Revitalizing A Family

Characters Involved:

Alfred Jucani (if Bach wants him to return for this lmao).

Eularia Lovette-Campana
Franziska Wulff

Magnus Rhysand

Enzino Campana

Adaria Campana

Frankie should just show up, Meg.

Alonso Campana

People To Tag:

Ivy (for Eularia & Franziska)

Bach (if Alfred comes)

Meg (for Frankie Addy)

Lyn (for Alonso)

Kim (for Magnus and Enzino)

Eularia had ordered, non-negotiable, her children home for dinner. Even Franziska; she's not seen them in quite a long time, and she missed her eldest. She had also sent word to Alfred to return home; though whether that letter arrived to him in time, she was uncertain. He was the only one that could get away with not attending this meal tonight. The eluvians made travelling easier, faster, and she hoped it was safe — her sources assured her that it was; and they had even used an eluvian to travel to Arlathan for the festivities...

Regardless of what she thought she'd seen at the festival (because she was convinced it was a fever dream), she'd waited the two or three weeks since. Let Magnus assure himself that they'd be safe if she announced their relationship, and her pregnancy. But once that time was up, there was no stopping Eularia from nullifying the other mage's glamour. There was no stopping her from ordering her children home. 

She was seated at the head of the table, speaking to Magnus indistinctly as the Campana children began to enter the dining hall. She was quietly reassuring him that nothing bad would happen; they were just children, after all. They had years of experience on them. He was anxious, though, and she did her best to dissuade that. To the children filing in to take their seats, though, it'd simply appear that their mother was speaking with an advisor before supper.

Franziska had squealed when they'd received a letter from their mother, ordering them home. The messenger who had stepped out of the eluvian had seemed startled by the enthusiasm with which the unawares ruler reacted.

Tell my mother that we'll be there. And then, with a skip to her step, she was off through the palace to inform her husband (this very briefly made her pause; she was pretty sure her mother had no idea she had married) and inform him that they were going to Antiva for the evening.

And so, Franziska, her husband, one skele-dog and a mabari, would make the journey through the eluvian to attend an Antivan drama dinner. She hoped Byron would mind his manners and be respectful towards her mother. And it was very like Fran to stride in with her husband in tow, and pick a seat that could be turned to face Byron, so that she could slip her feet into his lap. Absolutely improper; it'd drive her mother mad. Typically. But something seemed off, she just couldn't put a finger to it.

He loved Eularia with all of his heart.  The fact that they were proceeding with this madness was surely evidence of that.  That's what this was - absolute insanity.  And, no matter how many assurances she offered, he knew that the line "nothing bad will happen" was complete and utter bullshit.  Especially after what happened at the Festival.  

But Magnus loved her...and that meant that despite all the warning bells going off in his mind, he would trust her enough to follow her lead.  These were her children, after all.  When it came down to it, his job was to support her...not second guess her on things like this.  So, when she told him that it was going to be fine, he reluctantly admitted that was a possibility (unlikely, but possible).  

When the children started arriving, Magnus seemed to be quiet.  It was the moment when everything shifted into motion, plans crystalized into action and necessity.  It was too late to turn back now.  

And...he wanted this.  He wanted them to know he loved her.  He wanted them to know about Peanut.  He wasn't ashamed of their love.  He just loathed the idea of her being hurt because they couldn't set aside the things they wanted long enough to see what she needed.   

But there were no easy roads...at least not ones that were worth traveling. She was worth weathering whatever storms would come.

Wearing a fine suit and a warm smile, the mood seemed to lighten just a bit when Enzo entered the room.  

His mother was at the head of the table chatting with Magnus and....and suddenly Enzo understood what was about to happen.  This was going to be fucking hilarious in the most tragically awful way ever.  Oh gods, what was that woman thinking?  She wanted to tell them like this?  Enzo's smile widened as he took the seat at the other end of the table.  It wasn't a chair he took on a whim - he knew whoever sat there would have the most direct line of sight with the Queen and Enzo suspected he was one of the few (if not only) people at the table who wouldn't be tossing out looks deadly enough to wound even the bitch-queen of Antiva.  

[color=#7CD98A]"Greetings, Mother."[/color]  His eyes drifted to Magnus before adding, [color=#7CD98A]"I hope our little dinner isn't keeping you away from your duties as Queen.  I know things have been especially hard these last few months."[/color]  Enzo's tone was cutting, but his eyes were softer...kinder.   He didn't want to hurt her...but she had to know this was a monumentally dumb idea.

She’d been summoned along with the rest and as usual ignored it. When the guards came, Addy had scoffed, giving them thirty seconds to take their cheap cloth out of her sight and not bother her again. The lutienent apologising but confessing how the Queen had threatened his head. Dead blue pools looked back at him, still unmoving but the perking of a single brow.

They wouldn’t dare

After a twenty minute scuffle that ended to involve the templar talents of one of her captors, Addy was eventually forced into a chair. A hand and foot shackled to the chair’s limbs, runes glowed with the effort of the young Princess trying to fight it, knuckles white and reddening in places. Those limbs unbound were violently struck out, her voice bellowing with that familiar Campana temper.

[color=#9a00b2]“This. Is. ABUSE!”[/color] She’d spit, just as the doors open. The scowl on her face as cold as stone as her eyes made the room, only softening slightly when spying Enzo. Her mother and the Fuck boy could burn in the Deep Roads. Placing her chair across from Enzo, Addy’s shoulders rolled, hands adjusting their grip over the ends of arm rests.

[color=#9a00b2]“I said I wasn’t hungry.”[/color]

Byron hadn't expected much to change sans his marriage to Fran, but being dragged to Antiva because Fran insisted for dinner wasn't on his list of things that would happen. He fully expected to be left home alone with Samson, fussing over the workings of the kingdom, not in an entirely different country for dinner with his in-laws. Dinner. This could truthfully only go swimmingly.

Samson curled up under his chair once Fran had claimed a seat at the table, Byron nodding to everyone in kind as he sat down, only to grumble underneath his breath when Fran plopped her legs in his lap. But he'd promised her he'd be nice, polite, even attempt to act like a good son-in-law and not fight with anyone. That really was his promise to Fran, to not start anything. If they did, well he'd made no promises to behave after.

But as he watched others enter and seat themselves, he did his best to try and give them a smile. Polite at least, as he curled an arm around Fran's feet. Which tightened when he heard yelling of all things and when he saw the source of it, moved to wrap an arm around Fran, not at all inconspicuous, to hold her against him, not crushingly tight. Almost as if he was trying to keep her out of trouble.

He shot Addy a smile, his mind attempting to recall Fran's siblings and family as he heard Samson woof under his chair at the noise. Surely no one here is about to force feed you anything. Because that would require someone to bound all her limbs, surely, for as much of a spitfire as she appeared to be.

Enzino rubbed his brow with exasperation - an effort to hide the facepalm his mind screamed was needed.  For the love of the old gods, why the fuck did every family gathering have to be so fucking dramatic. 

He wanted to talk to Addy privately, but the damn negation circle that had been installed in the room made that impossible.  He'd be more annoyed at the inability to call upon his powers...but it was perhaps the only well-thought-out part of this whole damn dinner.  Especially since Addy was clearly feeling theatric today.  

His eyes drifted to the place where Fran sat next to her fiance wondering, not for the first time since entering the room, why the fuck Byron was allowed to see their chaos.  Granted, he was theoretically going to become family...but exposing their weaknesses to powerful outsiders seemed so irresponsible it bordered on absurd.  Until Byron was actually family, the goings-on between the Campanas were none of his business.  Of course, he was careful not to let those thoughts show.  Instead, he just smiled warmly at the man, giving him a look that perfectly expressed the thought, [color=#7CD98A]"I'm so sorry for what is about to happen.  Welcome to the madness."[/color] 

Internally, he shrugged.  There was nothing he could do about any of this shit now, so they might as well get it over with. Where the fuck was Alonso? 

Franziska made to move as Addy was wheeled in shouting about abuse, but instead found herself pressed against Byron's chest. She struggled in his grasp, before hissing in his ear that if he did not let her go, Ferelden could find a new king.

Eventually, she gave up trying to wrest free of Byron. Instead, she slid a sheathed dagger across the table, angled towards her sister. If she got the calculations right, it should fall right into the younger girls lap.

Adaria entered with a scream of abuse, and Eularia sighed. That was most of them, Fran being restrained from acting by the Ferelden king. She was not certain why the man was here; but perhaps Franziska had taken a liking to him after all.

Enzo's remark was met with a knowing smile, as she stood. Hush, the bunch of you. Alonso was not yet here, but she knew he was upset with her. She would not wait for his ire.

I just wanted to tell all of you, she saw the dagger go across the table, chose to ignore it. That I love you and care for you all very much. And I understand your father's loss is... detrimental to the function of this family. She spoke carefully, though not as careful as she might. I wanted to have a nice dinner with my children. But it seems that... none of you want to be here? She raised an eyebrow, studying the faces of each of the Campana children, sans the missing son.

So we can make this short and to the point.

Eularia almost wanted to back out, but they needed to be upfront. She was tired of hiding. Some of you may have noticed that the old advisory cabinet has... been dispatched, and I've begun to hire new advisors. Magnus Rhysand being one of them, a gesture to the man beside of her. Spoken as if she didn't have the advisory cabinet killed because she was distraught over her husband's disappearance (or death, as the public and children knew).

Magnus and I... grew up together. Close friends, and he has been a wonderful confidante in your father's absence. More advisors will be chosen as I see fit, but I would not mind your input.

She caught a glance over to her sister and new brother, a quick appraisal of the couple’s body language enough to garner an arched brow before rolling her eyes at Byron’s comment. Her posture adjusted, catching the blade easily in the lap of her skirt. Then deftly manoeuvred into a hand to begin her escape.

Her attention may not have been on their mother, but Adaria was all ears to what she had to say. Every sentence caused the growing thunder in her face to darken. [color=#b20080]“Understand?”[/color] cutting one of her bonds, the youngest scoffed. [color=#b20080]“No. I don’t want to be here.”[/color] But it was going to be short and hearing it from the bitches mouth was better than snooping about her mind later. Less chance she.. A shudder ran through her, ugh and she thought her brother’s bad.

Of course they had noticed. It was hard to miss a group of men and women who had scuttled after their parents and curbed some o f their desires for change. Adaria might have done the same but not for the same reasons. [color=#b20080]“May have noticed what? That you dispatched the old guard so you could fuck the new one in peace. Like Father? Noooo, I didn’t.” [/color]A vicious blow perhaps, but Adaria could care less about anyone's feelings, especially her mothers.

[color=#b20080]“Here’s my input. Fuck. Off.” [/color][color=#666666]Eyes shifted to Magnus,[/color] [color=#b20080]"And you fuck off too."[/color]

Magnus didn't react to Adaria's venom.  She was angry.  His words wouldn't touch the fury that was burning her from the inside.  

Besides...how could someone who didn't know love understand what it meant to be consumed by it.  It was like trying to describe the golden hue of sunlight to someone who had always been blind.  

He watched as Adaria worked to free herself from the bonds.  His muscles were tight with bottled energy, ready to interpose his body between Eularia's and the dagger should it become necessary.  It wasn't that Eularia needed his protection...it was just that things could always go wrong.  It was safer if Peanut wasn't in the line of fire.  

"It would be fine," she had said.  Not bloody likely.  

Eularia just smiled, as if her daughter was not spewing vicious anger at her. Well, you did get right to part of my point, didn't you, sweetheart? Her tone was bright, and she reached to rub Magnus' shoulder. She noted how tense he'd become.

I suspect in, mmm, six months? There'll be a new child in the palace. She squeezed Magnus' shoulder.

And then she clapped her hands, exclaiming: That's it. That's all I wanted to tell you. You can all leave, now. Her walls were cracking; she'd truly hoped that some of the children would be happier for her. But from the looks of faces around the room...

The vitriol that Adaria spewed; so like her grandmother that it made Eularia's chest ache. Perhaps if she'd never raised the girl around the older woman, things would be different.

Enzo turned to face his mother and her lover, his face a mask of neutrality.  He lifted an eyebrow at her.  

Shit was about to get real. 

[color=#7CD98A]"Two, actually.  But nice of you to finally let us know."[/color]  His voice was flat, matter of fact. [color=#7CD98A]"I assure you, we had absolutely no idea."  [/color]

He really wished Alonso was here. 

He sighed.  This was going to be a political nightmare...did she not care at all?  Did she have any idea how precarious their situation was at the moment? What were they thinking?  

[color=#7CD98A]"So...that's it?  Just 'Hey, would love recommendations for advisors.  By the way, knocked up.  Bye now.'  That was really what you came up with as the best approach to sharing your news?"[/color]  Sometimes he couldn't figure out how the fuck she'd survived in politics for so long.

[font=Arial, serif][color=#b20080][font=Arial, serif]“What was it Father would say? Everything before ‘but’ is horseshit?” [/font][/color]Adaria tilted her head, the cold chips of her eyes rolling away from her mother and lover as if finding the blade playing between her hands more entertaining. [/font]

[font=Arial, serif]And then one grenade dropped, swiftly followed by her brother tossing in another. She didn’t know where to look at first, her toying with the dagger only pausing a second before returning to its previous ministrations. She’d had her suspicions about her mother’s condition and there had been a rumour or two which had reached her ears of a possible accident, but that was a conversation to be had with clearer heads. [/font]

[font=Arial, serif][color=#b20080][font=Arial, serif]“Wow… Really proving Nana right with that one...”[/font][/color] the sigh expelled was long drawn out. Some genuine surprise crossed along her brow. The chaos from her abdication alone would plunge them into potential political suicide. Where the fuck was Alonso?[/font]

It took everything in him not to react to all of the venom being lobbed at Eularia.  He had hoped she had been right - that this would have all been different. But he hadn't really expected that it would.  Still, though, he mentally recoiled from the comment about her former mother-in-law.  He'd heard enough over the years to understand how hurtful it was.  

He could feel the exhaustion and pain radiating from Lara, and the hand that had been resting idly at his side moved so it was gently resting against her back, offering silent support and love to help buoy her against the onslaught.  

Enzino's revelation surprised him, but he still maintained control.  Two.  Two babies.  If not for the current situation, his heart would have lept for joy.  But this was not the moment for joy, not when Lara was being wounded so cruelly.  

His eyes met Enzinos and spoke a plea even without the aid of telepathy.  Eularia was the strongest person he knew, but even she had limits.  This needed to end.