By the time Amandine even begins moving Greenly and Olivia are busy pummeling the thing quite handily. She decides it might be more useful to try helping in some other way.
"It is known as a 'Lovelorn', this one is the fiancee's heart back from the dead to torment her. Be wary of its bite!"
Knowing the monster to be a sneak and a lover of traps, Amandine concentrates on the gazebo and its surroundings in search of hidden traps. Finding them quickly might save them some grief.
Dro'gan immediately moves to flank the horrid spider with Greenly and Lady Olivia!
"Keep it between us!"
The lovelorn scuttles off the table and hops upon one of the dead gardeners. With twitching limbs, it invokes some manner of spell and touches both the body on which it perches and the two adjacent corpses. The bodies begin to spasm and push up from where they lie, rising from death.
Olivia's mighty strike just barely fails to slay the lovelorn. The undead abomination darts aside, and with Koriana's Blade the shining knight instead cleaves one of the newly risen zombies in twain.
Dro'gan keeps pace and moves behind the lovelorn and its pair of zombie minions, then delivers a fair cut upon the spidery undead.
The zombie gardeners flail their akimbo limbs at Olivia, but even in her lighter armor, she has no trouble turning aside the wild attacks, thanks to her breadth of experience fighting against the Worldwound.
Greenly follows the crab, stabbing it deep, the voices of her ancestors' spirits leaping off the blade to pummel a nearby zombie.
Dro'gan adjusts his position again to aid Olivia or Greenly in their attacks on the spider-creature, then swings at the zombie the spider rides upon.
Greenly plunges her sword down and practically splatters the overgrown grass with its gore. The destruction of the lovelorn does not banish the animated dead, but between Greenly's wisps, Dro'gan's falcata, Olivia with Koriana's Blade, and Amandine with her magic and the Trant rapier, death is quickly visited back upon them.
Sepsinia is slumped upon the marble table, unconscious.
Returning his sword into belt form, Dro'gan turns to the others.
"Can someone check her pulse? We need to make sure she is alive. Quickly: We must gather the Lady Sepsinia and decide what to do from here. Do we use this situation to our advantage? How do we do so? I'm pretty sure the Damme knows or suspects something was going on here..."
He then turns to keep watch, looking for lights or movement in the shadows in turn.
Although your divine touch expunges even the faintest scratches left upon her pale skin by this nocturnal sojourn, shockingly it is unable to alleviate the fatigue and lethargy upon her.
In addition to the bodies of dead gardeners who attempted to tame the cursed maze, the creature appears to have collected quite a few trinkets around the gazebo, perhaps in a bid to show his perverse "love" for Sepsinia. Placed around a bench in the gazebo are a pearl ring, a pair of black leather bracers, an elegant harp masterfully crafted from purple heartwood, and a bottle with an ornate brass clasp.
This curse can be lifted via spells such as calm emotions and remove curse, but it can also be cured by consuming an elixir of love.
All of what he finds goes quickly and quietly into his magical back-pack later to sort out.
Greenly cleans her sword in the grass and kicks the remnants of Opilio. "We should take her home, tell her mother and, like, do what we can for Sepsinia. Not nobody deserve this."
Keeping a look out, Dro'gan tries to keep up with the quiet conversation, his cold-iron dagger still in his steady hand.
"If we force the issue or make a stink, we could alienate her mother. We want the Dame's support, do we not? My guess is if we bring this situation to her directly and make sure to keep it private, regardless of what we say, she will be appreciative. If she killed the man or had him killed, we need evidence before we can accuse her. Even if we could prove it and send the Lady to jail, her daughter is in no shape to take over either. The end question is: Do we trust her? I'm assuming her daughter was not directly involved with the man's death, but again..."
He then glances over at the spider-heart thing's remains.
"We should bag the monster as evidence too. No telling what may happen to it, now that it is 'dead'...again? Whatever. If it truly was his heart, then it could be used magically in some manners to get answers we seek."
Greenly tuts and starts collecting the picnic items as well as the 'body' of the crab-spider-heart. "We can't just, like, show up and say, 'oh hello your daughter is, like, different now, pay it no mind.' Regardless of whether or not she killed this, this heart when it was, like, in someone, she deserves to know the, the situation."
|
"Dro'gan and Amandine, would you mind giving a second sweep of the garden, just in case there are clues to who murdered him?" Olivia asks. To Greenly she says "I don't trust dame Crabbe, but I suppose if we tell her we can at least gage her reaction. And I hope with the heart's death, Sepsinia will return to her original self." Olivia finishes by gazing tenderly at the unconscious Sepsinia.
Perhaps owing to the fact that Opilio's death occurred a year ago, there is little evidence to be found in the gloomy, moonlit garden - beyond the bloody remains of the lovelorn, that is.
Sepsinia groans softly in her sleep.
Dro'gan points to the area they entered from.
"Let's go. Dawn will rise too soon as is. We should get everyone out of this maze and our stories strait before we encounter the Dame."
"Yes, let's get Sepsinia inside."
Amandine helps gather the objects they're taking during the quick last look around before leaving. On the way back through the maze, Amandine delivers the potentially good news.
"The effect of a lovelorn's bite persists even after it is destroyed. There are certain spells that can end it, but all of them are beyond our abilities. But, we may have found an antidote among the things from the awful 'tea party'. The bottle holds a love elixir. The bite delivers a curse affecting the emotions, the elixir of love will do the same, causing a strong rush of emotion that might break the curse's hold."
"We will give it to her back in the mansion. If it doesn't work, the next step would be the temple of Abadar in Lotheedir. I'm sure Dame Crabbe can afford the service charge."
As she continues Amandine does her best to not sound like a scold.
"I think our best approach to telling Dame Crabbe about this is to be straightforward with the truth. We noticed Sepsinia leaving going outside in te direction of the maze. We thought her behavior odd due to the very late hour, and the maze seemed hazardous. We followed."
"There is no basis for the idea of Dame Crabbe or Sepsinia murdering Opilio, or having him murdered. In the absence of certainty, we must make the fewest unsupported assumptions as possible. Opilio's death was determined to be a suicide. We have no reason to dispute that conclusion. If public information was not generously shared by the investigators, we know the situation was a sensitive one for his family, we know that notable families have the motive and means to keep their dirty laundry from the public eye. It's also possible his heart was missing by the time his body was found and examined, even more reason for his family to keep things quiet. Not only does it hurt our cause to question Dame Crabbe or Sepsinia's innocence, it is cruel to do so without evidence. It's more likely they lost a future husband and son-in-law than murdered him."
"Besides, we may know more if the potion breaks the curse. Sepsinia may have something to say about her ordeal."
Dro'gan nods.
"If that is your decision, I have no problem with it. I only note to you the choices we have for the most possible favorable results, I cannot tell you how to choose. I like Dame Crabbe personally. I also agree blackmailing her to our side would be...problematic at best without more evidence OR without some that is manufactured in our favor."
Amandine looks like she has something to say but, with a glance toward Sepsinia, she decides to wait for a better time.
...
With the lovelorn's presence no longer corrupting the hedge maze, twisting it into a truly mad labyrinth of illusions, the keen-minded party is able to navigate its way out of the maze with more ease and celerity than it required to find the heart. Once clear of the maze, you open the elaborate brass clasp on the potion and administer it to Sepsinia.
You sneak her back into her home and lay her back in her own bed. Just as you are about to quietly leave and rehearse your words for her mother, Sepsinia stirs.
"Am I finally free of him?" she calls from her bed. Her voice is weak, as though she still needs to rediscover it. She heaves a sigh, both of relief and frustration. With great effort, she props herself up to share her story.
"Opilio attacked me. Back when he was still only a mortal man...an arrogant, spoiled man...he attacked me in the garden. Our parents had both thought we were a perfect match, but I could not stand him - and I told him as much. He did not take the rejection well."
Sepsinia falls silent again. Looking closely, you realize she is biting her tongue to silence the painful emotions welling up within her like a geyser ready to erupt.
The image captured by this living tableaux grows clearer now, and you piece together what happened one year ago. The rake Opilio, incensed by her rejection, forced himself upon Sepsinia. He then took his own life, terrified of the damage done to his reputation and future.
Sepsinia never quite figured out how to reveal the boy's crimes to his parents, her parents, or the other neighbors who mourned the passing of their "fine young man." She harbored her own fears, too, of how they would react to the truth. She dreaded becoming a pariah if they did not believe her.
|
|
Olivia kneels by Sepsinia's bed and listens to her story with mournful silence. "I'm so sorry, Sepsinia. This is a pain I've never had to endure myself, but I've met some who have. I believe it will be a hard battle, never truly won. I don't know how much you remember since then, or how much of what happened you understand. You are free, though, and I swear upon my sword and honour that I will help you in any way I can."
Dro'gan moves out of Sepsinia's view immediately and keeps swatch outside the door.
Amandine stays out of the way as Olivia and Greenly talk with Sepsinia. She feels it might be better not to overwhelm the young woman with too many people's attention all at once.
She finds a chair and sits quietly by the bed, only adding a question that will need an answer soon to the conversation. Amandine asks Sepsinia whether or not she wants what she's told them to be kept private from her mother.
"I want to tell her," Sepsinia says, the directness of her words reflecting the newfound clarity in her mind.
"I don't want to hide inside myself anymore."
...
Once the sun rises, you give the Crabbes some privacy so Sepsinia can share her story with her mother. Dame Crabbe's voice raises into a squeal that blends outrage with concern. When you peer around the corner, you find the normally tightly wound aristocratic matriarch has dropped all pretenses of breeding and culture to wrap her daughter in a bear hug.
Dame Crabbe's dress threatens to drown her daughter in a sea of ruffled taffeta. There is a brief, sardonic look in Sepsinia's eye that seems to say "What have I gotten myself into." Of course, this is greatly overshadowed by the clear expression of relief and comfort upon her face, feeling further freed by unburdening herself.
When she extricates herself from her mother's overbearing embrace, Sepsinia also makes duly sure that the party's role in rescuing her is made abundantly clear. It is not long before Dame Crabbe calls for her Betony guests to meet with her in the parlor.
Maintaining his cover as a mere servant, Dro'gan follows but hangs back at the parlor entrance itself. He whispers to Amandine as she is about to pass through:
"I will listen from out here. I also do not think it will be necessary, but if things go badly use the word 'fruitfly' somehow...loudly...and I will react accordingly as best I can."
Amandine files into the parlor as well. She nods her head slightly to signal her understanding of what Dro'gan says, although she thinks it's rather paranoid.
Still, Amandine is apprehensive, the reticent half-elven woman hopes what is coming won't descend into bunches of hugging all around.
Before they enter the parlor, Greenly pats Sepsinia on the back, smiles and says, "I am, like, here for you or whatever."
She tears up during the scene itself, immensely gratified to see the reconciliation of mother and daughter.
In the parlor, you find that Dame Crabbe has composed herself for her guests. Contrary to the private scene with her daughter, or the game of cards the previous day, she has resumed her guise as a dignified, refined Taldan lady.
"My daughter informs me that we have much to thank you for. I am not one to lose myself to emotion," she fibs, "But you must trust that you have my infinite gratitude.
"I cannot believe that such an appalling...affront happened to my beloved Sepsinia right under my nose, she says, frustratedly grasping at the fabric of her dress around her knee before remembering her manners and releasing it.
"I will take some time to reacquaint myself with my daughter, to be there and support her as she recovers. Although I will no longer offer her hand in marriage - that is certainly not the stress she needs at this time - I would still relish the chance to see our family grow.
"This is not an offer made lightly, but should any of your group be interested, I would gladly adopt you into the Crabbe family. This includes your lowborn associates who have proven the nobility of their spirit. We may not have the influence of some of the houses that dominate the social scenes in Cassomir and Oppara, but ours is a storied name with grand history - a name that could open a great many doors for you."
Wary of deception, Dro'gan listens for any hitch or clue in the Dame's voice.
|
|
Olivia glances at Amandine before stepping forward.
"I am truly humbled by your generosity, my Lady. I am sworn to serve Lady Betony for this time, but if you would still have me, it would be an honour to be accepted into the Crabbe family. I would do all I can to further your honour and family legacy."
Dro'gan recognizes that not only is Dame Parthena Crabbe being genuine - both in her response to her daughter's unburdening and in her offer to her party - but in a way, she is being true to herself.
In public, and especially at social engagements, she is the embodiment of Taldan aristocratic hypocrisy: she eats, moves, and even sleeps correctly but without any consideration for why. In this present role, however, acting as mother and friend, she is visibly more comfortable - and it comes as a surprise even to herself.
Dame Crabbe claps her hands together and nods with a smile upon "Lidia's" response.
"There is certainly nothing in regard to Lady Lidia's service to the Betony family that prevents her from accepting Dame Crabbe's generous offer. I do hope she will remain with us as a dear and trusted companion though."
With a smile Amandine gives Lidia her best wishes.
"Congratulations Lady Espinoza-Crabbe. May you and your new, distinguished family always cherish each other"
After a long night at the Crabbe Manor, your carriage is brought around to the front of the house. The servants whisper some words of thanks for helping the young miss of the house. Your long ride home includes a stopover in Lotheedar, where you are able to actually get a good night's rest.
Returning to Stachys, you find that - under the supervision of your seneschal Photinè, and aided by the labor of Mags - the village already looks much improved. The roads are properly marked and cleared. Old, rotting stumps have been ripped from the ground. Most notably, a proper village square has been cleared and paved, not far from the Wolf's Whisker. When you return to your manor, you find Photinè busy in the drawing room, writing letters to neighboring merchant costers to invite them to future market days in Stachys.
Two-fifths of the funding provided by Baron Okerra remains in your coffers for further renovations. However, before you can even settle on new investments, a new development comes quite literally knocking at your door.
A soft clopping sound carries accompanies Meraki as she rapidly makes her way across the courtyard from her hired coach and up to the Betony manor, anxious to avoid attention from anyone who might be outside. Once at the door, though, she turns and waits for the coachman to catch up with her luggage: an additional set of clothing, painting supplies, and Dame Crabbe's gift. After the coachman sets down the heavy wooden box and stacks her own bag atop it, she thanks him, smiles, and tries not to notice his refusal to look directly at her.
Meraki cuts an unusual figure, particularly in rural Taldor, with skin a dark shade of purple, gently curving horns, and the spade tip of a tail just peeking out from under the bottom of her sari (to say nothing of the small leathery wings on her back!).
She turns back to the door as the coach trundles off and takes a deep breath to gather her nerves before reaching out and knocking several times. Meraki had never been comfortable meeting new people, but Sepsinia had assured her that the members of the Betony household were among the kindest souls she had ever met.
She takes a few steps from the door, reaches over her shoulder to tighten the knot there, and waits with her hands clasped in front of her.
Hearing the knocking at the door, Dro'gan curses and quickly uses his natural abilities to appear as Gandro. Then he moves to the front door, waving the busy-body Fae out of view if they appear curious, unless they are in cat form.
He then opens the door...to see a well dressed tiefling standing there with a lot of luggage being stacked around her.
"Yes...can I help you? This is the Betony estate. I'm afraid you were not announced in advance. Are you a representative of Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of Cheliax? I can assure you the Betonys are not interested in an alliance like that..."
He then begins to close the door.
"...I'm sure you can find accommodations in the village nearby. Please come back once you've made an appointment."
|
|
Dressed in light armour, Olivia walks towards the front door and calls. "Dro'ga...Gandro" There is a pause as she finally realises what he did with his name. "I'm heading into the village for a bit. I'm hoping to find a saddle laying about that I can purchase. If you don't... oh, what's this about?" Olivia asks as she notices the door closing on the stranger with baggage.
Appearing non-perturbed by Olivia's interruption, 'Gandro' replies with a shrug.
"We have a caller at the door. Unannounced as far as I know. I was about to send her on her way. Would you... like to speak to her? I have other...duties to perform at the moment."
When the door opens, Meraki opens her mouth to introduce herself, but is caught completely off guard by the doorman's unprovoked hostility. Recovering quickly, she sticks a hoof out to block the door and glares at him.
"I am not a representative of Cheliax," she hisses, "I am here...at the request of Dame Crabbe...with a gift. For the Betonys."
'Gandro' just stares at her for a moment.
He then sighs purposely and rolls his eyes with only barely disguised disdain to see how she reacts. He then waves dismissively at the armored lady nearby.
"Yes...of course. Then Lady Olivia will take care of you I assume? She's also a ward of the Crabbe family now."
He then strides off quickly with a steady gait, until out of sight. Dropping his disguise spell, he then moves to watch and subtly shadow the new arrival for traitorous intentions.
|
|
Olivia glares at Dro'gan as he walks away. Turning her attention to the new guest, she says "My apologies. Gandro means well and works hard, but he isn't always on this plane." She smiles slightly. "Lidia Espinosa, at your service. I was just recently adopted into the Crabbe family, although I don't believe it is official, yet. I serve the Ladies Betony. Come in, and we can talk about who you are, and what gifts you bring." She opens the door for Meraki, and as the Tiefling walks in, Olivia activates her Detect Evil, just in case.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
After a while a young man enters the Count’s Cravat alone and takes an open spot at the bar. He’s handsome if maybe a little rough looking. He’s also something of a dandy, wearing maroon breeches and doublet with fancy lace embroidery over a light blue shirt. His shiny high boots and feathered felt hat add to his rakishness. He orders a drink and scans the room, appraising it.
Amandine sees the man and smiles to herself. She was confident he would be in town, but she’s glad to be certain. She continues to glance surreptitiously toward him until they catch each other’s eyes. She and the man exchange small brief smiles to signal recognition, then they ignore each other.
When a few minutes have passed, Amandine pulls a small, folded note from her sleeve and passes it to Greenly. Along with the note Amandine whispers to her. ”Could you please give this to the man at the bar in the maroon doublet. Discreetly, don’t let what you’re doing be noticed by anyone else.”
NOTE: Second floor of this building on the north side, slightly left of center. Three lit candles. Wait until after bar closing and enter by the window.
After the party breaks up for the evening Amandine leaves the bar for her room upstairs. She lights three candles and places them on the windowsill. Next she pulls a bottle of brandy from her luggage and puts it on the table and scrounges a couple of glasses. She leaves one with the bottle on the table, and pours herself a drink in the other, settling into a chair with it to wait with her thoughts.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Amandine had first noticed the man when he was still a youth of about seventeen. At sixteen, Amandine was slightly younger than him and increasingly exposed to the streets in the Narrows. Her mother’s decline meant most anything needed, income, food, household necessities, had to be procured by Amandine. She was anxious and afraid when she had to be out and about, certain that sooner or later her luck would run out and something bad would happen to her. Amandine wanted to learn to protect herself, but nothing is free and Amandine didn’t have the means to pay. Amandine thought of the teenaged boy as she was trying to work out the problem. She might be able to convince him to agree to a trade.
Although she was starting to find the boys in the neighborhood more interesting for reasons she couldn’t really explain, Amandine kept away from them. They tended to hang around in clusters on street corners and in alleys, spending their time mock-fighting, causing trouble, and being generally intimidating. From what she could gather from occasional eavesdropping and spying, their talk was mostly comprised of dirty jokes, insults back and forth, and bragging. While boys might be interesting in the abstract, individually Amandine found them disappointing.
The feelings were mutual. To the extent any of the boys paid attention to her at all, it was to make her the butt of jokes. Her ears had always been easy targets in her overwhelmingly human portion of the city. But more recently it was all of her. She continued to lag behind; her mother said she had always been a late bloomer. By sixteen Amandine had gained some height, but that was all. She was a scrawny, gawky assemblage of arms and legs. ‘Scarecrow’ was the mildest of the things she heard from them.
The boy she had in mind had treated her a little better though. On a few occasions when she had crossed paths with him, he had greeted her with a ‘good morning’ or ‘good afternoon’ in a genuinely pleasant way. It was as if he didn’t look down on her. Amandine thought if anyone of them would hear her out and take her seriously, it would probably be him. It took her a while to catch him away from his pals and then also work up the nerve to approach him. But, eventually she did make her pitch.
She told him what she could do for him, teach him to read and write. Amandine argued that literacy would be his ticket out of The Narrows. Knowing his way around weapons would take him only so far where they were. He’d be able to find a spot as someone’s thug, but it would be a deadly, probably short life of scratching by a little better than most in the slums. If he could read and write though, he could instead find work outside The Narrows as a courier or a bodyguard for one of the rich families. The pay would be a lot better, and it would be safer. If he made the right friends and connections the sky would be the limit.
Gaspar seemed skeptical, but told Amandine he’d think about it. A few days later he found her and tentatively agreed to give her deal a try and see how it went. They began to meet as close to daily as they could, alternating their sessions between letters and swords. Most of the planning and preparation fell to Amandine. She provided pens, ink, paper, and book. She also wheedled a rapier from a kindly old man to who lived a couple of floors above her. He had one hanging on his wall as a souvenir of his younger days. He was amused enough by her request that he agreed as long as she promised to return it when she was done with lessons.
Gaspar turned out to be more gifted at reading than Amandine was at fencing. He took to his letters fairly quickly, and progressed steadily throughout the time they traded instruction. Amandine tried her best, but suffered a couple of handicaps compared to Gaspar. She seemed to have little natural talent with weapons, and she also soon developed a debilitating crush on Gaspar.
Amandine was in no way prepared for such a thing to happen. When she was around Gaspar the butterflies in her stomach made her feel ill. When she was away from him, Amandine struggled to think of anything other than being around Gaspar. There was no way she could say anything to him. The idea was horrifying. She was sure that however he answered it would be humiliating. Gaspar was good-looking, with confidence and a fair amount of charm. Amandine had seen him around with other girls and had a good idea of what he liked. She didn’t look like them, and wasn’t likely to anytime soon.
Instead Amandine vacillated between burying her feelings as best she could, and telling herself if she stuck around long enough Gaspar would finally notice her. Sometimes she would remind herself the real goal of it all was learning how to defend herself. Anything else was just a distraction from what she really needed. While in this mind set, she would reprimand herself mercilessly for sparing any thought to anything other than the lesson at hand. But she also often tried in various ways to signal to Gaspar that he could make a move. She tried being chatty and asking him lots of questions about himself. She was complimentary toward him, and laughed when he tried to be funny. She sat as close as she dared to him when she was the tutor. Early on, when Gaspar was still having trouble with writing out letters, she took his hand in hers to guide him. But her hand would shake so badly it only made it more difficult for him. If Gaspar ever picked up on what Amandine was trying to tell him, he never showed it.
Both of her ways of dealing with the crush had a commonality; they kept her coming back no matter how hard it for her to do sometimes. It was Gaspar who stopped showing up. It hadn’t been quite a year since they’d started when he disappeared. Amandine asked around after him, and after only a couple of days learned he had gotten that job she’d promised he would. Gaspar had been hired by a wealthy family as a coachman. He’d had to start right away, but it was a good deal with room and board, clothing provided, and a decent salary. Sad as she was, Amandine couldn’t begrudge Gaspar snapping up such a prime opportunity.
It was several years before she saw Gaspar again, and it happened quite accidentally. Amandine had a repeat client at the Exaltation Club, a prosecutor for the Crown by profession, who had a very unusual, but easy to accommodate, kink. He would be in maybe twice a month. By the time he was ready to go upstairs, he would be so drunk or high she would have to guide him safely into bed. After that, Amandine simply had to sleep alongside him. She had to remain asleep in bed until he got up and left. It was critical for the man that he leave without her knowledge. Amandine never actually slept though, so she pretended when the time came. While she never knew the reason for the prosecutor’s bizarre desire to play-act, she supposed he wanted to re-enact in reverse something that had happened to him. Maybe a wife or lover had left him under the same circumstances and he found some satisfaction in repeating the event with the roles reversed. Perhaps Amandine resembled the woman in question closely enough to lend the prosecutor’s fantasy extra satisfaction. Mindful of the possibility the prosecutor’s scenario might bring him diminishing returns with repetition, she always hid a dagger under her pillow should his behavior dangerously escalate.
As it happened, associates of some of Amandine’s acquaintances were arrested, and were to be tried for sedition by the prosecutor due to pamphlets they were accused of authoring. The prosecutor had sloppy habits and typically brought his work satchel with him to the club since he came straight there after leaving his office. Amandine volunteered to try to help the pamphleteers if she could.
The plan was simple, and easy to execute except for the time constraints on it. The prosecutor would be watched, and the next time he came to the club a contact would be sent as well. The contact would wait for half an hour after Amandine took the prosecutor upstairs, enough time to load him into bed and make sure he was passed out. The contact would come to the door and Amandine would supply them with the prosecutor’s satchel. The contact would take it and deliver it to a nearby lawyer who could also forge documents. The prosecutor typically remained out for about six hours, so the lawyer would have a safe four hours to comb through the satchel’s contents looking for either case documents or other documents useful for blackmail. He would forge copies of those documents and replace the originals in the satchel with them. Within the four hours the satchel would be delivered back to Amandine, who would put the satchel back in place, and get back in bed.
When Amandine opened the door to hand off the satchel to the contact, she found herself face-to-face with Gaspar. Time and discretion required the two of them do little more than exchange surprised ‘hellos’, but they did agree to meet soon and catch up with each other.
While the plan carried through without incident, the satchel contained nothing helpful. The pamphleteers were found guilty and imprisoned. Amandine and Gaspar did reconnect though. A few days later they did meet up, and enjoyed seeing each other again so much they continued to do so. When they both had the time Amandine and Gaspar would go to dinner or get a few drinks. A couple of times Amandine dragged Gaspar to the theater for a show.
All of Amandine’s old feeling for Gaspar had faded away with time, and she found to her delight she had not been so blinded by her crush on him as she had thought. Gaspar was a very decent guy, and a good conversationalist with a sense of humor. They were also like-minded in their political opinions. They became good friends.
Gaspar had done well for himself, moving through increasingly better positions until he was now a valet and courier attached to a knight who oversaw correspondence security and ‘problem-solving’ for a Senator. The knight was a Caydenite like Gaspar and sympathetic to his occasional extracurricular activities, which allowed Gaspar considerable freedom with his time and duties.
When she found out she was being sent to Meratt, Amandine immediately wrote a letter to Gaspar. She asked him to please come to Meratt within the week, where she would meet him in Lotheedar with all haste. She emphasized how important it was from him to come, her need for him would be great.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The candles burn about a third of their length before Gaspar slides open the window and pulls himself into Amandine’s room. By the time he has closed the window, turned around, and started to take stock of the room, Amandine is out of her chair and across the room, locking Gaspar in a hug. She kisses both his cheeks. ”I knew I could count on you to come!”
She releases Gaspar and takes both his hands in hers as she stands back to appraise him.
”You look good Gaspar. I’m so glad to see you. Thank you for coming.”
Gaspar grins the slightly crooked, mischievous grin Amandine knows he long practiced as a teen to get just right. He playfully drops into a deep bow and replies ”You know perfectly well I couldn’t possibly refuse you m’lady Dina.”
Back up straight, Gaspar looks Amandine over with appreciation. ”And you look fabulous Dina. I barely recognized you downstairs.”
Amandine lets go a giggle of wonderment at her recent and bizarre turn of fortune. She backs up and turns a full circle with her arms extended for Gaspar.
”Incredible isn’t it? You’ve heard by now I’m the Lady Betony? It’s the real deal too, I have the papers and everything. I didn’t even have to marry for it. There are important conditions though.”
Gaspar soft-palms some applause for Amandine, both for her dress and for her excellent luck. He cocks an eyebrow at her mention of ‘conditions’. ”I suppose you wanted to see me here because of these conditions? Have you gotten yourself into some trouble?”
Amandine waves off the notion of trouble. ”Yes, it’s for that reason, but no it’s not trouble.” She gestures toward the table. ”Want a drink to celebrate? I managed to find a bottle of your favorite here.”
Amandine and Gaspar settle into chairs, and she fills two glasses with brandy. After a toast, she springs her real surprise on him eagerly.
”Remember the conversations we’ve had about the pointlessness of all the penny-ante plotting and scheming? How nothing could really happen to change anything without some sort of big break? Well, it so happens that break has come, and I’m right in the middle of it.”
Amandine goes on to explain that she’s working on behalf of the Princess ”Yes, that Princess.” though she does not name her specific employer. She lays out the essentials of their presence in Meratt, and what they need to accomplish.
”The problem is I, and everyone with me, have been marked by the necessity of our very public identities. We can’t go certain places we may need to go, or talk to people we need to talk to, in the way they need to be talked to, without creating problems for ourselves. I need you to be the one who’s out of sight and out of mind. You’ll be handling the things we can’t be known to be handling.”
It doesn’t take too much persuasion to bring Gaspar on board. Mostly it’s convincing him that working for a royal could be a path to improving the people of Taldor’s lot, when the problems are ones caused by royals in the first place. Gaspar agrees to a trial period, to see how things go. He can put off returning to Oppara for maybe as long as a month before it would become an issue with his employer. For her part, Amandine will cover Gaspar’s expenses during the time he’s in Meratt. If it comes to pass that Gaspar’s employment is affected, Amandine promises to put him on a salary as close to his current one as possible.
It takes a few hours and the whole bottle of brandy for Amandine to fully inform Gaspar about what they know of Meratt and it’s important personages so far. Before they call it a night, she gives Gaspar his first assignment.
”Aside from Count Lotheed himself, there’s one person who really troubles me. The Lotheed’s seneschal, Sir Gul Gusairne. He’s very intelligent, and from all we’ve heard extremely cruel and ruthless. He seems to be the one who handles the dirty work in Meratt, as well as spying for Count Lotheed. I’ve tried to become acquainted with him on a couple of occasions and he’s cold as an eel. If anyone is presently watching us with suspicion, it’s him. I think he presents the most immediate threat to us.”
”Find out everything you can about him. His past, his habits, hopefully he has some vices. I want to know his routines, his way he does things, the way he thinks, give me anything and everything about him you can find. But do not under any circumstances make yourself known to him. If he discovers your presence in Meratt, or you find he knows someone has been making inquiries about him, leave the county immediately. I am certain he is a very dangerous man.”
Before leaving the Crabbe estate the next morning Amandine thanks Dame Crabbe and Lady Sepsinia for their hospitality and generosity. She also repeats her invitation for Sepsinia to visit the betony estate in the coming weeks. Amandine stresses that she understands perfectly if accepting the invitation is no longer possible given the great changes that have occurred since the previous day. Amandine also refuses an answer at the present, telling them she will send a letter with more specific details after the arrangements have been finalized with Baron Okerra for his daughter's visit. They can decide then.
The first thing Amandine does after getting back to Betony Manor is find Calix to see how he liked the time at the house while she was away. She also promises they will go horseback riding first thing tomorrow morning.
Amandine spies the carriage arriving from a distance while out riding with Calix. She's curious about who the arrival could be, but she waits a little longer before turning Calix and herself back toward the house. Neither she nor Calix are experienced riders, they certainly won't be galloping across the fields on the way back, so it takes a while for them to get back even though they were not far away.
Once the horses have been unsaddled and put away she comes in through the back door. On her way to the foyer Amandine calls out "Hello!?" to ask for help tracking down the others and the guest.
Trying to hide her feelings of humiliation, Meraki turns from the doorman to Lidia with a smile. She quickly steps through the door into the manner and gives an awkward bow.
"Lady Espinosa, I'm very pleased to meet you! My name is Meraki Hannan. I've been in residence with Dame Crabbe and her family for only a short time, but she has been a gracious patron. In gratitude for the friendship and aid you have shown her, she asked me to present your household with three gifts."
"The first gift," she says, gesturing to the wooden box left outside, "is a gilded black marble bust of Dame Crabbe, as she was in her youth. It's quite valuable on its own, but it has personal significance to Dame Crabbe and, as I have learned since, has a magical amulet incorporated into its design."
"The second gift, which should arrive in the next few days, is a team of Dame Crabbe's gardeners, servants, and woodworkers. It will take some time to assemble them and send them here, which is part of why I was sent ahead to inform you of their imminent arrival."
"The third gift is myself or, rather, my talents. I am told that I'm a talented painter, which Dame Crabbe and Lady Sepsinia have helped me to develop. Given what happened, they'd like more time with just family around, and she hoped I might be able to help beautify your home. I also have some ability with magic, though I'm not sure how much credit I can take for that."
Meraki gives another half-bow and clasps her hands together again, waiting for a response or to see who the new voice belongs to. Her tail curls up and out of sight, a signal of her nervousness.