#earthrunes

Coradel kisses the cooling hand of the once-sidhe, and gently rests the hand on the bed. The tears come, and the weariness, and the heartache, and she joins Shalimar in mourning.

All around the hold , the last of the Eiluned Banners suddenly transform into Fiona colors, and those? Those now seem to hang at half mast. While the anger of the Duchess and Duke send hard winter winds throughout much of the Duchy, in the Barony of Earh runes, rather it rains, each rain drop tasting, according to some, like a tear.

(End scene)

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The following day, the 24th, is largely about damage control, clean up, and mourning the dead....and figuring out who does what under the new baroness's rule. The new baroness isn't entirely sure of those answers herself. By the afternoon, she's pacing the throne room in agitation.

"Pacing helps?" From the doorway, leaning on a crutch - the leg is mending, but there were far more serious injuries.

"It's better than throwing things," she mutters. "Or so I'm told." She looks over at Sparrow. "Nobody's helped you, yet?" She seems slightly outraged.

"They helped - got the bullet out, cleaned it up. Don't need to heatherbalm everything in one day."

"I bet throwing things might be cathartic."

"I suppose, but if they haven't 'balmed you by tonight, I'll try to push you closer to the front." Her own leg seems to be healed. Apparently Delores refused to take no for an answer.

"Perhaps I should take up hand axes."

"Ooo, that could be fun. Me, I was thinking archery. Could benefit that "death from above" schtick..."

That gets a bit of a smile. "I didn't see much, except right near the end, but I hear you were an absolute terror."

"Lots of targets, hard to miss. Hey, did you eat?"

"I..." She pauses. "I think I must have...but I don't remember."

"Today?"

"Ah....?"

A shrug, then a wave. "I've been busy. There's so much...." She gestures vaguely at reports and such.

Then a sharp look. "Magnus, is he all right?"

"Yes. Which we can look through after food. It isn't like the people of Earth Runes ceased to be. Inish is still here, Shallimar.... Magnus... Magnus is resting."

She limps over - other than the leg, she does seem fairly intact, ably swinging on her crutches.

A pensive nod. "Fine...yes. Some food sounds good."

"Better to take on a task with at least something in your stomach. There's cake and yule ham and this jiggly pink stuff..."

"The last does not work with chopsticks."

The last gets a bit of a chuckle. "Lead the way. And now that you mention it...yes, I think I'm starving."

"Exactly. Can't work that way. Now, who was the Chancellor? I don't think I met that one..."

"The Baron didn't really have one. I'm not even exactly sure what one would be expected to do."

"Chancellor is... your right hand. A good political tool in that you can hand off unpopular necessities to them. And important, too, to have a close advisor. Someone you can trust."

"If you need to be absent, the Chancellor typically is in charge in your stead - the Baron was old, and Eiluned, he may not have felt the need."

"More likely he felt so embattled he didn't think he could trust anybody with that much information."

"Also possible. So - you could elevate Inish, but some sidhe might bristle at that."

"Or there's August."

A long silence at that. "I don't know if August would want it." Quietly.

"Right... I don't know what all is happening there... but... you need someone you can trust. Especially this early. Nansaidh?"

"Nansaidh...is a good choice." A few more steps, then a sigh. "But I want it to be August." She gives Sparrow a sad look.

"Well. Talk to him."

She hesitates. "If I'm still... if you still wanted..."

"The Count seems to no longer be a threat."

"I tried. He said he needed to be alone. He was here, in the battle...but then he left."

"If you're still...?" She's puzzled.

"Heir."

A blink. "Deryn, of course you're still heir. That is...if you want to be. And you would be an excellent choice for Chancellor, I think." She frowns, considering. "I don't know if I'm ready to make that decision yet, though."

"Well, you don't need a Liam boogieman now, I don't think. It seems like a lot may have stabilized outside. Now we need confidence and order inside."

((Need to pause scene, for a bit.))

((k))

((Back, may be intermittent))

"A...Liam boogeyman? That...that was never the point, Deryn. Not for me. Maybe for others, but....that's not why I named you. And...that's not why I want..." She stops and shakes her head.

"It was because of the threat, that's why you needed an heir so quickly...."

"Yes...but that's not why I chose you. I chose you because you are the right choice. You have knowledge of court etiquette and Concordian politics. You are a skilled fighter and a wise leader in your own right. If and when I fall...I believe you would guide EarthRunes well."

"It..." She shakes her head. "It'd be different if I was just Sparrow."