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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1439737" data-attributes="member: 15043">Stodiana Sipner, and a RevelationAs the party flew in a lazy, quiet circle above the city, the tolling of the bells seemed to become constant... even louder.  It became rather apparent that bells, from the belfries of churches and temples to those in the universities and academies to the large ones in town squares used to mark time... all were tolling.  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of bells pealing out low tones... almost a metallic moan.Whatever happened, it must’ve been important, Tess reasoned as the end of the lazy circle came about, and Xanadu pronounced the city, ”normal, save the war camps to the north and south.”The party craned in their straps, and to both the north and south, they could see row upon row, line upon line of tents, stretching as far as the eye could see.“The army...” Siabrey said quietly, her voice filled with wonder.  There must be... five score thousand at least... her mind thought, seeing the rows of tents.   They were flying low enough that she could see the seemingly ant-like soldiers  scurrying about, orderlies going from noble tent to noble tent, officers on horseback trotting to and fro.“We’re going to land you below the southern army camps.” Xanadu’s draconic voice growled.  ”We’ll then let you on your way.”“Xanadu,” Tess said softly, “thank you for everything.”  She reached up, and stroked the belly of the dragon as they gracefully lowered closer to the ground.  A grateful purr came from his massive throat, as the massive gravelly voice cooed, ”You are all welcome.”“If we need you, Xanny, where can we find you?” Shaun asked.”I shall likely be once again in the Library of the Church of Pelor.  Someone needs to find out how to destroy that staff the Countess has...  as well as some other information.  Alisandra will be doing the same... in the Imperial Library.”As the party looked around, the ground was now speeding by, close and personal as the dragon drifted 30...20...10 feet above the ground.  With a sharp buck, Xanadu’s legs thundered into the ground in mid-stride, and the dragon jogged to a halt.  A rumble nearby testified that Alisandra had landed as well.“Its nice having a pair of adult dragons as friends,” Tess said, waving as Xanadu and Alisandra took to the air again.  The party’s horses mulled about around them, still a little groggy from just waking up.“Yeah, it is,” Elenya agreed, before she began checking over her little brown mare.  As Tess, petted her light mare Sunshine, her mind wandered.The army looked very impressive... in their camp setup at least.  We’re likely going to need to ride through there... I don’t think Sunshine will have a problem...  hey...  Luke is a Count, isn’t he?  Well then... she grinned, and pulled out her harp.  A few quiet, loving spellchords later, she held in her hand a large eagle banner with the colors of House Caladron.”How... did... you do that?” Lucius asked in wonder as Tess mounted Sunshine, holding the banner high.  Tess giggled.“The same way I made those boltcutters in the desert!  With my musical magic!”  I love my abilities at minor creation! she giggled.  “’Tis a banner for Your Lordship,” she gave a graceful bow to her friend, “so the troops may know your coming.””I... um... thanks Tess,” Lucius looked, not sure what to say as he finally mounted Lightning, his own warhorse.  “Thats very kind,” he continued... obvious still a little confused and much overwhelmed by the idea of having a banner preceding him.  Tess grinned, and with gusto, reined around her horse and led the small troop into the camps.”Make way for Lord Lucius Caladron!” Tess called out... mostly to response from average soldiers of looking and staring confused...Siabrey cantered alongside Lucius as they rode into the camp, giving her love a halfway glance every few seconds.  He looks handsome in that armor... her mind started to coo, and drift into plans involving bathhouses, before her brow furrowed.  Is that a dirt patch? she growled, and looked a little closer.  Yes it is!  And there’s another... and another... and... gah!  Luke, you should’ve let me clean this for you! she started to mentally complain, before her eyes thought she spotted something behind him.  What? she did a double take, and focused her eyes away from Lucius, and on the distant object... a flag flapping in the breeze......a flag she recognized all too well.“No...” her voice said quietly.  Can’t be... she thought, reining up her horse to look.  At seeing her stop, Lucius stopped, and the small calvacade pulled up as well.“Siabrey? Hon? Something wrong?” Luke looked at her, eyes questioning... and confused.Siabrey’s eyes flashed from the banner, to the shield in Lucius’ hand... then back to the banner.  Without a word, she pulled her horses reins hard, and began to thunder towards the tent with the banner, at full gallop.  Lucius was quickly, behind her, followed by the rest of the party.No... please no! part of her cried... and part of her cried that what she saw should be so.  There’s so much to talk about... so much to...”Lord Lucius Caladron!” Tess’ voice cried over the tumult as Siabrey reined her horse so sharply it reared and its neigh echoed through the camp.  IT was clearly evident the bard had taken the impromptu role of herald with gusto.The tent was rose colored, and the men that walked about it wore armor dyed or tinted crimson.... and Siabrey’s heart sank and rose a little more.  Finally, a middle aged woman with a riot of color for hair leaned out of the tent, and Siabrey’s heart leapt into her throat.Mother!?  her mind screeched, as she saw her mother Stodiana’s face, then the crimson armor of the Sipner family guard on her shoulders, and as her head lolled back, the last thing her eyes saw before she fainted was the large “S” of the Sipner family coat of arms, a dolphin, a set of wings, and a crescent moon around the letter...“Wake up!” Tess said in annoyance after tossing water on Siabrey’s face.  The multi-haired woman hovered over the girl, concern wracked over her face.  As the fighter slowly woke up, Tess took in the woman, gauging her... and noticed easily that she looked almost exactly like Siabrey... save she was obviously 20 or so years older, and did not have the traits that would have obviously come from Siabrey’s father (wing, skin color, eyes).“Siabrey...” Tess said quietly to her waking friend, “is this your...”“Mother?” the woman said, taking a cold, wet cloth and applying it to Siabrey’s forehead.  “Yes... Stodiana Sipner... matriarch of the Sipner family... and you are the friends she spoke of in her last letter?”  the woman spoke, talking more towards Siabrey’s head than the people she referenced.  She looked up in surprise when Lucius hurried in grabbed Siabrey’s hand.“Mom...” Siabrey said, her voice quiet and only slowly gaining strength, “what are you doing here?  You are supposed to be on the coast... safe...””I’m here to fight.  There was a callup of troops, I responded.  What are you doing here?” Stodiana answered quickly and sharply.  Her hands went to her hips, in a move that reminded the party alot of when Siabrey grew upset and started asking questions.”I’m... guarding him,” she motioned slowly to Luke, who was by now rubbing her forehead gently, hoping to set her at ease.  Stodiana looked at Lucius, and then her daughter, and her eyes grew slightly wider at their closeness.  She apparently recognized there was more to the story than she was being told.  Far more.“Daughter... do you guard him only?” she asked carefully, looking at Lucius with her eyes.  She seemed relieved a tad when he gave her a small smile, but when he shook his head no, the part could see her already start to wobble.“She is... my... um... consort?” Lucius said awkwardly... Tess felt sorry for the boy.  That is not how one is supposed to first meet one’s potential in-laws...  Stodiana’s mind evidently decided that was too much information to process, and she wavered fro a second, before she fell to the ground in a faint.Like Mother like Daughter, Tess thought, as water was found to revive the lady.It was a few minutes later before Stodiana was revived, and another minute or so before Siabrey felt comfortable talking to her... she didn’t want any more of her revelations to cause her mother to faint again.  Her mother speaking told her it was alright.“So... you are... um.... married to Lord... um?” Stodiana began, slowly.“Lucius... Lucius Caladron,” Luke said quietly, giving a deferential nod.  Siabrey shook her head no.“No, Mom, but we are... um... far closer than a bodyguard and her charge.”  Stodiana raised an eyebrow, and Siabrey leaned closer, her voice dropping to a deadpan.  “Far, far closer.”  Stodiana’s eyes went wide, but then narrowed into a smile.“Well... Siabrey, I can see you, like me once, can choose your company well,” she smiled, eyeing the boy.   “I’m proud of you... you found and have kept a man for...”“Two and a half months,” Lucius said, a little proudly... likely he was pleased to be meeting Stodiana’s muster.  “We met through some very... harrowing circumstances.”Siabrey’s eyes went big at that moment, and she began to spill her guts of information.  Of the sword, and how it has grown intelligent.  Of her meeting Lucius and Tess, their quest, and how things arrived here.  Of Kelir... and why he left her.At the last, Stodiana’s face clearly dropped, and a sad smile crossed her lips.  “Now I know why he left me... so many years ago.”  She looked up, and clutched Siabrey’s hand, “He knew me too well.  Thats why... and he loved me.”  She gave a slight sniffle, before coughing, and sitting up straight.   “I was young... headstrong... something like you were when you left the manor.  I would have followed him to the ends of my days....perhaps when this mess is over, I may find him again...”“Mother, go search for him now,” Siabrey said, her voice deadpan as she grabbed Stodiana’s shoulders.  “The Countess’ armies will march north, with a vast host... a quarter of a million possibly.  You should not be here!  Its not safe!”“You’re here!” Stodiana said sharply.  “I came here out of family honor... someone needed to command the family soldiers sent during the callup!  Siabrey,” her voice changed from sharp to reasoning, “it is not like I have no combat experience... your sword was originally mine,” she pointed at Kelir.So she wielded a katana? Tess’ mind thought in wonder, Damn impressive.”Mother, did you hunt demons?  No, you didn’t!  I have!  Please!  Go... go to the desert to find Kelir.. or go home!  I don’t want you getting hurt!”  Siabrey pleaded, only to see her mother shake her head.“I am here to fight as much as any other noble.  It is my duty, my job.   Perhaps one day I can go back and rekindle my love with Kelir... perhaps not.  You my love are fortunate... you, like I once, have a love that fights by your side.”  With the deft touch of a noble, Stodiana swiftly changed the subject from her being here, to Siabrey’s love interest.“My dearest, I pray that you have found a love like that, like the one I and Kelir shared,” she said, looking deep into Siabrey’s eyes.  Siabrey smiled, and laughed and nodded.“Yes, mother... I have.  Lucius loves me enough he turned down the Empire... and I love him enough the Princess Zoe hates me.”  Stodiana laughed, pulling Siabrey close. “Good... once you find a love like that, don’t let it go!  Why does the Empress hate you?” Stodiana asked, and Siabrey’s mind caught a subtle word difference... a subtle but extremely important one.  Empress?“Don’t you mean Princess Zoe?” she asked guardedly.“No... Empress Zoe... as of two days ago.  His Majesty Alexius passed... Zoe is now Empress...”=============================================(DM's Note: And thus the return of the beloved Princess... *ahem*  Empress Zoe...  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )</blockquote>

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