Monkey Business

The ongoing tale of William, Son of Ophelia of House Rebma, and of the Line of Barimen in the Courts of Chaos.

I am awakened post-ball by DeLambre with a letter from Constance regarding her forthcoming duel with Julian, and a formal invitation to Mandor’s official residence to unveil the coalition’s candidate for the throne. Apparently a lot happened at the Ball after Rachael and I left – some sort of disagreement with Julian trying to slap Constance down for some perceived sleight. I pen a quick note agreeing to be her Second then go down to breakfast.

Cymnea makes a caustic remark about me being involved in another duel though I am quick to point out that this is not my fight this time, and that it would be interesting to see my uncle Julian fight.

I cast my eye over the brief contract for Rachael and my wedding; there is little enough in there to cause offence but for a clause specifying that any children, though raised Barimen, should be offered the choice of the Logrus at their majority. I agree, as long as they are offered the Pattern at the same time. Cymnea adjusts the wording without demur.

I pen a quick note to Rachael inviting her to be my guest for both the duel and for the announcement at Vanguard, sending them via demon as I return to arm and armour with DeLambre’s help.

The duel is in the Garden of Delights, where the statues move and where Rachael and I had the run in with the statue of the Mother; the statue which no longer exists. As a venue, it seems to be the given place for duels. Rachael and I, with DeLambre slightly behind, head towards the torso statue where Melvyn had his duel. My cousins are largely there already, with Havelock looking at a pair of eyeballs hanging in the air; about the height they would be if Melvyn were standing there. As I get closer, I realise that they’re actually Melvyn’s eyes, last seen in a bowl of water at the Ball. I greet Constance and acknowledge the Elders who have arrived.

Melvyn is stood with the other Elders, but with black eyes instead of the ones stood above the plinth. He moves differently now — his gut reaction has changed from flight to watchfulness. His manner of speaking has slowed also; more deliberately, as if he is considering how to react.

Julian arrives, eventually; his seconds are Caine and Sheba of Ophir. He wears his armour. We seconds approach to see if there can be an apology. Myself and Ariel of Pheon move forward to join them.

Ariel offers the chance of a formal public apology from Julian; Caine demurs. We quickly agree no armour, no magic, any single handed blade with no embellishments. Ariel and I prepare Constance and then she and Julian are brought in front of Cymnea for the bestowing of her favour. This is not her first duel — my uncle Osric was in many in her presence.

Cymnea plays to the crowd a little but gives her favour to Julian.

Julian bears Caine’s scimitar; a fine damascened blade, but entirely mundane. Constance has the blade she normally carries.

I whisper to her that Julian relies on his armour too much — it is part of his active defence. Then we part, they salute, and advance towards each other.

Constance’s fighting style is interesting; almost unique. She literally rather than figuratively dances towards Julian. He is focussed, formal. He will offer her no quarter, but starts defensively. He has seen this style before. After a few seconds she adjusts; what looks like an all out attack but with feints nicely wound in. His only defence is to hold tight and maintain — obviously intending to out-tire her.

Rather than drop back and insult him, Constance continues to fight; her energy burning away. Julian starts to extend, probing gently each time then reverting to his turtle defence. He increases the pressure on Constance then disarms her, placing his blade at her throat then flicking it down her cheek to draw the required blood.

He and Caine exchange some words and they retreat and I move forward to speak with Constance, offering her the use of DeLambre to stitch the wound, though eventually Fiona offers instead. Fiona and her sisters gather round Constance, asking her where she learned to fight like that. The looks on their faces when Constance tells them she learned to fight in Faerie are almost worth the loss. There’s more back and forth from Bleys and Flora – it seems the Elders are very close to fighting amongst themselves now that we are close to leaving the Courts unless this is their normal mode of interaction.

Havelock passes some of his cards to Fiona, and she looks through them. As she pauses on a card, there is a tickling at the back of my neck, as if someone is brushing the skin under my hairline with a very light touch. She looks directly to me and addresses me by name, saying that I look far less experienced than the portrait of me at home. Used to this sort of attack from Cymnea, I deflect simply by stating “That’s a very interesting thing to say”. She tries again with “You must have many interesting stories to tell,” but again I demur, cutting down the line of enquiry before she can ask too much. There is something I do not like about this woman, almost as soon as I have met her.

Melvyn asks to speak to me in confidence and draws me off to one side, looking down at a hole cut through into the stars. He drops his voice and carefully begins to confess to setting the Spandrel assassin on me in Brứ-na-Bóinne the first time we met, scared that I would supplant him as lord of that place. In truth, it seems so long ago now that it is hardly worth mentioning, though at some point Cymnea may wish to know that Melvyn was advised to this course of action by someone as yet unknown. Once he finishes his confession I nod, smile, even though I was not certain he could make out my facial expression, and then punch him, hard, in the stomach. Sorashi comes over to see that Melvyn was well and I remind him that I still owe him a boon.

Cymnea comes over while Rachael and I are talking and manoeuvres us into talking to Benedict so she can speak with Darig without him having to be ignored by her son. We exchanged pleasantries – well, as much as Benedict ever does, which is to say not at all. And then Rachael and I travel to Vanguard for the unveiling.

Mandor has invited all of House Amber, House Sawall and several others to the unveiling – and my cousins are spread amongst them. The Elders are split into groups – a more perceptive man than I might track the groupings and see the politics therein but I am sure I don’t have the patience. Rachael sees Rikard and Sigebert and heads to talk to them; I have not spoken to Rikard in a while and so I head the same way. Sigebert and Rachael talk about spirits and something called a taiga.

Gauri of House Sawall is there, Mandor’s youngest cousin as I understand it. She says little but listens much. Rikard and I discuss the order, and how they are feeling about the death of the King. Rikard feels that most of the order see this as an opportunity, and that they may well follow me out of Chaos – what fun it would be to return to Amber with an Order of Chaos in tow? I question if any one will go against Mandor’s chosen candidate, and Rachael interjects that she admires Mandor for his willingness to plan and then commit, even when the outcome isn’t certain.

Gauri and Despil move on, and Sorashi and Havelock move to join us.

Havelock tells us of a game that Dworkin and Suhuy were playing that signified an attack that was likely to come to those of us of Amber soon – possibly from House Chanicut. They could be the last of Augustus’ supporters. Havelock wants us to knock down a mile high golden statue of Augustus. Havelock takes me slightly to one side and says that he must talk with me privately as soon as he can.

Gauri brings Merlin out, dressed in grey. Just as she is announcing him, Sorashi hisses “William, danger!”

The doors crash open and 4 metallic creatures burst into the room. Forewarned by Sorashi, I move to engage, Rikard and Havelock moving with me to protect my flanks.

As we reach engagement distance the creature reaches out with a stick and brushes Rikard – he convulses and I strike off the arm that hit him. Havelock strikes at the centre of mass, but his lighter blade skitters off the creature’s armoured skin. One more advances on the fallen Rikard and another on Havelock as I continue to face the one armed one.

Havelock takes a step back and the metal creature follows, allowing Belissa to entangle its arm and stab into its armpit. Meanwhile I push the one facing me so it interferes with the one trying to stab Rikard but it jumps over the falling creature and strikes him. I finish the one on the floor and Havelock and a large cat jumps on the one attacking Rikard.

8 creatures – fish-like as best I can tell – march into the room so Havelock and I move to intercept and hold them near the door. Constance makes her way to the other side of Havelock. With the two facing me I stamp towards one to disrupt its rhythm and then stab the other through its neck.

As the tide turns, I kill the one in front of me as Havelock finishes his. Constance says a word and the creature drops its trident to the floor. As it clatters, she drives her rapier point through its eye.

In front of us is the priest from the Duomo – a serpent man, surrounded by guards. But one of the guards flees in terror and the priest catches on fire. Another guard is sliced to pieces – I recognise Cymnea’s work and assume the other sorcerers are weighing in.

The priest runs and Havelock and I chase – I get a hand to him first and hold him, stopping his mouth so he cannot cast spells. The final metal creature is slain and the captives held.

The big cat must be Sorashi – she is the only one not accounted for – she sniffs around the door but cannot track whatever was there.

Mandor summons the demons out of their room – he claims that one of the fish creatures was killed by a demon reaching out of the room. It’s obvious from the stains on his hands that DeLambre stretched out efficiently. Mandor almost sniffs him and exchanges glances with those who are shamans in the room. I cannot tell what he has spotted. We move towards the room with food while Mandor deals with the prisoners and whoever it might have been who let the creatures in to the hall.

As we eat, Merlin says that he refuses to be the new High King – Mandor despairs and we suggest Melvyn as his replacement.