Private Post: Niko is a complete and utter Fool!
I awoke in relative comfort, grateful to have lived through the night. One cannot refuse an invitation from the Tolvaldis family after all, whatever their feelings regarding the Molokovs.
Or at least, the current Molokov.
The degree to which Niko has bolloxed this up boggles the mind.
We had exactly the kind of stiff, formal dinner I'd grown accustomed to over the last week, and at the end I expected to be shown the door. But apparently the young miss had spoken to her mother, because I was invited into the library for drinks afterward. I was nervous and excited; I was finally getting somewhere!
Mrs. Tolvadis is a lovely woman, with strong features and impeccable English. (So much for Niko's excuse that the two languages are too different.)
We talked about nothing for another hour or so, until I realised I was expected to broach the subject of my visit. I decided to risk a feeler.
"You know, I've learned so little about the history between the families hereabouts."
"Most of the families keep to themselves. The recent history has been unusual," she said. The fact that she brought it up so quickly told me she'd wanted to speak of it very much.
"Really?" was all I could manage. I was positively choked with worry.
"You have been very polite," she said. There was a curious emphasis on the word 'you.' "Perhaps, since you can restrain his people, you might restrain him."
"Niko?" Needless to say, I was a trifle surprised. "Restain him? Whatever for?"
She dabbed at her mouth. "I thought you must not know. Else you would not risk these visits."
So word had spread of my travels. These people didn't keep to themselves that much. I was beginning to think I'd been very lucky thus far. I opted to play the innocent foreigner, which was easy enough, since that's what I was.
"I'm afraid I don't understand. I'm English. I'm not from around these parts."
"Well," she began with obvious satisfaction. I'd confirmed her opinions perfectly. "I will explain it to you."
It rankled a bit to be talked down to in this way, but I was hardly in a position to complain. I just nodded.
"We could not discuss it with young Nicholai," oh, the distaste in her voice, and the emphasis on his youth. Oh dear. This was bad. "because he was in formal mourning. But a certain bit of land should have been ceded to the Beragis family in Vladimir Molokov's will."
She had slipped in saying 'We.' Obviously the Torvaldis family had a stake in the outcome. No doubt there was more to this story, though it sounded like the usual tests of a newcomer.
She fluttered her fingers as she set down her drink. "It is a small matter." All right, so it was very important to a large number of people.
"But Molokov lied to us. One does not marry when one is in mourning." She gave me a hard look.
Suddenly everyone's unwillingness to talk to me made much more sense. It wasn't because I was with a man, or that I was a foreigner. I was the unwitting catalyst for the whole mess. Whatever it was.
"So... the Beragis family asked him about it. Very polite." Oh, the half-truths were coming out tonight.
"Nicholai Molokov threatened us."
Oh fuck. So much for Niko's diplomatic ability.
I could not even pretend to be surprised, and she looked clearly satisfied that her opinion was confirmed. Yes, I was being read as well. Unfortunately this caught me too off-guard to protect him. But I could at least play her intended role of impartial mediator. I ran my hands through my hair. "That's terrible."
She made a dismissive gesture. "We did not take it seriously. Vladimir also had the exaggerated words, but he never did anything."
I was beginning to see where this was headed, and felt rather ill. Niko never made idle threats.
"So, Beragis took it up at the general council, which was his right." Her voice was a little shaky there, her chin raised defensively. So. It was an under-handed move.
"If Molokov were not in mourning he would have had his seat on the council, and had his say."
Oh. Very under-handed. And altogether clever. All right, I confess we both tried to supress smiles behind our drinks. But it was very funny that Niko had been caught in his own trap.
"Molokov did not answer the demands of the council." She took a deep breath. Here it comes...
"The next new moon, some of the Beragis' cows were sent out to graze. The cows, the herdsman, and a friend of the herdsman all disappeared. Four wizards sent to search for them also vanished.
"Molokov had opened part of Beragis land to Faerie."
"But - but that's permanent," I couldn't help saying. My jaw just dropped. "You can't use that land safely any more. People will be kidnapped and carried off. There's good reason the two realms were separated."
She leaned back in her chair, clearly satisfied at my shock. But who wouldn't be appalled? I had my head in my hands, because this destroyed everything. I admit barely heard the rest of what she said.
She compared Niko to a wild dog that had to be put down.
"Do something about Molokov. Or we will."
I thanked her for her hospitality, and she offered for me to stay the night. It was an offer I couldn't refuse at that point -- any shred of favour we needed. It had gone beyond a routine grab by a few greedy families, testing the new Molokov's will.
As I lay there in the enormous bed at the Torvaldis, I could think of no solution. There could be no support from the other families, regardless of past political ties.
Niko had gone too far.
Or at least, the current Molokov.
The degree to which Niko has bolloxed this up boggles the mind.
We had exactly the kind of stiff, formal dinner I'd grown accustomed to over the last week, and at the end I expected to be shown the door. But apparently the young miss had spoken to her mother, because I was invited into the library for drinks afterward. I was nervous and excited; I was finally getting somewhere!
Mrs. Tolvadis is a lovely woman, with strong features and impeccable English. (So much for Niko's excuse that the two languages are too different.)
We talked about nothing for another hour or so, until I realised I was expected to broach the subject of my visit. I decided to risk a feeler.
"You know, I've learned so little about the history between the families hereabouts."
"Most of the families keep to themselves. The recent history has been unusual," she said. The fact that she brought it up so quickly told me she'd wanted to speak of it very much.
"Really?" was all I could manage. I was positively choked with worry.
"You have been very polite," she said. There was a curious emphasis on the word 'you.' "Perhaps, since you can restrain his people, you might restrain him."
"Niko?" Needless to say, I was a trifle surprised. "Restain him? Whatever for?"
She dabbed at her mouth. "I thought you must not know. Else you would not risk these visits."
So word had spread of my travels. These people didn't keep to themselves that much. I was beginning to think I'd been very lucky thus far. I opted to play the innocent foreigner, which was easy enough, since that's what I was.
"I'm afraid I don't understand. I'm English. I'm not from around these parts."
"Well," she began with obvious satisfaction. I'd confirmed her opinions perfectly. "I will explain it to you."
It rankled a bit to be talked down to in this way, but I was hardly in a position to complain. I just nodded.
"We could not discuss it with young Nicholai," oh, the distaste in her voice, and the emphasis on his youth. Oh dear. This was bad. "because he was in formal mourning. But a certain bit of land should have been ceded to the Beragis family in Vladimir Molokov's will."
She had slipped in saying 'We.' Obviously the Torvaldis family had a stake in the outcome. No doubt there was more to this story, though it sounded like the usual tests of a newcomer.
She fluttered her fingers as she set down her drink. "It is a small matter." All right, so it was very important to a large number of people.
"But Molokov lied to us. One does not marry when one is in mourning." She gave me a hard look.
Suddenly everyone's unwillingness to talk to me made much more sense. It wasn't because I was with a man, or that I was a foreigner. I was the unwitting catalyst for the whole mess. Whatever it was.
"So... the Beragis family asked him about it. Very polite." Oh, the half-truths were coming out tonight.
"Nicholai Molokov threatened us."
Oh fuck. So much for Niko's diplomatic ability.
I could not even pretend to be surprised, and she looked clearly satisfied that her opinion was confirmed. Yes, I was being read as well. Unfortunately this caught me too off-guard to protect him. But I could at least play her intended role of impartial mediator. I ran my hands through my hair. "That's terrible."
She made a dismissive gesture. "We did not take it seriously. Vladimir also had the exaggerated words, but he never did anything."
I was beginning to see where this was headed, and felt rather ill. Niko never made idle threats.
"So, Beragis took it up at the general council, which was his right." Her voice was a little shaky there, her chin raised defensively. So. It was an under-handed move.
"If Molokov were not in mourning he would have had his seat on the council, and had his say."
Oh. Very under-handed. And altogether clever. All right, I confess we both tried to supress smiles behind our drinks. But it was very funny that Niko had been caught in his own trap.
"Molokov did not answer the demands of the council." She took a deep breath. Here it comes...
"The next new moon, some of the Beragis' cows were sent out to graze. The cows, the herdsman, and a friend of the herdsman all disappeared. Four wizards sent to search for them also vanished.
"Molokov had opened part of Beragis land to Faerie."
"But - but that's permanent," I couldn't help saying. My jaw just dropped. "You can't use that land safely any more. People will be kidnapped and carried off. There's good reason the two realms were separated."
She leaned back in her chair, clearly satisfied at my shock. But who wouldn't be appalled? I had my head in my hands, because this destroyed everything. I admit barely heard the rest of what she said.
She compared Niko to a wild dog that had to be put down.
"Do something about Molokov. Or we will."
I thanked her for her hospitality, and she offered for me to stay the night. It was an offer I couldn't refuse at that point -- any shred of favour we needed. It had gone beyond a routine grab by a few greedy families, testing the new Molokov's will.
As I lay there in the enormous bed at the Torvaldis, I could think of no solution. There could be no support from the other families, regardless of past political ties.
Niko had gone too far.