The Royal Palace

It was not long before The King emerged from the palace flanked by his guard. If he is offended or bothered by the gruesome display it does not show. A young female knight, the same who received a medal a few day previously approaches the body examines it then nods to the king. The king turns to grandma and say's with solemnity.

"You have done my country a great service madam Grandma. I expect a written report on what happened, on the first official mission of the Gauldin branch of The Black Tower. Gaspar will deliver your royal wright tomorrow morning. Now if there is nothing else, I must see that news of this is spread through out the city. If you discover anything about his accomplices I would take it as a kindness if you included it in your report."

The king nods his head before turning to his guards, to begin issuing orders. The female knight hesitantly approaches Grandma and she says respectfully.

"Excuse me madam? Do you... do you know what happened to the Pegasus this..."

The knight spits in the direction of Ukufas corpse, before continuing voice a mixture of anger tinged with hope.

"Filth stole?"

The Pegasus knights expression turns remote, but she can't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She gives a single sharp nod, and her voice is choked with sorrow when she says.

"Thank you, for letting me know."

She salutes Grandma,and then turns sharply on her heel marching away.

In the Duke's suite of rooms within the palace, they had had their heralds and servants, along with those of the palace, rearrange a large salon to turn it into a dining room. The table was set, the food was prepared, and all those that were invited to come -- the Duke's immediately family, including his Son-in-Law, and those that were given personal invitation -- were expected to be there, dressed finely, of course.

"Ow, mother," Arianne said with a glare in the gilded mirror of the Queen's bedroom, its reflection tossed back to the stone faced matriarch that was pinning Arianne's tumble of fiery hair to her head.

The Duchess said nothing, and continued to arrange Arianne's hair. There were no other maids or ladies-in-waiting in the room, save for Arianne, her mother, and Lady Vanelle. Lady Vanelle was wisely keeping away from the Valois women, already dressed for dinner and a book in her hands that she seemed to be taking an avid interest in.

When the Duchess did it again, Arianne pulled her head away and captured her mother's wrist. "That HURTS," she said to her.

"Have you consummated your marriage?" the Duchess asked. It was a sudden question, and a very personal one that stole Arianne's breath. Lady Vanelle quietly stood from her seat and slipped from the room.

"I-- yes," Arianne lied. "Yes, of course I have."

"Have you?" the Duchess asked, intense gaze upon her daughter. "Have I not made myself clear in how important this marriage is to your father? To the Valois family? Have you any idea how if it became common knowledge that your marriage to the king is a fraud, it means that you will lose your crown? He will set you aside. Your father would be shamed. The Valois name would be ruined. The other lords would make war on your father and take Carmean."

Arianne leaned away from her mother. "No, I won't believe that just because I haven't spread my--"

"So you are still a virgin. Still untouched? Why?"

"Because I am not ready!" Arianne finally shouted, frustrated, her temper getting the best of her.

Her mother laughed in her face. "Arianne, I love you dearly, but you can be so stupid. You are already the Queen. You are already burdened with responsibility. You are already his wife. It does not matter that you feel you're not ready. You are already there."

She pinned Arianne's last length of hair in place, and then stood away. "We ladies do not have many opportunities for power, Arianne. We must take it where we can." She left the room to go to dinner, leaving Arianne alone.

The Queen of Gauldin... no, the FALSE Queen of Gauldin turned to look in the mirror. She was beautiful, and she already knew this. The deep royal purple of her gown was off set with the aqua of her sheer robe over it, locked into place by delicately wrought golden jewelry.



She arrived later than her mother did, and Lady Vanelle stepped in behind her. She didn't say a word, but she did reach out and slide a hand down Arianne's arm to squeeze her hand. It was note, by the servants that were outside the Duke's dining room, that the King and the Queen had arrived separately. They lived separately. They hardly spoke, but for once a day when he came to visit her as if checking up on her or receiving a military report.

"Good evening, father," Arianne said, moving forward to kiss her father's cheek. Her bright gaze moved onto Renaux, and she moved towards him, a little slower. She laid a gentle hand on his chest, and she rose up on her toes. "Good evening... husband," she said and her lips gently brushed his cheek in greeting.

He caught the look his wife gave him when she came into the room, and his mouth set into a grim line. His gaze traveled to watch Arianne and Renaux together. Renaux seemed pleased she was in the room, and Arianne seemed... stiff. He'd been aware that Arianne had not wanted to get married. She'd been the more difficult of the two, and Max's wife had blamed him for that, having indulged her too much as a girl to give her independent notions outside of the Valois family. But it had been a week, already. Couldn't Arianne, just for once, do as she was told and be a good wife to the king? She couldn't have married any better than a king.

"Good evening, Your Highness, Arianne." He gestured to the table, and glanced Lady Vanelle's way, and then back at the rest of the group. "My sons and Mademoiselle Ashani should be joining us shortly."

"Thank you," Arianne said with a light blush at her husband's compliment. The vibrant red of her hair stood out against the deep jewel-tones of the gown she wore, making her eye-catching even without the glittery of jewelry at her ears and throat and upper arms, a tiara to signify her place as Queen of Gauldin on her head.

"You called my brothers?" Arianne asked, a little surprised at the Duke. She glanced towards the door when a pretty brunette was shown in. Arianne, of course, recognized her and knew who she was. She looked very beautiful in her gown, and she glanced at her father to see how he took the presence of Ashani.

"Hello, Ashani," Arianne called out to her.

Renaux also looks up when Ashani enters, she seemed slightly uncomfortable and he couldn't blame her. He was the bloody king and he felt uncomfortable being here, he was just better at hiding it. When the Duke mentions the reward he has granted, Renaux nods and remarks.

"A fitting reward."

The king then smiles at Ashani and says politely.

"Welcome to the palace Madam Ashani, let me just thank you once more for your valor."

The king is not quite sure what to do next, he had generally avoided dinners like this, and protocol was escaping him. His eyes moved around the room curiously and repetitively, always returning to the same things, possible hiding places, possible means of egress or entrance, and finally Arianne, he tried not to linger to long on the later.

Ashani had just finished her introductions when the doors were opened and a tall, handsome gentleman with the bearing of nobility walked in. His name was announced, Arnaud Valois, the Heir of Carmean.



He turned to view the people that were gathered, and he bowed his head to the King of Gauldin... and now his brother-in-law. "Your Highness," he said on a smooth voice. He looked to the Duke. "Father," he said a little stiffly. "Emeric will not be able to attend. Duty calls."

The Duke reached out and clapped a hand on Arnaud's shoulder. "I'm glad you could make it." He gestured towards Ashani. "This is Mademoiselle Ashani. I am sponsoring her education at the Academie Royale."

The news seemed to catch Arnaud off guard, but he took Ashani's hand and bent over it to kiss the back of it. "A pleasure to meet you, Ashani," Arnaud said. He stood tall and dropped her hand, and he moved his clear blue gaze over to his father's. "Father, may I have a word?" He asked.

"Later," the Duke said, and then gestured to the table. "Let us eat."

The King was sat at one end of the table, with his wife to his right. The Duke was sat at the other end of the table, his wife to his right. Arnaud was seated to the Duke's left, and Ashani was sat between Arnaud and the Queen of Gauldin. There was an empty space on the other side of the table, presumably where Emeric would have been sitting.