As Vere and Robin approach the castle he stops for a moment, and turns to her.  "I shall go to speak to Father now," he tells her.  "Will you come with me?  I do not know that I will have a chance to speak to you again, and I would have every moment with you that I can."  He gazes into her eyes.  "There is nothing I would say to Father, or he would say to me, that you cannot hear, heart of my heart."

Robin has tears of joy sparkling in her eyes as she nods, losing her words.  With all her heart she wants to stand by him as he stood by her.  But also strong in her mind is the Ranger's credo of privacy - she never, never wants to crowd her man.  Vere's answer to her growing dilemma is that same easy elegance that touches everything he is.
            And she must admit, she doesn't want to be apart either.  Yet or ever.

Together the two of them enter the castle and make their way to Gerard's chambers.

Robin shudders slightly as they enter the great looming teetering pile of stones, but with her hand in Vere's and concentrating on him... it's not *so* bad.  As they walk, Vere can notice that Robin obviously does not know the way.  Furthermore, a couple of times she becomes disoriented and looks around in confusion.
            With a rueful snort, she just walks with Vere, shaking her head at herself.

When they arrive at the door of Gerard's chamber, they can hear Solange and Gerard speaking within. The discussion sounds a bit heated.

Vere pauses and listens for a moment, one hand on the handle of the door, with his head cocked to one side.

As Robin's eyes wander around the hallway, it's patently obvious that she can't hear anything, an innate social skill for one raised in a culture of canvas walls and campfires.

Through the stout door, Vere can't make out much, but he does catch Gerard saying his own name and Robin's.

Having a strong belief that it's wrong to eavesdrop where you might be caught at it when you cannot hear anything anyway, Vere opens the door and walks in, gesturing for Robin to follow.

Woof.  Well, too late to be nervous about this now.  Time to jump off the cliff already, Robin thinks to herself.  Besides, Solange was family at that breakfast so long ago and Gerard hugged her at the Masquerade.  Out of the paternal camps indeed.  Robin smiles to Vere as she passes him.
            Maaayyybeee, her mind runs on, we could get both groups together.  Course then we'd have to keep Jove's hands off of Solange.  Dragonriders.  An amused snort escapes the Ranger at that thought.

The door opens and Vere enters the room.  He nods to his father and sister, and waits for Robin to enter before he closes the door.

The sound of the door shutting behind her brings Robin back to the present.  She startles slightly, then waves to Gerard and Solange with a rueful smile.  "Hi, guys."
            Almost immediately, the Ranger is looking around for windows.

Gerard's office has small windows that let in light from outside, but they're not large. Robin doesn't think she could easily climb through them.

"Robin. Vere. Glad ye could come spend your last few minutes before you have to go back to the Isles with us," Gerard says. Vere senses the interruption is not entirely unwelcome. "Solange and I are discussing the next steps to take for my legs."

One side of Vere's mouth quirks fractionally upwards for half a second, then he asks, "And did you arrive at any conclusions?"

"I did," Solange replies wryly. "I don't know about Father."

Robin hides a glint of humor in her eye as she so casually ssttttrooollls over to stand by the windows.

Gerard sighs. "Solange wants to know whether I prefer magic or technology as a first direction to research. I mislike them both, but if I must choose, we'll try magic first, and if that yields nothing, we'll look to the technology of some of these shadows you've tried, Solange. Is that satisfactory to you both?" He looks at Vere and Solange.

Solange is frowning fractionally.

Gerard then over to Robin by the window. "Robin, ye're also my daughter, or near enough. What say you?"

A happy -- and grateful -- smile crosses Robin's face.  Given her privacy rules, there was nothing she could say until asked.  And somehow, being Gerard's daughter doesn't irritate her the way other implications do.
            "Welll, sir," she says in thoughtful voice as she scratches her ear contemplatively, "if I understand the rumors right and Solange's been playin' with space stations, I wouldn't discount nullgee for a good night's sleep.  It'd get your weight off the splinters and you could move around... maybe a stopover wouldn't hurt."

Solange's frown turns contemplative.

"But if it was me or my father... I wouldn't be concentrating so much on healing as on health.  A body can heal from almost anything if it's got a good run at it.  So if you're thinkin' of finding a shadow, I'd look for something like Shambala.  Or New Eden.  Or Bob.  Somewhere bursting with vitality, potential and life.  Somewhere where the joy of living could be..." Robin waves her hand as she looks for a word but she ends with, "yours once more."   
            She finishes with a bashful smile and a there-you-have-it shrug.

Vere simply nods, a thoughtful look coming over his face.

Solange stands back a step or two. "All right, we pursue magic first.  Now what? I have some thoughts of my own, but I'm interested in hearing what everyone here thinks."

Gerard frowns. "I don't know the shadows Robin is thinking of, but I see her point. I'm not doing so much here right now. When I had work to do, the days passed more quickly. I know I didn't do so much exercising as you would have liked, but the work kept my mind busy. I had less time to think of unpleasant things."

A quick bob of Robin's blonde head shows that she's tracking.  "Yes.  Yes.  Playing, laughing, living... *hope.* Best medicine there is. If you can think of where - or what - would return the desire.. the *thrill* of life to you, sir.  That's where I'd start.  If it were me."
            She looks over to Solange with a shrug.  "Me?  I'm not so... methodical.  I'd just walk about trying things.  Not sure that'd work for you, Solange."  Robin dips her head bashfully.

Solange smiles at her. "That's all right, Robin. I'm not judging. Just looking for ideas. The 'returning the desire of life' idea is a good one. Any others? Anything else come to mind?" She glances at Vere to include him in the question.

Vere still has a thoughtful look on his face.  He blinks, his eyes focusing back on the here and now, and says, "Hannah."  After a second, he clarifies, "I believe that wherever Father goes, and I do agree that this seems to me to be an excellent idea, Hannah should accompany him, if she is willing.  Or, if she needs to travel somewhere to research methods, perhaps Father should accompany her?  Sitting around and waiting for someone else to do something for him is not good for Father, it is antithetical to the way he lives his life."  Vere smiles fondly at his father as he says this.

Robin cocks her head in confusion, brow furrowed slightly.
            "Uh... I was assuming you'd be leading, sir."  She says to Gerard, then turns to her sister.  "I thought you just wanted a methodology, Solange.  I didn't know that you had experienced feet.  Or does Hannah fly Shadow well?"
            She looks back and forth between the three of them.

Solange blinks, trying to keep up with Robin's idioms. "Do you know Hannah?" she asks her. "She's a new cousin, and a doctor. She's been overseeing Father's case."

Vere adds, "As I understand it, the Unicorn found her and led her from her Shadow.  This is somewhat unique in Family history, as far as I know."

"She was the tall lady with you guys at the funeral, oui?  But if she's new, is she initi... has she Walked the Pattern?"  Robin tries to tone down her idioms a little, that blinking her sister is doing is *way* too familiar to her.

"That's her. She... um..." Solange pauses, wondering if it would be a breach of privacy to tell them that Hannah has. She mentally shrugs, figuring it will get out eventually anyway, and it only serves as further proof she's family. She'll tell Hannah that she let the cat out of the bag next time she sees her and apologize then. "Hannah took it. In Xanadu. The morning after Lilly did. She's not experienced with shadow-walking yet, I'm fairly sure." Solange pauses again, rethinking over Robin's last questions. "Were you wondering if I'd taken the Pattern as well? Is that what you meant by 'experienced feet'?"

Robin laughs.  "Weeeellll, I figured you'd taken the Pattern if you were playing on a space station."  There's a merry twinkle in her eye. "I just don't know how much or how far you've walked, ma souer."

Vere smiles in pleasure at the joy in his beloved's voice and face, and leans back against the wall without speaking.

Solange laughs too. "I've been spending time lately in high-tech shadows, exploring nanotech as a possible solution to Father's legs, so I've walked 'that far'." Her gaze turns to take in Gerard and her expression softens. "Which brings us back to the matter at hand. I certainly agree with Vere that Hannah is going to be an important part of the solution."
            "Vere, you're going to leave sometime soon and I wanted to discuss as much as we could while you were still here," Solange continues, turning back to the others in the room. "I wish Hannah was present to take part in this conversation, but I can fill her in later. Any other suggestions for pursuing a magical solution?"

"Oh."  Robin blushes.  She knows she's been circling but the habit of not showing her cards is proving harder to break than she realized.  Time to get it on.  "K." 
            A deep breath goes in.  One that Vere would recognize as preceding a data-dump.  "This is, of course, me-bias, influenced by my own footwork and much of it is largely theoretical, but first thing I'd look for is Healers who are heavily invested in their work; taking injuries on themselves and healing them there, losing years off of their lifespans, empathic connectors and the like.  Those guys *tend* to be more altruistic types and less heavily agendaed. 
            "Song Magic might make a good medium, but you'd have to watch out for the glamour component that can sneak in there sometimes.  I'd completely avoid True Name stuff if I were you.  And its cousin, First Languages, probably won't work at all, since you" Robin nods to Gerard, "in essence, predate most of the them.
            "I'm personally not that optimistic concerning the more 'peg and hole' theories - sorcery, alchemy, thaumaturgy, aecademia and the like - but that just might be my general lack of patience and focus.  Stiiiiillll... practitioners there tend to be hard bargainers or cheats more often than not in my experience.  And, of course, demonology doesn't have enough ooompf and necromancy is right out."  Robin chuckles. "Iiiiii've.... had a bad run with deities lately so I'd steer away from miracles and the like if I were you.  'Sides Gods tend to be *extremely* agenda heavy."  She rolls her eyes.
            As she continues, Robin settles herself back on the edge of Gerard's desk and gestures, her green eyes warming with sincerity.
            "One thing I'd like to throw out there... when searching, don't discount non-Oberon-style beings.  While, yes, humanoids probably have more experience with your type of physiology, sir.  And yes, it's far easier to anticipate motives and agendas in near-reflection cultures. I still think that a wider search pattern might bring in some interesting results.
            "Insectoids are not my favorite for healers.  They tend to be a little... harsh for that."  A wry smile tugs at one corner of Robin's mouth.  "Reptilians aren't bad at *all* but given... certain things going on here I'd stay clear of the Draconians.  "Thoooouughhh," the Ranger gets thoughtful, "if you can find a reflection of Canareth and crew that can do what you want - not a bad thing.  Those guys are pretty beneficent.
            "I have no experience whatsoever with Aquatics but there seems to be a lot of potential for strong Song Magic as I understand it, and the added benefit of a physically supportive environment.  Minus the breathing problem, of course.
            "My own flight paths tend to the more... aggressive Avians, but there could be soooomething among the grain-eaters.  I suppose."  Robin doesn't sound to enthusiastic about that.  She's just throwing it in the mix.
            "Higher style mammals and mixed species... centaurs, and the like," a brief smile of memory dashes across Robin's lips, "you'll have to balance them out the way you would a humanoid culture, but there might be some amazing potentials there.
            "Of course, you'd want to stay totally clear of the Fae, Small Ones, Under-the-Hills, Dreamweavers and the like.  The potential for a truly disastrous glamour is..." Robin shakes her head and sticks out her tongue, "yuck."
            "Shapechangers... heavy agenda again.  Especially since this last little fracas.  But..."  Robin's face drops, "Wish Aisling was still here...."
            "Anything I miss?"  Robin glances over to Vere.  Even if Vere has no direct experience at all with what she just said, she knows that her magnificent man can parse out the theory and find the inconsistencies and holes as easily as breathing.  And he's fun to look at too.

"An excellent analysis," Vere says approvingly.

Solange nods enthusiastic agreement.

"My only addition would be a reminder of something we've already discussed, that we are not seeking magic to heal Father, but magic that enables him to heal.  The difference, while subtle, is crucial.  Magic which heals him can be undone, and may not remain effective under the strain of travel across shadow.  But magic which enables his body to heal on its own, albeit faster than would otherwise occur, is much more likely to be permanent."
            He pauses, and for just an instant it appears he is going to say something else, but then he merely gives a short nod and remains silent.

"Vere's point is a good one. Whatever we do for Father must be able to withstand a Patternwalk. If it can withstand that, I would think it would be able to withstand across shadow. I'm not sure the reverse is necessarily true." Solange looks at Gerard for his opinion.

Gerard nods in agreement with Solange's supposition.

"Robin," she continues, "Knowing that distinction, that the magic needs to help Father heal himself rather than healing for him, is there anyone or anything on your previous list that stands out in your mind?"

Robin's eyes flicker back to Solange from where she was glancing at Vere's start-stop.  But she trusts that Vere knows what he's doing - even with that kind of presentation.
            "Weeelllll, frankly I think that's going to depend on where the Prince's own list intersects with mine.  While *I* might be very fond of reptilian song magic pursued in a primal verdant atmosphere..."  Robin smiles fondly.  "Though, really, I think parasaurolophus meditative chants are a *wonder* to experience for anyone..."
            She shakes herself out of the memory with a snap.  "Anyway, if Gerard isn't into that kind of thing, it's not going to work."  She nods to the former Regent.

"Indeed," Vere says with a decisive nod.  "Father, we are giving you ideas, but the decision on what to pursue must be yours.  I think the important thing is that you do begin.  Enforced inactivity is not good for a temperament such as yours."  He looks to Solange and Robin for support of that statement.

Solange is in full agreement with that statement, too.

Robin's nod completes the triad.

Gerard has been absorbing all of the suggestions flying back and forth.  He takes a moment to start speaking. "If we're looking for someone to heal me, a wide range of travel would seem to be the right course, though I still mislike setting so many on an errand on one man's behalf." The former Regent frowns, his expression recalling arguments with Jerod on the same subject over the past few years.
            "But if we're looking for somewhere for me to heal myself, somewhere for me to go to relieve the stresses of Amber, I think some of Robin's options are a bit far-fetched. Singing lizards are all well and good, but I like people. I can't imagine feeling completely at ease without them around. And if Hannah's to come with me, it should be a place she can abide. So I think something like us--two-leggers, you might say, Robin, or nothing more strange than centaurs or the like--for a first step, and a wider range for longer-term healing."
            While Gerard ponders what else to add, there's a knock at the door, and he calls "Come in!" A page pushes open the door and looks around, settling on Robin. "Message for you, lady, and I was told to wait for a reply." He hands her a note.

Green eyes blink in surprise but she takes the note with a nod.
            For a moment Robin wavers.  Vere's time is trickling steadily away and Julian wouldn't send a note if he or Jovian were in trouble.  And the paper doesn't smell like Paige.  But... there's also a King in this Castle.  With an apologetic wince to the others, Robin opens the note and reads.  Slowly.  Though she does manage to avoid the tongue tip this time.

Robin,

I have something I would like to discuss with you. It would be best if we could meet either tonight or early tomorrow morning. I will leave the place up to you. Please let me know when and where.

Thank You!
Your cousin,
Lilly

"Oh verde."  Robin mutters dispiritedly to herself.  "*Please* Unicorn, let this not be about Daeon."

Solange's eyebrows go up. "If there's anything we can do to help..."  she says. It sounds lame in her own ears, but saying anything else might be considered a breach of privacy.

"What is the problem, my love?" Vere asks.

Those two sweet words on his two sweet lips bring a smile to Robin's face.  She looks around to the three of them.  Family.
            "It's from Lilly.  She wants to talk with me about something.  And you know her, she's gets squidgy every time Daeon's name is mentioned.  Dung."  Robin frowns petulantly.  "I'm going to be scraping Daeon scat off my boots forEV..." her eyes drift to where Gerard sits - the Prince seeing to his sister's daughters.
            "ver." She finishes with a wry twist to her mouth and an ironic sparkle in her eye.  "Because he's family and that's the way it is."

Solange swallows a grin.

Gerard nods firmly in agreement, smothering a grin at Robin's sudden change of direction.

"Mon coeur?"  The Ranger drags herself over to Vere, eyes brimming.  "I... need to stay for just a little while longer."  Her voice quavers with the tearing in her heart.  "I need to see if Paige will let me see the kids.  I... missed so much.  I'll see if I can catch a ride with Canareth and Jovian.  And be there just as soon as I can... oh, Vere.  I'm so sorry."

"Shhh..." Vere says, taking her in his arms.  "There is nothing for which to be sorry.  That you are coming to the Isles at all is a blessing, I shall not quibble over the timing.  We are always together, no matter how far apart our bodies may be."

Feeling like very much the third wheel, Solange steps over to Gerard's chair to afford Vere and Robin a little privacy. She gives her father a "So, how 'bout that crazy weather?" sort of smile.

But Gerard's attention is somewhere else. "Who?" he asks. After a moment, he says, "Vere, it's your mother."

Robin's sudden clutch of Vere to herself is fierce and convulsive.  She buries her head in his collar.

Vere gives her a strong hug, then takes her by the shoulders and gently pushes her far enough away so that he can look down into her face.  "Soon," he says.

Robin nods without words.  And throws herself against him, catching him into a ferocious kiss -- her breath and soul blending with his -- that lasts forever.
            Until she reeeeelllluuuuuccctantly pulls herself away to bump absentmindedly back against the wall behind her.  Her eyes are green with passion, moisture and a unspoken promise that hell and high water follow him shortly to Danu.

He steps to his father's side and rests a hand on Gerard's shoulder.

"Goodbye. Tell Papa hello for me. Be safe," Solange says to Vere. She gives her brother a kiss on the cheek, then steps over to stand by Robin.

Vere finds himself in contact with his mother as he touches his father.  "Vere," the Lady says, "it's time to come home." She extends her hand to him.

The page is still waiting for an answer from Robin, and seems a bit confused by all the excitement.

Vere gives his sister a final smile, squeezes Gerard's shoulder, and then casts a long last look at Robin.  Then he turns to face his mother, reaches out for her hand, and steps through.

As Vere disappears, Robin's breath leaves her in a great sigh and she slumps back against the wall.  She's probably not aware of the soft longing croon that escapes her lips as she stares at the spot that once held her beloved.
            A rough shake of her blonde head and a ruffle of non-existent feathers brings Robin back to herself and she looks to Gerard and Solange with questioning eyes.  What now?

"Robin, may I get Julian's trump back from you?" Solange asks.

Green eyes blink for a moment.  "Oh!  Yeah."
            The Ranger pulls a hard wooden case out of an interior pocket of her vest.  Keeping it facing herself and herself only, she carefully - almost finickily - withdraws the Trump and hands it to Solange face down.  "Sorry 'bout that."

"Not a problem." Solange reshuffles it back into her own deck.

"Uh... Solange?  Can we talk sometime?  When there's not so many men-folk around?"  She casts an amused eye toward Gerard, but includes the page in her gaze.

"Certainly. We could talk now...unless you have business?" Solange looks at the page significantly.

"Maybe later would be better."  Robin smiles weakly.
            "Sir?  I don't mean to pontificate and run, but did you want anymore of my far-fetched thoughts?"  There's warm humor in Robin's eyes as she turns to Gerard.  The girl knows that when it comes to brain-storming, she tends to be a bit more on the storm side than the brain side.

"You go deal with Lilly, and if you have any more ideas, we can discuss them in the morning," Gerard says, with a gesture at the page. "But if ye need my help tonight in dealing with yer brother's business, come back up and we can talk."

Robin's mouth drops open slightly in surprise.  Wheels start turning in her head.  There's... things she can't say to Julian.  Or to Jovian.  And she didn't know that there was anyone other than Vere she could talk to.
            "I... that would be nice, sir.  Thank you."  She says quietly.

"Yer welcome," Gerard replies.

"Perhaps we can talk tomorrow, too. I should be around," Solange says.

"K."  Robin says with a bashful dip of her head.  Eventually though, the smile and warmth that is growing in her can't be contained and she throws herself on Solange for an enormous hug.

Surprised, Solange hugs her back.

Following up with another for Gerard.
            "Thank you.  Thank you both."  She just looks at the two of them for a moment, beaming. 

Solange looks back at her curiously, but then her expression slips into a return grin.

Then the segue master hits again.
            "Bye."  And the Ranger rushes out the door before she does something to screw up the moment.

Out into the hall she flies.  The hall where the walls seem to lean in ever so slightly.  The hall where the air flows sluggishly at best and the sounds come warped and distorted from all sorts of strange directions.  The hall where...
            "Oog." 
            Robin pauses for a moment.  And pauses again.  Darn it!
            With a bashful grin, she pokes her head back in the room.  A cheerful whistle and a come-along gesture is directed to where the page still stands, blinking in confusion at the sudden lack of his reply.
            The young man jerks and, with a hurried bow to Gerard and Solange, rushes out of the room after the retreating Ranger.

Once away from Gerard's chamber, Robin slows her speed - mostly out of courtesy to the page hurrying up behind her.  Though there's definitely some confusion there as well.
            Coming to a stop, the Ranger turns a smile on the young man.  "Soooo, where *is* Lilly?"
            Perhaps stories about Julian's perpetually lost daughter have filtered down to enough of the staff, because after a rocky start, the page rallies well, figuring that bringing Robin should count as a 'reply' even to the Queen's austere (and beautiful) bodyguard.
            "This way, ma'am."  With a polite gesture and an unerring sense of direction, the page leads Robin through the hallways, stairways and byways of Amber Castle.  In short order, the two stand before Lucas' door. 
            Robin looks around in confusion, her nose wrinkling.  What is that *smell?!*  And the corridor... so strange to her forest-born eyes.  Somehow, she didn't figure that she'd find Lilly here.  With sword-snagging fabric and tapestries hanging everywhere, completely non-functional whats... tables? holding... things that look fragile and not at all useful in a fight.  The carpet sucks at the Ranger's boots with almost obscene intimacy and she's pretty sure that the colors are doing something bad to her eyes.
            The page on the other hand seems to know exactly what he's doing.  With quick efficient strokes, he settles his hair, straightens his tabard, swipes away dust that Robin can't even *see*, polishes his shoes on the backs of his trews, draws himself up to an appropriate carriage and knocks with the perfect mix of deference and competence.