The West siblings are clustered together again, inasmuch as they ever cluster. Arian has not bothered to dress 'down' at all, this time; his silver hair is coiffed to fall slightly over one eye, precious little ringlets clustered at his temples and curling onto the nape of his neck. He wears loose white silks with a dark blue doublet, black boots and a silver sword at his waist. Ruby studs are in his ears, and his eyes are lightly kohled, his lips having a slightly silvery sheen. He is slender but muscles ripple when he moves, and there is something just vaguely dangerous about his walk as he accompanies his sisters.
     His older sister is somewhat disapproving; Gillian keeps sneaking glances sidelong at her little brother. She wears a snug gown in dark silvery-purple, a glittering brown sash around her waist set with a golden sun emblem. Her heels are high and black, her gloves black lace and screamingly feminine; she sneaks another look and mutters, "Pres, are you wearing nail polish?" Her strawberry blonde curls are tied back simply, held back with a golden band.
     Arian smiles sweetly at his older sister. "And if I am, Gillyflower? Relax. Just a manicure. I like cock. I don't plan on turning into a girl."
     Gillian blushes red at the word cock and Maddie smothers a giggle, although it's not unkind. "If he's happy, just let him be, Gilly," the youngest advises the eldest. "You're not in charge here, remember? And the sooner you get used to not being in control, honestly, the happier you'll be." She looks quite confident and happy, herself, alive and lively as usual in a firecracker-red gown that's completely off one shoulder. It's even snugger than Gillian's, and slit up one side; her shoes are dancing shoes, set with real rubies, the black ribbons winding up her calves underneath the dress. She wears her hair down to go wherever it will, and she wears rubies and emeralds and pearls wherever she feels like it. "So, you guys ready?"
     Gillian frowns a little, but finally nods; she's ready, at least. "Let's go. I don't want to be out too late tonight. Besides, we've got a sparring match in the morning."

     The chambers of Elaine of Carbonec are on the same floor with the contingent from Avalon and Camelot but on the diagonal corner, about as far away from the joint chambers of the Lady of the Lake and Lancelot duLac as possible while remaining in the same building. It's not out of any enmity, but simply a matter of privacy and respect.
     Her chamber is unguarded, and as one approaches one might catch the scent of honeysuckle and rose that wafts through the hall from the door that is cracked ajar...
     Inside, there is a beautiful woman seated on a settee near the grand windows overlooking the hills and vineyards. She wears a honey-cream gown with a long train and only a single golden locket. Her hair is voluminous, strawberry blonde with a bit more strawberry than blonde. She seems eternally young; the energy around her is of giggling spring, though she is by this time quite aged. Fifteen hundred years young, in fact. But who wants to keep time anyway? "Ooh, sting," she says in a melodious voice as she accidentally pricks her finger while sewing. No blood though. She bends as she sits, to get a closer look at her embroidery. "Now, you are going to have to be more careful, really. Spun gold thread is so bendy..."
     "Always with the worrying," comes a male voice, equally melodious, but certainly deeper.
     Sitting up, Elaine smiles, beams truly. "That is what I do. So, when are they due to arrive?"
     "Any moment now, I should think," he replies. The he in this case is none other than Galahad. His hair has her coloring but his father's curl. He bears around him his mother's radiant, youthful exuberance, so radiant it really does seem to emit a personal glow of charm. He is dressed in a simple white tunic over a pair of buckskin breeches and boots, sparring clothes, it seems. He is tall -- though nothing like that of Balthazar or Gruffydd -- and quite fit. He glances to the doorway, expectantly.
     "Oh then I should put this away for now. Lillian," she twists to address a maid. "If you would please bring in the service of tea now, many thanks..."

     And then there they are, the three Wests who have cast such ripples through not only Avalonian gossip but that of the High Court and related kingdoms. They appear in the doorway, each different and yet intermingled, inextricably linked. They enter, and they are young as well, but really young, without magical aid or assistance. Arian bows, and Gillian and Maddie curtsey, and when they exchange glances, the energy that ripples through them is a glancing brush of something else.
     "Your majesty," Arian greets as he rises from his bow. To either side, his sisters straighten as well. "We hope that we are not unexpected, or intruding; that, in fact, our coming was forewarned, if not foreordained."
     Gillian smiles, and says nothing, silent and glimmering with starlight energy. Maddie's smile is wider, more riotous, and she grins at Galahad with impious mischief and pure mirth. "It is very good to meet you," the sisters chorus, and Gillian is still, Maddie always slightly and subtly in motion.

     Galahad gives them each -- and in their summation -- an attentive look. His eyes are smoky grey and with his coloring and those eyes, he could be Gillian's brother as much as her great-and-some-grandfather. Elaine twists in the other direction, smiling brightly and widely, with vivaciousness and warmth, rising and casting off her sewing. "Oh please, come in, come in. It is a pleasure to meet you. This is my son, your great-great-great-great..."
     "Mother..." Galahad smiles to her.
     "Oh well, yes, and great grandfather, Galahad the ..."
     "...Humble," he finishes. And slightly embarrassed. He moves forward with his mother to greet you. They. in their Twos, fall into the same pattern as you in your Threes. They reach for your hands. "By God's Grace and Time," Galahad smiles, "... we are fortunate to meet you..."
     Elaine looks to each of you, then to her copy. "It is true, we could be sisters. And you, so like my son," she says to Gillian. "And you," she sighs to Arian, "... you are as duLac reimagined. Come, sit. Let's get acquainted, shall we?"
     Galahad and Elaine free your hands after gentle clasping. "No, you were expected." He grins. "In fact, I believe the three of you are the worst kept secrets in the entire kingdom. And what can this be, if not ordained? I agree. There is tea," he says suddenly, gesturing to the appearing cart as he stands aside for the three of you to find seats.

     Arian grins a little, accepting the clasping of hands and bowing over his so many times great-grandmother's hand. "I will take that as a compliment. I think we gave up on secrecy about when my sister, here, took up with Prince Balthazar where my other sister left off."
     As one, both his sisters aim a slap to the back of Arian's head. He accepts them with good grace, and Maddie grins again. "I'm happy to meet you. I was named after you, actually; pretty much every generation gets at least one. - Ooh, tea!" She beams and goes to one of the indicated seats.
     Gillian colors faintly, apologizing to Galahad. "I'd say we're not always like this, but, well, we really are. In any case, how do you do? I hope we haven't brought too much chaos to your lives."

     "I am glad to know that I live on in beauty and verve," Elaine smiles. She bites back a laugh at the teasing of siblings. That she finds you all delightful is immediately apparent. "I have heard the gossip but not nearly enough of it, having arrived later than the rest of the contingent." Elaine pours five cups of tea, one for each in attendance.
     Galahad laughs warmly, "Chaos? Hardly. We have left chaos and drama behind us plenty. Surprising, yes. But not unwelcomed," he assures her. "I understand you're something of a martial artist and champion," he says to Arian, "... of those who have suffered the ravages of Rumor. If you're not careful," he teases, "...you'll be tapped to defend the honor of everyone who sneezes, so handily you win. Thrilling..."
     "Once a champion and jouster," Elaine sighs, "...always a champion and jouster. I am fixing his royal cloak from his last tourney. He is bound and determined to break everything he owns for a cause. Including his neck."
     "My neck is in excellent health." He pauses, looking to his grandchildren. "We've only been having this argument for the past one-thousand years."
     "A mother can't stop being a mother," Elaine notes as she curls up on the sofa and sips at her tea. "So... both of you have been enamored of Balthazar. I know something about what that can do to female relationships. I do hope all is well. Tell me about yourselves, each of you. I have heard the most amazing stories but ... it is difficult to tell truth from myth after a certain point..."

     "Thank you," Arian tells Elaine as he accepts a cup of tea; he was raised properly, after all. "I try," he grins to Galahad, "but I'm picky about whose challenges I take up. It helps that nobody whose honor I've felt the need to defend's actually asked me for help."
     Maddie grins, and glances over at her sister. "Well, I can't speak for Gilly, but I'm fine with it. I adore Baz, he's a sweetie, but he's just too good for me. It's a little too intense, you know? I like intense, but I like a little more of an edge. Baz is all glow." She laughs good-naturedly, not in the slightest put out or derogatory about it. And besides, she has a secret. "Honestly, I think our relationship - between us as sisters - was worse before I dated him than since I broke up with him."
     Gillian is blushing and uncomfortable, sitting very straight. "We do seem to be getting along fine now," she relents enough to say. "I'm not sure what there is to tell, though. I'm studying at Oxford and at the academy here - trying to wrap up my master's and then put in for my doctoral thesis, I've already gotten chunks of it written, and I've been working on some magical and electrical theories for the academy."
     "In short," Arian puts in, "she's a brain. We lesser mortals are content with less lofty goals." He grins at Gillian.
     "Yes," Maddie says with a straight face, "like becoming arch-chancellor or whatever to the High King, in Arian's case. Me, I'm just a little old dancer."
     Both siblings look at Maddie. "Who gets to perform during the coronation games," Gillian points out. "And before the entire court tomorrow night," Arian agrees.

     "Highly accomplished and driven," Galahad muses, with a glance to his mother. "I don't see the slightest resemblance to me," he teases drolly, grinning as he sips his tea. "It's good to be picky," he notes with a nod to Arian, his smile remaining. "In both matters of Love and Honor..."
     "I have heard all three of you are quite intelligent," Elaine says to Arian with a lift of a winsome smile, quite Madison-like in its way. "And all three of you are quite lovely. No wonder they are so taken with you. And, you," she says to the coy Madison, not buying that for a second, "...are beloved by many. How many hearts shall you own by the end, is now the bookkeeper's game."
     Galahad chuckles, "Yes, well... one cannot ask the Sun not to shine. Glowing is... sort of what he does. But, all is well, I"m glad to hear of it. As I'm sure his ministers were," he grins at that. "A doctoral thesis at Oxford. What subject?" He knows of Oxford? "I had heard of your acceptance into the Academy..."
     "...Largely dominated by men," Elaine points out. "That's quite an accomplishment. And how is the courtship going?" she wonders idly but not so idly, smiling every bit as coyly as Madison had before.
     "I heard you have an interesting fighting style. I should like to learn more about that as well," Galahad notes to Arian.

     Maddie laughs, not displeased with the idea. Her eyes sparkle with humor and warmth as she answers, "I don't know, but I hear the oddsmakers are putting it at seventy-five." She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "Don't bet on less than an even two hundred."
     "Medieval history, actually," Gillian answers Galahad, still blushing a bit. "My current thesis is regarding the utility of rivers now considered extinct which are technically still below London's current street plans, and their effects then and now on trade." A slight pause. "My doctoral thesis, though, will be on Roman ruins, and the Roman influence on London's foundations."
     "Gilly's too prudish to tell you she's still a virgin," Maddie tells Elaine cheerfully, putting her oar in. "But it's going very well. I'm pretty sure they're going to end up married. Sooner rather than later."
     Arian lightly cuffs his sister's shoulder, not hard enough to hurt her. "Don't make Gillian's head explode, sis." He turns to Galahad. "Sure, if you like. It's aikido, but it's been influenced by my sisters' martial arts, too. We all took different ones, growing up. Maddie did tae kwon do, and Gillian," she grins at that worthy, still blushing, "went the overachiever route again, and did krav maga."

     It is no great stretch, then, to assume that Madison is not a virgin. Elaine blushes a touch herself. "I didn't really have a traditional courtship. But I understand it can be nerve-wracking. Well. If you would like someone to ...talk to, I will certainly lend an ear," she says to Gillian. "Hmm... I'm feeling closer to two-fifty with you, my dear," she continues blithely with Madison. "And you are studying at the Conservatory?"
     Galahad smiles with his own understanding -- he was once Galahad The Pure long before he was Galahad The Humble, after all -- as he looks to Gillian. "I remember London well. It was smaller then than it is now. Gavin tells me there are well over seven million people. I can't fathom that. It was a glorified hillfort when I saw it last. If they had seven sheep it would have been a miracle. Very interesting. I should like to read it once it's complete."
     His attention returning to Arian, he looks to each of the Wests. "You all practice? Most impressive. I'm not familiar with any of those styles. Are they weapons-based or hand-to-hand?"
     Elaine looks between the girls. "It is clear you are in a love-match," she says to Gillian. "I should expect good news soon. And you," she says to Madison. "Are you breaking any hearts in particular, or only all who look your way?"

     "Sorry," Maddie does have the grace to blush a bit. "And well, not really. I'm just - not really looking for anything. I like being single, and yes, I'm at the Conservatory. I've got a lot to learn, and it keeps me busy."
     "Plus she's studying through correspondence course at Rutgers for a double degree in business and engineering," Arian puts in blandly. "Of course, she doesn't want to mention it because she worries we'll think she's trying to compete with Gillian." He ruffles Maddie's hair affectionately. "And because she figures if she fails, nobody'll know. Tough luck, squirt."
     Maddie glowers at Arian and thumps his shoulder a good one. He makes a mock-pained face, and turns to Galahad. "They're both, depending which branch you study and how far you go with it. Aikido's primarily a wrestling art, but it has sword forms and staff forms. Tae kwon do was designed for fighting people on horseback from the ground, so it uses lances and spears more, but there are some sword forms. Krav maga," he glances at Gillian. "Well. It was designed by the Israeli military for taking down whoever they had to with whatever's available."
     Gillian manages to finish blushing, giving Maddie a surprised look. She didn't know that! She tells Elaine, "I do love him, very much." Her voice is quiet, and she could begin blushing any time again. Turning to Galahad, she tells him, "You wouldn't recognize it now. I'll be happy to send you a copy. It's almost done - well, really, it is done, but my advisors need to make a certain number of changes so that they'll feel I really worked for it."

     Engineering and business. That gets a double-take from Galahad. He slowly smiles, taking all three of you into his attention. "It is clear that you are forces to be reckoned with," he muses. "I think it's good the High Crown snapped you up when it did. How giddy they must be. I think the jealousy and envy has only just begun..."
     Elaine sips at her tea. "I know we are so distantly related as to seem not to count. However, I would like to help with your preparations if you need help. I'm an excellent seamstress..."
     "The best in all the world, I believe," Galahad chimes in.
     "And if you do not have a dress already selected, I would be happy to share my own with you," Elaine offers Gillian. "I do not know how you all find the time to excel so greatly! I am tired vicariously. More tea?"
     Galahad chuckles at his mother before turning his attention to his descendants. "I would like to see a demonstration. Oh, and of course, you will be granted full investiture to the titles of Carbonec. Mother and I discussed it. It only makes sense. We would like to arrange for you to visit after the coronation. I know we will have to work with royal schedules, not to mention your many activities, but I think the people of Carbonec would appreciate getting to know you, even as we will..."
     "And Benoic as well," Elaine mentions. "While we are no longer married, Lancelot and I have come to terms with our distant, distant past," Elaine assures. "I think a trip to Camelot, Avalon, Carbonec and Benoic would be highly entertaining and enjoyable. In the spring. Oh! For May Day..." she brightens at that, even as Maddie herself might.
     "Think about it," Galahad offers. "You do not have to decide right away. There is so much happening, it might be best to put off thinking about it until after the transfer of power. But I do think May would show us at our best..."

     There is a glance exchanged between the Wests, and Arian is the winner of the silent vote as to which will speak. "I think that we can hardly say anything other than our acceptance," Arian answers with considerable charm and courtesy. "To do otherwise in the face of your generosity and graciousness would be nothing short of churlishness on our collective parts..."

Posted by rowan at April 22, 2010 07:40 PM