Kingsley Family/Alyssa/Summons

A sequence in which Alyssa summons Lord Daario Vulparan and Sir Orpheu de Haguns to her office to speak on matters of diplomacy with the Perleonese

Kingsley

The Queen listened attentively to Lord Davenport's counsel. Though court had just concluded for the day, many of her courtiers hung around, idling off to the side and positioning themselves inconspicuously in the way of the throne room's exits, hoping to catch the Queen's attention for whatever pet project they had not gotten the opportunity for during court itself. Alyssa tried her best to hear each case but Perdan was a large city and full of nobles of all sorts, and all of them wanted something.

She did her best to escape without further accostment, flanked on either side by two whiteguard, including the Captain Sir Graham and the young Sir Raymond. But the Royal Castellan was bold and caught up with her despite her best efforts.

The man was a middle-aged, and large, both his chins wobbled as he spoke. While he was dressed in ostentatious finery and smiled genially, Alyssa had always known Lord Davenport to be a shrewd councillor, and maintained her usual guard. He spoke gently and diplomatically about the war's affect on the budgets of some of the merchant companies who had been contracted to sell goods to the crown. Alyssa understood the importance of a well stocked castle during wartime, but her days had been spent writing to rulers of late, and budget meetings had been scheduled for later in the week. She told him as much, hiding her exasperation with neutral expression and regal tone.

"They will have to wait, Lord Andrew. The Royal Treasury has been flooded with requests. Presently, priority is being given to knights and lords commanding troops. There will be a budget meeting in a few days time or you could direct them to the Bailivus in the meantime."

Lord Davenport smiled knowingly. "The Bailivus is presently home, maintaining the garrison at the border. His reports came in during the recess this afternoon. They're probably waiting on your desk, Your Majesty."

Alyssa's expression did not change. "Then there will be a budget meeting at the end of the week."

He gave an acquiescent nod. "Of course, Your Majesty. Will you be in attendance then?"

"Direct that question to the Imperatrix's office or to the Knight Commander of the Paladins. Is that all, Lord Andrew?"

He smiled again. "Of course Your Majesty, you know I always find the answers."

She eyed him for a moment but did not speak, giving him a nod of dismissal.

"I don't like him." Graham growled as his white cape billowed as the Queen and her escort turned once again to leave. Sir Raymond said nothing, but the elderly knight rested his hand feebly on his sword.

"You don't like anyone." Alyssa reminded him matter-of-factly.

"You said it yourself, Your Majesty. War brings out the worst in men. And the worst in men like that can be quite nasty." He scratched idly at the slashed and scarred cheek, readjusting the patch over his missing eye and grunting.

"He is right to be worried about the merchant contracts. The Bailivus has food secured for sieges, but what of other necessities, cloth, wood, dye for our banners, wheels for carts. We must be careful with our gold, and I am glad that Lord Davenport has the wisdom to consider such things."

Sir Graham merely grunted as they approached the chamber's side exit when another voice called out to her. Alyssa closed her eyes as the voice called out to her. "Your Majesty!"

She opened her eyes and smoothed out her dress before turning around standing straight and tall, considering the young man who swiftly approached her. She did not smile but she regarded the man with her full attention. She recognized him at once.

"Lord Daario." She acknowledged. "I am happy to see you, I imagine this is in response to my summons."

Lord Daario nodded affirmatively, which Alyssa returned with appreciation. "Good. I believe there are a few things we should discuss. Did you perhaps see an unfamiliar knight with you? I summoned Sir Orpheu as well, I fear he may have been waylaid. No? It is no matter, he will be here." She waved a hand dismissively. "I have a few moments set aside this afternoon. I was just on the way to my office chambers." She turned towards the door and Sir Raymond opened it and ushered both Alyssa and Lord Daario to into the corridor beyond, towards the Queen's private offices.

While the Royal Offices themselves were quite spacious, Alyssa's personal chamber was a room of average size. Brown stone made up the walls and floor, red and gold rugs across the floor gave some life to the simple office, aside from the typical shelves of books and a map of the Continent on the east wall. The West wall was open, and led to a balcony overlooking the Ducal Gardens of the palace, letting in bright afternoon sun to shine across the massive oak desk near the back wall. A large chair with velveted red cushions sat behind it, and in front sat two sturdy wooden chairs.

The desk itself was neatly organized, a set of papers neatly stacked in one corner, a book closed and marked in the other, atop it, a pair of spectacles. A stack of unopened letters sat in a small pile the middle of the desk by a worn quill and a stoppered well of black ink.

As the Queen and her lord entered, she motioned for him to sit, while the two knights followed them in, Sir Graham taking his place by the door, eyeing Daario with half a stern gaze, Sir Raymond on the balcony. He quickly checked the shutters to ensure they could be dropped at a moment's notice and satisfied, stood quietly outside watching the garden carefully.

Alyssa glanced at her desk as she strode across the room, quietly picking up the spectacles and quickly placing them out of sight in one of the drawers. She quickly organized the pile of letters into a stack and sat them next to the book. She then looked across the table at Lord Daario and took a deep breath.

"I hope you have been well, Lord Daario. I am glad to see you, truly. I saw the Foxes among the melee, and being there myself I am well aware of how bad it was in Woolton. Seeing you put together is a great relief." She glanced out towards the balcony, before turning to him with a her typically serious expression.

"I'd like to talk about the letters that you have been sending to Perleone."

de Haguns

The Knight strode haughtily through the Ducal Palace’s corridors with a renewed sense of purpose in his life, and where a few days ago a boy faked a limp to pass as a wounded hero, now was a resolute youth. Maturity is something that grows slowly, but the first seeds had been planted on his mind at Thea’s urging, and he was determined to improve himself, for her sake and their child.

He wore a slim silk lined tunic that fitted perfectly in his body, all in red brocade and richly embroidered in golden threads that revealed motifs of leaves edging the collar, sleeves and wrists. It was fastened by a leather belt with silver links intertwined. His woolen trousers were black brocade, but less ostentatious. He wore black leather boots that seemed so clean one could wonder if they had been bought on this very day, given how shiny they were. Finally, a simple white cape fell from his left shoulder to the waist level, pinned by a golden brooch and silver links and covering his left arm. There was only the coat of arms of the House de Haguns embroidered in the shoulder cape. He carried no weapons.

For the meeting with the Queen, he had decided to dress in his finest clothes. It was a sign of respect towards the sovereign, but there was clearly a growing sense of pride within Orpheu. The Knight had been summoned by the Queen, so he might as well dress for the occasion.

He was still thinking on what had caused him to be summoned, and immediately his mind went to Laststar and their brawl on the streets the other day. Perhaps the Queen had heard of it, or the Earl had pressed charges against him? However, the letter’s content seemed not related to the matter, so he crossed this as the reason for the summons.

Finally reaching the Royal Wing of the palace, he was met by a footman, who demanded to know who was approaching. The Knight declared himself, and was soon ushered through a corridor.

“Where are we going?”, asked Orpheu.

“Her Majesty will receive you in her personal chambers”, replied the footman.

“Not in the throne room? The Royal Offices?”, asked the Knight, frowning in surprise.

The footman did not reply, and after a turn, they stopped. “Sir, this is it. I shall announce you.” And with a slow movement, as not to disturb those inside the chambers, the wooden door was opened and the footman spoke in in a clear, yet smooth voice. “Your Majesty, the Knight of the Perdan Mines, sir Orpheu de Haguns”, his entonement of the surname was quite affected, which amused Orpheu, “has arrived”.

After the Knight made his entrance, the footman left and closed the door without a sound. Orpheu could see Alyssa accompanied by another well groomed noble. Glancing to his side, he could feel the severe stare of sir Graham, but did not feel intimidated by it. Across the room, on the balcony, another knight he could not recognize.

Taking one step forward, Orpheu bowed naturally, different from the clumsy attempt of kneeling after dismounting from his horse, when they first met on the road to Alexandria. “Your Majesty.”, he complimented, looking firstly at the ground, but soon darting back towards the Queen and her companion. As he rose, his serious face gave way to a hint of a warm, yet self-contained smile. “It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you again.” He eyed the other noble with curiosity.

If he was determined to be a better noble, then he might as well start by behaving as a proper noble.

Vulparan

Throughout the journey beyond the Queen's courtly hall into the deeper offices of the palace in the city, the young Earl's back was taught, both in sincerely polite reverence to the Queen and her titles but also with a faint air of anxious tension. He had mused what may have brought the Queen to summon him and with the question she posed, once they had settled, it would appear he had guessed correctly.

His thoughts raced for a moment, his humility fighting to establish exactly how he would describe the exchange of letters. He had indeed been proactive and exchanged missives for a number of sources within the Kingdom of Perleone, many initiated by Perleoni strangers who reference some kind of reputation he has begun to cultivate; but to actually enquire about the possibility of being considered for ambassadorial or diplomatic recognition was a notion in his mind fraught with immodesty that during recent nights in the capital had cost him his usually peaceful sleep.

“I have indeed exchanged a number of letters with our enemies, Your Majesty,” he began earnestly, “I am fortunate that there are honourable noble folk in the hostile Kingdom who wished to so willingly and openly share their opinions and thoughts on the matter of Al Aquabah and the war.”

He cast a quick glance over the two other lesser nobles in the room as he spoke, conscious that he had been so preoccupied in his own thoughts that he had not paid heed to them. Concluding that something must swiftly my done to rectify this situation, but all too aware that the time for more formalised introductions, beyond their polite chatter as they were led to the royal offices, had long since passed, he gave them a muted nod locking eyes almost awkwardly with them in turn.

It was at this moment that the oaken door that led to the room was opened by one of the Queen’s footmen and a certain Sir Orpheu de Haguns of Perdan Mines was announced and entered the room.

The young Earl cocked his head subtly, casting his eyes over the man deliberately

“Lord Daario of House Vulparan, Earl of Brive, Vice-Marshal of Her Majesty’s Golden Lions,” he said with curt politeness, bowing his head before turning back to the Queen to address the new arrival.

Kingsley

"Sir Orpheu." The Queen replied coolly sitting tall and straight in her chair. "Likewise. Please sit down."

He obeyed, and Alyssa watched as he crossed the office in his fanciest dress, though to her eyes he was naked with the notable absence of his sword. She made no comment on this however, and once he had taken his place, she felt little reason for any more pleasantries than had already been exchanged, and instead began directly to the point.

"Lord Daario." She continued from her earlier address. "I have already written to you about my feelings regarding your actions, so you know my thoughts on this already. So I would like to go over the specifics of what you have learned from your exchange with Perleone nobles. I would like to know how receptive they are to our perspective and what their feelings are towards their own stance in the war. Diplomacy, as you seem to be quickly learning, is far more than drafting and signing treaties. It is conversation, genuine interest in cooperation, and in understanding the other party."

"If we are to be respected by other realms, we must earn it. Respect can never be taken or forced. To earn it we must prove our words with actions, and to do that we must be sincere and honest in our dealings. We must seek to learn from them, learn about them, who they are and what they desire. What they value. Then we can use that to find a way to peace." She watched him pointedly for a second, pausing for a beat. "That is why I have asked you here specifically, Lord Daario. I believe you are a sincere and honourable man. You are clever, and most of all, you are earnest good-hearted, and loyal. You have always shown this to me. So I will task you with continuing your endeavors learning from the Perleonese. And I would like regular reports on what you learn. These reports will affect how we handle diplomacy with Perleone moving forward." She paused again. "If you are able to continue this effort, I will award you a seat on the Small Council, and additional opportunities from there."

She blinked once and concluded directly. "Will you do this, Lord Daario?"