[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/T3SrujO.png[/img][/center]
[b]Location[/b]: Château de Maisons Gourmandise.
[b]Event[/b]: The Rescue.
[b]Characters[/b]: Ingrid [@dragonpiece], Zarina[@YummyYummy], NPCs [@Ti].

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[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/SaCheA6Njc4[/youtube][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/UGlnhZB.png[/img][/center]

The champagne glasses clash during the party of Marquis Blaise Beauregard. Hosted at the magnificent Château de Maisons Gourmandise, where the Marquis hosts the most gloutonnerie of intrigues. The building is large as the monumental architecture exhibits arches, vaults, columns, and balustrades on such angular perspectives. The vanishing points make the space appear deeper, conveying the ambience of a theatrical scene. As the nobles are shown through the door, the majestic hall makes them appear like small figures before the sumptuous banquet that tempted their senses.

Amidst the lavish decor, there were a multitude of showcase pieces such as live animals jumping out of dishes for the court’s amusement. Many of the usual decadent offerings served à la perrençaise, such as the soft-boiled Fricassee and Ragout for the nobles who dined richly at the expense of their oral healthcare. There were plenty of serviettes made available for their fingers and mouths, so one may keep their appearance to a high standard, with toothpicks, stems of fennel, and mint confections to freshen one's breath. The prize of tonight on the menu is the fabled beast from Eskand territories, the Snowsweeper, known for its rich marbled meat which caters for thick chewy bites which oozes flavour with every mouth full. The meat has cultural significance following the events of Oriflamme as King Arcel dined upon its flesh in triumph over the Eskand.

The tables followed a clear hierarchy, each seat was reserved to the name and station of the one who occupied it, as politically difficult task as many of the Perrench High Nobility are in attendance, along with their supplicants, and those who may like to be seen as equals bend the knee to Perrench supremacy. Rumours of Royal Attendance are abounded, how that King Rouis will deign his favour upon this gathering, as those who aim to gather favour with House de Perrence have come bearing gifts. The noticeable presence of House de Perpignan in this gathering has already made this meeting auspicious, as all the major players of Perrench politics are going to be dining together at the same table. 

The old noble is sweating as he tried to keep the powder from streaming down his face as he approached the noble boy, [color=7b5c00]“The King will be making his appearance.”[/color], the statement more of a statement than a question. [color=d4af37]“My father shall be here any moment, and soon shall every noble man worth their Couronne from Vaen, Kressia and Solenne shall be here.”[/color], the sweet sister came up along the Marquis as she took him by the arm, [color=FFD700]“King Rouis wouldn’t want a gathering of every house of Perrence occurring without his attendance.”[/color] Étienne moved in front of the Marquis as he appeared to straighten his suit, [color=d4af37]“Refresh your powder, for tonight you will earn the favour of the two most powerful men in Perrence.”[/color] The Marquis stared at them both, shaking his arm free as he moved toward the back, cursing under his breath. Frédérique tutted as she gazed within her brother's eyes, [color=FFD700]“Brother...”[/color], he smiled in return, [color=d4af37]“Not all flowers can be as sweet as you”[/color], she raised an eyebrow toward him, [color=FFD700]“Save that for the Virangish girl.”[/color] as she playfully scolds him.

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The work in the kitchen was rough, despite what they may have thought, they didn’t expect they would have to cater for a hundred or more guests. The preheating ovens around the hall were routinely heated to help the offerings to be served at least lukewarm instead of cold. Ingrid’s and Zarina’s suggestions of adding some further herbs and spices appeared to work well, compensating the bland cold taste with tingling warmth. Thankfully, they were not the only two on duty, as the well-prepared experienced team at the Château essentially ran everything for them as they experienced an overwhelming crash course of life within a royal kitchen.

Yet this was not the task they set out to do. It is in the hastily constructed stable at the back they were allowed to witness the rumoured and magnificent creature itself, the last surviving and known Snowsweeper bull. As one may imagine during such an ornate and grand event, security was a high priority as many of the Maison militaire du roi de Perrence were present. There was no room for imagination that the presence of the Gardes Perrençaises signalled that King Rouis de Perrence was soon expected to make his arrival. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0BhlOQ2.png[/img][/center]

The pair entered the shelter as they faced the creature they were faced to butcher and serve the pompous Perrench nobles. They were met with large dark sorrowed eyes as the beast was restrained within the walls with no room for manoeuvre and a pile of sweet smelling putrid dung piled up behind it. As they interacted with it, they saw how docile, not seeming to recognize or contest their presence, enabling further insight into the stark and terrible conditions it is being housed under. The pair are freely able to interact with it, as the assigned executioners.

It was during their walk through the ornate gardens as the sounds of trumpets blew to sound the arrival of King Rouis as the royal carriage pulled toward the entrance of the Château. The literal greenfield carpet being rolled down before his feet as the royal family are escorted toward the door with many paid well-wishers to announce their devout loyalty to his majesty. They also become aware of the awaited signal as they crossed a rose bush coloured blue, and through simple deduction, they passed through the row of hedges nearby, as a familiar face awaited them.

[color=C0C0C0]“This is bad, it really looks that King Rouis is making an appearance.”[/color] The girl in the wheelchair looked up toward them both with a very uncertain expression, [color=C0C0C0]“We have a shipment of Tourrare cattle beef with us but we don’t have a way to bring it here from the lake undetected by these patrols. There doesn’t appear to be any sign of the Snowsweeper either.”[/color]

As the pair filled Maura in on the details, they start to craft a basic outline together. [color=C0C0C0]“You are the ones who will need to bring the Snowsweeper to us, or at least close enough for the exchange. You will need to create an opening, a distraction, in order to enable this.”[/color]

With their shared understanding, the pair return back to the Château to prepare for what is to come next.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/25GVQOv.png[/img][/center]

After the arrival of the King, the hall the doors were opened for the High Duc, Charles de Perpignan, the second most powerful man to the King of Perrench himself. Their dynasty is entwined as thick as the blood of the royal family themselves, and it is unspoken that if House de Perrence were to ever falter, House de Perpignan would step in as the rightful heirs of the crown. The loyalty of the man presented before the crown has been questioned multiple times, often the constant source of gossip and intrigue of the multitude of ways he has sought to undermine the reign of King Rouis, and far too powerful for him to act. However, these rumours have taken an unusual and silent turn as King Rouis have stepped into the role of the saviour of Perrence as the Duc being one of his devout supporters. This has led to even more dangerous rumours that the Duc had been a pawn of King Rouis these years, using the seeds of ferment to root out those disloyal to the crown. It is wise for one in court to never speak either of these rumours aloud, as Duc Charles de Perpignan is a fearsome man.

It was to no surprise that he was afforded the honour of making the keynote speech for those in attendance, and the choice of topics cut to the core of the societies problems.

[color=ffb800]“Men are not born equal. This fact is how those like the Traveller and those that support him fail to understand. Some men are born swift, some men are strong, some are born more handsome, some were granted great intellect, and some men the wisdom of the gift by the gods. Some like our King, have all these apply.”[/color], he made the expected deference to King Rouis, with much support and laughter from the audience

[color=ffb800]“Others are born in poverty, others born sick and feeble. Both in birth and upbringing, men are inherently different. This is why men discriminate against one another, this is why there is struggle and competition, it represents the unwavering march toward strength that we must continually overcome. Inequality is not wrong, it is essential."[/color] His eyes cast the room as he looked upon the men of note and worth, they knew their merits, their privileges, but they know they're right in where they stand in the grand order of things.

[color=ffb800]“We in Perrench see this in the surrounding nations. We see Revidians, clinging on tales of a long dead empire, as they allow a rabble to try to decide their future and entrust it to an Eel. The nation of Joru? They are a nation of lazy dullards as they squander their former Kingdom's wealth. The Torragonese are envious sand vipers, always fighting amongst themselves over their piles of sand. But not our beloved Perrence, we thrive, we compete, our supremacy is continuous. With our allies in the Sovereign alliance, Perrence moves forward, always advancing perpetual into the future.”[/color]

It was on this final note, that Green Perrence began to play.

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