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The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)


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Guards of the Castle Amber, decorated in their finest armor and holding their pikes, stood at attention as Prince Vaelus passed them by on his way to the Queen's Chambers. Eileen had been given her own wing of the castle to call her own, a 'gift' of love from her late husband, but it rang hollow against the knowledge that it was far from the king's own chambers where his many mistresses were known to frequent on a regular basis. A gilded cage to put mother in, Vaelus had thought. A method to keep her away and out of mind for the old king. It was completely like that unfeeling bastard, and no wonder that the Queen had chosen to stay away at the hour of Olin's death.

The Queen's Wing was a familiar place for Vaelus, much more a home to him than the rest of the castle. The guards there even nodded to him, breaking protocol slightly to show that they regarded him - not Bator - in the highest esteem. The Queen's Guard claimed loyalty to Eileen first, and Amber second. In an ideal world, those two things should be one and the same, but Olin had not made if feel that way for over a century.

He entered the room with a knock, hearing his mother's voice summon him inside. She was seated in her favorite chair by the large window overlooking the Vale and the Forest of Arden. She was not alone, as Prince Jules, Vaelus' half-sibling and Castellan of Castle Amber was also standing in the room, not far from where Eileen sat.

Prince Jules was a special case in Vaelus' mind. While he was sired by Olin and therefore a bastard child, he was also the son of Queen Eileen's sister, Paige, the Queen of Ulmf, the Golden Circle Shadow from where his mother hailed. Vaelus, upon hearing of his father's tryst with his Aunt Paige, had been furious, but Eileen had calmed Vaelus, and even beseeched her son to take the young Jules under his wing. Eileen loved her sister dearly, and the circumstances for Olin's amorous intentions towards Paige were partly the fault of Eileen herself. After Bator had been born, Olin had gone compaigning for many years, distracting himself with warfare and wenching. In order to entice the king back to her own bedchambers and to avoid a divorce, Eileen had needed to be creative and seductive. Olin's interest in the queen returned when both Eileen and Paige had turned up to his chambers one night, hand in hand. Within a year, Vivianna was born, and soon after the twins Vaelus and Svaltus. Paige eventually returned to Ulmf after an extended stay in Amber, but fifty or so years later, Olin was feeling nostalgic and visited her secretly in her own shadow and was very insistent about spending the night with her. Jules was a result of that night.

The story had been difficult to hear for Vaelus, but it was probably the most vivid example of how much of a cad his father could be. For the love of his own mother, and sympathy for his Aunt Paige, Vaelus had made an exception in his own mind for Jules, and considered him like a brother. Jules, for his part, viewed Vaelus like his only true brother and was loyal to him through and through.


Eileen sighed as Vaelus entered. "I suppose you've come to tell me he's dead then? Yes, it's written on your face. I don't need the blood of Amber to see it."

The queen then did something neither Jules nor Vaelus expected: she began to tear up, holding back sobs as she did her best to maintain as much of a regal expression as she could. Eventually she dabbed her eyes in a handkerchief. Despite the way her face contorted in mixed feelings of sadness and anger, Queen Eileen was beautiful. Immortal like the Amberites, she still appeared as a maiden of incredible beauty, her hair like spun gold, her eyes blue like the sea.

"He was an utter arse," she said at length. "But still, I did love him. He could be amazing you know. When we first met it was like a dream. Charming, compassionate, thoughtful, it was like I was the center of the universe. His was a charm that no one could resist. No one. If only... if only he could have just remained that way, like it was in the beginning."

Her thoughts trailed off, and she blew her nose. Then with her other hand she motioned for Vaelus to come closer. "Come on, give me a hug," she said and gripped her favored son in her embrace. "I'm so proud of you, you know? You're the best parts of him, none of the bad."
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

There was little Vaelus to do as mother broke down into tears, he hated seeing her upset but at the same time he dared not speak out about the cause of this grief, although he vowed once again to himself, that if he ever took bride he would not do to them what he had done to her. Albeit it was a big if, given his tendency to grow bored of people, chances are the only time he'd end up wed was a political marriage and as the youngest... well, time would tell.

He gently embraced his mother, silently preening from her praise. Mother had always understood him, and always valued him in ways that others had dismissed. And for as long as he could remember, she'd always been there to support him, just as much as he tried to support her.

It was a long silence before Vaelus spoke. "The Unicorn came," he said, his voice soft and empty, little in the way of emotion slipping into it. "It said nothing and did nothing, but to watch and then leave. Some might say it came to carry away his spirit. But who can say why the Unicorn does anything, except perhaps Grandfather and in such a case, who could understand it?"

He cleared his throat before continuing. "As I left, I think I overheard Bator pronounce himself rightful ruler," the prince explained, adding at a mutter "He would do that, the pompous git."

"But from his words, Bator was not named by father. I do not believe anyone was, if they were it was before I arrived. Jules, I believe the palace guard should be on hand to shift his body, once my siblings are ready of course. He should be attended to and dressed in the manner that befits the king, to rest in a place of honour, after all. And if any plotting from my dear siblings were to be overheard..."

He allowed himself a grim smile as the wheels in his head turned. "It would be... unfortunate... if Bator were to be named King; despite centuries of grooming he is no more able to handle the duties of kingship than the average palace servant. The shadows tell us the dangers a weak king can have to a kingdom and the last thing Amber needs is a Magna Carta. Of course, Bator is not only inept at managing things but also incredibly stubborn, so perhaps it would be even worse... "

A revolution, now that would be a terrible thing. It was perhaps a terrible irony that the powers granted to the blood of Amber were so difficult to use within Amber itself, although with the infinite resources of shadow at their disposal, retaking Amber would be inevitable, albeit messy.

"We'll need to put forth an alternate candidate for the throne, someone who's abilities to govern are unquestionable. And someone with almost as strong a claim as Bator himself, which sadly rules myself out..."

He steered towards the subject carefully, for he knew mother was especially displeased with this particular child of hers, she who's choice of friends were difficult to understand at the best of times. But despite all this, and despite mother's disapproval, Vaelus found himself more fond of her than most of his siblings, likely because she could actually beat him at chess. Normally this might bother him, but besides her brilliant mind, Vivianna was less than exceptional, making her feel less threatening.

Besides, she had been the one to first teach him chess.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

The queen gave a soft snort of derision. "Vivianna? She certainly has the ambition and the know how, but she's got more than her fair share of her grandfather in her. She's always been unpredictable and off, and her compassion has always been lacking. She uses people. I've no doubt she thinks she's deserving of the throne, but she's wrong for it Vaelus. At least Bator would do his best for Amber. He might fumble things up a bit, but with Vivianna, I can't help but feel we'd be living at her mercy. No, no I think that it mustn't be Vivi. As I've been saying to Jules here, I would much rather it be you, Vaelus. You have the balance of qualities that Amber needs. You're not so wrapped up in Olin's obsessive nature as Bator is, and you're not entangled with wild and dangerous ideas as your sister Vivi. And between you and Svaltus well..." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Svaltus isn't the leader type, even if he thinks he is. He's not someone that the people could grow to love. Not like you, my darling."

Eileen petted her dashing son on his shoulder, looking at him with adoring eyes from where she sat.

"You're the hope that Amber needs."
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Vaelus took another moment to preen in his mother's praise before frowning slightly. 'I may well be what Amber needs, but I'm not what Amber wants; even now my dear eldest brother has overwhelming support. What hope does Olin's youngest have against such support. But the second in line, and a skilled and brilliant governor? That might be just what is needed to divide the issue.'

He smiles wryly before leaning forwards to peck his mother upon the cheek. 'And once the issue is divided, who knows where things may lead?'

To say it was a plan without risks would be false, Viviana was indeed an unpredictable individual, in all his years he had barely scratched the surface of what she was capable but he knew one thing for certain; his sister was all finesse. Tricks, ploys and abilities she had, but when it came to raw power...

Well, she was very good at avoiding such situations or having plans in place for them. He would indeed have to be very careful around her lest she predict his every play before he had even decided upon them. And due to this, he understood mother's concerns.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

"The issue may already be further divided than you think, brother," Jules spoke up for the first time, his demeanor that of a royal knight, armored and cloaked in the white cape that signaled his rank as castellan. "Edric and Gamon - and even little Rhone have already approached me about supporting Bator's ascendency to the throne, and Wanda down in the city is very cold about the subject of anyone claiming direct power - she's always been so gung-ho about democracy... Siobhan hasn't been into port for a week, and she was always incredibly close to Vivianna. I'd wager those two are plotting something. And..."

Jules seems to hesitate, the concern heavy in his eyes. "That ambassador from the Courts of Chaos, the Lady Azure... she's been speaking loudly about the possible return of Prince Even. She doesn't outright say that he will do anything that will break the peace, but she's claiming he's got as much right to the throne as any of us. If he comes here wanting blood... I don't know what we could do."
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Vaelus' composure broke at the mention of the Bloody Bastard. "Even. Even I would not wish that upon Bator," he spat, for as little as he thought of his eldest brother, it was still a world ahead of that particular wrecking ball. "All the worse if he's allied with the house of Chaos, what better way for the people to unite around a ruler than for the wars to spark up again."

He took a breath and begun to pace slightly. "So Bator has the army, half the navy and the way-watchers. Grim news and little complications to speak of there. Wanda is stubborn, but I doubt she's foolish enough to openly oppose such a coalition, at least not alone. So really, the only complication I see before me is Vivi. I can see no better course..."

He glanced at both Jules and back to mother as he produced his trump deck, leafing through it gingerly for the card he sought, giving them one last chance to voice anything else that might alter his current plan.

((If not, I trump Vivianna))
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Neither Eileen nor Jules had anything to add. Both seemed slightly confused at what exactly Vaelus was planning, but upon seeing him take out his Trump Deck and select the picture of Vivi, they nodded and went back to their own contemplations. Jules even looked as if he might excuse himself, though Vaelus could sense a curiosity held him in check, at least for the time being.

There was a delayed pause as the coolness of the Trump surged in Vaelus' hand. Almost fifteen seconds went by, and he was about ready to give up, convinced that Vivianna did not want to answer, when suddenly the connection was established and the beautiful image of his elder sister filled his mind. She was dressed in a gown of flowing silver and her platinum hair was cut short in its usual fashion. Her eyes were as sharp as always, seeming to pick up on the tiniest minutia. Very little got past her notice. Recognition shone as she saw Vaelus' figure form in her own mind. She said nothing right away, and there was a chance for Vaelus to speak first in greeting.
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Vaelus bowed his head slightly in greeting, a serious expression upon his face. "Sister," he said by way of greeting. "Since you aren't here, I took it upon myself to pass on the news; not long ago, father passed away."

He paused for a moment, to allow that to sink in. "But this is not the only reason for contacting you. Even with his last breath, Olin named no heir. Within moments of his passing, dear eldest brother Bator has declared himself most suitable ruler, despite his obvious shortcomings. Edric, Gamon and Rhone all apparently support him as well, so were it not for his complete lack of leadership, he'd be an ideal claimant." The scorn in Vaelus' voice was obvious, even now as he attempted to remain as neutral in tone as he could.

"But even this is not the worst news I bear. I have reason to believe that "Prince" Even may have gone over to Chaos and intends to use their support to make claim for father's throne. Needless to say, I am concerned about this possibility and should Bator be leading the kingdom against the house of Chaos, I fear the Bloody Bastard may yet do what Chaos has wanted to do since Amber was formed..."

"I am sorry to find myself the bearer of such ill tidings," he finished with a slight bow.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

As Vaelus bowed, Vivianna gave a respectful curtsey in response.

"I'm sorry I was not there for the end Vaelus. Bator's actions would have only made the loss of father harder for me. I wish to resolve my feelings with some distance, though I promise I will not be gone for too long, if only to keep Bator's ambitions in check." She paused for a moment, giving a soft smile,

"I hope mother is managing with the news, please give her my love as well." Vivianna added, seeming genuine in her concern. Vivianna had never lacked in showing adequate concern for Queen Eileen, but her tolerance - not to mention apparent friendship - with Olin's latest mistress, the "Lady" Nala, had seemed oddly cruel, and had prevented any sort of closeness between the mother and daughter.

"As for Even," Her expression returned to a more serious one. "I will see if I can contact him or at least find out what he might be planning. If he is truly wishing to spark a war with Amber then I will personally beseech our dear Bator to put aside his claim to the throne until the greater threat is dealt with. Of course, he might always see a war as a way to win more favour..." Vivi' shook her head quickly, sighing a little as she crossed her hands in front of her waist.

"Vaelus," she continued after taking a deep breath. "Please take care of yourself, I don't want anything happening to you while I am away. If you get into trouble, please don't think twice about contacting me. You are my dear brother, and the loss of our father doesn't change that. I would hate for Bator's quest for the throne to take that which is most precious to me." Vaelus was no stranger to detecting lies, and it caught him off-guard a bit to realize that this entire statement seemed to smack of truth. She certainly sounded like she meant it - and why not? He had always been her favorite opponent in chess.

"Was there anything else brother? I was about to attend a ball to clear my head." Vivianna curtsied again with that soft smile of hers, and the mention of a ball once again drew Vaelus' attention to her beautiful dress that was visible in the mental image. She was looking positively radiant - not at all seeming in a mourning mood. If she was truly sad about Olin's passing, she was keeping it well hidden.
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Vaelus did his best to keep surprise from creeping into his face or body language, although he feared Vivianna was far too good at reading him for it to pass. "I'll give your love to mother, give my regards to Siobhan," he replied, giving his best knowing smirk as he tried to hide his fishing expedition; he assumed she was with Vivianna or at the very least her whereabouts were known by his sister, but her response to this would hopefully confirm it.

"The same goes for you, if you need a way to escape something. And do be careful about wayward trumps, dear sister; I shouldn't have to remind you what could happen," he added, as genuine as she had been, or near enough to. He truly would hate to lose her that way, the idea of her being undone for being too trusting just didn't sit right on his shoulders. Which in and of itself left him slightly perplexed.

"Oh well, enjoy your ball," he finished with a sweeping bow. "I have my own preparations to make."

With the conversation finished, Vaelus attempted to sever the trump contact, returning his senses the the Queen's chambers. Assuming he managed this, he focused his attention back upon mother. "Vivianna sends her love and apologises for not being here," he passes on, his voice solemn and serious even as he braces himself slightly for her response.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

"Thank you Vaelus, be safe and I will see you soon." She made another curtsey, smiling warmly and giving her sibling an informal wave as the trump disconnected.

Eileen was already shaking her head as Vaelus relayed Vivianna's well-wishing.

"So your sister dances at some ball out in shadow to commemorate the King of Amber's passing? You see now why she cannot take the throne, Vaelus. She has no sense of common decency. Not since she chose to make friends with the Whore."

There was little question as to who the Queen was referencing. She had never spoken the Lady Nala's actual name and had called her as much to her face on the one and only occasion that she had deigned to speak to the last mistress to grace Olin's bedchamber.

"No... Bator will be just like his father, if not more incompetent, Vivianna will be a wild typhoon on the throne and your brother Svaltus would accomplish nothing, sitting back and watching the world go by as is his custom. You're the only choice Vaelus, Especially if this anarchist, Even, wants to side with the Courts and push his own ridiculous claim."

Vaelus was perceptive enough to hear the tremor in his mother's voice when she said the word "ridiculous" in reference to Even's claim. It was almost as if she perceived that the opposite were true. That she might in some way feel that Even had more claim than anyone. But that would be insane. Wouldn't it?
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

((Who said anything about a ball? >_>'))

'Worry not mother, when have I ever disappointed you?' he replied, unphased by her doubt. Whatever tenuous claim the bloody bastard had was lost the moment he sided with chaos,if that was the truth. 'That said, perhaps you could see that the guard hear this rumour of Even's betrayal of Amber, Jules? Just a little something to get gossip spreading.'

He stepped forwards and planted a kiss on Eileen's cheek. 'Be careful mother and stay safe. Jules will look after you and can get a message to me if you need to. And if someone tries to take the palace by force, please get yourself to Ulmf where you'll have an entire kingdom to protect you.' He fondly stroked her cheek a moment.

'I have preparations to make. I'll be back before you know it.'

Taking his leave, he backed out of his mother's chambers. He intended to leave Amber, to return to his own shadow and his workshop, but at the same time he hated to leave without some idea of what the others were up to. Knowledge was power, afterall. He considered his options and decided to visit his father again first, perhaps to say goodbye. He did afterall have a few things he wanted to tell his father and if someone in the area should be able to direct him to where the others were then all the better.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Jules nodded and said that he could easily arrange such a thing.

"Why consider it just a rumor? From what we know of him, Even very well could have gone over to Chaos. It's on him to prove otherwise." Jules smirked and then swept out into the hallway in front of Vaelus, stalking down the hallway in a direction opposite from where the elder Amberite was heading.

Arriving back at his father's room, he would find it empty. Just a bed with green linen embroidered in gold trim. The window where the unicorn had appeared was still open to the midday sunlight streaming in. His father's belongings had remained untouched - his desk, his bookshelves, his wardrobe, it had all remained the way it had always been, throughout his sickness and eventual death.

There was a hole in the universe. A void that his father had occupied - as large and as glorious - and at times as scorching - as the sun. Now there was nothing but emptiness there and Vaelus would not be the only one to sense it. His father had wielded absolute power through an understanding of the Pattern that went beyond what Vaelus and Bator knew. His rule had been epitomized in his greatest creation - the Jewel of Judgement, rumored to be forged by enscribing a three dimensional image of the Pattern onto the stolen eye of the Serpent itself. Absolute Order imposed on absolute Chaos. Vaelus wondered what had become of the Jewel now, and why could his father not have used its awesome power to negate the sickness that had corrupted his body? With Olin gone, things had ceased to make sense. The universe shook and roiled and if Vaelus and his siblings were not careful, it could possibly all fall apart.
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

Vaelus stood in the room a moment, and let out a long breath. "Nothing about you ever made sense and the finale is even moreso than others. Why? Why did you fall to an illness, of all things? Why didn't you make it go away? Why didn't you name an heir? Was it foolishness or brilliance that led to here? I never could tell with you."

He took another breath as the words began to choke in his throat. "You may have been a good king, you certainly held the realm together through every misfortune thrown at it. But despite that, you were a lousy father. You rarely had eyes for anyone other than Bator and it was never me. I was never strong enough, powerful enough, brilliant enough, there was always someone who had more of whatever it was you were looking for at the time. Well that's over now, isn't it? And I promise you, father, that I'll see this kingdom thrive and endure, I'll be twice the man you ever were. And then won't you feel sorry for ignoring me."

Vaelus took another few deep breaths and took a moment to regain his composure; by the end he was practically shouting at the empty room. Once his wits returned, he became immediately worried he might have been overheard and returned to the door, glancing out into the hallway.

Assuming there were no unpleasant surprises awaiting him, save perhaps for a member of the palace guard or perhaps a servant attracted by the shouting, he sought out the nearest guardsman to watch the door; seeing the room undisturbed had given him an opportunity and with someone to bar entry for others or at least delay them, he could be free to give his father's room a quick search for anything that might prove useful; starting with the desk. He didn't know what he'd find, but anything that might give him an edge in the turmoil to come would be an asset.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

No response was given, save for cold silence. Vaelus' vow was made to the wind and to the stone, and to the empty bed upon which Olin had lain not an hour before.

Turning his mind to practical avenues of thought, Vaelus stationed the guard at the door and began to look throughout Olin's desk, with the intent to look through his shelves afterwards for any sort of clue to his father's mad schemes or possibly some trinket of power that could give the prince an edge over his rivals.

The only thing on the desk that Vaelus found was a note, written in his father's handwriting. It seemed hastily scrawled and read:

In my darkest hour I find myself looking ever forward, not backwards as lesser men might. To look back would be to open myself up to regret, and such a thing I cannot afford so long as I am King of Amber. Upon my shoulder's rests the weight of all worlds and I shall not shirk in that duty for the sake of concerns that might plague lesser men. I expect nothing less of those who would follow after me - none can feel as I have felt, and therefore none have the right to judge me until they too sit my throne. What then will they think, they who come after me, when they see you in their every waking moment, hear your call in their dreams, never to escape the prison of responsibility that you impose by your very being?

I have set my affairs in order. The one who is to follow me must prove their right to sit the throne of Amber. It is a position that will not allow for the weak of will or the hesitant. There are threats in this infinite universe yet to be discovered, and the ones that exist now are still too great to contemplate ever having a moment's rest once the mantle of leadership is taken up.

To those who read this note - have you the strength? If so, question not my judgement, but impose yourself upon the Pattern. Make it your own, or all is lost.



The note was left unsigned but there was little ambiguity about its author. Aside from it, there was nothing else of interest in the room, even after careful and diligent searching.
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

How typical of Olin, even his last recorded words disapprovingly, almost scornfully told Vaelus not to judge him. 'Never escape the prison of responsibility' indeed, the king's ability to escape the responsibility to his wife was legendary and so to that of the many children he sired. He did what he would and the world be damned, and now dared the play the martyr. You didn't see Deworin prattling on about weight of responsibility and burdens; he only prattled about far stranger and more esoteric subjects, as far as Vaelus could tell.

Still, as disappointing as it was that Vaelus had not stumbled upon one of Amber's many treasures of power, this note could prove to be a valuable ace in the hole if Bator's succession got too out of hand, especially as so many people will likely be trumpeting "it's what Olin would have wanted". At least, he hoped that argument would be the prominent one now that he held the means to pull the rug out from beneath it.

Still, he had gained something else from this; the idea to walk the pattern once more before leaving Amber. He was, admittedly, somewhat hesitant about it, he'd only done so the once before and it had been particularly difficult for him, the fatigue of the experience taking its toll on him. If nothing else, it would ensure that no one else held influence or sway over him and perhaps it might grant him some new insight; if such a thing was to be gained now, while the bloodshed was yet to begin, would be the ideal time. Still, there were other things he wanted to attend to first, such as learning a little more about what his siblings were up to.

It only took a moment to consider who to visit first; he was in somewhat of a good mood and feeling confident at present, there was no better time to visit Bator, for he seldom had the patience for Svaltus and Dubiel's very presence here at Castle Amber was an insult to mother, both of which had a very real chance of leaving him in a state where he wanted to deal with Bator. And of the three, his dearest elder brother was definitely the most dangerous in his mind, the trick now was figuring out where he'd gone. Perhaps it was time to start asking questions and follow where people directed him...
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

The walk to Bator's chambers was a decent distance in Castle Amber, large as it was. Arriving at his eldest brothers chambers, Vaelus knocked and stood, receiving no answer. A small "ahem" from one of the nearby guards caught Vaelus' attention.

"He left, m'lord. He came to get his bird and then was on his way."

The 'bird' in question was Bator's animal familiar, the raven Grimoire. The raven was a constructed gift from Olin to Bator from a long time ago, infused with a small spark of the Pattern, it was effectively as immortal as Bator was. It also had the ability to speak, which it did so on occassion, though mostly only to Bator. It didn't like anyone else all that much and ignored them - funnily enough, this had included Olin, its own creator. The bird was known to have minor shapeshifting capability that let it grow in mass several times over. Another trick of Olin's managing to impart that feat into the animal.

Asking the guard in what direction led Vaelus eventually to the main gate, where he discovered that Bator had arranged for a carriage to bring him into the city proper, the destination unknown. He could be heading somewhere in the city, perhaps to the barracks where Edric maintained his living quarters, or to the port, perhaps to sail out to meet Gamon on his impressive flagship in the north sea, or maybe he would be riding out into the Forest of Arden, either to meet with Princess Rhone and her waywatchers or to travel into Shadow at the borders of Amber. Many possibilities, and certainly these were only the more likely of options, but by no means were they exhaustive.

Vaelus would have to consider Trump as the most effective way of getting into immediate contact with Bator, at least without the burden of having to search all across Amber for him.
 

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

So much for that idea. Bator had already left and Vaelus was left with only guesses as to his current plans. No matter, he needent open himself up to a psychic attack from his brother over it. His next course of action would be to ask if his twin or Dubiel had also departed, while he was at the gates.
 
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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

"The Princess Dubiel left not long before Prince Bator, traveling on foot. She was wearing that mask of hers, so she was easy to spot. She must be in the city by now. As for your twin brother, I have not seen the Prince Svaltus come this way."

The sergeant at arms answered Vaelus dutifully and to the best of his ability.
 

Incubus

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Re: The Fortunate Son (Vaelus)

That seemed about right; as soon as the moment was over, everyone scattered to the winds. Still, he was hardly innocent of such behavior himself, but bringing news to mother was undoubtedly far more important than anything the others were up to. "If he comes by this way, let him know I'd like to have a word with him before he leaves," the prince asked of the guard, before heading inside to try and locate his twin.
 
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