Internal: Viperpath (volume 1)

(6) Apology?

In the meantime, totally oblivious of Leia's new resolve, and in an attempt to sooth her own raging mind, Mama Viper decided to invite herself to the backyard gardens that her counterpart had nurtured over the years. A pair of female attendants flanked her.

Rejuvenation of said gardens had commenced shortly after the claiming of Elbar Fortress and its palace by then-General Urdin's forces--thence bringing about Vestra's long-honed skills in herbs and plants to good use. Even Mirani had seen fit to give grudging compliments on their layout.

Lush, tall plum trees lined both sides of the main pathway to said gardens, providing cool canopies in the heat of day; some of the surrounding shrubs were even fashioned to form archways. The pathway itself, branching into four directions centered around a large sundial, was further hardened with gravel. Roses, daisies and other plants, each column of which separated by short wooden fences and proper irrigation canals that fed into pleasantly-sparkling pools, further decorated the sometimes-dusty landscape.

As a further artistic touch, sturdy rectangular stone benches dotted the place--in short, more-than-welcome stress-relief spots.

Such floral splendor helped somewhat to improve Mama Viper's feelings and helped her to think more clearly.

Having left the attendants to keep watch at the gardens' entrance, Mira sat down on one of said benches, deep in thought.

"Hm... Ne'er thought I'd come to seek refuge in the haven that my erstwhile love rival had engineered, not like this... But, come; 'tis been years, we've got kids of our own, each growin' up damn-smoothly together. Ought I still be so thick in considerin' that southern wench to be a rival at all? Not like our broad-shouldered hunk of a husband's paid 'nough mind to care, anyhow..."

In the wake of her subterranean council, too, Mira found herself pondering. She'd put it out that young Mustafa and Rashid were not to be made targets again anytime soon, and instead she'd be redirecting her efforts to undermining the turncoat Yasnar, quite regardless of his present position.

If that wasn't a good enough token of budding tolerance for Vestra, she, Mirani, had no idea what else would have been...

"Even still," Mira sighed heavily, staring at the azure but cloudy sky, not unlike the current state of her emotions, "I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't have sent pangs into my heart to think of y'all, my siblings... Oh dear, sweet Silas... what did you even do to irk the likes of Urdin, anyway?! He shall have to answer for it, I swear..!"

Mama Viper squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get a grip of herself. Such pain had led her to within an inch of ridding the upstart Amirate of its heirs, in a single stroke, in a bloody single night!

From that kind of perspective, she was damnably adept in pulling such things off... but what, then, of roasting Eara? What had she gained from that, directly or otherwise, beyond a lump of charred flesh and the loss of any shred of respect her own lone daughter might have had?

And more importantly: was that truly what she wanted?

"No," she whispered slowly, and found a measure of relief, "but now the act is done, the blow inflicted, and what a blow! Zal's gonna despise me now, and I gather she'd remain like that 'til she's ready to open up if ever, that li'l rascal... Heck, I gotta prepare myself for that too. Meantime, Yasnar must go--and if I have to answer to Urdin for that, I shall!"

As she came to this conclusion, Mira smirked with relief, in the knowledge that she would not have to undertake such a grand scheme all on her own. Such well-versed, zealous courtiers as Razin were still at her beck and call... though the likes of Aldeer would, perhaps, require closer watch from this point on.