It was not long at all before Sarah came to visit me, alone this time. "Cerridwen will be here in an hour or so, to join us for supper. I thought we might take this opportunity to talk," she began. "For surely you have many questions for me."

I nodded, having hoped she might give this opportunity. "Yes, I do. I would know of my parents, first. Do either of them yet live?"

"I'm sorry to say that your mother has passed on. She was an initiate of the Logrus, and suffered the same fate as the others." She paused after saying that, and regarded me. She offered no shoulder to cry upon, of course. She knew that I did not need one. I managed to remain impassive, having expected this news based on what Cerridwen had told me. About my father, however, I had no idea what to expect. Sarah did not leave me wondering for long.

"Your father has died a number of times since last you saw him, and yet he is currently alive and well and serving as advisor to the Queen of Amber, who is Rhiannon, granddaughter of Caine. I know little of what transpired for him before the Abyss War...but I have learned this, Melanie. He has had other children...a son named Lylesberg by his current wife, Jasra, and a son named Adam, who is the product of an affair he had with Caine's daughter, Emma, when she was quite young. There is another named Jacob, but it is uncertain whether or not he is really your half brother...though he believed it to be so. In general, his sons are a disappointing group, none possessing a measure of your talents. I suspect your father will be more than overjoyed to hear of your return...when you choose to inform him of this. I assume that you said nothing of this to Cerridwen?"

I smiled slightly at that. "I thought it might be...impolitic to mention that aspect of my background, given how he was regarded before my imprisonment."

"It is for the best," Sarah confirmed. "Cerridwen does not like your father...though he is close to her sister, the Queen of Amber. She will not tell him anything of your return, and so it will be up to you to inform him...as it should be. I suspect, however, that he will have need of your talents, given his sons' incompetence and lack of ambition. Then again, there are far greater opportunities here in the Courts..."

I nodded once more. "I intend to investigate such opportunities fully, before informing my father of my return. It sounds as though he is rather entwined with Amber right now, while my heart has always belonged here." I thought over her words for a moment, my mind catching on her opening sentence. "You said that he had died a number of times. Might I know the details?"

"I know them not, unfortunately," Sarah replied. "I had heard reports that he died at the end of Patternfall...and that he was later alive and causing strife in Amber. Later still, I heard that he had returned, and been killed by Gawain. And then I learn through Cerridwen that he lives and is advisor to the Queen. I'm afraid you will need to speak to him to learn the truth of it."

She stopped suddenly, and her expression became pensive. "Emma's brother altered the face of magic...he transformed it into a greater power on par with both the Pattern and the Logrus. And now there is this Magic Circle, which one must walk in order to gain this power. Cerridwen has offered to enable us to seize this magical power created by Emma's rogue brother. Do you wish to be a part of this?" Her lips curved in a slight smile, for she could have no doubt of my answer.

I found myself mirroring her smile as I replied, "But of course. I would be more than happy to participate in this little endeavor. I imagine we shall be departing shortly?"

"Yes...this very night, I believe. Apparently Cerridwen has devised a lure that will keep her uncle out of our hair...and while he is otherwise occupied, we will take possession of his favorite toy. It seems to me a risky venture, in truth, but I cannot safely allow myself to be disempowered thusly."

She paused for a moment, thinking. "I know that Cerridwen feels differently, but I think that we should eliminate this Meridian fellow. If the opportunity presents itself to dispose of him...safely and quietly...so that no one knows...do take advantage of it," she continued, her expression very serious. "I will certainly be looking for just such a chance."

I agreed wholeheartedly. "One so foolish cannot be allowed to continue to exist, lest he inconvenience us again in the future. Not to mention that he will doubtless seek to reclaim his toy if left alive."

"Precisely," Sarah replied. "I have not survived this long by suffering fools such as him to live. Why don't you take an hour or so to freshen up...perhaps have a nice hot bath? I need to contact Dara and make the necessary arrangements for her to accompany us...as well as a few others," she added. "Come to my study in an hour and a half...and we'll prepare to go."

And then she turned and left, seemingly lost in thought. As soon as she departed, a maidservant entered and curtseyed deeply to me. "May I help you with anything, milady?"

"Yes, I require a bath." And more importantly, some time alone to think while I soaked. There was much to consider. Not for the immediate future, for that was already decided, but after I regained full use of my magic, what then? How long dared I wait before informing my father that I was alive and well? There was a part of me that wished to put off that task as long as possible. As soon as I contacted him, he would no doubt attempt to ensnare me in his schemes, and I was reluctant to become so entangled again for several reasons, not the least of which was the trouble it had gotten me into the last time. A part of me felt decidedly irked that he had apparently made no effort to find or free me. If I meant so little to him, then he could continue without my talents for a while longer.

After a rather pleasant bath, I emerged to find that all of my old clothing had been kept in the same perfect condition as the rest of my quarters. I could detect just the edges of the preservative spells that were used. Again I smiled at the thoughtfulness that implied. I dressed in one of my more durable dresses, expecting we might encounter a bit of resistance in acquiring access to the Circle, then made my way to Sarah's study. Upon arriving, Sarah offered me a seat and explained that the two of us were awaiting Dara, who would be along shortly. I decided to take advantage of the wait to ask Sarah a question I had been pondering during my bath. "You mentioned earlier that Cerridwen is not particularly fond of Brand. Do you happen to know why that is? It seems odd, given how close he stands to her sister. Unless that is the reason."

Sarah smiled slightly. "Cerridwen is an odd creature. She is extremely willful, and I believe Brand's attitude towards her has always been rather paternal...which is no doubt the source of her resentment of him. There may also be some simple jealousy involved...for Brand is very close to Rhiannon."

"A bit of sibling jealousy, perhaps? Interesting that she should resent a paternal attitude. I wonder if she felt he was trying to take the place of her lost father?"

"Who can say? Cerridwen is not the kind who takes well to probing questions...," Sarah replied. So I had noticed. But before I could respond, there was a knock at the door, and a servant walked in.

"Duchess Helgram has arrived, milady," he stated.

Sarah looked over at me and smiled. I could almost see a touch of anticipation in her eyes. "Shall we go then, Melanie?"

I stood, doing my best to mask my own enthusiasm. "By all means. I am eager to begin."

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All text on this page is © 1998 by Kris Fazzari.

Last modified on December 25, 1998 by Kris Fazzari.