The idle chatter continued until Aurora, young Kestrel, and myself were making our way back into the foyer. Meli had just refilled the tea pots with freshly made tea for our household after meal discussion. Deas was standing in the foyer waiting for us. He smiled as he reported that young Lord Bryan and young Lady Sara were arriving soon to visit ‘Uncle Kestrel’. Meli giggled as she feigned rolling her eyes. Sert simply smiled from the doorway to the garden with a quick nod before returning to collect the empty trays, platters, plates, and cutlery to pass to Deas. Young Kestrel stayed by the door while we moved to return to the garden and take our places for this impromptu visit that bent many rules.
“Deas will return once he has returned the dishes to the Royal Kitchens, and can stay in the foyer with you two.” he stated to Sert and Meli who simply nodded. The three pots of tea had been places on the heating braziers with many clean cups waiting. Young Kestrel escorted Bryan, Sara, and her Governess Ichcui into the garden. Meli and Sert acted as door guard while the foyer still held a squad of a dozen She-bear Guards and the trio of Aurora’s retinue.
“If Lord Kestrel is in agreement with this, I will be nice and not mention anything about this.” Ichcui stated. She held one arm keeping Sara by her while waiting in the door of the garden. I smiled knowing she was doing this to respect me and not fearing this infraction of Royal rules.
“Of course I agree that Princess Sara should meet the Ambassador.” I stated back. She looked at me with sharp eyes. “She should have knowledge of them that visit Atlantis to make her future accession to the throne when the Royals fall.” I added as explanation. She nodded slowly her agreement to my words.
“True.” she interjected. A soft smile came to her face as she stepped forward allowing Sara to rush ahead. “I am very pleased to be allowed in your home, Lord Kestrel.” she announced giving me a quick fluid curtsy.
“You shall never feel unwelcome under my roof.” I replied smiling. I bowed to her using it to scoop up Sara to have her sitting on my lap. The child’s mind babble to me was a steam of all the events she has had during my many times away from Atlantis. I warn her to be careful with her mental speech to prevent being overheard by others. She instantly replied that her cousin had taught her about direct hidden mental message and whispers. The next information had me intrigued as she had been training Deas using his gifts in the same way.
“That is the one thing about her that disturbs me.” Ichcui commented while watching our exchange. I had verbally been answering to all the mental whispers Sara spoke to me.
“She only speaks to you and listen for your answers without truly reading your mind.” I returned calmly. I had not added the word ‘now’ at the end of my statement. The others stared from me to Sara and back to me.
“She seems to prefer mind talking to me instead of using her words.” the Governess replied with a hint of annoyance.
“It would be best to ignore her until she speaks.” I advised her.
“I am already doing that, sir.” she informed us. Her eyes were locked on mine as she spoke the next line. “But why does she call you ‘father’ when mentally speaking to me?” she asked. “She does say the word ‘Uncle’ when she talks out loud about you.” she added quietly.
“The Captains have already explained it to me.” Bryan replied from where he and young Kestrel spoke silently. “Ichcui is very perceptive.” he added casually.
“I must believe it is our mutual ability to mind speak like her mother.” I tried explaining away. The look of disbelief showed this answer was not an acceptable one to her.
“Told you she was perceptive.” Bryan snickered at me. I did not look away from Ichcui’s eyes as she reason what she was willing to admit of her thoughts.
“A mind cannot truly lie, meaning she sees you as her true father figure and not King Munin.” she stated slowly and calmly. I nodded to her receiving a soft smile. “If their is more to this, leave me in the dark, please?” she concluded. Sara turned in my grip to look at her as well.
“You can let it slip to wolf-boy.” Sara said plainly. “He will understand the truth like the Royal Guardians already do.” she added. Her voice was still childish but her words showed how quickly her mind evolved towards maturity.
“That is Royal Guards.” I corrected her gently.
“They are and will always be the Royal Guardians keeping the secrets of what has truly transpired upon Atlantis.” Sara responded. She spoke slowly but clearly to everyone in the room with a sweet smile on her face. “I have seen it like you have, noble father.” she continued no longer hiding anything. Everyone in the room already knew that Princess Sara was my daughter except for maybe Aurora. My glance went from Bryan to Ichcui as they spoke.
“My sister is very gifted.” he responded calmly.
“And she seems to control her gifts very well.” Ichcui commented with only a mild shrug.
“It seems that everyone of importance knows your little secret, Brother Order.” Aurora announced with a deep toned chuckle. “Only the ones that should never know are being kept in the dark so far.” she added. This brought forth a glowing bright smile from Sara at these words.
“Will Auntie Pesty come play with me sometimes?” the Princess asked.
“If I am not forced to play ‘Nightingale’, I am at your service, my niece.” she answered with a bow to her. “Hard to believe you would be the first of us six to have children.” she commented with a small smirk. “You have been more prudish since Elyria's death so long ago.” she continued softly. It was a bit of teasing but friendly as they all realized my true past. “I hope this does not bode ill for our special Sibling Family.” she added closer to whisper.
“I think that is quite enough on that subject, Sister Pestilence.” I remarked bluntly. This gained me a look from all those within the garden. My sudden reluctance would easily be mistaken for anger by the bluntness of my words.
“It is best if they knew enough to be able to face the little events that might arise.” Aurora remarked to me. The slow ring of nods ended with Sara nodding more vigorously in my lap.
“Even if she is not of my blood, she is my sister in my heart and I will protect her even facing death.” Bryan stated.
“She has chosen me to stand with her, I shall not falter in my duties to teach her and keep her safe.” Ichcui added her oath.
“Where she leads, I go and fight for her and for Sara.” the mental whisper in my mind from Steel, the wolf-boy demon.
“I bear your name and shall be at your side as I have repeated to you often, sir.” young Kestrel stated. “No matter what, I will stand with you and Atlantis.”
“You all speak words of true oath binding.” I muttered. I looked to the top of Sara head, avoiding their gaze filled with acceptance and hope. “Should I tell them what their fate is by following this harsh path?” I asked in a half whisper to Sara.
“I am not the Queen yet to command you, father.” she answered quietly. “My words mean nothing at this point.” she added.
“Not true sister, you are the Princess and true heir of the Throne of Atlantis.” Bryan told her.
“And as Royal Advisor, my ears are always open to the members of the Royal Family at Atlantis.” I whispered to her. I could not help smiling at this playfulness she was showing all of us. “Truth of what I have seen for them or do they remain in the dark to perform their duties naturally?” I asked again. I left her to decide this point since Aurora and myself could not agree that they should know the truth.
“Tell Bryan and Ichcui, please.” she stated calmly. She twisted in my lap to look toward them. “They will not take it the wrong way.” she added in a whisper to me. With a sigh, I nodded accepting her request.
“You Lord Bryan will earn your way into Valhalla with your sister because you die with her as you protected her.” I told him. My voice was unemotional, flat, and passive. “As for our Warrior of the Sun and Moon, she will be battling her conspirators with Steel at her side while Bryan stands against the other enemy during the last moments of Atlantis.” I explained to her. “Lady Nightingale and Lord Chilörąn shall be spearheading the evacuation with Sert and Meli assisting them.” I continued. I place what I could together from my vision to give them the most clear picture, if still vague. “During all of this, Annianka shall face a star child bound to destroy Atlantis while she has gone mad with delusions.” I concluded. I avoided looking at young Kestrel knowing too much about his fate.
“And where will you and I be?” Redpath asked in the quiet room. I looked at him with a sad smile.
“You will be with Miss Hope, trying to assist Annianka.” I said plainly. “My place is of no importance once it gets to that point.” I added in a dismissal tone. I shrugged hiding the shudder that wracked my body.
“If we allow everything to fall upon this path...he will have been removed from us permanently.” Sara supplied. Her face had scrunched up as her eyes filled with tears. “But another shall stand as our protector and father.” she whispered sadly in my mind. She made no sounds as the tears rolled freely down her cheek grieving my assured death before it happened.
“And our two Brothers and our Sister?” Pestilence asked. Her shock at my not mentioning them in my vision statement had her for once feeling fear. “Will they not come to our rescue in our time of desperate need?” she continued animated. She used anger to hide the growing fear creeping into her mind from my words. “Speak you old sooth-saying bird of ill omens.” she screamed at me. I did not look up at her focusing on the top of Sara’s golden head.
“Lost with Lockey’s Leviathan before the end is upon us here.” I whispered out to her. She stared wide eyed at me realizing the full implications of my words.
“We all die in one way or another for the greater good.” Sara returned quietly. She sniffed and wiped away her tears before turning a smiling face toward Aurora. “We will all meet again in the future if Atlantis survives the battle between the two children of the stars.” she explained cheerfully. “Father cannot see beyond this event since all the pathways of time lead to this knot that will judge us and everyone to move forward for light or darkness.” she informed them.
It was not just their shock that held their tongue as Meli entered to change the tea pots and place platters of snack food for all of us. Each in turned thanked her while Sara babbled childishly on my lap before jumping down and walking around the garden. She spoke to the flora and fauna in merry manner like any other child her age did to everything around her. Nightingale, Ichcui, and myself talked quietly and laughed at Sara antics. Bryan and young Kestrel exchange battle strategies and practice a few battle moves to one side of our gathering. Meli placed the platter on a pedestal she grew from the ground at the centre of the garden where we had grouped ourselves. An origami dragon sat upon the middle of the platter facing me. I retrieved it and waited until Meli left before unfolding this report from Famine.
“I think this will explain my reason to call upon you, Lady Nightingale.” I stated in a grumbling sigh. I was handing the note to her while giving my orders. “Redpath, get word to the Royal Guards to have the security around the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Ambassador tightened for the next week since it appears they are being goaded into retaliatory events thanks to our little chef.” I told him. Young Kestrel was over the wall faster than any Royal Guard has ever moved. He was a blur of black fur that had Bryan looking shocked over this feline’s celerity. Sara moved to sit between me and Aurora.
“Is he mad?” Nightingale asked while reading his report to me. “Having each one believing that the other two will sign peace treaties with Atlantis and each other based on rumored combined attacks upon each other.” she explained quickly. She looked at me for permission to show it to Bryan with a tilt of her head.
‘Yes, Prince Bryan may read that report but you, Bryan, cannot interfere or speak of this issue to others.” I stated while eyeing Bryan. He nodded before taking the message from Aurora’s hand. He read it once looking both annoyed and confuse. The second time he read it his look became pensive. He was muddling through the many political ramifications of this rumor driven event.
“This could be used in our favor if Atlantis offers a treaty of mutual protection and alliance to the three without informing the others two about this rumor trap.” he finally stated. He looked up at me waiting for me to agree or dismiss on his assessment. I motioned him to continue his thought pattern. “Once they all sign, we informed them that neither can attack the other since they are all now allied to Atlantis making them forced allies.” he added smiling at me. I nodded slowly to him.
“You might make a good ruler out of this one.” Nightingale commented out loud. This gained a blush from Bryan but I received the rest of her statement in a mental whisper:“If he lives through this mess.” I did not vocalize or mentally respond to her heavy doubts of any of us surviving this event. This was in part the infection upon this world that made everything appear in the most dismal possibilities. This was just another knot that could not be circumvented if the paths of the past could ever become the time paths of the future. If we failed her, all the future knots would come together as one ending any chances at a future existing. Failure would have the world with only three or four of the Brothers and Sisters of Light able to assist them through the darkness. It is a minor difference since failure means Atlantis is destroyed releasing the darkness or Atlantis disappears beneath the waves while the darkness grows in a slow crawl towards the next knot in the pathways of time.
“I believe it is time to call this evening to an end.” I stated softly. Sara had moved to curl up in Ichcui’s lap yawning. Bryan nodded first as he looked at his sister. Ichcui agreed with her own slight nod as she rose holding Sara tightly to her. We moved slowly into the foyer where Deas now waited for Bryan.
“I will escort my sister and Ichcui home before returning to my dormitory.” he informed us. They drifted off with the Royal Governess walking between Bryan and Deas as she carried Sara. I turned to Sister Pestilence, bowed deeply as she curtsied back to me. Her trio followed suit each taking a turn to bow or curtsy to me to receive a bow from me in return. Her Ursus Guards fell quickly in rank around them as they walked down the dim lit marble street.
“Was the evening productive?” Meli asked in a whisper.
“Very productive.” I half lied back to her. “Lady Nightingale will be here for our morning sparring session to test Sert.” I remarked getting a fearful gulp from the warrior. “If your little tea gathering is completed by then, I am sure she would love a chance for you sparring against her.” I added getting the same fearful gulp from Meli.
“I believe my tea social will run very late, unfortunately.” Meli responded. The false casualness was easy to note in her tones. “And did the message from Chichi helped place everyone upon the same path regarding our potential allies?” she added with a little smirk. I nodded back with a stony faced grin.
“Everyone will start running alliances offers to Atlantis making all them allies under the belief they are protecting themselves from rumored plotting against them.” I informed her. “Once they are all linked to Atlantis, peace is forced upon all of them since they are now all allies.” I concluded softly.
“Aggressive diplomatic methods but not without honor assuring a peaceful world while Atlantis stands strong as the peacemaker of the world.” Sert returned calmly. Meli nodded as they both smiled at this underhanded maneuver for a good cause.
“If it is the only way to save the world as a whole, Atlantis bows willingly to the will of the Ones on High.” Meli continued softly.
“I believe it is bedtime for all of us since we still have much work to do in the morn.” I told them. “Cole and young Kestrel will sleep once they return home.” I added indirectly letting them know that Redpath was out.
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