Karm Before the Storm

A personal prayer to the Unicorn from Constance, daughter of Julian, pt 10

I sat proudly on the finest horse to have ever graced Amber or any Shadow. Behind me was seated my White Knight. Our Blessed Horned Lady. I pray that you receive my prayer of thanks for the return of my Lord Warden. I thank you for the will and the tools to achieve this task and seek your further Blessings on our endeavours to leave this place and return to Arden.

* * *

We returned to Brứ-na-Bóinne with a victorious Melvyn who looked a little less a victim and stood just that little bit taller. Brứ-na-Bóinne itself, alongside its denizens, seemed to reflect his greater self worth. It was simply brighter to be in there. The oily patch of the slain Spandrel assassin was mostly gone. There is a slim hope that one day Melvyn may yet become a Lord of Chaos. Baby steps cousin but a start nonetheless.

Melvyn refused Loeg's suggestion that he toast his success with the tradition cup of the Lord but when pressed he ordered the demon to fetch us for us to see. It was encased and it was the lower half of a skull, silvered in the drinking bowl and definitely human in origin. It was imbued with power of some sort – not something I could identify nor perhaps wish to. Melvyn quickly ordered it stowed away.

Things had changed here. Not only were the staff showing respect but I was feeling slightly more at home here – I smiled as I noticed Darig had almost relaxed out of his stiff naturally military stance. But this is not home. Home is a long, long march away.

We spoke almost in code about our next intention, inviting Melvyn to be a part of our planning or to take advantage of the plausible deniability straw. After some inward debate he chose the latter. William needed to have some conversations. In fact we all had tasks to undertake one way or another and we agreed to meet later at the Alhambra to finalise plans.

Podaga took me to the stables where Morgenstern had originally been held. I located his tack and soon had him looking like his Master’s horse. I liberated some leather straps from other sets of tack, just in case my Lord Warden required extra support when we extracted him. Morgenstern eyed me up as I shortened the stirrups to my height. His ears twitched and even as I gathered up the reins I knew he had no intention of letting me mount him. He danced and I hopped for a little bit and ceased before I landed on my backside. That understood, he waited until I exchanged his bridle for a halter and we set out amiably in search of an Aunt and an Uncle.

I went first to attend on Aunt Flora. Morgenstern was hitched outside Zigo’s dwelling and I was questioned by an awkward demon at the door and was relieved to see Cobol of Zigo appear at the door and he escorted me to the waiting room asking on route who it was that I sought. I replied that I would like to see Princess Flora and Crown Prinz Hector.

As he left to fetch them, he stopped and turned as if considering. ‘What would happen’, he asked, ‘If I didn’t do that?’ I was slightly bemused and quite unsure as to where this question came from. I explained that the consequences would be that I would be left in a room and that the people I wished to see might be peeved that they’d not been informed of my presence. No one could gain from the situation. Cobol considered again, nodded and left.

Princess Florimel arrived shortly afterward in any case. She asked me to call her Flora and congratulated me on the way I carried off wearing my dress at its outing. I thanked her again for the design and her fine tailoring and asked her how she was as I’d been concerned at her reaction to Zae’s challenge. She said it had been terrible to observe and I wondered again if Zae was her daughter.

Hector arrived and I asked him if in his travels he had come across references or places related to Abaddon, Unseelie and Argent. He confirmed earlier information but could not offer new insights. Titania was the Head of the Seelie Court and Auberon of the Unseelie. He could not tell to which court Torc belonged and he is named the Ambassador of the Fair Realms so it could be that he represented both in this matter or that he was like the Puck, (I stored this information for later) an individual who moves between the Courts.

I asked if he knew of the link between Unseelie and Hell and he referred to the Teind – the tithe that Faerie paid to Hell, having lost a war with them years before, and that they were obliged to give 9 souls to Hell every year and that is why Faerie took changelings to send as the Teind as Hell wasn’t too fussy about the nature of the souls they received.

Hector left and I spoke privately with Flora. I asked her for her opinion on whom I looked like in the family. She admitted that prior to having met me she couldn’t have believed that any of her brothers would sully themselves with faeries. With my dark hair I could have been sired by Eric, Corwin, Caine or Julian but that my eyes belonged to none of them.

That phrase, ‘sullied themselves with Faerie, is beginning to grate with me now. I am the by-blow of such sullying after all.

I asked her which, of those four were rumoured or known to have spent time in Faerie. She went quiet but I sensed that she did know something. I watched her, waiting for an answer, and eventually she said that prior to Corwin’s disappearance, when certain of his brothers were making moves on Avalon, Corwin went about seeking a defensive alliance with, among others, the Fae. She had no details beyond that. So Torc’s hint about my birth father may be correct then. I schooled my smile and thanked her for her hospitality and assistance.

Morgenstern and I then went to House Zephyra to speak with Prince Bleys. My father’s horse was again tied up outside as I was escorted in to meet said Prince. He was all charm and style as he poured some wine for us both. We discussed Caine. One of the reasons for his anger with me was because House Unman had been telling tales and Bleys wanted to know what I intended to do about their insult. A public apology was the minimum given but a duel would be useless when what I should seek to achieve was their abject humiliation and to think upon how Havelock’s accidental reaction had improved his standing.

I smiled as I contemplated the how of their humiliation. I would demand an apology during the Ball. If one was not forthcoming Laird Tobias would get a raised cold iron ring across his face and even if he did apologise he would still get a slap for spreading malicious gossip about me and bear the scar as a reminder of how not to treat a Lady of Amber and a Fey in the way that he did.

My Uncle also asked how I left Unman and I said with Lord Torc – he queried if there was a price to pay there and I shook my head, thinking mentally that Torc had invited me to Revels in the first place.

I asked the Ambassador to the Far Realms what he knew of Abaddon, Unseelie and Argent. He was not dismissive of my dreams, pointing out that he had learned to rely on the gut instinct of his sister, Princess Fiona.

He confirmed what I already knew so I asked him more specifically about Faerie and about the Courts and Lord Torc and in return he asked about me. How much time I had spent in Faerie? What I had learned? I said I’d spent about a year there as an unwilling guest many years ago. I said that Prince Julian had retrieved me and Prince Bleys commented that my Father may one day forgive me for his having to do that.

I said that I had learned to fight in Faerie and Prince Bleys looked at my build and musculature appraisingly, commenting ‘Jack be nimble’. I nodded my assent and added that Prince Julian saw the benefit of my fighting style and had left it alone.

I asked about the Teind and he replied that I shouldn’t be concerned about that. My value to Faerie was political, not as fodder for the Teind. I asked if I could be identified as belonging to either Court and he commented that it didn’t work that way. Nor did he seem sure of Torc’s affiliation or recognise the name of Garamond. He bade me farewell and asked that I pass on a message to Havelock to contact him.

The horse, the Ranger and the Demon set off for Stormguard. I stabled the horse and Ariel was waiting for me with a message that Lord Torc had been waiting for some time to see me and that Ariel had no idea where I was. I thanked him and went through to join Lord Torc, having ordered tea for both of us.

Torc presented me with his completed doggerel, given without obligation. I asked him to read it aloud to me. As yet untitled it read:

Dark daughter of a Warden’s Vows,

In the gloaming ‘twixt day and night,

‘Tween dappling beams and leafy boughs,

She rides the forest in twilight;

Seeking adventure to arouse

Her yearning heart and Royal right.

Constant daughter of constant Sire,

A maiden of rare brilliance;

Born of Arden and Faerie Fire,

A blue and silver dalliance;

A warding against Faerie ire,

Token of a brave alliance.

Wayward Dam of constant daughter,

Mistress of twilit, darkling boughs;

Never does just what she ought’a;

A princess of Unseelie House:

Daughter hear her call to slaughter,

To blood and war she doth arouse!

And there was a confirmation of the rumours heard by Flora. I am a by-blow. But who are the parents? Is ‘silver’ Corwin? Who is she, the Dam of the poem? I collected my thoughts and thanked Torc for his gift, a thanks freely given with all of my Grace. We do not discuss Unman, though from recollection Torc said something that suggested that he was choosing to distance himself from the House with which he was domiciled. I asked if they were also Fae and he laughed and called them a ‘fair copy’.

I asked if he were really the Puck in disguise and he was not pleased at the thought, requesting that I never speak his and that creature’s name in the same breathe ever again. Politics of Courts, I wondered.

I raised something that has bothered me since my sojourn in Faerie – that despite the fact that I am of Faerie, I have no knowledge of the Wild Magics – particularly of Glamours and that I fain would have that knowledge. What trifle or favour did he have in mind that a Lady of Amber might obtain for him in exchange for such knowledge?

He looked at me consideringly speaking of the power of Glamours and the matter of substance. He asked if my Lord Warden would disapprove of such a thing and I said that I would manage my Lord Warden and then, after further thought, he mentioned in passing that with the destruction of the Black Road he had no means of returning to Faerie and, if the Colonel of the Rangers could perhaps smuggle a glamoured Lord Torc out with the departing Rangers he would share some of his knowledge. As the current Colonel I agreed, with a codicil that he was to leave by the nearest Fey portal. Lord Torc agreed and came over to me and whispered the words that invoked the Wild Magic into my ear. My heart danced to hear them and I smiled both inwardly and outwardly.

Lord Torc bowed and left me alone with a new Power to play with and shape. The words came easily; I changed my eyes. No longer those of my Dam but a bright brilliant sapphire with a light that shines from within. I placed a vambrace on my left wrist and tested it with a dagger. It looks the part but alas has none of the more useful qualities of armour. There is more to learn but I am already slightly drunk with the discovery of what I had denied myself.

Ariel came to speak with me. He told me that the former members of the disbanded order were keen to meet urgently and I said that I would of course attend the meeting. I asked about the sentencing for Celadon and Ariel said that it would be during the Ball. I considered this and asked a further favour that I be furnished with an iron ring with a high profile to it (visions of little unicorn hooves went through my thoughts). Ariel asked iron, or cold iron and I said the latter. I am after all my Lord Warden’s daughter and can, in the right circumstances, be just as vindictive.

I asked Ariel if there was anything changed about me. He considered and eventually commented on my eyes. I returned them to normal and collecting my sword, bow and cloak, gathered up my horse and demon and was led to the Alhambra.

All my cousins were all gathered there – the abode that clever Sorashi had inherited, held title to and had now outright won from the demon in the Basement. Margrath had worked at making the place a little more stable and it was now her place and a place where she was happy for us all to meet. We laid plans. Rikard of House Karm had agreed to let us into Castle Karm and speak to the Board on our desire for Prince Julian’s release. Only three were to accompany him and two would be as the Trumps indicated, Havelock and William. The third was to be me as I knew my Lord Warden too well to fall for Karm’s facsimiles. Four were to be allowed to leave – that fourth being my Lord Father.

I passed on the message for Havelock to contact his Father – as it had been so long since he’d seen him. But it hadn’t been, it occurred to me. A code perhaps? We had a way in and hopefully one out. We were to meet at the Clock of Doom.

We met: cousins, demons and a horse. The Clock of Doom was a beautiful construction with Trumps in place of numbers around the dial. There were three hands: one on the Hanged Man; the second on the Chariot and the third moving between the Devil and the Tower.

I heard Dworkin’s voice unexpectedly and he bade Havelock to contact his father. He did so pretty well immediately and after a conversation his father’s Pattern blade was passed through to him. Dworkin left and a Karm demon arrived. I left Morgenstern with DeLambre and we followed through a graveyard in the mist and into a mausoleum. The demon selected a likely looking coffin and William stepped into it. Havelock and then I followed. This was our back door.

We stepped through an iron maiden and into a small torture chamber. Jäger (working with Rickard) met us there and hastened us through to a larger Chamber. We were joined by Rikard and he explained that we had the opportunity to talk the Board. He needed to take his place at the meeting and Jäger would escort us to the Boardroom. This was no attack, extract and leave task then.

We made our journey to the Boardroom (a place where high-ups discuss things apparently) through an atrium with much glass and up several sets of stairs and passed a black dark entity that radiated malevolence. I heard someone whisper ‘Draugr’.

We stood outside a lare set of double doors. They were opened and we entered. There was a large oblong table and sat opposite us in a large cushioned chair was Chairman Oggil. He was not delighted with our presence and in almost incandescent rage demanded to know who had betrayed the House. Sat with him were Executive Director Drexler; Chief Executive Herman; Executive Director Magdalene; Executive Director Rikard; Director Streicher and Director Zischka. I held the left flank, far away from Magdalene’s reach. Havelock held the centre and William took our right flank.

Over a period of a minute or so, we watched the Board of House Karm fall apart. We said very little. The fractures within the house that Rikard had suggested were clear to see – and were these more widely reflected across the Society of other Houses and the Courts in general?

Rikard stated why he had invited us to the Board meeting and both William and I stated bluntly that we wanted Prince Julian to be returned to us now. Oggil turned to Magdalene, looking for support over his claim that my Father had sought House Karm's protection from his relatives but Magdalene was simply unwilling to give it - because it was a complete falsehood. Much as I was annoyed with her in a general sense, I could not be unmoved by the bravery she displayed. Magdalene made the motion that Prince Julian should be removed and Rikard seconded her. The Board, obviously reflecting there was a general disquiet about his actions, rounded on Oggil and his power over the House began to fall apart.

They argued. Against his wishes, a vote was held and after Rikard and Magdalene’s immediate vote in favour of the end to the Vendetta and my Lord Father’s release every other Board member slowly began to raise their hand in support of the motion.

It was suggested that Oggil was removed from his post and William was happy to do the deed. Oggil protested that he would only be more powerful if he were to be killed and William put that to the test. I thought Oggil smiled as Claideb went into his neck and, as promised, something else seemed to swirl out of him.

Oggil hadn’t lied. But he hadn’t counted on a Pattern blade being present (the very one that started the Vendetta) and one swift thrust later whatever it was within Oggil was no more.

There was a certain small period of stunned silence. Those around the table admitted that it had been surmised for some time that their Chairman was insane and maybe possessed too.

Herman took over as acting Chairman with immediate effect. There was much discussion about the terms around my Father’s release and it was made very clear indeed by Herman that House Karm owed us a very great boon. We agreed to leave House Karm with their dignity as intact as possible and I asked for Prince Julian (apparently drugged since they checked the bones in his broken arm) since just after the fight in the Duomo. Their facsimile had pushed me away on our first meeting and by the second they had access to my Father’s thoughts. I was still but angry.

We waited for my Lord Warden. Herman passed the time with conversation and asked to mark my dance card in advance of the Emperor’s ball. (Though given our other experiences I wonder how a ball in chaos would look and feel or does ‘marked card’ really mean ‘marked for death’ here?)

My Father was announced with a flurry of titles. He rolled his eyes and his face was so pale and his lips so pursed in fury that I knew that this was my Father. He would need careful handling by the political Havelock for Julian also had to agree to our decision. He looked to me and I nodded my head so very slightly. My Lord Warden hissed ‘politics’ and we sadly affirmed the decision he was obliged to take. He gave it.

We left. Herman led us out of the doors and down the stairs. The realisation that the Draugr was no longer on Oggil’s leash and was free to strike out in any direction it cared to hit us all with horror. I cast Defensive Luck on my Father and that gave him the advantage to slide to the side in a bid without his legs tangling with William.

The Draugr attacked Herman who collapsed to the floor. William retaliated but the riposte took William down, near unconscious to the floor. Then Havelock stepped in with his father’s blade and that caused the thing to turn to smoke and vanish. Pattern beats Undead! We all know that.

My Father asked if I could use magic to assist Lord William. I cast a Life Force cantrip and saw him regain his sense but he was too proud to accept my arm as he stood. I considered Herman. Would Life Force help or hinder him further? I risked it and he, too regained his senses.

House Karm gathered around us in some disarray. The control of the draugr had been overlooked. A terrible oversight and one for which they owed us a second boon.

We were keen to leave. We followed Rikard, retracing our steps with my Father in tow. He asked after Morgenstern and I assured him that he was safe and nearby (in a Chaos distance kind of a way). He was there. My Father stepped over towards him, greeting him quietly and blowing softly in that way he has with that great beast.

He relieved me of an apple and whilst the horse consumed it he commented that the stirrups were too high for him. I explained that I raised them for me in case my Lord had not been in a condition to ride and in any case Morgenstern would not have me mount him without his Master’s permission.

My Father instructed me to mount up now as he was not entirely sure that he was in a condition to ride and as he vaulted up behind me I knew that he favoured me so very greatly this day. I lent slightly back into him as we set off, comfortable with just knowing he was with me again there again. Suspecting that the reversal in riding positions was almost a deliberate replay of his rescue of me, so many years ago. He spoke quietly to me that he expected a private briefing of the events he’d been removed from and I replied, “Of course my Lord Warden”, and smiled.

We arrived at the Alhambra and entered in relief and triumph of sorts. Sorashi requested chambers to be aired for Prince Julian and I suggested a bath for him to remove the stench of House Karm from his skin. My poor, proud Father. We will speak soon and with your Grace Horned Lady, he will be healed.