The widow was beautiful there was no denying that, but there were as many beautiful women and men in the Universe as there were stars in the sky. The Seelie who embraced the ideal concept of form and perfection, those who worship a standard of beauty on a level that few other races could meet would have thought her looks pedestrian, for all that she was beautiful. But her appearance was not a license to possess and didn't excuse Rajah Indrajit's persecution of her husband.
The scene of family, the small boys running happily or sitting with childhood abandon at the feet of their mother, was refreshing. Their exuberance, a freedom that no Sidhe child would understand. Our falling fertility rates, our decline into extinction impacted how we treated our children.
We, as a people, followed one of two ideologies, the first were those who sought to coddle and protect all children, their actions fierce almost fanatic. The second were those that felt it was better to begin seasoning and toughening up the children for the harsh realities of the world around them.
I had always thought a merging of the two ideologies would be more productive for the Sidhe. Moments of largess as children were freed to just enjoy being children, interwoven with education and training that would focus the mind and body.
The young widow's children were barely past infancy. They were, like young colts, still wobbly as they stood. Walking and running as much an effort to control forward movement as it was progress. Saanvi watched with interest as I watched with delight as her boys filled the garden with childish sounds of laughter and babble. Their chatter made complete sense to each other, and although they were not yet forming words, they had created a private language that only they understood.
They were content. Happy in this bubble of safety to chatter happily between themselves.
"Apologies," Saanvi finally said interrupting my examination of her children, "was there something you wished to discuss?"
"Forgive me," I said bowing deeply, both as an apology and to show respect. "I didn't mean to be distracted. As I mentioned, I did want to discuss a proposal I had that would solve both of our problems."
"Please," she said motioning for me to take the opposite seat, then reaching over to pour me a cup of tea, "you have me at a disadvantage. Although I am sure you are well informed about my problems, I and my family have been the subject of gossip for months, after all. I'm not sure who you are and what problems you might have that I might be able to help solve."
"Again, I apologize. I should have introduced myself first.
"I am Irvin A'Teigh, Kelpie, and adopted into the House of Teigh by King Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax. And I am on Derva serving as an attaché for Ambassador Clive.
"I'm not sure how closely you monitor the news service, but I am part of the Sidhe contingent that has been tasked with establishing an Embassy on Derva. Our staff has had a problem finding appropriate land to establish that embassy here in the city of Benares," I explained.
"I was aware," she assured me, "it would be hard to miss. The news services have been reporting your arrival nonstop.
"Along with re-broadcasts of your King's action in the Senate."
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"I would apologize, but Sidhe do not lie, and what our King did that day may have seemed barbaric, but it forced the Senate to confront a truth," I answered, proud of my King, and the actions he took that day. Honored that he was the kind of man that could be ruthless, yet still compassionate enough to have adopted me into his House.
"The treatment my people suffered under the auspices of Olympus and Asgard is one of the reasons I sought you out today.
"I'll be frank, I did seek you out because of your circumstance, but not to take advantage. I believe we can be of help to each other. I want to be clear that my motives and actions here are not one of altruism or pity. I honestly believe that we are uniquely suited to help each other."
"How?" She demanded her skepticism evident. She was becoming jaded. When your own family would betray you, it was hard not to become disillusioned. She would listen to my ideas and weigh their merit.
"Your problem stems from Rajah Indrajit and his obsession with you," I began. "He will do anything, has done much, to force you to accept his offer. He has cut off all sources of revenue, intimidated friends and family into ignoring your plight, and has watched as you were forced to sell off every treasure that you possessed.
"Treasures that he has repurchased. You will find it hard to redeem those receipts you may have saved from merchants that have agreed to hold those items as collateral. It will be interesting to see what effect their perfidy has when you return to those shops to redeem items that you have left as surety for loans, only to find that no item exists to be redeemed," I mused.
"You should certainly pursue a remedy in your courts of justice, force those merchants to name who has possession of your items, and why the merchants breached contracts by selling them. But that is a discussion for another day," I said making a note to follow up on this tangent.
"You need funds, protection, a job, and a home safe from eviction or bankruptcy," I said moving to the heart of the matter, "the embassy needs land.
"We find ourselves in similar straights as you. Someone or someone's working behind the scene. Land that would serve, mysteriously no longer available. Deals that are about to close, being ruined.
"Even the smallest parcel of land purchased by a citizen of Derva for unimaginable amounts of money. Purchased without allowing us to counter bid.
"The treaties all embassies exist under require them to own the land the embassy will operate out of. The same people that are afraid to help you, refuse to deal with us.
"The solution seems simple enough, you sell us land gaining enough money to meet your obligations. Enough to restore your coffers. And we get the land we need to build an embassy so that we are not in violation of regulations we had not been informed of."
"How is this offer any better than those others that wish to purchase our home?" She asked. "My family will still be cast adrift, forced to find a new place to call home."
"You misunderstand Lady Patel," I disagreed. "We are not buying your home, simply the border part of your property. A yard of your property, that extends on all sides. Land that the Sidhe will own. Enough property to claim and where we will construct an array, using our ability to fold space to create an Embassy that expands to meet all of our needs.
"The Embassy will be part illusion, mostly spatial array. The inside opens up to offices and quarters that can house our entire contingent, including guards and staff. You keep your home and these gardens, but they are hidden and protected within the Embassy illusion.
"You decide who will know your home still exists, and how to enter. We supply the guards at the entrance that make sure Rajah Indrajit or his operatives can no longer gain access to molest or intimidate you or any staff you hire," I concluded.
"Your home remains unchanged. But this garden of isolation you have created becomes inviolable. Anyone brave enough to dare to test Sidhe's resolve will find that King Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax is not the only Sidhe that can be resolute and bloodthirsty.
"Enemies would be well served not to test our resolve," I promised. "And that includes Rajah Indrajit. No matter how powerful he believes himself to be. Or what favors he might be able to call. If the Sidhe can make an entire Pantheon of Gods pay for their perfidy, some minor potentate stands no chance.
"Our obsession with children and their safety would see him flayed before we allowed him to harm them.