DrowsyPangolin

When the Flames Die

Jezin smirked. It seemed Sophia had known exactly what to say. Maybe all that court training had paid off. "Right, then. I expect my weapons will be returned before we leave. Goodbye, Thomas." He turned and walked out the door, waving back to Thomas. He quietly hoped it'd be the last time he'd see the man. They'd leave tomorrow, return to Lyok, and forget any of this had ever happened. He smiled to himself. He'd had enough of Keilaudrin already. He rounded the corner, heading towards the Great Hall. He was unsure of where Alia and Jorun had gone, though he expected they had retired to the room. He lightly massaged his wrist. A red line circled it where the manacles had been attached. Free again.

When the Flames Die

Eva smiled. "My apologies." The lady-in-waiting smiled an gave a nod as she spoke. Sophia grinned at Noah's excitement. "Yes, I am the youngest daughter of Empress Angelica Octavia of Lyok." She was still surprised to stumble upon royalty in such a way. She smiled at the young man. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Noah." The princess picked up a small loaf of bread and began nibbling at it. She looked around. For the moment things seemed almost peaceful. It reminded her of her a bit of when they arrived at the capital. She had expected things to go well then. It was a shame things rarely went the way one planned. "So tell me, Noah, what is Cressen like?" She was curious about the nation.

Jezin stood in disbelief for a moment. They were just letting them leave. Jorun and Alia left shortly after hearing the news, but Jezin stayed behind for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say. He appreciated the gesture, but he had also seen what Thomas was capable of. The man was an enigma. The bodyguard looked Thomas in the eyes questioningly. "I appreciate that. But tell me, why arrest us at all?" They hadn't been questioned. It was as if Thomas had locked them away specifically so he could speak with Sophia alone. Jezin didn't comment on the four Order knights that would be guarding Sophia. He wasn't particularly fond of the fact, but there was nothing inherently wrong with it.

When the Flames Die

Jezin had risen to his feet again when he heard the door outside creak open. Before he could say anything, however, his own door was unlocked and opened. Jorun's and Alia's followed in short order. The bodyguard took a step outside of the cell, watching Thomas closely. He was just letting them go? Something felt off. Jorun had been woken up by Thomas unlocking the door, and Alia seemed eager to set free, being the first to reach Thomas after the doors were opened, even though her door was opened last. Jezin looked over the knight, holding his manacles outward as the servants did the same. "So that's it?" Jezin sounded unconvinced.

Sophia frowned slightly, lowering her hand. "Oh, I'm sorry." The boy seemed to have been a bit surprised by her sudden introduction. Sophia listened as he introduced himself. Cressen, Cressen. It sounded vaguely familiar. She had been taught some Estovetian geography before she'd left for Keilaudrin. She couldn't remember it's exact location on the map, though. She was more surprised to find more foreign royalty in Mullen, especially after everything that had taken place. Sophia smiled. "Oh, a prince? I suppose we have something in common, then." She grinned brightly. Beside her, Eva smiled and nodded to the young prince. "Eva, Your Grace, Eva Stonewater... of Taura" The Tauran woman wasn't exactly a socialite, but she sounded friendly enough.

When the Flames Die

Sophia had returned to the Great Hall, Eva in tow. She wasn't to be held in her room, so there was at least one thing to be thankful for. She wondered when the knights Thomas mentioned would arrive, and how intrusive they would be. She imagined having a constant shadow of armed men would impede any kind of privacy she might have had, but she didn't really have a method of avoiding the situation. As she entered the Great Hall, she noticed a newcomer, a boy, probably around her age, who seemed to be devouring all the food the kingdom had to offer. Seeing no familiar faces, she decided to introduce herself, taking a seat across from him. Eva took a seat beside her. "Well, you're new here. Sophia Octavia, of Lyok." She grinned, extending a hand towards the young man.

When the Flames Die

Sophia nodded with a smile when Thomas said that her questioning was over. The knight got up, and had begun to leave, but turned before exiting the room. The princess looked at him quizzically for a moment, waiting for him to speak. She listened as he spoke, with what seemed to be utter sincerity. She couldn't help but feel that regardless of what the man had done, there was good in him. She gave a slight bow and looked up at the knight, her yellow eyes glistening in the light. "Thank you Sir Thomas, I deeply appreciate that." The princess stood in silence for a moment after Thomas left, before her servant spoke up. "Your Grace... I saw what you did." Sophia nodded, turning towards the window and staring out across the ocean. She had deliberately sealed the letter with an inverted seal. The flag of the Empire was only flown upside-down in times of distress, and inverting the same sigil on a letter had a similar meaning "I thought you would notice." Eva took a step forward. "What do you think it will cause?" Sophia sighed. "If Thomas is telling the truth, and we're allowed to leave freely tomorrow, it will cause nothing. We'll arrive shortly after the letter is received. If not... then I do not know." She had inverted the emblem to give a bit of insight into the situation they were actually facing. The words Thomas had dictated sugar-coated the situation in a way, and if the worst happened, she wanted her mother to have an idea of what was going on. Eva joined the princess by the window. "I think I might have some idea." Sophia glanced towards the woman and then looked away. She, too, had an idea of what might happen, but it wasn't a concern for the moment. If everything went well there would be no need for worry.

When the Flames Die

I am dying right now.

When the Flames Die

Sophia nodded with a smile when Thomas thanked her for her cooperation and explained that they would be allowed to leave soon. She didn't sense any deceit in what the man said, but she reminded herself that some people were good liars. Still, she hoped that Sir Thomas spoke the truth. She frowned when Thomas and Gareth began arguing, her eyes drifting to the window. As Gareth agreed to leave, she threw a parting glance towards her friend. Thomas moved the conversation forward. He mentioned the letter being a sort of safeguard against Lyoki interference. She grimaced slightly when Taura was mentioned, and she noticed a look of pain cross Eva's face as the servant stood in the corner of the room. Still, Thomas was right to be worried about such a situation. Logic be damned, if her youngest daughter perished on foreign soil the Empress would likely level the entire country if it meant finding her killers. Sophia didn't make any comment, however, nodding along with what Thomas said about the letter. If they were to leave as soon as he said, there would be no problem.

Sophia's mouth fell slightly agape as Thomas revealed how Redwyne had died. A Lyoki serpent. What a way to paint them red. She shook her head. "No, Sir Thomas, I wasn't aware of how it had happened. I can assure you though, neither myself or any of my entourage had anything to do with this scheme. No serpents or poisons of any kind were brought with us, I can promise you that." She nodded when Thomas explained the situation in which he had found Jezin. "Yes, I understand why such things would look suspicious, but I assure you Jezin only sought my safety, nothing more. As for the courier, I only met her this morning. She seemed to have gotten stuck here when the port closed. Nothing she said to me seemed suspicious, but I imagine you will learn more about her when you question her yourself." Sophia kept her voice smooth, her nervousness being abated by sheer force of will. "I understand that you are just doing your job, Sir Thomas, and I am willing to help with this investigation in any way I can." She paused for a moment, glancing out the window. "In addition... I'd like to apologize for what Jezin said earlier. He has a sharp tongue, and he tends to go a bit overboard with things. I beg of you, please do not take such slights to heart. He's always been that way. He can be harsh, rude even, but he is the most loyal man I've ever met. I have no doubt he'd die for me in a heartbeat. So please, allow me to make the apology he'll be far too stubborn to make on his own."

When the Flames Die

Jezin had remained seated on the bail of hay in the corner of the room, but looked up at Thomas when he spoke through the vision port. He chuckled slightly at the stockade comment, but his face darkened when Thomas mentioned his intentions. He bolted up from the hay bail, seeing the vision port shut as he did so. He swung is manacled hands against the metal door, and felt the hard steel connect with his knuckles. "You lying bastard..." He growled out the words, slamming his fists into the door again. He heard the outside door shut. There was nothing he could do now. He stumbled back to the ground, glaring in the darkness.

Sophia turned to face Thomas as he entered. "Oh, Sir Thomas, hello." She listened to the man's demands with a nod, trying her best to keep her composure. "Right, that seems reasonable. Eva, paper, please." The Tauran woman walked across the room, returning with a piece of parchment and a quill, as well as an ink well. Sophia drew the quill from the ink and began writing. The letter detailed that she was being held for questioning due to 'suspicious events' in Mullen, and was completely unharmed. She added a few details about the Order protecting her, and reasserted that she was unharmed. She signed the parchment at the bottom, before motioning to Eva again. "The seal, please." The lady-in-waiting brought her a stamp and a bit of wax. She showed the letter to Thomas to prove nothing too sensitive had been revealed. She folded the letter and sealed it with the emblem of the Eternal Serpent. She frowned as she looked at the letter, handing it to Thomas. The stamp seemed to be upside-down, likely a mistake by the nervous princess. She nodded again when Thomas explained what her situation would be. "I appreciate that, Sir Thomas." In reality, she felt uncomfortable with the idea of being constantly followed about by the knights, but it was unavoidable at this point.

When the Flames Die

Sophia frowned as she opened the door, nodding. "You're probably right..." She opened the door, revealing the sunlit foyer area that connected the rooms for herself and her entourage. A small table sat near the window, and Eva rose from her seat when they entered. She had evidently been sewing something. "Oh, Princess, back so soon." The servants paused for a moment, her orange eyes scanning over to Gareth as he entered. "Oh, Mister Gareth, nice to see you again." She looked to the princess questioningly. "Eva, we'll have to stay here a while, the Order of the Thistle wants to ask us some questions." The lady-in-waiting looked nervous and blurted out "So did they take Jezin, too?" Sophia nodded. "Probably." Eva sighed. "Then they got Alia and Jorun too." Sophia sighed, walking across the room and taking a seat at the table, pouring herself a glass of water from a pitcher sitting on the table. She motioned to a nearby chair. "You can sit, if you'd like, Gareth."

When the Flames Die

Jezin had been sitting in his cell for a while now, staring down at the manacles around his wrists. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to find a comfortable method of sitting on the glorified bail of hay in the corner of the room. He leaned his back against the stone wall, pondering over the fact that a knight of the Brass Hand, a sworn soldier of the Lyoki Empire, now sat locked in a cage. He wondered if this was a roundabout act of vengeance for Thomas. After all, he'd had him locked in a very similar cage the night before. He hadn't heard any sound from the cells down the hall, and imagined the two servants had fallen asleep. He doubted that they had managed to get any rest with all the commotion the night before. He was half right. Jorun had faded off into unconsciousness a few minutes before. Alia, however, laid on the bedroll in her cell glaring into the ceiling. After a while, he heard footsteps outside and the large door to the prison creaked open. Two people. "One more for the stockade, eh, Thomas?" The bodyguard smirked as he called through the door.