#rivervale_lodge

An unhappy twist of her mouth at something, and a shrug. "Maybe. I dunno. What we had had been good, I thought. But I... it... well, I guess it wasn't. And I really want Sy to have someone good. Like, look how happy Nadeen is now, right?"

"Right. And...that makes it more difficult, doesn't it? Because we didn't think the Baron would be good for her, at first."

"And so it is harder to trust your dislike for this woman."

"Yeah. He's changed a lot, for the better."

"I have no right to be jealous."

She looks at nothing for a moment as she considers that wording. "What would give one the right to be jealous?"

"Someone with... a real claim, I guess?"

"Hm." Thoughtful.

"Someone that was a real partner. Could be a real partner."

A brow. "'Real.'"

"Yeah." An emphatic nod.

"I might be older, but I think definitions of 'real' relationships are increasingly fluid these days."

"I don't think so. They're easy to see. Look at you and Olgar, or Chief and Frank, or Jaymes and Tove."

A bemused look at her. "Not a single one of those relationships happened without a struggle, you know."

"I mean, I know Dad was totally a mess about actually asking Tove, and she was all nervous, and all that..."

"But they were in love the whole time."

"I'm not sure either one of them was sure of that, at first, to be honest."

Snort. "It was obvious."

"To you. And to me, and most of Rivervale, yes. But it's harder to see from inside."

"Well, and from the inside you can think something is real, and it isn't."

"True."

"So it comes down to courage. Being brave enough to possibly make a mistake."

"So I should let Symon make mistakes?"

"I'm just... I'm... I don't trust her."

"Not what I meant. I meant...you might need to be brave enough to make a mistake, if your heart is telling you to do something about this."

"There's a risk he may resent you. But that risk might be worth it, if it helps Symon."

"I have a plan?"

"One you can share?"

She purses her lips, looking around.

Except for the dogs, seems clear

"I think... I think maybe there's magic involved. Maybe Chicanery, that can manipulate emotions?"

A nod. "It's possible."

"Magic isn't my strong suite. So I need someone else to look, to see if they see it."

"Who are you thinking?"

She touches a spot on her sternum. "There's this necklace..." Frown. "Well, Sy and I are going to Dark Gate, to commission something to help protect May when she goes back."

"Zane is there, and their Mountain was trained by Emmit, I hear."

"A necklace. What does it look like?"

Then a slight grin. "Zane the Wizard. Good choice."

She frowns.

"I saw the chain, and a bump under his shirt... but... but he didn't want to show me."

A surprised look.

Her hands are twisting together. "I sensed magic, but not enough to be sure, exactly what..."

"Dagmar...how can I help?" She sounds concerned. "If you need to depart before the Chieftain's return, I can manage here."

"And, like, I'm just his roommate, right? I shouldn't expect special treatment, it's... I just... it feels bad."

"You are not just his roommate, and you know it."

"I feel like... I.. I feel like it's really easy to say he's enchanted, that it's a spell, that it's... it's something I can blame..."

"A hidden piece of jewelry with a hint of glamour, and he's being evasive about it? It's really easy to say it because that's what it sounds like."

"He's a sluagh."

"I'm... just not used to being on the outside."

"That's never stopped him from sharing things with you before."