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Rose is caught off-guard both by how far she was allegedly off her mark, as well as how easily Dame Crabbe seemed to brush aside the more worrying pieces of news. At least she still consented to them being able to visit the maze. Still in the middle of formulating a response, she is then completely blindsided by the older woman's request.
"You seem good friends with Marius, could you help me make a match between them?"
She blinks. "Oh. That is why-? But me? Really? Well..." She says, in what was very, very far from her most eloquent moment ever. "Okay. Deep breath, recompose.""To be fair, I did try to get them to talk during the Jubilee. You were there yourself, even. Personally though, I don't think he is interested in her that way. Also..." Her mouth suddenly felt very dry, her chest decidedly too warm. "...I have a suspicion he is already spoken for."
"That said," She swiftly adds,"Honestly, I think pushing Sebsinia to court anyone in her current state might be a bad idea. If I hear tales of the old her, how she used to be, she would be much more attractive to others and not in need of any sort of matchmaking. But now..." Rose looks away, saddened. "Suppose she would find a suitor, and it didn't work out. A second Opilio in her current state. What would happen to her? I dread to think of it. Is there nothing that can be done for her, first...?"
On the way, she takes Marius' arm to steer him away from the flower arrangement he'd been studying all this time, feeling an odd spike of irritation. "Come. We might have work to do."
When everyone is assembled, she points out and explains the oddities of the hedgemaze and how it seemed to unnerve Sepsinia, along with the strange loss of gardeners. "I think we should investigate it. Just in case there actually is something or someone there with some kind of hold on her. What do you all say?"
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Lotti raises an eyebrow and looks Rose up and down. “You might have a full set of plate armor under those petticoats, but have you taught everyone else that trick? If not, I would advise caution when exploring someplace as potentially dangerous as an overgrown garden maze. Maybe try to avoid getting blood on your clothes - I hear it’s absolutely terrible to get out of fabric. Now, if you please, one moment while I gather my things…”
Reaching up her sleeve, the old woman pulls out a small package of waxed paper and begins crinkling it loudly between her hands. The smell of herbs begins to waft through the air like sweet perfume.
Rose sighs. She'd been through enough crap today already. "I meant after we get the missing weapons and armor from our luggage, of course."
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The colour drains from Parthena's face as she considers the points that Rose is making. "You may be right, my dear. Oh, I have been so blind! I only want what's best for her, you understand, and I feared that she might die alone and unmarried." She gets a faraway look on her face. "I would like her to experience the bliss of a joyful union, like I have. But she needs to feel better first."
She glances towards the back of the gardens, a small crease between her eyebrows. "Do you truly believe there is... something there? I had never considered it, it's just hedges and grass. Isn't it?" She suppresses a small shudder, then turns back to Rose with cheerful determination. "Well! I am certainly grateful that you want to investigate, but let us have dinner first, so you are well-fed and fortified, hm?" Taking her elbow, she steers her back towards the house while chattering about the menu.
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Marius allows himself to be pulled away from the floral arrangements, but his pleased smile fades back into concern as she explains to the rest of the group her suspicions regarding Sepsinia and the grounds. "That's not a lot to go on," he says slowly, staring at the unkempt patch of grounds while rolling the admittedly thin evidence over in him mind. "Though I admit I've concerns of my own. It's not impossible for something to be affecting her beyond depression. I detected no signs of enchantment on her, no charms or compulsions, but there exist monsters both living and dead that feed on emotion or even life force--some of them might leave a person in a similar stupor." His eyebrows climb higher and higher as Rose suggests an investigation and the conversation turns to retrieving weapons and armor.
"I really don't think we should be traipsing about our hostess' grounds in battle kit on a wild guess," he objects, gesturing towards where Dame Crabbe still stood with her daughter and daughter's maid. "Let's speak with the gardeners about what might've spooked their fellows, ask Dame Crabbe for permission to check for lingering magic, or even ask Sepsinia why she fears the hedgemaze." He reaches over and gives Rose's hand on his arm a gently squeeze. "Perhaps a little complicated planning is called for?"
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Lisa rolls her eyes at all this talk of conspiracy and 'hedge ghosts.' The girl was simply sad what more was there to get? Lisa had seen it dozens of times before, a man or woman hung up on a past love that would never be. Not allowing themselves to find happiness again because it would be difficult.
The courtesan scoffs. What she needed was to find a new man or woman. Put herself back out there and allow herself to feel once again. Not all problems were meant to be solved with swords and magic after all.
At a certain point Lisa takes Dame Crabbe aside, "Forgive me if I seem obtrusive here but... It seems that you are trying to find a new suitor for your darling daughter, yes? Well, a woman in my position has met many eligible bachelors. Many of my clients are just looking for a little something to get them by while they quest for true love, if you desire I could give you the names of a few minor nobles I have served before that may make a lovely match with your daughter. It's the least I can do for your generosity and graciousness in hosting us in your lovely estate." Lisa smiles gently clasping the older woman's hand in her own.
"Oh and do forgive my friends they can be a little... overzealous. So much time in Stachys with nothing going on sometimes the others like to make little mysteries for themselves, I'm sure you understand." she apologizes trying to smooth over the earlier awkwardness.
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Parthena Crabbe squeezes Lisa's hand. "My darling, I can see that your offer comes from a good place, but I think your friend is right, Sepsinia needs a little more time to recover. Not too much time, mind you, none of us are getting any younger, tick-tock and all that, although of course I wish..." She cuts herself off. "I would appreciate those names, thank you. For when my daughter feels better."
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"I really don't think we should be traipsing about our hostess' grounds in battle kit on a wild guess," he objects, gesturing towards where Dame Crabbe still stood with her daughter and daughter's maid. "Let's speak with the gardeners about what might've spooked their fellows, ask Dame Crabbe for permission to check for lingering magic, or even ask Sepsinia why she fears the hedgemaze."
At this, Rose follows Marius' gaze to the hedgemaze and back to Dame Crabbe and Lisa, now heading in the direction of Sebsinia and seeing her friend cheerfully gesture towards the depressed daughter. She could only hope the her friend's solution to Sebsinia's problem wasn't to get her laid by people in the habit of either hiring or being hired by others for easy 'scores'. But surely that was not the case? Surely. ...Oh, who was she kidding.
She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "Maybe you're right," She responds to Marius by her side and the other two unengaged members of the group. "Perhaps I'm too focused on the worst case scenario, and too single-minded about heading straight there to not give whatever might be there an advance warning. Such as by directly letting Sebsinia - and in extension, it - know we might be on to it. But... asking around more of Dame Crabbe, or the gardeners and servants in a subtle manner, might be wise. Perhaps we could imply we know a gardener looking for work or such? I... don't know. Excuse me for-"
The noble is unable to finish as a yawn breaks through her exterior, which she quickly stifles and hides, along with pretending not to be embarassed. Was she not thinking straight? It wasn't like she hadn't been constantly busy with plans for the market, the design for the advanced pumps, and then trying to fullfill the difficult clothing orders for the Thread Rare and Lisa by herself the past week. While also running her agents and plans on the side. She'd pretty much been working around the cloak and had every right to be exhausted, probably.
He reaches over and gives Rose's hand on his arm a gently squeeze. "Perhaps a little complicated planning is called for?"
She lets out a soft laugh. "She gave us permission to investigate. But yes... I would have tried to hide our intent too. Like, drag the gear in a large garden waste bag, carrying some gardening tools along to pretend doing some gardening ourselves for fun? But if we really need to, I have a special bag affectionately named 'everyone is a doofus', with basic gear for if we found ourselves completely blindsighted - again - and everyone somehow failed to see to their own safety - such as by bringing basic self-defense items. So... you tell me. Do I need to take out the doofus bag?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.
Lotti laughs gently. “My dear, you’re getting lost in the reeds searching for a swamp. If such a finely-attired young lady such as yourself was seen hauling a bag of gardening supplies through the lawns, what would folks think? I can assure you the last thing on their minds would be ‘Oh, that’s completely normal behavior for a noblewoman who was invited to tea with the Dame.’”
“Would it put your mind at ease to take a peek in there before we all go in?” A twitch of a few fingers and a mischievous smile suggest an offer of magical assistance.
“And dinner sounds lovely, but imagine if Sepsinia was able to fully enjoy the food again.” Lotti turns to Parthena and gently takes the taller woman’s hand, as if in remembrance of their dance a week ago. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Most of the gardeners are new, hired to replace the ones who had quit, and they haven't gone near the maze as they were busy with the rest of the grounds. One veteran gardener does recall trying to trim the hedges there, but she got lost in it very soon, and barely made it out. She recalls the place being overgrown with brambles and a cold mist that made it even more confusing to navigate.
Sepsinia has quite a strong reaction when asked about the maze, shuddering and turning her face away. "I don't want to talk about it, please leave me alone" she says, then abruptly leaves, heading to her room and closing the door behind her.
"Now I'm absolutely convinced something is off about that maze, but what? Has anyone here ever seen her react this strongly to anything?" Rose asks the others, puzzled, after seeing Sepsinia all but flee the scene.
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Lisa listens to the little whispers in her head as she watches Sepsinia flee at the mere mention of the maze. Okay now that was a little strange...
Scooting over towards Rose and the others Lisa speaks low as her eyes follow the fleeing figure of Sepsinia. "Mayhaps you're onto something jere Raesilia darling... her reaction was quite strong and felt more... compelled than she would be in her natural state... Whether this is from fear or magic I cannot say but either way it's bad news."
Lisa turns to acknowledge the maze. "If we need to deal with mist within the maze, however, I may have just picked up a new trick to help us deal with just such a situation."
"So it *is* magic, or fear, affecting her?" She wonders, troubled at the courtesan's interpretation of what just happened and glancing between her and Marius.
"...Seeing through mist would surely come in helpful," Rose finally responds to Lisa, nodding. ""At the very least, some of us could stand on top of eachother and regard the maze from above the hedges, to see the route or draw us a map in case we need one."
She then rounds to face the elder gnome of the group. "Okay Lotti. How should we handle this? Something very odd is at play and by this point I think it's fair to assume it's dangerous. What would your advice be? Ask Dame Crabbe for formal permission to go in armed? Or would you still stick to some covert way to smuggle our items past?"
“…Or would you still stick to some covert way to smuggle our items past?"
“I certainly can’t claim credit for your ideas, my lady,” Lotti demurs, though she seems somewhat distracted by a familiar cat rubbing himself frantically against her ankles and yowling pitifully. “Though I would be interested to hear how you planned to sneak your things back out of the maze. Or were you planning to leave them there in the name of secrecy? Claim to have found them in there? The possibilities are endless, but so are the gossipmongers’ imaginations.”
“I must ask though - what exactly do you fear will happen by asking the Dame for permission to arm yourself? Are you expecting she would throw us out of her estate for offering to help her daughter? Or find out what happened to her employees?” If one didn’t know better, they might assume the old woman is giving the host a less-than-approving look for a split second. “I know the saying is ‘better to beg forgiveness than ask permission’, but I do have to question its wisdom in this particular situation.”
"Well... it is not asking her that troubles me, but worry over how overtly performing an armed intervention makes this public, and thus able to damage Dame Crabbe's reputation. It's easy with the sleeves to assume the guise of a servant or gardener, for one, to cover this up to some degree. But perhaps the easiest way to do it is to wait for nightfall and move in armed under cover of darkness."
At dinner, Parthena carries most of the conversation, mostly about local gossip and politics, while Sepsinia is silent and withdrawn, picking at her food. Dame Crabbe speculates whether Duke Lotheed will side with Pythareus or Eutropia.
After dinner, the party heads into the gardens again, keen on investigating the suspicious maze. As they get closer, they can see that it is choked with weeds and brambles, and the first entrance they attempt results in a dead end after only a few steps.
Lotti wrinkles her nose at the sight of the dead end. “That’s a rather efficient method to a maze, I suppose - can’t get lost if you can’t get very far in. But let’s see if there’s something trickier at work…”
Experienced as she is with arcane illusions, it only takes Lotti a moment to discern that the wall of overgrown topiary is not real, and the group is able to push past it and deeper into the maze.
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"Odd, I don't think these plants are even remotely from this region," Rose says, prodding the wall with her rapier, wary for more illusions now that Lotti had found one.
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"No, no, no! I'm quite certain we've gone that way before! See the yellow flower is next to the blue flower which is just under the two purple flowers the north-most of which has only sixteen petals while all the other have at least twenty... I can't believe you didn't notice that. Fortunate that you have me around then, don't you think?"
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The tropical-looking vines shift away as Rose pokes them with her rapier, their thick leaves rustling softly. She is fairly certain that plants are not supposed to do that.
Lisa indeed recognizes a section of the maze that they have explored before, but how did they get turned around?
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With a low, angry sound Marius draws his falcata which he had retrieved from his rooms. ”This is no natural maze, there is trickery afoot. I will not be playing their game.” With that he begins hacking through the hedges with long heavy slashes.
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Konstiantina steels her will against the tricks and illusions of the maze, striding through a seemingly solid wall of overgrown topiary to arrive in the center of the vegetal labyrinth. A picturesque gazebo lies there, overgrown with roses, but the scene inside before it is twisted and macabre.
Sepsinia is sitting on the damp grass with her usual vacant expression, while a spider-like creature scuttles around, offering her tea and mouldering biscuits in a ghastly parody of a romantic picnic. Three decaying bodies dressed in work clothes are arrayed around them - very likely the gardeners who disappeared.
At the sound of the party crashing through the maze, the creature turns and they can better see it - an oversized human heart, blood oozing from it, supported by eight spidery legs of broken bone.
Although these distressing undead monsters enjoy the sensation of using their fangs on living tissue, lovelorns thrive on feelings of misery rather than flesh, and their mere presence corrupts an area into a maze of despair and deadly traps. They may stalk and murder ex-lovers, but they just as often lurk in a home or community to seed misfortune and contempt, and feast upon the resulting anger and sadness. Their small size and ability to meddle with the memories and emotions of the living allow them to remain hidden for years, or even haunt a single family for generations.
Their bite carries a curse, and sometimes can drain a considerable amount from the life force of its victims (negative levels).
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Veils, that can’t be Opilio’s… can it? Lotti blinks once in surprise, then once in thought. Protect Sepsinia, hide her- wait, did this thing make the illusions in the maze? Too risky it’d see through mine. Best alternative might be to immobilize it.
The old woman reaches into the pocket of her skirt and begins rubbing butter between her fingers. She lets the words of conjuring sit in her mind, repeating one a handful of times until it resonates more strongly with her intentions of giving all eight of those bony legs no traction. “Hush. This isn’t for you, Your Grace.”
Staring daggers at the scuttling heart, Marius quietly relays everything he knows about the horrid creature.
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"Sepsinia! Oh Goddess, I *knew* something was wrong, but something *this* unholy... Please, aid my aim before it can do something to her!"
Rose wastes no time talking, levelling Dignity's Barb at the moving, blood-oozing heart.
...Unfortunately, perhaps staggered by how gruesome the sight was, she completely misses the first one and the second shot isn't much better.
Rose fires two shots, but the creature is too quick, and dodges both. Lotti casts a spell to hinder its movements, and is seemingly successful, as the bone legs splay out and the creature falls with a squelch.
The monstruous heart is not without its resources, however, and it hisses at the party as the gardeners' corpses begin to animate with jerky movements. the spider-like creature gathers its legs beneath it and gets up again.
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"Sentiero cinereo." Lisa intones for the last time as she waves her hands over the last of her party's eyes leaving a smear of ash, almost like warpaint, over the man's eyes which now seemed to emanate a slight red glow barely perceptible to the naked eye.
"There, all done!" Lisa remarks proudly. "Now we should be able to see just fine regardless of any mist, fog, smoke, or ash! Now I know, I know what you're thinking, 'Oh Lisa you're so smart, beautiful, AND talented! How DO you do it?' Well, the devil's in the details darlings and I ain't sharin'!" She smirks and places her hands on her hips cockily.
"Now shall we be going?"
---------------------------------
Lisa couldn't help but to think that the macabre scene playing out before them was truly heart-wrenching in the worst way possible. It was all so horrendously ugly Lisa could barely stand to look at it, and so she thought to remove such an ugly stain from the eyes of the world.
"Ugh! So that must be Opilio then? Sickening! Some men truly cannot take a hint! Let's put an end to this pathetic charade quickly now shall we my darlings?" Lisa huffs and bring her tobacco pipe up to her lips closing her eyes as she breathes in deeply.
"Nebbia oscurante." She whispers as she removes the pipe from her lips and exhales a long vaporous cloud which quickly expands and fills the space around them obscuring everything in a thick mist.
And through the mist Lisa's earlier spell takes effect and her friends can see strange red burning images of the foes through the mist... as well as their allies burning blue.
Marius approaches the undead creature, carefully navigating the greased area to deliver a shallow slash to its body.
Marius:
Lisa:
Lotti:
Rose:
Opillio: -4 HP
Zombies:
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A look of horror passes over Konstiantina's noble features, and for a moment all she can feel is a terrible pity for Sepsinia, who has been subjected to this abuse for... how many months? No matter; the scene is as pathetic as it is ghastly, and the paladin strides forward, determined to end it.
She lifts her blade, and it blazes forth with divine light. Breaking into a charge at the last, she powers forward and slashes at the Lovelorn, intent on hewing it in two.
Konstiantina delivers a devastating blow to the remnant of Opilio, while the reanimated gardener corpses shuffle to attack. Perhaps a remnant of their former selves lingers, or perhaps the lovelorn's control is not that great, because they flail ineffectively.
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Rose doesn't have much time to mourn her missed shots as the animated gardeners swiftly rise to charge her. Fortunately, Lisa throws up a thick fog sorts of which she herself could still see through. With that at work, dodging the pair of them was child's play.
She grins despite the situation. "Oh Lisa, how you spoil us," she says, and slips into the shadows with the undead flailing about helplessly.
Then, she shoots the targets at point blank range from the mists!
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Grateful for Rose’s exceptional aim, Lotti steps over the re-decomposing bodies and considers the scene before her. Her gaze lands on Sepsinia. Still too close to whatever remains of Opilio for my liking… No time to get over there though. We’ll just have to hope this is enough - or that the casting is enough of a distraction to keep its attention off her.
“Foolish heart!” she intones dramatically, waving her arms far more than necessary for the spell on her lips. “These living walls are yours to command no longer! Now witness them closing around you like the fingers of the moon maiden around her silver bow!” The topiary rustles, then grows inward like a ravenous wave. Sepsinia is swallowed by the greenery before its advance halts inches from the table. Leaves continue to twitch and branches writhe as if waiting for permission to break whatever invisible wall holds them back.
Rose obliterates two of the reanimated gardeners, scattering their bodies into gore and decaying matter. Lotti's spell seems to fool the lovelorn, who scrabbles pitifully at the illusory wall before scuttling sideways and trying to bite Marius, only to be swatted away by the flat of his blade.
The paladin has learned to take in stride the sudden appearance of all manner of mystical phenomena in battle, and assumes - or perhaps hopes - that the vegetation that just consumed Sepsinia is Lotti's handiwork.
Raising her burning blade once more, she strikes at the twisted heart, seeking to skewer it through its undead core.
Konstiantina's blade ends the horrifying existence of the lovelorn, and Marius makes short work of the remaining zombie.
Rose lowers her bow as the last enemy falls swiftly and mercifully (to her group), then rushes forward to check on Sepsinia...
Whether by luck or by some sort of resistance to this illusion, Rose walks through the foilage roughly where she'd last seen her and kneels down to study her condition, should she find her.
"Sepsinia! Are you all right? Can you hear me? I'm Rose! Please, say something," She says, waving her hand side to side to try and attract the attention of her previously vacant stare.
Lotti pushes the "bushes" back so as not to impede Rose's rush, then releases her concentration on the spell. The walls continue to writhe and twist for a few more seconds before falling still again.
Sepsinia blinks sleepily at Rose. "Oh... This is new. That's not how the nightmare usually goes..." She seems slightly more alert and present than usual, but Lotti's illusion might have contributed to her idea that she's in a dream.
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"Oh Lisa, how you spoil us,"
Lisa preens in smug satisfaction at the praise leveled at her. "Don't get used to it darling, I charge by the miracle~" She winks teasingly at her friend as she takes in the glorious spectacle of destruction her spell has helped unleash.
-----------------------
Relieved that the disgusting undead had finally been washed from this plane of existence Lisa sighs at the sight of the confused girl before them and wanders over to her side, kneeling down and smiling sweetly. "Indeed darling, it seems this little nightmare is finally over. Now close your eyes and drift off to pleasant dreams. You must be simply exhausted." She says cupping her hand gently over Sepsinia's own.
The courtesan turns her head to her friend Rose and cocks her brow in a manner as if to say, Just go with it.
The poor girl had been through more than enough having to deal with this creep every night for gods know how long. The least they could do was let the poor thing believe it was all just a long, drawn out bad dream.
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Wiping his falcata clean and sheathing it, Marius leaves Sepsinia in Rose & Lisa’s hands and checks on the slain gardeners. ”I’m sorry you got caught up in this,” he whispers to the bodies, laying their hands over their chests in as dignified a posture as is possible. ”We’ll make certain your kin are notified. May ebon wings speed you to your rest.”
Rising, he scans about to confirm if the hedge maze is returning to normal, and gestures towards Sepsinia. ”Is she well enough to move? We should get her back to her mother. I’m sure there will be many questions and strong feelings on all sides.”
"Indeed darling, it seems this little nightmare is finally over. Now close your eyes and drift off to pleasant dreams. You must be simply exhausted." She says cupping her hand gently over Sepsinia's own. The courtesan turns her head to her friend Rose and cocks her brow in a manner as if to say, Just go with it.
Unsure how lucent Sepsinia really was, Rose nods. Perhaps this was a discussion better left to when she'd gotten a good rest first. She decides to grip her hand and gives a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. The nightmares are over - It won't be back to haunt you."
Depending on whether she was capable of walking, Rose would offer to carry her with Marius. Before that, however, she glances around the area. "Maybe we should do a quick search for any clues or something otherwise noteworthy before we go... supposedly this Lovelorn has been here for quite a while. Or at least some of us, after taking her out of sight," She remarks, glancing at the bodies of not one, not two, but three dead gardeners. How Dame Crabbe had had no idea of anything being off here was a little beyond her, unless she'd lied and she'd just been that good at it...
Sepsinia seems content to be led away from the maze and into the house, although she keeps looking over her shoulder and Lisa has to distract her. Every now and then, a shudder passes through her body and she seems on the verge of screaming.
The maze itself begins to shed its unnatural gloominess as the mist dissipates and the illusions disappear, leaving just an overgrown vegetal labyrinth. As Rose looks around the area where they fought Opilio, she founds a few trinkets arrayed inside the gazebo and displayed like precious offerings, with dried flowers and vines around them.
The blaze within Konstiantina's blade abates. She sheathes it slowly, staring down at the undead horror, and then shakes her head, once.
"This world can be passingly cruel. I hope this tragedy has truly come to an end."
She follows the others out of the maze, and as they approach the manse, confers with her companions.
"We should inform Dame Crabbe about what has transpired here. Her horror will be tempered by her joy over her daughter's release."
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“Your Grace, hasn’t the poor boy been through enough already?” Lotti sighs as her familiar continues to bat at one of the lovelorn’s skeletal legs before turning to her taller companions. “So, what’s the story you’re telling?” She bends down and begins bundling the broken heart into her skirt, not seeming to care about the black ichor soaking into the fabric. “Are you heroes, or was what happened here a mystery?”
”Both,” Marius announces a bit curtly, unstoppering the elixir of love to sniff the contents with a look of mild distaste. ”Poor Sepsinia is suffering under the curse of an undead horror that shrouded itself in illusion and enchantment. It murdered three of the Crabbes’ gardeners and may have had even worse planned for her had we not discovered and destroyed it. The rest—whatever may have passed between her and Opilio—is not our secret to share. I am content to have helped friends in need.”
He holds up the elixir to show the others, his fingertips barely touching the vial. "In a stroke of fortune, we have the means of curing her right here and now--a love potion, which happens to be a direct antidote to the curse of a lovelorn's bite."
Something about the elixir has Marius angry--not the vial itself, but it seems to have very negative associations for him.
Rose's eyes narrow upon hearing Marius' words, but her gaze swiftly shifts from his features to the vial in his hands. "Really? But... why would the lovelorn ever have something that convenient on him? It seems completely contrary to what it was doing... or was it having second thoughts or such?" She wonders, and glances at the chunks of heart Lotti was collecting. Was there, like the Crusader Ghast, also some hint of the old Opilio inside that thing that wanted the cure for her nearby?
And more importantly, why did Marius seem so upset by the elixir?
She decided not to ponder on it for now - there was a time and place for anything - and instead focused on guiding Sepsinia back to the mansion. "That story works for me, though. The families of the gardeners deserve some sort of explanation for their demise, and it isn't a lie. Also, it absolves Sepsinia of guilt." "So that no one would ever try taking revenge on her for whatever part she had in this. She's suffered enough," She thinks to herself. "And I say we bring the news to Dame Crabbe right away. No one has seen this yet, allegedly, and the fewer people who do, the more she could steer this one way or the other should she wish to."
Sepsinia is given into the care of her governess, who hastily prepares a sleeping draught and puts the young woman to bed. Meanwhile, Dame Parthena Crabbe is roused by the servants immediately, and after only a few moments receives everyone in her dressing room upstairs, a hastily donned dressing gown over her nightclothes.
As she listens to the recounting of the evening's events, her eyes go wide with alarm, and she covers her mouth in shock. "Oh, my baby! Oh, my poor girl, my little Sepsinia! How could I have been so blind?" A small sob wracks her, and she puts her other hand over her heaving chest. "I am a terrible mother, for not having paid more attention to what was really happening! I thought she was broken-hearted, and... But, no matter what I thought, this isn't about me. Oh, and those poor gardeners! I shall make sure that their families lack for nothing. And you - I don't know how I can ever repay you."
She casts her gaze around the room, landing on a black marble bust of herself when she was young, an ornate necklace of gold and gemstones adorning the sculpture's neck. "I was going to give you this as a housewarming gift, but it's not enough... Oh, I know! I will adopt you!" She clarifies after a beat. "Those of you who wish to, of course - I will be happy to make you part of the Crabbe family!"