ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[riariadne]

"Well... alright. I hope things go fine, then, and I'll play along better too. Just not too much better." Sidney relaxed her arms, leaning on the side of the boat. "Respect is earned, not given. And I still don't think he's earned mine, so I'm not changing that."

She glanced off at the sea. "That's right, I suppose you wouldn't have much experience, huh? My father owns a lot of ships, so I've been on them. He owns a big trading operation, and ran it mostly with just himself and his friend Emmanuel for a long time. King Edwin and him were great friends for years. My family has not always been as high-esteemed as it is now. It was... maybe forty or so years ago that my father, Anthony, was a much younger new Baron, but he did a lot for the king. A bit before the time of my birth, he became a Marquess and part of the council. Edwin never had children, and a lot of other nobles didn't either, or married off into other families only to not have a suitable heir, so we rose up unusually quickly." She thought over the details of the story for a moment. "... Well, he might have been a Viscount and not a Baron? I'm not sure. Regardless, Montana is a rather new big name, but we sure do have a lot of boats. I've been on the sea many times. I'm not terrible behind the wheel myself, but it's been years, and I wasn't spectacular. I don't have much of an affinity for it."

[Nanami Touko]

Cass shrugged. "Angus isn't as awful as you make him out to be. He's rough, but he's a soldier; they aren't paid to be polite. Maybe you should try to be less rigid." Cass spoke it as she saw it. She hadn't seen either of them interact, so she could only assume that Angus had done something brutish to set Sidney off, and make her act this way. Not like everyone needs to get along.

"You know, you seem like someone who had a lot going for her. Why thievery? I know why I would try to leave this life, but it really sounds like you enjoyed it. Were you just missing excitement? Glamour? Intrigue? What was it?" Cass could understand wanting to give up the noble life, but not wanting to give up a legal life. Banditry and thievery tore apart countries and kingdoms. Why would anyone willingly participate? It made no sense to her. Perhaps if someone had nothing left in life, they would feel like it was their only resort, but Sidney made it seem like she had plenty on her plate.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Melissa

[charlie_]

"I'm proposing that we don't." Claire sighed. "This country is dangerous, Emmet, and with no information on its whereabouts we may as well be chasing shadows." If he was thick enough to run off on his own to go searching for it then it was his problem - not hers. "Don't worry about the vial - it's not going anywhere." She had of course brought the vial with her. It was far safer here than left at home, and depending on how friendly the locals were, they might end up needing it.

[Shin]

You're the Boss!

Larissa pointed to herself, looking rather surprised. "I was hired, and you became boss, I don't see why it's any different if someone else were in charge." she replied, patting Serge on the back. "I'm tired of being lusted after by men with money... I want to live something exciting with people I don't hate. You're one of those people, you've got a lot to learn, but you're not a bad person."

Hans and Lars approached the pair, grinning foolishly at their boss. "Yeah, you're the boss, boss." one of them added, Serge hadn't quite had enough time to be able to distinguish the two. "We'll make the Reliables the best mercenary group about..."

The other nudged the first. "Lars, I thought it was the Relentless... or the Relievers? No, wait... it was the Reliants!" he laughed. "We had a good feeling about you, boss. We can't wait for you to show us what you're made of."

[Jotari]

"I know this country is dangerous. That's precisely why I was trying to elicit your assitance rather than galavanting into the jungle by myself. I'm not suggesting we part ways from Prince Own's little militia. Merely do some searching while we're here." Unless of course we find something substational Emmet thought to himself.

[Dandragon]

Serge couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Hans. Lars. I appreciate that. And I appreciate you staying, Larissa, all the same." He said as he got up and looked around. He scratched his head. "Morganna's probably off by her lonesome, again. And I have no idea what Emily is up to. Regardless, I'm going to go find them. Have either of you seen them anywhere?" He asked to Hans and Lars.

[Vestige]

"Oh, is that so?" he said, turning to face the woman addressing him. She seemed to be about the same age as he was, give or take a year or two, and yet she was already acting like his superior. How grand... Still, he couldn't deny the pleasure he felt seeing another mage on board. At this point, he'd take what he could get. "I was hoping to be a little more discreet about my apprehension, but I guess that's a little hard for me to do," he said, giving her a sheepish smile. "Though I must say I was a little worried about traveling through Magonsaete, but knowing we've a mage of your caliber among us puts me at ease. If you've the patience to work with me, I would be grateful for your tutelage Morganna," he said. "Oh, I'm Alain by the way. Sir Alain, of House Duhamel," he added. Whether you're as experienced as you say is something I'll be the judge of Miss Morganna.

[Frostivus]

“Well, d’uh, sir Baron, they’re legends. Aggrandised from telling to telling. They’re not all true,” Scuttle said, bemused, “Everyone knows bears can’t fart.” But you know he didn’t really deny any of them.

A firsthand experience: a bard’s most precious resource. She could write volumes, volumes of books with what Angus was supplying. She dissected every word. A bear that devoured everything in its path. The book was already writing itself.

Hard lines formed around Angus’s face that signalled Scuttle to perhaps stop standing on her tiptoes, and she brought herself back level.

Did she know the Reaper?

He had watched her grow.

“I was a lower-class woman growing up in the streets of Wyke,” Scuttle exclaimed, chest puffed. That childlike mirth in her eyes were gone, replaced by something blazing. Something deep unearthed. “The orphan girls of Good Hope had two futures: death by syphilis or death by hunger. I chose to walk out the door. I slit my first throat when I was six. I ate rats on sticks. I held daggers like cut glass. I’ve seen my friends hang themselves with bumps in their bellies. Yes, it was tough. Life is bleak. Life sucks. You look up through the manhole covers and you think maybe those two futures were the mercy option. But I kept on going. Because . . ."

Because you had to look for that small sliver of light, and cling onto it. Cling onto it and never let go. If Scuttle’s life was starkly grey, then the adventures of Javier, and the gossip of princesses clandestinely learning axe-throwing, and the man who conquered an insurmountable pegasus, and noble thieves hiding amongst common folk, they were the golden sliver.

As her life passed, she had to find something to cling onto. And she must have clung onto all of that.

“Aye, I know the Reaper, though maybe not as you do. I know him as the apothecary bearing ill news. I know him as the drunkards that give you the eye. But your Reaper? The one that comes screaming violently in battle?” She shook her head. “Not the Reaper I know. But I’m not turning back. I’m not cowed by the dangers though I know full well what might happen.”

Well, of course, she was also fighting together with what she considered immortal gods of war, and that probably gave her a firmer belief in herself, but that dramatic, breathless (and expert) display was probably more likely to keep her from being turned around on the return journey back to Wyke.

Sometimes you gotta learn to play the crowd.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Frostivus

[riariadne]

Sidney turned away, looking back over the sea again. "Yeah, whatever. I haven't forgotten how everyone acted before I mentioned my family name. I don't respect people who think positions of power make them better than others. You apologized, at least, and are expanding your horizons a little, but he's just further entrenching himself in a stupid system."

"Standing and ranks are all... so superficial. I'm near the top of the system, but it's a flawed system. Oh, there were perks, but I hated it," she continued on the same vein. "I was moody and childish, but I couldn't stand continuing on as things were. So I ran, free at last. Or at least that would've been the smartest way of going about it. Kids run off sometimes- but getting arrested sure didn't do me much good. Since then I've learned that it's not realistic to try and cheat the system, or whatever I hoped to accomplish. The adventurous life can be exciting sometimes, sure, but it's not glamorous. The more I grow up, the more I seem to learn that my father was basically right about everything. 'The power game's still playing, so you better win it'..."

She shrugged. "That's my story. A rebellious teenager that took things a bit too far. Funny I met you two in that village. Now here I am again, heading back to Raewald, and in a relatively good spot. Life is so odd."

[Nanami Touko]

"So you... Haha, you put into action what I'd considered in the past, except life turned on you. I suppose I should be thankful I never did run away. I'm sure I would've gotten myself into plenty of desperate situations." Cass sighed, but it was good to hear more about Sidney. "Well, I'm glad I broadened my horizons, but I'm also glad you cast away that veil of thievery. Falling into it or not, it's never a good life to live. Even in Wyke, we're rife with miscreants in the lower burgs. It can be quite the hassle." She leaned herself against the edge of the boat, staring back up at the clouds for a moment.

"We... Should visit your parents, Charlotte." Cass quickly brought up the subject as she thought about their trip. "I'm sure they would be quite pleased to see where you are, now. Helping out Wyke, friends with the princess, getting chummy with the crown prince. Even if they're upset about your running away and thievery, you've done enough to make up for it, as far as I know." She shrugged and stretched, yawning. This trip was taking a lot out of her. "Who knows? All I know is that your past will catch up to you eventually. It's probably best to face it head on. I'm trying to do the same, with this whole princess gig."

[spoiler=Agent Cass]

Guards had been posted at her father's room for several days now, Cass had barely seen a soul enter. Aside from Duke Herman, it didn't seem that her father was getting many visitors at all. There were the usual maids and servants, but that was to be expected. With the voyage only days away, and with no complaints from her father, he was either oddly approving or unable to protest.

The guards currently at the door were ones Cass was familiar with, and pushovers at that. They'd never been able to say no to her before, so if she were determined to get in, her chances were pretty good.

Since the debacle with the prison, Cassandra hadn't heard a peep from her father, despite growing plans to leave for Raewald. He'd, at the very least, expressed discontent with her going to Dettard's manse on that campaign, yet he hadn't voiced one concern-- nor even sent someone to do so, for this one! She was growing impatient, and worried, over this. To that end, she decided that she would at least see him, to tell him she was going, or to deny his orders up front!

Ah, yes, these two. Biggs and Wedge. Not once had they been able to stop her on her whims, yet here they stood, in her way now. She focused her pace, taking large, slow and deliberate steps towards them, folding her arms to increase her presence. "Move." She didn't feel anything else was necessary. She was a bit annoyed already, and any roadblocks would be promptly ran over, if they were placed in her way.

The guards gulped in unison as Cass approached them, they knew trouble when they saw it, and Cass was trouble wrapped up in a dress. They'd been given orders to keep people out of the room, but her expression wasn't one that they were brave enough to deal with. Biggs coughed, looking at Wedge with nervous eyes. Wedge looked away from his friend, pretending he hadn't seen his pleas for help.

Biggs knew defeat when he saw it, it'd be far easier to let Cass in briefly. "If anyone asks, Wedge let you in." he sighed, stepping aside from the door. "His Majesty was sleeping when I last saw him... truthfully, he doesn't look well. Just please don't let your mother find out, she's been bothering us for days... and his Majesty was quite firm about her not seeing him."

Wedge smirked, looking over at Biggs. "He also said not to let the Princess in, but at least the Queen takes no for an answer." he commented. "Then again, she doesn't try as hard."

Cass nodded, almost smiling. It was good to see there would be little opposition! "I suppose I can refrain from telling Mother, so long as I do not get in trouble for holding such a secret. If anyone asks, I forced my way in. Not that the likes of you could stop me if we did have to fight." She huffed a bit, pushing past them and walking in quietly. Father lay there on his bed, though she couldn't see how he was from the entrance.

"Father? Are you awake?" If he was asleep, she wouldn't disturb him. But if he was awake, well... There were a few things she wished to discuss.

Her father's room was dimly lit, only a few candles brightened the otherwise darkened room. The curtains had been drawn around his bed, the reflections of the flames flickering on the wooden posts. There was no reply from Oswald, only laboured breathing interrupted by hacking coughs.

Not a single servant was in the room, which was unusual considering how bad he sounded.

"Tobias.... Tobias?" he moaned, his sheets ruffling. "Are you here, Tobias? Or are my ears... playing tricks on me?"

Father? She didn't speak yet, he didn't quite seem awake. But, she crept closer, curious as to what he was calling out for. Why would he want Tobias right now? Not a healer or one of his servants... What's going on? She got as close as she felt she could without alerting him to her presence, wondering if his stirring was going to wake him. She hoped it wouldn't. Curiosity was grasping her tight.

Oswald continued to move in his bed, still calling out.

"Tobias? Are you there? My children... what did they do today?" he groaned, his words transforming quickly into a coughing fit. Clearing his throat, the rustling stopped, his breathing becoming more relaxed. "Please help Owen, he needs your guidance... until he can stand with his own strength... Cassandra... tell her I'm resting..."

Oswald seemed to calm down, possibly even have fallen asleep. Cass could hear his breaths, they were harsh but he wasn't gasping for air by any means.

Cass felt a guilty pang in her chest, sighing as she moved. Spying on him whilst he was in such throws, how terrible a daughter she was being. His only worry was his children while sick, and she was having doubts. Disgusting, Cass... "Father, it's me," she finally said, clearly, sitting down on the floor next to his bed. She didn't move aside the curtains, for she feared seeing him as he was would ruin his dignity.

"I wanted to see you because we're going to Raewald soon... You hadn't voiced any concern over my leaving, but... I can see why." She bit back some tears, there was no way she could hate such a broken man, not like this; not while all he cared for was his children, even if he was late. "I'm sorry for barging in, I... I came to argue with you, really, as I always do... I suppose I will miss it, with the way... The way things are... A-Are..." It was too much to maintain, his rasping breaths tossing her emotions over the edge, as she started to quietly cry. "Owen is doing well, just so you know..."

Oswald didn't seem to respond, he was too caught up in some strange feverish delirium to comprehend Cass' words. Laughing gently, Oswald spoke again.

"Are Owen and Cassandra still going to Raewald?" he asked, presumably to the imaginary Duke Herman. "Owen needs to go... but Cassandra. Tell Cassandra that she can go too... tell her that I give her my permission. She'll be less sad if I die when she's not here. Tell her I'm just tired... it won't be a shock if she comes back and I've passed on..."

The king let out a few sobs, mixed in with a strange laughter.

"Look after them, Tobias... the three of you together can carry Wyke... and the continent."

Cass could hear footsteps behind her, someone else was entering the room. There were no other entrances or exits, it was either hide or get caught.

"Father...?" Was he delirious? He wasn't responding like she was actually there... But... Should she call out louder? Would the shock of her being there and hearing all this push him further, cause something awful to happen? She sobbed quietly, he really was going to die, wasn't he... "Please, just... A little longer, I'm... I'm barely a woman yet, you haven't seen me grow, you..." Maybe she shouldn't have come. She knew he was in trouble, but not like this. "If you go now, I'll, n-never be able to argue with you again, you know...?" She weakly gripped the edge of the bed, grimacing through her tears.

But there was no time for that. Someone else was coming, and unless she could know it was her mother, she didn't want to chance being caught. The quickest place to hide would be underneath the bed, so she quickly rolled herself underneath it, clasping a hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. It's probably Tobias... Come to check up on him.

Cass' hiding place seemed suitable enough, or at least she hadn't blown her cover immediately. From under the bed, she could see two pairs of boots, and a glance up revealed them to be both Earl Valter and General Gringolett. The two men approached the king's bed, listening carefully for any noise from their liege.

"General, I don't feel that he will be able to provide any more information, his majesty is not a well man!" Earl Valter lectured, his voice as pompous as ever. "My hopes that Prince Owen would wed one of my daughters has been truly spoiled, that good-for-nothing Kearney has tricked my poor daughters, they cannot stop talking about the fool! I would prefer Nelon or even Gorlois! Nothing good can come from a boy like Kearney! "

Gringolett yawned, clearly uninterested in his colleague's inane babble. "Women do as they do, there's no keeping control of them." he replied sternly. "If you let them run wild in their youth, they'll be unruly when they grow up. Look at Princess Cassandra, I feel sorry for any man who takes an interest in her. I wouldn't want my grandson to touch her with a barge pole. Talmot's too soft to deal with her."

Letting out a huff, Valter approached the bed, his feet literally a foot or so from Cass' face. "I only hope Prince Owen has enough sense to ask for help when he needs it. He's not quite as sharp as his father, that man helped prevent two wars... it looks like Prince Owen intends to take part in one... a poor judgement if you ask me."

Earl Valter! Cass couldn't hide more of herself under the bed, but she was sure to keep herself quiet now. These were two men she was currently unable to trust. From all of Earl Valter's poking and prodding into her affairs, and Gringolett's name being Edmond... Scared was a word you could use, right now. If she was caught...

More information for what? What does Valter want with my Father-- wait, Kearney-- Angus? His daughters? What the fuck did he do...? She could worry about that later. The discussion was peaking her curiosity once again, scuttling quietly back a few inches as Valter's foot neared the edge of the bed. Why is Gringolett talking about Talmot, now? Talmot... Does he... Does Gringolett know anything about that night? She felt a chill run down her spine, but it would be too dangerous to reveal herself now. She kept quiet and continued to listen.

Valter's a fool, anyway... If we don't move now, we'll be overrun, and have to toss ourselves to the wolves as they come to our doorstep. Raewald is a good decision... Like you're any better than Owen, anyway, you trussed up fusspot. Cass rolled her eyes, wondering how much these two really knew about him.

"I simply don't trust Queen Ethel of Raewald. She's always been a schemer, there has to be something that she wants from this war. It's not as if Deira would become any more powerful taking Myrcia... if this will actually happen." Valter droned, starting to bore the General further.

Gringolett coughed and started pacing up and down the room slowly. "Herman's not normally wrong, he saw the whole Dettard thing coming too. I've known him for a good number of years, he's not the one to jump to conclusions. He's got a little more sense than a certain treasurer I know." Gringolett laughed.

Valter stomped his foot, nearly kicking Cass in the face with his boot. "Then how did his daughter find out and rush to the prince's aid? The man's more cunning than a fox trained by a professor of cunning! I just hope you are right, General. I would very much hope to avoid a continent wide conflict."

We can't just leave Myrcia to its fate! A schemer, is she? If that's true, no matter, I will be there with Owen and I will help him, but sitting on our laurels will get us nowhere! Ugh! Old men are the worst...Cass flinched as the boot came down near her face, trying to squeeze herself further back, and holding back a squeak of surprise. And he can't even treat a lady properly! The worst!

That was an interesting line to go down. Herman's daughter-- Adele, finding out about Dettard, going off to help Owen? Well, of course she would, why wouldn't... You wouldn't want Owen to fail, you were just talking about his marrying one of your daughters. Come on, give me something good here! Cass knew for sure that hopping out now would ruin any chances of finding out anything more; the men seemed like quite tight lipped fellows when surrounded by others. Gringolett especially, he'd been very quiet during the meeting a while back. You wish to avoid a continent wide one, but you wouldn't mind one in Wyke, eh, Valter? I still don't trust you, asking around for Gewaint's interest in marrying me.

Gringolett growled, stepping closer to Valter, who seemed to cower quickly. "I have a suspicion it was his butler, I could never quite read the old man, but he seemed close to Duke Herman... don't go poncing about and telling everyone I said that, no telling who that man actually is. Might even be under the bed listening to us."

The pair laughed, Valter far more nervously than the General. "Do not joke like that! I've had enough scares in the last few days. That Kearney has taken years off my life. If the princess were to marry a boy like him... it'd be the end of the country as we know it. My daughters raided my drinks cabinet, I was rather looking forward to the spirits Edion had imported for me."

An amusing thought of rolling out from under the bed and shouting 'Boo!' at Valter crossed Cass' mind, but for her own well being, it was best to stay under the bed. That aside, there didn't seem to be much else on the minds of the men. Another E name was thrown about, making Cass roll her eyes. How many nobles in Wyke have E for one of their names? The list's too Engel damn long... Aside from whatever Angus had done with Valter's daughters, if they were up to raiding their father's drinking cabinets, and not listening to him, perhaps she could at least find common ground.

Ah, well, thoughts for another time. Go and drink your spirits, so I can finally get out of this crawl space.

"Go enjoy your drinks, Earl Valter. The king is in no state to speak." Gringolett replied heading towards the door. The man glanced down curiously at the bottom of the bed before turning back to the door. "Stick to dealing with coins, it's what you're best at. I don't touch anything outside the military, I have no patience for courtly nonsense."

Wiping his brow, Valter sighed, following after the General. "Not all of us are as one-track minded as you, General. I do worry for the Princess at times, hopefully the castle guard I appointed should keep her out of further trouble."

The two men left, closing the door behind them. Cass' eyes may have been playing tricks on her, but one of the curtains appeared to rustle slightly for a second, quickly becoming still once more.

Are they gone yet? Cass waited a few moments after the door closed and rolled herself out from under the bed, brushing herself off. "So that's who sent Freya to guard me... I really don't think it was Valter, he seems too much of a coward to ever put himself in this situation. Gringolett, maybe... But he didn't say anything really worth holding onto... Just one thing left to do." Cass casually stretched-- before lunging towards the curtain and pulling it wide open!

Cass was more than able to fling the curtain back, although there wasn't anyone behind it. The window's lock was slightly askew, it hadn't been closed properly. Paranoia aside, the chances were that there'd been another person listening in. Cass could hear her father groan in his sleep, the man making out a few last words.

"Tell... Cass she can go... she'll be less sad when I'm dead, Tobias." he muttered, snoring shortly after his uttering.

"Tch." More rats. That was unfortunate. The men hadn't said anything worthwhile, but Wyke's security would need some heavy redesigning once Owen was instated. This was ridiculous! Her annoyed musing were cut short by her father speaking again, her attention directly turning towards him. "Father... You're wrong." She calmed down nearly instantly, returning to her position at the side of his bed. She slowly drew back one of the curtains, and with the softest touch, gently took his hand into her own, sitting herself on the edge of his bed.

"I'm going to miss you more than you know... You finally started being a Father to me, not a king. Late or not, getting something from you that wasn't orders, or rules, or demands... Getting a parents love, it... I truly don't want you to die, Father..." She got teary again, but bit them back. "This world isn't like the fairy tales. A princess' tears aren't going to fix anything. I will be strong. For Mother, for Owen. For you..." Words said, she didn't quite want to leave, yet. As long as no one else was to come, she wished to spend a few more moments with him, even if he slept. This might be her last chance to...

Oswald lay there in his robes, incredibly thin and pale. Cass had never seen the man so sickly before, even when his health had been declining. His hand was cold and delicate, but she could feel it grip her own feebly. Oswald didn't speak, but he appeared to smile, his white beard rising gently. His breaths continued, perhaps even a little less laboured than before, the King was still with Cass for the time being.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Melissa

[charlie_]

"We'll see." And by that, the mage meant 'no', but she suspected that Emmet wasn't going to be reasoned with. It wasn't like she wasn't curious herself, but unlike her accomplice, she at least possessed a modicum of sense.

[riariadne]

"Well... I don't think I'm out of it just yet." Sidney tugged at her vest and fiddled with her gloves for a moment. "Now it's war time, and in war, anything goes. And that's if we get through Magonseate without a scuffle, the odds of which I would place at... not great. I don't like generalizing people, but I've been here long enough to see that in this place, savagery runs very deep, so I'm not the biggest fan of our chances."

She thought about Cass's suggestion. "I was going to. My parents were generally accepting of my quirks. Engel knows they're a bit of rulebreakers themselves. Either way, I think I'd feel horrible if I were to be back in Tytila without speaking to them. I was thinking just earlier how we might pass through Montana territory even on the way there- I'm not sure our exact route, but I think it's probable that we will have to at least a bit. My father doesn't usually stay there, though. His friend Emmanuel runs the territory while we lived in the capital, which was most of the time."

[Nanami Touko]

"I can't say I'm opposed to you stealing from bandits and thieves. They aren't exactly worth the respect when they're as far gone as Magonsaete's brand." She shrugged and stood back up, trying to find a comfortable position to stand in, finding it hard to do on the boat. "If we run into any of them, we'll kill them, and you can take whatever you feel is useful from them."

"That's good, though," she said, going back to that topic. "Whether your family is in your territory or in the capital, speaking to them and owning up to your past will make you feel better about it. It feels like it's still dragging you down a bit, so this'll be good." Cass cracked her neck, really getting bothered with standing still for so long. "How long until we hit ground? The longer I have to wait on this barge, the more frustrated I'll be when we get onto solid ground. How does anyone put up with this?"

[Ether]

[spoiler=The RAT]

It seemed to be sorted, Adele had taken Cass' place in visiting the thieves' guild. At least she'd met Ratty before, hopefully he wouldn't be too terrified of her. Cass had told Adele that she'd find the man near the bridge - and he had been instructed to stay put until someone arrived.

'Well... this must be the place.' Adele noted to herself, as she came up to the bridge that Ratty was supposedly waiting at. She paused, for just a moment, before stepping forward and walking towards the rat-like man, who she saw nearby a drum can, which appeared to house a flame... did he really live here, of all places?

"Ratty? I was told you were waiting."

Serge had fallen asleep at some point. He had been dreaming about striking it rich with some rescue mission on a wealthy princess. His dreams were interrupted, however, when he heard someone speaking. As his eyes opened, he saw...Adele?! "Lady Adele?" He said, quickly getting up from the ground. "What...What are you doing here?"

Ratty looked up, he recognised Adele from the previous encounter at Big Stan's lair. Was she the one who was going to come with him? She seemed awfully serious and scary... to be honest she would fit right in at the Thieves' Guild. Nodding hesitantly, Ratty stepped forward, abandoning his badger barbecue.

"That's me, miss. Are you the one coming with me?" he asked, wondering how much she'd been briefed. "Just don't threaten anyone or speak out of turn and you'll be fine... I can take you now if you want. I don't got much else to do."

Serge looked towards Ratty, then back at Adele. "Wait... You're... No...No no no no no no. Adele, let's think about this for a moment. Do you really want to do this? You're going in with no backup. With who knows what kind of scum." Not to mention it's on their heads if Adele goes missing. But it probably wasn't that big of a deal to Adele if they died for her. He didn't know.

"That's right Ratty, I'm the one." Adele replied to the rat-like man, ignoring Serge for a moment as she stepped forward, adjusting the axe on her belt just a bit. What Ratty was saying made enough sense... don't start shit on someone else's turf was simple enough to understand. Now, as for Serge...

"Myself, Cassandra, and Owen are the only ones with enough information about this whole situation to get anything done, Serge. It would be foolhardy to send either of the Gaffneys, but this could be our only lead to figuring out what the hell is going on here... we couldn't have saved Cass in the first place without Ratty so... if he's willing to vouch for this place being safe as long as I play by the rules, then I'll trust him." Adele replied, turning her head towards the mercenary as she did so.

Serge was speechless. Was this really happening? Was this girl going to risk her life again for some Princess. Granted, the Princess of the entire continent, but still! He sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. "I'm never going to get you noble types." Serge had given up. He folded his arms and looked Adele right in the eye. "Fine. But you're still my current employer, so I ain't leaving until you get back safe and sound. And if this takes too long, I'm coming to look for ya." As best he could with the place being hidden. "So don't drag this out. Get what your looking for and get out. Got it?" He said with a demanding tone. He'd be damned if he lost his job due to the stupidity of some noble's daughter. He had to at least take SOME measures.

"Ask Ratty." Adeltrudis began, shaking her head at Serge's proposition, before expounding.

"If you coming after me and somehow lucking out and finding this place breaks one of their rules... then all you'll do is get us both killed, maybe even over just having a lot to talk about. Maybe even Ratty too, since he'd be the one who brought me there." Adele clarified, looking Serge dead in the eye.

"Are you ready for that responsibility?"

He hadn't thought of that. His own foolishness might make things worse. "I...Well...That..." Serge was defeated. He was absolutely powerless in this scenario and he knew it. And it made him angry. Angry that he couldn't do his job and protect the people that he wanted to. He sighed again. "...Is there any way I can talk you out of this? Any way to get the info you need without risking your life?" He looked back at Ratty for a moment. "It's not that I don't trust Ratty to not bring you there and back safely, it's...well, I don't trust life."

"If there was a better way, we'd have gone with that instead. Cassandra going would be far too risky, after having just recovered her from the last attempt, and if this is a plot to get at the royals, then sending Owen is just as bad if not worse... no one else has the right information, and we don't have time to bring anyone else up to speed." Adele replied, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"But we need this information. So much so that Cassandra was willing to go in on her own... was shocked when I suggested I go in her stead, but acquiesced in the end. If we don't find out what's going on here, it could tear Wyke apart from the inside out, if our schemers find themselves nefarious enough to do so." The young noblewoman continued, taking a moment to place a re-assuring hand on Serge's shoulder.

"Try and have a little faith in me, would you? I'm not some damsel to be coddled and protected, so you'd best try and lose that perception. I fully intend to stand with you on the front lines on the day that contract of yours is brought to bare."

Serge was surprised to say the least. The frontlines? Really? He thought back to that night in sewers again. It was true, she had been able to take care of herself. Relaxed a bit, no longer gritting his teeth. "Alright...you win." He said, backing down. He moved away towards the bridge, and laid against it. "I'll trust ya. But I still ask that y'don't take too long. That's my one request."

"I don't intend to stay any longer than I have to, if I can avoid it." Adele replied, giving the mercenary a light grin, He had been easier to talk down than Cassandra, at any rate.

"Sorry about that, Ratty, Whenever you're ready."

It seemed like he didn't really have a choice in the matter. "I'm ready, just please don't cause any troubles, miss." he warned, leading Adele forwards. Ratty looked back at Serge and Larissa, they had every right to be concerned... but it was hard to say no to somebody so forceful.

At first it appeared that they were simply walking through the streets, through crowds of people, past the stalls. However, after a few twists and turns, the surroundings were starting to become incredibly unfamiliar. Even the sun itself seemed to avoid the dark alleys, it was late afternoon but it felt as if night had already fallen. After a good half hour, Ratty turned back to Adele, holding a piece of fabric.

"You gots to wear a blindfold for the next part, miss." he mumbled. "I know it don't look good, but it's the rules. Otherwise you could be telling anyone where it is."

It was quite the journey she had been taken on, through winding back alleys and dark roads, until, what must have been a good half an hour later, Ratty turned to her and presented her the blindfold... Cassandra had mentioned this part, so it was a bit less of a shock than it might have been otherwise.

"Right, Cass mentioned this. Alright, if that's what needs to be done." Adele replied, accepting the blindfold and putting it on. Almost immediately she felt less secure but...

'There's no other way to do this... it'll be fine... definitely.'

Ratty lead Adele along, into a building and down some stairs. "It's not very far, don't worry, miss." he replied, unsure of how she'd treat him afterwards. It was cold and wet, the chances were that they had entered some sort of tunnel system below the city. Considering Big Stan had used the sewers as his base of operations, it was no surprise others had used the same idea.

After a few minutes, Ratty removed Adele's blindfold, revealing the room to her. It didn't seem like much, more like a shady bar than a guild for criminals. Nobody seemed to take much interest in Adele, nor Ratty. The man was noticably nervous, breaking out into a sweat as he lead Adele to one of the tables - one with a hooded individual sitting at it.

"Ratty... you bring a noble to speak to me?" he asked, his tone cool and confident. "You may one day find that I do not feel like playing with you... but that matters not... Herman... speak your mind. I shall answer as honestly as I am willing to."

Luckily it didn't take very long for them to reach their destination at all. Having the blindfold removed, Adeltrudis found herself lead over to a table, with a hooded man occupying it. This seemed to be the contact of Ratty's that Dettard had referred to, at any rate, so the young heiress took a seat across from the man, looking him over for a moment before speaking.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I come to ask of Princess Cassandra Gaffney's recent attempted kidnapping... I was told that you may be able to shed some light on the dealings behind this situation."

The man took a sip from his goblet, wiping his mouth slowly. "Ah yes... I recall overseeing the meeting for that one. It was a rather unusual request, but the pay was substantial. Even my fee was greater than half the jobs authorised here." he replied, his voice still rather slow. "The employer never showed his face in person, but delegated messengers to act on his behalf. It would have been an expensive job... more so if he had been willing to pay the full funds. Instead, he got a bargain deal. Stan was an expert in kidnapping but he lacked... finesse. Another agent may have been more successful, if the money had been right."

Ratty had gone incredibly pale, his clothes dripping with sweat. This was far too much for the man, he'd only been roasting badgers an hour ago, and now he was listening to royal plots. The man looked at Adele curiously, his eyes visible under his hood.

"There was no doubt you were crucial in its thwarting, Herman. Plots against nobles have been few and far between, but one involving your own family have never been successful. My regards to your agents, you always seem to be one step ahead of the game."

"Messengers, huh? I would assume that even so, you would have wanted to know who it was you were working for... or what their end goal was?" Adele replied, listening to the man's description of the events... it wasn't surprising, really, He had been surprised to see a noble, so delegation of the meeting was expected, and trying to remove one of the Royals could never come cheap.

"Well, a little preparation and tenacity go a long way... but not far enough, this time. That's why I'm here, after all."

The figure laughed gently, amused by Adele's formality. "If the money is right, the source does not matter." he replied, looking over at Ratty for a moment. "However, I would recommend looking carefully. My client was very keen on ensuring that he was not traced, even by deduction. I had given him advice to incriminate every other candidate, to ensure that attention was not drawn to him. That is likely to be his undoing, I neglected to mention he needed to make himself seem targeted also."

"I see... so he would be laying inklings for everyone but himself... of course, in saying this, you'd know who the other candidates are, so as to give advice on incriminating them... just general tips wouldn't do the job, nor would they likely be appreciated at such a high price point... I don't suppose you'd be willing to divulge anything more on that front, though?" Adele replied, trying to keep herself calm, It was working well enough outwardly, but to have it so close, dangled in front of her in such a way, was rather infuriating all things considered.

Playing with his glass, the man shook his head. "A thief's deal is with his employer, divulging such sensitive data is poor for business. However, I owe your nervous little friend a favour, so I am repaying it." he replied. "The man you are seeking is close to the King, make of that what you will. I owe your house respect, I will at least confirm that it is not the doing of your father. He is not a man to sink so low, I have experienced his mercy with my own being."

"That is understandable... it was worth a try at any rate... I thank you for your kind words." Adeltrudis replied, giving the man a light nod.

"Is there anything else you would be willing to tell me?"

"Be careful when trying to find this fellow, he's incredibly cunning. If he catches wind that you're looking, he'll be sure to do something about it." he responded, passing Adele an envelope across the table. "If you require my services again, this should prove useful... just be certain that you want to delve into the underworld if the time comes."

The man stood up, walking slowly towards a hole in the wall. "My regards to your family, I wish you the best." he said solemnly before disappearing through the hole.

The last few days in Hull before departure, as well as the boat ride itself, had been a veritable maelstrom of emotions for Adeltrudis... few of them welcome. She had shared what she had learned in the thieves guild with the Gaffneys rather hastily, hoping that the information, vague as it was, would be of help to their investigation, She had also given it to Sebastian along the way, figuring there was no point in trying to hide that she had gone... doing so would likely only make things worse in the long run.

Of course, that had only been the beginning. The real kicker, Cassandra's betrothal to one Angus Kearney, was still biting at her, despite having worked the situation out with Cassandra... not particularly well of course, but to the extent that she didn't feel the need to toss herself, or anyone else, off the side of the boat. Speaking of Kearney, however, Adeltrudis caught sight of him jovially talking to an unfamiliar young woman. Well, in a contest of salt content, the seas would find themselves truly culled by one Adeltrudis Herman, with all of the recent goings on. With that in mind, perhaps it would ease the young Heiress' spirits to give the old mooncalf a bit of a hard time. Coming up behind him, Adele wrapped her arm about Angus' shoulders, and pulled him into a tight headlock, giving him a light jab in the ribs. Now, all of this wasn't done particularly harshly... it was obvious from the lack of genuine force that the Herman girl has no intent to truly harm Angus, but give him a little hell? Now that was certainly all well and good.

"Well well, if it isn't the lucky man, the newly Baroned and betrothed Angus Kearney? You know, your fiance is a right wonderful woman, my friend. It would be a disservice to her, for me to sit back and let ya' talk up another girl without at least making sure everything was kosher. So, what's your story?" Adele announced, still keeping Angus' head lightly squeezed against her side as she turned to look towards the new face. Definitely not one of theirs from before... one of Serge's new recruits, possibly? Adele just wasn't sure.

[Ether]

[spoiler=The RAT]

It seemed to be sorted, Adele had taken Cass' place in visiting the thieves' guild. At least she'd met Ratty before, hopefully he wouldn't be too terrified of her. Cass had told Adele that she'd find the man near the bridge - and he had been instructed to stay put until someone arrived.

'Well... this must be the place.' Adele noted to herself, as she came up to the bridge that Ratty was supposedly waiting at. She paused, for just a moment, before stepping forward and walking towards the rat-like man, who she saw nearby a drum can, which appeared to house a flame... did he really live here, of all places?

"Ratty? I was told you were waiting."

Serge had fallen asleep at some point. He had been dreaming about striking it rich with some rescue mission on a wealthy princess. His dreams were interrupted, however, when he heard someone speaking. As his eyes opened, he saw...Adele?! "Lady Adele?" He said, quickly getting up from the ground. "What...What are you doing here?"

Ratty looked up, he recognised Adele from the previous encounter at Big Stan's lair. Was she the one who was going to come with him? She seemed awfully serious and scary... to be honest she would fit right in at the Thieves' Guild. Nodding hesitantly, Ratty stepped forward, abandoning his badger barbecue.

"That's me, miss. Are you the one coming with me?" he asked, wondering how much she'd been briefed. "Just don't threaten anyone or speak out of turn and you'll be fine... I can take you now if you want. I don't got much else to do."

Serge looked towards Ratty, then back at Adele. "Wait... You're... No...No no no no no no. Adele, let's think about this for a moment. Do you really want to do this? You're going in with no backup. With who knows what kind of scum." Not to mention it's on their heads if Adele goes missing. But it probably wasn't that big of a deal to Adele if they died for her. He didn't know.

"That's right Ratty, I'm the one." Adele replied to the rat-like man, ignoring Serge for a moment as she stepped forward, adjusting the axe on her belt just a bit. What Ratty was saying made enough sense... don't start shit on someone else's turf was simple enough to understand. Now, as for Serge...

"Myself, Cassandra, and Owen are the only ones with enough information about this whole situation to get anything done, Serge. It would be foolhardy to send either of the Gaffneys, but this could be our only lead to figuring out what the hell is going on here... we couldn't have saved Cass in the first place without Ratty so... if he's willing to vouch for this place being safe as long as I play by the rules, then I'll trust him." Adele replied, turning her head towards the mercenary as she did so.

Serge was speechless. Was this really happening? Was this girl going to risk her life again for some Princess. Granted, the Princess of the entire continent, but still! He sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. "I'm never going to get you noble types." Serge had given up. He folded his arms and looked Adele right in the eye. "Fine. But you're still my current employer, so I ain't leaving until you get back safe and sound. And if this takes too long, I'm coming to look for ya." As best he could with the place being hidden. "So don't drag this out. Get what your looking for and get out. Got it?" He said with a demanding tone. He'd be damned if he lost his job due to the stupidity of some noble's daughter. He had to at least take SOME measures.

"Ask Ratty." Adeltrudis began, shaking her head at Serge's proposition, before expounding.

"If you coming after me and somehow lucking out and finding this place breaks one of their rules... then all you'll do is get us both killed, maybe even over just having a lot to talk about. Maybe even Ratty too, since he'd be the one who brought me there." Adele clarified, looking Serge dead in the eye.

"Are you ready for that responsibility?"

He hadn't thought of that. His own foolishness might make things worse. "I...Well...That..." Serge was defeated. He was absolutely powerless in this scenario and he knew it. And it made him angry. Angry that he couldn't do his job and protect the people that he wanted to. He sighed again. "...Is there any way I can talk you out of this? Any way to get the info you need without risking your life?" He looked back at Ratty for a moment. "It's not that I don't trust Ratty to not bring you there and back safely, it's...well, I don't trust life."

"If there was a better way, we'd have gone with that instead. Cassandra going would be far too risky, after having just recovered her from the last attempt, and if this is a plot to get at the royals, then sending Owen is just as bad if not worse... no one else has the right information, and we don't have time to bring anyone else up to speed." Adele replied, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"But we need this information. So much so that Cassandra was willing to go in on her own... was shocked when I suggested I go in her stead, but acquiesced in the end. If we don't find out what's going on here, it could tear Wyke apart from the inside out, if our schemers find themselves nefarious enough to do so." The young noblewoman continued, taking a moment to place a re-assuring hand on Serge's shoulder.

"Try and have a little faith in me, would you? I'm not some damsel to be coddled and protected, so you'd best try and lose that perception. I fully intend to stand with you on the front lines on the day that contract of yours is brought to bare."

Serge was surprised to say the least. The frontlines? Really? He thought back to that night in sewers again. It was true, she had been able to take care of herself. Relaxed a bit, no longer gritting his teeth. "Alright...you win." He said, backing down. He moved away towards the bridge, and laid against it. "I'll trust ya. But I still ask that y'don't take too long. That's my one request."

"I don't intend to stay any longer than I have to, if I can avoid it." Adele replied, giving the mercenary a light grin, He had been easier to talk down than Cassandra, at any rate.

"Sorry about that, Ratty, Whenever you're ready."

It seemed like he didn't really have a choice in the matter. "I'm ready, just please don't cause any troubles, miss." he warned, leading Adele forwards. Ratty looked back at Serge and Larissa, they had every right to be concerned... but it was hard to say no to somebody so forceful.

At first it appeared that they were simply walking through the streets, through crowds of people, past the stalls. However, after a few twists and turns, the surroundings were starting to become incredibly unfamiliar. Even the sun itself seemed to avoid the dark alleys, it was late afternoon but it felt as if night had already fallen. After a good half hour, Ratty turned back to Adele, holding a piece of fabric.

"You gots to wear a blindfold for the next part, miss." he mumbled. "I know it don't look good, but it's the rules. Otherwise you could be telling anyone where it is."

It was quite the journey she had been taken on, through winding back alleys and dark roads, until, what must have been a good half an hour later, Ratty turned to her and presented her the blindfold... Cassandra had mentioned this part, so it was a bit less of a shock than it might have been otherwise.

"Right, Cass mentioned this. Alright, if that's what needs to be done." Adele replied, accepting the blindfold and putting it on. Almost immediately she felt less secure but...

'There's no other way to do this... it'll be fine... definitely.'

Ratty lead Adele along, into a building and down some stairs. "It's not very far, don't worry, miss." he replied, unsure of how she'd treat him afterwards. It was cold and wet, the chances were that they had entered some sort of tunnel system below the city. Considering Big Stan had used the sewers as his base of operations, it was no surprise others had used the same idea.

After a few minutes, Ratty removed Adele's blindfold, revealing the room to her. It didn't seem like much, more like a shady bar than a guild for criminals. Nobody seemed to take much interest in Adele, nor Ratty. The man was noticably nervous, breaking out into a sweat as he lead Adele to one of the tables - one with a hooded individual sitting at it.

"Ratty... you bring a noble to speak to me?" he asked, his tone cool and confident. "You may one day find that I do not feel like playing with you... but that matters not... Herman... speak your mind. I shall answer as honestly as I am willing to."

Luckily it didn't take very long for them to reach their destination at all. Having the blindfold removed, Adeltrudis found herself lead over to a table, with a hooded man occupying it. This seemed to be the contact of Ratty's that Dettard had referred to, at any rate, so the young heiress took a seat across from the man, looking him over for a moment before speaking.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I come to ask of Princess Cassandra Gaffney's recent attempted kidnapping... I was told that you may be able to shed some light on the dealings behind this situation."

The man took a sip from his goblet, wiping his mouth slowly. "Ah yes... I recall overseeing the meeting for that one. It was a rather unusual request, but the pay was substantial. Even my fee was greater than half the jobs authorised here." he replied, his voice still rather slow. "The employer never showed his face in person, but delegated messengers to act on his behalf. It would have been an expensive job... more so if he had been willing to pay the full funds. Instead, he got a bargain deal. Stan was an expert in kidnapping but he lacked... finesse. Another agent may have been more successful, if the money had been right."

Ratty had gone incredibly pale, his clothes dripping with sweat. This was far too much for the man, he'd only been roasting badgers an hour ago, and now he was listening to royal plots. The man looked at Adele curiously, his eyes visible under his hood.

"There was no doubt you were crucial in its thwarting, Herman. Plots against nobles have been few and far between, but one involving your own family have never been successful. My regards to your agents, you always seem to be one step ahead of the game."

"Messengers, huh? I would assume that even so, you would have wanted to know who it was you were working for... or what their end goal was?" Adele replied, listening to the man's description of the events... it wasn't surprising, really, He had been surprised to see a noble, so delegation of the meeting was expected, and trying to remove one of the Royals could never come cheap.

"Well, a little preparation and tenacity go a long way... but not far enough, this time. That's why I'm here, after all."

The figure laughed gently, amused by Adele's formality. "If the money is right, the source does not matter." he replied, looking over at Ratty for a moment. "However, I would recommend looking carefully. My client was very keen on ensuring that he was not traced, even by deduction. I had given him advice to incriminate every other candidate, to ensure that attention was not drawn to him. That is likely to be his undoing, I neglected to mention he needed to make himself seem targeted also."

"I see... so he would be laying inklings for everyone but himself... of course, in saying this, you'd know who the other candidates are, so as to give advice on incriminating them... just general tips wouldn't do the job, nor would they likely be appreciated at such a high price point... I don't suppose you'd be willing to divulge anything more on that front, though?" Adele replied, trying to keep herself calm, It was working well enough outwardly, but to have it so close, dangled in front of her in such a way, was rather infuriating all things considered.

Playing with his glass, the man shook his head. "A thief's deal is with his employer, divulging such sensitive data is poor for business. However, I owe your nervous little friend a favour, so I am repaying it." he replied. "The man you are seeking is close to the King, make of that what you will. I owe your house respect, I will at least confirm that it is not the doing of your father. He is not a man to sink so low, I have experienced his mercy with my own being."

"That is understandable... it was worth a try at any rate... I thank you for your kind words." Adeltrudis replied, giving the man a light nod.

"Is there anything else you would be willing to tell me?"

"Be careful when trying to find this fellow, he's incredibly cunning. If he catches wind that you're looking, he'll be sure to do something about it." he responded, passing Adele an envelope across the table. "If you require my services again, this should prove useful... just be certain that you want to delve into the underworld if the time comes."

The man stood up, walking slowly towards a hole in the wall. "My regards to your family, I wish you the best." he said solemnly before disappearing through the hole.

The last few days in Hull before departure, as well as the boat ride itself, had been a veritable maelstrom of emotions for Adeltrudis... few of them welcome. She had shared what she had learned in the thieves guild with the Gaffneys rather hastily, hoping that the information, vague as it was, would be of help to their investigation, She had also given it to Sebastian along the way, figuring there was no point in trying to hide that she had gone... doing so would likely only make things worse in the long run.

Of course, that had only been the beginning. The real kicker, Cassandra's betrothal to one Angus Kearney, was still biting at her, despite having worked the situation out with Cassandra... not particularly well of course, but to the extent that she didn't feel the need to toss herself, or anyone else, off the side of the boat. Speaking of Kearney, however, Adeltrudis caught sight of him jovially talking to an unfamiliar young woman. Well, in a contest of salt content, the seas would find themselves truly culled by one Adeltrudis Herman, with all of the recent goings on. With that in mind, perhaps it would ease the young Heiress' spirits to give the old mooncalf a bit of a hard time. Coming up behind him, Adele wrapped her arm about Angus' shoulders, and pulled him into a tight headlock, giving him a light jab in the ribs. Now, all of this wasn't done particularly harshly... it was obvious from the lack of genuine force that the Herman girl has no intent to truly harm Angus, but give him a little hell? Now that was certainly all well and good.

"Well well, if it isn't the lucky man, the newly Baroned and betrothed Angus Kearney? You know, your fiance is a right wonderful woman, my friend. It would be a disservice to her, for me to sit back and let ya' talk up another girl without at least making sure everything was kosher. So, what's your story?" Adele announced, still keeping Angus' head lightly squeezed against her side as she turned to look towards the new face. Definitely not one of theirs from before... one of Serge's new recruits, possibly? Adele just wasn't sure.

[Xinnidy]

"A poet that can make a good rhyme..." Owen repeated in his own words, bemused at the fact that, yes, there was a stranger on their boat that was assumed to be with them for days now. He didn't even know of their existence. "Well... I'll have to make sure to sort things out before we land, for certain. Would you know where she is?"

[Terrador]

Angus takes an unconscious step back from Scuttle, as if to make space from an enraged drunk. "Well then." He was impressed with this girl's passion; if she brought that to a skirmish, she'd be far from dead weight. "You've got th'guts, but you're gonna have th'alley vision somethin' fierce with tha' bow. Keep an eye on th'rest of us, don't flinch on a cue, an' you should be fine. An' on the topic of bear far--*grk!*" Angus' arm cocks forward to prepare a nasty elbow, but he quickly recognizes the culprit.

"Adeltrudis! I, eh... tha' she is, but I don' think she'd take too kindly t'you, eh... you know what my cheek's up against, righ'?" A blushing baron rights himself, finally in position to meet Adele's eye. "It's jus' another recruit. Scuttle Thames, bard an' archer." He sweeps his hand in Scuttle's direction for Adele's appraisal. "'sides, if I wanted t'philander, I could jus'--"

Angus chomps down on his disobedient tongue; some things did not bear mentioning, certainly not among women! He hawks a bloody, massive, deliberate loogey overboard, shaking his head. "Thorry. Not uthed t'keepin' polite company, but all'th good here."

Edited May 29, 2016 by Terrador

[riariadne]

"Well, yeah... I'm not concerned about them. Magonsean bandits are fair game to take back from. But things might be a bit more frowned upon when we reach Deira..." Sidney huffed. "I suppose I'll figure it out when I'm there. Moral quandaries aren't easy."

"I guess it will, and more than that, I just haven't seen them in a long time. It'll be nice to just be able to talk, be with them, that sort of thing... you know. Being with family is nice." She smirked a bit at the princess's distaste for the ocean. "It's not so bad. Sailing is an adventure itself to a lot of people! We seem to be pretty close, though, so I don't think you'll have much to worry about."

[Nanami Touko]

"Simple, then. Don't steal from the Deirans unless they attack us~" At least, that seemed simple to Cassandra. There was no reason to respect someone who was going out of their way to try and kill you, so why worry about stealing from them? Or at least, that's how Cass thought about it. Stealing from the defenseless, or those who hadn't assaulted you, that was where the line was drawn!

"I've been learning that a bit to late," she mentioned, speaking of family. "Yes, I do hope so. This boat is driving me bonkers... And the land is so close. I truly hope the captain moves us... To... Excuse me, Charlotte." Cass didn't quite like the position of Angus' head under Adele's arm, finally taking notice of their little altercation. She made her way over and pushed herself in between the both of them, tossing each one a small glare, for different reasons. "Hello, Adeltrudis. How might you be, today? And you, darling," saying such a pet name to Angus drove a shiver down her spine and nearly made her lose her already feigned cool, "who might you be speaking with?" The girl was unfamiliar.

[spoiler=Forgotten Peace]Cass grumbled to herself. First Sidney, now Adele... Well, this one she'd expected, to be fair. With all the confusion surrounding her kidnapping and how to keep her safe, she'd forgotten to tell Adele about the marriage-- at all. So when a maid had told her that Adele wanted no visitors, after the girl hadn't shown up for a small dinner the three noble children had planned (Owen, Adele and herself), Cass was storming in to her room. And with a heavy knock on the door, she sighed. "Adele! Open up!"

Oh, there she was now. Adele groaned to herself, sprawled out onto her bed... she hadn't expected her request for no visits to actually stop Cassandra, so this wasn't really surprising, so much as it was just... painful and unwanted.

"Shouldn't you be planning the wedding with Kearney, Princess?" Adele shot towards the door, the venom in her voice more than audible despite the lack of sight.

"Oh for Engel's sake!" Cass was not putting up with this from Adele, she should honestly have already realized it by now, having been told or not. "Open up! We have to talk, if you're going to be like this." Cass jiggled the handle, but the door was locked. She knocked harder. "ADELE!"

"I don't see what there is to talk about." Adeltrudis replied, rather lethargically.

"OPEN THE DOOR," she demanded, slamming her shoulder into it. She'd take this plank down by force if Adele wasn't going to open it for her!

"Fine." Adele replied, standing up and walking over to it, going by the sound to make sure she didn't get shoulder tackled as soon as she opened it. And open it did, revealing the innards of the room to Cassandra, as well as one Adeltrudis, clothed in a loose robe that she clearly hadn't bothered to upkeep at all during the day, despite it being past supper, face overtly puffed up and red from tears, and her hair still a bedraggled mess.

"What do you want?"

Gosh, Adele was... There was a certain attraction to the way she looked, unkempt and emotional. Cass held back the urge to hug her, she was not in a mood for that right now, but it was hard not to stare-- but not for too long, as she didn't want to set her further off. She hurried into the room, shut the door behind her and got close to Adele's ear before whispering, "it's a lie." She took a step back and shrugged her arms out like it was common sense. "It's just a smokescreen. We're not actually getting married. It's safer for me, right now, to have my name attached to someone. That way whoever's doing this can't force my hand through my getting married to someone else... And I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you."

It took all of Adeltrudis' willpower to avoid shoving Cassandra away as she came in close, but the young heiress allowed her to say her piece... she almost wished she hadn't. That... nonchalant way of saying things, it pissed her off, made her blood boil. Adele's clenched fist flew just to the side of Cassandra's face, hitting some unexpecting piece of china, shattering it with a loud crash. If Cass bothered to look in the direction of it, she'd probably notice the shards of glass stuck to the wall by the porridge they had contained, when the raging noble had hurled the meal in a fit at the poor maid who had been stuck delivering the news.

"Is that all you can say?! I'M SORRY I FORGOT?!"

Cass wasn't taking her anger, not this time. "YES! I was kidnapped and things have been a huge mess! We came up with this plan ON THE SPOT, and then I was whisked around town by Ratty and you went off to the guild to find things, I haven't had a moment where I can sit down and this to myself! So YES! Yes! I'm sorry I forgot is all I have! Be mad at me, that's fine; I deserve it, but for fuck's sake, did you honestly think I would ever, EVER pick someone like Kearney over you?" Cass tried to reach a hand out to her face, holding it back in case Adele still didn't want to be touched.

"That's all I have... I'm sorry, Adele. I know how you must've felt, but I just... I forgot... I'm sorry." Cass began to deflate, not having much backing behind her own anger, starting to look down at the floor. "I'm sorry..."

"Fine, just. Get out of my sight. I can't handle you here right now." Adele replied, pulling away as Cassandra tried to reach out to touch her, beginning to shake as she turned away from the Princess... whether it was from rage or grief she couldn't quite tell.

"That's it? That's all I get after this? I'm hurting too," Cass meekly responded, starting to shrink to the floor. She collapsed on her knees and started to sob, unable to keep bravado in front of Adele. "Do you honestly think I want this? Do you think I want anyone to think I'm marrying Angus because I want to? Because we're 'in love'-- the thought makes me wretch..." She coughed, wiping her eyes, hiding it in her hands.

"Cass... I woke up this morning to a letter, an official announcement no less, saying that you were not only betrothed to Kearney, there was even a date for the damn Wedding! Less than two months away! You at least had time to consider your grievances whenever you hatched this scheme of yours!" Adele replied, her voice getting louder before dropping unexpectedly as she collapsed onto her bed, beginning to sob once again.

"And now I'm the one expected to be calm and collected... how is that fair?!"

"I don't expect you to be calm! I know it's not fair!" Cass barked back, wiping her face off again, "but you just toss me out of your room after I get yelled at and I have to walk it off while we both despair!? What does that solve!?" Cass looked back down at the floor, still crying, but managing to shut up her noises. "Fine... I'll go, then..." She stumbled to her feet, took a step forward, and then tripped back onto her knees, grunting as she did. "Stupid legs..."

"Cass... sorry. I know you didn't mean any harm, it's just... I'm still in shock... I can't really... anything, right now..." Adele muttered, looking over at Cassandra's display... smothering herself to death with one of those fancy pillows seemed a rather appealing course of action at the moment, when she considered it.

"You... can stay... if you want... I don't mind."

"It's fine... You're allowed to feel that way, I'm the one that messed up... I doubt you'd have been happy about this whether or not I told you before or after it..." Cass didn't bother trying to stand after Adele said she could stay. She looked over at her through teary eyes with a faint hope in her expression. "I-I can? Really?" She slowly crawled towards Adele, placing herself at the edge of her bed. "Really...?"

"I can't stay mad at you... I just... I don't even know what to do... you can stay if you want I guess." Adele admitted, burying her face underneath her pillow, not bothering to oppose Cassandra anymore.

"I want to stay... I always want to stay..." She didn't want Adele to hide, though, slowly sitting onto her bed and trying to take the pillow away. "Don't hide, come on... Look at me..."

With her pillow taken away, Adele looked up at Cassandra, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did so. Looking away after a few short moments, the young Heiress began to speak.

"You probably shouldn't get so close, though."

At least they were both crying, Cass trying to smile looking down at her. "And why is that, Adele? Why shouldn't I get close to the woman I love?" she asked, almost rhetorically, inching herself closer, but keeping her face away, in case that was what Adele was worried about.

Adele's crying became more noticeable as Cassandra asked her question, her words chosen particularly poorly, all things considered.

"Simple, Cass. Because as long as you're engaged to Kearney, you can't love me. Not outwardly, anyway... if people already found out about us beforehand, well... we weren't discreet enough to keep a secret. As long as you want to keep up this charade, we need to keep our distance. If we get caught doing anything, then this'll all be for nothing, so... best to just not do anything that would get us 'caught'." Adele explained, a solemn expression on her face as she did so.

Cass opened her mouth to talk, but no words came out. Adele was right. She sat herself back up and buried her face in her hands for a moment before letting them down and trying to smile. "I'll just... Sit here, then... For a while."

"Okay... sorry, Cass." Adele replied, her heart sinking into her gut. Engel above, this day couldn't have gone any worse...

"No..." Cass turned to her again, and against her better judgement, leaned down and hugged her, not accepting any protests. "I'm getting this much. Don't apologize. You've been strong for me for everything I've been going through, and now, the one time I should've told you beforehand, like, really told you... I didn't. And now, I can't kiss those beautiful lips of yours, I can't touch that wonderful body of yours... I have to hold back, and it'd all my fault. So this time..." she said, biting back new tears, "I will be strong. I will be strong for you, and strong for us. I haven't been strong for anyone before, so... I must pay my due for my actions. I love you, Adele... And I'm sorry." She didn't stop hugging her. If anyone had anything to say about it, she'd say she was consoling her best friend, if it really came to that. Right now... They both needed this.

Wrapping her arms around Cassandra to accept and meet her embrace, Adele buried her face into the Princess' shoulder, as she continued to cry, though far less audibly than prior.

"Sorry I'm such a mess, Cass..." Adele mouthed, barely managing to make a sound as she did so.

Cass gave her a good snuggle. If she was only allowed this much, it was going to count. "We're both a mess, Adele... It's alright. I love you, so much..." Cass couldn't resist, and kissed the woman's forehead, before resuming laying there in her momentary bliss.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Melissa

[Jotari]

Emmet tried to resist scoffing. "Well I'm going to get off this ship to stretch my legs if nothing else. You just ensure our little miracle is kept safe." With that Emmet left Claire. He decided to climb the crow's nest to garner a better view of Magonseate's coast. There still wasn't much to see however. For the thousandth time in his life he cursed his below average eyesight. From there however he had a nice view of the entire ship. Nothing seemed to be happening aside from the Lady Adele attempting to wrestle the bear-man.

[riariadne]

[spoiler=March 28: Mean girls]Sidney found herself once again at Cass's door, this time somewhat more irritated. Between Queen Eowa's random outburst and today's earlier announcement, the women of Wyke's royal family had gotten to be on her nerves. She knocked at the door, entwining her fingers as she waited. "Princess! It's me, Charlotte. We should talk, and sooner rather than later."

Cass groaned. She'd already been expecting Adele to be pounding on her door, and now Sidney was, presumably about the announcement. Another person to try and appease... She forced herself out of bed and stomped her way over to the door, opening it a crack, but her irritated face could easily be seen through it. "What?" Short. Simple. To the point.

"You know what." Sidney took the small opening as permission, entering with an equally displeased walk. "I think you're lying to everyone. This whole 'engagement', I can already tell it's not who you really are. Nor is the way you two interact very... engaged-like. And your mother had an interesting question about what I thought about two women marrying the last time we spoke. So with that and some reading between the lines... what are you up to, Cass?" She decided not to poke fun at it (at least not yet). Sid was here for a real discussion, not to be thrown out by the princess instantly.

What had her mother been telling people? Of course, Sidney of all people had to find out, Cass turning a bright shade of red as she asked, though not embarrassed, just more upset. "Wh-What do you know? This whole marriage is entirely legitimate! I don't need you questioning it as soon as it's announced over nothing at all-- I'll bet Mother didn't even say my name. Reading between the lines indeed! I'll show all of you how much of a lie it is, goodness!" She huffed, folding her arms. If Sidney wanted anything more than an embarrassed and angry Cass, she'd need to pry harder than a base accusation.

"Yeah, whatever. I don't believe you at all. 'Didn't say your name?' Is that really all you have to say about it? What would she ever ask me about that for if it wasn't about you?" Sid crossed her arms in kind with the princess. "Who's the girl? I'm sure it's not me you're infatuated with. Claire's cute, but I don't think she's your type. So Adele's really the only only other lady you're around much... around quite a lot, if we're being honest. Lucky her, if good kissing's a family thing." She smirked at the little jabs.

"Shhhhut up!" Cass stammered, flushing further, turning away and crossing her arms as much as she could. She slouched, glaring daggers into the floor, trying to melt her imported rug with sheer willpower. "UGH!" Cass groaned and finally threw her arms up at the kisser comment; Sidney knew too well how to push her buttons. "FINE! FINE IT'S ADELE!" She meekly peeked at Sidney, turning the same glare onto her. "It's Adele and the marriage to Angus is a smokescreen because if I'm betrothed and those seeking to hurt me can't get to me through forcing my hand, I'll be a bit safer! Are you happy now!?" Wait a second-- "What are you doing with Owen?" she managed amidst the outburst, catching on to her little kissing comment.

Sidney let the princess simmer down a bit before responding, not wanting to push her luck. "Cass, this isn't the first time I've figured this sort of thing out from you... I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just like knowing the whole story, and I could tell there was a lot more to this one. I have nothing against you or Adele, and I'm not going to go around telling anyone your secret. I'm good at keeping them, alright?" She reached out to pat the princess's head, but remembered her distaste for it, settling with her shoulder instead.

This time it was Sidney's turn to be a bit red in the face, however. Hmm, I sort of went so far in my teasing I didn't think about stuff she'd say back... "Well, it's not really a big deal... I was just making something of a comparison, yeah?" She waved her hand as if it explained everything.

"You'd better not, or it's off with... With something!" Cass was still rather annoyed, getting prodded by someone she considered a friend about this just to learn about it was aggravating, to say the least. About to snap if she did touch her head, she settled on growling again as her shoulder was patted; it was like sticking her hand into the lion's cage to pet it. There was one thing she was sure of, though!

Reaching a brusque hand over to Sidney's dress straps, Cass tugged the girl in close. The glare was more intimidating up close. "Skittles. You're going to tell me everything you've done with Owen, right now, or I'm calling the guards. Are we clear? I am not... Against, your relationship with him, but you don't get to pry information out of me and dismiss your little slip like it's nothing."

Sidney didn't really take Cass's anger too seriously until she was pulled in. "Jeez, c'mon! It's honestly not much, we've kissed a few times and one time he looked down my dress by accident. No need to get all threatening about it!"

Cass felt her glare subside, and she let Sidney go, sighing. "That's fine, then. If that's everything. I've done worse with Adele, so I can't get upset at you for it. I was more concerned for if he'd managed to already get you pregnant... I'd be pulling a certain someone off this trip to Raewald, if that had been the case. Good to know it wasn't." Fears set aside, Cass sat herself back onto her bed and looked over at Sidney with a much, much calmer gaze.

"Was that all, then? I'm in a relationship with Adele and the marriage with Angus is a smokescreen so that I can worry just a little bit less. I mean... I suppose I am curious, about what my Mother mentioned, that has you so worried."

"W-what the hell, Cass? One offhand mention of a kiss and you think I'm pregnant?" Sid's face went from somewhat red to practically crimson. "We're just... interested. Lots of people treated me like I was worthless or horrible when I was at my lowest, but he was empathetic, and made me feel okay about myself. We like lots of similar things, and I feel better around him. To me, that's enough."

Sidney found herself repeating Cass's actions again, also sighing. "I saw her in the library. She was acting very strange... she asked me what I thought if two women were to marry, and then suddenly needed to leave. Then I met some... Morgan or whatever who wanted to talk too. It was pretty shifty, but... I didn't really know what to do about it, either."

"Owen has shown zero interest in any woman, not even Adele, alright? I'm worried he's become this... Pent up ball of lustful energy. You're the first woman he's not only given the time of day, but shown legitimate affection to. And I don't think you're... Well, 'easy', per say, but I worried that if Owen had proposed the question, you wouldn't have told him no. I, luckily, have nothing to worry about, with Adele~" She smiled confidently about that, quite proud that there were no limits or worries on that end.

"Hmm..." Well, maybe she'd set her mother off more than she'd thought. "I told my Mother about my plans. I asked her if it would be alright for me to marry Adele. She'd said she didn't see an issue with it at the time, but I suppose thinking it over has her at odds. How unfortunate..." She didn't know who this Morgan was, maybe asking her mother would reveal more on that.

Sidney was nearly mad at the descriptor, but didn't object to it. "... Probably true. If he asked me like that, I don't think I'd be able to resist going along with it. Someone who I feel like I can really be myself around and cares about me..." She shook her head before going into too much detail. That wouldn't do at all.

"I see. It's hard to tell, since I only just met her, if this is just how she's concerned for you or what. What you asked is unusual- even if there's nothing inherently wrong with it, she might just find it strange and not really be sure how to feel." The bowwoman thought for a moment, before smiling. "You called me Skittles before, you know. I think that's a first for it not being forced."

"Then you see my worry. That side of my brother isn't one I have any information on, obviously. I have no idea how he feels about you, in that way, just that you're the first to turn his fancy." She crossed her legs and gently kicked her foot a bit, leaning back some. It... Didn't feel awful, to talk to Sidney like this.

"I'll have to speak to her at some point, then, to see how she really feels... Thank you for telling me, Sidney-- and yes, I did, while I was worried and angry. I doubt you wish for that to become a routine, so let's try to avoid it, hmm?"

Sidney remained quiet for several moments. "I like Skittles. It'd be nice if you didn't only call me it when you're mad at me." Turning around, she headed for the door. "Well, it was nice talking with you. I've much to think over, so... I'll see you later, Cass."

Cass blushed a bit, getting huffy. She thought it was a stupid nickname, but... "F-Fine... I'll try to call you Skittles," she said, almost sarcastically, "without any ire to it. Try! No promises. I hope your thinking goes well. Thank you for the talk, I suppose."

Sidney watched with mixed amusement as Cass went off to lecture Angus, and to a lesser extent Adele. More interesting to her was the other woman- she'd spotted her about the ship a couple times, but not approached. "I'm interested as well... I've been meaning to speak with you." She brushed some hair out of the way.

[Frostivus]

Scuttle was very confused by this sudden wave of attention she was receiving aboard the ship of heroes. If anything, she had been fairly certain it would have been the other way round, and it would have been her who would be fighting her way through throngs of curious folk to even introduce herself.

Plus, this was the Baron of Bears. Giants and wild men alike knew to give a wide berth wherever he lumbered. Why then were there suddenly three women — one who effortlessly jostled him, and another who so fearlessly stared him down — all approaching him with the casualness of asking the time of day?

And then it hit her. She snapped her fingers in a moment of epiphany. Of course!

Who couldn’t resist the rustic charms of Sir Baron Angus Kearney? A man in the royal court, but also a force of nature. Stronger than twenty bears, but gentler than a mother. She slapped a palm onto her forehead as she remembered the drove of swooning ladies back in the Codger.

They were jealous of the attention she was receiving from him! Three women vying for the same prize. A promised woman, a jilted woman, and well there usually wasn’t a third one in the stories, but hey, there she was!

Eighteen years of overanalysing the same four romance novels prompted her to unnecessarily overcomplicate their relationship dynamics.

Lady Adeletruis has a love-hate relationship with Baron Kearney, who’s betrothed to Princess Cassandra, who’s being looked out for by Adeletruis because she doesn’t trust Kearney, and because of that Cassandra doesn’t trust Kearney. But Cassandra doesn’t like Adeletruis’s tension with Kearney too so that’s why she’s hanging around with Girl#3 to make Kearney jealous but it wasn’t working. And now Girl #3 is confused why Cassandra doesn’t want her around anymore, Cassandra doesn’t trust both Adeletruis and Kearney, Adeletruis still hates Kearney and Kearney hates Adeletruis for making Cassandra noooooooooohmygosh.

Saucer-wide eyes took everything in and gave back tenfold.

“You’re Lady Adeletruis, the heiress of House Herman,” she pointed with a trembling finger, “You’re the Girl on Fire. The Terror of Suitors. The Auburn Axe. You accompanied Prince Owen in the final battle against Dettard. They said you fought with a blaze that outshone even a Toulousian firebreather.” Her imagery of the Girl on Fire and the Baron of Bears, side by side, thick in battle against the cloud-crowned giant involved a lot of pyrotechnics, mountains of axe-hewn corpses and a cavalry of bears charging down the hill.

“My mentor loves you!” she just about exploded, “Lady Adeletruis, I’ve heard hundreds of stories. But the sonnets of House Herman speak to me on a very deeply personal level.” Accounts of her had been woefully biased, all taken from her scorned suitors of course, and what an exhaustive collection it had been. She looked nothing like the fork-tongued, web-toed hag they described her out to be.

What an honour. But truly, what would have really sent Scuttle over the the point of no return would be a personal encounter with —

“The Princess of Wyke,” she gasped.

Who else could have tamed the Baron of Bears?

She never was seen outside the palace much, but Scuttle had heard there had been a statue erected in her honour in the village of Perte. Cassandra the Generous, both in wealth and in temper.

No, most of what she knew about her she learned from the women of the land. Far off in the edges of the forest, they’d gather in secret to meet him. Meet him and train. Why were women learning how to cut trees from a lumberjack? ‘if a prissy lil noble could swing ‘em, wot excuse we lot got?’

They had begged Scuttle to get a souvenir from their heroes. She had told them most likely she could only meet one of them. Yet here they both were.

Exactly as rehearsed.

“I’m . . . I’m . . . “ the lump in her throat wasn’t going to go anytime soon. Her knees felt like jelly. She replied feebly, “I’m . . . I'm going to go have a drink . . .” Have a meltdown . . .

Edited May 29, 2016 by Frostivus

[Ether]

Adele released Angus as soon as he made his snide little remark, she herself having not noticed her own faux pas until it was pointed out to her. Mentally cursing her more... womanly features, Adeltrudis had been about to slug poor Angus for his overly cheeky remark, but they had very quickly gathered a crowd, it had seemed. She'd need to ask him later about what he had been about to say... if she was going to go all this way to avoid breaking up their stupid plan, there was no chance in hell that mooncalf was getting his dick wet under her watch...

And then there was Cass. She had apparently noticed their little altercation, and had practically stormed over. A muted "Fine." was all that Adele managed to give the Princess, shaking her head a bit as she stepped fully away from Angus, and looked over to the original topic of interest. This new girl, one Scuttle Thames... who appeared to be quite the character. She had looked over to Adele herself, mouth agape, and began reciting several storybook-esque titles, going on of stories... Angus had said she was a bard, but Adele couldn't help but point a confused finger at herself as Scuttle spoke and gestured.

"Do people really say all that stuff about me...? I uhh... I'm glad that I seem to be an inspiration to you...?" Adele half-thanked, half-questioned, as Miss Thames squeaked out Cassandra's title beneath her breath, and seemed to grow even more, unstable, at this point her knees clearly on the verge of failing to support her own weight, as she asked of water.

"Hey, are you alright? You look like you're about to keel over." Adele asked, reaching over and placing a supportive grip on her shoulder, ready to hold her up if need be. Engel forbid she slip and fall off the boat, with how weak at the knees she had suddenly grown.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass stuck her tongue out at Adele, childish would be describing the princess for the next few weeks. But flabbergasted was what she currently was. She could understand the small crowd now, "did she give you the same treatment, Angus?" She asked quietly, as this girl seemed to have collapsed from shock. Adele caught her, luckily, but it was still bemusing to see someone so enamoured with all of them. It wasn't exactly a first, but it was just the second, Dank Dave and his crew being the only people Cass knew to look up to her. Perhaps she had more fans in Wyke than she thought; her enemies has simply been very loud and overbearing. She was even smiling a bit, after all this time.

"Angus, be a dear and fetch the poor girl a drink, before we lose her, hmm? Besides, we can't have her fainting until she's sung my praises as well-- Adele gets something as wonderful as that and simply you squeak my name? Gosh, how insulting~" Cass felt her pompous nature spring forth; it had truly been so long, but it didn't feel wrong to amuse it for just a bit. As long as she remembered to keep it only for just a bit, she couldn't start falling back into her old ways over a bit of praise from a stranger.

"Oh, you followed me Charlotte. Well! You're just in time for this riveting little soul. Could we get your name, before you start? Really, I walked over to make sure these two were alright and we were treated to the most charming words I think I've ever heard anyone say about Adele. I can't imagine what else she has to say, how exciting~"

[riariadne]

Uhmm... "A storyteller?"

This was not the kind of person Sidney expected on the ship. "Pleased to meet you... I'm Charlotte Sidney Montana, an acquaintance of Prince Owen's from Raewald. Pleased to meet you, I suppose." She shuffled about in place a bit. I hope she doesn't have any unfortunate stories about me to tell...