Frost Mother (Amy/Open)

Amy had stepped down as Prince long ago, dedicating her time and focus instead to her son. Octavian was on a path of political prowess, and as Justicar, still received visitors more often than she would have liked. Amy, however, didn't hold court with most people. The oldest Kindred of the city would come by, just to see how the beautiful frost queen was doing, but it was rarely anything but pleasant.

A neonate had come on the coattails of an old friend, new and scared of the world. Nothing made sense, and the poor fellow wasn't adjusting well. The new Prince of Nagasaki wasn't as old, and therefore felt he had no time for such a nobody. The callousness made her sigh, but she knew he'd grow out of it. Instead, like the wise old woman she had become, she took the fledgling Ventrue under her wing, just as she had her husband and son. The two were busy in the library when Fin came home.

The sound of his voice brought an immediate smile to her face, her shoulders relaxing. He hadn't been gone for long, but she hadn't been able to breathe since he first left. The silver haired woman placed a delicate hand upon the shoulder of her student and floated away from him. In all the years that had passed, O'Connor Manor had not changed much. Still bathed in browns and tans, it was a welcoming environment, lights low and furniture comfortable. After all, change was not common for the Ventrue Clan.

Amy's Victorian garb looked painfully out of place, as it had for hundreds of years, but she looked utterly elegant in the blacks, whites, and golds, and ruffles that only she seemed able to navigate. "Son," she murmured, her accent hinting at a land long since forgotten. "Welcome home." As she moved to him, however, any illusion of the Amy from before her family was shattered. She went to hug him, to welcome him as she always had. If he'd let her, she'd turn her lips to press against his cheek... and no ice would form.

Amy recognized the concern that flashed through her son's eyes and, softly, she chuckled, giving a shake of her head. She brushed her fingers gently down his arm before turning, beginning to wander back towards the library, where her student waited patiently. He was staring at the pair instead of his book, but she didn't seem bothered by this fact.

"Your father will be here soon," she promised, leaving the library door open for Fin to follow her. "You know his business is fairly confidential. He's holding court, but I will send word that you've arrived home safely. I'm sure he'll want to see you before you visit the Vadias."

There was no contempt or hatred in her tone. In fact, she seemed almost affectionate towards the family that had given her her pride and joy. Don, she had always held in high regard. Eto, while a bit rough around the edges, was a good man. Gabrielle? Well, she had her own opinions of the fighting focused Unchained, but she had no qualms with her.

At first, the neonate attempted to hold the gaze of the newcomer. He looked to be nearly thirty years of age, and he'd be damned if some little kid, even the son of Amy O'Connor, would intimidate him. However, that bravado only got him so far. His face flushed with human like embarrassment and he jerked his chin, looking back to the old tome the Frost Queen had presented to him.

"Oh, no," Amy murmured, wandering towards the tall shelves lined with books. Her pianist fingers lovingly brushed along their spines until she found the title she was searching for. "This is Andrew Millian, a new Ventrue of Nagasaki. His Sire brought him to Bernd, and Bernd brought him to me. I am planning on teaching him the ways of our world. I wouldn't want him to be a nuisance, now would I?" She paused to glance back at her son, a warm smile still upon her lips.

"He wasn't my first choice," she said with a little shrug, beginning to idly flip through the pages of the book she had chosen from the shelf. The pages were yellowed with age but it all seemed well held together. Still, she handled it carefully, as if she were afraid it might all fall apart in her hands. "However, the man I would have chosen felt he was too... busy. He didn't want anything to take time away from his Angel."

Glancing up, she smiled softly at her son. As he had aged, she had assured Bernd was a prominent part in his life. The crippled Nosferatu had served as a tutor and companion, and when he was older, Blue had been around as a playmate. When he was small, she had even taken him for flights.

"This Prince is still in his grace period. If he continues down this path, I have no doubts that he will be handled. Not even your father will stand for somebody ruining what we all worked so hard for. Don't worry your lovely head, my son." Her words were spoken like a true Ventrue. The threat was concealed behind the kindness that came to Amy with motherhood, but the look in her ice blue eyes was undoubtedly unforgiving. Nagasaki was her home, her project, and she had worked hard to keep it free. If anyone threatened that...

The familiar language tugged at Amy's heart, as it always did. She had sung Lunarian lullabies to her son when he was young, and as he grew older, she made sure he could carry on the tongue of her motherland. The formality of the language made it difficult for some people to grasp, but Fin had picked it up easily.

She reached out to touch his cheek, an affectionate gesture coming from the distant woman. "I am certain you could," she told him, using the same language. She forgot, sometimes, how much she loved to speak Lunarian. "I am also certain that we could take the city back, ourselves. We only need to find a more suitable Prince."

Then, turning back to her student, the tense moment passed with ease. She set her old tome down before him and pointed to one of the entries. "Here," she told him. "This will explain the Court systems to you. It may seem archaic, but it is necessary for you to learn. Now, where is my husband?"

Fin smiled when his father entered. It was good to see the old man again.

"Hey!"

He would call out when his father greeted him. Then the question of Jude and Trix.

"Still high, more crazy, and surprisingly not in any trouble. Hell, I didn't even have any trouble with Kyle. There was another kidnapping attempt but I deterred them."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"You'd think after 700 years of failed attempts they would stop trying. Ah, but anyways no everything went well and they said to tell you hello... I think, I don't even know if they knew who I was at times..."

Fin shrugged.

"How has life been here?"

Octavian kept a warm grasp on his wife, time and lifting the curse had done wonderful things for them both. The fear of death on both sides had been firmly dealt with and their love had only grown with the passage of time.

"Sounds about right... I still can't believe that they're after you." The Justicar shook his head a bit, happy that his best friend, no matter where he was, was still okay. Or at least as okay as he could be. "Either of you have plans tonight?" He asked both his son and his wife. Though he didn't technically get much time away from his duties to his people, he did ALWAYS make the time for his family. "There's a few students of mine who'd really enjoy meeting you both."

The auburn haired Ventrue smiled, a very warm and kind smile, turning at last to the neonate. "You're welcome to come as well if you like." Of all the horrible things Octavian could be called, impolite was not one of them.