Turning the tables

[Elyna]

60th Vhalar 716

The Skyrider had slipped away from the main room. Down the winding corridor she sought a quieter sanctuary. However, the first door she opened was hurriedly shut on the sound of a squeal and then a giggle, a rustle of heavy skirts in the dark. Had that been Kathryn? It was then that Elyna made the decision that she wasn’t going to open any more closed doors. Instead she peered into two open rooms. In the first there was a drunk man, face first on a chaise lounge. His drool was soaking into the embroidery. Grimacing in disgust, Elyna had retreated to the next available room.

In the center was a large table. It was set with skittles. The carved wooden objects standing tall and upright at one end. On the other end of the table was a simple chalk line and a selection of different size balls. She glanced over her shoulder as she entered the room. Satisfied that her Mother wasn’t likely to find her for at least a few bits the woman ran her hands over the selection of weapons. She chose a ball of medium weight and set it against the line. It rolled slowly down the center before veering off to the side. She knocked aside two skittles as it made a cautious way down. The skittles and ball collected on the rim of the table.

Not to be defeated she collected up a second billiard, a heavier lump. This was sent down the center of the board at speed. If the previous skittles had been in place, she was confident the entire board would have been sent scattering to the corners of the room. But she hadn’t re-set the board. A billiard in each hand now she sent them spinning down either side of the table, determined to see the remaining seven pins scatter.

[Yanahalqah]

“It was somewhere around here,” Hannes said, his nose a little red from the alcohol he'd been drinking, though by no means was he drunk already. While a lightweight, the newly appointed Knight wasn't that incapable of holding his liquor. He could handle a glass or three Venora Red. That said, he had burst into a full-blown explanation of the subtleties of the drink and the process of transforming what in essence was grape-juice and pulp into a rich red wine. Yana wasn't sure if he was a true connoisseur as she wasn't knowledgeable on the subject. All she needed to know was that it provided her with a whole lot of energy. When she'd tried to change topics Hannes had stubbornly kept rambling about the wine with a passion, going even as far as comparing it to different wines. Yana wasn't too sure whether he was just very enthusiastic about wine-making and sampling, or if he was just trying to impress her. At this point she leaned towards the latter, having experienced a couple of such attempts already. The man just never gave up. Not that that was a bad thing.

“I thought you would have preferred to mingle with the crowd?”
“Well, yes, to an extend,” the knight admitted, “but seeing as you don't want to dance, I thought it better to play a game instead. I saw a Skittles Table somewhere...” He scratched his pomaded head. “But where?”
“It was in this corridor, correct?”
“Yes, I'm positive it was.” Despite his confident claim though, Hannes looked unsure himself. “Maybe we walked past it without noticing?” He frowned. “I was fairly sure it was in the first half...” The crinkles deepened. “Or was it in the second?”
Yana sighed.

“Let us just check all rooms from here to the end of the corridor, and if we have not found it by then, we check the first half,” she suggested, promptly opening the closest door. The room was lit only by a candle, and a man and woman in state of undress were amusing themselves. Well, they had been until the door had destroyed their privacy. Both stared, and Yana stared right back, not blushing or flinching, the former of which the couple did do.
“My apologies,” the false Eídisi said, slowly pulling the door close again. “You might want to lock the door.”
“Maybe you should just knock first,” Hannes grinned, one eyebrow raised. “This is a ball in a big mansion. These things are bound to happen.”

The Yludih shrugged, not particularly shocked or grossed out. Though the mating rituals of most races were similar and strange, she did not think it unnatural for them to indulge in it. Perhaps it was a bit indecent to mate in someone else's home, on someone else's expensive furniture, but like Hannes said, these things were bound to happen. Especially if alcohol was involved.

“Ah, here it is!” the Knight called, motioning Yana closer, “I knew it was in the second half!”
They stepped inside the room, which was --as opposed to the other chambers they'd searched-- lit quite brightly, and had a rather large table in the middle of the room. On it were pegs scattered in all directions, a billiard just having knocked them over. A sole woman was present in the chamber, apparently playing the game by herself.

“Lady Burhan,” Hannes greeted, “what a pleasant surprise.” His smile was as radiant and cheerful as ever, and he quickly switched his glass of wine from one hand to the other in order to properly execute a shallow but very refined bow. The single sword pinned to the lapel of his suit gleamed in the light as he straightened up again. “Hannes Gudhelth,” he introduced himself, “I've heard a lot about you! Your actions in the war were quite impressive! Ah, congratulations by the way, both with your promotion and your pregnancy!”

While Hannes was being all enthusiastic by himself, Yana just stood by the side, giving the pregnant woman a critical eye. Was this Elyna Burhan? It had to be, Hannes had mentioned her part in the war after all, and apart from Veljorn there had been only one Burhan who'd been talked about a lot.

“Where are my manners?!” the knight realized then, suddenly aware of his companion again. “Allow me to introduce Saeri LaChasse.” He gestured in Yana's direction, who managed a small smile.
“Lady Burhan,” she murmured, dropping a curtsy after a brief hesitation. Etiquette among nobles wasn't her strong suit, but she was fairly confident that dropping a curtsy was the right way to go.
“I see you were playing Skittles,” Hannes observed astutely, “would you like an opponent to face off against? I can't say that I'm all that good though, it's been a while since I last played.” He turned towards the false Eídisi then, “Have you ever played Skittles?”
Yana shook her head. “Not once,” she replied, aware that Hannes was asking again to be polite while Elyna was around. It seemed that for all his enthusiasm and obvious fan-boying, the young knight was trying to get Yana more involved in the socializing. What a gentleman!

[Elyna]

Elyna had to admit, that she turned as if caught in a guilty act. She tried to win the newcomers over with a careful smile, hiding the billiard behind her back. The man executed a bow and the woman a curtsey. The noble woman responded to both with a polite nod and committed their names to memory. Hannes Gudhelth and Saeri LaChasse. She repeated them to herself as they straightened. Then she slid the billiard back onto the table, “a pleasure to meet you both,” she provided the polite and expected response.

Her gaze moved over the pair of them, trying to take in the details. The sword on his chest meant he was a Knight. Her blue skin…was beautiful but Elyna was unsure what it made the woman and she watched with curiosity. Hannes turning back to his companion. There was a note in his voice that the noble woman recognised. A warning, a warning to behave. She pressed her teeth against her lower lip and moved around the table. She reached across it, collecting the wooden skittles and replacing them on their posts.

“Well, mistress LeChasse it seems you have arrived in time for Hannes here to show you,” billiard collected once more, Elyna approached and offered it to the man, “it took me four strikes to knock them all down,” she admitted, rueful, “give me a bow any day and I’m sure it would have been easier.”

Elyna lingered at the back of the room. Safely away from the table in case his shot went awry. “I’m afraid I’ve got to be very rude,” she spoke softly, “but I don’t know anyone with skin such a beautiful hue…you’re not human?” It was an obvious comment, but Elyna wasn’t one to curb her curiosity.

[Yanahalqah]

There wasn’t a lot that could be said about Elyna Burhan as of yet, Yana found. The woman was polite, keeping her face straight and voice calm. Her eyes drifted to scrutinize both the false Eídisi and the freshly promoted knight though, not quite staring, but certainly observing the both of them. Yana kept her posture confident and face blank, but she felt quite naked in the dress, even though it did not show that much skin. It was the flimsy fabric and the lack of blades at her hip, she decided. Especially the latter always got to her.

Hannes took his cue when Lady Burhan spoke, stepping towards the now reset table, choosing his billiard with care. He weighed each ball in his hands a few times, comparing them with one another, looking oddly serious about this. He probably wanted to show off.
“It’s not that hard a game to get into,” the Knight explained, placing his chosen billiard on the white line, eying the skittles at all times. “The point is to knock all skittles down with as few balls as possible.” He looked up, glancing at both ladies in the room, bending his torso a little over the table to get a better aim. His hand remained on top of the ball though.

“I believe five tries is the maximum amount of tries you get, so if you use up all those billiards and there are still some pegs upright, you immediately lose the round. Or in other words; you gain zero points. If you manage to knock them all down in one shot, you score five points. Usually games last about ten rounds, if I remember correctly, and at the end, all points scored by each individual player are tallied up. Those with the highest score win.”

It did indeed sound like a very simple game, and as Hannes ended his demonstration by sending the skittles flying with only two billiards, it only added to the illusion. Nevertheless, Yana was quite surprised he’d managed to make his shots seem very casual and nonchalant, even if he’d been doing some careful planning and aiming beforehand.
“You are quite good at this, are you not?” she observed, sipping from her wine.
Hannes gave a grin. “I used to be,” he said, “I actually haven’t played in arcs. It’s a lucky shot, I’m sure.” With a radiant smile on his face, he shrugged. “Either way, that’s four points for me.” He walked around the table to reset the pegs and collect his billiards, gesturing at Yana to try her hand at it.

***

While Hannes was explaining the game, Yana and Lady Burhan exchanged some conversation, with the Yludih committing all useful information to memory. She gave a slight smile at the mention of the use of a bow. “Perhaps it would be,” she spoke, “but there is no challenge involved in shooting even a pin of that size from such a short distance. And the challenge is what this is all about, I would assume.”

The other woman gingerly spoke again then, this time asking about her skin and race. Elyna seemed to worry about the possible rudeness of her query, but Yana only heard a compliment. The periwinkle tone of her skin was indeed quite lovely. The only downside was it being conspicuous and hard to miss, but everything had a price. Yana nodded slowly, accepting Lady Burhan’s words politely. “I can hardly call you rude, Lady Burhan,” she said, “ignorance only is a flaw, not a crime. The desire to know is something I can appreciate and value in others. As my father often said: ‘Only those who ask shall know’. Ask questions to receive answers, for that is part of how we learn.” A rather genuine smile softened her features ever so slightly. “I am Eídisi, Lady Burhan. We are sometimes called ‘the blue folk from Viden’.”

Hannes finished his demonstration then, and reset the table, motioning for Yana to try out the game. She walked slowly to the table, and stared at the different billiards for a moment, then decided to pick the heaviest she could find. More weight would give her ball more momentum, which would make knocking the skittles over much easier. Carefully she positioned the ball on the line, then pushed it into motion, aiming for the first pin of the group. Unfortunately, the billiard veered strongly to the right upon release, bumped into the edge of the table where it remained, rolling harmlessly past the group of skittles, not even brushing one. She frowned.

Obviously, the table was not entirely flat, the symmetry axis in running through the middle of its longest side being the highest point. It sloped down to the sides slightly, making it difficult to send a ball in a straight line over the middle. But she had known that already, or rather assumed it was the case, else there would be little challenge.

Yana tried again, but was met with the exact same result. The Yludih then made some adjustments to her position, starting all the way to the left to compensate, but she still did not hit anything. Her shots veered to the right too strongly, and the balls passed the middle and the pegs’ position before it had could travel far enough. Perhaps if she used her left hand? It was no use, now the billiard sharply curved to the left, still managing to miss all skittles. When she tried to compensate for that though, the end result was still the same.

“So, zero points… Want me to give you some pointers?” Hannes said, once more setting the pins in their original positions.
“No.” She’d figure this out on her own.
“Alright. Well then, Lady Burhan?”

[Elyna]

A smile pulled at the Captains features at Yana’s commentary. Yes, it would be no challenge to shoot with a bow at this distance. She lifted her bare shoulders in a shrug, “maybe it would be worth setting them up at the end of a range then,” she suggested, half-considering the thought herself. It would be an interesting training exercise if nothing else. “Perhaps from this distance though, throwing knives would be better,” the woman circled a little to examine the board. Extreme skittles, and hard to knock over with a knife. Especially with only five to knock over the set. Still, it was worth a thought. “A challenge, or just a diversion?” A parlor game to keep guests amused and provide opportunities to test the skill, patience and personalities of those who surrounded her. There was something to be said for people who lost their tempers over small games. Usually that they were arrogant.

Hannes had impressed her though. He’d risen to the subtle challenge without blinking and explained the rules to his partner. Viden? Her expression lit with curiosity and she lent forward. Fingers twitched before she laid them on her bump, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the woman’s arm. “You’ve come a long way from Viden,” she raised a brow. Struggling to contain her excitement the woman stepped aside to allow Saeri space to gauge her targets. “Or…perhaps not? Again, I reach an assumption too quickly because you could have been born here in Rynmere?” She let out a slow breath. It was hard not to speak too fast when she was excited. She watched the woman throwing the billiards, tilting her head to oneside as the ball started to roll.

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” she admitted, “once this child is born, I intend to,” Elyna accepted the billiard as it was offered. She turned the weighted object over in her hands. Thoughtful. How would a baby travel, really? But was she really willing to give up a lifetime of opportunities and stay in Andaris for the next twenty arcs. No. There had to be a way.

“If there was one place you would recommend in Viden, where would it be?” She glanced back at the beautiful blue lady before setting the billiard down. She studied the reset skittles and sent the ball spinning down with a flick of her wrist. It took the Captain four strikes again, which was embarrassing. She pressed the billiard back into Hannes palm and looked again to his striking companion, “perhaps he is cheating. Nudging the table once the ball is thrown?” She teased.

[Yanahalqah]

The Burhan was actually not a terribly annoying entity like Yana had believed she might be. It appeared that for all the slave was worth, she did manage to pick out interesting individuals to befriend. Elyna was enthusiastic, quickly jumping to conclusions, but she corrected herself in the same breath. The Skyrider had a sharp enough mind, the Yludih thought, although perhaps a tad bit too emotional. It could just be the hormones though, pregnancies did tend to lead to changes in a woman's mind and temper, or so she had heard. Nevertheless, Yana felt she might be actually enjoying the time spent with the Lady, for now at least.

“I was not born in Viden,” Yana nodded slowly, taking a sip from her wine, “but neither was I in Rynmere.” She eyed the woman for a moment, gauging her reaction. “I am from Eztos originally.” The Yludih was pleasantly surprised by the correction the woman had made. Many people would just have assumed Yana was born in Viden because of her race and because of her naming the city. Of course, the possibility existed, but it was not a certainty. A lot of people wouldn't have realized this though, she believed. “I have never been to Viden, unfortunately, but I did hear a great deal about it, so it almost feels as if I visited once or twice.” The false Eídisi managed a smile. “Cheating? Hannes?” she shook her head. “He would not dare. His pride and honor would not allow it.” Not to mention that nudging the table seemed like a very ineffective and inaccurate way to cheat.

Meanwhile, the man in question quickly cleared the board of its pins, knocking them all away with three strikes. Despite the fact that it seemed obvious he would win, he did not look very happy with it all. Though his face was smiling, his eyes were not, and he stood a small distance apart from the two women. His glass was empty, and he twirled it around idly from time to time, as if there was still some wine in there to swirl. Yana noticed, but was not really sure what to do about it. Hannes approached, softly pressing the billiard in the Yludih's palm from behind her. He stood almost pressed against her, one arm snaking around her waist, his other hand delicately placed on her shoulder.

“I'll go grab another glass of wine,” he breathed in her ear, tip of his nose touching her cheek. Yana turned slightly towards him, a minimalist change in her expression. She had expected this might happen.
“Hannes...”
“Don't worry about me, I'll be back before you know it. You two have fun, mkay?”
She sighed.

“If you would excuse me,” he then announced in louder voice, having taken a step back, then turning on the heels of his shoes and striding to the door. He closed it silently behind him, and Yana cast her gaze skyward, resisting the urge to sigh again. Of course this would happen, the man was far more sensitive than he let out. Especially on these kinds of things he wanted to be involved in things. Not to be demoted to skittles instructor, and being ignored for the rest of the time. Though he could have just joined the two of them in conversation, be had chosen not to because of the fact he felt he would be intruding, and because he knew nothing of what the two women had been talking about. Or something like that probably, Yana guessed. She wasn't sure if it was gentlemanly or childish, but at least he could have come stand with them.

Yana wondered if she should excuse herself as well and go after him, or if she should stay and gather more information on Lady Burhan. It was odd that she even needed to think about it, even if it was just for a moment. Of course the latter was more important right now, though perhaps she needed to put her relationship with Hannes before it, as it might be more useful in the long run? But Hannes would bounce back, surely. He always did.

Slowly, the Yludih placed her billiard on the table, carefully taking aim. “I do not think Viden is a good environment for a newborn,” she said, a frown on her face as she focused. “It is a rather cold place. But if you do visit, I would recommend the university or the library.” She released her ball, once more missing all skittles. “If you are less interested in academia, I would wager the hot springs are the place to be.” There were some more locations Yana knew about through the stories her father had told her when she was little, but she thought though to be the most interesting.

Once more Yana sent the billiard towards the pegs, this time taking care to observe herself and the trajectory of the orb closely. Again she failed to hit anything, but this time she did find something. Maybe if she could paid more attention and changed that detail... She tried, sending the ball rolling into the first skittle at an angle, just barely managing to knock it over. Of course, it was because of her form. She held onto the ball too long before releasing. Completely negating it would take some time and practice, but Yana had a lot of time on her hands at the moment. With her leftover turns she again managed to diminish the amount of pegs, but couldn't send all of them scattering.

“By the by, Lady Burhan,” the Yludih began, handing her the billiard, then resetting the board. “This might be rude, but I have heard you have been visiting Lord Tristan Venora quite often lately?” Her eye fixed on the Lady's belly, though as her eyes held no pupil nor iris it was hard to notice. “It is but a rumor, but some speculate you carry his child.” Her voice and face betrayed no emotion at all, neutral and blank as always. Yana did not actually think this rumor to be credible, as there probably would have been such rumors floating about a long time ago. Unless they were getting careless, of course, but no noble would let such a scandal happen, now would they? Then again, Tristan Venora was everything but a run-in-the-mill noble, and Yana had the vague feeling he might not actually mind a scandal erupting. In fact, she somehow thought he might relish it. She had heard a lot of odd things about the Lord when she had been trying to make money off of the people who'd been pissed off by him after all. None of them had disagreed on his eccentric and downright strange behaviors and ideas.

[Elyna]

Eager curiosity continued to light her features at the mention of lands even more distant than the frozen north. Etzos, it was a place that called to her almost as much as Ne’hear. The latter probably because of Malcolm’s recent visit. She’d tried to imagine the landscape he had described and found it impossible. She wanted to see him there and picture him in those surrounds and so, she’d realised that she needed to visit. “Perhaps, on another occasion you can tell me about Etzos?” She suggested hopefully. She had the feeling the woman before her was less inclined to be sit around telling stories to a new Mother with a squalling baby at her hip, but she could still hope.

She smiled at Hannes as he approached, “well I would hate to offend his honour,” the Captain agreed. As they shared a quiet moment and exchange the young woman refilled her drink of water and tested it. The noblewoman nodded her dismissal at his request, dark eyes following him from the room.

“He seems very enamoured with you,” Elyna tilted her head to the side, considering. Wondering if anyone had looked at her in the same way, or if they ever would again. “I’m sorry to be monopolising you attention. No, I imagine travelling in general would be challenging with a newborn…” her thoughts trailed. It had been hard enough being pregnant. Turning down the opportunities that called to the biqaj in her blood. Her feet were set with wanderlust and now, of all times, she wanted to be away from Rynmere, Andaris and anything that reminded her of the past, the rebellion, Yoreth, Marcus, Malcolm. What she wouldn’t trade to set sail or fly into the unknown with the wind in her face.

“I’m afraid I’m not the least interested in academia,” she admitted. It had always been something of an embarrassment to her Mother. The Skyrider took a larger sip of water before the next question arose. Startled she laughed, before the liquid caught in her throat and set her choaking. The glass was set down on the nearest table and she bent, fingers pressed to her mouth before she straightened. Cheeks flushed red she took a deep breath, smoothed her skirts and checked the fastenings in her hair, “no, no…goodness that’s the new one is it?” Her eyes fixed on the door, “and should you friends Hannes have remained in the room any longer, or if you’d left I’m sure he would have been accused of being my secret lover!” She ran her fingers over her brow and looked back to the Edisi, questioning. Why ask? Why did it matter? “Tristan is a good man,” a warm smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, “but no…I’m fairly sure both of us would rather bed a gorilla than bed each other.”

[Yanahalqah]

Yana thought for a moment about the woman’s request. Sometime on a later date was a vague wording, encompassing every date starting from the morrow to the end of time. Obviously the noblewoman meant in the near future, when both of them met again either by chance or by arrangements made. It occurred to the Yludih that by that time Lady Elyna might already have given birth. The woman was very pregnant after all. Yana wasn’t too sure what to feel when it came to small children. Their noise was annoying, their looks hideous. They smelled and generally were a nuisance. Reproduction was a vital aspect of life though. However, having a chat wasn’t exactly high on her list of favorite activities either, and with a baby in the picture… Then again, contacts in high places always were a good idea… “Perhaps,” she conceded, “if time permits.”

As Hannes left, the skyrider remarked on his apparently very obvious affection for the false Eídisi, her face adopting a thoughtful expression. Yana wasn’t sure what was going on in the woman’s head, nor what to respond to her observation, so instead she simply guarded her silence. Until there was something she could give her opinion on, that is, even though she was hardly an expert on the matter. “I am not sure how wise it would be to travel with an infant,” she spoke, “they look very weak and vulnerable to me. I think waiting for their natural resistances to improve would be best, lest you travel to an area with different diseases than we have here. The child might not be able to handle it.” Her voice trailed off as her mind presented her with snippets of information she’d come across in her life, some more jumbled and more likely to have been twisted and deformed than others. “Though I have heard that a mother’s milk counters it, making up for what the baby lacks in resistance… I am not too certain about the validity of the claim, however.”

At the mention of the rumor though, the Lady burst out in a fit of laughter, the pleasant sound bouncing off the walls. The rich and voluminous carpets on the walls and floor absorbed it before it could go echo through the large chamber, but Elyna’s laugh filled the room nonetheless. Yana raised an eyebrow, not really having expected this reaction. Irritation perhaps, annoyance, maybe even a slight anger, but certainly not this. She would have thought it was due to the alcohol, were it not that the Burhan Lady had only been drinking water. Ah well, amusement was a better reaction anyway. It was good. She wasn’t too bothered by what the people made of her then, her skin thick enough to fend of rumors and gossip. Not a petty woman, Elyna Burhan.

“A gorilla?” Her eyebrow shot to the heavens once more, head tilted as one hand touched her cheek, the other arm forming a rest for her elbow. “Surely you jest. Though I cannot speak for either of you, I do believe both of you many times more attractive than a hairy ape.” The humor was not lost on her however, and her mouth formed the slightest hint of a smile to indicate that she wasn’t actually taking her words in the literal way. “The rumor is rubbish then? I should have known there was no truth in it.” She sighed, but not in the disappointed way. “You see, Lady Burhan, my peers have been discussing that particular piece of gossip for trials on end to the point that it is giving me headaches.” The Yludih began explaining, having caught the quizzical look she’d gotten from the noblewoman after the laughter. Non-verbal communication also was an important part of conversation, as far as Yana was concerned. “If I am to overhear their conversations, I would rather be presented with something new every time. Now I can provide closure for them, and shut them up.” A tiny smile. “Hence my question.”

The false Eídisi took a sip of her wine, gesturing to the skittles table, aware that Elyna had not yet used her turn. If the woman did not want to play anymore that was fine too, however, as the game itself as well as the challenge it provided held no real meaning to Yana. “People do love their gossip, do they not? If Hannes would have remained while I went to refill my glass, I am sure there would have been rumors about the two of you indeed, if you were seen together.” She strode a few steps away, placing her glass on a low table so she could free her hands. “I suppose that is the price one pays for being nobility. The center of attention, always.” She paused for a moment, sitting herself down on the armrest of a comfortable leather sofa, so she did not have to twist her neck to look at her conversation partner. “Then again, it has its boons as well. Meeting the King, for example.”

[Elyna]

The blue skinned lady seemed as enamoured with the idea of catching up, with a baby for additional company, as Elyna had suspected she would. A piece of her quailed at the future. She was prepared for the birth of her child and was certain she would love them once they arrived and yet this seemed to be an evening set to remind her of the restrictions parenthood would place on her life. Especially parenthood when undertaken alone.

“Very true,” she couldn’t help but agree with the pertinent observations that followed. The beauty before her discussed children as though she was making a field study and Elyna couldn’t help but feel both intrigued and relieved. A majority of women that she’d met had made strange squealing noises, or offered unwanted advice that seemed…patchy at best, contradictory somewhere in the middle, and downright insane at the worst. It was hard to wade through so much of the information and to accept it without being rude and without really committing it to memory. She was sure that if there was ever a crisis in the future all the warnings of what to do, and what she was doing woefully wrong would come back to haunt her. However there was little she could add to the woman’s observations, “it seems as though scientific study of children and babies is undervalued. I keep being told stories and hearsay and folktale,” she lifted a shoulder in shrug, “everyone has their own worst story they want to share with me.”

The skyrider smiled in response to the counter claim that she and Tristan were both attractive, “well perhaps you can put your peers straight? Or recommend that they talk to me directly if they’re at all confused.” Tristan was a good man and although Elyna was certain he probably didn’t take malicious rumour to heart, she’d heard enough tall tales about his family to want to prevent him any discomfort. “I would be glad to set them straight,” she finished and trailed a fingertip down the glass she held. Thoughtful; she considered her options for unarmed combat in the current state of her pregnancy. The options were limited, and they were pathetic.

Her gaze followed blue skin as she set the glass down and made herself at home on a seat. Elyna returned to her own chair, finding it more comfortable than sitting. Her gaze narrowed a little at the mention of the king. A perk of nobility?

“Maybe all it takes to meet the king, is the act of murdering one’s own family,” she returned. She hadn’t been made a Captain because she was noble. The honour had been awarded for her actions. Whether she deserved the accolade for stabbing an unarmed man in the neck, was something else to consider.

“What would you have done?” She tilted her head to the side, “in my position?”

► Show Spoiler

Sorry for the delay!!! I must have started this reply about 10 times before moving desk to desk or coming home from work and loosing it again!

[Yanahalqah]

Off Topic

Haha, no problem at all. It gave me some breathing room to get on top of the heaps of threads I had going on -___-; so it's fine, really.

Yana cracked a smile at the mention of scientific research in regards to babies. “It is more … frowned upon rather than undervalued, I would think.” After all, not all experiments were as ethical as others. Some were downright wrong in the eyes of some, and Yana was fairly sure that most of the experiments she’d heard about that were done in Viden would make many a person scream in terror. They would be called monsters, for sure. Yana’s father had once been part of a research team working in tandem with Yvithia. He’d had some issues with the methods used, though his were only minor doubts. Many a human would probably feel very conflicted when being part of the research team.

The conversation moved to different subject then, and Yana ran a hand through her hair absentmindedly, liking the mental challenge. What would she have done in Elyna’s stead? It was not something she could answer without giving it some thought. “Well, I do not suppose you would have been promoted had you not been of a noble family,” the false Eídisi boldly stated, voice as neutral as ever. She was doing two things at once; pondering one thing while talking about another. “Try to imagine that the Burhan family was of common birth, and that Veljorn Burhan was just an ordinary soldier having started a rebellion and having gathered an army. Now, there you are, a common soldier yourself, killing the leader of the rebels in a … let us just call it a cowardly fashion. No disrespect of course, I fully support efficiency, but not everyone else sees it that way. To them, it was underhanded and cowardly. Now, what do you think would happen to a no-name soldier who did save the Kingdom, but whom no-one has ever heard of?”

She gave a shrug. “You would be called an assassin, and the King’s name would be dragged through the mud. They would cover it up rather than let the word spread. You wouldn’t be promoted. If anything, I suppose they would have you executed in secret, to tie up loose ends.” Another shrug as she looked at Lady Burhan. “It is but speculation of course, none of this is certain. However, consider this. Your name is known, as is your face. People shouted your name when Veljorn was killed. Word spread like wildfire. You were a hero. You ended the war. Not the King. Not the Emperor. You did. You became untouchable. Even if the King disagreed with your actions, he could not do anything, for the people would rise up in rebellion to protect the Hero from injustice. He had no choice to reward you. So he did. A promotion, and an audience.” She made a ‘voila’ kind of gesture with her arms, shifting in her seat a little.

“A no-name soldier might have been seen as a hero too, I admit, but it would take longer for their name to spread, and it would be easier for them to make him or her disappear. The hero would become nothing more than a rumor. Denied by the top brass of the military, and the King’s council, who claim the victory was won thanks to the King’s powers of negotiation, and combat when Veljorn drew his blade.”

The Yludih inhaled a breath of air, her eye shifting to her empty glass of wine, momentarily hoping it would magically fill back up again. “But that was not the question, now was it?”

She closed her eyes briefly to better focus, a couple fingers coming up at one side of her head to gently rub her temple. In truth, the question wasn't that hard per se, however, there was one major problem. “I do not believe I have all the information regarding your situation at the time, I am afraid,” the Yludih stated, effectively putting up a disclaimer. “Most of what I have heard has been passed on by rumor and gossip. I know you were at the negotiations, of course, and that you did spend some time at your uncle's army. Some claim you were there as a spy. But the context of it all is unknown to me. I cannot effectively give a satisfactory answer, I fear.” She gave an apologetic smile.

“However, I can make a fairly adequate estimate of my actions based on the information I have?” Unless the Noblewoman deemed it necessary to elaborate on her situation at the moment of murdering her uncle, as well as explaining everything else that had led up to that moment, it would have to do. She raised an eyebrow in quizzical fashion, awaiting the skyrider's response.