Disclaimer: I own nothing. Yep that's right. Nothing!
FLOWERSIt was bizarre to Isolde to realise that she didn't know her own mother. Or her father for that matter. In fact it seemed that everybody had been keeping secrets from the children.
She told Garrett so as they sat on the grass in the sun.
Garrett shrugged, "I think they were just protecting us. With fair reason. We were duped by Kyrilla."
"You have to admire the way he manoeuvred us," Isolde admitted.
"I don't admire it. It was entirely too easy for him. He just had to play on what we wanted to know and then lightly suggest we should go somewhere. And do you get the feeling there are still secrets."
Isolde thought about it and then nodded. "I'm just adjusting to the fact my mother isn't incredibly useless. I'm not saying it has instantly made me love her as a parent but it's made me want to examine her closer."
"Was it the revelation that she was queen of the Rogue or the fight?"
"You know, I think it was the fight. It sort of confirmed that I've been living with a stranger all these years. They tried explaining it to the twins and they just took it in their stride."
Garrett laughed. "They are a resilient pair."
"And I agreed to meet her and see the Rouge for the first time."
Garrett looked surprised. "You agreed?"
Isolde giggled at the expression on his face. "I just said I did, didn't I? She also showed me the tattoo on her shoulder. I guess that just made it all too real."
"Tattoo?"
"Of the Rouge. Each country has one and my mother has a dragon on her back, means she's queen!"
"So when do you meet her?"
"About now actually." She grinned apologetically. "I would like to stay and chat longer but my mother waits for no one." She gave him a swift kiss on the lips.
Emile was waiting for her when she got there. Her arms were crossed and she was shifting impatiently.
"I did not actually think you'd come," Emile admitted upon seeing her daughter.
"I keep my word," Isolde said.
"You didn't get that from me. I sell it to the highest bidder," Emile said.
"What if you made a promise to father?" Isolde queried.
"I guess I'd keep that but only because of matrimony."
Isolde studied her mother's face trying to determine if she was lying or not. She stopped trying because her mother was apparently a professional liar.
Emile took her to the Rouge and inside. It was at the old fort only ten minutes hard ride away. People bowed and Isolde gaped.
"So you really are treated as royalty here?"
"Well yes!" Emile said indignantly.
As Emile led her daughter through the warren of passages and rooms. "This is Fox's experimenting room."
"Fox belongs to the Rouge?" Isolde had trouble connecting the mild mannered husband of terrifying Mistress Qurick with the intrigue of the Rouge.
"He wasn't a field agent, just an inventor."
"And you were a field agent?" The words were strange and rolled awkwardly off her tongue.
"Yes and one of the best if I might add," Emile said proudly. "Oh you have to see this room."
It looked rather ordinary to Isolde. "What is special about it?"
"I lived here before moving inside the fort with Arthur."
"And father?"
"Yeah he had to put up with me too." Emile grinned as she remembered the early days.
"So how did you meet father. I assume it did not happen the way you previously described it."
"No. I was actually robbing him and the other knights. I would have gotten away with it too if he hadn't caught me… best thing that ever happened to me actually." Emile remembered the night in almost perfect detail. She had kicked Tristan in the groin and he occasionally reminded her of this first insult if he wanted to persuade her to do something she didn't want to.
"Tell me the true story," Isolde commanded and sat on the bed.
"Alright." And she told her the entire story about Larx and the Saxon invasion. Roma and Beltane when they had first made love. Isolde winced at that section of the story but listened nonetheless.
"And now you don't love each other as much!" Isolde concluded.
Emile resisted the urge to get riled up. They loved each other just as much as ever but why did her daughter think that they did not.
"Why do you say that Isolde?" Emile asked calmly.
"You just don't act like you love each other. Occasionally you attack him with a sword."
Emile didn't argue with her daughter. Instead she cocked her head to the side and smile. "I'm not going to try and persuade you otherwise but I think eventually you will learn differently."
Isolde was used to her mother's outbursts and so this quiet statement unnerved her. She did not get a chance to ponder it because Emile was standing up.
"Come on, let's get you home before this place taints you and you become a criminal like me."
Isolde followed Emile home and after putting her horse away went to find Korella. He found her seated with Kaye and Baltimore. Korella had a pained expression.
"What?" Isolde asked suspiciously.
Korella didn't answer, just shook her head. Kaye answered for her. "Her parents evicted her from the room."
Baltimore sniggered. "Mine are always doing that too."
"Not as much as mine," Korella contradicted.
"My parents have how many children? I think I win," Kaye said as if they settled the argument.
They all looked expectantly at Isolde waiting for her to contribute a complaint. "Don't look at me. I don't think my parents have sex anymore."
"I'm sure they are just subtle?" Korella decided.
Isolde laughed, "Honestly I'm glad. It means I don't have anything to complain about and will not wear the emotional scars you bear."
The three looked at each other. "Well it isn't fun but at least we know they still love each other," Baltimore observed.
"Nice," Kaye said and cuffed his friend on the head. "Were you trying to be offensive?"
"Well no but come on I'm hoping Emile leaves Tristan and comes to me," Baltimore smirked.
"There are plenty women who would console Tristan," Korella confided.
"These are my parents," Isolde cried aghast. "We can not discuss them this way."
"Well I'm stuck out here for at least another hour," Korella sighed. The Boys gave a hearty laugh and slapped her encouragingly on the shoulder.
"Hey, you were evicted too?" Another voice joined them. Armand had joined them.
"Is this a regular thing?" Isolde demanded.
"All too regular. We're thinking of starting a society," Armand grinned. "Speaking of… why are you here?"
Something in his tone made Isolde feel left out. It was ridiculous, she shouldn't feel this way but against odds she did. She was hurt that she didn't have a reason to whine about her parents' intimate activities.
"Um nothing. I'm going home," Isolde forced out. She walked away and their laughter followed. She was studying the ground as she walked so nobody would see her confused expression. Because she wasn't looking she collided with her father.
Tristan was startled to see his teenage daughter come hurtling into him. He was even more shocked to see her face.
"Are you alright?" He asked her, visually checking for any injury that may have occurred.
"Fine," She answered.
He turned his hard gaze on her face. "Liar!"
"You married one," Isolde observed.
Tristan recalled that his wife had taken her to the Rouge today. So that's what this was about. He pulled Isolde down onto a bench.
"Tell me about it." It was an instruction.
Isolde paused and then rounded on her father. "How come I'm never evicted from the room so you two can have sex?"
The look on the scouts face was a rare one. It showed such absolute shock that had Isolde not been so perturbed she would have laughed.
"I uh um … what?" Tristan finally stuttered.
"All the other children are down there discussing it and I have nothing to say."
Tristan struggled to keep his face under control. When he felt the stoic mask slip back into place he spoke. "I've heard as much."
"Why don't I have anything to complain about?"
Tristan was truly uncomfortable with this conversation and was unsettled that Isolde seemed to have no difficulty discussing it. He would have thought Isolde could figure it out. A thief and a scout should be sneaky enough to find private time to be intimate instead of overtly removing their children from the room for said purpose.
Tristan had not been there for the chat Emile had with Isolde about sex and he most definitely would not be there when she explained it to Shadow and Dowanna. He supposed he would be the one to introduce Larx to the wonderful, but exhausting, world of women… unless Bors was available. However if his teenage daughter could speak her mind then a fearless Sarmatian knight could. He hoped.
"You know when your mother puts flowers on the table?" Tristan asked.
"Yes she does that almost everyday," Isolde grumbled not quite understanding what her father was driving at.
Tristan took a deep breath. "Would you like to know what that actually signifies?"
"What do you mean? Signifies what? … oh! OH! You mean that the night before…"
Tristan nodded ruefully.
"Dad!! That is so disgusting. Ew!"
Tristan sighed. "It hurts to fit in doesn't it?"
"Yes. I take it back."
"Well if it helps, you can go back to your friends and tell them I forced you out of the rooms?"
Isolde grinned suddenly. "Really? Thanks!" She bounded off.
Tristan decided that teenage girls were strange things.
The next morning Isolde pulled herself out of bed and heard her mother humming. Tristan was sharpening his dagger with a content look on his face and Emile was arranging flowers on the window.
Isolde's eyes widened. "I'm going to find Korella."
Emile watched her leave. "What's wrong with her."
Tristan shrugged. "No idea." He grinned for a moment. "Those are nice flowers."
AN: Awww the family is working out their issues. Isn't it lovely? Review please. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
MD666