Fool Me Twice - In Character Discussions
Execution of the Guilty
It was barely dawn. The winter sky was still a dark gray, but still, there was little time to waste. Branwyn, Jennevive and Philippe waited in the crisp morning air, while a guard brought Abbot Corynth out to the courtyard. The Abbot was bound so as to hinder her spellcasting ability.
The Abbot looked at Branwyn and asked, “So are you going to kill us one at a time? Are you afraid to have two priests to deal with at the same time? I suppose it is too much to think that you have acquired the wisdom to see that the best result for you would be to allow me to leave and report favorably to my superior. Wisdom does not seem to be one of your attributes.”
Under different circumstances, Branwyn might have reacted to these barbs. But this particular morning, she let them pass. “Your lover, Friend Junyorth, has done nothing wrong except not to turn you in. He shall be returned to the Grand Celestry so that he may find a life for himself. I do not see how it serves any one to have him here to witness your execution. Everyone makes choices and does what they believe their duty is. Your choices and your sense of duty have placed you here this morning. Mine have placed me here as well, and mine give me no pleasure. So let us begin,” Branwyn said and nodded at the guard. The guard laid a hand heavily on the Abbot’s shoulder pushing her down to her knees. Branwyn took a scroll out of the lining of her cloak and began to read aloud.
“Abbot Corynth, you have confessed to the murder of Mistress Waverlyn, Ambassador of Drillian to Dryads Lair. As we are not residing in the Queendom of Drillian, Her Majesty Queen Wilamina, is not here to exact justice herself. Therefore, as the Queen’s representative, I, Marquessa Branwyn the Mysterious, the current Ambassador of Drillian to Dryads Lair do sentence you to death, as is the customary punishment for such a high crime. I do this in front of witnesses that may attest to both the hearing of your confession, as well as to the performance of justice for this crime,” Branwyn returned the scroll to her cloak.
“Abbot, I am no professional executioner and my skill set provides me limited means in carrying out this sentence. But if I am to pass sentence, then I see it as my duty to carry it out myself. I have considered heavily the circumstances under which you committed this murder, and so in that light, I shall offer you a choice. I may render you a peaceful passing within sleep, or you may spend your last moments conscious, but with a painful death. You shall also be granted any last words you wish,” Branwyn said looking expectantly at the kneeling priestess in front of her.
Abbot Corynth looked at Jennivive and Branwyn. "I have no fear of pain. I have done my duty to my God and shall be rewarded. I will not ease your guilt by allowing you to put any choice on my head. You will answer for your choices. I will not assist in them."
Jennivive looked at Branwyn then back and the Abbot. "I will do what you wish, you are the Power of the Crown here. If you wish another option I can offer one that will strip her mind of her faith. It will leave her to wander the world bereft of her God's presence for her remaining days."
Branwyn turned so her back was to the Abbot and murmured to Jennevive, “It would have been better to tell me such things when we agreed this should be done, rather than right at this moment. But it does please me to have yet another option that would be fitting for the crime, and relieve me of her blood on my hands as well. Since you have offered, I will accept gladly and with my thanks.”
She turned back to face the Abbot. “With this information I have decided that you shall be granted somewhat of a reprieve. Aunt Jennevive, who serves loyally as Councilor to the Crown and Ambassador to the Kayugan Faith for me, has offered up a punishment that shall spare your life, but take away that essence which drove you to commit murder in the first place. For a devout priestess such as yourself, such a fate would be a lifelong punishment. But I cannot have you wandering the city afterwards. Even without your faith, your violent tendencies do not bode well for a peaceful acclimation into regular life here in Dryads Lair. So I will add this. After it is done, you shall be taken to the docks and put on the first ship taking passengers. It matters not where it is going as long as it takes you away from here. So when you reach land, you may start to live your life however you can and with whatever skills you may still possess. Let it be done so justice may be served.” Branwyn took a step back and nodded to Jennevive.
Jennevive stepped forward. "For your crimes against Drillian" laying her hands on the Abbot's head and said a prayer.
Then she stepped back and nodded.
"Tell me young lady what is your name?"
The abbot looked blankly at Jennevive and Branwyn shaking her head slowly. "I don't know......"
Branwyn looked over at Jennevive and whispered, “Thank you.”
And then she turned to the guard. “Can you please take her to the docks at the Trader’s Quarter and find her a passage on the next ship out?” Branwyn fished around in her pouch, moving aside a couple of crickets and found some coins. She handed some to the guard and said, “This should take care of it. Please keep the rest for your extra trouble.”
Branwyn then leaned over and took the fallen priestess by the elbow and helped her up. “You are going to take a trip and this nice gentleman is going to escort you to your vessel. It is understandable that you do not remember your name as you have just hit your head. I’m sure you will be fine very soon. You dropped your spending money when you fell. Take this, Lucretia, I am sure you will need it,” she said handing her two silver coins.
Her hand closed around the coins. Her brow furrowed in frustration as she tried to make sense of what was being said. “A trip? What sort of name is Lucretia? That doesn’t sound right. Why am I wearing robes?”
“Come along, Miss. We have to go,” said the guard gruffly and he guided her out of the courtyard and to the docks.
Branwyn sighed. “Well, that is done. In a few hours, we can get Friend Junyorth out of the basement and he can go ask for forgiveness at the Grand Celestry.”
At the beginning of investigations
Branwyn sat at a desk in the library when she heard the expected knock on the door. Without looking up, she called, “Come in, Phillipe.”
Phillipe entered the room and closed the door behind him. He stepped forward and gave Branwyn a quick bob of his head. “You requested to see me?”
“Yes, just a moment,” she said with her head still down. Phillipe shifted on his feet as he watched her continuing to write what looked like a list of some sort. When she finished, she blew on the parchment and waved it a few times before finally addressing Phillipe. And then she began.
“Well then, Phillipe. Since we are all still new to one another, I’d like to verify a few things if you wouldn’t mind. You have said repeatedly that you are here to serve me. Is that correct?”
“Yes …”
Cutting him off, Branwyn continued, “And wouldn’t you agree that serving me would include informing me of any important facts that could in any way endanger me or someone else in this household?”
“Of course…”
Branwyn stood quickly and slammed her hands down on the desk. “Then WHY did you not tell me that Joseph was a magic user? Why did I have to be embarrassed and find this out when he starts casting to enter the Mage’s Guild for membership? Considering that Mistress Waverlyn’s murderer cast spells to burn both her body and your entire house, did you not think that it would be useful for me to know that Joseph can start fires with a simple turn of his head?” she said, glaring at Phillipe.
Phillipe nods at Branwyn.
"There are a lot of skills we have on the staff that I do not know about and that you do not know about. Did you know that I can read and write in five languages? I did not know that Marisu was anything more than a noble woman training in diplomacy until she had a set of shelves installed in her bedroom for her own private spell library. I did not know that Indigo has an adverse reaction to watercress sandwiches."
He smiles to alleviate any tension, "there are obviously many different skills and abilities that the staff has that we are all not aware of yet. I am certain that over time we will get to know each other better and learn to depend on those skills."
"For Joseph's ability to start such a fire I do not think he could. Yes he can light a candle or help with the cook stove but I have never seen any sort of extravagant display from him. I never thought about telling you about that because the important thing is that Mistress Waverlyn was poisoned. The priest already told us that Joseph did not poison her. I even asked about the dagger if he stabbed her and the priest said no. I did not ask about the fire because the entire building was destroyed along with her body. We all lost everything that day. I could only do so much right away."
Phillipe stands ready with his hands clasped behind his back.
Branwyn sat back down and looked Phillipe up and down calmly. “That is what I wanted to know. If you knew. And you answered that question. No hint of surprise at all. But when it comes to magic, you will find that I do not particularly like surprises,” she said in an even tone and then murmured a few words under her breath. They both could hear the faint click of the library door locking. “Unlike a disagreeable watercress sandwich, you never know what will happen. There is a matter of trust that needs to be maintained. And I am afraid that you and your staff are doing little to inspire any in me at the moment. So, help me out, Phillipe. In the interest of full disclosure, any other magic users amongst you? Priests, professional pickpockets, pickers of locks or anything else that might give me a sense of unease? How about any herbalists or botanists? An alchemist or apothecary in the lot of you?”
Phillipe smiles at the laundry list Branwyn recites. "I am not certain that I know what sorts of things might give you a sense of unease. You are obviously capable of handling dangerous things easily. That is one of the reasons I am very happy you are here. I am certain that we will be able to handle all of things. I foresee some interesting times coming."
Pauses to think, "For skills that you might want to know about the new maid and cook do not seem to be anything other than simple servants who are slightly awed to be chosen to work for you as the Ambassador. They both came highly recommended from their previous employers. The priest that I asked for problems said that there was not any significant danger from either of them."
"I obviously would not tell you if I were dangerous, just as I must trust in you. I will be glad to submit to any testing you desire for me."
"I trust in Atribella like she was my own daughter. I do not know of any magic that she controls. She managed the cooking and supplies for Mistress Waverlyn, including her parties. Joseph is the newest person on our team. Well I suppose not quite so new now with the expanded staff. Joseph has never hidden the fact that he worked on a pirate ship for a year so I will guess he has skills he learned in that time that are not popularly approved. He has never displayed any anger or cause for concern. It was only my duty to you as the next ambassador that I even asked the priest any questions about his involvement."
"Does this help you feel better in control of the situation?"
"In a way, yes, but very disappointing. From what you have said, navigating this household shall be little different than navigating a swamp in Drillian. Highly dangerous and a place where one must always watch where one steps. It is fortunate that I am well equipped for swamp travel. I had mistakenly hoped for a reprieve in the place where I am living, but that mistake shall be rectified in short order. And I can only assume by your evasiveness that you are most purposely not willing to tell me if my trusted aides are thieves or if they are capable of creating a poison without having to purchase one. That in and of itself is most enlightening and so I thank you.'
'Joseph has announced in the Mage's Guild that he wished to be my apprentice. We wouldn't like to make a liar out of him, and so an apprentice he will be. In the next day or so, he and I shall have our first lesson in the courtyard before breakfast. You will have these items available for our use at the first session and then we will see how things go. I think we are finished for now," she said, sliding the list across the desk.
Phillipe looks at the list of items and nods. "We have all of these in the store room, it will be easy to put this together for you."
He turns to leave but adds quietly, "I do hope you will learn to trust the staff and myself as well. Do remember they are under great stress also. As you demonstrate, a mage can do what they want to the common person and they have little recourse. I have not heard of any word of you being cruel or unjust. I hope that you will not let your unease with learning your way through this new wilderness of politics cause you to lose your way in that."
He stands quietly at the locked door waiting to be allowed to leave.
Branwyn's eyebrows arched slightly at the implication, but said smoothly, "I will trust the staff when they begin being honest with me. I am quite willing to put on my slippers and do the required dances necessary with the people in power. But I do not appreciate it here in my home where I expect direct answers to direct questions. Did you stop to think that Joseph knowing magic might be viewed as an asset by me? Or that if someone could pick a lock or detect a trap that they could help Prince Ilero in his duties? It is not the skills, as much as the deception that causes the mistrust.'
'The former Ambassador was murdered and no one in this household can seem to tell me why or how this happened other than the fact that you were all there and what a priest had to say about the questions you specifically asked him. You, who had access to her correspondence and dealings, you who had her trust, can offer no leads to where I should look? Instead, you tell me how wonderful she was and how well her house was protected. If I am on my own in this ... if you are unwilling or incapable of helping, if the staff will not answer the simple questions myself or anyone here asks of them, then I must start closest to her and then move outwards. I would think you all would want us to find out who killed Mistress Waverlyn and not simply shrug our shoulders and hope no one comes for us too."
Branwyn shut her eyes for a moment, said a few quiet words and the door unlocked.
"You are used to losing all that you possess in the world except the clothes on your back perhaps. My first thought was to protect the ambassador's instruments; which you have. My next thought was to protect the staff; which I have done. I then did what I could to continue the work of this embassy given there were no funds, no papers, no one else to depend on except the three of us."
"I am sorry I was not able to do more for you. I do not know how I can do more than answer honestly every question you have for me. I know you have no love of priests but perhaps you or one of your companions can ascertain if I or any of the staff have lied to you. If you want a suspect for who could have killed Mistress Waverlyn I think you could throw a rock anywhere in the City and hit someone who either could have done it or wanted to. My skills lay in helping you navigate the political aspects of the city. I am not suited for investigating hundreds of suspects who may or may not be able to retaliate against myself and the staff."
Phillipe leaves the library, "I will have your gift for the Prince ready for you in the morning to take to your luncheon."
As the door shut behind Phillipe, Branwyn stared at it and said to herself, "They have been doing this work far too long. He is entirely incapable of answering a question. Yes or no, is that so difficult? 'You must trust me as I smile and tell you nothing. It's not nice to expect people to answer questions. The terrible, horrible mage wants me to answer questions. How dare she! Very well," she mimicked.
"Well, they are all liars as far as I am concerned until they stop evading and start answering questions. Except perhaps Atribella. I will have to see about her. But at least the sacred image of the Mistress Waverlyn as master diplomat has finally been shattered. If not just one or two groups wanted her dead, but every last one of them is happy she is no longer among the living, she must not have been as good a politician as she thought she was. Diplomacy may not be one of my skills, but I am pretty sure sowing murderous thoughts wherever you go is not an asset. I hope she thought all she did was worth it, but I for one do not plan on being be murdered in my bed in Dryads Lair. Seriously, how hard is it to deal with people in a straightforward and honest manner? Watch out Dryads Lair, there is a new Ambassador in town!" she said with a smile.
Branwyn shook her head and picked up her quill to begin writing her letters.
