ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[scorri]

Niko had spent a good chunk of the last few days pondering the talk that he'd had with Dettard, as well as reading some about chess. Today though, he was headed into the markets to try and see if there were any tomes that he would find useful. Entering the vendor's shop, he started to poke around at the selection, hoping to find something interesting.

[Terrador]

[spoiler=Any conversation with Angus is just another reason to stab him]

[Has it really been two days?] Between his... interesting tea with the Valter sisters, the (hopefully subtle) tailing of the Prince in absence of other duties, and helping Geoffrey grow accustomed to being rolled around a bit, the time flew quickly for Angus. Soon enough, it was noon on the second day after Cassandra's kidnapping; he hadn't seen her since, nor had he heard what had occurred after she was dragged off. [All I really know is they didn't have their way with her. Well... nothing like a great ball of fur to cheer someone up!] The squire busies himself cleaning the bear (and himself) after what one would admit was not the most grueling day on the grounds, then heads for his favorite troublemaker's quarters.

On his way, Angus encounters the Prince! [This is gonna look bad when I open my mouth, but hell. Owen shouldn't expect any funny business... I would hope!] "Prince Owen! I, ah... well, have you ever pet a dog on a poor day, sir?" He indicates the bear: a poor start to any explanation, to be sure. "I thought that... well... perhaps I'd pay the Princess a visit." [C'mon, man. Is that really the best you can do?]

---

Owen had just left his own chambers after having fasted for the morning. With the events that transpired two days prior, Owen found himself far too tired the past day to do much, not only from physical exhaustion but also concern, and decided to take a more pious approach to bring himself together that morning. It had worked for his nerves, but Owen was still rather concerned about his father's health and sister's well-being. Perhaps it was a good time to speak to Cassandra, after a whole day to herself...

As Owen stood in front of the doors to Cassandra's chambers, a familiar voice called him out. "Who-- Angus?" Owen turned to face the squire proper, completely lost on the question posed. "No...?" Petting a dog on a poor day? As in... Owen looked down, following Angus' indication until his eyes met the bear. ...What. "Angus, that's not a dog." For a moment, he wondered if the squire was right in the head that morning. "...Do you think a bear would cheer her up? I mean, it is a young one, but Cass never struck me as a dog person, and a bear is a tad beyond that."

---

Angus blushes, palming his face with one hand while rapping on Cassandra's door with the other. "Well, heh...!" The poor boy is lost for words under Owen's scrutiny. "I know some girls who are, ah, suckers for 'im, an' so far as I can tell, Cass is too." The squire grips his temples harder, not believing that he slipped like that in front of the Prince. He begins to back away. "If you're heading in, ah, I'll just--I'll just be on my way, then, Your Highness."

---

"Hello?" came Cass' voice, her head poking out of the door, regular outfit, but with her hair down once again. "Owen? ...Angus? ...Geoffrey..." Cass was fine with the first two, wondering what Angus' bear was doing there. She ignored it for a moment, managing to notice one thing. "Why is your face all red?" That didn't make much sense, unless Owen had said something. "Well, whatever. What d'you want?" That was a bit short, even for Cass. She didn't close the door on them, and she didn't seem annoyed, but happy wasn't something you'd use to describe Cass, right now.

---

"Is that so...?" Girls that are fond of a baby bear... huh, I guess there's a fancy for everything then. Well, if the squire was going to bring the bear, Owen wasn't stopping him. It's not like Cass wouldn't tell him to take the bear away if it bothered her. "Well--" Owen would assure Angus that he didn't need to leave then, but it seemed Cassandra was quick to answer the door.

"Hi, Cass." Owen greeted, not the pinnacle of positivism himself, "Ah, I came to see if you're doing well. We haven't really talked since..." He stopped himself there, it wouldn't do anybody favors to reminisce on that even of all things. "Well, I was worried if you needed anything, or how you're feeling, Sister." A quick clear of the throat, "Sorry if this isn't the right time."

---

Angus nods, taking a short breath to compose himself. [she doesn't look so good... well, no great surprise there.] "I guess we had the same idea." He can't hold the eye of either royal--instead, he fixates on the bear's ear. "Would you, ah... like some company?" [A battlefield's far easier to navigate than a girl--let alone Cass!] The squire prays internally that he isn't imposing on the Princess; he really only wants to help, but has no clue how.

---

"I suppose there's no point in letting it sit further, is there?" she asked, a wry smile curling onto her face. "Come in, both of you-- but the bear stays outside. I'm not a dog person, let alone wildlife." Owen had been right. Cass opened the door and stepped out the way, running some hands through her disheveled hair to try and get it somewhat presentable. With so much, it was a big difficult. This is why I always have it up, even if it's hard to...She sighed, sitting on her bed, letting her foot bob up and down after crossing her legs. "So? You're both here, and I doubt you came together. What'd you want to talk about? If it's just whether I'm okay or not, then... I suppose I'll be fine, if I'm forced out of my room, today. But, honestly, there must be something else, for Angus to be here."

---

Angus curls his fist upwards, indicating for Geoffrey to heel-- "I'll be back, buddy, I promise!" --then shakes his head at Cassandra. "I couldn' say. There's diggin' to be done, but I don't have the skills or... really, know much about the whole thing." The squire steps in, tentatively seating himself a respectful distance from the Princess. He leans forward, arms resting on his knees, before finally turning his head to look at Cassandra for more than the barest moment. "But it, ah... seems you're ready t'talk of it?"

It went without saying that Angus would be thrilled to help smash any relevant faces, but given that he hadn't heard anything of the sort in a couple of days, odds were that it was far from so simple. Maybe it was just some sicko who got his jollies from kidnapping the Princess; if anything, that seemed likely, given how quickly she was retrieved. Either way, regardless of how... outright intrusive it felt to sit with the two siblings, Angus knew that if Cassandra needed something, he was the go-to man. He stayed, waiting. Listening.

---

Heh, knew she wouldn't fancy the bear. Owen refrained from smirking, but it felt good to be right about his sister's taster -- he wasn't a poor brother, okay? "Alright," The prince entered her chambers, opting to stand up as well: Partly because he didn't feel as much at home in her chambers as she did on his, and part because Angus was there as well. "Well... I must say I wasn't expecting Angus, but my point wasn't to take you outside, just to check up on you." Angus bring a good point to wonder, and Owen shifted glances between the two until he brought himself to speak again. "It's true that... I don't know what happened to you, exactly. I'm glad that Adele was there to help-- but if you need my help, I'm all ears too, sister." His tone was careful, Owen clearly a bit apprehensive of tripping on his words. "Angus told me you didn't want me to tell our father, but I am the Prince, I can still track this miscreant down." Or so he believed.

---

"I didn't want to tell Father," she started, "because if he'd heard I'd been taken, he'd either die of shock on the spot, or he'd raze the town until he found the culprit; and I think he'd find nothing." She leaned back slightly, crossing her legs around so the right was now over the left. "I didn't hear much while I was being carried along. Just bits and pieces. I heard mention of a few houses. Kylander, Dettard... Kearney," she said, taking a moment to glance at Angus. "Two being non-options, the Ks, and Dettard having refused, in the past. They said... Bartly was too old-- I assume Gerrard, and Perte was too poor. The name Perte escapes me, but if you remember, Owen, please inform me. And honestly, it... It may have just been my imagination, but whoever was talking, I could've sworn I'd heard before. Which scares me further..."

She swallowed, shivering a bit. It was a bit rough, thinking about all of this. "And... I heard the orchestrator referred to as Mr. E. Now, I've told Adele this, and she finds it to just be a silly moniker. Like, the word, mystery. Haha." She laughed, flatly, for punctuation. "But... Out of the people with E names who know of my... Affair, with Adele," she flushed the lightest shade of red as she spoke, "It would be, the general, Gringolett-- He's friends with Adele's father who I'm sure has picked up on something by now... Him, and... Well, Owen, Mother, as far as I know. I told her of us, and... She hadn't said no, but she seemed fairly shocked. I'm loathe to believe my own mother had a hand in this, and I can only hope that it's simply a play on the word mystery, but... The letter Talmot received was sealed with the royal seal, meaning someone higher up set this up."

Having said her piece, she sighed. It was a lot to recount, and she hated talking about it, but it was out there for the two of them to think about.

---

"That's true..." Owen winced at the thought of father's reaction. The king was already bent out of shape from the dungeon incident... let alone how much he'd work himself up from Cass' kidnapping. "We probably want to resolve this on our own, which just makes things more complicated." For a moment, Owen wondered if the culprit accounted for that too. How far ahead could they be thinking?

There were names, Owen listening as Cassandra listed a few houses she'd heard their kidnappers talking about. "I see... 'The Ks' are too close to us, Gerrard's been under my direct command, he wouldn't dare. Perte probably means Count Alleun of House Perte, we just gave him a visit and pardoned him of the taxes he was behind on, too poor indeed." It all matched up, as Owen retold the ruled out candidates from his point of view-- maybe it'd give him some insight of the planner's mindset. To hear Cass say the voices were familiar gave butterflies in his stomach. No, no. Please anything but inside work... It was horrible to consider that they weren't entirely safe even within people they should consider allies. Owen clenched his fist and frowned.

With the orchestrator being given a name, of sorts, Owen was quick to set his mind racing. "That... that'd restrict our suspects a lot if it's true, but Adele might be right, too... In which case we're back to square one." The prince sighed, with almost a defeated look until Cass mentioned the possibility of their own mother, which left a pretty disturbed impression. "You can't mean... I dread to imagine our mother would do that. No. No way." Owen shook his head, really uncomfortable with tackling that line of thought. "I could look up who has access to the royal seal in better detail, if that helps. That narrow it down. Also..." Owen gulped, "It's an assumption, but... what if your affair with Adele was leaked? What if somebody found out?" The prince hesitated to say, if only because he had no idea how Cass would react.

---

Angus listens in silence, covertly trying to crush his own forearm in his hand. Besides flinching at the mention of his house, the squire's eyes drill holes in the floor. [so... this Mr. E was looking for a man. Presumably to... do the deed. They knew Lionel and I wouldn't dare. Count Perte was too poor--too poor? He's a noble. I know all these names. Nobles.] A ragged breath escapes, followed by a slow blink. Angus' back erects.

"Wait. Why?" His meaning isn't immediately apparent, so the squire continues. "This Mr. E, he wasn't inclined t'do it himself, right? An' you've only mentioned nobles." He studies Owen for a response, hoping the prince could have some insight into the matter. "What reason could there be, not t'... damn, I hate sayin' this... just throw her to a mob?" [if they were trying to teach her a lesson, wouldn't an anonymous gang-up be far more humiliating?]

---

Owen pauses in his tracks, blinking. He took a moment before he turned back to Angus. "I think... that'd be too scandalous-- no, I think that's just not what they're after." Owen balled a fist, frowning to no one in particular. "Maybe it's not because of Cass, maybe it's because of the royal family." He turned back to face Angus, "Father's health is declining, and... what happened in the dungeon probably didn't help, but I'm guessing they've been planning this for a while. Me and Cass are both fairly young, so if father passes away," Owen bit his lip at the thought, "Then I'd have no heir. Whoever has planned probably wants to ensure that the line continues above all costs, so... an overzealous, high ranking noble?"

Owen continued guessing, a sigh escaped as he came a bit to his senses. "I... I could be jumping to conclusions, I don't know..." He shook his head, "But, if that's true, it would also be why they wanted to set Cass up with another noble... but that's just horrible." The prince's voice lowered as he spoke the latter piece, his mind revolting. Just who'd think to do that? Forcing Cass into a relationship like that... and roping a noble like that. How would they even agree to it? Owen froze, there was probably many a reason from a noble to consider it. Not entirely superficial, either. "I just... I just had a thought, it..." Owen grimaced, "I'm probably just focusing on the worst case scenario, but... if I die, without an heir." Owen started, "Then the title for the Kingdom of Wyke would pass to Cass' line, and her suitor would become regent. So... that could be another reason."

---

"Of course I don't want to think it was her! Unlike Father, she's been nothing but kind to the both of us, but... I can't think of anyone else I've told of my relationship to Adele. And, I mean... We haven't been public about it. You two know, she knows, I assume Tobias knows-- and if he's had a hand in this, the situation is far more dire. So if that was their reasoning, to get me... Ugh, back on track for producing an heir, then they're the only people that could possibly know. Father's servants aren't like Tobias', they don't spy, they simply wait."

Cass sighed, shivering and shooting Angus a glare at the mere thought of an interaction like that. She didn't say anything else on it, it disgusted her far too much. At least Owen seemed on track. "Well, then what of you and Sidney? You're getting along far better than I thought you would-- it's surprising, really, to see you interested in something other than politics." It was a slight jab, but she'd meant it, Owen and Sidney's relationship would bear fruit, as it were, if they continued on this road-- "That's it!" Cass let Owen finish, nodding furiously. "That has to be it! Let's just say that, if someone knew I was with Adele, rumors would have spread for you and Sidney as well. Why would any noble be worried about the line continuing if you're having good relations with another noble, even if from another country? It would continue Wyke's line, your successor would become the next ruler... So, why would someone wish to get me set up like that, if not to vie for Wyke's power?"

"Those... Men in the dungeon were probably there for you, not me, if that's the case." Cass' mind shot back to them, shivering once again. She held herself. "But, who? Father's been a wonderful king, you're fine in court and meetings, I-- Oh..." Everything hit Cass like she'd run into a brick wall. "I'm... The liability, aren't I?"

---

Angus waits, listens, allowing the two suited for it to puzzle through the possible motivations for the attack. He really hadn't anything to add; who was he to know what motivated the highest nobles? All Angus knew was that they were crazy bastards, and that this Mr. E... may be, in some twisted, vile way, an ally of Wyke. Cassandra's voice cut through the squire's futile turning over of theories in his mind: "Am I the liability?"

He reached over to her hand, gripping those strong fingers gently. "No. Target, na' liability. Lightin' the convoys will kill a campaign, but that doesn't mean the grain ain't valuable, right?" Angus repurposes his transgressive hand to thumb towards the Prince. "Those are some big boots to fill, but even shirking it entirely and passin' the throne t'Duke Herman... I barely know my histories, but lettin' the succession be up in the air at all ain't the brightest sunrise on Wyke, eh? And besides, last I checked, you're savin' some pretty statuesque asses lately!" The squire returns fully to his own space, inclining his head to Prince Owen.

"I, ah... sincerest apologies, speakin' so frivolously of such a day comin'. I swear I won't live t'see it."

---

Cass wasn't expecting to be touched, and honestly, it wasn't the most appreciated after everything... But he didn't squeeze, and it was gentle, so she felt she could take her hand away at any moment, and that freedom gave her enough composure to not snatch her hand away. "Perhaps... I am definitely not leader material, though. If Owen were out of the picture, and I were saddled with their pawn... It wouldn't be hard to push me away from the throne." Cass sighed, smiling at Angus, letting him address Owen with his worries and praise. It felt like they had a doting father there, trying to assuage their children's worries.

Cass managed a laugh. "You're a wonderful vassal, Angus..." Perhaps now is best... "I... I am sorry that I won't be able to return your affections. Maybe if I had come to realize them sooner, I would have, but... My heart belongs to Adele. I hope you can understand. But, I... You're pretty much my best friend, you know?" Cass felt herself tearing up, hoping the confession wouldn't hurt Angus; she didn't want to lose her best friend, after all. "Sorry if this isn't the best time, but... I felt I should address it before it became a bigger issue."

---

Angus grinned back, relieved to see the Princess smile... then, as she spoke of some feelings for her, a violent shade of red spread from his ears to the rest of his face. [What in the--Engel above, if this had to be, why here?! Why with Owen right there?] "Well, er, I, eh..." Stammering out a rapid response wasn't doing it, so Angus took a pause. [in. Out.]

"There's no need for that. I've been fond of you for 'bout as long as I can remember, aye, but... bein'with you? While we're bearin' bad news, well, I hear we've been havin' a bit of a bandit problem lately!" Angus offers an honest laugh--nervous, but genuine. "Never thought of it. Just honored t'do well under you two, and to be so highly regarded." The squire eyes Owen: still blushing, suppressing a grin, but calmed considerably. He really hadn't considered the thought until now: him, with Cassandra? [That would... that would be something else. Unfitting in too many ways, though. And if the odd fantasy actually means something... well, that's something to discuss without Prince Owen so close.] Angus notices the tear budding in Cassandra's eye, and reverts for a moment to more typical form.

"None of that, now!" The squire lifts a hand slightly, but very quickly thinks better of it. "Cryin' over some squire not beddin' a princess? Come on, you know that's mad~!" This unique combination of enjoyment, fulfillment, and apprehension was... of late, entirely too familiar. Angus knew he was entirely too friendly with the Princess, especially under Owen's eye and after Cassandra's inopportune confession; hopefully, the prince didn't think too much of it. [He isn't the sort at all, but Engel above, if he were to give me the old Hull Welcome he's really in for some waterworks!]

---

Cass smiled as Angus worked his magic reassuring her. After Owen and Adele, he really was the best person to talk to, even if he was a simple fellow. It was pretty funny to see him this worked up, Cass managing to laugh fully, even a giggle, as he nearly exploding with excitement. "If this was the reaction I was to get I would've mentioned this sooner, haha~ I'm not crying over that, I simply didn't want to lose my closest friend over something as trite as love-- even I don't fully understand how this confounded emotion works." It seemed that things weren't that awful, then. Angus wasn't upset at her, she was able to sit with them and still laugh. They'd figure out who this interloper was, no doubt! But...

"Until we find out who did this... Do you think I'll be under attack? I can't imagine they'd be willing to give up after one failed attempt." Cass pondered for a moment, humming to herself, thinking about-- "Ah, uhm... Ahaha, well, that's an idea." Cass looked at Angus again, this time, her cheeks turning rosy. "What if... What if I were to be 'betrothed', to Angus?" She looked between the both of them, smile growing wider. "We announce that we are to be wed, and it would... Well, it wouldn't stop anyone from trying anything, but it would certainly put a thorn in their plans, no? It would at least keep me safe, somewhat, and if their plans were to stop me from being with Adele, this would stop them entirely!" She felt like quite the genius. "I mean... We won't actually get married, and we'll call it off after we find out who this person is, but... Until then, I feel it would work out. No? Maybe they'd make themselves more vulnerable, trying to find out if the marriage was legitimate or not... Heehee~ I feel like a proper sleuth!"

---

Angus crashes headfirst into the floor, trying to start himself to reality after hearing Cassandra's idea so soon after her confession. He doesn't even bother rising, instead crawling towards the door. "Engel preserve me, I... will be back" he mutters, finally stumbling to his feet before darting out the door. A few moments later, Owen and Cassandra can hear a muffled, but very sharp exclamation from the squire.

"WHAT!"

---

Owen would be bothered by Cass' mention of Sidney and would correct her that they were just two good friends, but it seemed that the topic wouldn't linger for very long. In fact, Owen wasn't sure what he felt about the sudden change of topic either. What. He looked at Angus, then back at Cass, then back at Angus again. Squire Kearney... has feeling for Cass? Owen... was at a loss of how to respond, all things considered. Did they forget he was there?



Bringing his hands behind his back, Owen watched the scene with a mild frown, he felt improper to intrude, but was just barely holding himself back from bombarding Angus with questions. He looks a bit surprised... but why would Cass just assume his feelings? It seemed like even the squire was getting embarrassed by Cass' implications, but her suggestion threw not only the squire, but Prince Owen off. "What?!" He finally broke his silence, almost flinching. "Ca-Cassandra, what kind of idea is this? ...Betrothal?" Owen repeated with an hesitant tone, "Sir Kearney wasn't even properly knighted, and house Kearney is fairly small... I don't know-- It just..." Owen shook his head, bringing a palm to his forehead. "If that's for your safety, I... I don't know for certain how much that'd help." Owen felt quite reluctant about considering the option, and it somewhat showed. I really don't know how to feel about this... "But, if it leaked that you were just doing this for appearances, it would be as good as nothing, sister."

---

Angus' reaction was less than palatable, flinching as he shouted from outside the hall. "I don't get what all the drama's about," she mumbled, Owen seemingly similarly flustered. "I don't see the issue, you two..." This was embarrassing. "It's not real, so what's wrong? It's a safeguard for me against these people, wouldn't they be more apprehensive to try anything with this on the line? Of course, with it being so soon, I suspect that they'll find it to be simply a guard and nothing more, but if we keep up the facade then it'll be fine, won't it?" She huffed, crossing her arms. "I think Angus and I could put it up well enough. We're friendly, we get along, we hang around each other more than most. How would they even be able to find out that it was just a set up?"

Cass thought for a moment, something finally dawning on her, blushing as much as Angus had. "Th-They could ask us to kiss-- but, the audacity, one would have to have to do that! Honestly... To ask the princess to kiss someone, in open conversation, even if they were engaged. They would have to go that far to do so, and I think you would find that only one person would ask such a question, unless they were mad!" Cass tried to reason it out, still flushed, but more confident. "A-Anyway, it was just an option. Something to consider if we wanted another layer of safety, okay?"

---

After long enough of her own musings, it seemed like the situation dawned on Cass. "Well, it's still a possibility that they could press on, coud be a kiss, or pressing onto setting a wedding date... it would hinge on how well we could figure out the culprit, so honestly, I think we should focus on that foremost." Owen concluded, sighing and rubbing his face. "...It, is something to consider, I guess. It depends on how safe you feel, Cassandra." The prince couldn't help casting a glance back at the door, his expression eerily neutral.

---

Cass blushed further, shrinking against the ramifications of her idea. She finally sighed. "Fine, fine... It was just an idea. I don't have a lot of those, so I got it out while it was still fresh, before I lost it or it became something else. I'm just as scared about this as you two are, so I figured any safety net would be a welcome thing." Cass almost felt like her idea was stupid, with how Owen and Angus had reacted. "ANGUS, GET BACK HERE," she barked, hoping he'd hear her from wherever he was. "How safe I feel? Not very, at all. I was taken from outside one of the capital's most trusted establishments, whether or not it was for drinking. Right on our door step. I imagine if they were more dedicated they could take me right out of the castle, if they'd wished. I... Just want any protection I can get, no matter what it is."

---

Owen sighed, but mellowed his expression as he considered Cass' concerns. "...I see." He spoke up after a pause, his posture less uptight than when he first heard the suggestion of betrothal. "So long as that would make you feel safer then, sister." Owen stated flatly, "If Kearney agrees, then... I give you my blessings, and vow to find out the culprit behind this as soon as I can." Owen's tone and expression grew more stern at the end, "I won't let some pompous noble take my sister's comfort and peace of mind like that. Trust me on this."

---

Angus squats with his furry friend, talking the idea out while he could be a bit less formal. "She's mad, but there might be some sense to it. They're thinkin' she's unholy, fixes that. They're lookin' for a line in, they've gotta kill me 'fore they can even think of continuin'. Hell if I know--can she get away with that? If she can..." The squire groans, realizing what he has to do. "then I'm gonna have t'okay that, huh, Geoffrey."

"ANGUS, GET BACK HERE!"

"Welp." Angus stands once again, leaving the bear understandably confused at the brevity of his return. "It'll be fine, right?" He opens the door with characteristic energy, more composed than before but with some anxiety still peeking through. "So! I was thinkin' a May weddin' would work well, run it up next t'your birthday, have a grand ol' time, eh~?" A nervous laugh trickles out of the squire, who opts to stand this time. [i'll keep my distance for the moment, thanks much.]

"So, ah..." To his own chagrin, Angus was honor-bound to mention what came to mind while he took a breather. "Thinkin' it's a tactic with value, assumin' she can break it off without image problems..." He continues to flush red, dreading the response... perhaps either way?

---

"I know you'll do your best, Owen. You always do. I'm just hoping this is a simple case, and not something deeper. Especially not something caused by me." If Cass was the reason for any unrest in the kingdom, she wouldn't have an excuse to back out of it. Not with how she'd been, growing up. And still growing up, perhaps she was growing up too quickly for all of this. At the very least, Angus was back, and Cass had a few things to say.

"You know they might make us kiss," Cass blurted, as Angus came back in, wanting him to be just as embarrassed as she was about this. "And actually get married. The engagement might not hold water for very long, especially if they push. Owen would have barely under two months to search if we set something that dire near my birthday, you know. Shouldn't we give him more time?" They'd have to be careful about this. If they set it too soon, whoever was behind it could just go into hiding until the date came, and then it would be too late to back out.

---

Finally, something Angus could have an honest laugh about! And so he did; the concern wasn't especially worrying to him. "D'you even remember a time the King an' Queen kissed publicly? Not a man would bother; we're chummy enough, an' you're known to chase your heart. It's believable 'nough t'hold." The squire shakes his head, not terribly worried about the date either. "We c'n push it off long 'nough, an' t'be honest... well, if we can't catch th'plotters in two moons, is this such a bad solution?"

Two silent moments tick by before Angus slowly pinches his nose. "Jus'--please choose t'take that in the most courteous way you can."

---

Owen just barely refrained himself from staring daggers at Angus when the squire returned to the chambers with awedding date already in mind. The prince held a short grimace and avoided facing the squire, fixing his gaze at Cassandra. "Two months... is possible, three would be preferable, but it could work." There must be a lead... I'm sure I could ask Adele something, she was there to save Cass. "I think most nobles won't react too strongly, if they do, that'd cast suspicion on them. So there is some credit to that."

---

"Let's make it three, then. A month after my birthday. I'll be eighteen then, so it'll be even better... I know I'm above marriageable age right now, but I'll at least fully be an adult, then." Cass nodded, surprised that Angus took her stab so well... "Owen, do you mind if I talk to Angus alone, for a moment? I have something I wish to confirm."

---

"What." Owen couldn't help blurting out at Cass' suggestion. He looked straight at Cass, then back at Angus; then, back at Cass. "Uh..." No, I must be assuming, she wouldn't-- she has Adele, stop being silly. Owen had a dry gulp. "Alright, Cass." For once, Owen bowed, and turned around to make his way outside, closing the door as he left. Facing away from the door, Owen shook his head. She must have something in mind... if I head anything out of the norm, I'm going back in, though.

---

"Alright, then..." Cass waited until Owen left, hopping off the bed and getting all up in Angus' face. "Kiss me." She set it out plain and clear. "You're acting like this isn't a big deal... But honestly, I've been piecing together the signs. You're always getting flustered around me, you're 'jealous' of Adele, you try to protect me over others, even Owen... So if you really have no feelings for me and this is all formal for you, then kiss me right now and prove it." She grabbed his arm so he couldn't get away from her, staring him down. "If we make it to three months and we have to get married, we'll have to, anyway. So show me your resolve, Angus."

---

Angus shakes his beet-red head, making a cursory (if fruitless) attempt to create some space. "Well, ah... 'bout that... you migh' be right." He struggles to hold eye contact. "But that don' matter. You wan' to do this; Owen an' I happen t'agree. I have my duty." Some confidence, now. A firm, gentle hand meets the Princess' back, and Angus shows her his resolve.

The squire steps free, but certainly not quickly. The brief burst of confidence has passed, leaving in its place not resignation or anxiety. but a curious contentment. "An' as much as I enjoy havin' you around," Angus concludes with a grin, "I look after you more 'cause you're altogether too fond of stickin' your neck out. Reminds me of some mooncalf I know..." The mooncalf taps his foot, scratching his chin in mock contemplation.

[i thought I was jealous of Adele before. Welp! Still... best friend, eh? I guess there really ain't no replacin' Angus Kearney.] Finally, he was starting to understand.

---

"Your duty? Angus-- Mm...!" Cass had been testing him. Testing him to see if he had the will to go through with this, and really, what she'd expected was for him to have one of his typical reactions of squirming away from the situation. He didn't-- in fact, she was the one squirming, fidgeting in place as he showed his resolve, finally pushing him off (not roughly) as he finished. Her own face was as red as his, and she had to look away from him. It at least confirmed one thing for her. What I feel for Angus... Definitely isn't the same as Adele. The thought calmed her, really. So much so that she stood up straight and looked back at him, cheeks still rosy, but determination renewed.

"Alright then. I suppose we're ready to do this. Owen! I'm finished! You're free to come back in, and... Well, we can announce this whenever you want." She raised her voice for him to hear her through the door, slapping her cheeks a bit to get herself back into the situation. Owen didn't need to come back in to the both of them blushing like flirting schoolgirls. "I'll assume soon, at the very least."

---

Owen finally turned back as Cassandra called for him, opening the door before she'd finished. "Yes?" He looked toward the two young nobles, which seemed to have turned a shade of red. He squinted, "Alright, I think we shouldn't announce immediately on the grounds of the recent events. The thugs that died at the Lucky Goose's front door were attributed to Angus, after all." Owen pointed out, and his expression mellowed some. "It would raise some rumours, and our little schemer would have a better chance to catch onto this. I'd say giving it a week to lay low makes our odds better."

---

"That... Sounds fair," Cass said, with a sigh. She didn't want to wait that long without extra protection, but as long as no one left the castle and they didn't have to go about the town, it should be fine. "Was that your ploy to get people uninterested in things? I guess that explains why you weren't running after me." Cass smiled a bit, glad that they'd handled things, even if it was a bit brutish. "Is that all, then? We've covered everything? If so, you're both free to go. I still have some brooding to do," she joked, mostly.

---

Angus nods assent, preparing to make his way out... but not without a few parting words of comfort.

"An' Cass? Smart gold says it'll be some time 'fore they try somethin' like this again, if ever. They're short too many pawns t'move against you now."

---

"Yes. Somehow, when squire Kearney is involved, people take less interest in a scandal." Owen scoffed, "But really, the public shouldn't be aware of what really happened. At least you can rest assured that nobody else will try to take advantage of you." Owen bowed to his sister. "I... suppose that's all. I hope you'll do well today, sister."

[spoiler=Summary]Angus and Owen go to visit Cassandra in her quarters. The three come to the conclusion that the likeliest cause of the Princess' kidnapping was a play to put a patsy on the throne of Wyke. Cassandra proposes that she and Angus be betrothed as a smokescreen and investigative tool, and the scheme is hatched; the engagement will be announced at a later date, after the events at the Lucky Goose begin to fade from public memory.

-----------------------------------

Angus closes his eyes at the mention of receiving... a barony?! Even if that was only part of Dettard's territory, that was still an estate to rival his own family's. And Angus was very far from a statesman...

He eventually looks to Owen, trying (if not very successfully) to hide his confusion. [Why me, for all this? Has the King lost his damned marbles?] It did lend credence to the fraudulent betrothal, but even so, the poor man would be completely at a loss ruling any real territory to speak of.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Terrador

[charlie_]

[spoiler=surprise sidney]

It was the second day in Hull, and Sidney was rather enjoying herself. She was quite satisfied having spent much of the first day with the prince, and with the Wykian Nobility reacting favorably to her well-mannered display; the king had even saw her fit to her own room in the castle for the duration of her stay!

For the afternoon, she decided to revisit the restaurant that she'd had dinner at the night before with Owen, the Lucky Goose. Upon her arrival, Sidney spotted someone she'd recognized- Claire, the mage she'd met before. Waving, she approached the younger woman's table, sitting down. "Lady Claire, ah... Bennet, right? Sorry, I'm not the best with names. What good timing that we'd run into each other, though I'm sure I look rather different. Do you like it? I was with Owen yesterday, and he picked some of these out while he was showing me the city- I didn't have much with me coming here, of course." Sure enough, she was sporting a black headband with a rose adorned, a pale pink dress with frilly sleeves, and her signature red glasses. "How are you this afternoon? Oh, and any recommendations here?"

Claire hadn't expected to see anyone from their campaign today, much less have Sidney come up to talk to her. She couldn't remember having ever talked to her, seeing her as a common thief at best, but she seemed to have cleaned up her clown act at least somewhat? Maybe it was just the dress. "Yes, that's right." she answered, not really sure what to say as the rogue took seated herself. "I think it looks fine," Except maybe you should lose the glasses. "Although I can't exactly say I'm one for fashion." Her own dress was plainer, yellow dress, lacking any of the frills Sidney's had. In a way, it made her feel slightly out of place - although being out of place here might not necessarily be a bad thing.

"I'm fine, thank you. Have you been enjoying your time in the city, Lady Sidney? Or do you prefer Charlotte?" The mage had no idea what name the thief was going by now - for all she knew, it could be Steve. Claire only had one menu with her, open in front of her on the table, but she slid it over to Sidney. "What kind of food do you like?" She didn't want to recommend something she didn't like, after all.

"Pleased to make better acquaintance of you, then." Sidney smiled sweetly. "You don't look too bad yourself. Yellow suits you rather well. Either name is fine, by the way... they are both correct to an extent. Sidney was not only the name I took up, it was my given middle name anyway. I must say that my time here has been a treat so far, however brief. You must live here, right? How is the city as a full-time resident?" She leaned over to take a glance at the menu. "I'm a bit of a sucker for sweet food, personally, but there's not too much I dislike- I can't handle anything with walnuts very well, but those aren't very common. They shorten my breath and redden my eyes, so I avoid eating them. What are you having?"

"Really? Perhaps I should wear it more often then. And I suppose I'll call you Charlotte, if you don't mind." For most of the time she'd known Sidney, Claire had seen her as an irritating criminal reaching above her position, so using another name kind of made it easier to talk to her. "The city is fine to live in, I suppose. I... spend a lot of my time studying so I don't really notice much of it." she admitted, sheepishly. "As for sweet food, I don't know. I haven't really tried any of it myself, but I was going to have the fish." She hadn't been to the restaurant in a while, but it was nice the last time she was here.

"Charlotte it is, then- I respond fairly well to both names anyway." She adjusted her glasses after looking down at the menu. "Well, I'm sure you're still more knowledgeable about here than I am. It's different from Tytila, but not in a bad way. I could get used to living here. I hope our stay isn't cut abruptly short, at the very least; the people are quite hospitable, and the castle is comfortable, too. Fish sounds fine to me, though. I've not had any in a long time."

Sliding the menu aside and looking at her nails, Sidney paused to think of anything to add. "Studying... you use magic, don't you? There are many mages in Raewald. When I was young I tried it briefly, but as many hobbies as I had, trying magic didn't last long. I don't mind a good book, but I'm much too restless for all the studying that it'd require to truly become skilled. I eventually took up archery lessons instead- there are lots of marksmen in Raewald, too. My father is very proficient, and was a strict but good teacher. Ranged combat is something of a specialty there. How did you come to start using magic?"

Claire frowned at Sidney's question. It wasn't a bad question exactly, but how much should she say. "Well, I studied in a school in Wihtwar in order to learn. I can't imagine you made very much progress when you tried, considering it took over five years for our class to even light a candle." she laughed. "That was normal though. It takes a long time, and a lot of dedication to get it right. I'm still learning of course, and the battles on the way to Dettard helped a lot. At least something good came of it." she sighed. "How different is Raewald's capital from Hull, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No, I can't say I did. I wasn't a very patient child- but then, I'm not all that patient now either." Sidney smirked a bit at the thought. "Not that archery doesn't require dedication, but it's different- you get to run around a bit more, and the idea of mimicking my father seemed more interesting to me than reading. Those were simpler days." She spent a moment in her thoughts as she considered how to answer about the city she'd lived most her life in.

"Well, for one, Tytila is much bigger- Raewald is a larger nation, after all. So it's less easy to just walk to your destination and have a nice stroll. And I must say people are generally not as friendly as they are here, which even extends to the rulers. I was brought to King Oswald the first day I was here and he was very gracious about my help, while Queen Ethel probably wouldn't even consider the idea, much less let me stay at the castle. King Edwin had been much nicer, to be honest," she explained. "Not to say it's all better... when Owen gave me a tour, he pointed out a lot of places that I'd like, but also plenty that I'd be better off not visiting. There are some of those in Tytila, too, but not as many."

"I tried archery myself. It went... well, at the very least it was better than trying to learn swordplay." she cringed at the memory of it. "Although that isn't saying very much." Managing not to almost kill someone by accident wasn't exactly something to brag about, so she stayed quiet and listened to Charlotte's comparison between the two cities. "I suppose I can see that." she nodded. "I tend to stay away from the unsavoury areas, they tend to attract..." She mulled over her words for a moment. "The less favourable crowds." Based on what she'd seen of Charlotte though, Claire half-expected her to have no trouble fitting in there though. Aside from her strange choice in apparel, anyway.

"Different things for different people! Bows certainly aren't for everyone. I'm not really any good with swords, either- I can handle a knife just fine, but when the blades start getting bigger I have some trouble," Sid elaborated. She nodded knowingly at what Claire implied. "Mm... how bad is it here? I'm in a dangerous demographic to be anywhere like that, but should I need to, how often do things get really messy? Noble or not, I still am... hired for my skills, to some extent, so I'd probably be better off knowing now just in case."

"Well, I haven't been there in a long time, but I can't imagine much will have changed. If you're lucky, they'll only try to mug you." Not a nice place. "If you DO have to go there, dress the part. Nobility tends to attract a lot of unwanted attention. And don't go alone."

"Yes, I suppose as lovely as my dresses are, they probably aren't wise to wear in such places," Sidney agreed. "I still have my old things, of course, whenever I might need to blend in. Best not to try luck if I can, but also better to know now than be unprepared."

Claire shrugged. "You're a royal guest, aren't you? I can't imagine you'd have any need to go there if you just keep yourself out of trouble." Although perhaps this was a tall order for Charlotte, given her track record. "I would just enjoy your time here for now. We still don't know what baron Dettard was doing, meeting with Magonsaete. This could be a short lived reprieve."

"Yes, I am a guest in the palace, but..." Sidney struggled to find proper phrasing. "Well, you know what my skillset is. I'd love to stay out of trouble, but if the prince needs me to venture there for any reason, it is my obligation to. Still, you're right- as long as that's not the case, I'm here to enjoy myself. Do you think there's anywhere in particular that I shouldn't miss? As nice as the city is, nobody has really given me great tourist destinations, as it is."

"That's because there aren't many, unless you're looking to watch dancing bears at the circus. Although you could probably just follow Angus around for that." A smug smile crept onto her face as she spoke. "Its... not much of a tourist destination, but perhaps try an archery range? It might be a nice change of pace to practice in a place where you don't have to worry about being shot back." Come to think of it, she hadn't gotten in much practice herself since they got back. And she had a new tome to try out... although her business with the vial took precedence.

"No, I'd rather off myself than voluntarily spend any time more than I must with that idiot," Sidney remarked, also grinning now. "Hmm, that could be smart. Good to stay in practice, but a leisurely sort of practice- I think I like the sound of that. Hey, maybe we can make a day of it- I'll show you some bow tricks and you can show me some magic!"

"He's not all bad." she objected. "But his immaturity definitely shows. He still has a lot to learn." To be fair, he was still pretty much a boy, but that was no excuse for his antics in Dettard's castle. "And that would sound nice, but I don't have much to show you." she slumped back in her chair slightly, a little downtrodden. "A mage's ability to to cast spells comes from their tomes. There's very little you can do without them, and my collection at the moment is, um, limited." That was a bit of an understatement. "But never mind that. If you've decided what you want, you ready to order?" At this rate, they would sit here all day without eating anything.

"He's pretty bad..." Sidney protested briefly, listening to her explanation. "So why not show me what you can do with a few tomes? That sounds pretty fun to me still! Oh, but you are right about ordering... uh, I'll just have some of that fish you're getting."

Claire didn't feel like arguing with Charlotte about the mooncalf (which he was, undeniably), so she just called over the waiter and placed their orders. "You've seen most of what I can do already," she replied with a shrug as the waiter left. "I've never really tried to make my magic showy or anything like that. Maybe I could, but I've never really seen the point in it..." She'd picked up her tomes because it was practical, not because she was a performer. Her technique was good enough though, maybe she could pull it off? "If you want though, I could give it a try." It might be a challenge, but she'd never let that stop her before.

"Well, sorta... I don't really remember these things very much. I'm more focused on staying alive and keeping myself and others out of danger than paying much attention to how exactly your magic looks like or works. Sneaking around and making stealthy attacks is a lot of work," Sidney admitted. "So seeing it in detail would be something of a first. Either way, I'm sure you haven't seen me shoot much since I'm often doing other things, so that's still something to look forward to! Besides, you never know what to get when you try familiar things in different ways- maybe you'll learn something."

"I wouldn't call an arrow hurtling towards you very stealthy." Claire replied dryly. "But I understand what you're saying. It might even be fun." Throughout her education and training after, she had one goal in mind: constant improvement. Truth be told, she didn't do a lot for fun. This could be good for her.

"Knives are plenty stealthy, and bows give an opportunity for attacking safely," Sidney pointed out. "That's the spirit! You can always do with a little more fun- no reason to be too serious all the time." She stretched her arms a bit, waiting mostly quietly for the food to arrive. The service was rather quick, and Sid was equally quick to start her food. "This is very good. Thanks for the suggestion."

"Perhaps not." Claire replied. If it was a fun way to improve her magic, there was no point not trying it really. In truth, she wasn't exactly interested in Charlotte's archery, but she wasn't going to say that. The service came surprisingly quickly, and it seemed that her companion had enjoyed the meal, based on both her comments and how long it took for her to clear her plate. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." she replied, still finishing off her own food (which she agreed was pretty nice). "So, when do you want to try this... talent show." That made it sound kind of shoddy, but she couldn't think of anything else to call it.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Good question." Sidney paused for a few moments to think. "Well, I'd like to spend a bit more time relaxing, to be honest... maybe in a week or so would be nice. How's that sound to you?"

"I don't blame you." Claire smiled. "And I could certainly use the time to practice." She still had the vial business to take care of as well; it seemed like she had a busy week ahead of her. "It was nice talking to you. You're... different to what I expected." There was a twinge of hesitation present in her voice; even though she meant it as a sign of approval she still wasn't sure if she should've said it afterwards.

"Well, it was nice getting to know you too. Suppose I'll be heading off now, but I'll see you around, Claire!" Sidney started to get up, but paused for a moment, seemingly reaching for something and then giving some gold. "Ah, here you are. Not gonna make you pay for my own food." Her part said, she left for real, one more friend than when she entered.

Claire had spent the last few days training her magic, trying to improve her technique and general stamina as far as spellcasting went. After a couple of days, she decided to visit the marketplace, looking for something to expand her collection with. Perhaps she would learn more if she had to try out different tomes - at least that was what she told herself. She didn't count on seeing a familliar face there though, the mercenary leader Adele had hired during their campaign was already inside when she entered.

She could've just left him alone, but this was be an opportunity, Claire decided. While she didn't know his age exactly, but he was still plenty older than her - and with age came wisdom, supposedly. Not in the case of my mother... She scowled for a moment, before her features returned to neutral. That didn't matter now, what mattered was seeing if she could learn something from Niko. She greeted him with a small wave, wondering if he recognised her. "Hello. You're one of Lady Adele's mercenaries, right?"

Edited May 2, 2016 by SB.

[Dandragon]

Before Serge could object, Emmet was already inside. Damn...Now he had no choice but to act quickly. But he was still trying to decide whether or not to go find someone for help. "...Gaaaaaah...To hell with it." He said, making up his mind. Serge went off sprinting towards the slums. He needed to find Ratty before someone else did. Of course, it might have been best for no one, not even Serge, to find Ratty. But he wasn't thinking about that. All he knew is that his friend could be in serious danger.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Dandragon

[scorri]

"Hmm? Ah, yes, I'm Niko. You're Lady Claire, correct? Looking for a new tome I suppose. Not an overly interesting selection unfortunately, though there are a few decent ones." He remembered her being the other magic user in the group which was really the only good explanation of her being here anyways.

[Ether]

"Yes, that's true. Well, if that's all you have to report for the moment, then you may be on your way, Sebastian." Adele replied, as she continued thinking things over in her head... what could she do to try and better prepare herself for this sort of thing...?

[charlie_]

"That's right. I'm glad you remembered." She gave him a small smile, before looking around at the shop's wares. "All magic is interesting, to me anyway. Some of it is just less efficient." Or dangerous, in some cases. She recognised some of the tomes from her studies as supposedly unreliable and unwieldy - but useful if fortune favoured you. "If you don't mind me asking though, how long have you been using magic?" Longer than Claire had, she suspected, but he could've started at a later age. She had no idea what kind of training Niko received.

[scorri]

"Using magic? Well... my dad started teaching me when I was around 8 so... 21 years or so? Studied that and couple types of standard weapons for a couple of years before it was clear my main talent was with magic, so then I started focusing solely on that. So probably about 18 years with only focusing on magic. How about yourself?" He figured that she was university trained, given that she was a noble and all but that didn't answer how long she'd been studying.

[Juliette]

Freya crossed her arms. This is going to be more difficult than I thought... "My superior is Commander Nelson, and he got his orders from... Lord Walter, I think it was. Don't see what the big deal is about- trying times make for a bigger need for helpers, usually."

Her vision focused on this thief, Sidney. Normally she would have already acted, but the princess mentioned not only her nobility but being a guest of the prince's, and the two seemed at least passably friendly. "There aren't a lot of people here today- you might be better off with targets than a training buddy."

[charlie_]

"Oh, wow." Niko's training in magic was older than Claire herself. "That's a lot longer than I expected. I've been using it for um, coming up to eight years now? I didn't finish my training too long ago." She felt a little out of her depth here. She'd expected him to be more experienced than him, but not a gap as large as this.

[scorri]

"Well, most of my experience comes from mercenary work. You had to learn to be helpful somehow. Still though, eight years is a good amount of time. And you're quite skilled from what I saw during our battles. University trained I assume?"

[Dandragon]

Serge had finally made it to the Slums. At least, it certainly looked like it. Smelled like it, too. He had walked from the guild to here before, but at the point he hadn't really been paying attention to where he had been going. Now the problem was finding out where Ratty was in this forsaken hell-hole. The first time they met was at the Rusty Cutlass, so maybe he should start from there. He looked around as he walked, making sure nobody got the jump on him.

[Nanami Touko]

"Yes, truly I am the luckiest. Besides, it's not labeling, you are one-- or at least during campaign your fingers seemed fairly quick. Dial down the drama, we already have enough of that around here." Cass shrugged off Sidney's pat and comment, hoping she wasn't getting honestly upset over what Cass felt were simple japes. And there, she had names. Why was that so hard? She loosened up and let the guard down some. "There we are. That's fine then, Freya. I have no pressing issue at the moment, so you're free to accompany me to speak with Nelon, or you may do whatever you wish around the grounds. If you have been ordered to follow me wherever I go... I may have somewhere to visit, after. You'll accompany me, I hope."

That all said and done, Cass made her way over to Nelon. "Finding the dummies to be adequate opponents, sir Nelon?"

[charlie_]

"I studied in Wihtwar." Claire nodded. "We weren't actually casting spells for most of our education. It sounds like you were different?" she asked, curious. Having enough natural talent to skip the theory was pretty rare in a mage, so it was pretty impressive. And possibly not very helpful to her if she did, she realised.

[Shin]

Spoon and Shield

Nelon dind't see Cass approach, he was too busy with his lance drill. Whilst not an expert, Cass could see some similarities between him and Lionel, although Nelon's build was more powerful and his lunges more potent. It was only when Cass was a few feet away that he'd even noticed her, taking a break from his practice. Standing up bolt straight with his lance by his side, Nelon stood perfectly still, in perfect military fashion.

"Princess! I apologise, you caught me off guard. Is there something I can assist you with?" he blurted out, bowing his head. "If you require this training area, I would be happy to vacate."

Hogan smirked, apparently he found the Baron somewhat amusing. Turning to Sidney, Hogan pointed to the firing range. "Can probably get some practice in there. I'm probably not much better with bows than you are, miss. I ain't really got much to say other than to keep the bow at eye level."

--

The Slums

The area around the rusty cutlass was as grim as Serge had remembered it, although there were no signs of Ratty at all. There were a few ruffians loitering around but nobody remotely familiar. He'd either have to ask them or refine his search. Neither of which seemed like tempting options, but it was going to be difficult otherwise.

[Juliette]

"There, not so bad. My orders are just to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't get into too much trouble, not track you down all the time. If you want me to accompany you later, I'll do it, and while we're here, I'll stick around too." Freya accompanied Cass to this talk with the similarly-named to her leader Nelon, merely saluting at him instead of speaking up.

[Nanami Touko]

"I suppose I've had worse," she replied, to Freya's orders. She did wonder why those people would want someone to watch her so suddenly, but they weren't unrecognizable names, nor were they E names, so her paranoia had nothing to worry about. Speaking of... This Nelon seemed rather easy to startle. Cass would have to keep that in mind. "No, you don't have to go. And nothing, really. I'm mostly here to practice healing. I know you've only been hitting a dummy, but do you feel you could use a touch up? It must be exhausting to train like this... I suppose if you were up to it, we could also go a round~ I know my way around an axe. If not, perhaps go a round with one of the trainees? Only if you're feeling up to it, of course." Cass would need some of them to get a bit beat up if she were to gain anything substantial from this.

[scorri]

"I never attended university, no. My father studied a little there, but he was the one who taught me and he mostly just taught me practically. I was handling a tome basically from day one. Not that I was producing much of anything at the start! But I figured it out and improved from there. Still, it's served me well enough over the years." He gave a slight shrug.

[charlie_]

"It sounds like your family have an affinity for magic then." Claire replied, doing her best to hide the jealousy from her voice. Niko didn't exactly fall into this, but she hated it when 'luck' beat out hard work. "We started using tomes in our sixth year, and even then a lot of the other students struggled." She shrugged. She'd picked on it pretty quickly, but she figured that was just due to diligent studying more than anything else.

[scorri]

"Sure? I mean, my dad always said that I was doing better than he ever had, but I figured that was just him building up my confidence. Still, if they never even let you hold a tome until then... Seems like them letting you use one sooner would have helped." He didn't want to admit that he wasn't quite sure what the big deal about him not studying at a university was since none of his fellow mercs had treated it like a big deal. Though maybe his dad had asked them not to?

[charlie_]

"Maybe it just come down to the amount of work you put in?" she suggested. "Being constantly around fighting, you're bound to pick it up through experience. And even at the academy, I was one of the first in my class who could cast a spell - and I put in a lot more hours than most." Annoyingly, the quickest to pick it up was a notorious slacker who barely scraped through his theory tests and in general didn't take the class seriously. It was ridiculous.

[scorri]

"Maybe. Still, you must be pretty good if you were one of the top in your classes. From what I've heard, those places are pretty competitive."

[Shin]

Authority

Nelon had heard stories of the Princess and her previous visits to the barracks. Apparently she'd bested some of the recruits, although he was still reluctant to turn his weapon on her, even within a practice match. Not that he really had much choice, he was duty-bound to oblige.

"I am afraid I have received no injuries... but if you were to request a practice match, I would be obliged to agree to it." he replied, gripping his lance. Two other women were present too, one of the guards and a rogue. As long as they kept their distance he would be fine - he'd be able to keep the Princess at lance range at least.

--

Preparations

"Thank you, Lady Adeltrudis, I shall report back once I have more information... or when it is time for your afternoon tea, which ever comes first." he replied, bowing and leaving the room. There would be a lot to read, but at least there was a starting point with the reports. With so many suspects, narrowing it down to one would be quite the task.

[Jotari]

Emmet had seen nicer mercenary guilds but he had also seen a lot worse. It seemed rather empty though which he found surprising for a city the size of Hull. Inspecting the board he saw that Serge was quite right. Most of the jobs involved escorting merchants. There was one job regarding Magonsaete but it sounded far too dangerous for him alone. Perhaps he might mention it to Niko though. Emmet didn't really know what the full capabilities of the group were. He was quite sure he'd yet to even meet every member. He needed a small bounty job, only one wanted poster caught his eye however. It was highly priced but came with few details. However there was something familiar with it. He took it off the wall and spent some time looking at it before he realised why. The man on the poster was almost definitely the one who had shown them to the criminal hideout the night the princess was taken. He was a friend of Serge's. Emmet glanced at the door. The boy had been somewhat evasive in their brief conversation. Could this be the reason why? What kind of man was Serge? He seemed harmless enough. Nice even. Not the kind of person who would betray a friend for something has fleeting as money. Then again he'd only spoken to the boy a handful of times. Emmet shrugged his shoulders. Well if he wants to go catching a bounty all to himself at the expense of a friend then that's his business. He briefly considered throwing the poster away instead of pinning it back on the wall but decided against it. He was thankful the rat faced man had helped them but he didn't really feel he owed him anything. Especially after Emmet had stuck an arrow in Stan's heart to save him.

With no apropriate jobs Emmet left the mercenary guild. Where to next then? He was honestly rather sick of the library and researching a vague myth but thinking about it made him think about Niko. He had only actually seen his current employer on one occasion. I should really get more acquainted. In fact I should have reported the events of a few days ago to him immediately but instead I spoke to Lady Adele. I think he said he was living at the Herman residence. I'll go look for him there.

[Nanami Touko]

"Hmmm... Well... You know, I hadn't planned on getting into any fights coming here, so, Freya, how about you go a round sparring with sir Nelon?" She turned to her new guard, giving her an inquisitive look. "It would be good for me to see how well you fight, so if something were to happen, I could gauge yourself against me. What do you think?" Mostly, she wanted to be sure this woman wouldn't go down were something to happen downtown, later. It would probably take a while to find that Ratty fellow...