Log Twenty
At the beginning of the session, Corwin, wounds attended to by Josh, called together the family for the long awaited meeting. The fate of the Kingdom was to be decided, and the new ruler chosen.
"I think it should be Bronnie, keep it legal for once." Hazard
"You do? Think, that is." Julian
"Oh yes, it is not unknown. Some day, if you wish, I shall introduce you to the concept. Hazard
"If she tries anything, I'll run. Moradin of Fiona
"You think you're that fast? Hazard
"I bloody well better be!" Moradin
"I'm rather surprised that Benedict isn't happy." Aneirin
"He NEVER is." Everybody else
Corwin chaired the meeting, but Benedict was the one who kept order. Julian had sarcasm turned on, and Hazard and Moradin refused to stop scrapping.
When Corwin directly suggested that he should be crowned, Julian remarked that he had been, it had been a disaster, and Eric's coup should have succeeded. Besides which, it had been jumping the gun, and Corwin was theoretically a traitor. He even went so far as to suggest execution. Midnight stormed out early, upset over the way her father was being treated. Didactylos the ninja was there, but he said nothing.
The bickering continued until it was suggested by Moradin that they could solve it by inviting Merlin to rule both kingdoms, and see what happened. When Hazard had been pulled off him by Benedict, the meeting continued. Hazard mentioned the fact she might give it a go if it wasn't such hard work, and pulled out some documents, signed with Oberon's ring, to show that she and her family were not to blame for the actions of Brand, and therefore, she was kosher. Then again, too much like hard work... Fiona said she reckoned Hazard knew something, because she had never shirked hard work before.
It took five more minutes before Corwin pulled a dagger on Julian, and then Benedict threatened to settle the matter personally. Permanently. The younger ones were each asked their opinion. Bronwyn had none really, having only just met the family, but she was the official heir and would take the throne if asked. Fauna was the actual heir, but admitted she would not be the best there was. Aneirin shrugged his shoulders, and managed to introduce into the conversation the fact that he was Corwin's heir. Fiona, as arranged, took up the hint, and said she wouldn't mind the son, even if the father was a traitor. Corwin thought for a long time and then went for Aneirin too. Flora agreed with whatever people said. That done, Gerard went out for a drink, and Fiona went with him as he was nearly paralytic and likely to harm himself.
Julian supported Aneirin, and the younger ones did too, but Benedict did not. He refused to have a king who was less than one tenth Random's age, when Random had turned out so badly.
His suggestion was Rinaldo. He pointed out that Brand was the only member of the family who had produced an adequate and legitimate male heir, and Brand, in the absence of Bleys, was the next heir. (Cue an explosion of laughter from Didactylos, who needed a glass of water before he could breathe) While Benedict admitted he could rule himself, he said he would loathe doing so, and Rinaldo, in his governing of Kashfa, had proved himself strong and intelligent enough. Benedict considered no other candidates worthy.
That being said, none dared to stand against him openly. Hazard, with her terrible sense of humour, begged to be the one to trump her father and tell him, but in the end, brought Prince Rinny through so Benedict could break the news. All present swore fealty, except Corwin, who stormed out of the room. There then followed all the standard double dealing and talking that happens, and Hazard took her father downstairs and attuned him to the Jewel of Judgement. (She has a neat arrangement with Brand. Whenever he wants to borrow it, she steals it for him. After all, he is family, and blood is thicker than water. She had just got it back, and in return, he had told her about higher initiation to it.)
As the family retired for the night and Hazard Trumped her mother to tell the news, Rinaldo slept after using the Jewel to call for nice weather, and all was well...
As if. The very next morning Moradin started being really rude to Jessica about their kiddie, Aurora. That is, even more rude than Moradin normally is. He was securely attached to Bronwyn, and Jessica had to admit she was still attracted to him. Gerard's drinking also reached dangerous proportions, and he explained to William he was taking a drink for every one of the sailors drowned when the Venus went down, it being the anniversary of their deaths. (Gerard was the one responsible for stealing all the cushions and soft furnishings from William's room and putting them into a quiet room where he could have a hangover in peace and not kill himself if he got totally drunk and started walking into walls again) When William asked how many drinks this would be, Gerard said some number in the region of a hundred.
With all nearly quiet, and the castle settled for a couple of days of peace, before they had to prepare for Corwin coming back armed, Hazard and Benedict went out to test out the guns, and found that they were losing power. This was bad for Corwin, who did not realise, but good for the rest of Amber. Midnight, having returned to Amber, was Trumped by her father, and as she was about to slip through, Fiona gave her a Trump, so she could get back. (Fiona has been very friendly with the younger generation of late. What is she plotting?)
Moradin teased Jessica mercilessly, and proposed, in secret, to Bronwyn. They decided the best witnesses would be Hazard, who was Moradin's sister and Bronwyn's heroine, and Benedict, who wouldn't tell anyone as it would waste syllables, and could be relied on not to speak at all. Bronwyn wandered off in search of them, and found them eating lunch together and arguing over a game of 7D chess and the war to come. They were joined by the dragon-kittens, and Hazard fed them from the table, despite the fact that they would take a lump of flesh an inch each way out of anyone who tries to be nice to them. Buttons and Boots, the tawny pair, ended up annoying Benedict, so were kept under a dish for most of the meal, and Purdey and Muttley, now somewhat larger than cats have any right to be, terrorised Bronwyn. Bronwyn brought up the subject, and Hazard smiled while Benedict's frown deepened, but both agreed to act as witnesses, provided Moradin was going to be well-behaved. Hazard, thinking of what was to come, allowed herself to get drunk that night. However, before she did so, she sent William out into Shadow to find a suitable army, because Benedict was caught up with trying to get Fiona and Gerard to swear fealty to Rinaldo, and having put in a King by force, it is generally considered best to stick around for a while.
Next day, Hazard and Benedict went out to test the guns again, to find out how far exactly they had deteriorated, and whether it would be possible to use the gunpowder at all. As Hazard was the only decent mathematician in the family, and she was the one who could do the equations in her head she had to go, but as she was virtually paralytic, Jessica helped her out to the North gate, and they set off along the road together. A few minutes into the journey, Hazard started coughing up blood. Benedict sent Jessica away a short distance, because Hazard was about to cause a magical fallout when she threw off Crowley's latest spell. Jessica wandered into a clump of bushes, and was greeted by Crowley.
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