Forgery in the Noontide Samheen 19

[Andolin]

Placing a wax sealing on the envelope, he put his own signet ring seal in the hot wax and then smeared it enough to be beyond recognition. A bit of water stains and a small sprinkling of dirt to make the letter look weathered, made the finishing touches complete. Actually, he needed to step on the letter a few times with his shoes to add to the effect of a letter that was rushed from far away.

He had carefully used a handwriting that gave flourishes to letters of the alphabet that were foreign to Andolin's own handwriting. He wanted the script to look as if prepared by a hand other than his own. He smiled inwardly as he praised himself for the subterfuge.

He was in his office at the palace, awaiting a summons from Caesar; but, in the meantime, he had summoned a page to him. His ploy was clear. He planned to tell the page that a letter addressed to Count Bessnie had been misdelivered to his office and he wanted the lad to deliver it to the Count's house. With a tip of a coronet, he was sure the page could be convinced to forget who had given him the letter.

On the inside, as Isa had instructed, were the words:

Dear Brother,

Mother has taken ill with a sudden affliction that is quite unlike some of her other episodes. She has taken to her bed and neither eats nor drinks. I do believe that her current desire to speak to you is a sign of how this is taking a bad turn. I would like to urge you to return to Odorex immediately.

Yours truly,

Matthew

As he sat in his office, he also awaited word from a note he had sent to Caesar's quarters to determine whether his services were needed. If not, he planned to attend the Redault dinner. The return of Isabella had complicated things, but since when did Andolin let mere complications stand in the way of his plans?

[Brogan]

OOC: A mod gave me the advice to barge into this thread like a bat out of hell. Well, she said I might want to try entering this thread, so please don’t be too upset.

IC: The hallway must have been livid with Brogan, he had paced a hundred times back and forth before Andolin’s door, no farther in thought than when he had first entered. Scenarios were replayed again and again in Brogan’s head, but he could not stick with one of them. A flaw stuck out in every single one. He knew there would need to be a balance of flattery towards Andolin without it making him seem like a yes man. Somehow Brogan would need to get the point across that Andolin needed him, it would be the only way he could get hired. Brogan reached towards the door to knock when more questions flooded his mind.

I can’t be this indecisive like this in front of Andolin. In fact, I can’t be indecisive ever again. Politics won’t allow it and a leader must make hard, fast decisions. However, I can’t just wing this meeting, he’ll see right through that. I have to...I must...

The plan hit Brogan like a ton of books falling off their shelves at the library and burying him on the ground. Well, it hit him like something of that sort. He reached towards the door again and gave it a sure knock.

This is my future right here. This is the golden path that I’m on, and I can’t let Andolin lead me towards a side street. He’s got to be my guide for me down this path. What have I gotten myself into?

[Andolin]

Thinking it was a page, either carrying news from Caesar, or a page to carry his message to the Count, Andolin sat back and shouted, "enter." He fingered the battered envelope expectantly.

[Brogan]

Brogan once again felt a wave of nervousness as Andolin called out "enter!". Fighting off his feelings, Brogan smoothed all the wrinkles out of his clothes real quick before striding into the room with a confident walk.

Be strong, he will see right through you if you make this a facade. You must not fear him, you have to stop being nervous. He'll see the beads of sweat if you continue like this.

Before speaking, Brogan cleared his throat. "Lord Andolin, I'm come here seeking employment in your services. Please accept my humble apologies for missing our last appointment, I had a family emergency which took precedence."

Brogan stood patiently, wondering if the lord would allow him to sit, or if he'd be thrown out his office.

[Andolin]

Andolin tried not to let his disappointment show when Brogan entered. He had been expecting word from Caesar, not a visit from a man he had met at the last Ball. He debated whether to tell the man to come back later. There were schemes to hatch and plots to complete after all. Yet, until word arrived, he had nothing else to do but wait. The fact that he was seeking employment also mollified the Master of Protocol.

"Come in then," he invited, as he waved him to a seat. "I need to be departing soon, but I can spare you a few burns. Now tell me about yourself and why I should hire you. What skills have you to offer?" The more important aspect, loyalty, was something that could not be measured in advance, or else he might attempt to read the man's mind. Instead, he sat back in his chair and let Brogan speak on his own behalf.

[Brogan]

Brogan could tell that Andolin had not been expecting to see him, whether or not it was a bad thing, he could not tell. Instead of pondering on this, he listened intently on the Master of Protocol’s words. I thought I had already told him about myself at the at the ball, no matter.

“Well, Sire, I am from the de Vaux family. My father was one of the higher ranking purple guards at one time, but gave it up for politics. You probably have never heard of him, which shows just how good he was at his new chosen profession. I plan to do way more than my father, I will get respect for my family that we have deserved for years. Yet, I need your help. My skills are lowly at best. What I lack in skills, I can make up for with ambition, I’ll be the hardest worker and the fastest learner you have ever seen. I will pledge my services to you, knowing that when I follow you, I am following the Golden Path.”

Brogan relaxed after his little monologue. He had been surprised at his passion during the speech, and particularly enjoyed the adrenaline flow accompanied with it. His eyes were fixed on Andolin, he knew that his life could make the first big turnaround right here, right now.

“Would you like to hear anything else?”

[Andolin]

Yes, it was coming back to him that he had heard this before. He was still trying to remember the man's first name. It will come to me. It had not been that long ago after all.

"Well Master De Vaux, I always have room in my service for the ambitious; but, I must warn you that trust must be earned and that one must start at the bottom if one must aspire to the top. I need more eyes and ears at court ... and in the city. I would have you appear to be a page in my Office but would have you complete certain ... errands for me. I need to gather certain information as well."

The pay will be good and the reward for loyalty is to rise in my service and that of Caesar as well. Serve me faithfully and you shall serve near the throne. Yet, should you betray me, then another ambitious minion will see to it that your death is inescapable."

"Do you understand? Will you swear loyalty to me?"

[Brogan]

Brogan knelt on the floor and bowed his head, speaking aloud. "Sire, I am your humble servant and I will remain loyal for as long as you wish."

The gold, the gold. He mentioned being well paid, and I have no problem with that. I can see the mountains of banner already. I thank you Pecunia for allowing me this opportunity.

"I would only allow myself to work from the bottom to the top, Sire. How else could I prove myself? From now on, I am your loyal page. Do you require me to run any errands?"

Brogan eyed the envelope that the Master of Protocol had been fingering.[/i]

[Andolin]

"Excellent," Andolin remarked. Yes, he had been thinking about delivering the envelope and Brogan's appearance had been timely. Yet, he needed to adapt his plan to new circumstances.

"Another page brought me this letter addressed to Count Jacob Bessnie," he declared softly. "I have an interest in learning more about the man and the seal was ... damaged." He would let the man draw his own conclusions.

"Yet, now I want the letter to be delivered, but not by a palace page. The Count is not to ever know that this letter was ... misdirected. Understand?" He watched Brogan to see how quickly he followed.

"Now that is a simple enough task. But, a truly shrewd servant would take this opportunity to get to know a servant at de Bessnie's house. Maybe you can get his name and accidently encounter him later at a tavern. I would be interested in learning more about what is transpiring in that house. There is reason to believe there is treason being plotted therein."

If one wanted to create a falsehood, it was best to concoct a believable story for it. Even better, perhaps Brogan might succeed at infiltrating one of Bessnie's servants. If not, at least the forged letter would be delivered. That was the primary project at the moment.

[Brogan]

OOC: I'm sorry if I assumed too much in recieving the letter. If need be, I can rewrite this post. Thanks for letting my character have an opportunity to rise up in the palace, it emans a lot to me.

IC: Brogan was amused at the little plot that he was to take part in. He had just been hired by the Master of Protocol, and the man trusted him with complete confidence. Already, Brogan's mind moved like clockwork as he made plans of his own on how to infiltrate the de Bessnie house.

I must take note of this scheming, he may turn against me one day and use this very trick. If nothing else, maybe it could come in handy for future use of my own.

"The message will be delivered with promptness, and I will see to it that from here on out, you have knowledge on what...treason...is being played out there."

Brogan accepted the letter from the Master of Protocol and gave a bow. I must always act the part now. With that, he headed out the door to the de Bessnie house.

[Andolin]

OOC~ No problem.


IC~ Handing the letter to Brogan. "Excellent. I shall place this little assignment in your capable hands. Remember, no one is to know that the letter was ever misdirected to my office. No one, not even the Purple Guard. Now go. When you have a report for me, I shall see that you are rewarded."

That was simple enough. Now all that mattered was determining whether the man was trustworthy and clever. That would take time.

[Twilight]

The long-awaited response from the Caesar's chambers arrived shortly after Brogan's departure. It was signed by Aesa and indicated that while the Master of Protocol's presence was not required, he was welcome if he chose to visit the Caesar. It also suggested that Anochrim was no better, and perhaps a little worse. Andolin was free for the evening.

With the exception of the Caesar's condition, things were looking rather promising.

((OOC: I didn't realize this needed a reply. ))

THREAD SKILLED