Jenner came by today. The conversation started out as me confiding in him, and then turned into him dressing me down. I swear, no matter how old I get, the big guy somehow manages to make me feel like I'm still a kid. Wonder if Mom feels the same way?
Anyways, he told me to come clean about Raven to Llew. Have to admit I was less than thrilled with that idea, but Jenner's got a way of refuting my arguments—always has, ever since I was just a kid.
While I was trying to defend my position to the Troll, I had a few more visitors—Ceilidh, Kieran, and Robur. Those three also seem to think the best thing to do is tell Llew about Raven. Out of the mouths of babes....
Well, there are some times you can't fight it. I took myself off to His Highness, and revealed as much as I dared. Llew took things rather well, and even agreed to meet with Raven later this week. Guess the kid's learning.
Dar's awfully smug lately. He's acting like the cat that ate the canary (pun not intended), and won't tell me why. I swear, there is nothing worse than a laconic chimera...
Sometimes, I really think some people ought to be sent to the Dark Lady ahead of schedule. Suffice it to say, those two Gwydion pricks top the list. They seem determined to discredit me, by any means necessary. Add to that the fact that they're determined to bring Raven in for "questioning", and you can see why they aren't my favorite people at the moment.
Just when things looked brighter, they've taken a turn for the dark again. Maybe it's the approach of Samhain, who knows? At any rate, it seems that Sir Teva, the fly-by-night Fiona adviser, was found dead in his bar, The Silverfish. Can't say I'll miss him, personally, but the evidence left at the scene seems to indicate that Raven was responsible. Even for me, that seems like a setup; finding some of her hair ornaments at the scene was too contrived. But both Matthew and Charlemagne-the-lackwit (yes, he actually revealed his fae name!) were on my back to bring Raven in "for questioning." Jawohl, mien Fuhrer; sieg heil.
At any rate, I asked if Miria and I might question Lady Eleighanara, and they agreed, but tried to make me bring Raven in in return. "It's only fair," they said. Someone ought to tell them that life isn't fair sometimes.
Miria and I went to GWU hospital, and discovered that Lady Eleighanara had been moved to Georgetown University Hospital. It seems she was complaining of stomach pains, and evidenced profuse sweating—the same symptoms Countess Crystal had displayed. Well, when their lordships arrived, they immediately assumed she'd been poisoned (you learn to read body language quite well in my line of work, and their spouting when they thought I was out of earshot didn't hurt either). Miria's taking their attempts to be insulting a little hard, but I think I've calmed her down...though I wouldn't want to be Charlemagne or Matthew if she found them alone....
Well, it's late, and I'm tired, so that's all for now.
This is fucking IT! Somebody's going to die for this! I just got a call from Karl and Calandra—late last night, two guardsmen came to their hotel room and hauled Raven away in chains! When I find who's responsible, they're going to be eating several inches of cold steel!
It's time Llew and I had words about what goes on in his demesne. At this point, I'm too bloody angry to care what he thinks of me—this is getting addressed, NOW.
I've spoken to His Highness, and some things have been cleared up. It seems Raven's abductors acted without Llew's sanction, and he's vowed to put things right. I wouldn't want to be whoever authorized Raven's capture when Llew gets hold of him...or her. My money's on Lady Alexandria, though she probably had some help from those two green-and-gold-clad pricks....
I haven't written in a while, but then again, things have been happening here. I'll try to hit the high points.
His Highness put things right—Raven's a free woman (despite the efforts of the Gwydion to the contrary), and I've convinced the two knights who brought her in of the folly of acting without their Captain's sanction. Sir Edwin ap Dougal should be ready for duty again in about a week, or so Lady Althea informs me.
There's been a lot of tongue-wagging at Court of late in regards to an announcement made by His Highness—apparently he and Lady Sharanya are formally engaged. Some of the more stiff-necked courtiers are convinced that it's the influence of those dolls, but I'm not so sure. Sir Gregory has another idea—it seems Lady Sharanya's been ill in the mornings lately. So that explains why I saw her at Heartwood the other day. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. At least this time, Christopher and Dr. Watanabe should have time to do the lab work carefully, without being rushed.
Well, I really ought to finish work on those armbands for the party on Samhain, so I'll stop for now. Can't go as a Cheysuli warrior without the lir-bands, after all....
I have to say, Miria's a clever one. She's decided to go to the Lestat's Halloween Ball as Princess Kurama, the crow princess from the anime Urusei Yatsura. She showed me the picture, and I think she'll look absolutely stunning. There's just something about skin-tight black leather stretched over her gorgeous female flesh...Yum!
Well, another Samhain has come and gone, and, true to form, things happened. I just wish I could remember more of the details...Samhain mists, I guess.
The party at the Lestat wasn't too bad, at least at first. Miria and I danced, mingled, and generally had fun. The alcohol and the night must have been getting to me, though, ‘cause we ended up slipping away to a more secluded place for a little more fun.
That's when things start blurring. I can remember the sex, but after that everything has a sort of dreamlike quality to it. I remember something about one of the Corruptor's brood being summoned in the cemetery at Georgetown, and having to get there. A wild ride through the rain later, I found Sir Gregory, Robur, Llew, Shari, Derrick, the two Gwydion stooges, and a Sidhe lady in a Snow White costume trying to put the thing down.
That's when He took over—Loach. The rest is kind of a blur of battle and storm, until Derrick managed to send the thing back from whence it came. When I was myself again, my Jeep was wrecked, and all of us were standing there in the rain.
Sir Darius and Jenner showed up shortly afterward, and told us that we were all to report immediately to Carterhaugh—soaked clothes and all. When we got there, Lord Durano admitted to having been the one who summoned the creature, apparently in an attempt to revive his dead wife. Naturally, the Duke and Duchess weren't pleased, and His Grace pronounced the Exile ban upon the unfortunate Gwydion. Well, good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. I know that sounds harsh, but I'm in no mood to be charitable right now. Especially since we almost had another Conall....
Enough. This has stirred up some bad memories, so I'm going down to the basement for an impromptu fighter practice....
Something weird happened today. I went out to walk to the Metro station, just like always, when I saw what looked like my Jeep in the driveway. Yes, the Jeep that got smashed under that thing Charlemagne-the-lackwit summoned. Then the Jeep sort of...twisted...and it was a black stallion with silver eyes and hooves. It twisted again, and there was my Jeep, right down to the White Anglo-Saxon Pagan bumper sticker.
That horse seems to want to stay...I'll have to think about giving it a name.
Llew, Robur and Derrick stopped by earlier today. They wanted to talk about what happened on Samhain. Well, one thing led to another, and I ended up revealing my affiliation to His Highness. It took quite a bit of reassurance to get him to believe that I mean him no harm, but it seems all's well. At least now he knows about the oath that takes precedence over any other I might swear. A relief, that. Even though I had to swear to him on my honor as a knight that I'll never let him come to harm if I can possibly help it.
By the way, it seems Llew has also acquired a magical horse—this one a red bay who imitates his late, lamented Ferrari. It seems to have perked my young liege up a little to have a car again. :-) I've also thought of a name for my own "steed". Think I'll call him Storm-shadow....