#earthrunes

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After the Squires Dinner, and after meeting with Honoria about her Quest, Coradel and August wait tensely in the small room concealed off of the audience chamber. Whatever they say to each other before Dame Claire arrives is between them...and when she does arrive, August is a quiet, observant presence. Coradel, on the other hand, is agitated and pacing.

"you sent for me, my liege?" Dame Claire says

"It's not hard to guess why" She adds

"I should hope not. Come inside." She makes sure the paneled door is shut before turning to Claire. "How exactly did this come about?"

Restlessly, she goes to a sideboard and unstops a carafe of red wine...she pours some for herself and for Claire...then opens another carafe and pours a glass for August, apparently water. She passes the glasses around and sips at hers.

She does enter, "Very simply? House Ailil got wind of a Squire recruitment. Not hard to guess how, it's been boggan gossip for a time. I was distracted by my wedding, you by other squires. And when I wasn't given one, they sent me one. Legitmately as is their right to insist of any member"

Coradel groans slightly. "Of course they did. And...I'm guessing she's not another of the rare seelie type?"

"What she is is humiliated" Claire says with some interest "I'm not good at lying, but I'm not bad at piecing together the truth. Also, my fiance is good with Chronos. Turns out, Lesleah and Sparrow share one thing in common"

"Humiliated? Something in common?" A sigh. "I really don't think I'm being dense, Claire, but I don't understand what you mean."

"Both were assumed to be something they weren't before they were sained. It would appear Lesleah was, through a mistaken omen, thought to be destined to be sained as Countess or higher... a new dark daughter of Ailil's grand noblity, one of power and prominence. Oh, she still had to learn how to lie, manipulate, and convive, but as soon as her dream dance was over she's been used to folks currying favor with her thinking she'd have a position of power. Then? Saining, and she's 'merely' a squire. Bazyl and Velvet and others might see that as a wonderful thing. For her? It's a notch above stable hand if that"

Coradel's about to say something...then stops and frowns thoughtfully. Then a sigh. "Right. So...Ailil, unseelie, mortified, and with something to prove. I am liking this arrangement less and less by the second."

Another drink of wine, not a dainty sip.

"Oh it gets better," She sips her own glass of wine "And by that, I mean possibly worse"

((Coradel gave her a glass of wine before))

"I had a feeling it might," Coradel mutters.

"It's very likely she's sworn to the House rather FIRMLY...meaning, that even if she swears to me, she still is a dragon. I am low ranking in the House in more than one sense, because I am seelie and did not take the 'oh but I'll still do what the House Elders say is 'good' for the House' Pledge. You're not going to get much 'pull' with the House because of me. She however, is probably here as a spy, and maybe even an eventual influence, even though she's foisted off as a failure too. Fun combo for her. they dangle a carrot of hope that she might yet rise up."

Coradel scowls now, and takes a sip...then coughs a bit and stares at her glass which, oddly, has gone a rather odd shade of orange rather than deep red. A sigh, "...not Pranksgiving yet..." and sets the glass aside.

"How skilled is she likely to be as a spy?"

"Do I seem like a clumsy tongued ham fisted conversationalist to you?" She answers with a question

A blink. "Well, no, but....?"

"Well, compared to her? I am." Claire says "We Ailil are arrogant but we have a right to be. We are consummate manipulators and politicians ,and infinitely adaptable. Assume everything we say is an attempt to trick you? we might play it straight just to force you into sabotaging yourself. Trust us? Oh yes please. We learn where the weak points are and where the strong is, and then set up unwitting agents to attack those for us. I'm speaking psychologically, there's no sign she's here to destroy us all. But you should be aware"

A slightly wry grin at this. "Of course you know this makes me rethink trusting you. But you've spilled your blood for EarthRunes, more than once." A pause. "So we need to get her knighted as soon as possible, to get her out of our hair."

"I..." the knight breaks out laughing "You're amazing. That.. that might work"

A blink. "You...hadn't considered that?"

"Well, not that I'll admit it to anyone outside this room, but no" A blush

A slight laugh. "Well...I'm not suggesting being criminally irresponsible with the girl, but a certain urgency to her instruction would be good...and she's probably just as motivated as we are to get her out of squire position."

"You might even turn tis around and give her some fondness for you. Let's not forget, an Unseelie Knight has served this hold, and well, of my very house. "

"Of course, yes...but I do not think he was placed here as a spy." A pause. "At least...I hope not...."

She shakes her head. "At any rate...Claire, what does Magnus think of this?"

"No. I don't think he was, at least, not anymore...than..."

A surprised look. "I'd like you to finish that sentence, please."

"not anymore than any Ailil who might TURN spy for the House" She finishes "Just as you might report to Fiona superiors if the Count of Aesin went too far in matters of concern the Silver Lion"

"And Magnus and I are both furious." She admits "The wedding is tricky enough without it being used as a chance to 'slip a squire' in. I..." She bites her lip "I'm afraid he regrets not having taken a squire on BOTh our of behalf. I told him it's NOT his fault, but he's not quite listening." A drink "I didn't think I'd get one to be fair."

A pause, then a nod. "That is fair. Claire, I want you to push her, and push her hard, to master whatever skills you think she'll need to be ready to prove herself worthy of knighthood. And...I will talk to Magnus. Or, August, maybe you should. I don't know if that's better a father-son thing or a mother-son thing."

"Ask him....?"

"Pushing her I can do. She'll probably hate me by the time we're done, but then, that's not my concern. MY Loyalty is to you, the hold, my new family, and my own honor...and way down the list, Ailil"

A nod to August, and a grin to Claire. "Thank you. That loyalty is truly valued, and I hope you know that. Now...aside from making sure that she's so busy she doesn't have time to spy, I have little else to say on Lesleah at this time. Just...please keep us informed of any interesting developments with her."

"Ask him what?"

"I shall" She bows "Unless there's anything else, I'll go tend to him now"

But it looks like the Baroness has another idea and has rushed off before she realized August was asking a question.

Claire looks to August, "your wife is a whirl wind, Sir"

"Yes, she, ah, is." He seems a little lost.

"You're wonderin what you were supposed to be asking Magnus, aren't you?"

"Ah.... yes."

"Well, i'm not sure I know myself. But I can tell you if' it's going to be offering him a squire, please don't bother. He doesn't really want one."

"I know. I already asked him about that." He looks off to where Coradel charged, puzzled.

"Can I ask you something?" She inquires

"Hmm?" He looks back politely.

"Why didn't you try to hook me up with a squire of my own? '