#earthrunes

A knock on Magnus's door. "Magnus?"

August looks over, a bit on alert.

"I.. oh, Baroness" He rises "Come in"

August rises.

Coradel enters. She still looks tense and irritated, but she gives him an arch look. "Baroness, is it?" Then she sees August and extends a hand to him. "I was not expecting to find you here, my love."

He sets down the half-glass of wine he holds and crosses to take her hand. "I hope it is not a disappointment?"

"Well, Cordy might get me glared at." he says

"Not at all," she says to August. Then to Magnus, "Well, yes, maybe. I wanted to check on you after...." she waves her hand with vague irritation in the general direction of the audience chamber where everything went sideways.

"Adam is on a quest to the Dreaming to reclaim Nab. it seems she.. ah, departed from the sword ..it's still linked so he has a chance to find her and make amends, but.. " A sigh "yes, didn't go well did it?"

August goes to pour another glass of wine.... then he glances at Magnus's glass and brings the new glass and the rest of the bottle over.

Coradel smoothly accepts her wine from August, rewarding him with a kiss on the cheek before answering Magnus. "I didn't ask about him. I asked about you, Magnus." She regards him. "You don't look well. Tense."

August accepts the kiss and tops up Magnus's glass.

"Dad's trying to help me. It's enough to worry anyone" A grin

"I stopped trying." he confides to Coradel.

"I meant to speak more with the Namer before he departed. I'm not sure whether he left early or merely avoided me. But neither is a good sign."

"Ah, yes, he was upset. I talked to him. Thinngs are settled"

August sighs and picks up his glass to sip again.

"Settled? How, settled?"

A concerned frown. "Magnus, did you do something?"

"he wanted to ask about the mentorship aspects. I talked to him about it. I AM a mentor.. or was"

"I think Magnus might feel, ah, stung by this encounter."

"Magnus is hardly alone in that," Coradel replies to August. She sips her wine before asking again, "What did you settle, Magnus?"

"No blame is cast on yourself or Earthrunes for Adam's lack of preparedness" he assures

She stares. "Because you took it all upon yourself?" she guesses. "Greedy, Magnus, and inaccurate."

"Better me than Earth Runes end up under Ducal supervision for all fledges"

August takes a drink.

"Well, yes, but also utterly unnecessary! We have the mother of all loopholes, you know."

"We do?" he says

She stares at him. "Of course we do! Adam was a mortal kinain whose fae nature was thrust upon him by a djinn! We may reasonably have expected that he was ready for saining, but there is absolutely no precedent for one like that!"

August lifts his glass. "I can add to that."

"And yet, we vouched for him. We claimed he was ready. "

"Based on what we knew," she emphasizes to Magnus, then looks to August. "Yes?"

"Namer Jodfrey Sained him. Looked at Adam's Name, and gave it to him. There's a modicum of responsibility there. Additionally...."

"Adam took no Oath. He may have offended someone he loves, acted callous cruel... but he did all this as a Sained Wilder Sidhe. I don't know that I can say I have not done the same or similar. Who among us can?"

"I can" Magnus says "So can Bachdion."

"What is the statute of limitations on foolish or ill-advised behavior when one is Sained?"

"Then you are truly great men, and my admiration for you is justified."

"Dad, you missed somethings. Nab's voice was coming OUT of the sword and he ignored it.

"

"It's not a matter of greatness, i's a matter you don't treat your love like shit while she's pleading with you to stop claiming your'e doing it for her" A frown

Coradel shakes her head. "August, it's true that my house can be recklessly tragic and impulsive. But that is not what this is. He told me he had thought about this attempted oath of vengeance for some time. Yet he hid it from his mentors, apparently intentionally. And when he realized his love was with the sword, he failed to be comforted because he thought she could not give him physical pleasure. You have never, ever been so callous, cruel, or offensive, and I will strike any who says you have been." She gives him a serious look.

Magnus sighs "Anyway, it's done. I won't have the time to mentor anyway what with Claire and all"

August nods acceptance.

"Magnus, I do not wish your reputation put into question, not when the fledge seems to have deceived his mentors intentionally." A stern look from Coradel. "And why should Claire interfere with your ability to mentor? She never has before."

"Ah.. uhm... mmm gee look at the time"

A blink and she sets down her wine glass. "Magnus? Is something wrong with Claire?"

"Oh.. " agrin breaks loose on his face

"No, not a thing"

A faint, puzzled frown.

"Hmmmm...." A bemused expression. "Well, it seems I haven't spoken with your lovely wife enough lately. I'll have to fix that. And Magnus, don't think I'm done with this matter about the saining. That Namer may get a piece of my mind." She picks up the wine glass to take with her as she turns to leave.