#rivervale_lodge

"Kerri, I am SO very vexed at you" Dame Anne Marie says, but mostly good naturedly as she helps in the kitchen "I'm a boggan, and I actually fell behind on THIS gossip? You're going to be CHIEF?"

A groan, and Kerri shakes her head. "Nothing's definite, yet, Anne Marie. We're still figuring it out." She absently puts a baking tray of pastries in the oven.

"We've been sort of talking around it."

"Well, it will make the rounds" She admits "Whether you dally or no. " She warns "I know, I'm a gossip myself and like I said, I am not the first boggan to learn of this"

"I really hoped it wouldn't get around that fast, but that was unlikely." A sigh...and she only just remembers to set the timer on the baking.

Then she clears her throat. "Tell me honestly, Anne Marie. Would it make sense to you? If I did?" Hesitant.

"Kerri, my advice is, don't compare yourself to Brekke. She's wonderful, but she's different, and you'd be a different leader. If you try to be 'better' or 'as good' you're going to tie yourself into knots. You'd be a fine leader, you already are in many ways, but you'll need to remember to be the best Chief KERRI you can be. You do that, and take on a little help instead of doing that 'troll do it' pride thing your kith falls into too much, and you'll be just dandy." She assures "You're the only option that DOES make sense to me, frankly. Some new comer, even a troll, as Chief would just be too jarring."

Kerri can hear her husband's footsteps as he returns from patrol.

A deep breath, and a nod. "I can accept all that. Honestly, if it were any other situation, I wouldn't even hesitate. But...this isn't just Chief Kerri. It's Baroness Kerri, and to put it bluntly, that's freaking me out."

"I can't blame you for that" Dame Anne Marie says "It puts you in part of the system, so to speak. But again, you have help. Don't forget Lucia is happy to be your Liason if she keeps that position for you. And as knight, even a Liam, I can deliver messages on your behalf if you prefer. Not that I'm a butterfly of the court. "

The door opens, and Olgar peeks in, sees the boggan, and says "oh. Sorry, didn't know we had a guest."

Kerri's just about to reply to Anne Marie when Olgar comes in. A slightly tense smile. "It's okay, come on in."

Anne Marie accesses the dynamics, and smiles "Nonsense, Olgar. I'm not a guest, I'm the meddlesome neighbor who is also a friend. And, I am sorry to you both but I need to cut my visit short. Childlings in need of new identities outside the barony." She looks at Kerri "We'll talk shop later... and don't worry, I won't tell Goldfinch we're providing the material for those 'Taylor Swift for Presidents: Don't like it? Shake it off' T shirts."

A slight chuckle. "Fair enough. Thanks, Anne Marie. We'll talk more soon."

And off she goes.

Once she's gone, Olgar (And Echo, who has followed) enters in "She's a right broad, that one. And I know it's just a gag, but I'm tempted to vote for the Swifty party myself."

A grin as she checks on the pastries. "I can see the attraction." Then as she wipes down the counters, "How much of that did you hear before you came in?"

"Not that much... " He admits "'Butterfly of the court'... this about the Baroness thing?"

A nod. And a silence. That counter is going to be very clean.

"We probably need to talk about that" He says getting himself a beer, "Want a drink?"

A sigh, and she reaches for the beer he already took out, so he'll need to get himself another.

And he does so , looks like it was her favored brand anyway. "I got to say. I'm not crazy that he might ask you to swear to him. It's macho jealousy maybe? Maybe not. I don't know, but the idea rankles. Then again, I got the Oath of Truehearts, and that's the one that matters to me so I should shut up and let you do what you gotta do, right?"

She takes a swig, more dive-bar Kerri than Hearth or Chief or Baroness in the gesture. "It's a real concern, Olgar. I mean...I told myself I would never put myself in that position, to be beholden to a sidhe. Being part of a Baronial hall has been about as close as I wanted to get. But if I do this...." Another swig. "It feels like giving the Dreaming a chance to make me sorry for it."

"it's scary" he agrees. "Maybe we should talk to the Mountain about it. Oaths are part of his domain. Put the Mountain to work" Dryly then more seriously "Maybe there is a way to put a time limit on the oath so it has to be renewed yearly?"

A blink. "A year-and-a-day sort of oath? That does have basis in tradition." She considers it.

"See, your husband is a genius. I mean, I picked you" A smile