“I know, sweet one. Cicero is getting his things and then he is going after her. Cicero will find your mother and bring her home, do not fear, little one.”
“Dear child, do not fear, the little elf is safe from me. Cicero would not harm her. Cicero will bring her back too, after all it would not be right to leave a little orphan girl all on her own, would it?”
“Cicero!” Lucia cried, but before he could answer, Eola appeared, flinging her arms round him.
“Cicero, there you are, what's wrong? I could feel you from across the city! What's happened? Why is Lucia upset? What did you do?”
“I didn't do anything!” Cicero protested. “At least... not yet. Sister, sister, the Listener is in trouble, there is no time to lose!”
“Liriel?” Eola asked, puzzled, and then she saw the circlet in Lucia's hand's, the one Liriel had been wearing that morning, her favourite one that massively boosted her magicka and that the previous Archmage had given her. “Oh sweet Lady, where did that come from. Liriel would never leave that behind!”
“It was in her house,” Lucia sniffled. “On the floor, near where we found Uaile. Eola, I think someone hurt Mama! And they took her away!”
“Her parents have abducted her,” Eola breathed. “Sithis' sake. Cicero, there's no time to lose, take Shadowmere, get your things, go. When did they leave?”
“About an hour and a half ago,” Lucia whispered, fighting back tears. Mama, Mama, she desperately wanted her Mama to hold her and tell her it would be all right... but she wasn't here and it really wasn't all right. “Eola, please, Cicero's going to kill them!”
Cicero had cackled gleefully, already sprinting off to gather all his things. Eola patted Lucia's cheek gently.
“Sweetie, they've taken your ma prisoner. She's Brenhina of the Reach, abducting a lawful ruler or their family, that's not just illegal, that's treason or an act of war. Da's entitled to execute the pair of them for this. Sending Cicero just makes it that bit quicker with less paperwork and Da is all in favour of less paperwork.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “But Cicero wouldn't hurt Cali any more than he would your ma, and he'll bring them both back. We'll look after her, Lulu, I promise.”
“That's not the point!” Lucia cried, horrified at how Eola could just accept her own husband going off to murder Liriel's parents. “We have to talk to Da, he'll stop it, even Cicero listens to him!”
“We should definitely tell him, he'll want to know if his Matrimony Bond didn't already tell him,” Eola agreed, and then she frowned. “No, seriously, it should have told him she'd left the city, even if Liriel was taken by surprise and knocked out. If she's conscious, how could he not know she was in trouble? They argued but the bond's still there, and he still loves her.” Eola turned to look in the direction of the Royal Quarters, worry all over her face. “He should be out here snapping orders or at least wanting reports, and he's not, where is he?”
“He's not on his throne?” Lucia asked, alarmed. But Madanach had only just re-opened court after the holiday for the wedding, why wouldn't he be ruling? He'd argued with Mama, really seriously argued with her from the sounds of it, and if Lucia had been scared before, now she was terrified. Maybe Madanach guarded his time jealously but he was usually fairly serious about administering the kingdom.
“Come on,” Eola said, breaking into a run. “We need Nepos. He wasn't far behind me.”
Nepos, no longer a young man, in fact he was older than Madanach, came running breathlessly from the court room.
“Eola, what happened? What's Cicero done now?”
“He's going to kill Liriel's parents!” Lucia cried. Nepos just blinked.
“I... see. That would be awfully tragic, yes indeed. Have they left the city then?”
“Over an hour ago,” Eola said. “Nepos, we think they took Liriel prisoner! She went to Vlindrel Hall to talk to them and now she's missing! Lucia found her circlet and Uaile was found unconscious. She's with the healers now. Cicero brought her in.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 8.3
“Don't kill them,” Lucia whispered. “Please! Please don't kill Cali, she's my friend!”
Cicero did chuckle at that.
“Dear child, do not fear, the little elf is safe from me. Cicero would not harm her. Cicero will bring her back too, after all it would not be right to leave a little orphan girl all on her own, would it?”
“Cicero!” Lucia cried, but before he could answer, Eola appeared, flinging her arms round him.
“Cicero, there you are, what's wrong? I could feel you from across the city! What's happened? Why is Lucia upset? What did you do?”
“I didn't do anything!” Cicero protested. “At least... not yet. Sister, sister, the Listener is in trouble, there is no time to lose!”
“Liriel?” Eola asked, puzzled, and then she saw the circlet in Lucia's hand's, the one Liriel had been wearing that morning, her favourite one that massively boosted her magicka and that the previous Archmage had given her. “Oh sweet Lady, where did that come from. Liriel would never leave that behind!”
“It was in her house,” Lucia sniffled. “On the floor, near where we found Uaile. Eola, I think someone hurt Mama! And they took her away!”
“Her parents have abducted her,” Eola breathed. “Sithis' sake. Cicero, there's no time to lose, take Shadowmere, get your things, go. When did they leave?”
“About an hour and a half ago,” Lucia whispered, fighting back tears. Mama, Mama, she desperately wanted her Mama to hold her and tell her it would be all right... but she wasn't here and it really wasn't all right. “Eola, please, Cicero's going to kill them!”
Cicero had cackled gleefully, already sprinting off to gather all his things. Eola patted Lucia's cheek gently.
“Sweetie, they've taken your ma prisoner. She's Brenhina of the Reach, abducting a lawful ruler or their family, that's not just illegal, that's treason or an act of war. Da's entitled to execute the pair of them for this. Sending Cicero just makes it that bit quicker with less paperwork and Da is all in favour of less paperwork.”
“But they're Cali's parents!” Lucia cried. Eola nodded sadly.
“I know,” she said quietly. “But Cicero wouldn't hurt Cali any more than he would your ma, and he'll bring them both back. We'll look after her, Lulu, I promise.”
“That's not the point!” Lucia cried, horrified at how Eola could just accept her own husband going off to murder Liriel's parents. “We have to talk to Da, he'll stop it, even Cicero listens to him!”
“We should definitely tell him, he'll want to know if his Matrimony Bond didn't already tell him,” Eola agreed, and then she frowned. “No, seriously, it should have told him she'd left the city, even if Liriel was taken by surprise and knocked out. If she's conscious, how could he not know she was in trouble? They argued but the bond's still there, and he still loves her.” Eola turned to look in the direction of the Royal Quarters, worry all over her face. “He should be out here snapping orders or at least wanting reports, and he's not, where is he?”
“He's not on his throne?” Lucia asked, alarmed. But Madanach had only just re-opened court after the holiday for the wedding, why wouldn't he be ruling? He'd argued with Mama, really seriously argued with her from the sounds of it, and if Lucia had been scared before, now she was terrified. Maybe Madanach guarded his time jealously but he was usually fairly serious about administering the kingdom.
“Come on,” Eola said, breaking into a run. “We need Nepos. He wasn't far behind me.”
Nepos, no longer a young man, in fact he was older than Madanach, came running breathlessly from the court room.
“Eola, what happened? What's Cicero done now?”
“He's going to kill Liriel's parents!” Lucia cried. Nepos just blinked.
“I... see. That would be awfully tragic, yes indeed. Have they left the city then?”
“Over an hour ago,” Eola said. “Nepos, we think they took Liriel prisoner! She went to Vlindrel Hall to talk to them and now she's missing! Lucia found her circlet and Uaile was found unconscious. She's with the healers now. Cicero brought her in.”