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.
Time: Afternoon Location: North Pass 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.
âI think we can enjoy the snow while hunting.â Bowyn offered, and if Kaleb and Eris werenât going that only made the comfort of the wilderness even more appealing. It wasnât a hard choice at all, relaxing away from town was always preferable to relaxing in town, especially during a holiday which would almost certainly mean every place in the North Pass was going to be more crowded than it usually was. âAnd I bet a hunting trip would be good for Mooney too, give the wolf a chance to be a wolf.â He added.
It took Bowyn little time to be ready to go, putting on the leather vest with its deflection charm and then grabbing his sword and fastening it to his belt just in case they ran into any trouble while they were out. An afternoon of hunting in the snow with Rue was close enough to feel like being back home that he didnât ask any questions about the dayâs plans. It felt normal, comforting, the sort of thing they used to do back home and he couldnât think of much that would be a better way to spend a day off from training. âAlright Iâm ready. You need to grab anything?â He asked ready to follow Rue to meet up with the others.
Leo stood mostly still, his head bowed to a respectable degree to show his regret in having been a part of the series of troubling events that took place last night. He did his best not to stand out, he did not want more attention on himself here, not while being apart of something that had displeased not one, but two, royal families. This was not a good look for a future duke. Standing before two royal families without shoes on was also not a great look for him either. No, as ridiculous as it was that they were all in trouble for partying a bit too hard and being given a curfew, Leo said nothing.
He listened to Queen Alibeth, then the others that spoke, his eyes scanning the room and noting who all was there. Everyone he remembered from the carriage ride, or, at least almost everyone. The strange man with the cowlick was notably absent. Not important enough to be summoned to this lecture, but the cowlick guy had been someone Wulfric held a suspicious eye on during the ball. He wondered if they already knew of the other manâs involvement, there was a good chance they didnât, and giving that bit of information might gain him back a few points.
As he thought about it Prince Callum started talking making the entire situation all about him. Leo did his best not to roll his eyes, some people were just despite for attention, even if it was the wrong sort. He waited until Callum was done with the dramatics before speaking.
âYouâre royal highnesses, I may have a pertinent detail.â Leo said, glancing over at Wulfric. âThere was another with us whose face I do not see here today. The same odd man with a cowlick from the ball last night, the one that gave the youngest Lady Damien quite the freight. He was picked up by the carriage on the way there, already quite inebriated on some substance. And everything after entering the warehouse remains a blur.â
Callum moved away from Anastasia and looked toward his mother as she started speaking. His mother continued with the expected speech; how disappointed she was in them all and her expectation of apologies from them all. The idea of a curfew was ridiculous, acting like a party was some sort of nefarious affair seemed even more absurd.
Then she had guards drag out a bruised, bloody, and scarred Darryn and Cal felt everything turn cold. He knew before she said it, what her plan was, and a brief glance at his mother showed nothing but a cold expression. It wasnât how he usually saw her, it was a side of her he often tried to forget existed, the part of her that was just as much of a monster as Edin. The king it seemed had very little to do with what was happening now, it was all his mother who was standing there casually condemning a man to die. There was no amusement at watching Edin breathlessly shamble in, only the sinking feeling of dread that caused the color to drain from his face even before Alibeth spoke the words he knew were coming.
"Today, he will die for his crime."
Callumâs eyes shot to Wulfric as his brother spoke, a cold, angry, stare and nothing else. Heâd told Wulfy he wasnât playing this game and wouldnât fall in line while they made sure someone suffered for this just so his family could save face. Did Wulfric think he was bluffing?
Mayet had voiced her displeasure at the situation, at least someone else here could see what his family was trying to do. He could use that, at least one of the Aldidashti wouldnât be satisfied seeing an innocent man blamed for this, he could make this decision look worse for them. His family didnât care about the blood they spilled but they did care about appearances. He glanced at Wulfric before he spoke, I did tell you I wouldnât go along with this, he thought.
âThe Shehzadi is absolutely right, a servant follows orders and Darryn simply followed mine. To use him as a scapegoat to try and both protect me and as appeasement is not only ridiculous but insulting to our guests. As I have already told my dear brother here, I ordered the stable boy to take us to the warehouses, just like I roped Anastasia into rounding everyone up last night to accompany me on yet another ill-advised outing. Secret parties arenât new here; we get invitations from someone whose face we never see, and a location, that is all I know. I thought itâd be a good time, thought our guests would have a good time. Clearly, I was wrong.â He said doing his best to keep the spite from his tone and trying to only sound sincere.
Callum didnât waste a single thought thinking of how anything he said would reflect on him or the Danrose family. If he couldnât embarrass them out of executing Darryn then heâd make them regret it. He could keep talking, he could always find more things to say while he was in front of the all-important Alidasht guests to drag the Danrose name through the mud. He wondered if he could count on Edin to do as he always did; to blame his youngest for everything that went wrong. Despite how entertaining it would be to hear his father defend him, for once he found himself hoping he wouldnât.
âSo, my sincerest apologies for bringing our guests along on my dangerous outing. And I ask of his majesty the Sultan, and his family, how I can right my mistake. Surely penance from the offending prince is a better offering than the execution of an innocent man.â Callum spoke looking only at the Sultan and his family, hoping theyâd prefer his offer.
Time: Afternoon Location: North Pass Interactions: Rue @Potter Mentions: Kaleb @Funnyguy 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, and a pouch of amas. A gorestria gem ring.
Bowyn breathed out a sigh of relief. I did good. He thought, Rue liked his gift, and Rue was never insincere. He slipped his own ring back onto his finger and smiled as he hugged Rue back. This was probably the warmest heâd felt in the last four months. Then she let him go and mentioned having dinner tonight. Rue was always thinking about food, thinking about all those important things he often forgot about.
Dinner? Like a normal dinner? Was this a special dinner? Were others going to be there? Did he have to dress up? Bowyn wasnât entirely sure what dinner meant. He was sure that he hadnât been entirely clear when heâd spoken that heâd meant it less as a âfriendâ gift and more as an âI kind of hope I do have to buy nicer clothes to go to dinner with youâ kind of gift. Maybe now, in the middle of a war, wasnât a good time to have that sort of conversation either. At least dinner was a while away, heâd have some time to figure it out.
Then he heard Kalebâs voice and Bowynâs eyes went cold as he watched him walk by. Kaleb the Liar, who had gone around pretending to know Arn and had egged Bowyn on in his aversion to the dwarf. The more Bowyn saw of Kaleb, the more evident it became that Kaleb would always put himself first and the less Bowyn liked him. The human acted more like a pretentious elf than most of the elves even did. Things that might be easier for him to shrug off, had they come from anyone else. when spoken by Kaleb, seemed to only slither beneath his skin Today it was phrase Hashtag BoRue, which Bowyn didnât understand but judging by Kalebâs snicker, the fairy took it as a mockery.
âI bet heâs off to chase that ancient elf around like an imprinted duckling.â Bowyn muttered and knew Kaleb was probably way out of earshot by now but it at least helped the fairy feel a bit less agitated.
âSo! Where would you like to go? Your choice!â
Rueâs question redirected his attention from thinking of how annoying Kaleb was and back to Rue and the offer of dinner. It seemed easy enough to narrow down the options, someplace nice but not obvious that he was hoping this was a date. Someplace that was nice but also comfortable. That made it an easy choice.
âDinner? Well, I donât think any place here rivals Utadaâs, so how about there?â He offered. âAnd what of the rest of the day? Any big plans for the rare day off?â Bowyn added glancing at the paper Rue held in her hand.
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