Internal: Viperpath (volume 1)

(34) Rendezvous

"Now then, Mira," Ves cautioned as she closed the door to her chambers behind them, "I believe this is more down your proverbial alley--no wasted words."

Her counterpart snickered at this. "My. I nearly always thought ya're the freakin'-epitome o' grace, Vessy dear. Years o' mingling sure did their toll, eh?"

"With more-or-less similar intentions, no doubt."

"Got me there. Right, then; I'll dance to yer tune, let's see how long ya can pretend to stand it... but before that, I trust ya'll pardon me for bringing older things to mind."

Mama Viper took her counterpart's ensuing silence for a go-ahead.

"Last we met, at yer gardens," she went on, "ya told me to go ahead n' conjure my tricks; but also that, should even one of 'em graze any of yer mongrels, I wouldn't love that day."

Ves narrowed her eyes. "Has that condition now been fulfilled?"

"Sorta. Remember that months-old nocturnal attempt 'gainst Mu and Rashid? I was... I was behind it. Yer kids had survived, though, so that still fell short o' the mark-"

Had her self-control been any worse, Ves would have loved nothing better than beating the royal figure standing right before her down to a mangled mess--for at that moment she also recalled how Mu had wailed in her embrace for nearly the rest of that fateful night for his dead maids. Such grief, she had not witnessed very often of her usually-spirited firstborn.

"Am I the first to hear of this?" the Lioness of Elbar demanded. So help me...

"Nah. First one was Urdin last night in my chambers, and he was rightly freaked out like heck," came Mira's reply. "Said he'd defer my verdict 'til better days, though... not that I don't 'ave any idea what that would be. Blood had been shed, and only blood would redeem it. I'm livin' on borrowed time as it is, Vessy, and what's worse... my own kids left me when they found out."

"Why are you telling me that?"

"Just clearin' the air, I s'pose; yer 'motherly reminder' back then had begun to kick into effect, it would seem. But meanwhile, Zal and Das... should they come to ya... Freak, I know I'm not in any position whatever to be layin' down terms, but... Would ya please take 'em in and raise 'em alongside yer own?"

"Mirani!"

"I've been a bad mom, don't deny it... and ya damn-well know they still gonna need guidance, love and affection. How 'bout trying a shot at givin' them that for a change, eh?"

Urdin's first consort, for one of the rarer times, was genuinely at a loss on what to do or say. She found herself in the unenviable position of being able to condemn or forgive and aid to save her counterpart, years-old grievances notwithstanding.

Besides, as Mira had said, Urdin had lashed out to her... which, as 'well-deserved' as it might have been, must have been terrible. The Amir, like herself, would not be slow to act where his pride was concerned.

As a fellow mother, moreover, she thought she could comprehend at least part of Mira's dilemma at that given moment.

Suppose she, Vestra, had been in Mama Viper's place: so openly begging for another woman to 'take care' of her get. Dawning disbelief aside, how would Mustafa, Leia or Rashid have felt, being so abruptly thrust into the care of someone whose methods they were never habituated to--and by their own living, biological mother nonetheless?

"Your kids," the Lioness of Elbar said slowly, "did they say anything at all when they decided to leave you?"

Mira briefly looked the other way.