The Royal Palace

Grandma approached the palace entrance once more. This time she was alone, she had left the twins and the maids in the hotel. Considering all the fighting, she wasn’t even sure if the palace itself would be safe. She suspected others in the fight hadn’t realized the darkness in that beastly man's soul or the implications of that fact.

Looking around for a guard, Grandma made her way over to him. Although she needed to speak to the king, she suspected this guard would be no help with that.

“I need to speak with the head of the household, Gaspar, urgently. This is a very important matter that has to deal with the safety of the king and queen,” Grandma tapped her cane impatiently as she spoke to the man.

She was looking into her husband-to-be's face when she heard the sharp command of her father. Arianne looked away from Renaux, but she did not take her hand away from where she held his arm. She didn't want to be married, and yet, she also remembered the way Renaux had felt against her in the carriage, among all the adrenaline pumping danger.

Even so, she hadn't felt any fear. Perhaps that was her own personality, perhaps it was knowing that her father's Pegasus Knights and men were watching over the carriage, and perhaps it was Renaux...

When the Duke mentioned as an aside that Ashani was the woman that helped save Arianne, Arianne glanced over at Ashani and saw her mention her want to go to the Royal Academy of Arcane. Everyone knew how expensive it was, and given that Ashani was a foreigner, Arianne immediately spoke up.

"Yes, Father. It was she." She told him quietly.

And then came the Great Debate between King and Duke, with Gaspar trying to assume control away from her father. Arianne winced a little as Gaspar smoothly said that he had commandeered the men of Valois. It was unlikely that this was easy, and it was unlikely that many followed the words of the Steward. It was more likely, actually, that they did only what both the Duke and the Steward had wanted; to calm the crowds and restore order.

When the King said that he was going to retreat and not go through with the wedding that day, Arianne looked at him with surprise. The redhead, of course, did not want to be married, but like her father, she was surprised that the King would make such an order. They all knew that at least one of the dastardly villains had gotten away. Was he wanting to give the villain more time to make another attack...?

Ugh, Arianne could only think of how pissed her mother would be, and from the calm and eloquent speech her father just gave, she knew that he would be displeased as well. Even so, butterflies were fluttering in her stomach at the thought that she could push marriage off for one more day, even if it came at a price to the feelings of fear of the people of Travere.

Gaspar would have neither stopped talking or performing his duties when the Duke interrupted him. He would have lowered his voice so only the king could hear him but he would still whisk Zigi and Ashani away. Neither of them should be privy to this conversation it would be improper.

Renaux arches a single eyebrow at the Duke and say's dryly

"Who said I was going to hide in the palace?"

He gestures outside and in the direction Gaspar is heading.

"You are right the people are scared and they need a show from their king and soon to be queen to give them resolve. However I also agree with Gaspar it is not feasible to have the wedding tonight. It would also be callouse to do so well there are injuried and dead in my streets."

Renaux takes a breath very concious of the young lady on his arm but he keeps his composure.

"I am going to escort your daughter to her rooms and have the maids put her into something more practical. Then if she is up to it she can join me outside the palace where I will be helping the people any way I can. You want a show of strength? What better show than the king and his nearly kidnap betrothed helping with the efforts to restore order? You want to show respect let's see everyman who died for the crown today buried with honor and with a promise to their families of compensation and a memorial. Let's see the people who owed this country nothing but who stood up regardless properly rewarded. Then let's return the spark of hope to the city with the marriage."

The king smiles wrly at the Duke and he finishes by saying.

"In short my lord let us be truly noble."

Renaux eyes the Duke speculativly getting the feeling he has offended the man but can't fathom why. He had tried to explain his point of few as politely as he could and smiled to mitigate any offense. He eyes the Duke and say's curiously.

"You honestly think that people would be offended if we gave these men a state funeral? Just because we did it quickly? I would think people would rather see their loved ones being honored as a priority."

Renaux shrugs and say's acommadatingly.

" If you think delaying the funerals is more respectful I won't argue that. I could be wrong but in the military we didn't beat around the bush and it seemed to be good for morale. Regardless I won't feel right getting married until I know my people are safe. If you are going to escort the lady to her mother I am going to head back out."

Renaux gives the lady Arianne a smile and frees his arm gently. He heads outside to assist his guard force anyway he can. Once the small riots have been put down and any remaining rebels eliminated he heads to the infirmary to visit with the injuried both military and citizens. He also finds time to walk among the rows of neatly laid out bodies paying respect to the dead. Though his decisions tonight may not have garnered him much respect with the nobility the population began to whisper words of praise for their king.

The posturing between men when such a catastrophe had struck Travere and embedded itself into its people was annoying Arianne greatly. She took her hand off of Renaux's arm decisively, but he didn't seem to notice and left to attend the people.

When her father turned to her to speak, Arianne was glaring at him. "Then please, don't let me keep you," she snapped at him and turned away. She was not going to be escorted anywhere, and she was not going to have decisions made for her while she was standing right there.

The fools may have targeted Arianne for kidnapping, but she was far from a damsel in distress. She went back to her rooms on her own, and frustratedly changed out of her dress, pulling the tiara from her hair and putting all of its beauty in disarray.

She tugged flowers and ribbons and jewels from her strand, shaking her hair until it was a tousled mess around her, and then she dressed in her riding gear.



She opened her door to leave and saw Lady Vanelle on the otherside. Lady Vanelle looked her in the eye. "I'm going with you."

Arianne rolled her eyes. "If you must," she snapped at Lady Vanelle.

They made their way to the stables, and left for the city itself. Lady Arianne had no plans to go to Renaux's side; she was frankly as pissed with him as she was with her father, but she was going to go to the church where people were taking sanctuary and try to help in some way.

[ Exit to Travere ]

Grandma gave a nod as Gaspar came out to meet her, although she didn’t smile, instead wearing a somber look on her face. Considering todays events, such a thing would be rather inappropriate Grandma thought.

“Thank you for coming out to meet me. I wished to give this information to the king directly, but I suspected meeting him at this time wouldn’t be possible. However, as head of the household, you are a suitably trustworthy person to give this information to.”

Grandma looked around a bit to make sure they weren’t being overheard. Upon deciding no one was standing too close, she continued.

“Although I don’t wish to alarm the general public, I feel the king should know this. There was a man down during the attack, he seemed significantly different from any of the other attackers I saw. I’m sure those soldiers who survived also saw him, big and tall with a whip. He also had some strange beast like creatures at his command.”

“He was far stronger than any of the other attackers and I don’t feel like his hiring could be the work of just some unhappy nobles. I managed to drive him off, but I was unable to capture him, which means he could still be nearby. However, the more worrisome part was that he appeared to have some connection to a rather nasty being. Near the end of the battle, another's power was being used, not his own.”

“Unless you have some very powerful criminal mages on the loose who would have a reason to go after the king and queen, I fear an outside power may have had a hand in the attack. Therefore, I strongly urge the king and queen to not go anywhere without soldiers and mages of their own as protection. Although I’m sure they are planning to make sure they have extra guards, I want them to understand how close that situation was to going very poorly. I hope you can relay this information to the king in such a way that he will take it to heart.”

Grandma waits to see Gaspar’s response.

Grandma nodded appreciatively to the information Gaspar gave.

“His identity is known? In that case he should be significantly less of a threat, I would have assumed one such as that would go to more trouble to protect their identity with proper enchantments. Regardless, I must applaud your mages.”

“I think I can help with telling you some of his capabilities. He appeared to have his whip and daggers poisoned, quite a nasty thing to do. I would also assume he has some ability to control animals considering the beasts he used as well as his control of one of your Pegasus’s when he escaped.”

“He also had some way of using blood to shield himself, not to mention he used the blood of one of the mages he killed for this purpose as well. I tried attacking his mind, but I suspect his master had already broken his mind as it had no effect. It should also be noted his master's power summoned a deathly fog of sorts. I am unsure of its full effects though.”

“Although I don’t expect them to strike again, I will be staying at the hotel still and still plan to be coming to the wedding. If a situation such as this comes up again, please contact me and I will do my best to assist Gauldin.”

“Of course, I shall make sure to be there. I am quite interested to speak to the king in person, although I wish the meeting would have been off a joyful wedding instead of this tragedy. Until next time then, farewell.”

Grandma heads back off to her hotel, the twins and maids currently waiting there.

"Come in!"

Ashani's voice called from the other side of the door. She had just finished cleaning up. It wasn't often she found herself in an oasis of conveniences and lavish vibes, and she took the time to think and reflect on all that had happened until now. When the door opened, the young girl was sitting cross-legged on a bed far larger and softer than her own, brushing her newly washed wavy black hair, which shone under the candlelight with a subtle sheen.
"Yes, of course."

She looked up as her heart pounded with a tangible rise in excitement and anxiety. She hoped all would go well--her grand ambition was hanging in the balance, and she mentally prepared herself not to blunder. She put her wooden hairbrush into her pointy hat and left it on the bed. She would be back for it later.

For now, she followed the man to the Duke of Carmean.