Stefano Bene and Alberic Thorel
(Cowritten with @InfamousGuy101)
Aboard the Black Seafarer The waves were merciful, rolling beneath the ship with a steady rhythm that sent only the occasional spray over the deck. The scent of salt and wood filled the air, mingling with the sounds of sailors calling out orders, ropes creaking, and the deep groan of timber shifting with the tide. A calm sea made for a quiet voyage.
Alberic stood near the railing, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed on the endless blue horizon. Somewhere beyond it lay the Isles of the Circle Sea, just beyond sight yet vivid in his mind’s eye.
Vich, his home.
He pictured the hustling docks, filled with the scent of fresh fish and spiced rum, merchants barking out prices, sailors laughing in half a dozen different tongues, the clang of blacksmiths shaping cutlasses and firearms. The city was alive, a place of both camaraderie and cunning, where fortunes could be made—or lost—on a single bet.
The inland forests of Favis were a different kind of beauty, untamed and vibrant, thick with towering oaks and wildflowers, rivers winding through the land like silver veins. He imagined the cliffs of Emidley jagged and defiant, rising like teeth from the sea.
And then, Aonène.
He wondered how she had fared since his departure. Had the war dragged her deeper into its chaos? Had Andronika made her move toward the east? Would she still look at him the same when he returned?
Alberic clenched his jaw, shoving the thought aside. There was no time for that.
His hands gripped the wooden railing, feeling the smooth grain beneath his fingers. The Isles mattered. Aonène mattered. The League had to be brought into this war before it was too late.
He then spots a figure from the other side of the deck, moving with a contrast that didn’t quite match the rough, wind-worn sailors around him.
Stefano, Coralie's envoy.
Stefano studied his notes given to him by Coralie for any information about her cousin's court. He'd like to not be blindsided by any surprises while presenting his case, but he is expecting some new information once he arrives to Trefgodwig to begin his parlay. Unfortunately, his notes were short this time due to most information about Andronika and the White Court being that of rumors. When Alberic's eyes met his, Stefano flashed a toothy grin at the corsair before sauntering to him. Perhaps this Monchian could provide some valuable information.
"Guess it will be a long journey to Trefgodwig," he said to Alberic. "Hopefully your princess and her Dawnbringer will still be there by the time we arrive. Can't start negotiation with the Black Wyvern's soon to be heir if she's gone."
Alberic’s eyes, cold and unreadable at first, lingered on Stefano for a moment before his expression shifted to something more neutral, even cordial, if only slightly. He turned his gaze back to the sea, resting his forearms against the railing.
"Last I knew, Trefgodwig was secured from Imperial forces. Vassos is a thorough commander," Alberic said, his tone measured, "He’s not the sort to let guard down, even at the best of times."
The sea breeze rustled through his unkempt hair as he glanced at Stefano, his smirk barely visible.
"You seem rather confident that Coralie’s deal will be taken at face value," he remarked, his voice carrying a note of skepticism rather than hostility, "I wonder if you truly believe that... or if you're just playing the part of a man who does."
Stefano simply shrugged at Alberic’s statement.
“Lady Andronika is well within her right to reject Coralie’s offer,” he replied. “But Coralie’s terms are fair and generous and it’s a way to prevent bloodshed between the family.”
Alberic pondered Stefano’s words briefly, his gaze drifting toward the horizon again before settling more directly on the envoy. Coralie’s forces were impressive, and he wouldn’t deny that in many ways, they were superior to Andronika’s. Yet, despite all her bravado, he suspected the so-called Empress wouldn’t be entertaining an alliance if her grip was as certain as she claimed. She needed this just as much as Andronika did. The question was, did Stefano know that? Or was he simply another devoted believer, blind to the maneuvering at play?
His lips curled slightly, not quite a smirk, but close, "Lady Andronika may be eccentric, with a... perplexing disposition, but she's intelligent, just like her
‘cousin.’" There was an emphasis there, slight but deliberate. "I’m certain they’ll work something out."
Letting that thought settle, Alberic shifted the conversation, leaning more casually against the railing. "So then, how did you find yourself in the ‘Empress’s’ favor, envoy?" His tone carried a hint of amusement, though his eyes remained sharp, gauging the man as he awaited his answer.
“Literacy gets you far, being a legal expert in Imperial, Calarian, and Doelian maritime trade laws gets you further,” Stefano answered. “I simply provide a valuable service to Coralie in a way that legitimizes her ventures and not have an authority demanding her head on a pike.”
Alberic smirked, tilting his head slightly as he took in Stefano’s answer. So, not a fighter, something more dangerous. A handler, perhaps. A man who didn’t need a sword to get his way, but rather, knew how to make sure others used theirs in just the right manner. It made him wonder just how deep Stefano’s loyalty to Coralie truly ran. Was he just another follower, or did he have ambitions of his own?
He let out a low chuckle, "I’m certain there are plenty who still wish for your Empress’s head on a pike, irrespective of any law you weave to keep her safe." He gestured out toward the open sea, "This is war. Laws hardly matter. Not that they ever did much beforehand." His smirk lingered as he added, "I would know. Been a Corsair for half my life. Seen plenty of men cling to contracts and treaties like they were armor, only to find them worthless the moment a blade was at their throat."
“Well of course, you can’t rely solely on treaties and contracts without force to back them up,” Stefano replied with his own smirk. “Coralie knows the right people to keep happy and she has the weapons, followers, and ships to ensure that her head wouldn’t be gifted to some prince who wants her dead.”
“Now enough about me,” the legal expert said. “How did a Monchian Corsair like you ended up in the service of an Inburian princess all the way in Carnelfenney without a fleet? You fancy the lady?” Now it was his turn to ask the questions.
Alberic remained silent for a moment as he slowly reached into a belt pouch and retrieved a small, pipe. From another pouch, he pinched a bit of harleaf, a dried, pungent plant favored by sailors, traders and mercenaries alike for its calming properties, and packed it into the bowl.
“I didn’t intend to come into Lady Andronika’s service,” he finally said, voice steady as he struck a small flint against steel, bringing a tiny ember to life. He lit the pipe, taking a slow drag before exhaling a thin plume of smoke, “Came to the mainland for my own reasons… personal business.” His jaw tightened slightly, smoke curling from his pipe.
“But things rarely go as planned,” he continued, “and I found myself caught by the Haltians. Through Andronika and her protector, we freed ourselves.” He let the pipe rest between his fingers, glancing briefly at Stefano. “So no, I don’t fancy the lady. I don’t owe her anything beyond my gratitude for getting me out of chains. That’s why I took the task to get Coralie’s attention for her, why I fight beside her. The Empire is no friend to the Isles or the League. That much is simple.”
His expression softened slightly, his fingers easing around the pipe. “But I have sworn protection to the Dawnbringer,” he added, “That, at least, was my own choice.”
“You mention the Dawnbringer as someone you sworn to protect,” Stefano said, seemingly satisfied with Alberic’s answer and now switching to another topic. “I would like to meet this Dawnbringer myself, see if he matches what ancient prophecies say about beating back an ancient evil.”
Alberic took another slow drag from his pipe, letting the harleaf smoke curl between his lips before exhaling into the salty sea air.
“Oftentimes, expectations and realities don’t coincide,” he finally said, “People hear prophecy, hear legend, and they build something grand in their minds. Something larger than life.” He tapped a bit of ash from the pipe’s bowl, “But reality? Reality is flesh and blood. A person, not a myth.”
His eyes flicked to Stefano, studying the man’s expression before he continued, “That said… Lady Aonène has proven herself to many. Enough to gather masses to her, to make men and women believe. And ghat kind of belief moves armies, moves kingdoms...” He gestured loosely with the stem of his pipe , “That’s a strength you should heavily consider, envoy. Coralie has guns and gold, sure. But this? This is something different. Something even steel and powder struggle to match, I say that as someone who once only sought personal retribution..."
Darby/Intermountain States — Yesterday at 7:13 PM
“A lady, the Dawnbringer is a dame?” Stefano asked with a shock. In honesty, he already knew from Coralie that Andronika fashioned a girl to be her Dawnbringer but best to let Andronika’s envoy explain it. “I would say that it is unusual but then again, three of the five people staking their claims for the throne of Inburia are women themselves.”
“I wonder how a noblewoman ended up within Lady Andronika’s circle,” Stefano wondered. “Must be a Carnelfennian nobility or maybe an Inburian lady who coincidentally was in the same chains as you.”
Alberic let out a short chuckle at Stefano’s feigned surprise, shaking his head slightly as he tapped his pipe against the railing, “She’s no mainland dame,” he corrected, the smoke curling from his lips as he spoke. “Aonène is from the Isles, just like I am. No highborn lady of Carnelfenney or Inbur, no noble’s daughter waiting to be married off.” He took another slow drag.
“She found herself under Haltian chains, same as I did,” he continued, “And I swore to protect her when we broke free. Seemed the right thing to do at the time for a fellow Monchian.” His gaze drifted momentarily toward the horizon, where the Isles remained unseen but never far from his thoughts, “But little did I know, she wouldn’t just be someone to guard, she’d be the one defending all of us from what’s coming.”
Alberic’s words just went through Stefano’s ears as he considered what was being said at first. The girl being fashioned by Andronika as the Dawnbringer was just a Monchian peasant girl, which for some reason, this corsair is treating her as his lady.
Stefano rubbed his goatee as the corsair keeps going on and on about the girl. He would have to find more information about this Aonène while he’s at Trefgodwig. He probably couldn’t or wouldn’t kidnap her and deliver the girl to Coralie, not while he’s all the way at Trefgodwig. But maybe if they’re closer, he could find some way for both Coralie and the girl to meet.
When Alberic stopped talking, Stefano glanced at the man.
“Very inspiring,” he simply said.
Alberic exhaled another plume of smoke, his gaze lingering on Stefano with scrutiny. The envoy’s response, so detached, so carefully noncommittal, was exactly what he’d expected. The man wasn’t a believer in causes or prophecies, that much was obvious. No, Stefano was a handler and a schemer, the kind who dealt in leverage and negotiations rather than conviction. A dangerous type, though not in the way of swords and pistols.
Still, there was no point in pressing further. Alberic had seen enough men like him in the League to know that Stefano was already measuring angles, calculating advantages. He smirked once more, rolling his pipe between his fingers.
“Well,” he said at last, “I’m sure both ‘Hasikos’ will work something out.” His tone was laced with a mix of amusement and skepticism, as if he knew that the outcome would be anything but simple. “Whatever happens, your ‘Empress’ has already provided me with what I need.”
The message he’d received before boarding, the one with the information he’d been searching for, was far more valuable to him than any talk of alliances or empires. Warrin Montfault. Greybeard. "The man who took everything from me," he thought.
Alberic had played the part of envoy, had brokered a conversation for Lady Andronika and Coralie, but at the end of the day, there were debts yet to be settled. His mission to Trefgodwig was secondary to that truth. And now, thanks to Coralie’s reach, he was closer than ever to finally exacting his vengeance.
The conversation was over and Stefano looked at the back of the corsair's head with some mild amusement. The man provided him with more information about the Dawnbringer and Andronika than Coralie could.
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