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?"

Vulparan

The young Earl blinked. It felt like the blood in his head had begun to drain in a downwards downpour to pool in his feet. The small council, me?! He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, desperate for something to steady himself lest he topple over like a domino at this news and fortunately maintaining composure enough to pass the action off as a casual physical habit.

"Of course--" he croaked, his voice breaking. After a momentary pause he cleared his throat and looked towards the Queen.

"Naturally, Your Majesty," he responded matter-of-factly, a monotony of tone becoming his refuge in what felt like a time of absolute physical and emotional crisis. "It would truly be an honour to continue to serve."

His thoughts quelled for a moment, answer her question Leandra damn you, a chief thought rang out.

"The Perleonese are..." he paused for a moment, narrowing is eyebrows when he finally picks what feels like the right word, "defensive. There seems to be a sense that they must justify their actions so far, as we have discussed and seen this has come out as falsehoods or other mis-tellings of the truth, especially to newer knights within their realm. Yet when approached with the true series of events, those who I have been in contact with did not deny them." He paused for a beat. "Replies to the true matter of events - where Perleone did indeed abandon all claims to the region of Al Aquabah many seasons ago now - gave a sense of obfuscation and misunderstanding. There certainly appears to be a narrative that has been constructed - by whom I am unsure - that presents our righteous and lawfully justified cause in this war as being anything but."

He shifted his person slightly, relaxing his shoulders and taking a steady inhale of breath, thankful that his almost overwhelming response to her proposition was pushed below the gravity of what he was now discussing.

"The matter of communication is also an area where the Perleonese seem fit to blame us wholeheartedly and without any critical thought. But again, when presented with the facts of the matter - that Your Highness in your wisdom also entered into discussions with a prestigious member of their Council when you received no response for their King - most of those whom I spoke with elected to ignore the matter in more recent letters or question it in a delicate and diplomatic way, not suggesting a particular sentiment of disagreement whatsoever. This continues to build this picture in mine own mind of a Perleonese narrative that evades swathes of the true series of unfortunate events that has rendered us to war."

He paused, casting a glance again over those other nobles in the room who had been listening diligently for the most part to his report, and rested his gaze back unto the Queen.

"By Leandra's grace and with Your Majesty's most generous and wise blessing I shall continue to work to ascertain the feelings, motivations, and humours of the Perleonese as best as I am able," he concluded, bowing his head with polite and most sincere deference.

de Haguns

The Knight bowed his head towards Daario with respect, but did not speak. He felt the Queen’s icy-blue eyes examining him, perhaps even passing her royal judgement as he walked towards the nearest chair with an uneasy feeling. The 'Steel Lioness', as he had come to think of her, seemed to have an unbreakable will and gaze, and Orpheu could feel almost naked, despite the peacock’s plumage he wore.

Orpheu sat silently as he heard them speaking. It was his impression that by addressing the other man by his first name rather than his title or House name, the Queen revealed her favor, which definitely caught the young Knight’s interest. His eyes swinged slowly towards Vulparan, and there it was, a true nobleman, a true knight and lord. Unlike that buffoon Laststar, or the knightling Orpheu, though he was certain he could still reform himself so he would not become as wicked of the Earl Nascot.

Orpheu had heard of Lord Vulparan as a model knight. He had become renowned in the Mines for his actions in the defense of the region, and this struck a chord with the still in training Orpheu, eager as he was to finally serve Perdan. Unlike his cousin Furiae’s predisposition for envy and rivalry, the now Knight of the Perdan Mines was prone to admire and try to emulate those feats.

Paying close attention to the exchange, it did not pass unnoticed to the fancy knight when the Queen’s intonation changed slightly as she referred to Daario. You was just as strong as not you, so the Knight became weary of what would be said once the Queen finally addressed him.

And the matter of letters and Perleone only made him more nervous, though his face remained unmoved and set in a serious, stone-like expression. After all, in one of those youthful antics Thea had urged him to put an end, he had defiled a holy bond with the Protector of Perleone, a sacred connection that the winds goddesses had blessed him with, and used it for personal gain and to foster his earthly ambitions, which had been done on the spur of a moment after finding himself cornered by his fiancée Cerise’s moves. He had good intentions, at least, even if further reasons were to gain support and allies within the realm.

Later he had felt the regret of his attempt of diplomacy. Now, he thought that perhaps for his pride and childish manners, the Crone Ballisa had seen fit to punish him by whispering evil and madness into Oliver Laststar’s ears to attack and teach him a humbling lesson, just as he strolled through Perdan glorifying himself in unearned pride with that damned cane.

By now the Knight had lost himself in thoughts, but soon his eyes darted towards Vulparan, as soon as he heard “a seat on the Small Council”. He was witnessing something.

From his seat, Orpheu could not see well the lord’s reaction, but he saw as the man rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and his eyes widened. Even if a noble was allowed to carry weapons, he thought it unthinkable, discourteous and even dangerous to bring one before Her Majesty’s presence after being summoned, even if a well-intentioned and famed nobleman such as Lord Daario carried them.

Despite his initial surprise, he listened thoughtfully to his report on the perleonese noble’s opinions on the war and nodded. There, that was a diplomat and master of statecraft in the making.

Storme

Respect and decorum, reservation and thoughtful manners, the Queen held order well and as was expected her knights and Lords fell into line when expected. Aila was not surprised by the look of outrage on her Queen’s guards faces as she charged past anymore, stopped hearing the calls that the Queen was busy many months ago. They knew they could not stop her, to lay a hand on Aila was worse than any chiding from an affronted queen; and Alyssa herself even seemed to understand their predicament as every time it happened they got little complaint.

A dozen helpless faces watched Aila dressed so finely in her court gown, more ostentatious than ever after her imprisonment heave open the heavy door to Alyssa’s study herself and stood in the doorway inspecting the scene. She commanded the attention of everyone in the quiet respectful room, surveying the faces of the men meeting with the Queen and then Alyssa herself- looking about the same as every other time Aila had forced herself in there in a huff.

Red cheeked, she has her arms pinned at her sides while she greets Daario stiffly with “My Lord” but ignores the knight without even a frigid for him to enjoy.

“As the most important vassal here I would like to speak first as I have something very important to say and I cannot wait” No one has time to tell her otherwise. Aila launches into a rant, perfectly spoken in what could only been described as the snootiest accent on the continent, nose high in the air and finger waving the entire time “I have a list of commitments as long as both arms, things do not come to a standstill because of a war Majesty I have projects running from perdan city to Aix, I have three weddings, an expedition, holidays, events, openings” she makes a list of engagements she is planning which amounts to one main point that seems to go on forever.

After a long winded moment of rambling wherein no one can get a word in, the pretty Duchess in her fury takes a deep breath and FINALLY asks “HOW can I do all of that with a budget of a thousand tons of chocolate it’s impossible. I need more. Lord Daario agrees with me.”

Daario will feel a delicately slippered foot nudge the back of his boot as she takes her place beside him, spurring him on to agree as if he had a care in the world about her events.

Kingsley

The door to the Queen's office burst open, and Alyssa jolted and and her hand jerked suddenly an inch in the direction the sheathed sword she had left leaned behind her desk before her appearance in court. When the Duchess strode in she took a deep breath and her lips very briefly tightened into a line before settling back into her typical patient expression. She folded her hands in her lap, but held them tightly as the Duchess frantically explained herself.

“HOW can I do all of that with a budget of a thousand tons of chocolate it’s impossible. I need more. Lord Daario agrees with me.”

Alyssa paused for several moments, though the quiet in the room felt like 4 days until the Queen spoke with stoic calmness.

"Duchess. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have currently begun establishing diplomatic relations with a realm called Halcyon across the sea. My connections have brought me into contact with an influential noble there, and I have our trade ministers drawing up lists of goods we will be bargaining for with the Colonials. I will ensure a memorandum is brought to them explaining your need. As you are likely briefed by those same ministers regarding imports to the city, I am sure you know about that committee already. I will ensure that we do everything we can to ensure all vital resources are accounted for."

The Queen opened her drawer once more and pulled out some parchment, grabbing the quill and inking it, beginning to write a quick message about the situation, and marking the Queen's authorization to pursue it as a matter of import.

"If you wish," She continued as she wrote, not looking up from the parchment. "To follow up with this, that trade committee is headed by Lord Manchester of the harbour district. Lord Manchester negotiated a special deal with the harbour master and King Kay several years ago which gives him special protections in the conduct of his affairs on the port, I would make sure you consult the Codices for the specifics before you approach him, as those protections are ironclad and he is extremely loathe to budge on such matters."

"As well, Lord Denham, Lady Gailihu, and Sir Fitzroy have been tasked with drawing that particular treaty, so you could try to pursue the matter directly with them. However those three are under the supervision of Lord Mayhew, so Lord Wilbur Rought will need to be informed." She looked up at Aila and blinked. "Though Lord Wilbur is technically in service to Clermont, even if he has been in the capital for decades. Many people often forget he is not a noble of the city. You may need to speak with Lord Tsingu or the Duke if you wish to pursue that route. Also, Lord Mayhew is presently away visiting family, so you will need to find his steward. I believe it is his nephew, but to be quite honest it is almost impossible to enter a room in this palace without meeting a minor noble's steward, so I may be thinking of someone else."

She looked back down to the page and continued to swiftly scrawl the missive.

"Now, I would not recommend it, but you could also go directly to the guilds to get this squared away as well. When I commanded the city, there were some issues between them and Lord Manchester that were only temporarily resolved. I had hoped to conclude the matter but..." She paused for a fraction of a second. "my ascension came suddenly so those temporary measures are, as far as I know, still in place. This letter and your own command should be enough to avoid any issues, but while most of them true patriots, some you may find loyal to coin over crown and you may very well need to be prepared to negotiate."

"In any case, this missive will grant my authority to expedite the process. Whoever you take this to will certainly make this matter a priority, as the vast majority of our subjects will answer royal decree without question. Please have a message sent to Lord Davenport if you have any issues getting this resource added to our priorities, and I will ensure any further complication is swiftly resolved."

At last she finished her missive and reached into the desk for the seal, stamping the note closed and sliding it across the desk for her vassal to take.

"You could also speak with the Royal Castellan to schedule a meeting where we can discuss the matter further, though I continue to be booked at least until the end of the next week, and I will likely have to reschedule those in any case once the next Imperatrix is confirmed. There is, after all, a war we must fight"

Storme

Four days of Stoic calmness do nothing to quell the hurried fury of a woman with many things to do, many people waiting for her to come back with answers, many things being help up by her having to take time away to speak to the Queen herself. The tightness in her jaw reminds when finally the queen replies and when she finally does Aila leans in, eager to listen. 

Trading ministers, colonials, memos, pausing to make everyone watch her write a note, some names of minor Lords she had little time for, then some more names, something about Tsingu- ew, Lucius? What did Lucius have to do with chocolate?

By the time she had gotten to the guilds Aila’s eyes had glazed over, lost in her own train of thought far away from the supply line of chocolate to what the heck a Davenport was...The mention of a further meeting snaps her back and she wondered how after all that talking she might need another meeting.

There is no dramatic pause for Aila, once Alyssa is done she scoffs “ I just need /you/ to tell your banker to let me buy more chocolate. That’s all I need. I am too busy for Davenports and memorandums; This is some Steward’ problem-” She is huffing annoyedly as she goes back to the door swinging it open as she asks “Where is Isabel? She’s never too far from work, ISABEL! Come in here!”

She lets the door slam shut again. a bit of a childish look on her face as she shrugs at Alyssa, switching her attention from chocolate to nosing in on the Queens business. “Speaking of a war; Why is there a marshal here?” she is clearly speaking to Daario, flicking her golden curls over her shoulder as she does, her sweet glance at Daario turns sour when she meets the eyes of the teenager beside him “Or is this one picking fights with every Marshal in sight now?” She is not even brave enough to speak her mind fully in front of Alyssa but her eyes say it all -you’d better not be bothering Daario-.

de Haguns

Orpheu was surprised by the sudden entrance of the Duchess, and a chill crept on his spine, once he heard her whiny little voice. Where once he had maintained his countenance as he heard the Queen addressing Daario, now he scowled lighly, because he could not hide his absolute displeasure as he recalled the very day she had offended him and his beloved.

His eyes went to Aila slowly, and he noticed now pretty, or better, stunning she was. He shaked his head lightly at the thought, as it bothered him more than he would like to admit.

But it also caused him to have flashbacks of his humiliation, and now that he was dressed in his golden and red plumage, he once again felt as if he were naked, but not under the icy gaze of the Queen, but rather the memories of the day he had been paraded in his just common trousers and and a shredded tunic before the ducal palace, only to be separated from his Thea.

The Knight of the Perdan Mines knew how to hold his tongue, even though he was too quick to dip his feather in ink, so he let the Duchess of Perdan talk about her chocolates, and even laughed quietly, but derisively, as she addressed that matter, after the Queen and Daario had spoken about relevant matters of state.

He watched the rest of the exchange quiet, and was impressed with Alyssa’s handling of the situation. While Orpheu, under the same circumstances, might slam the table for being interrupted that way, the Queen was courteous and politically adept. The Knight realized she had built a maze of bureaucracy for such a small task to try and divert Aila Storme’s attention, all the while generously offering to use her powers to help the Duchess in her needs. Orpheu smiled as he noticed the shrewdness.

Then, the Knight’s eyes narrowed as she mentioned him. At first, he glanced at the Queen, uncertain, and a bit fearful of what was to come, but immediately narrowed his eyes and retorted back to the Duchess.

“This one has a name, my lady. Sir Orpheu de Haguns, the Knight of the Perdan Mines”, replied the defiant teenager, pausing briefly. “And as much as I shall display you respect, so shall my lady to me… and as far I am concerned, I have not had a fight with any Marshal of the Kingdom, for there are only two Armies, after all. Sir Jacelyn Goldwater commands the Blackmane Paladins, while the Earl of Brive commands the Golden Lions, as far as I am concerned”, he said icily. “And I do believe I have no quarrels with any.”

Kingsley

The Queen raised her eyebrow in confusion as the Duchess shrugged aside the Queen's effort and called for Isabel.  Though Alyssa hadn't seen the quiet steward for some time and would be delighted to do so, she did not understand why the Duchess would come to her for assistance only to proclaim her issue someone else's problem.   Her expression turned slightly downward as the conversation turned to Orpheu, and the knight without waiting answered with a defiant tone.  When he finished, Alyssa looked directly past him to Aila.

"Duchess, if you wish to buy more chocolate, then this missive will allow you to do that.  I have written it for you, what you have done with it is up to you.  It will sit here on my desk for the rest of the afternoon, after which it will be destroyed.  If you wish for royal authorization for the chocolates, it is right here.  If you don't desire it then I am not sure why you came here."

She turned to Orpheu watching him carefully, trying to determine the reason for the frigid choice of words between the young knight and the Duchess.

"As for the reason I have called a Marshal here, I wished to go over what the Good Lord has learned from speaking to the Perleonese.  I am certain you reviewed the letters he had delivered during the last council meeting.  We are discussing further opportunities for ways we can gather information from Perleone.  This knight..." Alyssa said studying the young Orpheu, "is here at my request, because I believe it would be valuable for him to learn from experienced nobles.  I try to guide new knights myself when I can, it was an opportunity King Kay provided to me, and I believe it would benefit Sir Orpheu to have mentors and models to look up to.  While I will continue to offer what opportunities I can myself, I can think of few better role models of virtue and chivalry than Lord Daario, and I was hoping Lord Daario would as well be interested in allowing the knight to shadow him during select instances of diplomacy and warfare, so that he may learn from an experienced noble in a more direct way."

She turned to Daario and offered a pleasant nod.

"This is only a suggestion I wished to offer the two of you.  I shan't command either of you in this, though I would offer my recommendation that you two try to work closely together.  I believe it would benefit you Sir, and bring honour to you My Lord, and to your region and our realm.  I am not aware of any fights between knights and marshals, Duchess."

Vulparan

If the Young Earl had not already been shocked by mention of the potential of a seat upon the esteemed Small Council of the Realm his cheeks may well have burned at the request from the Queen herself that he personally mentor this new knight who has so far displayed great potential for honourable and chivalrous service in the name of the realm. The blood rushing to his face that threatened to rouge him merely returned the colour that was drained from his clear facial features.

He cast his glance again, yet more critically than before, upon the young knight as the Queen spoke. Daario could not seem to shake thoughts of what had happened to his own supposed mentor, the black-hearted knight Apollyon Daubeny that had threatened so many lives, including his own Lady Liege's in those darkest of days in the grand city of his youth.

"Your Majesty," the Young Earl began, bowing his torso deeply in genuine reverence, "your recommendation is most wise. You truly honour my humble self and my House once again."

He looks over earnestly to Orpheu. "It would be a pleasure to see that this young knight of Perdan may experience some of the daily tasks and humble responsibilities that I carry out most diligently in the name of both yourself and our most glorious and proud realm."

A momentary pause as he shifted his gaze from Sir Orpheu and onto the Queen herself. "I have seen Sir Orpheu upon the field of battle, it would be remiss of me, Your Majesty, not to comment that he has shown gallantry against the Perlonese and has demonstrated some burgeoning natural talents as a commander of common folk. I shall ruminate immediately where may be a first most appropriate step for this young knight to take upon the path of service to you, Your Majesty."

He drops his head, closing his eyes for a moment politely, before instinctively resting his hand on his sword hilt - as the thoughts of that night in Perdan, the screams of those in the flames, the heat and stench, spread their unwelcome tendrils throughout this mind.