[Imladris]

Arshalous was not surprised when Morashk opened the door with a slight bow and a cunning glance. "Lord Korak is out...you will have no one to loose your venom upon."

She gave him a withering glare. It was pathetic how Korak looked to Morashk for aide in the cat fights that took place between the two of them. It was...Arshalous sought for a word that would describe it....it was weak....almost, but not quite, cowardly. "Then it is good that I have not come to bandy words with Korak," she said shortly, stepping into the dim lit atrium. "No, I have come to visit Lady Hababa."

"I hope you will not wither her spirit," Morashk said snidely as he lead Arshalous into Hababa's chambers.

"Then I would be an ill niece, wouldn't I?" Arshalous said sharply. With an imperious wave of her bejeweled hand, she said, "Leave us."

Arshalous turned and saw her aunt reclining in a low couch beside the crackling fire. Her soft white hair was tied neatly into a mist green scarf and fine needle work dangled from her hands...

Kneeling beside her aunt, Arshalous gathered the small wrinkled hands into her own, kissed them, and said, "Good day, Aunt."

"Arshalous! It has been long since you have come and visited me! And so formal too!" she added, as she wrapped Arshalous in a loving embrace. "The daughter of my beloved sister," she said, putting her hand against Arshalous's cheek.

"You praise me too highly," said Arshalous softly.

"Do tell me what have you been up to?" asked Hababa, her brown eyes twinkling.

What have I been up to Arshalous repeated to herself. "Oh...nothing...of importance," said Arshalous vaguely. She didn't want to talk about the Emissary no matter how admirable she thought she was because that would be politics...and she did not want to talk about the snares of Politcs with her aunt. She was too old to care for such things anyway...

The Lady Hababa smiled softly and said, "Korak is not that bad of a man..."

Arshalous smiled politely.

A loud whinny echoed through the room and Hababa said, "Are you still riding a horse?"

Arshalous managed to snort delicately. "I am not going to quit my riding habits just because the royal family has decided to."

Hababa shrugged slightly and said with a wink, "Korak still rides as well."

That surprised Arshalous. She would have thought that he would have quit riding just to suckle up to the throne. Maybe her cousin did have a backbone after all...