So What Do We Know (5/8, early morning before dawn, Council/Horns/Royals)

[Adrien Fontenot]

Adrien was seated at the head of the table in the small council room behind the throne room, exhausted, and for the first time since becoming king, visibly scared. He was a king and a boy and trying to make sense of what had happened the night before, without showing the fear that was clearly written across his face in red letters. At 15 he’d thought himself loved and invisible and now suddenly he realized he was wrong.

What if he had insisted in riding in that joust and they had taken him out then...? Geoffry’s words rang in his head, that they wouldn’t have been able to protect him. They’d hardly managed last night, with the feasting and the revelry and the skill the assassin had managed. If he’d been that good, why try at the feast at all? Adrien didn’t understand that piece. There were hundreds of easier places to take him out. Why then? Why there? Oh, he would ask that to be sure.

Around him were the council members, but extra chairs had been added as well. HIs sister was seated next to him, just at his right, and Bertram was to the left. At the other end of the table, all his aunts - Arianne, Isabelle and Isabella - were there as well. Instead of one Horn on duty, both of the remaining Horns were behind him - Arbrecht and Ahestere. Caelain was on the council, Vandermark was dead and Lacharn was in no condition to be on duty. Instead her squire was in the room, at the other end behind the princesses, filling the place of her Sira until which time Torrence could resume duties.

The mood was angry, sober, stressed, tense. As members of the council had arrived some had spoken in whispered tones. Adrien had spoken to only his sister and brother, giving them hugs of encouragement. He couldn’t imagine what they were feeling right now with his death almost a reality. After the loss of so many in their past. Their parents. Their sister. Their Uncle....

And almost him.

But everyone was looking to him now. He drew in a deep breath. “Last night was a sign that everything we thought about the kingdom was wrong. But whatever happened, we must immediately scry it out and stop it. First, what do we know?” He left it open, knowing that everyone would want to speak but order had to be maintained as well. “Who wishes to speak first?” He waited and then acknowledged....

[Nathaniel Merrick]

Nathaniel hadn't been there at the time of the assassination attempt, having escorted his wife back to their manor following the evening's earlier diversions. He had heard well enough about it, though- it was certainly the word on every servant's lips. And now the Council had been called, in an attempt to find out what everyone knew. Nathaniel's eyes swept down along the length of the table, pausing briefly at each person in attendance. Some of the Horns were missing, Ser Dagonet having lost his life, and Ser Torrence wounded. Even Adrien's royal aunts were here, although Nathaniel was uncertain how much they could do.

The King spoke his words, and with no one else rushing before him, the Council of Diplomacy rose from his seat, an uncommonly grave look upon his face.

"Your Grace, I received troubling news which might be connected to last night's event." He spoke levelly, and without a trace of the familiar good humour in his words. It seemed there were no smiles for Nathaniel today.

Taking a pause to steady his nerves, the first lead of the day was duly dropped.

"From Lacharn."

Although he had hoped it had been nothing, that it's implications would not prove to be so dire, as this.... it had to be said. The attemped assassination of a King was highly serious business, and they needed to get to the bottom of this, with everything they had.

[Isabelle DeLauncey]

“Well that’s not surprising. It was a Prothero servant after all,” Adrien half spat. “Tell us, Lord Merrick, what you’ve heard.”

Isabelle glanced down the table at her nephew as he spoke. She could see the pain in his eyes, the fear, the worry. She could see that he was shaken by this attack. And she knew that he needed to quickly recover, or else half the kingdom would take advantage of that fear. If anything, the fear alone could have been motive for this attack, more than just simply killing him. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at all.

She reached under the table and slipped her hand into Arianne’s, the other into Isabella’s. While open affection might have had a poor place at a council meeting, she wasn’t going to worry about that for the moment. She wished she could be at the other end, with Aurora and Bertram. She could not imagine the fear they too must be feeling right now.

She wasn’t at all certain this was a Prothero servant. That he was dressed that way meant nothing to her. Obtaining the clothing might have required someone on the inside, but anything could be stolen, and with so many people around, one dress, even one servant, would have gone unnoticed.

[Nathaniel Merrick]

"Not Prothero." He shook his head somberly. "Morgandy." The fact that the servant had been dressed in Prothero garb had been an obvious statement to all present at the ball, only it was too obvious, perhaps.

"If I was going to send an assassin after someone, Your Grace, it would not be in my House's own colours." He exhaled a sigh. No, it was his belief that the threat must have come from elsewhere. "House Prothero was intended to be made a scapegoat, I fear."

He took a breath, steadying his nerves against the sour taste still rising in his throat. "Strange visitors, late night meetings..." Nothing that would point directly towards an attack on the King, per se. But then there was the other, as well...

"A bird came before my arrival here, Your Grace. A letter, intercepted, outlining payment in exchange for your..." He paused, bringing up one hand to cough gently into a tightly closed fist. "We are not wholly certain yet of who penned the message, but with an investigation we can swiftly find out." A comparison of scripts would be all that was needed, in order for the truth to be found.

[Bertram Fontenot]

Bertram had spent the ball exactly the way everyone expected him to. He had been eating and drinking, dancing with the girls around his own age, done a good job making a good impression on them so they could tell their parents about how kind and well behaved he had been and answered politely to any adult who spoke to him. He would never admit it, but he had almost enjoyed it, of course it had all been an act, just playing his role as the polite and well behaved prince, but it had been kind of nice to do something different from the things he usually did.

Until it all had turned into a nightmare, he was never in any real danger himself, but when the ball was attacked, he had frozen in shock. Bertram had seen death before, but never murder. That ball was the day he had almost lost his brother, he wondered what he would have done if he had lost Adrien, he didnt want to think about it.

He did not want to be here today, but he wouldnt refuse, not after what happened at the ball. He sat next to his brother in silence, he was not one to speak unless necessary. He just wanted to listen and gain as much information as possible. Usually he would have struggled with a meeting like this, too much boring talk to keep him interested, but this was different.

[Osiris Linnet]

This was not going to be an enjoyable meeting, not including the topic, he was sitting right next to the Princess Aurora. The last time the pair REALLY spoke they told one another some interesting things. That was enough to make anyone uncomfortable, then you ignore that you're int he end a no one who was talking to royalty. Yeah ... not uncomfortable at all.

The Keeper was a bit warm, wearing his full attire for the day, he spared no expense as the situation was obviously the worst they'd seen in a long time. The blame was going to fly all around today and they needed to concentrate on the facts, on what they knew for sure. Pressure was building in the room, and everyone was nervous, no one knew for sure.

"I'm wondering why the DeLauncey's left in such a hurry?" Osiris was a bit on edge, so much went on last night, he couldn't even wrap his head around the whole situation.

But he had to be honest. He had to speak of what he saw, no matter who got upset.

[Kenneth Montrose]

Kenneth's eyes were closed. He couldn't stop replaying what he had seen... he had seen it all happen, turned his head in the right direction just as Dag's throat was cut, and kenneth froze; he watched his friend, his comrade, his brother die, he watched the blood spurt forth in a violent stream and he watched one of the greatest warriors he's ever seen fall to his knees and crumple to the floor in pain.

He didn't deserve that.

He watched his sister, Torrence, battle for all she was worth against some man dressed as a peasant. He had never seen a killer so efficient, a warrior so deadly that wasn't a horn. By that time he was rushing forth, but he wasn't there fast enough. Just as Torrence broke the mans neck he stabbed her neck. He couldn't get that image from his mind. It was disgusting. It was violent, and it was the worst thing he had seen in his life.

She didn't deserve that.

He could never, never, forget it. His memory was photographic and this will haunt him for his entire life. He felt sicker still that he was dwelling on himself, that he wasn't able to concentrate on the task at hand. Adrien needed him now, more than ever. He needed his remaining horns to be on the top of their game. There were too few of them now. Torrence might never fight again and Dag... The Red Lion would never again grace Licorn with his humor or his skill.

"Disgusting." He muttered, opening his eyes. "Lord Nathaniel, wouldn't it make even more sense to dress your killer in garbs of those from another land? I'd wager Arbrecht before Lacharn. If Jon Fitzwulf was assassinated... maybe the same person tried to kill the King as well?" He added. Normally Kenneth would not speak in a council meeting, but this was not a normal meeting.

[Adrien Fontenot]

“Do you still have the letter?” Adrien asked. And it did seem a bit strange to think that if it were Prothero, they would use their own house colors. But then, perhaps they thought that the council would find it too obvious. “Maybe the use of home colors was intentional, for that reason, Sir Kenneth. After all, if we all concluded it couldn’t be Lacharn because the assassin wore Prothero colors, would cast our eyes elsewhere... We can’t assume anything right now.”

He looked at Osiris and nodded. “Did anyone else see where the DeLauncey’s went?” His eyes swept to Gaius and Julius, although he suspected they were not the ones Osiris was speaking of. “And which DeLauncey’s left. We’ll need to find out why.” He felt so over his head in all this, but at least they were making some progress...

“Kenneth has a point about Arbrecht...”

[Nathaniel Merrick]

"Of course, Your Grace." Nathaniel replied, withdrawing the letter from his personage and moving to present it to his king. The letter was written neatly, without signature, the broken seal bearing an unknown insignia- the curl of a snake.

1000 gold, as promised, for the crown. Leave by the postern gate and one of mine will find you.

"It could be that the assassination was funded by the same person." He went on to agree with the Horn, giving a grim nod of his head. "It could also be that they weren't.

"As it stands I don't think we can afford to cast any avenue aside. It could happen that more than one House or one land was involved." It was a possibility to be considered, at least. The Plague had closed ports the kingdom over, but there were other ways to establish contact, if one tried. "This is a grave matter- we should investigate every lead available to us."

[Arianne Montrose]

Arianne squeezed Isabelle's hand. This was horrible but not completely unexpected. She never liked politics. It was all so...dirty.

She wasn't sure what to say and she sure didn't have anything useful to add immediately. All she could be sure of was that she would keep her eyes and ears open.

[Duncan Montrose]

Duncan sat at his placed behind the table grimly. There was not much he had to say. This whole thing was a blunder. How could an assassin get so close to the King, during a great ball of all places? Adrien was alive only because there were so many people around ready to protect him. He wonder in what place it put his own investigation now. Seemed like a petty thing, unless the two matters were somehow linked.

"We're grasping at straws. When did you receive that letter, Lord Nathaniel?" He was wondering what were the contents, as they were not yet made public. If the letter didn't give any clues, they were stumped. Nobody so far offered knowledge of the killer's identity or reasons.

[Torrence Aubrey]

"That letter is useless."

Usually, Torrence was accustomed to remaining silent during these types of meetings, a shadowy figure against a wall, virtually ignored where she remained vigilantly observant. But her voice rung out now among those speaking assembled at the Council table. Torrence Aubrey was always one for propriety, but the tender wound in her neck and the weakness in her legs left her with little patience for decorum as the old men assembled prattled on while the window of opportunity for action slowly slipped through their fingers.

She was determined to walk on her own two feet but rapid and sudden blood-loss had left Torrence weak, and it was a poor idea for her to be up and about so soon; but she was determined to not lose a moment of the Council meeting, considering what she knew and the proximity she had been in with the assassin just a few hours prior. As it were, she moved supported by one of her squires. Upon entering the room, however, Torrence reached out for Kenneth's support with one hand while the other pressed against the fresh white bandage around her neck, looped around her arm.

"Reporting, Lord Captain," Torrence said curtly, a knee-jerk reflex of habit with a slight nod and a wince towards Geoffrey Tanear, waiting impatiently until someone offered the injured Horn a seat. "My Apologies, Your Grace," Torrence continued, looking then to the youthful King, seated at the head of the table, looking as pale and drawn as she. "But a man of that expertise would not be engaged with someone as foolish as one who would allow a bird to be trespassed, and so close to the Capital. This is a decoy. One, I suspect, of several."

"Whomever they are, they are covering their tracks, and rapidly."

[Adrien Fontenot]

Adrien paled at Torrence’s words. “A decoy?” Did that mean she thought there were more killers out there targeting him right now? And if so... why? That was the biggest part he didn’t understand. Who was trying to kill him?

“Why did they even wait for the ball when I was surrounded by people! Why not an arrow to my head at the tourney? Or while I was in the gardens or the woods or someone manse? Why somewhere inside and packed with people, making escape difficult? He was going to try to kill me in in front of everyone!”

[Julius DeLauncey]

"And just how do we separate the decoys from the real evidence. Enlighten us, Aubrey. Call them decoys if you will, but it seems that we have absolutely nothing to go on outside of that letter." sneered Julius, eying the woman with disgust. The disgust itself wasn't at her in particular, but the matter at hand. He turned around to face the council, continuing to speak in a rather controlled, ominous tone.

"The noble who arranged this clearly has a thing for theatrics. He had his assassin do this in the midst of the ball, with so many august figures present. The news of this assassination will soon become common knowledge, and the people of the five kingdoms will think our King is a joke of a man. Imbecilic. Incompetent. All our mastermind nobleman has done is stir the water a little and hoped that we doubt ourselves, get nowhere on this investigation and collapse from within. Why even wage war and lead a rebellion if he can look like the savior of Forsilvra with a single assassination attempt? Unacceptable."

Julius paused momentarily, to sip his wine. His frustration had practically seeped through the word "unacceptable".

"We need to round off the eyewitnesses and watch Bellisle for any unusual activity. There is a strong chance that Jon Flitzwulf's death wasn't the beginning of all of this. I refuse to believe that the assassin left nothing at all. The tracks can be traced back. One of the Horns can lead this investigation. I do not know what the DeLauncey issue was. We can assume that useless youthful lot was more concerned about their date at the ball than anything. They won't have anything remotely useful to us, but I can look into the matter personally."

[Duncan Montrose]

"You are quick in dismissing your nephews, Julius," Duncan and the sholar were on the council for a long time. They knew each other a long time and he trusted Julius wouldn't mind a small breach of etiquette. As to everyone else, he doubted they'd mind at a time like this. "But I tend to agree. This appears to be the work of someone more experienced."

"Castle stewards are already rounding up witnesses. I don't think this attempt was meant to be a success, Your Grace. A message, like my colleague in the council said. More than ever it is imperative that you act as the king Forsilvra needs. You must show you are not scared."

He imagined Adrien was scared to the bone and out of his wits. And rightly so. But he didn't thikn the King was in immediate danger. The person behind this drew an elaborate plan, and yet the King was still alive. There were no apparent leads to follow, that itself showed preparation and intent. They were assuming an attempt at the heart of things was enough. He prayed his thought wasn't wrong.

[Bradyn Forthwind]

It had all devolved so quickly and turned into finger pointing. Bradyn had to work extremely hard to keep a sigh from his lips and a frown from his face. Instead, he sat there with his fingers steepled, resting his lips against them. Everyone was thinking too small, focusing on the little picture and not thinking on what was important here. It was up to him to point out what had been most striking of all, what had caused him to back away in the first place. He waited for a break in their squabbling, before uttering but a single word.

"Linchao." Looking around at all assembled, he let the frown surface. "The man was from Linchao. Whoever is responsible has ties to them." The sigh that he had been restraining for what felt like too long found it's way out too. "After so many decades, they still can't leave well enough alone?"

The elder man began shuffling through some papers, looking for documents he needed, before laying them out carefully infront of him. "There is truth spoken by all here today, but also some angles do need exploring." First, he looked to Nathaniel. "Lord of Diplomacy, you are correct to say House Prothero may be innocent, but we cannot base this on the fact that they wore their garbs - How were they acquired so easily and so undamaged? Why did no other Prothero guards or servants notice or stop him? More importantly, would it not be the perfect double bluff? If all assume that it is too obvious, to hide the truth in such plain sight is possible." His hands shot up "I do not accuse, just to clarify, but to point out what else we must consider."

To Osiris, he nodded. "I concur, your eminence Osiris. The Delauncey family had their troubles, but to leave when the king is in danger is...disturbing, to say the least. I feel there may be more to this story." It was interesting that he had not been the only one to notice their hasty exit. Next was Kenneth, who raised yet another interesting position. It was unusual, considering it potentially endangered his homeland, but Kenneth was a decent kid. Uncorrupted by politics, it seemed. "The Horn of Arbrecht also raises an excellent point - Lord Fitzwulf, one of the greatest combatants we had, lies dead at this event under peculiar circumstances. Is it possible that they aimed an assassination attempt at him and then, after success, at our own King? I believe so."

Whoever had planned this clearly knew what they were doing. There were snippets of something happening, but never enough to piece anything together. It had devolved a little from there, but his two fellow council members raised a curious point. "Julius, Duncan, I believe you're on the right track but...as the graceful Oaken Mace points out, that assassin was extremely skilled. Had I not been lucky and caught his blade on my cane, I doubt I would still live." It had been a split second move, which he had thought was a mistake, but he had scraped an impact on the blade and bought Torrence the time to fight him. He owed her his life. "Why send a skilled assassin like that to fail, to certain doom? Assassins don't get skillful by dying. They get it by always having a way out and a contingency plan - Maybe, just maybe, they were promised such and their kind benefactor chose not to come for them. Did any catch where he looked when he was caught and surrounded?"

A quick tap of his chin had him thinking again. "The problem is, this widens the search. If anything, it means we have more suspects than before." Rubbing his eyes briefly, the adrenaline of all of this beginning to wear off, he looked around. This...was likely not going to go down well. "First, we have provinces. Arbrecht have had their ruler killed suspiciously too, that offers them the potential to be involved. Could it have been a Fitzwulf plot for revenge, or another house looking to capitalise off instability? Vandermark displayed suspicious behaviour at the ball - The Delaunceys existed quickly and I understand it was one of their banners that caused the situation with their lord. Was it a distraction by a banner house to make the Delaunceys guilty? Or was it a clever alibi for the Delaunceys?" He was counting the matters off on his hand. At this point, there were more suspects than there were clues. "Lacharn - He wore Prothero clothing and Nathaniel has provided a letter - A plot by Prothero to hide in the open and cast discussions elsewhere, or a plot to frame them by a banner house?"

The next part felt even worse. To have to accuse his homeland so, hurt him to the core. "Caelain...I have found that the blade the assassin used was smithed there. Not too remarkable, I know, but the difference is that Caelain are renowned for their quality metalworking. It is a weapon from a talented blacksmith who does not mass produce, simply insists on only ever crafting the best. It must have been to order, by one known in Caelain. But whose order?" He continued, having more information that others may not have. "The last is that a mysterious vessel, of Ahestere make and flying their flags, docked late at night before the party. It was rumoured to be carrying servants and spices, but no cargo was ever seen to be unloaded. It could just as easily be them, or the dock reports could be falsified to cast allusions onto them. At this point I cannot rule anything out."

This next part was going to be the kicker. It certainly wouldn't make him well liked, but if he didn't ask it, who would dare? He stood and looked around. "I do not doubt, myself, but we also have to consider what all the houses will be considering - Was it a Horn? Or the Council?" He looked at the younger brother of Adrien, apologetically. "Or even his heir apparent? How exactly do we prove to them that we are above reproach, either?"

[Kenneth Montrose]

Kenneth listened to all of them. Even Julius; he still had the nerve to do what Kenneth imagined as snapping at Torrence, even after she had killed the assassin with her bare hands. Even after she had saved the King herself, even after she had saved Bradyn Forthwind. It was all Kenneth could do to not snap at him, too.

"I can not believe you just accused one of us. In case you were not watching, Lord Forthwind, Dagonet is dead and Torrence is lucky to be able to move right now. We horns are sworn to protect the King at all costs, not hire assassin's to kill him!" Kenneth couldn't keep his mouth shut twice in a row. Bradyn just had the unfortunate luck of being the second person to mention it.

His heart was going; he just a bit angry at the accusation. Perhaps it made Kenneth look guilty -- he didn't care. Passion when accused of treachery and having his brother killed and his sister grievously injured was not a crime in his eyes. Damned what the his father, his commander or any of the other council members thought of the outburst. Kenneth would not let the horns be slandered while he was in this room. He just hoped Bradyn understood his position, and that Bradyn realized that Kenneth was not mad at him, just the words that he spoke.

[Bradyn Forthwind]

He held up his hands palm forward, expecting a reaction such as this. "Peace, Kenneth. I accused none on the council, nor no horn, nor Bertram. The sacrifice of Dagonet will be remembered and Torrence will forever be above reproach for her actions." Kenneth, he knew, was not a man of bad heart. He would never have expected him or any of the horns, but who else would have said what the others might think?

A short bow, as if in apology, was Kenneth's. It was rare that he would show such to many, but Kenneth had ridden as his king's representative at the joust he had tiered, at his suggestion. It was difficult not to care for him even remotely after watching his progress with such an interest. "I am sorry if my words cause you offense, Kenneth. I simply meant that if we are already curious as to which house did it, I have to assume that other houses will be considering which council member or horn or family member did it. We have five provinces to accuse. They have five also, the fifth being Forsilvra, for they would never accuse their own. I am merely curious how we meet these accusations, not slinging them myself. Does this ease your conscience, Esteemed Horn?"

[Duncan Montrose]

Duncan was actually proud of Kenneth in this moment. This was truly spoken like a warrior of the Green. Sticking out for his own, protecting their honor. And with good reason to do. One of them paid the highest price. Another stood in the room, looking almost like she was ready to fall.

He didn't like Forthwind's display one bit. The man had some brain, and definitely a lot of gut. But he loved the sound of his voice too much. His information was valuable, it gave Duncan much more to think about, much more ground for the investigators to cover. Still, he did not like Forthwind's tone of voice. He was glad that Kenneth stepped up and made the snobby lord buckle down and apologise.

"My son's conscience will be fine," he interrupted. "He and all of us would rather like to know how you gathered all these facts, Bradyn." He did get called by first name by the Authority of War, and wondered how the man felt about the reverse. That probably injured his immense pride somehow, and deep inside Duncan loved it.

"And before anyone else pounds you for possible treason, the heir to the throne had nothing with it. I escorted Prince Bertram to his quarters last night. He had trouble registering facts through the shock. And as all know, he loves his brother. He had nothing to do with this. Anyone daring to accuse the boy is a fool and a traitor."

He looked at the King. Surely Adrien did not suspect his brother. It was no time for the Fontenots to doubt each other. The situation was precarious as it was. Forthwind's long winded accusations could be disruptive. The man should know better than drop them on the table. Warmongering almost. The words would spread out of this room, sure as wind, and they could be the start of most inappropriate rumors.

[Isabelle DeLauncey]

Isabelle rose and slammed her fists down upon the wooden table. “Really, I’ve heard enough. How is this helping to go around accusing the King’s brother and protectors? We are in this room because at the moment the King is asking for our help. And so let’s help him. With real viable evidence, not the conjurings of who left when and why were some people over there, but real evidence. What do we truly know?’

She breathed in.

“Nathaniel has a letter. The assassin was in Prothero clothing, used a Caelish knife and arrived, perhaps, on an Ahesteri ship. What that sounds like to me is a lot of work covering up what could have been done by anyone and what may well have been more than once province acting together. After all, Fitzwulf and Linnet are friends. As are DeLauncey, no matter that they pretend to argue like a pack of dogs. We all know Faerald loves his nephew, but that doesn’t mean the rest of his province does, or that the rest of the kingdom likes that connection. I can’t see any good reason for Lacharn, but Who knows. Even they have their secrets.

“Your Grace, no matter what you need to ensure that your protection is the number one priority. I think you should remain on Forsilvra until this is solved.”

Adrien shook his head. “And if this takes months? Years? I will look like the coward if I let this attempt keep me from doing what I said I would do.”

Isabelle bit her lip on that one. He was right. He did need to push his fear aside for the entire realm.

“So then, men, ladies. Let us focus on the facts and not fight with each other.”

[Bradyn Forthwind]

Had it merely been let to slide, they might have seen another side to Bradyn. As it was, he resettled straight back into his cool, almost icy, demanour. "Clearly my esteemed colleague takes this matter too personally when I am speaking of a matter of Kenneth's honour. Will you not let him speak for himself?"

He met Duncan's gaze, unafraid. He would apologise to Kenneth, for the man had lost a friend and colleague. But if Duncan Montrose saw that as weakness, he was truly a foolish man. "Simple, really, Duncan. I saw the blade up close and recognised the markings. Not that I'd expect you to have been paying my movements much attention. After the event, I inspected it and know of the craftwork - I have one such blade myself, infact." Then, he laid a challenge down. Duncan wanted to make this personal? Sure. Bradyn could match that and up the ante. "As for the ship, as Authority of War, I make it my business to know of any boats coming into port. Just as you should have a good idea of servants coming into the castle. I'm sure you know when and where this man arrived into the castle by now also?"

As if as an afterthought, he added. "I am not about to apologise for suggesting that we make sure we are above reproach if that is what you wish from me, Duncan. You will hear an apology from me for injuring a loyal man's feelings to his kin, but never for making sure that our king, his family, the horns and his esteemed council know what they are dealing with."

[Kenneth Montrose]

Kenneth watched and listened to Bradyn. Bradyn may not have accused the horns or the council strictly speaking, but he had stopped just short of it. They couldn't be blamed for reacting the way they had. He nodded at Bradyn.

"How should we esnure that we are 'above reproach', Lord Forthwind? Some of us are not adapt at getting others to see what we see." If someone did accuse those closest to the King, if someone did accuse Kenneth, for example, he would have nothing but his word to back him up. But how was that different than any other lord?

The only indication Kenneth gave Bradyn to indicate accepting his apology was a nod. He didn't have the words to gracefully accept it without feeling like a hypocrite. Hopefully Bradyn would understand. He seemed to understand why Kenneth had gotten so fiery in defense of the men and woman he envisioned serving his whole life with.

[Duncan Montrose]

Oh the temper of that man, the gall. Would that they met on a field of battle on opposite sides, Duncan would do his best to cut the man to pieces with his sword. His own temper was beginning to rise, but he would not, could not afford to make this personal.

"Where it so easy as spotting the knife of the same kind you own," he sneered. "The man was seen coming through the corridors from the Prothero floor and through the kitchens. Before that, no one can remember seeing him. No one knows how he entered the castle. There were dozens, hundreds of people coming and going before the ball, enjoying hospitality of the King and running errands."

"As to my son, he is that, my son. Kindly leave the subject. Lastly, and this is my last word in the metter, I did not ask for apology, but for information. Now, can we please focus on the facts, like it was suggested? Is that Ahesteri ship still in harbor? Was the crew put to question regarding our assassin?"

[Guy Wintour]

Guy listened carefully, as everyone put forth their own theories, their own ideas, some made accusations and others called for calm. Guy liked to think that he was a person who knew what was going on, he paid well to be kept informed, he worked hard at establishing contacts and spies, people who would feed him information. He had been annoyed when Jon Fitzwulf had died in suspicious circumstances, and now an attempt on the king? No, something wasn't right. Not that he would, necessarily, have alerted the king to the danger had he known about it. Guy was not here for the king, he was here for himself.

"Please, everyone," he said finally, "I think that it is important that we all can speak freely, as Lord Forthwind points out, if someone were to think hard enough they could concoct a reason why every one of us would be a suspect." Guy himself was at a loss, it all revolved around who had the most to gain. He refused to believe the Fitzwulf death and assassination attempt on the king were unrelated. Who would benefit from this? "The King's safety is of paramount concern," he said and turned to Adrien. He was so young and not used to such danger. "Your Grace, you must take every precaution possible. It is not cowardice to take prudent safety measures , more than your own life, you will be protecting the kingdom."

Guy thought back to the investigation, "As much as I admire their bravery and devotion, I think the Horns are not best suited to lead this investigation. Their sole priority should be protecting Your Grace from immediate danger." Horns may be good at swinging a sword but this was beyond their talents. "Lord Forthwind or Lord Merrick may be better suited. Whether the letter in question is genuine or a decoy, such plots require a great deal of money to be spent...with Your Grace's permission I would look into the financial side of this." There was always a trail of money, and there was always some idiot who could not keep quiet about new wealth.

[Bradyn Forthwind]

The hatred that was emanating forth from Duncan was almost tangible. He had been led a little into this bizarre game of pride, which he would chastise himself for later, but his composure was regained when Guy reminded him that he was a man respected and that his suggestion had actually been quite reasonable. Those hotheads from Arbrecht had nearly sidetracked him completely. He smiled to Duncan, at ease once more. "The ship is detained, but the crew have not been questioned. I wanted to make sure that any information gleaned could be verified, as one man's word does not always carry weight. But they await an official interrogator." He turned back to the Authority of Coin and nodded his agreement. "There is merit in Guy's suggestions. Nathaniel is indeed the best for this task. I doubt any would find his demeanor or attitudes to ever be questionable. I also agree that the Horns would be better being visible protecting our King. They are now from five to three healthy horns and should focus on our liege, just in case that was simply a diversion from a greater threat."

Idly tapped his chin in thought, once more considering what could be done next, the authority of war's mind moved on to what would be the best bet to advance. "What if..." A quick glance around the room, considering the possibility, was all he needed to set the idea in mind. "What if to show unity between the Council and the Royals, we assign a council member to each province to investigate it? One who holds no bias to the land they are investigating? If commissioned by the King, it would show solidarity and trust between us all and show that we are working together to find the attacker's true nature, but also allow us to get to the bottom of it. We have leads in each of the land that we can trace from Forsilvra back to the homelands - The ship from Ahestere and it's crew, the blade from Caelain, the potential killer from Arbrecht, the letters and clothing from Lacharn...and the Delauncey's well timed absence in the Vandermark."

He gestured, calmly, to the Authority of Diplomacy. "Each has it's own starting points, but I feel I am encroaching a little too much into Nathaniel's field of expertise to suggest who would be best dealing with each area. He will know best if such an idea would be fit with the current diplomatic state of affairs, who to avoid sending to a province, who would be best...Or even if such a thing is possible. What are your thoughts?" He didn't aim the question at anyone, but the two key people he made sure to engage were Nathaniel and King Adrien, for obvious reasons.

[Julius DeLauncey]

“There never was an issue of unity or trust until you brought up that nonsense, Forthwind. Don’t make it look like there is one now.” sneered Julius. Usually, Julius would enjoy a back and forth argument like the one that Bradyn had with Duncan. Without a heated exchange somewhere, the council meetings quickly became boring. This time, however, Bradyn had gone a little too far for Julius’s taste.

“We don’t all need to put time aside because some nobleman decided it was time to create a show. Replace our deceased Horn as soon as we can. I maintain that that it is a good idea to have them lead this investigation. We can’t afford to be overly distracted by one event. As I have said, there is a good chance that this is only one of a series of events – the rest may or may not involve assassinations and death, and it will be best if the council just engage in their line of work, for now. Let the King decide and we can move on. Sitting around here and discussing various farfetched possibilities is not going to get things done. I have heard enough baseless accusations for one day, all this being a reaction over a thwarted assassination attempt.”

There was a certain finality in Julius’s tone. He was visibly annoyed at Bradyn, but somewhere deep inside he knew that the council was just as suspect as an outsider. Yes. In fact, a more powerful member of the council had the perfect reason to betray the King. He would be discussing this in private with Adrien, sometime later.

[Bradyn Forthwind]

He turned to Julius without letting the ire rise in him this time - People were not recognising the gravity of this thing and seemed too eager to take his words for more than face value. They hadn't been so close to the assassin, hadn't seen what was almost an unnatural glow in his eyes. Some idea of a higher purpose. "You misunderstand, Julius. This failed assassination attempt still isn't entirely clear in it's purpose. Was it just against the King? Was it against the entire Royal Family? Why would he be trapped on his own against so many, when it was so finely planned that not a one of us saw a single sign earlier, meaning he must have had support?"

Sitting down again, resting his head on a hand propped up by an elbow, he continued. Someone would see sense, eventually. They had to. He only hoped that Guy wasn't being "It is entirely possible that all of this was set up simply to discredit and sow confusion. If you have the power, influence and money to hire a talented assassin that can make myself - A veteran of many battles - Look like a child swinging a sword, while being skilled enough to kill Dagonet and wound Torrence severely, both arguably the most skilled warriors in the land, then wouldn't it make sense that with a little support, they could have taken out the entire council and royal family?"


Sparing a glance around the room, trying to suss out why people were so keen to object to what he said today, he shook his head and brought it back to what he had originally wanted to focus on. "I think we are getting caught up in semantics and failing to consider the biggest implication of them all - As I stated, the assassin was from Linchao. Whatever you think of my assertions or words here today, it stands to reason that if the Linchao have seen fit to send an assassin to ally with someone in Forsilvra, it suggests they feel us to be fractured enough to risk their presence. What better time to be unified than against the very force that hundreds of years ago almost conquered these very lands?"

His eyes sought out the King, his eyes narrowed and resolve firing up in them. "The situation is far more grave than a mere thwarted assassination attempt. Success or failure - Linchao is a republic, meaning they have representatives of the people who meet and decide on a course of action. A man, even an assassin, from Linchao would not have come without their republic's consent. This is a sign that their people feel that Forsilvra is once more part of their concern. This is why I suggest we make especial efforts to show unity. Not because we aren't unified, but to make sure we know how important it is that the land knows we are" It was a gesture that was extravagent and somewhat risky, but it wasn't really like he trusted anyone to hear a ring of truth in his words anymore. At this point, people seemed to simply be turning on him because he had the gall to be outspoken in a dangerous situation.

[Adrien Fontenot]

Of course they were all arguing. Adrien watched as his aunt stood, clearly upset, and no one paid her half a mind. And her voice was so much louder than his. Julius and Guy, and Bradyn and Duncan, all going at each other while Geoffry and Gaius sat quietly, and everyone forgot about Osiris. And they kept mentioning Nathaniel, but no one was giving the councilor time to speak!

He was grateful for Julius though. Let the King decide.

“Anyone here could have been involved. Anyone! We don’t know anything, except that,” Adrien looked at Bradyn, “That he was a Linchao? You are positive. Because if the Linchao are coming after me… what does that gain them? To knock me off and then my brother would rule? Just because the man was hired from Linchao, and is Linchao does not mean he works for the Linchao. Anyone hiring him from here could wish to place blame on the Linchao while trying to kill me first! The Horns will continue to protect me, as well as Bertram. If we need extra guards, or extra knights, then we will hire them. I don’t want my brother or my sister in danger.”

He turned to Guy. “Of course you have my permission. The books are yours to keep and anything that came out of them from one of your workers that looks suspicious should be investigated. Lord Merrick can assist you by working with the province lords to obtain any records we can from them. I don’t know if they will want to give them, but I can demand if I have to. I am the king.

“Lord Duncan will continue to attend to other matters. Lord Forthwind and Lord Gaius DeLauncey will investigate the other leads. Lord Julius DeLauncey will stay with me as my personal advisor. I want some of you to go to Arbrecht and some to go to Ahestere and work your way back here.

Was he sounding more kingly now? He’d have to ask Julius after this meeting, because if the council meeting was difficult, with men who had, for the most part, worked to support him, then it would be ten times harder with the Province Lords who might not.

[Guy Wintour]

Guy looked at Adrien and was concerned, this seemed like a man not in control. This kingdom was it's powerful and independently minded provinces was always going to be hard to control, even for a strong king, but now more than ever Adrien's youth and inexperience was beginning to show. "Your Grace, I would show great care in hiring any extra guards, it is perhaps not wise to bring in new people to protect you as we cannot know their true purposes. If additional men are needed then I would advise recruiting only those you know and trust. Perhaps the lords present could make some men available that they can vouch for, or even some of their family members." Guy did not want to invite strangers into their midst right now.

"I will do as requested, Your Grace," said Guy, "When money changes hands it can usually be traced back to the source." Guy was desperate to know who was behind this plot but his loyalties were divided. If the people behind this conspiracy had enough support and a good enough plan he would consider changing his loyalties. Why should he die trying to defend this young king? He wondered if anyone else in this room was thinking the same thing. The powerful lords in the room all had their own interests, and even the Horns, loyal as they seemed to be, were picked to represent a province. Who were they more loyal to, the king or their province?

[Duncan Montrose]

Well, that was that. The other matters was the investigation of Jon Fitzwulf's death. It could still be connected to this. It could be not. Anyway, he was glad that his course was steady and that he knew exactly what he was supposed to do.

Guy Wintour was another of those people on the council he didn't like. Never trust a man whose life is spent on counting coins. In most cases, such men love the glint and chink of gold in their purse more than anything else. Accumulation of shiny metals and stones, then land, then titles, power and importance is steadily on their mind. Besides, Wintour had this silky voice, slick tongue, a shiny eye. He radiated intrigue. But at least for once he agreed with the man on something.

"Lord Wintour has the right of it, Your Grace. There are enough strangers in this castle as it is. You do not need numbers, just trust. I will speak with my brother about any Montroses who'd like to stay and protect you. Loyal, fierce and honorable men, like my son Kenneth."

But who was there except Kenneth? Cameron, Duncan's other son. He would do fine, but the Seneschal did not want another of his sons to be tangled into this suddenly risky business of being royal shield. There was Bruce, the next heir of the Green, if Malcolm agreed to it. Adrien might like that. Apart from these, Craig, who hated the south and would surely make an ass of himself, as much as Duncan loved him he was not a good candidate. Then there were Craig's sons, including his bastards. The clans looked on such boys with different eyes then this polished lot. They might serve some minor lord, but the King? Half of the people in this room would choke at the notion.