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Mother does seem to be disapproving of my getting close to Lillith. When I talked to her about it at the reception before Despil's investiture, and told her I did intend to marry Lillith, she explained, though I partly wish I hadn't asked, now. Apparently my marriage to Lillith is the only way Mandor could get an alliance with house Helibore, and thus access to their ... unique skills. He intends to use them to expedite Sawall's climb the ladder of the royal succession, probably on a mound of bodies, until Sawall is at the top. "But if you're happy dear," she finished. Sarcasm is too slight a word for the way she said it but I can't say I entirely blame her...
There are times when I feel very stupid. This was one of them. How could I not realise that this was the reason behind the whole thing. It's not hard! If you have a brain.
I realise my upbringing was mothers way of trying to protect me from the machinations of Mandor and Dara by keeping me ... insulated from the grittier realities of life in Sawall. But ... I can't help thinking that now Mandor and Dara can manipulate me even more easily than they otherwise might have done.
I hate this politicking, plotting and manoeuvring.
Mandor, I never thought I would think this of anyone, let alone a family member, but ... I think I'm coming to hate you. The question is, does my fear of you overcome it at present?
Lillith was kept in the dark about the reasons behind our betrothal, but still had figured out the reason for our wedding - it is to be taken as the sealing of the agreement between Sawall and Helibore. She thinks it is the "way of things". She was worried that I might call the wedding off, but I just couldn't, now. She said that Helibore honour their contracts. This didn't really help. Nor did her saying that we didn't have to be involved in what came after...
The investiture of Despil was the biggest gathering of important Chaosites since the funeral of the King. At least this time the event was a happier one than that, though like the funeral it was marred by violence.
How long had it been since that room had seen the investiture of a Duke of Sawall? Thousands of years, since Duke Gramble ascended to the position? The sheer weight of history in our house never weighed so heavily as it did then. It was an impressive ceremony, solemn and somewhat cheering - at least we have continuity even if we have lost Gramble. In addition to Mandor, both Helgram and Hendrake seconded Despil's accession to the Dukedom. Like the rest of our house, I swore loyalty to Despil. What else would I have done? Despil seems more ... distant ... now. I suppose it's the air of Dukedom about him. I hope it doesn't change him too much.
I can't help thinking that Merlin's insubstantial Trump image state stopped him enjoying the banquet as much as he otherwise might have.
Nicobrus chose the post-investiture banquet to denounce Valdemar Fengyre as a traitor, after doing a good job of antagonising him at the reception beforehand. Unfortunately, it did not go quite as well as he might have wished, and eventually came down to Valdemar's word against Nicobrus'. Nicobrus swore his accusations of high treason before the whole assembly. Valdemar submitted to the judgement of a session of the Inquisitorial Chamber of Thelbane, which he used an obscure loophole in the law to have called by Lord Bances rather than the King. Needless to say the Fengyre delegation left the banquet soon after. Nicobrus' love, the Lady Chantala, seemed less than impressed by what he had done. I wonder why!
Adam did not help the situation by insulting the laws of Chaos and the Serpent in front of Lord Bances, when it became clear that the allegations against Valdemar could be decided by a trial by combat or ordeal as opposed to a trial by jury. Unsurprisingly, Lord Bances did not take this too well. As he could be one of the people judging Nicobrus' case at the trial, I can't help thinking Adam was rather unwise to do this, but then again, who am I to berate people for doing unwise things, after recent events?
I didn't realise Taranis would react so badly to my telling her the rumours about House Usherbal and the origins of its lesser members after Cuchulainn reacted to what sounded like Ishmael telling him the same thing. Mother did not help when I tried to reassure Taranis that they were only rumours. Now I wish that I could take back what I said, but alas, it is too late for that now.
More happily, the ties between houses Malrax and Krailin implied by the heads of the two houses, Lord Jethris (Nicobrus' grandfather), and Lady Varia coming in to the reception together were confirmed by the announcement of the upcoming wedding between them, and the merger of the two houses, leading (hopefully) to their elevation of major house status - the largest one in fact, should their elevation come about.
And after this announcement, with Lillith gazing imploringly at me over the table, I could hardly help proposing to her, in front of the heads of all the major houses in Chaos. Thank the Serpent that Taranis was able to surreptitiously give me one of her rings, and that Lillith accepted it (I must thank Taranis for the ring in some way). Ah well, the demon is out of the bag now. Martin wished me luck, and Lillith looked more radiant than ever.
I do wonder what Bartok Imbrex' look over at us meant though. Did he want Lillith for himself? If he had been from one of the houses whose members were endangered by Sawall's alliance to Helibore, I might have thought he was angry at that, but Imbrex is below Sawall in the order of succession, so I do wonder what he was about. Perhaps I should try and find out more about him...
The main things which marred the investiture banquet were the attempted assassinations of Martin, Lord Jethris and Lady Varia by several Dybbuks of the Hokhma clan. Initially it was thought to be a plot against Martin alone, to disgrace Sawall and turn its attention inwards, as well as starting a war with Amber, and speeding Valdemar to the throne. Then Lord Jethris and Lady Varia were attacked, in preference to Martin it seemed. Perhaps to stop the combined Krailin-Malrax house ascending to major house status?
Was Mandor behind it, setting up a sham assassination attempt to steer things in the way he wants? Apparently Lillith overheard Mandor talking to her parents, saying he "didn't want Helibore involved yet", which could be an innocent comment, I suppose. Mandor seemed concerned about Lady Varia's injuries, the worst of anyone attacked, but he was angry too. Why? Because she was attacked in Sawall? Or because his hirelings failed in their task? Will we ever know for sure? I doubt it...
I don't like suspecting my cousin like this, but he can be so damned suspicious at times!
At least Duke Dirac, Nicobrus and I managed to save Lady Varia. I think I could have saved her with only Nicobrus' help, but to be honest, Duke Dirac's assistance was most welcome. I've never seen shapeshifting used to affect others in such a ... medically efficacious fashion as he did. I was very impressed.
And, thank the Serpent, at least Lillith and Martin weren't hurt.
I wish Lady Yalia hadn't killed the guard who was possessed; he was restrained and unable to do more harm, and as a Hendrake, she must have known that. It was totally gratuitous. And all it got was herself possessed by the Dybbuk instead. Perhaps she'll know better next time.
Ishmael wouldn't let me talk to Yalia about it afterwards, with good reason, I suppose. But at least he said he would pass on my message. Whether he meant what he said, of course, is another matter.
Lord Suhey and Princess Fiona interrogated the four Dybbuks which were captured by them and Mandor. At first it seemed they were summoned and tasked by one or both of Valdemar and Jyal Fengyre, but when pressed, they showed the face of their summoner to be Oberon! Needless to say, this caused more than a little consternation! I (and everyone else, I imagine) felt that the theft of Oberon's body from its tomb would bring no good when it happened, but given the power of whoever took it, what else could have been done?
Apparently the Dybbuks were to paid in "true" power on completion of their task - "that which was before". Does this link with what we found in those ancient accounts in the Library of House Fengyre? It certainly seems so, especially as one of the Dybbuks saw the "old sign" of the scarab when it was summoned (though not as part of the summoning ceremony).
The interrogation also revealed that the Dybbuks had orders to kill the heads of Houses Krailin and Malrax, and attack Martin. Two were to infiltrate Sawall and kill Dara when an opportunity arose. This last is especially worrying given that one of the Dybbuks (in the body a servant of Fengyre) escaped and is still at large somewhere in Sawall.
I do feel that things are going so fast. I don't have a moment to put together the pieces of what is going on. No sooner had I announced my engagement to Lillith than she was dragged off by her parents to arrange wedding plans. I do think that a long engagement may be in order, but what are chances of that occurring at this time?
And it doesn't help that my brain seems to go missing whenever I'm with Lillith. Such as when I proposed to her - it was not my plan to propose to her then, but ... the moment seemed right, and so it happened. I knew what Mandor was planning, but I did it anyway, without thinking of the consequences. And now I'm in too deep, and I can't really see any way out.
If I cancel the wedding, that would be bad for Sawall given the very ... public nature of my announcement, bad for Lillith, and bad for me. But my conscience, my beliefs wouldn't be compromised. If I go along with it, Sawall will probably gain, but it will lead a lot of deaths too. I though I'd compromised my ideals after killing that demon. What will this do to them? And how can I balance my ideals against the harm my not marrying Lillith, now, would do to Sawall? In that case there should be no conflict - family is the most important thing. But there is!
From the looks of things I lose regardless, but who else is hurt depends on what I decide.
Perhaps I should ask one of my relatives for advice? Father perhaps? Or one of the others? I can't think Ishmael would have anything constructive to say. Taranis or Cuchulainn might. I don't know about Adam or Nicobrus. I'll have to think about it.
I wasn't looking forward to the trial of Valdemar Fengyre, but I felt I should be there anyway, given my involvement in the reasons behind the trail in the first place. I prayed in the Temple of the Serpent with Nicobrus for a time before the trial - the first time I've done that in a long while. Then we went to the trial itself.
I was ... saddened ... but not surprised ... when Valdemar chose trial by combat. As the fight dragged on and got bloodier, I just couldn't watch, but also couldn't bring myself to leave - it was a relation fighting down there after all.
At least Nicobrus won in the end, though he was quite badly injured. He should recover soon, though.
The voidworm egg I asked mother to get for Taranis has arrived at last. Because Taranis seems to have ... calmed down a great deal since events on De'alund, I saw no problems in giving it to her now. I would have preferred to wait for a good moment to present it to her, but given the current rush of events, I opted for the first quiet moment we had instead - in house Malrax after the trial. I'm glad she was so pleased when I gave it to her. Hopefully it will bring her as much happiness as Zephyr has to me. I owe mother a big favour for this - I hope the gift I obtained for her goes a little way towards showing her how grateful I am.