The doctor rolls her eyes at the mention of Holden.
Zhi grins broadly, “Holden. Yes, we know him well,” the smile falls from her face as if she is remembering something that makes her disappointed before she continues, “We know many of the Blood of Amber. You are not the first to seek our assistance Snake Charmer. Are you regretting isolating yourself from your kin?” she asks her curiously.
Marita is very relaxed in the setting and it is nice to see the young doctor smile for once, and she is far more beautiful when she does so. Marita should know this is the case for everyone, her own mother tells her the same thing almost constantly.
She listens to Zhi speak of her Amber blood and the possibility of regrets, and answers her plainly and honestly,
"Regret is a luxury I don't allow myself. My blood runs from both sides, and I am far closer to my mother than I ever could be to my father. I owe him my life, but he is not a good man. I have not isolated myself as much as I have clung to the the places I know. Khalish, my home, is very much in the middle between Amber and the Courts, it is neutral and belongs to neither. I suppose that is the way I have always felt about myself, like I do not belong in either place. I have learned the ways of the Serpent, in part for practical reasons and in part because I identify with my mother more closely. I know more people in the Courts, but I would not call most of them friends, just…mutually useful acquaintances. The culture there fosters that kind of minimal belonging, if you will."
She smiles at Zhi, "As you so adroitly pointed out when I first arrived, I am quite young. I see what having a dual heritage does to my cousin Merlin, how it pulls at him and strains him, how everyone wants him to choose a side, yet he struggles still, even as King of the Courts, to straddle that divide. I do not have the temperment, desire or wisdom to try that, so becoming more involved with my Amber blood ties scares me, and truthfully, few things really scare me, even when they should."
"Zhi, you are very good at getting me to open up, now it is your turn, what is Windover like, not to everyone or to visitors, but what does it mean to Zhi? It seems very perfect and pardise like around here, but nothing exists without imprefections," she grins at Zhi's daughter, "And there would be no need for your amazing healers, now would there? Tell me about your lands, the good and the bad, please," she asks like a student waiting for her favorite teacher to enlighten her on a fascinating subject.
As they talk, Marita partakes of the delicious food and drink she has selected.
Marita is getting trumped. It is a fairly flustered looking Merlin.
"Queen Malika of Xanadu just contacted me and she is accusing you of stealing from the Earth Father. Do you have any idea what this might be about?"
She tells him honestly,
"I did not take anything from the earth father or any of their little minions. Malika asked me to leave and I did as was asked, the only thing I left behind was a piece of my mind. Then I asked you for some help and you gave me a card, remember. I used the card you gave me and then I had the flower."
Before he asks the inevitable question she answers it, "No, I didn't send him there, he went on his own and seemed to have a history with the place. He is gone now and I gave his card back to him. What happened in Xanadu, I can't really say. If there is real trouble, let them bring it to me, I owe him that much. By the way, when he left I did try trumping you to clear it diplomatically for him, but you were unavailable. Diplomacy is your thing, not mine, but I owe you for the help too."
"What do you want me to do? If you need me to go somewhere, I will need some time to get changed and bring someone through here to stay with Layla. Your call." She tells Merlin in a business-like fashion.
He laughs brightly and says, “Marita, I’d imagine even just a piece of your mind might be a very dangerous thing for you to leave behind some place.”
He listens carefully and it is clear he understands what Marita is implying. He nods his head and says with a sigh, “I will have to go there myself to smooth things out. I am unsure if they are accusing you of the actual theft, or whether they are laying the blame on your shoulders because you initiated the request. Xanadu has a…unique way of viewing the world. Apparently they are holding me responsible for your actions as well, since I am the King of Chaos and you are, as Malika would say, a ‘Snake Charmer’.”
Merlin looks uncomfortable for a moment and finally he says to her, “I had planned on checking into something at the Abyss later today, but now that I shall have to tend to Xanadu’s ruffled feathers,” he grins there as if he is making a little joke, “I will have to postpone my visit. If you don’t mind leaving your friend’s side, you could probably handle the investigation for me.”
"For what it is worth, which is likely nothing, you may pass along my sincere apologies to Queen Malika for being rude to her earth dad of whatever the hell it is. I thought they were lying to me and you know how that bothers me, but in all likelihood they just pushed all of my bad buttons, it seems like they have a talent for that there," she tells her cousin clearly,
"And that snake charmer thing has such a double entendre meaning, but fitting with me I suppose?"
"Yes, you are much better with the diplomacy and hocus-pocus stuff they seem to value there, I am much more of an abyss girl myself," she tells him with an impish smile to try and calm her cousin's nerves, "I told you I would repay your assistance and the sooner the better. Tell me what you need done and I can leave in 20 minutes time here."
Once he finishes instructing Marita on her assignment and providing anything she needs like trumps, contacts, etc. she will wish him good luck and end the call.
Speaking to Zhi and her daughter she tells them,
"Duty, or at least an obligation calls, and I need to answer. Do you mind if another of Layla's friends comes to sit with her? That way if there is a problem they can contact me or my mother. If I am busy, my mother can contact one of those talented shapeshifters I spoke of to help with Layla's hands if needed."
She thinks for a moment about what the doctor said earlier,
"Your point about Layla not being Chaosian or Amberite is well taken, but her strength and endurance are incredible for a human, otherwise she would not have survived this long, even with the wonderful care you have provided. Layla does not really know much of her parentage, she was abandoned in Khalish as a child, unfortunately as a trading cross roads with a good social services system, it is an all too common occurrence there. I have always thought that she either has a trace of blood from Chaos or Amber, but more likely from one of the Shadows where such strength, endurance and athleticism are more common. Even she does not really know, but we are sure her parents were not from Khalish. I think the shapeshifting idea might work well for her if we can get her that far," she tells them thoughtfully, then excuses herself to go back and visit Layla before she leaves.
Pulling out her mother's trump, and assuming the Windoverians have approved it, she will update Vista on Layla's condition, the possible need for an advanced shapeshifter and will ask to pull Bree through to stay with Layla. Bree is the most pleasant and diplomatic of the women who work with Marita. She is very empathetic, but still strong of will enough to sit the vigil. Bree will not make trouble and is wise beyond her years. Handing Bree her trump after hugging and filling her in on what is going on, Marita heads off to find a room where she can have some privacy to summon an appropriate outfit and any weapons she will need, before she leaves for the assignment Merlin has given her.
Merlin looks happy that Marita is willing to consider the assignment.
“It’s not something we should discuss over trump. Call me when you’re ready and I’ll pull you through.”
Zhi tells her that of course she is welcome to have someone else stay with Layla.
The doctor assures Marita that Layla is not Chaosian or Amberite.
“We did very thorough testing on her in our labs and we are quite familiar with those unique genetic signatures. My guess is she might be of Loepoolian heritage, but that’s really just a guess.”
Bree is welcomed in a gracious enough fashion, and even the doctor seems fairly friendly toward her. Perhaps it is just Marita…and Holden…that she doesn’t like.
Bree's reception is not unexpected, she has a unique talent for putting people at ease, be it a pompous head of state or a nervous young man who has never been 'with' a woman before, she connects with people. It is easy to see why she is working towards becoming a therapist herself. Marita knows she is the best choice to stay with Layla since Vista is needed to keep things under control at home.
Marita listens to what the doctor has to say and guess about Layla's possible heritage, nodding her head and agreeing that her findings and presumptions make sense. Maybe if Layla recovers, she will someday want to investigate her heritage with Marita at her side.
Once Bree is settled in after seeing the shock of Layla's improving, but still frightening looking condition, and getting her instructions and a kiss on the cheek and reassuring smile from Marita, Marita walks down the hall and finds a quiet area to trump Merlin, figuring she can get changed once she knows what he needs. She concemtrates on Merlin's image.
Merlin answers and pulls her through. He is hanging out in a library.
"So tell me what you know about the Abyss," he says as he collapses in a leather chair and indicates that she should do the same.
As Marita arrives and finds Merlin in a library, she can't help but think that her cousin would be much happier with a seat in a library like this than he seems to be sitting on the Throne of Chaos.
Sitting down in a chair opposite him in a little more controlled fashion, taking care to pull her short dress down as far as possible and keeping her legs in a demure, but relaxed position, she considers his question for a moment before answering,
"Well, what do I know about something that is essentially a void, hmm, sounds like a trick question or one Suhuy would have been famous for asking his students? I have seen the Abyss, or at least glimpsed a part of it, when I did my Logral initiation and training of course. Other than the Unicorn, I have never heard of anything significant coming out of it. Things that fall into the Abyss are usually never seen again. It is hard to really know or describe nothingness, I suppose."
"And of course, no discussion of the Abyss is complete without talking about my father sending Brand into it during the end of the Patternfall war. Took Deirdre with him too I believe, sad, I always thought I would like to meet her. Strong, beautiful woman. always underestimated by her brothers, except for your father, from what I know of her. I take it this is not a purely academic inquiry, Merlin, so what do you need my particular talents for in regards to your question?" she asks him, her voice a mix of curiousity and confusion.
