A mother reminiscing

Michael James Watson

Arriving at the gates of Brightedge is bitter sweet. It had always been home. The place she went when off duty. The place tied to her earliest memories. Friends, fellow elites, citizen soldiers, would meet in the shade of the tavern porch and watch sparring, training, and drills. Sometimes the better trained would sit and laugh at the new comers. Sometimes they would step out and help. The gate guards nod as she enters not even considering questioning he familiar face. So much has happened they do not know. Looking over to the familiar shady spot she shes friends of her youth in their regular spots. Even this early in the morning a tankard of ale sits before many of them. In the training ground is a group of 20 civilians going through sword drills led by Even of Hale.

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex looks about it is all so familiar. Yet now it seems different. She nods in greeting to the ones guarding the front. Offering them a kind word of greeting. Seeing her friends from her youth she waves but keeps walking. Passing Even of Hale she smiles and yells a "Make them sweat Sir! " Alex says with a laugh. She searches for her mother but she does first pass the spot in the garden where she had planted the violet jasmine flowers. She pauses there a moment and speaks soft "Hello my Jasmine, alot happened and i wrote your song. I'll sing it for you soon. But i first have to find mom. " She takes a flower and puts it in her hair before turning to go see her mom. Best start at the standard places her mother usually is.

Michael James Watson

Wandering around the usual places does not find her. Asking around they don't have a current location. Walking outside the main keep Alex sees feet sitting over the edge in the high papapet of the castle, looking north to the parkland surrounding the fort inside the city. She snorts that she recognized her mother by the bottom of her bare feet

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex laughs "Overthinking things mom? I have been looking for you." She stands a bit back "Can i come up to you? I guess we should talk."

Michael James Watson

she responds by waving one foot.

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex laughs and climbs up to where her mother is. Wondering what she is doing today. "Sorry i haven't been home earlier mom. Things have been weird. "

Michael James Watson

"Really? I can't imagine why"

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex sits on the wall near her mother she smiles at her. "Well you know why...no need to be sarcastic about it. " She says with a slight smile and a wink. "But yes the proverbial cat is out of the bag. I know of Brand. I know of the Abyssal mark. I have even already walked the pattern." She looks with a bit of a worried look to her mother "How are you dealing with it, that i know now?"

Michael James Watson

"Well, now that you know I guess there is no point talking about it. Have they assigned you an Elite yet?

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex shrugs. "Very well if you do not feel like talking about it you do not have to. I do wonder one thing.. am i your only child? If so why did you and Brand have me?" She then shakes her head "No. I think Brand sort of assigned one of his old elite to me, but i have not yet seen King Random. It is still on my to do list. Official assignment would happen there i guess. "

Michael James Watson

She ponders a moment, then picks up a flask for a drink. "Brand can't assign you an elite. Random has made a request of me concerning your elite but i thought he might just do it. He asked if there was an elite of the Deirdre faction i would suggest. He asked if i thought Even would get over his grievances and come back to active duty for the slot? I said that would be his call." "Are you my only child? No. I had two others. Both dead. Long dead and very long dead." "As for talking about Brand....Its a sore spot. He is mercurial. His good mood might last a decade followed by a bad one lasting a century. We knew each other when he was young. 2270. I had been in amber over 2100 years by then. I had been aging badly for a century and was considering retiring to shadow and enjoying some final years. "He was young by Amber standards. Bold, outgoing, funny. Sincere. Idealistic. He swept me off my feet. I grew young in his arms. But time is a bitch. Especially here. After the Siege of Bunny Free we avoided each other for over 2000 years. Oh there were interludes. Flings. Weekends here and there. A year in shadow sometimes. Then he got quiet. Nervy. Thats when the plotting that led to the Black Road War must have started. He was never fun after that."

Amber Bronkhorst

"I know Brand can't assign me an elite. I didn't take it to serious as an offer. I would not take that away from my colleagues... Or well former colleagues." Listening to her mother her story she smiles soft a caring look on her face. "Is that why you declined his invitation last night? But.. you have been with him again after that. Else i would not have been born. I am born after the Black Road and everything of course." Swinging her feet back and forth she stays silent for a moment thinking. "Are you even willing to see him again? And what do you hope for me now? You made sure i was properly raised. Trained. Grew up to who i am now. And i am amd will forever be grateful for that. " Alex looks down and then side ways to her mother "Can i still come home? " She asks it in a tone, almost like a child asking for a mother's forgiveness.

Michael James Watson

"I declined his invitation because I don't want to be part of his following. His Chaos cult has been filtering across shadow since the war. More so since the Jeweled Road. His cult is the largest in Chaos, just barely beating out Benedict's. His cult has been meeting at his sarcophagus for decades. I declined his invitation when i arrived at the door and saw the creatures inside. Beware of people who adore him. Me included. He has a way about him. He can charm the pants off people. He charmed mine off for sure.." She looks to her. "I was glad when he was put in the dungeons here and then was granted freedom of the castle. I didn't like thinking of the horrors he had experienced, even if he brought them on himself. When i saw him.....Dear, its hard to say no when the love of your life smiles at you and urges you into the darkness of a storage room...." She sighs, "as for coming home....Never forget this is home. Your apartments in the Castle, your places in shadow, no matter how long you spend there; this is home."

Amber Bronkhorst

ALex looks surprised. "I heard of the cults of Amberites but never did i know his would be so big. Thank you for hte heads up mom. And i will watch out. But as i said to Brand. If anyone holds my highest loyalty it is you. " SHe smiles a loving smile to her mother Thinking back at her meeting with former Queen Harla she nods slow. "He carries his punishement with him, it is a burden that will probably never lessen and i hope that he has learned of it and that the weight of it keeps reminding him not to stray again the way that he did. Forgiving would be big i know many will hate him for all time. But show him a bit of love or care that perhaps would make the punishement he carries less of a pull downwards. " Alex fiddles with the flower she ahd put in her hair and spins it between her fingers. Such small flowers having such a strong sweet scent. "Oh i heard that i can't be called Alex anymore... " She rolls her eyes "THere is already an Alexander who is called Alex... and i guess it would only be confusing as he is from Regor and the Clarissa line.. Who is also my grandmother as i was warned about. " She adds jokingly "I am not going by Dradra and Brand has called me several times... i might actually get upset or even angry with that."

Michael James Watson

"Who is your grandmother? I assume you mean his mother. Mine has been dust so long she is hard pack"

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex looks up from her staring at the flower. and raises an eyebrow "Yes his mother Clarissa or well the Tzarina of Regor Clarissa i did not recall all her titles. Should really study on that i suppose. " She turns back to the little flower with a smile. "I was warned that Brand's mother Tzarina Clarissa has scared enough family away with her ways. and Brand had warned me as well as others. I should steer clear for now from that side. But that due to one of Clarissa her sons named Alexander i can't be called Alex anymore." She huffs soft. "Jurt said you knew and intentionally called me Alexandra due to that family tree and such. But if i believe him... "

Michael James Watson

"By all means, learn her titles, Regorians in general, and her specifically, are dedicated to their use. I've never been to Regor personally but I hear it's deathly cold there. Oh, and the weather tends to be chilly too"

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex laughs hearing her mother "Well yes i'll learn the titles. But for now i'll stay around i think. I have alot to learn. And can't stay away from Brand as he is probably one of the very few to teach me to keep that abyssal mark under control. " She then smiles "and i've already made friends here, or well there, in the castle. Hae some studying to do in the library. OH and still have to see King Random... kind of skipped on that still. So time enough to laern things about Regor and the Regorian royalty"

Michael James Watson

Fres sighs," Time catches up with us. I've read more about Regor and Clarissa then Bleys, Fionna, or Brand ever told me. So much about the realm is secret because they are rabidly xenophobic. "

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex smiles "I'll see what i can learn. But as i said. Not going there any time soon. Still have plenty to do and discover. And learn, that i saw things happen and used as an elite doesn't mean i know how to do it." She then hops of the wall where she was sitting and goes closer to her mother laying a soft hand on hers. "Mom, you said that Brand was the love of your life, and as i hear it, you still love him. Don't throw that away. And i get it he has moodswings of centuries, when he has one you can always boop him on the head say, i love you but not this side see you in a century. At least he knows that someone loves him. Which makes the burden of his punishment also a bit bearable... Now if you say... Andy you are absolutely wrong. Then not another word. Just... Don't deny yourself love mom. You deserve to be happy. "

Michael James Watson

"I see he has swayed you already." She slips forward. Falling the 6 stories to the ground. Touching the wall as she falls she lands cat like and walks casually toward the grounds tavern. As she watches she feels pressure in her head indicating a trump contact.

Amber Bronkhorst

Alex watvhes her mom land with a grace that always amazed. A beautiful woman so kind even after so much has happened and all those years. Wanting to stand up she dexides not to as she feels the pressure. Now she gets it why some make faces when they get a trump contact. Not a clue how to "pick up" she just tries to touch the feeling accept it. Wondering who would contact her.