Maerquin 27: Family Portrait
Nov. 25th, 2010 01:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
janestarzMaerquin 27: Family Portrait
An Explanation
Black Guards = Zwarte Garde. In the service of the Baron, mostly serving Ranaa (Godess of Loyalty) as well. Not like the D&D Black Guards.
Zepultoera = Barony to the east of Marsilac, ruled by Baron Wolfgang Von Strahd.
Marsilac = Barony to the west of Zepultoera. Marsilac is where most Maerquin events play. It is ruled by Baron Wolfgang van Marsilac tot Oosterdiep.
Friday
Walking along at a brisk pace, Marianne clutched the lantern she wasn't used to carrying. It had been hanging on a pole outside a tavern, somewhere near the border. Leopold had asked her to bring a candle if she could, for his service for the couple.
Suddenly, she noticed the group was slowly coming to a halt. Hushed whispers reached her ears, and she hid the lantern with a smooth flick of her wrist, so it would be hidden in the folds of her bulky cloak.
Suddenly, she saw who it was up ahead, and her knees buckled, trained for many hours to curtsy smoothly. "The Baron." whispered someone.
Indeed it was Baron Wolfgang, smiling benevolently at the group before him. He was flanked by two of his guards, and more stirred behind him. One by one, the people came forward to greet him, and he made a point to ask each one their name, and to talk for a little while. The group with Marianne dwindled, and the group behind the Baron, starting with the preparations of Leopold's sermon, grew steadily. Marianne still didn't move, and Polomeus behind her nudged her to step forward, but someone else went first.
Finally, Marianne mustered the courage, and she stepped forward, sinking smoothly (despite her luggage, candle and blanket) into a deep curtsy for the man who ruled Marsilac.
As she straightened, the Baron asked her what her name is.
"Marianne den Schrijfster." Marianne breathed.
"Den Schrijfster?" the Baron mused. "The Marianne den Schrijfster?"
"Yes, my lord." Marianne kept her eyes focused on the emblem on his tabbard.
"I've heard about you." He said. His voice sounded warm, like he was smiling.
"I've heard about you. The words rang in her ears. Perhaps it was like she suspected after all, but now was not the time to ask. Too many ears, too many people. And no way to speak in private. Polomeus followed Marianne, and again Baron Wolfgang seemed to know who he was. "You look different than before."
Marianne bowed her head, focused her gaze on the rest of the group, and tried to hear every word.
The sermon, or service, Leopold had planned for the bride and groom, went smoothly. He asked Marianne to hold up her lantern so she could read, and Marianne kept her gaze down. There was a purse at her feet, probably from Leopold, and a bag of small candles next to it. The grass and sand had stained the hem of her robe. The bride and groom stepped forward. Everyone bowed for them. The sermon was a haze.
But some had not attended the sermon, as they had been asked to speak in private with the Baron. When the sermon was over and Leopold had no longer need of her lantern, Marianne stepped towards the side of the clearing, finding the Black Guards blocking her way. One of them was an attractive woman with a bright smile. "The baron is still busy."
"Oh, but I don't think he would want to speak with me." Marianne said.
"Why not? He's a very amiable man. I'm sure he'll have a moment for you." The woman looked over her shoulder. "I can ask him in a moment."
"Well..."
"Wait here. I'll just tell him you want to speak with him."
Baron Wolfgang towered over her as Marianne curtsied again. "Could you please hide your lantern, Marianne?"
Marianne again hid the lantern beneath her cloak.
"Now, what did you want to talk to me about." the baron asked.
"Sir, as you probably know I write for the Orde. If you want, I could also write to you directly about what we find in Zepultoera." Marianne said shyly. "Not everything should be published in the newspaper."
"Ah I see." the Baron said. "That will not be necessary, but it is kind of you to offer."
Finally the group started moving again. Many glanced behind them at the Baron as he saw them off. The border wasn't too far ahead. And after that...Zepultoera.
Twinkling lights announced the border crossing. We were told to form a line. One by one we shuffled forward. I ended up standing next to Claudius.
"Oh, Lady Marianne." he stammered, clutching his hat tightly. "Do you think we need to show our invitations? Only, you see, I spilled a cup of wine over mine. It was totally illegible."
Inwardly, I smiled. "Well, Sir Claudius, why don't you take my arm and tell the people at the border that you are my companion."
Claudius hesitated, but in the end he extended an arm. I rested my right hand lightly on his arm, and averted my gaze down as we shuffled forward. "Marianne den Schrijfster. And Claudius Wytteveen." Claudius announced us. The border guards scribbled onto a piece of parchment, added a stamp, and then another. They folded the parchment double, and extended it. A red stone joined it. And then they waved us on.
We were inside Zepultoera.
Four hours later, I was panting but the lights of Ten Vorsel were in view. My bodys were hurting, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I found a little seat at the edge of the grounds, but after a concerned question from Polomeus I got back on my feet. It was only a little further.
As we approached the court of the mansion I noticed people clad in yellow. One fellow near the gate was pushing a broom, but as we came closer I noticed it was an undead. I'd never seen such creatures before and it looked frightening. The empty eyes were haunting.
A servant -- a living one -- opened the door for us and took our cloaks and coats. Carefully we found our seats, being steered away from the tables with red tablecloth because those were for "the nobles". And soon enough someone announced the rules to us, after a short word of welcome.
"One does not speak to someone he or she has not yet been introduced to. Doors that are closed, are closed for a reason, and you will not open them. Things that are the property of someone else should not be touched, moved or removed. You are not allowed to bear arms that you do not have a license for."
After getting a drink from the bar, I also picked up the local newspaper. My eyebrows climbed as I read the articles. The grain that was shipped to Marsilac should "adhere to certain minimum prizes" and there was a government agency who coordinated the efforts of all the merchants. And there was talk about "raising" a certain person who had recently died.
We did not have to wait for long. The corpse was carried inside, and priests of Anmarack in grey and black robes busied themselves around the body. After a short speech and an incantation, the dead sat up, and at a command extended his arms forward. The necro-priest dressed the undead in a yellow tunic, and commanded the undead to start working.
I averted my gaze, a sinking feeling in my stomach overwhelming me. Where the hell did we end up?
But our trials were not yet to an end. A familiar face appeared at the door as I was just near the bar, and immediately I hid myself behind Claudius.
"Oh, milady. If that makes you feel, uh, more safe."
I nodded quietly, and peered around Claudius' shoulder at Daniel Morgan van Zuydkant. His radiant face and long dark hair matched that of a young woman on his left hand, curls piled high and an expensive dress on her narrow frame. After smiling happily at the people in the room, they took a spot at the 'nobles' table in the back, and I made my way to a seat. Many seats were already taken, and nobles were vying to get introduced to everyone. Many of them meeting me, turned away after a bit of polite smalltalk and said "What a lovely young lady." where they thought I could not hear them.
The number of people in the room trying to get a seat forced me to sit with my back to the room, and I grabbed a newspaper from my writing chest to keep busy.
Hugo interrupted my reading with a letter. "Don't forget the courier!" he said cheerfully, the familiar sounds of Orkenslacht in his voice. I promptly ignored him. It was a letter from the Orde, with my wages. I was not about to donate any of that to the blunt paladin. He finally stopped waiting for it, and left me alone. I continued reading my newspaper after I put the coins away.
A soft hand squeezed my shoulder, and a voice like honey tickled in my ear. "Marianne. I would like you to meet my protegé."
Van Zuydkant. I could only just contain myself and carefully stood and curtsied to the young woman in the expensive dress. Van Zuydkant introduced her as Valencia with a lot of other names. All I could think about was that they should just leave me alone...
After Van Zuydkant and Valencia left me, I quickly closed my writing chest and grabbed my cloak. It was cold outside, but I didn't care. I had to get outside, away from the undead, sweeping themselves into a corner, or the undead staring at your plate because there's no others to take away and you haven't finished eating yet. Away from the necro-priests of Anmarack, of all the nobles, and especially away from Van Zuydkant!
There were picknicktables outside and I wasn't the only one to take refuge there. A nervous young man was walking to and fro, and I noticed some familiar faces trying to stand guard: Thorfinn and Falco and Gambo. It was, however, Fedor who approached me.
He wanted to speak to me in private, and as 'inappropriate' as that might be for the groom-to-be on the night before his wedding (especially on the night before his wedding!) I acquiesced. We stood under the light of a lantern, trying to ignore the undead walking their rounds or sweeping the floor.
"My lady Marianne. I wanted to speak with you about something you did at the cloister of Eleena in Driekanth. You were the one to urge me to dance with Ellenora, and..."
I blushed and dropped my gaze. Fedor kept talking. "...I wanted to thank you for that moment. I wanted to thank you for telling me I should ask Ellenora to dance."
"Oh, it's nothing." I said, keeping my eyes downcast.
"It meant a lot to me." Fedor replied. "So, thank you."
I smiled and met his eyes.
"My lady." Fedor said. "I see something of Shelindra in you."
"No, no..." I replied, but Fedor would not hear of it. "Really, there is something of Shelindra in you."
"There is nothing of Shelindra in me." I said. I blinked, clasped a hand over my mouth. Fedor must have been as surprised as I was.
"What is there in you?" he asked. "What is possessing you?"
I stayed up late, talking with Polomeus. It was easier now, to meet his eyes.
{{I have a hard time recalling what we talked about (but that could just be because I was up for 20+ hours straight).}}
Saturday
I had twisted my hair into a tight bun on the back of my head, unable and unwilling to try and do my best on the elaborate hairstyle I usually wore, but Ellenora insisted to help me. After she had
braided my hair Aurelia kidnapped the young bride-to-be. "It is traditional." she said.
I climbed the stairs, following the dark skirts of Ellenora. Aurelia had gone above and beyond, and provided tea, a lovely flower in a pot, and a healthy nut-cake for snacks. Many of the other women were already present, including Hasse, Illa, Jinni, Edith, Elizabeth and a woman I did not know.
Aurelia took charge, welcoming everyone to the tea. Hasse looked embarrassed, but I kept my own eyes down too, accepting a cup of hot tea from Edith.
It wasn't long before the nobles found us. First Valencia, the young protegé of Van Zuydkant, soon followed by Lady Nathalia. It seemed like everyone was invited...everyone but Ellenora's mother. The Lady Ivanova came up the stairs as well, swooshed past Alex who was keeping an eye out, and said in a very loud voice, to nobody in particular, that she was disappointed she had not been invited. Aurelia turned to Ellenora. "I have not been introduced to your mother. Perhaps you could convey my regrets to the Lady Ivanova that I was not able to talk with her directly."
Apalled, Lady Ivanova turned around, and made a grand exit. As she descended the stairs again, Alex stepped inside and, at a gesture from Aurelia, took up a seat inside the doorway, closing the door to the outside staircase behind him.
"To be honest, I did not invite Ellenora's mother on purpose." Aurelia said. "It is customary in Marsilac to not invite the mother of the bride, for several good reasons. This tea party is meant to be for friends of the bride, so they can tell her about her duties -- and her rights. A mother could complicate matters."
The ladies there present, and Illa too, nodded. And then the festivities continued. Aurelia and Illa told Ellenora about her duties. About how she should bear a son to her new found husband, and how he was supposed to take care of her. I blushed, and said very little.
After the presents were exchanged, the women tried to talk about Fedor, but somehow we seemed to drift off-topic every time. In the end, Ellenora ended the tea party by getting up. "I probably should attend to other matters." she said diplomatically, and one by one we went outside and down the stairs again.
A young girl, no more than five years old, who had been looking for her mother, was skipping around the undead workers. I ignored her for the moment, but as Polomeus and I took off into the woods, she followed us. I smiled at the child. Her name was Luka.
As we found a spot in the woods, Polomeus asked her to draw something in the sand for him: two circles. The smaller one should be large enough to stand in, the larger one as large as your arms outstretched. He demonstrated, and as Luka went looking for a twig to draw with, he joined me to the side.
"I told you I wanted to dream."
I nodded. The drawing in front of me unfolded, and Polomeus continued with instructions, on how to divide the circles into equal parts.
"The pantheon." I breathed, recognising the shape. Instead of nine parts, the circles were divided eqaully into ten parts.
"Ten equal parts, and a candle in each of them." Polomeus said. Luka continued drawing happily while we pondered the information from Polomeus' dreams.
When she was done, Luka skipped over to us, and asked Polomeus to play with her. How could he refuse? We skipped in the circles, playing hopscotch on the drawing of the Pantheon...
Shortly after, I spoke with Fedor about his upcoming marriage. He was most distraught he would have to sign his name in blood, because of the Zepultoeran rites, but we could find no way around it. Using any other blood would probably end him, Ellenora, or them both into trouble.
Before I could even start thinking of a solution, Polomeus asked me to come along. "They're collecting taxes. A blood donation."
My eyes grew wide.
"Right, I didn't think you would want to participate either. But Hugo had a smart idea for a change. He was praying to Ranaa to bless his blood as he was giving a donation. It should stop his blood from being useful."
"Sounds logical." I nodded.
"We could do something similar." he said. His eyes twinkled darkly. "Ask Edith to join us, too."
And so Edith, Polomeus and I walked back to the woods, back to the drawing Luka made. We prayed to our Gods, asking them to bless our blood, so that it could be used for Their purposes. To disrupt the unnatural rituals, and to bring bad luck to the necro-priests.
We returned to the mansion, found Hugo. Someone had suggested we fake the notation in the visum we'd been given. I asked Hugo to see his visum, to see if I could duplicate it. Hugo held out the visum, is blue eyes locked in mine. Like he was trying to say "don't you dare."
I looked at him, aghast. Averted my gaze.
And then I stood up and walked away, bristling with fury. How dare he mistrust me? What good would his visum be to me? How could he even imagine I would...
Polomeus and Edith joined me after a minute. The dagger had been blessed. We'd have to do this now. Polomeus was practically bouncing in anticipation, the dagger in his hand. When his turn came, he sliced neatly into his hand, blood dripping into the donation bowl. "Shall I go again?" he asked, intoxicated by this game. Again the knife bit into his palm. The official signed his visum and stamped it with two tiny red dots. "Two donations. Next!"
He handed me the dagger, and I waited patiently until the woman was ready for me. Then I sliced.
I have bad luck with daggers.
My blood welled up quickly. The cut was deep. Soon enough, my head started to feel light. The woman across the table checked my wound. "You're going to need stitches. This is what we get from your... primitive methods!"
"Can't it wait?" Edith piped up behind me. She was anxious to cut herself, Hugo's spell slowly dissipating on the blade. "I'll stitch her up after I'm done."
The woman nodded, and placed the bowl in front of Edith. She told me to hold my arm up to help stop the bleeding, and I tried to fight the urge to faint. Soon enough, Edith was done too, and she started to stitch up my hand. The woman at the table muttered angrily about "barbarians" but at least she readied our visa. Finally, my hand was stitched and my visum was back in order, and we stood from our chairs.
At the door, Polomeus took a look at my hand. He pressed his fingers over the wound and murmered a few words. The wound healed.
"Leave the stitches for a while, but you should be fine."
A little while later, I spoke to Donald and Hasse. I had overheard as I was walking by, that the man was a scribe, like myself. Something else had quirked my interest, and so I decided it was time to have a little chat with them. I asked if I could join them, and they made a spot for me.
I asked Donald about his trade, and where he had learned it, but he couldn't tell. Their tale was one of woe. Hasse had found Donald in the streets, and tried to heal him, but his injuries were quite severe and it took him a long time to recover. They had lost everything they had and really needed a break.
"Are you religious?" I asked them. "Perhaps you can ask the Gods for help."
"Oh, but the Gods would not worry about us. We're only people. Why would they bother?" Hasse said.
I smiled. "Well, then. Perhaps they won't. But I can always pray for you."
And then suddenly, it was time. The last hurdles had been jumped, and Fedor had finally asked for Ellenora's hand as was proper. The wedding would take place after all. The guests all waited outside, carrying a lantern with a candle and the bride and groom walked down the isle towards the officials who would perform the marriage. Hugo, dressed in white and black robes, would take care of the Marsilac part of the ceremony. His speech was eloquent and (thanks to a few handy corrections of mine) grammatically correct. Then he was followed by the Zepultoeran official, who had a lengthy affair of signing things in blood, and the witnesses drinking blood, and more of those things.
The newlyweds opened the buffet and everyone got in a long line to grab a bite to eat. I finally had a chance to chat with Charon. I had spoken with him shortly the night previous, asking about the purple shawl around his waist. He'd claimed he was married. But the colour intrigued me. "Why purple? I asked him, shooting him a serious look."
"It's a lovely colour." he said.
"It is indeed. Perhaps we should find the time later to have a more private talk." I said.
It was not long after we had sat down that I looked over my shoulder at the bride and groom. Next to their table was a man I recognised nearly instantly. His face was on the portraits on the wall, together with the text "One man, one nation". Baron Von Strahd himself had come to visit the couple's wedding!
Just as I had recognised him, a hush fell over the room, and one of the necro-priests shouted "All rise for Baron Von Strahd!". I jumped up from my seat, turned and curtsied deeply. Two barons in two days... and as amiable as Baron Wolfgang had been, as dangerous Von Strahd would be.
He ignored us, and we sat back down, but I was shaken, and finished my plate quickly.
After dinner, I told Hasse and Donald to wear something warm, and requested a GM to do thesame. I filched a lantern from the tavern and hid it under my thick cloak. Soon, the other two had arrived and we walked into the woods, talking quietly. I was aware of the darkness around me, and how dangerous it was to go into the woods with two strange people. Though they might not be dangerous, they could overpower me easily. Never mind the wolves, orks or (gasp!) necro priests we might encounter there.
The sand was mostly undisturbed and the drawing of Luka was still in place. I told Donald and Hasse there had been a ritual for Eleena there earlier that afternoon. "I would like this sermon to Karnun to be by its side."
I placed my lantern a pace from the edge of Luka's circle and drew with a stick into the sand, drawing a line between the Eleena ritual and Karnun's. As close as their religions sometimes are, other times they can be far apart.
I drew light-lines from my lantern, following the light that shon forth, and kneeled in front of the lantern. A last glimpse around me and then I focused on Hasse and Don.
"Karnun! Hear Your servant. Tonight I would pray to You, and I would ask You to hear my voice. Lord of the Shadows and Master of the Dark, hear us. I bring to You two people, who have had a rough life. They would pray to You and ask for Change."
I turned to Hasse. She was holding on to the parchment I'd given her - a full sheet worth 3 cret at least. At my request she'd drawn a picture of the things she wanted to change. One word was on the back of the parchment: "Remembrance"
"Hasse, speak to Karnun, and tell Him what the change is you desire."
Hasse started talking, and the longer she talked the more she desired. Change from the past. Forgiveness. To be able to own cattle again, to have posessions. To be welcomed back and to find a place at her old home. The list went on and on, and finally, she fell silent. I turned to Don and asked him the same question.
"My memory is gone, and I would like to have it back. To know where I came from, and who I am." he said. His list was shorter, but considerate. I realised what lay within my grasp, and so I took it.
"Karnun hears your plea. You ask for a lot. What will you give to Him?" I asked.
Hasse looked shocked, but Don shrugged. "Well, I could serve Him." I nodded, pleased.
"Well, if there is no other way..." Hasse hesitated. "There's not much I can give him, so perhaps I should serve him as well."
I nodded again. "The parchment that symbolises your need for change. Toss it into the fire of the lantern."
The parchment crumbled, the people drawn on the paper fading into blackness.
"Where there is darkness, there is light." I said. "And where there is light, there is Darkness."
I extinguished the flame in the lantern, and darkness closed in around us.
"For every two cret you earn, you will donate one to a temple of Karnun, and the money will come rolling in." I said to them.
"I don't understand..." Hasse said. "How can we get rich by giving away money?"
"If you earn two cret, you will give one to the temple. Should you earn four, you give two. Earn eight, and you will give four. Do you understand?" I replied, and Hasse nodded.
I got up and beat the sand from my dress. A feeling of elation washed over me, and a dark voice spoke in my mind. You did well....My Priestess.
Outside the mansion, I spoke quietly to Elizabeth, who was distraught. She looked upset and like she'd been crying. She mimed being afraid, and pointed upwards.
"You are afraid of Ranaa?" I asked, and she nodded. I said I understood. "The Gods can be frightening, but have faith."
Inside, I was cornered by more nobles. This time, it was the Lady Ivanova who wanted my services. "Write a letter for my daughter. In your best hand." she said, gliding towards a table. I grabbed parchment and ink and a pencil to make a draft letter. Ivanova sat with me, watching my pen as I wrote the beautiful letters one by one.
"It is amazing, such an art." she said to Valencia, who had joined us. "I can watch this all day."
After the letter was done, I waved the parchment so the ink would dry, and Ivanova grabbed a purse. "For your trouble, child."
Later, I found out it was a substantial amount of money, and probably made this letter the most expensive one I ever wrote (some 200 cret)
I was still restless and inside the nobles were busy impressing one another. I decided to go outside and it was Edith who grabbed my arm. "Keep an eye on Polomeus, would you? I heard Von Strahd wanted to talk with him about his daughter."
Edith walked on, and I sank down on the brim of a planter trying to keep an eye out. I dared not go closer, not knowing what Von Strahd would do if he found me eavesdropping, and worse: I had no idea what to do if Von Strahd wanted Polomeus dead. At least I could scream, really loudly, if I had to.
Polomeus soon approached me. "Marianne, I would like to introduce you to Von Strahd."
My heart skipped a beat. "Me, or Faye?"
Polomeus smiled in a way that could only mean one thing. "He has some problems he'd like to discuss and I told him a priestess of Karnun could provide him with an unique view on the subject."
We walked inside, shed our cloaks and soon I found myself on a couch in the office of Sir Mikhail. Across from me was Polomeus, shooting me dark looks. Von Strahd took the armchair to my right, and Leopold was on the couch with me. The daughter of Von Strahd, Isabella, took a chair across from her father.
Von Strahd poured us strong whisky. The soft taste of the liquid was overshadowed by a hint of smoke. It was the most intriguing thing I had tasted yet.
But he came down to business soon. He had a problem, and I could see he was distraught. "A year ago, the Black Count was freed. This was around the time your Baron Wolfgang disappeared. Wolfgang had agreed to be caught in a ritual where he would fight the Black Count, but the arrival of the Red Boots disrupted the ritual. Two of the Red Boots offered to take Wolfgang's place in the ritual, and the Baron was freed. He was surprised, and at first unhappy about this, but he returned to Marsilac to rule his barony. The reason the Black Count escaped was because one of the Red Boots forfeited."
And now, in short, the Black Count was gathering strength, and he was plotting to take over Zepultoera. I asked why he would do that.
"Because he can." the simple answer was.
I studied the Baron in front of me. Next to Baron Wolfgang Von Strahd would look small, but he had an inner strength that radiated from him. He looked lean like a wolf, and his black hair, bushy mustache and goatee stark against his unnaturally white skin.
"Van Zuydkant is the son of the Black Count." Von Strahd said. "He is currently gathering as many nobles as he can, using honey-sweet promises to buy them into his camp. And I am powerless to stop him. The moment I show my hand, the Black Count will take control of me as well -- and he can."
"You can be compromised." I concluded. At a curt nod, I continued. "So it is imperative that any plan we devise, should not be discussed with you. Whom can we trust to speak for you?"
"My daughter, Isabella. You should take her with you when you leave Zepultoera. She will be safer inside Marsilac."
"We should talk with Baron Wolfgang first." Polomeus said, and both Leopold and I nodded in agreement. "He might not be willing to lend a hand. But if we bring Isabella, she can convince him your plea is genuine."
"I have a feeling Baron Wolfgang will allow me to speak with him." I said. I looked at Polomeus, our eyes locking. He drew his eyebrows up, but I did not elaborate. "And if we accompany Isabella..."
"I have spoken with Baron Wolfgang before." Isabella said. "Not always about good news, though."
Leopold spoke. "If the Black Count is so busy taking over Zepultoera, we might provide a distraction. I can get my hands on a dagger of Ordeus. It might even be powerful enough to hurt him. Perhaps we can distract him. Make him focus on Marsilac."
"If there's something we are good at in Marsilac, it's improvising. In Zepultoera, you are more structured." Polomeus said. "If we can draw the attention away from Zepultoera for a while, perhaps that will allow you to make an organised attempt to overthrow him."
"We can identify which nobles have gone over to Van Zuydkant and his master." Von Strahd said. "Try and steal some of them back to our side. And organise a shadow organisation that can work around them in the meantime."
"Meanwhile, you can poison his supplies." I said. "Weaken him from inside Zepultoera. It will slow him down if his resources are not as useful as they seem."
Betray. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Create an illusion. Faye was having a blast. She was sitting with what, under other circumstances, was the most powerful man this side of the border, and she was winning his trust. One arm outstretched on the couch, legs crossed, and whisky in hand, pride welled up.
After our talk with Von Strahd, Polomeus stood next to me. "I did not expect Leopold to be there. I for one would not have asked him, but Von Strahd had."
"I agree." I said.
"We should ask others. Others who would go as far as we would." Polomeus said. "Who?"
"Edith? Perhaps Elizabeth. And I have hope for Fedor, but I'm unsure."
"We'll see." Polomeus said.
I placed my things on one of the wood tables that stood around the courtyard. When Polomeus returned with Edith, he sat next to me and I shared my cloak with him. I knew he would get cold otherwise, but I realised the gesture could be misinterpreted by others. Talk was going around, and Elizabeth had asked me earlier, in her gestures, what my feelings for Polomeus were. Would that I knew how to tell her. Would that I knew.
It was obvious to Polomeus, but perhaps not to others, that my behaviour was different. Perhaps they were too busy talking to notice. I had been right in Elizabeth -- who had finally been released from her Vow of Silence -- but Fedor was another matter. On the evening of his wedding, he was unsure whether Ellenora or Shelindra would come first, but in the end we managed to get the message across.
Sunday
Fedor approached me outside. He was now wearing a necklace with a purple feather around his neck, and Von Strahd had somewhat told me about what they were. I could not say I found it a heartwarming gesture that Fedor was now part of that organisation, but there was very little I could do about it.
We stepped into Lord Mikhail's office, and Fedor went to get some tea.
On the table was a letter. I was alone in the office, and quickly looked outside, but nobody was watching. Quickly, I stuffed the letter into my cleavage. I really didn't want to, because fingers could be pointed at me quite easily -- I was alone in the office -- and theft, and being a priestess of a forbidden religion spoke ill of me in the eyes of the Zepultoerans. I had also a knife in my writing chest, but I did not have a permit for it.
But Karnun would punish me quite severely if I did not steal it. And I was still His servant.
Not two seconds after I entered, Lord Mikhail stepped inside, and stopped dead in his tracks. He was followed by Fedor. "There was a letter here. Where is it?" Mikhail said.
"A letter sir?" I asked. "I did not see one. Perhaps it fell?"
Mikhail checked under the couches, and then proceeded to open up my writing chest. He tossed everything aside like it was worthless, and checked the letters and parchments that were in there to see if they were his letter. The chest yielded nothing. Mikhail stormed out, asking the barmaids to see if they had seen anyone go in, but they replied that I was the only one. He did not return.
I turned to Fedor.
"My lord, I feel horrible. Perhaps you want to look inside my writing chest and perform a thorough search? I have no secrets from you."
Fedor nodded. "With the utmost reluctance."
He opened the chest reverently, and carefully unpacked it. The loose parchments drew his eye, and he read their contents. "Marianne, these are some dangerous items, if these were to fall into the wrong hands..."
"I had to assist the Red Boots in the Geelhoeve. I only keep them because parchment is expensive, and I can use the back for drafts."
"I will hold onto these. I will return them to you as soon as we are back in Marsilac."
I nodded. My eyes were locked on the writing chest. And Fedor continued his search. He opened a small case with equipment I use to clean my pen nibs, and he said "I should be very careful with this."
It went with the other things. "Do you have a permit for this dagger?"
"No, sir. I can't even use it well. Yesterday I cut too deep with a dagger during the blood donation. The only reason I keep it is to scrape ink off a parchment." I replied. "That's why it is hidden inside my chest. I can't even defend myself with it."
I breathed quietly, and an undead came inside. Part of its skull was missing, and I could see matter that looked like spaghetti in its head. I turned away so I would not have to look at it. It droned "Teeeaaaaa...." and placed two cups on the table.
Fedor held up my booklet. "Can I open this?"
"I'd rather not you read my diary." I said. "But I will show you there's nothing hidden in it." I took the booklet, and let the pages slide through my fingers. "Two leaves, I am drying these." I showed him. "And these are some personal letters to me." I opened them and showed them quickly, so he could not read its contents, but he could see they were adressed to me.
"Very well."
When the search was over, I was happy I could prove I had not taken the letter. Fedor seemed satisfied as well. We took to our seats, but apparantly Fedor had forgotten he wanted to speak to me. He took out a small booklet and started writing. I took out my embroidery and sat in silence.
After a little while, I asked if I could help him write.
"I am composing a sermon for Shelindra." he said. "It's going slowly."
He did not elaborate, so I didn't speak more. After a while, he looked up. "If you're worried about the tea, I can promise you it's fine."
"Oh!" I said. "No, I was just... distracted by my embroidery. It was too warm earlier." I sipped the tea.
After a while, I excused myself. Fedor did not seem to need my help.
I visited the lavatory and moved the letter. Stuff in my cleavage has a tendency to shift upward, and if someone were to notice something sticking out the neckline of my dress - partlet or no partlet - I would be in more trouble. I stuffed it into my stocking instead.
Once outside, I noticed Donald, and I asked him to sit with me. We took a bench outside the gates of the courtyard. I crossed my legs, so that my left leg was on top of the other. Don blocked the view from the courtyard, and I looked to see if there was anybody paying attention to us. Carefully, I slid the letter from my stocking.
"Don't let anybody see you have this. Read it, and tell me what's in it. I'm already under suspicion, so I don't want to be searched with this in my pocket."
Don crossed his legs and shoved the parchment into his boot. "Alright."
"Be discreet." I smiled at him. "We're still following a forbidden God."
A little while later he returned and spoke in whispers. "It was a permit and a letter. Inside was another letter, sealed. I didn't read that one, but the outer one can be useful. The permit read that the bearer of the document had leave to transport the letter to Baron Wolfgang, authorised by Von Strahd."
I smiled wryly. "Ironic. This is the very letter I requested from Von Strahd last night." I looked at Don. "This needs to be found, by someone we can trust. Can you make it appear in someone's pockets? Or let someone find it?"
"I think so, yes."
"Try Polomeus if you can. He's a follower of Eleena, and will attribute any luck to her. If you can't, Fedor, Elizabeth or Leopold are good options. And thank you. We must stick together in situations like these."
Inside, a court assembled. A high judge would pronounce sentence over some lawbreakers. Sick to my stomach, I watched the proceedings. A young woman who was most indecently clad was called before the tribunal. She flaunted authority, and critisised the judge. Just before the judge pronounced her sentence she spat "Eleena will watch over me."
A shock ran through Polomeus' body. I saw him stare at the young woman for a moment, and then avert his gaze. He slid lower into his seat, and put a hand over his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Edith, across from him, inquired.
"I flipped a coin in my head." he said. "I can't help her."
I looked at him, worried, trying to gauge his mood.
The woman was killed, right there on the spot. Then a necro priest spoke the spells. She rose, and he clad her in the yellow robes. A noble at the table next to us joked that the woman was now finally clad decently. She was put to work immediately.
Hugo was called before the judge. He had spoken the name Shelindra twice during a Zepultoeran marriage rite. Hugo had a good defense, and finally he was pronounced innocent. Then The judge called Falco forward. He had been hiding under his cloak, but now he got up. Apparantly, he had asked for a trade agreement, and he had been given it.
The judge adjourned the sitting. "The other cases are still under investigation."
We rose, and walked outside. "Let's not wait until they're done investigating." Edith suggested. I told them I would get my things.
Edith came to find me, just as I folded my warm blanket. "I'm ready." I said. "Shouldn't we wait for Isabella?"
"Do you want to stick around? We'll wait just over the border." Edith said, and we joined Polomeus outside.
"Marianne, remember Luka, the child we played with yesterday?" I nodded. "She said her father works on a farm, and wears a yellow dress. The poor thing."
We walked into the forest, leaving the mansion behind us. Marsilac would welcome us back.
Behind us, black clouds started to grow over Zepultoera. A storm was coming...
An Explanation
Black Guards = Zwarte Garde. In the service of the Baron, mostly serving Ranaa (Godess of Loyalty) as well. Not like the D&D Black Guards.
Zepultoera = Barony to the east of Marsilac, ruled by Baron Wolfgang Von Strahd.
Marsilac = Barony to the west of Zepultoera. Marsilac is where most Maerquin events play. It is ruled by Baron Wolfgang van Marsilac tot Oosterdiep.
Friday
Walking along at a brisk pace, Marianne clutched the lantern she wasn't used to carrying. It had been hanging on a pole outside a tavern, somewhere near the border. Leopold had asked her to bring a candle if she could, for his service for the couple.
Suddenly, she noticed the group was slowly coming to a halt. Hushed whispers reached her ears, and she hid the lantern with a smooth flick of her wrist, so it would be hidden in the folds of her bulky cloak.
Suddenly, she saw who it was up ahead, and her knees buckled, trained for many hours to curtsy smoothly. "The Baron." whispered someone.
Indeed it was Baron Wolfgang, smiling benevolently at the group before him. He was flanked by two of his guards, and more stirred behind him. One by one, the people came forward to greet him, and he made a point to ask each one their name, and to talk for a little while. The group with Marianne dwindled, and the group behind the Baron, starting with the preparations of Leopold's sermon, grew steadily. Marianne still didn't move, and Polomeus behind her nudged her to step forward, but someone else went first.
Finally, Marianne mustered the courage, and she stepped forward, sinking smoothly (despite her luggage, candle and blanket) into a deep curtsy for the man who ruled Marsilac.
As she straightened, the Baron asked her what her name is.
"Marianne den Schrijfster." Marianne breathed.
"Den Schrijfster?" the Baron mused. "The Marianne den Schrijfster?"
"Yes, my lord." Marianne kept her eyes focused on the emblem on his tabbard.
"I've heard about you." He said. His voice sounded warm, like he was smiling.
"I've heard about you. The words rang in her ears. Perhaps it was like she suspected after all, but now was not the time to ask. Too many ears, too many people. And no way to speak in private. Polomeus followed Marianne, and again Baron Wolfgang seemed to know who he was. "You look different than before."
Marianne bowed her head, focused her gaze on the rest of the group, and tried to hear every word.
The sermon, or service, Leopold had planned for the bride and groom, went smoothly. He asked Marianne to hold up her lantern so she could read, and Marianne kept her gaze down. There was a purse at her feet, probably from Leopold, and a bag of small candles next to it. The grass and sand had stained the hem of her robe. The bride and groom stepped forward. Everyone bowed for them. The sermon was a haze.
But some had not attended the sermon, as they had been asked to speak in private with the Baron. When the sermon was over and Leopold had no longer need of her lantern, Marianne stepped towards the side of the clearing, finding the Black Guards blocking her way. One of them was an attractive woman with a bright smile. "The baron is still busy."
"Oh, but I don't think he would want to speak with me." Marianne said.
"Why not? He's a very amiable man. I'm sure he'll have a moment for you." The woman looked over her shoulder. "I can ask him in a moment."
"Well..."
"Wait here. I'll just tell him you want to speak with him."
Baron Wolfgang towered over her as Marianne curtsied again. "Could you please hide your lantern, Marianne?"
Marianne again hid the lantern beneath her cloak.
"Now, what did you want to talk to me about." the baron asked.
"Sir, as you probably know I write for the Orde. If you want, I could also write to you directly about what we find in Zepultoera." Marianne said shyly. "Not everything should be published in the newspaper."
"Ah I see." the Baron said. "That will not be necessary, but it is kind of you to offer."
Finally the group started moving again. Many glanced behind them at the Baron as he saw them off. The border wasn't too far ahead. And after that...Zepultoera.
Twinkling lights announced the border crossing. We were told to form a line. One by one we shuffled forward. I ended up standing next to Claudius.
"Oh, Lady Marianne." he stammered, clutching his hat tightly. "Do you think we need to show our invitations? Only, you see, I spilled a cup of wine over mine. It was totally illegible."
Inwardly, I smiled. "Well, Sir Claudius, why don't you take my arm and tell the people at the border that you are my companion."
Claudius hesitated, but in the end he extended an arm. I rested my right hand lightly on his arm, and averted my gaze down as we shuffled forward. "Marianne den Schrijfster. And Claudius Wytteveen." Claudius announced us. The border guards scribbled onto a piece of parchment, added a stamp, and then another. They folded the parchment double, and extended it. A red stone joined it. And then they waved us on.
We were inside Zepultoera.
Four hours later, I was panting but the lights of Ten Vorsel were in view. My bodys were hurting, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I found a little seat at the edge of the grounds, but after a concerned question from Polomeus I got back on my feet. It was only a little further.
As we approached the court of the mansion I noticed people clad in yellow. One fellow near the gate was pushing a broom, but as we came closer I noticed it was an undead. I'd never seen such creatures before and it looked frightening. The empty eyes were haunting.
A servant -- a living one -- opened the door for us and took our cloaks and coats. Carefully we found our seats, being steered away from the tables with red tablecloth because those were for "the nobles". And soon enough someone announced the rules to us, after a short word of welcome.
"One does not speak to someone he or she has not yet been introduced to. Doors that are closed, are closed for a reason, and you will not open them. Things that are the property of someone else should not be touched, moved or removed. You are not allowed to bear arms that you do not have a license for."
After getting a drink from the bar, I also picked up the local newspaper. My eyebrows climbed as I read the articles. The grain that was shipped to Marsilac should "adhere to certain minimum prizes" and there was a government agency who coordinated the efforts of all the merchants. And there was talk about "raising" a certain person who had recently died.
We did not have to wait for long. The corpse was carried inside, and priests of Anmarack in grey and black robes busied themselves around the body. After a short speech and an incantation, the dead sat up, and at a command extended his arms forward. The necro-priest dressed the undead in a yellow tunic, and commanded the undead to start working.
I averted my gaze, a sinking feeling in my stomach overwhelming me. Where the hell did we end up?
But our trials were not yet to an end. A familiar face appeared at the door as I was just near the bar, and immediately I hid myself behind Claudius.
"Oh, milady. If that makes you feel, uh, more safe."
I nodded quietly, and peered around Claudius' shoulder at Daniel Morgan van Zuydkant. His radiant face and long dark hair matched that of a young woman on his left hand, curls piled high and an expensive dress on her narrow frame. After smiling happily at the people in the room, they took a spot at the 'nobles' table in the back, and I made my way to a seat. Many seats were already taken, and nobles were vying to get introduced to everyone. Many of them meeting me, turned away after a bit of polite smalltalk and said "What a lovely young lady." where they thought I could not hear them.
The number of people in the room trying to get a seat forced me to sit with my back to the room, and I grabbed a newspaper from my writing chest to keep busy.
Hugo interrupted my reading with a letter. "Don't forget the courier!" he said cheerfully, the familiar sounds of Orkenslacht in his voice. I promptly ignored him. It was a letter from the Orde, with my wages. I was not about to donate any of that to the blunt paladin. He finally stopped waiting for it, and left me alone. I continued reading my newspaper after I put the coins away.
A soft hand squeezed my shoulder, and a voice like honey tickled in my ear. "Marianne. I would like you to meet my protegé."
Van Zuydkant. I could only just contain myself and carefully stood and curtsied to the young woman in the expensive dress. Van Zuydkant introduced her as Valencia with a lot of other names. All I could think about was that they should just leave me alone...
After Van Zuydkant and Valencia left me, I quickly closed my writing chest and grabbed my cloak. It was cold outside, but I didn't care. I had to get outside, away from the undead, sweeping themselves into a corner, or the undead staring at your plate because there's no others to take away and you haven't finished eating yet. Away from the necro-priests of Anmarack, of all the nobles, and especially away from Van Zuydkant!
There were picknicktables outside and I wasn't the only one to take refuge there. A nervous young man was walking to and fro, and I noticed some familiar faces trying to stand guard: Thorfinn and Falco and Gambo. It was, however, Fedor who approached me.
He wanted to speak to me in private, and as 'inappropriate' as that might be for the groom-to-be on the night before his wedding (especially on the night before his wedding!) I acquiesced. We stood under the light of a lantern, trying to ignore the undead walking their rounds or sweeping the floor.
"My lady Marianne. I wanted to speak with you about something you did at the cloister of Eleena in Driekanth. You were the one to urge me to dance with Ellenora, and..."
I blushed and dropped my gaze. Fedor kept talking. "...I wanted to thank you for that moment. I wanted to thank you for telling me I should ask Ellenora to dance."
"Oh, it's nothing." I said, keeping my eyes downcast.
"It meant a lot to me." Fedor replied. "So, thank you."
I smiled and met his eyes.
"My lady." Fedor said. "I see something of Shelindra in you."
"No, no..." I replied, but Fedor would not hear of it. "Really, there is something of Shelindra in you."
"There is nothing of Shelindra in me." I said. I blinked, clasped a hand over my mouth. Fedor must have been as surprised as I was.
"What is there in you?" he asked. "What is possessing you?"
I stayed up late, talking with Polomeus. It was easier now, to meet his eyes.
{{I have a hard time recalling what we talked about (but that could just be because I was up for 20+ hours straight).}}
Saturday
I had twisted my hair into a tight bun on the back of my head, unable and unwilling to try and do my best on the elaborate hairstyle I usually wore, but Ellenora insisted to help me. After she had
braided my hair Aurelia kidnapped the young bride-to-be. "It is traditional." she said.
I climbed the stairs, following the dark skirts of Ellenora. Aurelia had gone above and beyond, and provided tea, a lovely flower in a pot, and a healthy nut-cake for snacks. Many of the other women were already present, including Hasse, Illa, Jinni, Edith, Elizabeth and a woman I did not know.
Aurelia took charge, welcoming everyone to the tea. Hasse looked embarrassed, but I kept my own eyes down too, accepting a cup of hot tea from Edith.
It wasn't long before the nobles found us. First Valencia, the young protegé of Van Zuydkant, soon followed by Lady Nathalia. It seemed like everyone was invited...everyone but Ellenora's mother. The Lady Ivanova came up the stairs as well, swooshed past Alex who was keeping an eye out, and said in a very loud voice, to nobody in particular, that she was disappointed she had not been invited. Aurelia turned to Ellenora. "I have not been introduced to your mother. Perhaps you could convey my regrets to the Lady Ivanova that I was not able to talk with her directly."
Apalled, Lady Ivanova turned around, and made a grand exit. As she descended the stairs again, Alex stepped inside and, at a gesture from Aurelia, took up a seat inside the doorway, closing the door to the outside staircase behind him.
"To be honest, I did not invite Ellenora's mother on purpose." Aurelia said. "It is customary in Marsilac to not invite the mother of the bride, for several good reasons. This tea party is meant to be for friends of the bride, so they can tell her about her duties -- and her rights. A mother could complicate matters."
The ladies there present, and Illa too, nodded. And then the festivities continued. Aurelia and Illa told Ellenora about her duties. About how she should bear a son to her new found husband, and how he was supposed to take care of her. I blushed, and said very little.
After the presents were exchanged, the women tried to talk about Fedor, but somehow we seemed to drift off-topic every time. In the end, Ellenora ended the tea party by getting up. "I probably should attend to other matters." she said diplomatically, and one by one we went outside and down the stairs again.
A young girl, no more than five years old, who had been looking for her mother, was skipping around the undead workers. I ignored her for the moment, but as Polomeus and I took off into the woods, she followed us. I smiled at the child. Her name was Luka.
As we found a spot in the woods, Polomeus asked her to draw something in the sand for him: two circles. The smaller one should be large enough to stand in, the larger one as large as your arms outstretched. He demonstrated, and as Luka went looking for a twig to draw with, he joined me to the side.
"I told you I wanted to dream."
I nodded. The drawing in front of me unfolded, and Polomeus continued with instructions, on how to divide the circles into equal parts.
"The pantheon." I breathed, recognising the shape. Instead of nine parts, the circles were divided eqaully into ten parts.
"Ten equal parts, and a candle in each of them." Polomeus said. Luka continued drawing happily while we pondered the information from Polomeus' dreams.
When she was done, Luka skipped over to us, and asked Polomeus to play with her. How could he refuse? We skipped in the circles, playing hopscotch on the drawing of the Pantheon...
Shortly after, I spoke with Fedor about his upcoming marriage. He was most distraught he would have to sign his name in blood, because of the Zepultoeran rites, but we could find no way around it. Using any other blood would probably end him, Ellenora, or them both into trouble.
Before I could even start thinking of a solution, Polomeus asked me to come along. "They're collecting taxes. A blood donation."
My eyes grew wide.
"Right, I didn't think you would want to participate either. But Hugo had a smart idea for a change. He was praying to Ranaa to bless his blood as he was giving a donation. It should stop his blood from being useful."
"Sounds logical." I nodded.
"We could do something similar." he said. His eyes twinkled darkly. "Ask Edith to join us, too."
And so Edith, Polomeus and I walked back to the woods, back to the drawing Luka made. We prayed to our Gods, asking them to bless our blood, so that it could be used for Their purposes. To disrupt the unnatural rituals, and to bring bad luck to the necro-priests.
We returned to the mansion, found Hugo. Someone had suggested we fake the notation in the visum we'd been given. I asked Hugo to see his visum, to see if I could duplicate it. Hugo held out the visum, is blue eyes locked in mine. Like he was trying to say "don't you dare."
I looked at him, aghast. Averted my gaze.
And then I stood up and walked away, bristling with fury. How dare he mistrust me? What good would his visum be to me? How could he even imagine I would...
Polomeus and Edith joined me after a minute. The dagger had been blessed. We'd have to do this now. Polomeus was practically bouncing in anticipation, the dagger in his hand. When his turn came, he sliced neatly into his hand, blood dripping into the donation bowl. "Shall I go again?" he asked, intoxicated by this game. Again the knife bit into his palm. The official signed his visum and stamped it with two tiny red dots. "Two donations. Next!"
He handed me the dagger, and I waited patiently until the woman was ready for me. Then I sliced.
I have bad luck with daggers.
My blood welled up quickly. The cut was deep. Soon enough, my head started to feel light. The woman across the table checked my wound. "You're going to need stitches. This is what we get from your... primitive methods!"
"Can't it wait?" Edith piped up behind me. She was anxious to cut herself, Hugo's spell slowly dissipating on the blade. "I'll stitch her up after I'm done."
The woman nodded, and placed the bowl in front of Edith. She told me to hold my arm up to help stop the bleeding, and I tried to fight the urge to faint. Soon enough, Edith was done too, and she started to stitch up my hand. The woman at the table muttered angrily about "barbarians" but at least she readied our visa. Finally, my hand was stitched and my visum was back in order, and we stood from our chairs.
At the door, Polomeus took a look at my hand. He pressed his fingers over the wound and murmered a few words. The wound healed.
"Leave the stitches for a while, but you should be fine."
A little while later, I spoke to Donald and Hasse. I had overheard as I was walking by, that the man was a scribe, like myself. Something else had quirked my interest, and so I decided it was time to have a little chat with them. I asked if I could join them, and they made a spot for me.
I asked Donald about his trade, and where he had learned it, but he couldn't tell. Their tale was one of woe. Hasse had found Donald in the streets, and tried to heal him, but his injuries were quite severe and it took him a long time to recover. They had lost everything they had and really needed a break.
"Are you religious?" I asked them. "Perhaps you can ask the Gods for help."
"Oh, but the Gods would not worry about us. We're only people. Why would they bother?" Hasse said.
I smiled. "Well, then. Perhaps they won't. But I can always pray for you."
And then suddenly, it was time. The last hurdles had been jumped, and Fedor had finally asked for Ellenora's hand as was proper. The wedding would take place after all. The guests all waited outside, carrying a lantern with a candle and the bride and groom walked down the isle towards the officials who would perform the marriage. Hugo, dressed in white and black robes, would take care of the Marsilac part of the ceremony. His speech was eloquent and (thanks to a few handy corrections of mine) grammatically correct. Then he was followed by the Zepultoeran official, who had a lengthy affair of signing things in blood, and the witnesses drinking blood, and more of those things.
The newlyweds opened the buffet and everyone got in a long line to grab a bite to eat. I finally had a chance to chat with Charon. I had spoken with him shortly the night previous, asking about the purple shawl around his waist. He'd claimed he was married. But the colour intrigued me. "Why purple? I asked him, shooting him a serious look."
"It's a lovely colour." he said.
"It is indeed. Perhaps we should find the time later to have a more private talk." I said.
It was not long after we had sat down that I looked over my shoulder at the bride and groom. Next to their table was a man I recognised nearly instantly. His face was on the portraits on the wall, together with the text "One man, one nation". Baron Von Strahd himself had come to visit the couple's wedding!
Just as I had recognised him, a hush fell over the room, and one of the necro-priests shouted "All rise for Baron Von Strahd!". I jumped up from my seat, turned and curtsied deeply. Two barons in two days... and as amiable as Baron Wolfgang had been, as dangerous Von Strahd would be.
He ignored us, and we sat back down, but I was shaken, and finished my plate quickly.
After dinner, I told Hasse and Donald to wear something warm, and requested a GM to do thesame. I filched a lantern from the tavern and hid it under my thick cloak. Soon, the other two had arrived and we walked into the woods, talking quietly. I was aware of the darkness around me, and how dangerous it was to go into the woods with two strange people. Though they might not be dangerous, they could overpower me easily. Never mind the wolves, orks or (gasp!) necro priests we might encounter there.
The sand was mostly undisturbed and the drawing of Luka was still in place. I told Donald and Hasse there had been a ritual for Eleena there earlier that afternoon. "I would like this sermon to Karnun to be by its side."
I placed my lantern a pace from the edge of Luka's circle and drew with a stick into the sand, drawing a line between the Eleena ritual and Karnun's. As close as their religions sometimes are, other times they can be far apart.
I drew light-lines from my lantern, following the light that shon forth, and kneeled in front of the lantern. A last glimpse around me and then I focused on Hasse and Don.
"Karnun! Hear Your servant. Tonight I would pray to You, and I would ask You to hear my voice. Lord of the Shadows and Master of the Dark, hear us. I bring to You two people, who have had a rough life. They would pray to You and ask for Change."
I turned to Hasse. She was holding on to the parchment I'd given her - a full sheet worth 3 cret at least. At my request she'd drawn a picture of the things she wanted to change. One word was on the back of the parchment: "Remembrance"
"Hasse, speak to Karnun, and tell Him what the change is you desire."
Hasse started talking, and the longer she talked the more she desired. Change from the past. Forgiveness. To be able to own cattle again, to have posessions. To be welcomed back and to find a place at her old home. The list went on and on, and finally, she fell silent. I turned to Don and asked him the same question.
"My memory is gone, and I would like to have it back. To know where I came from, and who I am." he said. His list was shorter, but considerate. I realised what lay within my grasp, and so I took it.
"Karnun hears your plea. You ask for a lot. What will you give to Him?" I asked.
Hasse looked shocked, but Don shrugged. "Well, I could serve Him." I nodded, pleased.
"Well, if there is no other way..." Hasse hesitated. "There's not much I can give him, so perhaps I should serve him as well."
I nodded again. "The parchment that symbolises your need for change. Toss it into the fire of the lantern."
The parchment crumbled, the people drawn on the paper fading into blackness.
"Where there is darkness, there is light." I said. "And where there is light, there is Darkness."
I extinguished the flame in the lantern, and darkness closed in around us.
"For every two cret you earn, you will donate one to a temple of Karnun, and the money will come rolling in." I said to them.
"I don't understand..." Hasse said. "How can we get rich by giving away money?"
"If you earn two cret, you will give one to the temple. Should you earn four, you give two. Earn eight, and you will give four. Do you understand?" I replied, and Hasse nodded.
I got up and beat the sand from my dress. A feeling of elation washed over me, and a dark voice spoke in my mind. You did well....My Priestess.
Outside the mansion, I spoke quietly to Elizabeth, who was distraught. She looked upset and like she'd been crying. She mimed being afraid, and pointed upwards.
"You are afraid of Ranaa?" I asked, and she nodded. I said I understood. "The Gods can be frightening, but have faith."
Inside, I was cornered by more nobles. This time, it was the Lady Ivanova who wanted my services. "Write a letter for my daughter. In your best hand." she said, gliding towards a table. I grabbed parchment and ink and a pencil to make a draft letter. Ivanova sat with me, watching my pen as I wrote the beautiful letters one by one.
"It is amazing, such an art." she said to Valencia, who had joined us. "I can watch this all day."
After the letter was done, I waved the parchment so the ink would dry, and Ivanova grabbed a purse. "For your trouble, child."
Later, I found out it was a substantial amount of money, and probably made this letter the most expensive one I ever wrote (some 200 cret)
I was still restless and inside the nobles were busy impressing one another. I decided to go outside and it was Edith who grabbed my arm. "Keep an eye on Polomeus, would you? I heard Von Strahd wanted to talk with him about his daughter."
Edith walked on, and I sank down on the brim of a planter trying to keep an eye out. I dared not go closer, not knowing what Von Strahd would do if he found me eavesdropping, and worse: I had no idea what to do if Von Strahd wanted Polomeus dead. At least I could scream, really loudly, if I had to.
Polomeus soon approached me. "Marianne, I would like to introduce you to Von Strahd."
My heart skipped a beat. "Me, or Faye?"
Polomeus smiled in a way that could only mean one thing. "He has some problems he'd like to discuss and I told him a priestess of Karnun could provide him with an unique view on the subject."
We walked inside, shed our cloaks and soon I found myself on a couch in the office of Sir Mikhail. Across from me was Polomeus, shooting me dark looks. Von Strahd took the armchair to my right, and Leopold was on the couch with me. The daughter of Von Strahd, Isabella, took a chair across from her father.
Von Strahd poured us strong whisky. The soft taste of the liquid was overshadowed by a hint of smoke. It was the most intriguing thing I had tasted yet.
But he came down to business soon. He had a problem, and I could see he was distraught. "A year ago, the Black Count was freed. This was around the time your Baron Wolfgang disappeared. Wolfgang had agreed to be caught in a ritual where he would fight the Black Count, but the arrival of the Red Boots disrupted the ritual. Two of the Red Boots offered to take Wolfgang's place in the ritual, and the Baron was freed. He was surprised, and at first unhappy about this, but he returned to Marsilac to rule his barony. The reason the Black Count escaped was because one of the Red Boots forfeited."
And now, in short, the Black Count was gathering strength, and he was plotting to take over Zepultoera. I asked why he would do that.
"Because he can." the simple answer was.
I studied the Baron in front of me. Next to Baron Wolfgang Von Strahd would look small, but he had an inner strength that radiated from him. He looked lean like a wolf, and his black hair, bushy mustache and goatee stark against his unnaturally white skin.
"Van Zuydkant is the son of the Black Count." Von Strahd said. "He is currently gathering as many nobles as he can, using honey-sweet promises to buy them into his camp. And I am powerless to stop him. The moment I show my hand, the Black Count will take control of me as well -- and he can."
"You can be compromised." I concluded. At a curt nod, I continued. "So it is imperative that any plan we devise, should not be discussed with you. Whom can we trust to speak for you?"
"My daughter, Isabella. You should take her with you when you leave Zepultoera. She will be safer inside Marsilac."
"We should talk with Baron Wolfgang first." Polomeus said, and both Leopold and I nodded in agreement. "He might not be willing to lend a hand. But if we bring Isabella, she can convince him your plea is genuine."
"I have a feeling Baron Wolfgang will allow me to speak with him." I said. I looked at Polomeus, our eyes locking. He drew his eyebrows up, but I did not elaborate. "And if we accompany Isabella..."
"I have spoken with Baron Wolfgang before." Isabella said. "Not always about good news, though."
Leopold spoke. "If the Black Count is so busy taking over Zepultoera, we might provide a distraction. I can get my hands on a dagger of Ordeus. It might even be powerful enough to hurt him. Perhaps we can distract him. Make him focus on Marsilac."
"If there's something we are good at in Marsilac, it's improvising. In Zepultoera, you are more structured." Polomeus said. "If we can draw the attention away from Zepultoera for a while, perhaps that will allow you to make an organised attempt to overthrow him."
"We can identify which nobles have gone over to Van Zuydkant and his master." Von Strahd said. "Try and steal some of them back to our side. And organise a shadow organisation that can work around them in the meantime."
"Meanwhile, you can poison his supplies." I said. "Weaken him from inside Zepultoera. It will slow him down if his resources are not as useful as they seem."
Betray. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Create an illusion. Faye was having a blast. She was sitting with what, under other circumstances, was the most powerful man this side of the border, and she was winning his trust. One arm outstretched on the couch, legs crossed, and whisky in hand, pride welled up.
After our talk with Von Strahd, Polomeus stood next to me. "I did not expect Leopold to be there. I for one would not have asked him, but Von Strahd had."
"I agree." I said.
"We should ask others. Others who would go as far as we would." Polomeus said. "Who?"
"Edith? Perhaps Elizabeth. And I have hope for Fedor, but I'm unsure."
"We'll see." Polomeus said.
I placed my things on one of the wood tables that stood around the courtyard. When Polomeus returned with Edith, he sat next to me and I shared my cloak with him. I knew he would get cold otherwise, but I realised the gesture could be misinterpreted by others. Talk was going around, and Elizabeth had asked me earlier, in her gestures, what my feelings for Polomeus were. Would that I knew how to tell her. Would that I knew.
It was obvious to Polomeus, but perhaps not to others, that my behaviour was different. Perhaps they were too busy talking to notice. I had been right in Elizabeth -- who had finally been released from her Vow of Silence -- but Fedor was another matter. On the evening of his wedding, he was unsure whether Ellenora or Shelindra would come first, but in the end we managed to get the message across.
Sunday
Fedor approached me outside. He was now wearing a necklace with a purple feather around his neck, and Von Strahd had somewhat told me about what they were. I could not say I found it a heartwarming gesture that Fedor was now part of that organisation, but there was very little I could do about it.
We stepped into Lord Mikhail's office, and Fedor went to get some tea.
On the table was a letter. I was alone in the office, and quickly looked outside, but nobody was watching. Quickly, I stuffed the letter into my cleavage. I really didn't want to, because fingers could be pointed at me quite easily -- I was alone in the office -- and theft, and being a priestess of a forbidden religion spoke ill of me in the eyes of the Zepultoerans. I had also a knife in my writing chest, but I did not have a permit for it.
But Karnun would punish me quite severely if I did not steal it. And I was still His servant.
Not two seconds after I entered, Lord Mikhail stepped inside, and stopped dead in his tracks. He was followed by Fedor. "There was a letter here. Where is it?" Mikhail said.
"A letter sir?" I asked. "I did not see one. Perhaps it fell?"
Mikhail checked under the couches, and then proceeded to open up my writing chest. He tossed everything aside like it was worthless, and checked the letters and parchments that were in there to see if they were his letter. The chest yielded nothing. Mikhail stormed out, asking the barmaids to see if they had seen anyone go in, but they replied that I was the only one. He did not return.
I turned to Fedor.
"My lord, I feel horrible. Perhaps you want to look inside my writing chest and perform a thorough search? I have no secrets from you."
Fedor nodded. "With the utmost reluctance."
He opened the chest reverently, and carefully unpacked it. The loose parchments drew his eye, and he read their contents. "Marianne, these are some dangerous items, if these were to fall into the wrong hands..."
"I had to assist the Red Boots in the Geelhoeve. I only keep them because parchment is expensive, and I can use the back for drafts."
"I will hold onto these. I will return them to you as soon as we are back in Marsilac."
I nodded. My eyes were locked on the writing chest. And Fedor continued his search. He opened a small case with equipment I use to clean my pen nibs, and he said "I should be very careful with this."
It went with the other things. "Do you have a permit for this dagger?"
"No, sir. I can't even use it well. Yesterday I cut too deep with a dagger during the blood donation. The only reason I keep it is to scrape ink off a parchment." I replied. "That's why it is hidden inside my chest. I can't even defend myself with it."
I breathed quietly, and an undead came inside. Part of its skull was missing, and I could see matter that looked like spaghetti in its head. I turned away so I would not have to look at it. It droned "Teeeaaaaa...." and placed two cups on the table.
Fedor held up my booklet. "Can I open this?"
"I'd rather not you read my diary." I said. "But I will show you there's nothing hidden in it." I took the booklet, and let the pages slide through my fingers. "Two leaves, I am drying these." I showed him. "And these are some personal letters to me." I opened them and showed them quickly, so he could not read its contents, but he could see they were adressed to me.
"Very well."
When the search was over, I was happy I could prove I had not taken the letter. Fedor seemed satisfied as well. We took to our seats, but apparantly Fedor had forgotten he wanted to speak to me. He took out a small booklet and started writing. I took out my embroidery and sat in silence.
After a little while, I asked if I could help him write.
"I am composing a sermon for Shelindra." he said. "It's going slowly."
He did not elaborate, so I didn't speak more. After a while, he looked up. "If you're worried about the tea, I can promise you it's fine."
"Oh!" I said. "No, I was just... distracted by my embroidery. It was too warm earlier." I sipped the tea.
After a while, I excused myself. Fedor did not seem to need my help.
I visited the lavatory and moved the letter. Stuff in my cleavage has a tendency to shift upward, and if someone were to notice something sticking out the neckline of my dress - partlet or no partlet - I would be in more trouble. I stuffed it into my stocking instead.
Once outside, I noticed Donald, and I asked him to sit with me. We took a bench outside the gates of the courtyard. I crossed my legs, so that my left leg was on top of the other. Don blocked the view from the courtyard, and I looked to see if there was anybody paying attention to us. Carefully, I slid the letter from my stocking.
"Don't let anybody see you have this. Read it, and tell me what's in it. I'm already under suspicion, so I don't want to be searched with this in my pocket."
Don crossed his legs and shoved the parchment into his boot. "Alright."
"Be discreet." I smiled at him. "We're still following a forbidden God."
A little while later he returned and spoke in whispers. "It was a permit and a letter. Inside was another letter, sealed. I didn't read that one, but the outer one can be useful. The permit read that the bearer of the document had leave to transport the letter to Baron Wolfgang, authorised by Von Strahd."
I smiled wryly. "Ironic. This is the very letter I requested from Von Strahd last night." I looked at Don. "This needs to be found, by someone we can trust. Can you make it appear in someone's pockets? Or let someone find it?"
"I think so, yes."
"Try Polomeus if you can. He's a follower of Eleena, and will attribute any luck to her. If you can't, Fedor, Elizabeth or Leopold are good options. And thank you. We must stick together in situations like these."
Inside, a court assembled. A high judge would pronounce sentence over some lawbreakers. Sick to my stomach, I watched the proceedings. A young woman who was most indecently clad was called before the tribunal. She flaunted authority, and critisised the judge. Just before the judge pronounced her sentence she spat "Eleena will watch over me."
A shock ran through Polomeus' body. I saw him stare at the young woman for a moment, and then avert his gaze. He slid lower into his seat, and put a hand over his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Edith, across from him, inquired.
"I flipped a coin in my head." he said. "I can't help her."
I looked at him, worried, trying to gauge his mood.
The woman was killed, right there on the spot. Then a necro priest spoke the spells. She rose, and he clad her in the yellow robes. A noble at the table next to us joked that the woman was now finally clad decently. She was put to work immediately.
Hugo was called before the judge. He had spoken the name Shelindra twice during a Zepultoeran marriage rite. Hugo had a good defense, and finally he was pronounced innocent. Then The judge called Falco forward. He had been hiding under his cloak, but now he got up. Apparantly, he had asked for a trade agreement, and he had been given it.
The judge adjourned the sitting. "The other cases are still under investigation."
We rose, and walked outside. "Let's not wait until they're done investigating." Edith suggested. I told them I would get my things.
Edith came to find me, just as I folded my warm blanket. "I'm ready." I said. "Shouldn't we wait for Isabella?"
"Do you want to stick around? We'll wait just over the border." Edith said, and we joined Polomeus outside.
"Marianne, remember Luka, the child we played with yesterday?" I nodded. "She said her father works on a farm, and wears a yellow dress. The poor thing."
We walked into the forest, leaving the mansion behind us. Marsilac would welcome us back.
Behind us, black clouds started to grow over Zepultoera. A storm was coming...
