RP:Muzo Must Go
Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc
Summary: Having learned from Pilar of Muzo’s vivisection on a live witch (Rachelle), Queen Hildegarde storms to Larket to confront King Macon and Queen Josleen on the mistreatment of witches in Larket, in particular this latest horror committed by Muzo. While Macon and Josleen agree that Muzo must be captured and brought to heel, they take issue with the accusation that Larketian leadership has been overly harsh on witches. Hildegarde declares her intent to help witches ‘escape’ Larket, a tone the Larketian Royals take issues with. Eventually they come to an accord. Hildegarde pledges to help Larket track down and punish Muzo for his heinous crime.
Queen’s Parlor
Hildegarde had mounted the dire reindeer in Frostmaw and made sure that her orders had been issued, that preparations were being made just in case things happened to go sour. Lisbeth wouldn’t brook any argument on the matter, so rather than taking only Lisbeth and two other guards, the Silver had brought along the entire Queensguard. Here they were, marching into Larket in full regalia but without any standards: they weren’t marching off to a war or anything, but they were here to say they weren’t messing around and something had very clearly upset them. Hildegarde did not dismount from the reindeer as she addressed a local soldier who was preparing to bravely challenge her entry into the city, “I wish to speak to the King and Queen.” She would speak to no other.
Macon gets word that Hildegarde is in Larket and looking for an audience with him and Josleen when that guard stopping the Frostmawian Queen and Queensguard sends word of such to Fort Freedom. The Larketian gatekeeper suggests they wait in the city for a response from the crown, and leads the unhappy visitors from the mountaintop across the restored bridge over The Vibrance that the previous conflict between these two kingdoms in question saw destroyed. They won’t have to wait long before an invitation to Fort Freedom is brought back while Macon goes to find his wife and has preparations for the foreign Queen’s arrival made.
Josleen || Macon would find Josleen, Guillem, and Gigi in the Queen’s parlor, sitting on the floor on a velvety sky blue throw blanket making silly faces at each other. Gigi only has one. He lifts his lips and scrunches his nose. It gets Guillem every time. Josleen also has a monkey face that Guillem demands every 3 seconds by shouting “Mungee!” Macon has a gift for making his mood felt the moment he enters a room. Josleen looks up at her husband questioningly, and he quickly fills her in. “We should host her here. Less formal. She is my friend, after all.” She doesn’t bother standing just yet, for depriving Guillem on ‘mungee’ prematurely is a surefire way to provoke one of his epic tantrums. “You want to see Daddy do Mungee?” Of course he does. Your move, Macon. Tantrum or mungee. The Frostmawians arrive and the mood sobers up quickly. “Hilde,” Josleen says warmly as she rises from the floor. “I’m glad to see you.” And it’s true, judging by the embrace with which Josleen greets her friend Hildegarde (and a nod to Lisbeth if she came in too). “I can guess what this is about. Come. May I offer you something to drink?” She invites Hildegarde (and Lisbeth?) to sit in the loveseat across from her chaise. “I assure you,” she says as she picks up her son and sets him on her hip, “we share in your anger, perhaps more so. To think this happened right under our very noses! The insult!” She sits on the chaise and places Guillem on her knee, facing Hildegarde. His gray eyes peer intently at the Dragon Queen, their color the same shade as Macon’s, their expression just as hostile to her intrusion (she ruined family play time, how dare she). “We had no idea, isn’t that right, love?” Josleen looks to Macon to gauge his reaction under the guise of soliciting his validation. He is less tolerant of a foreign monarch’s opinions than she, and the peace between Frostmaw and Larket remains fragile.
Hildegarde had expected to be hosted in Fort Freedom’s main hall and tolerate a rather heated political discussion, but instead she is now in what feels like a cramped tea room. It’s not really cramped, it only feels that way because Lisbeth is the only giant who can squeeze into the room and they two are both bedecked in armour. They’re ready for a fight, if needs be, they are thick and heavy with their armour and their weapons. As Josleen approaches and embraces Hildegarde, the Silver only briefly touches Josleen’s back to return the gesture. She cannot be too sweet to Josleen, not right now. She must be strong and level her words to the both of them, rather than just Macon. This kingdom and the deeds committed here are their mutual responsibility and, perhaps, one day the responsibility of their young son. “Water is fine, thank you,” no need to turn down refreshment after a long ride. Hildegarde doesn’t really want to sit down but she does it anyway. Lisbeth, however, does not. When Josleen looks to Macon, Hildegarde also does. Her stare is likely a bit more obvious in its scrutiny of him as she awaits his response. “I have had a report regarding the incident. I find it unacceptable. What has been done to the witches is inhumane, a gross mistreatment of your people. I made a vow,” she looks to Josleen, evidently referring to the vow she made as a knight to protect the realm as a whole, “and I intend to keep it. Justice must be brought to whomsoever is responsible.”
Macon isn’t in his armor, only because he didn’t think he had the time to get into it before Hildegarde and crew arrived. Normally he wouldn’t think twice about making someone, even the Frostmawian Queen, wait, but he knew Josleen would receive her and he wanted to be present for 100% of this little chat. The King of Larket performs ‘Mungee’ as requested, but doesn’t do the ears part. Deal with it, Guy. Tantrum averted, narrowly. When the guests do arrive, Macon remains standing until Hildegarde sits, at which point, so does he, in a seat beside his family. When the women look to him for his response, they will find the same stoney expression he normally has during talks such as these. He nods subtly in the affirmative to Josleen’s question and then looks to the dragon queen as she speaks. ‘Gross mistreatment of your people’ elicits the slightest tilt of the head and a tiny spike of Rage Aura from the Rage Knight, but nothing more. As far as he knows Rachelle is a foreigner anyway. Plus, you are going to have a hard time getting him to admit he’s mistreating anyone while he believes that the ‘victims’ in question are responsible for the rapid aging curse he is painfully watching his only son endure. “This is a Larketian matter, and it will be Larket tha’ bring justice t’the one responsible. If Frostmaw ‘as come t’offer assistance in the manhunt, then we accept.” His tone is cold and calculated throughout. He can remember the last time Frostmaw wanted to decide how a Larketian criminal was dealt with very clearly, and he is not interested in something like that happening this time around. The difference here is that Muzo is not in custody. Probably.
Josleen stays committed to her campaign of deescalation by never becoming tense and behaving as if they invited Hildegarde here to discuss a delicate political matter as allies and even friends. Water! Tea! Smiles! Guillem looks between Hildegarde and his father, his expression worried. He isn’t sure if he should cry. He’s too young to figure out what upsets him about this exchange, and he doesn’t have enough command of all these big words to know what the grown-ups are talking about, but what he’s blindly picking up on is the fact that he’s never seen anyone speak to his father with this tone before. Anything out of ordinary may be a threat, and therefore a good reason to cry. Josleen feels her son’s mood turn and gently rubs his back. Mother and son clench their jaws as the father sends out a spike of rage. Guillem begins to fuss and Josleen stands and paces behind Macon’s seat as she rocks and bounces Guillem against her chest. She’s listening, but lets the King do the talking. Gigi follows Josleen’s pacing closely.
Hildegarde ’s nostril twitches momentarily at Macon’s response, eliciting a very dragon like huff from her. Dragon huffs, grunts and low noises are something Josleen is practically fluent in by now! The Silver is not impressed with the reply. “My report mentions that this… lab… was held under the botanic gardens. That your royal gardener,” she waved her hand, evidently not caring on whether or not this title was incorrect, “was present and witnessed the events. Where is he? Callum, is it?” It’s one of those ‘is it’ questions that means she already knows it is. “What on earth was Muzo doing to the witches? How did this happen under your nose?” she asked, clearly having a hard time believing it really was under Macon’s nose. She had, after all, only heard Josleen deny involvement. Not Macon. “The witches in that camp are your people. You have told me they live their voluntarily, in a bid to feel safe. I do not imagine they shall feel safe now, knowing that someone was conducting grotesque experiments under the nose of the King. Take offense to my actions, but I will not stand to see people suffer. There is no justice in the world but what we make. I intend to make justice, Your Grace.” Hildegarde was risking much and more right now. “The Eyrie is, at present, offering to move people from the camp if they so wish. After all, they are there voluntarily, as you said.”
Macon turns his head to watch Josleen stand with the baby and pace to calm the little prince. He reminds himself to at least attempt to keep the rage infection under control for their sake. Hildegarde’s huff and response regains his attention and he shakes his head after raising a brow at her first statement. “The lab is ‘ere in the fort. Beneath our gardens. Muzo was working for us t’solve the half-elf infertility curse…” He pauses so that Guillem’s very existence can be admired for the miracle or triumph of science that it is. “...and t’treat the lingering effects of the Rage Stone on myself. He was allowed t’use the laboratory for whatever other projects he saw fit, but clearly lost ‘is way during his pursuits of knowledge. He ‘as a brilliant mind and we owe ‘im much, but ‘is actions will not be tolerated. He will be captured and made to answer for ‘is crimes.” He frowns at the idea of Hildegarde and the Eyrie moving Larketians, even witch Larketians, out of his kingdom. “I understand the woman he ‘ad captive was not from the camp… or Larketian at all. Anyone there should still feel safe. They are -still- there voluntarily. These were the actions of a rogue alchemist that have brought you here today, not of The Crown. Suggesting that those at the camp evacuate.” He shakes his head, “Will seem like an accusation of the contrary tha’ I canno’ allow.”
Josleen tenses as Hildegarde once again floats that idea to ‘rescue’ witches from the camp. Macon speaks the argument on her mind: their original purpose for hiring Muzo was pure. To hear Macon retell it, even briefly and matter-of-factly, Josleen grows a little sentimental and peppers Guillem’s head with tiny kisses. To think that if it weren’t for Muzo he wouldn’t be here… she shudders. “We trusted him too much,” she says in a wounded tone. “I had no idea he was capable of this.” A white lie. She had no idea that Muzo -was- doing this, but it certainly isn’t surprising to learn about it after the fact. His pathological devotion to science and willingness to experiment with the ethically questionable is exactly why Muzo was the only one suited to wrestle with the Royal Couple’s most intimate struggles. Are they responsible for empowering a madman? Maybe. But they owe him so much. Who is that witch (Rachelle) anyway? “Hilde, please, let us find Muzo and bring him to justice, and perhaps pay reparations to the witch he mistreated, if she’s willing to come forward. But, you said Callum was aware of Muzo’s misdeeds? I find that hard to believe. Or am I misunderstanding?”
Hildegarde did not view as an accusation. “It is not an accusation if you are seen to support the gesture, reminding your people and the witches in the camp that they are free to go. I am merely offering those who wish to go the opportunity to do so,” she reminded them, very clearly highlighting that she wasn’t bundling them onto a dragon and flying them off in the dead of night to sneak them away. The fact that she now knows Muzo had a hand in the conception of the prince makes it difficult for her to look at the child. Gods above only know what Muzo did to accomplish such a thing. But the mere thought is hurtful. How can she wish that Josleen hadn’t known motherhood? She couldn’t wish it at all. “I do not intend to start a war. But I do not intend to let people live in fear either,” she said it a bit more softly, looking to Josleen towards the end of her sentence. Josleen should surely know her intentions are pure. “I will help you find Muzo, make no mistake of that. I will pledge my honour into finding him, that is certain. But I will offer aid to those who wish to leave. I mean not to spirit them to Frostmaw, but to wherever it is they wish to go. Only those who wish to go,” she emphasised, hoping that this would not cause another war but seemed to accept it if it led to that consequence. “I do not know the full extent of Callum’s involvement in this diabolical fiasco. Only that he was named as a witness. A witness would be invaluable in helping us find Muzo, no?”
Macon looks to Josleen in part to gage her reaction to Hildegarde’s insistence that she offer help to those who wish to leave, and to ask her, “‘Ave you seen Callum recently then?” Finding out where the botanist is should be trivial, so long as he hasn’t flown the coop for some reason, which the royals probably would have heard about anyway. The Dragon Queen’s wording this time around of her intentions sound more amicable to the Larketian King. He doesn’t believe that there are many in the camp who wish to leave. It is, and always has been, a truth that the inhabitants of the camp are there voluntarily. It happens to be because they have no better options, but any who would choose to leave are very free to do so. Those that could find something better already have and are gone. An offer only of aid to leave, Macon feels, will not coax a large majority of the camp to up and leave their home city. “You may make your offer of assistance known and those that wish to leave will take it. ‘Owever, campaigning t’my people tha’ we ‘ad anythin’ t’do with Muzo’s crimes will not be tolerated. I am sure you can agree t’tha.”
Josleen, still pacing slowly, turns briefly away from Hildegarde and Macon to cringe privately as Hildegarde insists on something Josleen believes Macon will never accept. She turns back just in time to see Macon looking to her. “Not since he and his girlfriend brought the gifts for Guillem, but I’m sure he’s on the westside.” Then to Hildegarde, “But you’re absolutely right about Callum. We’ll be sure to question him and see what light he has to shed on all this.” As a bard, Josleen is sensitive to subtext and public images, and thus she is less willing to compromise than Macon, for once. “Though, Hildegarde, while, as my husband says, you may make your offer, we should be clear that we’re not comfortable,” she says, co-signing Macon to her clause without consulting him first, “with any public announcements about Frostmaw, or the Eyrie’s, or your intention to ferry witches out of Larket. It could be taken the wrong way, as a critique on their standard of living, which would undermine how we have been handling a very difficult issue for months now with as much compassion as possible while keeping Larket safe. We would prefer you make your offer quietly, by word of mouth. Anything that could resemble grandstanding, intentional or not, may lead the public to question Frostmaw’s commitment to the alliance with Larket--not that we would question it. We’ve all agreed on these terms and understand you are a genuine champion of the people, but the public, and certainly the press, may be less sensitive and starved for a little political drama. Subtlety is what I ask of you.”
Hildegarde can breathe an internal sigh of relief when Macon seems agreeable to her suggestion of ferrying only those who wish to leave. It’s a good sign and a sign of a slightly healthier than before alliance between the two. When Macon speaks of Hildegarde campaigning, she prepares to reply only to then have Josleen step in and speak in the way Hildegarde is most accustomed to. She knew Josleen was a smooth talker, but she most enjoyed Josleen’s ability to handle the finer things in politics. When Josleen asks for subtlety, the knight consents with a nod. “I have no intention of waving a flag and singing songs of freedom,” she tells the monarchs, “I will make the offer at the camp and that is all. It will be quiet, peaceful and uneventful.” She didn’t much like drama. The Silver rises from the loveseat, looking to Macon as she says her final piece on the matter, “I do not seek to campaign and cast blame where it does not belong. But I do mean to pursue justice and see it done to whoever has had a hand in such abhorrent deeds.” The Silver looks to Lisbeth and gives her a nod, “We had best depart and see to our remaining business. A pleasure to see you both and the young prince, though I wish it were under better circumstances, of course.”
Macon nods to Hildegarde and responds to her pursuit of justice. "Then we are together on tha' front." Sorry Muzo, you shouldn't have gotten caught. The King rises from his seat and goes for the handshake where he pats his counterpart's arm with his free hand to see Hildegarde off. "We will forward any information we 'ave regarding the alchemist and where he may be t'you in Frostmaw."