Disclaimer: nothing is mine… in fact … nope I'll spare your sanity and not going into it.
Kyrilla stared at what he had to work with and sighed. A group of terrified little children was all he had to go on. Well to be absolutely fair they weren't terrified anymore but what skills did they have?
That was the point of this meeting. To discuss and plan… and for him to read their minds. He had to know their strengths if he was going to put them to use in the field of revealing the parents secrets.
He thought it was odd that Isolde hadn't spoken yet but was lurking in the corner, very similarly to what Shazara was doing.
Kyrilla wanted to see how the kids would direct the evening and meeting but he soon realised without his guidance it was going no where. Certainly the heir, Garrett, demonstrated some command and control but he clearly didn't know how to exercise it.
"Children children, we are getting no where with this," He spoke smoothly. He looked very much like he did when he had appeared to Emile when she was a young woman.
"Lets start by working out an objective. Who do we want to reveal their secrets?" Kyrilla prodded.
"All of them," Kaye hastily said and the others nodded enthusiastically.
"But lets draw up a list. Korella, would you do the honours," The god addressed the now blushing girl as she hurried to find writing implements.
"Now add two names that you would particularly like to reveal their secrets."
Korella grinned, "My mother for starters and I really can't go past Emile."
"I think we should make Emile unanimous," Armand grinned broadly.
"Motion put to the group," Kyrilla raised an eyebrow as all hands raised, "Motion past. Alright… one name only then."
"My mother too," Baltimore told Korella who quickly scribbled it down. Baltimore's mother Kel was extremely close to Emile and he had a feeling they would have an interesting past.
"My parents aren't secretive," Armand said and he sounded disappointed, "Maybe Lucan thought. I get the feeling he knows something he isn't telling."
Everyone looked expectantly at Garrett who sat next in the circle, "Guinevere. She doesn't talk any more. I just wanted her to talk to me."
Isolde leaned forward, "My father. He married my mother and that is the biggest secret for me." No body said a word but Korella sighed impatiently before adding Tristan's name to the list.
"Lancelot," Kaye replied and refused to elaborate.
Only Shazara remained and she was deep in thought, pondering her answer. Kyrilla tried entering her mind subtly like he had with the others. She was closed. Kyrilla smiled with joy. A delightful little surprise.
Shazara looked at the god as if she could sense that he had attempted to penetrate her thoughts.
"You!" She said simply.
"Pardon?" Korella asked, looking up from the parchment startled.
"Put down Kyrilla. What's his secret? Why does he want to know our parents secret for?" She eyed the man with a glint in her eye.
Kyrilla's expression didn't falter and when Korella looked to him for guidance he nodded promptly, "Put it down by all means. But I wont give you my help in discovering that little secret."
"Won't need it," She retorted and lapsed into her much more common silence. Emile would have delighted in her niece right then. She had stood up to Kyrilla and given him a run for his money. Type of thing that made Emile proud.
"Now we have established whom we want to expose the question is how," He surveyed the group with a searching look.
"How?" Baltimore asked.
"Yes how we uncover it," Kyrilla repeated with a sigh.
"No I mean HOW do we uncover it. I know what the word means," Baltimore snapped.
"With spies of course," He grinned an ironic little grin. The very world the parents were trying to keep their children out of and he was bringing them right in.
"Where are we going to get spies from?" Garrett demanded.
"You are going to be the spies," Kyrilla's grin widened.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Alecto had his nose thrust into a book as he sat on the highest turret. His companion was Emile.
Emile was taking a long swallow from a flask.
Without taking his eyes off the book he spoke to the woman, "You know. I just don't think that is water."
Emile giggled in response.
"How do you manage to spend so much time running away? Don't you have a baby?" Alecto asked.
"Tristan has them today," Emile answered.
"Remember how I told you that you loved him and you denied it?" Alecto pointed out.
"Yes smarty I do remember. What can I say I was young and dumb then."
"And now you're just dumb," Alecto nonchalantly flipped another page.
Emile turned a bleary eye on him, "I am very dumb."
"That sounded sincere," Alecto admonished with mock seriousness but he lowered the book.
"My daughter is a pain in the ass," Emile took a quick swig.
"So you become an alcoholic in response?"
"It has its advantages," Emile looked at the flask.
Alecto eased it out of the woman's hand and sniffed it with disdain.
"Hey I was drinking that," Emile rejoined without any really conviction.
"I know. Snap out of it woman. You are Emile. Those three words tell you everything you need to know. Drinking yourself silly is… silly," He was so angry he took a drink from the flask.
"The word hypocrite sprang to mind just then," Emile said sarcastically but she knew she was defeated, "I wasn't drinking to drown my sorrows. I was just drinking. I'm not becoming an alcoholic."
"How is Tristan dealing with the fact that Isolde hates you?" Alecto moved the conversation along.
"We're fine if that's what your asking but he hates it yeah. Funny thing is she actually brought us together really. If I hadn't been pregnant with her I would've run off and then who knows."
"Must be tough," Alecto sympathised. He liked Emile a lot. He liked her a lot more than most normal people.
"And now there's this 'plot' not to mention Kyrilla is making himself known to the kids, which only ever means trouble," Emile groaned.
"Kyrilla? Oh that's good," Alecto admired the irony.
"Not really no. Don't get me wrong. In a strange way I love Kyrilla to death. I repeat the word strange but he never really brings good things when he meddles," Emile regretted her attachment to the god otherwise she would have forsaken him a long time ago.
There was a tiny stretch of silence.
"Why are you back, Alecto?" Emile knew something felt off about his presence. He loved his mother and adoptive father.
"Something strange is brewing. I'm a suspicious person and I've learnt a lot about instinct and mine's telling me I should be here," Alecto told her honestly.
"Will I ever escape this plot," Emile moaned and reached for the flask.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kyrilla was reflecting on his 'crew.'
Garrett wasn't going to be much use as a spy. He was intelligent and commanding but he belonged on a throne and it was a good thing that was where he was heading.
Isolde wouldn't be much use either but she had a motive and that was worth more than it's weight in gold in some cases. She didn't have any rogue tendencies but she was determined.
Korella showed a willingness to adapt to situations but she would never quite gel with the god. If memory served him correct she actually showed a penchant for scouting.
Kaye showed promise and Kyrilla was relieved. The first three would be useful but never be criminal material. Kaye may be honourable and quite maybe seem a bit stupid but he wasn't. He was shrewd. He wanted to know about Lancelot. Lancelot wasn't his parent. Why would he care? There wasn't even a possibility that Kaye knew what the older man was up to.
Baltimore and Armand were pretty similar. They seemed to be of a like mind and Kyrilla would hire them in an instant without proof of their skills because it was all in their personality. They would thrive on the mischievous atmosphere at the Rouge.
But Shazara. That girl was, to use a cliché, the woman of his dreams. He was thinking queen of The Rouge court. As a contingency plan of course… he wanted Emile back over all others but that girl could do it. But she wouldn't. She was content to be protégé to Nimue and the old magic. Still was an idea with merit and worth consideration. Emile needed an heir.
If he could just get close enough to suggest it. Only problem was that Shazara clearly didn't trust him. It was definitely a little conundrum. Kyrilla loved them!
AN: I was thinking today… how would everybody react if I killed off Emile. I'm not going to and it would probably wouldn't be worth my life to do it but it was just a thought. Oh well please review cos I really wung it in that chapter. But it allowed me to bring in some plot lines I've only just thought of. Again review because I love it.
MD666