"So much has changed, baby brother. Yes, yes, I know. 'You are only older by about ten rois!' Nevertheless, older is older. Even Mother never dared to attempt to take -that- from me." She chuckles softly, remembering. "She is gone now, you know. They all are. I should have stayed away, but I felt invincible, like I was finally beyond her control. I am so far past that simpering girl who left Elamiri so many years ago, so much stronger than that weak thing that they forced into healing for a living. I hated it so much, do you recall? I was good at it, of course. I am good at anything I have to do. I hated that closeness, that forced awareness of all those people. The hell of it was that the stronger I grew, the less I could keep -out-. Breaking away, finding sanctuary with the Rangers...that was very close to a miracle for me. Not quite as good as my current employers but at the time? Life saving. I think I would have gone mad if I had remained an Empath much longer.
"You remember all that, though. That was before..." She pauses, idling turning a lockpick over her knuckles before continuing quietly. "Before you were gone. I stayed away from Ilithi for so long after I left, but I got careless. Maybe I was overly confident in my new strength? Maybe I wanted to rub my engagement in her face, show her once and for all that I was out from under her thumb forever? Maybe it was a combination of things, I was certainly convinced that I could do as I pleased. Working for the Tower, marrying Liurilias, who was going to stop me? She tried, naturally, and her failure had...far reaching consequences." She frowns slightly, gazing at her hands. "So now, she is gone. They all are gone, and I am in charge of the family name. How that prospect must amuse you, Wyvir, after all the years I spent avoiding any responsibility! We all grow up sometime, I suppose. Those of us that survive."
She closes her eyes briefly, a bitter twist to her lips. "Surviving. Sometimes I felt like that was all I was doing this last few years. I was drawn into Shard's Court and then further into Temple business. To this day, I think no one truly appreciates how much work I did for the Inquisition, how much of myself I gave. My former husband should have, but in the end even he put me aside to focus on his shiny new position in Therengia, the Temple...anything but me, really. We were happy for a long while, but in the end...I had to leave. A girl can only take so much, you know. Even my seemingly endless patience has its limits. Be quiet." She smirks to herself, picking a non-existent piece of lint off her cloak. "Still, the divorce was for the best. Liuri and I are still friendly, and I have found myself someone far more my speed. You would -really- like this one, baby brother. You always liked Paladins, and Samsaren makes the rest of them look like tin soldiers. Human, regrettably, but perfect in every other way. I could not be happier. He challenges and values me like no one I have ever met. For him to stand by me for all those years, protecting me and patiently waiting for me to finally see what was under my nose...I am a fool for missing it for so long, but I am terribly grateful to have him now."
She smiles softly, gazing at the brilliantly sparkling engagement ring adorning her finger. "The only thing missing on our wedding day will be you, Wyvir. My twin, my other half. How many years have we been apart now, since the old temple was destroyed? Some days I think I can hear your laugh still, others I can barely recall your face..."
A quiet scuffle of boots on the road above her shakes her out of her reverie. A slender knife appears in her hand as she grows still, frozen in a ready crouch. She closes her eyes, listening hard, before a deep, familiar voice calls down to her, relaxing her shoulders immediately and bringing a smile to her lips. "Beloved? The River Fisher is about to start dinner service, I was hoping you might like to join me."
"Always," she calls up, sheathing her blade with a flick of her wrist and effortlessly scaling the wall to join the tall Human above her. With a brief glance backwards to the darkening sky, she takes Samsaren's hand in hers and begins the slow walk to the gates of the Chateau.
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