Jahir tags him for a fool in unrequited love with Beth. With it over, Jeasa suggests they retire to the library as they used to do. Amber says he and Beth can't stay long, and won't stay overnight, since they wouldn't have stayed this long had they not been riding past. Jahir calls him out on that, and Beth finally pipes up by calling him a mind-mage. Jahir still wants to know how he insulted Amber because he wants to make amends, which Amber doesn't answer, but Beth does: Amber apparently felt slighted and ignored their whole childhood. Neither Jeasa or Jahir know what Beth is talking about, and as they start to leave in a huff, Jeasa tries to call Amber back to at least talk about the Seni succession. Amber wavers, but ultimately chooses Beth and they leave. Jahir tries one last time to call Amber back by inviting him to the wedding, but Amber insults Sediryl while insinuating his relationship with Lisinthir would be disapproved by greater Eldritch noble society.
Jeasa takes Jahir to the library.
Key Passage
Amber met her eyes, and for a long moment, Jahir thought... he would come back to them. He saw it, the wavering. Silently, he begged his brother to give into it. Not for the estate's sake, for the estate would manage even if Liolesa had to appoint a new lady to its head after their mother's death. But for their mother's, and for the memory of their father and... for him. Yes, that too. He loved Amber, and didn't know this stranger who held himself so pridefully apart.
"I will go where my lady goes," Amber said. "And she goes not here."
Chapter Four
Jeasa drops off Jahir in the library while she goes to fetch the rest of the family, and he reminisces about happier moments in the library. Sehvi, upon entering, immediately calls out Amber for bringing Beth in the first place, which Jeasa concedes. The lady of Seni offers everyone brandy, admitting that she's never had it before, and ends up pouring a little of the alcohol for herself. Through the mindline, Vasiht'h asks for and gets the memories of the event from Jahir, and his first reaction is to ask how Amber knew about Lisinthir and Jahir's relationship. At Jeasa's request, she and Jahir recap the events of the dinner for Marevhe and Sehvi while Jeasa offers the brandy to everyone. Jahir also reflects that alcohol also killed his father, despite it also working as a symbol of adulthood for men in Eldritch society.
Having been brought up to speed, Sehvi hopes that Amber won't marry Beth. Jeasa replies that Beth will never marry Amber, and Jahir agrees. Vasiht'h can't let go of how Amber knew about Lisinthir and Jahir and what he's planning. Marevhe guesses that Beth is the brains in this operation. Even so, there's nothing they can do about the wedding, though they could ruin the investiture. Jeasa notes that there would have to be overwhelming reasons to force Liolesa to deny Sediryl being the heir, and shoots down Sehvi's suggestions as to what Beth could do by saying she's thinking too directly. Her best hope is to "[fill] the hall with naysayers during the investiture rite." Vasiht'h suggests, caustically, that Beth is aiming to do that with her letters that suffering is noble when Eldritch do it, but Jahir speaks up to say that Beth isn't wrong. Pelted will soon outnumber Eldritch on their own world due to their help with modernizing the planet, and there could be an existential crisis involving the loss of Eldritch culture. Sehvi and Marevhe offer some suggestions as to how Eldritch could feel less crowded by the Pelted, but Jeasa tells them that there won't be any solution in the short term, as there will have to be more aliens on Escutcheon since they are needed. But at least he can't ruin the wedding.
Later, Jahir calls Sediryl from his room and tells her how poorly the dinner went. Sediryl brushes off Amber's rudeness by saying it's in his head, and telling Jahir that when they were portioning out tasks on Sharsenne[1], Amber's mission to rehome the Chatcaavan refugees "did not suit his sense of drama." To Jahir's question of why, Sediryl points out that of the three, Lisinthir was best suited to rescue the Emperor, and Sediryl had Liolesa's ship with weapons and a Duster on it. Also, Amber seemed more interested in punishing Chatcaava than anything else. And that Sediryl wanted to be the one to find Jahir and prove herself, with Amber's suggestion that she was in more danger because she was a woman annoying her. Sediryl, however, forgot the addition of Beth in the equation, and that Amber thought he failed her.
After the call, Vasiht'h comes into Jahir's room and distracts him with ice cream.
Key Passage
Few roles in their society came to men, and good men, those who wanted to be of use somehow, were far more afflicted by that sense of superfluity than the idle layabouts who used their status to indulge their whims.
Chapter Five
Sediryl complains that having a discussion about securing her wedding while she's being fitted for her wedding gown, particularly the corset, is cruel. Liolesa comments on her tone to Reese, who replies that it's good practice for when she's in Liolesa's shoes. Irine continues the banter, tossing it back to Liolesa, with Fassiana making "a noise too delicate to be a snort, but... unmistakably related to one". When Liolesa compares them to Sediryl's investiture robes, Sediryl has to sit on her impulse to stick out her tongue at her sovereign while continuing the conversation: The capital is out because they don't want complete strangers to attend (Liolesa says they'll find a way anyway) and insists on wedding at the Seni manor because Jahir wants to. Liolesa suggests Rose Point instead, but Sediryl rejects that since neither of them have emotional ties to the place. In the ensuing pause, Fassiana says that Delen is out for the same reasons against Seni or Laisrathera. Irine cautiously suggests having the wedding at Nuera, which Sediryl refuses point blank, since her mother wouldn't give permission even if she wanted to wed there.
Reese brings out a Plan B, which is alternate arrangements Liolesa had prepared in advance with Reese. Sediryl begins to object, but citing the civil war in the recent past, Liolesa dismisses it. Even though it's going to be a circus, Irine compliments Sediryl's wedding dress and Reese agrees. The wedding dress is being made by Liral, to whom Fassiana referred Sediryl. The conversation shifts to security arrangements while Sediryl muses to herself how she wants to marry, then she comes up with an idea.
Lying!
More specifically, telling the public the wedding will be at the announced date, but having the actual wedding a week before, with the traditional feast on the days originally planned for. After all, Lisinthir and the Queen Ransomed will be arriving within two weeks, and they are the only people not immediately near a Pad. Plus, Sediryl's tired of waiting. Liolesa accepts this rationale, then calls Reese to a separate discussion about a secret.
Said secret, as Reese leads them to the battlements of the castle, is help with a gift Liolesa plans to give Sediryl: a Guardkin. Reese brings up the fact that, as sentients, Guardkin can't really be given away like that. Liolesa merely wants an introduction and an opportunity to plead her case. If none of the Guardkin on world agree, Liolesa has a back up plan that she's already arranged for. Reese, while accepting that it wouldn't hurt for Sediryl to have an additional person to guard her, notes that she's already guarded by two White Swords, a White Shield, Qora and the contingent of Faulfenza following her around, Maia, a D-per, plus Sediryl herself can "melt steel with her mind". From this, Reese guesses Liolesa likes Sediryl personally, and then segues into Beth's plotting, reminding Liolesa that she is here to help. But having secured Reese's help with the gift, Liolesa is pleased.
Chapter Six
Feeling quite overwhelmed by being roped into the planning process for a wedding feast that will feature an unknown number of guests, Vasiht'h sneaks away from the taste testing of several cakes and pies. He retreats up his and Jahir's room in the Seni manor and enjoys the blissful silence. As he starts to read a trashy romance novel (the latest from Rexina Regina), he gets a call from Sediryl. After immediately ascertaining whether or not Jahir is in the room with him (he's off with Val training his talents), Sediryl implores Vasiht'h for help. Vasiht'h makes sure she doesn't need his help organizing another large party, the Glaseah agrees to cook a small breakfast after the wedding for her and Jahir. With that out of the way, Sediryl asks for Vasiht'h's help coming up with a troth gift. He gets what she's come up with so far (while reflecting that Sediryl is absolutely the best person he would have wanted for Jahir), and they speak a bit about what is and isn't feasible. The conversation wanders to Laisrathera's hospital and the fact that Eldritch doctors aren't numerous when Vasiht'h gets an idea: why doesn't Sediryl endow a university for Jahir? He then agrees to go on a recruiting trip for the nascent university to Seersana, and his old stomping grounds. Even better, this will take Vasiht'h from the wedding preparation. And if it doesn't work out, then Sediryl can "just show up? Naked?"
Later, Vasiht'h feels Jahir's presence as he returns from his training, loving how Jahir's mind feels after practicing. Jahir pauses to ask him if he wants anything from the kitchen, then diverts there to pick up a snack. By the time Jahir arrives, they have a short conversation about how things change and Vasiht'h complains some more about the kerfuffle about the party while Jahir relates his experience with Val's training. After, Vasiht'h brings up his errand, not telling Jahir what it is specifically. Jahir tells him to be careful.
Chapter Seven
Speaking of training one's talents, Sediryl -- in the midst of her own training session with Qora -- asks if learning Faulfenza dance is training by Val's standards. Mostly because while there is indeed dance and Sediryl learning foreign words with her body, it also breaks down at points into talk of philosophy and religion. However, Qora has yet to ask her to create or direct fire, and Sediryl is both relieved and ashamed of that relief. Before, such as with her going to rescue the slaves[2], Sediryl knew that summoning her talent took extreme levels of pathos to a dismaying degree.
During today's philosophy discussion, Qora mentions offhand that Escutcheon is too light for him and his people, but also assures Sediryl that Maia and her dragon are working on a longer term solution.
After a shower and diving into her day, Sediryl reflects that the dancing, while physically exhausting, was also relaxing in a way. Before lunch, she stops and contemplates, and Maia wonders what she's thinking about. At Maia's question, she specifies that she's wondering after what Beth gave to the realm at her investiture. Her afternoon isn't free, but she believes she can cut her next meeting short with the Royal Procurer, someone she's made an ally of since she intended to help the world. Finally, she cancels the meeting and decides to go to ask her aunt.
Fassiana tells Sediryl that it was a book, but can't remember much more beyond that it was fiction. The conversation shifts to the broadsheet and Beth's letters, and Fassiana encourages Sediryl to stop relying on Liolesa's plans and counteract Beth directly. But since Fassiana doesn't know, Sediryl knows who next to ask.
However, it's difficult for her to face the next person she meets to discuss Beth's investiture gift: Liliarana Delen Galare. Her first move is to apologize for thinking Lili was a true featherhead. Lili flips the script by asking her for what is she apologizing, and when Sediryl was supposed to come over to actually apologize. They burst out laughing, and Lili invites Sediryl to eat and admits to wanting all the gossip about how Sediryl bagged Jahir.
They speak of trivialities over the meal, and Sediryl finds it nice to complain about the investiture gown to someone. Lili then brings up Jahir, and eagerly demands the story of how they met and courted while also saying that most girls of their set tried and failed to catch Jahir. Sediryl ends up telling the story of their courtship and the first time she knew Jahir had feelings for her[3]. Finally, they get to what Sediryl visited for: if Lili knows what Beth's investiture gift was.
Lili describes the book, but admits that it isn't her taste anymore. When pressed, she says what happened to Sediryl was "instructive." But since Fassiana still kept in touch, Lili was also able to hear about how Sediryl thrived in the outworld, choosing success. And then the coup[4] happened. Lili was at the palace during it, and hid on her mother's instructions. She admits a terror and shame about what happened, and that she felt unequal to that task as opposed to Sediryl. Sediryl admits to her own fear while she tangled with pirates, and also that had she never been exiled, she probably would have hid as well.
The two go back to Ontine and to the library with Lili commenting on Pad travel in Escutcheon. She leads Sediryl to the book in question. After admiring the craftsmanship, Sediryl starts reading, finding the true point of the gift: each story featured a different noble House, and all noble Houses were represented, showing that Beth valued all people of rank regardless of political allegiance. Sediryl also discovers that all the illustrated women were also Beth, leading Lili to reveal that the illustrator was in love with Beth, with someone coming up behind him to change some eye colors. With that sort of knowledge revealed offhand, Sediryl immediately recruits Lili to her circle of advisors (while also demonstrating that it's okay for Eldritch to touch).
Sediryl leads Lili to her suite at Ontine and introduces her to Maia and Qora, then starts a strategy session. After recapping for Qora Beth's gift and what it meant, Maia points out the dissonance between Beth's letter and her investiture gift. Sediryl points out that the letters aren't meant to lift up the commoners, but placate them, which is her basically obliquely targeting the nobility. Maia asks if Beth can actually force Liolesa to set Sediryl aside via noble opinion, and Lili tells her that it wouldn't happen instantaneously, but have the entire noble class set themselves against Liolesa. Qora points out, however, that Beth's convent tour is a grand gesture that can be countered. But Sediryl points out that Beth's approach won't work for her, because the noble class won't believe it of her due to her background, and Lili agrees. Sediryl does, however, come up with the idea of courting the tenantry, with Lili pointing out that said tenantry has been overlooked or abused for so long, particularly with the sack of Jisiensire. And that, Lili thinks, is the best counterplay to Beth's actions: get the tenants on her side.
Key Passage
"Do you find a way to talk to them, cousin," Lili said. "And make them believe that you are on their side... and I believe you will have your counterplay to Beth's thrust."
A singing pause.
Then Maia said, "I like her. Can we keep her?"
Chapter Eight
The last time Vasiht'h visited Escutcheon, he was deposited on a field and left to walk through it to the Seni manor. Now, he's traveling to Almost Farthest Wing which has been transformed into a bustling complex. Since he has no idea how to ask for his ride, he goes up to the information desk as instructed, where he's joined by Kis'eh't, Minister of Science, who tells him that she's tagging along because she needs to start a formal education system, and since Vasiht'h is going to recruit professors, she'd want to toss money and incentives at them.
Instead of a Tams vessel (which are all off on a mission from the Empress), the two Glaseah are taking a vessel bought by the Empress and leased to Laisrathera, called the Arsia Mons. Kis'eh't remarks that progress has finally come to Escutcheon as they walk through the station, but Vasiht'h is reminded of the conversation he had with Jahir earlier, and his reply is somewhat muted. They end up speaking about Kis'eh't's background and experience in academia, plus her personal growth, some of which occurred while she met Reese.
Once underway with the briskly competent crew of a female Aera and male Harat-Shar, Vasiht'h reflects that a year since the war is hardly long enough for the Alliance to have recovered, or even react, and is glad that he now lives on Escutcheon. And yet, he's headed to Sector Alpha. Confusingly, he hasn't gotten a lot of mail, either, despite sending messages ahead that he was heading towards certain folks, and especially the one person he wanted to hear from. But, even though they're moving quickly, he spends some time with Kis'eh't discussing Escutcheon apple cultivars for pie.
His first meeting, which he takes alone, is with Armin Palland, who admits to surprise upon seeing him, and also gives him a hug. After a bit of catching up (Palland asks about his family on Tam-ley), Vasiht'h offers Palland the job on Escutcheon. Palland opts to cancel the rest of his afternoon to discuss it over some food.
The meal is slightly surreal to Vasiht'h, since he's explaining his role in the war in a place where he'd been angsting about minor (in retrospect) issues. The Glaseah is also very open with Palland, telling him things he'd might have left out with other people, and ending with the Eldritch and his worries about their survival. When the conversation shifts to Palland's qualifications, Vasiht'h hooks him on the chance to start something entirely new from the ground floor, "on the most mysterious planet in the galaxy". Palland attempts to push back, citing his wife's ailing mother, and Vasiht'h just tells him to bring them both and anybody else in his family that wants to come.
Palland shifts the conversation to what else is bothering Vasiht'h, who admits that he wants Jahir's mentor, Lafayette KindlesFlame for the university as well. Palland reveals that KindlesFlame took Tam-lay hard. While he doesn't know where KindlesFlame is, he does know who might.
Lasareissa Kandara tells Vasiht'h and Palland that KindlesFlame has "[w]orked himself to a ghost," having attempted to go to Tam-lay to help but being rejected due to the difficulty of getting him there. He did triage at the welcome station, but when stood down, he's been unable to live in Seersana doing what he does normally. Vasiht'h volunteers to go get him, talking about how Escutcheon needs medical professionals with teaching abilities before realizing who he's talking to and recruiting Lasareissa for the gig. Lasareissa gives Vasiht'h information on where KindlesFlame is holed up.
Chapter Nine
Back on Escutcheon, Sediryl tells Jahir about recruiting Lili for her circle of counselors while Sediryl fixes his brooch as an excuse to be near him. They're about to receive the Chatcaavan delegation which was due to arrive soon. Jahir remembers her, mostly for her penchant for giggling and that she was a potential bride. He's also unsurprised Sediryl mentions she's smart, as it's not unusual for heads of families to choose nieces or nephews as heirs instead of their own children. The two sit on a nearby loveseat, not due at Laisrathera for a while, and Sediryl starts a conversation about Beth is after before being distracted by Jahir taking her hand. After getting back on track, Sediryl states that she wants to "cut [Beth] off at the knees". The idea is to court the tenantry, mostly by using a shuttle to go all the way out to the villages, and bring them food and crops and chickens. Jahir mentions that she won't be able to bring aliens, since in response to Beth, Sediryl's assistance has to be seen as coming from Eldritch to Eldritch or risk humiliating them. Sediryl reluctantly agrees since she can fly a groundcar herself. Further, she plans to keep it from Beth as much as possible, flying to villages Beth has already visited, and recruits Jahir to the effort as a healer. Jahir protests, as he's not officially licensed, but Sediryl tells him that Hirianthial thinks he knows plenty and the licensing is just a formality. After more protests, Jahir reluctantly agrees, and they spend some time planning a preliminary route. With an hour to go before they need to leave, Sediryl opts to go downstairs since Jahir won't let her seduce him, but does worry why her father keeps refusing invitations to dinner at the Seni household.
At Laisrathera, Sediryl sees that the House's reputation for parties is well deserved. They have decorated the place for the official reception, with Liolesa and Fassiana joining Reese as Sediryl and Jahir arrive. Hirianthial joins them soon after, talking about the fireworks planned, plus the accommodations for fliers in general. Sediryl releases Jahir to talk shop with Hirianthial, and Reese pokes fun at Sediryl's desire for Jahir before being poked fun at in turn by Irine.
Jahir alerts everybody that the Chatcaavan party is arriving, and Sediryl briefly and quietly squees about how Jahir loves "so completely and so differently." They arrange themselves on the stairs when the handbells start to ring. The Chatcaavan delegation approaches, the Queen Ransomed at the front, Lisinthir slightly behind and to the side. The bellringers -- just about every child in Laisrathera -- come out to welcome the Chatcaavan Breath, with Jahir reporting that the Queen Ransomed is honored by the gesture. She makes her formal greeting and Liolesa offers hospitality and accepts the well wishes, which does it for formalities. Sediryl rushes to hug the Queen, and the party begins in earnest.
Socketing himself into place at Lisinthir's side wasn't something Jahir could forget in just a year, so he follows the women into and through the castle's front door at Lisinthir's side to enjoy the spread at Laisrathera. After dinner, they all move outside to enjoy the fireworks, and after that, Sediryl finds Jahir and Lisinthir and implores the former to take Lisinthir home to Seni. Also, to make sure that Jahir spends time with Lisinthir, since they are only going to be together for a few weeks a year. That, and Lisinthir should be introduced to Jeasa. Still trying to find a reason to turn down this advance, Jahir suddenly finds all of this absurd and laughable since everybody except him was looking for reasons not to do so. After some more saucy talk, Lisinthir takes Jahir over the Pad.
Since Jeasa is still up, Jahir takes Lisinthir to her and introduces them, with Jeasa offering to set up a suite for Lisinthir. Jeasa figures out that the secret rampant Jahir had commissioned was for him. She mentions that Lisinthir was the Nase Galare heir before dropping on him that he could have courted her. After a little more conversation, Jeasa tells Jahir to wait with Lisinthir in his room while she has the servants prepare the room so they can talk, and invites Lisinthir in particular to breakfast the following morning.
Jahir leads Lisinthir up to his childhood bedroom, where after checking out the place, Lisinthir asks explicit permission to tumble Jahir. Jahir responds by offering his hands, and they kiss before flirting in Chatcaavan, then going to the loveseat for... cuddles. Later, Lisinthir unbuckles his belt and wraps it around Jahir's neck, then pushes Jahir to talk about why he wants to be physically punished so badly. After some verbal jousting, Jahir admits that he misses it, being the Silence Between Stars. Mostly, because he doesn't think he'll need the skill again. Lisinthir, however, informs him that he will, because the Empire found a stranded fighter from Second's contingent, and Second was joined by cargo ships with civilians heading toward the spinward corner of the Alliance. Being Chatcaavan, Lisinthir knows that Traitor-Second will not truly believe himself First if he had to flee to do it, and is biding his time for sufficient strength. Which is why he shouldn't be allowed to choose the time to restart the conflict. Jahir feels a tumult of emotion, reassured that he's feeling it again at all.
Knowing Jahir, Lisinthir demands he not put this part of himself into a box, then challenges Jahir, holding him in place with his power. Jahir sends himself into his cousin's mind, surrendering the physical onslaught entirely until he and Lisinthir melded into one single thing, falling inward until he spilled outward. He touches minds scattered across the galaxy until he reaches higher and touches the strands of fate. Jahir falls, and Lisinthir catches him, and the two rest and talk about what they've seen in the Divine Pattern.
Back at Laisrathera, Sediryl presses the Queen for "all the good parts" and also offers to help her out of her fancy get up. They briefly reflect on the only good part about being in that pirate base, which was Sediryl dressing the Queen, before Sediryl presses for how the Queen handles two men. The Queen laughs, and the conversation moves on to the fact that she has a daughter now.[5] That, and she's here to conceive Imthereli's heir on Imthereli's soil. This segues the conversation toward Sediryl's desire for children, if only to do it well. This reminds the Queen that she brought the gift of two Chatcaavan immigrants, thought they are there to care for the Chatcaavan child no one speaks of and the Queen fears she is not being well taken care of. Sediryl fills the Queen in on the circumstances leading to her birth, and that nobody is blaming Lunet for the sins of Second. Plus, she's sure Reese will welcome somebody to teach Lunet about being Chatcaavan.
Of course, Lunet is a female, winged Chatcaavan, and is thusly important, which brings the Queen to the aid she intends to ask Liolesa for the following morning in her capacity as a Priestess. Mostly because the Queen doesn't know if she should be promoting the Change or not, and that they should be finding and protecting the winged females that remain, lest they be subject to resentment and fear. Plus, what if Second figured out that he could "raid the traits of aliens and steal winged females to maintain the power and integrity of his line"? But, also, the Queen says that it's a time to be happy because of Sediryl's upcoming wedding and investiture and her conceiving Lisinthir's heirs.
Chapter Ten
Having arrived at a cafe close to where KindlesFlame is holding up, Vasiht'h leaves Kis'eh't there to make some calls while he goes up to KindlesFlame's cabin himself. He hikes about 20 minutes through wilderness, taking in the nature surrounding him, and reflects on the nature of his own talent. He arrives and rings the doorbell, but nobody answers. After waiting for some period of time in comfort, KindlesFlame abruptly opens the door, and gets the wrong idea about Vasiht'h's arrival. The Glaseah quickly reassures the Tam-illee that Jahir is fine and safe, and KindlesFlame invites Vasiht'h inside. The Glaseah takes a look around the barely lived in cabin while KindlesFlame offers refreshments, and so begins the conversation about text and subtext worthy of two psychologists.
Vasiht'h first lets KindlesFlame know that Jahir also went through the war, and the new scars he has, along with telling him that the Tam-illee has been invited to Jahir's wedding, and also that he's invited to emigrate to the Eldritch homeworld. After KindlesFlame's caustic response to how he "should" react, Vasiht'h tells him a bit of how needed he is on Escutcheon. KindlesFlame expresses indifference, so Vasiht'h tells him that the Chatcaava pinned Jahir to a wall.[6] After detailing what Jahir went to with a rapt audience of one, Vasiht'h tells KindlesFlame that Palland has his commtag, and leaves. A bit down the pathway from this idyllic hideaway, Vasiht'h hopes he did the right thing.
Back on campus, Vasiht'h discovers Jill Berquist has been promoted, and quickly comes to the conclusion that working farther away from children has her resentful, even though she's proud of the promotion. They make small talk, talk also about the girls and how they're involved in the post-war cleanup, and from there Vasiht'h pitches her on coming to Escutcheon. Feeling quite sure of his victory there, he finds Kis'eh't and offers to go shopping to get a jump on the end-of-year gift giving season.
On the final day of the trip, Vasiht'h gets a message from KindlesFlame indicating that he's coming and he tells the Tam-illee where to meet them. At the dock, KindlesFlame is introduced to Kis'eh't and disappears into the ship in a rather taciturn manner, and Vasiht'h nudges Kis'eh't to cut the trip back to Escutcheon down to make sure KindlesFlame doesn't have second thoughts.
Chapter Eleven
Jahir and Lisinthir have a playful conversation with how to provide plausible deniability to their tryst the previous night. Eventually, they decide how to present things for the servants to find before going down to breakfast, and from there to Ontine. Crossing over the Pad, Lisinthir makes note of the security situation, ascertaining the exact position of the guards by leaning on Jahir's powers. Jahir then leads them to their meeting, and Lisinthir reflects that it's good to be home, knowing that it won't be to stay.
In the palace's fourth floor, they arrive at the meeting with the Queen Ransomed, her Knife, Sediryl, Empress Liolesa, her Chancellor, Delerenenard, and the Twelveworld Lord. Jahir picks up some of Lisinthir's hesitation about the latter individual, assuring him that while the Twelveworld Lord doesn't quite think of Eldritch as people yet, this trip will go a long way to rectifying that. Lisinthir subtly nudges Jahir to eat by putting a plate of food in front of him before starting the meeting.
The Queen tells of the crash they found and what it means, plus the current state of the Chatcaavan Empire. Lisinthir takes advantage of Jahir's presence to read the room, pausing over Hirianthial to wonder how he was being perceived: As himself? As a combination of himself and Jahir?
At the end of the Queen's recitation and his addition, Sediryl opines that they should have invited Val, since, essentially, he's another mind-mage. Jahir asks if Chatcaava could become mages of the Queen, who replies that while she and the Emperor haven't, they are only two data points, with Lisinthir pointing out that they took their pattern of him before he'd manifested his powers. Sediryl brings up the mysterious Chatcaavan that Baniel conspired with,[7] but that one was drained, and draining can be done to someone without talent. The Twelveworld Lord asks for clarification on the nature of Eldritch esper ability, which prompts Lisinthir to bring up that there is a possible psychic component to the Change. But finding out that for certain would require trusting at Chatcaava with the pattern of an Eldritch mage, so Liolesa proposes they simply assume it's possible in order to guard against it. The Queen agrees, reiterating[8] that the Emperor is personally and politically invested in tracking down Traitor-Second. Liolesa then brings up the other item the Queen wanted to discuss, and the Chancellor excuses himself, bringing Hiranthial with him. The dragons, Sediryl, and Jahir also leave, and Liolesa posts Lisinthir on this side of the door to guard.
Liolesa first brings up the succession of Imthereli House, and the Queen tells her that she both plans for there to be several children and that she wants to bear the child on Imthereli soil, citing legal implications. Liolesa turns to Lisinthir and asks if he intends to make a male firstborn heir, to which he agrees. Then Liolesa clarifies that the Queen wants her to look into the future for the right path forward, and states that they have ten years. For what, to guard against what, she cannot say, only that they have ten years for it, give or take a year.
Sediryl absconds with Jahir to a relatively unused area of Ontine above the ballroom to spend some time with him before they need to move on with their schedules. When asked how last night went, she tells Jahir of the "interplanetary interspecies slumber party" she put on with short notice, which mostly involved talking about men and having treats. Since the talk did involve babies, Sediryl's retelling reminds her of her own family, and the fact that her father hasn't responded to any of her invitations. Jahir assures her, and something in his manner makes it seem like a vow. His look is reminiscent of how he looks when he talks to Lisinthir mind to mind, so she inquires about his night. After, she speaks in the inherent ridiculousness of the title she has been bestowed by virtue of being the viceroy of Chalice.
Sediryl then comes back to the slumber party, saying that Reese offered her chickens to go along with the garden plots. Plus, she got a message from Vasiht'h, and he'll be home soon! After some other chatter about the Queen Ransomed going with Lisinthir to "beget Imthereli's heir", Jahir says that he has to go report to the hospital for his shift. They share an intimate moment, then he helps her up so they both can attend to their duties.
The Queen talks to Lisinthir about how interesting it is to find a female Empress, and to compare it to the Emperor. He turns it back on her, and she speaks to both the Emperor's and Empress Liolesa's vision. They then, with her retainers, cross the Pad to Imthereli. The Queen immediately likes the smell of the place, and has her breath taken from the view as she steps outside the small house built to house the Pad. The Ambassador then gives the Queen's retinue permission to fly to the house if they wish, and most of the entourage elect to do so. Lisinthir tells her of how Imthereli used to be much more prosperous than it is now, and the revelations from the Surgeon[9] concerning the Eldritch biology is still rippling through the populace. He'd also like to offer some Chatcaavan scientists to the effort.
Their arrival to the Imthereli hunting box confuses the Queen. Lisinthir tells her that the castle is now a ruin, and this house used to be his father's when he was a bachelor. By his own admission, Lisinthir doesn't love his father since he thrust the responsibility of reviving Imthereli to his son while he'd chosen to "marry power and wealth and respectability after years of fighting for it and failing."
Lisinthir has also, for now, chosen to let the land lie fallow since he's not yet ready to take an active interest in developing it. Additionally, there isn't enough Eldritch population to hold the land already claimed, so he is safe from people trying to poach it. When the Twelveworld Lord brings up hunting, Lisinthir tells them that they'll have to do it to eat tonight, then moves to settle the Queen inside. Lisinthir tells her that they won't spend the night here, and offers to go with her to Laisrathera. Remembering the cadre of female companionship she found there last night, she declines the offer before Lisinthir takes his leave.
Left to her own devices, The Queen explores the hunting lodge, finding it as bare as advertised. She tries to imagine what the various rooms are for and takes in what decorations and furnishing there is. By the time the hunting party returns, she had explored the entire hunting box and goes out to greet them. The Chatcaava all eat lightly, but throw some playful veiled comments at the Queen and Ambassador, and when they rise, cheer them. The Queen has a moment to reflect that the Twelveworld Lord, no small power, respects her as a person before she and her consort retire to only room with the bed. She asks Lisinthir for requests, and he picks "all of the above." She refuses because if they did, they'd be here all night, so he cuts his choices down to... just two.
Chapter Twelve
Instead of going to Laisrathera, Jahir gets into a jay being flown by one of the Empress's Tams, informing Hirianthial on the way there that he'll be missing his lesson and probably most of his shift at the hospital. Hirianthial responds, asking him if it's serious. It is, but not in the way Hirianthial means, so Jahir answers "No." This is something that needed to be done for months now, but nobody had the time and his fiance didn't have the courage. So, Jahir -- still in his court clothes -- touches down about a half hour's walk from his destination so the vehicle isn't spotted. When he gets to the Nuera grounds, he goes to the footmen and asks to see the lord, saying he's expected.
They let him in and give him a room to refresh himself, and a servant asks him if he's sure he's here to see the lord rather than the lady, and Jahir maintains that he's for the lord and asks escort, pressing that he's a physician. After hesitating, the servant leads him through the halls, and Jahir has a moment where he wished he could have slowed down and looked through the home his fiance grew up in before he's delivered to room Haladir occupies.
Haladir's first words are "You shouldn't be here," and by the time he's finished that, Jahir had already crossed the room and went to a knee alongside the couch. Jahir asks what happened, frightened that Haladir looks like "a dying man in a body not yet ready to die". Instead of answering, Haladir muses that "Jeasa and Kolvin's boy is soon to marry his daughter. Jahir tells him that Sediryl doesn't know he's here but communicates her worry, and Haladir replies that he knows he can't go. Jahir promptly dismisses this objection with the advent of modern medicine to Escutcheon, with brings the matter closer to the root: Haladir had been denying his wife, and while doing so he fell off a horse which rolled on him, destroying the lower half of his body.
After some assurance that Jahir really was a physician (which Jahir finally concedes to himself is true in all but name), Haladir lets Jahir see the damage... and it is extensive: crushed pelvis, a mis-healed leg, and a whole host of accompanying internal and muscular issues. It would take time to repair and heal properly, but Jahir knew that it wouldn't begin without consent, with the therapist in him fearing he'd get at must grudging consent.
Jahir returns to his kneeling posture, and when pressed that he didn't immediately start to harangue Haladir about his condition, he admits to fear about how to begin. The ways he could think of to beg would be self-serving in part, because he loves Sediryl, Haladir's daughter. This goes into a brief aside about how Jahir never thought he'd be able to wed her, and in order to do so, he'd needed to be broken. He needed to be broken of the lessons he learned while he grew up, good and bad, because the bad ones entered alongside the good since he'd been so loved growing up. Haladir, reeling from Jahir speaking of things that are never spoken, tries to object that he's been like this for years, but Jahir objects that without treatment, he will not see his grandchildren. Haladir tries to say that he doesn't deserve to do so, thinking himself no fit influence for a child, but Jahir objects that his daughter is about to be crowned heir.
Haladir doesn't answer immediately, and Jahir is pretty sure that the older man had decided to suicide and would have gone through with it had Sediryl not come home. When he finally speaks, he asks if he is to be forced to come to Sediryl's wedding. Jahir asks if he would have to, and if he still loves Sediryl, before gently pleading that Haladir is dying. Haladir objects, loudly, that he can't move, but Jahir counters that if he's taken to Laisrathera, one day he could move. Unmoved by the prospect that he could be alive but not whole, Haladir outright says that he deserves to die.
Jahir remains where he is, kneeling, and Haladir notices that, asking him if he's going to stay that way, and if he's really "my lord" and "sir" to Jahir. Jahir mentions that he'd rather call Haladir "Father" since he hadn't been able to call anyone that for some time, which breaks through Haladir's malaise. Though Haladir mutters that this is "no world for men," Jahir objects, asking "Do you seriously believe your daughter will allow that to continue?" and then shifts to literal begging, finally placing a hand on Haladir's. Finally, he consents to be taken to Laisrathera.
Having secured consent, Jahir leaves the room to summon the Shield General ambulance, then the manse entire to meet the ambulance. The servants, though anxious, do not stop him from re-entering the mansion with the merely first-aid certified volunteers. Jahir notes that the lady of the house is actively blocking attempts to read her, but dismisses it since his primary responsibility is getting Haladir some help, and she'd taken no move to restrict him from helping. After conferring with Haladir to ask if he wants anything for the pain he will soon experience, Jahir (with the volunteers' help) gets Haladir onto the stretcher and over a portable Pad straight to the hospital's emergency wing. The transfer itself has caused Haladir enough pain that he's shuddering, and Jahir reaches for Hiriantial mentally to call him to surgery. Haladir is transferred from stretcher to bed and passes out, which allows Jahir to silently be horrified about the terrible condition Haladir is in. Hirianthial arrives a half hour later, and sees some of the results, immediately calling for a treatment plan.
"Get the others together," Hirianthial said. "And we'll talk it out. Then you can call his daughter."
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Characters
References
- ↑ Only the Open, chapter 2
- ↑ From Ruins, chapter 22
- ↑ Family
- ↑ Laisrathera
- ↑ Major Pieces, "Hope's Navy"
- ↑ In Extremis, chapter 3
- ↑ Laisrathera
- ↑ Major Pieces, Patience
- ↑ [Somewhere at the end of Prince's Game]