ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Shin]

The Big Cheese

Ratty took the coins nervously, watching them drop into his grubby hands. "Thank you, miss. I was scared but I'm glad the Princess is OK!" he replied, looking up at Adele with frightened eyes. Approaching Serge, Ratty let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank yers for saving me and all that. I don't know many people who'd do something like that for a person like me." he thanked, taking Serge's hands to shake them. "If there's anything you need, I'll see what I can do! I'm not very strong or brave, but I knows some things!"

Approaching Adele and Cass subtly, Sebastian spoke to the pair, somewhat amused by their arrangements. "I'll begin investigating the scene, and tidy up before the authorities arrive. Perhaps I may offer Princess Cassandra my jacket, in interests of her decency of course." he offered, his eyes already scanning the surrounding area. "My apologies that I arrived so late, the fight had already began when I found the lair."

Talmot didn't say anything, he was completely exhausted. Too much had happened too quickly, he'd have been content going to bed and waking up sometime next week.

Quiet Hour

After Angus' departure, the crowd began to disband, being herded away by the city guards. Thankfully nobody had really paid attention to Sidney's words, they were either too drunk or busy with their own dealings.

[Ether]

"That would be much appreciated, thank you Sebastian." Adele replied, as the butler approached and offered Cassandra his coat. The young lady couldn't help but smile at Cassandra's uncharacteristic coyness at the whole ordeal, pulling her up a bit for greater ease of carry.

"And not to worry about your timing. We were in luck, and found a guide. Were it not for him, you would have no doubt arrived well before the rest of us did."

[Dandragon]

Serge nodded. "I appreciate the offer. If anything comes up that we can't figure out, I'll be sure to ask ya. Right now, though, we should probably get somewhere safe."

He turned towards Doug, who had picked up the ball and string that had come out of Big Stan's hand. "You sure that's safe to carry around, Doug?"

[Nanami Touko]

"Oh, Sebastian... I would appreciate that, really... You, said you were Jeeves' replacement, right?" She looked him over; she didn't smile, but she didn't huff or make any otherwise outward emotion. "I'm impressed by how you acted today... Jeeves was a wonderful man, so I simply hope you can step into those shoes, with everything you have." It would take her some time to know if he would. Jeeves had gone above and beyond to serve Adele, and even Cassandra herself, during visits. If Sebastian could at least take care of Adele, he'd get a passing grade. Signs were good, though, considering he'd shown up to help find her.

"Ah, uhm... I know I'm pushing, but... Once I have his jacket on, can we..." She really wanted to be anywhere else than there, right now.

[Shin]

Dressed to impress

Sebastian removed his jacket, passing it to Cass. "I hope I can live up to your expectations, your highness. He certainly set very high standards, I could tell he was an expert of his craft, just from my lessons with him." he replied, bowing gently. "I beg your leave, there are a few things that require investigating within this... humble abode."

The butler walked into Stan's den, most likely to check for any sort of hint to the source of the kidnapping.

[Ether]

"Yes, of course." Adeltrudis replied, giving Sebastian a nod, and allowing Cassandra to cover herself with his coat, before she began walking towards the exit of the complex. She could tell that Cassandra didn't want to remain for any longer than strictly necessary.

[Xinnidy]

"...Huh? Well met." Another person came to greet Owen, one of the reliants, he assumed. "Well, there's been a bit of a commotion, so it wasn't really an option to leave." He explained to Emmet. It seems that I should be able to leave with some effort right now... the crowd is dissipating. "Anyways, thank you for your efforts, I do hope nobody was gravely hurt."

After a brief pondering, the prince sighed. Adele's with her, so I have to believe they're fine. "Well, everything seems to have sorted itself out... but there's certainly no point in partying anymore." Owen looked back to the few remaining. Yeah, didn't seem very convincing. "Well, Sir Alain, if the Raewalden wish to stay, tell them the crown will pay for their drinks. I think I'll be leaving soon, though." He directed the statement to the ambassador.

[Jotari]

Emmet turned his attention to Alain. "You're from Raewald? That's my homeland. What news do you have from there?"

[Vestige]

Things were starting to get a little confusing, and a little chaotic as well. Charlotte had burst into the room announcing Princess Cassandra's safety. He hadn't even been aware that she was in peril in the first place! That said, it seemed the festivities were going to die down as quickly as they had started. That suited Alain well enough. "Well, I'm glad everything worked out accordingly. It would be a great misfortune if something were to befall Princess Cassandra," he frowned. He didn't have much of a reason to care about her safety, but she had made things a little easier on him during their meeting, so that had to count for something. "Not much of a party-goer myself, I must say. That's more my brother's forte than mine," he admitted. "But, I will notify my fellow companions of your generosity. Hopefully they'll maintain some moderation. I wouldn't want your coffers to empty out within the night," he joked.

Just as he was about to excuse himself ahead of the prince, another fellow began to speak to him. Curses. He turned his attention to the man addressing him, "Yes, I am. There isn't much news to tell, I'm afraid. Tensions with Deira seem to be rising but that's to be expected, given the nature of their actions, but Queen Ethel is seeking to advance our relations with Wyke," he shrugged, knowing full well he was within earshot of Owen.

[riariadne]

"Yeah, whatever." Sidney dismissed Emmet's words immediately. Already she found him to be very unlikeable, and far too self-righteous. Too bad, there aren't any other archers in our group. "I do agree that the party mood seems to be dwindling. I didn't get to do much myself, so I might have a glass of wine before I exit, but that would be about it. I think I'll do that."

A few minutes passed, Sidney returning quickly with her wine and leaning next to Owen with a sigh. "We still don't know exactly what happened, and there were lots of people here... it's probably smarter to not return alone, Prince Owen. But if you want to leave soon, I'm going to turn in for the night soon too, so just say the word and we can head home." The wine was already about half gone- clearly the hectic events hadn't been the most pleasant on her.

... Did I just call the castle 'home'?

[Jotari]

Rising tensions Emmet thought to himself. Could we be on the verge of war? Surely the military would take me back if there was actual fighting happening. But do I really want to go back? "Do you know anything about a Colonel Dun? Vincent Dun. Though I suppose he's probably a general by now. An elder brother of mine." Emmet regarded his compatriot again. "Actually what's you're name?" He seems a little young to be a diplomat. Probably the son of some major lord.

[Vestige]

"I am Sir Alain, of house Duhamel, a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he said. "I'm afraid I don't know much about your brother. I'm not a much of a military man you see. Though the name sounds a little familiar," he said, a dubious expression coloring his face. "And you would be?"

[Jotari]

"Emmet, of house Dun. If you haven't heard of my brother then you certainly wouldn't have heard of me. My family are scarcely better off than the farmers they govern. Duhamel is among the larger houses from what I can recall. Though it's been several years since I've been to the homeland and even longer since I've had interest in their politics. Anyway it was nice meeting you Sir Alain. If you're treating with prince Owen then I'm sure we'll cross paths again in the future. Somehow I've been wrapped up in the local politics here too." The all too recent memory of the princess attacking him flashed through his mind once more. "Seems this party is over-" And I didn't have nearly enough to drink. "Goodbye prince Owen, lady Charlotte. If you need to question me about tonight's events you can find me at the mage guild." He merely glanced at the lady Claire without saying good bye. With that one you're better left with your mouth shut.

[Toogee]

He turned towards Doug, who had picked up the ball and string that had come out of Big Stan's hand. "You sure that's safe to carry around, Doug?"

"Well, it's sure not safe leaving it lying around," Doug replied. "I'll show Niko later. Maybe he's seen something like it."

[Vestige]

"You'll have to forgive me for that, Sir Emmet. I was away from Raewald for quite some time you see, and I'm still not up to par with my knowledge of the aristocracy," he admitted, albeit a little sheepishly. "But that aside, it was nice meeting you as well. I will be staying in Wyke for sometime longer, so like you said, I'm sure to see you again soon," he said, giving the man a polite smile. The mages' guild huh? Not much you'll find in there, believe me...

[Shin]

24th March 812

Just a step to the left

The next few days were rather uneventful in Hull, thankfully no further murders, kidnappings or rebellions had occured. Despite Stan's death, crime appeared to have risen, the underworld now had an open spot for its crimeboss - with several takers looking to fill the void.

With the beginning of Spring, the weather had gently improved, the days becoming longer and warmer. The Circus had returned to its usual function, its shows beginning after neatly two weeks of inactivity.

Curiously, little word had gotten out about the events of five days before. The cover story of Angus getting beaten by a group of ruffians seemed to have worked, and Stan's lair had been concluded to be a result on criminal in-fighting. However, Jean was nowhere to be found on the morning of the 24th, he had packed his belongings and left, leaving no sign that he had ever been in Hull at all.

Still, with conspiracies against the crown and a war brewing on the continent, Owen still had his work cut out for him. His father had not requested him nor Cass, in addition to refusing any visitors other than Duke Herman or the servants. The Diplomats had received word from Raewald to remain put, in case further negotiations were required.

Jean leaves the party!

--

Owen of Gaffney, Prince Regent

It seeemed rather abrupt, but Owen had been requested to meet with Duke Herman. It wasn't often that he received a formal invitation from the Duke, which only showed the seriousness of the situation. The strangest part of the request was that he were to bring Angus with him. As the two young men were led into the conference room, they were met by Duke Herman, as well as General Gringolett and Earl Valter.

There was also one other man in the room, a noble that Owen recognised as Earl Edion. He was a fairly youthful looking man, his hair wild and black, hanging down past his shoulders. Wearing a deep blue robe, Owen had seen the man a few times in his youth, knowing him as his father's court magician.

"Prince Owen, Lord Kearney, please, do take a seat." Duke Herman greeted, gesturing towards two chairs at the table. "We currently have several issues to deal with, this may be quite a lot to take in for the first time. Your father's health is declining, he is unable to leave his bed and can barely utter more than a few words at a time... I fear he hasn't got much more time left. The healers and the medicine men give him perhaps a few months at best, and his chances of recovery are close to nil. The general public are not currently aware, so please do keep it to yourself. He has also requested that Princess Cassandra nor the Queen be told of his condition, I trust you'll respect his wishes for the time being. I'm afraid you may need to act as Prince Regent for the time being. We will do our best to support you, but there are some decisions you may have to make."

Earl Valter coughed, clearing his throat, as if to signify that he wished to speak. Duke Herman turned to face him, allowing him a chance to speak. Valter straightened the pile of papers in front of him, adjusting his spectacles as he began to speak.

"Your highness, the kingdom's finances are so-so. There appears to be a few thousand gold unaccounted for, but otherwise we are roughly breaking even. There is the matter of the former Baron Dettard's estate. With no more members of the Dettard family, there is nobody to succeed the lands. His estate was relatively large, so should be split up in order to ensure its viability. The lands border both the houses of Kylander and Gorlois. However, I would recommend against appointing any more territory to either. Ideally, there should be a new Baron assigned, as well as a Lord. I would hope that there are Lordlings that you would have in mind, it would be ever so inconvenient to promote a commoner."

Valter cleared his throat again, it appeared there was more.

"Lord Gorlois has unfortunately passed away from illness. This leaves his son Talmot to inherit his estate. He is still very young, but support is in place to help him get up to speed."

Tobias looked at Valter curiously, his mind remaining a mystery as he watched the Earl blather on. At last it was time for Gringolett to speak, something that rarely happened.

"Prince Owen, the savages from Magonsaete have been attacking the coast again. They've been far more persistent than usual. Our border forces are barely keeping them at bay. I would recommending sending additional forces to drive them back. One of the knights and their men should be sufficient. I would recommend one of Perte, Nelon or Esclabor. All three of them are excellent commanders. With Sir Kylander dealing with bandits, Kearney, you've been assigned as Owen's lead vassal. It was at the King's request so I can't complain."

Owen and Angus are free to post!

--

Words from a little bird

It had been a regular morning for Adele, although it was likely the events from before still troubled her mind. Her father had gone to meet with Owen in the palace. With Graham at the Academy, it had become rather quiet at the Herman residence. The servants were always present, but Sebastian was most likely the only one she had regular contact with. During the morning, she was visited by the butler, who was ready with news with a folder under his arm.

"Lady Adeltrudis, my search so far has been rather unproductive." he reported, taking a bow. "There was no information left at Stan's... workplace. Whoever arranged it ensured that they left no traces behind. Unfortunately, all of his accomplices have expired, so there's nobody remaining to interrogate. I also could not trace the other combatant, although rumours of a vigilante are spreading through the commoners. It's almost amusing, the brutes we disposed of have been attributed to them."

Opening the folder, Sebastian rose, showing Adele documents in familiar handwriting.

"However, I have compiled notes on all the nobles who may have interest in such an act. There are roughly a half dozen possible suspects. Jeeves had left behind portfolios of all of Wyke's nobility, most of the information is fairly contemporary. Even the Princess' was only a month old."

Adele is free to post!

--

Letters from home

Hull was certainly an experience for Alain, the locality wasn't too different from home, yet it still had its own surreal foreign character. The last few days had been mostly uneventful, other than a single letter from the capital.

"To our loyal diplomats,

Deira are rather unwilling to negotiate, they appear intent on claiming land from Myrcia due to the lack of repayments. Her Majesty considers this unacceptable and is prepared to send in troops at the first sign of conflict. We hope that dealings with Wyke are going well, they would be valuable allies in maintaining peace and stopping Deira. If the Prince is willing, please request that he travels to Raewald, Queen Ethel would be grateful if she could meet him in person within a month's time if it is possible."

Alain is free to post!

Remaining players are free to post!

Shops have changed inventory!

Edited April 29, 2016 by Shin

[Dandragon]

Serge had been wandering the halls of Duke Herman's, patrolling the area. In reality, his introduction to Sebastian, whose name he just learned only recently, had put him on edge a little bit. He felt insignificant in comparison. It was a wonder why the Reliants were still needed by Lady Adele, what with her own guardian angel watching over her. Of course, Serge hadn't forgotten that Sebastian had shown up a bit after Adele and the others had found Big Stan's hideout in the sewers, so perhaps there was some reason to them being there. Still, he felt like he had to step up his game, otherwise he wouldn't have any reason to be here other than by being owned by both Adele and Niko.

Everywhere he went, he made sure to familiarize himself with the layout, making sure he never missed anything. At least, that's what he told himself he was doing. Guard patrol was something still new to him, so he was pretty sure he was doing what a guard should do. And he didn't want to slack off either. What if the same people who had gotten Princess Cassandra captured came after Adele. He needed to be ready. Pay attention to where he was going. Pay attention to the servants he kept passing by. Pay attention to his surroundings. ...Gods, this was boring...

During the TS, Serge withdraws Iron Sword(43/46) from the convoy.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Dandragon

[Nanami Touko]

[spoiler=Home Sweet Home?]Cass quickly pulled Sebastian's jacket over herself, mostly using it to cover her legs. She clung to Adele further as they got outside, mostly hiding her face. She didn't want anyone to recognize her on the walk back, the last thing she needed being more rumors about her or about Adele. There was one thing that she had to talk about, though. She assumed Adele was going to take her back to her own estate, but she hadn't asked about what she wanted. "Adele, c-can I... Can I stay at your estate, tonight?" She'd explain why if she was asked, but she didn't want to get into it if she didn't have to.

"Huh? Well, I suppose it shouldn't be... too much of a problem, but wouldn't it be best to talk to Owen first? After all, tonight was... well it was something, all right." Adeltrudis replied, as she carried Cassandra along. Granted, she understood why the Princess wanted what she did, but it didn't feel right to leave Owen hanging for so long...

"Owen knows I'm fine, Sidney went to, to tell him, right?" Just don't ask why, please... She was probably going to ask why. Cass was ready to explain it, but she still shivered, a hand grasping tightly at the dress hanging around Adele's shoulders. "We can send one of the maids off to tell him where I am, so... He can come visit in the morning, or overnight, if he has to."

"I suppose... why are you so adamant on this, though?" Adeltrudis asked, Cassandra acting strange about the whole ordeal. There was no way she could know what the Princess was thinking after a day like that, but she'd like to... at least have some idea.

There it was. Cass sighed and her grip went limp. "Because I'm terrified," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I thought... It was an awful situation, but I thought that, I'd be out in a few moments. I was waiting to hear you, or Owen, or Sidney, when I was being carried away... But I didn't. One of the men started choking me, I passed out, and... I woke up, where you found me. I..." She closed her eyes to force them not to cry. "I've never been so scared in my life, and I... If I go back to see Owen, right now... I'm going to crack. I'm going to cry and shake and fall apart, just like that. I can't... I can't do that. I have to, t-to try and be strong."

"Cass... I'm sorry." Adele replied softly, not able to muster much else, her walking pace considerably slowed as she bit down hard on her own lip, drawing blood in the process.

"So... So please, just take me to your estate... A-Adele?" She looked up and caught the blood, shaking her head and gently wiping it away with her thumb. "Don't. I'm safe. I know you wish it could've been sooner, but you stopped anything permanent from happening... And that's more than enough. Please, don't hurt yourself anymore..."

"I'm so sorry..." Adele continued, not really registering Cassandra's words, it seemed. She continued walking, apparently rather absentmindedly, as she continually bumped her shoulders or side into various corners or other such things.

"Adele..." Come on, I can't deal with this if you're not strong for me... I need you. Cass didn't try to say anything as Adele collided with things, but after a while, she couldn't take it anymore. "Adele! Please, stop!" she finally cried, gritting her teeth. "I know you're upset, but... I really, need you right now. Please..."

"Ah, right... yeah, I'm here, I'm here." Adeltrudis replied, flashing Cassandra a rather obviously forced smile. At least she seemed to be paying a bit more attention to stopping herself from colliding with things, and thus they were moving along a bit more quickly.

"Alright... I-If you say so..." Adele wasn't crashing anymore, so Cass had to believe her as best as she could. It didn't take them too much longer to get Cass back to Adele's estate, the maids letting them in, though there was concern on their faces. Cass was covered well enough with Sebastian's jacket, so they simply played it off as an ankle sprain-- why else would Adele be carrying Cass?

After that, it was just making their way to Adele's room, Cass getting put down just outside the door. "I'm... Going to go wash up, alright? I know where your baths are... And I need to clean off after all that. You're free to come as well, you... Ah, have a bit of blood on you. Naturally." It didn't bother Cass, but her knees were dirty, she was bruised, her hair was a mess... She needed to be cleaned. "I'll be right back, if you're staying here."

"No, that's alright, I'll go after you're done." Adele replied, forcing a smile as she opened the door, and gestured to the attached bath through a door on the far side of the room. After doing do, she entered the bedroom herself, waiting for Cassandra to follow so she could close the door behind her.

"R-Right... I'll be back, then." Cass came inside and took the jacket off, laying it on the bed post. She took her dress off and put it there as well, leaving her underwear on until she got into the bathroom. She didn't bother looking at herself in the mirror, knowing that seeing any bruises from the brusque carrying would just upset her further. Instead, she turned the water on, and got in as soon as it was warm, making sure to remove anything from the sewers, clean off any dirt, wash out her hair... She wouldn't be able to get it back up into a ponytail on her own, but if she was just going to be sleeping, it probably wasn't a worry. Stepping out, drying off her hair, and wrapping the towel around herself, she came back into the room, glancing over at Adele.

"I-I'm finished! You can now, if you want... Do you have any clothes I could wear, to sleep in? You're fairly close to my size, and all that. Better than sending a maid off to collect something from my room, after all."

"Yeah, you can go ahead and look for something you like in the closet." Adele replied, gesturing over to it. While Cass had been in the bath, she had made her way over to the bed, and had been sitting on it as the Princess exited. Standing up after a moment, Adele herself entered the bath, closing the door behind her.

"A-Alright... Adele, I... I love you..." Adele seemed fairly out of sorts. Could Cass really push all her worries and needs onto her, right now? You have to be strong, don't you, Cass? Adele's not always going to be there for you... She tried to hold onto what strength she had left, as Adele closed herself into the bathroom. Cass slowly made her way over to the closet, picking through clothes until she found something suitable. A white, ruffled blouse, no buttons, no nothing. Must be something old... She'd never walk around in something like this, heh... Cass found herself hugging the clothes, looking around the room for a moment. It was fairly empty, not that it surprised Cass, being this way. Adele wasn't much of a material person, finding her life's worth either fighting or learning to. Well, or spending time with Cass and Owen...

"Ahah, there was... That one time I dropped my axe and he hilt landed on my foot... I was, screaming so badly like it was the worst pain ever, and Adele didn't know what to do, but--" Cass' eye finally caught the one thing sitting in Adele's room, a photo of Theodore. She smiled, but she bit her lip. "Gods, he was so young... He came out, barely ten at the time, and managed to calm us both down..." She pulled the blouse over her head, stepped into some loose, baggy pants (which she could only assume were for cleaning, or something, they were fairly plain), and walked over to pick up the photo. "Fate is cruel, isn't it..." Cass smiled wryly, sighing and setting it back down, before sitting on the bed. "With my hair down, in these rags, I probably look like a common handmaid... Perhaps less. I wonder if that's a good look for me, hah..." She gently laid down, glancing at the photo again. "I wonder how Owen feels, right now..."

After a while, Adele stepped out of the bath, clad in a soft, expensive looking bath robe. She'd managed to get all of the blood off of her, and the clothes were dark enough that they were unlikely to stain, which was a good thing. Noticing Cassandra laying on the bed in a... peculiar selection of clothes, Adele gave her a bit of a wide berth, settling down in a chair next to a small study, and laying back with a sigh.

"Do you want some tea?"

Cass rolled onto her side to stare at Adele, her cheeks slowly becoming rosy as she did. She sighed, a small tuft of hair fluffing its way in front of her eye, to be removed with a quick hand. "You're beautiful, Adele," she mumbled, rolling more until she was laying on her stomach, head sideways staring at Adele. "I wouldn't mind a cup of tea... If you don't mind making it. Why are you all the way over there, anyway?" She finally sat up, looking down at the clothes, chuckling. "Sorry. I didn't want to wear anything pretty of yours, so I tossed on what I could find. I realize I must look like the common rabble, right now. Even my hair's a mess, but... It's such a hassle to get it all up into a tail, so I'll leave it, tonight."

Adele blushed a little at the compliment, not expecting at the moment, given the current circumstances. Standing from her chair, she gave Cassandra a light smile.

"I'll go boil some water, then... but you should at least make sure your hair in untangled, if you sleep with it awry, it'll be far worse come morning."

Cass managed a small smile over her blush. So even Adele can get embarrassed over those things. The comment about her hair made her bite her lip and squirm a bit, wiggling in place. "Would you be able to comb it for me, once you're done with the tea? I know that might be a hassle, but... Er, can you?" That was odd, why ask for that? But she had, and it seemed important...

"I don't mind, if that's what you want." Adele replied, stopping at the door to do so.

"I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

That brought the smile back. "Thank you~ Alright." Cass let Adele leave, a smile on her face until she had, gently losing it and sighing again. She brought a hand up to her neck to feel it. It was sore, it stung to put pressure on it. There's probably a bruise... That was why she didn't want to comb her own hair, and why she'd avoided the mirror. She was trying to get as far away from the event as she could... And seeing those things would just set her off.

After exiting the room, Adele made her way to the kitchens, setting some water to boil, and began steeping some tea in the water. Bringing the pot and a few cups along with her, allowing them to do as they tend to while she went, Adele returned to the room a few minutes later, setting the pot down on her study, before turning back to Cass.

"Give it a little bit to finish steeping, and then we can drink. It's a foreign blend that I bought from the square, I quite like it myself." Adele said with a smile.

While Adele was away, Cass mindlessly twirled her hair in her hand, using it as a distraction to keep her mind away from thinking. She brought the smile back as Adele returned, watching her set the tea down. "You didn't buy that tea just for me, did you? Well, I suppose not, since you said you like it..." Cass chuckled again, as Adele stood there... Finally patting the space next to her on the bed. "Sit with me?"

Sitting down next to Cassandra as she beckoned her over, Adele gave the Princess a smile. She seemed even more... touchy feely than normal, which Adele could understand reasonably enough, but she wondered if there wasn't something Cass wasn't telling her.

"Hey Cass... is there something you're hiding from me? You're really making an effort to stay as close as possible, it feels like. I don't mind, just... I might be able to help you better if you told me what was on your mind. I know today was... difficult, you must be thinking at a mile a minute."

"Something... Huh..." Cass smiled wryly, sighing and resting a head on Adele's shoulder. "Adele, do you think I'm cute? Pretty, even?" She asked it seriously, despite the smile on her face. "I, just... I'm still scared, you know? Scared that, if I take a few steps away from you, someone might appear and take me away, again. Like if I'm not right here, next to you... Then..." Cass bit her lip again, closing her eyes. "I can still, feel it all... It's over and done with, but I can... Like it happened a few minutes ago..." Her meek face looked up at Adele, opening her eyes slightly to look at her.

"I'm sorry... That's all it is. So I'm... I'm trying to do things that make me feel good, to get as far away from it as I can. And that's... Being with you. And all that entails. So let's, try to have some fun while the tea steeps, yes? You can do my hair, and we can reminisce..."

"Of course I do. And yeah, that makes sense." Adele replied, giving Cassandra a warm smile as she pulled the Princess into a tight embrace.

"But we should do your hair after. If we leave the tea too long, it'll get bitter, after all. That wouldn't help to lighten your mood at all, haha."

"Does it? That's good... I felt I might've been, going crazy..." Cass didn't shy away from the hug, even if, to Adele, she may have felt a bit tense. "Oh, is it ready? Yes, we should then, ah... B-Before that... Can I have, a kiss? From the woman I love...?" Cass still looked scared, pulling back just a bit from Adele's hug.

"Cass... are you sure you're alright? I'm here, do you need anything else?" Adele asked with concern. This timid, shy demeanour, it just... it wasn't like Cass. It might have been understandable, but it... it just felt off.

"I-I need you to kiss me, please..." Cass stared her down, almost biting her lip, but noticing the small habit and stopping it before it made Adele worry further. "That's all. Then we can drink tea and talk and everything..."

"Okay..." Adele replied, not quite convinced, but not wanting to push Cass any further, at the moment. Leaning in close to the Princess, and wrapping an arm about the small of her back to pull her in closer, Adeltrudis gently captured Cassandra's lips, giving the rather jumpy girl a tender kiss, not going any further than that to start with.

Okay, just... Nice and slow. Cass did flinch as Adele touched her back, and she'd paused for a moment as Adele moved in, but as she got closer, Cass returned the kiss, breathing a sigh into it, and slowly pulling back after, a small smile growing on her face. Then she started crying. "Th-Thank Engel... I was so worried, this would leave something permanent in my mind... But it still feels good, it's not ruined... Adele...!" With a smile on her face, despite the tears, Cass pushed herself forward and kissed Adele again, hugging her tight.

"Is that what thi-" Adele began to ask, before she was cut off, and very nearly bowled over, by Cassandra flinging herself at the young Lady, and giving her a passionate, and far more aggressive than she had been expecting, kiss. Holding Cass a little tighter, Adele started running her hand through the Princess' hair, gently nibbling at Cassandra's lower lip.

Before it got too intimate, Cass stopped it, letting Adele get her nibbling in before she broke it off. She rested her forehead against Adele's, still crying, sniffling a bit. "Yes...! Gods it was terrifying, having someone else touch me, I thought... I'd never be able to hold you close again, without remembering, but I can! I can and it feels so right! I was so worried...!" Cass buried her face into Adele's neck, holding her tighter, but only for a moment. She was still smiling, after all. "I'll need time, before I can talk to everyone again... But, at least with you... I'm so glad. Ahhhh, I'm so glad!" Cass was practically brimming with positivity after that moment, even going as far as to laugh. "W-We can have the tea now, if you wish. I wouldn't mind."

"I'm glad for you too, Cass... though to do that, I'll need to be able to get up..." Adele noted with a light laugh, Cass having practically plastered herself on top of the Herman heiress.

"Would you? Well... Then don't get up~" she joked, pushing forward and knocking Adele onto her back, giggling lightly as she lay next to her. "Yes, yes, alright..." Cass rolled off of her side, giving Adele the room to get up, laying into her back on the bed. "I'm so glad... But I'm still going to kill whoever did this to me..." Cass bit her lip again, sighing. "It's your turn, by the way." She rolled onto her side once more, staring down Adele. "Why did you become so absent on the way back here?"

Adele had gotten up and begun to move over to fetch the tea, before Cassandra had asked her question, the query itself causing her to come to a dead stop for a moment.

"I just felt like I failed you. You needed me to be there and I wasn't... not until it was too late. I even saw you going outside, but didn't go with you because I thought you and Angus would be okay on your own..."

"You? Fail me? Adele..." Cass sighed, smiling at the woman. "If you hadn't barged in when you did, either Talmot or myself would have gotten hurt. I know they managed to take me, but... You did quite the opposite of fail anyone. You... You saved me, Adele. Your image, bursting into the room like that, it's going to be burned into my mind for quite some time... You looked rather dashing, in that dress. My own knight~" Cass managed another giggle, sighing. As long as she was with Adele, she felt safe, and calm enough to joke around like this.

"I suppose... I just, I had what you said earlier, as we were leaving, stuck in my head. How you hadn't expected to be there so long, how you were horrified..." Adele recounted, clenching her fists as she spoke.

"I told myself I would protect you, even if you wouldn't protect yourself. But even when you weren't putting yourself in harm's way, I was still powerless to do anything but clean up in the aftermath..."

Cass sat up as Adele spoke, slowly standing off the bed as she continued. "Hey," she said, casually, pressing herself up against Adele's back. With a gentle hug around her stomach, Cass smiled, kissing the back of the slightly taller woman's neck. "You did more than clean up. Give yourself some credit. I'm here, am I not? I'm talking to you, laughing with you, touching you... You came just in time. Think no less than that. I was scared, yes... I probably will be for a bit. But I'm here now because of you. Be proud of that. Not even Sebastian made it there before you. I can't imagine how fast you must've run, haha..." Cass slowly let her go and moved over to the tea, pouring herself a cup. "Drink it before it gets too bitter, right?"

"Okay..." Adele replied, not able to say much else as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Wiping them dry after a moment, Adele forced herself to smile at Cass, before shaking her head.

"Ah, I'm a mess, just look at me. You'd think I was the one kidnapped..." Adele chastised herself, walking over to the tea set, taking a cup as well.

"But you're right. Let us look forward, not back."

"Oh, dear, don't cry..." Cass gently placed her free hand on Adele's face for a moment, smiling back, albeit a bit sadder this time. "Listen, I... I'm fine now, but... Please, do not get upset if you see me down over the next few days. I'm fine right now because I am with you, so... Once we are apart, I may... Think too hard, I suppose, is a good way to put it." Cass took a sip of her tea, making a face and then sticking out her tongue some. "Ahh, too hawt... Geez." She bit her tongue for a moment, blowing on the hot cup.

"I, uh... Well, you say look forward, but, I couldn't help noticing the... Picture, over there. Theodore." Cass glanced back at it once more, smiling. "I do miss him..."

"Very well... I'll try to not worry of it, too much." Adele replied, about to take a sip of her own tea before Cassandra mentioned the picture, which caused Adele's cup to stop.

"That's... different. We can look forward from this because, in the end, as you said... it turned out better than it could have, but... I can't just look away... not from that..."

"Thank you... Huh?" It took a moment to process, but Cass had spoken wrong. "Nooo, no, that's not what I meant! I didn't mean you shouldn't have reminders, I just meant... I couldn't help but start thinking about him. The time I'd dropped an axe on my foot, you remember that; I had a fit." Cass smiled again, drinking more of her tea, it having cooled off enough. "How often do you... Think about him? It must be a lot, considering you don't have pictures of anyone else." It was... Cute, albeit sad, to see Adele hold someone's memory so dear. He'd only been gone for a year, and... It'll be two years, soon.

"Nearly every day." Adele replied solemnly, placing her cup down.

"I see..." Cass sipped her tea more quickly, unsure if she should continue talking about him. It felt wrong to put Adele through more memories of him, he'd been her source of inspiration for a lot of things. "So! Ah, what do you think of Angus?" There! A subject change. "I know he's a bit rough around the edges, but he's been far more reliable than most would be. I heard you beat the tar out of him quite easily, in the training grounds."

"I... find him a bit hard to read. It almost feels as though he's keeping some sort of secret from me... he said he was jealous, but refused to elaborate. As for our match, I wouldn't say I beat the tar out of him, as you put it... we were relatively evenly matched, but I was more agile on foot than he was... not something I can fault him for, since he's a cavalryman." Adele replied, glad for the change of subject. Slowly picking her tea back up, she began to sip from it.

"Jealous? Of you? For wha--" Cass stopped mid sentence, the gears turning in her head, finally settling into place, causing a faint blush to spread onto her face. "Oh. My. God. That foolish Kearney boy has feelings for me." Cass slapped a hand to her face, gently, looking around the room. "Oh, no... I suppose I can't have helped, I'd always taken his reactions to be embarrassment because I'm the princess... Ohh... Adele, what should I do? I mean-- Obviously, I love you, I can't just drop you over this, but... Ahhah..." Cass let out a weak laugh, sighing.

"Don't look at me, this is your mess." Adele replied with a grin, watching Cassandra get all flustered and bent out of shape.

"It'll be nice to see you tackle something that won't kill you, for once."

"Awww-- Adele! Don't leave me hanging like that! I-I've never had a man like me that I didn't find immediately repulsive-- I even like this one, just... Not enough for that... What am I to do? I don't want to hurt the poor boy..." Adele was right, this was something that wouldn't kill her, at least not physically. But emotionally harming Angus, which she was sure she would do, was one of the last things she wanted. She sighed, at length. "I guess... I must tell him no. Alright, I'll... Do it when I next get the chance. Gosh this is so much more difficult when they aren't some noble father's trying to pitch at me..."

"Honestly though, I'm about as in the dark as you are. I've not turned down a suitor whom I wanted to keep a friendship with, afterwards. Just... do what feels right. You certainly know him better than I." Adele replied, reaching over and ruffling Cassandra's hair, as she took another sip from her own tea.

"I see... Ah-- hey... Geez." Cass felt like a bit of a child as Adele messed with her hair, but this time, she couldn't disagree. I'll have to do it, eventually... Cass sighed once more, and finished her tea, placing the cup down. "Was there anything on your mind, then?"

"Nothing in particular we haven't already covered. I only hope that Sebastian can find something... substantial, in his search." Adele replied, taking another drink of her tea, not quite finished yet.

Something substantial... "I... Don't know how much you want to talk about what happened, but... While I was... B-Being carried..." she shivered, "I heard a lot of noble names, ones that wouldn't... Well, do well, I suppose, with me. That Dettard had said no, Gerrard's last name was mentioned, so was Kearney, I-I think..." She might've been remembering names wrong, but she definitely remembered the first two. "And... They mentioned that a Mr. E had set this up. Talmot also mentioned that the letter he'd received had the royal seal on it, meaning... Someone with an E name, sent him that letter. Someone high up." She gulped. "Do... Do you know anyone, whose name starts with E? Someone higher up in the noble echelons."

"Well, the first name to come to mind would be Edmund Gringolett, the leading General of the Army.,.. but honestly Cass, I think that's just a throwaway alias. C'mon, Mr. E? Say it out loud, it's blatantly just mystery. I don't think that someone who bothered to set all this up would give an alias of all things that would actually connect to them." Adele replied, finishing off her tea.

"Regardless, even if it was him, he's a Marquess. Not even Owen is of high enough standing to put forth an investigation of the man, and he's a very close friend of my father, which makes asking him all but impossible as well." Adele concluded, shaking her head a bit.

"We can only hope that he's not involved. If so, then getting justice would be nigh on impossible."

"Er-- oh... I... I hadn't thought of that." Cass flushed red out of pure embarrassment, bringing a hand to her face. Mystery. It felt so ridiculous to have not noticed that. But it did bring another question to her mind, as Adele spoke. "Adele, does your father know about us? I mean... About this... Our... Being together."

"Not that I'm aware of, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did... you must have noticed, after all. Sebastian, hell, even Jeeves... they weren't exactly... regular butlers. My father is the head of the Royal Guard, after all... he has an intelligence network in place that you or I couldn't even fathom... nothing my father could tell me he knew would surprise me." Adele replied rather solemnly, walking over to the bed, grabbing a brush on the way.

"But enough of all that, let's get that hair of yours sorted before you end up looking like a circus clown in the morning."

"But if he does, then... Then the general isn't that far fetched, I mean... A-Alright..." Cass felt like she'd found something, but rather than upset Adele and eventually herself pressuring it further, Cass let it go and walked over with Adele. She sat in front of her, lowering her head some to give Adele better coverage. "Just don't tug too hard. There's a lot... What do you think, anyway? Should I leave it down more often? I'm used to putting it up, but... Well, if you like it..."

"You're overthinking this, Cass. Like I said, going down that road is pointless anyway, If it is the General, then there's nothing that we can do about it." Adele replied, as she began brushing Cassandra's hair.

"Well, I can't quite tell at the moment, considering it's still a mess, and it's been forever since I've seen you wear it down. I do recall it looking nice that way, though."

"My father could do something about it," she pouted, letting Adele comb through her hair. "I'll consider letting it down more, then... Not during a battle, but, around town." It didn't take too long for Adele to finish, Cass' hair fine enough that the comb didn't get stuck often. With a good run through, her hair was rather soft to the touch, extending down to the small of her back. There was a lot of hair there. She laid down, at which point, she realized-- "A-Are we... Going to sleep together?"

I thought you didn't want him to know? That's what you told Angus as you were being taken, above considering yourself, and part of the reason you wanted to come straight here, after all." Adele replied, putting the comb down and giving Cass a look over.

"I do still think it looks good this way, though your regular style is perfectly fine, as well." Adele noted, as Cass asked another question.

"I don't see any problem with it, if you want to."

"T-True... It'd kill him if he heard." Cass was also sure, if he did survive, he'd go on a rampage over his daughter being taken... They'd have to figure this out on their own, and only include the king if they truly couldn't solve anything. That aside, Cass continued to turn red as Adele complimented her, even if they were fairly simple compliments. "Thank you," she mumbled, looking away. "If you think it's fine, then... Come lay down with me..." Cass was fully red, unsure as to why she was getting so embarrassed by this. It was normal, wasn't it? To sleep with someone you loved...

"Very well." Adeltrudis replied, laying down behind Cassandra, and pulling the Princess into a tight embrace, pressing herself against the shorter girl's back, gently nestling her face into Cassandra's shoulder.

Cass rolled onto her side as Adele laid down, not expecting it to... To get so intimate! So quickly! The hug, if such a simple word could describe it, made Cass flush red down to her neck, feeling Adele's body press against her, her head nestling into Cass' neck...! She couldn't help herself, squeaking as Adele finally got settled. "S-Sorry!" she whimpered, not uncomfortable, but wholly very excited.

"Heh, embarrassed, are we?" Adele teased, pulling the blanket over the pair of them, before nestling in close again and getting comfortable.

"More than a bit... My heart's exploding out of my chest, I... I don't know if I'll even be able to sleep, haha..." There went the blanket, and there went Adele, getting more than comfortable, again. "G-Good... Good night..." She swallowed, hard, trying to turn her brain off.

"Over a little hug? Seems extreme." Adele replied, pulling away a bit, still close, but giving Cassandra a bit more space.

"Good night, Cass."

"It wasn't just the hug you, settling in close, pressing against me, f-face in my shoulder i-it's... It's a lot, after today..." But it was nice. The extra space helped Cass settle, just a bit, finally closing her eyes and trying to sleep.

"Good night, Adele... Thank you."

Cass had been escorted to the church by one of the maids, the idea set up by Owen. At the very least, it was in a much better part of town, even better than the Lucky Goose, so it was surely safe for her to be on her own at the place of Engel. She stepped inside, hair back up, stockings on, fully dressed and looking the part of a princess. Idly she looked at the decor of the place, the stained glass a lovely sight, even if she wasn't much for religion. She was here for others reasons, reasons pertaining to the staff in her hand. Approaching one of the sisters, she quietly cleared her throat before speaking.

"Sister, if I may... I was hoping that I would be able to get some help with my magic. My healing, so to speak, I happened upon this staff in town, but I'm not quite able to use it yet. Do you have anyone here who could teach me some more things about staffs and their usage? Er, please, if it's not a trouble." That was... Polite enough, right?

Edited April 29, 2016 by Melissa

[Ether]

"I see..." Adele replied, taking a look at the folder as Sebastian presented it, reading the notes over.

"Based on your research, who would you say the most likely candidates are, Sebastian?" Adeltrudis asked, her conversation with Cassandra on the night of the event coming to mind... if he said Gringolett, what would they do? It had seemed like a throwaway name, but if he was at the bottom of such a thing, what course of action could they possibly take?

During the TS, Adele puts Chainmail, Hand Axe(16/20) and Vulnerary(1/3) into convoy, withdraws Hand Axe(20/20) and Vulnerary(3/3). Also goes to Armoury and purchases Heather Shield for 900 gold.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Satin. Dark Lord of Fabric

[Shin]

The Light of Engel

Hull Cathedral was vast, almost like a second palace in the eyes of Cass. There was an air of tranquillity, the atmosphere was very relaxed, and incredibly holy. There was an abundance of priests and sisters, sorting the building's interior to keep it prim and proper. The sister Cass approached was rather surprised to be met with the country's princess, she'd anticipated organising holy books for the next few hours.

"Princess, the belief in above grants you the gift to spread Engel's love." she replied dreamily, clasping her hands together. "Engel loves all his children, and to spread his love, he bestowed us with the power to remove wounds from earthly flesh. For the body is an engine of his divine will, and our hearts and souls our connection to the Lord above. By embracing his love, you shall be able to conduct his holy work. I would speak to Bishop Emwrthod, his holiness is our greatest bridge to Engel in the entire country, he should be able to aid you. He is currently praying, but he should be free within the hour."

The butler did it

Handing the paperwork to Adele, Sebastian readied himself. "Based on current information and happenings, the suspects include but are not limited to General Gringolett, Earl Valter, Earl Edion, her royal highness, Lord Gorlois and Bishop Emwthrod. Additional, but less likely suspects include his royal highness, Queen Ethel of Raewald, as well as your father, as amusing as it may sound. Prince Owen is also listed as one of the unlikely but possible candidates. All listed have sufficient motivation, but I feel that the latter group are less likely."

The documents certainly were comprehensive, there were precise dates of various events as well as written profiles on the character of each individual.

"I cannot narrow it down any further at this stage, each of them have their own gains from such a happening... as well as sufficient motivation in their personalities and beliefs to lead them to do as such."

[Dandragon]

His boredom was beginning to overtake his sense of duty. Serge had stopped wandering for a while now and had just leaned against a wall for the who knows how long. Perhaps it was time to get some fresh air and go into the city again. Of course, last time he did, he had run into Princess Cassandra of all people, and he had gone along to some armory in the 'dank' part of the city. And going there right now would be a death sentence. ...Then he had an idea. The Mercenaries Guild. Sure, he was right now part of the Reliants and currently doing a job of protecting Lady Adele, but a few side jobs couldn't hurt. Besides, maybe this time, the Guild would let him accept some jobs, or at least have some available. With his destination decided, and his confidence that Sebastian could easily do his current job better than he could, he left Duke Herman's humble abode and went off into the city.

--

Thankfully he had remembered the spot where the guild had been since he was there last. He had hoped it wasn't as crowded as before, opened the doors, and went inside. He went over to check the wall for the jobs he could possibly take.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Dandragon

[Terrador]

Angus studies each of the nobles in attendance; uncannily, all of them were a fit for "Mr. E", with the exception of Duke Herman. None seemed to be uncomfortable in the Prince's presence. [Damned politics. Of course it couldn't be as easy as this.] The squire really had no clue why he was present... until General Gringolett spoke. Raised eyebrows and a look to the prince betray Angus' surprise. [Lead vassal? Engel above, I'll need quite a word with Owen.] With more than one set of eyes meeting the squire after his new appointment, he felt the need to contribute... something. Angus puts on what constitutes his airs: though he was still casual compared to most nobles, he hoped to not embarrass Owen too terribly.

"As of two weeks ago, Count Perte was starving for both arms and able-bodied men. He could offer nothing besides his own sword arm and his wits. General Gringolett, have his fortunes improved so soon?"

[Shin]

Odd job

The guild was rather empty, relatively few fighters sat at tables around the hall, a large board dominating one of the walls. Most of the jobs were simple escorts, paranoid merchants who didn't feel confident travelling alone. There was the odd assignment requiring mercenaries to fight Magonsaete, but that certainly sounded like a death trap - the reward was far too high to be realistic.

However, there was a wanted poster that caught Serge's eye. It was a familiar rodent-like mugshot, almost certainly the face of Ratty. There appeared to be a bounty of a few thousand attached to it, leading one to wonder why it was there.

Angus with a plangus

"Perte might not have the man-power, but he knows how to hold a defense. We don't need him to provide men, just command. Although you do raise a fair point, Nelon or Esclabor may be able to provide additional troops." Gringolett replied. "Esclabor's a little too eager for my tastes, but he might be able to push further than Nelon would, although... Nelon would be a safer option."

[Vestige]

Alain groaned as he read over the letter he and his companions had received. It was almost as if the letter he had penned earlier had fallen on deaf ears. "What's the point of me writing anything if nobody acknowledges that I've written anything to begin with?" Ah well, I suppose I'll have to request an audience with Prince Owen and see what he's decided to do. Surely by now he's had the time to talk things over with his father. If the letter was any indication, it wouldn't be long until war was at hand. It didn't seem like Queen Ethel was intent on waiting any longer than she needed to. A proper confirmation on Wyke's allegiances would be required soon.

He left his chambers and set off to find someone who could help him speak to Prince Owen. As the roamed the halls of Hull's castle, without successfully finding anyone important looking, he took it upon himself to speak to one of the maids hoping she'd be able to do something. "Excuse me miss, I'd like to request an audience with Prince Owen if he's not busy at the moment. Could you tell him Sir Alain of Raewald wishes to speak with him? It's important."

[Dandragon]

Ratty? What in the hell was he doing on a wanted poster? He said he was an honest man, did he not? Serge needed to find out what was going on. He went over to the person who was manning the guild. "Excuse me, but that particular wanted poster...Can you tell me what exactly that man did to earn that bounty on him?" He was dreading the answer.