peerless_thayet | (no subject)

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"You'll have to excuse - ah, yes. I forgot I'd dropped that there - the mess in here," Thayet says, clearing the way for Tavi to come through the door.

A little known fact about the Queen of Tortall: she can be a tad messy. The door that opens to Milliways is unfortunately found in the series of small, connected closets that access her dressing room, a larger space with mirrors, boxes, small bottles of scent. Sometimes, it seems, garments do not always make it to their storage space.

This is what happens when she tells the servants "Oh, for goodness sake, go to bed, I can manage myself."

"Just let me move this cloak. There we are." She smiles at Tavi and opens another door to a sitting room lit by candles and waning afternoon light. It's summer in Corus, and thus the air is still and heavy until they pass an open window and the fragrance of a large, well-tended garden drifts past. "Welcome to Tortall," she says with a wide smile.

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Thayet doesn't seem to mind this glimpse he gets of what goes into clothing a queen, and shuts the last door with a fond smile.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

The smell, the gardens.

"Would you prefer to wait here whilst I find the Lioness, or would you like to join me?"

Her eyebrow arches a little, reminding him without words that Alanna has a formidable temper.

"It is," he agrees.

He was never particularly given to noticing things like gardens, but since being on the warfront so long, he can really appreciate a capital city at peace--and with flowers like that. Even so, the country air smells different.

Sometimes he misses Calderon.

His eyebrow arches right back. "I'll join you, if I may. I'd love the chance to see this place." I've seen more frightening things than the Lioness in a temper.

She laughs.

"Very well."

Let it be on his own head, then.

Thayet spares a moment to at least consider changing her attire, but decides against it. Any courtiers they pass will have to accept her in Rider gear.

She leads him on through the Royal apartments, past richly upholstered furnishings and large tapestries, past a bookshelf full of Tortallan histories, past a fireplace nearly as big as the one in the bar. Several servants try to melt into the shadows, but Thayet has a smile and greeting for each.

"Their quarters aren't far. She insisted."

Tavi is busy looking around with interest. The style and architecture are so unlike Alera's, it's endlessly fascinating. Even with all the reading he's done, everything about this place speaks of a different kind of culture.

One less troubled than Alera's, he'd guess.

Noting her style of acknowledging the servants with private approval, he follows her lead slightly: he's not native, and neither knows the other, but friendly acknowledgment goes a long way. He remembers that from his years in Alera Imperia.

"The Lioness can be fairly insistent."

"That's a polite way of saying demanding," Thayet replies.

The stone in the halls magnifies the sounds of their passing. From ahead they hear the sound of someone coming toward them, around the corner.

A shout rings out. Someone pounds on a door. Then... kicks it?

Thayet lets out a small, amused snort.

"Well. You're in for it now."

"They're related," he admits, "but I do mean insistent. Even if she's demanding as well."

A smile crosses Tavi's face at that. He's never actually met Alanna on equal ground (not to his poor, twisted timeline's point of view).

Thayet's impression of her is helping shift his quite a lot.

And it is amusing.

"She often has good reason," Thayet comments.

Often, but not always.

She smiles a little to herself and wonders who he thinks is making the noise ahead. Once they turn the corner and reach the door leading to Alanna's Corus home, she knocks.

Four times.

Then whistles a quick tune.

The door opens with an atmospheric creak to reveal a girl of about nine years with reddish blonde hair, green eyes and a suspicious expression Tavi has probably seen on Alanna.

"Hello," says the queen. "Did I get the whistle right?"

Grace peers at the queen. A moment later, the suspicious look changes to that of a pleased, honored courtier.

She has been practicing.

"Almost, your Majesty."

And her curtsy is flawless.

Tavi hasn't heard terribly much about the children.

But--green eyes notwithstanding--Grace is most definitely Alanna's daughter. It feels strange; he doesn't actually have any friends--no matter the age--who have children.

His own green eyes are amused as he glances at the queen. "Would you do me the honor of an introduction, Your Majesty?"

"Rats," Thayet exclaims cheerfully. "I can never get the tune quite right."

Of course she can. She just likes watching the children feel superior for a moment.

"Certainly," she tells Tavi. "Lady Grace of Olau, this is Captain Rufus Scipio. A friend."

Beat.

"From Galla."

It's code. Usually. If the person is really from Galla, they use Gallan cities for identification purposes. A different country would have been easier, but Raphael first used Galla, and so it goes.

Alanna had been wonderful in and of herself; Thayet was thoroughly charming.

Taken as a whole? Tavi can see why Max likes them so much. They're just fun.

Though his eyebrow is only faintly raised at Thayet for the place she names--he can guess why--but he gives Grace a bow.

"It's a pleasure," he tells her sincerely.

"Good to meet you, Captain Scipio. From Galla," Grace studies the man with a sharp, considering look. It says: you wouldn't have fooled me, anyway.

A sound not unlike a mouse squeaking sounds from the room beyond Grace. Without any visible reaction, she pulls the door closer to her shoulder so it is harder to see behind her.

"I just love Galla." Grace smiles in a conspiratorial fashion; the expression looks at home on her face. To Thayet: "Mother isn't here. She went to meet Myles in the library."

"Kicking and screaming," adds someone from behind the door, sounding pleased.

"Did she?"

Smiling, Thayet reaches out with a long, elegant finger and pushes back the door.

"Good evening, Jamie." To Tavi: "And this is Lord Jamie."

She looks further into the sitting room.

"And over there is Lord Thom, with... Is that a gag in his mouth?" And ropes binding him to a chair?

Tavi's eyebrows are just visibly up at this point, though he isn't laughing openly (yet).

Still, he feels somewhat sorry for the boy, as the brief, sympathetic look in his direction makes clear. Even if it's siblings and fun... well, sometimes it doesn't work.

The other two, however, just get a raised eyebrow. He's on unfamiliar ground here. For the moment, he'll just observe.

Thom doesn't look particularly concerned.

He's used to this.

Grace is still watching Captain Scipio.

"He volunteered," she tells him. "We are pretending he's a Carthaki spy."

Not that Thom would be. He's fiercely loyal.

"Except I'm the real spy," chirps Jamie. "Grace has to figure that out."

He gets a dry look from his sister.

"Oops," he grins, totally unconcerned.

Thayet fails to hide her amusement.

"Ah."

She gives Grace a serious nod.

"A difficult task, ferreting out spies."

Grace sighs, put upon. It's hard having idiots for brothers.

"Normally, I'm sure. I'd be ill-prepared if it was something I meant to do in earnest, with these two to rely on for training."

She smiles a little more genuinely at the queen, her idol.

"Mother will be gone a long time."

Won't she?

Tavi's body language changes very slightly: he doesn't lean against the door and cross his arms, but the way his weight shifts almost (almost) implies it.

At least he'll have plenty interesting things to discuss with Alanna now.

"Hopefully not so long as you imagine, Grace."

Thayet gives the girl an understanding look, reaching over to touch her small hand on the door.

"Don't forget to untie your brother before you turn in tonight."

With that she turns back to Tavi. "Care to see the library?"

Grace says nothing. The only sign she has heard Thayet or noticed her touch is a slight nod.

She is considering tagging along to the library, however.

Tavi notes the nod, of course, and smiles faintly.

Let the girl follow if she likes. It'll be interesting if she does.

"I'd like that," he agrees. "I haven't been to a library--other than the Bar's--in a while." And he'd heard about Corus'.

"That library is a bit different," says Thayet in a quiet, amused voice. "You'll see nothing like it here, but ours is well-stocked. Numair and Sir Myles have had a hand in recent selections."

Her eyes flick sideways at a slight sound behind them and she smiles.

Grace is welcome, though her mother might go cross-eyed to see her and Tavi in the same room.

Grace pads along behind them, not overly concerned with secrecy. She doesn't think the queen would mind, but she hangs back to listen to more of their conversation.

And to study the Captain's attire with a critical eye.

The mention of Milliways, even just its library, gets a longing sigh.

Tavi knows when he's being scrutinized--furies know it's happened more than enough to--and catches that sigh.

He also notices how attentively she's listening in.

Still, he glances to Thayet with a smile and admits, "Well, if the books I've seen from yours are any indication, I'll love it." He knows an average Legion captain really shouldn't have this much interest in libraries--

But crows, he's doing what Max and Kitai always tell him to do and taking time off. And it isn't like Thayet isn't aware he's a little complicated. "I usually just ask the Bar directly for books if I want them, these days. Especially since that catastrophe."

"And which catastrophe would this be?"

At the Bar, she supposes.

Still, it's good to check.

"What have you seen?"

"The one which affected some people's travel plans to Galla."

He's a quick study.

After that he rattles off the names of the books Alanna loaned him.

With a crooked smile, Tavi adds, "I believe they were being read by a student curious about what lay outside his borders."

"Ah."

She manages to sound grave, even with faint amusement dancing in her eyes. Oh, she likes him.

"Those mountain passes have been obstructed before. Hopefully it won't be long until they are clear."

She gives him a small smile and turns into a spiraling stairwell.

"You have read quite a bit, then." She laughs. "Such curiosity is to be rewarded, I think."

He smiles back, almost imperceptibly. His tone and expression match hers perfectly for that mix of emotions shown.

"I heard as much, once," he agrees with equal gravity. "Hopefully it won't be as long this time." Even if he's a little skeptical that it will happen this time, in Alanna's case.

Her latter comment, however, earns a short, rueful laugh. "It usually is, one way or another."

And sometimes with complications.

Thayet merely gives him another meaningful look and pulls open a pair of double doors in a dramatic sweep. Inside, rows and rows of book shelves give way to a long table, a fireplace, and chairs with thin leather seats. At the table sit a redheaded knight and an older, more rotund nobleman sporting a beard and sleepy smile.

"You're overlooking the obvious, daughter mine," the man says.

"That Ozorne's a fool? I think not," the redhead all but shouts.

Thayet holds back, smiling a bit. To Tavi: "She doesn't put much faith in diplomacy."

Tavi doesn't even laugh.

"She ought to," he replies. Amusement laces his tone. "There's always some way to successfully negotiate."

If the negotiations are done at the tip of a blade.

It is a definition.

Thayet turns her gaze from the table to Tavi, eyebrows raised, amused.

"That was a loaded statement."

Myles notices them at last and straightens in his chair, watching. When Thayet looks back, he bows his head and smiles, slowly pulling himself to his feet. His bones aren't what they used to be.

Alanna jumps up when Myles starts to rise, ready to help him. He waves her off; she ignores him.

Eventually she looks over.

It's rare to see the Lioness at a loss for words, but her jaw is too busy hanging open for her to form any.

The situation is not helped by the sight of Grace lurking about behind, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"What."

His eyes are on Alanna, now. Though he still has a faint smile, his eyes are somewhat more serious.

"Respectfully, it's just a true statement."

His eyebrow quirks up slightly.

The Truth is loaded goes unsaid.

"Just the truth," Alanna scoffs. It has the feeling of habit.

Her hand waves in the air: never mind.

"What," she says again, slowly, weighing her words, "are you doing here?"

Alanna's eyes snap to Thayet. "Is there a problem?"

"Scads," Thayet replies, a maddening smile on her face. "But nothing to do with a friend paying a visit, surely?"

Grace narrows her eyes, watching her mother's face.

"Depends on the friend," she states, quietly.

Tavi is in range.

Possibly she meant him to hear.

Tavi definitely likes Grace, if the faint twitch of his lips is any indication. The smile widens briefly when he glances at her.

And then it relaxes into something more amused than sardonic. "All the trouble it takes to get here from Galla," hear his amusement at the choice, "to see a friend, and I don't even warrant a hello?"

Someone got cheekier since growing up.

Alanna frowns at him, feeling as if time has done an about face and then another, twisting in upon itself until she's no longer sure the future is forward and the past behind.

"Hello."

He's a funny one, all right.

"Well," tone dry, "I've been having some trouble getting to Galla myself, so I certainly won't complain."

Alanna stiffly gestures for him to come in, then changes her mind with a glance at her daughter.

"Would you care to accompany me elsewhere so we can talk?"

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