Imperials and Tileans clearly had very different ideas about what constituted a palace. Camilla had seen prisons with more warmth and architectural ambition than this place. It was a fortress. A fortress inside a fortress atop a fortress. An invincible bastion which no conceivable army could threaten, it made her feel small.

The knights guarding them looked as grim as the mountain itself. Full bushy beads and hard grim faces. She fought down an urge to try to get them to smile, just to see what would happen. In the back of her mind she wondered if they should have slipped away from Jisele and her party, saving the Count's niece wouldn't save them if it was discovered they were wanted for murder back in Ostland, but they could hardly abandon the girl given what she had already gone through, and the far greater risk of travel by road.

She was about to ask Cydric about it when one of the vast wooden doors at the end of the chamber opened and a portly man with a ruddy face and dark intelligent eyes emerged. He was sumptuously dressed in a fur trimmed robe and jeweled rings several sizes too small constricted his fingers. The man waddled over with a welcoming smile on his face.

[b]"Ah Herr Reiner,"[/b] he said, his voice seemingly too high for such a big man, [b]"and mademoiselle Vivvienne."[/b] He shook Cyrdric's hand and took hers and sketched out the Brettoninan bow and mimed kissing it. His paunch prevented him from bending down far enough to complete the gesture gracefully and he settled for the mime. In due course she sketched a curtsy as best she could while wearing trousers, using the hem of her hunting shirt in place of the dress a lady ought be wearing for such an occasion. That seemed to please the man.

[b]"I am Osforth, the Graf's chamberlain, he bade me to bring you to the audience chamber so that you might be received and recognized for your heroic service to Middenland."[/b] He smiled a sunny smile that looked natural on his round face.

[b]"Might I have your last names so we can officially announce, you, I'm afraid this affair has all be rather rushed,"[/b] he explained with a bureaucrats disapproval for anything that trampled on sacred procedure. Camilla was suddenly thinking very fast.

[b]"Vivvienne Du Couronne,"[/b] she supplied quickly, giving Cydric time to think. Osforth frowned slightly at that.

[b]"Indeed mademoiselle? I would have taken you for noble blood."[/b] Camilla coughed politely into her hand.

[b]"Noble blood Lord Chamberlin, but the wrong side of the blanket, an affair of the heart I'm afraid,"[/b] she responded easily, providing just enough information for him to draw his own conclusions. She thought that amusement sparkeled in his eyes for a moment.

[b]"Indeed, things are done a little differently in Brettonia I suppose.[/b]" He was apparently content to let the matter rest because he turned to Cydric.

[b]"And you, good fellow?"[/b]

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