Reflections on the Dįvonësë War: The Dįvįnë Will Bear Witness to Fate

Chapter 9 - A Love Beyond Understanding

Digression 6
38th Day of Ope in the Third Month of Snow's Fall
4633 A.G.G. (Present Day)

Castle Įcħor-Nåbįlå, North of the Yavan Mountains
The Continent of Kazakoto
3:35 P.S.R. (Pre Suns' Rising)

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Aoleon

"That was nice of you." Aoleon stated once the manor-keep was well on her way to exiting the library.

"I'm pleased that you thought so. Seeing as how the current overseer is a little bit of an ass, I figured the families were due something." He once again drew the hand cannon from its resting place by its angled redwood and black leather grip. "I suppose I should really learn to not keep this thing around me all of the time. As you said, the war is over."

"And if you're not careful, you'll end up scaring the poor staff half to death."

"I don't know." he sighed as he placed the weapon out of view in a lower desk drawer. "Is there nothing we do that doesn't scare them?"

She shook her head sadly. "No. Nothing we do will stop them from fearing us on some level...and everything that we are keeps them distant."

"True." he concurred as he cleaned and returned his ring to his finger.

"On a separate note, you seem to be improving in your handling of statecraft." Aoleon said proudly.

"How? All I did was turn the matter of the mine incident over to you, pass the next council meeting over to you, and signed a couple of documents."

"I know." she affirmed. "Like I said, you're getting better."

Laughter was as music to the daughter/father duo. And so together, they sang at the statement.

"Heavy lies the burdens of kingship." Aoleon said prolifically.

He shrugged. No matter how many times he was called as such, he simply couldn't get used to being referred to as a king. He'd said that he never felt as though it fit him. Not in his mind. He was just a former nobleman and an old Knight...fallen from grace in both instances.

"I suppose it does." he answered.

"So...what is it that had you so wound up that you felt compelled to both call me and take a walk to commune with the saber?" Aoleon asked after allowing Samahdemn another drink, a few more draws from his pipe and several long moments of silence.

"Hmm. You ready to work then?"

"I'm always ready to work."

"Good. I called you because I've been working on a project for a while that I needed you to see. And, for whatever reason, I just couldn't bring myself to wait until the suns were up."

"How long is 'a while'? Since the war?"

"Before the war. Have a look."

"Well you're a little scattershot here aren't you?" The albino exclaimed. "You've been busy".

Aoleon's eyes continued to scan every ounce of information they could rest upon. She then did a quick cross reference with everything that was already present on the desk; her face becoming grimmer the further she read. "Very busy. Your introspections seem to be running the gambit from the twelve most important Drågoons of the Dįvonësë Realms to some of your older weapons modifications and everything in between. I don't really like the relations that I'm forming in my head."