[center][b][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFE7vPxuOLw]Château de D'Aubigne Courtyards - Noble's Quarter[/url][/b][/center]

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"My god," Lucius choked upon enjoying a tender pull, "The Ivalians know their distillations."

His eyes strayed elsewhere as one guest heartily drained her glass only to stumble as she stalked across the courtyard grounds. The woman managed half a dozen drunken steps before toppling over and splashing across a frothing fountain. Several others repeated similar mishaps along various steps and terraces throughout the chateau grounds. Dinner hadn't even arrived and the Ivalians were already spilling their marbles as would bon vivants.

Around them were those taking advantage of the Lord's hospitality. People stumbled and laughed a little too loudly. Onatha kept her eyes on the Regent. Lucius and Dae had had a hard time seeing him earlier, she was not bound by the same restrictions of the crowd. Now she would focus more so that the pair did not have to worry so.

A moment later, a bell rang and soon servants arrived to bring sizzling food platters draped in yet more dazzling cuisines, seafoods, and well prepared meats. The largely colorful vegetables, lobster, crawfish, and trout dishes seemed to the guests attract oohs and ahhs amidst the lightly glowing sparklers placed along every plate.

"Yadin-Hamon and Athirat be damned, Ona! The Ecuyer has certainly spared no expense to prepare the evening course. Out in the commons, commoners starve to death and yet, here they dine and gorge."

Elsewhere, the crowds as the Jesters clumsily tumbled and exuded obscene faces nearby in a bid to out perform their Ivalian rivals. The competition to dazzle and earn the gathering guest's attention proved fierce and to choose frivolous, non-sensical humorous over a dazzling, musical dance in itself became a mesmerizing spectacle.

"I will focus on him if you are worried about the crowd at all. He is and has been holding a court of sorts with many of the guests vying to have his ear and his time."

"Excellent," Lucius whispered, upon seizing a sizzling platter, "Your eyes are worth more than entire resistance circles, Ona. If we cannot continually trail his movements, you must do what you can to succeed where Dae and I fail. Curiously, his waistline continually alludes my knowledge. My absence has spanned over the course of almost a year. Eventually; that is ... if we aren't discovered, we shall uncover his true motives."

Onatha nodded. "I will stay with him. He is a strange man."

"See if you cannot observe the other rooms. I fear we simply aren't acknowledging the larger picture."

She frowned for a moment, worry crossing the green pools of her eyes. "If I do I cannot watch him as well. If you are comfortable with that I will do what you ask."

"The Lord Sovereign hasn't moved so I am certain you would uncover more should you survey the Ecuyer's estate. I've already spotted rather sinister figures watching the courtyards and inner rooms."

Onatha nodded and stepped just behind Lucius and Dae. They would be able to keep watch on the man while she looked around at the rest of the estate. There was far ore activity now than when they first arrived. She would be aware of everything as she looked but she was far more vulnerable when looking beyond and having the two of them in front of her afforded her some protection.

She stared off into the distance. To any who looked the woman with the strange eyes appeared lost in thought. In truth her vision was extending past the crowd, beyond the walls of the room.  She saw the servants in the kitchen preparing the platters. It was far busier in there than even out here among the guests. Cooks, sweating in the heat cooked away as others filled the platters. She watched as one young boy was smacked upside the head for nudging a table causing a sweet bun of some sort to fall to the floor.  

Onatha was about to move on when she noticed something strange. She was not a cook by any means but as she watched a servant sprinkle of dust of some kind on the food her gut told her it was not right.  She looked back at the meals on the fire, the roasting meats. Odd bottles appeared in the cooks hands and were dropped into the pots or drizzled on the meat.

"Do not eat anything here. Something is not right in the kitchen."  Her eyes were still on the area of the kitchen but her words were directed at Lucius and Dae. "Something is being added to all the dishes as they cook and before they leave the room."  She frowned. "And I know it is not for the better of the guests. Who sets heavily armed guards on a kitchen if something nefarious is not being done?"

Lucius dizzily glanced toward the sauces bubbling along his dish and almost entirely vomited before sinking towards the marble floors. Moments later, his careful sputters had finally served to eject the last of his earlier ingestions. The lobster meats had seemed almost too flavorful to have existed and had brought about a sort of drowsiness not normally acquired through most other venues. How could he have not known? His careless had overlooked the possibilities that the gathering's dishes could have been drugged; or worse ... [i]poisoned![/i]

She looked the guards over. "They guards bear the Ecuyer's house crest. I fear poison but do not know for sure. Do not eat anything more."  

She watched a guard as he backhanded a baker, a young woman, hard enough to send her to the floor. She was not sure what the girl had done but it was clear the kitchen was doing their duties under duress. There were glances between each other and towards the guards. The young woman was crying as she tried to get up off the floor. No one moved to help her but many glanced at each other as if fearing what more might come.

Onatha waited for either Dae or Lucius to answer her so that she knew they understood.

"Same for any drinks they offer." She watched two servants in a hallway just outside the kitchen carefully spiking the cups they had on a tray. Once again nearby a guard watched them. "They are putting something in all offered food and drink."

"D'Aubigne, you impudent swine," Lucius cursed, "I cannot even fathom the intoxication the others guests shall inevitably possess."

His eyes swept across the stairway to find the Lord Sovereign turn as a lady servant artfully whispered numerous delicate words and phrases through his ears. Following careful nods, the woman disappearing through a tiny opening as yet another servant appeared to closely whisper more discreet words.

"Ona, did you see that? I'd just noticed two servants and the Lord Sovereign discussing private matters. Were you able to catch their words?"

"I saw. The first assured him that everyone was laced as planned. The second told him they were awaiting him in the cellar. The Inquisition is waiting there for him with a prisoner. A heretic she said."

Onatha kept watch on the servants who were now in the hallways. "What should we do?"

Lucius's suddenly knuckles gripped the nearby fountain rails as his vision began to blur, provoking instinctive acts of sheer desperation. He'd mostly vomitted the lobster and appetizers, however, the drinks still lingered and he found himself struggling to remain conscious and afoot. With one hand gripping the railing, the Prince desperately reached towards his waistline in an effort to retrieve his pouch. Through outright paranoia, he'd packed a pain-numbing substance, yet found himself drifting in and out of darkness. His fingers fumbled as he clumsily stumbled along the fountain edges before nearly collapsing over the fountain edge.

"Ona, Dae, I ... I can barely walk straight," the Prince breathlessly gasped. His eyes darted towards the Lord Sovereign, whom had since remained jovial amongst the other guests. "I'm ... I'm uncertain if I am able to stand. Guhhhhhhhh ..."

Onatha pulled her gaze away and moved to Lucius' side. "Lean on me. If you hold about my waist no one will know you are ill and thus vulnerable. We can move into the shadows. They will think nothing more than a couple taking time alone. Perhaps we can find you water that has not been touched."  

She stood beside Lucius, her hand moving to his arm to help steady him. She put on a fake smile, as if he was a bit intoxicated and being overly friendly rather than extremely ill.

"I'm quite alright, though I thank you, Ona," he whispered, "My weariness will pass ... [i]eventually[/i] ..." The suppressant medicine could await conservation until his reserves demanded a more appropriate occasion and without protest, the Prince found himself hobbling alongside his companions towards a manor room away from the drunken, nearly deafening courtyard. Almost immediately, the steps delivered the trio into a secluded hallway where upon an entirely different crowd gathered. The gentle hums associated towards various Ivalian harps and lyres bristled through the corridors as a haunting, male voice recited flowery poetry phrases.

Dae frowned as she silently followed Ona and Lucius, glancing around cautiously as she did so. Of course Lucius would be stupid enough to eat something without thought for what could be in it. They were right in enemy territory! Everything should be treated with caution. Her gaze moved to the Lord Sovereign before glancing back to Lucius. "Surely it would just be easier to kill him now." Though her voice was cold and reasoned, she was struggling to keep her emotions in control. The gathering reminded her of times long past. She did not like remembering.

"I would desire nothing more than to see Conqvist's head on a pike; however, to attempt such an endeavor, we risk achieving nothing short of losing our lives. I have only begun to uncovered Conqvist's ways to know that his agents and snipers cover nearly every god forsaken rat hole surrounding his every step."

Frowning, Lucius scowled as suspicion engulfed his racing mind. The spiked dishes and drinks were deplorable and clearly unveiled Conqvist's hand marks, however, the more his eyes darted towards various guests the more another apprehensive observation had begun to unravel. The finely dressed Ivalians remained arm in arm alongside their male courtesans as they fixated along their cushioned seats. Lucius brushed along a wall as a fairly young Ivalian couple slammed against each other, whilst profusely embracing each others' lips. Elsewhere, several other notable guests chatted amicably as they surveyed the surrounding marble decorations and potted plants that seemingly dotted the interior, chateau pillars and hallways.

"Dae, Ona," he quietly hissed upon tightly gripping his companions' waistlines, "I may have uncovered yet another problem. I know the guests' identity and they compose as primarily prominent Ivalian merchants and ... [i][b]notable leaders amongst the Valanian resistance.[/b][/i] I suspect Conqvist maybe plotting an assassination attempt. To whom, I cannot ascertain, however, I fear we should not have even appeared ..."

No sooner had the Prince's words tapered than the sound of cocked pistols and drawn, wrist crossbows flicker nearby ...