eternity:vidina_ouri [Labyrinth]

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====== Vidina Ouri ======

===== Family Dinner =====

The letter to Leassia did not receive a reply again. It had been months. Vidina huffed noisily to nobody in particular thinking of this.

It was perhaps worth another try.

In a few months. In the meantime, Vidina had her new history to write.

----

There was a reply this time, but terse. Perhaps she had finally worn her half-sister down, or perhaps Leassia had actually felt some sympathy for her?

At least her time writing as well as working for Harol was finally paying off, and she was teaching at the university in Lyre. It was, Harol had suggested, one of the ways she might find her advancement, finally.

----

The letters were more frequent, and had some personality to them, at least. She could finally get to know Leassia at least a little. Perhaps the mooted meeting on Kythara would be to her liking? Vidina dearly wanted to see young Hestina, and finally be an aunt to her. With the heat of everything dying down thanks to the prolonged peace, and Vidina's grant of title by King Iohanna, her reputation within the South had somewhat become smoothed over.

----

The holiday on Kythara had become quite the regular fixture each year.

"Lady Ouri, welcome," the servant had said, inviting them into the estate that the Grand Duke had at the South of the island. Perhaps he was jealous of Lord Harol? No, imitation was of course the sincerest form of flattery.

"Please, introduce my husband too when you announce us," Vidina said. Having a landed title came with some obligations, and she had met a Dragonblooded man she was happy to share a life with, thanks to a little matchmaking from Kallistina. She could not be present of course. That was still a little beyond what was polite.

Leassia was polite. Even friendly. Apeiron as genial and generous as ever.

And there, there was young Hestina. Excitable and ready, of course, to be spoiled by Aunt Vidina.

----

Her daughter was little help with the wedding planning, but certainly more useful than she would have been with scholarship. It was a fanciful hobby for Lady Vidina, and not one that many approved of, but when the weddings were for Duchesses, Countesses, rich merchants, and even a King, you needed someone who knew not just how to get things done, but with the right amount of taste, grace, and grandeur.

The imperious Lady Vidina Ouri was just what was needed for an extravagant wedding.

She took a break from working through the plans for the latest request --- an ambassador of the Land of Endless Sky --- and wrote another letter to Leassia. It was not quite the sisterly relationship she had imagined, but at least there was little animosity, and young Hestina was now training in the ways of the Empire. Aunt Vidina wasn't averse to giving a lesson on history or two either. It was only ever on Kythara, and away from Imperial palaces, but at least she had some common ground with that part of her family --- perhaps in the fulness of time, her own daughter could know Hestina better?

----

The old salt statue, on a high shelf, looked down on Vidina. It had been made by her first husband Bophel a long time ago, and she had almost forgotten about it. Now it sat there, a younger version of her, looking down at her. Not without a little contempt.

Vidina had never been spry, particularly, but old age was catching up with her now. Still, she wasn't above to doing things herself and this thing needed moving. She wasn't sure where to, but it couldn't live in this room, because she didn't want it overlooking her grandchild. Grandchild! Oh what had times come to.

She clambered on the stool and tried to shift the statue. It wouldn't budge. A stronger nudge was needed. She hefted it with all her strength and it shifted a little. There we go! Just a bit more. A little more...

The statue suddenly lurched, coming loose, throwing Vidina back and off the stool. The statue fell on its side, broke and disintegrated into large clumps of salt that it had been formed from. A lot of salt. It had been life-size, and of Vidina in her prime.

It buried Vidina whole.

----

She was remembered as a difficult character, short of temper --- as prickly as she was diplomatic. She would remain a controversial figure after her death, and no less controversial as a footnote in the histories.