Alstroe felt herself recoil in fear at Connor's anger. She was about to stammer out an apology.
Instead, her grip tightened around her staff and her free hand balled into a fist.
"And the fact that you would assume he would callously use his power in such a way is precisely WHY I haven't felt comfortable to tell you such things! And at least one reason why he goes to such lengths to hide himself!"
She stood to her feet, and stared her brother down. She was certain Connor had never seen her like this.
"I understand mistrust of a man you've never met. But I know him, and I know you. I am certain that if you were to meet him, you would likely assume the worst. Even if you were to use the Sapphire, you’d still assume he’s lying. And if I told you anything more about him then you already know, I wouldn’t put it past you to use that information to try and confront him.
And given what we just discussed, I believe you can understand why I would be protective of the man that I love."
Alstroe’s heart raced in her chest, and yet she stood resolute.
Connor looked at his sister his expression didn’t waver for a few seconds until a small barely perceptible smile broke across his face. “I’ve waited for at least ten years for you to say anhthing about him. You have to know that your refusal painted him in a far worse light then his abilities.”
He again gestures to the seat by him. “Sit down Alstroe and tell me about him then. What kind of person is he. I know absolutely nothing about him past species and ability. Let’s be honest that isn’t anything those things are hardly a definition of the a person is.”
He softly chuckled. “After all we are not a family that operates well on blind faith.”
Alstroe blinked at her brother’s response. There was but a slight hint of a blush on the young woman’s face accompanied by the subtly stronger glow of her hair.
“Yes... I suppose you are correct.”
Taking this moment to put her staff aside, she then resumed sitting on the chair next to her brother. She delicately rested her hands on her lap.
“Much as I keep the secrets you ask me to keep, I keep his secrets. And much like you, he is a very secretive individual. Thus my reluctance in discussing him, as he is the biggest secret he has asked me to keep. Yet at the same time I know he trusts my discretion.”
She paused for a moment, glancing around the room nervously before regaining eye contact with her brother.
“When I first met him, he went by the name Brynston. By manakete standards, he is not much older then Seasilia. Like her, he watched the Manakete Empire fall. He shares her opinion that it was what it deserved.”
Alstroe tapped her fingers. She was uncertain of what Seasilia would think of being brought into the conversation this way. Though, she had encouraged Alstroe to address this situation if it could stand to be a problem.
“Given this, he has devoted his life doing what he could to ensure that Lagalla does not follow that same path. His involvement with the Revolution was for the purpose of wrestling the country out of the hands of a tyrant.
Yet he is adamant that humans, taguel and laguz be the ones that will decide what this country is to be. He has no desire to lead, participate or benefit. As such, his focus as of late has been to assess and reveal actors that seek to undo what progressive steps this country has taken.”
She paused, thinking it best to go no further on that topic. At least for the moment.
“Nonetheless, through the years his council has been invaluable to me. As has his companionship. He and I share many beliefs, though his experiences have made him far more cynical than I. Yet, I find that understandable given how long he’s been on his own.”
Connor snorted. “No wonder he wanted nothing to do with me. I’m the son of a ‘tyrant’ who also more or less fought against you halfway through this massive journey of ours. A cynical man like that would never trust someone like me no matter what I would do.”
He looked up to the dragonstone veining it’s way through the roots. “I could only imagine what he thought of this place then as well. Or my own secret activities assuming you keep those from him.”
He held up a hand. “I would not blame you. Haventrees in love are stupid. I can’t think of a member of ours who hasn’t done something almost idiotic for someone we loved. No I hope the next generation breaks that trend like so many other traditions.”
Gavin could hardly be considered a tyrant, she thought to herself. Especially when compared to Bryn's sire. But mentioning that would reveal far too much.
"I have enough trouble talking with him about topics outside of business as it is. I will admit, I have shared our country’s secret history with him. Though he does find it curious, most issues dealing with the First Magics he has deemed to leave to me. He does not concern himself with them outside of any potential political ramifications they could have... and perhaps any danger they would put me in.”
She smiled, chuckling softly.
"But you are right, we are a family that have a history of foolishness in love. Though I must add that it's not an uncommon flaw. And we're hardly the only family guilty of it...”
Upon saying this, her smile flickered.
She had reflected much and more on the topic of love in her time. When herself and Connor had first spoken of this, it was love that had fueled her. The one place she had allowed herself to be selfish. And yet, in this moment, she clearly remembered a conversation with Alessander Drake all those years ago.
She had told him that she didn’t believe it was a bad thing to do something out of love. He had simply reminded her that King Castor had thought the same thing. That was all he had needed to say. Zodia had suffered greatly in the wake of Castor’s love, after all.
She loved Bryn. She loved her family. But, in these twenty two years she had come to understand she could not let that love blind her. For as much as love could strengthen someone, it could also turn them into a monster.
Much like the First Magics, love was a dangerous and powerful thing. And yet it could still be used for good.
“It’s part of the 'human' condition more than it is a family curse. Though I think I would take them being fools in love rather than having them not experience love at all,” she said, her smile returning even brighter.
Connor smiled and nodded. "I suppose you're right. However I think we have gotten off topic."
He shifted slightly in his seat before frowning, standing up conjuring a pillow and sitting back down. "You've mentioned Adrian and you've mentioned your boyfriend. Was that all you wished to speak about?"
He paused for a second and spoke apologetically. "Not that I don't enjoy speaking with you. If you wish to just talk I have the time right now to do so. I just wish to close business with you first before we move onto more pleasant topics."
Alstroe blinked rapidly at the mention of her 'boyfriend'. That was certainly a term, but not precisely the right one. Yet another topic to not delve into deeper at the moment. Or ever.
"Yes, well I do appreciate that the two of us prefer to get through business before bringing up personal matters," she said matter-of-factly, as though nothing had happened. "Though I suppose this more counts as personal business? In matters of family, the line tends to blur. Familial maintenance I suppose is the best term."
She tapped her fingers on her lap.
"I suppose I would ask if you still have any intention to move against him, knowing what you know now. Or if it gives you any misgivings about myself wanting to work with Adrian. In any case, I would like to hear what concerns you have. If not now, know that in the future I am open to whatever critiques you may have. I trust you will be discrete, in any case."
“To what end would I chase down your dragon? He could just never be found and even if I were to find him he could just make me forget I did. Seems a futile effort on my part. Of course that’s implying I even want to. Quite honestly I suppose I’ll just have to trust you about him.”
Connor smiled slightly at her. “Which leads directly into the second part. Adrian needs taught, everything we’ve discovered is dangerous in the wrong hands. And if we were to refuse. Well he is my son and I have no doubt he’d try to figure it out on his own.”
A flash of concern moved across his face. He examined his gloves with Arcane signets crisscrossing over their entirety. “I know enough to teach him but it would be better if it was you. I can’t use the First Magic so readily it takes a great deal of effort for me. I can fake it well enough but you.” Connor let out a sigh of resignation. “You can keep him safe.”
“And keeping him safe would be my intention,” Alstroe spoke, with almost palpable relief in her voice.
She would trust Connor on the Bryn matter, as it seemed they would be trusting each other with a person important to them.
“...As well as keeping him from doing something that would put others in danger,” She added. “I would advise him against making the same mistakes I did. That would likely be the first lesson I would impart to him. But I have faith that Adrian is someone who would find value in that. Not only that…”
As she spoke she seemed deep in thought, and her gaze flickered away from her brother.
“Given we have done much and more to conceal this information from the public, what I would be telling him eventually would be enough to damn us both- as well as our friends and family that have kept this information. Though it’s not likely we’ll be able to keep the First Magics from being known eventually, at this stage I am remiss to have anything get out that could lead to another holy war. Lagalla has made progressive strides, yet there still remains a few vocal and volatile traditionalists.”
Her eyes focused back to Connor’s.
“Ultimately, though this is information I am certain he wishes to know, will he understand how much of a burden that information is? Or once that burden is given, would he be willing to carry it? You also know the price that it takes to maintain these magics.
Not questions that need to be answered now. But something to keep in mind as Adrian grows. And something I will be watching very closely as I teach him.”
"It won't remain secret forever but keeping it buried as long as possible will be essential to keeping control of the situation. Magic can be destructive enough on its own. Could you imagine others who don't value the lives of people able to do what we can?"
He let out a short humorless laugh. "I've played Antecedent as it were enough to understand I'm barely scratching the surface at the full scope of it's possiblities. Were I to delve deeper, things like the tome Gioll, the alicorns, even Adrian himself would be just a beginning instead of the near miracles they are to those who have encountered them.
He folded his hands in front of him. "Not to mention there's more then Siah out in the world and while she seems to be curious enough to not toy with our lives. We know from the Three before her that not all share in that mindset. It's a bit of a conundrum how do we prepare a defense against something held so secret?"
Connor let his hands drop back to the armrests and looked up at the veins of dragonstone crossing through the stone.
"Ultimately I don't think Adrian alone should be trusted with this knowledge. We need the generation after us to be better prepared. So I propose we hand pick them to be given this burden so they can be ready should events unfold in the future we can't predict. Siah will not be the last to find us."