The Black Queen, Part II
Elza stared daggers at her father, her entire body tensing up almost immediately. "How did you find me? And what have you done to my men?"
"It'€™s been a full cycle now and not even a hello for your father?" Cartius tilted his head ever so slightly with a faint frown. When Elza responded with nothing but silence and her deathly stare, the Felstar patriarch spoke again. "Your men are fine. Vertigo has merely knocked them all unconscious so that we wouldn'€™t be interrupted. As to how I found you...this -is- my ship, darling. Do you really think I don't have an artifact stored on it to allow the Scarlet Siren to easily be traced?"€Â
Elza scowled at the older man, her fists tightening in anger. "Why are you here?"
A look of utter disappointment crossed the man's face. "Because our family is in tatters, Elly. If something doesn't change soon, it'll meet a cruel fate. Who better to help rebuild than my ever-so-talented daughter?"€Â
Elza smirked before she crossed her arms, turning and walking toward the chamber window. "So it'€™s all hands on deck then? Even the vagabond elder sister? Despite the fact that said vagabond was used as a pawn to bring down an entire noble family, a family that you had massacred and ripped asunder regardless of their supposed familial ties to all of us Felstars?"€Â
"Everything I did was for my family,"€ Cartius stated matter-of-factly. "€œThe Mavanixs had your brother'€™s mother killed, and nearly Kylin himself as a result. You saw how rabid they were when you were matriarch. Nina and Kalara wished nothing more than to devour you whole. Decretum Umbra wished nothing more than to kill all of House Mavanix and take it all for themselves. The entire house would have destroyed my darling children if they had the chance."
"So you decided to beat them to the punch?"€ Elza spun around as she spoke to meet her father's gaze, noticing the sadness engulfing his eyes. Part of her couldn'€™t help but be moved by the man'€™s determination to protect his family. Her anger began to slowly subside.
"€œElly, I know what I'€™ve done is unforgivable and I know nothing I say can make you see things the way I did. I am not here to seek forgiveness or to persuade you of my intentions. I am here to seek your help in uniting our family. If not for me, then for your brother. Kylin has become increasingly self-destructive lately and I fear deeply for him. He needs his sister more than ever before."
Elza couldn'€™t help but flinch as Cartius mentioned the supposed plight of her brother. Keeping her arms crossed, she turned back to the window and stared out in complete silence. Cartius, likely sensing near victory, continued his barrage. "You can't say this wouldn't be good for you as well, Elza. You have felt lonely for so long now, have you not? Sanctum alone cannot fulfill all of your needs. You need Kylin as much as he needs you. You both need family. At the end of it all, who but us do you have? You know in your heart that I am right. Listen to the voice in the back of your head that is telling you so."
The hyur woman bit her lower lip as she gazed out the window at the soft waves. She shook her head gently, mostly to herself. "€œAnd what of my extracurricular activities? I'm sure if you've been keeping tabs on me like I think you have been, you'€™re well aware of what I do in my free time. Do you really want your ne'€™er do well daughter to ruin House Felstar'€™s image?"
"You did not ruin House Mavanix's image,"€ Cartius stated softly. "€œIn fact, I dare say you gained respect by numerous mercenaries despite the house'€™s fall into disarray. This is your chance to help rebuild House Felstar in your image just as much as mine, my dear. If House Mavanix was defined by its past, House Felstar shall be defined by the actions we take today. As the whole of Eorzea continues to rebuild from Dalamud, this is just as much our chance to rebuild. While I personally do not agree with your...extracurricular activities with Sanctum, I will not try to deter you from your vision. I hope that you will one day be dissuaded from it, but ultimately your happiness is more important than anything else to me. To add icing to the cake, what better way to achieve all of your goals than under the guise of a noble house? There is nothing to lose and everything to gain."€Â
"You'€™re playing all of the cards today, aren'€™t you?" Elza couldn't help but smirk as she continued to stare out the window. The patriarch certainly seemed sincere and he was definitely right about her being lonely for so long now. Her guilt for Kylin was growing as well, assuming he was as self-destructive as Cartius made it sound. And now the cunning strategist added a perk on top of his request for Elza to rejoin the family: a secret sanctuary for Sanctum. That alone was nearly too good to pass up.
"To fix my family, I will do anything." Cartius sighed softly. "I hope you believe me, Elly."
"€œI sense the sincerity in your voice and I'€™ve seen it in your eyes," Elza stated quietly with her back still to the patriarch. "Family is indeed of utmost importance to you, that I will not debate."
A seemingly long silence overcame the room before Cartius broke it again. "Well?"
Elza sighed, still looking out the window. "€œI'm listening to the little voice in the back of my mind, as per your suggestion."
"And what is it saying?" Cartius tilted his head, trying desperately to see his daughter'€™s facial expression in the window'€™s reflection.
A long pause ensued before Elza finally spun around to meet her father'€™s gaze. "€œThat you win! As always!"
A broad smile appeared on Cartius'€™s face as he clapped his hands together victoriously. "Wonderful news, my daughter! You will not regret this, I promise you. I will have Reeve prepare your room at the mansion immediately."
"Oh, I'€™ll regret it later I'm sure,"€ Elza said in a defeated tone. "€œBut I'€™ll deal with it. And a room won'€™t be necessary. I'm not going to any mansion, at least not yet. I'€™ll return to my cabin in Gridania, assuming it'€™s still standing. Baby steps, father. Now tell me where to find Kylin."€
Elza stared daggers at her father, her entire body tensing up almost immediately. "How did you find me? And what have you done to my men?"
"It'€™s been a full cycle now and not even a hello for your father?" Cartius tilted his head ever so slightly with a faint frown. When Elza responded with nothing but silence and her deathly stare, the Felstar patriarch spoke again. "Your men are fine. Vertigo has merely knocked them all unconscious so that we wouldn'€™t be interrupted. As to how I found you...this -is- my ship, darling. Do you really think I don't have an artifact stored on it to allow the Scarlet Siren to easily be traced?"€Â
Elza scowled at the older man, her fists tightening in anger. "Why are you here?"
A look of utter disappointment crossed the man's face. "Because our family is in tatters, Elly. If something doesn't change soon, it'll meet a cruel fate. Who better to help rebuild than my ever-so-talented daughter?"€Â
Elza smirked before she crossed her arms, turning and walking toward the chamber window. "So it'€™s all hands on deck then? Even the vagabond elder sister? Despite the fact that said vagabond was used as a pawn to bring down an entire noble family, a family that you had massacred and ripped asunder regardless of their supposed familial ties to all of us Felstars?"€Â
"Everything I did was for my family,"€ Cartius stated matter-of-factly. "€œThe Mavanixs had your brother'€™s mother killed, and nearly Kylin himself as a result. You saw how rabid they were when you were matriarch. Nina and Kalara wished nothing more than to devour you whole. Decretum Umbra wished nothing more than to kill all of House Mavanix and take it all for themselves. The entire house would have destroyed my darling children if they had the chance."
"So you decided to beat them to the punch?"€ Elza spun around as she spoke to meet her father's gaze, noticing the sadness engulfing his eyes. Part of her couldn'€™t help but be moved by the man'€™s determination to protect his family. Her anger began to slowly subside.
"€œElly, I know what I'€™ve done is unforgivable and I know nothing I say can make you see things the way I did. I am not here to seek forgiveness or to persuade you of my intentions. I am here to seek your help in uniting our family. If not for me, then for your brother. Kylin has become increasingly self-destructive lately and I fear deeply for him. He needs his sister more than ever before."
Elza couldn'€™t help but flinch as Cartius mentioned the supposed plight of her brother. Keeping her arms crossed, she turned back to the window and stared out in complete silence. Cartius, likely sensing near victory, continued his barrage. "You can't say this wouldn't be good for you as well, Elza. You have felt lonely for so long now, have you not? Sanctum alone cannot fulfill all of your needs. You need Kylin as much as he needs you. You both need family. At the end of it all, who but us do you have? You know in your heart that I am right. Listen to the voice in the back of your head that is telling you so."
The hyur woman bit her lower lip as she gazed out the window at the soft waves. She shook her head gently, mostly to herself. "€œAnd what of my extracurricular activities? I'm sure if you've been keeping tabs on me like I think you have been, you'€™re well aware of what I do in my free time. Do you really want your ne'€™er do well daughter to ruin House Felstar'€™s image?"
"You did not ruin House Mavanix's image,"€ Cartius stated softly. "€œIn fact, I dare say you gained respect by numerous mercenaries despite the house'€™s fall into disarray. This is your chance to help rebuild House Felstar in your image just as much as mine, my dear. If House Mavanix was defined by its past, House Felstar shall be defined by the actions we take today. As the whole of Eorzea continues to rebuild from Dalamud, this is just as much our chance to rebuild. While I personally do not agree with your...extracurricular activities with Sanctum, I will not try to deter you from your vision. I hope that you will one day be dissuaded from it, but ultimately your happiness is more important than anything else to me. To add icing to the cake, what better way to achieve all of your goals than under the guise of a noble house? There is nothing to lose and everything to gain."€Â
"You'€™re playing all of the cards today, aren'€™t you?" Elza couldn't help but smirk as she continued to stare out the window. The patriarch certainly seemed sincere and he was definitely right about her being lonely for so long now. Her guilt for Kylin was growing as well, assuming he was as self-destructive as Cartius made it sound. And now the cunning strategist added a perk on top of his request for Elza to rejoin the family: a secret sanctuary for Sanctum. That alone was nearly too good to pass up.
"To fix my family, I will do anything." Cartius sighed softly. "I hope you believe me, Elly."
"€œI sense the sincerity in your voice and I'€™ve seen it in your eyes," Elza stated quietly with her back still to the patriarch. "Family is indeed of utmost importance to you, that I will not debate."
A seemingly long silence overcame the room before Cartius broke it again. "Well?"
Elza sighed, still looking out the window. "€œI'm listening to the little voice in the back of my mind, as per your suggestion."
"And what is it saying?" Cartius tilted his head, trying desperately to see his daughter'€™s facial expression in the window'€™s reflection.
A long pause ensued before Elza finally spun around to meet her father'€™s gaze. "€œThat you win! As always!"
A broad smile appeared on Cartius'€™s face as he clapped his hands together victoriously. "Wonderful news, my daughter! You will not regret this, I promise you. I will have Reeve prepare your room at the mansion immediately."
"Oh, I'€™ll regret it later I'm sure,"€ Elza said in a defeated tone. "€œBut I'€™ll deal with it. And a room won'€™t be necessary. I'm not going to any mansion, at least not yet. I'€™ll return to my cabin in Gridania, assuming it'€™s still standing. Baby steps, father. Now tell me where to find Kylin."€
