* * *
Lyric
* * *
"If you were to need a whip now, I would think you were not as highly skilled a trainer as you have claimed to be. So, with this I leave you--" Thelea gestures at me in my fine servant's robes. I've nothing on me except the clothing. "I look forward to seeing your display of skill and daring, young trainer." She gives a tight little grin, a bit of pride actually winking in her eyes. Over her shoulder, Edward glowers at me. His glance appraises me and finds me sorely lacking. With that, his expression shifts into a smirk.
Enough of him. I'm buried in over my head and I've a job to do. I turn to the cell door. Thelea slides by me to unlock it - her body is too thin and angular to be pleasant as she rubs against me. Instead, the touch only makes my skin crawl. The lock gives way with a click, she withdraws, and I enter the small stone cell. I can't even qualify it as a room, it's so tiny.
The boy looks up at me from the floor. He's sitting calmly, waiting. His gaze says that he expects a visitor, his slight jump says that he doesn't expect me. I see a flash of recognition in his eyes. Does he know me? Well, I knew Camden from sight, and Camden knew me - Elric's his brother (and his face certainly carries the resmblance), did I know him from my childhood?
Oh, that's right. Stevane played his shadow all the time. Once I remember her, I remember him - he was so tall that it's hard to recognize him from above. Our positions feel quite reversed. The blonde hair is much the same, though - but he's lost his ponytail, so it's not kept as neatly, and his bangs have grown out long enough to hang in his face. Those light blue eyes look so much like Camden's that for a moment I feel paranoid that Elric will strike at me in the same way the Peacekeeper would if attacked. Of course, Camden wouldn't cringe the way that Elric does now. He must be used to people hurting him, if he thinks I'm a threat just from looking at me.
No, he's looking over my shoulder. Thelea and Edward are there. I tsk. "Really now, stealing my audience?" I close the cell door. I'm sure they have their ways of watching what happens in here, but I can't very well perform this role properly if they're right over my shoulder.
Elric stifles a giggle. I try to look stern. He just raises an eyebrow. I sigh. This is a farce, isn't it? How am I going to even pretend I want to hurt this guy?
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being rather a poor actor myself, aren't I? I apologize. You've already got too much to worry about, Lyric.
I blink. I really wasn't expecting a voice in my head right now. Does Elric have Arms or something?
Oh, no, not me. My brother has all the weaponry to his name. I'm just skilled with my mind, no matter what they try to do to it here. More importantly, please try to look like you're doing your job, or this meeting will be very brief.
That would be more helpful if they'd told me what I'm supposed to do. I sigh inwardly. Trainer. Well, there's always the staples of training. Getting an animal to recognize you as your boss. There's various ways of doing that dance, but there's no space here. "Greetings. You will call me Lotus."
Elric looks up at me like a dumb cow. Oh, that's right. Acting. Yes.
"Say it." The command is very light, the force hidden behind it very tastefully.
"L--gh." Elric slaps a hand over his mouth. Sorry, I'm so, so sorry. It's so hard to talk as of late. I see something black slip between his fingers, then withdraw back into his hand. My stomach turns a little. What he hell was that?
"Try again." I keep my tone patient, but don't leave room in it for disobedience.
Elric mouths the word a few times before attempting to give it a voice. The process is very painstaking, and I wonder just what they've been doing to him to make him so unable to speak. "Lo-tus."
"Good. Now say it again, properly this time."
There's a tiny glimmer of fear in his eyes before he speaks. "Lotus." Relief hits his face when he manages to say it correctly.
"That's not what he's supposed to be doing!" I hear Edward hiss to Thelea from the other side of the door.
"No fault of his. We've not instructed him." Thelea's voice is louder as she addresses me. "Lotus, dear, would you please instruct the boy to recite? He's been having dreadful trouble with that."
I look back over at Elric. The fear on his face is plain, but genuine. I was afraid she'd ask that. Don't worry. This won't hurt me.
I almost ask him what won't hurt him, but on a hunch I just go along with it. "My Mistress Thelea asks that you recite, Elric Briarseal. Will you obey, or must I make you?"
Elric's face is stubborn, his chin raising up in defiance. Force me to, or they won't believe this is real.
How the heck does he know to play along? The more I'm around this guy, the stranger he seems. More importantly, how am I going to pretend to force him to do anything, if Edward's so much trouble for him? "You know what you must do. I am a kindness, pet. Don't make me become a cruelty. You've had so much cruelty here, haven't you? Don't you want all that to end?" Honey always works better on a voice than lemon.
Elric's eyes show a bit of hope in them, but he still turns away.
"Pathetic," Edward's voice is just near enough for me to hear it. I doubt it carries to Elric.
"Besides," I say, feeling awful for the knife I'm about to twist, "your dear friend Stevane would be sad if anything bad happened to you today. I'd hate to have to tell her anything. I'd hate to bring her here." My voice frosts just a tad on that last note. I don't want to use my sister as a threat, but damn. It would probably work even if this weren't all a farce.
Elric's eyes widen - I think I see a glimmer of real panic. "P-plea--" He coughs. There's an awful hacking in that cough, and I try to convince myself that another shadow doesn't try to escape his hand as he covers his mouth. It's so terrible to lie to one's self, but I'm especially good at it.
"Oh, don't plead with me. Stevane will do it for you, I'm sure. She's really just being held for ransom. With your help... who knows?" I shrug. "Lyiannethe might be convinced to show leniency towards her. Think of how much you could do with that, how much power you have right now. A girl's entire fate, changed because you behaved." I smile. "I know you have it in you. You seem like a good person."
A sob escapes Elric, a sob that he heaves with. I can tell it's genuine, too. But then, how could we convince Thelea and Edward unless all of this was real? I know that it's all too close to becoming real - and that if Elric decides to hold back, my sister really could be dragged to this cell to give him (and her) another nightmare. It'd be another nightmare for me, as well.
"Give me forgiveness for turning this step once again in your nightmare-dance, in your nightmare-dream, Lord who spites the green and curses the white, who twists all colors into his own blanket-dance... curl me into your dream and wrap me around your tongue--" Elric's voice withers into a shriek and he brings his hands to his eyes. For a moment before he covered them, they were blank and white. Then a garble ensues from his mouth that isn't any word, any speech that I know--
--but I do. I remember Ebrellin-i's Nulspeak. Awful flashes of the memory of the Jherent Nul's Court flash across my eyes, that dance Ebrellin-i flung himself through so obediently, the markings crawling across his face like a living thing. I remember it all so well, which is perhaps why I don't flinch or scream as Elric speaks now. "Enough," I say.
Elric gratefully shuts his mouth, keeping his hands clamped against it to hold it closed. Thelea tsks behind me.
"Well done, pet, but he didn't have to finish so soon. That was barely a song." Her voice is a purr. "Still, well done. I have a use for you. As do you, Edward?"
There's a grumble in reply, but I can tell Edward is relieved not to have this duty anymore. As would I be. Had Elric fought against me, I imagine he'd have been an opponent almost as fierce as Faun. His control is amazing. "You've been such a good boy," I purr.
I say that, and I can hear him weeping.
I'm fine, Lyric dear. Just fine. I just need a little bit of recovery. Thank you so much for coming. I knew you would, really.
I don't let my confusion show on my face, but it colors my mental voice. What are you talking about?
I See things, even with this wretched collar around my neck. I've been waiting for you for a long time, Lyric. I was beginning to fear I'd Seen wrong, but here you are. A good day to you. See you soon. His words are kind and even-paced, at a complete contrast with how his chest is heaving and his face is twisted up. He looks as if he's about to retch out his very guts. He's not exploding or anything, however, so I suppose he's telling the truth.
"Nicely done, dear Lotus. Why don't you step outside, and we can continue our little tea?" Thelea's voice is so pleased. I feel the thrill of doing a good job and immediately feel bad about it.
I give a parting bow to Elric. "A pleasure. We shall have to meet again soon."
Elric gives me the tiniest nod before I leave.
* * *
We're not even halfway back to Thelea's personal quarters before I say: "I could have him speaking whatever you want every day, every hour."
Thelea's gait shifts, as if what I've said has tripped her. Edward stops right in his tracks. His eyes try to pin me, but I keep my bearing steady. Then he lays his hands on my shoulders, eyes narrowed. Oh, dear. He seems quite serious. "Look. I know you think you've got a lot of ideas, and that you can get ahead here. Watch your step." The look on his face is murder. "You can do tricks. Fine. Don't start to think that means more than it does."
Thelea only raises an eyebrow from over his shoulder. Damnit, that means I have to deal with this creep alone. I think he's starting to pressure me mentally, too - I try to ignore it. I don't need to fight on that level, if I can already get my victory on another. "Do you mean it's just a trick?" I manage to bow out of his grip, flourishing as I do so. "Then by all means, show your way of doing it. I fail to see the point in stopping me, though - wouldn't it make more work for you?"
He doesn't have an immediate reply. This allows me to go on.
"It's just that my abilities are more suited to this type of work, Jhe Edward. I am, after all, a trainer of animals. The Rhivendish are simply another group of animals, however feral. You, you are a Poet, a writer, a creator. You are suited to higher tasks than this, much grander stuff than my abilities should aspire to. I prefer the place in things that I have made for myself. I would not want to move to your level. It doesn't become either of us to trade positions, does it?"
He's so dubious. He wants to find something wrong with what I've said, but he can't - he can't find a way to disagree with my hinting that I'm lower than he is, either. Flattery does help grease a sticky gear. "Very well, but what if you are not suited to it?"
I smile and give another bow. "That shall be my problem, and not yours, Jhe Edward. Just as the Rhivend boy will. This place is so self-contained and secure that I doubt even a fatal mishap on my part will cause much harm to anyone here in the long run. Little spent, little lost, and either way things will come out your way. So, that said... is there any other way that I can be of service? Serving people is, after all, my bread and butter."
Thelea chuckles. "Let us have tea with your bread and butter then. Edward, dear, I do believe you've done your job amply with Jhe Lyric. Or Jhe Lotus, as he seems to prefer. I am glad that you've sniffed him out for any ill-doing - now let it rest." She twines her fingers in his, staring into his eyes in a way that's sultry and bare. "You have more important things to do."
Edward swallows. "Indeed, Lady."
She turns to me. "You are a singular servant, Jhe Lotus. Let me detail for you just what it is I desire at tea. Then, I think, everything will move forward much more quickly."