Time: 9:30 am Location: Anastasiaâs Room to his own room Mentions: Anastasia @princess, Auguste @Inertia
Callum had shaken his head at much of what Ana said but didnât argue with her. He only hugged his sister back, it wasnât the words that mattered, but the support behind them, and, for once, he wasn't looking for an argument. Here, for a moment, there was just the feeling of familial connection, strong enough that it had even pulled Auguste towards them, offering similar sentiments.
And there it was, what kept him only toeing at the line but never quite crossing it. Despite how much he hated Edin, and despite every day seeing less and less of anything worth knowing left in his mother, there was so much light in his siblings. Times when everything lacking in his parents was so evident in them and all the love and acceptance their parents kept rationed was freely given when they needed it from each other.
Today even Wulfric had felt a little more like a brother than a distant golden protĂŠgĂŠ of his fatherâs.
âThanks, for that, itâs nice to hear. Iâm here for you, whatever you need. But right now Iâd better ready myself for the onslaught of eligible noblewomen.â He offered another empty smile, leaving shortly after Auguste had, doors closing behind him. It was nice, feeling like part of his family, but it was a fleeting comfort and it did little to stave off what bothered him.
Callum retreated to his room, it was less comforting than the castleâs library, but here he was at least alone. He knew he should probably bathe away the scent of last nightâs party from his skin, make himself look his most presentable for the absolute sham of The Princeâs Court. He grabbed a bottle from where it sat on his desk only moments after entering. Callumâs choice of drink was cheap, strong, and burned its way down his throat, offering a quick, reliable, source of comfort.
Someone had gone through his things, but not ransacked, only a few items sat slightly askew from how they normally were, and, for now, he paid it little attention. If it had been someone to worry about it wouldâve been much more of a mess, because Callum, kept a great deal of things he shouldnât in his room. Most of which were hidden in a way that could be described as the bare minimum. Furniture with secret compartments and coded books were no great obstacles for the kind of people his family had on hand if they ever sought to investigate him past the surface. Part of him wanted to know exactly how far theyâd go with him if they knew how little he regarded their laws.
He washed his face only to wake himself up further, wetted down the bits of hair that stayed out of place from his restless night, and used whiskey to wash the taste of stale breath away. He caught glances of his reflection in the mirror, dark circles framed tired eyes, and did he always look so pale? He removed last night's clothes, dressed in a proper suit for the day, and let the scent of the warehouse linger on him. Half-way presentable and maybe just haggard enough to keep his line at Princeâs Court short, surely any guests would prefer his far more presentable brothers.
He spent some time in front of the mirror, drinking from the bottle, and working on excuses for why his appearance was subpar should either parent question him. âI am dressed and on time. I think I look dashing, canât look any better without a solidâs night sleep-â no that wouldnât do. If he brought up his lack of sleep that would only remind his parents of last night. He should avoid that. âIâm pretty sure my face always looks like this. Hair too. Bad genetics.â And probably shouldnât say that either.
He studied his fake smile, hating how fake it made him look. A liarâs smile. But he was a liar, he was just a poor one. âIâd hate to steal the spotlight from my older, better, and woefully unattached, brothers.â That might be good enough to use on Edin at least. It would probably be better to just smile politely and hide behind Auguste, maybe his parents were upset enough with him that they wouldnât look at him much anyhow. âAnd, hey, maybe pigs will take flight, and hell will welcome a sudden cold snap.â
He gave up on talking to himself and flipped through the notebook on his desk, found a list of what was used from his stash, and tore it out. He memorized what needed stocking up, and rewrote the things more difficult to procure back down, everything he kept for his records was in his own handwriting. He struck a match, burned the original piece of paper, holding it between his fingers until the tips of his fingers stung from the heat, and tossed the last remnants into the fireplace where it finished to burn until only ash was left. Cal was careful to cover up the traces of anyone who broke laws against magic alongside him. There was no room for error here.
He knew if he had he shown this much care towards other aspects of his life, Darryn wouldâve never gotten caught in the crosshairs of one of his minor rebellions against Edin. A single thought beyond âyes, a party, letâs goâ, wouldâve led him to see that having Darryn involved in any way was a mistake. But he hadnât put any thought into it, heâd heard party, no titles, and thought only of drinking and not being alone. He had Edinâs same propensity towards selfishness, he only displayed it differently. He tried to think about something else.
The list heâd burnt had been basically a magical equivalent of medical supplies, nothing dangerous, not in his eyes. And yet, it was. Because the right words, the right intent, and few easily obtained materials, meant even those without the means for a physician could find relief from a variety of ailments and wounds. That was the very least magic could do, but at its strongest, it made the old proverb of knowledge being power, more true than most could imagine.
There was a clear reason why magic was so severely outlawed; it could put power into the hands of those the nobility were desperate to keep under their heel. He could see that, he just couldnât see a way to use that without getting someone hurt. More often than not, the people who got hurt in Caesonia were the ones who didnât deserve it. The world was unjust and unfair and there was no solution he could see, and he didnât know how to live in the world the way it was, and the thought of trying to fight against it while not seeing a way to win, was terrifying.
So he plopped into an uncomfortable chair, knowing that collapsing onto his bed would probably mean instant sleep, and only stared into the bottle of whiskey wondering where so much of it had gone. He planned to just sit here, let time pass, feel warm and empty until the clock neared eleven and he would have to deal with the world, and all it was, again.
Time: Afternoon Location: River Fairy Kingdom - Treeant Inn Interactions: Yuka @princess, Aiko @CitrusArms Mentions: Xavier @Potter Armor: Adamantine Half-Plate and Steel Chain Mail (currently in his room) Weapons: Apricus; a Mithril longsword, a steel sheild with barrier charm (currently in his room), and a steel dagger. Mount: Cow, a black and white Oak Horse (at the stable) Equipment: Bow and quiver of arrows. Small backpack: 1 large red potion, 3 medium blue potions, 3 medium red potions, darksight glasses, wayfinder, and fire kit. A transmission bracelet (connected to Augus) and a pouch of amas.
Orias felt clawed hands grip his shoulders, his hand immediately went to grip his dagger even as the rest of his body sought to leap outside of his skin. After four months of constantly waiting for a threat that never quite came an anxious Orias gave an exasperated sigh as he found himself facing the cause of most near heart attacks, Yuka.
âWe should get you a bell to wear, Yuka if you insist on stalking me like a cooped-up housecat.â He said, hand releasing its grip from the daggerâs handle. Aiko followed shortly behind Yuka, mentioning their unlikely involvement in a royal hunting party. He gave a grateful look towards Aiko, hoping that meant they were joining. Aikoâs presence at least split Yukaâs attention, and the dreamwalker got along far better with the feline than he did. He found it difficult to express anything more than annoyance at her inability to take anything seriously for longer than a passing instance. He constantly had to remind himself that Yuka was helping them, in her own way, and it was not a catâs nature to behave like an elf,
âWeâre all going then? Whereâs Xavier? The boy should have a better understanding of what weâll be fighting for, a deeper appreciation for Avalia will help motivate him.â He found no sign of the normally punctual human, a damper on the dayâs plan. He needed to find the right motivation for Xavier, something he could draw upon when the time came.
Time: Afternoon Location: The Nest Mentions: Helio @princess, Barboda @Alivefalling Equipment: A cutlass, 2 knives, 1 dagger, a spyglass, a wayfinder, a pouch of amas, and various jewelry.
âAy right now he may indeed be one wasted fairy but that ainât the lad to mess with. Sent more than his fair share into Aklenroth's embrace 'n' many more to come. Best let him do as he wishes.â Nym spoke to those who surrounded Helio. He only chuckled some as he watched Helio teetering atop a barstool spouting off his own version of their encounter with Arden.
They were all off duty, Helio was more than free to make his own bad decisions right now. He imagined it was rough on the fairy, to be so at odds with his nature, a fairy gone dark, better designed to end life than to foster it. Helio would have to work that out in his own way, perhaps giving in to drink would lead him to give in to what he was now. Nym could see the necessity in this, he had the patience to wait for the lad to grieve the loss of who heâd been because once Helio was done with his catharsis, a truly dark fairy would be an incredible asset to his crew.
It was Barboda who saw the need to intervene, grabbing Helioâs leg and knocking him to the floor. Nym only rolled his eye and let the two of them sort it out. He was captain while they sailed, and in a tavern, he would not be playing babysitter to two squabbling sailors. He waited, only half his attention on the two, but with no plans to intervene unless things escalated to anything past a simple bar fight. Some men needed to blow off steam, and most things were best settled on shore than the sea.
Time: Afternoon Location: North Pass, Out hunting Interactions: Rue @Potter Armor: Leather Vest with Armor of Deflection charm, Rest of outfit minus the gloves. Weapons: Steel Short Sword with Shift Charm transforming it into a chain knife, and a small boot knife. Equipment: a backpack containing: 1 large red potion, 1 green potion, 3 large blue potions, 2 small blue potions, a hunting knife, a flask, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, matches, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs (skaula and zemak), rolling papers, pipe, a gorestria gem ring and a pouch of amas.
Bowyn waited for Rue to return, his hand absentmindedly scratched and petted Moonyâs head. And return she did, and almost immediately the ever-loyal Moony returned to her side. There was another brief moment in which Bowyn truly found himself without words as he saw Rue clad in finely studded leather armor, a lance held at one side, a loyal wolf flanking the other side. He hardly noticed his mouth hung agape until he went to offer a reassuring smile.
Avalian history and myth were littered with stories left behind by the past humans, right now he thought of the tales of mighty Valkyries, fiercest warrior women from humanâs winter realm. Stories that had mixed and blended themselves in seamlessly with Avalian tales and myths until it was rare that a child of winter didnât grow up picturing those same mighty warriors severing Alysia, goddess of winter, and protecting and guiding those same winter fae.
âAs beautiful and fierce as the apex of winter, even Alysia herself trembles with envy.â Bowyn finally spoke as he followed Rue, flanking the side opposite Moony. The same loyalty that velcroed the wolf, pulled Bowyn along as well. Once outside Rue suggested hunting without the group.
âThat noisy bunch? Surely theyâre going to scare off anything worth hunting in an instant. Weâll get a head start, show âem how itâs done.â Bowyn was quick to agree with Rue. Didnât they deserve quality time? Everything was only going to get more difficult as the drums of war beat louder. One day where things felt normal, just Rue, Moony, and him hunting in the snow like old times. He could even try to be more like he was, the better Bowyn who didnât spend all his free time dreaming of violence. âAnd there is no company Iâd prefer to yours.â He added, continuing to follow Moony who seemed gleeful to lead his pack.
Time: Morning Location: Dugmaghord - The Pit Interactions: Pâsh@Alivefalling Weapon: Meliora a cobalt glaive with unbreaking and returning charms Armor: Just the clothes on his back Equipment: Lockpicking kit, small knife, 3 large red potions, and a pouch of amas.
Celebrate? Drinking? Now Pâsh was really speaking his language. He followed the massive orc from the pits ready to enjoy the rare chance to relax amongst the greatest of the orcs. Leaf and his rattled brain didnât really understand why Pâsh thought he needed a bodyguard but who was he to argue with the top orc? So he nodded and set that aside to think about later. Leaf accepted the cup and immediately dunked it into the barrel from the hole Pâsh had punched into it. At least it was something to fill his stomach with, heâd been hoping for a plate of ribs so large he couldnât see over it, but this would do for now. He looked down into the cup, picked out the few splinters of barrel lid that floated on top, and took a long drink. A great warrior and a showman! He thought of the ord leader.
Leaf struggled not to cough as the harsh drink burned its way down. He always forgot how strong the orcâs alcohol was, not like the refreshing punch they were always serving back home. Like much of orc culture it was not designed for comfort, it was made to be effective. The ease with which orcs drank the powerful drink only reminded him that orcs were built differently from any other race heâd met. Everything an orc did consistently served to strengthen them, they would always endure, and they never searched for the easy path. War would not break an orc and if he could become half as tough as them, maybe it wouldnât break him either.
He studied Pâsh, careful not to hold his gaze on the orc for longer than a second or two, but studying the way the grand chieftain carried himself. He watched every fight in the pit as if his own survival depended on it. He tried not to think about food, even though that thought kept slipping in when he tried to stay focused. If heâd gone hunting heâd probably be eating something right now. But that was the easy path, he had to do what was difficult until it was second nature. Until he was more like the orcs; strong enough to withstand facing demons and enduring war. If he failed, if he wasnât strong enough, heâd be no use to his group, heâd let them all down.
âGrand Chieftan, if I can ask it, which oâ your many victories held the sweetest taste? Was it the huntin' of the Hygora shrimp?â Leaf asked, careful in his phrasing to not imply anything Pâsh might take offense to, but wondering if any of the mighty orcâs battles had been difficult for him. Of course, now, Leaf was wondering if Hygora shrimp were as tasty as regular shrimp but he wasnât about to irritate Pâsh with an endless string of frivolous questions.
Time: 9:30 am Location: Anastasiaâs Room Interaction: Anastasia @princess
âAna, you insult me. Donât tell me you thought I couldnât handle a little over-indulgence?â Callum forced a smile, he could pretend he was fine, it was an act heâd practiced most of his life. Everything from last night was slowly catching up with him; heâd gotten an adrenaline boost from his panicked start to the day, and had the entire charade of the entrance hall to distract him for a bit but it was all wearing off now. His stomach remained a tangled knot of guilt and nausea, every part of him beyond exhausted from his short and restless sleep, his head felt ready to crack open even without trying to force memories back up, and his legs felt like heâd run a marathon. And that didnât even scratch the surface of what bothered him.
The way his mother had simply declared a man to die to today as if she were ordering a drink. He couldnât ever remember not being on edge around Edin, but it was the first time heâd felt afraid of his mother. That feeling permanently etched itself into his mind. How much of a person had to die off before they could snatch a whole life away on a whim? Itâd be easier to just accept that was how the world worked. Plenty of people did, they accepted it, they lived their lives far happier than he, and for not the first time, Callum wished he could let it go, let that part of him die off, and let himself be happy. Instead, numbing it all down to whisper was the best he could manage.
He stayed in the doorway, leaving the doors wide open and leaning with his hand against one of the doors. Nothing he said was being hidden from the guards, no reason for them to make reports of any secret conversations that would earn him more suspicion from either his parents or Wulfric. Almost subconsciously his eyes scanned the room for something to drink before landing back on Ana.
Even now all he really wanted was to drink himself into another blackout and then sleep for about a week. A selfish, useless, prince. A familiar thought slipped in, and none of that was easily said, so he shrugged off concerns about himself, they didnât matter, he didnât matter. He was here to lessen Anaâs concerns, not to add to them.
âAnyway, I just came to let you know Darrynâs safe now. I spoke with Wulfric, and he agreed that the man had suffered enough. He even helped convince mother to see reason, theyâve let him go, on probation. So, no execution, but for his sake, itâd be best if we both keep our distance from him, just to be sure nothing happens to jeopardize his safety.â He didnât say anything about his deal with Wulfric, he didnât see any reason to and he really did just want to believe that his brother had done him a favor. His parents were both a lost cause, but his siblings, he needed to be able to still have faith in them, he had to see the good where he could find it.
âYou know, what you did, standing up to our parents, in front of an audience like that, it took guts. They might not appreciate it, but it was honest, brave, and for whatâs worth, I think you did the right thing.â Cal added with an easier smile now, because this he entirely meant. Heâd never had the courage to call them out so publicly, not the way she had, heâd never be that brave. âThought you deserved to know that.â
Time: Morning, 9:30am Location: Outside Danrose Palace Interactions: A potentially interesting servant, @JJ Doe
The labor union? Had that collection of thugs extended their reach into Caesonia as well? Out intimidating slow-witted workers into laziness while offering up ridiculous demands and fouling up productivity. Half the reason Varian trailed behind Caesonia to be sure. Leo found that statement almost as amusing as the servant did, for entirely different reasons. There were things that came before Leo and his pride, and above all things; there was family, Stravy, and Varian herself. It would only help Varian in the long run if Caesonia was forced to deal with the same demands, even out the playing field between the two neighboring kingdoms. He would enjoy seeing Caesonia trail behind Varian one day, to see things more in line with how they ought to be. Certainly, labor unions were not what was behind this servant's wild behavior but, clearly, they were ideas she possessed an inkling of.
The servant certainly seemed pleased with herself; an unhinged theatrical performance of laughter and mockery that showed no regard for her own safety. He could bring this entire situation to the attention of Caesoniaâs royalty, he doubted it would end well for the servant, but what good would that do Leo? To whine before royalty about insults hurled by the insignificant as if they were valid wounds? No. That was weak, not becoming of a Duke, and when his time came he would not be a weak, sniveling, poor excuse for a Duke.
This servant was a ticking time bomb that had hurled herself in the wrong direction. Bold and carrying around treacherous notions, a potentially dangerous combination, and that made this far more interesting than heâd first thought. Some problems required no further escalation, simply redirection. She could ramble on about her thoughts on his character and education, but from a lesser, her opinion on him mattered less than the muck sheâd smeared onto his shoes. What he gained from this was the suspicion that these were opinions not of just him, but of all nobles, for the two of them were not acquainted enough for her to know much about him to make such claims.
It was those final words that crossed the line, the mention of his motherâs scandalous marriage. An idea a servant only couldâve picked up from the whisperings of her betters within this very palace. He would show no dissension towards his motherâs poor choices, and Leo gave no indication of how much those words bothered him other than the slight redding of his ears and a brief flash of anger in his eyes. He shook his head, reminding himself that he did not need to escalate this, she understood none of it, and he would not acknowledge that comment. Instead, Leo offered his own intervention.
âHereâs your problem; you resort to mud-slinging and a temper tantrum aimed in entirely the wrong direction. Your problems are Caesonian, and you lash out at a Varian? Why? What good does that do you? Have you been to Stravy, anywhere in Varian? I think youâd find even the ants have a better go of it there.â He dropped his voice to a calm, cold, whisper and stepped closer. He placed a hand upon the servant's shoulder, a subtle reminder that only of them was untouchable and this was not a conversation between equals.
âNot moments ago it was your sovereign offering up the death of another stable hand, who only drove his betters to a party. This has never been an executable offensive in Stravy, nor anywhere in Varian that I know of. You speak of my house when the house you serve has rot within its own foundation. If you wish to be treated with dignity, act as if you have it. If you want respect, demand it from your own masters first. You keep this up, and all your intentions and grievances will fall upon the wrong ears and your lot, it will not change. If you are angry and ambitious, channel that in the right direction, or my premonition for you is very a bleak one.â Leo removed his hand and shrugged.
âEither way, my lot is set.â He smiled, as he always did when looking danger in the eye. If house Danrose could not even manage to keep their servants in line then they should be the ones dealing with the consequences of that. It would certainly liven the summer up to watch them forced to deal with the rebellious peasants theyâve allowed to run loose within their own castle.
Time: 9:30 am Location: Danrose Entrance Hall - Anastasiaâs Room Interaction: Guards outside of Anastasiaâs room @princess
Misery? Callum had only nodded at his brotherâs final words before heâd left. This entire place inspires nothing but misery. He thought as he left the entrance hall as well and headed towards his own room.
Sure, nothing more would happen to Darryn, but that didnât erase what had already been done. His actions had not only gotten another man beaten and nearly killed, but had painted a target on Marek as well. His actions, which as far as he could remember had been simply attending an unauthorized party with few other willing participants. There was a clear fact buried in this morning's events; every person he had any interaction with unless it was approved by his parents would be worse off for it, if not in outright danger, because of him. He couldnât keep playing games with people who wrote the rules, there was no hope of winning there.
His only other option was to do exactly what heâd promised Wulfric; stay out of trouble, and do nothing to provoke his family. Maybe in time, heâd be able to nudge them towards more merciful decisions, maybe that was the best he could hope for and even that seemed like a stretch. At least it would mean no one else would be in danger because of him, and that seemed worthy enough to at least try.
Callum didnât head straight for his own room. Instead, he went to check on Ana first. He found a pair of stern-looking guards standing in front of her door.
âIâd like to speak to my sister. Feel free to supervise if you must.â He offered. Ana deserved to know Darryn wasnât being killed, he could only assume his mother would leave her to stew and suffer with her own guilt and that was one cruelty he could at least end.
Time: Morning, 9:30am Location: Outside the Danrose Palace Interactions: One, very rude, servant @JJ Doe
Leo headed outside the palace, his view of a perfectly fine day in a lovely city obstructed by some filthy servant who continued to find herself in his way. What was with this place? Was there not a single person here training these imbeciles? The servant's erratic walking pattern only continued until the creature was now, not only in his way but, uncomfortably close to him. The bizarreness of the experience put him on guard, there was no reason for this filth-covered servant to be this close save for ill intentions.
He scanned her for any signs of a weapon, his eyes focused mainly on her hands, expecting some sort of attack, an assassination attempt, and one he was ready to parry. The servant only moved to smeared mud from her boots onto his freshly purchased shoes.
Not the attack heâd been expecting, not one against his life but against his footwear of all things. The obvious correlation was made between his current situation and the slippery-shoes incident from earlier. Few of her words bothered him, the opinion of an ant against one with the power to squash such an insect was trivial, but her final statement was a vague threat that could not be so easily dismissed. An early grave had been her words, and as far-fetched, as the idea was, it only brought to mind the disappearance of his father. As unlikely as it seemed that these could be related incidents there was no reason to take chances.
âQuite the statement, from one, who is nothing. Bold too, though here Iâd have to call it stupidity; they donât seem very forgiving of out-of-line behavior in Sorian. I can assume you played a part in tampering with the rest of my shoes?â He asked, though he didnât bother to wait for an answer before continuing. âAlmost amusing if not for the poor timing. This is far less amusing, and Iâm certain his royal highness would have little tolerance for threatening his guests with an âearly grave.â I prefer to handle my own matters, so, who put you up to this?â Leo waited, expecting the name of some proper nobleman with who a grievance needed settling because as far as he saw it, no mere servant would be able to plot something as masterfully executed as the slippery shoe incident and certainly there was no reason for a servant of another kingdom to launch threats.
Time: Morning Location: Danrose Palace Entrance Hall Interactions: Dutchess Smithwood
Leo had spoken his piece, offered up all the information he could, adding on to his description of Kazu when prompted by Edin and then staying quiet for the remainder of the conversation as instructed by his mother. Not that he had much more to add anyways. Despite the warning from his mother, Leo was confident he was right to cast some suspicion towards Kazu, the man was a shady character based on his actions at the ball alone, and then to have been already headed towards the warehouse only added to that. Based on the others here it was clear that Kazu was the odd man out of the bunch, everyone else in that carriage had been a proper noble with a recognizable title and family. Kazu was either very lucky to have made a connection that landed him an invite or he already knew about this strange party. That alone should be reason enough to question him.
Far too many of his peers seemed more concerned with the life of a stable boy over what was beginning to sound more and more like a plot to undermine the relationship between two royal families. Admittedly the death penalty seemed extreme but he was a Danrose servant and this was their kingdom, how they chose to discipline their people was not his concern. What was his concern was where his own damn servant was with the shoes he requested. Truthfully, Leo was probably lucky this whole thing was so overly dramatic because no one had commented on his lack of shoes. Excellent, donât even think anyone noticed. He thought, grateful for his turn of luck as they were all quickly dismissed to go about their days.
Then just as everyone was beginning to make their way out of the entrance hall, his servant finally returned with a pair of shoes. âLord Smithwood, new shoes as requested.â The servant announced in a voice Leo found to be unnecessarily loud. A whisper would have done fine, or, if the servant possessed even half a brain he wouldâve waited another couple of minutes until Leo was away from royals and foreign dignitaries to hand over the shoes but, alas, one could never expect that amount of sense from a servant.
This was a fine example of why the noble class was burdened with things like leadership and never-ending lists of duties that must be carefully overseen, those beneath them, those of lower breeding, did not have the capacity to do much else beyond following orders. Leo knew he shouldâve been clearer about how to deliver the shoes to him, even the best-trained hounds needed firm guidance to keep them in line, the same was true of servants. To discipline the servant for this would only draw further attention to him and possibly reveal a failure to properly instruct the man as well. So Leo let it go, snatched up the shoes, and dismissed the man.
âThere was an issue with my shoes this morning, it has been resolved. Have a good day, mother.â Leo addressed his mother in a neutral tone, no warmth in his voice but remaining civil and polite as he was expected to. He assumed she wonder what he was doing walking around the palace without shoes on and didnât want further questioning. He only put on the replacement shoes and went to leave not wanting to end up trapped in further conversation with her and potentially miss breakfast.
Now there was the classic Pancakes in the Park event as a breakfast option but an indulgent stack of pancakes with messy and overly sweet toppings hardly sounded like a fitting breakfast. Berthaâs Breakfast Bar was an option as well but a name like that hardly conveyed the proper sense of class for a young nobleman to be seen there. The Gossamer, on the other hand, was said to be hosting a âTaste of Alidashtâ event that sounded like a far classier and more adventurous option for breakfast. So this was what Leo settled on for his next destination.
Callum listened as Farim spoke after him; a calm and rational plea for Darrynâs life and made with no cries for some bloodthirsty revenge as punishment for what was simply a party that got a little wild. Cal often made swift and harsh judgments based solely on first impressions, and he rarely changed his mind from those impressions. For Mayet he saw her as embodying ever foul rumor of Alidasht itself; foul-tempered, bloodthirsty, vicious, and Caesonia was already filled with nobles like that. Hafiz only provided much of the same foul venom, yet another who claimed a noble title but whose words and actions were anything but noble. The son of the Vizier, however, provided a stark contrast; Farim was a good man, someone Cal could respect. He flash a small thankful smile towards Farim after he had spoken, and extended the same to Zarai who pleaded for Darrynâs life as well. In a crowded hall of nobles, all here due to their own choices, and yet, only a small handful cared enough to speak up when a stable boyâs life was on the line.
Hearing about Zaraiâs injuries from her mother, even more so than seeing the bruises that marked her skin, made it abundantly clear that out of all of them, Zarai was the one that truly suffered injuries from last night. The rest of them, the oh-so-offended Alidasht included, were all more or less unscathed save for the embracement of having lost control of themselves. Zarai, herself, asked for no vengeance, only for Darrynâs life. It was clear to Callum that he owed her an apology later, for whatever had happened last night, for whatever part he mightâve played in it, and now also for the increasingly lecherous looks, Edin was sending her way.
Cal had done his best to shift the blame towards himself, and even with Edin predictably backing him up, it seemed it was not enough to convince the rest of them. But it seemed he wouldnât have to because Ana soon stepped forward to speak with more raw honesty in one speech than heâd ever heard spoken from the entirety of the Caesonian court. Callum wasnât sure if he had tried to take all the blame to protect Ana or because he thought she might be complacent in their familyâs plan to scapegoat another, but now he knew for sure, that Ana didnât want to play these games any more than he did. For the first time in a long while, maybe even ever, he was proud of someone in his family.
His sentiment was not shared by his parents who had Ana immediately sent to her room. It was predictable, she had brought up problems that reflected poorly on them and so they tried to dismiss and further hide those problems as they always did. Then a meeting that started with a lecture that led up to an announced execution of a man who had done nothing more than driving a carriage, ended with a break for breakfast and a promise of further interrogation of the already badly beaten Darryn. Except an interrogation was very unlikely to mean calmly asking questions and listening to answers, and far more likely to mean further torture for Darryn.
There wasnât a lot Cal could do about that, he had little power or influence over his family but little was a least a ways off from nothing. Speaking with Edin was out of the question, he didnât have a reasonable bone in his entire body, and his mother, the side of her heâd seen today made him want even less to do with her than normal. Wulfric, on the other hand, might be willing to entertain a compromise. So he approached his eldest brother just as the group gathered in the hall began to disband.
âWulfric, today has made me see just how important image is to this family. Especially when it comes to relations with our neighbors, and how much my words and actions could affect that.â He spoke quietly to his brother, leaving out childish nicknames and with no trace of sarcasm or jest in his tone.
âIt matters to you that this whole summer goes well, right? It matters to me that no further harm comes to Darryn and Iâd be, distraught, if it did. Distraught enough I might forget how important image is to this family and I donât want to be the cause of any incidents. So maybe you can help me, Wulfric, you make sure no more harm comes to Darryn and I keep my mind focused on staying in line with the image you want for this family. I canât give you a name, but I can give you cooperation with just about anything else. I can be reasonable.â
He knew better than to outright threaten Wulfric, but his brother was smart enough to know what he meant. Callum could be more than just a nuisance if he wanted to, he could put every bit of his time and energy into sabotaging his family in every way he could. He didnât, because he knew someone else would wind up paying for it, but if they were going to torture servants for nothing more than driving a carriage to a party then he might as well not hold back. Maybe he was only digging himself deeper into the hole he already was in, but he was partially to blame for the outing; he encouraged it, so he couldnât just do nothing and let Darryn suffer for it.
Member
Sunny Suzuki
princess
CitrusArms
PapaOso
Punished GN
Tae
pugbutter
Apex Sunburn
