#earthrunes

Coradel tilts her head. "You look upset."

"If I was... somehow, I allowed our vassals to sell dreamers?"

"No.. " Magnus says

"Oh, no...Deryn, no...that was...that was nothing you'd ever allow."

"Sis, you weren't in on that," he says "A winged leader would have been mentioned."

"But if I was here, and didn't stop it..."

"It sounded like it may have been an imposter group, even. Using the name, but...not us."

"Nothing they said suggested you were here, Derynwydd." Gently.

"It may have been during times when you were.... sleeping."

"That might even have been intentional, now that I think of it. If they knew there was no real banner-holder present, they may have taken that opportunity to discredit the name."

"And even if you were 'here'...you weren't 'There'. You didn't know...and Firnost aside, trods don't just cross over whole kingdoms 24/7" Clare says "Take it from me, your mother is right. They used the name for authority when no real authority figure was present."

"And they have paid the price." August reminds grimly.

"I want to charge them double. With interest." Coradel takes another cranky sip of wine.

"I still dislike it."

" I don't blame you."

"Let's not forget also that pooka," Magnus said "I mean, burning ravagers ALIVE is.. pretthy intense.. but this is why we WANT August and Sparrow to shape the Banner House.. "

"To provide the vision needed," Claire says

"Exactly. If they don't, somebody else will, and we cannot risk the Truthbranch name being further tied to atrocities."

"True."

Claire says "Is it wrong thta I'm...sort of proud how House Ailil seems to given young Duke Tierone an edge for the great game?"

" an important reason that I said yes."

"I don't believe I've met Duke Tierone yet." ((Which I'll delete if she has....))

OOC: Nope

" I am sure you will"

"Well... "

"Well, it certainly seems likely now. What's his Ailil connection, Claire?"

"He was raised by a noble of the house in an Ailil hold until his saining... he had been through our Fior...when his saining revealed him as .. not an Ailil, but a Liam.. he was forced to run."

A blink, and then she looks to Sparrow.

"Well, it can be startling to discover your house is not your house. The Fiona, at least, merely shunned me."

August looks down at his papers again.

Coradel nods, then swirls her wine thoughtfully. "Hmmm...I wonder if banner houses, now that they're re-emerging, will start to show up in sainings?"

"That's an interesting idea..."

" I suspect we will have cause to find out." August says dryly.

"Who knows? " Magnus says

"August, Derynwydd...if others come to you to ask what House Truthbranch is, what it stands for...what will you tell them? We have models of what it shouldn't be...but what should it be?"

August nods." I have been thinking about that. We will know more after the library Quest."

Claire ponders "This lantern... do you realize what House Liam could... House Ailil might surrender a ...well, a county up for that"

"The Lantern must not be discussed outside of this room." Coradel frowns. "That's...an enormous amount of power."

"THAT needs to be protected..."

Then she sighs. "I'm sorry...that's not for me to say. House business, not Barony business."

August agrees.

Magnus looks at his wife, "Darling. They're right. I love you, but your house never needs to know about that"

That the Lantern should be kept secret.

Claire sighs "Okay. Do..." A deep breath, "Do you want me to take an oath of secrecy?"

Coradel presses her lips shut and looks to August.

August he's quiet a moment and then says " I am not asking for an oath of secrecy from anyone else. No, thank you for the offer."

"Not asking... but certainly not stopping you..."

Coradel looks uncomfortable.

Claire looks touched that August thanked her. Then actually chuckles at Sparrow. "I will consider it, more for my sake as much as anything. It might help me legitimately avoid some..inquiries"

"Exactly. Even Unseelie honor oaths, if for pragmatic reasons..."