Mouthie Gambit: Unfair Peace or Rightous War [Sam 29th, TT]

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:13 pm

Rosalie still wore her ivory dress of innocence, so full of frothy lace and of course the wide skirt that made her every inch the Mouthie. She left the lacy shawl that had covered her neckline back at the embassy, for she needed every asset that she had. Her hair was gathered up in a mass of chestnut curls, exposing her lovely olive skinned neck and of course giving her extra length for the consul was a petite lady.

Bringing her customary escort of two Condotierre legionnaires she marched straight up to the Citadel proper telling the guard she was here to see ".. the governmental representatives of the Empire of Seven Isles, preferably Lord Andolin Azarin." Let the word spread that the West considered him the main negotiation partner.

[hr][/hr]
"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend."
-- Abraham Lincoln

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."
--John F. Kennedy

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:27 pm

The Imperial Guards were new and they might not have the experience of teh old Purple's, but they were learning fast, and Sergeant Summers drilled them well. Madam Consul was recognized before she got within fifty paces of the gates, one of the guards coming to meet her and nodding in reply. "Of course, milady. Please follow me. You escorts will have to stay outside." He waited to see if she would complain before leading her to the office of the Major Domos. She had mentioned his name and that was all the guard cared for, not asking anything else of the lady.

More properly called the Office of the Chamber, or the Lord Chamberlain's office, the Major Domos operated here, high above the courtyard below and well within the staggering fortress that was, by rights, his home and his responsibility. While the Major Domos had very little power in the affairs of the Empire in general, within the walls of the actual Citadel, his power was absolute, and his position answerable only to the Ceasar himself.

Flanked on either side my numerous smaller apartments, offices, and meeting rooms, the Mojor Domos' office was the heart of the Chamber, the institution charged with running the Citadel's day-to-day operations. He or his representatives administered lodging, managed expenses, commanded defense, and controlled access to the Ceasar and the Ceasar's family, giving him enormous additional power in local government.

The room itself featured smooth, polished floors, covered with a patterned carpet of old, mottled wool. Casements filled the back wall of the office, casements that held countless books, scrolls, and curios of a well-travelled man, as well as gifts sent by foreign dignitaries or powers, possibly to maintain the Major Domos' good graces. The large, oaken table that dominated the room was clearly imported, and its surface was kept nearly clear of all clutter; no ink well, blotter, or curiosity cluttered it's unmarred surface, though a dark stain of spilled ink stained it's otherwise unbroken appearance. Besides the high-backed chair behind the desk, two other chairs were within, each thickly cushioned and placed in discrete corners until they might be needed.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:47 pm

Rosalie did not protest. She knew the routine. With a last look at her escorts who no doubt would be waiting for her when she returned, the consul sailed after the imperial guard.

Her dark eyes caressed the interior of the Citadel proper. Here was the core of power. Rosalie observed the office, pondering what was put here by Azarin, and what was the legacy of the former Major Domus. Such a swift career and with any luck, the throne is in reach, she thought with an inner smile. She could only approve of such ambition, especially since Rose intended to rise with him. It was all a great gamble of course, but then no risk, no gain.

The consul waited for her person to be announced. She wondered briefly if her arrival was unexpected.

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:07 am

The same clerk that was on duty the last time Rosalie was there, raised his eyes at the sound of her footsteps, lowering the quill and rising to bow. â€œGood day, Madam Lo Russo. Please be seated. Iâ€™ll inform Major Domos that you are here.â€ He paused to see if she perhaps had something else in mind, moving only if she did not.

The door to Andolinâ€™s office closed with a soft click behind Albert, and he paused by the door waiting for his presence to be acknowledged before moving to his side. â€œMadam Lo Russo is here to see you. Shall I send her in?â€

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:00 pm

He had come back to his office to gather further intelligence before going out to call on others before the Council meeting. It seemed that Rosalie had ideas of her own. So, hiding the important papers in his desk, he signaled the guard to admit the Mouthie lady.

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:14 pm

The clerk was quick to obey the Major Domos, nodding once and leaving the chamber without a word. "Lord Azarin will see you right away. Please go right in." He waited to see if the lady had any other wishes before resuming his seat, leaving her to enter the Major Domos' Office on her own.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:40 pm

Rosalie sailed into the room with her ivory dress, extending a gloved hand to Andolin. "Milord," she offered politely while the clerk was still in hearing distance, "I hope you are well. I thought today would be an excellent opportunity to continue our talks.. that is if it is at all convenient? I hope I did not interrupt anything important." An innocent sweet smile, but her dark eyes were intent.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:00 pm

Kissing her hand in greeting, he uttered politely, "what could be more important than meeting with you?" Of course there was a war, political turmoil, demons running amok, and other trivial things to attend.

"Please sit down and tell me of your news." He waved her to a chair in front of his desk and joined her in a chair beside it. "Brandy?"

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:39 am

Rosalie smiled, recognizing his flattery for what it was. It was a good thing that Lord Azarin knew the normal forms of etiquette. It made their talks refreshing.

"A Brandy would not come remiss," Rosalie admitted, repressing the urge to ask for champagne. A sudden memory that was no memory pressed itself upon her. All she gave him was a luscious smile.

"I was glad to note that the arrival of the Lycos did not cause the diplomatic incident that it could have," Rosalie started casually. Sure, the activities of the crew were monitored but the consul had not expected less. These were matters of security after all. She sipped her brandy.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:03 pm

Pouring her a glass of brandy, Andolin did the same for himself. "I told you that I would take care of things," he boasted as she mentioned the Lycos.

"Now what do you have to report ... about the tensions between our two nations. You said the Lycos was on a diplomatic mission. As it visited here, am I to assume that your visit to me is the product of this mission?" He sipped his brandy and waited.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:23 am

The petite lady smiled. The Lycos had brought the Inquisitors she had needed to offer captain Ulder support, which hopefully now gave her some leverage. It was also allowing her brother a swift departure so that he could take charge of matters in Pans Isle as well as sending the letter to her father to ask permission for her marriage. "Yes, it was very helpful to my own diplomatic mission," she allowed, sipping carefully.

Of course what it hadn't done was bring her orders from the Merchant Council. However Rose knew she had a Cart Blanche to act in the best interest of the Mouth. The information she had learned through other means was that there was a very real chance the exploration campaign would be stolen by the King for a full scale war against the Empire, losing any advantage the Mouth had gained as well as making her own position here quite precarious. Was that what the Aether had warned her about? Rosalie decided not to ponder upon that for too long.

"I trust that captain Ulder found the assistance of the Inquisitors helpful," Rosalie smiled, reminding Andolin of the fact he was not the only one who was doing the favors. She was carefully nurturing an atmosphere of cooperation and goodwill.

"Lord Azarin... I have come here on a very serious mission," Rosalie stated, her eyes dark and unfathomable "we both know that our nations are already engaged in a military skirmish at Pan's Isle so I will cut to the chase. I am here to resolve that issue and negotiate a settlement that is of benefit to both of our nations." and to us personally. The consul held her glass of Brandy, contemplating its amber color as she waited for this announcement to register and the inevitable questions to come, such as why she was here and not the Ambassador. She had very deliberately chosen to come to the Major Domus, not the Lord Chancellor and she wondered if he had guessed the reason.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:15 am

"Former Captain Ulder has yet to report to me," Andolin replied politely. He better not lose that sword.

He was here to listen, rather than speak, so as she broached the topic of a settlement, he urged her on. "Pray continue." The questions in his mind would accumulate as she spoke. It would be then when he would test her sincerity.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:17 pm

His remark about Ulder amused her. Perhaps it was truth. However the outcome of the expedition was not what mattered. What mattered was that in a very low key way the Mouth and the Citadel had cooperated. Rosalie let the point go. Their understanding was enough so one didn't have to repeat the obvious. That was such bad manners.

Neither side wanted to be the first to be vulnerable. They were playing a game of chess, or perhaps it was poker. Yes, definitely the last, Rose decided remembering how the lovely evening with Crane had been with the intense faces of those that had their own money riding on the outcome. Keep your cards to your chest, she reminded herself, trying to muster that Lo Russo shrewdness that had allowed her father to raise the family to a councilor seat in only one generation, a shrewdness that came with experience she lacked, having only the instincts. For all you know he's been feeding you suggestions through the Aether, taking on different guises, so that you trust him now. No, she would not ever trust him. However, that did not mean she would play him false. With a smile Rosalie took another sip of her brandy.

The consul pretended to be hesitant, raising one elegant eyebrow "May I be frank, Andolin?" She waited for his nod before continuing, offering him the answers to questions that he did not ask "I am not Ambassador Marvik. You are not the Lord Chancellor Hector Anzillo, who is nominally in charge of foreign policy." Thank Dominicus. Rosalie had no great liking for the Lord Chancellor, who unsettled her "nor are you the Caesar, yet, who controls the military."

"By rights, neither of us should be discussing this. Yet I am here, because you know that as consul I am as good as my word, no matter malicious rumors that the Lord Chancellor might be willing to entertain. I am not only willing to discuss a settlement, you know I can back it up. " The Lycos is but one airship and there are more where those come from. You now have a good measure of our military might. I wonder what you'll do with that.

"Plus.." the Mouthie lady smiled "I believe that bringing this matter to the attention of the right authorities, might give you some measure of leverage. Perhaps impress the right people that you are wise enough for the throne." Rosalie counted on the Major Domus to be if not wise, then certainly cunning enough to know the real powers in the Citadel, that equivalent of the Magisters that Rose knew would be there behind the throne, and cater to them, till he gets rid of them. It was the eternal game the merchants of the Mouth played all the time on the council. Was the Empire really that different? "In other words, I believe that if we can build on our level of trust, our atmosphere of cooperation, we might create a win-win situation for true negotiations. I do prefer to be a winner, don't you?"

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:53 pm

There came a slight rumble rolling from the hall, almost as if a thunder had struck somewhere far away, even though the sky was as clear as it got, with only a few small clouds obscuring the blue expanse overhead. It came not from the outside, but from somewhere within the Palace itself.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:39 am

With a wave oof the hand, he encouraged her to be frank. Yet I am here, because you know that as consul I am as good as my word. Do I? He felt he knew her from the aether, but, as to whether he could trust her, that was a different story. "Go on," he encouraged her.

"Just what sort of settlement do you have in mind?" he asked lightly. "The Empire has every right to demand a complete withdrawal and compensation. To settle for something less than that would require some other benefit coming to the Empire," he observed. Clearly, she had already thought of that, so he was interested to hear what ideas she had.

The explosion in the palace caused his attention to be diverted. It was not natural, so he took to his feet and went to the door, looking for a guard. "Determine what happened and report to me," he instructed one of his guards. He certainly did not need more magic running amok in his Citadel.

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:33 pm

The soldier nodded once and ran off without a word.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 12:18 am

Rosalie was about to answer him with some of her speculation on what would make an interesting deal for both sides. However, at that moment there was a loud explosion that reverberated through the building. Rose, having just been through a similar experience just days ago thought she knew the cause. Exploding portals again. This Aether thing was getting out of control. The wards of Father Bitalli were getting more interesting by the day.

"For your sake," Rosalie said, a little bit shaken though trying to deny her pale skin "I hope that you are not dealing with a rogue connection to the Aether. I've heard tell daemons and gods may interfere with it." She would say no more for fear of exposing a weakness of Terra West, even though by now it was likely they already knew of it and had likely caused it. Again her thought surfaced that Andolin might be one of the manipulators of that Aether and she suppressed her fluttering heart.
"Has magick been terribly unruly these days?" she inquired lightheartedly, suddenly struck by the notion they may have been suffering from the same thing.

Her dark eyes caught Andolin's blue eyes and she had to catch herself or be lost in their depth. "I believe the Mouth and the Citadel can work something out to their mutual benefit. Wouldn't that be preferable to a prolonged war? Some give and take... for instance if the Mouth were to retain access to their small colony, but would submit to Citadel authority and paying their taxes, trading with the guilds.. surely that would be more profitable than both sides draining each others military resources that are better served seeking out these damnable creatures of the Nether."

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:53 am

Doing his best to remain unflappable, Andolin pretended to be aware of everything Rosalie mentioned. "Worse," he replied, "we have a rogue connection to the nether here. That is why the daemons were able to enter. We believe we have sealed it off and now are but destroying the last of the creatures that slipped through," he added calmly. It was the mission that Ulder undertook. She knew this, for she had offered help from inquisitors.

"The University of Magic has not reported anything especially unusual," he ventured, pretending that he had no magic ability of his own. "They are too busy perfecting fire spells capable of causing flying ships to burst into flames," he added to tease her. "Some prefer wind spells," he added for good measure.

"I would agree that avoiding war would be a good thing," he admitted while returning the stare iinto her own eyes. "If the colony was subject to Imperial authority, perhaps something could be done," he offered invitingly.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:34 pm

So that is what caused it. Interesting. Father Bitalli would want to hear of this of course. Having met the daemons up close it had been difficult to hide them from Rosalie, but she hadn't know how they landed in the Citadel. Rogue connections everywhere. I wonder what is the underlying cause to all these little holes pricked into the fabric of reality.

Andolin's playful taunt made Rosalie laugh out loud, a deep throaty sound that sounded in her ears like crows screeching, but yet had a pleasant tinge to it. "My dear Major Domus, as far as airships go there is safety in numbers. If we can bring a ship in the air against the natural order of things, imagine what else we can do." She chuckled again, adding "I had no idea that our recent trade and diplomatic missions send your academic community in such a frenzy. It is good to occupy them though," she winked, "Do not let those minds go idle."

The consul nearly melted under those blue eyes, feeling a pleasant flutter in her stomach. All because of the tension of the negotiation she told herself, shifting slightly in her chair. "I think that might be negotiable," Rosalie agreed "So, how shall we take the next step. I think it is vital both sides gain a certain trust in each others intentions. It shall be essential before any final details are laid down. What assurances shall your side need? What assurances can they offer?"

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:15 am

Yes, he would like to know what else the Mouthies could do. That would have to wait.

The hardest question was the one she posed. The next steps would be difficult to suggest. The power of the Empire was diffused. Andolin was but one voice of many. He could not bind the Empire to much beyond the Citadel itself.

"Perhaps if there was a letter from the colonists asking for Imperial protection, in return for certain taxes and special trade relations with the Mouth, that would allow someone on the Council to argue that there might not be an invasion at all ... rather, instead, a sudden population growth on Pan's Isle. What is it that you seek beyond that? If there is peace and a lack of tariffs with the Mouth, in return for taxes that make up for lost tarriffs and purchase peace and protection, I would think that to be quite attractive."

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:14 am

Rosalie did not answer immediately, pursing her lips and tilting her head slightly. Then she nodded. Yes, she could obtain that, she thought. She would at least try her damn hardest. "It is something I can discuss. I am sure we will hear more of this," Rosalie nodded.

She nipped from her glass, briefly considering what else she had to discuss. There were many more personal things, but this was a business meeting. Rosalie got up from her chair with an elegant movement, knowing that when standing she'd had to look up at him. "Thank you for your time, Andolin," she said huskily "May it be the beginning of much more Citadel-Mouthie cooperation, such as the glorious victory won this night." She smiled. She knew he knew, even if he would deny it.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:11 am

He watched her stand, with a careful eye. Part of him wanted to proposition her, or to touch her in a familiar way; but, he did not. No, he would keep it to business for now. She claimed she was getting married. That could make her less desirous of an affair ... or more.

Her last words made him cease his lewd thoughts. "Glorious victory? What do you mean?" Sadly, no one had thought to tell him of this victory.

Rosalie Marcada · Post by **Rosalie Marcada** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:47 am

She wondered if he was playing with her or if he was sincere. The playful smile was still on her lips as she admonished "Come now, Lord Andolin, we both know that Ulder returned victoriously, though with less men & women than he hoped. He has lost about half of his troops and my Inquisitors likewise offered their lives mostly. Still.. it is a great victory for having slain the beast. I for one will rest more assured that the beast is not around when I carouse town."

The consul deliberately looked causal about this. She wanted the Major Domus to think she was casual about magick as he seemed to be.

Post by **Grey Wolf** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:27 pm

It was then that the knock came from the door and the soldier Andolin sent to investigate peeked in. â€œSir, there is a dead man in Master Ginnekeâ€™s office. He seems to have been killed in that blast you sent me to investigate, but there is no trace of the Imperial Thaumaturgist himself. What are your orders?â€ The manâ€™s face was pale and he looked ill, the words tumbling out of him in a fast cascade. It was only after he had spoken that his eyes went to Madam Consul and he realized that he might have interrupted them.

Andolin · Post by **Andolin** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:42 am

"Oh that," Andolin responded to Rosalie. "I have yet to get the full report." That was a true statement. He fully expected Ulder to return his sword and report of his success. "I assume they freed Elaine?" he asked casually. The blind poet was still of use to him, though he expected her mind to be warped as a result of the encounter. Major demons were not gentle with their subjects.

The news brought by the guards was disturbing. Turning to his Mouthie guest, Andolin stated, "sounds like a matter of state has just arisen. I hope you will excuse me."