Vodka in a Teacup [Naelona]

[Kazn Ezel]

The Nightmare Pub was an establishment designed to keep spirits flowing and morale high. However, it was less designed for Boogies and more so intended as a distraction for slaves. Kazn remembered when this building and the ones supporting it had been erected. Similarly aged infrastructure had since fallen into disarray, but this had been the one construction of the time that proved its worth again and again.

It could be said that humans were strange little creatures. One common pattern among the little apes was that as soon as they started on the long road to civilization they would allow things to ferment and create alcohol. Substances such as these seemed to be deeply ingrained in their history. Kazn knew very well that the substances were foul drinks that turned perfectly productive members of society into good-for-nothing louts, lushes and clumsy vandals. Yet, the building which provided the destructive drug to the masses had proved to be one of the most important investments his people ever made.

It had been one of many trend-breaking risks that Kazn had taken. He supported the building of infrastructure to serve as distractions for the slaves. And yet it was many years later and the slaves were now terribly unhappy. There was no reasoning to support their actions. Simply by measure of cost of life they had lost far more than they had ever hoped to gain that evening. They lost support, they lost lives and they gained the ire of a harsh and sturdy people.

Wordlessly Kazn lifted the teacup to his lips and took a sip. Vodka was a term used to describe various 'waters of life' across the human world. The best vodkas were like pure water in texture and had no flavor. There was a certain level of sophistication required to distinguish the lower grade spirits from higher ones. This sophistication was something that Kazn felt his peers lacked. It was also what separated him from the worthless drunkards outside his private room.

After one more sip of the undiluted waters of life Kazn lifted up a freshly sliced lemon wedge and gently squeezed the juice into his teacup. He was careful not to let any of the seeds fall out as he stared at the tiny droplets disturbing the surface and sending ripples out towards the edges. Much of his life was lived like a cup that was too full--ready to spill at any moment, but held in place by nothing more than surface tension.

He looked about the private room and felt his nostrils flare for a moment. The smell was still offensive, but not so bad as it would be elsewhere. The walls were filled with cork to muffle the sounds from outside as well as the ones inside. The door was windowless and the only light in room came from a burning wick inside of an oil lamp. There was an entire simple tea set on the small, unadorned table in front of him. The idea that he was no longer worth ornate furnishing was taking some getting used to. There was no mercy for those who fell from grace.

Another sip before the dishes silently touched the table once more. Kazn Ezel had been here quite a while rehearsing the little rituals before him. There was a message left for those who would still talk to him should they come to find him here.

[Naelona Ezel]

The times were trying as they always tended to be these sort of days. No longer had she taken ill and retired for several months not long after the Rebellion had first raised it's ugly head, but things seemed to only have been brewing as now once she had returned with Tristan's death - more chaos was occurring. At least this time she had the fortitude not to not buckle like before, not like her own slave had now, the very reason she was out afoot.

Kristopher - with his own doings of late - had been by her order confined to her quarters. The boy was ill, and horribly so. Many ills weren't foreign to the boy's life, but this was a new one. He had been allowed to wonder for too long, she wagered, and Wonderland had taken it's toll upon him. The art of having a slave that never died wasn't leaving him out to weather the destructive whims of this world, but to recover, shelter, protect, and keep him as strong as well she could so he could weather the sudden gusts when he was required to. It seemed now too many of those very storms had gotten at the best of him.

The reoccurring check-ups upon the boy with her father was the creeping chill of one of them.

Speaking of the boogie, he was proving oddly difficult to find. He wasn't at his quarters, the music room, or office.. it took some persistent hunting and several inquiries to figure out where he had gone. The news was met with a solid frown. True she had other matters with which she could converse with him on, but that didn't lessen the impact of who she had to seek out, and why. The Ezel would probably disapprove, but that was a different matter entirely. Kristopher was no longer going to see Kazn Ezel, for his if not also her own sake. And Kazn was going to accept that - or so Naelona told herself.

With a direction within the Nightmare Pub Naelona crossed the short hall in the back and up to a solid wood door. There were a few to be had, but if there was any, he was sure to be within here. Lifting her hand the black and white boogie paused a moment, before rapping her knuckles soundly upon the boards. She wasn't going to camp out until he decided to leave, nor leave a message for him. Some things were just best told in person.

[Kazn Ezel]

Kazn once more lifted up the teacup and brought it to his lips in that same ritualistic manner that he had done thousands of times before. This time there was a muffled sound from the opposite side of the door. It was hard to tell from the reduction of the sound, but likely it was a firm knock, if not assertive. Kazn allowed himself a moment of silence more as he took a thoughtful sip from his teacup. This one lasted longer than his precious sips did, but that mattered not. His face felt flush, but at least his hands were healed once again.

"You may enter." There was a certain weight to the words. No doubt that the listener would perceive them as bearing the weight of authority. When Kazn spoke, however, it felt like those little words were supporting the last of his wounded pride. He wondered if he really had the authority to speak in such a fashion anymore, but it was the only way he knew how to speak. Years from now his words would be perceived as nothing but abrasive.

He reached up towards the lamp and provided a little more wick for the flames to burn. It would be somewhat better for the light in here. Then again, Kazn almost preferred the idea of just sulking in the darkness and waiting.

It never even occurred to him that it might not be one of his children knocking on the door. Furthermore, of his children it would have to be Naelona who did the knocking. Anolean enjoyed his elaborate entrances far too much to knock like an ordinary person. But he had to digress, no one other than his own children would likely be seeking him out now.

[Naelona Ezel]

Coal gray eyes narrowed at the door before her hand grasped the chill handle, turning it until the latch gave way and the door swung inward, letting her inside. Within the room her vision fell upon the one boogie she was currently looking for, her father. The link between him and drinks wasn't an unknown one, even for the younger Ezel they had a proper time and place. Usually after near-death experiences and fried nerves.

"Greetings." Naelona spoke idly, almost gauging the situation before entering, closing the door quietly behind her before approaching her father and the now considerably brighter lamp. Still the room seemed shaded and grim. Pressing back some of the shadows, the flame burned a bit brighter than it was normally able, and evened out within the room smoothing the light glow, as opposed to the single source so fond of casting harsh shadows upon everything about it.

Coming to stand across the table from her father Naelona rested her fingers lightly upon the back of the chair in front of her, standing a bit straighter while she briefly observed the older Ezel. Hopefully this encounter wouldn't go so sourly as the last one had. She had no great desire to be there longer than necessary, and so deemed it best to be blunt and straight to the point.

"I've not much to say to you, save to inform you that Kristopher will no longer be seeing you until further notice." Naelona started, absently pressing a toe of her foot against the hard floorboards. "He had drawn ill in a most severe way, and I've deemed it best he recover in confinement until he is well enough for the inspections to continue."

Scrutinizing as always Naelona hesitated a moment, but what she could have said, she didn't. "That is all." There was nothing else to be said to the boogie. She could remark that she had finally spoken to Luther concerning old matters, of the tricks and silence that had gone along with it. But something about the boogie told it was her father, yet something about the scene very well wasn't. Did he even exist at all. With a measured pause and quick drum of her nails upon the chair Naelona turned heel for the door. He probably didn't want her there anyway.

[Kazn Ezel]

Solitude was much preferred to company for many reasons. No matter who would attempt to break down Kazn's cage of solitude they would somehow find a way to disappoint him. Life was filled with little disappointments. Little disappointments would often combine to create larger disappointments. Slowly it began to creep on the edges of your mind, but you would never realize it until it was far too late. All of his life was just one giant string of disappointments combining into one great disappointment--himself.

He abhorred what he was now, but it was far too late to change. There is nothing that can change the nature of a man. Especially when the nature of that man is to be a monster. Perhaps now he was willing to accept the truth of the situation, but he dared not admit it out loud. What he had driven away before he would drive away once again. The rest of his life would be spent driving everything around him away.

His daughter was now coming closer to him, but she would likely leave quickly. Unless she was here to mock him. Did she know? If not, he would tell her so she could have her chance. She deserved the chance to throw it in his face and laugh about it. He stared at his now empty hands with the white gloves still pulled tightly over them. At one time he had been so proud of what his hands had done and what he could do with them.

"I've not much to say to you, save to inform you that Kristopher will no longer be seeing you until further notice." Was that all she had to say to him? After everything else that had passed between the two of them she simply desired to tell him that Kristopher would be missing a few meaningless appointments? Some part of him thought that he should be angry about it. He honestly could not stir up the will to give a damn about it. "That's fine," he said. There was nothing more to say.

He did not make a motion for his teacup again, but there really was nothing else to do or say at this time. There was a place for Naelona to sit if she wished, but that hardly seemed her wish. She was moving to leave without anything beyond a 'That is all.' Definite. Final. Absolute.

"I'll be here. I don't have anywhere else to go now." Perhaps it was enough to pique her interest in the subject if she did not know already. And if she did know, then it should have been more than enough to tell as she was leaving.

[Naelona Ezel]

"That's fine."? That was all the fearsome Ezel had to say? No questions? No objections? No hurled remarks she would have to defend or refute? How peculiar. It was almost too simple a response to hope for, but there it was.

Heading for the door there seemed to be no attempts at her impending departure. It almost seemed to perfect a situation to be had. This wasn't some obscure dream was it? No - no it wasn't. If it was there would be some dark creature seeping out of the walls or Kazn becoming a pile of bones.. which wouldn't be so bad. But - then said bones would probably get up and start following her. And those were never fun.

"I'll be here. I don't have anywhere else to go now." Naelona paused briefly at the door. It was a blatant lie. An proper self-respecting Ezel - especially ones such as themselves - always had something to do, a place to go, something to attend, to correct, dictate, guide, control, oversee.. There was simply one pertinent issue with that. Ezels did not lie.

Returning words from earlier reassembled themselves and bumbled forth, almost impatiently, bluntly. "And what is amiss this time?" Turning Nae looked back to the table, and to her father with a frown. Were she a more empathetic sort of creature she might have picked up on the situation the moment she had entered the room, but the boogie was no such type of being. She never had been, and likely never would be.

[Kazn Ezel]

Should she have cared that Kazn was apparently in such good spirits so as not to heckle her over withdrawing Kristopher from his regular appointments? Hardly. Apparently, that was all she had wanted and Kazn had granted it to her. It should have meant more than it did.

Now that she had what she wanted she was more than ready to leave. No more words need be exchanged. So why did Kazn speak at all? It might have just been better to let his daughter leave and just have it be so that they would never speak again. There would be no reason to talk. He had never played the role of father, except in supplement to whatever other roles were thrust upon him.

He grimaced as he pushed the teacup further away. No real point in drinking any more than he had at this point. It was not making him feel any better. Nothing he had to eat or drink the past few days had really been satisfying. It occurred to him that he had been like this for a long time, but he was only just now aware of it. That was simply the man he was. Food and drink were tools for utility. Alcohol was sparingly used at the appropriate times. Mostly it was medicinal application. The medicine was not working so it was time to find something else.

Naelona's reaction was most unexpected. At any other time Kazn would have anticipated that she would just walk out and leave him alone. Perhaps she still wanted to, but she understood that something was off. There was something dreadfully wrong with her father. She wouldn't care if he died, but it was enough of an oddity that she cared to investigate further.

"What is amiss? According to those blind fools, nothing is amiss. Anyone with eyes can see that everything is wrong now." He stared at her with that silent fury burning behind his eyes. It was not directed at her, for once in this family's shared experiences. It was directed at someone or some group of people that was not currently here. "Order is being reestablished, and they have decided that the greatest enemy to the public order is..." it was difficult to say. He just stared at the teacup for a moment. "... me."

Perhaps Naelona would require it spelled out for her. She liked specifics, after all. It meant that there was nothing to guess. "I am without a rank and without authority. They cast me aside at the first convenience. Lousy ingrates, the whole lot of them." Perhaps a good rant would do Kazn some good. Naelona never really worked directly with Kazn's superiors. They preferred to work through channels of correspondence and people like Kazn. People like Kazn who were both doers and thinkers. Without him they were nothing but talk.

[Naelona Ezel]

For several moments Naelona stood quite frozen in her spot. What proper reaction was there? Past the wave a shock, confusion, and a bit of glee (as least that's what she suspected it was) Naelona found she had little to say to her father once he passed the news to her. And now he had nothing. "T-they dismissed you? After all these years, you?" She hardly believed her own voice. Nearing the table again, Naelona almost hesitated but pulled out a chair and sat down regardless. She didn't need his bidding to do so, he couldn't say otherwise now.

On one hand the best thing she'd wished for had actually happened, next to the boogie actually croaking over. The fact he could pull rank on her whenever he'd wished despite the decades she'd been there at the palace - regardless of how many more he had than she - had grated her nerves for years. Anyone of considerable rank being dismissed so completely was a bit of a rare thing, but it threw one pertinent point into the spotlight. This was also a mar upon their name, upon the Ezel name. Any merit or clout or claim that resided upon it would now only come from the actions of herself and Anolean, which was it's own little mess.

Perhaps his discarding wasn't so dramatic as he was making it seem. As if Ezels were ever ones to embellish. That was the unsettling point. "Why did you-" No, no Kazn wasn't quite sort the individual for that. "Why did they dismiss you?" The question came from a skewed logic. Naelona tended to view things very differently from most, including her father. There had to have been some reason. Some err or mishap that had brought them to such a conclusion. "Have they decided for Anolean to take your place?" It was an expected path for her brother to take, though he had shown little if any interest in any of it.

Save, if a group was in the wrong but were too blind to see it, it ought to be corrected by at least someone. If the blind led the blind then would only wander into some open maw. But the fact Kazn had accepted the decision and was now here wallowing in his own misfortune attested to his own fallen conduct. Perhaps there were more than needed to actually open their eyes and view their true surroundings for what they actually were than she realized.

[Kazn Ezel]

She took a seat. That in itself felt odd. There was no reason for her to sit down any longer. She did not have to pretend to be friendly to Kazn as he was no longer her superior. What that inevitably meant was that she wanted to hear more about this predicament. Maybe she found some sick enjoyment from the news. Either that, or maybe she thought it was some wrong to be corrected.

If she was seeking to right a wrong, then she was barking up the wrong tree. Kazn was from a family of nobodies, but had worked his way up to being a somebody. His children had not had nearly so far to climb because of him and his wife. Now the council had put him back in his 'proper' place. In a fit of bitterness he lifted up one of the lemon wedges and took a bite right out of it. It was terribly sour, but still failed to get rid of the awful taste that was in his mouth from considering the whole ordeal.

Naelona was being careful with her words again, but she let something slip. "Why did I what? Why did I let them do it?" Certainly it was the wrong question to ask, but it was a question all the same. They had every right to do it and Kazn had exercised every right to defend himself. However, that was not the question which Naelona eventually asked.

"Oh, yes. They did have their reasons, though. They had been building up a case against me for years. Simply put, they don't like me, but could not cast me aside. Not until..." he'd need the teacup again. He reached out and pulled it closer to him. "Not until that damned fiasco at the ball." He took a sip of the vodka with its slight lemon tang. He couldn't taste it over the lemon wedge he had put in his mouth earlier.

"Misappropriation of resources. Blatant abuse of power and rank. Reckless endangerment of life. And they painted me as a corrupt, good-for-nothing animal that pisses upon traditions just to add another flavor of insult to the whole charade." He took another angry sip. This time when he set down the cup it clattered. "They really were just waiting for a convenient time to cast me aside. Getting to use me as a scapegoat was a bonus." Their words were still ringing in his ears. You're getting a little older now, and we feel that your time might be best spent pursuing your own hobbies.

"As for Anolean..." Kazn allowed himself to trail off before he laughed. It had always been assumed that Anolean would follow in Kazn's footsteps someday as the oldest and as a competent male. That was hardly the case now, wasn't it? "Between you and I, he's not cut out for it. They know that. I know that." Presumably Naelona knew it and understood it. After all, she was the serious one. Kazn just stared at her, hoping that somehow she understood what he wasn't saying before he dropped his gaze once again.

"Just so you know, they had every right to dismiss me, but they did so for the wrong reasons." And that was what bothered Kazn most about his current predicament.

[Naelona Ezel]

"Yes." Naelona started lowly, correcting what she didn't say moments before. "Why did you permit them to dismiss you?" She almost apologized for not asking more directly sooner, but then kept her mouth shut as she realized - she didn't need to. Sitting back in her chair she listened to him, only raising a thin eyebrow at the incriminating causes that had apparently sealed his fate. Wasted resources? Abuse of power? Funny, Naelona hadn't recalled Kazn as the one that took charge once everything starting crashing down. She had.

She supposed, perhaps her actions they attributed to Kazn to a degree, but that only irritated the younger Ezel. It meant it were also possible he also recieved her credit. Still, if they had been wanting to be rid of him for some time.. well.. Naelona couldn't exactly blame them. Save for one little troubling detail - he wasn't related to them. Beyond that as much as Naelona hated to admit it, she hardly saw the reason to be rid of him.

Yes, as for Anolean.. Naelona was particularly interested in that subject. Matters concerning her brother always found a waiting ear. "I did not suspect my brother to be." Perhaps when they were young, or when Naelona had first left their lives she could and did imagine Anolean following in their father's footsteps - at least to some extent. But even now, more recently upon being around her brother again - he seemed so much more interested in games, slaves and musings to bother with anything remotely serious.

For some moments Naelona met her father's stare, and oddly didn't find it so difficult to return if not more blankly. A thought came to mind concerning herself and such affairs. There was little doubt in her own ability, but she was content where things now stood. She had the palace, and her father was no longer able to meddle in her matters.

"Are you aware if they are bringing in someone else, then?" No names too repulsive, hopefully. And if they were replacing, it was in her invested interest to be aware of it, and more importantly, who. If there were to be another meddling in her business soon she'd rather know in advance. The fact the last person had been her father was a lucky break, and nothing more.

Then you should have corrected them. It was what Naelona nearly said, it was what any proud, self respecting Ezel should do. Save for one small detail. He had no pride. He had given it up years ago. Did that make him a sort of farce? Watching him for several moments in thought Naelona reached for a cup and poured herself some of the 'tea'. It could be a while.

[Kazn Ezel]

Kazn let out a sigh. He had gone on quite enough talking the way he had been. It was the babble of an old man who had lost everything, and that was not the way he should be talking. And still he felt like he hadn't explained nearly enough to Naelona. "Why didn't I correct them? Why did I not straighten them out? They are fools, the entire lot of them. That is why. I tried, but quickly came to realize the simple truth. They don't care for the reality of the situation." A sip as he tried to find the proper words for what he had been feeling. "The truth is that once I figured it out, I became bitter. Once I became bitter, I didn't want to play their game anymore."

It had all been just one giant farce. They had entertained the memories of the dead and missing for him for years upon years. They were not interested in his successes, only in his failures and shortcomings. He began to wring his hands in frustration over that simple fact. "Does that sound more like the man you know?" Perhaps it didn't. It made him sound more like a quitter with a hurt sense of pride rather than the resolute Ezel he tried to be. He shifted a little bit in his chair. He straightened his posture a little bit. He hadn't realized that he had even begun to slouch a little bit.

"Anolean will not be dealing with those cretins. Regardless of whether they do away with my position as a liaison, you will likely be dealing directly with them now." Kazn had not wanted Naelona to take his place in that position, but perhaps that had been a mistake. She was better qualified for it than anyone else they could have picked, but she was also guilty of being far too good at her current job. Silent praises that would never be put into words in front of his daughter.

Had they given him the opportunity to name a successor, he might have selected his daughter just to spite them. They gave him no such concessions. "You'll need-" that wasn't quite right. He could not say such things anymore. "You have free access to my records, should you want or need them." He paused in the wringing of his hands. That might have been the first thing that he had genuinely offered to her in his entire life. It felt... wrong. He'd have to get used to that idea, but that thought was equally unwelcome in his mind.

He intertwined his fingers and set his hands neatly into his own lap. Maybe he did feel a little better now that he had the chance to gripe about the faults of the system. "Perhaps we should talk about what should be done about your brother." Anolean was an interesting task, to be certain. "My son," he added as an afterthought.

[Naelona Ezel]

A growing frown only seemed to deepen the longer Kazn rambled, and Naelona found herself taking a sip of the liquid while he continued. "At least we agree upon one thing. I've believed that for years." Naelona often found it difficult to believe the Elders were truly as effective and necessary as they would like the rest of Wonderland to believe. There was something a little.. satisfying at the thought that one of their own right hand boogies was now bitter towards them. Sometimes it took misfortune to see the truth.

"Well then, Father.." Naelona held her cup up in a mock toast "..welcome back to the real world." It was a blow to pride for him for sure, and it didn't bid well for fortune for any of them. But it wasn't the sound of a soul quitting. "It sounds like the mind of a man who's finally seen the truth."

The boogie made a 'tsk' sound in her throat. Would she have to deal with them, or they would have to deal with her? That was the more likely question. Regardless it was probably inevitable now, sooner or later. Good. Make them remove themselves from their cob-webbed seats for once.

Naelona hesitated a moment. She wasn't aware how extensive or thorough his records might be, and trying to recall only brought to mind of when she was very young. Undoubtedly they were well scribed, and probably also in Boogie. The hint of interest collided with a bit of dread - he was fond of his large words, too. "I'll be sure to view them." With a large dictionary, and a couple sheets for notes.. make that a lot of sheets. Speech was one thing. Literacy was entirely another.

The Ezel looked a bit different now, sitting across the table from her. Hands folded neatly as he settled into silence.. was this even the same one Naelona knew? "Perhaps we should talk about what should be done about your brother. My son," Naelona took another sip. "Anolean?" At that Naelona turned up the lamp a bit more, and pressed the shadows in the room were a bit further than they were naturally able. Her twin was a sneaky one, but he wouldn't be sneaking up on them. Not today.

"You mean the fact he has done nothing here but muse over slaves, play games, and ensure the traders a steady supply of demand?" Last she recalled her brother was supposed to have some sort of position, though for all points and purposes he did little with it. "What is there to be done, Father? Hasn't he been under your tutelage all this time?" A bit of a barb, but it was a point she couldn't resist on occasion. There wasn't much that could actually be done to Anolean if he wasn't willing to do it himself.

Well, save for one.

[Kazn Ezel]

"Back the real world," Kazn said as he raised his own teacup to Naelona's. Funny that she should mention truth as he brought it back and took a sip out of it. The truth was that Kazn had started to drink tea to keep up appearances. He never really liked it. In hindsight, that could have saved Kristopher Roberts a lot of trouble had Naelona known that fact about her father before she sent her favored slave to serve her father tea.

Then again, tea wasn't necessarily bad. Kazn had acquired the taste somewhat over the years. It would seem silly to stop now. After all, even though he started for the wrong reason, who was to say that he couldn't come to enjoy it for the right reasons? "I'm back, and I have free time. Setting my mind to consanguine affairs seems to be the best use for my time now." That included Anolean, mostly, though Kazn's other sister might need some sorting too. He'd get to the matter of Naelona slowly. That was a much bigger hurdle to cross yet. One step at a time was the only way he would ever get any of this done.

"Mostly, Anolean has not spent his time as wisely as I would have hoped. He does what interests him, which is seen as a fine path for older Boogies and those of lesser caliber. We have worked hard to distinguish ourselves. Try as I might, I never was able to set him in the direction I wanted." Of course, there were other ways of dealing with people. Did humans call it the 'carrot and stick' method? Whatever the method was, Kazn understood what he wanted. "The best way to convince Anolean to do something, is to make him think that's what he wants to do." Easy sounding in theory. Very difficult in practice.

Kazn leaned back a little in his chair as he tapped at his chin. "A proper woman might polish him better around the edges." After all, the method had worked on Kazn when he was younger. Nevyn knew what he had been doing. "It's an interesting thought to start with, if there are no other suggestions."

Kazn didn't view Anolean as a failure on his own part. Describing his son as a project that he had simply not put enough time and energy into yet was a more apt way to describe it. Kazn still puzzled over where he could put the energy into the boy.

[Naelona Ezel]

"A woman..?" Naelona just stared at her father and didn't say anything for several moments, finally succumbing to a weak scoff. "You wish to marry off my brother?" Whatever on earth would he want to do that for? Ah yes - the same reason her father and mother were ever married. Status.

"Or a proper woman of a proper setting." It wasn't a great secret in the family that it was Kazn marrying Syeira that had helped him get the position he had, or rather had held. "Perhaps if there were a proper enough picking one could acquire both a desired setting and a polishing. But first, one suggestion." Pausing a moment, Naelona brought the teacup to her lips and downed what was left of it.

Frowning slightly she re-poured the cup, tapping the kettle with her knuckle. "If we're discussing my brother and his prospective fates, let's not allow this to be empty." she said, raising her cup again before resettling it between her hands. This was her twin, her flesh and blood they were talking about here.

"What sort of 'proper woman' are you thinking of, Father? There's a lot of incredibly rotten and despicable ones out there, I'll have you know." Sitting up in her chair Nae looked a little indignant at that. Female slaves were a waste of space, female boogies oft weren't much better. Or at least the ones she had met so far. "This land is infested with them."

[Kazn Ezel]

Worded in that way, marrying off Anolean did seem like quite the implausibility. However, nothing was truly impossible. It could be arranged if a suitable candidate were to come forth, but where would Kazn find a suitable candidate? She would have to be in possession of all of the proper breeding and grooming for the role and be part of a family with at least moderate status, lest Kazn be choosing to marry his son off in a downward direction. That would not be acceptable.

There was the entire other matter of convincing Anolean that he should want to go through with the marriage. The boy could certainly weasel his way out of it, Kazn might have given him far too much practice with that as a youth as it seemed to be the boy's only gift most of the time. It put him into a miserable predicament now, since Anolean was nigh uncontrollable.

It occurred to Kazn that this must have been the very same thing that his own father had gone through in dealing with Kazn as a youth. A miracle that his father hadn't slapped him until he couldn't feel anything in his head. "No acceptable candidates are coming to mind, unfortunately." There was another sip from his teacup before he topped off his own cup and Naelona's with the bottle of spirits. Grasping at the bowl with lemon wedges he offered it to Naelona. "Would you care for lemonade?"

Wonderland lemonade--guaranteed to knock the socks off of any slave. Then again, Kazn was certain to use spirits at least 20 proof higher than was usually given to the slaves of of significantly better quality. This was not his best bottle on the table, but far from his worst. Freshly squeezed lemons were also good. If it were a formal dinner party he might choose to zest them as a garnish for the drink. Limes would also work in a similar purpose if he chose to change aesthetics somewhat.

He snapped himself away from his thoughts about preparation for parties and worked himself to the task at hand. "I know of no proper candidates. It would seem that there is a shortage here, but you would know far better than I." And it seemed that Naelona was firmly in agreement with her father over this fact. No... it was the other way around. Kazn did not much like his new position relative to Naelona. "Proper breeding is a necessity. She would also need to be strong-willed enough to bring him into line while still remaining covert about it. She needs to be stunning and awe-inspiring and also of the appropriate social level. Pray, you haven't happened to come across such a woman before, have you?"

No, of course not. Such a woman was the stuff of legends, but no less would serve for this purpose. It was beginning to look like such a woman would have to be made from scratch rather than discovered. Then again, Naelona did have her books and they were much more thorough about particular people than Kazn's books had been.