Maylon and Flora at sunrise

SCENE-Maylon Hendrake & Flora of Amber at the Sea View Gardens [[1]]

Maylon stood looking east into the bare sliver of dawn. A waiter stepped by her and set a silver tray on the edge of the wall.

The Sea View Gardens has a lot of different circles of regulars. The tables for two and three in this section are frequently filled with people beginning their work day where their work day includes danish and diplomacy, intrigue and eggs, coffee and controversy.

Casual strollers, raktagino or tea or cocoa or brandy in hands, stop to exchange pleasantries and since they just happen to have run into them, a question or two, a casual comment about the weather or the state of affairs, maybe an appointment for later.

Sea View has also become a place where casually dalliances from the night before can come for a break. Over coffee and crescents they can decide to go their separate ways or to decide to return to their apartments or stroll down to the beach below Kolvir. Dalliances in private, dalliances in public, dalliance amidst the waves.

This once bare but massive balcony of the castle has also developed a bit of an oddity to it that those who ascended to the sky city of Tir na No'gath can leave the city by entering the Sea View Gardens there. Some quirk makes the illusions of the moonlit castle not reflect onto Sea View. This oddity has made her brothers and sister wonder if Flora was more clever then they often assumed.

Another tradition was that the King of Amber, Random, first of his name, took his own breakfast here. The custom was that he was left alone till he had his second cup of coffee. The custom grew after it was noticed that if his siblings bothered him before his first cup was done they ended up being sent on long expeditions, unpleasant tasks, given ambassadorships to dreadfully boring realms.

Another custom that developed pertaining to King Random's second cup was a matter of precedence. While many might want tto have a word with the king, informally over bagels,ia rush was impolite. So the higher ranked the visitor, the first to speak. In the first 20 years this lead to a lot of shuffling about and bumping as people sorted out who went first. Eventually one of the Elites with a penchant for heraldry, Sir Bud 'Lite' Quakenbush, took morning post to sort out the mess.

The highest ranking guest it turned out, from the king's point of view, was the Ambassador to Amber from Choas.

The first Ambassador to Amber from Chaos had been Shasagale Devvn, a mild mannered apparatchik of the Swayvil's personal following. He had been a rare sight in the first 20 years after Patterfall, but he came to enjoy the dark Amber roast coffee Flora personally brewed. He had his own pettitoners, evenin in Amber, but it turned out that if he and Random sat at the same table they could drink a couple cups of coffee, have some breakfast, uninterrupted.

The second Ambassador to Amber from Chaos had been Maylon Hendrake herself. Her ugly few years spanned and spurred the Call of the Kin after she had mockingly presented the king with the original Heirs and Spares document. She was not the only one deliriously happy when her term ended. She rarely had coffee with the king but if she showed up, she followed the custom. Random found he could never quite be comfortable with her in range of anything he ate or drank.

Since the arrival of the third Ambassador of Chaos to Amber, Despil Sawall, the King and the Ambassador had shared their morning meal and discused the nature of the universe as the sun rose. 70 years of morning conversations had made the King and Despil close friends, despite their ranks and rolls. His sudden replacement as ambassador was cloaked in family politics and his replacement, Maylon Hendrake, was unwelcomed.

One morning Maylon has come to take her morning meal at a table for two in a jetting of the balcony where she can look out to the sea. The extension has a glass floor allowing one to look down to the rocky beach 100 meters below. Rarely does any one join her at the second seat and she is just as please that people have learned better then to disturb her. Only one person is bold enough, clueless enough, or carries a feeling of entitlement enough to casual sit with her regardless of the air of doom surrounding the Hellmatron of Hensdrake.

Flora sets a tray of fruit and bacon down, and her coffee cup and pot, down. Maylon does not look her way.

Flora says, "A traveler from some shadow out by Diagamaas is peddling the coffee from his plantation. Its a poor plantation but the brew is remarkable. He's hoping I'll recommend his beans to Dame Margot. One would think a newcomer would try to influence her in order to influence me. By rank you know. But he is wise enough to know the path to patronage leads to Margot."

Maylon looks, sighs, pushes her cup over for Flora to pour after her own. "So, if we like it, I'll send some bone warrior to kill his workers and any family there, and then capture him, torture the secrets of his brew and to get him to sell his plantation in order to get a end to the pain and torture. That's why you are telling me this?"

Flora laughs, "I am telling you because you can use the caffeine and i think you'll like its flavor. Such a grumpy morning person you are..."

"Why do you keep bothering me every morning? Can't you see I prefer privacy?" Maylon says as she sniffs the steaming cup. She nods, pleased.

Flora says,"If you wanted privacy, Niece, you could stay in your rooms. The embassy has a fine view of the sea as well. So I assume you want company by coming here."

Maylon scowls, ignores the jab. "Ive looked on oceans from a thousand worlds. I don't know why but this ocean, this view, is the only one that reminds me of the endless waves of the Stuff of Chaos. I know if one sails east from here one will circumnavigate the globe and reach Acadia or Tyalece, or fading southward maybe the Far Isle. But i also know this view is where shadow sailors come in, making this maybe an endless ocean. It comforts me."

Flora nods, "Shifting on the sea out of and into Amber is easier then taking the long walk. Though the Jeweled Road has changed that. I've often wondered if Chaos might have won if they had sent navies and had come by a black water rather then a black road."

Maylon snorts, "That conversation has been held in the highest towers and deepest dungeons of Theldane. As well in nearly every gathering hall from Zilla to the western forgotten depths of Chaos. My position was that Amber had a better navy then it had an army. Turns out i was wrong. Is there any other gossip you want to bore me with?"

Flora nods, "Well, the king is sending an embassy to the Council of the Wing in Ang Ri. He is sending Despil now that he is in fealty to Amber. "

Maylon laughs, "Tell him he is not immune to the anger of the High Lord or his great grandmother. But its nice to see him getting out. Such a quiet lad he was. Jurt was more my taste. Though i never personally tasted him. Unlike his distaff cousins. I understand Vek is in fealty now too. Owns his own pattern realm even. That does not sit well with Chaos. But we'll leave it ti Azcala to handle that treasonous bone warrior."