Ocean Souls

[Seraphine Tankreyd]

Duty often called Seraphine Tankreyd away from the familial lands. As Head of Planetary Security, she was most often stationed between Sivor, Sivoria's capital city, and the orbital station that assessed much of the commercial flights and customs. Her home world was renowned for extensive trade within the Consortium, and even outside. The Captain had been trained at the Royal Academy, but had elected to return to her Sivoria, where she promptly climbed up the ranks, eventually earning her current position. While she had only ever lived in the Cluster, she knew that her life could have been much different, had Ducha Wlady not called her mother back to her duty, for the best of the planet. In another life, Seraphine would have been raised with both parents and with her siblings. Instead she was considered an only child, to a Dukana who might have been scandalous elsewhere, but whose value was recognized by the Ducha.

Clad in her military uniform, as she had had one last stop to make on duty, before benefiting from a few days of leisure, she piloted the shuttle to the landing pad reserved for her at the Tankreyd's estate. She hadn't seen her mother in a few months and it was high time to catch up. Eventually lowering the ramp, she climbed down to the pad. She couldn't help smiling as she took a deep breath of the ocean breeze. Mountains lined up one side of the Tankreyd's lands, botiful with mineral riches, while the other side ended at the coast.

She gestured for the family's servant to go retrieve her luggage, while she marched up towards the mansion. She could have actually taken a speeder to get there, but she was happy to stretch her legs.

[Inkeri Tankreyd]

"Forgive the intrusion, Dukana Tankreyd"

The dukana stood before a decorative table, arranging fresh-cut long stemmed flowers in a tall vase. At the voice from the downstairs maid, she glanced up with her golden head tilted at a questioning angle. "There is no intrusion, Mathilde. What is it?"

"A shuttle has just arrived bearing your daughter, my lady."

A small smile played about the dukana's lips. "Thank you, I will meet her myself. She may not stay, but make sure Seraphine's rooms are prepared should she wish to."

Bringing one of the blooms with her, Dukana Tankreyd walked from the solarium to the main foyer to greet her heiress, the only one remaining to carry on the name Tankreyd.. Seraphine.

"Hello daughter.."

[Seraphine Tankreyd]

Seraphine knew that all things considered she had a good life, and she was proud of her accomplishments, proud of her mother. Yet she knew too well the deep sorrow still in her mother's heart, even though they rarely talked about it. The knowledge of the family she hadn't known deeply pained Seraphine, although she did her best not to dwell on it. She was grateful to still have her mother, to serve her family, their planet, their Queen.

Stomping the family grounds always made her more introspective than she liked, but it was what it was. The ocean breeze vivified her soul and the moment she reached the entrance to the estate. The moment she saw her mother stand in the main foyer, her pensive expression turned into a fond smile, one that many ignored she could display. Certain private matters were to stay as such. But she may be damned if she ever hid her fondness for her mother from the Tankreyd matriarch.

"Mother," she said, eyes peeking at the bloom briefly as she bowed her head. Then she let all pretense drop and embraced the Dukana.

"I hope you don't mind a visitor for a couple of days."

[Inkeri Tankreyd]

There were lines marking the dukana's face, time and pain had etched them there, but all the same they smoothed over as she embraced her daughter fondly.

"What I mind, my flower...", she bonked the bloom against the tip of her daughter's nose with a smile.. "...is when you are gone too long. Your visits are one of the only things I look forward to."

As head of planetary security, her daughter was often away, and not always able to say where she was or what she was doing. Part of the responsibility of her station and her job, Inkeri understood and accepted it. She did ache for Seraphine when she was away. The sort of worry that came naturally, having already lost one daughter to fate.

[Seraphine Tankreyd]

Seraphine couldn't help chuckling when her mother bonked the bloom against her nose. It brought back so many memories reaching as far back as when she was only a toddler. While she had little to no gardening talent, she had always loved spending time with her mother when she took care of her flowers. The younger Tankreyd had always found that the gardens brought a measure of peace to her mother's sorrowful heart. She knew how much the Duka'na cared for her and her people, to the point they had expanded the family with Saranka several years ago, when the Tankreyd ward had proved to be cherished by her newfound mother and sister. Yet Seraphine knew all too well that her mother still yearned for her lost children, the siblings Seraphine had never met, and would likely never get to.

"Ducha Wlady hopes to visit soon, Mother. She is very impressed with what you have done for the orphanage on our territory. She wants to pick your brain, though I believe she simply long to see the new section of the gardens you have finally opened to visitors, for what I heard."

She gave a long and warm embrace to her mother. "Of course, I hope I get to see it before our dear Ducha," she said to her mother with a grin.

[Inkeri Tankreyd]

Stepping back from the embrace, Inkeri smiled patiently at Seraphine, regarding the Ducha's subtle inquiry for a visit.

She was the Ducha, she could do as she liked and turn up on a whim and Inkeri would be delighted to attend her. That said, it was considerate to seek a proper invitation, it was tactfully, gracefully done, as it should be. Still, as much as she admired Vahika, there would always be a silent reminder. A mortal wound to her heart that had never, could never truly recover, torn open the day she had chosen her, Ducha Wlady, and duty to the Consortium over her vows to her husband. It had cost her everything.

Almost everything.

"Of course. We can have our supper there later. If you are staying?"

Inkeri did not mind prying, just a little to get her daughter to stay.

[Seraphine Tankreyd]

Seraphine knew how deep her mother's loyalty to the Ducha ran, and how much it had cost her. Sometimes Seraphine pondered on what her life would have been, had she grown up with all her family. She wouldn't trade her relationship with her mother, and eventually with her adopted sister Saranka, for the world; but she knew that things could have been vastly different. She wondered why her father had refused to leave his life; but at the same time she had been raised the Hapan way, so men remained subaltern to women. She knew it felt differently to her mother, and likely to her older siblings; but it still baffled the younger Tankreyd at times.

Her mother was skilled at hiding her pain from most, but Seraphine knew her closely enough to recognize the subtle signs. She offered a warm smile at her inquiry about supper. "I am staying for sure. You will have me for a few days."

She reached out to take her mother's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I plan to take the opportunity to take a couple of hikes in the area while I'm here but you are completely stuck with me for the rest of this day, Mother."

[Inkeri Tankreyd]

She knew that Seraphine worried over her, but she did not have to. The pain was real, and it was her old friend. She had lived with it for so long that it was simply a part of her, like the strands of silver showing up with great frequency these days in her golden hair. She no longer minded. As long as she had the pain, she had the memory of what had come before. It was worth it.

"I am delighted to hear it."

The house staff heard the news as well and went about in several directions to accommodate the Dukana's daughter's visit. Meals prepared around Seraphine's favorites, games and books placed about that had once engaged her. Making it her home, for as long as she wanted.

"If you take any of those hikes by the seaside, I'd be happy to accompany you. I've a mind to collect some sea grass for some arrangements.."

[Seraphine Tankreyd]

Seraphine smiled warmly at her mother's happy reaction to the news of her stay. She was looking forward to spending a few days at the family estate. While the Captain was proud of her accomplishments and service to the Ducha, she sometimes longed to go home, where she had grown up. The mansion had an unmistakable atmosphere that nowhere else had ever been able to replace until then.

The younger Tankreyd did hope to eventually find an appropriate life partner; but so far prospects hadn't appealed to her. The Tankreyds were of course considered a good party, right at the Ducha's right hand on Sivoria; but their particular recent history also gave her leeway to go the road less taken. Her mother understood that all too well; and even their Ducha was the kind to follow traditions and yet follow the beat of her own drum.

She nodded to her mother's offer to join her to a hike by the seaside.

"How could I come home and not go there, Mother? I would love to have you come with me."

As she let her mother lead her inside the house, she took in the familiar setting, before a shadow passed in her eyes.

"I hope I make you proud, and maybe even happy," she confessed in a whisper, only intended for the Dukana.

While she had affection for Saranka, the younger ward turned adoptive daughter didn't have the responsibility Seraphine had as a daughter, and permanent reminder of what her mother had lost.