ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Nanami Touko]

"It's personal." That was all she was going to say about finding this Ratty. She was at least glad to see Freya could keep pace, smiling at her and picking it up herself. She didn't want to spend all day looking for him-- or rather, she hoped it wouldn't take all day. The sooner she found him, and then the thieves guild, the better. Off the girls went, into town.

[Xinnidy]

The newly assigned advisor and baron refrained from asking during the meeting, but it was only a matter of time until Kearney spoke his curiosity to Owen. He was owed an explanation, all things considered. "No, I wasn't expecting any of it. I am surprised that they held you on such high regard, too." The prince admitted, "No offense, it was more I didn't expect it." He quickly added.

"I suppose now that you're my advisor, you'll have to fill in Lionel's shoes, huh..." Owen kept his pace through the hall but looked up, vacant stare denoting how he was lost in thought-- in this case, his memories of Lionel when on duty. "Uh, for what he did, Lionel would give suggestions on what he thought was wise or unwise directly to me, but never particularly voiced himself on a meeting now that I remember it..." In fact, the more Owen thought of it, the more Lionel took a pretty passive role --pretty respecting and trusting of the prince, as he was. Perhaps things were meant to be different now that he was regent, but pushing Angus into it would be vain. "He was the one that took care of my entourage when we left to Dettard's castle, I'm sure you remember that. He was always a bit more proficient in martial affairs, so I trusted him to that end." Owen had a slight frown, thinking over the matter.

[Toogee]

A tempting offer

A man dressed in white hailed Doug as he landed, his eyes on Oldtimer. "Ah, you must be Doug!" he laughed, waiting for Doug to dismount. "I'm glad you got my letter, I was hoping to catch you." He was a rather unremarkable man, not too tall, nor too short, almost completely forgettable. "I was hoping that you would sell your pegasus to me. I can offer you a lot of money in return. I'm hoping twenty thousand is enough? It's so rare to see a pegasus the age of yours, it's a once in a life time chance for me!"

"Holy crap, neeeiigghhh. I'm no good at math, but that sounds like a lot."

Doug's jaw nearly dropped when he heard that number. That was life-changing money. Maybe not quite enough to retire, but he could live comfortably for quite some time. This seemed too good to be true. Every fiber of his being was telling him 'SELL', yet he had to know why. He attempted to suppress his shock, yet his face looked like he was holding in a sneeze.

"That's a very tempting offer," Doug said to the man. "Though I'm curious as to what you plan to do with Oldtimer? I rescued him from slaughter not long ago. I'd hate to see him go back after all of that."

[Jotari]

Emmet entered the vendor. As he'd hoped, Niko was indeed there. Talking to lady Claire of all people. Our path just keeps crossing he reflected. Though it's not so odd the two of them are together. The day I met him we ran into her. He walked over to them. "Commander Niko, Lady Claire, it is good to see you."

[Terrador]

Angus scratches his chin, following slightly behind the Prince. [Hellfire, jus' what I thought. Where's Fargus when you need 'im? Still, gotta try'n do it justice.] He absorbs his liege's instructions without comment; he's fairly confident about his ability in the field, but the rest? Only time would tell if Angus would prove to be a liability in this role, or simply underwhelming. [Why couldn' it be somebody else? Anybody else, like Claire, or Count Pert--wait just a goddamn minute!]

A snap of the fingers betrays Angus' revelation. "My lord! Perte, he's the fellow whose village got overrun, righ'?" His eager hands press forward into the air, as if to tell the Prince to hold on for just a moment. "It'd prob'ly be prudent for me to visit the barony soon, right? Well, his people passed on a couple of small treasures t'us when I went an' got 'em to fortify. If I'm lookin' after makin' sure everyone's right equipped, what if I pawned a couple things we don' need, pay 'em for what they gave us, keep 'em floatin' just a bit longer?" It was a bold suggestion; the Prince's expedition chest wasn't overstuffed as is, at least as Angus had heard last. [i don't know much, but I know Owen's lookin' for men he can trust, an' well... if we can't afford it, he'll let me know!]

Edited May 4, 2016 by Terrador

[Shin]

A familiar face

Larissa looked up, rather surprised to run into Serge. "Oh, Serge? Not much really." she replied, turning to face the young man. "Just trying to sort odds and ends and meeting a few people. I don't really feel very comfortable at Duke Herman's place, so I only go there to sleep. The maids keep giving me funny looks. Is something the matter, you look like something's troubling you."

A delicious offer

The man smiled, shaking his head. "Scrap him? Never! He's still got a lot of use left in him! I come from a group of travelling entertainers, we've travelled all across the continent. We used to have a pegasus in our act, but unfortunately we're now one short. He'd have an easy job, just dressed up and with a few of the girls on his back. He's probably seen far scarier!"

He's home

It hadn't been too longer after his meeting with Owen, Duke Herman had decided to return to his Hull residence for the time being. Walking past the guards with no issues at all, he was met by Sebastian at the door.

"Welcome back, Duke Herman, I trust that the meeting went well." Sebastian asked, bowing politely. "Shall I prepare your morning tea? Perhaps there's... something else you'd like with it?" The butler held the door open for the Duke, gesturing forwards.

Quickly stepping through the door, Duke Herman nodded gently. "It certainly was interesting, a lot to keep in mind." he replied, letting Sebastian close the door behind him. "Yes, bring a fresh pear with the tea. Ensure there's a cup for yourself as well and a few scones, there's a few things I need to request of you. I trust you learned about preparing scones from Jeeves?"

Grinning, Sebastian stood himself up. "Of course, Duke Herman. "Of course, Duke Herman. I made sure that I followed the recipe down to a tee." he answered smugly. "Lady Adeltrudis is currently home, just so you're aware."

[Xinnidy]

"Huh? Count Perte, you say?" Owen wasn't expecting Angus to toss an idea so readily, and it had merits-- Perte was struggling with money, and his lands did suffer money from Dettard's alliance with Magonsaete. "If it's possible to part with money that's not from the royal coffers, then I don't see why not. The sooner he can fix his land's situation, the better for us all." Owen concurred, "If you're sure they'd be extraneous, then go ahead. We can gift the money made to Perte as a helping hand to get his County back on track." That is... surprisingly thought out of Squire Kearney. Perhaps he'd grow to have some merits.

[charlie_]

Claire had been about to respond to Niko, when her favourite person in the world walked in. "Hello Emmet." she replied stiffly. Why is he here? She just couldn't get away from this joker, although maybe... "How is your badger, Emmet?" she asked. Science called. Even if the creature's owner was irritating, there was potential.

Edited May 4, 2016 by SB.

[Ether]

Hmm... well, there had been no answer from within Father's study, which meant that in all likelihood, he had not yet returned home. Honestly, Adeltrudis wasn't quite sure what to do in the meanwhile... she had expected a servant to be cleaning the area were her father not present, but that hadn't appeared to be the case either.

"Perhaps I should wait for him just a bit longer. It's not as though I had anything pressing to do, today..."

[Dandragon]

Serge gave out a heavy sigh. Well, telling her won't do any more damage than I've already done. "It's...a friend of mine. I recently found out he had a bounty on his head. A rather large one, too. The thing is, it's only because he's been around so many crimes. It's a complete misunderstanding. I was trying to find him just to ease my own worries, maybe even help find him a better place to hide." He places his hands in his pockets. "...I, uh, don't mean to trouble you, but do you think you could help? He goes by the nickname Ratty." Serge was trying not to impose the task upon her, but his options were not spectacular at the moment, and Larissa was his best bet.

[Shin]

Rat Catcher

Larissa paused for a few moments, mouthing the name "Ratty" over and over, as if to try and jog her memory. "Ratty? The name sounds familiar." she replied, furrowing her brow. "Short, smelly and ugly? I think I know who you mean." Larissa didn't look entirely comfortable, there was something troubling her. "I used to see him a lot at the Codger, I think that's where he might be... there might be a problem though. Last time I checked, you weren't terribly popular there. I can't say I know him very well, so I don't think he'd listen to me."

Foreign meeting

One of the maids approached Owen and Angus, waiting patiently to find a way to politely insert herself into the conversation. "I apologise, your highness. One of the diplomats from Raewald approached me, he said that he has something important to talk to you about." she pitched in, somewhat cautious as she noticed Angus. "He's probably still in his room, would you like me to fetch him for you?"

Papa

Sebastian left to prepare the tea and whatever Duke Herman had asked for. Stretching his arms, Tobias walked down the halls, passing through a corridor to reach his study. His eyes spotted Adele, who appeared to be loitering in the hallway. Smiling gently, he raised his hand to wave. "Adeltrudis? Were you waiting for me?" he asked, tucking his folder under his arm. "I was just about to have some tea and sit down, perhaps you'd like to join me if you're not too busy?"

[Ether]

"Ah, hello Father. Yes, I had been hoping you would return soon, I wished to discuss something with you." Adele replied at the sound of her Father's voice, turning to greet him and giving him a small bow as he approached. He was to have some tea, was he? Well, that didn't seem like such a foul proposition, so long as he didn't have any new suitors in mind... which seemed unlikely at the given time.

"I would not at all be opposed to a spot of tea, no."

[Dandragon]

"Yeah, that's him." Serge's face lit up immediately upon the description, then went back to frowning as soon as the Codger was mentioned. He crossed his arms, thinking. He'd be damned if he endangered someone else for his antics, but if they didn't let him in then what could he do? "Hmm..." If he forced his way in, that would cause more problems for everybody, but perhaps if Larissa just mentioned Serge's name? This was troubling. "What do you think, Larissa? Think I should barge in?" He said, half-joking.

[Terrador]

Angus affirms the plan with his Prince, keeping the details implicit with the arrival of the servant. "It'll be a few days' work, but I'll be able t'return to my regular duties soon enough. An' as far as the, ah... the announcement goes, I think it'll wait 'til after the knighting, but tha's entirely to you." He nods politely at the servant, beckoning the waiting bear [he's gotten so good at waitin' while I'm doin' business, the boy!] to join him on his errands. First, to the convoy, and then to the armory.

[Lessee here... that Glimmer tome, nobody can use tha'... with Sir Lionel gone, that Great Lance is goin' t'waste... an' we definitely don't need this sword... get a bad feelin' from it.] Geoffrey joins his "mother" as he walks into the armory, laying his wares on the counter.

"Good sir, I'm lookin' to pawn a few things. Interested in any of it?"

Angus offers for sale:

Devil's Edge (28/30)

Great Lance (20/20)

Glimmer (40/40)

[Xinnidy]

"Very well, Kearney. We'll worry about your knighting first." Owen nodded, watching Angus leave for his business. He's got quite the shoes to fill... and so do I. Owen thought, another chill coursing through him. It was still surreal to think he'd become regent so suddenly, even with his father's health as it was. I can't fail now, huh? That's out of the question. Though part of him wanted to return to his chambers and think it over alone, Owen felt too restless over the whole situation. Maybe, it's times like these where we put aside some time to strengthen ourselves, huh... Of course, with a maid interrupting his monologue, Owen knew he'd have to put the thoughts aside for now.

"One of the diplomats from Raewald?" Owen repeated, intrigued. I wonder... maybe they'd received word from the queen. That's pretty soon, though. "Yes, of course. Please tell him I'm waiting."

Edited May 4, 2016 by Xinnidy

[Jotari]

"Greetings lady Claire" Emmet said. "Always pleasent to make your acquaintance. The badger is doing as well as one could expect considering it was raised for feed and is living in doors. I know a fisherman who provides me maggots for her quite cheaply. I've named her Claire" he said with a smirk. In truth he hadn't named the badger yet at all.

[scorri]

Niko felt like he was missing something in the conversation, so he nodded at Emmet and let the two of them continue to talk.

[Toogee]

A delicious offer

The man smiled, shaking his head. "Scrap him? Never! He's still got a lot of use left in him! I come from a group of travelling entertainers, we've travelled all across the continent. We used to have a pegasus in our act, but unfortunately we're now one short. He'd have an easy job, just dressed up and with a few of the girls on his back. He's probably seen far scarier!"

Doug was convinced. Keeping Oldtimer would likely mean he'd die on the battlefield. The circus would give him a comfortable retirement. Probably live longer too. He looked at Oldtimer, who was too busy fantasizing about all the women that would be on top of him to respond. This was the best decision.

"His name is Oldtimer. He likes carrots; that'll usually perk him up. Don't sleep in the same room as him; he gets...perky..."

"Ms. Doug! That was supposed to be a private moment."

"Now, will that payment be in gold?" Doug needed to clarify in case he was getting paid in "Circus Bucks".

Edited May 5, 2016 by Toogee

[Nanami Touko]

"I think you shouldn't, Serge." What luck. Just the person Cassandra needed to see. She was glad that her and Freya wouldn't have to walk along longer than necessary. Their lead was set out plainly. "So, this Ratty, last seen at the Dank Codger? And you're not popular there, as this... I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met-- though I don't suppose I would know all of Serge's friends and acquaintances. Cassandra Gaffney; a pleasure." She curtsied, trying to seem as polite as possible. "So, where is this 'Dank Codger', hmm? I also need to find this Ratty fellow of yours, for my own reasons. If you can help me find him, and don't mind coming along with myself and my associate Freya, I can see it being worth your while. Having the princess owe you a favor can't be bad, right?" She smiled, folding her arms.

"Why were you looking for him, anyway? He didn't seem like much that night. Though, I do suppose he led you to me, so he must be of some worth. Maybe a reward is in order for him, as well. More than a handful of gold, anyway."

[Dandragon]

The last thing Serge expected was Cassandra to come into the slums looking for Ratty, with a very tough looking knight might he add. It caught him completely off guard, though all he did was flinch when he heard her. "Well, if you must know...There's a bit of a large bounty on his head posted at the Mercenaries Guild. When I asked about it, the guildmaster had said it was merely because he had been seen around man different crime scenes. I was looking to make sure he was safe, personally. If he is at the Codger I can lead you to it, but uh...well let's just say they aren't the most friendly of men to be hanging around. And they don't let just anyone in."

[spoiler=Reports and Clothes]It had been a day since the incident involving Cassandra, and Serge had slept like a log. Of course, he was also the one picked to report it to Niko, which he wasn't exactly looking forward to. Serge knocked on the door, and entered before even a greeting was given. "Commander Niko." He said, crossing his arms behind him trying to look professional.

Niko had been reading a book when Serge entered. Looking up, he nodded at Serge. "Serge, good to see you. How was the gathering last night?"

He gave out a sigh as usual. "Less than comfortable. It was eventful however. After all, the princess of Wyke got kidnapped under our noses and Adele dived straight in to save her." Serge did not have the fondest of memories of that night for other reasons, but he decided not to mention that.

Niko dropped his book and turned his full attention to Serge. "Excuse me, but *what*? Cassandra got kidnapped? I'm assuming by the way you're talking about it that she was recovered safely, but you need to tell me more, now."

"Well, from what I remember and what I was told, Cassandra and Angus went outside for a moment, but somebody had paid the doorman to let a group of thugs kidnap her. When I got outside, all I saw was Adele grabbing an axe that had been stuck on one of the guy's foot and Angus with his face in the dirt." He paused to take a breath.

"Eventually Adele, me, Lady Sidney, Emmet, and Doug, the last of whom I never saw during the chase, got to an alleyway where we met someone who had helped me personally earlier that day. That same man apparently knew who had kidnapped Cassandra and where they were. So we went into the sewers and eventually found a hideout owned by some guy whom Ratty, the friend of mine, called 'Big Stan'. Of course, somebody was already fighting the group outside the house, and we still don't know who it was." Serge went over to one of the spare chairs in the room and sat down.

"Adele ran straight inside and presumably beat the shit out of whatever thugs were waiting. Anyways, all the crooks are dead, including Big Stan himself. We didn't get any info out of him before Emmet shot the bastard. Had some sort of bomb on him and was probably planning to use it."

He sighed, remembering how angry he had gotten at Emmet. "And...that's it. We got her back and now a crimelord is dead, probably feeding the rats or floating in someones shit." Serge had given up trying to be formal.

Niko frowned, trying to process all of that, before sighing. "Well, good job sticking with Adele and protecting the princess. Emmet shooting the man could have gone poorly but if he was planning on using an explosive, it was probably best he did. Still, I should talk with him about that at some point." He stood up and paced a bit before turning back to Serge. "I wonder... Doug mentioned that there had been an incident earlier in the day. It seems unlikely that these two are directly connected at first glance but... Hmm. It's something I should perhaps discuss with someone at some point. We cannot protect those we've been asked to protect if we're not working with full information."

"Well, now that that's out of the way... Niko! Old buddy, old pal, old boss of mine... You, uh.... Got any spare clothes?" Said Serge, looking at Niko with somewhat pleading eyes.

Niko blinked and then shook his head. "I don't think that would work as well as you seem to. I think you might rip my tunic sleeves if you tried to put them on. Plus I'm not sure my clothes fit what you're looking for. They're not quite practical for physical fighting after all. That being said..." He walked over to a chest of drawers, opened the top one and rummaged about for a few seconds. "Ah, here we go." He tossed a small purse over to Serge. "We can't have a member of the Reliants walking around in the same set of clothes every day after all. Go on and buy yourself a few outfits with that. It should be enough."

He didn't expect him to get money for clothes of all things, but here he was carrying a purse full of just enough gold to buy something for himself. "Th-thanks. You have...no idea how long I've needed a new set of damn clothes. I'm surprised these ones even fit me." And that's all he needed to say about that. "I'll uh...Look for some stores out during the week. Thanks, again." He said as he got up. "Fill me in later once you get all that info from whoever." With that, Serge had left the room.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Dandragon

[Ether]

[spoiler=Eggs, Bacon, Grits, Contact]

Emmet woke the morning after the party with an upsettingly clear mind. He had intended to spend the previous night socialising and learning more about his coworkers but instead he ended up burning more bridges and possibly making a very bad first impression. He decided it would be best to head to the Herman house and apologise. The butler from the night before recognised him and lead him inside.

Sebastian lead Emmet through the front door, still somewhat intrigued by his actions the night before. "It may be easier if we head straight to the dining hall, Lady Adeltrudis is still having breakfast, I'll take you to the main hall." he commented, turning around another corner. "If I had known we were expecting guests, I would have asked the kitchens to prepare something for yourself."

It only took a minute or so, the man knew the estate astonishingly well. The dining hall was far fancier than the guild's mess, it offered an air of humble sophistication, dominated by a table - with Adele sat at one end.

"My apologies, Lady Adeltrudis, we seem to have a visitor. I believe he was the gentleman from previous night."

Adeltrudis had been about halfway through her meal, a rather comprehensive breakfast plate, when Sebastian entered the room. She wondered for a moment what his intentions were, until he announced that she had a guest. Looking over as the butler lead him in, it was indeed one of the men from the night before, the new Reliant, Emmet.

"Ah, Sir Dun. Please, take a seat... what was it you wished to speak with me about, this fine morning?" Adele asked, gesturing to a nearby chair as she spoke.

"Thank you my lady" Emmet said as he took a seat. "I thought it appropriate to reintroduce myself to you. Our first meeting last night was cut quite short. Though your actions did answer a few questions I was planning on asking. However I believe the most pressing matter is behavior with the man I killed. I must apologize for it. I believe it was the right thing to do in the situation. I was thinking about saving lives and I maintain that man would not have told us anything had we been able to capture him alive, which I also very much doubt. Regardless my actions were still rash. You are my employer and if you believed the information was important enough then I should have stayed my hand. So I ask you now, for any future situations similar to last night, do you want me to act on my own instinct or wait for your command?" This is probably something I should discuss with Niko too Emmet suddenly realized. Though he wasn't there last night so that conversation can probably wait.

"I am inclined to agree. As much as I would have liked to get more from him, it stands to reason that if they spoke of their benefactor with an alias, they were likely never given any more than that to begin with. We'll never know what information he might have had, but I believe that you acted correctly... even if I may not have acted as such at the time. The ordeal is still too fresh in my mind, really." Adele replied, giving Emmet a nod or two as she spoke.

"My apologies for the backlash that you received. It was a heated moment for all of us, and you were not given the credit you are due for your actions. Had that brute managed to set off that explosive, in such a confined space, we may have all been gravely injured, if not worse."

"Adele, you didn' put the blanket back on affer you got outta bed," Cass yawned into the dining hall, her hair a bit disheveled, her manner of speaking more so. She didn't quite notice Emmet immediately, only after she got closer to the table. It was a rather embarrassing sight. "Oh-- ahh! Uhhh, I, uhmm!" Cass couldn't exactly cover her entire self with two hands-- not that pajamas were exactly inappropriate, especially as baggy as hers, but it was still... Embarrassing. To be seen that way in front of a mercenary. She did her best to mess with her hair for a moment, sitting down quickly.

"Good morning... Er..." Ugh. I still don't know his name! This is the worst. Cass held back a sigh and waited, knowing how bad she looked.

"I confess I had no idea he was carrying an explosive. I just sensed he was still dangerous. Though perhaps the explosive itself could be a clue to his employer. Such weapons are more common here in Wyke than in the lands I've travelled but I should think they are still hard to come by. Especially for someone making their base in a sewer. What alias did you manage to uncov-" Emmet was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the princess. Yawning and barely out of bed. "Good morning, Cassandra" he said as she sat down, choosing to drop any titles given her casual appearance. He smiled very slightly to himself. Not a mocking smile but a knowing one. "I guess it only makes sense you are here." He turned back to Adele. "When Niiko first hired me, I wondered why such a young heir would have need of a mercenary group. I suspected you might be planning on usurping your father's duties. But when I seen how quickly you rushed off last night your reasons became quite clear. The two of you care for each other deeply, don't you? Probably more so than even sisters. Such recklessness belongs only to one in love. Princess, so long as I am in lady Adele's employe I shall consider myself in yours also. If you need anything of me only ask." He glanced back at Adele. "Though keep in mind, my ultimate loyalty shall be reserved for commander Niko."

"Good Morning, Cassandra. Care to finally join me for breakfast, then?" Adeltrudis lightly jabbed towards the Princess as she arrived, giving her a slight smirk to inform her that she meant no harm in it. Her arrival had been at a... rather inopportune time, but there was nothing to be done of it now, she had a meeting to conclude, after all. Turning back towards Emmet, Adele let out a sigh.

"Yes, well... the alias that the thugs referred to their employer as was a Mr. E. Now... it very may well simply be a throwaway name to lead us astray... the sound of it certainly lends credence to such a theory... of course, they could simply be brimming with confidence and not be afraid to throw us leads, but we've no way of knowing as of right now. As for the explosive... whoever hired those goons had access to a Royal Seal. This is... widely unfortunate, since even though it narrows our options down, it also means that not a one of our potential perpetrators will be... easy to pin down or investigate. As well, any of them could easily access explosives and arm their goons with them, so sadly the grenade is a dead lead." Adele replied, stopping to allow Emmet to get his piece in, though she couldn't help but chuckle at his mention of a usurpation.

"I'd have to be quite foolhardy to attempt such a thing, to be honest. I'd be found out far too quickly, and if I'm honest... the Reliants would be wiped out, likely in mere minutes if not faster. I suppose it's good for both of our sakes that I have no such intentions." Adele replied, allowing Emmet to finish before speaking again.

"Even to one we've just met, we're that transparent, are we? Cassandra has been a close friend of mine for many years, you see. Born only a year apart and with our fathers being close friends, I don't think it so strange that we'd find ourselves to be close, perhaps as much, if not moreso than most sisters. I think it would be... best to leave it at that outside of this room, at least for the time being. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I can't speak for how you act under ordinary circumstances, but the way you ran off last night made your feelings quite clear. If it's something you feel is best left hidden then perhaps you should trust us more should such a situation arise again. That's what we're here for after all. Running head long into danger is quite noble but if something happened to you then I think we'd all be worse off. We were lucky last night ended so bloodlessly, for us at least."

Cass couldn't exactly protest to being addressed so plainly in her current attire, slumping onto the table to try and hide herself, if even just a bit. She tried to hide even further as Emmet made his statements, about her and Adele, and promising his service. It made her feel worse about the entire ordeal, especially hitting him. "W-We're not... Yes we are..." Cass couldn't even attempt to protest his claim, with the way Adele had acted, and her being there now... Especially what she'd said coming into the room. Cass buried her face into the table, groaning a bit. "I'm sorry for striking you... I don't even know your name and I acted like a child... I know my emotions weren't in the right place, but, still... Whether you knew it or not you saved the group, so, thank you for that. I'll try not to act so rashly in the future."

Cass finally sat up, nodding in agreement. "While we are... Together, in that way, it would be unfortunate for all of us if this were to spread further than rumor. We could be separated, at the least, or removed from our offices, at the worst. And... Well, it would give whoever was pursuing me far more credence to their plans. They might even be able to go public, so..." Cass looked right at him, biting her lip. "I appreciate you offering me your service, so, please keep this a secret."

"My name is Emmet of house Dun. I'm from Raewald. Do not trouble yourself over striking me. I admit you made me angry at the time but I should have been more guarded with my emotions. I usually am. I should have responded with more decorum. It must have been a harrowing experience for you. Misdirected anger and rash thinking are perfectly natural responses."

"Yes, well... with all of that settled, we appear to be square for the time being. Was there anything else you wished to inquire of me, Sir Dun?" Adeltrudis replied, clearing her throat before she began to speak.

"No. I think I've made my all my intentions known." Emmet got up to leave but stopped as he was half way towards the door. "Actually there is one thing. A, minor curiosity more than anything. But what can you tell me about the Lady Claire? Claire Bennet? I have some dealings with her but she's hard to read. I suspect she might be withholding information from me."

Cass was glad that embarrassment was over-- or not, as Emmet had one question left. "Claire, Emmet? She's a right snob, that one. Always been a bit cold, even towards me and Owen. I wouldn't hold it against her, she just seems to be poor at socializing-- like I'm one to talk. Er, what information, though? Are you working on something together? No secrets, now. Especially after you learned of ours."

"Ah" Emmet let out half a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it's not just me then. I'm afraid I can't tell you what our business is. How could you trust me to keep your secret if I was accustomed to revealing the secrets of others? It's doesn't really concern you so think nothing of it. I was just wondering, did she fight alongside prince Owen in some sort of conflict recently?""

"That is correct. We came back from a campaign not too long ago, it was where I originally hired the Reliants... Claire was among those involved." Adele replied, as Emmet asked of the mage.

"I can't say much of her person... we are acquainted, but barely. As for your work, that will be fine. I presume if it becomes something of import, we will be made aware at the correct time."

So the lady and princess fought in that conflict too? Emmet thought to himself. I suppose I could pry them for more information but I don't want to arouse undue suspicion. The princess has already suggested she had a natural right to know. I'll just ask Niko how the Reliants were hired the next time I meet him. He bowed to the two ladies. "Thank you for your time. That is all I wish to know. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast." WIth that said he turned to leave.

Cass nodded along with Adele's answer, adding, "we had been sent to fight against Dettard, he was planning something with Magonsaete." Of course, I know the truth, but no reason to involve Emmet in that if he isn't willing to spare anything further. Cass wondered what he and Claire were doing, but she could ask the girl, if Emmet was unwilling to talk. "Have a good day, then. Thank you for being so understanding."

[Juliette]

What's all this nonsense? Freya walked along with the princess to try and find this 'Ratty', running into some other people that Cassandra knew along the way. "I'm Freya, a soldier who currently guards the princess," she introduced herself, giving a curt wave. "That's about it. You need someone to check this... Codger? I reckon I can probably do it."

[Vestige]

Before he'd really gotten a chance to immerse himself in his reading, the maid had returned ready to lead him towards the prince. I suppose I'll finish this up later. Within minutes he was once more in the presence of the prince. This time however, there was a welcome lack of extra persons in the room. "A pleasure to speak with you again, Prince Owen," he smiled, bowing slightly. "The arrangements you've made for my companions and I have been most gracious. On their behalf, and my own, I'd like to thank you for your hospitality," he said. "I'm sure you might have guessed I didn't come here just to thank you however, so I'll get in to that now," he chuckled. "Have you given thought to what I brought up during our prior meeting? Queen Ethel wishes to speak with you. I've been told that she requested come to Raewald within the month if possible. I'm afraid there's not much longer until the war begins in earnest," he said, a little woefully. "It might be better to speak with her before that time comes."

[Shin]

Tea Time

"Do come in, Adeltrudis." Duke Herman offered, opening the door to his study. Sitting himself down in his armchair, Tobias waited for his daughter to sit down. It was a rather modest room, one that Adele had only visited a few times. Set with a bookshelf, a desk and several armchairs, it was likely her father spent much of his down-time in the room.

"I lend my ears to you, my daughter, what can I help with?" he asked, curious to Adele's intentions. She was by no means a distant daughter, but it was unusual for to wait for him at her age. "I apologise for us spending so much time in the capital, there's simply been too many things happening to return to our lands. Graham wrote a letter recently, apparently he's remarkably comfortable, although loneliness does trouble your brother sometimes."

Pawn Time

The armourer looked at the weapons with a judging eye, scanning the weapons for any signs of wear. Shaking his head, he grumbled. "I ain't touching the book, sonny. Don't got no time for that wizard nonsense. The sword's used, really knocks a lot off the value. I'd give yer a hundred and twenty for it tops."

The lance was another story though, he rolled the weapon gently, making sure he searched every inch of it. "This one's better though. I can give you five hundred for this, not quite sure where you picked up a weapon like this, but it's mighty fine."

Money Time

The man shook his head, gesturing to a large sack of gold by his side. "It's actual real money, and up front too." he chortled, looking at Oldtimer. "I can even hook you up with a man who could sell you one of those flying dragons cheap. It's like being paid for an upgrade! Do we have a deal, son? I'm eager to get this fella into the routine, can't be waiting around too long."

Rat Time

Larissa hesitantly bowed her head, somewhat intimidated by Cass. She was on edge around regular commoners, she never expected to be speaking with royalty, not someone like her. "I'm Larissa, I was hired by Commander Niko as one of the Reliants, Princess." she replied. "The Dank Codger is the seedy bar in the rough part of town. It's not exactly friendly there... but if you're in a group and don't start any trouble, it's usually OK. That is as long as you don't call anyone a tub of lard."

[Nanami Touko]

"So he's either unlucky, or a huge murderer, and you have no idea, hmm?" Cass smirked at Serge, tilting her head to the side a bit. "No matter. I still need to find him. Larissa, was it? Hired by Niko, how wonderful~ Is something the matter, deary? You don't need to bow for me. Ask anyone; the princess title really is just that, as long as you're polite-- by that I mean don't start flinging shade --we'll get along fine. No need to hide the pretty face, either." Cass spoke nonchalantly about everything, not really changing tone or pace for any of it. "Would you, Freya? That would be lovely. If this place is as awful as you suggest, perhaps, if you're both willing, Larissa and Freya, would you mind getting us in? Well, except Serge-- banned, was it? I can go in with the girls and we'll find your rat man."