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

[color=peru][center][h2]Stratya Durmand[/h2][/center]
Time:[/color] 28th Sola, Evening
[color=peru]Location:[/color] Castle Dining Hall
[color=peru]Attire:[/color] [url=https://i.imgur.com/FOg6BjE.jpeg]Military Formal[/url], in Caesonian colors
Boar Mantle of Spring Hunting
[url=https://i.imgur.com/PEMSUSV.jpeg]Family Dirk[/url] + [url=https://i.imgur.com/sS8bDBR.jpeg]Crest[/url], worn on the right
[url=https://i.imgur.com/8bpbDCb.jpeg]Swordbreaker[/url], also worn on the right
[color=peru]Interactions:[/color] Rohit [@Helo], Farim [@Lava Alckon]
[color=peru]Mentions:[/color] Nahir [@Rodiak], Kira [@Potter], Anastasia [@princess], Drake, Zarai, Hafiz, Nadim, Kalliope [@Tae], Torvi, Alibeth, Gideon

Her seat faced the incident, so she’d seen most of it unfold. Nadim had already leapt onto the table by the time she could observe. Truly, that beautiful hound had been handled poorly all around. Poor thing. Rohit’s apparent familiarity with Nadim was a welcome balm. She smiled softly, seeing the two get along, though her gaze only turned aside for a moment. She wasn’t done with Hafiz. Not yet.

It seemed Hafiz had quickly turned his corner of the table against himself. Stratya wasn’t the only one to admonish him – but one presence, in particular, hadn’t escaped her notice: Nahir – not one who had admonished the man, but had been the first to interact with Nadim in the incident. It could be argued she’d incited the incident, but she had only reacted to a creature suddenly upon her. Such a reaction was one Stratya had a hard time blaming her for.

An inquiry naturally followed: why had Nadim jumped onto the table at all? Was it really poor impulse control? It didn’t seem so. On the contrary, Nadim appeared well-trained, judging by his interaction with Rohit. Certain commands excited him, yes – but he didn’t seem the sort to run off without prompt. So what happened?

While Rohit entertained Nadim, Stratya's focus was on Kadir. Farim’s words about ruling through fear prompted her to reexamine the man her gaze had pinned down. The timing of his use of the word “pet.” The quiet command issued to a servant. Nahir’s trembling hand as she reached for Kira’s. Kira’s earlier, spiteful words. It all painted a certain kind of man.

The kind who played chess with lives.

Kadir had made a move, and now it was her turn. Better not sleep on it. She turned to Rohit, [color=peru]“[abbr=you’re familiar with Nadim’s master? Hala, was it? It’d be great if you could watch him and reunite them.]y’rre familiarr wit’ Nadim’s masterr, then? Hala, was i’? Aye, tha’d be a rreyt rrelief, if y’ could mynd ‘im ‘n ge’ ‘im back to ‘em.[/abbr]”[/color]

She’d intended to invite him to sit in one of their empty chairs, but a sound caught her ear – metal. Not the drawing of a weapon, but rattling. Like a flail, or –

Captain Durmand turned as the doors of the hall opened. Suddenly, Hafiz was the least of her present concerns.

She leaned slightly toward Rohit, whispering with a certain underlying urgency, her eyes scanning the banquet table, [color=peru]“[abbr=perhaps you should go find his master now. There’s also an open seat on that end.]perr’aps y’ go fin’ ‘is masterr, ‘en. There’s also a sea’ on tha’ end open.[/abbr]”[/color] She managed to get him the invitation, anyway.

Rohit seemed gentle. Perhaps she could spare him from the scene about to unfold, or at least Nadim from being anywhere near the Grand Vizir. If the doctor meant to sit across from her hadn’t arrived by now, perhaps he wasn’t coming.

The man with the chains must be one of the Queen’s witch hunters. The only one unaccounted for was Killian Hale. He carried quite the presence. Stratya had heard tales of those consumed by fury – who lived through it, only to become a smoldering remnant of what once was, even visited some with her father when she was little. That was this man. And yet, he stood, carried himself differently. Whether his fire had died and rekindled anew, or simply never burned out, this man's rage still burned.

The sound of chains affected some more than others. The woman with the foreign captain, for instance, seemed particularly unsettled. Something about the man suggested he would not be admonished for bringing such chains into the hall. Lady Zarai had openly berated Duke Lorenzo earlier – would her bravado hold here? Stratya hoped she wouldn’t need to rescue a drunken fool tonight.

Into the banquet hall, the witch hunter dragged a servant from the Edwards’ estate – the same one who’d given Stratya a dummy recipe. Close in taste, reasonably strong, but not what she’d drunk at Drake’s party. Lord Drake, who allowed only a flash of shock to cross his expression before he leaned slightly to consult his father.

Her confrontation with the Grand Vizir, it seemed, had reached an interlude. She wanted to return to the beautiful woman waiting by her seat. Hopefully, she could draw things involving Nadim to a smooth close, with Rohit 's help.

She gave the man a small, subtle motion of her head to proceed, her voice low, [color=peru]“[abbr=I should be here for this.]I shoul’ be ‘erre f’ this.[/abbr]”[/color]

With that, she made her way toward her seat. A little giggle, followed by a sharp shnort, caught her attention. She paused, mentally confirming what she’d heard, then turned – watching as the Princess spun away, muttering something about things getting weird. Weird? Did she… think this was a sex thing?

Maybe that was easier, for now.

Her eyes flicked to Farim. It looked like Stratya wanted to say something, but her gaze shifted to Killian. Not the time. She returned her eyes to Farim with a communicative grimace as she began to turn away. If she was right – and she was fairly certain she was – this could get unpleasant. Anastasia was avoiding the truth of the matter entirely, which probably wasn't healthy, but perhaps it would come up again later.

Turning from Farim, she continued around the table and to her seat.

Killian reeked of danger. Stratya doubted Genevive would escape unscathed. It pained the knight, but what could she do [I]now[/I]?

The lawful punishment for witchcraft was death – any magic, even a prank. The crime hadn’t been violent, and Stratya had the authority to be lenient or harsh. Perhaps she could have used the woman for information, or a new set of hands under her command. Something somewhere she could be watched closely. This man moved with an intensity she preferred to save for combat with a hated foe, and the Captain was sure he had no such merciful intention.

Was that how Killian’s flame was fed?

Her gaze found the Queen as Stratya came to her seat, seeking for a reaction that had likely already passed.

Genevive was certainly to be punished, but whatever this man had in mind seemed like it would be too severe – too violent, for what had been a non-violent offense.