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ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Mirie Agustria of the Grand Bank,

Duchess of Caelin

---

Hathforth\\
@Estylwen@Donut Look Now@Irradiant

It only took but a few moments for Duke Willowsteel to completely reverse Duchess Agustria’s opinion of the man and what he had to offer. There were precious few things one could do at a function like this for the famously amenable duchess to turn on someone like a fellow holder of a ducal seat, but he somehow managed to cross a line for her.

In response to everybody’s attempt to calm him down, he had taken it upon himself to consume enough wine to knock out an ox, and then began a verbal campaign of the highest slander and conspiracy. The Court Jester, using human sacrifices to fuel her simple illusions? Mirie wanted to scoff. That was not how magic worked, especially the type that woman used. She was wary of the Court Jester, yes, but not for a reason as absurd as what Willowsteel suggested.

“Patently ridiculous,” she agreed, deigning to respond to Willowsteel’s accusations only with two words and a degree of separation.

With how clownish the gala was becoming, perhaps it was in her best interest to accelerate her little intermission.

But not before seeing the outcome of the challenge from Duchess Altina. She leaned over towards the fake Rhinecliff. “This should be, if anything, entertaining.”

-
Rhinecliff Estate\\
@Estylwen@ERode

Mirie raised an eyebrow at the twins’ immediate surrender, to the point where they were prostrating on the ground, groveling for forgiveness from her host. The duchess had accidentally played a part in this and thwarted what was a fairly obvious scheme in hindsight, but she was glad that she did. A penniless Rhinecliff would not do for her own plans and the balance of power in Arrowfell, and that was not to mention the issues with the economy that would cause.

She had decided not to intervene here, but she doubted that she would be disappointed by Rhinecliff’s judgment, either. In the end, they were still kids, and he was famed for his magnanimity, even if he was in his full rights to strike them down as they stood for the insult against him and his seat.

And indeed, he would not ruin the day or the table setting with anything nearly as ominous as punishment.

Duchess Agustria moved on as if nothing had happened, switching her goblet of wine from the gala for the tea that the Duke poured.

“The Queen has made some effort to restore the city," she allowed. "It’s not yet to the former glory that it was previously, but I would say that the city is well on its way there. And what of Odenfield? It has been some time for me, too. The architecture of your city is always a delight to behold.”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

I'll try to get one up by tomorrow evening.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

---

Éliane decided she had been too arrogant.

Foreigners generally supposed that of Skaelans, given how truly superior Skael as, but she meant that in a different way. She had thought she could deal with the heat, even though she was from a cold and snowy land. What had she been thinking?

She had made her best attempt at modifying what she had in her wardrobe to better suit the heat and the ever present sand of the desert. She kept the main uniform, naturally, but she had shed her heavier undergarments and shirt, replacing them with a far, far lighter piece of fabric she picked up back in the city. Unfortunately, even that bit of foresight still meant suffering, but at least she wasn’t wearing heavy armor like Galahad.

For once, the woman was not thinking of combat. Between the heat and Arton’s revelations, it was too much. Rationing the water as-is was difficult.

Unfortunately, not all things could go smoothly, and they found something more than just sand after three days. Moments blurred together as they encountered Valheimans once more, and Éliane found herself with her gunblade drawn, fighting against the strongest foe she’d seen yet on this journey.

She was aiming at the abominably large samurai when she suddenly found it amidst their formation.

“Shit—” Barely able to react, she was instead thrown back by Galahad as he interceded on her behalf. The Skaelan woman frantically rolled out of the way, glancing back in time to see Izayoi in turn rescue Galahad from his own untimely demise. Clicking her tongue at her own negligence, she kicked back to create more distance, switching to her rifle just as Galahad came to the same conclusion as they watched the two samurai play off of each other. She met his eye, and nodded, quickly finding an angle and then bring up her weapon.

“You heard him!” she repeated. “Surround him and shoot him!”

The bolt of her rifle smoothly clacked into place as she took aim and concentrated. She had not bothered to load her regular rounds for this. She went straight to explosive. A crack went out as Éliane pulled the trigger, followed by an explosion and another crack as she worked the bolt again as she poured on the lead on the giant man. It was not the glorious combat she liked, but against Valheimans, more high explosives from long distance tended to work best…

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Mirie be like "This bitch needs to read the room!"

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Mirie Agustria of the Grand Bank,

Duchess of Caelin

---

Hathforth\\
@Estylwen@Izurich

Duchess Agustria nodded in acknowledgement of the Wizard Queen’s words. “Indeed. But for now, I shan’t take up all your time.” She raised her glass of wine in toast, before stepping back to mingle and allow the Queen to speak with the other guests, happy that she seemed amenable to allowing her to attach some minders to the expedition.

Although Mirie continued to mingle among her fellow dukes and duchesses, her attention was momentarily taken when the Court Mage’s apprentice approached nearby. She gave an interested glance in her direction. This was certainly an interesting development in court—and there was something about the young woman that had a certain pull to her. No doubt this Melisande would be someone to keep an on later. Blackthorne did not take random apprentices, after all.

Her interaction with the Duke Willowsteel had about as much intrigue, but not in any pleasing way. He was an attractive man when he wasn’t too deep in his cups—but it was apparent that the man already had too much to drink. She grabbed the pole of her cane at the midway point, and then, with some force, but not violently, smacked it against his chest. “Get a hold of your senses, Willowsteel! There is more to these parties than whatever you intimate.” She swirled the cup of his gifted wine in her other hand. “Sitting down to arrange a very fruitful renewal of some deals, for example.”

She gave a nod at Nyx in her Rhinecliff disguise. That was more backbone than she had expected from the duke’s shapeshifter, but it was what she needed to say. Willowsteel still had value as a card on the table of the great game, no matter how sodden down the man was these days.

---

Rhinecliff Estate\\
@Estylwen@ERode

With some amusement, Mirie led the young boy down to the courtyard, who followed along as if he were going to the gallows rather than a pleasant garden tea service, which was what awaited. The hidden panic between the two twins, caught up in whatever scheme they were attempting, no doubt for the queen, was as plain as day.

She smiled lightly at Viscountess Skybound. “Indeed, Viscountess. Likewise,” she greeted pleasantly, as if there were nothing suspicious afoot at all. With the four of them now sitting at the table, she set the wine glass from the Queen’s gala down on the table, and plucked at a piece of fruit.

Delicious. Rinecliff’s eye for quality was as sharp as usual.

Meeting his eye, she smiled back. As delicate and unplanned as this was, this could still play in her favor, and how amusing it was at the same time! Given that this was his house, she would defer to him and allow him to take the lead, here.

“Impressive indeed,” she followed on the Duke’s words, giving an appreciative nod at the boy even after hearing his whole spiel from earlier.

“Oh?” she inclined her head at Laurent’s tale. “That is a frightening tale! The other lords and ladies shared many stories, and I did myself, but this is new to me,” she responded, making a small show of pondering. “What a curious tale…”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Was trying to post tonight, but I got a bit delayed-- it'll be tomorrow.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

These shenanigans are going to drive the queen's security apparatus up the wall, lmao.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

A little bit of a rush job, but I didn't want to fall too far behind. Should be more free now, though.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Mirie Agustria of the Grand Bank,

Duchess of Caelin

---

Hathforth\\
@Estylwen@Donut Look Now@Irradiant

Mirie, of course, knew that she was the lynchpin in the queen’s strategic planning. Without the monetary support of Caelin, and the sheer logistical strength of the merchant fleet that she influenced or outright controlled, the queen’s position would be weak—maybe even fatally weak. Privately, Mirie continued to prefer the old king and what he represented, but there was no reason not to be diplomatic to the queen and continue their relationship. Such was realpolitik.

So unlike many of the other dukes and duchesses, she tended to avoid the subtle powerplays, the little aggressions, and the probes the others liked to enjoy. When she made her plays, it spoke through money and the economy, rather than shows in court. Gifted ones aside. Everybody liked a good gift after all.

She smiled magnanimously. “Caelin is always willing to fulfill requests for any order, for the right price.” The duchess might shy away from doublespeak, but she did still make use of it. More overt support for the queen was not out of the question.

Minuette had given the queen a quick greeting, but broke off to mingle in the party while Mirie stayed. Although she was her maid, she was still a countess by right and had her own share of connections to keep up. With a crystal studded ring on her finger, she also served a secondary purpose for Mirie by attending this gala.

Historically, the dukes of Caelin had laid claim to Athius, given its proximity to the island and its remarkable appearance and legends of riches beneath its depths. Mirie continued the tradition of claiming that part of sea for herself, but she also recognized the growing innovation coming out of Hathforth. It felt likely that there would be some solution to crack the mystery of that place in her lifetime, so she was willing to accept some level of compromise on it.

“Indeed, your majesty,” she nodded. “You are welcome, as always, to resupply in the Grand Bank, although I would recommend sailing with some of my ships. Those waters can be treacherous without a proper guide.” She inclined her head at the queen’s suggestion. “Of course.”

The duchess Bastille made her greeting then. The slightly older woman was an interesting character for Mirie—she had come to power in practically the same manner as herself, with some similar hobbies to boot. She found herself disagreeing with much of the politics of her impressively tall counterpart, however, and as Mirie saw how presented herself, she found her opinions reinforced. A gifted blade was practically as thinly veiled a threat as one could give, from a martially inclined duchess like her.

She didn’t mention that as she greeted her counterpart, and then ‘Duke Rhinecliff’ as his pet shapeshifter made her return. “Ah, Duchess Bastille, and Duke Rhinecliff. You flatter us both. I’m glad you were finally able to make it to one of the queen’s little parties,” she smiled, knowing her role she was playing. Her eyes twinkled playfully, with one last mischievous complement before they were interrupted by the court jester. “You wear that mustache well.”

That strange experience left her with a pearl necklace in her hand. Minuette came by then, and she passed off the gift onto her servant. “Alas, there is but room for one necklace around my neck,” she explained, before fitting the piece around the other woman’s neck. That produced what no doubt would be a gossip-inducing eyeroll from her close servant, but Mirie just gave her a clap on her shoulder as the countess found another acquaintance to catch up with.

While Altina engaged the Duke of Rockhold, Mirie greeted Duke WIllowsteel next as she raised her glass of wine to him. Of the dukes, he was the least important geopolitically, but she did respect his scrappiness and the economic ties their duchies had.

“Duke Willowsteel! You and your wine are a sight for sore eyes,” she ribbed—but he was still a handsome man.

---

Rhinecliff Estate\\
@Estylwen@ERode

Caught in the act, Mirie had wondered if the boy was going to simply heel turn from the door, but to his credit, he opened it knowing full well that she was inside. His presence here was still entirely unexpected, though. It was somewhat suspicious, in fact—even without the obvious cloak, which was strange to be wearing this deep inside the castle, she wasn’t aware the young viscount and her sister were that close with the Duke.

The absence of Viscountess Asteria was strange, too. It was also Mirie’s understanding that the two didn’t go someplace without the other…

The duchess took a long, slow sip of her gold-touch wine as she considered the facts, even as the boy stammered at her appearance.

“Ah, it is of no import,” she casually replied, but still searching for his angle—an angle she quickly found as he tried to get out of his uncomfortable situation. The treasury, was it? Even she wouldn’t be given a tour of his treasury, let alone the boy Viscount. Odd.

By luck, or by the power of his seed, her thoughts didn’t turn to the more obvious conspiracy, even if her suspicions remained. Nonetheless, there was a play for the Duke’s finances that she didn’t have the full picture of, and the boy did claim that he was helping Rhinecliff, so…

“How serendipitous! As it happens, I have business with Laurent myself. Let us find him together.”

And that was how she dragged the Duke’s unwitting guest through his estate until they found the Viscount’s sister together with Rhinecliff in his courtyard garden.

“Duke Rhinecliff, so this is where you were hiding, entertaining the young lady,” she exclaimed, still partially making it up as she went, but phrased her language in a very particular way. “The young viscount was looking for you in the treasury room, but I see you were just entertaining Viscountess Asteria.” At that, she gave a nod and a greeting to the young girl as well.

Mirie still wasn’t sure what was happening, given she was merely here to ferry her fellow duke, but at the very least it was going to be… interesting.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@Click This Feel free to have Emilie pop up whenever in your scene with the boyo.

@ERode

Yeah, sounds good. Been exhausted lately but I'll be getting posts up soon.