Future Abundant [Eitan, Reiner]

[Stefan Dornkirk]

34th Searing, 123

The trip back to the Hall after his speech to open the celebration and remembrance of the day was a welcome moment of quiet in what was otherwise going to be very active day. Stefan hadn't released his wife's hand from the crook of his arm even after they had found their seats on the tiny airship (which the family had taken to calling the air carriage) across from Eitan and Lucrece and Reiner. Wrapping his other hand atop hers he gave it a little squeeze and murmured,

"You are marvelous."

She always knew what to say to make the common people feel both at ease and truly seen, neither of which Stefan was any good at. At least, he did not believe he was. He did alright with members of the military as well as the men he'd gotten to know as employees of the Windworks but he would never be easy at it as Delia was. Glancing over his eyes caught on Luca's and he wondered if he shouldn't say something similar to her, a compliment to her social skills. But no, that was for Eitan to do and he knew the man certainly fulfilled the duty of complimenting his wife so, instead, Stefan glanced away from Mrs. Angevin's pretty smirk. The women seemed to know what he was thinking far too often for his comfort but they had come to a sort of truce during the time that Delia and Eitan had been away in the Imperium so he was at least no longer jumpy whenever they were alone together.

In what seemed no time at all the were docking and exiting the ship directly onto the lawn that led into the garden where the party was set up and several of the guest families were already in attendance. The nanny who attended both Amalia Dornkirk and Brenner Angevin appeared with the birthday girl in her arms as soon as the four adults entered the garden. Amy held out her arms to her parents and looked as though she might release one of her loud, demanding, if happy, squeals but the smart nanny spoke a quiet word to convince her to remain at least moderate in her tone.

"Mama!" and "Papa!" Were still quite insistent but avoided being shrill. She was passed to her mother, and then quickly to her father who was allowed a few moments of her attention before the little girl spotted her second-cousin and began making grabby hands in his direction declaring,

"Weinew!"

With the Private (now Lieutenant) in residence at the Hall Amalia had become quite interested in him. At first she hadn't seemed to understand if he was a servant or a family member but had, in the end, decided that he was the latter and now laid claim to his attention with nearly as much insistence as she did of her parents.

The garden was in full bloom, thanks to the gardeners and the Kindred, there were several buffet style tables laid out with cakes, cookies, sandwiches and tea. It was all finger food but there was enough of it to feed the adults as well as the children, so long as they were all willing to eat a tiny plateful at a time. Children were already beginning to run around and play with the hoops, balls and other toys that had been provided, laughing and shrieking in a way that made Stefan feel somehow more relaxed and significantly tenser at the same time.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner smiled to himself as Stefan complimented his wife, apropos of nothing. It spoke well of his cousin and their relationship as a whole, and made the younger Dornkirk wonder if he would ever be blessed with that kind of love. He bit his lip, glancing to his side at Eitan and Lucrece, as well. He often forgot that he was the third wheel in their company, which was a compliment to their social skills, he supposed. He certainly wasn't focused on any such thing today, basking in the aftermath of his surprise promotion. As fate would have it, he didn't even have a few minutes on equal footing with Kuno as his second promotion of the year preceded his rise from the rank of private.

Reiner grinned broadly, wiggling his fingers right next to his pale, cherubic face as soon as Amalia's eye caught his.

"I know you didn't think your Rein-oceros was going to miss your big day, did you?" He pulled his other hand out from behind his back, to reveal a plush, stuffed toy rhinoceros with a ribbon around its mid-section. Young bachelors weren't known for their gift wrapping skills, after all. Rather than doing a shitty attempt at making wrapping paper look nice around something soft and relatively amorphous, he figured a bow would suffice. He hadn't even questioned his choice until he was in front of the fancy folk. He sort of wished he'd run it by Kuno, now, but it was it was and wee one didn't seem to mind in the least as she clung to him like a monkey to a tree trunk.

"Show me where they're starting to pile up your prezzies, okay? I know you already have your favorite," He said, placing the plushy into her grasp, "But we've got to be polite to the other guests and pretend their stuff is all right, too." He wrinkled his nose in playful reluctance.

[Eitan Angevin]

Eitan was amiably quiet on the ride home from the Windworks. There was much to process: the speeches and pageantry, the promotions, his promotions, and the many words exchanged between various people. In the meantime, he was content to let Lucrece keep up more of the conversation with the others, chiming in when necessary. He was listening. He was present. It was just a nice change to be quiet. Of course, she and Delia were both quite adept at setting everyone at ease, at entertaining. Today's entertainment was far from over, though perhaps the parents and toddlers would be easier than the officers and civilian notables.

When they finally debarked, he was not too upset that Amalia overlooked him in favor of Weinew. She certainly saw less of her cousin than her uncle. In any case, he sniggered.

"Well played, Wiener."

Lucrece laughed and slapped his arm as they walked farther on.

"Don't be vulgar, darling," she said. Then, "Oh, baby Brenner will be hungry. I should see to that before the guests arrive." She pulled him down to kiss his cheek and then swept off to take care of her maternal duties, leaving Eitan laughing at a red-skinned Lysanrin lad, who was chewing on his lip while braiding a daisy chain, presumably to crown Miss Amalia before he guests arrived.

The Bloodborn Lysanrin had been one of those Eitan freed from the previous owner of this house, along with quite a few other Lysanrin slaves. Now most of them were his servants, bound in gratitude rather than bondage. The lad seemed to have set his sights on growing up to be like Dienerin, a capable, trusted manservant. Eitan rather thought he would enrol the lad in the Order. If he showed a penchant for study or magical engineering, he would become one of Beeman's nerds; otherwise, he would be trained to use his racial curse in service to Zaichaer. Perhaps Florian would have worked out if someone had taken him in hand before he had gotten all those ideas in his pretty little head.

Eitan looked back over his shoulder. Reiner was playing with Amalia; Stefan and Delia were looking on, occasionally glancing at each other with love in their eyes.

All was well.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The pile of gifts was more modest, both in number and composition, than might have been had Zaichaer not fallen. The birthday girl would not know the difference, as this was her first encounter with her own, personal holiday. Her father knew the difference but wondered if his daughter might not appreciate each offering more for it. She certainly seemed to be determined to love the gift from her cousin, possibly to bits. The ribbon, at least, he would not have bet to survive the day.

The party proceeded apace, sugar being ingested by small bodies causing an hour or so of what appeared to Stefan to be absolute chaos. The mothers seemed not to be perturbed unless someone was crying and some of the fathers were even eager to join in the high pitched revelry. Stefan invited those who were not so inclined to step inside the house for a quick drink. Most of the men he knew as they had worked for him when he had run the Windworks, and the few who had not been his employees he knew at least by sight from their year on the Islands.

In short order, Delia appeared to call them back out for the opening of the presents, an affair which Amalia used to show off, flirt and charm everyone. The Minister himself was not immune to the effect that his firstborn had, leaning over in a quiet moment while she was inspecting a cloth doll she had just unwrapped to murmur to Eitan and Reiner,

"We're going to have to watch ourselves with this one, gentlemen, threat to national security in future, mark my words."

His wife either overheard him or simply knew the muted tone he used to make fun and gave him a look that promised questions later. The look on her was one he found particularly fetching, which was not to his benefit considering he usually only received it when he had done something he more than likely should not have. It did not do anything, however, to lessen his belief that Amalia might someday take down the government should she so choose.

Soon enough, it was mid-afternoon and the party was winding down. Many of the children were either flagging or passed out in the arms of a parent as the sweets worked their way out of their system. The birthday girl had a little fist wrapped in her mother's skirts and seemed determined to remain at least partially upright as her parents shook hands and thanked the guests for their gifts and their attendance. Little Brenner had been taken inside by his mother some time earlier and was, presumably, celebrating his full belly with a nap. When the last of the guests had gone the children's nanny appeared to scoop her first charge up and take her inside as well.

Turning to those who remained, Dornkirks or Angevin's all, he said,

"The dinner for the generals or their representatives won't start until around six. It was my intention to go back down and meet with some of them in the meantime, as there won't be a chance during. Some might stay to enjoy drinks afterwards but I know that at least some have expressed their intention to be on their ships and heading back this evening."

Turning to Reiner specifically he added,

"You are certainly invited to attend, but I would understand if you would rather be with your fellow officers. I certainly would have been at your age."

There were a few small air transports set aside to take the newly promoted officers, as well as any guests they might wish to take, down to the Fort, which had set up the courtyard as a place of celebration after it had been confirmed that the mist spawn were, indeed, no more. It would be a raucous affair, no suited for the older people or children with young families but Stefan was not one to deprive the military men their fun, particularly not after the year they had all had.

"I've ordered Kämpfer to escort down several barrels of ale and I'm sure he could use your assistance in ensuring they arrive safely."

It wasn't an order, in fact, it was almost the sort of teasing that was meant to draw one in rather than push one away. The relief of knowing that, if they were lucky, none of the men who looked to him for leadership would die that night had lightened his mood considerably.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

"I try!" The newly minted lieutenant said with a wink in answer to Eitan's teasing approval.

Reiner's spirits were higher than the islands, so it was a simple thing to play with a child and really get down on her level. Her interest, Reiner would later muse, was like that of many women- Intense at first, but fleeting. When her interest in him waned, he would venture over for a peek at the wee baby Brenner. He liked to poke babies' cheeks, but it took him a long time before he ventured to do so and then he was nudged into taking the babe in arms. He may have never met this Brenner's namesake, but it felt like a strange bit of closure to earn a gummy smile from the latest model. A little slice of the approval he'd never gotten from the First Minister, perhaps...

At any rate, by the time he was done with the children, he felt more primed to deal with adults. Rich children (at least up to a certain age) were easier for him to deal with than their adult counterparts, he found. He was even getting better about concealing his distaste for the presence of subhuman children. He barely even cringed when they touched him anymore.

When things were winding down, Reiner hesitated at Stefan's offer of excusing himself from the formal function in favor of what promised to be a catharsis party for the ages at the fort. Part of him still felt like he was being tested, but he remembered that such had never proven to be the case. Not from Stefan, at any rate, and eventually he assented because of the tease about the ale barrels.

"You know, if it's not a big deal to you, I think I'll take you up on that." He said, with a grateful smile. "Thank you for the invite, of course, but I'd like to spend some of our victory night with my brothers in arms."

[Eitan Angevin]

It felt good to have another Dornkirk to banter with; Reiner took it more in stride, while still maintaining the chain of command in the situations that required it. The toddling belle of the ball did once or twice cling to his knee, but there were so many people and brightly colored things vying for her interest, that he didn't mind terribly when she toddled away.

Little Brenner was passed to him while Lucrece helped expedite the presents being opened. Delia had provided little gifts for all the children so nobody felt left out; Amalia was still too young to truly show jealousy, but some of her guests were older. At almost eight months, Brenner was getting wiggly, but they didn't want him underfoot with so many feet. Eventually, Lucrece gathered him up to see to his feeding and a nap, and he sidled up to Stefan and Reiner.

"Ah, I would love to spend the night debauching at the fort," he said, sighing dramatically. While he could have made at least a cameo, he knew that he wouldn't want to leave and he didn't have the following morning free to suffer for the good times. There would be other times, however, and he wouldn't be able to fully let loose until certain other issues were put to rest.

"You will have to do enough debauching for all of us," he said amiably, clapping Reiner on the shoulder. "Be certain you eat first and hydrate so you don't shame us before the other officers, lieutenant!"

That being said, if Reiner was a lieutenant, it was probably about time for him to settle down. Zaichaer needed more sons and daughters and the Dornkirk family needed to continue. Amalia and Brenner needed more cousins. He made a mental note to speak to Lucrece, Stefan, and Delia about it sooner rather than later. With luck, he would be married and fatherhood would be imminent by Amalia's second birthday.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

With a nod Stefan confirmed excusing Reiner from what would probably be a tense evening. He hoped it would be a productive one but,

"It isn't as if they are going to listen to anything you have to say. Mists, I'm half worried they won't listen to anything I have to say."

The latter statement might have been intended to take the sting out of the former but it was wholly true. While Reichart was more than willing to listen to Eitan and follow his lead and Vonnegut seemed to have developed an oddly cozy relationship with Delia, none of the generals had the slightest reason, neither in affection nor personal respect, to accept Stefan as their leader. There were reasons; stability, his rank, what he could offer in terms of creation and refitting of arms, his ownership (tentative but growing) of the city were all marks in his favor. He would do his best to assure these powerful men and women of all these things and he would remember his daughter. He owned it to Amalia to put their world back together so she could grow up with the same sense of unshakable stability that he had.

"Go on, I will be the face of the family to the highest ranks of the military as they are today and you will do the same for those who will rise into their places tomorrow."

He wasn't intending to be inspirational but it was something he was so used to having to do that it just sort of slipped out now.

For one terrified moment he thought that Eitan might also beg off, he was certainly still young enough that, under different circumstances, he too would have been heading down to dance and drink the night away. With a sigh of relief he realized his much-needed brother-in-law was also teasing, where upon he clapped his cousin on the other shoulder and turned him toward where the little airship was being loaded with kegs. Kämpfer was there and he offered a cheeky grin that would have only been forgivable if given to Stefan due to the excitement of the day. It was quite obviously not intended for the elder Dornkirk, however, and the newly made Captain beckoned to the one it was intended for.

A different ship awaited the Minister and he was aboard it sooner than he might have wished but there was a lot to accomplish before he could be allowed to settle. Eitan accompanied him and their first intended stop was for him to officially meet General Reichart, who he had been in company with several times before but never in a situation that they could discuss important matters. They would have time after the dinner, or perhaps the next day as the man intended to stay on the islands at least that long. He seemed a good man based on his reputation, what he'd managed since the disaster, Eitan's own opinion, and the little time they had already spent together. The meeting went well, mostly it was just confirming all that Eitan had already promised and hearing Reichart's acceptance of the Sky Island's authority. Plans could be discussed after they saw who else might be joining them.

Each of the generals present, or their representatives, received his time and attention. Some merely offered him small talk, which was annoying but he knew better than to show his displeasure. Others were willing to speak of important matters, even grilling him for information about how many troops he had, how much of the city they had managed to retake, what his supply lines were like and anything else they thought they might be able to goad him into revealing.

He remained stoic, calm and in control, but, by the time they were returning to the Hall to prepare for dinner he already felt exhausted. Looking over at where Eitan sat he said,

"How in the hells did we run around working all day and still drink all night? It wasn't even that long ago. Maybe all this has made an old man of me before my time. Soon Deinerin will be putting my slippers on for me and I'll need a nursemaid like Brenner and Ami."

[Eitan Angevin]

As Eitan looked after Reiner, it wasn't without a hint of real regret. If Kämpfer's smile seemed a bit too enthusiastic, well, he had plenty of other things to think about at the moment. First, there was the ride to the military meetings.

While he knew that Stefan needed little more than his vouching for Reichart, it gladdened him to see they seemed to develop a working rapport quickly. Vonnegut wasn't warm, but she seemed more receptive to Eitan now than she had been at her fort. Bless Delia! There were still plenty of things to work out with the others, but Stefan was well-informed and handled himself.

Eitan spoke to the ranking members of the Order who accompanied the various generals, and while they would have separate meetings as well, it was good for the generals to see that the Admiral had eyes and ears among them. Not only did the Order handle the delicate, corruptible influence of magic, but they ensured that people thought and acted correctly. As High Sentinel, he had the approbation of the entire Order, who had power bases in other cities, as well. Stefan might only have been Science Minister before the cataclysm, but he was First Minister now, and he had the backing of powerful people. It would be exceedingly difficult to form a bloc against him now, at least, if they wanted to maintain that they were making their power grab for the good of the people.

Stefan, his wife, and his brother-in-law were actually doing good for the people and the people knew it.

Later, en route to the Hall, he allowed himself a weary smile in response to Stefan's humor.

"I could do it, but I would hit a wall and the crash would be messy." He laughed and elbowed Stefan. "But you, you're an old man, and Deinerin would definitely have to help you into your bed soon after the sun went down."

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The ride down was uneventful, with the exception of a very minor amount of banter in which Stefan acknowledged Eitan's desire to be down at the fort with the men, some of whom, to be fair, were older than the newly minted Admiral. The elder brother in law could not begrudge the younger his regret over being stuck with Stefan and the generals (or their representatives). Eitan's presence, his charm and his significantly greater knowledge of all things militant and magical both were an indispensable aid to what they were all trying to accomplish. There would be other days to celebrate and Stefan could only hope that the rank that had been pushed onto Eitan, though deserved, at an age far younger than it would have been under any other circumstances did not mean he would now feel unable to indulge in sharing them it with fellow servicemen as he once had.

When they had landed he met with General Reichart first, an honor afforded him as he had come to join the Sky Islands most willingly and most fully. Though this was due, Stefan knew, more to his trust in an old friend than from knowledge of their honor of intent, the Minister intended to change that as quickly as might be.

When they had met, briefly, the day before, Stefan had not felt as uncomfortable as he usually did meeting new people, particularly those with a greater claim to their rank than he felt that he himself had. In this second meeting he realized why and took it as an additional recommendation of the man himself. Reichart reminded him of Brenner. He was his own man, distinctly so, but a little in his looks and a little in his manner there were hints of the younger Dornkirk brother that made Stefan want to be in his company at the same time as they made him want to be away from it.In time, he hoped, Reichart would grow to be wholly his own person in his mind, not connected with someone who was lost and missed and, if it were so, it was possible they might grow to be friends.

This longer conversation, almost an hour, was a confirmation of the troops and supplies that had been promised in exchange for each other, as well as a dozen other things that had been discussed in only the briefest manner before. They had each read the reports that the other had sent so it was an easy conversation to have, filling in gaps and asking questions which were answered openly and without any attempts to conceal or vie for position. It was a refreshing beginning to what would otherwise prove to be a tedious afternoon filled with conversations which Stefan felt were half attacks, half information gathering feints. He kept his temper in check, even when he seethed inwardly at the idea that the delays in forming a coalition could only mean more suffering and loss for their shared State, and relied on Eitan to step in when his own knowledge was lacking.

If he had been the type of man to acknowledge the gods he would have thanked them for sending him the unbelievably useful combination of Soldier, Seeker and Spy in Eitan. Whatever tricks the representatives of the other factions attempted to use on him, whatever complex military jargon, his new brother was able to step in smoothly and either explain it to him without seeming like he was explaining, move the conversation elsewhere, or parry and counter the attempts to gain the upper hand.

By the end of the afternoon he felt as though they had gained ground with almost all the representatives, and at least not lost any with the couple who remained blatantly hostile to their overtures. As the pair climbed into the small airship that would return them to White Knight Hall Stefan let himself fall back into the seat with a sigh, saying,

"I have never been more relieved to be heading to a formal dinner."

Even though the dinner would consist of the same people he had just spent his time verbally sparring with at least they would be restricted to more polite conversation at the dinner table, not to mention the fact that they would all have each other as additional targets rather than having only Stefan and Eitan. Delia and Lucrece would also be in attendance and both ladies were far cleverer and better at controlling social situations than Stefan could ever hope to be.

[Eitan Angevin]

If he was sad not to be able to join in the revels, he eventually swallowed it. Now, more than ever, his rank and position were too lofty for him to relax entirely in the presence of his lessers. The troops and the Watchers and Minders would need to look up to him, respect him, and in many ways, see him as more than a mere man. That would be more difficult if he was fraternizing with them. In any case, it wasn't the same careening from cantina to bar without Brenner at his side, both checking his impulses and egging him on in equal parts. Revels were quieter with Stefan, but they were good. Weary men were better with a few quiet drinks by a fire than burning their candles at both ends. The weight of responsibility was too heavy.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, he thought to himself, though an Angevin hadn't worn a Zaichaeri crown in hundreds of years.

Reichart was a solid ally, and whatever Delia had done to secure Vonnegut's allegience seemed to have worked. He would rely upon her as well. The others were various complications, the which he attempted to uncomplicate with whichever weapons in his arsenal best fit the situation. He could have wished for the dinner to take place on another night, but part of him just wanted to get it over with. The generals and commanders and all would be weary too, while Lucrece and Delia would be prepared to work their charms and wiles.

"I wonder if we will have to invite them all for cigars and nightcaps," he said, a bit forlorn. He would buck up if the occasion called for it, but here with Stefan, he could admit his weariness. They supported each other. "Barring any unforeseen events, however, I think it likely our consolidation of factions is inevitable. With Reichart and Vonnegut, as well as the Order chapterhouses, they would have to band together to stand a chance against us... I don't think their pride is great enough for such a pyrrhic victory. And then Overmann will have no choice unless he wants to betray Zaichaer to the Imperium. We just have to make offers that allow everyone to save face.

"Some of these old fucks are just as bad as my father..."