Grand Bank, Duchess Agustria's Estate, a Few Days Before the Queen's Voyage Would Meet Athius

_{@Donut Look Now, @Click This}

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“Please allow us to escort you to her grace. It wouldn’t do if her esteemed guests were to get lost. It is, after all, a very large house.”

Mene stepped out of the carriage with his ‘sister’, greeting the staff with a polite smile. He hoped it was convincing enough to hide the squeamishness that caused his skin to feel itchy and palms to clam up.

It seemed Her Grace was very, very entrusting, due to what she saw at Duke Rhinecliff's estate. Mene should have seen this coming. He should have gotten off the carriage and walked the last ten minutes himself. That we he would have had a chance to slip through a crack and enter the estate in secret?

Now?

Now they were flying by the seat of their pants. One of them had to be free to look through correspondence or pick up whispered secrets. But how?

“If possible, could you lead my brother to a lavatory? The journey here was long, after all.”

Ah, his sister. Quick thinking as always. It truly made him admire her more, and he shot a relieved glance in her direction. Perhaps he could slip away on the way or in the lavatory.

He pretended to squirm, an embaressed flush growing over his cheeks. ”Ah, yes. It is somewhat of an emergency…”

Meanwhile, his ring glimmered. He set his intention to be able to slip away in a momentary lapse in attention, and wished for it terribly. If there was even a hint, even a possibility it could happen - he, and his ring, would take advantage of it.

Duchess of Caelin

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Grand Bank, Agustria House\\
@Estylwen, @Donut Look Now

‘Asteria’s’ suggestion immediately drew consternation from the leading maid, who narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two young nobles, knowing well what their instruction had been from the duchess herself. The older, more experienced Vauxhall, however, did not miss a beat and nodded at the twins’ request. “Very well,” replied the older man, “If you will follow me, we will show you to a guest lavatory.”

Another of the maids gestured for Mene to follow the steward, and as soon as he did so, she and another maid fell in behind him. If questioned, they would respond they would be helping to escort an honored guest—but the presence of three people did make it difficult for him to slip away in the hallway, even with the advantages of his ring. The ring did work; there were numerous distractions along the short way—a dapper butler in the hallway that briefly drew the admiring attention of one of the maids; a sneeze the steward; but each time, one of the three covered for the others until they made it to the bathroom. This was one of the lavatories afforded to guests for the sitting room. Like any proper room on an estate as large as this, it was large and well appointed. Particularly of note was the opaque frosted window that allowed light in, but little much else.

The two remaining maids meanwhile brought ‘Asteria’ directly to Mirie in her study without her brother. Filing in behind their guest, they stood at the ready. The duchess was sitting at her desk, frowning for a moment when she noticed the white-haired girl was alone. Then she decided that it was probably for the better. The absence of panic in her household staff so far meant that whatever was going on with her brother was under control for the moment.

“Viscountess Asteria, a pleasure to see you again. My maids’ welcoming party was not too jarring, I hope?”

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Swiftsure, At Sea, Several Days Later, Afternoon\\
@Estylwen, @Irradiant, @The Otter

Hamilton, to an extent, had expected that the Swiftsure would become the ghosts’ latest punching bag the moment the ship had engaged them. Some of the fire had shifted towards the dragon at Callum’s hollering, and a few guns on the weather deck even opened up on it. Unfortunately, they were loaded with proper cannonballs, easily missing their airborne target despite its size. Jikoryss’s reply was far more devastating. The peal of lightning smacked against its upper gundeck, cracking wood and knocking back some of the guns peeking out from their ports, snapping their rope bindings and even fully dismounting a few cannons that landed on their unfortunate crews. The ship shuddered and shook, but shouldered on.

Faith’s attack was less materially damaging, but dealt the greater proportion of injury to the men as his lance slammed into the weather deck among the ranks of shooters and mages. A few were killed outright and the rest scattered, some being blown overboard or across the deck and forcing Hamilton and some of his officers to briefly duck for cover.

“Blast it all, this wasn’t the type of battle we prepared for,” he muttered, making a pained expression at the damage to his ship and his men. His captain immediately began calling for the injured to be brought below deck as the others rallied the men and began firing back again. The guns on the weather deck were the most equipped to shoot back, and this time with grape shot as they began to fire canisters of metal pellets at both Faith and the dragon.

It wasn't a good situation, but Hamilton was hardly out of resources. He might not have an angry dragon or monster fighters, but quantity was still quality on its own. “Signal the fleet. Form up defensively around the Swiftsure and the Minstrel and fire on that dragon!”

Sailing in line formation expecting a naval threat had been a mistake. With enough people shooting at the dragon and the toadies of the Ravenfell king, though, he reasoned it would be enough to drive them off.

-

Underwater, Mirie and Minuette were having a much better time. Valor’s intervention had been unexpected, but a somewhat welcome one. In a way, she was a hindrance to the duchess’s plans, with the queen and her allies in battle further below, but Valot was also an unambiguously obvious enemy and threat for her to target immediately. Being underwater hindered communication, though, and she had to signal the countess to spread out as Valor attacked with a golden light, whipping up the water around them into a frenzied whirlpool.

Mirie countered with a storm of her own, gathering the vast quantity of bubbles and air in the churning waters into a turbulent wave to counter Valor’s swirling water. Stepping out from the turgid currents, she charged at Valor, cutting out at her with bolts of air that sliced towards the ghostly woman. At the same time, Minuette came in from another angle, slashing out with her sword while Valor was forced to dodge Mirie’s spells.