Eirian was still weighing her opinion on the Court of the Camelia. Some of them didn't seem all that bad. Lady Yang and Lord Yin were almost friendly these days, and it was interesting to see the minor families she hadn't yet. Every one of them was a soldier, that much was clear. There were more weapons and strategies at that table than in any one room in the capital.It was very different from the elegant double-speak of the capital. Much quicker, too. There were more of them than she'd realized, too. She knew there were thirteen major families and two dozen minor ones, all of whom had some kind of responsibility in the Crimson Army and the estate, but seeing them all seated around the large square table had been eye-opening. There hadn't been any ceremony or greetings before they'd launched into their concerns. Complaints. The same politics that plagued the capital. That plagued any kind of civilization where one group ruled over another.And the ones that didn't, probably. Sometimes it seemed like the only way to escape them was to live in seclusion from the rest of the world, and Eirian loved too much about civilization, about music, dancing, food, fighting, sex, and far too many other things she could never live without.Well, not happily at least, and she is aware of herself enough to know that if she was that unhappy, she'd make sure anything in the vicinity would be unhappy as well. Few people are happy that alone, though she doesn't dismiss the idea that there were some, but Eirian is not one of them.She wanted to talk to Mingzhe after the meeting, but he'd wanted to tell his family personally what was happening, so she'd let him go. A bit disappointed he hadn't invited her along, but she supposed the middle of a crisis wasn't the best time to meet the family.Chenzhou had gone to visit Yuze, so Eirian took Finn to find Marian and Brendan. Kai Low had been muttering to himself when he left, and Eirian planned to find him later. "That was terrifying," Finn muttered and leaned against her shoulder as they walked. Eirian hummed. "It was loud, but at least it was short. Much shorter than it would have been in Aontacht."Finn glanced at her. "Do you think it's going to end well?"She snorted, then cast him an apologetic look. "I suppose that depends on what you mean by well. These things always stir up anger and resentment as much as they get justice for those who deserve it. It's a balance, like all things."Finn sighed. That wasn't as reassuring as he'd hoped.Eirian studied him for a moment, nodding to several maids who bowed as they passed by. "You were enjoying helping Yuze investigate."He looked surprised by the change in subject but nodded. "It was fun." He admitted. "I don't think I was all that good at it. Emmy and Patrick…"Eirian grimaced. She hadn't meant to remind him of the other thing he'd been fretting about. "They are still well within expectation to be fine, Finn. It's not unusual for those investigating like that to be out of contact for weeks at a time."Finn frowned. "Even inside a single estate?""A single estate hundreds of miles in size?"His shoulders slumped."You need something new to do while we wait. Something to stop your mind from doing nothing but worrying." Eirian decided. "Why don't you teach Brendan?"Finn turned to her, wide-eyed, and tripped over his own feet. Eirian caught him with a sigh and managed to hide the wince of pain the effort cost her. "What? Teach him what? I don't know anything about teaching anything!"His sputtering made her smile. "He's learning the same lessons you did as a child. He's starting to remember the people he sees every day. Marian said he loves to talk, and he's doing well in his lessons. She said he loves to learn. It's the perfect time for someone to start mentoring him. You don't have to be a tutor, just a guide." She almost said friend, but it was hard for an adult to be just a friend with a child of Brendan's age. The sense of responsibility for someone so small was difficult to resist."You're just trying to keep me busy," Finn accused. "He doesn't need another minder.""Maybe you're the one who needs a minder," Eirian muttered as they arrived at Brendan's rooms. She opened the door as Finn sqwacked about being too old for a babysitter.Marian wore an amused expression as they entered. It was clear she'd overheard their conversation. Brendan was seated next to her, a large book open in his lap, oblivious to the world as he stared at the large words written neatly across the pages. His moonfire hair was sticking up in every direction. Marian had thus far failed to find any way to control it that lasted beyond a few minutes, and Eirian felt an irrational pang of jealousy. Her hair was still in terrible shape, and after the last time Eirian had complained, Marian had threatened to just cut it all off while she was sleeping so it would grow faster.
~ tbc