[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] Torvi [@Tae], Alibeth [@princess], Wulfric [@Silverpaw]
[color=peru]Mentions:[/color] Killian [@Oso], Drake [@Lava Alckon], Genevieve

The friendly voice drew her attention, a welcome salve in the face of the even building tension in the room. Torvi, sat in the seat next to her own rearranged seating. Herself, she’d yet to resume her seat. She smiled at the soft tone directed to her, turning her attention to the witch huntress,[color=peru] [abbr=Ooh, no, I’m harder to scare than that]“ack, naaee, I’m made o’ sterrnah stuff ‘an tha’.”[/abbr][/color] Aah, but then Killian spoke to her. He used a peculiar-sounding name that drew Torvi’s attention away quite effectively. Perhaps that was just as well, Stratya’s mind was dwelling on the Queen, and this spectacle she seemed to have put together.

Alibeth, apparently, relished in all this, just as the King beside her. Stratya turned to look at the woman in chains behind her, studying her for a moment, before her eyes turned back to the Queen. She had said violence? [i]What[/i] violence? It could have been violent, there [i]could[/i] have been poison.

Geneveieve. Understanding the conditions that Victoria’s staff must face, Stratya understood the need to let off a bit of steam. Did she think that tampering with the drinks at a party was a good way to let off steam? Nae, that’s a daft one, it is. And to use magic to do so. Even so, this display? Was all wrong.

Prince Wulfric had reappeared, and offered a drawling observation. She recognized that saucy attitude..

He was about to do something.

She waited for Wulfric to come to his seat and take it, but he never did. Instead, the Crown Prince stalked his way thence to come behind Alibeth. As he did, Stratya went to take her seat, but she stopped as she heard him reveal to the room that The Queen cast magic in his presence, even as he lay his hands on her shoulders. Somehow, tensions had just gotten higher. Though to the casual observer, he’d just thrown his mother to the wolves, the intent of his words portrayed something else.

This sort of bold maneuver needed support, but something else tugged at her, first,[color=peru] [abbr=When I hear ‘witch’, do you know what kind of magic I think of? The kind that would let one reach into your head and scrape your thoughts, the kind that would let you inject rage into a person’s soul and set them off on a whim, the kind that would-]“When I ‘ear ‘witch’, y’know what kind o’ magic I think of? T’ kind that would le’ her rreach into yerr head and scrrape yourr though’s, t’ kynd tha’d le’ ye inject [i]rrage[/i] into a perrson’s soul and se’ ‘em off on a whim, the kynd tha’d–”[/abbr][/color] something caught in her throat. She took a quick swig of water or mead, it didn’t matter, [color=peru] [abbr=that would make you turn your blade on your kin. That’s the kind of thing that word brings to my mind. Changed the color of a table cloth?]“tha’d make ye terrn yer blade on y’ kin. Tha’s t’ kind o’ thing tha’ word brings tae me mynd. Changed t’ colour o’ a table cloth?”[/abbr][/color]

Stratya resumed her seat, then. Getting worked up wouldn’t help anything, she had to stay calm,[color=peru] [abbr=compared to all these other magical feats, Majesty, changing the color of a thing scarecly seems cause for concern, especially in light of the Queen’s efforts on behalf of the Kingdom. Honestly, I’m not really surprised Her Grace can cast a thing or two. Her Majesty has been leading the Kingdom’s magic hunting efforts, and it’s a poor hunter that does not learn of their quarry. So she knows how to cast a little magic. Suppose she is a witch. What is she doing with that knowledge and ability? Hunting magic, for the Kingdom. Is that not good? Is that not service to the Gods?]“comparred tae all these other magical fea’s, Majesty, changin’ t’ colour of a thing scarrecly seems cause f’rr concerrn, especially in ligh’ of t’ Queen’s efforts on be’alf of t’ Kingdom. Hones’ly, I’m not rreally su’prrised ‘err Grrace c’n cast a lit’le thing orr two. ‘err Majesty ‘as been spearr’eading th’ Kingdom’s magic ’untin’ efforts, and it’s a poa’ ‘un’err tha’ dunnae learrn o’ their quarry. So she knows ‘ow tae cast a lit’le magic. Suppose, even, she [i]is[/i] a witch. Wha’ is she doin’ with tha’ knowledge, tha’ abili’y? ‘untin’ magic, f’rr t’ Kingdom. Is tha’ nae boon? Is that nae service tae th’ Gods?”[/abbr][/color]

That gave her an idea. [color=peru] [abbr=this woman, here.. Your Majesty, it was said it was an act of violence, but the most violent thing I saw come of the drinks was someone falling from the stage. His ego might be bruised, but he’s fine. This wayward woman,]“this woman ‘ere.. Y’ Majesty, t’was said i’ was an act o’ violence against us, but t’ mos’ violen’ thing I saw come of t’ drrinks was someone fallin’ frrom t’ stage. [i]‘is ego[/i] migh’ be brruised, bu’ ‘e’s foyne. [i]This[/i] waywarrd woman ‘erre,”[/abbr][/color] Stratya motioned over her shoulder,[color=peru] [abbr=who made the alcohol stronger, not drugged or poisoned, no violent intent, needs direction and purpose. The full punishment of the law for witchcraft is death, that's true, but I don' tthink that's the answer. My hunt for evil would seek more knowledge. Perhaps knowledge she holds would be useful to me? I would not waste this opportunity.]“'oo made t' alcohol strronger, nae drrug, nae poison, nae violen' intent, needs dirrection an’ perrpose. The full punishmen' o' t' law, for witchcrraft, is death, 'at's trrue, but I dunnae think tha's th' anserr, 'erre. My ‘unt f’rr evil would seek moa knowledge. Perr'aps knowledge she 'olds could be useful to me? I woul'nae waste th' opporrtuni'y.”[/abbr][/color]

The knight looked at Torvi, then, for a moment, speaking softly - to herself, really,[color=peru] "aah, but perr'aps I 'ave found knowledge, alrready..?"[/color] She took a swig of her mead before turning back to the Prince and Queen.