“After me, Argis and Cicero,” Madanach said quietly. “Don't worry, no one's expecting a saga. Just keep it short, we've a lot to get through.”
The drumbeat that had been going continuously since Cicero had carried Kaie's bloodied form into the camp and those held in reserve realised what had happened rang out three more times and then stopped. Down in the valley, mourners stood by their own kin, but all looked expectantly up to where Kaie had been laid. Madanach closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then got to his feet, surveying the crowd.
“I hope you're not expecting a speech to echo down through the ages, because I didn't prepare anything,” he said gruffly, and that did get a small ripple of sympathetic laughter. Madanach smiled tightly in acknowledgement, before staring down at Kaie.
“No one should have to prepare themselves for their child's death,” he said, carefully kneeling down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and bracing himself.
“I knew Kaie ap Madanach,” he announced, voice carrying across the silent plain. “She was my daughter...” He stopped, taking a second to compose himself. Finally, he pulled himself together and continued. “She was my daughter and my heir, although she was never meant to be. She had two older sisters once, but the Nords took them from us and I never got to say goodbye. She did though and I know she missed them horribly. She was never supposed to be heir, but she rose to the challenge magnificently. She would have made such a good queen...” Here Madanach had to stop again, wiping tears away but he quickly rallied. “She was an invaluable source of support while I was in prison, my lifeline to the outside world. And afterwards she took care of me like a mother and nagged at me like a wife to go to bed at normal hours, eat properly, get some fresh air. I could never have done any of this without her being there.” Madanach stroked her face, trying to recall happier times. Too many and they all made him cry, but he knew what did need to be said. “She was one of the best and bravest we had, but I remember her before all that. I remember the midwife placing her in my arms at Karthspire and being told congratulations, you've got another healthy girl, and I remember seeing her there, so tiny and helpless and mine to look after and protect and I swore I'd take care of her, protect her with my life if I had to. Then I ended up in prison and never could... and now...” Madanach lowered his head, forehead pressed to Kaie's, giving up on the whole not crying business because it was clearly doomed. “M'inyeen, I'm sorry. So sorry. I love you...” He stayed there for a few moments before giving her one last kiss on the forehead, reaching for the flower basket and scattering a few petals from the blue mountain flowers over her, then retreating to rejoin Liriel, head in his hands as he wept silently, leaning into Liriel as she held him.
“See, told you you could come up with things off the cuff and make them sound amazing,” she whispered to him.
“I'd trade it for witless idiocy if it brought my daughter back,” Madanach said softly. Then Argis got to his feet, pale, exhausted, but doing this for his sister if it killed him.
“I knew Kaie ap Madanach,” he began nervously, glancing at Madanach as if for permission to continue. Madanach just smiled faintly and nodded for him to go on. Argis drew a breath and continued.
“She was my sister,” he finally said out loud, and if that drew a little ripple from the crowd who'd not entirely believed it until now, Argis ignored it. “And my friend. I used to sneak her in to see Da while he was inside. She didn't know I was her brother, but I did and I looked out for her as best I could. She -” and here he stopped, biting his lip and blushing a little. “Oh gods, this is embarrassing.”
“Yes, but is it funny?” Cicero queried from next to him. Argis laughed and ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, but – ah Void it, I'm saying it anyway, she can't hit me now. All right. Kaie always noticed how nice I was to her, how gentlemanly, and while she knew I was part-Reachman and loyal to the cause, she didn't know who'd fathered me and made assumptions. One night as I was seeing her out, she tried to kiss me.”
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 19.3
The drumbeat that had been going continuously since Cicero had carried Kaie's bloodied form into the camp and those held in reserve realised what had happened rang out three more times and then stopped. Down in the valley, mourners stood by their own kin, but all looked expectantly up to where Kaie had been laid. Madanach closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then got to his feet, surveying the crowd.
“I hope you're not expecting a speech to echo down through the ages, because I didn't prepare anything,” he said gruffly, and that did get a small ripple of sympathetic laughter. Madanach smiled tightly in acknowledgement, before staring down at Kaie.
“No one should have to prepare themselves for their child's death,” he said, carefully kneeling down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and bracing himself.
“I knew Kaie ap Madanach,” he announced, voice carrying across the silent plain. “She was my daughter...” He stopped, taking a second to compose himself. Finally, he pulled himself together and continued. “She was my daughter and my heir, although she was never meant to be. She had two older sisters once, but the Nords took them from us and I never got to say goodbye. She did though and I know she missed them horribly. She was never supposed to be heir, but she rose to the challenge magnificently. She would have made such a good queen...” Here Madanach had to stop again, wiping tears away but he quickly rallied. “She was an invaluable source of support while I was in prison, my lifeline to the outside world. And afterwards she took care of me like a mother and nagged at me like a wife to go to bed at normal hours, eat properly, get some fresh air. I could never have done any of this without her being there.” Madanach stroked her face, trying to recall happier times. Too many and they all made him cry, but he knew what did need to be said. “She was one of the best and bravest we had, but I remember her before all that. I remember the midwife placing her in my arms at Karthspire and being told congratulations, you've got another healthy girl, and I remember seeing her there, so tiny and helpless and mine to look after and protect and I swore I'd take care of her, protect her with my life if I had to. Then I ended up in prison and never could... and now...” Madanach lowered his head, forehead pressed to Kaie's, giving up on the whole not crying business because it was clearly doomed. “M'inyeen, I'm sorry. So sorry. I love you...” He stayed there for a few moments before giving her one last kiss on the forehead, reaching for the flower basket and scattering a few petals from the blue mountain flowers over her, then retreating to rejoin Liriel, head in his hands as he wept silently, leaning into Liriel as she held him.
“See, told you you could come up with things off the cuff and make them sound amazing,” she whispered to him.
“I'd trade it for witless idiocy if it brought my daughter back,” Madanach said softly. Then Argis got to his feet, pale, exhausted, but doing this for his sister if it killed him.
“I knew Kaie ap Madanach,” he began nervously, glancing at Madanach as if for permission to continue. Madanach just smiled faintly and nodded for him to go on. Argis drew a breath and continued.
“She was my sister,” he finally said out loud, and if that drew a little ripple from the crowd who'd not entirely believed it until now, Argis ignored it. “And my friend. I used to sneak her in to see Da while he was inside. She didn't know I was her brother, but I did and I looked out for her as best I could. She -” and here he stopped, biting his lip and blushing a little. “Oh gods, this is embarrassing.”
“Yes, but is it funny?” Cicero queried from next to him. Argis laughed and ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, but – ah Void it, I'm saying it anyway, she can't hit me now. All right. Kaie always noticed how nice I was to her, how gentlemanly, and while she knew I was part-Reachman and loyal to the cause, she didn't know who'd fathered me and made assumptions. One night as I was seeing her out, she tried to kiss me.”