#rivervale_lodge

"The reward would have been worth it" She says "The prestige, the benefits to my father's future. And a piece of our past, however ugly, returned"

Sylvi looks like she wants to say something, but she changes her mind to say instead, "I'm glad you got out safe."

A look at her, "I appreciate the restraint. Were you going to say something about how we're better off without it?"

Meanwhile, Doomwind is talking to Brekke, apologizing for being..relatlivelychatty.She confesses she would not talk quite so much normally but, welll... her English makes her feel rather dim so a chance to speak in the mother tongue is a release

"Not...quite. I just figure...there's got to be other pieces of House legacy. Ones that aren't...um...dangerous to people who I care about.

A smile "And that's my reminder you may be sidhe like, but you are all troll" yes she smiles "There must be, but unlike this chain... I don't know where those are"

Brekke assures her that she is just as glad to hear the language, as well.

Sylvi points out, "You didn't know where this one was, either. So...find out."

Nadeen considers "Well, it might take my mind off things"

"Yeah, and..." Sylvi starts, then stops.

"You do that a lot. Am I that thin skinned?" Nadeen ponders

The Chieftain having given the go ahead, sort of, Doomwind speaks of her of their favorite locations in the old country. It is clear Doomwind prefers the wilder or at least rural areas to the cities, though she had been to some of those too of course

"I just don't know if I should say it." She sighs. "I was going to say that...it might make you feel like you've got more value than just marriage potential." Apologetic look. "I know that was part of what this chain thing was about, but it could happen with a different kind of treasure."

"I don't just see myself as marriage potential, thats' why when I feel I'm sidelined or bhypassed it stings so much. I belive I'd be a wonderful leader... yet the only paths to holds are via marriage. To be fair your mother's trust in my diplomacy was reassuring. I just...that too is based on being pleasant. Hard work, YOU know, you've been there. You also have to be clever, and read people, and yes, hold cards close sometime... but at the core, it's a form of courting people"

"It's hard not to try marriage if that's the only road that seems to not be blocked" She adds then she says "And besides, there's one that I.. .I ..well, no one here sees him the way I do"

Brekke gives Frank a look of forgive me, then rises from her chair and goes to a bookshelf. She brings back a coffee-table style book of photographs of Norway and offers it to Doomwind after opening it to a specific page: A landscape with a hilly ridge. "Hjemmet mitt var utenfor det stedet."

Sylvi blinks. "You mean...Aiden?" she murmurs quietly. "You've got actual feelings for him?" She clearly thought it was all agenda.

Doomwind glances over the page
"Jeg har vært der. Vel der i nærheten. Jeg fiske. Å ikke rart at du flyttet hit. Det er ikke så annerledes."

"It'd be easier if I didn't" Nadeen admits, and tries not to say anything like yes, Varich have feelings, because she knows tht's now how it was meant, "Aiden is, on many levels, a GOOD man. He could be a great one. Of course I feel for him. He has known loss, and yet he cares for those left behind. He's proud of his work, not vanity or arrogance, but I mean he lets that pride guide him to mastering his liveliehood. He is smart, clever, and even boyishly charming at times, yet still very much a man"

Brekke shakes her head. "Familien min flyttet til Midt-Vesten. Wisconsin."

A blush from Doom wind

"Jeg kunne ha sverget at dette var ... tilgi. Sidhe-minner er et virvar når det gjelder tid. Og det virker steder"

"Jeg forstår ikke," Brekke says.

Sylvi says, "I...guess. It's just really hard to, well, forgive him for the way he treated Connor."

Doomwind assures Brekke it's of no matter.But asks her how she came to claim Rivervale

"Now that I understand... but I'm thinking Connor is.linked in his mind to his late wife's fate" Nadeen admits "He wants to provide for the boy ,but some part of him can't forgive the boy . It's tragic." Siv whispers low after making sure COnnor hasn't slipped back in "I know. I like Connor too, but Aiden is good to others. This is not... this failing with his son is not all that he is."

"No, I get that a bit more, now. I mean, after seeing more of his people, and...like, Bluebell's dance? I mean, it was really sad, but it was also...she looked like somebody who had been encouraged, you know? And he praised her, from the crowd. He was proud of what he saw. Same with Gwen. So...yeah, okay, he's not a villain. It's just hard to make that jive with the Connor stuff."

Brekke looks puzzled a moment, but then nods, and tells briefly of her chrysalis, and discovering her ancient oath with Count Hemlock. "Da han vant fylket sitt, gjorde han meg baronesse her."

"yes, but the one we need to watch out for is Calanthe. Aiden.. is pained by Connor so he neglects his son. But Calanthe wants to use him like a stepladder.. until she doesn't need him"

Sylvi frowns. "I don't like her. And...I sort of figured she was more of the bad guy."

"Guess it does show " The Varich says "And.. even she has her merits. But she's not a good ruler for Silverwolf , particularly not from Rivervale's perspective"

"Well...does she want to rule at SilverWolf? Or is she sort of assuming that's the next logical step and she's just making sure it happens? Maybe she might find another way to advance?"

"I mean...does she like SilverWolf?"

"I thought of that myself, finding her a more ..'cultured' area " A sigh "Varich at least appreciate the land"

Sylvi grins a little bit at that. "Well, maybe something will come up in that regard." She pauses. "I think I didn't realize you cared about Aiden because...well...Dagmar...." She trails off.

"Oh I went stupid on that..." A sigh "THAT I could kick myself for. I thought I could have them both, have it all.. the hold, two people I was attracted to... horses for Dagmar at TWO locations... I love Dagmar, but yes I think I .. I have feelings for Aiden"

"You, um, should probably tell her that. Before she sees it for herself."

A look "We already broke up and agreed to be friends. Remember? Dagmar deserves someonne who CAN swear truehearts. Who doesn't use her for ambition even if they do love her sincerely."

"Right...but...if she's like me and thought you didn't actually have feelings for the man...seeing that you do might come as a slap. Just my opinion. Might be wrong," she shrugs.

Nadeen seems to let the wind go out of her And she mutters something in Russian or is it Polish?

but the general message of 'so... i'm Still fucking up. OF COURSE I am' is clear

"Oh, crap. Nadeen, look, I'm sorry. That's...look, this stuff is hard. I didn't mean to be....like, scolding you, or something."

"I know. I just.. on one hand I want to say 'we are now just friends. SHE is free to love who she wants. I am free to pursue who I want'.. I thought that's what FRIENDS meant. But no? Apparently I have to tell her.. no I am not telling her I was attracted to him before the break up. I am not putting myself in that no win..."

"O-Okay, okay..." Sylvi makes calming gestures. "That's fine. And I might be reading the situation wrong."

"You know, Honor is a lie, Change is Good. Passion before Duty, Glamour is free...I never claimed to be Seelie.. I don't know why folks keep assuming I must be. And I am calm, I just see the shipwreck that hurting Dagmar would bring"

Sylvi...doesn't quite know what to say to that. So she doesn't say anything. She glances around at the other conversations happening.

Elsehwere, Vali jokes lightly trying to entertain the childlings giving Sally Mae and Caroywn some time at the adult table.

Sally mae is talking "I like teaching math but I'm seeing why teachers burn out. "

Kerri leans back against Olgar's shoulder, his arm comfortably about her, grinning at something Myrttle Anne said.

Olgar enjoys it...and grunts with mirth.