Touching Base, part II, WM Embassy [27th, Early TT]]

[Rosalie Marcada]

After the most delightful lunch at Pier Seventeen Rosalie returned to the Embassy of World's Mouth, sailing in with a most arrogant head. She looked for Smattagio "Well, I just thougth you'd have a report ready. I'm about to go to the palace so I thought it wise to stop by." She gave him a sweet smile that belied the ruthlessness of her behaviour

OOC: basically a placeholder for some private business while I go to make trouble for His Highness.

[Grey Wolf]

Smataggio was neck deep in reports and papers, a notebook on his knee being filled by scribbled notes as he went through the papers even as Rosalie addressed him. He looked up long enough to smile and bow his head, but did not rise, mostly out of fear he would knock something over. "Report, Your Excellence? Perhaps you could be more precise?" he chuckled and paused in his writing. "What I mean is which part of what I am working on interests you the most? Aveas, Mouth or Citadel?"

[Rosalie Marcada]

"The Mouth," Rosalie stated impatiently, for as always she had expected Smattagio to read her mind. He did so often why not now, why waste valuable burns? "Is there any news about the .." her voice dropped "the vendetta?"

[Grey Wolf]

His senses dulled by a fair amount of alcohol and just a touch of herbs, made Smataggio less efficient than Her Excellence was used to, her secretary suffering from the injury the day before. "Yes, Madam Ambassador. It would seem the city is calming down a bit. After the initial chaos, people have come to realize that life must go on. There is still a tension and the Council is still squabbling, but soldiers are no longer arresting people in the throngs. And from what I hear your father is still in Caer Doom, and will likely remain there for a while. He was arrested by the order of a Magister and unless the Council overturns such an order he will remain until the trial, or another Magister orders his release."

[Rosalie Marcada]

Rosalie sat down in a chair, miffed by the result of what Smattagio reported. Naturally she blamed the messenger, glaring at him slightly. She was unaware of any injury the poor man had suffered.

"Well," she said as she pulled of the gloves from her fingers in agonizing slowness, considering them carefully "That seems to be the most obvious of things. Is it clear who ordered this and and what on Tazlure is going on? What precisely did you do to confirm this information?"

Her amber eyes settled on Smattagio, wondering if he was up to the job. He sounded a bit slow. Rosalie was ruthless and would replace anybody that didn't have a very good reason for appearing so.

[Grey Wolf]

Smataggion moved over to a chair opposite his boss, and for a flicker hesitated before lowering himself down with a long groan, his face a mask of pain. A few more flickers passed before he found a comfortable position, continuing his report as if nothing had happened. "I fear there is too many conflicting reports. However, I can say with considerable certainty that the arrest order came from Magister Ottavio, and that your father is charged with involvement in Marchland Riots. Even without your actions, and were it not for the murder of four Magisters, I do believe your father would have been acquited. Your grip on the Aveas will only hasten his release." He paused and added a flicker later. "I am still in the process of confirming this information, but by tomorrow I should have confirmation from another source."

[Rosalie Marcada]

"Good," Rosalie nodded. Ottavio will die for this. She would not spare Rame the news. They were of like purpose and he would find a way. Nobody crossed Lo Russo and lived to tell the tale. "So Ottavio sought to move on some old issues with the Riots as an excuse. He always was one of my father's enemies, though I thought Papa too well protected. Curious that Ottavio now felt emboldened by something."

Rosalie pondered this before asking "Any idea why the Magisters ended up dead?" She smirked, foreseeing the easy answer that would not satisfy her at all "Yes, the explosion, but I mean the reason behind it. I think they were striking to gain control of the coffee harvest, is this true? Or was that just a ruse too?"

She gave her secretary a penetrating stare "You are hurt." It was a statement of fact and one of curiosity. Not one of compassion. Cold efficiency perhaps. "Do you need tending?"

[Grey Wolf]

“My sources tell me the order for your father’s arrest bore Ottavio’s seal. Whether he himself issued the order I do not know, though his lack of counter-reaction shows he at least found the absence of your father as a good thing, even if he did not made the move himself. There is more to this than meets the eye, but until a proper investigation can be conducted I can not say more. And the investigation requires things to calm down as right now the legions are edgy and arrests plentiful.” The other question had him shrugging and wincing once more. “I can not say who ordered it. The rumors point fingers at the Constanza family as they were standing to loose the most if the Syndicate were to take over the coffee harvest. Then again…. It would not be the first time for someone to strike from the background and let the blame fall on someone else. Had this happened in Citadel I would have been able to tell more. I am not informed well enough to be able to make a judgment about Mouth.”

Now that Madam Ambassador noticed his injury, Smataggio saw little reason to hide it and shifter lower in his seat. “Injured my back during the riots yesterday. Slipped on some blood.” Not entirely true, but close enough. “I’ll be fine given a bit of time. When this is taken care of I will slow down and let my assistants handle the less important issues.”

[Rosalie Marcada]

"I see. I did not realize you watched the riots that close up," Rosalie murmured, briefly narrowing her eyes at her spymaster, coldly observing him.

"Yes, I need you to be inattentive to your healing" she nodded "Why don't you take a day off? After the business with the council of course. I am sure there will be a lull in activities shortly there after." It was a most generous offer, which of course was motivated by calculation. She needed the man more than ever.

OOC: Shall we wrap this one up as well?

[Grey Wolf]

“It was a lot closer than I appreciated. Luckily both me and the agent meant for Western Embassy managed to escape relatively unscathed.” He nodded at the offer o a day off and smiled. “Thank you, Madam Ambassador. I will of course remain on the ground just in case something urgent happens. Thinks should be pretty hectic in the city, but since the latest incident does not involve either the Mouth or Western Kingdom, we should keep low. Power blocks in the city and Empire will be on the edge now and any provocation may lead to retaliation and any conflict we are not involved in will serve to profit us. And thought it may be tempting to try and pin some attempt on the Western Kingdom, that may provoke them to seek retaliation from us. I will double our own security and keep our eyes and ears in the city open and make sure we do not get hurt in this. There will be a veritable sh….. storm of trouble and we should just weather it for now.” He sat comfortably and winced only briefly with each breath he took.

[Rosalie Marcada]

Rosalie nodded curtly, glad to hear mention of an agent in the Embassy, though she new realized her secretary was taking an even more active hand in the day to day business than she had realized. "Well, that solves it then. Some rest for all of us." Briefly they spoke of other things, getting all those tedious arrangements out of the way that come with the day to day running of an embassy. Then Rosalie dismissed the man.

[Morg]

Skilled as part of the Modding Seminar!

...no skills awarded.