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Post by spigurl on Nov 6, 2007 22:28:46 GMT -5
"Kaitelanna Delarendiere? Yes. By the way, she's nasty to everyone. Tongue of acid. Just in case you were wondering why she behaved as she did in that awful meeting that never got anywhere," Annikka said, answering his question. Interesting that she be appointed an advisor, he thought. She must have some skill because she clearly wasn't chosen for her tact.
"I thought as much," he replied. Thinking of the meeting, Caden frowned. He would not look forward to attending another. Personally, he thought he had little to offer. Not for the first time he questioned his role. "Do you think I'll have to go to the next one?" he asked, his voice betraying a little bit of worry.
"Some grow up before they should have to, but yes. I see your point."
"Unfortunately," was his short reply. Caden had seen his fare share of that over the years. Youths barely old enough to take care of themselves, let alone all of their siblings, had to take up all forms of jobs to survive. The knight was quick to banish those thoughts. Only he would think of things like that when he should be enjoying the moment and current conversation.
"The courtiers never go into the battle history shelves, so if you feel the need for escape that's probably the best place to go in the library," the healer told him, a grin on her face.
Caden smiled, betraying none of his earlier thoughts. "Excellent. Battle history. It's right up my alley. I can diplomatically excuse myself from an uncomfortable situation and learn something." Not for the first time, the knight wondered if his family would be attending one of the many Midwinter balls. He supposed so, seeing as they would be in Corus this time of year. Both of Caden's siblings had much to gain from making appearances in Court.
The knight laughed quietly at her explanation of family parties. "Well I'm pretty good at finding escape routes. Just give the word and I'll sweep in and rescue you." After a second he added, "And I would wager that would impress your mother."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 7, 2007 15:13:52 GMT -5
"I thought as much," he answered her. She could almost hear him passing mental comment on Kaitelanna Delarendiere's lack of tact and manners, and restrained a grin. She thought so herself. Caden frowned, and she guessed that he was thinking about the meeting where he'd so obviously felt like a fifth wheel. "Do you think I'll have to go to the next one?" he enquired, sounding slightly worried.
"I doubt it," Annikka told him. "And if you do, it will be a much larger meeting, with commanders and a couple of their deputies, and you'll know in advance- unlike that one, which was called at criminally short notice. I think even Queen Emeli was thinking of better things she could have been doing."
"Unfortunately,"
"Mm," she acknowledged, looking down at the toes of her boots and wondering if she'd ruined the conversation.
"Excellent. Battle history. It's right up my alley. I can diplomatically excuse myself from an uncomfortable situation and learn something."
"Lucky," Annikka said with a laugh. "At least three of my colleagues can testify that over the past years I've already cleaned out the library of any medical textbooks or histories that I could learn more from, and I can hardly flee down to the university to raid their library, so I'm stuck. I don't even get to cry off sick unless it's really serious, living among healers as I do and being one myself."
"Well I'm pretty good at finding escape routes. Just give the word and I'll sweep in and rescue you." After a second he added, "And I would wager that would impress your mother."
She smiled when he laughed. "A useful skill to have. Thank you for the offer, but I don't advise it- neither of us would ever hear the end of it, particularly not me. My mother has this interesting trick of getting the truth out of her children- she announces some sort of illness she terms 'spasms' and pretends to be greatly weakened. She doesn't listen to protests that we have been telling the truth, either."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 7, 2007 20:25:24 GMT -5
"I doubt it. And if you do, it will be a much larger meeting, with commanders and a couple of their deputies, and you'll know in advance- unlike that one, which was called at criminally short notice. I think even Queen Emeli was thinking of better things she could have been doing," Annikka informed him. Caden gave a small sigh of relief. If this was true, then he would hardly have to utter a word if he didn't want to. The knight may not even have to go. He had a feeling that would not be the case, despite the healers words.
"Maybe the advisor will decide the date several weeks before. That would be helpful for my plans," Caden told Annikka mysteriously.
When she mentioned the possible testimonies, Caden couldn't help but smile. "What if somebody else needed your medical expertise and wouldn't accept no for an answer?" he asked mischievously. "Hypothetically, of course."
"My mother has this interesting trick of getting the truth out of her children- she announces some sort of illness she terms 'spasms' and pretends to be greatly weakened. She doesn't listen to protests that we have been telling the truth, either," she told him.
"Beware of the 'spasms'," Caden said, a mocking look of shock on his face. "Perhaps I shall take your advice. I wouldn't want to risk the delicate health of your mother." He hoped it was okay to say that. The knight was pretty sure Annikka wouldn't call him on it because of her own previous statements, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. If she was offended, Caden hoped she would say something to illustrate it.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 8, 2007 15:11:43 GMT -5
"Maybe the advisor will decide the date several weeks before. That would be helpful for my plans," he said, cultivating an air of mystery. She did her best to flip the mystery into flippancy with her comment, and stored up the remark in her memory. Part of the jigsaw puzzle that was Caden Laken's identity, she thought to herself, realised how odd she was being, and instantly wondered if Princess Anitha felt like this all the time, what with her constant plots and scheming. "Mine too," she said, grinning. "For instance, maybe I could arrange not to leave my student with a dozy old healer she can run rings around. That way, I might find myself dealing with a minor crisis, instead of what might as well have been the end of the world for all the fuss that was made."
"What if somebody else needed your medical expertise and wouldn't accept no for an answer?" he asked mischievously. "Hypothetically, of course."
She laughed. "Tried that one before, and it worked, but skip too many for that reason and Princess Anitha or Queen Emeli would suspect something and catch me out. Which would be embarrassing."
"Beware of the 'spasms'," Caden said, a mocking look of shock on his face. "Perhaps I shall take your advice. I wouldn't want to risk the delicate health of your mother."
"Exactly," Annikka told him, hauling a grave expression onto her face and trying not to giggle. "No-one would want to risk her delicate health, especially when she has proved to be so robust so far. It's most fickle, my mother's health. Scarlet fever could sweep the village and she could spend the entire day down there and not catch so much as a sneeze, and yet the news that I or any of my sisters had fallen out of a tree into a mud puddle and was suspected of playing with the village children was enough to send her to rest for a day or more."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 8, 2007 23:16:12 GMT -5
Annikka caught on to what he had meant and even added her own bit. "Mine too. For instance, maybe I could arrange not to leave my student with a dozy old healer she can run rings around. That way, I might find myself dealing with a minor crisis, instead of what might as well have been the end of the world for all the fuss that was made."
"Exactly," Caden agreed, drawing out the word. "There are always some sort of pressing matters that need to be attended to. Especially closer to home. I'm sure the provost would agree with me. He seemed particularly keen to get back to work."
The knight smiled as she laughed. It was a nice sound, he decided. Caden liked it. It took him a second to focus on what she said next, but found he didn't miss anything. "Tried that one before, and it worked, but skip too many for that reason and Princess Anitha or Queen Emeli would suspect something and catch me out. Which would be embarrassing."
"Can't have that, can we?" he joked. "You must be kept in the good favor of the royals."
As Annikka explained to him her mother's condition, he listened with a solemn expression. Caden fought to keep away the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth. Once again, his mind drifted back to the number of times he had grinned in this conversation. It was remarkable. Truly, for him, this was a record.
"Scarlet fever could sweep the village and she could spend the entire day down there and not catch so much as a sneeze, and yet the news that I or any of my sisters had fallen out of a tree into a mud puddle and was suspected of playing with the village children was enough to send her to rest for a day or more."
"So, am I to understand that for most of your childhood your mother was indisposed? It seems to me that you would be doing a number of those 'un-noble' like things."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 9, 2007 15:36:00 GMT -5
"Exactly," Caden agreed, drawing out the word. "There are always some sort of pressing matters that need to be attended to. Especially closer to home. I'm sure the provost would agree with me. He seemed particularly keen to get back to work."
Annikka grinned. "The provost is notorious for his dedication to his duty. Even when it involves paperwork."
"Can't have that, can we?" he joked. "You must be kept in the good favor of the royals."
She grinned ruefully. "Princess Anitha hates me already. She would love an excuse to hate me more."
"So, am I to understand that for most of your childhood your mother was indisposed? It seems to me that you would be doing a number of those 'un-noble' like things."
He had hit the nail on the head. Annikka tried to keep her serious face and failed, breaking into a wide grin. "Oh, yes. My poor mother, constantly taking to her bed in a cloud of smelling-salts and restorative teas, and my poor father, constantly vanishing to his study to escape all the fuss and nonsense. If it wasn't Simeon turning up with broken bones it was Fia accepting a dare to swim the river from one of the village children or me consorting with the village hedgewitch." She grinned wider. "Not to mention that half the time she didn't know where we were. My father encouraged us to explore the fief, so long as we didn't go too far, and shortly we all developed the habit of forgetting to leave messages with an explanation of where we were going."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 9, 2007 23:18:21 GMT -5
"The provost is notorious for his dedication to his duty. Even when it involves paperwork." Caden accepted the comment with a smile. Despite the man's apparent work ethic, the knight couldn't help but be a little intimidated. He thought the provost knew a lot more than he let on. Who knew, somebody could be listening to this conversation right now and let the provost know. It may seem unlikely, but Caden decided to leave the subject be.
"Princess Anitha hates me already. She would love an excuse to hate me more," Annikka informed him. Caden was a bit puzzled. He didn't see how anybody could hate the healer, but remembered who was the subject of their discussion. From what the knight understood, the princess didn't need a reason to hate anyone, she just could if she wanted.
"Why?" he asked, still curious. "What have you done? Or not done?" He added as an afterthought.
Caden grinned as he listened to Annikka and her siblings' many exploits. What an enchanting youth. It sounded a bit wild. Caden half wished his own childhood was something of the sort. He mentioned as much out loud. "Sounds wonderful. Are you and your siblings very close, then?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 10, 2007 8:31:40 GMT -5
She noted the fact that he didn't follow up on her comment on the provost, which suggested caution. It was true that the provost might take offence if such a comment made its way back to him, but since she too preferred paperwork to conferences and this would have been fairly obvious at that ill-fated conference she suspected he wouldn't mind too much.
"Why?" he asked, still curious. "What have you done? Or not done?"
Annikka thought for a moment, weighing up the facts that despite how much she liked Caden she shouldn't go into details about Queen Emeli or Prince Aiden. It would be stupid to even mention their names, or anything that could be traced back to them, but she ought to say something- and that truthful, too. "It's complicated," she said finally. "Very complicated. To cut a long story short, I told Princess Ani the truth some time ago, but she didn't believe me and took a grudge against me for it. And then it sort of went downhill from there."
He smiled when she told him about her and her siblings' exploits. "Sounds wonderful. Are you and your siblings very close, then?"
She shrugged. "It depends on the sibling in question. I used to be very close to my brothers, and slightly less so to my sisters. Now my sisters are not very close at all and think me a terrible influence on my nieces, although on occasion my younger sister does do something sensible or say something that reminds me of how she used to be before she chose to be a fairly typical Court lady, my oldest brother is extremely concerned for my wellbeing all the time, and the younger brothers and I... we're just how we always have been." She laughed. "Since we were the ones resposible for arranging the precipitate exit of my great-aunt from the Minchi fief when Simeon decided she was ruining Midwinter, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 10, 2007 16:06:09 GMT -5
"It's complicated," she told him. "Very complicated. To cut a long story short, I told Princess Ani the truth some time ago, but she didn't believe me and took a grudge against me for it. And then it sort of went downhill from there."
"Ah," Caden replied. There was more, but it was clear to the knight that he wouldn't understand it. It was just as well that she didn't explain it anymore. Caden never really comprehended all of the intricate meanings and functions. Besides, the man was sure that if the provost had eyes and ears, so did the crown. "I understand, I think." He broke off to give a small laugh. "You don't have to explain it, though. Court has always been confusing to me, even as a page and squire."
The knight nodded as she explained her family. As she continued, Caden tried to guess how many siblings she had. It wasn't very clear, for she never said exactly. "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" he asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.
"Since we were the ones resposible for arranging the precipitate exit of my great-aunt from the Minchi fief when Simeon decided she was ruining Midwinter, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."
A wry smile crept up onto Caden's face. "Did she deserve it?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 11, 2007 15:18:02 GMT -5
"Ah," Caden replied. "I understand, I think." He broke off to give a small laugh. "You don't have to explain it, though. Court has always been confusing to me, even as a page and squire."
Annikka was extremely thankful that he did not ask more, and smiled at him. "Sometimes I think there's reasons behind the chaos that is Court, and other times I think it's madness, and probably best left well alone."
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"
"Five," she answered his curiosity. "Two older sisters, two older brothers, and a younger brother. Fiana, Cameron, Louisa, Simeon and Mikal." She grinned, remembering. "Fia and Louisa used to say that home was a madhouse until Mikal went away for page training, and I went to the Convent, and every holiday as soon as we returned it became a madhouse once more."
"Did she deserve it?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Oh, yes," Annikka said satisfiedly. "Imperious old hag. She was rude to the servants, drove my father into his study, made my mother and sisters nervous, terrified Cameron, and favoured everyone with her so-called wisdom at the top of her voice. Simeon decided he'd had enough after having received a hiding on her demand for taking sweets from the kitchen. I joined him happily enough because she'd harangued me only the day before on the subject of the fate that awaits young ladies who climb trees and tear dresses and then sat over me while I did my schoolwork. Mikal joined in because he thought it looked like fun." She laughed. "It was, too. And my father slipped us a copper noble each for getting rid of her before my mother had an attack of the vapours in earnest. Do you have brothers and sisters?" she asked.
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Post by spigurl on Nov 11, 2007 16:14:05 GMT -5
"Five," she said, replying to his question. "Two older sisters, two older brothers, and a younger brother. Fiana, Cameron, Louisa, Simeon and Mikal." She grinned, remembering. "Fia and Louisa used to say that home was a madhouse until Mikal went away for page training, and I went to the Convent, and every holiday as soon as we returned it became a madhouse once more."
"Wow," Caden muttered. He laughed at her addition. "I'm sure it was quite a madhouse. Your sisters termed it well."
Once again, the knight found reason to laugh at Annikka's explanation. "Well, if your father approved, then I'm sure it was perfectly alright that you so politely asked her to leave. Your childhood sounds so -" His hands moved to illustrate his words "- grand. Mine seems to boring in comparison."
"Do you have brothers and sisters?" she asked.
"Yes," Caden replied. Then, he decided he better elaborate a bit. She had told him so much of herself, after all. "One of each. My brother is two years older and my sister two years younger. I really admired my brother growing up. He's the whole reason I became a knight. My sister and I -- we were close for awhile. As we got older our interests differed. You would know about that."
Caden wasn't sure what else she would want to know. Truth is, the knight didn't really know his siblings anymore. He hadn't seen them since he had been back in Corus and that was several months. Caden knew it would be impossible to avoid them over Midwinter. With all the parties he was forced to attend, they would bump into each other at some point.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 12, 2007 15:58:40 GMT -5
"Wow," Caden muttered. He laughed at her addition. "I'm sure it was quite a madhouse. Your sisters termed it well."
Annikka smiled. "That's the usual reaction. I did tell you there were a lot of us. And as you say Fia and Lou were absolutely right. I didn't take much notice of the comment at the time, but my father heard and has repeated it every time the occasion calls for it, and sometimes when it doesn't."
He laughed when she explained the urgent need to rid the Minchi household of Great-Aunt Victoria, and she grinned at him. "Well, if your father approved, then I'm sure it was perfectly alright that you so politely asked her to leave. Your childhood sounds so -" His hands moved to illustrate his words "- grand. Mine seems to boring in comparison."
"Don't fool yourself. My childhood was riotous, not grand," she told him. "Fun on occasions, but less so on others, particularly when one finds oneself swimming for one's life, having been dared to cross a river on a rotten log bridge. I eventually washed up sodden and developing a fever half a mile downstream, and spent most of that month in bed. We did do some very, very stupid things." Annikka laughed a little. "It seems odd that being at Court and University taught me caution."
"Yes," Caden informed her. "One of each. My brother is two years older and my sister two years younger. I really admired my brother growing up. He's the whole reason I became a knight. My sister and I -- we were close for awhile. As we got older our interests differed. You would know about that."
"Yes," she said simply to his last statement, and then frowned, her mind caught by something he'd said. "Wait a moment. I think I knew your sister... Gabriella? Yes. I think so. A year older than me. She looked quite a lot like you, the same eyes, I think, and was very nice to me. Especially when she worked out that the reason I was answering back instead of answering questions was because I didn't know the answers."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 12, 2007 22:17:41 GMT -5
"That's the usual reaction. I did tell you there were a lot of us. And as you say Fia and Lou were absolutely right. I didn't take much notice of the comment at the time, but my father heard and has repeated it every time the occasion calls for it, and sometimes when it doesn't."
Caden smiled in return. "Well, I suppose that is his job. My father was like that too."
"Don't fool yourself. My childhood was riotous, not grand." The knight shook his head, clearly disagreeing with her. Annikka may not realize it, but she did indeed have a grand childhood. With all that activity, there was always something to do. Upon hearing one of her exploits, Caden raised his brows. Interesting, indeed.
"It seems odd that being at Court and University taught me caution."
"Yes," he said dryly, a grin half hidden. "Nobody ever learns caution from Court. It is a breeding ground for the bold. Truthfully, I never would have guessed you to be such a wild child." He added, actually meaning his words this time.
"Wait a moment. I think I knew your sister... Gabriella? Yes. I think so. A year older than me. She looked quite a lot like you, the same eyes, I think, and was very nice to me. Especially when she worked out that the reason I was answering back instead of answering questions was because I didn't know the answers."
Caden nodded, curious that Annikka would know his sister. "That sounds just like I remember her. And everybody was always saying how similar we looked. Apparently, we took after our mother, but we never had a chance to compare. How did you meet her?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 13, 2007 15:21:04 GMT -5
"Well, I suppose that is his job. My father was like that too."
"Yes, I suppose," Annikka replied. Was? she thought to herself. "It doesn't make it any less embarrassing than it is, though," she added.
He shook his head at her disclaimer and she raised her eyebrows. "I still say it was riotous."
"Yes," he said dryly, a grin half hidden. "Nobody ever learns caution from Court. It is a breeding ground for the bold. Truthfully, I never would have guessed you to be such a wild child."
Annikka saw the grin and her mouth twisted unwillingly into an answering one. "Not exactly wild," she protested in vain. "Just headstrong and inclined to do whatever Simeon or anyone else dared me to do. If someone said I couldn't do it, I did it. Watching a few of other people's spectacular accidents at Court somehow had more effect on me than having accidents myself at the Convent or at home."
"That sounds just like I remember her. And everybody was always saying how similar we looked. Apparently, we took after our mother, but we never had a chance to compare. How did you meet her?"
Annikka thought back, doing her best to remember as much as she could of Gabriella. It sounded as if Caden hadn't seen her for some time. "I was serving a detention at the Convent," she said slowly. "Three pages of deadly dull questions on Ettiquette for answering back to the teacher, no matter how long it took me. She saw I was struggling, and saw fit to help me..." She shrugged her shoulders, and smiled. "We didn't have lessons together, and I didn't know her very well, but we did meet sometimes. Do you not see her much?"
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Post by spigurl on Nov 13, 2007 15:50:39 GMT -5
"I still say it was riotous."
"As is your right. I daresay you know a bit more about your childhood than I," Caden replied, the grin not disappearing. Really,there has to be something wrong with me. I don't smile this much. Ever. Well, I suppose it could be the company I'm in. He thought glancing back over toward Annikka.
"Not exactly wild," she said, trying to prove him wrong. "Just headstrong and inclined to do whatever Simeon or anyone else dared me to do. If someone said I couldn't do it, I did it. Watching a few of other people's spectacular accidents at Court somehow had more effect on me than having accidents myself at the Convent or at home."
Caden chuckled, clearly enjoying this. "We must have a different definition of wild. You fit the bill perfectly in my books. Hate to tell you so, but it's true.
Listening to the healer's account of meeting his sister, Caden thought Gabriella sounded exactly the same. He realized this must have been a few years ago, but figured time didn't matter so much anymore.
"We didn't have lessons together, and I didn't know her very well, but we did meet sometimes. Do you not see her much?"
He was the question he had been dreading. Caden knew it would come up in conversation sooner or later. Rather than avoid it, the knight answered truthfully. "No, I don't see her. Actually, I haven't been to see my family since I've been back in Corus. Mithros knows I've had the time. I just....wasn't sure how I would be received. I left home without saying goodbye and haven't been back in two years short of a decade. I don't know what my brother ans sister think of me and I'm not really sure I want to."
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