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The Archbanker's expression is carefully blank as she replies. "Lord Erallan sees in Stachys an echo of Meratt. Alas, the county is an echo of most of Taldor these days, I'm afraid. But we are fortunate here in Lotheedar, a large part of the taxes that the count collects are used for the town's upkeep." Lady Paril smiles at Rose, but the Talbot scion has the feeling that she is not smiling at all. "Those rumours are not new to me, but I am content with my position." Her gaze on the party is a touch sharper as she rises, signaling an end to the audience.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you all, and I am looking forward to your continued work towards the prosperity and stability of Stachys."
"Prosperity and stability, indeed. If I may beg just a moment more of your time, Archbanker, that is the very subject which I hope to gain your assistance with. You see, when I spoke of curses before I was not being metaphorical." He quickly outlines the situation regarding Baron Telus and the plight of his scattered subjects.
"There is a condition for breaking the curse: "true love's kiss," I surmise the responsible party had a strange sense of humor. We could seek out the Baron's sister and see if she might be up to the task, but the curse has bent poor Telus' mind and he is dangerous. If the Church of Abadar were to directly assist in the breaking of this vile magic it would be a notable feather in your cap--to say nothing of the enormous burden it would lift from the people of Jambis." Marius pauses a moment to let her consider the implications. "A return of prosperity and stability to Jambis, radiating out to her neighbors as well. What could better honor your god?"
"They need some sort of outside aid to solve this issue. Their fate is an unfortunate one and they do their best to make by. However, as it is, hunted by the Count's men over their state of forced vagrancy, their only options are impromptu roadside flea markets, which stand a good chance of scaring off traveling merchants and nobles coming across them, and banditry. Neither of which are exactly good for economic predictability or stability. While we hope our method will work, and have promises that they will return to the to town and resume their normal lives, we cannot be sure that it will. Having a backup method to break the curse would greatly increase our chance of success."
Rose gets the feeling that mentioning the local rumours so openly has made the Archbanker a little defensive. There is something stiff about the way she has affirmed her lack of ambition and praised Count Lotheed, as if she was answering a test.
Lady Paril regards Marius thoughtfully. "If the curse is as powerful as you say, then I'm afraid that removing it is beyond my ability. I can write to the Cathedral of Coins, and see if they are able to send anyone to help." She pauses, and clears her throat. "The cost of the service and travel expenses will need to be covered, naturally. Will you be the one paying, Lord Erallan?"
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Lisa stands and makes her way towards the exit hastily, "Thank you for the audience Archbanker I do believe we've discussed everything we need." The courtesan speaks sharply though with an air being entirely unsurprised as though she knew exactly how this would go from the beginning.
She turns to Marius and frowns. "Lord Erallan I think the best way we can honor the banker is to do as their god would wish and conserve the most money. I believe we have other, more affordable and benevolent options available to us in Oppara. Now let us be off before the good banker starts charging us for 'wasted time.'"
Behold the patriotism of the modern Taldan, Marius thinks sadly, but does not say--though he doesn't try very hard to hide his disappointment either. "Thank for your time, and the generous repayments. We have other avenues we might yet pursue regarding the curse."
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Konstiantina is a cool presence at the back of the room, refreshed from their travels and wearing a clean, albeit severe, traveling gray surcoat over her glimmering chain coat. She listens with sharp attention, but neither speaks nor accepts a cup of tea; hers is a gracious if removed presence, and when Marius rises she is the first to slip out the door.
"I had ample opportunity to watch the Abidarians ply their faith while at court," she murmurs to her companions as they step back outside. The paladin raises her face to the sunlight which casts dappled shadow coins across her features through the canopy of a tree above. "So professional, so well spoken, and always so soothingly confident. No matter that they enabled some of the worst excesses with injurious loans, or stepped fastidiously over the poor and the muck on their way back to their temples with forced repayments in hand."
Turning with a smile to the others, she arches a brow. "I believe there are other options worth exploring when it comes to temples at home, but for now, what do you all suggest we do next?"
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"Lord Erallan I think the best way we can honor the banker is to do as their god would wish and conserve the most money. I believe we have other, more affordable and benevolent options available to us in Oppara. Now let us be off before the good banker starts charging us for 'wasted time.'"
"Ouch, ouch and ouch," Rose thinks, trying to hide her smile in her teacup. You could always count on Lisa to delivery the perfect off-handed insults. And reading the rest of the room, it seemed everyone, save Lotti perhaps, was in agreement to varying degrees of severity and openness. "Indeed, thank you for your time, Miss Paril. We will go and solve the major issues plagueing the land as we have thusfar - willingly." "Unlike you."
"So professional, so well spoken, and always so soothingly confident. No matter that they enabled some of the worst excesses with injurious loans, or stepped fastidiously over the poor and the muck on their way back to their temples with forced repayments in hand."
"As a merchant by birth, I was taught to like and revere him... but I just can't bring myself to do it. I would chalk it up to my rebellious nature if not for that each of his followers seems to worship greed more than any prosperous ideal," Rose dryly comments. She stops when the paladin asks the group what to do. "Hm... well, we need to shop to buy lots and lots of food and drinks for the harvest festival, along with suitable decoration and transport." She smiles as he watches the city of Lotheedar make its own preparations. "Looks like it will be a day full of shopping, sightseeing and haggling. Hah, perhaps Abadar would be proud of us after all!"
"Say, has everyone decided what they're going to do for it? Anyone organizing something interesting for when we celebrate in Stachys?" She asks as the group being acquiring the necessary supplies, while also trying to keep Wobblekins from the food stalls.
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Upon their return, Stachys was a veritable hive of activity. Preparations had already been well underway, given the large number of activities that needed prepatation - and that they had just five days left to do manage it all. The list was long, the implementation daring: An entire market AND fair, a huge festival pyre, the dinner, the dance, the many seperate aspects of each... all these projects excited her, and the nervous energy and feeling of community of the largely renovated town brought a smile to her face and a skip to her step.
Unfortunately, she had her own battles to fight, what with the brudge repair going on alongside all this as well as the second Thread Rare opening right in the village in just a few days time! So delegation it was. She was sure Riftun and Chloe would do wonders on the catering front, for one - even if the Ulfen had initially passed out at the mountain of ingredients presented to him, and it took nothing short of Lisa's magic to bring him back.
Herself, she'd just have to hope the discussions and agreements with the local tradesmen would hold. Everyone knew of the number of wealthy nobles that would be paying a visit, and each had their own idea - or advice - on how to profit off of it.
Schedules were strict by necessity: Morning concerned the store, afternoons the reconstruction effort. Fortunately, the harvest fields were in the direction of the said bridge, so it was possible to drop by to help Lotti coordinate the actual harvest, which she did to the best of her ability. The elder gnome was much more knowledgeable on the subject of farming in general, as she was her superior on many more topics, but she still had some logistical experience she hoped would be helpful to her.
At night, it was dinner, bath, and then Marius; sometimes the order varied. 'You didn't have time; you had to make time', her mother used to say, and she tried to follow that saying for all important matters. Rose wasn't entirely sure how her honorary sister really felt about the Courtship matter given her trauma - Sepsinia hadn't objected, but she still attempted to keep it discrete for her sake. Fortunately, there were plenty of convenient excuses to 'rob' Marius, per his wishes, and add to her growing collection of moments. Like retiring to 'discuss the bridge plans' and such. She grinned, though the simple act of just enjoying the other's company was already welcome on its own.
Unfortunately, she thought as her face fell, her time *here* was running out. And there was something she still wanted to do before it did - two matters she still wanted to address...
Skipping a day of logistics was a small price to pay to catch the aasimar in on of her training sessions with Aiza. Hers was a perfect combination of otherwordly gracy and spacial efficiency as each of her sword strokes naturally flowed into the other and broke her pupil's guard each time in short order. Though, to Aiza's credit, her balance and stance were good, better than might be expected of her short training thusfar, and she never seemed to get discouraged.
She allowed herself to get lost in the game momentarily, imagining herself in Aiza's position with her rapier out and thinking of how she would have fought in her stead. But soon enough she guessed wrong in each exchange, and it was all to apparent that she'd stand no chance whatsoever against a master swordswoman like Konstiantina. But there was no shame in that, she felt - they each had their own strengths. She was lucky she'd even got to observe this style in practice.
At the end, she claps for the display with a warm smile. "Brava. Well fought, both of you. I hope I am not interrupting, Lady Mokei? If you have a moment, I would like to speak with you." She looks to Konstiantina for permission.
One of the nights led her to another room. She knocked, thinking she saw Lisa retire just prior. There were perhaps a number of other locations and moments where she could have gotten her friend by herself, less rumor-prone ones than a bedroom during the evening, but it wasn't that late, and she was pretty sure most inhabitants of the castle knew she was 'taken', along with that her friendship with the socialite was pretty much common knowledge.
"Lisa? Are you awake? If so, do you have a moment to talk?"
Lotti is happy to let Rose take the lead with assisting the farmers. Perhaps it'll help endear her to them, give her the approval she so desperately wants.
But in the evenings, when the barley has been reaped and the gleaners have picked clean the stray stalks of wheat on the edges of the fields, the old woman traces a now-familiar path from the servants' quarters to the kitchen. Practiced hands carry four bowls, a cup, a pitcher of milk, and a plate of cookies seasoned with cinnamon tea around the side of the manorhouse to the garden fountain. She finds a patch of grass large enough to share, sets out the crockery, reminds His Grace that the milk is not for him alone and thus it would be terrible manners to drink it straight from the pitcher, and waits for the domovoi to arrive.
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Regardless, Lisa puts on her 'face' and cracks the door open for her friend with a smug smile. "Raesilia darling! Stealing away to the chambers of a known woman of the night when you yourself are taken? The scandal!" she giggles.
"I know I said to get revenge on dear Marius I would help make him jealous but don't you think this is a tad much?" she puts on a fake pout before winking and letting her friend into the room.
"I only tease Raesilia darling! Please come in, come in! What did you want to chat about hm? Boy trouble? If he's hurt you I'll gut him myself I swear it." Ms. Lombardi banters as she takes a seat on the edge of her comfy bed and pats the spot beside her.
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""Raesilia darling! Stealing away to the chambers of a known woman of the night when you yourself are taken? The scandal!" she giggles. "I know I said to get revenge on dear Marius I would help make him jealous but don't you think this is a tad much?:
Rose gasps in mock shock. "Oh no; You're right! And I even brought drinks - gift-wrapped, no less! What will people say - or think!" She pretends to think about it herself, then grins as she enters. "Oh well. Too late now. Besides, I thought most men were into that sort of thing?"
She glances about the room and takes her offered seat on the bed. "What's with the giant shimmering mirror?" "For you," She says, offering said gift, which turned out to be a very luxurious bottle of Vodka. "A token of thanks for your help. I know you have your favorites but they didn't have it in Lotheedar. And before you ask, yes - I do have another one of those. But bribes; you know how it is." She smiles. "Take solace in that is was roughly five times the cost."
"That aside..." The noble continues. "How are you holding up? Things have been so busy that I didn't get the chance earlier, but... I was - well, am, truthfully - a bit worried over what happened back at Bartonet Vort's village. Is there something bothering you? Something you wish to talk about? I'm not sure what happened between you and Konstiantina but it must have been quite something to rile her so, or for you to drink so much." Her eyes search Lisa in concern. "I would be a poor friend if I only came to you for my problems, talking yet never listening."
The mild spring weather makes for quite decent yield of peas, radishes, turnips, beets and other early vegetables, as well as a healthy amount of leafy greens. It is a lot of manual labour to harvest these, and those who pitch in spend the larger part of three days helping out. The presence of Rose and Lotti on the muddy fields generates some bemused looks at first, but after the first few hours make it clear that they know what they're doing, the villagers carry on with only the occasional glance.
Lotti is not disappointed in her waiting, and soon enough the three domovoi arrive in their cat form to lap at the offerings and arch their backs against Lotti's legs. Once the milk is gone, they take their other form and begin to munch on the cookies, making appreciative noises and looking at the gnome expectantly.
"Yes, Mistress, how can we help?"
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Lisa giggles at her friend's playfulness, "Most men only love it when they get to see it Raesilia darling. Not that you would need to resort to such a thing, of course! You and our dear Lord Erallan are still very much young and in love I'm sure things are already plenty hot in the bedroom but should you ever feel the desire to spice things up a little... well you know who to call."
When Rose produces her gift to the fair courtesan she practically squeals in delight as she greedily grabs the bottle, "Oh Raesilia! Oh you shouldn't have really! I adore it! I absolutely love, love, love it! Oh Raesilia!" She reaches out and embraces her friend in a tight squeeze. "You really are too good to me darling, the only way it could be sweeter is if you pilfered it from the Count's private reserves yourself." The courtesan removes herself from the woman with one last squeeze then begins adjusting her hair looking up at her giant shimmering mirror.
"What?" She asks when Rose catches her eye with a questioning glance at the mirror. "It's good for self reflection... and besides sometimes you just want to see a pro at work." she jests before the mood begins to turn somber as Rose brings up the events of the night at Baronet Vort's 'village.'
"Yes... About that, I suppose I do owe you an explanation." Lisa's amber eyes cast downwards and she begins to nervously kneed the bed's fine sheets between her fingers as she struggles to find the words.
"I may as well just come out and say it then." she sighs, "That night at the village... I happened upon you, Lord Erallan and yourself that is, in the woods. I saw you, a saw the kiss, and the tenderness between you two. The love the passion... And I was very happy, ecstatic really! But then... And I'm ashamed to say this... I started to feel very alone." She turns her head aside too ashamed to face her friend now directly.
"It's not the first time I felt it. Nor will it be the last... but as a courtesan one must embrace the idea of a life were all you ever are is a stopgap relationship at best... a temporary diversion at worst. You fall smitten from time to time but you know deep down every time that it can never be, that it will never last. That no one will ever look at me the way Marius looked at you. That no one will ever kiss me the way you kissed him. That no one will ever hold me the way you held each other..." Lisa wipes her eyes quickly, she knows that if she lets even a single tear drop she wont be able to stop the deluge to follow.
She takes in a sharp breath and turns back to her friend with reddened eyes and a broken smile. "But I was determined not to take away from your moment! It was a hard-won triumph after all and you deserved to be happy so I slunk back o the village and tried to drown my sorrows. And.. well, I'm afraid that in a moment of weakness I may have dumped a lot of emotional baggage on poor Konstiantina. The poor dear she was only trying to help, but when she brought up the idea of serving a god... giving myself to something greater, I didn't take it very well... Come to think of it I maaay have compared her proselytizing to the damned abadarians who let my mother die from the plague because we didn't have the money to afford a cure." She chuckles morosely. "Rather cruel of me to do so don't you think? But that's just who I am... lonely and spiteful... No wonder I'm unworthy of real love then hm?"
She reaches out and holds Rose's hand in her own. "And now I'm unloading all this on you... Please darling, Raesilia honestly, you're very precious to me... don't ever think of yourself as a poor friend I gain a lot of strength from you and your support is what has largely helped get me through the passing of my Kimi...And for that I am eternally grateful."
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"Yes, Mistress, how can we help?"
Lotti smiles gently. "Ydych chi i gyd yn gwneud yn dda? Neb yn eich poeni na dim byd felly? Oes rhywbeth diddorol wedi digwydd yn ddiweddar?" she asks, waiting to hear from each of the domovoi before continuing. "Mae’n siŵr eich bod chi wedi clywed yn barod, ond fe fydd yna ŵyl dros y dyddiau nesaf. Llawer o bobl yn ymweld o'r tu allan i'r dref. Ac mae llawer o bobl yn golygu llawer o siarad."
She pauses, evaluating each fae's reaction. "Nawr, mae'r bobl uchel yn tueddu i wylio'r hyn maen nhw'n ei ddweud o gwmpas pobl eraill. Ond nid ydynt yn tueddu i weld pobl yn fyrrach na hwy eu hunain fel pobl eraill, ac yn sicr nid ydynt yn gweld anifeiliaid fel pobl eraill." She clears her throat meaningfully. "Rwy'n ymddiried ynoch chi i gyd i gadw'ch hunain yn ddiogel a pheidio â'ch rhoi eich hun mewn unrhyw berygl, ond cadwch eich clustiau ar agor tra byddwch chi allan yn mwynhau'r dathliadau a gadewch i mi wybod os nad yw rhywbeth yn ymddangos yn iawn i chi." Her expression lightens with a grin. "Ac yna gadewch i ni gwrdd yma wedyn er mwyn i mi glywed popeth am eich anturiaethau."
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The domovoi make a show of scratching their heads, tapping their lips thoughtfully, gazing into the distance and mumbling at Lotti's initial questions. Dzhorty stretches, yawns, then shakes his head. Dzhynsovy leans in to whisper. "The young one sneaks into the pantry at night." Murtaugh seems to have fallen asleep.
As Lotti suggests that they keep their eyes and ears open, the first two nod their assent, and Dzhynsovy kicks Murtaugh awake.
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Lisa giggles at her friend's playfulness, " Not that you would need to resort to such a thing, of course! You and our dear Lord Erallan are still very much young and in love I'm sure things are already plenty hot in the bedroom but should you ever feel the desire to spice things up a little... well you know who to call."
Rose chuckles, a cute blush forming on her cheeks as she throws a furtive glance in the direction of the door - or should that be the master bedroom behind it on the other side of the hallway? "Haha, I, ah, am still in the process of putting your last batch of advice to good use. Go easy on us, will you! But I'll admit... it is comforting to know that if things somehow ever do go stale, I'll have the Twisted Temptress herself to call on." She smiles brightly. "Say, I've been thinking, should I adapt a stage name of my own in case we ever perform again? Something like... the Stylish Siren of Stachys? It sounds kind of rediculous when I say it out loud but that is the fun of it, no?"
Something in her heart breaks to hear Lisa talk so low of herself again and again, and by the time the tears start to fall it feels like the worst agony to do nothing save endure the confessions. But she does, for her sake.
Until she can't and pulls her into a fierce hug. It was surprising to feel -and see- just how frail Lisa really was beneath it all. Even if she'd suspected, to actually hear it was difficult.
Tears of her own started to fall and she did her best to swipe them with her sleeve during the embrace. "Lisa, I'm sorry. But... I can't listen to this anymore. 'Unworthy of love'? Thinking you will never have something meaningful with someone?" she asks in disbelief. "That's not true - it's already happened! What about Kimi? If she could love you, why not others?"
Slowly she shifts, pulling away slightly to put her hands on her shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. "You're not just beautiful, or an object of desire. You have so many talents! You're funny, you can sign like a songstress. You have magic. You know the courts like no other. Your tongue is as sharp as Calistria's own whip! When have you ever not been there for me, or Sepsinia, or anyone who really needed your help? You can't tell me all you feel is spite! If you really wanted to, could you not have anyone?"
She hesitates, wondering if she was overbearing then - if she'd said too much. Or that she should push. And she'd always been one for pushing. "It hurts to see you like this. Are you truly so unhappy, living the life of Courtesan? Then... why don't you leave all that behind?" She ventures, and her eyes widen as a horrible thought hits her. Something she'd never considered prior to this.
On the back of her mind, there'd always been that strange feeling of uneasiness, that seemed so at odds with how Lisa really was. She'd initially passed it off a natural weariness of her reputation, but after all they'd been through she just knew she could be trusted. And yet... "Please, don't tell me someone, or something, is forcing you to live like this? That they bound you and have some hold on you? I... I would rebel! Find some way to fix it. I would cheat until it was broken! Anything to not just stand by and watch you suffer!"
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Rose's next question leaves her pondering however, "I would love to perform with you again Raesilia, it's such a rare pleasure to be able to work alongside someone so talented in so many arts but... of course we'll need new outfits for our next performance." The courtesan gives a sly wink. "As for a stage name, well, I go by 'the Twilight Temptress of Taldor' now... 'Twisted' was scaring away some potential clientele... For you... What about 'the Opulent Outfitter of Oppara'? I feel like it helps capture your essence and Oppara may play better with the nobility than Stachys... at least at the moment."
Lisa is taken by suprise at the sudden ferocity of the hug and yet her wide eyes quickly close as she wraps her arms around Rose in turn, holding the other woman tightly as the courtesans body began to shake.
The dam of reserve and strength had been broken and the tears fell freely as Rose let the courtesan finally feel everything.
After a moment taken to compose herself when the two separate Lisa sniffles and shakes her head. "Oh Raesilia... that is far too sweet but... I fear there has been some misunderstanding of Kimi and my relationship. We did love each other, dearly, it's true... We grew up side by side together after all. Each the fatherless daughter of one of the Nymph's Kiss's many whores... At times we hated each other, we fought and bickered over the silliest things and yet, we cared deeply for one another, we would watch each other's backs no matter what and pulled one another out of many scraps... Kimi and I loved one another but it was more of a sisterly love not the romantic kind that you and that handsome dullard of yours share."
"Though I suppose that too is a kind of love that is now forever lost to me..." Lisa looks out the window into the distance.
Rose's soft hands falling upon her shoulders brings the courtesan's drifting mind back to the room, her focus intently upon the woman before her. There were so many compliments, Rose was being so sweet that even Lisa could swear she almost felt her heart flutter with joy at the young noble's barrage of kindness... and yet. "Talent... Isn't everything." Lisa's head dips in defeat as she explains.
"My mother was extraordinarily beautiful. And every bit of singing talent I have was inherited from her. My sharp tongue as well... And she died alone... Unloved... my dear Raesilia I don't even know my father's name... and neither did she. The point being... you can have talent, beauty, and a way with word but there are other things to factor in as well. Personality. History. And luck. As far as my supposed kindness goes... of course I help you and Sepsinia out when I can, I care for you deeply and thus in a way my kindness is selfish because it means I get to keep you around and Sepsinia.. well... she's like a sweet little wounded bird, you know? How could I not help her?"
The courtesan dabs at her tears with the edge of the blanket. "The truth is no one wants to be with a spiteful whore with a history of blackmail and coercion to get what she wants... Sure they'll have some fun but the idea of falling in love with a high-class prostitute is laughable.. many of them don't even see me as a person really. More 'status symbol' or 'plaything.'"
"Being a courtesan isn't all bad though... there are parts I enjoy. The glitz and glamour. The parties. The flirtation. Even the sex is occasionally rather enjoyable... not as often as I'd like but it does feel empowering... It just comes with a price... everything does. And I guess you could say I'm feeling some 'buyer's remorse.'" Lisa chuckles listlessly.
"It hurts to see you like this. Are you truly so unhappy, living the life of Courtesan? Then... why don't you leave all that behind?"
"Please, don't tell me someone, or something, is forcing you to live like this? That they bound you and have some hold on you? I... I would rebel! Find some way to fix it. I would cheat until it was broken! Anything to not just stand by and watch you suffer!"
Lisa's breath catches in her throat, her heart races in her chest as Rose seems to have stumbled directly into her deepest darkest secret. Her first instinct is to run away or shout that the Taldan noble is being crazy. To obfuscate the truth if she can, after all, what would she do if Rose found out? She was so good and to hear that her friend had contract with devils? Surely she would hate her? Surely she would disown her. She may even try to imprison her here and now and yet... as Lisa gazes upon Rose's tear stained face she feels powerless to resist. To keep the truth from Raesilia any longer was a thought more unbearable than any sentence this woman she cared so deeply for could pass upon her.
"Damn your puppy dog eyes..." Lisa eventually makes out with a soft chuckles as she wipes the tears from Rose's cheeks.
"I can't keep it from you any longer Raesilia... I've never told a soul this before... save for my dear Kimi... The truth is.. I can never wholly belong to another regardless of my life choices... a decision I made years ago has already decided... who my very soul belongs to." Lisa swallows hard, her throat suddenly feely very tight and her mouth quite dry.
"You're such a clever girl, I should have known you'd figure it out eventually... The reason I live my lif as I do... The reason I must continue to lead the life I do is because I made a pact, a blood signed conract with a powerful devil... She offered my great power in exchange for my very immortal soul. And I gladly took the offer. I needed to... Life may have been a challenge for you Raesilia darling but you have no idea what it was like growing up destitute in a low-end brothel. Everyday we struggled to feed ourselves. Everyday we had to endure the worst insults hurled at us. Everyday we were spit at. And everyday was another chance that one of our firneds would be hurt, killed, or catch some deadly ailment for which we could not afford the cure. It was Hell Raesilia. I have seen Hell." She shakes her head and sits tall, filled with both suffering and determination.
"I made a deal with her for power in order to make it so no other girl or boy will have to go through what we did. Not in my city at least... Since then my every move, every seduction, every manipulation, every coercion has been to bring me closer to my goal. I will create a safe haven in Oppara. The first official Grand Royal Brothel of Taldor. A place where honest sex workers can ply their trade safely. Treated with respect, housed and cared for properly, ensuring that no disease nor violence shall ever be visited upon its staff or their clients. I am willing to sell my soul for this... For if I can prevent anyone else from living through the Hell I went through, then my soul being damned for all eternity is a worthy price to pay."
Lisa clasps Rose's hand once more, "You are too kind to worry about me Raesilia... but you can see now... it's already too late. The contract is iron-clad and the devil... she is far too powerful to oppose. Besides... I still have need of her gifts... even if they do make anyone of kind heart or wild disposition feel a tingle of discomfort and mistrust... I am well on my way to my goal but I have still so much yet to do. Please, just focus on your own happiness. It's right here in front of you. I am just a distraction, as I always have been. So come to me when you need advice, or a laugh, or a shoulder to cry on. But don't think on my problems. For me, happily ever after was just never in the cards."
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"So there's still one last bridge to conquer! How exciting! Oh you two are moving slower than expected but doesn't that just build the suspense?"
Met with Lisa's teasing demeanor and giggling, Rose can only chuckle nervously as she looks away, just a tad more reddish in the face. "O-Oh, um, no, we... 'crossed' that particularly 'bridge'. And in just three or so months of knowing eachother, too. I'm sure that I am supposed to be ashamed of myself and all..." she trails off, then grins. "But I'm on vacation - unsupervised . And it'd be a shame to let all that Silphium I stumbled upon in my purse to go to waste now, would it?"
The pleased look gradually fades as a tone of uncertainty creeps into her voice and she fidgets with the hem of her meticulous dress. "It's just... he does have over eight years on me, HAS been in the army, and apparently has been engaged before. Meanwhile, I was relegated to stiff and formal courtship attempts, very scrutinous staff of the academia and never far away from a half a dozen chaperones or so. Of course, there were solutions... but there is a massive gap of, well, 'sexperience' any way you slice it. Perhaps it's rediculous, but a part of me fears that no matter how much I make him, ah, 'gasp'... - By now, she was blushing fully - "...If perhaps, deep down, he is disappointed but just too polite to say it. I mean, he says he doesn't mind but does he really?""
She perks up at the mention of outfits. "Oh, but of course! I have quite the new selection in mind, and let's say a 'special project' I've been working on with Sepsinia. I was going to show it to Marius for a certain occasion... but you're welcome to drop by any time!"
She listens quietly throughout it all, mouth opening in shock when the full truth comes out - but she forces it down, unwilling to interrupt. At first, she's not sure what to think. Where to even begin responding? There was so much said that was important and yet it felt as it this moment was critical , that to not handle it well risked what part of Lisa's brittle soul was still hers.
"So... you call yourself selfish, but at the same time, you sell your immortal soul purely for the protection of others?" She forces a smile. "How can you not think of yourself as a good person?"
She takes a deep breath and quickly wipes her eyes. "Look, maybe you're right about me. I don't know what it was like. It's the same as Lotti said. I can't even say that in your position, I wouldn't have done the same thing. But to not have any hope for your own future..."
She balls her fist. "You know what I say to that? I say fie! Screw fate! I refuse to let circumstance and expectations of others define me OR my life. If I did, I wouldn't be here, fighting for a better tomorrow. I won't accept that nothing can be done! And if you think I would let you down like that, then you've made the wrong friend."
Taking Lisa's hands into her own, she squeezes them tightly and looks at her with the fire of sheer determination. "Where is this contract? Can we study it? Konstiantina is a jurist. And I've seen my own share of those in my life. But more importantly... I meant what I said. I know how to cheat and swindle, to exploit loopholes for my own gain. I was raised that way. So if there is a loophole, chances are I can find it!"
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"As far as shame goes, cast all thought of that aside. You can be as open and free with me as you like. I've 'crossed that bridge' many, many times in my life, often within minutes of meeting a person. Usually without knowing their name! Such is life for those in my line of work. You quickly learn to forget the shame, it's just a tool society uses to try to force people to fit a particular mold but if everyone was the same well, wouldn't life just be dreadfully dull then?"
Lisa hears out the rest of Rose's concerns patiently nodding along without interrupting then rests her hand comfortingly on the other woman's knee. "Experience is important it's true. No one is amazing to start, sex is a skill like any other, the more practice you get at it the better you'll be so there's no need to feel down on yourself at all. Some very basic but important advice I can give you is that men enjoy feeling like they are bringing pleasure to their partner so if he is, which I assume he is. For god's sake let him know it! Nothing is worse than a silent partner, so don't be afraid to make some noise, talk dirty even if you think it's embarrassing, and tell him how good you're feeling." She smirks.
"As far as more advanced advice, well... how about this just for starters..." Lisa leans in very close and whispers something so salacious, so scandalous, that it bares not repeating here or anywhere for anybody with a fiber of shame or decorum.
The courtesan gets immediately excited at the prospect of more of Rose's fantastic products, "I most certainly will take you up on that Raesilia darling! I doubt very-much that I shall lower myself to wearing a dress from another designer as long as I live. You'll have me as a lifelong customer."
Rose's hand clasped firmly around her own, the passionate woman's words as she speaks out angrily, no, [b]defiantly in the face of hellish powers she cannot comprehend, her steadfast loyalty... It's all too much for Lisa in the end and she breaks down sobbing again. "Oh Raesilia... how can you do this? How do you manage to kindle a flame of hope from a fire that has long since burnt down to ash? You... you truly are something special darling... I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before... So even if no one else could break this contract... find a way out for me, I have faith you can." The courtesan wipes her eyes before reaching down and unclipping the little, leatherbound, black book from her thigh holster.
She holds the book in her hand for a few seconds, tracing her fingers thoughtfully over the cover. In one swift motion, as if ripping off a bandage, she opens the small book to its first page where red, blood infused ink that should have long ago faded stains the page in brilliant red as though it were just put there mere moments ago.
Lisa hands the book over to Rose looking her in the eyes meaningfully, "Please Raesilia... do be careful... they are more powerful than you or I could ever hope to be... and if escaping this fate comes at the cost of your own life or the completion of my goal... Then I would prefer for things to remain as they are. Do you understand? No harm must come to you. I will not stand for it." She emphasizes as Rose reads the dedication and the contract written below.
"This book of sordid deeds and dangerous secrets is dedicated to Belial, The Pale Kiss."
"This contract, bound in blood, hereby stipulates that the Lord Belial confer upon Lisa Lombardi a portion of his own power increasing with each great act* accomplished by Lisa Lombardi in service to her accomplishment of her goal, the establishment of one Grand Royal Brothel of Taldor.** In payment for services rendered by Lord Belial Lisa Lombardi hereby agrees to the total forfeiture of her immortal soul to the custody of Lord Belial upon her death, whether natural or otherwise, regardless of her accomplishment of her goal, the establishment of a Grand Royal Brothel of Taldor. Lord Belial is then free to use or discard the soul of Lisa Lombardi as Lord Belial see's fit."
*what is considered a 'great act' is to be determined by the sole opinion of the Lord Belial themself
**Grand Royal Brothel of Taldor refers to an institution, approved of and supported by the ruling class of the nation of Taldor wherein sex workers of all kinds may ply their trade in conditions which Lisa Lombardi determines to be acceptable
Finally there is a signature by an x at the bottom of the page, pressed hard into the page as though written with a level of for indicating that the signee was perhaps angry or especially determined.
Lisa Lombardi
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Konstiantina finds herself enjoying these morning sparring sessions with Aiza more and more each day. There's a purity to them, a simplicity, that stands at odds with the world of politics and moral nuance they exist in. The clack of blades, the back and forth flow of guards, the probing, the testing, the revealing of weakness or assumptions - it brings a light sweat to Konstiantina's brow and a smile to her lips each time Aiza curses at another inadvertent opening taken advantage of.
Sensing her companion watching, Konstiantina ends her sparring session a little earlier with Aiza, and handing the practice sword over approaches Rose, mopping at the nape of her neck with a small towel.
"But of course. Perhaps we could walk the gardens while we talk? The fresh air would be most welcome."
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" "It's that little naughty side to you that makes us work so well together. But I do wonder if it was always thee or if I'm just a bad influence?"
Rose chuckles with her, but Lisa detects a faintly strained undertone to it, as if that touched on a sensitive subject to her. "Naughty? Me? Well... would you believe me if said that, for the longest time, I tried to be all prim and proper? But it... didn't really get me anywhere I wanted to be, and I didn't really feel like myself either. So I started worshipping Desna in secret. And when mother... died, some part of me didn't care about keeping up pretenses anymore. I was going to be how I was, not how people wanted or perhaps expected me to be."
She then carefully listens to Lisa's advice on bedroom antics. It was probably the best she could hope to get outside the temples of Calistria - and even in most of them, probably. Part of her was tempted to ask her to deliberate on the talking dirty bit - was the fine art of such laid out in some sacred tome of The Savored Sting? ...And did she have a copy?
But... asking seemed a bit cheap. And the same thing would go stale, wouldn't it? She'd just have to try things and be bold! like fashion. Or she'd never learn to improvise and make it seem natural. Surely she was just overreacting to beginner's nerves!
How hard could mastering this sex thing possibly be?
"As far as more advanced advice, well... how about this just for starters..." Lisa leans in very close and whispers something so salacious, so scandalous, that it bares not repeating here or anywhere for anybody with a fiber of shame or decorum.
"Me and my big mouth."
Her eyes widen and she can but gape at the sheer maginitude and audacity of this revelatory suggestion, the words shocking her to her very core. "W-what!? But... but... That long!? A-and anatomy!" She sputters, a more eloquent response beyond her capacity just then, as it probably would be to most mere mortals. "How do you even-!? Wouldn't it just break? Wouldn't *I* just break!? Please tell me you're joking!"
She peers through the fingers she'd hidden her face behind to try and maintain some shred of composure. "...Oh gods. You're serious."
She swallows as she suddenly feels rather faint. Why had she come here, again? "I think I need to lay down for a bit..."
She narrows her eyes as she could just feel the coming tease. "No, not with Marius."
"...I'll get to that later."
"Please Raesilia... do be careful... they are more powerful than you or I could ever hope to be... and if escaping this fate comes at the cost of your own life or the completion of my goal... Then I would prefer for things to remain as they are. Do you understand? No harm must come to you. I will not stand for it."
"Thank you, Lisa," Rose says, touched over her concern yet no less resolute. "But as this particular Devil is about to learn..." "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn."
Silk-clad hands carefully hold the contract as the noble's eyes room over the text. To an absolute expert of intrigue like Lisa, even Rose was fairly easy to read, and she saw her expression go through a myriad of emotions, ranging from horror to concern to resolve and then glee, before finally settling on 'Scheming'.
"Say, Lisa?" She asks, grinning. "Remember when we first met and you gave me a dagger to stab you with? Does that offer still hold? I would have to do some research, consult with the others for their expertise on some matters if you approve, but I do believe this contract has not one, but two critical weaknessess. And with some luck, they will never find out it was nulled until it was too late."
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While he may not have helped in the fields directly, Marius puts in long hours handling the paperwork side of things--he and Recimer personally tour the granaries and inspect the herds, tallying dozens of little rows and columns of figures and estimates before retiring back to manor. Good bookkeeping doesn't just happen, and the two of them spent several evenings elbow deep in estimations, calculations, and deliberations before the final results are organized and safely stored.
If that weren't enough, the planning for the festival continues apace--there are consultations with Onora & other community leaders, assigning stall locations to visiting merchants, and coordinating suitable lodgings for a dozen visiting nobles and their entourages. The primary upside to all this is that Marius has no shortage of excuses to consult with Rose; some of them weren't even pretexts!
Shortly before the festival, the two of them find time for a short lunch out on the estate grounds, overlooking the preparations underway in the village below.
"...and it's my hope that once we've explained the plan for breaking Baron Telus' curse, enough of then will be won over that we can start planning our final moves a few weeks after the festival. Goddess knows that Bartleby has neglected nobles and commons alike," He trails off, looking curiously over at Rose. "Is everything alright? You've gone all quiet on me..."
”Indeed, the air here is lovely! As are the colours. We’ll have to thank Dame Crabbe for lending us her gardeners when we see her at the festival,” Rose agrees. She suspected that there either was a druid among them, or that the domovoi had been somehow involved, for the unnatural amount progress that had been made in such a short while. Then again, couldn’t the same be said for their own progress on the town as a whole?
She refocused on the angelkin next to her. The way Konstantina carried herself and a tangible sense of nobility and dignity emanated from her tended to make her reflexively revert to a much more formal -and closed- manner of communication. Perhaps that was part of why they hadn’t talked much. It always made her question herself on whether she could really claim to hold to those ideals, or if she should strive to be better . The only real crease in that bearing had been the outburst in their neighboring village…
”How are you faring of late, Konstiantina?” She asked neutrally. If it was high on her mind, she might mention it herself. Otherwise it was perhaps best to let it be. ”I realize it is something I probably should have asked more often, but several duties kept me quite occupied as of late…” There is a hint of regret over that admission.
”Still, I… would like it if we talked more, if were less akin to mere allies and more like actual friends. If only because I hear that you had some hand in the Courtship between Marius and me. It seems I owe you my thanks,” She flashes a smile. ”Is there a return favor you are in need of, or would simply like?”
On the third day of the harvest, with most of the fields cleared and the crops stored and packaged, ready to go to market, a wagon surrounded by guards rolls into Stachys, clattering to a halt in front of the tavern.
Half an hour later, a breathless messenger girl knocks at the manor's door with a message for Lord Erallan. between gasps for air, she manages "...tax ...collector in ...the village."
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There is a sad smile as she looks away, unable to meet his eyes. ”Such a simple question and yet I struggle to come up with an answer…”
She opens the basket she had been carrying and reaches for something within. ”I… had been planning to make you lunch today. Sandwiches, some fruit, a bit of wine, maybe. I imagined I’d surprise you with a picknick for just the two of us, a bit further near the bend of the river. It has this perfect little spot in the curv, a place the domovoi go to when they nap outside the house – I bribed them for locations. We’d have taken turns feeding eachother, maybe practice dancing for the Festival away from prying eyes, or just enjoy having a bit of time to ourselves – real time away, where no one would need or bother us. Just... lounging about for once, sitting down and reading a good book in the afternoon sun, cuddled against each other? Maybe a bit on girly side of romance I’ll admit, yet… it felt like a good celebration of our first week together.”
There is a click and Martella’s Dragonfly flies out of the basket, its droning buzz falling in place around them. No one would be listening in. Her posture drops when it flies, her mood replaced by a somber one. ”…But I can’t keep being selfish. At some point, I need to come clean and… and... Damn it, now I’m crying again…”
Her eyes begin to water and she shifts and buries her face into Marius’ chest, holding him tightly. ”Marius, I… need to confess something. For the longest time, I… have been keeping up a pretense. Acting the way I thought everyone needed me to be, the only way I could be for the good of this realm. But the truth is… when I met you back at that teahouse, part of me had… given up faith in Taldor. It knew, deep down, that as much as I wanted to believe in the fairy tale stories of justice and chivalry that mother had raised me on, that Taldor was gone. It couldn’t be dissuaded, because-“ Her voice breaks. ”-Because I found her body.”
”Do you… remember? How she vanished the week after the previous Gala, where she argued with and then insulted Pythareus? My teacher… got a tip that morning. But it was barely late – maybe maliciously so. When we got there… it…” -her hands begin to shake- ”It wasn’t a normal murder. She was mutilated , displayed for us to find, left as a warning. ” ”I don’t think I’ll ever forget that sight. That smell . She takes a shuddering breath. ”The feeling of hopelessness when the guards lied to my face, telling me it was just ‘a robbery gone bad’. I could see it in their eyes – that no one really believed it. The sympathy of the old one as he gave me that drink, silently telling me it was just what they were told to say, and that he had no power to challenge it. To see father uncaringly accept it anyway.”
”It… was the end result of a lot of things. Mother’s marriage was never happy. She was rebellious. Progressive. While father was the opposite – and she’d given him a mere two children; a disappointment, and something worse : a girl - under the old laws of primogeniture, useful only as profitable breeding stock . A carrot to dangle in front of business partners and their sons, always fresh but never used so that her price would be as high as possible. An asset for trading - so long as she did exactly as instructed and otherwise kept her mouth shut.”
She shakes her head against his chest. ”I… won’t tell you what it was like, to grow up as a woman under Talbot primogeniture. There… will be other times. Just know that it is a hopeless, meaningless existence. We are expected to work, to achieve, to struggle, yet be content with never gaining anything except the right to exist among the men’s wealth – and children, to bind us to it and them. Hoping in vain, as we do, that this position of power is never abused against us. It is like slavery; in a gilded cage, maybe, but still slavery. And mother… was my one light. My pillar of strength.”
”Some part of me… broke that day. I couldn’t just hope things would work out anymore. Not even that the princess would somehow right all this once she won. No – I had to do it myself . Pythareus and father could bribe or coerce the guards, the phalanx, the judges – but not my desire, my need for revenge. So I pretended to be docile, plotting, planning like I do, waiting for a chance to destroy the family – my family. And that leads us to now…”
Suddenly she steps back, breaking the embrace and metting his gaze for the first time in minutes, studying it. ”So… Now that you know this, where my anger comes from, what do you think I should I do? If you knew my plan was nearing completion; that I could sabotage and steal vast amounts of wealth from the family and blame it on Pythareus and his Phalanx? To make sure those assesst were lost to the enemy? Should I do that, knowing the state of Taldor as it is now? Would it make a meaningful difference, or would that trigger the civil war the Princess and Martella are now trying to stop?”
”…But you know what is worse?” She quietly follows. ”When I… stop to truly ponder it, I can’t help but wonder if it really matters. If any of this, our efforts here, my plan, even our entire cause, will really benefit our nation?” The noble wonders, uncharacteristically somber. ”I wonder if even considering such makes me a traitor... But these thoughts , Marius. They whisper to me when I least want to hear them. I wish I could deny them… but I have no counter save hopeless idealism. They ask me that if we win , what are we really achieving? Except for preventing wars of conquest, would the lives of these farmers really change for the better? What do they really care of primogeniture? They have almost nothing anyway. Isn’t the same true for the vast majority of the nation?”
”Because that… isn’t the that the real issue with our nation’s decline? It isn’t two political factions vying for power. It is that too many nobles have too much wealth and power, yet do nothing but waste it on lavish parties as their subjects starve outside their keeps. We’ve seen it ourselves, time and time again. From Vernisant to Stavian to Bartelby and so many others in between. Even Dame Crabbe somehow fails to notice her gardeners being killed right in front of her. How is there supposed to be any progress, any way out of this downfall, when the vast majority of people have no means to work towards it, and those who do have no desire to use or share them? But those thoughts, they lead in only one direction… Revolution.”
Sapphire eyes seem to plead with his for an answer. ”Tell me I am wrong. Please . You and Konstiantina are the greatest sources of good I have met on this path. I need to hear you say it. Tell me there is hope yet and all of this isn’t for nothing? That this path we're walking on now is the best one? Or…” She takes a steadying breath. ”…At least tell me you don’t hate me, now that you know?”
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"If I played any role in your courtship it was merely to encourage him to be himself. I've seen him charge the Iron Lash and run into rivers to fight stone snakes, but at the thought of placing the wrong step in the dance you two were engaged in, well..."
Konstiantina's smile is effortless, and she reaches out to squeeze Rose's forearm. "I'm very happy for you both."
"But yes. I would like it, too, Rose, if we were better friends. It's something I have virtually no practice at. I grew up surrounded by scheming relatives and leering older men; I learned quickly to keep my thoughts to myself. The church was a literal godsend, but even there... well."
They walk a dozen paces as the paladin chooses her next words carefully. "When there is so much to be done, service goes beyond a calling and becomes your way of life. All becomes... transactional, I suppose. Opportunities to further honor the goddess, and idle moments, idle conversations, friendships... "
Again the paladin trails off. Then she laughs and smiles self consciously at her companion. "I suppose I'm trying to say that I'm ill trained at thinking of others as possible friends and not a means to a righteous end. But yes. I would enjoy that. What is it that friends do?"
Rose's nostalgic smile over hearing the other side of what now seemed pointless courtship worry falls upon hearing of Konstiantina's life before Iomedae; it was eerily familiar. While she might have been happy they shared some common ground, that particular one was one she would rather be without, and so did she from the sounds of it.
She glides along the path in her azure dress, listening patiently, trying to follow the other woman's initial line of thought regarding friendship.
""When there is so much to be done, service goes beyond a calling and becomes your way of life. All becomes... transactional, I suppose."
"You mean to tell me that you've started working for Abadar on the side, and are about to charge me for your time? Why, Lady Mokei! How shrewd of you - but what would Iomedae say!" Rose smiles, venturing to lighten the mood and see her reaction.
""I suppose I'm trying to say that I'm ill trained at thinking of others as possible friends and not a means to a righteous end. But yes. I would enjoy that. What is it that friends do?"
The tailor can't quite help raising her eyebrows slightly in surprise over the unusual question -surely the paladin had had friends before, sometime during her life?- but she nods, smiling kindly. "Well... whatever they both agree is fun to do, naturally! How is it you like to spend your downtime, when you wish to relax and unwind? That is to say... you do take breaks, do you not?" It was asked in friendly jest, though part of her mind scrambled, mentally bracing for having to explain the concept of 'a break'.
"Or what about when Sepsinia shares your room for the week? What is it the two of you do together? Is she not your friend as well?" She follows, curious.
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Konstiantina sighs and looks up, searching the heavens. "Sometimes I feel ill equipped to being... to not. being a paladin, if that makes sense. If I'm not training, or praying, or seeking to help around the manor or town, if I'm not engaged, then I begin to feel... at loose ends? Untethered? My thoughts stray constantly to the injustices that we face, and any time spent... not frivolously, but unproductively, makes me..." The paladin stops, searching for the right word, then sighs.
"Saying it out loud makes me sound faintly ridiculous. But there is a surety in purpose, a comfort in dedication. I suppose... outside of being a devotee to Iomedae, and when I'm not fixated on our goals, I'm not quite sure who I am. What I would do with myself if I did not have Aiza to train, monsters to slay, nations to save, and so forth." She smiles, clearly self-mocking.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's my angelic blood that places a... what feels like a pane of glass between myself and everyone else. If that divine blood doesn't have some role in driving me to always be of utility. I'm not sure. Nobody else in my family manifested our heritage."
The paladin frowns, momentarily lost in her own thoughts.
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"You feel as if it keeps you distant from others?" Rose asks after a moment of silence. "If so, I... understand what you mean. I am no angel, of course, but I know the status I was born with can be intimidating to others, and that it easily invokes jealousy. I imagine others often look at you and feel the same over your bearing and heritage."
"Still..." She watches her with a touch of concern. "Do you mean to say you truly have nothing outside of your duty? That... doesn't feel healthy to me. Please, I only say such because I care for your well-being. If you deal with stress by doing even more tasks that are inherently stressful, aren't you going to burst at some point, Angel blood or not? Have you not already experienced that, at least once?" There is a meaningful look that follows the last words, clearly referring to the village incident with Lisa.
"I feel there is so much more to life than just fighting, or training to fight. So many smaller things to enjoy in between!" The noble implores. "Like... Baking a fresh apple pie, or a bread even, to smell its delicious scent as it comes out the oven! And then sharing it with those you like, enjoying their smiles as you do. To take up an art, like dancing, or writing, to practise and perform for others and see your work pay off when their faces light up in wonder. To take a nice, long walk or ride along the canals and enjoy the warm caress of the midday sun on your face, as the gentle waves of the river soothingly clash against its banks..."
She trails off as her gaze flits over their immediate surroundings as well as the road out the gate, eventually leading to the town, as if looking around for further ideas. "Surely there must be something that appeals to you? In fact... why not play a game? I will count down from three, and you will say the first leisure activity that comes to you. For the next hour, we will be doing that together! Now, three, two, one-" She looks at Konstiantina with a smile full of expectation.
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Marius folds his arms around Rose and she bursts into tears, concern and mild shock rising as she tearfully explains the horror she was subjected to. When she pulls away to stare anxiously at him he cannot help but reach out to wipe away her tears with a gentle brush of his fingers. His mind whirls, trying to process what she's saying and what to say that isn't rote, mindless reassurance.
"Hate you? How could I hate you? Rose, you--you were subjected to a horror nearly beyond my comprehension, how could you not be furious and heartbroken even still? It would be shocking if you weren't." He cups his palm against her cheek, willing her to feel the compassion he was feeling and didn't know how to properly express.
"I'm glad you trust me enough to share this, and know that I support you and am here for you. And--I--this is a lot very suddenly, but--" He forces himself to stop and takes a deep breath. "Your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of, and indeed are entirely justified. Somehow, someday, we will bring down Pythareus and he will answer for his many crimes--but we'll do it in a way that honors the world we wish to build. Maybe that means he dies, maybe it doesn't...likely it will never be our decision to make. As for what we're doing here..." He sighs and sends up a heartfelt prayer to Kelinahat to give him the words.
"We're in the camp of a woman who aspires to rule Taldor as an Empress, with all that entails--but there has not been a better chance to change the Taldor for the better in a dozen generations. Anything you can imagine is possible: a constitution, limiting the powers of the nobles, opening up opportunities for prosperity, education, egalitarianism...all of it is in so tantalizingly close...but to grasp it we need the Grand Princess' trust, and her enemies humbled. So yes, my love, this is the right path."
Whatever more he might have said is cut off when the breathless messenger comes huffing up the hill. When he hears the runner's message, Marius nods once in slightly puzzled acknowledgement--he had expected a tax collector of course, only the timing surprised him. Bartleby might've waited until after the festival, at least, he thinks without much heat.
"Very well, bring them up," he instructs, finishing his coffee and stepping out to greet this agent of the Count.
Met with acceptance and warmth rather than judgment or scorn, despite confessing to not one but *two* potential accounts of treason, Rose inches forward into Marius' reassuring touch and finally rests against his chest. "Thank you." She eventually trusts herself to say. The sheer relief of it was palpable; the thought of not being alone in this so comforting and catharthic that she felt emotions rise again - but from happiness rather than turmoil.
She shifts slightly to look at him from below. "You've... thought of this before, haven't you? " she asks, curious. "Those ideas you have - they sound... wonderful ."
It was clear she wanted to know more, but the hurried footsteps rapt approaching has her break off and quickly turn away, not willing to show her tear-stained face to this messenger just then.
"I really should have brought some water. They'll think something went wrong between us." She chuckles dryly when the girl has left them. Only then does she seem to remember there was a river right next to them, and laughs softly. "Never mind. It seems I'm still a bit out of it."
Once quickly cleaned and calmed enough to face the Tax Collector, she follows him to the mansion. "I'm sorry. Perhaps it was unfair to spring all this on you at once. I... suppose I've just heard so many terrible stories lately - Sepsinia, Lotti, now Lisa too - that they reminded me of things I would have rather forgotten. Fortunately for me, it seems you are a very good and agreeable listener."
She gives Marius a sideways glance as they walk. "Still... on the sabotage... I'll... have to return to Oppara then." She reluctantly follows. "If you say we should fight fairly, then I need to call off this scheme, and soon, before anyone grows restless or it is discovered. In the coming week, at latest. I... can't trust anyone else to do it. Well, you , certainly, and I would do it with my life. But they will not trust you, so it has to be me. I... imagine it will take weeks, travel included. But... I can ask one of my teachers to act as a replacement for me, so that the mission here isn't in danger while I'm gone. Is that... all right with you?"
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Konstiantina's eyes widen as she takes a step back from Rose, but the other smiles and counts and suddenly the moment is upon her.
A leisure activity - taking care of saddles and tack? Wait, that makes less than no sense, something enjoyable, a - sharpening swords, or - or - what do people - this is foolish, there must be - walking? For no reason? Or - riding horses? With no destination?
Konstiantina's cheeks flame as she finds herself frozen before Rose's no doubt wilting smile. In desperation she blurts out, "Ah - you sold me on the apple pie. I've never - ah - baked in my life. Do we - do we need to fetch apples? An oven? Surely we have an oven in the house. Wood? Do you know... a recipe?"
"Still... on the sabotage... I'll... have to return to Oppara then." She reluctantly follows. "If you say we should fight fairly, then I need to call off this scheme, and soon, before anyone grows restless or it is discovered. In the coming week, at latest. I... can't trust anyone else to do it. Well, you , certainly, and I would do it with my life. But they will not trust you, so it has to be me. I... imagine it will take weeks, travel included. But... I can ask one of my teachers to act as a replacement for me, so that the mission here isn't in danger while I'm gone. Is that... all right with you?"
Marius does miss a beat there, his expression flashing through surprise, worry, suspicion, and back to worry. "That...wasn't a hypothetical then. I see. So...there is a heist targeting your father's wealth underway, which will be pinned on the High Strategos. In other circumstances I would applaud the ambition, but things are building to a head here as well, I--" He stops, and turns to look squarely at Rose; the compassion and worry are still in his eyes, but the inquisitor has pushed to the forefront.
"Do Martella and the Grand Princess know of this scheme? Or is this something you cooked up on your own?"
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Rose can't help it - she bursts into laughter over the concept of 'fetching an oven’ to bake a pie. "Oh, I needed that. Thank you, Konstiantina, for a bit of levity in what often feels like an ocean of pain and suffering we have to wade through."
She lowers her hand from her mouth once calm had found her again and regards the paladin, endeared over her nervous apprehension; it made her more… flawed, and thereby more approachable. Perhaps the real challenge here wasn't unseating Count Lotheed, or even dealing with the many deadly threats and issues plaguing the land, but teaching Konstiantina how to bake. And far be it from her to back down from one of those! If it was up to her, at least one angel would know how to cook properly. Heaven could thank her later.
”Don’t worry. We’ll be just fine! I feel it’s best to learn when I do something myself. We’ll both make one alongside the other and you can follow what I do, all right?”
Proverbial sleeves are rolled and they make their way to the kitchen to don a pair of aprons – just in case. So close to the harvest Festival, the mansion’s generous kitchen was indeed stacked with the hundreds of gold spent on foodstuffs for it, and the kitchen staff was already well underway with their own preparations. Fortunately, they were willing to give them some space – though whether that was out of kindness or to zealously guard their produce with frightful stares towards them was left in the air.
"Now, the choice of apple is very important,” Rose begins, patient and warm once the ingredients were selected. ”It determines the base level of sweetness and texture. Common Taldan ones are Abagold, Empire, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala... but I think we should take Pink Lady for you – to match your patron! Nice and sweet but still firm." There is a quick look of apology. "I know, I know; it should be 'Red and white Lady' for Iomedae, but the farmers of old probably thought that was a mouthful, and they mix to pink."
”…You’re saying that is a sore point for the church? Really? …Oh.”
”…So we so we start with making two sheets of dough! There’s variations on the batter mix, a choice between butter, eggs, and certain seeds, but I prefer full butter if we go purely for taste. We'd need molten butter, flower, suger, water, a pinch of salt – yes, salt! Or the dough will be sticky and less firm. Why? Um… it just does? Good question though! Perhaps you can ask Iomedae during your prayers, or does it not work like that? Now, one batter sheet is for the base, the other for the lattice work at the end..."
As she continued instructions, she took note of Konstiantina’s rapt attention and her care for detail. Where possible, she tried to pass on not only instructions but imaginary tidbits to help her remember the steps. Her mother had used the same method to help her remember when she was little; how they’d make a ‘bed’ of dough and gently knead it for the ‘baby’ to sleep in. Her four year old self had not really seen the issue with placing said ‘baby’ into the oven right afterwards, but the method was solid.
But Konstiantina was just slightly less ‘four’ and into dolls than she had been, so what else to use?
”…Our first batter sheet will serve as the... ‘moat’ shall we say. Not just earth, but mixed with clay – the salt. It has to be firm enough to hold the butter sauce or it will sog through. Then we slightly knit it along the walls, like forming crenellations along the walls. That's mostly for visual flair at the end, but also to make it easier to cut and less likely to stick. Air can flow around those even in the oven, supposedly, and help harden the bottom and sides, in turn making it more crispy...”
In the end, all the steps are encouragingly walked through and the two pies placed into the oven. ”So, how did you find it? Feeling confident about the result?” Rose asks her, grinning, and rather sure they'd both done well.
"That... wasn't a hypothetical then." He stops, and turns to look squarely at Rose; the compassion and worry are still in his eyes, but the inquisitor has pushed to the forefront. "Do Martella and the Grand Princess know of this scheme? Or is this something you cooked up on your own?"
A flash of confusion flits across Rose's features. Her expression becomes more guarded, realising there'd been a miscommunication and that she'd assumed too early to be in the clear. She relaxes - slightly- when she detects detects there still is a measure of empathy somewhere behind the gaze. "I've always been open with Martella on my goals and plan. She demanded to be kept in the loop regarding the method and state of progress. So I did. And yes - as far as we know, she did not pass any of that on to Wyssilika during her interrogation. I checked the poisons. None of them work that way, and our dear Jester didn't seem the type able to subtly work the mind and without the victim remembering. From the interrogation of our prisoners, they didn't seem to know of it either."
She makes a gesture of helplessness and a hint of frustration shines through at that. "I don't know what the Princess knows. That is up to Martella, as I didn't have reliable access to her. Perhaps if I'd had more power and was an actual heir rather then a-" She shakes her head, cutting off her frustrated response and refocused on him.
"As I see it, the danger now lies in uncertainty. Martella knew things were progressing well and didn't order me to stop. She still hasn't. But with how things have been lately... since that letter, has she just forgotten , in between whatever else she has to do to stop it all from escalating? Is she counting on me to make my own judgement either way? I just don't know , Marius, and time is running out. I could ask her to her face, but I'd have to go to her - and then quickly improvise on the ground if needed."
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The tense suspicions fades from Marius, the worried lover replacing the inquisitor once again. "In my experience, Martella doesn't forget anything. If she thinks this is a worthy endeavor...well I know how capable you are, it would be inappropriate to second guess the pair of you at this later hour. But Rose," he reaches over and takes her hand, bringing it up between his. "I don't like you having to leave, away from the rest of us, from me. We've always had your back before and it galls me to not be there. If this goes poorly, and they catch you...what will they do to you?" Will they kill you, as they did your mother? Goddess help me, I am glad I am not a paladin. Revenge is permissible for one such as I.
" If this goes poorly, and they catch you...what will they do to you?"
Hearing the words, Rose falls quiet. She reaches for Marius with the other hand to gently caress his his cheek. "If."
A half-grin forms. "I am more worried about you , actually. Who else is going to save you from all those voracious maws chasing you wherever you go?"
...But she can't joke it off in the face of his love, his warmth. Even to make him feel better of it. She sighs and her gaze drops. "...If I die, that is the price of fighting back - to not accept that money and might make right. To not sell my conscience for safety. I wouldn't be the first; Mother wasn't either. Besides, I..."
"I am expendable."
The words form. She opens her mouth to say them. "I-"
But seeing him there, like this... she couldn't . Perhaps a broken person like herself wasn't worth such love. But she couldn't find it in herself to throw that away with such callous disregard.
She did love him too, after all.
"I am way too compromised. Damn you and your eyes..." she mutters, and thinks .
"Maybe... maybe there is one other option," She slowly follows. "I could... bargain with Martella myself to alter the plan. To not involve the fake phalanx. To instead draw it out so it isn't one attack, but a long, drawn out string of completely inexplicable failures, where each of father's choices are going to end up severely hurting the family's finances. If desperation is high enough, if the momentum of the Senate decision gets through, If I can obfuscate enough funds to use at the right time... perhaps I *could* take over - and then openly pledge support to the princess."
As she says it, a bit of lost fire seems to return to her, the ghost of a smile forming. "Normally, that would be suspicious... but I am a simple girl, after all. What harm could I possibly do?"
As Rose begins spinning out ways she could change her scheme every professional instinct starts setting off alarms in his head--and he feels a sudden flash of guilt. Here she was, about to alter a dangerous plan seemingly long in the making, to assuage his feelings! Oh gods, I'm so damned selfish. He closes his eyes, taking a few slow, deep breaths with a visible effort of will. He steps closer to Rose, bending his neck just enough bring his forehead to rest against hers.
"Don't change anything," he breathes softly. "Whatever plans you laid, keep them. I'm endangering you because my heart is doing my thinking. Sentimentality won't bring you back to me--if you must go...and I wish you wouldn't...then do what is necessary to keep yourself safe and return when you can." He trails off, not sure what else to say and unwilling to step away from her just yet.
As they step back into the manor, Marius flags down one of the servants. "Please inform the others that there's a tax collector here, we'll be receiving them shortly." He heads to his desk to retrieve the carefully compiled harvest records, distantly grateful for something else to occupy his attention.
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He steps closer to Rose, bending his neck just enough bring his forehead to rest against hers. "Don't change anything. If you must go...and I wish you wouldn't...then do what is necessary to keep yourself safe and return when you can."
The moment lasts and she remains close to him, drawing from his strength. But she knew it couldn't last - and draws him in for a kiss. It started chaste but quickly grew passionate , fueled by longing and regret and conveying her reluctance to leave him better than any words ever could.
"...Come," She breathes eventually. "We need to don a pair of smiles for everyone else," She gently says, carressing his cheek. "The Lord and Lady of Stachys and look glum in front of the guests; even if Bartelby is about to shake us down. It is a celebration, after all. I... can spare two days to see this through. Let's put all other worries aside for now and just make this the best time we possibly can, so I can depart in high spirits and eager to return." As said, she puts on a convincing smile as they start to walk back. "Agreed?"
Back at the castle, Rose calls out to her elderly head servant. "Deria? The usual procedure. I don't expect this to be father's men here to empty the cash register on the day of opening - even for him that would be really petty and low. But I wish I could be sure."
Legally, the new shop was opened in partnership with both Marius and Lisa, as the ones previously offering to help shield it from exactly that problem. But additional safeguards couldn't hurt. By the time said tax collector got here, the money would be spread so thoroughly that it'd take one hell of an investigator to find it even part of it any time soon.
She then spends the rest of her time waiting for the collector refreshing herself and re-applying her makeup for the festival.
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Little more than an hour after Marius received the news of the tax collector's presence, the wagon rumbles up the driveway and rattles to a halt in front of the manor. One of the guards hanging off the back of it jumps down and opens the door, unfolding the step for the occupant to clamber out - a portly human man dressed expensively.
The tax collector strides up to the front door, surprisingly quick for his bulk, rapping confidently on the wood. Once he is shown into the others' presence, he performs a shallow bow, then pulls out a frayed piece of parchment and a leather-bound notebook, its pages much thumbed-through and darkened with use.
"Good afternoon, good afternoon, what a lovely gathering, indeed, hmm hmm. I am Squire Eta, Giado Eta, here on the authority of our esteemed Count Lotheed to collect the taxes due His Lordship, hmm?" He flashes the piece of parchment, which looks like a license bearing the seal of the Lotheeds and a neat signature at the bottom. Giado Eta flips open his notebook with a flourish, and one of the guards offers a small tray with a compact travelling inkpot and a quill.
"It says here, hmm hmm... Oh yes, record profits, excellent harvest, congratulations on a well-managed estate, that would come to a total of hmm, hmm..." He smiles thinly. "Three thousand gold crowns. It would be terribly convenient if you could pay in platinum, less weight for me to carry, hmm?"
Unable to stop an eyebrow from going up at the tax-man's absurd proclamation, Marius makes a polite-but-disbelieving sound. "I've no wish to impugn your capabilities, Squire Eta, but those figures cannot be correct. I received directly from the Count himself a measure of back taxes for a period of five years, which summed to a total of two thousand crowns. The quote you've provided is quite clearly to the tune of, what, seven and a half years?" The nobleman shakes his head and chuckles, patting the leather document pouch tucked under his arm.
"Perhaps you'd care to compare notes? We've taken meticulous records of the harvest and business of the estate, I'm certain things can be clarified forthwith."
"Oh, is that so? Back taxes, hmm hmm. Well, you see, the way it works, you collect taxes from your peasants, keep a portion, then give the rest to the Count, hmm? So His Lordship was so kind as to return your portion of the back taxes, do you understand, hmm?"
He waves his tattered notebook. "Do not fear, everything is noted here and accounted for, everything, indeed. Hmm. My figures are quite correct, I assure you. And His Lordship will get his due, so if you would be so kind to bring the payment, I have other places to be."
Painting a calm, curious expression on his face, Marius resolves to press the matter. "If the error is mine, I would be grateful to know it and correct my books. If the error is not mine, both you and the Count would surely be rather know than not?" He sweeps an arm to invite Eta in. "We will see that your horses are cared for, and your men-at-arms can keep watch over the wagon. The sooner it's begun, the sooner we're done."
He's dancing around something, but I can't quite tell what. Without any proof beyond her hunch (and experience with folks having a modicum of power) that this man would take a cut off the top of whatever he collected, Lotti quietly stands next to Marius with her hands folded in front of her.
Carefully studying the collector as Marius took the lead in the conversation, Rose mutters to him and the others close to her. "Something about his explanation feels very 'off' to me... like he just admitted to shady business practices. But I can't pin down what it is, or how to trap him by it - Not yet . But if we could copy parts of that book somehow..."
She waits to see how the Squire would respond to Marius' invitation, dozens of questions - and accusations - dancing through her mind regarding his suspicious behavior. Many different avenues of attack were open, but it would be easier to have him alone, away from his guards, and it was worth delaying to see if he was bold? - desperate? - stupid? - enough to accept.
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Lisa grumbles as she is fetched from her chambers, just getting a good afternoonr nap in.... looking this good takes a lot of beauty sleep after all.
But when she finally meets the dreaded tax man, it turns out that it was good thing she was called upon as the devils whispers immediately begin bouncing around inside her head as the man drones on about back taxes and states an outrageous sum.
Lisa steps forward with a sly smirk extending her hand daintily. "My dear Squire Eta. It is so good to meet you. Lisa Lombardi, otherwise known as the Twilight Temptress of Taldor. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
Her grin turns wicked now her gaze sharpening to a deadly point. "And yet, I've never heard of you. How cutious, despite your elegant and, it must be said, quite expensive garb. What is that real gold in the lining? Tell me dear Squire does the Count know you are taking more taxes than he has ordered? Should we send him a letter to let him know?"
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At Marius's challenge, the tax collector straightens his back and puffs out his chest. "Sir, I mislike what you are implying, and the manner by which you are doing it. I am a licensed tax collector! I do not make mistakes. Hm!" He hurriedly stuffs his notebook into an inner pocket of his jacket. "This contains very confidential information, very sensitive, hmm hmm. But I am happy to review your books, if you insist."
Then Lisa unleashes the full power of her personality on him, and the Squire sputters, while his four guards tense and take half a step closer. "M-Miss Lombardi! Ah, I assure you, t-this is all done with the Count's knowledge and approval!" He sidles up closer, lowering his voice and raising his eyebrows at her. "Of course, someone such as you... would not be very versed in the affairs of the nobility, hmm? How it works, you see..." He licks his lips, raising his gaze at Lisa (the Squire being a rather short man). "Every year, I purchase a tax collecting license from His Lordship, in advance of tax collecting season, hmm. Then I tour the local estates and villages and collect what is due to our esteemed Count." He winks at her, inching closer. "And a little extra for my trouble, hmm? A man has to eat, after all, hmm, indeed." He slaps his own stomach, rather hard, and winks again.
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Lisa instantly picks up on the new behavior that the pudgy little man is showing. His flushed cheeks, the shortness of his breath, not to mention the more obvious hints...
The courtesan has dealt with his kind many, many time in her line of work, some especially sought her out as domineering behavior came rather naturally to this woman. She knew just how to handle them.
"Don't you dare talk down to me you sniveling little worm." She rebukes the man, her gaze turning especially cold as she literally looks down on him. "I am well aware of the workings of the aristocracy, certainly more so than yourself I have no doubt. And it's more than apparent that this man before me has eaten more than enough already."
Lisa scowls, "Disgusting."
"Obviously, you have no idea how to treat a woman. So here's what you're going to do. First of all, you're going to drop your tacked on expenses and charge the people of Stachys a fair and reasonable rate. Then you're going to follow me back to my chambers, like a good dog, and follow my exact instructions until I'm fully satisfied you know how to properly treat a woman." Lisa leans forward to whisper in the Squire's ear.
"Do I make myself perfectly clear? If I have to repeat myself there will be... consequences."
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The tax collector's eyes glaze over, and he swallows hard. "W-well, you see..." he begins to protest, but as he meets Lisa's icy gaze he seems to reconsider, and desperately looks around, latching onto the sight of Marius.
"Ah, Lord Erallan, let us... let us review the numbers together, hmm? I am sure that we can come to an agreement." He sidles away from Lisa, bowing. "And perhaps Mistr- Miss Lombardi will allow me the privilege of paying her a social call later?"
The four guards exchange utterly baffled looks at this. "But, sir..." one attempts before being shushed by Giado Eta, who directs another oily smile at Lisa.
In the end, the tax collector agrees to whatever is proposed, be it a postponement of collection, a much smaller sum being paid, or a payment in installments - he refuses to waive the tax outright, however.