[OTA] One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

[karatofquality]

Within the last several weeks, a lot had happened. People who were careful to keep their King in the loop were reporting the return of the last King of Spades, and monitoring his activities so that the Diamond Face Cards could be prepared for further upset.

Silas was less concerned with that than with the failings within his own Suit. He'd started to notice the strain between Säde and Avery even more, recently, and things weren't too much better between her and Cadogan. It was absolutely unacceptable.

But before he could talk to his Queen about it, he needed full information from his Ace and his Jack. There was enough unrest already as a direct result of Säde's uncontrolled actions, for which she had not yet truly answered.

All in due time.

He needed to talk to others, first.

Comments

[karatofquality]

"I do," he said after a moment, gesturing her to the chair across from him. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee, water, wine...anything?" May as well put her at ease before delving into somewhat difficult topics. It wasn't exactly simplistic for him, either, after all.

Encouraging as he was able, Silas poured coffee for himself. The night was early yet, and he had quite a long evening ahead of him. He couldn't afford to be tired right now, or at all for the next few hours.

"How have things been for you, birthday and all?"

[uncutclarity]

It was a little early in the day for wine, she thought, and his expression didn't exactly say that this was play time with Narcissus. "Tea's fine," she said as she slid into one of his chairs, leaning back.

"My birthday was fine. Katya and I went out dancing." She paused. "David's arrival in my office with flowers and a wax hand just made things interesting."

[karatofquality]

Nodding, he poured cups for them both and spooned cream and sugar into his tea before gesturing for her to do the same. "I'm glad to hear it. If nothing else, birthdays ought to go without a hitch, and with the Queen of Spades, no less?" He flashed a smile, unconvincing though it probably was. "Your taste in dance partners is exceptional."

Of course, her mention of David had that smile falling, pushed his face past forced pleasant expressions, through the worry, and straight to cold blankness.

"David was here, in this castle. In your office?" Just to be clear. He'd be inquiring about that at a later time, to be certain. "What was the purpose of giving you a wax hand, if you know?"

[uncutclarity]

It seemed as if he was inquiring about it now, really, and Avery's expression was placid - even slightly amused - as she picked up her tea. Only the glint of steel in her eyes betrayed that she wasn't taking the event at face value. "He is a Joker," she points out. "A sharp Joker, undoubtedly bitter over having lost the rank he held for more than twenty years, and therefore more likely than most to embrace the ability most Jokers have to appear with no rhyme or reason. Other than, of course, to disturb whoever they've appeared in front of."

She lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "The worst thing you can do is give him the reaction he's looking for - let him rattle you. But don't worry, Cadogan and I are both keeping an eye on the situation." The last thing they needed was David making a play for...well, he couldn't be King of Spades. But he could do his utmost to destabilize the Deck at a time when it didn't need it in the least.

...totally thought I answered this, wtf. ><

[karatofquality]

Shaking his head, Silas drummed his fingers on his leg and looked up at the ceiling, contemplating all of that. "It's not the act itself that bothers me. As long as you're all right and the hand was, in fact, wax, I'm not worried about him visiting you on your birthday. I'm more concerned with the fact that he was in this Castle and no one realized it except those who were visited." Unless, of course, someone simply didn't think he needed to know that the supposedly dead-or-missing ex-King of Spades was in his Castle, wandering as he pleased.

Regardless, he needed to let it go, focus on dealing with it and adapting to it. "If there are any developments on the matter, I'd like an immediate alert. Beyond that, well, has he mentioned anything about where he was for six months, or what he was doing?" Not that it was likely to be useful information, but none of the rumors that had circulated seemed very plausible, considering just who the man was.

Still, he'd like to know one way or the other, if only to consolidate in his mind just what had become of the man he'd once called friend, the man with whom he'd danced at Isaac's wedding. It seemed so long ago now, and that man was hardly more than a shadow of a memory nearly forgotten.

Nothing made a man feel older than memory.

YOU DID NOT. She cried. (Not really)

[uncutclarity]

"I'll inform our Head of Security, certainly." That wasn't generally her department, but they occasionally got on, when he remembered she outranked him. "Unless you'd rather speak to him yourself?"

It might have more effect. Not because the security department didn't listen to her, but because things had more effect from the interested party.

"I don't think that's why you asked to see me, though. Is it?"

:<

[karatofquality]

With a nod, Silas offered a very, very small smile. "I'll take care of it. Still, if you hear anything, I'd like to know." Just in case word made it to her ears before reaching his, of course.

But her next words drew his attention, solemnized his expression.

"No, you're right. It isn't. I'm more interested in how things have been between yourself and the Queen. I'm not asking for political answers or sugarcoated half-truths, Avery. I need to know how she's been acting toward you when I'm not present to witness the interaction." His King voice was a little tired, but still present. It wasn't a request.

[uncutclarity]

She was silent for a moment, but even though he doesn't want diplomacy, she doesn't say the first words that come to mind, the ones she chants to herself while throwing knives into targets. Säde is the Queen, after all, and that won't change.

"She dislikes me," she says, bluntly enough. "The last time we were cordial, I was a Nine - I'd barely become a Ten before Rachel named me Jack, and she was never fond of the idea of anyone but Hector in that position. Since then," she adds with a shrug, "she's made it perfectly clear that she doesn't approve of me as a Diamond, and there is, frankly, very little I can do to change her mind on that front. I've stopped trying, because I won't turn myself into either a carbon copy of Rachel or of herself, just to have her approval."

She was perfectly damn fine being the Diamond she was, thank you very much.

[karatofquality]

There's a barely perceptible flex in his jaw as she spoke, and when she was finished, he nodded tightly. "If I wanted Rachel to be my Ace, I would have appointed her, not you, Avery. Do not let her convince you that you need to be identical to either of them."

He drew a deep breath, closing his eyes and counting back from ten. There was no sense in letting his blood pressure skyrocket, after all.

"Each of our Face Cards has a particular special quality that makes them good for their particular position. I will not stand idly by while they're undermined by my own appointment." Avery, he's angry over this. It may not show, but it's audible.

[uncutclarity]

"I don't," she says with a shrug. Honestly, she doesn't give Säde's opinion much weight just lately. "We do manage to be polite, of course. Though...not after her altercation with Julien."

There had been no acknowledgment, Avery thinks, that she could have prevented what had happened there. And if Avery had been in that situation, Säde would have ripped her to shreds over it.

She probably would have been demoted, really.

"I can handle her dislike. It doesn't matter to me," she says. "But she's always had this animosity towards Cadogan, and I will not see our Jack undermined. He's long been our best man, Your Majesty. I don't have to tell you that."

[karatofquality]

Quietly, he answered, "I refuse to allow anyone to undermine any of the Diamond Face Cards, Lady Ace. When one Face Card begins to undermine and denigrate another, or two of the other three, that one has become the liability that she accuses others of being. I refuse to stand idly by and witness it without reaction for another moment."

But the question was not in whether or not Säde's actions were wrong, but in how to deal with that wrongness.

"I'm a firm believer in the punishment fitting the crime, Avery. The problem with that is that I don't hold the power to actually administer discipline to my Queen; our ranks are equal."

[uncutclarity]

"If I may, Your Majesty, I don't think you can punish her the way you could if it were me, or Cadogan." He could censure her, of course, but that was the extent he could do.

"But there are female Tens," she adds. "Some of them are quite capable, and some are becoming frustrated."

[karatofquality]

Rubbing his forehead with one hand, Silas shifted to refill his tea, silently offering the pot for her, as well.

"You're right: I can't punish her. I don't even have the power to remove a rank from her." ...Oh. Oh, he thought he knew where that was going. Tilting his head and raising a brow, he slowly lowered the teapot.

"Perhaps you know of one of these female Tens who has the interest and ability to rise, hold the rank, and function well within it?"

[uncutclarity]

"I know everyone, Silas, you know that." The obvious answer was Rachel, but she'd seen what Queen had done to her.

Eleanor would be an excellent option if she wanted to return to Castle life. Steadying, really.

"We can cross that bridge if things don't improve."

[karatofquality]

"I do know that," he agreed, "but I wasn't asking if you know anyone; I was asking if you know of anyone who meets those criteria."

Still, she was right; getting ahead of themselves would only cause more trouble down the line. It would be better to keep it as an option, not yet rule it out, but put it on the back burner. At least for now.

"As usual, you're right. All in due time. Thanks for coming up here, Ava. I know you've been busy, but I appreciate the insight."