"This is everything, Oorika?" I ask my housekeeper as I finish looking over one pile of accounts. A fresh stack had just been dropped off by her before she starts to look over to those helping me.
"I have searched thrice and then checked each individual search three times over." she assures me as a finger of mine fidgets towards my teacup before I rub my eyes. Barely any sleep, but, how can I sleep? My daughter is out there somewhere... I need to find all that I can to help her.
My precious little Einervaene.
"We all understand what is on your mind right now, My Lady Bosphama. But, do not let it interfere with your health, there has been enough of that." Oorika coos as she passes over a steaming, freshly warmed cup. Dropping the account, I delicately snatch up the teacup and take a prolonged sip from it. Like the wet roads on the bright, warm day afterwards, my breath marks the air.
"I can't expect everyone to help me out of the kindness of their hearts, Oorika. I need to make sure we have the wealth to properly motivate everyone by greed if need be." I moan softly as a hand gently disturbs the dropped scroll. Moving about to little effect and barely getting a comprehensive glance of it.
"There is always the wealth of your body." my Housekeeper suggests with a slight, knowing smile as I lean forward so she can refresh my pillows.
"I have already taken my oaths under the eyes of Love." I sigh as I think of my husband who is so often away and out of contact. If I could rely on him for assistance, I would, but, he is years away by sea. Yet, that did not stop me from sending out a request for aid to him first. Of all the people, I implored for him first.
His daughter needs our help, our little girl is coming home and she needs our help. Of all the things he can do for her, right now, that is all she needs. Help. Gods and goddesses be willing, he can do something, anything...
"I'm only saying, My Lady Bosphama. I support wholly what you are attempting to do, but, I worry there may be a shortsightedness to it all." she cautions as she kneels beside me to join in with the work. It's not needed, but, I appreciate the fact she is willing to. I could never ask for a better housekeeper.
"I would sooner have you all know me as simply Eratheen before I let my daughter come to harm." I remind them all with a raised tone as I get back to work. Looking over the document quickly, I mark off a couple of things and set it aside for mailing to my bankers.
"You are undercutting your authority and source of wealth in a time of great foul word." Oorika warns me and her words provoke my tender mind. I know full well what they all say of me and I do not care. I have held on for so long with it all going on about me. It will not slow me down now, nothing will.
"When the accounts go public, their words will mean nothing..." I mutter as I sign off on more offers from the merchants I have opened up to. The best offer I see gets it, though, compared to anything a thoughtful effort could bring, I might as well be a charity.
"They've always known how to twist your words and efforts into what they want others to believe. Smart as people can be sometimes, they are also incomprehensibly stupid and narrow-minded." Oorika continues to warn as I start to ponder a peculiar offer from one of the buyers. They don't want to buy up the land permanently, they want to lease it for a short period... With Oorika's recent words so fresh in my mind, I accept the offer so that my daughter will have something to come back to.
However, chopped up and gutted it all might be.
"Has there been anyway word on the private safes I own within the Bank of Chriokmatne?" I ask so we can get back to focusing on what needs to be done for Einervaene. Any favours, any pledges, anything, all so she can safely get here to me...
"My Lady Bosphama, we sent the request out two nights ago. Please, take a walk with me into the gardens. You are losing track of time in the wrong w-"
"I will not leave my daughter out there on her own anymore, if you wish to walk those legs then do so on your own outside of the walls of -my- keep!" I burst out all in one go, seething ever so slightly as my housekeeper continues to look my way, unbothered.
"My Lady Bosphama, you have been working for too long." she replies simply as she starts to dote on me in a way a mother knows so well.
"Fine... I shall walk. You lot, you are forbidden from working until I return." I tell the members of my staff that have been helping me so diligently for now. They nod and bow politely as Oorika helps me to my feet before we head on out. Sliding the door shut behind herself once we leave the room, she smiles slightly as joy bursts from within. Gladness overtakes those within the room as they find themselves able to rest.
"Do not linger here, My Lady Bosphama. They are not cheering because they are briefly free of helping the Lady-Heir." she tells me as my posture fails to keep me on the straight path. Blood returns steadily to my limbs and it is only on the final step into the outside that I find a steady foot. The sounds of birds, frogs and insects hit me like a firm smack to the cheek. The air, light and noises, it's all so different to the study I have chosen to be sequestered to.
"I hope you're not here to encourage me to briefly forget about my daughter..." I mutter as I start to play with a wide, green leaf. Gently flicking it down, the moist efforts of the gardeners' pool and then drip down. Sometimes, there is enough for a short-lived stream, a line of water that is one blink away from not being there.
"It would be an exercise in folly, My Lady Bosphama." she nods respectfully as I turn to face her. Frowning as she maintains the nod and a noticeable distance away from me.
An image of me shaking my head appears in my mind, "Are you perhaps scared of what lies within this walled-paradise?"
"Of course, not." she answers with a blink.
"Then keep close." I order her to do as I slowly start to make my way. Hiding my slight smile, I walk around on the orderly-made, loose stone path and wait for her. A piece of my magic separates from me just as the sky flashes without a care. The rumbles of the thunder come down into the garden and some of the foreign species, new to this land let out their distress.
"My Lady Bosphama, I have been around you long enough to know what your magic feels like." Oorika remarks as she joins me as a small, red and green bird comes flapping down to me. Gently stroking the small, rather soft animal, it chirps quietly as its wings pop out.
"And, yet..." I say as I show my smile just as the frog I zapped jumps on her. Oorika blinks at the slimy creature before she calmly picks it off to put it onto a nearby branch.
My smile vanishes.
"You bring me out here to get me away from the stress of work and you don't even humour me..." I moan with a mixture of bemusement and misery.
"Aaaah." she flatly lets out as we sit down on a bench so we can watch some of the animals walk along the ground.
"Do you think I have faith in my daughter?" I suddenly ask my housekeeper as I watch a mother duck waddle across without looking back at the line of ducklings. One of them falls over and chirps manically, but, even then, the mother pays it no mind. It is fully aware that nothing can happen to it in this magically-protected haven.
If it does get lost, a member of staff will help even a quacking bird find their child. This knowing safety has bred complacency with the mother. But, I have seen what my daughter is now capable of. She's grown her confidence and power, things I could've never seen her doing when I knew her are now possible.
It's been years since that recording came to me, handed over by the smiling daughter of the Aaedrii Clan... Hycidna Aaedrii, she brought me a gift I can never forget. After all this time of not seeing her, even though it was a foul and bloody image I was shown. I saw her, I saw my daughter, grown up further and hopefully happy.
"I do think you have faith in your daughter, yes. But like with most people doing tasks of any sort, the end is in sight and you are losing your patience so very, very dangerously quick." Oorika answers as I look along the path before landing my gaze on my sock-covered feet. Moving my clothed toes about, I sigh as I hide my hands in my sleeves.
"I should give her a moment, keep my faith in her knowing she's made it this far without me...?"
Oorika places a hand against me and waits for me to turn.
"You should always keep your faith in her, but that does not mean you should also just leave her on her own. Help her how you can, however, again, please, My Lady Bosphama. Show caution and ease up on the recklessness."
"I need to help her... The bastard responsible for all of this came to me, Oorika. He came -right here- to tell me that he is targeting her. I cannot relent in my duties as a mother!"
"My Lady Bosphama, you are not thinking clearly. You are doing what he wants. Selling off your land and properties only gives him a venue to buy them up himself. He's choking you of everything you have."
"My tolerance for his hands is more than he realises..." I hiss as I shoot up to my feet. Going to a fountain, I dip a bare finger into the water and glare at it. A slight bit of gold appears then a bright flash. A cloud of steam erupts, leaving the fountain empty.
"The Lady-Heir is strong, so much stronger than any of us realise." Oorika comments quietly as she resigns herself to being quiet for the time being.
"Go to the kitchens and make sure is everything in order, Housekeeper." I say bitterly as I keep my eyes off her.
"Of course, My Lady Bosphama..." she agrees to with a lacking tone. Knowing she is still standing behind me, I walk away until I am somewhere with plentiful solitude. Even the animals are not in this part of the garden, it is only me.
I sigh as I hide my eyes, a harsh sniff escapes and I cannot stop the water from escaping. Unbecoming of what I am, I dry my eyes off with my sleeves. The sound of armour fills my ears and I step out into the open, hoping to find the source. I spot a guard, but, I do not want them, I want my Castellan.
"Joastelan...?" I call out weakly as I move to leave the garden. Weakly grasping a wooden pillar, I slowly step back up into the building proper.
"My Lady Bosphama?" a mere maid asks as they come closer after noticing my distress.
"Find me Castellan Joastelan, I need to speak to him." I tell the maid as my mind goes back to focusing on my daughter.