Calling On The Lady

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

Pleasure filled me as the Duchess laughed, it was a musical sound. I was happy enough at her being able to laugh that I could control the confusion Gadleon’s words caused. Had he only been toying with me? The lingering ache in my nether region hoped otherwise.

“You’re welcome, my lord,” I replied softly before refilling their tea cups and adding another biscuit to the Duchess’s plate.

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

The smug look on his face made me shake my head. Incorrigible was right. "So will you be around for a while to make me laugh, or is this just a stop before you continue on in your adventuring?" I was fairly sure I knew the answer, but I needed it confirmed. There was no way I was going to let him leave the City with his leg like it was.

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

"I am staying around" I drew a breath and let it out. "Full of half baked plans right now to tell the truth. I am well off now and have never been that way before so I reckoned I needed to find a servant." I glanced at Douleur "I went to Valerian sort of looking for you dear." I then looked back to Anacrasia "but I found a certain clever lady had already beaten me to the punch."

I sipped my tea "truth is I do not have to adventure anymore though I suspect I will have issues with boredom. And after the injury it remains to be seen if I have much skill anymore. So in a nut shell I got three things on my mind right now. Checking on you" I saluted Ana with my cup "finding out if Sari and I are still well Sari and I. And figuring out if Olivia can work out with me since I am clearly going to need someone to help take care of me since I am so rudderless now."

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

I was very glad to hear that he intended to stay, both for him and myself. Though Sarielle still might run him out of town. "And to keep you from getting bored. I don't envy this Olivia the task," I said, teasing him slightly. Gadleon has always been able to get me to laugh, and it was very nice to be able to do so. There had been too many tears.

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I rolled my eyes "I am not that bad." I looked between her and Douleur "I seem to recall both of you enjoying my humble antics." I smiled and poked a bit of fun at myself "or the two of you are very good actresses."

Then on a more serious note I watched Douleur a second and took in her beauty. She had been through a lot even for a Valerian and thus I had respect for her "tell me Douleur do you think Olivia has the right disposition for what I am considering?"

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

I thought carefully before I answered. “We were not extremely close, but from all I know of her she is smart, a quick learner, and always represented Valerian well,” I answered. “However, I have always found her to be quite prideful.”

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

The first part of Douleurs answer was the standard and the second was something I had already figured out but confirmation was nice. "Well pride is not always a bad thing. It just needs a bit of proper direction."

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

“I agree, my lord, as long as pride doesn’t cause one to be blind to the good in others,” I replied.

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

"Thank you for your input Douleur" I offered her one of my serpentine smiles. I then turned my attention back to Ana "so has our misbegotten line gotten to anymore trouble in my absence that I should know about?"

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Well, Sirena has gone completely off the deep end, but it was only a matter of time," I said with a sigh. "I've tried to get her in to see a chirgeon, but it didn't help."

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I rolled my eyes at that "about right really. I fear something has gone horridly wrong in our line M'lady. I swear at least half the family I have this nearly uncontrollable urge to kill them before they can breed and further pollute our line."

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"Tell me, how is that different than your attitude toward the general population?" I wondered aloud before taking a sip of tea. "Anything I should know about, or would plausible deniability be a safer bet?"

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I smirked “I will have you know my urge to eliminate in family is a good 40% higher than the general population. And no nothing you should disavow knowledge of but if anything happens to Azriel I did not do it.” I gave her my most innocent look though I probably failed horridly “and I heard someone got Dominic before me or anyway that is my story and I am sticking to it.”

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

I bit my lip at the flippant mention of Dominic and my eyes went to the floor. His name still caused such turmoil inside me. Kushiel forgive me, I still missed him.

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

I caught Douleur's reaction to Dominic's name out of the corner of my eye, and raised an eyebrow at Gad. It wasn't like him to be unthinkingly cruel, usually he put a lot of thought into it. "Are you still holding a grudge against Azriel? Interesting, I would have thought a little distance might have cured things."

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I winced a bit when I realized what an ass I had just been. I turned my attention to Douleur and gave her an earnest look and lowered my tones “I did not think then before I opened my mouth. For that you have my heartfelt apologies it was callus, stupid, and insensitive of me M’lady.” The more somber tone set I turned my attention back to Ana and replied in the same level tones “yes, I never forget a wrong, ever.” I cleared my throat “someone does me wrong once I am utterly unforgiving and you may as well be dead to me and I will certainly do all I can to see that description take on a quite literal sense. Bringing dishonor to our family is the same as the gods know we have had more than our share over the years.” I knew as I spoke all good humor had been sucked out of the room but I was being honest. I felt our family had too many who had made us look bad and I firmly felt that a house cleaning was long overdue.

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

Gadleon’s apology surprised me and though I didn’t speak and interrupt their conversation, I hoped he had seen the acceptance of his apology in my gaze. What didn’t surprise me was his attitude towards the rest of his family; I would never have mistaken him for a forgiving man.

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"Indeed we have," I said with a sigh. "And there are some that would have me believe that I am furthering our shame by having a half-Shahrizai child."

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

"Well" I began "as odd as it seems for one who has been courting his cousins to say I think exactly the opposite is true. I think we have spent too much time and energy keeping our line pure as the driven snow and that is the reason we have some many freakish relatives. Indeed in my opinion you are improving our family." I smiled "but when I put it that way you sound like a brood mare and if that is the case I really need to spend more time in the stables."

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"Part of the position is to be a brood-mare," I replied with a wry smile. "Even if I tried to ignore it for many years. And now... Well, this wasn't how I had hoped to bring my child into the world."

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

"Love as thou wilt seems to go out the window as soon as politics rears its ugly head. Makes me glad I am the youngest that way no one expects me to jump through political hoops." I finished my tea and motioned to Douleur that I did not need a refill.

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"You wouldn't jump through them, you'd simply plow over them, I know you," I said with a little smile before taking a bite of the most current biscuit Douleur had provided.

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

Their conversation was becoming personal, so once I saw that they were taken care of as far as their refreshments, I executed the Night Court trained trick of withdrawing without moving an inch. It was a trick of making yourself seem invisible that all adepts were taught.

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I rolled my eyes "a square peg can indeed fit into a round hole if one uses a large enough hammer. You can just call me Sledge."

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

I laughed softly, and raised a brow. "Thankfully not in all aspects of your life though. You can be quite delicate when you feel it's warranted."

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

I snorted a bit "now Ana I think you are delving into some more intimate matters that we have shared in the past."

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"I was merely commenting that sometimes the title 'Sledge' is a great misrepresentation," I said with a smile. Ah gods it felt good to smile and laugh and tease once more. Trust Gadleon to draw it out of me.

[Gadleon Shahrizai]

"I know. Let me preen a bit my lady and tell myself how much I impress my partners. Thus the Sledge moniker." I glanced between her and Douleur "of course I think the two of you are in quite the position to utterly burst my bubble and crush my male ego leaving me begging for mercy if you were so inclined." I could feel and see Ana's spirits lifting and that gave me more satisfaction than the last time I had bested another man with the blade.

[Anacrasia Shahrizai]

"I'm sure we have some pins handy," I replied with a wicked little smile. "Or at least some peacock feathers to glue to your cap. Then you could truly preen."

[Douleur nó Shahrizai]

All my skills at being invisible vanished at the image of Gadleon with peacock feathers in his hat. I laughed, quickly covering my mouth and blushing.

"My lady, my lord, forgive me," I said, eyes down.