"I imagine. Leareth realizes it and finds it rather reassuring. He was - well, you know what my level of stress and paranoia was like after I was unexpectedly murdered. But I think it is doing him good, being among friends." 

"He asked me for help finding a wife."

"Did he. What did you say?" 

"I said I would think about it. And then I thought about it, and gave it a try. I'd feel better with Foresight, for this. I've never tried matchmaking before and it seems like personality match with Leareth is the sort of thing that could either go well or go poorly. But I hope it goes well. He needs allies."

"He really does. I worry about him, some - I think I was as alone as he was in Velgarth once, but - many millennia ago." 

"I worry about him too. I'll - do what I can."

"Thank you. You are a good friend." 

She departs.

The next morning, Vanyel Mindspeaks Fazil. :I, um, I know you're probably busy, but - I have to go on a sort of diplomatic mission to Valdemar and I'm stressed about it, would you mind coming?:

Uh, sure. He has somehow ended up responsible for helping a bunch of newly chosen clerics of Abadar in Cheliax get oriented but Osirion has at least sent a bunch of other people for that too. 

Vanyel lets Nayoki know and the three of them meet at the temple to Abadar that he's been using the side door of as his default interplanar Gate-threshold; it's not a permanent Gate, Leareth thinks he would need to re-work the entire spell and the Velgarth gods would object anyway, but it's easier to cast a Gate on a threshold that's been used often for them. 

"...I guess I should explain first," he says dully to Fazil, one hand on Yfandes' neck. "I, um - the pharaoh and some others are planning retaliation with the Star-Eyed which is going to piss Her off. Also, Valdemar is still doing the investigation with Starwind and Moondance, and...they haven't done anything to prevent them just Gating out again whenever they feel like. The pharaoh wants their Gifts burned out, now that he knows that's possible; it is the standard punishment for a misuse of Gifts this serious, by Valdemar's law, but - I think the King has been hesitant because it's unclear Starwind and Moondance are really under his jurisdiction, and I guess it sets a weird legal precedent. Also we're concerned their judgement may be influenced by - the fact that there's a Heartstone in Haven, that I built, and it gives the Star-Eyed a lot more power there than She'd otherwise have. So, um, we're going in to put a compulsion on them so they can't run away, and then I need to try to convince Randi that we can't afford to have Starwind and Moondance running around still able to Gate to the Tower if they want, and should either burn out their Gifts or geas them." 

"...without telling him that the reason for this is that Osirion is planning to attack their god? Awkward. Hmmm. If you'd gotten information that suggested they were about to attempt to escape, you'd be within your rights to do something temporary and reversible to stop that, right?"

"I think that's right. It's - Randi would want me to control the situation first and then explain it to him, if it were time-sensitive." 

"And that's basically what's going on? We got information that Osirion's going to move against the Star-Eyed, we suspect she'll direct them to escape the instant she foresees it, so temporarily blocking them is - leaving the situation in your King's hands instead of letting them out of it." Frown. "That seems fine. But leaving them Mindhealing-compulsioned is more out of line with Valdemaran law, long term?"

"It's - complicated to know what the law would be, there, it's a pretty unprecedented situation and they're trying them under the Heralds' court, which has a lot of discretion. The problem is that if we leave them like that and send them back, it's possible the Star-Eyed can rustle up a Mindhealer to fix them, or - actually, hellfires, She can just do it herself, she mucked up a Mindhealing-block I had once although I think that was by accident." 

Nod. 

"If you heard this from the pharaoh, you could truthfully say that Abadar communicated that He expects She'll send them on more missions like this, since they have Gate locations for it, if She can. That seems like it gets your king most of the relevant information without acknowledging that there are plans to go after Her."

"Yes, I think I can say that. He'll probably know I'm not saying everything? The pharaoh is intending to send a diplomatic team of his own, though, after Nayoki and I take those precautions and then explain ourselves." 

"Okay, that's good." He sighs. "It sounds awkward but like - you're doing the right thing by everyone involved? Including them, it's not a favor to them to let them get and complete more and more horrible orders. And Valdemar has authorized you to handle things when there's not time to ask for instruction about them."

"Yes, and I think the pharaoh is right to send me, and right that I have the authority to make it work, just... It's going to feel so awkward." 

He takes a deep breath, though, and starts preparing the Gate. 

Nayoki waits, silent and a bit tense. 

He protects them all against being set on fire. Just in case. 

And they land out front of the Heralds' temple to Kernos, in the Palace grounds. 

Yfandes immediately reaches out to Kellan. 

:...Um, Van, Fazil?: she says after a moment. :This is - maybe not the most urgent priority, but, er, we have a problem. I think Kellan is having the same issue I did, except it hasn't come to a head because instead of fighting about it, Savil has just been massively avoidant of the entire subject of gods: 

:Oh, shoot. That ....makes sense. It is kind of important that your government is able to reason about the fact that the Star-Eyed proved herself to be a dangerous enemy!:

:I think maybe no one has run headlong into it the way Van and I did, actually! We warned them and everything, I don't know... I guess maybe Van is the most stubborn Herald of all when it comes to defending his right to think: Fondness. :We'll deal with this first and then I'll talk to Kellan and try to push him on it myself, maybe that way will have less splashback on Savil. Anyway, they're being kept in one of the Work Rooms, it's this way: