#earthrunes

"The Baron of Alabaster Hollow is a fool, and his legacy is a crop of foolish little lordlings."

"It may be, but it is his. Don't... I hope...Please..... not here."

"Use your words, my love."

He takes a breath "Leave it be. It's over, now."

"Except," she points out, "that it's not."

"No?"

She gives him a look. "Not according to my cleavage. Do you think they found their way here from the Hollow by random chance?"

And there.... a slow burn. "It was Carnivale."

"And they just happened to come spend Carnivale at EarthRunes? Of all places?"

"I apologize."

"DON'T," she says with some fire.

August looks alarmed.

"What they did was not your doing. It is not your wrong, so do not apologize for it."

She looks firmly set on that point.

"You have common curs sniffing around after you and looking to see what part of your territory they can claim by marking it. That is not your flaw. It is theirs."

((Pause))