DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood A City of Five Rings

Mikal

He looks at Daxia curiously. "You learned what you needed to learn? When, and what exactly was that?"

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

The news of breakfast being finished brings two bright responses. One, from the three hundred year old Dayalan ...

"Hoi ... watching you play doublebluffs with those fellows makes a body hungry."

The other ...

"Pancakes!"

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes!"

"Listen, blue-eyes, I keep telling you, those ain't pancakes! Pancakes are round and thin and made by your Ma on cold winter morning, covered in syrup tapped by maple trees. Do you see any maple trees here? Do you even know what a maple tree looks like?

Kay look anout, pointing to the lonely almost bare tree.

"That's an oak and waaay over there are some very tired pine trees.

"You know for someone supposedly so smart I just don't ... no no no stop that ... you'll burn yourself, here ... here ... wooden plate, wooden plate ..."

To which, of course, Romana had but one answer,

"Pancakes!"

"GAAAAWK!"

Which was still not a word.

Halfway through their rhoni cooked breakfast Romana lifted her head, brushing away dark black locks. She straightened herself, set her wooden plate in her lap and smiled.

"Talentatalentalentals your biggest home, yes-yes?"

The tall woman spared a look towards the rising sun, shading her brow with her hand against Her light.

"Romanas are Romanas are Romanas are big town Romanas. Thousand Towers an all its people, all in such small small place. Romanas know what big town folks see, what don'ts, slipped through Trundles-On-the-Hills ahead of Fathers Hunters, found shadows, found lights, found Alley.

"Folks see what folks wants see. Pretty girl. Stupid girl. Girl with black hair.

"Funnies. Funnies not ha ha funnie.

"All folk like that. Poor, rich, good, mean ... even Princes.

"See what wants to see.

"Romanas shows what folks want see and what Romanas wants folks see."

She'd then point to Kadri, eyes bright.

"Understands, yesyes? Kadridjinnniskhayriyahhahahaha al Terilanquels ... Kadridjinnnislililisica al' Izgon ... Kadridjinnniskhayriyahhahahahaterilanquelslililisica al Korie ... many names to chose, yesyes?"

Romana continued, her words now much quieter.

"Big towns, they just like Forests. No green, no brown, just stone and folks. The city has hunters, has prey. Forests easy, hunt to eat, hunt to live. Trundles, Kh'lhy'ra, Talantals, hunting much more dangerous. Hunt for coin, hunts for power, hunts for ... fun."

Finally, Romana looked back down to her plate, her smile returning with a good helping of Cesare's repast.

"Besides. Romanas gots hats."

"Cor ..."

Kay shook her head, speaking up again.

"What, you been saving up all those words just for now?"

The brunette turned, and just like Mikal, added a question to her brand new mentor.

"The Allaine what when it whats?"

Kadri

She looks over at Kay.




"She means 'thank you'. You need to listen to the meaning, not the words, and it is as clear as day."

Another pause.

"As for what she is saying now ... that is easy enough."

She looks over to Romanas, and looks her right back in the eyes, then speaks with an even tone, allowing the full lilt of her native accent to slip through.

"Talantal is indeed our biggest city. You know big towns. Know how to vanish in them, know what the people there are looking at, and for. You slipped into Trundle on the Hills ahead of your father's men, found the shadows and the lights, and back alleyways. You showed people what they wanted to see and were expecting to see. A pretty girl, a stupid girl with black hair. If you show people what they want and expect to see they won't look for much of anything else - and that true whether that person is rich or poor, wicked or good - or even a princess. Something I know very well."

She took a swig from a waterskin.

"Yes, a city is much like the wild in its own way. Trees of stone and rivers of rock, people are both hunters and prey. But - yes, people hunt for other reasons than just for survival. They are much more complicated, for all the good and bad that brings."

"We are all many different people. Who we are here."

She taps her chest.

"And what mask we wear to the world. You wear the face you must wear to get through the next year, the next day - and when that face no longer works - another one must come in its place. Yet - in the end, we still are who we are - whatever face you might present to the world."

She looks over to Cesare.

"Quite good, as usual. You need to teach me to cook so it tastes good in addition to filling me sometime. I can do one, am not too good at the other."

She looks to Daxia.

"Yes ... What DID you learn?"

Cesare

By now Cesare is in his usual place beside Darian, close so that no light shines between them, eating from his bowl and feeding Longtooth the odd morsel. This arrangement is now longstanding and comfortable and might always have been.

He chuckles at the exchange between Kay and Romana, winking at the latter in approval. Care needs to be taken in cities but that can be done. Kay might need Kadri's explanation.. maybe Jankin too.. but the rest of them are fairly used to her manner of speaking by now.

He looks over to Kadri.

"My Ma & my aunt taught me mostly. It is just knowing the flavours of the plants, which to use and how much. I carry a few and gather others along the way. Be happy to show you.. maybe in exchange for some riding lessons."

His grins amiably at his suggestion, knowing that there is some cheek there as the two are not exactly equitable.. but he follows the maxim 'you don't ask, you don't get'.

Then glancing at Mikal, he adds.

"And I still need to gain the use of a forge. Maybe we can find one in the city?"

He reminds the warrior that he hasn't forgotten his debt for the crossbow training Mikal has been giving him. He has half an ear in Daxia direction wondering what the answer to their question might be.

Daxia

She raised an eyebrow at Mikal, and smiled sadly. “You certainly can’t have forgotten the grove along the Brementown Road where we rescued Romana and met Dean?” Dazi asked as they walked back to the barn. “We found the remains of the marriage caravan of Innocence Allaine and Danton Kierkegaard, but not a shred of evidence that Innocence was there... although evidence of Lord Danton, his men, Jvrillian mercenaries, and a single Montague was plentiful.

“From that, from stories, from rumors... I added two plus one plus two and came up with a handful. The horseman verified all the rumors I’d heard about Miller MacLain having a daughter who’d run off with Verchovai Poppy — Richter Gwynn — and confirmed my own theories that the mother of that daughter was my Khorall’s missing, and now sadly deceased, sister.”

She was silent then, tending to Morning Star before getting her own breakfast. She smiled at Romana’s explanation, certainly more used to Romana being loquacious than Kay was. From her seat beside Bekkah, she snickered at Kay’s reaction.

She had to wait on Kadri, though, to answer Kay’s question. While it was likely Kay didn’t understand Romana as well as the rest of them had come to understand her... Kay hadn’t actually asked what Romana said, she had merely remarked on Romana’s sudden outpouring of words.

“Princes, Kadri, not princess,” she said. “Even the princes of Kh’Lhy’ra see what they want to see.”

Then Daxia sighed. “I explained that the Bankerpool Empire arrived with their Imperial Court to bring order to the land after the last war with the East, ya, Kay? My sister serves Attera, Dean serves Rames... just as we serve Dayala. And that the rulers of the various lands became the Noble Families of the Little Kingdoms... Allaine, Corliss, Kierkegaard, Konstantine, Halahmbrah, Korie, Brockman, Montague, and Larsens. Yrick is long gone, though I suppose those of the Bankerpool Empire are likely his descendants come back from their voyage across the Opal Sea. As far as I know, Tashka of Darkdown was the last of the folks from Konstantine’s lands, though there may still be people living there.” Daxia shrugged. “Halahmbrah rules Amber now, not Terilanquel. As you saw, unfortunately, Brockman is all but dead... though Montague is something of a bastard child.”

She didn’t doubt, however, that Montague stood in the place of the Brockman Kay remembered.

“Each Midsummer, the Noble Families gather for a Council, which has been hosted by the Kories for... well, for all of my life. Dayalans are the House Guard of the Allaine Family.”

She paused to finish her food before concluding, “So the Allaine Family will send their representative to the Council — it’s usually Khorall Linnell, though I heard once Khorall Sasha went in her stead. And last year, of course, she sent a single Verchovai and a string of empty horses. Being Dayalans, we would not be out of place among the other Dayalans of the Allaine House Guard.

“Assuming, of course, the delegation consists of more than just Verchovai Dandy again.”

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

... the conversation at breakfast continues ...

"I know that!"

Sitting next to Romana, her legs crossed and her own breakfast in her lap. She picked at it with dagger and fingers, definitely well versed in backwood farm manners.

"But that's not the point ..."

She turns, her dark eyes riveting the other young woman's.

"Blue-Eyes, listen up good. You say that when you ain't asking for breakfast and you'll get funny looks from every
one, and thats the exact opposite of vanishing, or so I've been told. Worse, if a kindlet hears it and thinks its funny, they'll go repeating it, ja? And then their Ma and Va will ask who said that, and they'll say the silly stranger with long black hair, and then they'll ask questions, and the folks they ask questions of will ask questions, and then the next thing you know some big bloke will be lookin' down at you and be asking you questions ... like just who are you anyways. And when you can't answer with a farmgirl from Darkdown's manors they'll haul you off, take your hat, and then they end up throwing you in a gaol for having pointed ears, and then, then, Her Ladyship here ..."

Kay nodded to Daxia,

" ... will take me by the scruff of the neck and shake the life out of me, asking me why I didn't keep you safe! And then I'll be dead and up in the sky and all I will be able to do is watch while you reach for the hot frying pan and your fingers will get all burned.

"Ja?

"Ja!"

The blue eyed easterner just blinked. She listened. She tilted her head.

"Ohs. Romanas understands."

"What does Blue-eyes understand?"

"Romanas understands alls, yesyesyes."

"Say it."

There was a long pause and then a very soft, perfectly accented,

"Thank you."

Kay smiled and sitting back she looked very satisfied. The dark haired Dayalan answered, of course, with a very proper return.

"Thank you."

"Wall trim."

"GAAAAAAAWK!"

Romana ducked her head, looking away, trying to hide a small, princessly, aristocratically mischievous grin. Without looking up, however, the eastern lass peeked past her bangs back to Daxia.

"Never same twice."

She shook her head.

"At big courts, if one pokes, only pokes once, yes yes yes? Pokes twice no longer ... auditory ... new day like ... a day's quiet shush ... no longer ... no longers ... audacious. Then just bads, rudes, poor taste, where once saw strong slap becomes all pettys.

"After pokes ... best play ... play strong.

"They will be prepared, yesyesyes? Will need to poke backs, save faces, yes yes yes? So must be strong enough, so pokes basks? Come. Dares. Now. Try.

"So big question ...

"What strongest card Dawnview play?

"One Talantals not expects?"

Mikal

He nods when Daxia mentions the glade and what they found there, but when she finishes the rest of it he replies with a negative shake of his head. "You seem to assume I understand what is behind what you speak of, and more so that I am familiar with court practices. I do not, and am not. Before I met you I had never heard of a Dayallan, nor could I conceive of a female who knew how to use weapons, less one that was good at it. I knew a plow, planting and harvesting, and later horses and swords. Things I could touch. Things that were real."

"The Verchovai's, Noble Councils, Dawnview Vale, in fact most of what you just said are things unknown, or perhaps mentioned once in a lifetime as a fanciful tale of something imagined and not real, far, far, away. So I accept that you found answers to the questions you pursued, but I have no understanding of why they were important, nor do I comprehend what we expect to be doing in Grand Talantal or even why we needs go there."

"In Cragside we saved an orphan girl who was being taken advantage of. In Bordertown we helped fight off an invasion of Chaos coming from the woods and broke a demonic curse. Those were things I understood."

He nods at what Kay just said to Romana. "But if you do not wish me to 'muck things up' with a misplaced question or misunderstood plan, I'd truly appreciate if it was explained to me in terms a poor farmer's son can understand what we are going to be doing in Talantal and why we are going there?"

Daxia

Dazi did her best to maintain at least a somewhat serious expression during Kay’s exchange with Romana, but a rather unladylike snort escaped when Romana replied with her version of you’re welcome.

She certainly understood what Romana was saying... about Dawnview, the Allaines, Talantal, the Kories. Don’t play the same trick on someone twice in a row... they’d be expecting that.

But what was Dawnview’s strongest card? Just what would Talantal not expect?

“Hmm... that’s a good question, Romana...”

The Dayalan turned to Mikal and shook her head. “None of what I searched for has any bearing on why we’re going to Talantal. You’ve said more than a handful of times,” she said with a chuckle, “that you hate politics.

“Talantal is all about politics.” She sighs. “First, imagine the grandest Midsummer Festival you’ve ever seen, and then try to imagine a fullhand of that. That’s before you even add the politics of the Nobles’ Council.

“And Imperial politics.”

She rubbed her temples. “Dear Lady, it gives me a headache. The short story is that Bekkah is the most powerful person in our group... Imperials trump Nobles, Bekkah is a Priestess of the Imperial Court. She could probably just stroll into the Fifth Ring of Talantal because priestesses of Attera are that powerful in the Imperial Court.”

Then she nodded to Romana. “Our extremely clever black-haired, hat-wearing friend would probably understand who’s who and what’s what in less time than it took Cesare to make breakfast. I think saying that a thousand princes of Kh’Lhy’ra would create more political drama than the Noble Families might be a bit of an understatement.

“For you ordinary farm lads...” She glanced at Dean with a quick smile. “That includes you, too, Dean, despite your ever so Squirely disposition...

“It’s probably enough to know where the lines of friendship are drawn among the Noble Families. Consider that Allaine stands on one side and Korie on the other; these are the two most powerful Families on the mainland. Corliss, Kierkegaard and Amber stand with Allaine. Montague stands — nominally — with Korie. Brockman, if any still exist, will be cowed into standing with Korie, though as far away as possible, I would guess. Larsen of Talesan’s Village stands apart... which I suspect is both a measure of his renown kindness and a shrewdness he keeps well hidden.

“Kay here is — like Dandy and Camelia — a Koromov, which is an Imperial Family... albeit a disenfranchised one. She’s also...” Daxia turns to scrutinize her young charge. “...shield-bearer for the Captain of the Allaine House Guard, da? That’s who Lily Allaine was, da? Except now she stands at my side...”

The redhead turned to Romana again. “...which comes back around to the strongest card Dawnview has to play...

“The strange, bookish, unpredictable Heir of Allaine...

“Whose best friend happens to be the newest of the world’s Dayalan Verchovai...

“Who is mentoring a Koromov...

“Has friends from both Amber and Kh’Lhy’ra...

“And whose sister is a powerful Atteran Priestess.”

She blinked, blue eyes looking into blue eyes.

“Maybe Talantal won’t expect all that, da?”

Then Dazi patted Bekkah’s knee. “If the powerful Atteran Priestess would do a great favor for her little sister the Dayalan Verchovai... Now, I know you don’t need protection and you didn’t ask for protection, but if you would do me the favor of allowing Squire Dean to protect you while we’re in Talantal, it would ease my mind greatly. I don’t worry for your safety, Bekkah, but Dean’s. If he is following his Knight’s orders to protect you, no one will be able to pry him from that duty. He will not unwittingly be used to subvert the proper goings on in Talantal... and by ‘proper’, I mean keeping everyone in our party safe. As well as Kisa... which is the Dayalans’ job.

“I don’t intend any insult by this, Dean,” she said to him. “I have trusted you with my life, but it’s my understanding that another Knight might approach you to request your assistance in a task if you are not already engaged in a duty you swore your Knight and your Lord Rames to fulfill, da? I also get the impression that you and Mikal have in common your dislike of politics.”

Finally, she turned back to Mikal. “Feel free to pelt me with questions...” She looked around the barn at the others. “All of you. If I have the answers, I won’t be miserly in sharing them.”

Dazi paused a moment. “Oh! The reason we’re going to Talantal in the first place! Yes...

“Korie’s youngest son, Dominic... whom we know from Bordertown as the young scamp who publicly professed his love for Kadri... asked that Bekkah visit with the middle Korie son, Trey, who is sickly, and has been all his life. Perhaps the Lady’s kindness will bring some measure of health to the lad and perhaps not. But Dominic fears for Trey’s general health and well-being — and his life, I think — and would like us to sneak him out of the Fifth Ring of Talantal and away from his not particularly loving father, and his elder brother and new wife who may or may not be — but likely are — plotting to have him enjoy a dance with Krysta sooner rather than later.”

She looked at her far more politically savvy friend and shook her head. “That sounds just as crazy when I say it out loud as it sounds rolling around in my head. But I have a feeling that Romanaska understands getting out of guarded palaces better than anyone, yesyesyes? Yesyesyes!”

Kadri:

She merely raises one eyebrow ... but says nothing.

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

... the conversation at breakfast continues ...

Reaching past and over past Kay - which got a bump and a startle from the young Dayalan - Romana poked Kadri.

"Nonono ... nows for speakings, not for all mysteriousness!"

As she leaned back, a potato was stolen, deftly, from Kay's plate.

"Hey!"

With wide, soft, innocent and warm blue eyes Romana looked back and offered a piece of carrot in return.

"I should ... I should ... I ... oh ... bah ..."

And the exchange was made.

Kadri:

"I was merely going to say that I am also at least reasonably as acquainted with getting in and out of places unseen. And I suspect I could make an at least better than average partner in crime for that. And I also still wonder which Kadri should make a show here."

Mikal

He makes a face as if he just ate something sour. "As you say, I dislike politics intensely. So, enter Talantal, find Korie's youngest, attempt to heal him, and spirit him way from the heart of his family stronghold. Seems simple enough." He smiles slightly.

"You did not mention where we might be spiriting him away to?"

He pauses, then asks. "Would you prefer that I accompany Bekkah as a hired guard to supplement Squire Dean, or act the part of the lone Jvrillian and pretend I do not know you, or something else?"

Daxia

While Romana negotiated a trade with Kay for the piece of carrot, Daxia reached across Bekkah and snagged another potato from Kay’s plate. She popped it into her mouth with a grin, then turned her gaze to Kadri. The Dayalan studied the Amberite for the time it took her to thoroughly chew and then swallow the potato.

“Use the same question Romana asked me: What’s the strongest card you have to play, the one the Kories would least expect?

“Is it Kadri, the simple Amber girl traveling to see the wonders of the world?

“Is it Her Highness Kadri, the daughter of the great Amber House of Terilanqel?

“Or is it Lady Kadri, the new daughter of Korie and wife of Lord Dominic?”

Dazi shrugs. “I have a guess about which Kadri would be least expected in Talantal, and I suspect it’s the same Kadri who would amuse your Lady the most.” She winks at Kadri before turning to Mikal again.

“Middle son, but yes... it does sound simple, doesn’t it? Dominic didn’t exactly specify a place where he thought Trey would be safe, but I thought to continue west toward Talesan’s Village. From there, we might find a relatively safe path into the Dirkwood to assist Jankin in his quest. The seashore might be a restful place for a lad who has been sickly all his life, da?”

Then she shook her head. “Oh, no. A Lady of Attera wouldn’t likely have a need to hire a Jvrillian... certainly not when a Squire of Rames is guarding her with his life. Not that she needs protection, of course.

“On the other hand, Lady Kadri would not only have her own personal bodyguard, but doubtlessly an entire retinue of people with her.

“After all, she’s married to the youngest son of the most powerful family this side of the Black Mountains. The more people who travel with her, the more important she appears.”

Daxia rolled her head to the side to look at Kadri again. “Of course, if you don’t care for the idea of being a Kori, the same would probably still be true... or mostly true... for a Terilanquel.”

Mikal

He nods at the information, grinning slightly as the options for Kadri were explored.

"From the way our friend Kadri interacted with Dominic when last we were together, perhaps it is Dominic who would need my services as guard? For protection from Lady Kadri's sharp pointy things?"

Daxia

Dazi chuckled. “Perhaps, though I suspect Dom Dominie is quite capable of defending himself. On the other hand...” She shrugged as she smiled more broadly. “The two of them play a game that’s even more convoluted that the one Kisa plays. Who’s to say if getting jabbed by Lady Kadri’s sharp pointy things might not be part of Lord Dominic’s plan?

“Well, assuming he returns home and doesn’t...” She stopped, remembering a few random comments Dommie had made, and then groaned. “Oh, dear Lady, I wouldn’t put it past him to be traveling incognito with the Allaine party trying to charm the strange, bookish and unusual Heir of Allaine. Lord Dominic Korie certainly couldn’t be seen in Allaine company, but the ordinary lad named Dommie could.”

Daxia sighed and shrugged again. “Ah, well... I’ve already written to Kisa about him; she knows my thoughts concerning the lad.

“Though if you do encounter your beloved husband in his little village,” she said, looking at Kadri with a more serious expression, “it would be far more beneficial to your health and his to play a game of cooperation. From what he said, his brother the Heir is no more interested in his continued health or his longevity than he is concerned about their brother Trey’s health and longevity. And the Heir’s wife...”

She shook her head, rolled her eyes.

“Perhaps having only one couple at one another’s throats in the very small village of his is sufficient. The game being played between the Korie Heir and the daughter of Montague is a dangerous one. That is the place where your considerable skills might best come into play, my friend... hiding in plain sight, creating diversions by doing nothing, playing our game by appearing to play no game at all.

“So if you were to be the grand Lady Kadri, what roles could you create for those here who are not Imperials or would not be part of the Allaine House Guard? Clearly, Mikal is an excellent choice for your Ladyship’s personal bodyguard... but what of Cesare, Darian and Jankin? Cesare and Darian are simply who they are... a fascinating Rhoni and a talented Hunter. But Jankin...”

She turned her blue eyes to the older man. “You, too, have a talent for hiding in plain sight. Where would you hide in all of this? You would seem out of place among the Allaines, despite the fact that Dayalans are most likely to accept you for who you are. It’s best, though, to keep your true self hidden, da? Would a clever woodcarver have attached himself to the kindest of all Ladies of Attera?” Dazi’s eyes twinkled with... well, it was hard to know if it was merriment or mischief. “Or would a clever woodcarver have found himself in the entourage of the eccentric yet regal Lady Kadri?”

Then Dazi smiled at Romana. “And where does Romana see her best place in this game, eh?”

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

... the conversation at breakfast continues ...

" .... gaaawk ..."

The younger Dayalan simply narrowed her eyes.

"Aw ... come on now your Ladyship. That just ain't ... ain't ..."

Kay's frustration turns into a mote of confusion, however, as with a gentle thunk Romana adds another carrot to her breakfast mate's plate. After placing a protective hand over her meal Kay finally replies to Daxia, swallowing a bit. Her words are perhaps a bit too soft, as she just looked down.

"But ja. That's true I guess. I don't have to join the Castle guard. Bein' the last one of them and all. Even if'n I was just the mascot."

As Daxia continued to speak, her words snared Romana's attention, away from her breakfast and the balance of power as related to potatoes and carrots. For a long moment, after the focus of Daxia's words centered on her, she sat silent, thinking and then thinking more. Blue eyes then narrowed and she frowned, for a moment, for a long set of heartbeats. The aristocratic lass shook her head back and forth, hard and harsh, sending her long locks flying.

" ... Hey watch ... out ..."

The Easterner stood, carefully reaching up to take off her earrings. these she hen looped to her necklace, and then slipped both both beneath the collar of her tunic. Which she would then straighten, all nice and proper before letting her head fall forward, chin almost touching her chest, black hair cascading to conceal her face.

Very submissive.

Reaching down she'd gather up her breakfast plate, take two steps and turn, to face Kay.

Kay looked up, once more confused, even to the point of scootching backwards a hair.

It was a perfect turn, ending with a curtsey, slowly falling to her knees, slowly lowering her head almost to the ground, while outstretching her hands and then lifting them, to offer her portion of breakfast to the Koromov.

"What's ... what's ... whats she doing? Blue-eyes, That's your breakfast."

Kay stared back, eyes wide and cheeks very red. Romana replied with gentle words, quiet words, as if, perhaps ... there was much unsaid about such matters.

"Romanas knows ...

"How be ...

"Proper servant ..."

Daxia

Daxia set her empty plate on the ground beside her, then stood and stepped to Romana’s side. She looked at Kay as she knelt beside her friend. Although her face was schooled to the near-perfect Court observer, something about the set of her mouth and look in her eyes said there were things Daxia knew about Romana’s unspoken matters.

Taking the plate from Romana and sighing, she shook her head as she spoke softly to the Easterner.

“Is this a thing you’re willing to do, Romana? Father showed you more cruelty than we can imagine.” She held out her free hand to the Easterner. “Dazi knows Romana able to do much, much, much. But Dazi does not like seeing Romana hurt. Romana can promise remembering how to be proper servant not make Romana hurt too, too much?”

A hand held out in friendship was all she could offer. Even after all these many months, Dazi’s instincts still pushed her toward offering physical comfort... be it simply a hand on one’s arm or shoulder, or a warm embrace. Romana, though... no, those were not things Romana quite understood yet.

Ah, now there was an Easterner worthy of every bit of her wrath! And it wasn’t because he was an Easterner, either, that Romana’s Father deserved a sword or two through his body... it was because he was a very, very bad and evil and just plain mean Father.

“Come now, Romana. You know all this servant business makes Dayalans uneasy, da? Up, up... finish your breakfast. Your point is well made. And I think Lady Kadri would not expect quite so much submissiveness in her servants.”

She glanced up at Kadri, the glint in her eyes almost daring Kadri to contradict her. The corners of her mouth twitched with the beginning of a smile before she looked back at Kay.

“And you’re the second Koromov to go on about this Lady and Ladyship nonsense. Dandy outranks me, and she’s smarter than I am, so I’ll accept the ‘Lady Daxia, Knight of Dawnview Castle’ bit from her.” Daxia smiled at Kay... in that way Kay was starting to understand that there might be the possibility of a head thumping in her near future. “I’m not an Allaine like Lily-kins. I’m just Yurisdotter, which is a perfectly fine thing to be, by the way. So think up something else, little one.”

Cesare

He follows the conversation but stays silent, instead eating his food before anyone tried to take some of his portion. Mind, as he is sharing his with Longtooth anyway, and the snarkhound sits close. that might be enough protection in itself. With his plate almost empty now, he passes it to Longtooth and adds his thoughts.

"I know even less than Mikal of politics and what we are doing a least some of the time."

His tone suggests that this doesn't really worry him much.

"The Rhoni generally avoid any contact as much as is possible but in doing so may leave a dangerous gap in their knowledge. It would seem though that my branch of the family are less that way inclined.. and maybe I likewise."

There is a glance towards Romana before his attention returns mostly to Daxia.

"So best assume I know nothing.. and tell me if I need to know. If I need a role to play, maybe I could be Kadri's stable boy or some such. She has taught me to look after Liscia, so where my manners might be lacking and not so humble, my skills should stand some scrutiny."

He looks over to Kadri to see if she agrees.

Kadri:

She smiles angelically at Mikal.

"Mikal, my dear, dear friend ... I assure you that I have no idea at all what you may be talking about. I am the very model of womanly restraint and grace, and would never stoop to ... idle ... threats the make a pointed point. And I could think of none better to play - or be - a bodyguard than you. Either as an act or in reality."

She considers Darian and Cesare, looking that way.

"Exotic princesses from exotic lands surely have exotic traveling companions ofttimes, do they not? And I am sure, without too much effort, that Cesare could be suitably exotic. As for Darien ... simply by the virtue of being who and what she is, most here will consider her exotic enough, so far as Talantal is concerned. Do you not think so?" She asks to the aforementioned two.

"Besides which. I quite plan on being exotic enough myself that they may well not be giving to much thought to those walking with me."

A wide, and somewhat wicked grin graces her face.

She then looks to Bekkah, Jankin and Daxia

"Would a beneficent lady of Attera seem out of place traveling with a humble wood carver were it her choice to do so? Would any question her choice of traveling companion too closely?"

She looks again to Daxia, then to Romana.

"Submissive?"

She snorts.

"If it were Kadri plain and simple, I would not have servants at all, but if the Lady Kadri must have one even in illusion, one who was being ... so submissive ... would soon find themselves the recipient of a swift kick to the rear, until they got off their knees and looked me in the eye. Especially when they are a friend."

She pauses to reconsider.

"Or in your case, until they looked at the top of my head, because I'd sprain my neck trying to look you in the eyes standing."

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

... the conversation at breakfast continues ...

"Ja ... ja ... except the most logical would get me bopped right powerful."

Kay slowly slipped a bit further away, thankful that Daxia retrieved the plate from Romana and drew the Easterner up to a more proper stance. the hand was accepted ... though it was taken back right quick once she was settled. And while Romana would return to her breakfast, a few more carrots would sneak their way onto Kay's plate.

Which, in turn, would get an odd grumble from Kay, and if asked, she'd quickly answer,

"I'm thinking!"

As she ate, Romana looked between Kadri and Daxia.

"That ... that not good. The problem with all exoticals ... is that exoticals attract attention. Servant not servant, folks ask, why not small, why not head bows, bulls, blues ... bowed. Why not head bowed? Cessesare, look close, exotic because Rhoni - but rhoni knowns, they everywhere yes yes yes ...

"Servant girl, stand proud, tall, to mistress ... ask ... who is, really? That not good."

Romana frowned and slumped.

"Romanas not likes, make feels ... like tummy inside outs.

"But all Romanas save.

"Romanas friends. Friends do what needed.

"Will do. For alls.

"Romanas wish better ideas, yesyesyes?

"Romanas know not other way, to hide in cities, be what folks wish sees.'

Mikal

He only ate lightly, still thinking about the early morning remembrance. At the last comment, he grunts, "If not a servant, Romana could always pose as my wife. Jvrillian contracts take us everywhere, especially lone Jvrillians. I could have met her anyplace. It's not completely unheard of for a Jvrillian to take his wife on a long term contract. Especially when it is a city job and not campaigning."

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
On the Road past Brockman's Holdfast
Morning, Marketday, the fourteenth day of Poet

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

... the conversation at breakfast continues ...

To the mercenariy's words Romana would turn, look a little ... perhaps scared ... for a moment and then swallow.

'If thats what best ... Romanas do ..."

Even as she speaks, however, her eyes went wide, as if it a manner of shock, as if consequences were followed o their very end.

"Mikal marries Romanas just like Dominikies and Kadris?"

[OOC Understood - just want to ask, does Romana with the black hair look enough like any of us to pass as a relative? We would need to take in her demeanor, manner of speech too. Another idea might be to pass her off as either in training to Bekka or under treatment from bekka, thereby affording her a Lady of Attera's protection. I might suggest this, not sure Cesare would though - happy that anyone else steals the idea if viable! ]