Better Late than Never ----------------------- Furon Duskblade watched his future son-in-law leave with cold regard. The boy believed his fiance and her foolish accusation, obviously, but Furon doubted it was because of any knowledge or proof: he just believed everything she said. Poor, foolish boy. Still, it was something that must be dealt with. Fortunately, it should be relatively easy; should she change her tune, he'd whistle along. Furon went to the bellpull and tugged once. No sound was heard, but that was exactly the way it should be. The bell wasn't in this room, after all; what would be the purpose in that? He shut the door of the study once more, then turned back to the situation with his step-daughter. Amaryne looked like her father for a moment, angry over silly daydreams broken. Oh, there were hints of her mother's beauty in her, if she had ever cared to bring them out with a little cosmetics. But she was obviously her father's daughter, in temperament, in misguided idealism, in the set of her jaw and the posture of rage. "So you really think you can convince me otherwise?" she scoffed at him. "I don't have any proof, or you'd be hanged by now. But I KNOW. You two went off to Stranglethorn Vale together for a little pleasure hunting. You came back, and he didn't. And you just...appropriated his life. Stole his wife and his life and laughed at him behind his back, you cold, calculating son of a bitch." "FIRST of all," he retorted as he tried to pull his own anger back in. She was good at getting him angry, but in a ham-fisted sort of way. "...you will not speak of my mother in such a tone. She was a good, well-respected woman, and she is sorely missed by her entire family. Keep your bile aimed at me alone, if you must unleash it. It isn't very ladylike, I should add." She arched an eyebrow in elegant apathy, which surprised him. He didn't think she could do anything elegantly. She always fell into chairs and dropped onto couches. She strode with obvious determination, rather than stroll in graceful wandering. It was enough to make a respectable man tear his hair out in frustration. "Second of all, you do not, as you say, have proof. Kael'mas's disappearance was a tragedy to me as well. He was my best, my closest friend. We had fought together, saved each others' lives. And I know that part of your so-called reasoning in this is how quickly I married your mother afterwards. It was natural for me to console my friend's widow..." "...and you two came to have feelings for each other that grew quickly, yadda yadda," she finished for him. He made a moue of distaste at the interruption. "Yes, actually. I know you think it romance novel drivel, but it can happen. It did, in this case. I worried about upsetting the memory of my friend, but in the end, I knew he'd want Selah to be happy, and his family taken care of." "Yeah, 'cause you've taken great care of me," Amaryne snorted derisively. "Yes, I've been lax in seeing to your needs. I confess I was caught up in the joy of my own child being born and seeing to raising him. You were already so independent when I became your father..." "STEPfather." He ignored it and continued on, "...that I was at something of a loss to try and really be a father to you. Well, that ends now." There was a knock on the study door. He scribbled a note on a sheet of paper, folded it once and opened the door wide. His butler was waiting on the other side, and he handed the paper to him with a nod of thanks, before shutting the door and turning once more to face the incorrigible girl. "I will see to it you have all the attention you need from now on, Amaryne." He gave a short nod, and was bemused by the look of consternation that came over her face. She opened her mouth to say something, most likely something incredibly rude and crass, but no sound came forth. Instead there was a dull thud as something hard hit the back of her head; her eyes rolled back and she fell, only to be caught by a quiet figure just now becoming visible. Furon smiled, pleased with a job well done. "Take her downstairs - by the back way, please. Her mother would have a fit." The black-swathed figure nodded, hoisted the unconscious huntress and exited quietly as Furon held the door open. In the meantime, there were preparations to see to. **A few hours later** "What do you mean, it isn't working?" He had regained his calm demeanor over some tea and light flirting with his wife. Selah's beauty and charm always soothed him, and it was looking as if he might need another dose. Coming downstairs to check on his wayward ward, he had been met with the unfortunate news from those charged with taking care of her that nothing was going right. "I mean it isn't working, Uncle." Ciarre's brow furrowed plaintively, and he sighed. His niece was a delightful child, took eagerly to the work, but then his son was eager to be a blood knight. It didn't make him any better at it than it made Ciarre at being a rogue and a poisoner. Furon stalked over to the table, where all the light in the room was centered. Amaryne was laid out and strapped down to it, and she was straining against the leather bonds. She did not look pleased, and probably not just because she was mostly without clothing. He kicked at her gear piled on the floor as he looked down at her. "Amaryne Dawn?" She glared at him hotly. No, most certainly not working. Then a voice snuck up out of the darkness. "It's because of who she is." He recognized that tone; it was Ciarre's older sister. THERE was a woman destined to make something of herself - a Duskblade through and through. "I've seen it before, in the short time I was in House Sunstriker. Someone laced dinner with an intoxicant of some kind, possibly also an hallucinogen. Everyone else was affected - one woman required emergency aid due to allergies. Amaryne ate her portion with no ill effects. It didn't bother her at all, nor make her see pink cats or run around naked." "Well, thank the gods for small miracles," Furon muttered. "Not that she apparently needs to be drugged in some cases. Honestly...bad enough she's in an openly sexual relationship with that boy, but...out in public..." His older niece's voice sounded amused. "My understanding was that they were behind some outcroppings of rock. Certainly, one would have had to know where to look to see them." "It doesn't change the facts, and I'll thank you not to remind me of it." He looked down at Amaryne. She had the decency to blush, at least, and she was, if anything, angrier. "So she simply needs a stronger dose then. Double it, and report back to me. Make sure you get the command phrases right, Ciarre. And do not disappoint me again. I'm going up for dinner." His nieces bowed to him, not that he could see anyone aside from Ciarre, and he ascended. The last thing he heard before he headed out was Ciarre's voice pouting to her sister, "Suck-up." He smirked and shut the door. **After Dinner** "Amaryne Dawn?" And now her eyes glazed over, her expression went blank. Much better, he thought. "Mind your manners." She nodded, her head having been freed from the straps, and her eyes returned to normal. He smiled up at his niece. "Yes, much better indeed. She responds to all commands?" "We haven't tried the last, but otherwise yes." "Good. Wipe her memory of this, get her dressed, and then take her upstairs. Make sure she understands what to say to her mother. I've got the maids making up her room." "Just one more thing, Uncle," Ciarre added hesitantly. "We've doubled the dose, and...well, she'll need it more than once a day. At least thrice." He blinked and stared back down at his former best friend's daughter. She was leanly muscled and athletic, not a scrap of fat on her slim frame. She was petite and spry like most of their race, and yet her body required the same amount of potion as 3 strong men twice her size? "It doesn't surprise me," the narrative voice came from the darkness again. "She shrugs off injuries, potions, drugs, and poisons. I told you how much she used to drink - I believe it was because a normal amount of alcohol would affect her very little very quickly, and then be gone so fast she hardly knew the buzz was there. Thus the only way to dull her emotional pain was to become...forgive the term, Uncle...shit-faced drunk. It was the only way she could not feel it for anything longer than a few minutes." He sighed. "I am glad you're here then, and even more glad that I sent you to look after her in the first place." He looked to Ciarre and grimaced. She had input the commands; they would work for anyone who knew them, but would work best in the voice and tone she had first heard them in, and that meant Ciarre would have to be the one. "I am doing all of this to make my daughter a proper young lady, one who will not shame her mother or myself with her behavior. And every proper young lady needs a lady's maid. You will take on this part, Ciarre, so that you can administer her draughts to her as needed, with meals. Put it in her tea; she likes tea enough that that shouldn't be terribly suspicious. But make sure no one overhears you giving the commands; she needs to stay under our control. "This will be your Test, Ciarre. Keep my daughter on the tight leash I've put on her, and you will earn your daggers. Understand?" The girl did not seem pleased at first, but with the knowledge that she'd earn her family's lifelong respect and honor, she nodded grimly. He heard a chuckle fade into the black and suspected her sister had left. If Ciarre had half the talent her sister did, this would work wonderfully. He gave Ciarre a pat on the shoulder for encouragement, went over his instructions and ascended once more. Amaryne Flarestrike would trouble his family no longer. She would soon be properly married off, in a ceremony that would make her mother swoon with delight, and would act in all ways a noblewoman of proper upbringing. She would never be welcome in most social circles, but her arrival at the house would stop being such a blight on parties. And most importantly, she would no longer be running around blathering about betrayal and murder. She would Behave, finally, as a daughter should. When he thought about all he had accomplished this night, it made his chest swell with fatherly pride. Yes, he had been tardy in administering the discipline and firm hand all children needed to grow into responsible, well-behaved adults, but he had finally made up for it. A great burden was lifted. It put a spring in his step and a smile to his lips. At long last, all was well with his family.