[center][h2][color=#b3ccff]Esben Matthiassen[/color], [b]Kayliss Lambert[/b], [color=#ff8c00]Cadmon[/color] and [color=#b3431e]Wulfric[/color] [color=#ff8c00]Demet[/color][/h2][/center]
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[color=#b3431e]"Stories like you wouldn't believe,"[/color] Wulfric started when Éliane leaned over his way. [color=#b3431e]"You should've seen the time he almost sliced the tip off his own nose when he was first practicing with a sword—"[/color] He cut off suddenly as a door quietly opened, a few blonde locks poking out from a hood being the most immediately recognizable thing to keep him seated where Izayoi got ready to fight...before 'aunt Kay' took over the conversation entirely.

He and Cadmon both sat quietly for a moment as the entire group took in the news of Solitude's troubles. Knife and fork set silently next to his plate, he watched his father for [i]their[/i] next steps.

The earl, of course, had already [i]assumed[/i] something was wrong in Solitude. Earlier than he actually needed to, perhaps, but now he had confirmation. [color=#ff8c00]"Have you told István?"[/color] he asked Kayliss, letting Galahad's words hang for the moment. Wulfric, for his part, flicked Rudolf in the ear. Not quite the slap to the back of the head he might normally have given, but he couldn't entirely blame the younger man for being surprised by the revelation either.

[b]"Of course not. That's your job. Shilage territory is in the exact opposite direction of where I need to be."[/b]

[color=#ff8c00]"Weeks since you last came through and told me to write to Leo, and you couldn't take care of that yourself..?"[/color] the grey-haired lord groused. [color=#ff8c00]"Take what you'll need when you leave. Wulfric, pack your things—you're riding north at dawn. Once you're done be ready to help the rest of them if they need anything."[/color]

[color=#b3431e]"Aye."[/color] He picked up his plate, finishing off the last few bites that were on it before pushing his chair back and leaving the room. Cadmon's eyes passed over the table, lingering for a moment on the nearly-untouched plate in front of Chisato. [color=#ff8c00]"Eat your food, girl, it's impolite to leave your plate completely untouched,"[/color] he commanded, before turning back to Galahad.

[color=#ff8c00]"I just wrote to him not long ago. I'll have to wait and see if I hear back—your father is probably a lost cause for me, but hopefully István and Wulfric can bring him around to get something done, though I hope he doesn't decide it's a good idea to toss his last remaining child into the meat grinder with the rest. I'll see if I can't find a way around that other problem he's made for himself while I'm at it."[/color]

He beckoned a servant over, refilling his cup of tea and taking a small sip. [color=#ff8c00]"What brought on the sudden change, Kayliss? It's not like you all to have something so stable fall apart so quickly."[/color]

[color=#b3ccff]"Unless they had someone that knew what they were doing finally chip in."[/color]

Esben had been almost totally silent since the problem presented by Chèrle d'Artoé had been dealt with. Given a return to near-safety for the moment, a place to rest, and [i]not[/i] having the constant distraction of pain and healing, his mind was free to wander—and it had nowhere to wander to but the other ugly problem that had reared its head for himself just before they went to deal with the crystal beneath Brightlam. Alexia Sigursdottir, better known to most SEEDs as 'Loki.' One of the deputy-director's most promising protégés; perhaps even [i]the[/i] most promising, bar none, at least in terms of skill. She had excelled in all of her studies, putting her natural talents to use in deception, infiltration, information gathering, the subtle manipulations needed to destabilize certain seditious elements that threatened Skael's internal peace and stability.

Alongside the deputy-director, had passed much of it on to [i]him,[/i] though by his own estimation he was never quite as good, nor did he share the talent for disguise. Nor had he been as able to recognize it as he should have, given that she'd been wearing a mask right under his nose and he hadn't the faintest clue about it. It took Miina and Rudolf stumbling into her on the night they were figuring how to deal with the trio of Grovemasters for the deception to be revealed. He'd managed to overlook what were, in hindsight, completely obvious tricks, especially given the warning to be on the lookout that Kayliss herself had given him, saying that headquarters hadn't heard from her in some time.

It had added on to the near-sleeplessness he'd dealt with the entire time through Drana Asnaeu, barely reprieved by the forced rest after defeating Reisa, his mind racing non-stop whenever he didn't have something else to distract it with the multitude of possible problems that Alexia could cause. Just a day right back to it was enough that he could tell his own sorry state looking in a mirror as they had first gotten to tour part of the Demet estate—careworn. Tired. Haunted.

He'd barely touched his food too, although perhaps Cadmon had been inclined to be a bit more generous with him, recognizing him as the other Skaeller member of the group.

[color=#b3ccff]"Miina and Rudolf accidentally uncovered Alex while we were in Brightlam. She'd assassinated Grovemaster Alambert and taken his place—she managed to hide right in front of all of us, before you even told me and Éliane to keep an eye out for her. She was probably the one behind the entire plot to destabilize the country, it fits her style and it was still a bit too subtle for how Valheim normally does things. She left before they proceeded with their main attack...more than enough time to get back to Solitude, while I was convalescing."[/color]

He'd straightened up the second he caught Kayliss moving to the table, and his stiff posture hadn't let up since. His brow furrowed in thought, though as he stared at his plate he pointedly [i]avoided[/i] meeting the eyes of anyone else around the table—certainly not the pink-haired officer sitting not far from him, who had far more to be upset about with this turn of events than he did. His family was at least somewhat safely set away from the capital city, and despite his time studying and working there, he'd never really called it home, and didn't have any close relatives that lived there who would be dealing with a hostile takeover.

Certainly not parents or a sister.

[color=#b3ccff]"You're organizing the wider response. What's the director's status?"[/color]

[b]"Helping the remainder of the Seven keep the rest of Skael from falling apart."[/b] Kayliss caught Esben's eye when he avoided Éliane's, a minute nod given in his direction. [b]"They're sparing what forces they can, but we're seeing Blightbeast outbreaks dispersed around the country. Nothing uncontrollable as of yet, though it's spreading our forces thin, especially after losing contact with all of our units stationed in the capital."[/b]

[color=#b3ccff]"Maybe we shouldn't have told Chèrle to piss off,"[/color] he mused with a wry twist of the mouth. [color=#b3ccff]"He turned around and probably took a boat back south—if you didn't run into him, you might send someone to his family home, in case Coulos is one of the compromised ones."[/color]

[b]"...That buffoon was here?"[/b] Kayliss didn't sigh, but her expression said enough. [b]"No, his father remains safely outside of Solitude. Don't worry about him, focus on the task at hand. For the time being, we'll assume that Sigursdottir has gone fully rogue and act accordingly."[/b] In other words, kill on sight.

[color=#b3ccff]"I was already planning on that, with or without approval."[/color]

[color=#ff8c00]"Eat,"[/color] Cadmon commanded, cutting into the middle of their back-and-forth with the same command he'd given Chisato. [color=#ff8c00]"And drink some coffee. You'll need your strength, and murder is best planned with a vigorous, sharp mind. It'll give you a moment to step back and focus on your immediate plans, as well. You too, Rudi."[/color] The chunk of potato that hung on the end of the faux-Sagramori's fork, as of yet untouched, hadn't escaped the earl's gaze either.

[color=#ff8c00]"What a lovely time for all of this. Always right into the shit with you."[/color] He spared a sidelong glance at Kayliss, biting back a long-suffering sigh. [color=#ff8c00]"There's something else I need you all to do when you head south, and luckily, it's far enough inland it shouldn't be any real detour on your way to Falcon's Nest. Stop and visit with Viscount Breien—he'll restock you for the next leg of your journey, and he has something important for Rudolf, anyhow."[/color]

Esben's eyes narrowed instantly, head turning to meet Cadmon's calm gaze.

[color=#b3ccff][i]"Halvor[/i] Breien? What do you have to do with him?"[/color]

This time, Kayliss couldn't help herself. She did release that long held-in sigh. 

[b]"Shiva's grace, I'm not dealing with this. Cadmon, this is yours and István's mess alone. You can explain to his boy."[/b] She said, completely washing her hands of any and all involvement in the matter, no matter if she may have provided the bones of the scheme or not.

[i]This[/i] time Cadmon's glance at Kayliss wasn't the soft, friendly one he'd given before. [color=#ff8c00]"It's very simple. [i]Rudolf Shilage[/i] is, officially, a sickly young man who has been fostering with the good viscount and learning some of the arts of statecraft that are lost on his father and brothers. The colder air seems to do his poor lungs well, and he needed to be free of his cousin and his brothers' visits. Halvor, of course, hasn't figured out how to tell me that Rudolf never showed up, but there's some things for the [i]both[/i] of you there. And he'll be able to resupply all the rest of you for the next leg of your journey."[/color]

Esben fell silent at that, pursing his lips for a moment before returning to his plate of food.

[color=#ff8c00]"Finish your meals. My tailors will visit you all tonight. We'll have proper clothes for you all heading down south in the morning. Try to get some sleep, but I'll be available if you need me. If I'm not in my study or the library, check the gardens."[/color] With that said, Cadmon pushed back from the table, leaving out the same way that Wulfric had minutes earlier, and leaving the Kirins to any remaining questions they might have for Kayliss as the servants began to clean up the two empty spots at the table.