Keish- July 11, 2004

July 11, 2004
Dear Arri,
Just after I sent Hermes off last night, Imato and Jace returned, followed swiftly by  everyone else.
“It’s sunset,” Gretel said softly.
“But is it sunset there?” Imato asked.  “Better if I just hold the ward until they’re back.”
Behind him, Jace caught my eye and shook his head.  He’s exhausted, he mouthed.  I could see Jace was right.  Imato had probably gone out on Sprigs by force of will alone.  If your brother weren’t so stubborn, I’m sure he’d have collapsed days ago.
“No, Imato.  We aren’t sure how long it will take them to get back; you can’t keep this up indefinitely.  For that matter, neither can I,” I said ruefully.  “And with the iridium in the ward, I’m not sure Liop’s going to want to travel with it.”
“But that still leaves the question of whether sunset here is the same time as sunset there,” Papa pointed out.
Nysa spoke up.  “Imato or Keisha will be able to tell when it is time to release the ward.”
Imato looked to me and I nodded.  “I’ll check on him.  I’ll be able to tell if it’s safe.”
I started to close my eyes.  “Wait.  Can I examine the ward again?” Uncle W.’s voice was almost timid.  “Before you remove it, I mean.  The iridium infusing the ward, it’s a fascinating concept…”  He trailed off, but I saw suddenly in him an enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge that made me think of Liop.
I smiled.  “Of course.  Come, check the ward with me.”
He came closer and took my hand, more confidently this time.
I could feel immediately that something had changed.  There didn’t seem to be a haze of magic surrounding Liop and he seemed cheerful.  I let Uncle W. explore the ward for a minute and then gently released the connection.
I turned to Imato.  “He’s safe.  You can let it go now.”
He took a deep breath.  “Do we need to do this together?”
I shook my head.  “It’s your ward.  I just fed power into it.”
He nodded and closed his eyes.  I felt the ward release just as Imato started swaying.  Jace caught him and made him sit down.  I felt a little dizzy myself, but at least I was already sitting.
Uncle W. moved to a side table and began furiously writing what looked rather suspiciously like magical theory notes.  Soon he was muttering under his breath, too.  I grinned.  Who’d have thought we’d get Uncle W. interested in something magical?
Overall, the mood was jubilant.  Well, as jubilant as was possible with Imato falling asleep in his chair and me about to follow suit.
Marta came in with a tray of soup and sandwiches.  “As you asked, Milady,” she said, placing the tray on the large table.
“Thank you, Marta,” I responded.  She bobbed a quick curtsey and left.
“But this calls for a celebration,” Papa said, “not a tray in the library!”
I looked pointedly at Imato, who was trying to wake up enough to eat.
Papa looked at Imato, then back at me.  “Perhaps tomorrow would be more appropriate.”
I nodded.  “Tomorrow we can celebrate.  Tonight we need to sleep.”

This morning, I set Cook to preparing a celebratory feast for afternoon and checked on Nysa.  She seems to have recovered fully.
Gretel had Imato fairly buried in last minute wedding crises, so I knew he’d be kept fairly quiet for the morning at least.  I made a mental note to have Jace rescue him at some point.
Entering the library, I was surprised to find Uncle W. surrounded by books and papers.  He looked up sharply, startled.
“Good morning, Uncle,” I said lightly, taking my seat in front of the table with the Chronicle.  We haven’t moved it since Imato found the spell for fear of losing it.
“Good morning,” he replied, sounding a bit like Liop when I’ve caught him attempting a spell.
I suppressed a smile.  The notes on magical theory in front of him had not escaped my attention, but I said nothing.

Let me just say that the theory and mechanics of this spell are enough to give Brynn a headache.  After working through them for five hours, (Uncle W. having wandered away muttering something about buying vitriol and sulfur for an experiment) my eyes were beginning to cross and I was only a third of the way through the spell.
I don’t usually spend so much time going through a spell like this, but given what’s at stake… it seems the least I can do.
“Cook is asking when you’d like the food served,” Jace said, startling me.  I hadn’t heard him come in.  Looking out the window, I could tell it was already mid-afternoon.
I shook myself a bit, shaking off the stupor of staring at the spell for so long.  “Whenever she’s ready, I suppose.  Where is everyone?”
“Winthrop and your father are in the observatory, Nysa too, I think.  Gretel has Imato cornered in the sitting room still.”
I groaned.  “I was going to send you to rescue him around noon.  The day got away from me.”
Jace chuckled.  “I tried to rescue him, but apparently the wedding will be entirely ruined if they don’t sort out whatever it is they’re doing.”
I grimaced.  “Well, I suppose if she’s leaving in three days she has to have everything settled.  When is Imato leaving?  With Gretel?”
Jace shook his head.  “He has to compete in the exhibition on the 16th and 17th.  It’s the very last of his training; makes up for what he’s missed in the last couple weeks.”
I nodded absently.  I knew that, of course; there’d just been so much going on.  “Gretel’s father is traveling with us next week,” I remembered.
Jace nodded.
Well, better Sir Aoweir than Lady Aoweir, I thought.  Poor Gretel.

Cook certainly outdid herself.  Course after course of wonderful food.  Everyone was cheerful and Imato was greatly recovered.  He and Uncle W. didn’t even glare at each other.
There was far too much food, of course.  Even after I insisted that Marta and Cook serve the same courses downstairs.  Cook packed a lot into a hamper, since Uncle W. is saying they may leave sometime tomorrow.

Later
Jace came in as I finished writing the above.  “Well it appears the celebration is over,” he said, dropping into a chair.
“Oh?”
“Imato and Winthrop are having quite the yelling match downstairs.  In our study.”
I was nearly to the door before he finished.  “This is ridiculous.”
He jumped up to follow me.  “What are you going to do?” he asked, amused.
“Put an end to this insanity.”
I stalked down the stairs and threw open the door of the study.  “Sit down and be quiet, both of you.”
They complied almost instantly.  Jace says it’s probably because I was looking murderous, but I think it had more to do with the gentle nudge of magic I gave them both.
“I have had absolutely enough of this childish feuding.  According to the calendar, you are both adults.  It would be good of you to act as such.”  I pointed to Uncle W.  “You, explain.”
Uncle W. shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “I asked Imato to assist me in some experiments.  I wanted to see if I could duplicate Liop’s results or if it’s a particular talent he has.  Imato indicated that it would be hypocritical of me to request magical help.”
I held up a hand.  “Enough.”  I pointed to Imato.  “Speak.”
Imato sat defiantly.  “He is a hypocrite, denying Arri and Liop opportunities for all these years and then involving us in magical experiments when he decides it interests him!”
I held up my hand again.  “Enough.  It is possibly hypocritical, Uncle.  Point to Imato.  However, you are finally trying, so point to you.  As it stands, gentlemen, we have a draw.  What else?”  I pointed to Uncle W. again.  “Speak.”
“Imato went on to question my fitness as a guardian for Arri and Liop, which I resent.  I have loved all three of you as my own.”
“You have a funny way of…” Imato began, but I cut him off with a firm twist of my wrist.  The rest of his words were formed silently.
“It was not yet your turn,” I said sternly.  I released the spell.  “Now, then; speak.”
Imato was glaring at me.  “Arri and Liop have lost many opportunities.  He’s constantly impeding their progress for his own selfish reasons.  It’s as though he’s punishing them for his own recklessness when he was younger.  If they had a proper magical education, perhaps Liop could have gotten away from the fairies or avoided being taken all together!  If Uncle Winthrop doesn’t have their best interest at heart then maybe…”
I cut him off.  “That will do.  Well, Uncle, fair points have been made.  You certainly cannot deny you have interfered in both Arri and Liop’s study of magic.”  He began to speak, but I silenced him with the same spell I’d used on Imato.  “At present, while the circumstances with Quin are unresolved, you remain legal guardian.  However, you are no longer the only adult involved.  As their elder brother, Imato has rights here also.”
Imato nodded.
I released the spell on Uncle W. and indicated he could speak.
“That is not a very polite spell,” he stated.
“I know many spells that are worse, Uncle.  Perhaps we should all be grateful that I do not use magic recklessly.”
“I have always done what I felt was best for them.  For all of you.”
“Of course you have,” Imato responded sarcastically.
I raised my hand and he subsided.  “Even so, Uncle, Imato does have a right to participate in those decisions.”
“Participate or overturn everything I say?” Uncle W. asked heatedly.
“Well, if everything you said didn’t need overturning,” Imato shot back.
I flicked both wrists and silenced them simultaneously.  “Enough!” I roared.
For a moment we all simply glared at one another.
“Here is what is going to happen,” I said finally, “for the purposes of this family and this discussion, Arri is her own entity.  She will be 18 in just weeks.  She is capable of making her own decisions.  Her studies, her future are not up for discussion.  They are hers and you will both, from this point forward, firmly respect that.  You will support whatever course she chooses to pursue.  Liop’s studies should be discussed and arranged, at least until he returns to Uncle Quin’s care, in a manner that you both agree on.  To that end, the two of you will have to learn, at the very least, to be civil and not send the tension level into the heavens whenever you are in the same room.”  I paused briefly to stare at each of them.  Both looked away.  “So, I am going to seal this room.”
Both of their heads jerked up, eyes wide.
“Conduct your experiments, or don’t.  Decide on the shape of Liop’s education, or don’t.  I frankly do not care as long as you resolve this.  Once you have resolved your issues with each other, you are free to go wherever you please.  Until then, the door will not open.”
I walked out of the room and closed the door firmly behind me.  Placing my finger on the lock, I murmured a few words, sealing them in before I released the spell on their voices.
I began to hear yelling almost immediately, so I added a layer of magic to muffle the noise.
I heard slow applause and turned form the door with a start.  Standing in the hallway were Jace, Nysa and Papa.
“Marvelous entertainment, wouldn’t you say, Jace?” Papa asked.  He was the one clapping, naturally.
Jace grinned and Nysa chuckled.
I rolled my eyes and went out to my garden to enjoy the sunset.
They’ve been sealed in the study together for two hours now.  They’ll have to work together to release the spell.  It was my mother’s, though, so I imagine Uncle W. will know what to do once they are both calm enough to do it.
I’m going to bed.

July 12th
I was alone in the breakfast room finishing my meal when Uncle W. and Imato came in this morning, looking tired and sheepish.
“We thought perhaps we should apologize, Keish,” Imato said, chagrined.
I raised an eyebrow.  “Perhaps?”
“We apologize,” Uncle W. put in hastily.  “Our behavior was abominable.”
“Well, I’m glad you realize that.  How did your experiments go?”
They looked up from the plates they were filling, startled.
I laughed.  “You both smell faintly of sulfur, so unless you tried blowing open the door…”
Uncle W. smiled.  “They went fairly well.  We tried several combinations of chemicals with Imato’s warding spell.  Iridium proved to be quite the strongest, not surprisingly, but several other compounds were also promising.  There are possibly some interesting martial applications, of course.”
Imato sat down beside me, nudging my elbow.  “You realize that if you get him started he’ll go on for hours?”  His voice was light.
“Actually, Uncle, if I can interrupt?  I was hoping you’d go over my breakdown of the magical theory behind the spell in the Chronicle.”
He became very still.  “I’m not sure magical theory…”
“Nonsense,” I cut him off.  “You don’t decide to make a wand without a deep study of magical theory.”
“Yes, well, we all know how well that turned out.”
“Only because it was a decidedly stupid thing to do in the first place,” I pointed out.  “No amount of study would have made that safe.”
“Come on, Uncle,” Imato put in, “take a look.  For a man so set against magic, you know a ridiculous amount about how it works.”
Gretel came in as he said this and stopped in surprise at his cheerful tone.
“Good morning, Gretel,” Jace greeted, coming in behind her.  “You missed the excitement last night.  Keisha gave Imato and Winthrop an ultimatum and locked them in our study together.  Ready to go riding?” he asked me.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gretel’s eyes as large as they were as Jace and I left the room.  “My notes are in the library,” I told Uncle W.
He nodded.  “Have a nice ride.”

“Where did you find that spell?” Jace asked once we were away from the palace.  I knew he’d wanted to ask last night, but wisely didn’t.
I smiled ruefully.  “It was my mother’s answer to tantrums.  You have to be calm in order to release the spell and you can’t pretend.  Trust me.”
He laughed.  “It’s brilliant!”
“She always thought so.  It saw plenty of use.”
“You, throwing tantrums?  Never,” he declared gallantly.
I laughed.
We rode for a long time, then returned to the tower where Uncle W. was poring over my notes in the library.
“You’ve done good work here, Keish,” he said without preamble.  “Nysa and I both read through them.  I wrote down a couple of suggestions, but what you have done is very solid.”
I sat down with him and we went through his suggestions together, making a few minor changes.  I’m still only a little more than half-way through the spell, but I feel like I have a good grasp of it now at least.
Your letter came after a while and Uncle W. and Nysa read it before leaving.  They had planned to leave this afternoon anyway, but once they read your letter they decided to leave right away and meet you in Odsreq.  They should arrive Wednesday (the 14th).
I’m sorry you can’t heal yourself, but I suppose it’s not surprising, since your mother couldn’t either.  The fairy healer is certainly interesting.  I wonder what he means when he says you’ll meet again.
I wonder if the Queen realized how much trouble Liop was going to be and wanted you to keep him from changing.  The solution certainly allowed her to save face.
Adding the iridium was brilliant.  It seems the concept will keep Uncle W. busy for weeks.  With any luck, now that he and Imato have come to whatever arrangement they came to, Uncle W. will let Liop be involved.
Not all fairies are abducted children?  Do fairies have children of their own?

I’m glad you are back and safe and with Liop.
Gretel will be leaving for Rousha in a couple of days and the rest of us will leave in a week.  Which basically means I have to work out this spell by then, so that we can perform it while we’re all together.

In the meantime, I’ll send Hermes off with this.  It’s so nice not to be relying on the post.

Love Always
Keish

Go to NEXT Letter