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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2020 4:07:16 GMT
Nat sighs. "That could have gone better." She looks at Jax. "Ok. So I'm going to go fill my father in. You fill in who you need to fill in. Trump me if you need." She gives the captain a nod, before pulling out a trump of her father's castle in Paris.
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Post by Admin on May 17, 2020 7:14:53 GMT
"Toodle-oo," Jaxiam calls out in farewell as Natalia disappears in a rainbow flash.....
...to reappear in the great foyer of the castle. Servants and soldiers scatter at her arrival. A few oddities become immediately obvious to her as she becomes accustomed to the strange lighting. First is the lighting, the usual incandescents strung on wires across the ceiling have been replaced by lower wattage bulbs and cast a silverier colored light. Much of what was once so clearly illuminated along the walls and corners are now in shadow. The tapestries and paintings on the walls have also been changed; the scenes of hunting remain but others more pastoral have been replaced by maps of Paris and her countryside along with others of the Sevillan and Aragonese lands to the south and the Burgundian lands to the East.
The scattered servants collect their wits and bow to Natalia, the soldiers stand at attention and salute.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2020 0:20:22 GMT
Natalia's eyes narrow at the differences. She takes in the different tapestries and paintings and arches an eyebrow. Eventually, she turns to the nearby guards. "Where is my father? I must speak to him, immediately." Her tone insures that all present know she's in no mood to be trifled with and it would be in their best interest to tell her exactly what she wants to know.
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Post by Admin on May 20, 2020 5:50:49 GMT
The guards stand straighter and even more at attention if possible when Natalia addresses them.
"In the throne room, Princess. Indeed, he hasn't left the room since his return one week ago."
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2020 6:45:08 GMT
Nat nods at the guard who spoke and heads directly to the throne room. A week? How long was I gone? She thinks to herself as she walks. "Father, I have returned with news." She says as she opens the door and steps inside. "Quite a bit of news and quite a few questions." She walks over to him and stops with her hands on her hips, regarding him. "And this time I will not be told 'Later.', you need to know this."
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Post by Admin on May 21, 2020 9:02:03 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/xgVySc6/72654-normal~jpg The room is different than she remembers and Corwin is different too. The room has a few tables set up in it and military staff are hard at work on telephone and radios sending and receiving messages from somewhere. Other guards stand at attention or deliver reports from one table to another. Corwin sits on the throne amid the noise and activity. He looks different: thinner in the face, greyer hair at his temples. Greyswander lays unsheathed across his lap. One booted foot rests atop a severed head - a head that looks just like the Corwin Natalia remembers. "Daughter, I am glad you are well. Excuse my not getting up to greet you but these damn injuries just won't heal.
I trust you followed my instructions and ventured into the ghost city?"
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2020 23:45:27 GMT
Natalia comes to a stop, eyes bounce between the head and the different Corwin. She looks fully at the Corwin on the throne. "What in the Unicorn's name is going on here?!? Everything has changed. Also, who are you?!?!" She points to the head. "Because that's my father, not you! And you sure as hell didn't give me any instructions about going to the ghost city!" Natalia takes a step back. "Are you who Dierdre forewarned me about?"
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Post by Admin on May 25, 2020 7:21:35 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/xgVySc6/72654-normal~jpg "I understand your confusion - this is also very strange for me. When I left you were still so young, hardly a child and to see you now...
"I have been imprisoned in the Courts of Chaos. The ones who did so felt the need to replace me with a doppelganger they found in Shadow. Now, released from my cage, I have returned and suspecting you to have initial misgivings and distrust about me and in my concern about the power of this imitator," he gives the head a soft kick. "I used the dream city to suggest you hide there and Deirdre graciously offered to help keep you up there while I did the rough work down here. I sense that things did not go according to plan in the sky-city?"
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2020 19:01:53 GMT
Natalia regards him warily. "He was also imprisoned. My half brother Merlin released him." She places her hands on her hips. "If you really are my father, then you can inform me about Nickolas." Natalia crosses her arms. "Because Mother never mentioned him... even once." She sighs. "I know how he," Natalia glances at the head and then back at her would-be father. "escaped. So how did you? As to your question, I do not understand what your plan was, but I'm pretty sure Chaos hounds and an unpleasant cousin was not part of it. Not to mention Dierdre disintegrating, after advising me to be careful of who I see down here." She adds the last bit about Dierdre's advisement with a pointed look at Corwin.
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Post by Admin on May 29, 2020 11:35:33 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/xgVySc6/72654-normal~jpg "Nickolas, the sadness never fades, you know," a tear runs down his cheek. "Being one of us, in our family, with our blood, one so easily forgets the frailty of life that the rest of the people in shadow live with. Still, if they can live on after the pain we must as well.He gives the head a small kick. "He didn't escape - I did. Once your brother sprung me I had some urgent business to take care of on the other cast of Shadow. It was there that I met the construct of my sister Deirdre. I asked her to come here and keep an eye on you while I continued with the other business. That took longer than I thought which delayed my return.
"My enemies in the Courts weren't about to let this opportunity pass and recruited an agent of their own to impersonate me here. And in his time had worked slowly and carefully to reduce the defences of this world and our shadows in preparation for some kind of scheme.
"I got wind of it on my return, didn't know how deep this imposter's hands were in Paris so for your safety gave you the idea to go up into the ghost city. Deirdre was also there to keep you entertained until I had finished here or the sun rose. I didn't expect those hounds, some Lord of Chaos was watching and decided to throw a wrench into my plans.
I don't know anything about a cousin dropping by. Who was he? And where are Jaxiam and Deirdre?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2020 18:49:08 GMT
Nat takes a calming breath. There it is. Confirmation. I had a twin. She thinks before going back to listening to him explain things. Nat had suspected the defenses of the castle were relaxed compared to her mother's castle defenses, but she had brushed it aside as just the difference between her parents. The head being an imposter would also explain why this fake Corwin would distance himself from her. "Yes. Well," Nat clears her throat. "The cousin introduced himself as Calvera Ericson of Uncle Random's Court. He was rather impertinent after we had got him out of Tir." She paces. "As for Deirdre. The hounds injured her. Jax transported her to Remus to heal her in his emergency medical station. The one he utilized on me for my hypothermia when we fought the Shadow Dragon." She stops and looks at Corwin. "Oh yeah. You weren't here for that." She points at the head. "It pissed him off at least. That was about the only time he ever interacted with me and showed emotion." Nat goes back to pacing. "At any rate, the machine didn't work. So Jax tried to Lorus her to figure out why." She stops and turns slightly away from him. "Her body dissolved into patterned ash. She's gone." Nat sighs and continues. "Calvera talked about some Game and then accuse us of destroying Deirdre's ghost. He then told us The Unicorn sent him to Tir before he began to measure distances and check the terrain. Jax felt threatened, so Jax gave him a trump to a shadow that lies near the Earth that you spent centuries on. He left. I came here to report to him." She points at the head. "Jax is still in Remus, doing whatever it is he does when he's not here."
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Post by Admin on Jun 2, 2020 7:48:17 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/xgVySc6/72654-normal~jpg Corwin sighs and leans back on the throne. "Ah Deirdre. She was more than a host but less than a person, you understand. After her untimely loss, I had hoped her soul would have had a second chance.
"I know nothing of Calvera. Merlin and his friends didn't have time to give me a full rundown of changes to the family while I was away.
"While it is a shame, it may be for the best that your friend has secluded himself out in his ways. War with the Courts is imminent and his being here would be an unwelcome distraction."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2020 21:28:01 GMT
Natalia nods. "Well, he knows you apparently. He called you a skilled storyteller." She takes a few steps towards him. "But Jax is Merlin's brother. He's supported you, well him you anyway." Nat says gesturing towards the head. "Or are you telling me that Merlin is leading an assault against us here?" She halts and scrutinizes him. "Or is this about Amber?"
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Post by Admin on Jun 13, 2020 7:15:44 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/xgVySc6/72654-normal~jpg "Merlin is new to the throne. His position s still weak. He hasn't tied strings to all the great houses of the Courts so they still act free from constraint. They plot, kill, and make war without concern for their king. But a few of the houses have bitten off more than they can chew - there will be reprisals!"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2020 3:20:36 GMT
Nat nods. "Fair enough. What do you want me to do? Help Merlin get the Houses of the Courts in order or help you with vengeance?" She places a hand on her hip and looks up at him. "Or is there something else you want me to do?"
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