Vows of Blood and Honor
Amon knocked on Lorelei's door with slight trepidation. While talking and spending time with his very nude very lovely wife had relaxed him, he did not truly look forward to the discussion he was going to have with his daughter.
"Come in." He heard Lorelei call from within. As he entered he looked around with a shake of his head. His daughter had long ago split her sitting room down the middle. The half with the north window was her art space. The floor was covered with a white cloth, brushes soaked in clay jars and sketches were hung everywhere while a half finished painting sat on the easel.
The other half of the room held two chairs and a couch with a coffee table centered in the middle of them. Along the wall a bookshelf and credenza were placed to good effect. All in all, it was not a bad arrangement since Lorelei flatly refused to have her studio away from her living space.
"Daddy!" His daughter threw a loving smile at him from where she stood before her painting. "What do you think?" She gestured at the watercolor and Amon frowned thoughtfully.
"Its not finished yet." He observed with a tilt of his head.
"I know that." Lorelei returned his teasing remark with an ironic look. "What is your opinion?"
"I like it so far." Amon grinned. "I have no doubt it will be wonderful." The subject of the painting was the horizon that stretched outside her window. It was a view Lorelei had drawn many times yet like the view, each painting was different.
"Have they caught her yet?" Lorelei asked curiously. "Have you come to apprise me of the progress or lack thereof?"
Her father shook his head. "Actually I was thinking of something else altogether." She stuck her brush into a jar of water and leaned against her high stool waiting. "I ran into your brother earlier this afternoon. He was a bit upset."
Lorelei rolled her eyes. "If it was early enough he was more than a little upset." She muttered smartly. "He was livid."
"So I gathered." Amon agreed. "Do you have any idea why?"
His daughter looked at him. "It might have something to do with me telling him to mind his own business."
"Hmm…regarding?" Amon walked casually about the room looking with interest at things he had seen more than a three dozen times before. "He mentioned you were following your mother's instruction?"
Lorelei folded her arms watching her father carefully. "Dragon and I were together and he found us." She formulated her speech with care.
Her father stifled a groan and wished for a moment with all his heart that he'd only had sons. Then he took a deep breath and looked at Lorelei. "And is there anything you feel the need to discuss?" He asked in seeming idleness. "Questions, or concerns…" he drifted off vaguely.
'Oh sweet Selena, he doesn't want to talk about THIS.' Lorelei thought to herself in horror. "Not really no. We weren't doing anything wrong." She replied faintly, appalled at the thought that she'd have to discuss anything with her father, much as she loved him.
A sigh of relief whooshed out of the king. "What upset your brother so much then? That you had to tell him to mind his own business." Amon tried a different tack. His relief was very short lived.
"I suppose he thought Dragon and I were behaving inappropriately." Lorelei shrugged. "We had the door open."
"And were you? Behaving inappropriately I mean?" Her father inquired, trying not to grind his teeth. Not for nothing had he made his daughter a diplomat, a more close mouthed, politically speaking child he had yet to sire.
"I suppose from his point of view yes." Lorelei shrugged. "But it isn't any of his business, so it doesn't really matter." Her voice grew irritated. "He certainly did not have the right to interfere."
'Now we're getting somewhere.' Amon thought with relief. "How did he interfere?"
"He pulled us apart." Lorelei said in indignation. "He then proceeded to read me a lecture on how to behave, and he had the nerve to call Dragon out as well."
"What upset him so much?" Amon asked praying inwardly that the answer would be no where near as bad as he was anticipating.
"I haven't the faintest idea!" Lorelei snapped. "We were both fully clothed, the door was wide open, and Dragon was kissing me." She smiled slightly even through her anger.
Amon turned to regard her in amazement. "Kissing? That's all?" He asked.
"I'll grant you it was a wonderful kiss, and I wasn't thinking of stopping but the open door would have prevented us from going too far. That was the point of having it open." Lorelei grinned. "I knew sooner or later someone would interrupt. There's no privacy here unless you have a lock Sebastian can't pick."
"So there's no privacy." Amon rolled his eyes. "Why in the world was your twin so upset then?" He asked with a sigh.
"I don't know." Lorelei sat down and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, not noticing that it turned blue with the paint on her fingers. "It might have been a shock to see us in a passionate embrace, but Nwyfan is courting me." She pointed out.
Amon shook his head. "Yes. It's not as if Andreas didn't do his best to arrange that anyway. It wouldn't be a shock."
"I don't care if he did try to matchmake." Lorelei snapped. "He doesn't have the right to tell me what to do. And he certainly isn't in command of Dragon." She rolled her eyes. "I could deal with it if you or Mother insisted on certain levels of behavior, but Andreas? He's in Maggie's room every night. He doesn't have any room to lecture me about kissing Dragon."
Amon nodded absently still trying to determine exactly why Andreas had reacted in a way that was so unreasonable. "I'll talk to him." He said quietly. "Why don't you begin getting ready for dinner?" He looked at his daughter and smiled. "You might want to wash your hair." The king suggested.
Lorelei pulled a lock forward to look at it and shook her head at the blue watercolors that streaked the silver blond locks. "See you at dinner Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too Leelee." Amon murmured as he watched her walk into her bedroom. "And before I speak with Andreas I'm going to take a page from Sabine's book and get some information about what he's been up to recently. I believe I'll go and visit Sebastian." The king rose and purposefully set out to do just that.
His chat with Sebastian was remarkably short considering the subject. Of course, Sebastian's unwillingness to discuss the subject did have something to do with it. Amon finally threw his hands up in the air muttering to himself. "Why do I bother trying to help?" He asked himself. "My children don't need me. They can do it all themselves now. The Gods forbid that I care about them!" He exclaimed turning and looking at his younger son.
Sebastian sighed. "Dad, I'm sorry." He regarded his father seriously. "I can only theorize, and I'm uncomfortable doing that. What I know for certain, is that Andreas met someone when he was in the Western Heart. And he came back here alone, and didn't say a word about it."
"How can you be sure he met someone?" Amon asked. "It couldn't just be the shock of…" Amon paused and Sebastian's heart nearly broke as he saw sorrow clearly etched for a moment on his father's face. Then, the king's face was serenely composed again, "How can you be sure it is not simply because of the loss that we all suffered during that time?" He asked his son who regarded him with the patient gaze of a master whose credibility has just been questioned. "How can you be sure it's a person?" Amon asked finally.
"Dad, please." Sebastian gave him a wounded look. "I'm trying to pretend I'm not being insulted here. Would you ask Mother that?"
Amon rolled his eyes. "No I would not." He admitted. "Its just disconcerting at times to have my son more knowledgeable than I am about the rest of my children."
"Dad, please." Sebastian rolled his eyes annoyed that he was repeating himself. "It's basically my job. I mean…what else do I have to do, other than watch everyone. It's not as if the Court is this Intellectual Stimuli. Thankfully Briar keeps me from going insane and taking everyone else along with me."
Amon shook his head and sighed. "You will not tell me anything more?" He inquired.
Sebastian frowned thoughtfully. "I can't compromise my brother's privacy to satisfy your need to know." He said finally. "I don't ever want to cross that line, not unless I have to for good reason."
Amon scowled at the thought. The thought of such an invasion of privacy still made him angry. "I can understand your dilemma." He said sympathetically. "I won't ask you anymore."
The younger prince rose and said quietly. "Dad, I know it isn't much, but think about something for a moment. Enamoured as I am of Briar, and as impassioned as we are, Andreas has never caught us in an embrace. He has seen me holding her, but never passionately." His voice was soft. "He is not aware I know anything about this. But I can at least restrain myself until Briar and I are private."
Amon smiled at his son proudly. "You do a very good job of keeping your brother ignorant of how much you care for him. And how much you look out for him." He turned to go and then looked back at his son. "Have I ever told you how proud I am of you Sebastian?" He asked quietly looking at his son with adoration and love in his eyes. "I am very proud."
Sebastian smiled and felt tears in his eyes. He simply nodded as his father rose. "Thank you father," He said quietly and then watched his father leave.
As the door closed behind Amon, Sebastian did feel tears fall from his eyes. But, they were not simply because of his father's words of love. Turning back to his desk, Sebastian pressed a button and as a secret cache open, slowly pulled forth a green crystal. Holding the crystal before his eyes, Sebastian thought on his father's words and the secret he carried with him, that made him cry now more than anything else. "I know father," He said thinking again of Amon's words. "I just hope one day Andreas can say the same and I can feel the same about myself."
Dragon regarded his friend with an opaque black gaze. The crown prince of Cormyr looked as if he hadn't slept well. Lines of pained weariness tightened his mouth and eyes.
The warrior mage sighed his resignation and shook his head. Andreas was still in a bit of a rage. He said as much. "So are you still angry enough to do this?"
His friend simply looked at him and said flatly. "Draw your sword."
Dragon rolled his eyes. "The mood you're in this won't take long."
He was right. The fight, such as it was, lasted all of twenty minutes. This was mostly due to the fact that Dragon was deliberately parrying Andreas' blows and letting him wear himself out. Finally Andreas got in a lucky strike that would have done serious damage to an opponent of less skill. A thin line of blood trickled down Dragon's pointed ear.
Dragon finally lost patience and used his full strength. Andreas found himself disarmed, his blade wrenched from his hands with a wicked twist of the suddenly glowing dragon-sword. Before the younger man was aware of what was happening a still glowing sword point was resting gently at the base of his throat. Black glittering eyes glared down the length of the blade, boring into him.
"I don't know what has made you so angry." Dragon said in his rasping voice. "And at the moment it doesn't concern me." He paused and visibly gathered his words regaining control over the barely leashed power within him. "I would remind you, Your Highness, that it was yourself who played matchmaker and brought Lorelei and I together. You told me once that you wished your twin to be happy."
His voice grew rougher as emotion thickened it. "Let me make this very clear. If your wish for her has changed it is too late to revoke your approval of me." His words had the snap and timbre of a growl. "I love her. She is not the first I have loved but she is the last. I cannot breathe without aching for her. For her smile and voice and ready wit. She is mine! And I will not give her up. I would rather try to stop the tide than attempt it."
Dragon lifted the blade and sheathed the great sword on his back again. The last of the ruby's light faded with the glittering in his eyes. "I apologize for losing patience with you Andreas." He said more gently. "Let me know when you would like to spar again."
Another pair of gleaming eyes watched the tall warrior leave with a bow to the prince.
Andreas was sagging against the wall in the type of exhaustion only extreme rage or fear leaves in its wake. Swiftly, with a sudden fury at himself, his actions, Dragon, and others, Andreas slammed his fist repeatedly against the padded wall he rested against. The other set of eyes regarded this and finally decided it was time to speak.
A crisp melodic voice curt through the air, causing Andreas to tense again. "That was a very interesting display of swordsmanship." It commented. Andreas' eyes darted around the room but still could not locate the speaker. "I don't believe I've seen a fit of temper like that since your father and grandfather were about to carve into each other."
Andreas sighed as the slim black clad form drifted out of the shadows. The long pale gold braid would have reached her thighs if it hadn't been wound into a knot at the base of her neck. Her gaze gleamed like amethysts.
"Momma." Andreas greeted her with a shake of his head. "I would have thought you had more important concerns than to watch me."
"No my son, at the moment you are my chief concern." Sabine said gravely. "Have you the time to spare? I crave speech with you." Her words were overly formal, something her children had learned to take as a sign that she was worried.
"Of course." Andreas bowed. "Your wish is my command, my queen."
Sabine rolled her eyes. "Of course it is." She echoed dryly. "Shall we go to your rooms? You can bathe while I wait." It was firm suggestion.
Andreas grimaced and stooped to pick up his blade. "I would not dare to disagree." He commented. "I do not wish to be thrashed twice within the same hour."
His mother simply nodded and lapsed into a comfortable silence. With complete lack of concern for his sweat-stained condition she wrapped her arm around his and accompanied him to his rooms.
When he emerged from his bath and entered his sitting room, attired in a simple tunic and breeches his mother was comfortably ensconced in a wing chair, pouring tea with elegant posture and sweet grace. "I'm constantly amazed at how graceful the women of our family look when they pour tea." He grinned. "And Sebastian too, how he does it without looking effeminate is beyond me, but he manages."
"He is comfortable in his skin." Sabine said simply. "But you haven't been comfortable in yours for the past day or so have you." It was more an observation than a question.
Andreas looked at her and shrugged. "I am as always." He replied taking the cup she handed him. He didn't seem interested in drinking it, simply stirring the liquid with the spoon endlessly.
"Andreas." Sabine regarded him patiently. "Do you honestly think you are fooling me?" She lifted her cup to her lips her eyes glowing over the edge of the porcelain.
"Perhaps I'm simply hoping that for once my family will let well enough alone?" Andreas retorted.
"But you are not 'well enough' or we would be content to let you go on as you are." His mother shot back though her tone was more gentle. "Your reaction to seeing your sister in such an embrace was somewhat understandable although a bit more than I would have imagined coming from you. All that, well and good, it still is not like you to hold onto your anger for this long." She smiled slightly. "You are so like your father, a loving soul, not given to petty concerns."
"It angered me greatly." Andreas admitted. "In part because anyone could have walked in and found them like that and I do not want anyone talking bad of either of them."
"And the other part?" His mother asked softly as he seemed to forget where he was and his eyes grew so dark with emotion.
Silence followed for several seconds and then Andreas said in a near whisper. "You remember when I was sent to the Western Heart." His parent nodded slowly, her mind racing to all the possible implications. "I met someone there." His face slowly illuminated with the smile that spread his lips. "She was a child ….and I was a child," Andreas said his voice sounding reverently, "in that kingdom by the sea."
"You loved her," Her mother stated rather than asked.
Andreas nodded, his gaze lost it appeared in memories of the past. "We loved with a love that was more than love." He shook his head, "I'd never met anyone like her, sweet and strong and unsure of herself and then so certain."
A sweet smile curved his mother's lips as she looked at him. Her oldest son looked as she knew she did whenever she spoke of her husband. She'd seen that look on the faces of three of her children now. "This was the first time your heart was engaged?" She asked softly, not wishing to disturb the aura of joy surrounding her son.
"Yes." Andreas murmured soberly. "I was with another intimately before I knew my heart was engaged with hers or realized she was so in love with me. But, I never ….never was in love...until…" He paused as if not wanting to speak her name for some reason, "until I met my maiden by the sea." As if given a cue, Andreas face lost the glazed look and he wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down his face. "And while I have great affection for Maggie, I have never felt that way about anyone else."
"So, this love was not unrequited?" Sabine asked inquired hesitantly. Her voice was sympathetic but not pitying.
Andreas gave a short laugh. "No, that's the rub." He shook his head. "No, she loved me too, just as much as I loved her." A great sigh escaped him. "No circumstances, events… decreed that we could not be together as we wanted."
"I'm sorry Andreas." Sabine offered with a sigh. "I know it is not easy." She looked at him speculatively. "That is the greater part of why you became so angry isn't it?" She asked.
Andreas set his cup down and sat back in his chair for a minute. "I loved her, love her still, so much… I found someone whose soul is the other half of mine." He tried to explain how he felt. "And then I had to give her up." He sat forward again and balanced his forearms on his knees bending over them almost. "And now…" he looked up at his mother with eyes both tormented and accepting of it. "I grew up with you and Dad, knowing that the two of you were meant to be together. Then I found her, and lost her. And now, I see my younger brother…who I never thought would stop his whirlwind of roguish behavior to even notice one woman in particular…so completely intensely in love with Briar. I see my twin, who scorned men for fools and worse, lose her heart and icy reserve to a man who is far from perfect but he's perfect for Lorelei."
Andreas looked at his mother. "Momma, I see them, and I see you. All I can wonder is will I ever feel that way about anyone else, ever again in my life. I know I must marry. But will I ever have the chance to love that way again? As if I've found the other half of my soul. Or did I find her, for the first time, and the only time, and was forced to give her up? Sometimes it felt the only comfort I had was at least my twin still was like me, both alone, and not minding it much." The future king looked down and said in a choked voice. "So seeing my twin, knowing she will marry the man she adores, the other half of her soul, in such a passionate embrace. And somehow feeling in a furious moment that I won't ever find that again, I was angry and jealous."
Sabine reached her hand across the space between him and threaded her fingers through his hair. "Oh Andreas." She sighed with sorrow and aching for her son. "I know." Her voice was heavy with the truth of her words. "I know how it feels."
"Yes." Her son said not bitterly but still not very gently. "Mother .. " He said trying to wipe away the tears that had again formed in his eyes, "you were able to marry Father." Andreas said not understanding how she could know what he felt.
"Andreas, in spite of what you have seen." Sabine said in a more normal voice. "And I'll grant you this won't be much consolation at the moment." Her voice was dry. "It is possible to love more than once in a lifetime." She reached down and lifted his chin. "If you can't believe me, go to Waterdeep, ask your grandfather." She nodded. "Your father is something of a rarity dearest. He loved once, intensely, but if he hadn't met me, he would have loved others. And he might have had to face the same pain you bear now." Gentle hands stroked Andreas' cheek. "Drakkar, my father Elaith, even my Grandfather, all of them have loved more than one woman in their life. Each love is different, but no less strong." Her smile was joyous and sad both. "I was blessed in that my first love, was the love of my entire life. But for most of the world it is not so."
"I owe Lorelei and Dragon an apology." Andreas sighed. "I have been behaving selfishly and foolishly." He looked sheepish. "And I was a bit appalled at how intoxicated my twin looked. It's not going to be easy, giving her up."
Sabine smiled. "It never is," reaching out to pull her oldest son into a gentle embrace. "It never is," she whispered again.
TBC