Sara shakes her head. "I am no assassin. I am not afraid of killing a man, but to take his life while he sleeps, unarmed, unprotected? No, I cannot. But there is nothing stopping the legend of the Night Swan from spreading, is there?"
One of her ravens, flying overhead, swoops down and perches on the Night Swan's shoulder.
"You should do it. Take the glory and the notoriety, and I'll spread your story. What else does a Mockingbird do but sing?"
She takes a single step forward, reaching her hand out as if to stroke the woman's face only for her raven to hop onto her hand in a perfectly practiced motion. "Of course this kind of bold action might not paint either of us in a good light. To break the sanctuary of the Grand Bank of Abadar to murder a man in his sleep could be exactly the type of thing that would take you from pest to public enemy number one."
The tall woman steps back, turning away to pet her bird. "There would be no more hiding, Night Swan. And the commonfolk would no longer see you as a hero, but a villain, willing to desecrate sacred places and kill unfairly.
"Better, I think, to take action only after the Baron's crimes have been exposed; make him answer not only to his subjects, but to all of Meratt. And then- and only then -, after making his past as a murderer and cannibal known to all, we should gut him."
A smile spreads across the Night Swan's face. "Good. You understand. Killing that swine now would only make him a martyr. The people of Meratt must see the shackles their aristocratic jailers hold before they realize they need to break free. But we cannot directly help them either. Freedom is not something you can simply hand to somebody. They must earn it themselves to fully appreciate it."
She reaches out a hand for one of Sara's ravens. "Ours is not an easy path to walk. Moreso if one must walk it alone." Her lips turn up in a smirk as she studies Mockingbird's mask. "Did you mean what you wrote? You think me beautiful?"
With her piece said Melodie sits down, and appears ready to chair the discussion of what to do in the event of her own death...
"Now you're being silly," Zhi whispers as she leans over and touches her forehead to Melodie's. Although her voice has a tremor of anxiety in it. "I've already told you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're my princess. I don't give up what's mine."
Entranced, Sara finds herself staring at the Night Swan's red lips. "You are easily one of the most beautiful women in the county. What's more, Swan, I admire you. I've led demonstrations against the wealthy and powerful and only ever seen punishment. While I tried to lead others, you simply seized the opportunity to do something about it personally. You've inspired me, milady."
The Night Swan is quiet for a few moments. "I've played the role of pretty princess before. A songbird in a gilded cage, with no agency of my own. I've moved past that life, spread my wings and flew the coop. I told myself I'd never be pinned down again. And yet..." She gently touches Sara's chin, then abruptly turns away with a sweep of her braid and a flutter of her cape.
"My goal is inspiration. It is good to know my efforts are bearing fruit. Keep spreading the word, Mockingbird, and fighting the good fight. We will speak again soon."
And with that, the Night Swan takes a running leap off the roof! When Sara rushes over to look, there is no sign of the vigilante. A single black feather flutters to a stop at Sara's feet.
"'... and even though she knew having won his heart wouldn't make their problems go away, she knew they would face them together.' The End." Zhi finishes reading as she closes the book. She looks over the cover again before placing on the side table.
"Not her best work, but not too bad," she says as snuggles down under the blankets and next to Melodie. She turns and kisses her exposed shoulder.
She lays there quietly for a bit, enjoying the closeness.
"What's the earliest memory you have?" she asks in a sleepy voice.
"The earliest memory I have must have been when I was three or four. We were still in Kasai. I was sitting on a window ledge. It was quite a ways up and I could see the sun setting on the ocean. The sunlight was making golden patterns on the water. It was beautiful. I remember seeing some other children playing on a bridge over one of the canals and I was thinking, 'I want to run and play like that.' I know Father was angry because I was wasting time instead of opening the window. But I knew Father couldn't climb up where I was, so, for a time, I could just sit and look at the sunset."
"There's something before that, but I'm not really sure if I'm remembering something that happened or if was ... "
She trails off and then begins singing softly.
Nenn'neko sassyari mase
Neta ko no kawai sa
Oki te naku ko no, tsura nikusa
Nenkororo, nenkororo, nenkororo
Kyo wa ni jugo nicho sa
Asu wa kono kono miyamairi
Nenkororo, nenkororo, nenkororo
Miya e maitta toki Nan to yute ogamu sa
Issyo kono kono mamena yoni
Nenkororo, nenkororo, nenkororo
She finishes and snuggles closer.
"It's a lullaby. I've dreamed hearing a woman singing that song enough times that I know it now. Although I don't remember actually hearing someone sing it. Sometimes I think I might be remembering my mother sing it, but she didn't stay around long enough to see my first birthday, so I don't know if that's it. I know the song you hear in your dreams scares you, but maybe if you think of that one, it might help, It always makes me feel safe, but kind of sad."
Zhi reaches out and pulls one of Melodie's hands to her face and softly kisses it.
"Would you teach me to sing? I love listening to you sing and ... and I'd love to be able to sing with you."
With her piece said Melodie sits down, and appears ready to chair the discussion of what to do in the event of her own death..."Now you're being silly," Zhi whispers as she leans over and touches her forehead to Melodie's. Although her voice has a tremor of anxiety in it. "I've already told you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're my princess. I don't give up what's mine."
"I know, you're my Knight." Melodie responds, "but what sort of princess would I be if I didn't tell my friends what was going on?"
"Thank you Zhi." She drops a soft kiss on Zhi's lips. "Of course I'll teach you to sing. You have to hold me first though..." Snuggled in her girlfriend's arms Melodie falls asleep quickly and contentedly.
"So this is why you resist me." The voice is female, cruel and amused as Melodie finds herself hovering over her own sleeping body - watching Zhi wriggle around in the pillows. "For a slip of a girl? I didn't expect that. Still... I can use this." Down below Zhi finally drifts off to sleep, one hand around Melodie and one hands tangled in the blankets at her waist. The shadows in the corners of the room begin to lengthen, forming into ropes that snake along the ground towards Zhi.
Enraged by the cruel mockery in the woman's tone Melodie pushes at the restraining net around her, the words of Zhi's song springing to her lips she sings - the notes appearing almost physical in her mind as they weave a protective dome around Zhi and Melodie's sleeping forms. The shadow ropes lashed ineffectively against the dome for a few moments, before fading away.
"So - you do have some control of your mindscape." The voice sounds begrudgingly impressed. "When you come to me we will work on this further. Sleep, for now. I will be with you soon."
---------------------------
When Sara returns from Lotheedar, she finds the domovoi very insistent that she has to go and meet Melodie - now! She can be found in the study, sitting at the head of the table with a book open in front of her. She looks tired but still manages a stern look when Sara enters.
"So? How is our friend Sara? I assume that's why you galloped off with a flimsy excuse. Do I need to worry about crossbow traps in my near future?"
"Well," Sandra said, leaning on the table, "you are pushing them a bit. And focusing on profiling that's a little beyond what people in a town this size are likely to meet." Sandra was a slim girl of Ulfen descent about Maria's age, long white hair wound in a neat braid.
"Yeah boss," Kara remarked, "you're prob'ly better off tryin' ta get the basics down 'fore you try teachin' 'em the fancy stuff you were goin' for today." Kara was a tall half-orc that would've towered over Maria if she hadn't been sitting down.
Maria sighed. "I suppose your right, think I've been using my own education as the basis for it. I just don't like the idea of how few people there are around here for law enforcement and the like. At least they know to focus on the evidence as a baseline rather than theory and motive."
"You'll get there, Maria, just give it time." Sandra said.
When Sara returns from Lotheedar, she finds the domovoi very insistent that she has to go and meet Melodie - now! She can be found in the study, sitting at the head of the table with a book open in front of her. She looks tired but still manages a stern look when Sara enters.
"So? How is our friend Sara? I assume that's why you galloped off with a flimsy excuse. Do I need to worry about crossbow traps in my near future?"
Exhausted, Sara doesn't much understand the implication. Her weary eyes squint in puzzlement as she works it out.
"Crossbow traps? I don't even know how to load a crossbow, how and why would I set- ohhhh you're talking about the Night Swan." She sits down with a heavy slump and screws and unscrews her flask, idly fidgeting. "Swan's amenable, actually. Still views us as enemies but also, now, as allies." Lolling her head back and forth to indicate the change in perspective, she continues, "But, all the same, Swan disapproves of our methods. Thinks we should have brought the Baron to Lotheedar only to expose him for what he was- and then executed him."
She takes a long sip from her flask, offering it to Melodie.
"Why did we save him, Mels? It's not my job to ask questions, but, he was a cannibal for ten years. And the witches cursed him for a very real reason, even if it were just 'well ain't you a dick'. Like maybe the punishment don't fit the crime, and it was their curse what made him hunger, but- I dunno.
"Maybe we should have given the decision to New Towne. Let the people he once ruled dictate his fate."
She is plainly sad and conflicted; that combined with her slump and the stool she sits at all serve to make her rather small in appearance.
"Because its the right thing to do Sara." Melodie replies, voice soft. "I wasn't expecting to cure him but Zileska saw that she could and she was right - better to save a man's life than condemn him unheard. In the end that's what the witches did - they met him, judged him and punished him - all because they felt that they could. That isn't how it works, that can't be how it works. It's why I don't like the Night Swan."
She stands up and begins to pace - agitated. "I can see why she thinks as she does, and there are some truly bad apples amongst the nobility. But nobility can do a lot of good too - look at Princess Eutropia, look at what we've done here!" Her voice rises, passionate. "All the hard work, all the time and effort we've put into Stachys. We couldn't have done this if I wasn't Tribune - like it or not, all the good we've done is because of my birth and Martella's paperwork. That's why the Night Swan is dangerous - do you know what happened in Galt? They destroyed the nobles and then they destroyed the rule of law completely. That's what she wants. Zhi told me about the conversation you three had - she wouldn't recognise that anyone of noble blood could be a good person. What has Baron Okkera's daughter ever done to deserve death? The Night Swan would kill her, simply because of who her parent's are."
Melodies passion finally seems to exhaust itself and she pulls up a stool next to Sara. "If you really want Telus to face justice then go and talk to the people of New Towne - see if that is what they want. If it is then I will go to Count Lotheed myself and take it up with him. He is the rule of law here - and I trust him to take the law seriously. He's that kind of man."
"Because it's the right thing to do Sara." Melodie replies, voice soft. "I wasn't expecting to cure him but Zileska saw that she could and she was right - better to save a man's life than condemn him unheard. In the end that's what the witches did - they met him, judged him and punished him - all because they felt that they could. That isn't how it works, that can't be how it works. It's why I don't like the Night Swan."
She stands up and begins to pace - agitated. "I can see why she thinks as she does, and there are some truly bad apples amongst the nobility. But nobility can do a lot of good too - look at Princess Eutropia, look at what we've done here!" Her voice rises, passionate. "All the hard work, all the time and effort we've put into Stachys. We couldn't have done this if I wasn't Tribune - like it or not, all the good we've done is because of my birth and Martella's paperwork. That's why the Night Swan is dangerous - do you know what happened in Galt? They destroyed the nobles and then they destroyed the rule of law completely. That's what she wants. Zhi told me about the conversation you three had - she wouldn't recognise that anyone of noble blood could be a good person. What has Baron Okkera's daughter ever done to deserve death? The Night Swan would kill her, simply because of who her parent's are."
Sara pushes back from the table and stands, holding her hands out in front of her. "Whoa, there is some misplaced aggression here, I am not your enemy, Melodie. You think that I believe the Night Swan is above criticism? That because I refused to be knighted that I want a bloody revolution based on class standings alone? No, your Ladyship, but what I do want is for my class of people, the exploited and abused, the Unbearded, to stand up and demand fair treatment, and have it be given them. If that struggle necessitates the violent upheaval of a handful of nobles, why should we prioritize keeping men like Bartleby safe, when their lives and wealth are prolonged only by the suffering of their citizens?
"Can you really not see what it must be like for those at the bottom? Do you possess no empathy?" she swallows and looks away, guilty at having accused such.
"This situation you describe, about Stachys being helpless before our arrival is precisely the issue that I take with the nobility. The lower classes are not unwilling to take action to improve their lives, but we are not allowed to exist without an attending lord! Your arrival in Stachys did not save it, Mels, it simply allowed for progress to continue as it had been doing before Betony died. That's the problem. The poor are not allowed to progress alone, and when anyone of lower class tries to defy that and do anything for themselves, like the refugee community in the Beggarwood, then Lotheed- or someone very much like him -sends his dogs in to kill us."
Melodies passion finally seems to exhaust itself and she pulls up a stool next to Sara. "If you really want Telus to face justice then go and talk to the people of New Towne - see if that is what they want. If it is then I will go to Count Lotheed myself and take it up with him. He is the rule of law here - and I trust him to take the law seriously. He's that kind of man."
Sara shakes her head somberly. "What kind of spell does he have you under, Melodie," she murmurs. "The Count is an evil, callous sinner with no respect for anyone but himself and the sycophants he surrounds himself with- and when he is presented before Pharasma, he will not be viewed favorably.
"As for my part," she sits back down nervously. "I cannot. Do you think this would end peaceably? If I were to show up with Telus and a mob voted to lynch him? No matter your opinion of him, I believe Bartleby would see this as a threat to his standing and have everyone involved murdered by his soldiers. I will not knowingly undertake action that I believe will lead to the deaths of my fellows."
After a breath she puts her head in her hands, silently crying. "I'm sorry I called you heartless," she adds, her voice wavering.
For a moment as Sara speaks Melodie looks absolutely furious. Her eyes blaze and her face twists into something older, and much more sinister. But as Sara keeps speaking the fury seems to dim and fall away and Melodie shakes her head violently, as though trying to dispel some sort of pain behind her eyes.
"Damn them Sara." She says, in a quiet tone, defeated almost. "Damn the Bearded and the Unbearded alike. Of course I don't think any less of you for not being knighted - Eutropia offered the gifts within her power and you refused it, that's your right. You should be able to do that."
"Have you ever travelled, Sara?" Melodie asks, staring at the ceiling. "I have. Andoran is a lovely place - they have soaring public buildings, monuments to the work of the People's Councils that match anything the Grand Princes have built. There are philosophers who will debate any topic with you, and they defend the ideal of democracy to the death. And you know what else they have? Leaders. People who make all the decisions, and everyone else is expected to go along with it. I don't agree with how Taldor is run, and I don't believe that I'm better than you simply because my fourteenth great grand-parent stopped the Grand Prince being eaten in the jungles. People are people Sara, and most people want someone else to make decisions for them. How do you think Cheliax hangs on? If every single person in the Empire wanted House Thrune gone - then they'd be gone, devils or not. But most people don't, as long as their life is within the limits they accept then they don't care, they just go on."
She leans over to wrap an arm around Sara's shoulder. "You have no idea how much I've always looked up to you Sara, and it's not because you're tall, or confident, or because Zhi loved you first. It's because you're free. You did something most people consider horrific, and you stood by it. You did what you had to and no-one came to cluck their tongues over it and send you to bed without supper like a little girl! People respect you, some of them fear you too but everyone respects you. You spoke to the High Strategos as an equal, and he was damn impressed by you! I sweet talked some nobles, batted my eyelashes and did exactly what I've always been trained to do." Melodies voice has been rising again and she slams her hand into the table for emphasis.
"Oh Cayden and Calistria!" She curses as her finger begins to swell a vivid purple. "This never helped. Thank god mother wanted me to be as 'normal' as possible. If Max and Father had their way I'd never have left the house at all." She takes a deep breath and turns back to her friend. "Most people have no power Sara, rich or poor, male or female - society has roles for us all and it punishes those who step out of line. You're right, the Unbearded need to be heard, they need to be able to help themselves, but so do many, many others who live in much larger houses and have much smaller lives."
She pauses and sighs deeply, all the previous anger gone. "When I think about the life I've escaped... Anyway." She changes the subject abruptly. "Bartelby. I'm not under his spell Sara - why do you think I'm doing this? Being here? Trying to make Stachys a better place? If we wanted him dead we could have killed him the first night of the party. We could go and do it tomorrow. He'd let me into a room with him, you come in too and your heels would finish him before he could cast a spell! But that's not the point. I don't want him dead Sara! I want to make Meratt a better place - I want to prove to him that returning the Palace of Birdsong to Eutropia is the right thing to do! I want to believe that if I can prove it, if I can show him and everyone else that what we stand for is right - then he'll accept it, that he'll show a little bit of decency and do what a Steward is supposed to do."
"It all comes back to hope Sara." She murmurs, laying her head on Sara's shoulder. "Zileska hoped she could save the Baron. I hope that Bartelby can do the right thing. If he can't... If he can't then maybe the Night Swan is right, maybe no-one can be trusted to do the right thing. But I don't believe that, I can't believe that."
As soon as Zhi learns that Sara was 'summoned' to Melodie's study, the internal debate begins on whether to intercede or find somewhere to hide.
She finally decides to join when her imagination begins listing through the things that her girlfriend and her ex-girlfriend could be discussing.
"It all comes back to hope Sara." She murmurs, laying her head on Sara's shoulder. "Zileska hoped she could save the Baron. I hope that Bartelby can do the right thing. If he can't... If he can't then maybe the Night Swan is right, maybe no-one can be trusted to do the right thing. But I don't believe that, I can't believe that."
"Uh... Hello?" Zhi says as she knocks on the open door. "I just wanted to let everyone know that they've finished laying out where the tavern's foundation is going to be."
She looks between Melodie holding her hand in pain and Sara's face streaked with tears.
"Is everything ... ok?"
"Damn them Sara." She says, in a quiet tone, defeated almost. "Damn the Bearded and the Unbearded alike..."
Sara smiles when she hears Melodie's use of the term Unbearded, seeing it as a show of support to her cause and a friendly recognition, but says nothing.
"Have you ever travelled, Sara?"
She shakes her head and unscrews the top from her flask, idly. She had never traveled outside the capital before this. As a resurrectionist, she had left the gates, but never the lands, just far enough to dig up pauper's graves or pick up discarded bodies from hearse drivers she'd bribed with Hare's money.
She leans over to wrap an arm around Sara's shoulder. "You have no idea how much I've always looked up to you Sara, and it's not because you're tall, or confident, or because Zhi loved you first. It's because you're free. You did something most people consider horrific, and you stood by it. You did what you had to and no-one came to cluck their tongues over it and send you to bed without supper like a little girl! People respect you, some of them fear you too but everyone respects you. You spoke to the High Strategos as an equal, and he was damn impressed by you! I sweet talked some nobles, batted my eyelashes and did exactly what I've always been trained to do." Melodies voice has been rising again and she slams her hand into the table for emphasis.
Sara had avoided thinking about that specifics of that night for some time. It was foundational to her new philosophies, certainly, but those had been a long time coming. She had been so caught up in the sycophantic acts of any would-be socialite, desperately trying to curry favor and respect despite past scandals, and then in the condemnation of that lifestyle, that she had never considered how the people at the Gala had treated her compared to those at society parties, people who had invited her just to gawk and gossip about 'Ms. Burke, the ghoul'. She had commanded the Strategos' attention, but, she had thought, from her attempts at intrigue and false seduction. Yet if Melodie was right, and he had seen her as an equal?
She puts it out of her mind and takes a drink as Melodie continues.
"It all comes back to hope Sara." She murmurs, laying her head on Sara's shoulder. "Zileska hoped she could save the Baron. I hope that Bartelby can do the right thing. If he can't... If he can't then maybe the Night Swan is right, maybe no-one can be trusted to do the right thing. But I don't believe that, I can't believe that."
Before she can respond, Zhi interrupts with news of the tavern.
She looks between Melodie holding her hand in pain and Sara's face streaked with tears.
"Is everything ... ok?"
Sara wipes her face clear of tears and nods, saying, "We'll be right out. Thank you, Zhi. Melodie and I were just, er, discussing civics, actually." While true, her explanation does not sound inherently convincing.
Sara wipes her face clear of tears and nods, saying, "We'll be right out. Thank you, Zhi. Melodie and I were just, er, discussing civics, actually." While true, her explanation does not sound inherently convincing.
"Civics?" Zhi says, her tone indicating disbelief.
She looks with concern at Melodie's discolored finger and after a moment of indecision, says, "I'll wait right outside then for you to finish your discussion."
She then steps outside the doorway and partially closes the door.
Partially.
Melodie cant help but smile when Zhi arrives. "We really are you know, not sharing secrets or anything."
When Zhi retreats again Melodie turns back to Sara. "I don't like the Night Swan. I don't like what she stands for or how she does things - but I trust you. If you say she's on side I believe you. If you can keep her there then even better. If she comes for me I will try and reason with her - but if she won't listen them I'm going to fight back."
She stands and takes a couple of steps towards the door. "Oh, Sara. If anything happens to me, you'll look after Zhi right? I don't want her to be alone."
As Melodie leaves the study, Zhi pulls her aside.
"Is Sara still dealing with that Swan woman?"
She takes Melodie's hand and looks over her injured finger.
"I understand that she really spins Sara's wheels; she has the rhetoric down and she's really pretty, but she is cuckoo on a cracker, Mel. She is going to get people killed."
Zhi looks back up into Melodie's eyes.
"Yes, I was listening. And stop talking as if something is going to happen to you. I told you, I won't ... let it,"
Her voice breaks slightly at the last and she reaches and puts her arms around the taller girl, resting her head on her chest.
"She's resistant of organization, and she makes the whole solo battle idea sound Romantic, but I think if we can continue doing good, she'll come around to seeing us as not just allies, but friends."
As Melodie leaves, she rises to go with her, saying, "Ma'am, as security, my foremost concern is to make sure nothing happens to you. Zhi is my friend, even if things are, well, what they are right now. I will always look after her, so long as she lets me, but I'm here for you too. You're not doing this alone."
Sara pulls the young woman into an embrace before she leaves the room.
Melodie leads Zhi away from the study - not wanting to gossip about Sara in front of the woman in question.
"Yes, but she seems confident about it. We had a long talk about it, the Swan's aims and hope. Sara believes that she can bring the Night Swan round and given the slender hopes we've worked on before I think we should let her. If she tries something though, all gloves are off." Melodie smiles, interlaces her fingers with Zhi's and then winces.
"You know being with me means a lot of first aid right? I slapped a table for emphasis and this is what happens." She moans, waving her swelling finger. "So unfair!"
Zhi takes the swollen finger in her hand, brings it to her mouth and softly kisses it.
"I'll try to remember to be gentle," she says, looking up through her lashes. "I can't promise I won't leave marks, though."
Melodie's words and her discolored skin still vivid in her mind, Zhi seeks out Maria at her first opportunity.
"Umm, hey. I know we've all been busy lately, but ... um ... can you make Bloodblock?" she asks nervously. "If you can, can you make me a half dozen doses of it? I'll pay for the materials."
Maria looked up from the various files she was going over in her room when Zhi found her.
"Bloodblock," Maria said, thinking, "probably, it's a bit finicky, from what I recall but I can certainly try. Think I still have the instructions for it around here somewhere. That's a powerful anticoagulant, though; why do you need so much of it?"
"I don't think I'm in any position to tell you what to do... your Grace... my dear," purrs Zileska. "Though if you do decide to stay, it's only a matter of time before someone shows up to escort you away again. But if you're looking to have a little vacation... well, who's to stop you from taking a break from the usual tedium to pursue something you like?"
She gently brushes her hands up and down the Duchess' arms as she makes her position of "screw the rules, do what you want" quite clear.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on, I'll show you," says Zileska, tugging at Zhi's hand. "Don't worry, it needn't get any stranger than that."
Zileska goes through her possessions in her room, bringing out some of the incense and some of her salacious illustrated pillow books - the kinds of things that come with her courtesan's kit.
"So... to start from the beginning... you know that sex leads to children, presumably," she says. "But the physical interactions, well, we can see them here." She holds up a copy of The Umbral Adventures of Miss Maisley, a scandalous chapbook of the illustrated sexual adventures of a busty traveling bard that runs the gamut from her smutty encounters to Sapphic trysts and a threesome.
"Typically children only result from sex between a man and a woman," Zileska says in an educational tone, "and that can be avoided if you take the right preparations. Good news if you like loving ladies," she adds with a click of her tongue.
"Now traditionally these kinds of talks are done lounging around the bedroom eating treats and giggling a lot. You can have the full experience if you want, or we can just stick to the facts." She grins.
"Here, ask away," she says as she pushes the chapbook into Zhi's hands. "I can explain pretty much anything."
With a momentarily serious expression she says, "Oh... but my comment about Melodie. There's some part of her that's not quite human. It's not just the make-up... it's visible around her eyes, in the way her voice lilts. Sometimes, people have a bit of the other in them, and occasionally that includes specific habits or urges. Dhampirs, for instance - not that I think Melodie is one, as healing magic works on her without any problems - often have some of the thirst that their vampire parent bears. So... I doubt Melodie will do anything to hurt you, but just, maybe, see if she'll talk about it if you're going to be vulnerable?"
Veleto smiles at Zileska. "I knew I liked you, sweet thing. Shall we tell your friends I'll be staying a while? I don't want them to be startled by my presence in your home. And then we should see about breakfast--I'm famished!"
Maria looked up from the various files she was going over in her room when Zhi found her.
"Bloodblock," Maria said, thinking, "probably, it's a bit finicky, from what I recall but I can certainly try. Think I still have the instructions for it around here somewhere. That's a powerful anticoagulant, though; why do you need so much of it?"
"Well, it's in case ... " she looks around the room nervously. "It's for ... umm ... It's for Melodie. I know she bruises really easily and ... and she bleeds really easily and ... and I want to make sure that ... that I ... that she ... "
"Could you just make some for me, please?"
Veleto smiles at Zileska. "I knew I liked you, sweet thing. Shall we tell your friends I'll be staying a while? I don't want them to be startled by my presence in your home. And then we should see about breakfast--I'm famished!"
Zileska says, "We should tell Melodie at least, as this is her house! I agree about breakfast... let's see what we can scare up. I could really do with some biscuits and tea."
With a momentarily serious expression she says, "Oh... but my comment about Melodie. There's some part of her that's not quite human. It's not just the make-up... it's visible around her eyes, in the way her voice lilts. Sometimes, people have a bit of the other in them, and occasionally that includes specific habits or urges. Dhampirs, for instance - not that I think Melodie is one, as healing magic works on her without any problems - often have some of the thirst that their vampire parent bears. So... I doubt Melodie will do anything to hurt you, but just, maybe, see if she'll talk about it if you're going to be vulnerable?"
[b]"Something other?" Zhi says confused. "I just thought she was pale."
As the thoughts turn in her head, she begins flipping through the book Zileska handed her and her face begins to turn crimson and her eyes widen as she reaches an illustration.
"You said illustrated and ... and I thought you meant illuminated. You really ... meant ... illustrated," she stammers out as she turns the pages.
After a bit of silent page turning, Zhi closes the booklet and puts it down.
"There's something else I'd like to ask you about," She says and then seems to gather her courage. "Please don't tell anyone. I've told you that Father didn't really believe in using magical healing. He felt that bearing a naturally healing injury was a lesson in and of itself. But ... "
She takes a deep breath.
"But I think I've carried this one long enough," she says with a tremor in her voice.
She walks over and looks out the window.
"I bleed sometimes. I want it to stop," She turns back to look at Zileska. "Can you heal it? Make it stop?"
Realisation dawned in Maria's eyes when Melodie came up. "Ah, alright I'll see what I can do. You can pay me back for the materials after I've finished. Don't worry;" she said, with a smile, "I'll keep the receipts."
That morning, the household awakens to find Zileska and Duchess Veleto Lotheed enjoying biscuits and tea in the dining room. The duchess sits close to the half-elf, her hand in the other woman's lap.
"Hello, dearies. My sweet thing here has invited me to stay with you for a spell. I promise I won't be a bother--though I hope that Zileska and I shall continue to get rather 'hot and bothered,' if you know what I mean. And if Bartelby asks, I'm not here, right? You won't spoil a lady's fun, will you?"
"Hello, dearies. My sweet thing here has invited me to stay with you for a spell. I promise I won't be a bother--though I hope that Zileska and I shall continue to get rather 'hot and bothered,' if you know what I mean. And if Bartelby asks, I'm not here, right? You won't spoil a lady's fun, will you?"
"And what would the Count say if he found out you were here?" Zhi says, looking at the others nervously.
"He would say, 'Aunt Veleto, you must return to your chambers this instant! You are not in your right mind and a danger to yourself and others!'" The duchess mimics her nephew with a nasally whine, then blows a raspberry. "He's always saying things like that. Fortunately, he's yet to find a set of locks that I haven't been able to foil."
Zhi glances at Melodie and then looks back at the Duchess.
"I can respect that," she says with a smile. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay."
Zileska sips at her tea with a smirk.
"Please don't be upset, Melodie. My dear Duchess just needs a little quality time for herself."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ahhhh... I see." Zileska sighs.
"I sympathize with you, Zhi, you must feel like you're being pulled in a multitude of directions. On the one hand you have all of these responsibilities and of course the shadow of your father hovering over you as an example and a demand that you be honorable, and stalwart, and self-controlled. On the flip side you have these feelings pulling you into a whirlwind of activities and emotions with the strong ladies around you. You feel like you're being shaped by all of these influences and at the same time you're trying to stake out who you, yourself, are. It's no wonder that you're hurting, you are pulling yourself apart."
The priestess takes a seat and folds her hands in her lap.
"The bleeding... if you're talking about the monthlies... I can understand your father might not have been able to properly explain that. This strikes almost all fertile women, generally every month. It's... essentially your womb 'resetting' and preparing for the possibility of growing gravid, should you have an encounter with man that reaches its sexual conclusion. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just inconvenient. Sometimes comes with cramps and bloating for some women."
"Since it's not a wound, and not something wrong, it's not something that can be 'healed.' Certain herbs can suppress it, which also makes you infertile - for how long depends on what and how much you take."
"Other than that, the only way to stop those is time or serious injury. Or I suppose another one of those really powerful spells that lets you reshape yourself."
"Very well, Zileska. The duchess may stay for now, but she is your responsibility." Melodie says warily.
"Thank you, dear girl. Might I have some more tea?" Veleto asks with a smile.
---
Over the next few days, Duchess Veleto spends quite a bit of "quality time" with Zileska. It seems the older woman has a nigh insatiable appetite for carnal pleasures, and even the Calistrian cleric has difficulty keeping up with her.
The more time Zileska spends with Veleto though, the more she gets the sense that something is off about the duchess. She seems quite enamored with the half-elf, but can't describe why or what the passion means and grows increasingly hostile if pressed. The sex is good, but hollow. When not sharing the half-elf's bed, Veleto wanders the estate, and the rest of the group has to be careful lest she overhear something incriminating...
---
A few more days pass in Stachys as you work to cultivate your cults of personality. Festo Mise leads the construction efforts on the temple, though it will still take some more time before the edifice is complete. The renovations to the Wolf's Whisker go much more quickly, and soon Onora has a real pub that can compete with any Lotheedar has to offer. Zhi brings Alista Cragus and several of her musician friends for a party on opening night, but... Well, the less said about it, the better.
Despite the debacle, Alista negotiates a recurring gig at the new pub, allowing her to stay in town with a steady wage. "Plus, you can always come to me if you need somebody to talk to. My therapy services are free of charge," she tells Zhi with a wink.
At the week's end, the domovoi have finally finished their repairs to the Betony estate. To celebrate, Melodie hosts a festival, bringing visitors from all across Meratt to enjoy fine food, games, and exotic goods. The festival also serves to debut the new statue in the town square celebrating the local culture.
Stachys is growing in leaps and bounds, wayward farmers trickling back in to the now prosperous town. The former hamlet is now considered a village, the boom in population further boosting the economy as well. The citizens greet you with a smile and wave, their faith in the local nobility restored after years of neglect! Truly, this is a triumph, and the relics you bear seem to recognize this as well. More of their former glory begins to awaken...
A letter arrives for Zhi from Selli Okerra, filling her in on all the happenings around Pensaris and asking her to visit again soon. A second letter arrives for Melodie from Bartelby, indicating that his aunt Veleto has gone missing from the palace and that he is worried for her safety. He asks that if you come across her, to bring her back home so that she can get the care and attention she needs.
"No ... it can't ... but it happened after ... he broke me ... "
Zileska can see the wheels turning in the young girl's mind, connections being made. Fury begins to replace the disbelief.
"She should have ... ? Why didn't she ... ?"
She stands and moves as if she's looking for something to grab. To throw. Unable to contain it any longer, she throws open the window.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE!" she screams out into the open air. "WHY DID YOU ... LEAVE! YOU SHOULD HAVE ... told me ... !"
She turns and slides down the wall below the window sill, sobs beginning to shake her.
"You should have been here ... to tell me ... these things." she whimpers.
She closes her eyes and shakes. Her breaths come faster and faster and her eyes open again filled with fury. She gets to her feet, pulls a dagger and stalks determinedly from Zileska's room.
Zhi's footsteps lack her normal grace as she makes her way to the master suite. She throws open the door and stalks over to where her bag lies on a chair. Reaching into it she pulls her long green silk dress. Her mother's dress.
With a guttural snarl she slashes through the garment with her dagger. Again, and again. Once the dress remains little but green shimmering streamers of cloth, she drops the dagger and begins pulling it apart with her hands.
She finishes and looks down at the scattered remnants. Tears finally begin to flow as she clutches the tattered piece still in her hand. She stumbles over to a nearby chair and curls up in it with her arms pulled around her knees.
"You should have been here. You should have been here to tell me these things. Why did you leave?" she whimpers.
Despite the debacle, Alista negotiates a recurring gig at the new pub, allowing her to stay in town with a steady wage. "Plus, you can always come to me if you need somebody to talk to. My therapy services are free of charge," she tells Zhi with a wink.
"Oh gods!" Zhi says laughing. "You could probably get a book deal out of me."
She looks around and then leans in.
"Actually, since you're going to be around, would you be willing to help me out? I've found some poems and I think at least one of them would be wonderful as a song, but I don't know anything about music."
She looks around again and spies Melodie chatting with Onora. She turns back to Alista.
"I was hoping you could help me put it to music. I want to sing it for ... for a special occasion. I'd pay you."
~~~~~
Upon receiving the letter from Selli, Zhi is given pause as more connections are made in her mind.
I don't want her to go through the same thing I went through.
At her first opportunity afterwards, she spends some quality time querying Zileska on everything a young girl should know. She leaves no area unexplored.
Afterwards, she writes a return letter to Selli, letting her know that the ladies may be coming for a fishing trip in a week or so and she should ask her father if it would be ok if Selli comes along. She has a lot she wants to talk about.
"Well, I'm not much of a songwriter, but I'm sure my band mate will be happy to work with us." Alista introduces Zhi to a red headed woman who performed at the party with her. "This is Kurana. She sings and plays lute!"
"Pleased to formally meet you," Kurana says. "Show me the poem and we'll get started. All I ask in return is an introduction to the Lady Valois. I've heard a lot about the good work she's done here, and I'd very much like to meet her!"
Hello, Kurana. I'd really appreciate the help," Zhi says with a smile.
Wow, she's attractive. She wants to meet Mel.
Zhi feels a tight curling of a feeling that she thought she wouldn't have to worry about any more.
"Yeah, I guess ... yeah, I can introduce you ... to ... Lady d'Valois."
She leads the woman over to where Melodie is still talking to Onora.
"Excuse me for interrupting, Ladies," she says. "This is Kurana and she wanted to meet Melodie."
Zhi takes an overtly possessive stance next to Melodie as she introduces the two.
"Lady d'Valois, this is Kurana. She's a friend of Alista's. Kurana, this is my very special friend, the Lady d'Valois."
As she makes the introduction, Zhi's hand slides down and intertwines with Melodie's.
Yeah, she's mine, so back off.
Kurana bows gracefully. "Very pleased to meet you, my lady," she says. "I wanted to say how grateful the people of Meratt are to have a strong leader like you who cares about our well-being. A woman of grace and power such as yours is a woman to be admired. And I hear you have a lovely singing voice. Perhaps one day I will have the privilege of hearing you perform."
Melodie accepts the compliments politely and engages in a few minutes of small talk before excusing herself, giving Zhi's hand a squeeze.
"She has a voice that people actually write songs about," Zhi says, not even trying to disguise her admiration, as Melodie departs. "However, she's not the one that's going to be singing this one. That would be me, so let's please not incorporate anything complicated or too difficult. I have no illusions about my ability. And please keep this just between us - it's a surprise."
She turns back to Kurana.
"Would you like to come back to the manor? I can show you what I'd like."
Once they arrive at the manor, Zhi has Kurana wait in the conservatory while she retrieves the particular poem she had been reading. She returns with a small book with a blue ribbon holding a particular page.
"Here, this is the one that I would like set to music," she says, turning to the marked page. "I'm sure it would have to be rearranged somewhat, but I would really like to keep it as original as possible."
She pulls from the book a folded piece of parchment.
"Here, I've written a copy of it. You can work from this."
Zhi continues her discussion with the attractive musician, attempting to convey the feeling she'd like to invoke. Along the way, she'd like to dig a little about Kurana.
Particularly whether she's single or not.
Kurana seems impressed by the manor, especially the manticore trophy in the foyer. "Lady Valois helped slay that beast? She must be truly formidable!"
As Zhi pries more into the redhead's story, Kurana plays things pretty close to the chest. She says that she trained in the Moost conservatory and has been touring the county until joining with Alista and a few others for the party in Stachys. She doesn't reveal many personal details, though she bats her eyelashes when Zhi asks if she's single.
"At the moment, I am. Do you know anybody who might be interested in a girl like me?" she says with a sly smile,
"Uh ... I ... wasn't actually ... I'm ... I'm actually currently involved right now," she finally manages to get out, blushing madly, after her attempt at a subtle inquiry falls flat.
"Depending on what kind of ... girl?" she says, fishing lamely, "... that you're interested in. I'll have to introduce you to our head of security, Miss Burke. You might enjoy her company."
Kurana laughs lightly. "Don't worry, I'm just ribbing you. My tastes tend towards a more masculine persuasion."
When the opportunity presented itself, Maria started work on the bloodblock Zhi wanted.
Zhi chuckles along with Kurana.
"Sorry, you had me a little worried there," Zhi says in relief. Although she still seems a little apprehensive. "Thought you might be setting eyes on the Lady d'Valois."
She continues to laugh, perhaps stretching it out a bit long.
"That would have gotten awkward," she continues. "Because she and I ... well, I would have had to point out that we're a couple and ... " Her laughter fades away. "I get very defensive and irrational where she's concerned."
Zhi face brims with a smile again.
"But since you're only interested in men, then that shouldn't be an issue. Now, back to my song ... "
Kurana laughs again. "Oh, no, I'm not interested in the lady like that. But you two are together? That's sweet. Is this song for her? Well, we better make it a good one!"
Zhi senses no deception from the bard.
After finding the recipe for bloodblock, Maria realised that it was even more finicky than she remembered. If she had access to her father's alchemy equipment, she might have had a better chance. But she wasn't going to travel all the way back to Oparra for it, and brewing it with her current equipment would mean a lot of failed attempts and wasted components. Instead, she simply organised for a trader to bring six pre-made doses of it.
When they arrived, Maria handed the package - and receipt for 150gp - to Zhi and explained the complications. "So unless you wanted to go spending several hundred gold on failed attempts, I felt this was the cheaper option. And I'll make sure to double-check the recipe before saying I can make it in the future."