With Julian's final words a long sigh drifts out of Robin and she leans against Vere, for a moment wearied and then just as suddenly buoyed up. 
            Her glowing eyes turn toward the Danu and her arms circle round to embrace him as Life is joyously kindled within her once more.  The Ranger is sparkling effervescent as she raises her face to kiss her man - gloriously, exuberantly, full of love.

Vere bends his head and returns the kiss passionately, unconcerned about the public nature of their embrace.  After a long moment he breaks the kiss and holds her tightly to him, whispering in her ear, "I have missed you."

Robin presses herself so strongly against Vere that it's a miracle their molecules aren't merging.  As the kiss ends, she rests her head on his shoulder and nods.  "Every day.  Every breath.  Stupid."  The girl wrinkles her nose at their being-apartness.

She feels Vere chuckle, although no sound of the laugh reaches his lips.  "I need to return the Isles soon," he says.  "And there are things I need to tell you before I leave."  He looks around without releasing her.  "I do not know if this is the place.  Perhaps we should walk?"

"So soon?"  Robin's head comes up to look at Vere with unhappy eyes.  Plans are made and discarded in those green depths.  "K.  There's a pine grove just around that outcropping."  She nods toward a spill of granite off to their left.
            She rrrreeellluucccttaannly lets go with one hand to stand beside Vere hip to hip one, her other arm curled around his waist.  Robin perks up slightly as she adds,  "Maybe then you can tell me how you got those tres beau and so familiar looking streaks in your hair?  Without the smell of dye?"  A quick teasing grin dances across her face and her eyes sparkle.

He smiles back at her, and wraps an arm around her shoulder as they walk. "I fear I no longer have the token you gave me," he says in a mock-solemn voice. "Did you know that such things can burst into flames upon a Pattern?"

"What?!?"  Robin looks alarmed, but quickly calms down.  Vere's here - head, hair and all.  And he's laughing about it.  So... so it's okay.
            Her green eyes blink rapidly as she shifts mental gears.  The twinkle of humor returns to her eyes and an inelegant snort proceeds a thought that cannot be held back.
            "Good thing I didn't give you lucky trews," she mutters.

Vere laughs in return, and hugs her close with the arm about her shoulder.  "Indeed," he says. 

Robin bumps him playfully with her hip as they walk, muffling a snort of laughter herself.

As they reach the grove he moves away from her, his hand sliding off her shoulder, along her arm, and taking her hand.  In a continuation of the same movement he twirls her in a quick underarm turn, then pulls her back into his arms.

Robin chirrups with delight as she spins, light as a feather, giddy and free, to find herself once more within Vere's Vereness; breathless, wondering, thrilled and happy.

"The feathers burnt," he murmurs into her hair, "And brought be back to myself, and memory of you, in the deepest part of despair, when the Pattern tested me with fear and hopelessness, and questioned whether there was anything worth the effort of fighting for it.  There was, they reminded me.  There is.  And when I completed the walk they had left their memory emblazed upon me, a shadow of the truth that is our love."

"Something to live for."  Robin's voice is husky as she nods, affirmation rising from her own well of darkness and to Vere's.  As she contemplates what the two of them are, what they have and what they will bring to all of existence merely by being what they have, a low whistle of astonished awe slips free from the girl.
            She leans back and looks up at Vere, her eyes glowing, running loving fingers through Vere's colored locks, a universe of love in her gaze.
            And then she sideslips from those aethereal currents back to the more familiar thermals of playfulness.  "I want some too... oo, oo!  Reid!  I know..." Robin bites off her words, hiding the surprise, as she practically begins to dance in anticipation.

"Reid?"  Vere raises an eyebrow inquisitively, then, seeing her pleasure in keeping a secret he lets the question go unanswered.
            "Jovian tells me you may be coming to the Isles," he says.  "I hope this is so."

"Yeah...." A furrow of concern wrinkles Robin's brow and she bites one corner of her lip absentmindedly as she stares off into the distance.
            Her eyes snap back to Vere and she smiles, perhaps a little falteringly.  "I mean, yes.  He means for me to go the Isles.  To 'weasel' something out of the Priestesses.  And... it's a good thing and something that needs to be done."  A baleful flash of green underlies that firm statement.
            "But, for all that I *really, really* want to be with you," there's no doubting the flame of desire that leaps in Robin, "I... boy, I truly messed the place up last time I was there.  And I'm kinda worried about what'll happen this time."  She chews on her lip again.

Vere's face matches her seriousness.  "Prince Julian would not send you if he was concerned that you would further damage the Isles, my love.  Your instincts are good.  Without you Avis would be dead, and Viannis would be far closer to victory."

The faltering falls away from Robin's smile as it becomes genuine.  He is right - what a not surprise.  Julian wouldn't sacrifice his homeland just to get her out of Arden.  She's overthinking again.
            Robin croons happily as she hugs Vere again, immensely grateful for the comfort of both body and spirit.  And with a wriggle of happiness that she will be with him, in the near time and in all the far time to come.

He sighs, and adds, "Avis and my mother know you are Ysabeau's daughter.  I do not know how they learned this, they simply stated it as a known fact.  Avis is plotting ways to use that knowledge as a political tool in the war."  His tone is a mixture of affection and exasperation as he continues, "My sister is a born Queen, with all the political instincts that implies."

Avis.  A quick smile dashes across Robin's face, followed by a nose scrunch.  Girls with balls don't, indeed can't, just be what you want them to be.  So okay.
            "Avis was near enough to hear when Julian told me and Jove, so... " Robin shrugs.
            "I... uh, have all the political instincts of a water buffalo, my love."  She grimaces.  "So my tendency is that the lady can say what she wants.  But trying to turn a scion of Amber is a risky dangerous business.  She know that?"  It's concern for Vere's sister and her land that prompts that question.  Prince of Amber + against their will = *bad* things.

Vere shakes his head.  "I do not think she quite understands.  Perhaps you can explain things to her. She still views me as the headstrong little brother who tries to act too feminine and worries about things that really do not concern him.  You, she will be more inclined to listen to."

"Hunh."  Robin blows a breath out, fluffing her bangs.  Her eyes glimmer with sympathy as she darts a glance to Vere.  "Yeah, sure.  I can take a swing at it if you want me to.  But... you know that eventually there's going to come a time when..." the girl's hand flutter as she searches for words.  "She's of Shadow, Vere.  And you're not."
            Robin's voice is as gentle and supporting as she can make it.

Vere tilts his head to one side.  "Possibly," he concedes, "Although I am beginning to suspect that there was a mixture of the blood of Amber into the Isles before Oberon took Rilsa as his Queen.  Ah..."  he holds up a finger.  "And this reminds me, an artifact of Ysabeau has been recovered.  I do not know what it is.  Mother has taken possession of it.  You, of course, have the right of it."
            Well, if Vere can concede a little, she can too.  Robin lets her point slide.  Besides, who knows?  It seems that everywhere she steps these days, she's suddenly hip-deep in cousins, and my, weren't there a lot of strange faces at the Memorial.
            The mention of Ysabeau brings Robin's thoughts circling back around.
            "Yay."  She says in a wry tone as she lifts her shoulders in a sigh.  "Selling point number two."
            "Oh, Vere."  The Ranger's green eyes turn up to Him.  "There's only two things that could drag me back to that place.  My father's orders and you."  For a moment, Robin lets herself fall into his eyes once more.
            Before shaking out of it.  Horrific consequences, right?  
            "So, okay.  We'll deal with this whole 'Ysabeau's daughter' thing as it comes up.  But I don't like it."  Robin's lips turn down into quite a pout.

"I know," Vere answers.  He sits at the foot of one of the trees, resting his back against it and drawing Robin down to his side.  "The war is more complicated than I thought it would be.  It has become a war not of rebellion, but of religion, each side convinced they are in the right.  And I fear that it may be the case that the Chancellor believes she truly serves the will of the Goddess.  Mother tells me that Vianis told her that the Goddess came to her in a dream, and spoke to her of what should be."  Vere gazes off into the distance.  "I wonder who might really have been the one to do this, to turn a loyal adviser against her mistress...."

Robin curls against Vere's side, fitting into his shape like a puzzle coming together.  She rests her head on his shoulder, listening to the slow easy movement of air in his breath and the beautiful weaving of his thoughts into words.  A soft croon of sympathy escapes her at the sound of his troubles.
            "You thinking of taking a crack at this dream-weaving Goddess?"

"Assuming there is such a person.  I may just be spinning a fantasy."  Vere smiles wryly.  "I do that, you know.  I over-think and over-analyze, weaving more and more elaborate possibilities, delaying action while accumulating more and more data, until suddenly it is too late to act at all.
            "It seems reasonable to me that the Chancellor, a woman with sorcerous abilities of her own and extremely well-developed good sense, would not suddenly start believing in her dreams without good reason.  And when I consider that this may mean that someone is strong enough to sway her to turn against her oaths..." 
            The smile fades.  "Well, I circle around to three possibilities.  Four, if we accept that one possibility is that there is no such being, and I am completely mistaken.  But leaving that aside, the three possibilities I see are that the Goddess who spoke to the Chancellor is different, but somehow related to, the Goddess that my mother serves.  In the same way that Adonis' mother is different to her sisters.  The second possibility is that she is a Lord of Chaos.  And the final possibility is that she is Family."

"I like your analyses, Vere."  Robin smiles up at him.  "They're pretty."
            "But yeah, paralysis is a bad thing.  Hmmmm."  Robin considers.  "It seem to me that the first step is the same in all four scenarios.  Snag Vianis and make her sing, non?  Developing contingency plans for comes happens after that is a great exercise.  And I'm sure it's one our more successful Aunts and Uncles indulge in *all* the time.  But to avoid the paralysis," Robin's voice sings of 'been there, done that'', "we've got to *do* something.  Snagging Vianis gets my vote.  But, of course, it's up to you."

"Mother and Avis have been fighting a cautious war so far."  There is only a slight note of frustration in Vere's voice.  "I see the logic of it, what point is there in destroying the Isles to save them?  And the two sides are too closely matched for a head-on confrontation to be quickly decisive.  And now it appears the Chancellor has additional allies, men from the Land of the Valiant.  Wherever that may be."

"Dunno.  But you might ask Prince Bleys.  He's always pulling armies out of his ass.  He might either know of the place or have bred it up hisself."
            The flat lines of her lips indicate that Robin, herself, certainly isn't going to ask Unkie Bleys anything.

Vere hugs her close and sits quietly for a while, content for the moment just that the two of them are together.

With a happy sigh, Robin nuzzles Vere's neck and settles herself in more comfortably.  The girl's eyes wander off into the green around them, seeing nothing more than dappling shades and moving colors.  Hearing nothing more the soft hush of the breeze, the even flow of Vere's breath.  The creak of the trees, the steady beat of his heart.  The scent of pine and loam, of salt water and clean man.
            With the ease of the wild, Robin lets thought and words and plans drop away from her until there is only herself and Him, the world and their love.

They sit silently like that for a long time, without words, content in each other's company and the bliss of the moment.  Finally, as the light fades away and night birds begin to sing, he stirs and whispers, "We should go, my love.  My mother's only way to contact me is through Father's trump, and I want to be ready to leave when she calls."

Robin drifts back, sighs and another pout crosses her face.  But it's one she quickly shakes away.  "Okay."
            She grins up at him and snatches a quick kiss.  Then stands, stretching.

He watches her with a matching smile, then gracefully rises to his feet.  As he takes her hand he says, "I am heading to the castle to seek Father.  I know your dislike of the building, do not feel that you must come inside with me."

"Guess I haven't been too subtle about that."  Robin snorts ironically. "Buuuutt, I've been outed.  There's things I'm going to have to deal with.  That... place is one of them."
            "But it truly *is* better when you're beside me, Vere.  It really is."  She squeezes his hand and leans her head on his shoulder.

He returns the hand squeeze, and rests his cheek on her head for a moment.  Then, with another squeeze, he begins to lead her away from the grove, and toward the lights of the castle.
    "Have you met Princess Celina yet?" he asks her.  "She is the daughter of King Corwin and Queen Moire.  And yet, for all that, I think you would like her.  She was raised without knowledge of her true parentage."

"Corwin and Moire, huhn?  Poor bastard."  Robin croons sympathetically.  "How is she holding up?"

"I was with her when she learned the truth of her heritage," Vere says.  "Moire sent a letter to Corwin with her, he did not know himself of her existence until then.  He read it, and then immediately told her what Moire had said, in front of his son Merlin, Jerod, myself, and his chief advisor.  It was very hard for her.  She seems to have grown attached to her half-brother since then, they traveled together here to Amber."

"Damn that man!"  Robin face curls and she spits to the side.  "Shit!  Poor girl."  Fury and sympathy fight back and forth across Robin's expression.  With sympathy finally winning out.
            "Has she gotten to do any recoup with Folly yet?"  Robin's green eyes are swimming with concern.

Vere makes a soft sound of frustration, "I do not know.  I hoped to see Folly here - I cannot imagine that she would miss the Memorial if she could help it.  I have not seen her since before I left for Paris.  I assume that if anything had happened to her it would have become general knowledge, and I cannot imagine Prince Martin not tearing the universe apart looking for her if she were lost."

"You're right on that one."  Robin chuckles.  Just like she'd tear the universe apart if it were Vere.  "What about Solange?  I mean, it's great if this Celina is bonding with Merlin.  I wish her a whole lot more luck than I had with my brother.  But Merlin ain't exactly a native guide."
            A cock of Robin's head reveals another quick thought.  "He'd be great for the twins though...."

"I am not selfless enough to distract Solange from the task of finding a way to heal Father's legs," Vere says with a sigh.  "He is not improving, rather, he is losing ground.  And I must continue Mother's war, and cannot focus on Father's health.  It is most..." he grimaces, "...annoying," he concludes.

"Losing ground?  Oh, Vere."  Robin looses her words again.  Sorrowful clucks and croons warble in her throat as she gathers Vere to her.  All the words they've shared, the plans, the explanations... she'd give her soul to be able to solve his problems, whisk his troubles away.  But she can't.
            Instead all she can do is tell through the strength of her clinch and the fire of her heart that He is the best, the brightest and the most capable son *ever.*  And she knows that he will succeed.  No matter how 'annoying' it seems now.

Vere returns the hug, strongly and fiercely.  Then he gently takes her by the shoulders and moves her away just far enough so he can look down on her face.  "We will do what we can," he says.  "And Father is a stubborn man.  And so am I."

"Too right.  I'm... coming to believe that I'm not as stubborn as I thought I was."  Robin frowns slightly and looks away.  When her eyes come back to Vere's, there's an odd mix of sincerity and mischievousness there.  "But I *am* scary.  Let me know how and when you want me to bring that to bear, my love, and I'm *there.*"

Vere laughs with delight.  "You are terrifying, my love," he assures her, "And I treasure it."  His laughter turns into a smile with a touch of wicked humor in it, "I should dearly love to capture the Spider, hellride her to a shadow where she cannot use her magic, and turn her over to you for a conversation about her dreams...."

"Oo!  Oo!  Wouldn't that be *wonderful!*"  Robin's eyes sparkle and she hops slightly with a happy clap.
            Then her eyes wonder off and narrow in thought.  "That'd take some precision flying... and split-second timing...  Vere?  Let's keep that thought in the quiver, sweetie.  Because it *might* actually be workable."  Robin's grin develops a lot of teeth and her wink is pure evil glee.

"The Osprey and the Hawk, my love.  When we fly together, let the prey beware."

"Eeeeee."  The sound is somewhere between a hawk's call and a girl squeal.  "You say the *sweetest* things!"
            And Vere is pounced upon for a fierce hug and kiss.

* * *

Solange gazes at Vere standing tall near Robin as Random memorializes.  She's relieved that he'll be there to take care of Robin during this difficult time in her life, for her own relationship with her half-sister isn't close enough that she could assume such a role herself.
            She returns her gaze to Random, but despite her attempts to focus on what he's saying, her recent conversation with her brother instead replays itself in her mind and overshadows the events in front of her. It's not until the people around her start to move that she realizes the memorial is over.
            She turns toward Hannah, her expression troubled. "I'd like to talk to you after all this, if you're free," she says in a low voice not meant to carry. "Can you catch up with me later? I'll be in my room here in Amber."

Hannah nods, looking at Solange like she's slightly concerned about her.  "I can, and I will."

After talking to Hannah, Solange turns to Gerard and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Father, I'm going back to the castle now. Would you like me to trump you when I get there?"

"Please. I see your brother is going to be occupied," he says, with a thumb toward where Robin and Vere are hastily evacuating the area.

She smiles wryly in reply.
            Solange turns away and starts back along the way she came. She's not interested in carrying on any conversations and will avoid walking with anyone for precisely that reason.

Celina wonders as the funeral ends if she is the only one carrying more grief now than when she arrived.   
            The motion of various relatives seems chaotic for a moment. She reaches for Merlin's hand now and also finds Corwin's hand again. She weeping, but so slowly and quietly that she thinks no one can see it beneath her veil.

Merlin squeezes her hand tightly, but not painfully so. It's an awkward gesture for him, one that he has perhaps seen or experienced, but not one that he is familiar with initiating.
            Corwin accepts her grasp but, as before, doesn't initiate further intimacies.

"Father, I--," Celina cuts off, watching the unexpected for her kiss between Vere and Robin. The weight in her chest releases and grief =is= lightened to a tolerable place.
            "Outstanding." Celina whispers. She admires the kiss in form and feeling.
            A few breaths and she recovers her thoughts again. "Father, Merlin,"  Celina says, "I will be returning to Rebma in weeks to come. I'm not sure I should ever have left, but I realize the good in the steps I've taken."

Corwin and Merlin both seem to have something to say about this, but neither of them are fast enough to override Celina as she continues.

She spots Hannah and Solange exchange words. "May I introduce you to Hannah, my blood? She is new to the family."

"It's always my pleasure to meet another of our kin," Corwin replies courteously. "Which of my brothers does she belong to?" His eyes search the group, as if to see who the unknown person might be.

--There's no diplomatic prince like an Old Amber Diplomatic Prince.-- Celina lowers her voice. "I thought perhaps Oberon, but didn't think it was my place to suggest that. Her eyes are fresh and she drinks from everything."

As the Family begins its trek back to the city, Brennan looks around, sees Corwin in conversation with Celina, but that Benedict is apparently free.  He alters his stride in an appropriate fashion to come up along side him.

"Benedict," he begins.  "Good to see you again, though the circumstances are heavy.   Congratulations on Lilly's walk."

He nods, but seems distracted.

Although Brennan will indulge in small talk and pleasantries if Benedict is so inclined, he never struck Brennan as that sort of personality.  So he will get to the point quickly.  "I doubt Julian will let his loss go unanswered... nor should he.  I am planning to offer him whatever help I can render.  If memory serves, Julian was not the first Warden.  Corwin preceded him," Brennan says, pointing a chin in Corwin's direction.  "Is it true that Finndo came before Corwin in that position?"

"Your memory or your sources are accurate," says Benedict.  "My brother knows his duties."

Though he would like to go and meet other cousins, Garrett realizes that if he leaves Martin's side without at least speaking with his brother, it's going to look like he's avoiding him.  He does not want to give that impression, even if, deep down, he would prefer to do just that.  He turns to Martin and says levelly, "Martin, before you left, you said you wanted to speak with me.  Shall we do that here tonight or wait 'til we get back to Xanadu?"

Martin looks distracted, as if he's mentally somewhere else. "Hmm? Oh, yes. We can take care of that now, while we walk down. I'm not going back to Xanadu." He takes a look at Brita, who is doing something at the cairn, and starts to move off down the hill at a steady, fast pace.

Garrett was also watching Brita as Martin started walking, so he trots to catch up.  As he slides into step with his brother, he says with surprise, "You're not?"  He answers his own "why" with, "So the King's keeping you here to deal with things on this end?"

Brita turns to Ambrose, Conner, and Fiona and says, "Don't leave yet. I have something to do, but I'd like to talk on the way back."

Paige approaches her aunt as the memorial began to break up. "Aunt, these are my children, Brooke and Leif."
            "Children, this is your Great-aunt Fiona," she introduces.

Fiona inspects the children, but doesn't seem surprised at their sudden increase in age, from birth to adolescence. "Brooke, Leif," she says.
            The children look at Fiona like they are very small rodents and she is a very big predator. Not terrified, but certainly wary.

"I was hoping that, if you have time, you might have suggestions to help shore up the basics that I'm trying to give the twins. They're keen to embrace their Arcadian legacy, but I want them to have a firm grip on their Order heritage before," _doing something stupid_ "making any important decisions."

A slight smile curves Fiona's lips as she turns her attention from the children back to Paige. "Your children have turned out to be handfuls? I'm sure your father never would have expected that, Paige." She takes a step toward the children, who stand their ground, but nervously, like deer that might flee at a moment's notice.

Paige's first smile of the day is wry, but appreciated.

"What sort of basics do you have in mind to teach them? They're not mature enough for initiation yet as far as I can tell," Fiona continues.

"That's my concern," Paige explains. "They've some of their father's ability to share the forms of nature, I believe and are concerned that seeking their Order heritage will deprive them of those gifts."
            "But it's Order that is the strongest defense against their great-grandmother, and I would be remiss if they had to face her in Arcadia without it's support," she continues.
            "Unless you've heard of plans that would let them seek an Arcadia without that concern?"

Brita then turns and approaches Julian.  She murmurs something briefly to him and, after a moment, he nods with a gesture towards the cairn.
            Brita bows in return and thanks her uncle.  She then makes her way over to the cairn and kneels down.  She breaths in deeply three times, centering herself before placing a single bare hand on the ground beside the large base rock.
            To the others, she looks like she is simply resting on the ground, head bowed. Mentally, she sends her Power into the mountain, searching for the Pure Source she Knows is there.  When she finds it, she guides it, searching through the ground for the small path that leads to the memorial cairn.
            After a little over five minutes, pure, sparkling water begins to bubble forth from beneath the front of the cairn. Initially, it pools slightly in the Shadow of the memorial, unsure of its new position in the Light. Then, with a little nudge, it begins its new joyous decent across the small clearing and into the woods - finding its New Way, bringing New Life to the area around it.