#anywhere

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This is no wretched hive of scum and villainy, this is a grand and glorious winter palace and if it is villainous, well, it's a very grand sort of villainy, the sort that that you might just find was the hero, or perhaps anti-hero, all along. Let Troll lodges raise cautious brows, let Fiona holds play their games- New Agengard has held. Against floods of nature, crime waves among the autumn world, and nightmare threats that came to conquer and ended up bending knee...or being destroyed. It holds the line by blurring that line, it shields by obscurement, and it learns by releasing a thousand eyes of shadow that you never even see blink. It is why Charm stands.

You're welcome.

And worrying about matters of legacies, and history both, paces Countess Akanthea Gates ap Eiluned.

BOW your heads, Peasants!

Which might be why her apprentice and ward is coming close to beating her at chess, a black bishop falls to a red knight. The childling's green eyes look up, not at the board, but her tutor. "Either you're letting me win, preparing to crush me for a feint I cannot predict, or you're distracted. "

Adelaide is not so young anymore, the hold would slow her aging, but she has had to learn to navigate among mortal establishments of Baltimore too. But she is 11 at most.

"Must it be only one of the three, and only those three?" An eyebrow.

"I shouldn't have spoke so quickly" the girl says "Despite the game, I showed my cards, didn't I?" Adelaide then answers "They seem most likely to me, but perhaps more than one of the three fits and another I have missed. Nevertheless, I have never come this close to besting you in chess before. Baron Rostislav says I too often try to react rather than embracing the ambition of bold forethought which I will later have to adapt." A nose wrinkle, "I believe he thinks Varich, through Russian Dreamers, mastered the dreams of chess."

"I would not be surprised if he did believe that; he might even be correct. The pieces move in set patterns, Varich have a natural advantage." She takes that red knight. "You should play against him, let him beat you."

"I did, he did," She sighs as the redknight pays the price for its conquest of the bishop, "Let us say you are not the only one who regularly bests me. There are times I wonder why I play chess at all. It's not my strength" That said, she has improved, a pawn sliding closer to the far edge. Ah, what Eiluned doesn't like the idea of turning a pawn into a queen for use behind the lines?

"Because all of life is a game of chess, and the skill will never be your strength if you do not practice."

A slight nose wrinkle. the Girl acts older than her years, perhaps to impress, but now and then -well, Thea adores childlings not that she betrays this to most. So it's good to see she still can't shed those little moments completely. "How is life a game of chess? Is it because our stations so often define how we may move to achieve? "

"Yes. And, with clever moves, one can change one's station. How else?"

"Well, obviously it lets you know the need to see beyond the immediate. One of the reasons you push for the study of soothsay despite my natural gift with Chicanery" She says "To control the now is impressive, to influence the future, more so. And chess is one of those 'think as many steps ahead as you can' games" Unless stopped, when it is her turn again, that pawn gets that much closer.

The Countess moves a pawn to block. "Yes. I think Baron Rostislav would mentioned similarities between seeing steps ahead in both chess and physical combat; it is always wise to consider that facet."

"Sometimes I think you should thank Sir Vali for bringing the baron to your attention, but then it was you who turned him from Sir Vali's concern to your advantage. I..." The girl says "It's not just about the pieces we start with, is it?" Realization

"It is not." She agrees. "Nor entirely about the pieces you take from someone else, nor the pieces that are taken from you, nor the pieces you leave behind on the board."

"Life's chess is three..., no, four dimensional? One has to take it into a holistic view"

She's guessing, and brings a more aggressive move with her rook sliding out. Good, one sometimes has to be bold

The Countess nods agreement. "At least four dimensional; if you add the Dreaming, it could be more."

"That's where the Eiluned way is superior to the Varich one. They see patterns in everything, hoping to guide the patterns, but we predict where patterns start and end, we learn of the gaps." A bit of house pride in her voice. "The Varich ignore the gaps. If they have a failing, it's that."

"What happens when you marry the two techniques?" mild curiosity.

The girl's eyes search , not the room, but her own mind, then "I confess. I don't know. I would think it would be advantageous, but a bit of a tight rope. What am I missing?"

"Possibly, patterns, starts, ends, -and- gaps? A broader, more complete tapestry? Here's another question to ponder. You know what we say of the sluagh kith and its value?"

"That the first sluagh might have been a cast out bastard child of Eiluned herself," A realizaiton "Yes, let's not tell the Varich that theory. Oh, and that they are very useful because they love secrets almost as much as well. The Varich hatred blinds them to that usefulness"

"What could we gain by utilizing both resources, the sluagh -and- the Varich?"

"The Sun's gaze down and the worm's eye up," A tilt of her head "But there are few sluagh here, comparatively. The census, the official one and the unofficial alike seem to agree on that. "

"True." Mildly. "I did not say it would be easy."

"Your move, my mentor" To show she is also aware of the game and the questions, "some say a varich so ensconced in your circle might drive sluagh away. Others hint that you had a disagreement with another sluagh and his influence might have this place be hands off for his kith. " She has been prying, and perhaps is over her distrust of boggans, though it's hard to say. Adelaide's wound was caused by a boggan rebel after all. The girl may never be as relaxed about them as most sidhe are. "others say you dislike them, but then, you never let what you dislike blind you. so I don't think its' that."

"Mmm.... what do you think it is, then?" Her bishop slides forward.

"I think boggan gossip is a sharp metal that can cut anyone trying to grasp it and you never know who planted what in their rumor mill first. But no, the older censuses show that the absence was long before Rostislav. I think one has earned your ire in the past, but that is not necessarily a kith judgment on your part. I think you have hinted at the answer, that a blend of all of the above and simple chance as well created the dearth. " A thought "How do you encourage sluagh to move into an area then? Ones you can, and I realize I use this term somewhat ironicly, trust? Even Rivervale has a sluagh now. Gerd told me about him"

"You speak with Rivervale often?" Rook forward.

"Just Sir Vali and Gerd, if I ..." A frown as she realizes her own rook is getting pinched between the bishop and rook, a bishop of her own- that was close "Gerd is a bit younger than I, but Sir Vali seems to think we're good for each other. I think he wants to increase my trust of other kithain. I've been practicing my skills of using her as a information source. Truthfully though, troll lodges make for boring intrigue. She mostly talks about the dogs and how the wilder girls are boy crazy. There have been some brutal threats of interest. Nightmare Chimera summoned by a mad sluagh who likes bugs. He was dealt with. Last I heard. If this was game of thrones, Trolls would fancy themselves the starks I imagine."

"Game of Thrones?"

"A series on Cable television based on a fantasy novel series. There are intrigues in it. It's based very loosely on the War of the roses I was told." The eleven year old hopes that its rating and adult material doesnt' get mentioned. She got curious as to what the fuss was about and did what Eiluned do, she learned "I think everyone's favorite character is Tyrion, with good reason. He'd make a fine Eiluned. Cersai wishes she were as clever as he. The Starks are...very trollish. Probably meant to be the heroes but I think it says something when a great many of them die"

"Mmm." An agreeing noise. "Something to keep in mind when forming attachments."

"you don't approve of a friendship with Gerd?" A tilt of her head, distracted, unaware that her rook was merely the obvious target, not the only.

"Not disapproving. Cautious on your behalf."

"you told me once that the...anger I had against the treachery that took my old home was justified, but it must never master me. I thought at the time you couldn't understand. I was wrong I think, but then I am just a child" A look of calculated endearing innocence all the more adorable as she knows she is to be caught. Then more seriously, "Thank you, if I Have no said it. You do look after me even in areas where a mentor would not have to. I'll try not to let my friendship with Gerd blind me anymore than my anger of past events would. It is hard though"

"You're welcome, Anne."

The girl stiffens

but only for a moment.

Thea's queen moves a square.

Distrusting the seeming open, that rook swoops to claim a black knight

Thea moves her queen. "Check."

"I..." a sigh "I realize being irked by this will in no way assist my chances of success, but as I am only 11 winters... it will make me feel better. Drat drat drat." Sullen look, deep breath, carry on and move the king

"You count your time in winters?"

"When it suits me" she says "other times it's more advantageous to count the summers. 'Halves' matter to childlings," then she adds "A lot"

A small smile. "True. Good thinking."