#bergen_county

"I cannot turn on someone who has served me on mere opinion, it's just not.. honorable." he says "But when a legend of House Gwydion tells me I am not a good fit for a certain hold and that the are NOT in the discord I thought, then I must put honor before even pride and show respect to her legend. I hearby pledge not ot make any move against the F"

but before he can finish the word...

the door opens

And Sir Drifala has returned

"...another coffee, Sir?" Kerri finishes as they enter.

"Please finish, Excellency."

says Brekke

"No." She says Then "Your excellency. I hope you have not made any .. commitments to the Baroness here? We are soon to leave"

Kerri opens the door again and follows inside.

"Baroness, Dame Dagmar was here. She's gone along on an errand." Some sort of unspoken signal in there, too.

Brekke nods to Kerri, then gives Difala a brow. "Excellency, are you often commanded thus?"

"Commitments? No.. in fact..." A look to Brekke "Commanded?"

"I inquire out of concern, your excellency, nothing more" Sir Drifala says

"She informed you that you are soon to leave. The wording seemed odd to me."

"SOMETHING more I think" A brow from the Count. "Sir Drifala..I appreciate your guidance...within certain boundaries. "

"Yes, your excellency" She says "But with our mission adjusted, I do fear we must make haste to find another path to Iowa"

"I believe that would be unwise," Brekke says with a carefully neutral tone.

Kerri calmly moves across the room and unobtrusively refills the Count's Dr. Pepper, as invisible as any servant in a high court.

"Oh, no. This farm is a bad idea it turns out" The Count tells the knight, then nods a quiet thank you to Kerri but looks back at his knight "They are not in the state of discord they thought. They are allies to the Baroness. And.. they would not welcome me as a liberator as I hoped."

"they are simple minded dirt grubbers who do not seem to accept they lost, your excellency. They do not even recognize High King David's authority, remember? They are denialists and rebells and a breeding ground for trouble . They don't know what's in their own best interest" And she seems to believe it

Brekke gives a grim grin. "There is little that is simple-minded about them, though they prefer a simple life. You seem to be very focused on this conquest, Sir."

“What contest? Can I play?” Connor asks, stepping in from the kitchen with a half eaten muffin, and indeed a mouthful of muffin.

"I am seeking to help them. I believe the Count would be of benefit to them" The knight says

Kerri looks briefly alarmed at Brekke. Brekke merely clears her throat and says, "Count Goldenwing, Sir Drifala, this is Squire Connor. Squire Connor, do not speak with your mouth full, please."

“Count?” He squeaks, and swallows, and bows.

The Count says with tolerence, "Sir. I must tell you this behavior is not pleasing to me. Whatever your personal views are of this farm and it's people, it has already been stated they are ALLIES to the Baroness. Insulting them under her roof is unbecoming of either of us and.."

He turns to see Connor "Oh, hello, Squire. Yes." The fourteen year old (Or is it 13?) Gwdyion sidhe nods "Nice to meet you"

He clears his throat, and says to the Sidhe, “As Ember of the Hearth and squire to Dagmar the Just, I welcome you to River Vale. Did you know that it’s a law here that you have to try the muffins? If you don’t have at least one, I’ll probably be thrown into a pit of despair.”

"I believe there are many in Concordia who truly seek assistance."

Kerri grins and goes to Connor, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They've already had pastries, Squire, but please do bring out a basket of muffins, if you think it best."

"Well, then if it's a law" the gwydion smiles indulgently

“I think it worst that they filled up on other things when there are raspberry muffins.” And he returns with a basket of blueberry muffins. “Oh, the berries tuned blue. I think it’s from being around the trolls. Every day I check my hair to make sure it’s not changing color.” Offering him a treat.

Somehow in all this, Kerri has managed to position herself behind the Count, facing Drifala over his shoulder...and with a small confident smile.

He takes it, and bites down, "Oh my word, if it weren't the soul of dishonor I think if I did get a hold I'd BEG you to be my steward and personal chef, Dame Kerri. Honor can be a harsh test" Wistful. "Also I'm sure the Baroness would take offense. I know I would if I were lucky enough to have access to such delights." A look at Connor "Squire, thank you. This was a good law"

“Did you get to see the lake yet? Or the ponies?”

Brekke nods. "I agree, I have great fortune in Dame Kerri's presence here, and would not part with her willingly unless she wished it. Excellency, is that not how it should be? Bring to you those who wish to go with you?"

“Jack is growing a jellybean tree but it hasn’t fruited yet?” A soft sigh.

"Not everyone sees as far as the Falcon such as yourself does, your excellency" Sir Drifala states with certainty

Kerri gives Drifala a curious look. "What does that mean?"

"Sir knight" He motions to her "The Baroness is ALSO falcon sighted... lest you forget. Now, leave off about the farm and have a muffin."

Connor offers a muffin to the knight!

The entire basket, in fact, for her to choose.

Sir Drifala stiffens then eyes the muffin as if she ight want to hurl it through a window, then sighs "yes, your excellency" And she takes one, and bites "Delicious" She says but without much enthusiasm

"Thank you," Kerri says with a patented beaming smile...one of her teeth might even sparkle.

“I’ve never been friends with a count before. How do you become a count? Did you just get really good at Math?”

A thought. "Excellency, you're relying a great deal on my word. Perhaps it would be best if I had you speak with the Farmhold's Chieftain?"

"Oh I came into this world a count. I can only assume I did something amazing and good before the shattering" The Count Goldenwing says to Connor "That's why I want to do something great and good now. I want to earn it again. you know? A good ruler has to have a vision for the future, honor for the past, but with his hands busy in the now"

"That is well put," Brekke nods.

"Which is why you are NEEDED, excellency" The Knight says. trying to ignore that infuriating smile on the Hearth

His tail wags. “Having a ruler is helpful for math, but a calculator works even better. My teachers say that I won’t always have a calculator around, but if I had a count to do the math for me, that would be almost as good.”