Birthright: Tuornen, Chapter Ten

[Varrus the Ethical]

ROALD AND FILBERT MEETING WITH THE CASTELLAN

"There's another matter to discuss, Sir Rory." Roald says, his tone clipped.. "I was speaking with Carlion earlier. He offered terms for a peace treaty. One of those terms being the marriage of his daughter, the Lady Soraene, to me."

[ewancummins]

ROALD AND FILBERT MEETING WITH THE CASTELLAN

"There's another matter to discuss, Sir Rory." Roald says, his tone clipped.. "I was speaking with Carlion earlier. He offered terms for a peace treaty. One of those terms being the marriage of his daughter, the Lady Soraene, to me."

''What?"

The Castellan blinks two or three times, opens and closes his mouth twice without a second word, and then goes to sit down on the nearest chair.

After a moment in perfect silence, he speaks again.
"If it's not a trap--"
Sir Rory tugs at the tip of his short, gray beard.
"--this peace offer is maybe a good thing for Tuornen, although I am loath to see Duke Carilon escape justice. Of course he is trying to save his own neck in the bargain."
The old knight's whiskered upper lip twists in disgust.
" That a son of ...
Tuornen should marry that villain's daughter!"

[ewancummins]

CORMAC
Cormac has no trouble finding a man with a swift horse.

What is he doing now?

[kintire]

Safana just about manages to conceal her delight long enough to leave the house, then she begins to dash to her residence, eager to devour the contents of the book. Then she pauses, considering the mysterious group's words... and heads reluctantly for the castle.

Reading as she walks!

[Varrus the Ethical]

ROALD AND FILBERT WITH THE CASTELLAN

" That a son of ...
Tuornen should marry that villain's daughter!"

Roald's face hardens.

"Interesting that you would say Tuornen, and not Gilgaed, Sir Rory. Carlion claims that he knew about me and my mother. And that you, along with the Archprelate, advised that my father send me away."

He crosses his arms.

"You're an honest man, Sir Rory, so I'll believe your word over Carlion's. Is what he said true?"

[ewancummins]

ROALD AND FILBERT WITH THE CASTELLAN

" That a son of ...
Tuornen should marry that villain's daughter!"

Roald's face hardens.

"Interesting that you would say Tuornen, and not Gilgaed, Sir Rory. Carlion claims that he knew about me and my mother. And that you, along with the Archprelate, advised that my father send me away."

He crosses his arms.

"You're an honest man, Sir Rory, so I'll believe your word over Carlion's. Is what he said true?"

The Castellan's face softens and his shoulders sag.

"Yes, it's true."

[ewancummins]

SAFANA

Safana just about manages to conceal her delight long enough to leave the house, then she begins to dash to her residence, eager to devour the contents of the book. Then she pauses, considering the mysterious group's words... and heads reluctantly for the castle.

Reading as she walks!

Sir Galen goes with her, and the linkboy also comes along with his torch held up for Safana.

Even so, it's not easy to read the crabbed lines of small characters in the book while walking at night. The pages are made of some very light, thin but strong paper--so thin that the little book must have twice as many sheets as a typical vellum manuscript of similar dimensions.
She sees what looks like magical notation on several pages, some sort of list of names, a map of the Heartlands of the Old Empire marked with black crosses, and a few full page sketches of strange creatures.

[Varrus the Ethical]

ROAND AND FILBERT WITH THE CASTELLAN

Roald let's his arms fall to his sides, his hands balled into fists and his teeth clenched.

"Hrmph," he says. "So I was a troublemaker even before I was born. Well, not matter. It's the peace treaty that's important, not your exiling of a child for being politically inconvenient. The Duke should be informed."

[ewancummins]

ROAND AND FILBERT WITH THE CASTELLAN

Roald let's his arms fall to his sides, his hands balled into fists and his teeth clenched.

"Hrmph," he says. "So I was a troublemaker even before I was born. Well, not matter. It's the peace treaty that's important, not your exiling of a child for being politically inconvenient. The Duke should be informed."

"We all did what we thought was best for House Flaertes, for the duchy."

Sir Rory rises.

"Shall I write the letter about the proposed treaty, or were you planning to do that?"

[Varrus the Ethical]

"You can undersign the letter I write and then hand it off to your best messenger when I'm done." He glances down to Filbert. "Unless the Lord Ambassador wishes to do that job."

He calls for a servant to bring parchment and ink.

[ewancummins]

"You can undersign the letter I write and then hand it off to your best messenger when I'm done," He spies Filber over his shoulder. "Unless the Lord Ambassador wishes to do that job."

He calls for a servant to bring parchment and ink.

A clerk comes straightaway with writing materials.

Sir Rory paces the floor.


"I'll hold my advice for His Grace until I see what you have written, what exactly are the terms offered, and I've had time to think on the matter more deeply. But I warn you now, sir, we cannot trust a man who strikes at his foes with assassins. "

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald sets the parchment down and looks up at Sir Rory. "I don't trust him, Sir Rory. Just because he's offering me his daughter has not blinded me to the fact that he's a snake. I caught him in one lie while we were speaking. He claims Riegon killed my father and that he had no prior knowledge of the plot. I think you and I both know that claim is dubious."

He then begins writing.

VIEW CONTENT:

To His Grace, Duke Devlin Flaetes of Tuornen,

Your Grace, Duke Carlion has offered terms of a peace treaty to end the war between his duchy and ours. In exchange for his life and freedom, he will cease hostilities, pay reparations, and give me the hand of his daughter, the Lady Soraene, in marriage. I have consented to the match on the condition of your approval. It is impossible to say how genuine his offer is, but it may very well be our best chance to at the very least end this war before the summer harvest. I know that Carlion has much to answer for, but perhaps this treaty could serve as a chance for us to finally reconcile with our cousins across the river.

Your loyal brother,
Sir Roald Flaetes, Siegebreaker and Warden of the Tuor.

When finished, he hands the letter to Sir Rory for his perusal and welcomes Lord Filbert to do the same.

[ewancummins]

The Castellan reads over the letter.

He signs his name and stamps his seal at the bottom along with a short simple note "I bear witness that this message is genuine, given by Sir Roald of House Flaertes, Warden of the Tuor."

The old knight removes his chain of office and holds it in his hands, folded.

"Tomorrow my thoughts may be more clear. Perhaps then I will send a letter of my own. If you would excuse me, my lords, I now must rest."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"That will be all, Sir Rory. I think that I will do the same as soon as I see this letter off," says Roald, placing his own seal on the letter. He looks to Filbert. "Would you also wish to read over the letter, Lord Ambassador?"

[kintire]

Safana closes the book with a sigh and heads for the castle