Evony was in her sitting room at her family's home in LaCommande on a call with both Dyson, Stasio and their respective aides reviewing the status of their presentations before the various Parliamentary Special Commissions. It was a beautiful day outside so she had the patio doors opened to the gardens to allow the sun permeate the room. She wanted to bring her horse, named Bruce to the Presidium but decided to keep him on the Human Plane until their petition was decided.
Unlike Bo, whose destiny laid forever at the Realm's feet, Evony, on the other hand, had options. She could go home. Evony reared her head back a bit at that thought, surprised she thought of the Human Plane as home. One of the things she envied about Trick was his adaptability. He returned to the Presidium right as rain. But then again, that was his plan for quite a while now.
Trickster.
He truly lived up to that name.
To her annoyance, her mother Parisa, and her siblings Noella, Olympia, Yves, and Uma all camped out in her sitting room and ate lunch while she conducted her meeting. Why she did not understand, but reasoned it was due to the loss of Rein that proximity was important to them.
"And then there's the Marriage question." Dyson concluded his report. Evony sighed.
"One battle at a time, shall we? This is one of things I do not miss about the Convocation. Multi-tasking."
"We always multi-task." Stasio replied.
"There's multi-tasking and then there's multi-tasking on steroids." Evony replied.
"Becoming weary with the task, my dear sister?" Noella said as she sipped her tea. Evony threw her a sharp look.
"Is there anything else?" Evony asked Dyson and Stasio.
"Once this Convocation is over, whether win succeed or fail, we have a lot to do back at the County." Stasio replied.
"We cannot fail." Evony reminded.
"If our petition fails, we return to chaos. Chaos that we will need to clean up. With the Light/Dark divide over it will become a matter of strength. We will have our own civil war to deal with again. Presidium resources will be pulled, and we will have to rely on the Elders to help keep the peace." Stasio reminded.
"I'm working on that." Evony replied.
"What about Trick? Will he stay?" Stasio asked.
"When he accepted the Ranaship he made his decision. His life is here. Again." Dyson answered.
"Then it falls upon you to keep it together back home." Stasio said to Evony.
"That is why I need you to reach out the Elders in stronger positions. Starting with Yoshe. There are Elders who would follow her over me. We need to make sure she's with us." Evony replied.
"That will come at a price." Stasio said.
"I know." Evony replied.
"Can I say I resent the fact that this chaos even exists?" Dyson commented.
"Talk to your beloved mentor. He started it, and now it will be up to us to clean up his chaos." Stasio reminded.
"Does this mean if the petition fails you will have to go back to the Human plane?" Parisa asked.
"I can do nothing else." Evony replied.
"Evony, there's change afoot here, and with Rein gone I need you here to defend our family's position against the upcoming tempest." Parisa said.
"Noella can defend our family's interests well enough." Evony replied.
"You're the oldest, Evony." Parisa replied to wit Noella rolled her eyes in response.
"I don't think that should be the sole criteria, Mother. I am more than capable of managing our family's position." Noella defended.
"Evony also has, shall we say, access." Parisa replied. That made Evony's siblings roll their eyes.
"Mother!" Evony chastised.
"Just stating facts." Parisa replied.
"From what I understand of the Human Plane it might be a good thing for them to be consumed by the Fae." Yves said.
"It would not. Even amongst the Fae we need order there." Evony replied then asked Stasio and Dyson. "Anything else?"
"Nope." Stasio and Dyson chimed together. Evony then ended the call.
"Stasio is divine." Olympia admired.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Stasio is a happily married man of over 500 years with a wife and three children."
"You would never know from his gruffness. Besides, I'm sure he can be…persuaded." Olympia replied.
"Oddly, he is a devoted family man." Evony replied.
"Five hundred years? Devoted?" Olympia questioned.
"You find that hard to believe?" Evony challenged.
"Well…yes!" Olympia replied.
"Yet, Ari and Helen have been married for over 1400 years, and they're devoted to one another, and neither has ever taken a Companion." Evony reminded.
"They're an exception." Olympia replied.
"How so?" Evony asked.
"They actually love one another." Olympia replied matter-of-factly. There was a combination of smiles and chuckles.
"Why are you all still here in my sitting room?" Evony asked.
"We enjoy your company." Uma replied.
"And we want to see how you are faring along. There's a lot of old friends, old enemies, and old wounds opening up since you've returned." Parisa added.
"I'm aware." Evony replied.
"Evony, while you have been a Grand Ducal before, if this petition doesn't go through you will have a lot on your plate. Why don't you just leave them all to their fates? Remain here?" Parisa said.
"As I said, I can't do that." Evony replied.
"Why not? The old Evony wouldn't have even given it a second thought." Noella poked.
"Because this Evony has spent the last 15 years recognizing the fact the Fae structure on the Human plane is changing, and I am part of that agency, and now that Trick has decided to remain here no matter what it becomes my responsibility to protect the Fae on the Human plane. No matter what." Evony replied.
"What about the Humans? Will you protect them as well?" Yves asked.
"I will cross that bridge when I come to it." Evony replied.
"Your Excellency?" Siegfried, the Master of the Marquis Household prompted as he entered the room.
"Yes?" Evony answered.
"There's a…human. Here." Siegfried reported.
"That's Crystal. Send her in." Evony directed.
"Are you sure?" Siegfried asked scandalized.
"Did I stutter?" Evony shot back.
"As you wish, Your Excellency." Siegfried replied.
Crystal entered the room and Evony's mom and siblings just looked at her. Crystal not knowing what else to do curtsied.
"Oh, you dear, Human. We're not royalty. You do not curtsey to us." Noella reminded.
"Sorry! Not sure what to do when." Crystal replied.
"But you will address us properly!" Uma insisted.
"Uma!" Parisa admonished then turned to Crystal. "You shall have to forgive my children. They act as if they were raised without manners!"
"And on that note, I need everyone out of here. Crystal and I have business to discuss." Evony ordered.
"These humans are becoming an epidemic." Uma snorted as she brushed past Crystal.
"Uma!" Evony yelled after her, but all she got in return was a closed door.
"My family. Unfortunately." Evony said. That was as close as to an apology for their behavior as she was coming.
"No sweat." Crystal said as she and found a chair across from Evony.
"How are you enjoying the Presidium?" Evony asked.
"This place is amazing! Why did you guys ever leave?"
"Long story. So, what's going on with Cramb's?"
"Well, I want you to sell me your portion."
"Why?"
"Evony. You have all of this now. You cannot continue to manage Cramb's as well."
"I'm doing just fine."
"Yeah, but it cannot go on."
"It can. Quite ably. Besides, I have you there to manage things when I am otherwise…occupied."
"I work with you. Not for you. That's my point."
"I don't see a reason to change things." Evony said. Crystal looked at her intently.
"Evony?"
"What?"
"Are you unwilling to let go because it still ties you to the Human plane? I can understand that."
"I've built up quite the clientele and the business. Don't want to see that mis-managed."
"Really, Evony?"
"What I'm saying is that relinquishing my part in Cramb's will be for me to decide."
"Look, I'm not here to argue. I just wanted to have the conversation."
"How's the new security Lauren insisted upon?" Evony asked.
"Ever since you sent the Fae security. No more issues."
"Good."
"Well, since we've talked about that. There's something else."
"What?"
"I wanted to do something as a surprise for Bo. For her Installation Ceremony."
"What's that?"
"Rather than seeing them at Cramb's a few months from now I want to invite her favorite country band to perform at the Installation Ceremony."
"Lynn's Trinity?"
"You remembered."
"I remember only the shock that Bo likes country music." Evony replied. Crystal chuckled.
"They're human though. The shock of the Presidium will be…well…a shock for them."
"I know."
"How do you plan to manage that?"
"I was thinking, maybe employing one of the Fae? One of those mind-wipers?" Crystal suggested. Evony smiled broadly.
"Thinking like a Fae! Me likey!" Evony commended.
"I just understand the practical mechanics."
"Done! So, how are you enjoying the Presidium? Met Their Majesties yet?" Evony asked.
"Briefly. I'm staying with Bo and Lauren and The Queen stopped in for breakfast tea after her morning training session with Bo and played with the four amigos for a short while. That was cool. I couldn't believe I was having breakfast with the Queen of the Fae. She kept shifting her one arm so all four of them could hang from it. That made everyone laugh. Didn't know how beautiful she was."
"That she is."
"And you used to date her?"
"Before Helen, of course."
"And you could have been Queen of all of this?"
"And that time Ari wasn't anointed by Destiny. She was a Knight in service."
"I met The Queen Consort during a lunch with Lauren and all of her doctor peeps. And I've met all their children. That Dakari is dreamy."
"Yes, he is."
"And how does the aging work? Atia looks likes she the baby, but she's the fifth oldest?"
"Ranoruks. How was the Girls Night out?"
"Heard about that huh?"
"The entire Realm knows about that." Evony replied.
"It was epic! The JFM docs were there, and of course, they had to talk business."
"Oh?"
"Something with the trials, and how they need Lauren to come back and handle something related to it."
"Return to the County again? She can't keep galivanting off like that. She has responsibilities here."
"That was everyone else's reaction, but apparently, there's some doctor, Dr. Clifton Pennicut from the Approval and Monitoring Committee? He is questioning their research and wants a demo."
"Does she intend to run off again?"
"Not yet. She asked Abby to delay the problem until all the ceremonies were over here."
"Finally! Thinking like Companion in Rule."
"This Realm needs to get use to the fact they've inherited a bunch of stray cats who do as they passions drive them."
"And these stray cats need to learn that their actions have consequences."
"I agree with you." Crystal acknowledged. "So, you don't think she'll become the Queen Consort?"
"It's going to be a long road. What else do we need to discuss?"
"The books." Crystal replied and then pulled out a set of files.
"How long will you be at the Presidium?" Evony asked.
"Mirabel and I leave tomorrow. Mirabel has work to get back to and I need to get back to Cramb's."
"Can you stay for dinner?" Evony asked to Crystal's surprise.
"Are you sure? Your siblings might eat me."
"They'll have to adjust."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure! That way I can hear about the other gossip going on."
"Missing home?" Crystal asked. Evony reached out for the files.
"Shall we get started?
After Crystal left Evony returned to her rooms. Crystal was more than right than she knew. Once she assumed control over the Human plane running her talent business would be no more. Evony didn't want to let go. She had left the Presidium and had struggled to find a new purpose. The talent agency was the closest thing she had to joy and did not want to give it up. Why couldn't she just say that to Crystal? Evony knew the answer. She wanted to hold on as long as she could. It was the last vestige of true joy before reassuming her old responsibilities as a Grand Ducal - provided their proposal passed.
Evony looked up into the air.
"Call Vex!"
Vex shimmered into view. He was as expected at the Dal, but instead of drinking Evony found him in Kenzi's old office reviewing paperwork.
"Your Excellency! How may I serve you today?" Vex greeted.
"What's this?"
"Doldrum." Vex replied.
"I need you to handle something."
"I'm handling quite a few things before I jet off to join you for the Installation Ceremony."
"Crystal tells me Lauren is having issues with the Approval and Monitoring Committee?"
"I heard."
"The JFM want her to return to deal with it, but she can't until after the Convocation and Installation Ceremony."
"So, you want me to help with the persuasion?"
"More than just persuasion. Handle it."
"Fine! Whom am 'dealing' with?" Vex asked.
"A Dr. Clifton Pennicut."
"Done and done." Vex replied, and then Evony ended the call.
