Omnixius
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DKP 7-18 a noble woman
🕑 Added 2022-01-21 22:47:24 +0000 UTCSarah oversaw the arrangements for breakfast in the garden, ensuring the table was set for their guest. She hadn't slept that night, preferring to hold her girls and think about the challenges ahead. They were already moving soldiers to meet two advancing armies, and word arrived that Jessivel and Alayse had captured to first of the traitors. There were a dozen more to be arrested, as well as assassins, petty nobles, and angry displaced royalty.
Gersius was no longer being patient with the rulers of the various provinces and territories. Any region that withheld soldiers would be invaded, its leadership stripped of property, titles, and rank. They would be exiled from the empire with nothing but what they could carry on their backs. He would replace those leaders with people loyal to him if loyalty was what you could call it.
She looked across the table, set with crystal and fine glass. Sarah was accustomed to wealth and fine things, having been born in time to witness the peak of human and dragon cooperation. She even had a castle of sorts, where humans often came to bring gifts and earn her favor. Still, it was nothing like the empire's wealth, and her once-grand castle would fit into the palace many times.
Now she held many titles as Empress of the most powerful empire in the known land. She was known as the Queen of the red star, the champion of Astikar, the leader of the falcons, the oldest dragon in the land, and the red death. She wore all these titles with honor, but none of them carried the same weight or importance as the one given her by those she loved. They gave her the greatest name she could ever imagine holding when they came to her arms and called her wife.
Gersius said she was the fire that brought strength to their relationship. Lilly and Thayle looked to her for wisdom, history, and a gentle hand to guide them. She was integral to their lives, and more importantly, she could feel their love of her. The magic of the bind was something of a miracle, born out of being utterly vulnerable to others. It united their solus or soul in the human tongue and blended the light that was their being. They shared one heart, one mind, and one purpose, which seemed to be to share their love.
As a dragon of great age, she found these new feelings vexing. She knew of the existence of love because she had dwelt among humans before. But she had no concept of what purpose it filled or how it felt to be loved. Now she was awash in it, and her confusion only grew deeper. Sarah couldn't believe that anyone would feel like that for her. That someone would miss her when she wasn't around and fear for her safety when she was in danger.
It had awakened something in her being, a need to fill the role of matron. Dragons of her age guided the younger ones, acting as a mother figure and offering advice. Those traditions were long gone, but dragons never truly forget. Like the calling to breed, it is a part of their nature, and when the time comes, they feel the need even if they don't remember why. Lilly and Thayle awoke in her a desire to have younger ones to care for. She wanted to fill the role that ached in her heart and help shape the future of her kind. She realized that mothering her two wives was filling this need but was two enough? A dragon her age would sleep often and for long periods, her presence walking the dream. She would be found in the gathering places where hundreds of the young would come to ask her for teaching and advice. Lilly and Thayle were filling that hole, but in her heart, she longed to have more. Her dragon family was broken, but this human form of family could fill the role. She could gather to herself more wives of deserving nature and quality, guiding and loving them as her own. She had already admitted her desire for more that day they explored the valley in the dream, but it hadn't been addressed since then. The needs of the empire and the looming wars always took precedence. Her needs would have to wait, but for how long?
“Good morning,” came a soft voice that brought Sarah out of her private thoughts. She looked up to see Lady Cartain standing in an archway dressed in a simple white gown. She was adorned with gold and silver from her ankles to the crown of her head. “I hope I am not disturbing you. You seemed rather lost in thought.”
Sarah quickly assumed her regal composure and gave the woman a nod of greeting. “Not at all. I find it a relief to have a moment to my own thoughts, but you were hardly interrupting. I take it you got our invitation to breakfast?”
Lady Cartain nodded in return and stepped into the garden in bare feet. Sarah almost smiled to see it as it was a common vice of her two wayward wives. If Lilly and Thayle had their way, they would run about the palace barefoot and dressed in simple silks night and day.
“The others will be down shortly,” Sarah commented and turned to look over the city. “I hope your room was suitable.”
“My room was most gracious,” Lady Cartain replied and moved to join Sarah at the wall. She looked over the city from the lofty perch before glancing at Sarah. “It must be special to be the Empress of such a vast empire. I am afraid I have but a tiny holding that would fit several times inside the city alone.”
Sarah wanted to ask where this holding was, but she hadn't yet developed the aura sight and wanted Thayle present for the answer. Instead, she acknowledged that she felt a certain amount of pride in being an empress. She admitted it was a bit of her dragon vanity to hoard wealth and power.
“I have to admit it is difficult to see you as a dragon,” Lady Cartain commented. “You strike me as a powerful woman who commands respect, but you appear young and beautiful.” She paused and then turned in alarm with a hand on her chest. “Oh, I mean no disrespect. I have been told that dragons greatly value their age. I only meant to compliment your exquisite human appearance.”
Sarah smiled and held up a hand to gesture her to calm. “I appreciate your kind words,” She said and leaned against the railing. “In truth, I have become fond of being in my human form. There is much of this world that we dragons fail to experience because of our natures.”
“You fail to experience it?” Lady Cartain asked with a funny expression.
Sarah could see she didn't understand, so she explained how tough a dragon's skin was and how their size kept them from experiencing the simple joy of walking a forest trail. She relayed much of it from Lilly’s point of view, explaining how Lilly discovered the world by giving up her strength and traveling it as a human.
“Especially food,” Sarah added. “We dragons primarily eat meat, and we eat it raw. It is quite a shock to experience the great variety of human foods.”
“Do dragons not mingle with humans?” Lady Cartain asked as she tried to understand.
“Certainly not,” Sarah replied. “It would take hours to explain it to you, but dragons do not, as a rule, consider humans worthy of a moment of their time. We see your lifespans as a flash of light and your labors as fruitless. To us, you are a dream, something ephemeral and fleeting. We often sleep longer than your lifespans and find your world drastically changed when we awake.”
“I see,” Lady Cartain replied and looked away. “So it is hard for you to appreciate life as we do.”
“Maybe,” Sarah said as Thayle and Lilly arrived in the garden. “But if you want to meet a dragon that has embraced what it means to be human, you need look no further than Lilly.”
“Lady Cartain!” Lilly called enthusiastically as she and Thayle approached hand in hand.
“Empresses Lilly and Thayle,” she said with a bow of her head.
“Please, just call me Lilly,” Lilly replied and swung Thayle’s hand.
“Well, then will you do me the honor of calling me Celine,” Lady Cartain said.
“Celine,” Lilly whispered, then looked up with bright eyes. “I like your name.”
“I am fond of your name,” Celine replied. “I love Lilies.”
“Gersius named me,” Lilly said and squeezed Thayle's hand. “He named Sarah too.”
“I am the only wife he refuses to name,” Thayle said dryly and managed to pry her hand free from Lilly’s. “Is breakfast ready?”
“I was waiting for our husband before I called for it,” Sarah answered.
“He feels close,” Lilly said and turned to look into the palace. “He will be here any moment.”
“He feels close?” Celine asked and looked to Sarah for understanding.
“Lilly!” Thayle shouted silently over the bind. “Be careful what you say around her. We don't know if we can trust her yet.”
“I’m sorry,” Lilly replied in thought. “I forget we are keeping that a secret.”
“Well, we will have to say something about it now,” Sarah added to the private conversation. “I will handle it.” She turned to Celine and replied that Lilly and Gersius shared a sort of magical bond, and Lilly often felt when he was near.
“That was vague enough to pass as truth,” Thayle congratulated silently.
“It was the truth. I just left out a lot of detail,” Sarah answered and looked up as Gersius came out of the doorway. He dressed in a loose white shirt that wasn't tied, allowing the wind to blow the top open gently. His hair was brushed but always managed to look as if he used his fingers instead of a comb. He met each woman's gaze in turn, even Lady Cartain, who got a nod of approval.
Sarah instructed them to sit and made sure to place Celine across the table where Thayle could clearly see her. She called for the servant and had the food brought out as Lilly informed Gersius of their guest's proper name.
“Celine,” he said with a curious expression. “That sounds cellic.”
“It is, but I get my color from my mother,” she replied as a plate of food was set before her. “My mother was from the sands, while my father was from the cellic region.”
“An odd pairing,” Gersius replied as he thought about the frequent conflicts those two regions had.
“So I am told,” Celine replied. “It's why my parents left and moved to the common lands to find peace.”
“And you rule a kingdom in the common lands?” he asked as Lilly began to butter a slice of bread vigorously.
“Oh, please, I didn’t mean to give that impression,” Celine replied. “I am just a noble with the rank of duchess. I have a modest holding in Norlander where my family makes most of its money from farming and a small tin mine.”
“Is your family name prominent?” Gersius pressed.
“I'm afraid not, but we are seeing some improvement since the war started. We grow a lot of cereals, and there has been a great deal of demand from the territories that make up the empire.”
“How is she doing?” Sarah asked silently as Celine and Gersius began to discuss the problem of trade routes being closed because of angry kingdoms.
“Every word she has spoken has been the truth,” Thayle replied over the bind. “But something is wrong.” When Sarah asked for more, Thayle explained how Celine's aura was far too calm. It hardly moved or registered anything but contentment. When it did move, it flared up for the briefest of moments before streaking with purple and resuming its calm state.
“What does purple mean?” Sarah asked as she dug into a sausage.
“When dealing with aura's, the colors are just as important as how they penetrate the light. If the light was dominated by purple, it would mean jealousy. If it was streaked with purple, it would be a form of jealous fear.”
“So which one is hers?” Lilly asked over the bind.
“She glows with a blanket of it for just a brief moment, and sometimes you can see a band of it over her head. I have never known a person to have a profoundly green aura with a purple halo,” Thayle replied
“She seems nice enough,” Sarah suggested as she looked over the woman.
“She likes to wear jewelry,” Lilly pointed as she gazed over the rings and bracelets.
“She is overly draped in it,” Thayle replied.
“Why can’t I wear that much?” Lilly asked as Sarah glanced to her left and silently replied with because I said so.
“I’m a dragon and would benefit from wearing jewelry,” Lilly pouted. “Why does that human get to wear more than I can?”
Gersius restrained a chuckle as Lilly and Sarah began a silent argument, all the while eating breakfast like nothing was happening. He enjoyed the conversation with Celine, who smiled every time they made eye contact. She played with her food a bit, sampling everything to enjoy the variety.
“So what brought you to Calathen then?” Thayle asked as she ignored the argument still raging over the bind.
“News has reached even as far as Norlander that the new empire was hosting open engagements to allow people to meet the rulers. Stories of great dragons and terrible battles are spreading across the land, and I wanted to see if there was any truth to them.”
“And that's it?” Thayle asked as she scrutinized the light.
“Well, I wouldn't pass up a chance to improve my family's trading rights,” Celine replied with a shrug. “But I used that as an excuse to come. I honestly wanted to meet you. I don't understand why so many of the kings are cold to you.”
“That's easy to explain,” Sarah said as she and Lilly shared an icy glare. “Our power threatens them, and if they plan to do anything about it, now is the time. Once we have consolidated our empire and ended the war with the Doan, none of them will be able to challenge us.”
“Once we are firmly established, I doubt they would be a threat even if they worked together,” Gersius added.
“Well, the empire is larger than the common lands combined,” Celine conceded. “But I see no reason to believe their power is in danger.”
“No king likes to have a more powerful neighbor,” Gersius replied. “But our empire tips the scales of power and subjugates smaller kingdoms even without declaring war. They know they could never hope to defeat us, so they must give us whatever we ask.”
“Thus making you the ruler of their lands even if it's never officially declared,” Celine surmised. “I suppose even if a king did resist, his nobles would jump at a chance to work with you behind his back. You might reward them by deposing the king and putting them on the throne.”
“Indeed,” Sarah agreed. “So they close their borders to weaken the empire while it fights the Doan. They hope we will collapse so they can go back to squabbling over minor disputes.”
“I never cared for politics,” Celine admitted. “It should be one's people who occupy a ruler's mind, not their personal needs for station and power.”
Gersius nodded in approval but cautioned that in order to care for one's people, a leader had to be able to deal with foreign powers. A weak ruler attacks arrogant kings seeking to prove their power and dominance. It placed one in a difficult position where the force of arms took precedence over civil matters.
As breakfast went on, Thayle watched the woman's aura intently while feeding Gersius and Sarah questions to ask. In every instance, Celine's aura was perfectly calm and flashing with the light of truth. She appeared to be a curious noblewoman from a minor house in a distant kingdom. She came to the empire to see who they really were and hopefully meet them face to face. Despite meeting them, she kept her head, always remaining polite and cordial while answering every question.
As breakfast ended, Gersius bid her farewell and left with Lilly to attend to prayers and blessings for the temple of Balisha. Sarah wanted to spend some time with the small number of women who had joined Astikar and meet with Lengwin about his rising concerns. Thayle went to the cathedral of Ulustrah built along the base of the central palace. Here she knelt in prayer before the large stone bowl that acted as the temple's mirror.
“Something is troubling you,” a familiar voice said after nearly an hour of reflection.
“Mingfe,” Thayle sighed and turned about to see the desert woman wearing her fine green robe of the goddess. “I am glad to see you.”
“I imagine you are. Your light is full of doubt,” Mingfe said as she approached. “The priestess noticed your turmoil and sent for me. None of them felt they could offer the champion of Ulustrah proper council.”
“I sometimes wish I didn’t carry that title,” Thayle groaned and got to her feet. “Well, I suppose I should explain.”
“It would help,” Mingfe replied and led her to a bench along the wall. Thayle poured out the story about Celine and how perfectly nice she was. When Mingfe questioned why this was upsetting her, she explained the purple colors in the aura.
“So she is jealous?”
“No,” Thayle said with a shake of her head. “It’s something else. You know how anger surrounds the aura with a glow of red. Hers does the same with purple, but only for a second or two.”
“That is very strange,” Mingfe replied. “A fleeting emotion strong enough to color the edge.”
“There is more,” Thayle pressed. “Over her head is a sort of ring of purple. You can't see it most of the time, but now and then, you catch a glimpse of it. Like a sort of crown that moves.”
“It moves?” Mingfe asked.
“It has structure and substance,” Thayle answered. “It almost appears to be turning.”
Mingfe looked concerned and asked more questions about how truthful the woman had been. Thayle told her about how unerringly truthful the woman had been and just how unnaturally relaxed her aura was. It was the kind of calm one saw in a woman deep in meditation and focused on a soothing thought. Mingfe reminded her that it was possible to achieve a calm mind and hence a calm aura with lengthy training.
“But to be able to hold it for so long while carrying on a conversation?” Thayle asked. “The woman never loses concentration, not even for a moment.”
“And you say she claims to share the blood of my people?” Mingfe asked.
“She said her mother was of the desert and her father a cellic,” Thayle answered.
“An unusual pairing but not unheard of, especially when temples of Ulustrah are around to encourage love to grow,” Mingfe replied and thought for a moment. “So it is this unusual aura that has you concerned. Didn't you tell me about another aura that behaved strangely? It had to do with Lilly and the selection of her acolytes.”
Thayle thought back to that day and remembered the strange woman who had come asking to be accepted. She was tall, thin, and had long golden hair framing a kind face. Her skin was much lighter than Celines, but there had indeed been something strange about that aura. It glowed with an unusual brightness and reached out in tendrils for Lilly as if hungry to touch her. The woman almost appeared awestruck to see Lilly and said something silly about how she knew her human form would be beautiful. What linked this odd woman with Celine was the color purple. Purple shapes danced in that strange girl's light, like the rune's shapers used to weave magic into objects. She said her name was Angela, but that showed to be a lie, and Thayle rejected her. She left with a sad expression, looking over her shoulder at Lilly as if it would be the last time she ever saw her.
“Ah, yes, that was the story,” Mingfe said as Thayle recounted it for her. “Again with the purple where it shouldn’t be.”
“But what does it mean?” Thayle asked in frustration. “I have put it before lady Ulustrah, but thus far, she has remained silent.”
“I have never heard of such things except from you,” Mingfe said as she tried to think of an answer. “It must have some significance. Perhaps we could ask the primes to research it? There might be something in some of the old books from the ages past.”
“I suppose we could try that,” Thayle agreed and played with her hands. “Lilly is taken with her, and even Sarah is warming up to her charms.”
“What about Gersius?” Mingfe asked. “Is he showing any interest?”
Thayle couldn't be sure if he was. Gersius treated everyone with a certain measure of respect, but he wasn't quick to fall in love. He was very guarded when it came to showing his emotions to strangers. He even treated Thayle with the utmost respect even when he dearly wanted her to be his wife.
“I don’t think he is open to the idea as Lilly is, and Sarah has an emotional problem of her own,” Thayle replied.
“The might red queen has an emotional problem?” Mingfe asked in sudden concern.
“It isn't anything bad,” Thayle replied and explained Sarah's dragon nature needed to take its place at the head of a family of dragons. She was filling that role with Lilly and Thayle but had expressed a desire to have more wives so she could care for them. Mingfe was delighted to hear that Sarah had such a need and teased Thayle about how many women might one day share her bed.
“Stop that,” Thayle laughed. “She might want them, but Gersius won’t accept a woman until he knows for sure he can love her and that she can love him.”
“A rare man,” Mingfe replied. “But that only ensures that any woman he accepts will compliment what you have and not poison it. I don't mean to speak ill of my sisters, but we can be terribly jealous and venomous as vipers.”
“Some can,” Thayle agreed. “But we can see the truth of their light and avoid all that.”
“Perhaps,” Mingfe agreed. “But this light is hiding something, and until you know for sure, it would be unwise to get too close to this Celine.”
Thayle agreed, and together they went to seek out the temple scryer. She sent a detailed message about the aura to the primes, along with a request for guidance and aid. Now all she could do was wait and keep a close eye on Celine to see if something more could be learned.
That afternoon Lilly spent some time sparing with Gersius on the temple grounds. The new priests and acolytes gathered around to watch the high priest and priestess dance with dual blades. It was the style Lilly preferred with a fluid flow of motion. She preferred to spar with Gedris, who shared her fighting style, but Ayawa and her family were in the north scouting. Gersius was well versed in fighting with two weapons, but he wasn't as aggressive with his off-hand. Lilly used both with equal skill, easily switching leading hands at a moment's notice. Still, she was annoyed when he broke through her defenses and placed the tip of his practice sword at her face.
“You are greatly improving,” he said to compliment her.
“Just once, I want to beat you,” Lilly pouted as she stepped back. “I try to cheat and read your thoughts, but you are already moving before the thought solidifies.”
“That is because I do not have to think out my next move. I have done this for so long that I react from memory even before my mind is aware of what to do,” he replied.
“That must be why I can learn fighting styles over the bind from you,” Lilly said and took a defensive stance. “You have this so deeply ingrained in your being it ends up being shared.”
“And in time, you will develop the same reflexes,” he urged.
Lilly smiled and dashed in with her weapons held very aggressively. Gersius allowed her to practice several attacks and intentionally left an opening to see how quickly she would exploit it. It took a few seconds, but it was clear she saw the chance and tried to press the advantage. He parried every thrust and even smiled when she switched hands and forced him to step back. The crowd gasped at the display as Lilly went into a storm of rapid slices, pressing Gersius again. Lilly tried to keep the offensive, but Gersius knew how to goad her into overreaching. When she did, he swiped a sword out of the way and put the tip at her face again.
“If you say I am improving again, I will throw these at you,” Lilly growled.
“You have been training in one of the most difficult forms of combat for just over two months. You have accomplished more than most would do in five years. I would dare to say that you are already better than many of the soldiers of Astikar.”
“Then why do I keep losing?” she asked with a frown.
“Because you are not fighting with an average soldier of Astikar. You are dueling a man who started sword training when he was five. Whose father was a combat trainer and ensured his son had the best teachers money could buy. I am sorry, but I have many years of experience on you. You can not hope to overcome that in just a few months.”
“Why can't you throw a fight like you did for Mingfe?” Lilly asked with a frown.
“Because I would be giving you a false sense of confidence on the battlefield, and you would read my mind and knew I was doing it,” he replied.
Lilly smiled and gave him a shrug as if she didn’t care.
“Perhaps you would prefer to spar with Sarah?” he asked.
Lilly shook her head and rapidly declined. “Sarah uses that big heavy sword that I can’t parry effectively. I hate having to run around and avoid it all the time.”
“So it is not as fun as dueling me?” he laughed.
“Why can’t it be fun?” Lilly asked innocently. “It’s always fun when I duel Gedris.”
“Gedris is a novice, and her style of combat is very similar to yours,” he pointed out. “I am sorry, but I don't know how to spar worse than usual.”
“Has your little match come to an end?” a soft voice asked.
Lilly smiled as she turned about and saw Celine standing in the crowd watching the display. She walked right up to the woman and invited her into the circle, taking her to Gersius.
“I didn’t mean to stop your contest,” she said as they arrived in the center.
“We are done. I am sick of losing every match,” Lilly replied.
Gersius gave Lilly a smirk before turning to Celine and asking if she knew any fighting styles. She admitted to dabbling with the spear but had only been given the barest of lessons. She doubted she would last a minute against Lilly, which drew a glance from Gersius.
“You are not sparing against her just because it will be easier,” he said silently over the bind.
“Oh, you’re no fun!” Lilly shouted in his mind.
“So, what brings you to the temple of Balisha?” Gersius asked to steer the conversation away from combat.
“I was passing in the street and saw the crowd gathering,” she replied. “You told me this morning at breakfast that you and Lilly would be here, so I got curious. I am glad I came. You two put on quite a show.”
“I am responsible for teaching combat to the battle priests and priestesses of Balisha,” Gersius replied. “I like to spar with Lilly at least once a week so our followers can see the level of skill we expect on display.”
“You seek to inspire them by example,” Celine said with a bow of her head. “A wise leader seeks to inspire those who follow. A foolish leader seeks to drive them.”
“You are familiar with the anecdotes of war?” Gersius asked.
“I had a lot of time to read,” Celine replied with a sigh. “I hate to admit it, but the life of a duchess can be rather boring at times. My father handled all the affairs of state, and my only purpose was to look pretty at functions. The rest of the time was mine to fill how I saw fit.”
“Sarah likes Thayle and I to look pretty at functions,” Lilly agreed. “But she says she enjoys showing off the jewels in her crown.”
Celine smiled and gave Lilly a nod of approval before turning back to Gersius. “As long as we are talking about filling one's time, perhaps you could help me fill some of mine.”
“And how did you seek to fill this time?” Gersius asked.
Celine suddenly looked a little mischievous with a wry smile on her face. “I am told that the stout empire horses are quite an experience to ride.”
“They taste better than they look,” Lilly replied.
“Goodness, you don’t eat them, do you?” Celine asked in genuine shock.
“Not recently,” Lilly admitted. “Gersius says they are too expensive to eat.”
Celine turned a face with raised brows Gersius's way as he smiled and reminded her that Lilly was a dragon and horses were a bit of a delicacy to them. He asked if she had experience riding, and she assured him that she was well familiar with horses.
“I am afraid we don’t keep any horses in the palace,” Gersius said.
“My goodness, how do you get around?” she asked.
“They ride on me,” Lilly replied. “Sometimes we ride on Sarah because she is a lot faster.”
“They ride on your back?” Celine gasped with an uncharacteristic flare of her aura.
“Why not?” Lilly asked as if the idea was perfectly normal. “I can carry them all at once, and I am much fast than a horse, even on the ground. I love having my family on my back and feeling useful to them.”
“She has a saddle that fits her on a terrace in the palace,” Gersius added.
Celine was silent a long moment, then looked away as if straining on a thought. She looked to Lilly as she regained her composure and took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose it makes sense for the dragon knight to ride on the back of a dragon. If I may pry, have you ever ridden a horse?”
“Me?” Lilly asked and shook her head. “Why would I?”
“For the thrill of it,” Celine replied with a smile. “I would dearly love to experience the gate of an empire warhorse. I am afraid my lands are dominated by Arbury draft horses.”
Lilly turned to Gersius, who smiled and confirmed that riding a good horse could be an exciting experience.
“Could I try it?” Lilly asked.
“I believe I could arrange a horse or two,” he relented and suggested they tell the crowd they were done for the day.
Lilly went to speak to the people and politely dismissed them before running back and taking Gersius’s arm. She asked all sorts of questions about horses as he tried to temper her excitement and remind her that she didn’t know how to ride. She didn't let him dissuade her and insisted ongoing right now to find some horses. She even offered to change and fly them out, but Celine was not ready to ride on the back of a dragon. Together they returned to the palace under heavy guard and met with Sarah to plan the rest of the day. Lilly and Celine talked about horses while Sarah laid out some of the morning's dispatches. Sarah declined to go, stating that she had a headache that refused to be healed. She urged them to go on but be back in three hours to hold court.
Together the three set out as Lilly blazed with excitement and looked warmly at the woman who walked beside them. Gersius tried not to notice, but tiny specks of light were already drifting from Lilly to Celine. Right now, it was only curiosity, but even he began to wonder if perhaps Celine would be next.
