#earthrunes

That makes him chuckle.

"It's just...you know I never looked for position or power, Zara."

"I know. And I am no royalist. But mayhaps leadership is not the same as power?"

"It is not." He agrees.

"So... lead, not command."

He gives her a weak smile. "This is a Sidhe you are talking to."

"But you're August."

"There's that, too."

"I am not one to bend knee, but others are. I would rather see them in service to someone ethical."

"Thank you, Zara." He is touched.

"What I have seen of Coradel... well, she is a sidhe, but she also would defend her people to the ends of the Earth."

"I can see this."

He nods. "She is a good Liege, from what I have seen." A faint frown. "I am not sure she... she understands mortals."

"Can any sidhe? You are different." A pause. "Truth, I chrysalized so young, they often baffle me."

"Well, if I can, then any Sidhe can." He say reasonably. "I'm not -that- different."

And eventually, they go into the library to read what she has found....

********

Magnus is often charged with getting to talk to the locals, a reeve of sorts, but a lot of his time is his free time, doing his deeds on mortal investigations- it is not easy work.

Sure, cantrips let him cheat, but it can be banal stuff, and his wife has pulled him away for rest before.

So perhaps it is no surprise that he enters Earth Runes after high summer a bit low on glamour but smiling - after all, HE avoided the pranks of Vince and Shalimar

He is let to know that August would like to see him. He is alone in the library.

Magnus makes a big todo.. "Oh sure, NOW father wants to me see me, after he's left the family fortune to Sparrow.... i know what's what..." then he watches the boggan race off with THAT juicy faux gossip and grins. He's feeling less banal already

And soon enough, there is a knock at the library door frame.

August is -surrounded- by stacks of books. He looks up. "Magnus, good. Come in."

"Certainly, greetings to you , and to whatever sluagh might be listening in.. Zara? Velvet?"

Velvet sighs from a shadowed corner.

"I knew she was there. " mildly "Come in. I need you to see this. The others already know."

A double sigh as Velvet apparently was spotted by two, or perhaps her handsome lord is just figuring her out. Either way, practicce maybe required

"Know what?" Magnus takes a seat near August, "August, it's not often you summon me like this. Must be important."

Wordlessly, August pushes the material on the Truthbranches over to him.

"What idiot blotted out a book?" A growl

Then he really starts to read.

August waits.

Finally... "how the hell did I miss this?" He says when he looks up, "I'm Autumn, been around the block. I'm a student and an investigator. How did I miss this?"

August shrugs. "I should have seen hints. Maybe I did but didn't realize what I was seeing."

"Maybe you didn't want to either," he says "August, you're a good man, but you tend towards laying low in some regards. the idea of an entire Banner House bearing your name, with you as it's patriarch and founder?"

He swallows, looking nervous. "That's... Coradel is the leader here, if we -are- a banner house.... and I have to admit, it's looking more and more likely."

"We need to find out House Fiona's stance on this... I should have caught this and didn't. I'm the scholar on the Fiona side." He is troubled by this, "Don't you see? things like this could explain why the responses from Fiona are so mixed. We had Fiona allies due to mother probably, but others were against us. It's why it's a coin toss when it comes to Silver Lion meeting Silver Oak."

August sighs. "I have a call in to Father B, to ask if I can have an audience with Duchess Petalmourn for access to some House archives. House Liam." the last to clarify.

"If anyone has archives, it's them. I'd like your permission to investigate this Fiona side. We do have SOME Scholars"

"I think it's Coradel's permission you'll need, but she's feeling pretty good so she will probably say yes."

"If this is looking what it looks like, this is a Liam sworn House with Fiona support... and you're the patriarch. I think it's your and... Sparrow, as your heir, that would have directed it back in the day..." He sorts through the pages, "Until it all fell apart."

"-Was- the patriarch, maybe." He shakes his head. "It didn't fall apart, Magnus. You know how it ended, and why. No, this is Coradel's call. She is a landed Baroness."

"I think you might be afraid, August" He says

"Pragmatic." He insists.

"These people, you scattered them for their own good, perhaps figuring that you'd never be free of Arcadia's punishment so you saved them. But it looks like they didn't scatter, didn't forget, and instead, out of loyalty to you, mother and sister, kept the Truthbranch alive... oh much changed as they tried to salvage it and adapt it for hard times, but alive. They barely know who they are, but they're remembering the tree in lantern. The won't let it go, and they are sworn to you in spirit even if you released them in Oath. Well, you're not a prisoner of Arcadia, and you have a title again. There could be a dozen or more either awake or about to, all over Concordia or beyond waiting for you and NOT subject to Mother's reach. I think you're worried that if you stand up- this becomes your problem, and they all count on you. I think you're scared, father.... I think you're scared because you're a good man who doesn't want to let down good people."

August stares sullenly at the table top and finally says "That is not a bad reason to be scared."

"I'm Fiona, I cheat, but even we get scared when folks we care for are hurting or in need. I might say it's the best reason to be scared mmM? But I seem to recall some folks telling me when I was scared that fears must be faced, or they become the god you worship instead of more worthy forces."

August might get a sense of Deja Vu from that, only.. on the other end of it?

He frowns at the echo of memory and nods. "That.... is not wrong."