The Silence of Medair

"I don’t know. It can’t be escaped that the Kier’s blood, the entire Saral-Ibis line, is not pure. The Cor-Ibis line is loyal to a fault, and I’ve heard no suggestion that Keridahl Galen dealt with pure-blood differently from Farak-lar or those who are both. Yet no Keridahl Cor-Ibis has ever mixed blood with Farak-lar. Keridahl Galen chose a pure-blood to father her son and a pure-blood to marry that son. Of course the purists think it significant."

This was more complex than Medair had realised. "Does anyone actually admit to being a purist?"

"Oh, yes." He looked at her again, and she could see him assessing whether she was offended by the topic. "There are those who keep their opinions to themselves, but it’s not impossible to walk a fine line between expressing a wish to keep the blood cold – even you must know what that means – and failing to point out that the Saral-Ibis line no longer has that purity."

Cold blood. Nothing to do with temperature or emotion, and everything to do with self-control. The Ibisian idea of nobility. "Mixed blood is considered less…disciplined?"

Avahn nodded. "I don’t even know if it’s true there’s a difference," he said, baldly. "Mylar – one of my cousins – is the best of men. Powerful in magic, already adept, never unjust or out of sorts. I’ve not once seen him angered, unlike Surreive. Unlike me. And his mother is fully Farak-lar – it was a great scandal long ago. Some of the family will never forgive it."

"Does Cor-Ibis?"

"I doubt Mylar complains of his treatment at my esteemed cousin’s hands." Avahn’s fine mouth twisted into bitter lines. "I don’t know, Medair. I’m his heir, but I haven’t graduated to the level of confidant. No-one has that honour. He agreed to a sha-leon marriage with a pure-blood woman, but why is something no-one would be so crude as to ask him. Whether because purity matters to him or simply because his mother suggested it. Or if he didn’t care who he married, or briefly did want Amaret – who knows? Not, at least, because he was under his mother’s thumb. My father loved their occasional disagreements. Winter at The Avenue." He reined in his black, and glanced down into the valley, the frown smoothing from his face. "I can scarcely believe I’m talking about purists with a woman named Medair. Let alone Amaret. Do you know, I’ve never discussed her before? Something everyone knows, except you."

"You’ve not often travelled outside Palladium, have you?"

"Not extensively. It’s interesting to have our famed egocentrism demonstrated. Let me summarise the rest of their relationship. During the first year of the marriage, Keris Amaret conceived twice and lost the babe practically as soon as it was confirmed she was pregnant. The third pregnancy proved more lasting. Then Keridahl Galen died and Keris Amaret left my cousin before the tomb was set. She was four or five months pregnant at the time, and rather gleefully announced it wasn’t his. She really hated him, towards the end. The marriage lasted less than two years."

"You talk about her in the past tense."

"She died giving birth, the child stillborn. Wasn’t his, either; she was telling the truth about that. Mixed-blood. Cor-Ibis made no move to get another heir, after, but it was the fact that Amaret had carried someone else’s child almost to term which brought the Family out. It was taken as an indication that he could not father a viable child. His mother had miscarried three times before he was born. So the various branches of the family moved in to secure their positions." Avahn’s voice was full of disgust, but Medair was remembering the familiar contempt with which he treated Ileaha. To her, it sounded like the Cor-Ibis family were purists who were not willing to admit the fact.

Stray memories chose their moment to lock into place and she exclaimed softly. Avahn looked to her in enquiry and she lifted a shoulder.

"I just remembered that Illukar was the name of the Ibisian who died with Sar-Ibis, getting rid of the wild magic. Kier Ieskar’s brother. I knew I’d heard the name in connection to the invasion. What a thing to call a child."

Laughing, Avahn nudged his gelding closer so he could reach across to pat her arm. "Yes, Medair, parents are unaccountable when they are faced with offspring in need of a name. Have you only just realised that the family descends from the brother of the Niadril Kier? There have been four named Illukar las Cor-Ibis. The first used the strength of his blood to destroy wild magic, when the Blight overwhelmed Sar-Ibis. Before that he was Illukar las Saral-Ibis, since he was the Niadril Kier’s brother, but according to the histories he declared himself Cor-Ibis before going to his death, because he was to be the end, not the heart of the land."