The Magic Guild: Nesting

[gorgonfondness]

Six weeks and two days.

It's hard to concentrate on much of anything when that's all you've got left. And since she's already taken her leave from work so it won't happen in the middle of the semester, that means Mia doesn't have as much to do.

So today has been devoted to cleaning up her living quarters, the nursery in particular. And doing the baby's laundry so it will be ready for him. And making sure the baby's toys are clean. And then Draco's laundry and ironing Draco's work shirts and trousers. And then preparing things for tonight's dinner. And then her laundry while the inner slow-cooks. And then making dessert. And then folding all of those clean clothes and putting them away. And then the kitchen will have to be cleaned up, of course. And then the table should be set. And what about the bed, is it clean?

It sounds like a lot, but magic does help get it done. Though, once it's done, Mia finds she would rather it wasn't done and then does it again the muggle way to make sure it's done right.

At least it hasn't gotten to the point where she's ironing the baby's clothes...

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

Mia blushes.

"I'm just a glorified teacher..." she sheepishly says.

Well, nowadays that's true, but she can boast a lot that other teachers don't have in their repertoires.

[xamotomax]

"The maid called you 'majesty'."
"An honorific as that is never given to—"

"—A 'glorified teacher'."

[gorgonfondness]

"You don't have to do anything special to get that title here; in the same way that my son can't help his birth into the Ausa dynasty, I couldn't help mine. What worth is in a title that is inherited?"

[xamotomax]

On Lunar, the caste system is alive, well, and still kicking.

"But admittedly—"

Xamot takes a sip of his tea.

"—Some deserve it more than others?"

[gorgonfondness]

Still kicking indeed. Right into Mia's ribs.

"I don't see how I could have as a mewling infant. And as wonderful as I think my son is going to be, I don't expect him to make a name for himself just by being delivered."

[xamotomax]

"No. That—" Tomax begins, possibly obscurely. And is finished with Xamot's "—Comes later, does it not?"

[gorgonfondness]

"I've been called Majesty for as long as I can remember, surely long before I did anything to merit the title. And everyone is so set in the habit that surely my son will be Master Cepheus just as soon as he is his own person physically."

[xamotomax]

"You earned it in the end," Xamot points out.

"And your son will, too, once he is old enough to."

[gorgonfondness]

"But is that enough for me to be called Majesty before I earned it? There wasn't a reason to before, as there was no reason to expect that I would amount to anything."

[xamotomax]

They exchange looks. Nobility and its inheritance is something they read about. Never experienced first hand despite knowing the Baroness De Cobray.

The cups are placed onto their saucers.

"Pardon us for saying it, but—"

"—You almost make it sound as if—"
"—You would be happier without—"

"—The burden of a title inherited."

"True?"

They can understand the desire to want to earn what is given to them—the Brothers Paoli place considerable emphasis on what a person achieves through hard work, instead of being given to them as a matter of birthright.

[gorgonfondness]

"I've thought many a time that I would be. And while I do exercise the power of my position, I have done so under the idea that I'm fit to be in my position based on the fact that I have been working for some five or six years and no one has thought to remove me."

She drains her cup.

"I've told Draco that, if he so chooses, I would set things up here to run without me and move to England with him, but he has picked to live here for his own reasons. While marrying me was a major factor, he likely would have come here even if he didn't."

[xamotomax]

"Again, please forgive us for saying it, but—"

"—That is a rather complacent attitude—"
"—To take, but then, perhaps, we say so out of—"

"—Considerable ignorance, for we never had a—"
"—Life of privilege as young men growing up—"

"—In Corsica. Everything we have, we—"
"—Worked long and hard for. Business—"

"—Law, accountancy, corporations—"
"—Those are things we know."

"And we know that—"
"—Even if it appears that nobody—"

"—Is unhappy with the way you—"
"—Run things, one must still do what—"

"—One can to maintain satisfaction—"
"—In those who already are, and to—"

"—Earn it in those who are not."
Pause.

"It is how it is with us—"

"—But perhaps it is not the same—"
"—For you and for royalty, where the—"

"—Expectations placed upon you are—"

"—Different from those that we must handle?"

[gorgonfondness]

"While I have become happy with my position, I am aware of my criticism," she says. "Not everyone was happy about me opening the city to guests who didn't have to pass the Cave of Trial first, such as yourselves, and I've been questioned about my choice to marry instead of skipping right to conceiving my heir. But I encourage people to tell me any issues they might have, especially after what happened during my mother's abduction a few years back. People were imprisoned for asking perfectly reasonable questions, so some might still be afraid from that. It can be a difficult thing to be rid of."

[xamotomax]

"'Consumer feedback', we—"

"—Would call it. You—"
"—Have an openness about you—"

"—That would quell any unease—"
"—In others about the way you—"

"—Do things."
Pause. They smile approvingly. Mia is smart enough to know that complacency breeds false security.

They will have to adjust whatever game plans they might have to account for this.

"It is a good thing, and—"
"—Will convince any hold-outs that—"

"—Remain that your decisions are—"
"—Considered enough to convince them that—"

"—Future newcomers need not be—"
"—Be sent through this—"

"—'Cave of Trial'."

There must be. They're positive of it. People like that are always around.

[gorgonfondness]

"I don't know about the last part. Tradition's pretty hard to shake. And they're even more wary about so-called outsiders becoming citizens without passing the Trial, though so far that's only been two people. But while I'm not holding my breath on that, I hope you're right about everything else."

[xamotomax]

"Traditions die when there is—"
"—No one to maintain them, Mrs Ausa. And—"

"—They usually die when—"
"—People change their minds, or—"

"—Well, they perish along with it."

Pause.

"The answer to that—"

"—Will come in time."
Another pause. The cups are drained.

"Perhaps we should think of this another time? It is—"

"—Prudent to consider their opinions, but—"
"—Some days are more conducive to it—"

"—Than others. Besides."

"We would like to see more of this place, if we could?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Of course," she says, carefully standing herself up and putting her hands on her back. "I would be glad to show you around."

Mia leads them out, waddling as she goes, through the door of her living quarters to the hallways of the Magic Guild. They receive nods of acknowledgement from the guards stationed throughout.

[xamotomax]

Here is where they manage to rein in their apparent touristy behaviour.

Instead of gawking, they nod and examine what is shown, looking but not touching, all while keeping up a steady-but-silent exchange over all there is to see, and chiefly centred around its potential for replication and use in their world—at least when something of magic is observed.

R&D at Extensive Enterprises would salivate at the prospect to examine, reverse-engineer and replicate the magics of this world.

As to the architecture, well, that conversation is more audible. Mainly a series of compliments about the design and the designers who created it.

They might even be coveting some of it, wishing to add some of the ornate embellishments to their own homes. Spoken, of course, in a tone of appreciation for what Mia has here.

[gorgonfondness]

They're fortunate guests: they've been to visit the current Guildmaster's quarters and now the get a glimpse of the former's.

The group's first stop is an unassuming little door where Mia knocks and a woman who looks like an older, blonde Mia answers.

"Mia, are you all right dear?" she asks.

"I'm fine, Mama, but I have guests to tour the city and I was wondering if I could borrow the carpet for it. We'll make more progress that way than if I have to waddle along."

Her mother shakes her head a little with a sigh. Kids today and their ideas.

"This probably goes without saying, but you're not to go near the edge of the city. I know you're grown with your own child on the way, but I'm still your mother and I still don't want you or your baby hurt. And I'm sure Draco and Rabastan wouldn't want that, either."

"Of course, Mama. I'm sure my guests will help keep that from happening."

Mia holds her hand out to present her mother and says, "Xamot, Tomax, this is my mother, Majesty Lemia Ausa."

"How do you do?" Lemia says with a nod.

[xamotomax]

More amused smiles from the twins. Now it's clear where Mia gets it from.

"Pleased to meet you.

Pause. They might be amused if Lemia shows the typical reaction they get to their dialogue.

"We will make sure no harm comes—"

"—To your daughter, Mrs Ausa."
And we are fine, thank—"

"—You very much.

"You?"

[gorgonfondness]

Lemia looks back and forth at them.

"You two are going to make me dizzy, but I'm fine otherwise. And it is Miss Ausa, I'm afraid."

Mia leans to whichever twin is closest to her and quietly says, "Mother never married. Most Ausas don't."

[xamotomax]

You know, I think they enjoy the reaction they get.

Thus why they look so humoured.

Then...

"They don't?" Xamot returns, looking a bit surprised.

"She did say 'get straight to conceiving her heir', did she not?" Tomax sends back, though just as surprised.

They recover, then,

"It's unusual to us, because—"

"—That's not something we encountered often—"

"—Back in Corsica."

[gorgonfondness]

"It's not common here, either. Only our family does it."

"I'm still standing right here," Lemia says bluntly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mother," Mia says with some surprise. "I just didn't know how to bring up the subject otherwise."

"It's all right. It's not something that bothers me. Here, let me get the carpet so you can be on your way."

[xamotomax]

Still laughing when Lemia leaves, the twins wait until it's just Mia who can hear them.

"Your mother is—"

"—Quite the charming woman," they observe.

"We'd like to meet—"

"—Her again, at a—"

"—Future time."

[gorgonfondness]

"She is very kind and warm," Mia says. "And her food is always wonderful. I have yet to meet a person who has tried her strawberry preserves and not be completely in love with them."

Having received the carpet, Mia unrolls it and takes a seat. It rises up in the next moment and she moves along to lead the twins.

"Here, I'd like to show you the library. But on the way, do tell me of Corsica. You mention it often and it's a place I'm not familiar with."