With the basket of sandwhiches in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, I pushed open a door that had seen little use. A spiral staircase led me slowly to the top of long unused castle spire.

An old haunt of mine. Sort of a room when I didn’t care for my room. Up high in the chill of the wind. A great place to take out one’s soul and look it over without too many visitors intruding.

The view at the top of the spire was breathtaking. The lights of Amber glittered far below. In the distance, the far light of the lighthouse at Cabra. And above, the velvet sky and the stars like so many diamonds.

A new glow caught my eye. A brief flare of white from another nearby spire, that quickly extinguished. Something about the quality of light reminded me of a burst of Pattern. I set the basket and wine aside, and chuckled to myself. "Say now, seems there be more

things then stars I might spy tonight. I walked over to a corner of the room and removed a fine cloth tarp from an odd looking shape that in turn revealed a large telescope. With long remembered practice I removed the lense caps and positioned my old device for some new viewing.

Again the white light came and I saw it for what it is. Shado stood looking out over the city below, a white flame cupped in her hands. It burned unnaturally bright, yet she seemed unaffected. As I watched, it seemed as if she came out of a reverie and the flame winked out.

"Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, wish on this star tonight."

As I watched, I noticed the white flame flicker again as she lost herself in the sight before her. The look on her face was a mixture of sadness and wonder. She pulled a stola a little closer and I realised she has chosen a Romanised version of the local fashions.

Smiling I lifted my head from the eyepiece. "Don't know much about this new cousin. She seems like she's come from afar." I took the nearby bottle of wine and smashed the bottle's neck on the wall, helping myself to a glass of wine. Taking a sip I made a silent toast to the neighboring spire. "Here's to a happy home Shado"

Shado's head lifted at the smashing sound and snapped round. Her hearing must be unnaturally sharp. She hesitated then nodded politely in my direction. Her initial look had contrasted sharply with the one she wore now of polite acknowledgement. That first look had been that of one wary, full of secrets and danger, hunted and hunting.

I assumed that Shado’s eyes were as sharp as her ears and bowed slightly and raised my glass to her before taking a sip.

She nodded back and disappeared downward into the Castle. Evidently she didn’t care to provide further demonstrations of Pattern magic.

I set my glass of wine down, shrugged and began leafing through some of my old rolled up star charts. Age and weather have damaged many but I found one that looked to be still useful. Unrolling it I saw that it charted the Signus constellation. A glance at the sky told me that it would be another hour before I could properly view that area of the sky so I settled back and grabbed a...sandwich.

As I looked up, I could hear the quiet creak of the lower door to the spire opening.

Well...I considered, either Shado wasn't scared off or this deserted spire has gotten more popular then I would give it credit for.

The upper door opened and Shado carefully entered the smallish space. In a soft rich voice, she asked, "May I join you?"

"Please do, I have sandwiches in the basket if your hungary. If I'd known I would have company I would have brought another glass."

She smiled and there was a glass in her hand "Like this one?"

I chuckled and filled her glass, "I haven't learned that trick yet."

Shado smiled, "A useful trick one of my brothers showed me."

"A very useful talent I must admit."

Shado smiled and responded, "I wasn't sure if it would work here, to be honest."

"One never knows til the attempt is made. Makes life exciting." I gestured casualy at the room. "This is my amaetuer obsevatory. To my knowledge, the only one in castle amber. I used to hide up here and chart stars when I wanted to relax and get away from the politics."

Shado nodded, and looked thoughtful, "Did it work? The getting away from the politics I mean."

I grinned, "It always worked, but I always have to come back don't I? On the bright side I learned a bit of astronomy and made a few charts. A pleasant diversion."

Shado smiled, "I normally retreated to the Temple of Vesta. A welcome break from eight older brothers and all their bickering."

I laughed saying, "Well you know what they say about how you can choose your friends but not your relatives." I swallowed and attempted the look of seriousness, "There is another reason I come up here."

Shado nodded, her face more intent "Go on, please. "

So I pointed to the top of Mount Kolvir. "When the moon rises and the clouds come to that peak I can occasionaly spy upon T'ir Na N'oth. The reflected dream city of Amber. It's an eerie, ghost-like place that reflects 'might have beens' and 'could bes. Some of the visions inscribed therin are disturbing."

Shado softly murmured, "We have something like that back home too. Ours is in the ground though, reached through suphurous vents. A place of dreams and sorrow. The futures lost and gained in a heartbeat."

I smiled, "It's a strange thing to witness myself looking back at me with a matching telescope from a matching tower."

Shado smiled, "It would be indeed. May I ask you something?"

I nodded slightly, "If I can answer, I will."

Shado nodded, her face solemn and her black eyes huge in the semi-darkness. "Of course. I was just curious as to how you came to have a Roman background."

I took a sip of wine, "Easy enough to explain really. The Roman Empire is a strong presence with numerous shadows devoted to it's existance. I was raised in one of them. City of Castra Regina, on the German frontier."

Shado smiled, "As I recall, that is a beautiful land indeed. I visited its counterpart once when serving in the army."

I blinked at Shado's words. "Your's must have been a different shadow. The culture in my shadow was much more...patriarchal."

Shado smiled, a touch of melancholy in her eyes, and answers "A different Shadow in a different Realm, where Rome is equivalent to Amber. The home I was raised in."

I pondered her words, and nodded abruptly, "Yes, that would explain why there are so many shadows of the Roman Empire. Your realm cast's it's own shadows and..." my voice trailed off.

Fiona has never done anything without a reason. Did she have a purpose in raising me there. If she knew of this realm it might make sense to indoctrinate her offspring thusly. Is there some sort of political influence she would extend?

Covering my thoughts by refilling Shado’s glass I asked, "Are you then an embassador from the Court of Rome?"

Shado shook her head "No, more akin to an exile. It is a home to which I cannot at present return." She sipped the wine, "An excellent vintage, thank you."

I raised my glass to her, "A good year from Bayle's. May I also ask a question of you?"

Shado nodded, "Certainly. If I may answer it, I will."

Unsuccessfully stifling my grin I said, "When we first met you said we were kin. I was curious who your parent is in Amber?"

Shado laughed softly, "It seems some things do not change. My father is Julian. My mother was Arielle, adoptive daughter to Oberon."

I shrugged, "It's nice to know where everyone comes from. I did say that my mother was Fiona. I would tell you of my father but that is somewhat a mystery to me."

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Something bothered me saying those words. A quick search of my memory saw the drawer labelled ‘Urgent’ in my mind’s eye. Later. I didn’t want to risk opening Pandora’s box in front of new relatives.

Shado nodded, "That I can understand. I only recently discovered Julian was my father. Up to then..." She shrugged "I thought my adoptive father to be my true father. It was a bitter blow to find that he was not."

I grimaced, "Occupational hazard of our breeding. We get slammed with interesting events from time to time."

Shado nodded, a wry smile lit her face "That is indeed true." She flashed me an unexpected smile, full of warmth and light and added softly "I am indeed glad though to find a fellow Roman with whom to converse."

Feeling romantic, I switched to Patrician High Latin, "My heart too doth soar at finding a kindred spirit Tribune."

Shado answered fluently in the same tongue though with a differing accent, a smile on her lips and in her eyes "You are too kind, Flavel. Tell me, what path did you follow in the Empire?"

I returned Shado’s smile saying, "I didn't. I was born and raised there. Tutored by greek slaves, and others in a variety of arts and sciences. The third italic rounded out my military training. But as soon as I reached my majority I was brought into Fiona's care, and then, eventually Amber. House Abastillas was a foster family for me."

Shado nodded approvingly, "You had a good start though, if I may say so. A nicely rounded education."

I smiled my agreement, "I think Fiona had something of a say in my formative years. She stopped by and visited me on occasion. As much to say hello as to determine my state of development. Some of my instructors were Amberites in the guise of greek professors. Was very smoothly done."

Shado smiled, "It sounds it. My instructors were just what they seemed, I'm afraid."

"How is that? They were instructors and nothing more?"

Shado laughed softly, "They were very good instructors."

I raised my wine glass to the sky and peered through my wine at the moon. "I enjoyed the Greek philosophy of imparting education. The relationship between teacher and student was close to friendship at times. Learning became a two way street with sprited debates and long conversations that would ebb and flow like the tides of the seas. Were your educators different?"

Shado shook her head, "No, I think tutors throughout the Eight Realms share this quality, the willingness to teach, to give of themselves."

Covering my frown with a sip of wine, I wondered what it was I’d missed. It seemed obvious that Shado was dissapointed about something in the manner of her educators. "Learn how to learn, learn how to think, and Pluto take the rest. That was a saying from one of my least favorite instructors. His was the hardest of lessons. But maybe I'm better for it."

"What was it you learned that you didn't like?"

Shado looked away briefly as she said quietly "What it meant to be a daughter of the Emperor."

Remembering the previous comment Shado had made about being an outcast from the Roman realm, I ventured, "Luck and fate do not always provide us with their grace when we need it most."

Shado smiled, her black eyes shadowed with her own secrets still, and replied, "Kind and wise. Is there no end to your talents?"

Draining my glass, I chuckled and hurled the glass off the spire. "My talents are few, but my tutors were many. I sometimes think I dance always to the words of instruction that play through my days. But I think your lessons were harder. My hope that you find a measure of peace here." The distant sound of breaking glass sounded far below.

Shado nodded and smiled, "Thank you. It is an age old problem. The Emperor is dead. Long live the Emperor."

"And what now will you do in the fair realm of Amber?"

Shado leaned back against a wall, "I don't know yet. It may be a temporary refuge at best. In which case, Julia and I vanish again."

"Are you worried that which you run from may find it's way here as well?"

Shado is quiet for a moment and I could sense that she was weighing something up, judging. Finally, she asked "Have you ever seen or heard of black vortexes? Oily looking ones."

I nodded, "Only black oily vortexes that reach out with skeletal arms to strike with poisoned claws."

Shado shook her head, "I don't know about the latter part, but it would be easy enough to rig a spell to do so I suppose."

"I'm merely speaking from my own experience. The Vortex I saw was much as you described. It physically attacked one of our peers by way of a poisoned claw."

Shado looked more afraid than might be warranted, given the words. She asked quietly "Is the person alright?"

I nodded, "Your concern speaks well for your person. She did recover. I would introduce you to her latter if that is your desire."

Shado nodded, "Thank you, yes I would like that." She smiled again, "I am glad she recovered."

"I take it you've had some experience with these Vortexes as well?"

Shado nodded, "Yes, they are a side-effect of another magic. How much do you know of the Eight Realms?"

I shook my head, "Bits and pieces, rumor and speculation only. Something to do with a Cerdok theory maybe. I take it Amber is one of the realms, and Rome another?"

Shado shook her head, "No, Amber, Chaos and all that lies between is a Realm. The Court of the White Flame is equivalent to your Amber."

I unsuccessfully attempted to hide my surprise. Reaching into my shoulderbag I withdrew

a book and opened it. Shado could see it contained numerous journal entries written in Latin and symbolic code. Coming to a blank page I passed Shado a quill. "Could you draw it for me? Pictures make for better representations when explaining with dimensions."

Shado took the quill and smoothly drew a ring of eight spheres, linked by an inner ring. She handed him the quill back. "There is some conjecture in my homeland that this pattern is duplicated on the other side of the ring too and joined by a central sphere, but it

remains unproven."

I stared at the page for several moments. Okay Flavel, how the hell are you going to confirm this? Closing the cover, I looked up at Shado. "Your really not from around here are you?"

With a rueful smile, she replied, "Not really no. My mother was though. And as it turns out, my father too."

"You have given me much to ponder. I thank you for your gift of illumination. I'm not certain what I can provide for such a gift of knowledge."

Shado smiled, "I may need your help. I thought I inherited the White Flame from my father. As it turns out, that is now impossible. Would you help me find out my mother's history?"

I bowed, "I will do what I can on your behalf. As luck would have it, my principle calling is that of an investigator." Straightening I glanced out into the sky. "But I don't care to discuss plans under moonlight (OOC: Roman superstition; conspiracies), could we meet on the morrow?"

Shado nodded, "That would be good." She smiled then and leaned across, and kissed me lightly on the cheek "Thank you."

I smiled though I had grown tense, as Shado had leaned forward I was not even aware I had drawn a scapel from my wrist sheath. Hopefully, she hadn’t noticed the gesture, and I was quick to replace it. "The lady is kind."

Shado nodded, an amused smile on her lips, and withdrew as silently as she had arrived...

I stayed a while longer in the wind and cold. Feeling my cloak flapping in the wind, Wondering about Kit, thinking of Shado, and remembering an oath I had made long ago.