RP:An Audience with the Queen

From HollowWiki

Part of the Surface Tension Arc



Synopsis: Rhosorien and Skylei put forth their plans for trial by combat to the Queen and Steward in order to reinstate the peace between the Sylvan's and Frost Giants. The reparations are provisionally accepted. (Note: Technically unfinished but all the important stuff is there)


Frostmaw Fort

Skylei’s waiting at the north gate of Frostmaw’s Fort for Rhosorien. Over the last few days she had been in contact with Hildegarde in order to arrange this meeting as well as making regular journeys out towards where the elves live to speak with various members of the Frostmaw Sylvan community in order to ascertain exactly who and how many elves were responsible for the atrocious behaviour of late. Whilst Rhosorien is not yet late for their meeting indeed, far from it, Skylei is already growing impatient. Every few seconds she would pause to pull her coat a little tighter around her, raise her eyes to the sky and tap her snow booted feet impatiently. Once he arrives, they’ll travel into the fort together.


Rhosorien has been in Frostmaw for but a couple of hours, and has only taken the time to eat and briefly rest before venturing out to find the half-blood ranger. His inquiries around the Sylvan quarter lead him quickly to the Fortress, and here he finds Skylei, and greets her with a curt bow. The treeborne carries a certain weariness about him, still fresh from journeying up the mountainside, and the winter-wolf furs he cloaks himself in to ward of the cold seem to sit more heavily upon his shoulders than usual. "Well met, Flame Daughter," Rhosorien greets in a dour tone, "the snows fall heavily on us this day. To think I would live to have need of such a request."


As Rhosorien and Skylei meander around outside the looming Frostmaw, the Steward of Frostmaw has been busy tending to the families of those labelled 'drow sympathisers' and those whose property had been vandalised. Her time, however, was pressed. An important meeting had to be attended and she would hate to be late! So, the knight quick-steps past them, "Come along," she tells them, "if you're ready," and enters the fort along with an armoured giant. Jorah, the giant, would wait behind to hold the door open for the elves. Once inside and before the icy throne, the knight would be found standing readily before it for this audience.


Frostmaw's throne stands empty, its expected occupant absent. The Queensguard warriors at their daily stations around the room seem unperturbed by this, with stoic gazes fixed on the middle distance as they retain their silent vigils. Only once emissaries and knight are present does any change seem to take the room, a deepening chill claiming the air before, in a flurry of snow and flash of azure light, Satoshi appears standing at the entryway. It's a dramatic way to enter a room but none can ever claim the magus was humble or meek in her methods. With a jaunty salute, the little foxkin greets those gathered--elves, steward, and knights alike. Nine vulpine tails writhe behind her, framing a small, delicate-looking form. Silver whiskers quiver as Satoshi flashes a grin of fangs at the Sylvan emissaries. "You've no idea how delighted I am to hear that all the Sylvan folk do not carry the same negative opinions~," she trills, voice a sing-song blend of melody and amusement, lightly getting straight to the heart of the matter. As much as the petite mage has a love for theatrics, she likewise is not one for mincing words. But Skylei and Rhosorien may be expecting as much, for none in Frostmaw play the politics game of pretty words and veiled insinuations. They are a straightforward folk who prefer settling matters over mead and mutual punch exchanges.


Skylei greets Rhosorien with a weariness to match his teemed with obvious nervousness, “Well met. Let us go and face what it is that waits for us. The sooner we begin, the sooner it will be over”. She says little more to the elf as they make their way into the fort and are duly directed into the throne room by Josiah, although the throne remains empty. On several occasions as they had entered the fort, she had turned to look at him as though she was about to speak, likely to warn him not to speak out of turn. Still, she keeps her mouth shut and, feigning some form of confidence, though in reality she merely wants to turn and flee Frostmaw and its problems entirely, Skylei would walk so that she was standing before the throne. Hildegarde is greeted with an unnaturally formal, “Steward.” Skylei addresses naught more to the dragon and merely contents herself by shuffling her feet and pulling at the collar of her coat. Is it suddenly hot in here? (Of course it’s not hot. They’re in Frostmaw). That feeling of warmth, faux as it may be, quickly dissipates with Satoshi’s entrance, leaving the room chilly and stilling Skylei’s fidgeting. Now presented with a view of the Queen, Skylei has a silent internal panic. What does she do? Is she meant to bow? Or, gods forbid, curtsey? How do you behave in front of Frostmaw royalty? She chooses instead to copy the simple bluntness of Satoshi, “Lady Satoshi, you will find that very few of the elves share those opinions. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, it is the minority sully the good name of the many. We too share your aggravation at the recent behaviour of a small few of our kin.”


Rhosorien does not share Skylei's panic - he is quiet and formal, his back straight with his arms clasped together beneath his shoulder blades. Eyes of forest-green stare straight ahead, unblinking, the Steward given a pleasant bow and a swift smile as the half-blood by his side addresses her. The ranger's eyes close and his face tenses as Satoshi's appearance subjects him to a brief gust of icy wind, but his composure is maintained, and he gives the mage a bow befitting of her station; low, and with one knee bent. Rhosorien rises with Skylei's address, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his back straight and shoulders stiff. Internally, though no hint of it crosses his tempered visage, the treeborne elf winces at Skylei's abrupt address of the Queen, and his gaze flickers briefly away from the throne to examine, in a split-second, one of the burly Queensguard stood closest to him, and he feels his stomach tighten into a small knot. Forest-green orbs then align again upon Satoshi, and he speaks briefly in the aftermath of Skylei's address, intending to clarify their position, "our community wishes to offer reparations."


While the other members of the Queensguard mill around the throne room, Hilde is rather pleased with her position before the Queen's throne, where she can easily hear - and take part if required - the discussion at hand. Upon being addressed by Skylei, she offered a polite dip of her head and little else. Time to listen, after all. Like any Frostmawian, Hilde is straight-to-the-point sort of blunt in her question, "You may share our view in regards to this aggravation and you state you are here to make reparations, but what is it you intend to do in order to make said reparations? I think this is what we are waiting to hear," she said. It was true, the knight had grown in confidence, when before she would have remained silent and waited solely for Satoshi to speak, or worse, she would only speak when asked a direct question.


As if reading thoughts (or more accurately, body language), Satoshi waves off Skylei and Rhosorien's attempts at formality with a lilting laugh. "There's no bowing, scraping, or othersuch boot-licking here, no worries~." There's even a wrinkling of the kit's nose as if she dislikes the very idea--which is truth, she's a queen known more for her love of having drinking contests in the tavern rather than carrying a penchant for political snobbery or precise etiquette. "I assure you, we're not like the Rynvale nobles, where they're born with unbending sticks up their tails. Speak freely, please~. Although," here the magus holds up a finger to forestall responses. She levels her gaze on the pair of elven ambassadors then, the amber flecks of her eyes blazing with a predatory light as she regards them, unmoving and unblinking. The look is keen and calculating, as if she's analyzing their every detail while the silence thickens...It's only once the throne room's metal doors thud home does she nod firmly to herself, flash another grin, and continue. "I hope you know that I did not deliver that proclamation out of any malice or hatred." She pauses, briefly, with a rueful smirk and a comical wiggle of vulpine ears. "...Well, maybe a little malice~. I was rightfully peeved. -But-, mostly, it was to avoid bloodshed. If you've spent so much as five minutes in Frostmaw, you know how touchy a Frost Giant can be about their honor. Guest rights are something held in very high regard here, it reflects upon one's name, family, and honor that they provide their guests all that is due. Typically, Frostmawian law dictates that a host is permitted to seek trial by combat, should a guest disrespect their hospitality." Satoshi spreads her hands then in the disarming gesture of one backed into a corner. "I was not in a pleasant position then. I either issue a notice of banishment for those that acted so poorly, or I step aside so that my people could smear Elfkin upon the tavern walls, as is their right by Northern Law. The latter is hardly good for moral among the Sylvan folk, when they've only just begun to recover their spirits and hopes. Mind you, the former likely only served to insight the naysayers, but at least they still have their heads to keep mouthing off with, I suppose."


Satoshi’s cavalier attitude towards queenship visibly surprises Skylei She knows all too well that the people of Frostmaw do not behave like her own people. The formalities are lessened, the laws tribal and the attitudes, in her own opinion, somewhat uncivilised. But she had not quite expected this attitude to extend to the queen. That naivety as she realises her mistake is painted across her face in a quick flash and then dissolves behind the serene mask of elven calm she wears. “We do not desire any unresolved animosity to exist within Frostmaw. As I’m sure you agree, that neither benefits the Sylvans nor the Frost Giants.” As she speaks, Skylei offers various expressive hand gestures to express the two sides in the recent animosity. “Thus the reparations that we propose are in order to restore the damage done to the honour of your people and to reassure yourself and the giants that the Sylvan people are capable of governing themselves in line with Northern Law, thus preventing any further incidences of this sort. I hope you’d agree that this is what we all desire as the outcome from this unpleasantness, aye?”


"Those who disrespect our hosts disrespect our whole," bidden to speak freely, Rhosorien now feels no qualm in being direct. Or at least, as direct as his penchant for excessive clarification would enable. However he keeps his formal posture - arms behind his back, looking straight ahead. "We with clearer minds feel that your insult is also ours. The Northern Law is our own for as long as we are granted housing here, and we would see it fulfilled. The Sylvans who dissent against the actions of the Steward are few, and riled by the incessant rambling of one detestable extremist. It is my intention to reveal him, and cut him down. His life for our honour. Today we seek your approval of this action, lest accusations of murder follow the delivery of this justice."

While internally amused by the atmosphere and how the two Sylvan ambassadors have finally overcame their initial determination to be prim and proper, Hildegarde's face remains unreadable. Her eye constantly focuses upon the two elves, her hand keeps a relaxed but ready grip upon the shaft of her halberd. She has nothing to say unless a question or statement is directed her way, Satoshi is leading this one and she's quite happy with that.

A glance and lopsided smile is sent Hildegarde's way as Satoshi comments in an aside fashion, "I like these two. Straight to the point, and yet still perfectly diplomatic." As Satoshi looks back at the pair of elves, her delight is obvious in the form of her tails coiling and uncoiling incessantly around one another. In truth, she had expected to be met with a pair of stuffy, overly nitpicky ambassadors. Part of the reason Satoshi had adopted her cavalier attitude was to provide a direct contrast to what are the usual Elven diplomats she encounters, but she cannot help being thrilled that Rhosorien and Skylei have proven to be adaptable, amiable, and forward. It is a blessed relief in the face of roundabout, pompous negotiations, and so her mirth is palpable. A laugh is clear as bells in her voice when the magus responds, "You propose a Trial by Combat, then~? You'll find no objections from myself, or any in Frostmaw. Such bouts are the norm, whether it's the city trying an accused, or two individuals solving a grievance. It would be in perfect accordance to our ways here. Any worries about accusations of murder can be put to rest, if you hold this confrontation in the arena before witnesses." Frostmaw's Trials by Combat are always performed thus before a crowd, both to feed that barbaric bloodlust of the North, as well as ruthlessly display what awaits criminals.


Skylei would flush lightly and avert her eyes from the vulpine queen at what she thinks is a compliment. In all normal circumstances being ‘liked’ is a good thing but, to Skylei, in Frostmaw what’s up is down and good is bad and she’s truly unsure of anything. She’d try to catch Hildegarde’s eye to ascertain if her thought that this was a positive was correct. Still, as soon as she had glanced the knight’s way, she finds herself having to speak again. “Aye, trial by combat seemed the most fitting. If the elves are to live in Frostmaw by Northern Law then they are to live by all facets of that law, including those which might seem strange and foreign to them. We hope that, by adhering to your customs, the Frost Giants will be assured of the Sylvan’s willingness to live by their laws and ways and thus they will maintain their hospitality towards the bulk of our people.” Skylei pauses here and her face briefly lapses to a slight frown, “But none know the land like you. Do you see it likely that this would be the case? Obviously nothing is certain but one can always hope and plan.”


Rhosorien feels all that need be said has been said. The Queen is the recipient of another low bow (whether she wants it or not) as quiet acknowledgement of her endorsements of their intentions, then he settles into a formal silence, remaining curt and posed at Skylei's side. He is itching to begin the work that must be done, and hopes Skylei will quickly bring their audience to a finish.


"If you didn't like them, I doubt they would still be standing here, m'lady," the Steward replied with an almost wry smile. She didn't mean it in a violent manner, more of a they would probably have been dismissed or this would have been wrapped up far more quickly. But the dragon falls silent again, narrowing her eye more than once at a few choice words. "You speak as if there is but one agitator... If this were the case, do you not think that Frostmawian guards - or even myself - would have found said agitator?" she asked of the room in general. However, the knight offers a shrug of her shoulder, "You will pardon my words. I merely voice an opinion. As you can see, here in Frostmaw, we speak bluntly."


A shrug follows Hildegarde's question, the gesture as noncommittal as her tone, "However much a pot boils, there is always a hand that stirred it initially." Is she suggesting she has information on the culprit? Or spouting random comments in an attempt to appear sagely? Neutral as Satoshi's expression is, it is impossible to tell either or, which is precisely as she likes it. Another grin is given then toward the elves, the hint of feral amusement flickering on the edges. "Your proposal suits myself and Frostmaw well, it follows in accordance with Northern Laws. I doubt it will change any views among the malcontents, naturally, but it should serve to ease tensions between the rest of the Sylvan folk and the Frost Giants. Those in disagreement will see plainly that the North's laws do not bend for any soul, so they will once more be welcomed to leave the northlands, or face its fangs. Whining never halted a blizzard, after all~." A few chortles come from one of the queensguards nearby, although with faces kept impassive within helms, it is tricky to determine who laughed. Satoshi's vulpine ears twitch merrily in response.


Skylei internally cringes as Hildegarde seems to suggest that they are not taking the problem as seriously as they should. She is surprised however to hear the neutral tones from Satoshi, having expected the Queen to instantly back her city’s Steward in this matter, “Lady Satoshi speaks true, Hildegarde. We have no reason to believe that the initial aggravation came from a group, and these things always have a leader and thus it is they who will face the trial. If that does not control the problem, be assured we will deal with those culpable in a similar manner, with your assistance should we need it, I hope. The problem -will- be dealt with.” Hoping that the answer she had given has satisfied both Queen and Steward and if there were no more questions, Skylei too would be keen to depart. Rhosorien is right. There is a great deal of work that must be seen to. However she stays and waits for dismissal from either Queen or Steward.