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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 6991812" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 117, "Mary's Castle", September 12, 1882, 10:00 PM. </strong></p><p></p><p>Callum tells Abby, "What do I want? Right now, to take you to Paris and have some fun." He goes over to Abby's picture and removes it from the wall. Behind it is a hidden wall safe made of steel with a combination lock. He opens the lock. Inside of the small safe are shelves with various boxes. He takes out a square Wooden box with hinges on both ends and also a smaller case similar to those that men carry cigars in. He places the larger box on the desk and opens it up, folding it out into three sections. Each section holds glass vials in padded compartments. </p><p></p><p>He removes three of them, then refolds the box and puts it back into the safe, closing the door and replacing the picture. He then opens the cigar box, which is empty save for padded spaces for two cigars and also inside are a pair of metal cigar bands. He slips each band over a vial and the vial transforms into a cigar, which he places back into the case, putting the case in his coat pocket. The third glass vial he continues to hold in his hand and says, "We can go now, the carriage should be arriving." </p><p></p><p>"A night of fun is enough for now," she said and smiled. "The rest can wait." She took his free hand and pulled lightly, just enough to cause him to bend down a bit so she could kiss him. "I expect to be treated like a Queen," she teased and preceded him from the room. "As you wish," he replies. They head downstairs and outside. Abby sees a shapely auburn-haired woman casting a spell upon the dirigible and it shrinks in size by close to seventy-five-percent. The men then move forward and move it through the barn doors.</p><p></p><p>She turns and heads over towards Callum with a smile. He cheerfully smiles and says, "Cousin Meagan, may I introduce you to Abigail Marsters." She smiles and says with a Scottish accent "You found her Callum!" He replies, "We bumped into each other in Zakazik Egypt of all places." Abby says, "I don't know why it's so surprising to him to find an archeologist in Egypt. It's our unofficial clubhouse. How do you do?" </p><p></p><p>Meagan replies, "A true pleasure to meet you." She gestures to the carriage and says, "Are you planning to show her the Castle?" As they enter the fancy carriage he replies, "Eventually, but it is still early enough for a night in the city. Abby is wondering if you might have something that she can borrow to wear?" Meagan says, "I should be able to come up with something. What is your favorite color?" Abby says, "I don't have a particular favorite, but I've always felt a nice, icy blue was quite flattering for me." </p><p></p><p>As the carriage driver above turns the vehicle back in the direction of the castle and sets off Meghan says to the two seated across from her "I should have something in my closet in that color that will fit with a few minor incantations. I hope that you enjoy your visit with us here in France." Abby says, "It's unexpected, and it won't be very long I'm afraid, but I intend to enjoy every moment of it. I'll be grateful for anything you can loan me. I didn't come into Egypt with evening gowns; there's usually not much call for them. Do you enjoy living here near Paris?" </p><p></p><p>She says, "Yes, very much so. I was born here, but grew up with the Stuarts in Scotland. Cousin Callum and I are both the Great-Grandchildren of Charles Stuart but while his Great Grandmother was Stuart's legitimate wife, I descend from his French mistress Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne. It was Callum who invited me to come live here." </p><p></p><p>Abby says, "And for someone with talents like yours, and mine, France is a much friendlier place. I had thought, years ago, that some day when it came time for me to settle, France would be the place if I didn't go back to New Orleans." She says, "I very much enjoy it here." </p><p></p><p>They soon arrive at the Castle, driving through the open gate on the outer wall and up to the stairs before the main entrance. "Come on in," Meagan says. Abigail has seen much larger castles and keeps, the main housing structure being a mere sixty-by-ninety feet in size and only two stories in height. They climb up the stairs and through the main doors. </p><p></p><p>The central foyer is impressive, measuring forty-feet wide and running the full sixty-feet to the far wall. Doors are on both the left and right leading to other first-floor rooms and there is an elaborate stone staircase up to the second floor. In the center of the room is a life-sized statue in white marble of Mary Stuart. Colorful tapestries line the walls. Along the far wall is a huge painting, thirty-feet wide and twelve feet high, depicting a massive storybook-style castle, somewhat resembling the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, although the dozen-or-so round spires and upper walls are pink with blue roofing. Meghan heads up the stairs saying "Wait here, I will get the dress."</p><p></p><p>"Of course, thank you," Abby said. As Meagan disappeared up the stairs, Abby amused herself by examining first the large painting, and then the tapestries on the walls. While looking at the large painting Callum says, "Mary Stuart had that painted, it was her vision. She saw the division between wizard and clerical magic as a temporary one, feeling that in a short while it would end and all magic would be accepted by all nations. She wanted to create a special place here, twenty miles east of Paris, where all magic would be studied and celebrated. She called it her Magic Kingdom. That castle was to be the centerpiece, created from the description of the castle in the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty."</p><p></p><p>Abby says, "I wish her dream had come true. This separation is ridiculous. People are people, we will separate and divide ourselves by whatever lines we can find. But it still astonishes me how far people will go to destroy what they don't understand. When I come upon something I don't understand, my first instinct is to try to understand it." </p><p></p><p>He replies, "The real irony is that that it probably would have if it wasn't for her own impatience. During the reign of her son King James the First, all of that could have been accomplished if it had not been for Mary's prior treason against Queen Elizabeth. That created such a delicate political situation for James that he was forced to abandon any interest in what was viewed as "his mother's evil magic" and embrace clerical magic. So she was her own worst enemy, and it cost her everything."</p><p></p><p>She looked at the painting for another moment, then turns to Callum and asks, "Don't you have to get something else to wear beside that Legionnaire's uniform?" He looks down at his clothing and laughs "I had completely forgotten I was wearing this! I will be right back." He heads up the staircase. Abby moved over to the statue to examine it. "Her own worst enemy. Aren't we all?" she said quietly.</p><p></p><p>She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to live here, like this. To have the power to affect the lives of so many with the smallest decisions. It wasn't that she wasn't familiar with it, she had spent her life examining the past and it was a primer on the power of the noble over the common. But what was it like to be the nobility? Was her own America's system any better, with all of the shouting and chaos? America had her own noble and powerful after all, still affecting the common. At least the common had a slim chance of fighting back. Abby shook her head. Deciding whether she wanted the man would be far easier than if she wanted the life. And even if he offered it to her, his family could decide to deny it to them both. "Don't get ahead of yourself," she said quietly. "It's just a night out." </p><p></p><p>Abby looks over at the tapestries. The east wall has two large ones, both of which appear to have been from the time of Mary Stuart and one possibly earlier. The first depicts the Battle of Bannockburn from 1314, when Scotland gained its independence from England. An army of Scots wearing great kilts of the Stewart tartan follow Robert the Bruce into battle. </p><p></p><p>Abigail saw many questionable things in this particular tapestry. Several types of the pole arms and armor depicted are of styles beyond the 14th century plus the Stewarts were allies of Robert the Bruce but not his primary force. And no Scotsman would have actually worn his great kilt into battle, it was his most prized possession and he would not want to have gotten it torn or bloodied. It would have been left neatly folded back at his base camp, where it could be later passed down to his son if he died in battle. Abby chuckled a bit as she examine the tapestry. Depicting the Stuarts in their tartans she could forgive, it was the easiest way for the tapestry-maker to identify just who was rushing into battle. Like all families though, the exploits of Stuarts past seemed to have grown in the retelling. The weapons... well, she supposed someone sewing a tapestry might not have the greatest of familiarity with weapons two centuries older than the sewer.</p><p></p><p>The other tapestry on this wall depicts the Coronation of King Francis II of France. The artist here did a remarkable job of accuracy, as both Mary Stuart and her husband look very much the teenagers that they were at the time, rather than the older depictions usually done of royalty. It was always strange when people she thought of as historical figures appeared younger than she was now. Becoming a monarch must have been a tremendous burden for both of them at such a young age. </p><p></p><p>The west wall has three tapestries that are of more recent vintage. The largest one is similar in size to those on the east wall and is situated between the two doors. It depicts the Stuart family monarchs who ruled England as well as Scotland in chronological order: King James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II, William III & Mary II, and finally Queen Anne. To the right of the northern door on this wall is a tapestry that was obviously commissioned by Charles Edward Stuart, as it shows two men, King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the House of Stuart standing beside Charles Edward Stuart wearing his full Jacobite attire. It is a very flattering depiction of the young man.</p><p></p><p>Abigail is rather surprised at the final tapestry along the southern end of that wall. It also features Charles Stuart in his Jacobite attire, but is far from flattering. It depicts the Battle of Culloden in 1746, where Scotland lost its independence, and shows the British redcoats defeating the Scots while Charles Stuart is abandoning his troops and running away. Abby spent a bit longer looking at this last tapestry. Whoever had placed this here, she guessed they'd felt the need for a reminder that the noble family of Stuart had not always comported itself at its best. Or perhaps they felt the incident was so well known that its exclusion would cause more notice than its inclusion.</p><p></p><p>Meghan comes down the stairs carrying an ice blue gown as Abby is looking at the last tapestry. "There's an interesting story behind that one," she states. "When Charles Stuart was getting on in years, in his sixties and living in Rome, his health began to fade. He convinced his illegitimate daughter Charlotte, who had been born to a Scottish merchant family, to come and be his nurse by legally legitimizing her. My Grandfather, Charles Godefrey Sophie Jules de Rohan, was thirty-five at the time and became furious, as Charles Stuart had never done the same for him. So he had that tapestry commissioned and unveiled in a public ceremony, to embarrass his father. He then tried to donate it to several museums for public viewing, but nobody in Paris wanted to display a depiction of a British victory, so it remains here." </p><p></p><p>Abby couldn't help it, she had to chuckle. "Families are families, noble or common. Although I suppose a noble family can make a much larger gesture out of their anger. "I can't imagine how many gowns you must have if you had some the exact color I wanted." Meghan says, "Most of mine are shades of blue or green, if you had asked for any of the fire shades you would have been out of luck." </p><p></p><p>She hands Abby the dress and tells her to hold it before her. Meghan then casts an incantation, the words being a distinctive mix of Gaelic, French and Atlantian, after which Abigail is now wearing the gown and holding the clothing that she had on before. She also notes that it has even been altered to fit perfectly, even though she and Meghan had somewhat different body sizes. "I do look fabulous in red, too," Abby said. "But that is a very handy spell. I haven't seen spells like the ones you know before. This is stunning Meghan. Thank you." </p><p></p><p>Meghan says, "It is a unique family spell, created a century ago for the family's former aristocrats who had never learned to dress themselves but could also no longer afford to have personal servants." She adds, "And it has always annoyed Callum that no matter how hard he tries he just cannot seem to master that spell. He says it would come in very handy for his line of work." </p><p></p><p>"Talking about me?" Callum states from the top of the staircase. He is attired in a silver-gray suit with a white shirt and ice blue tie that matches Abigail's gown. Abby also notices that she detects magical auras around the ring on his right hand, the cigar case in his pocket, his cuff-links, the glass vial in his hands and his dress shoes. "Well, who knew you cleaned up so well?" Abby teased. "I will be the envy of every woman we see."</p><p></p><p>She paused for a few moments. "Is it common to be able to see magical auras here? I've never been able to see them without actually using a cantrip, but I'm picking them up now." He smiles and says, "Yes, due to the proximity to the magical well. It is situated beneath the carriage house by the rear outer wall of the castle." Meghan looks very startled and exclaims, "You told her?" He gives his cousin a stare and says slowly and precisely "I have no secrets from Abigail." Meagan nods and heads upstairs, without saying anything further. </p><p></p><p>Abby watched Meghan go, distressed. She turned to Cal. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her. I shouldn't have said anything." He says, "No, she's not upset with you, she is upset with me. You are far from the first person to make that observation here, I just did not give you the standard half-truth answer. I see that a spirited discussion is in my future. One second please." </p><p></p><p>He removes his two cuff-links, placing one in his ear and holds the other by his mouth. He says, "Communicate" , Charles". After a few seconds he then says, "Charles, could you please check and see if Pepe and Maracita might want to go into the city?" After a short pause he says, "Yes, Meagan did." He lowers his hand from his mouth but keeps the other cuff-link in his ear. She had spent enough time in magic using countries that its casual use no longer surprised her. But the use of magic she had seen here was something different entirely. </p><p></p><p>She asked, "Cal, how much of this is due to the well, and how much is family talent?" He replies, "A combination of both, plus a five-century accumulation of magical items. Hold on please." He nods and moves the cuff-link back up to his mouth and says, "Very good. Tell them that we will pick them up in five minutes. End Communication." He places the cuff-links back on his shirt cuffs. She replies, "I feel like I've entered some strange, alternate world." Once the cuff-links were back on, Abby slipped her arm through Cal's. "I think I may have seen all the wonders I can handle for a bit. Let's go enjoy ourselves." </p><p></p><p>He says, "Yes, and my original intention was just to drop off the balloon and drive into the city, not overwhelm you with all of this. The cuff-links aren't really any different than a Bell Telephone, in fact, it was watching a similar magical item that originally gave Bell the idea in the first place. The only real difference is that instead of the transmission traveling across a metal wire it travels on the magical ley-lines. However, most of the magical communication devices that use that method are much larger, usually the size of a shoe box or small hat box. It is only the proximity to the well that allows us to use something as small as a pair of cuff-links. Unfortunately, even here the range is limited to just a few miles."</p><p></p><p>They head outside and back to the carriage. Callum tells the driver, "The south farm, civilian speed please." Once inside he says, "My chief wizard and his wife will be joining us for the ride into the city, but they'll separate from us once we get there. I wouldn't have been very good company for the ride anyway, given that I will be sound asleep for most of it." She replies, "To tell the truth, I had thought I might sleep a bit more myself. But company will also be most welcome. I feel a thousand times better than I did before we left Egypt." </p><p></p><p>He says, "I am very happy to hear that. I will wait to imbibe the elixir until after I have made the introductions and you three are comfortable talking with each other. They are not French, but also from the Americas, although further south than the United States." "I appreciate that." She reached over and took his hand for these few moments while they were alone. "Well, New Orleans is filled with people from all over. I'm sure we'll get on fine." </p><p></p><p>They soon arrive at another farmhouse. This one is of a similar design to the one where the dirigible is at, except that instead of one huge barn there are three smaller ones and a grain silo. The other farm also only appeared to be only for crops, but this one has a few paddocks with horses, and she hears the sound of a cow mooing from one of the barns. A pair of well dressed wood elves were waiting on a porch bench. They appear to be the human equivalent of late twenties or early thirties. They stand and head over to the carriage and the driver opens the door for them. </p><p></p><p>Callum says in English with a smile, "Abigail Marsters, allow me to introduce you to Pepe Diego and his lovely bride Maracita." They each reply in English without any hint of an accent that they are pleased to meet her and then each thank them both for the ride into the city. Abby says, "It's our pleasure. There is certainly room in the carriage, and the company will make the drive all the more pleasant." Callum holds up his glass vial and says, "Yes, but you three will need to share a bench. Once we get going I'll be using the other one for a very long overdue nap." Abby says, "I think we can manage that. Have a good nap, we'll keep ourselves entertained." She got up and moved over the bench on the other side of the carriage. </p><p></p><p>Abby comments to Pepe and Maracita, "The farmhouse looked snug and comfortable. I've always been a city girl. I suppose I have some romantic ideas about country living." Pepe says, "It is very comfortable, we've turned it into a home. We have been living there now for almost sixty years." Abby says, "Sixty years? That is what I would call settled. What brought you to France from the Americas, if it isn't too bold of me to ask, of course." Pepe replies, "Prison". Abby smiled at Pepe. She could appreciate a succinct answer.</p><p></p><p>After a long pause Maracita exclaims "Pepe! You can't just give that as an answer!" She looks towards Abby and says, "Pepe is from Mexico. He and I met at the turn-of-the-century at a magic seminar in Mexico City. After we were wed we moved back to my native Peru. In 1821 Peru did what your United States did forty-five years earlier and declared independence from our European overlords. And the Spanish Empire reacted to us the same as the British Empire did to your country and sent an army to pacify the rebels. As skilled wizards, Pepe and I both joined the rebel army. We were captured and then imprisoned in Pamplona, Spain. </p><p></p><p>In 1823 the army of France's King Louis XVIII invaded Spain, and Pamplona was one of the cities they captured. The prison was liberated and we came to Paris along with dozens of freed French political prisoners. Shortly thereafter we were hired by Sophia Elizabeth Stuart." "Meagan's mother", Cal interjects. Turning her attention back to Maracita Abby asked, "And have you never wished to return to Peru? My travels have mostly been here in Europe and Egypt, but I have met a few people from Peru in New Orleans and the country they describe sounds absolutely beautiful. Maracita replies, "We have gone back for visits, but this is now our home. We have marvelous jobs and responsibilities here, and are just a stone's throw away from one of the greatest cities in the world."</p><p></p><p>Callum says, "Well, I for one am glad to have you here in France. And I am also glad to have you here now with us in the carriage. </p><p>It seems that I have once again angered my cousin, this time for being too forthcoming with information to Abigail." The two elves exchange glances. Pepe can barely suppress a chuckle while Maracita just rolls her eyes. Callum continues, "Meghan however, mistakenly thinks that Abigail is just here for a social visit. For the last week she has taken a much greater role on the world stage, which dovetails with much that we do here. Have you been following the events in Egypt?"</p><p></p><p>Pepe says, "Yes, the British fought a major battle with the Egyptian rebels a few days ago and had another clash early this morning." Callum says, "Yes, although the real war has been with the Weekly Wizards group of Paris. The wizards had instigated the entire war, with an end goal of ruling Egypt itself. But they have now been permanently stopped in large part by the combined efforts of my Torchwood team and Abigail's archaeology team, led by Willamina Hamilton Parker." Pepe says, "Hamilton...wasn't that Henrietta Verne's friend?" "The same," states Callum. </p><p></p><p>"You say that you stopped them?" Maracita asks. Callum says, "And then some, their team is effectively decapitated. Of the twelve leaders, the aces, kings and queens, only Duruy and de Guizman remain, and they are now far more sympathetic to our goals. We had a great deal of help with this Pepe, specifically three unique beings, the Egyptian Goddess Bast, the Asgardian dragon-lady, and your Great Uncle, Manual Gonzales." Upon hearing that name Maracita again rolls her eyes and laughs out "And was he dating the Goddess, the dragon-lady, or both?" Abby says, "Neither, although Mrs. Parker's Granddaughter referred to him as her teacher."</p><p></p><p>Abby continues, "The newly coronated Queen Neferka was none too pleased with the behavior of the Weekly Wizards group. Her judgment was harsh, but not unearned. I can't say I could show mercy to the murderers of my family, either. I didn't do so much. I helped get Cal's people out from the French camp and then interfered with the plan to poison the banquet. Other than that I mostly stood around waiting to see if anything needed to be hit. Although I did nearly get my arms pulled from the sockets stopping a couple of the wizards from getting away down the Nile using a magical engine for a boat."</p><p></p><p>Callum says sarcastically, "Right, she didn't do much. She just prevented the entire Egyptian Royal family and guests from being poisoned, and then decided to directly fight the weekly wizards." "Well, it didn't seem like so much at the time," she said, coloring. "They were trying to kill people because they were inconvenient. You just don't let that stand, Cal."</p><p></p><p>Abby looked around at the other three passengers in the carriage. "I'm obviously missing some familial by-play here, but I can see you've brought me into something bigger here, Cal." Callum says, "Okay, I'll summarize this quickly, as I really do need to sleep. Mary Stuart left our family to protect and study the magical earth-magic well, which the family has done for centuries. I am the current landholder, and invited my cousin Meagan to come here and help, as she is a very powerful sorceress. Unfortunatley she's an extreme pain-in-the-butt to all of us, but she is also the most powerful magic-user on the property and also a Stuart who embraces Mary's vision, so we need her. </p><p></p><p>I anticipate that tomorrow she'll call together the Stuart Magic Council, which is comprised of her, myself, cousin Charles, Pepe and Maracita, and for the umpteenth time she will attempt to have me stripped of the landholder job and have it given to her. I thought it would be helpful for Pepe and Maracita to meet you before then. That's it in a nutshell." </p><p></p><p>Abby says, "Alright, I have questions, but you need to sleep, so I'll stick to one for now. If it was going to cause such trouble for you, why did you make such a point to her about your trust in me?" He smiles and says, "Abby, it wasn't about her, it was about you. Our previous relationship was based upon half-truths and some outright lies. Our current relationship will be based upon honesty." </p><p></p><p>Abby moved back next to him for a moment, took his hands, and kissed him gently. "Thank you. I appreciate that, I really do. But I also understand that what we were before... you didn't know then that I might be someone who needed to know the truth. You don't have to work so hard to prove yourself. That comes with time. Now go to sleep. We'll see you when you wake. And if I'm laughing at you it's just because your friends here have told me all the embarrassing stories about you they can remember." </p><p> </p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 6991812, member: 8530"] [b]Chapter 117, "Mary's Castle", September 12, 1882, 10:00 PM. [/b] Callum tells Abby, "What do I want? Right now, to take you to Paris and have some fun." He goes over to Abby's picture and removes it from the wall. Behind it is a hidden wall safe made of steel with a combination lock. He opens the lock. Inside of the small safe are shelves with various boxes. He takes out a square Wooden box with hinges on both ends and also a smaller case similar to those that men carry cigars in. He places the larger box on the desk and opens it up, folding it out into three sections. Each section holds glass vials in padded compartments. He removes three of them, then refolds the box and puts it back into the safe, closing the door and replacing the picture. He then opens the cigar box, which is empty save for padded spaces for two cigars and also inside are a pair of metal cigar bands. He slips each band over a vial and the vial transforms into a cigar, which he places back into the case, putting the case in his coat pocket. The third glass vial he continues to hold in his hand and says, "We can go now, the carriage should be arriving." "A night of fun is enough for now," she said and smiled. "The rest can wait." She took his free hand and pulled lightly, just enough to cause him to bend down a bit so she could kiss him. "I expect to be treated like a Queen," she teased and preceded him from the room. "As you wish," he replies. They head downstairs and outside. Abby sees a shapely auburn-haired woman casting a spell upon the dirigible and it shrinks in size by close to seventy-five-percent. The men then move forward and move it through the barn doors. She turns and heads over towards Callum with a smile. He cheerfully smiles and says, "Cousin Meagan, may I introduce you to Abigail Marsters." She smiles and says with a Scottish accent "You found her Callum!" He replies, "We bumped into each other in Zakazik Egypt of all places." Abby says, "I don't know why it's so surprising to him to find an archeologist in Egypt. It's our unofficial clubhouse. How do you do?" Meagan replies, "A true pleasure to meet you." She gestures to the carriage and says, "Are you planning to show her the Castle?" As they enter the fancy carriage he replies, "Eventually, but it is still early enough for a night in the city. Abby is wondering if you might have something that she can borrow to wear?" Meagan says, "I should be able to come up with something. What is your favorite color?" Abby says, "I don't have a particular favorite, but I've always felt a nice, icy blue was quite flattering for me." As the carriage driver above turns the vehicle back in the direction of the castle and sets off Meghan says to the two seated across from her "I should have something in my closet in that color that will fit with a few minor incantations. I hope that you enjoy your visit with us here in France." Abby says, "It's unexpected, and it won't be very long I'm afraid, but I intend to enjoy every moment of it. I'll be grateful for anything you can loan me. I didn't come into Egypt with evening gowns; there's usually not much call for them. Do you enjoy living here near Paris?" She says, "Yes, very much so. I was born here, but grew up with the Stuarts in Scotland. Cousin Callum and I are both the Great-Grandchildren of Charles Stuart but while his Great Grandmother was Stuart's legitimate wife, I descend from his French mistress Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne. It was Callum who invited me to come live here." Abby says, "And for someone with talents like yours, and mine, France is a much friendlier place. I had thought, years ago, that some day when it came time for me to settle, France would be the place if I didn't go back to New Orleans." She says, "I very much enjoy it here." They soon arrive at the Castle, driving through the open gate on the outer wall and up to the stairs before the main entrance. "Come on in," Meagan says. Abigail has seen much larger castles and keeps, the main housing structure being a mere sixty-by-ninety feet in size and only two stories in height. They climb up the stairs and through the main doors. The central foyer is impressive, measuring forty-feet wide and running the full sixty-feet to the far wall. Doors are on both the left and right leading to other first-floor rooms and there is an elaborate stone staircase up to the second floor. In the center of the room is a life-sized statue in white marble of Mary Stuart. Colorful tapestries line the walls. Along the far wall is a huge painting, thirty-feet wide and twelve feet high, depicting a massive storybook-style castle, somewhat resembling the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, although the dozen-or-so round spires and upper walls are pink with blue roofing. Meghan heads up the stairs saying "Wait here, I will get the dress." "Of course, thank you," Abby said. As Meagan disappeared up the stairs, Abby amused herself by examining first the large painting, and then the tapestries on the walls. While looking at the large painting Callum says, "Mary Stuart had that painted, it was her vision. She saw the division between wizard and clerical magic as a temporary one, feeling that in a short while it would end and all magic would be accepted by all nations. She wanted to create a special place here, twenty miles east of Paris, where all magic would be studied and celebrated. She called it her Magic Kingdom. That castle was to be the centerpiece, created from the description of the castle in the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty." Abby says, "I wish her dream had come true. This separation is ridiculous. People are people, we will separate and divide ourselves by whatever lines we can find. But it still astonishes me how far people will go to destroy what they don't understand. When I come upon something I don't understand, my first instinct is to try to understand it." He replies, "The real irony is that that it probably would have if it wasn't for her own impatience. During the reign of her son King James the First, all of that could have been accomplished if it had not been for Mary's prior treason against Queen Elizabeth. That created such a delicate political situation for James that he was forced to abandon any interest in what was viewed as "his mother's evil magic" and embrace clerical magic. So she was her own worst enemy, and it cost her everything." She looked at the painting for another moment, then turns to Callum and asks, "Don't you have to get something else to wear beside that Legionnaire's uniform?" He looks down at his clothing and laughs "I had completely forgotten I was wearing this! I will be right back." He heads up the staircase. Abby moved over to the statue to examine it. "Her own worst enemy. Aren't we all?" she said quietly. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to live here, like this. To have the power to affect the lives of so many with the smallest decisions. It wasn't that she wasn't familiar with it, she had spent her life examining the past and it was a primer on the power of the noble over the common. But what was it like to be the nobility? Was her own America's system any better, with all of the shouting and chaos? America had her own noble and powerful after all, still affecting the common. At least the common had a slim chance of fighting back. Abby shook her head. Deciding whether she wanted the man would be far easier than if she wanted the life. And even if he offered it to her, his family could decide to deny it to them both. "Don't get ahead of yourself," she said quietly. "It's just a night out." Abby looks over at the tapestries. The east wall has two large ones, both of which appear to have been from the time of Mary Stuart and one possibly earlier. The first depicts the Battle of Bannockburn from 1314, when Scotland gained its independence from England. An army of Scots wearing great kilts of the Stewart tartan follow Robert the Bruce into battle. Abigail saw many questionable things in this particular tapestry. Several types of the pole arms and armor depicted are of styles beyond the 14th century plus the Stewarts were allies of Robert the Bruce but not his primary force. And no Scotsman would have actually worn his great kilt into battle, it was his most prized possession and he would not want to have gotten it torn or bloodied. It would have been left neatly folded back at his base camp, where it could be later passed down to his son if he died in battle. Abby chuckled a bit as she examine the tapestry. Depicting the Stuarts in their tartans she could forgive, it was the easiest way for the tapestry-maker to identify just who was rushing into battle. Like all families though, the exploits of Stuarts past seemed to have grown in the retelling. The weapons... well, she supposed someone sewing a tapestry might not have the greatest of familiarity with weapons two centuries older than the sewer. The other tapestry on this wall depicts the Coronation of King Francis II of France. The artist here did a remarkable job of accuracy, as both Mary Stuart and her husband look very much the teenagers that they were at the time, rather than the older depictions usually done of royalty. It was always strange when people she thought of as historical figures appeared younger than she was now. Becoming a monarch must have been a tremendous burden for both of them at such a young age. The west wall has three tapestries that are of more recent vintage. The largest one is similar in size to those on the east wall and is situated between the two doors. It depicts the Stuart family monarchs who ruled England as well as Scotland in chronological order: King James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II, William III & Mary II, and finally Queen Anne. To the right of the northern door on this wall is a tapestry that was obviously commissioned by Charles Edward Stuart, as it shows two men, King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the House of Stuart standing beside Charles Edward Stuart wearing his full Jacobite attire. It is a very flattering depiction of the young man. Abigail is rather surprised at the final tapestry along the southern end of that wall. It also features Charles Stuart in his Jacobite attire, but is far from flattering. It depicts the Battle of Culloden in 1746, where Scotland lost its independence, and shows the British redcoats defeating the Scots while Charles Stuart is abandoning his troops and running away. Abby spent a bit longer looking at this last tapestry. Whoever had placed this here, she guessed they'd felt the need for a reminder that the noble family of Stuart had not always comported itself at its best. Or perhaps they felt the incident was so well known that its exclusion would cause more notice than its inclusion. Meghan comes down the stairs carrying an ice blue gown as Abby is looking at the last tapestry. "There's an interesting story behind that one," she states. "When Charles Stuart was getting on in years, in his sixties and living in Rome, his health began to fade. He convinced his illegitimate daughter Charlotte, who had been born to a Scottish merchant family, to come and be his nurse by legally legitimizing her. My Grandfather, Charles Godefrey Sophie Jules de Rohan, was thirty-five at the time and became furious, as Charles Stuart had never done the same for him. So he had that tapestry commissioned and unveiled in a public ceremony, to embarrass his father. He then tried to donate it to several museums for public viewing, but nobody in Paris wanted to display a depiction of a British victory, so it remains here." Abby couldn't help it, she had to chuckle. "Families are families, noble or common. Although I suppose a noble family can make a much larger gesture out of their anger. "I can't imagine how many gowns you must have if you had some the exact color I wanted." Meghan says, "Most of mine are shades of blue or green, if you had asked for any of the fire shades you would have been out of luck." She hands Abby the dress and tells her to hold it before her. Meghan then casts an incantation, the words being a distinctive mix of Gaelic, French and Atlantian, after which Abigail is now wearing the gown and holding the clothing that she had on before. She also notes that it has even been altered to fit perfectly, even though she and Meghan had somewhat different body sizes. "I do look fabulous in red, too," Abby said. "But that is a very handy spell. I haven't seen spells like the ones you know before. This is stunning Meghan. Thank you." Meghan says, "It is a unique family spell, created a century ago for the family's former aristocrats who had never learned to dress themselves but could also no longer afford to have personal servants." She adds, "And it has always annoyed Callum that no matter how hard he tries he just cannot seem to master that spell. He says it would come in very handy for his line of work." "Talking about me?" Callum states from the top of the staircase. He is attired in a silver-gray suit with a white shirt and ice blue tie that matches Abigail's gown. Abby also notices that she detects magical auras around the ring on his right hand, the cigar case in his pocket, his cuff-links, the glass vial in his hands and his dress shoes. "Well, who knew you cleaned up so well?" Abby teased. "I will be the envy of every woman we see." She paused for a few moments. "Is it common to be able to see magical auras here? I've never been able to see them without actually using a cantrip, but I'm picking them up now." He smiles and says, "Yes, due to the proximity to the magical well. It is situated beneath the carriage house by the rear outer wall of the castle." Meghan looks very startled and exclaims, "You told her?" He gives his cousin a stare and says slowly and precisely "I have no secrets from Abigail." Meagan nods and heads upstairs, without saying anything further. Abby watched Meghan go, distressed. She turned to Cal. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her. I shouldn't have said anything." He says, "No, she's not upset with you, she is upset with me. You are far from the first person to make that observation here, I just did not give you the standard half-truth answer. I see that a spirited discussion is in my future. One second please." He removes his two cuff-links, placing one in his ear and holds the other by his mouth. He says, "Communicate" , Charles". After a few seconds he then says, "Charles, could you please check and see if Pepe and Maracita might want to go into the city?" After a short pause he says, "Yes, Meagan did." He lowers his hand from his mouth but keeps the other cuff-link in his ear. She had spent enough time in magic using countries that its casual use no longer surprised her. But the use of magic she had seen here was something different entirely. She asked, "Cal, how much of this is due to the well, and how much is family talent?" He replies, "A combination of both, plus a five-century accumulation of magical items. Hold on please." He nods and moves the cuff-link back up to his mouth and says, "Very good. Tell them that we will pick them up in five minutes. End Communication." He places the cuff-links back on his shirt cuffs. She replies, "I feel like I've entered some strange, alternate world." Once the cuff-links were back on, Abby slipped her arm through Cal's. "I think I may have seen all the wonders I can handle for a bit. Let's go enjoy ourselves." He says, "Yes, and my original intention was just to drop off the balloon and drive into the city, not overwhelm you with all of this. The cuff-links aren't really any different than a Bell Telephone, in fact, it was watching a similar magical item that originally gave Bell the idea in the first place. The only real difference is that instead of the transmission traveling across a metal wire it travels on the magical ley-lines. However, most of the magical communication devices that use that method are much larger, usually the size of a shoe box or small hat box. It is only the proximity to the well that allows us to use something as small as a pair of cuff-links. Unfortunately, even here the range is limited to just a few miles." They head outside and back to the carriage. Callum tells the driver, "The south farm, civilian speed please." Once inside he says, "My chief wizard and his wife will be joining us for the ride into the city, but they'll separate from us once we get there. I wouldn't have been very good company for the ride anyway, given that I will be sound asleep for most of it." She replies, "To tell the truth, I had thought I might sleep a bit more myself. But company will also be most welcome. I feel a thousand times better than I did before we left Egypt." He says, "I am very happy to hear that. I will wait to imbibe the elixir until after I have made the introductions and you three are comfortable talking with each other. They are not French, but also from the Americas, although further south than the United States." "I appreciate that." She reached over and took his hand for these few moments while they were alone. "Well, New Orleans is filled with people from all over. I'm sure we'll get on fine." They soon arrive at another farmhouse. This one is of a similar design to the one where the dirigible is at, except that instead of one huge barn there are three smaller ones and a grain silo. The other farm also only appeared to be only for crops, but this one has a few paddocks with horses, and she hears the sound of a cow mooing from one of the barns. A pair of well dressed wood elves were waiting on a porch bench. They appear to be the human equivalent of late twenties or early thirties. They stand and head over to the carriage and the driver opens the door for them. Callum says in English with a smile, "Abigail Marsters, allow me to introduce you to Pepe Diego and his lovely bride Maracita." They each reply in English without any hint of an accent that they are pleased to meet her and then each thank them both for the ride into the city. Abby says, "It's our pleasure. There is certainly room in the carriage, and the company will make the drive all the more pleasant." Callum holds up his glass vial and says, "Yes, but you three will need to share a bench. Once we get going I'll be using the other one for a very long overdue nap." Abby says, "I think we can manage that. Have a good nap, we'll keep ourselves entertained." She got up and moved over the bench on the other side of the carriage. Abby comments to Pepe and Maracita, "The farmhouse looked snug and comfortable. I've always been a city girl. I suppose I have some romantic ideas about country living." Pepe says, "It is very comfortable, we've turned it into a home. We have been living there now for almost sixty years." Abby says, "Sixty years? That is what I would call settled. What brought you to France from the Americas, if it isn't too bold of me to ask, of course." Pepe replies, "Prison". Abby smiled at Pepe. She could appreciate a succinct answer. After a long pause Maracita exclaims "Pepe! You can't just give that as an answer!" She looks towards Abby and says, "Pepe is from Mexico. He and I met at the turn-of-the-century at a magic seminar in Mexico City. After we were wed we moved back to my native Peru. In 1821 Peru did what your United States did forty-five years earlier and declared independence from our European overlords. And the Spanish Empire reacted to us the same as the British Empire did to your country and sent an army to pacify the rebels. As skilled wizards, Pepe and I both joined the rebel army. We were captured and then imprisoned in Pamplona, Spain. In 1823 the army of France's King Louis XVIII invaded Spain, and Pamplona was one of the cities they captured. The prison was liberated and we came to Paris along with dozens of freed French political prisoners. Shortly thereafter we were hired by Sophia Elizabeth Stuart." "Meagan's mother", Cal interjects. Turning her attention back to Maracita Abby asked, "And have you never wished to return to Peru? My travels have mostly been here in Europe and Egypt, but I have met a few people from Peru in New Orleans and the country they describe sounds absolutely beautiful. Maracita replies, "We have gone back for visits, but this is now our home. We have marvelous jobs and responsibilities here, and are just a stone's throw away from one of the greatest cities in the world." Callum says, "Well, I for one am glad to have you here in France. And I am also glad to have you here now with us in the carriage. It seems that I have once again angered my cousin, this time for being too forthcoming with information to Abigail." The two elves exchange glances. Pepe can barely suppress a chuckle while Maracita just rolls her eyes. Callum continues, "Meghan however, mistakenly thinks that Abigail is just here for a social visit. For the last week she has taken a much greater role on the world stage, which dovetails with much that we do here. Have you been following the events in Egypt?" Pepe says, "Yes, the British fought a major battle with the Egyptian rebels a few days ago and had another clash early this morning." Callum says, "Yes, although the real war has been with the Weekly Wizards group of Paris. The wizards had instigated the entire war, with an end goal of ruling Egypt itself. But they have now been permanently stopped in large part by the combined efforts of my Torchwood team and Abigail's archaeology team, led by Willamina Hamilton Parker." Pepe says, "Hamilton...wasn't that Henrietta Verne's friend?" "The same," states Callum. "You say that you stopped them?" Maracita asks. Callum says, "And then some, their team is effectively decapitated. Of the twelve leaders, the aces, kings and queens, only Duruy and de Guizman remain, and they are now far more sympathetic to our goals. We had a great deal of help with this Pepe, specifically three unique beings, the Egyptian Goddess Bast, the Asgardian dragon-lady, and your Great Uncle, Manual Gonzales." Upon hearing that name Maracita again rolls her eyes and laughs out "And was he dating the Goddess, the dragon-lady, or both?" Abby says, "Neither, although Mrs. Parker's Granddaughter referred to him as her teacher." Abby continues, "The newly coronated Queen Neferka was none too pleased with the behavior of the Weekly Wizards group. Her judgment was harsh, but not unearned. I can't say I could show mercy to the murderers of my family, either. I didn't do so much. I helped get Cal's people out from the French camp and then interfered with the plan to poison the banquet. Other than that I mostly stood around waiting to see if anything needed to be hit. Although I did nearly get my arms pulled from the sockets stopping a couple of the wizards from getting away down the Nile using a magical engine for a boat." Callum says sarcastically, "Right, she didn't do much. She just prevented the entire Egyptian Royal family and guests from being poisoned, and then decided to directly fight the weekly wizards." "Well, it didn't seem like so much at the time," she said, coloring. "They were trying to kill people because they were inconvenient. You just don't let that stand, Cal." Abby looked around at the other three passengers in the carriage. "I'm obviously missing some familial by-play here, but I can see you've brought me into something bigger here, Cal." Callum says, "Okay, I'll summarize this quickly, as I really do need to sleep. Mary Stuart left our family to protect and study the magical earth-magic well, which the family has done for centuries. I am the current landholder, and invited my cousin Meagan to come here and help, as she is a very powerful sorceress. Unfortunatley she's an extreme pain-in-the-butt to all of us, but she is also the most powerful magic-user on the property and also a Stuart who embraces Mary's vision, so we need her. I anticipate that tomorrow she'll call together the Stuart Magic Council, which is comprised of her, myself, cousin Charles, Pepe and Maracita, and for the umpteenth time she will attempt to have me stripped of the landholder job and have it given to her. I thought it would be helpful for Pepe and Maracita to meet you before then. That's it in a nutshell." Abby says, "Alright, I have questions, but you need to sleep, so I'll stick to one for now. If it was going to cause such trouble for you, why did you make such a point to her about your trust in me?" He smiles and says, "Abby, it wasn't about her, it was about you. Our previous relationship was based upon half-truths and some outright lies. Our current relationship will be based upon honesty." Abby moved back next to him for a moment, took his hands, and kissed him gently. "Thank you. I appreciate that, I really do. But I also understand that what we were before... you didn't know then that I might be someone who needed to know the truth. You don't have to work so hard to prove yourself. That comes with time. Now go to sleep. We'll see you when you wake. And if I'm laughing at you it's just because your friends here have told me all the embarrassing stories about you they can remember." [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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