Characters:RavenLogs/AA Arrival
[Logger note: we are on just-in-time time, so Marius and Raven will be arriving in Amber during the Big Family Meeting.]
It takes two days and about five rounds of shifting before Raven sees something she'd wondered whether she'd ever see again: the Cabra light, which was the sailor's gateway to Amber. A ragged cheer goes up from the crew when it comes into sight, and sailors go belowdecks to rouse their companions to tell them that at long last, home is near.
As they sail up the coast, the castle eventually comes into view by spyglass. Raven can see that one of the towers has collapsed and been partially rebuilt. The approach to the city shows the same: parts that have burnt down with only some of the destroyed buildings reconstructed, and not always in the same style or according to plan. The balance and grace of the city are diminished; where once she floated above the harbor, now she limps.
The harbor is desolate compared to the old days. Many of the berths have been destroyed and even so, too few ships to fill them are at anchor. The flags of the old Golden Circle treaty shadows are gone, instead replaced by some Amber banners, a similar unicorn banner in red, and another with a unicorn and a fleur-de-lys that Raven doesn't recognize.
When they come ashore, the Harbormaster is deferential to Marius, calling him Captain and putting sailors and officials at his disposal. A carriage is found to take him and Raven and Thalia up to the castle. Raven's sailors are allowed the freedom of the city while the Navy inspects and repairs her ship. It's clear the Harbormaster and the Navy have uses for it.
Prince Caine is acting as Regent; Marius clearly means to see him at once.
Other than making sure that anything portable that the Navy might consider contraband is quietly smuggled off the ship as sailors leave - something she leaves in the capable hands of her first mate with a few words below-decks and well away from anyone that hasn't been on board for at least six months - Raven and the Vale's papers are ready to go.
If it hadn't been clear to Raven that Marius was a royal before, the way he's treated on their arrival at the castle makes it clear he is one. He sends pages looking for several people Raven's never heard of--some men and some women--and there's something about knights as well. His orders are given rapid-fire as they follow members of the royal guard up to the office Caine has commandeered, Caine's office is guarded by midshipmen; Northern Fleet is Raven's guess. On Marius' greeting, they open the door for Marius and his companions.
Caine is seated at his desk, his mind clearly on a card that he's holding. Marius seems to know what he's up to, because he says, "Tell whoever it is you'll talk to them later, Admiral. I've a story to tell you now. And--" he turns to the guards "--we need to put Lady Thalia under house arrest for aiding Huon of the Horn in an assault on Rebma. Captain Raven will stand witness to the perfidy of Gateway."
Marius has Caine's attention now.
The guards move to take Thalia into custody.
Raven salutes the Admiral sharply and then waits to be addressed, although she does shoot Marius a brief and faintly irritated look when he mentions her name. There is not, in her opinion, much she can do about Thalia getting arrested; this isn't her ship, she isn't even passably in charge, and she can't help but suspect that Thalia had to know this was coming - after all, she could have left at any point after they made port.
Besides, the best way she can come up with to clarify her position on Gateway and on Thalia involved maybe implying that Marius was either lying or deluded - which she suspects the Admiral will not appreciate... and she has no proof either way regarding the Thalia-Huon thing anyway, just a general trend of conversation. So she waits, silently.
"Have the Lady kept under guard in the guest wing," Caine orders. "I'll be in to speak with you later, madam," he says as Thalia is escorted out. Then he turns to Marius. "There's a meeting in Paris. You can tell me what you need to later; tell them first." He looks at the card again and holds out his hand to Marius.
Marius takes Caine's hand and then something happens. It's like he steps forward, but then he vanishes. There's something like a rainbow left for a moment in his wake, but then it, too is gone.
"And have someone bring up dinner for the Captain," Caine calls after the departing midshipmen. Once the door closes behind them, Caine turns back to Raven. "Sit down, Captain, and let's hear your report."
[In progress]
