Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
Life had become simultaneously more and less complicated in the last few days. The changes with Patricia had left everyone more than a little shocked, both in the du Wolff household and the Sinclair-Ragnos household. Add to that Raici’s presence on the island, and it was a little chaotic. Patty, or rather Professor, had been true to her word about being able to undo the conditioning that Maker had performed so that the clone wasn’t immediately hostile toward Vandrad anymore, which was at least a start, but she was still keeping the clone under close observation just in case… but on the flip side, Vandrad had been able to confirm beyond the shadow of a doubt that Maker was using an ability to manipulate Mercury and others around her. While one the one hand it was disappointing and sad to know that he had been lying the entire time, it was also provided many of them with a sense of relief that they could go back to viewing him as the sociopath he truly was, and treating their plans for him accordingly. But today was not about Maker. He’d been wrapped up as the central focus of Mercury’s time for months at this point, and she was ready for a break, if a small one. There had been some talk amongst her and Vandrad, Themesycia, Cyrene, and Zemenar about establishing the first holiday for New Rhaegar. Both peoples had been through numerous trials and struggles for countless years, and while there had been many celebrations thus far for their freedoms, they hadn’t really taken a moment to honor and reflect on the lives that had been lost during their respective wars and imprisonment. Eventually, the idea had been proposed to establish a memorial day, one that would involve supplying the island’s residents with paper lanterns that would be lit later on during the night, where they would be released out over the open waters of the ocean in memory of the loved ones that were no longer with them. The announcement was well received by everyone, and the citizens had been diligently preparing for the day. For the most part it wouldn’t involve anything too formal; everyone had been invited to join with one another on the beachfront, where there had been stations set up with refreshments as well as places for people to collect lanterns for the ceremony later. There was also a place where a podium had been set up next to a space where a curtain was covering a statue that Mercury and Vandrad planned on unveiling for everyone. Otherwise, everyone would more or less spend the day with their individual families in the stretch of coast line that had been set aside for the event, telling stories and exchanging memories until it was night. For now the sun was still out. It was still morning, and they would be making their way down to the beach in a couple of hours, but first there was something that Mercury needed to speak with Vandrad and her father about. She’d asked both men to meet with her in the manor, in one of the smaller parlors where they could have a moment of privacy. She was dressed in a casual but presentable outfit, sporting a black top with sheer sleeves that was tucked into a pair of high waisted pink and white shorts. Simple black shoes with pink ribbon lacing around the ankle completed the ensemble. While she looked as collected as ever where she sat with Vandrad, waiting for her father, there was a mild nervousness simmering beneath the surface of her emotions. It wouldn’t take long for Zemenar to arrive, the older Xocili dressed in a light pair of khaki pants with an open button up, floral print top over a white shirt. Mercury looked up from where she had been idly scrolling on her iLac and smiled, slipping the device away to stand up and give her father a hug. “Hey, dad,” He returned the gesture with a warm smile of his own. “Morning, you two.” Knowing Vandrad wasn’t huge on hugs, he merely placed a hand on his future son-in-law’s shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze by way of greeting. “What’s up? Did you need help with something?” Mercury shook her head, gesturing for Zemenar to have a seat. “No, I actually just had something I wanted to discuss with you both. I didn’t want to make a decision on this without running it past the two of you first.” Sitting back down, she took a quiet but deep breath before looking up at them. “I would like Khelben to be able to participate in the holiday today.” Zemenar all but froze in his seat, clearly having not expected this particular topic of conversation. Ever since both men had found out what Mercury’s brother had done to hurt her, Khelben was a subject that her father had attempted to avoid for some time. Understandably so. It was a difficult situation for everyone, but perhaps hardest of all on Zemenar, who was having to struggle with the love he had for his son against the anger and disappointment he had in his son’s actions. One didn’t need to be an empath to recognize that he was already at a loss of how to respond, leaning forward a bit in contemplation with his hand clasped loosely together. Khelben had been in prison for months at this point, all but forgotten by nearly everyone. The vast majority of the island’s residents had no idea what he had been locked up for, nor did Mercury have any intentions on telling anyone that didn’t need to know. Her father shifted a bit awkwardly in his seat. “That’s… very big of you,”[/color] he offered quietly, clearly still trying to get his bearings. “Are you sure that’s something that you’re ready for..?” “I don’t think I’m ready for him to be fully released,” she admitted slowly. “And I’m sure neither of you are, either. But… I have been visiting him. In jail. A couple times a month.” “You have..?” Her father looked all the more stunned by the news, turning to glance at Vandrad to see if he had been aware of that before turning his attention back to his daughter. Mercury shrugged. “He’s my brother. He hurt me in ways I don’t know that I’ll ever fully recover from, and I know I should hate him. Some days I do. But he’s the only family I have besides you. I’ve gone my whole life without having any family, and if Khelben and I are going to have any chance at repairing anything with each other… it’s not going to happen without me making a few sacrifices to my pride. He and I both have to be willing to confront it. So.. yeah, I started visiting him.” “But more than that, this holiday is about remembering who we’ve lost. We’ve all been persecuted and imprisoned for so long, I don’t think any of us have had a real chance to grieve. And the fact of the matter is, he knew our mother and spent most of our life with her. I didn’t. No matter what he’s done, he deserves the chance to be a part of this. And while I’m not asking either of you to be comfortable with his company or to consider giving him a chance at forgiveness… I just… wanted to see if it would be okay to let him be a part of this, preferably with as little lashing out as possible. For my sake, if not for his. But I didn’t want to surprise you guys with it, and I wanted to give you a chance to tell me if you’d rather I didn’t bring him along instead of just… making that decision on my own.” |
Serilda Sinclair