Re: The Royal Guard 1x1

Blip Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:31 am

Lars bowed in return, not before noticing the charm necklace, particularly the spy charm, the one most recently granted to her, which indicatidicated to him that he could elaborate on the situation while Zack returned his attention to the report and a map. "Well, mainly because, as the Prince said, I am the king of spies. I place and monitor to the best of my ability the current network of spies working for katrin, as well as working under a modified set of laws that grants me wider influence. Pertaining to the urgent matter of concern, I have been informed that Duke Darrin may be attempting to stage revolts in order to unite certain other powerful individuals to attempt to overthrow katrin. Again. As it is still known nearly exclusively to our spy, it may be difficult to attempt anything that could worsen our relationship with the Duke."

(That's almost all jobs, but I mean, it's not all bad.)

!Fox! Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:55 am

Cielia nodded, skimming the report for a moment before turning to the map, of which a few locations were circled. After a moment of thought, she looked up at him with a serious expression. "Alright, bear with me here, as I am still learning all the names and places... What are his holdings, where are the revolts planned to be at, and when if possible, why do they want to overthrow Katrin, a kingdom dedicated to peace and order, and can you explain what you mean by again?" She asked, looking back to the map as she traced her finger along certain roads and rivers, mouthing the names as she did so

Blip Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:01 am

"Well, for now, these are houses which are suspected of having close enough ties to set the dukes plan in motion. They have yet to mobilize forces of concern, but there has been buzz among the network. Last time that happened, we stationed some men in the area to patrol and hint that we were wary of their actions, as well as having several of the more set nobles sign treaties to not come against katrin. However, it seems a larger amount are considering overthrowing katrin, some violating the treaty, but we wouldn't know for sure unless we mobilize a batallion to ensure nothing happens to you while you tour the area, your highness," he said, having had his attention focused on pointing out certain areas of the map before looking at zack, who looked up at ceilia. "The reason they wish to take katrin is to take our power. It will not be theirs, as the people will likely resent those who staged the war, but there would be much unnecessary bloodshed if they go too far."

!Fox! Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:15 am

"You have profiles, documents and records of some sort, of each one of the leader's, right? There has to be some weakness we can exploit, anything at all. We cant kill him, that would violate the ideals we stand for..." Cielia said with a narrowed look, pulling up a seat and leaning forward on propped elbows with her hands folded in front of her mouth. She paused, a rather unpleasant idea coming to her mind with a grimace. "I hate to say it, and i shudder at the words I am about to say... Does he have a weakness for women, similar to Lord Stone? If not him, one of his closer comrades that we could worm our way in, get more information, and use it to force him to submit?" She asked, looking over at Lars.

Blip Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:38 am

Lars rolled a paperweight between his fingers before answering, his attention on the small object. "Katrin may have higher ideals, but if need be, I can order a hit; however, with what we know, it's a pretty bad gamble."

The attention of all three men fell on Ceilia immediately when she brought up her suggestion. However, Lars was the first to speak. "While I do have some women working for me, most do not possess the know how to keep themselves safe in such a direct confrontration. Even most of my men are passive collectors. Not to mrntion, if you were to volunteer for his task, we'd have to make some... minor modifications to your appearance. Believe it or not, you are one of the topics abuzz among my people, hence you have some notoriety. Whether or not other ranked officials know of you well is not quite clear to me... yet. Regardless, this would not be a mission sanctioned by katrin. If you're lucky you could probably snag some backup due to being pretty buddy buddy with the Prince but it be a problem if word got to the public that katrin were behind this."

!Fox! Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:09 am

"If need be that I change my appearance for a while, then so be it. We can say I decided to take a small vacation given I've worked so hard to get where I am, before the new recruits arrive." Cielia said simply, a steely look in her eye as she raised one eyebrow at Lars. "I damn well should be a topic to buzz about. First female knight that has been trained inside of your Kingdom. As for backup, it wouldn't really be that hard, as I SHOULDNT need it. Keep in mind my test exercise for them allowing me to train? I had to fight against 4 of the combat instructors you had at that time, and then half the other trainee's after that, all at once. Which i told you i would do when we left Della." She said, and grimaced as she crossed her arms. "As if i would let some other woman put herself at risk. They wouldn't be able to survive in such a roll. It's the whole reason i became a Knight for god's sake..." She then shook her head and looked up after a few minutes of thought.

"So, forgive me, as i am not used to this, but here is a rough idea. My town is fairly small. Lord Stone does not interact with the populace much from what my father said in a letter recently, so no one would be able to reliably identify the information within a reasonable time. I could alter my appearance, and claim that i was my own sister or a very close friend, here to attempt to visit. Upon finding out I had 'left to surprise the family', she will look for work as a way to earn a living until I arrived back here in order to support her, as she doesn't know i had completed my training. You could have your spies disseminate this information to the right people, and through them to the target. They take the bait, I get inside under the guise of a sister or friend with one of the trouble causers, If not the Duke himself, hoping to win either my favor, or my disguised alias' favor in courtship. I get close and gain the information we need, and get out of there when during one of the Gala's you will do as a surprise party to welcome the emissaries from that other kingdom. Zacharie, Upon hearing of my relation to Knight Cielia Whitewall, Extends an arm in asking for a dance. I accept, And we disappear in the crowd." Cielia finished, sighing.

"It wouldn't be that difficult to execute, and you could have your spies check on me via a window or something. I would leave the city by horse, to be met by an agent. We alter my appearance, Wait a night or two in the woodlands surrounding the western front, and I come in, looking to talk to one of the trainers in the Knights Barracks about my location. Your spies pass the information along as smoothly and quickly as they can, and things go from there. Besides, subterfuge is easy, especially against most men." She said, a sly smirk on her face as she looked around the table

Blip Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:45 am

Lars pursed his lips and furrowed his brows. "Hmm... problem is, only you have notoriety, anyone connected to you doesn't exactly have such standing, so anyone even noticing 'the sister of Ceilia Whitewall' probably wouldn't see anything more than a plaything, and we can't exactly risk you attacking anyone. Not immediately. How easily can you pretend to be nobility?"

"What are you planning?" Zack asked, having been mulling over the suggested ploy to earn more information but not really favoring it. But his focus was settling treaties with clear intentions, so he didn't argue with the presented scene.

Lars seemed to have a different opinion. "We create an alias for her, the daughter of a noble of Meday. It's far enough that it likely won't be easily discovered false but close enough that you appearing there in say, a week wouldn't be implausable. It could also help curtail unwanted advances that could shorten the mission." He pointed to a place on the map between 5 circled estates. "Rosettes. It's a wealthy town, for the wealthy, by the wealthy. But the towngoers, they are easily drawn to novelty, so hearing of... Lady Arelia Durquess passing through their fabricated haven should draw their attention. Once we figure out who could be our best source of information, you 'accidentally' encounter him and earn his trust, continuing with your plan of disappearing at a gala."

!Fox! Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:02 am

"And what of the recruits that will be arriving in a week's time? Will we be telling them that there will be a rest period for their travels before training begins?" Cielia asked, raising an eyebrow at the request, before sitting up in a posture that was very similar to the Noblewomen she had seen in the courts, completely relaxed. Sighing, she prepared herself before she then smiled warmly with a womanly charm, speaking fluently. "Speech is harder for me, but as long as it isnt for hours, I should not have a problem speaking similar to those of nobility. One only need to observe the room and mimic the way the rest of them speak. We could claim that I am slightly shy, to cover for this problem, until I feel I can speak properly around them in extended fashion. This fact would also appeal to most men's sense of masculinity." She finished, pausing for a moment to frown. "That may be the most difficult part, is acting slightly helpless in some situations as the Noblewomen here do."

Blip Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:45 am

(Sometimes I try to look up words and that'll eat the post as well)

"Well, I think if you can pull off shy and helpless we might get this plan to succeed," Lars nodded happily.

"We will have the trainees informed that an urgent manner arose, which gives them time to settle to life here, that isn't a problem," Zack assured her. " I am impressed that you were able to learn good manners from the noble women you've encountered, all things considered. You would never guess that some would be the most vocal against your choice in profession, something they often felt they had to make very clear..."

"Well, if her manners impress you, wait till she looks the part," Lars chuckled with a leer, though he immediately diverted his attention when smith cleared his throat and glared at him, with Zack resting his forehead against his palms. "We've been over this Lars..." he looked up at Ceilia. "He would never hurt a lady, but he does have a habit of being crass-"

"I'm working on that, can we talk about something else, like additional planning?" Lars interjected, annoyed to be put in the spotlight.

!Fox! Sat Jul 08, 2017 5:11 am

"Sure, but before we do... You try anything, or your minions try anything crass with me at all... Lets just say the dungeons of The kingdom of Avria are nothing compared to what will happen... I dont care who it is..." Cielia smiled sweetly, letting the threat hang in the air before turning to Zacharie. "Believe me, I know. They approached me several times requesting that I "Stop with this silly nonsense..." When i first started my training. As for manners, I have my reasons for learning." She said with a warm, genuine smile in his direction.

"I dont see what possible other planning we will need. We pass along word that im leaving town in the next few days, to let the messengers pass on the message to the next town, and let slip that my Alias will be stopping by in that town on a tour of grandeur. We figure out his Itinerary, And I accidently fall into his arms after stumbling or fleeing from something. I earn trust, and claim that i have decided to prolong my stay, giving said person a sense of pride. I learn what I can, and Zacharie sends out invitations to that Gala to welcome those dignitaries a few days after that. I get one as well, and ask if he would be my partner for the evening. If it's serious enough, We have the guards arrest him. If not, I slip away in the crowd, and get back to normal appearances, and claim she asked for me to give him a message, claiming she had received urgent news while running to the washroom." Cielia said, running over the plan. "Besides, adding more steps and contingencies is just asking for things to fail. Every extra step is another step that could fail." She finished, crossing and uncrossing her legs.

(If you need me too i can post what each word means in a reply?)

Blip Sat Jul 08, 2017 5:52 am

(Oh, no, I mean when I write. I'm the person who kinda uses words with a vague understanding of what they mean, so I check to see if they mean what I think. It's not to the point of the photosynthesis meme, but it sometimes doesn't make sense...)

Lars frowned in annoyance, though Smith shrugged, as if saying 'what did you expect, genius?'

"I suppose you're right, a few tweaks but the story remains more or less the same. As long as we can follow that thread and improvise as needed we should prove successful," Zachary agreed, but not before having snickered at Lars. In spite of the fact they were almost equal in power, rank ultimately decided who kept whom in check. That and Lars knew better than to ostracize his female agents, who honestly had nothing to lose, it wasn't a job that could merit recognition, but they took pride in knowing what they'd had a hand in. He knew for certain one of the new trainees was currently a spy. "Then that's the end of that. We return to business as usual until the day we set the plan in motion ."

!Fox! Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:24 pm

"Very well. Lars, if you would let me know once you have finalized the details and narrative I will need to know, and the timetable of when I leave." She said, bowing to him slightly, then nodding at smith. She then turned to Zacharie with a sigh followed by a smile with a hand on her hip. "Guess it's a good thing we met when we did, isnt it?" Cielia smiled, relaxing a bit. She resisted the urge to hug him, and her smiled turned slightly nervous as she turned around with a slight red face, and swiftly made her way out the door, much to the amusement of Smith

Blip Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:37 pm

"...What's so funny?" Zacharie asked. Smith covered his grin. "You'll find out when you're older~" he teased, patting Zack on the shoulder, before turning to leave. "Good thing you'll have your work cut out for you, staying busy is best right now."

Zack turned his attention to the last person in the room. "Do you want to drop a hint, or are you going to be just as cryptic?"

Lars grinned. "It's better to not divulge information at the wrong time. But like he said, you'll figure it out eventually."

Zacharie sighed, and with that, he left the room.

(When I come back from the hiatus I'll time skip over to Ceilia arriving to the town)

!Fox! Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:46 pm

Having escaped with a red face, Cielia made her way quickly to her room with a look of mild embarrassment, locking the door behind her as she prepared her stuff for whenever she had to leave.

Blip Sat Sep 02, 2017 4:49 am

"Lady Arelia? Is something bothering you?" A young trainee spy disguised as Cielias personal servant traveled along with her in one of several carriages built exclusively for the ruse. Cielia in turn was dressed in the finest of noble elegance, though after hours of travel, she seemed a little out of it. "Are you nervous? I am. Am I making you nervous because I'm nervous? I've never done this before..." she rambled, fidgeting with her skirt.

!Fox! Sat Sep 02, 2017 5:13 am

"Relax. Nothing is solved by rushing dear." Cielia replied in what was starting to feel her normal accent, with how much they had made her practice. "I am afraid that I am not quite used to traveling like this. It has been quite the trip. I am also not used to this much attention" She smiled gently as she gestured towards the town where a small crowd had formed, leaning forward to smoothly placing her hand on the servant's shoulder. "Breath in, and count to three, just like we did when we were younger! Gather your emotions, and let them go as you exhale." She whispered, and smiled warmly. "You are going to be with me every step of the way. You are in the safest place possible. Just let me take the lead if you feel uncomfortable..." She said, before leaning back and assuming a proper stance. She sighed, and fiddled with her altered hair length and color. "I do hope he doesn't care for looks after this, it will be awhile before it goes back to normal." She said quietly with slight apprehension, the thought of Zacharie only making her a little more unsettled, though she did her best to hide it from the woman in front of her. "Think of this as just an extended sleepover between friends! You would not believe the gossip that I have." She giggled, covering her mouth with her non-dominant hand in the process.

Blip Tue Sep 05, 2017 1:02 am

She gave a quick nod, before looking out the window, with a slightly more relaxed smile. "Though now would be a good time to place names to faces. Seems like some of the uppers we need to focus on couldn't help getting caught up in the crowd."

"The red head in the blue top coat is Duke Ellis Bailey, while he and Duke Darrin aren't exactly close, Duke Bailey has his unwavering trust, though he's a major show off. The man a few people over, wearing the top hat with the purple band and pretending to not care is Lord Alphonse Hues, he's the one who spends most of his time plotting in the background, offering his advice in exchange for whatever he values at the moment, though whether he is already working with Darrin is not known." She scanned through the crowd further, almost assuming no one else of importance had gathered before catching a glance of a couple that had already begun to part from the main crowd. "And that is Sir Branor Elias, and his wife, Wyn. He is pretty much like Sir Smith for Hues, but not nearly as noble... or loyal. He seems to border on mercenary. He is crazy good at his job though." She pulled away from the windiw, lips pursed in thought. "We should probably try to 'bump into' Bailey, simply because his ego makes him an easy target... but the others also have information and ties we can't dismiss as useful..."

!Fox! Tue Sep 05, 2017 1:48 am

"Well, I would probably play it like I did in training. Make the men each think they have something that interests me, but that I am indecisive. I am no fool, barring 3 men, Every man i know is driven in some part by lust. It doesn't help that Lars and you did such an excellent job on my appearance." Cielia nodded simply, smiling warmly out the window as the carriage carrying them finally reached the crowd. "Well, We already sent letters to each of the Inn's here, asking if they had room. Word spreads very quickly there, and has no doubt reached the ears of many. We get a simple meal, complain a little bit about standards within earshot of the men who will carry it back to them, and work things from there." She said, placing her hands in her lap for the moment.

"If all goes well, they invite us to stay in guest chambers, and we work from there. I plan to aim on Bailey for hospitality, Perhaps play a game or two with Alphones, letting little details slip here and there to pip his interest in news in Katrin about a certain adventurer. I make no moves towards any of them, besides acting like a ignorant girl. If he brings up Duke Darrin, I will express interest in some manner befitting the moment. Hopefully they introduce us, and I begin to act smitten with him." She whispered loudly enough for the woman to hear. "Now, last thing. I may have to be a bit... Mean at times. I mean it not. Hopefully we can work together in the future."

Blip Tue Sep 05, 2017 3:03 am

"Oh, It's all right, it's all part of the job anyways. In spite of how I'll end up reacting to the reprimands, bear in mind I won't hold it against you," she said, waiving away the concern. She suddenly became very quiet, clearly musing over something. "Though, before you make your official debut, you wouldn't mind stating who are the three men you've known not driven by lust? I'm certain you're not referring to Lars. I can only infer however, that one of them is the Prince himself. Oh, he's such a darling~" she giggled, covering her face. "People always tell me, 'Anise, you'll get in trouble speaking like that,' but I'm quite certain that if it bothered him, he likely would've said something, nice as he is, because I know there are many women of all classes that fawn over him." She sighed. " Though with all that's been happening recently he probably wouldn't pay mind to any advances, which is so sad. We've got a bet going for some time now on whoever finds out first if he fancies anyone, and either there is no one or he is really got at not letting that stuff slide, and that's even more sad... what do you think?"

!Fox! Tue Sep 05, 2017 3:52 am

"Him, My father, and my Mentor." Celia giggled in return, covering her mouth again. "As long as it isnt in front of others, I welcome that kind of talk. Rather boring listening to everyone preach and trill like birds. As for his interests in Women... I dont think he is interested in anyone special royalty wise, but he did seem rather... Interested in the person I found I had feelings for last week, now that I think about it. Poor boy is clueless and dense as a rock unfortunately. You could probably smooth out dents in armor with how thick he is sometimes. He is... Down right adorable... when he is teasing the drunkard royals during Sunday briefings. That smile he gets on his face, and how animated he gets... Or how he still makes me feel like a lady after having beaten practically every sparring partner into the ground... I mean, He pulled me to the side during that banquete and asked me to dance! It is really no wonder that boy is loved by everyone. I doubt there is a thing I wouldn't do if he were the one asking me, besides kill him. We even shortened names for each other. He called me Ciel the other day, and let me call him Zack. Its clear SMITH knows whats going on, Lars was catching on, but that poor boy. Something needs to be done about him." She said with a smiling red face, clearly embarrassed, but fondly remembering the memories.

"Sorry, I am rather... new, to the whole girl gossip thing. Most girls back home wanted nothing to do with me." She said quietly, shaking her head to clear it, preparing herself due to the carriage stopping to place a gentle smile on her face. Nodding at Anise as the door opened to the busy street in front of her, She gently stepped down with a nod and curtsey at the driver along with the Knight she had been assigned. She smiled wider at the crowds obvious excitement, and waved gently, before brushing some hair over her newly dyed hair and clasping her arms in front of her, looking around curiously as if looking for something specific. With a mild tone of amusement, she thought to herself "Now I know what Zack felt like when he came to town..." Before noting the more influential people's guards removing the riff raff from around them, with Duke Bailey at the head of the line walking towards her in a confident sway.

!Fox! Fri Sep 29, 2017 2:26 am

(Bump)

Blip Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:02 am

The Duke bowed once he stood at a respectable distance. "Greetings, M' lady. I am Duke Ellis Bailey, and I am appalled to state that we have spent so long without being acquainted somehow before today. I do apologize for that misstep, as I do make an effort to know quite in advance whenever a new face decides to pay our precious town a visit, and I'm afraid a few days simply isn't enough to make proper arrangements to ensure you enjoy your time in this humble town."
(Sorry for the short post, I didn't want to leave it blank for another night)

!Fox! Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:18 am

(Relax. I am as calm as they come. I am more than willing to be patient so you can figure out what your game plan is! Hell, if you need help, just let me know!)

"Greetings Sire! It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Arelia von Whiles, from (I honestly cant remember what the name she was supposed to be from :/)! I do apologize on my rather spontaneous visit!" Cielia curtsied daintily. She smiled warmly at him and sighed with a huff, looking mildly upset at the lower class staring at her. "I would be more than happy to oblige your curiosity and questions at a later time of your choosing, but I would much prefer to do so out of the sun and over food. The last town we went to was rather undesirable. No warm receptions or assistance to be found!"

She smiled warmly in gratitude at the duke. "If i might, as to take the burden off both your guards and I, may I ask of a suitable place for us to get some refreshments to talk over? It would be a wonderful opportunity to get to know the lands around here, and I would be more than pleased to do so with pleasurable company such as yourself!" She smiled, stepping closer to him, clasping her arms behind her cluelessly as she did so.

"Alas, this dreadful heat is insufferable, and I had to partake in some of my knight rations!" She said, huffing with mild irritation and indignation, before shaking her head and patting the knight shoulder "Bless your heart, please, pray do remind me anon when we return home to make my father give you better rations. I dont know how you manage that... ghastly food.".

Blip Mon Oct 23, 2017 6:05 am

The Duke grinned in amusement at her display, with the slightest hint of a leer in response to her deliberate stance, though he was none the wiser. The knight, bowing his head slightly in apology, said, "I will be sure to do as you say, m'lady," even though she was bluffing. Ah well, he thought to himself, I'm just following orders to follow her orders. He then wondered if he was getting a promotion after this mission.

The Duke motioned off in a certain direction. "Then I suppose our first spot of interest would be the Grand Centennial. Though the local cuisine has many differences than what Meday offers, it samples the finest of rosettes, allowing for anyone to decide with ease what it is they fancy, along with a wide selection of refreshments. I assure you, whatever paltry ration you had no choice but to partake in will be nothing but a distant memory afterwards."

!Fox! Mon Oct 23, 2017 6:23 am

"Please, if you would be a gentlemen and guide me there?" She asked with a gentle smile, spotting the leer almost immediately with a internal shudder, and held out her arm to link with his. "I do hope you dont mind. This trip has been rather unsavory for me. The last town that was even remotely acceptable to my standards was full of people. I got seperated from my group, and was lucky that my handmaiden had been following me closely." She said, giggling shyly "While i am sure my father would disagree, I have found the appearance is one that would help the situation, and i would much appreciate the chance to ward off any would be suitors who live in the dirt." She said, her face slightly red as she looked the other direction, as if embarrassed to even consider the action.

Internally, she was assessing the situation behind her, mentally tracking where each of the targets were, doing her best to remember to look clueless and curious.

Sponsored content