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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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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