[I]-The day after Flints Death-[/I] Kenten sat calmly atop his diregoat, holding his reins with one hand, and an apple in the other. Aside him road James Conrad, who was visibly less comfortable -- He was unused to the bow-legged riding style of a diregoat, and fidgeted awkwardly every so often. The beast seemed to sense his rider's tenseness, and would occasionally buck or bleat. "Don't worry Conrad, only a bit further 'till Stonereach." Kenten said laughing, spitting out pieces of apple. He had been loudly stuffing his face for most of the ride, having taken a sack of apples from a market, claiming they were for the shopkeeper's taxes. "I should hope so this is uncomfortable." James said as he waved back and forth on the diregoat. Eventually, the two reached Stonereach, just as Kenten promised. The massive stone doors were pulled open once more, and the two dismounted and entered the hall. Immediately, Kenten shrugged off his coat and handed it to a nearby guard posted at the door. "Servant woman. Bring me two tankards of ale, and start roasting some pheasants." He barked at the nearest servant. She kept her head down as she bowed, making sure to not look him in the eye. "Yes, M'lord." Lucy said, before skittering away. "Make it quick, at that." He growled. "It's a shame, James. They get a bit older, and think they can dawdle about for orders." He chuckled a bit, leading James down a nearby hall. "Bring it to my quarters!" He shouted down the hall at Lucy. Kenten navigated Stonereach's labyrinth of halls quickly, gliding down each set of stairs and around every sharp corner. Eventually, during one of those sharp turns, he collided chest-first into his eldest son, Benjamin. "Ben, lad, didn't see 'ye there." He said, still somewhat flustered at the intrusion. "I'd like you to meet Lord James Conrad." He proudly said, gesturing to his companion. James smiled and said "'Ello Ben, last time we met you were but a boy if I recall. Now look at you, all grown up." James turned to Kenten, and said "Now where are the other two? Melven and Reliwen I believe they were." James said as he shook the lad's hand. "A pleasure, Lord Conrad." Ben said. "Reliwen is in her room. Melvan's taking another walk through the forests." He lied, hoping to avoid explaining Melvan's voyage to Alabast quite so early. "Well I hope to see them at dinner then." James said.. "Absolutely!" Kenten agreed. "Anyway, Lord Conrad and I must be off. We'll discuss more at dinner, aye?" He said, before continuing down the hall with James. Eventually, after a few more hallways, they arrived at Kenten's bedroom. "So, James," Kenten said with a sigh, sitting down at a table to the side of the room, "What was it you wanted to discuss?" "Well after our arrangement from last night, perhaps I should tell you more. I plan on rebelling. I'm sure I can count on your help, couldn't I?" James said with a smile. Kenten stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You have my attention." "Aside from us two and those southern warlords on the island, we should be able to get the Whiteshorns with Flint's death. The true problem will be the Suttbrays. They hold the largest army, and I'd rather have it fighting with us then against us." James looked around the room for a map, when he finally found one, he grabbed it and opened it up on the desk. He pointed to the four houses and the landscape. "If we can't get them, then all our focus should be on them. We'd leave ambushed and such around the mountains to buy us time. Once we have the Suttbrays we then control the food and the seas. We could hold out in your lands of the mountains, 'till the others bent the knee or died." James said, as he looked around, making sure no one was there. "I'm not eager on any Suttbray conflict." Kenten said gruffly. "All of our food comes from them, after all. If we could get them to side with us without any threats, I'd prefer that route." His head quickly shot to the door, as he heard a knock. "Who goes there?" He shouted out. "The ale and pheasants, M'lord." the voice on the other side said. "Bring it in." He replied lazily. Sure enough, Lucy quickly opened the door, carrying a tray with all he had asked for. She placed it at his side, keeping her eyes constantly to the floor. "Wouldn't hurt to smile every now and again, [i]servant[/i]." Kenten said, slapping Lucy on the rear. He laughed, bringing the tankard to his lips. "That'll be all. Leave us, wench." James looked in disgust and said "You should really treat your servants kinder." As Kenten began to pull pieces of pheasant out with his hands, stuffing his face, he shrugged. "Why?" He asked, with a mouthful of food. "People like them, servants, they wouldn't give a care in the world for me if I wasn't paying 'em." He grabbed another fistful of food, before continuing. "They didn't so much as look at me when I was just a bastard, but they were jumping to spitshine my boots the day I was crowned. Scheming lot." He said contemptfully. They continued their planning, biding their time until dinner. Ultimately, the two lords decided to wait in the main hall of Stonereach, as to avoid drawing too much attention. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elle was uncomfortable riding on the large goats, it was nothing like she had ridden before and the beast seemed to want to make the journey as uncomfortable as possible. The red dress she wore only reached to her knees, but even then the goat seemed impossible to ride. Elle soon saw Stonereach and looked to Luke, seeing if he had similar problems with his own 'steed'. Luke, while he still had trouble, tried to make it seem like he had done that a billion times. He looked at Elle, and saw she was doing far worse, and looked uncomfortable. "How's it going up there?" He said with a grin. "I'm doing great, it is as if I have rode many before" She teased back, as the goat caused her to hop a few inches off of the saddle. He looked back, her hair falling over her face as she was rocked once again to the side. "Im doing better than you anyway" She joked as she looked back to the man. From what her father had told her, Conrads where lying, charismatic fools, but something seemed to draw her to this Luke. They where soon near to the doors of the large stone building. "Welcome, welcome!" Kenten roared with a yellow grin. As his servants pulled the doors open, Kenten stood up from his throne, trying to appear as regal as possible. James also smiled behind Kenten seeing his son. Luke followed in after Elle. He did a quick peek at her ass in the short dress then looked to his father and said "Lord-Father, I brought the sword Tempest, as you asked." He showed it off for a moment. The hilt itself was silver, wrapped several times in dark brown leather on the handhold. The blade itself was short, meant to be wielded alongside the shield Rainclad, but nonetheless came to a razor sharp edge. It shone as if it were wet when it caught the light. "All the children are in Amplefort and in the safe care of Flint." He then waved to elle and said "This is the House Whiteshorn representative Elle Whiteshorn. Her father was busy and Gading was sick or something he didn't seem to want to talk about it." Elle stepped forward "I am the Eldest Daughter to Flint Whiteshorn. I do wonder why i was needed for this transaction however.. it seems simple enough" She seemed sceptical, her hand brushed against her hand crossbow, making sure it was still on her belt. Jame's looked to kenten then smiled and said "If only you knew. Anyway's Kenten there's your sword. As for you two dinner is just getting setup come join us for a bite." He waved them over to the dinner table. As luke walked over to sit next to her father Jame's looked around and said "Lord Kenten we seem to be missing your children." He said with a laugh. Kenten nodded. He turned around, to shout at no servant in particular. He inhaled deeply, and let all he had to say come out with a foul bark. "Oi! One of you, fetch those children, and now! All of 'em!" He turned back to his guests, still a bit red in the face from his outburst. He smiled a crocodile's grin, flashing his teeth once again. "They'll be right with us. Let's sit, eh?" Elle soon followed into the dining room, she sat by Luke, figuring he seemed to be the only normal person in this odd place. "Your father has still not answered my question" She muttered to Luke annoyed, tucking her hand crossbow to the side to sit more comfortably. In that moment, a pair of footsteps could be heard echoing through the vast halls. A small set of double doors off to the side opened up, as Benjamin and his younger sister, Reliwen, both walked in. Suspiciously, Benjamin was not dressed for dinner -- Whatever he [i]was[/i] wearing, was hidden under a grey hooded cloak. Reliwen, on the other hand, was dressed for the occasion. Her long brown hair had been combed straight, and pulled into a tight braid. Her delicate features were accentuated by her flowy white dress, and a silver circlet she wore in her hair. Her eyes were neither brilliantly green like Benjamin's, or purely brown like Melvan's. They were a deep, unsettlingly piercing grey. "I'm quite sorry for our late entry, father," She nodded lightly to the visitors, "And guests." As she took her seat, Benjamin made his way for the slowly closing stone doors. "You missed Melvan earlier, father. No matter, he's still outside, we decided to go for a quick ride through town. If I'm back later than you all go to bed," Benjamin said quickly enough that it might as well have been one word, "I bid you all a pleasant night." He said with a cocksure smile, just as the doors finished closing, as he had made his way into the outside world. "Well," Kenten said. "One's better than nothing. And I'm glad to see Melvan, that little lamb, getting some fresh air." He said, unfalteringly. Benjamin had honed his lying for years, and so Kenten had honed his believability. "Shall we toast to something, then?" "To our Kingdoms?" Elle suggested lifting up her tankard, she had no idea what was in it. "To our Kingdoms." Kenten said, lifting his tankard. "To our Kingdoms." Jame's said in a low voice barely raising his glass then setting it back down. He then turned to Reliwen and Elle then said "Ello M'lady's I don't believe we had the pleasure of meeting I'm Lord James Conrad and old friend of your father's." Luke then got a look at Reliwen and thought she was rather beautiful especially compared to where she was born let alone to who she was born perhaps one of the ugliest men Luke ever met. Reliwen nodded to him, with a weak smile. "It is a pleasure, Lord James." She hated dinners with guests terribly. She never enjoyed tying her hair up or wearing dresses, or speaking in the low, quiet voice ladies were expected to speak in. Elle lifted the tankard to her mouth and began to drink then suddenly gagged at the horribly alcoholic beverage. She slammed the tankard down "What the hell is this? Do you use it to light torches!" Elle exclaimed. "Stormgully Cider!" Kenten shouted with a laugh, pouring some down his throat as it splashed through his unkempt beard. "Only peasants water it down nowadays. It'll put bristles on a baby's cock, eh?" He laughed heartily, digging his bare hand into the pie set before him. "Besides drinkin', it can take the rust offa nail." He boasted, taking another few gulps to wash down the mouthfuls of food. Elle gave a fake half smile as she picked up the drink once again, taking smaller sips than before. ---------------------------------------------------------- The five feasted and drank, with varying levels of enthusiasm, for the better part of an hour. When dinner was done, Kenten excused himself, James, and Elle from the table. More quickly than before, he lead the two through the winding halls of Stonereach, making sure to look around corners before he stepped through them, fearing he might bump into yet another interruption. Once he had lead them back to his quarters, he pulled a third chair from the corner, and slid it to the table. "So, shall we begin discussions?" James looked for that map again and pulled it out, set it on the table, then took his seat and nodded. "Please take a seat my dear." James motioned to the third one that was seat next to him. Elle followed carefully, making sure the men where not going to do anything they would regret. She sat down delicatly and looked over the map. "So what do you ask of me?" She questioned, lazily resting her head on her hand. "Well I would have preferred to talk to your father however that ship has sailed or should I say letter." He gave a chuckle to Kenten then went on. "See M'lady with this whole winter business coming and disease and such it's time to raise the banners in rebellion." Jame's looked to Elle and went on "So far myself and Kenten have joined together we should be able to get the Taurician Warlords then the Suttbary's we'd control the south, the food supply the sea's and of course the largest army. I'd like to ask your hand in joining us into the rebellion." Jame's gave a slight smile to her hoping she'd take the great bait and offer he'd just given her. Elle sat there for a moment, letting the words sink in. "What you are talking about is high treason.." She said, yet not in a way that would show she was opposed to the idea. "My father would never agree to this, he would report you as soon as i told him..." She continued, thinking about how she would tell him when she returned home. "You didn't know?" Kenten said in a falsely concerned tone. He shook his head, making a few 'Tsk' noises. "Same blokes who stole the crown got him in his sleep." Elle sat up "What... what are you saying" She said dumbfounded at what this madman was telling her. "I've never been any good at consolation," He said, with a weaker voice. Kenten was unskilled at most things, but he could definitely lie. "It's a shame you've found out this way, lassie." He said, in a voice almost cooing. Elle jumped up quickly "How do you... what... I have to go..." She said turning to the door. "If you help our cause, we'll one day be able to find the men responsible, and..." He paused, pretending to think of some unimaginable punishment, knowing full well he was one of those men. "We'll find the man responsible, and you'll take your vengeance." He said darkly. "I think I will manage on my own" She said angrily, seeing how the man was attempting to manipulate her emotions in joining their cause. "Its practically suicide!" She yelled looking to the map. "Is it?" Kenten said, pointing at Stormgully's mountains. "We have a natural defence to protect us. We've all the metal and food an army could need. And at that, we have swathes of soldiers, some seventy [i]thousand[/i] strong, all pointed where we tell them to." He continued, confidently pointing to Phoenix Castle on the map. "Paragon has an army of twenty thousand, and no natural defence to speak of. With you as the ruler of the Odesh, we could go against the hundreds of years of fear against the unknown, of idiocy, and of hypocrisy." He leaned in closer, hoping to emphasise his statement. "We could bring about the change Elyden needs." Elle seemed to pause, her mind clearing as she thought about what was being said. "Despite all of this... Scheming, and let's just presume I was interested in this crazy war for independence. It doesn't mean anything. My brother Gading would take the throne after my father." Elle sat back down, deciding that they where not going to let her leave yet. "Gading is the first born male, yes. However, what many lords have forgotten, is that eldest should inherit the throne, not just a first born male. Like the Flame Queen herself united the lands, even though she was a female. You could do the same, perhaps even claim to be her reborn. I can see the fire in you and the red hair." He looked to Kenten. "Aye, that would certainly work." He said with a sheepish smile. Jame's turned back to Elle and said " So m'lady are you with us?" Jame said with a grin, Elle sighed, she had a lot on her plate after all. She was really unsure what to think. Her father was dead? Who would do such a thing? She began to think of what the two men in front of her where saying. Elle Whiteshorn, Queen of Odesh. It did have a ring to it, but could she really do it? "If I am placed on the throne.." She paused closing her eyes and breathing out softly. She then opened her eyes and looked deep into Conrad's. "We can start making plans." The girl smiled broadly, she was thinking of the power. The thing she had always wanted. Jame's grin grew turned to Kenten and nodded "Excellent then. Excuse me I must send a letter to my lands to call the banners and to the warlords about a deal. Kenten, mind telling her of our plan?" Jame's stood up and went to his guest room to write the letters.