#earthrunes

"Mm. I will be in the Audience Chamber, so join me there when you are done with that." She gives him a soft kiss before parting from him and moving away.

Benny shows up, having worked to a run! "Here your Baronship!"

And he bows to the departing Baroness

"Thank you, Benny." August takes out paper, writes a quick note to Zara asking if he would be welcome to join her in the kitchen, and that he hopes he can be of good value as a friend in this time.... and sends Benny off with it to wait for any answer. Then he joins Coradel.

They head to the Audiance chamber, and there's a confused looking Shalimar "Whatever the Lion said about me, it was a lie"

Coradel comes directly to him, takes both his hands, and kisses his cheek. "My Jester...I think there has been somebody sullying your name. Come, sit with us, we must speak." Instead of taking the baronial thrones, Coradel moves them to a cluster of chairs to one side so they can speak quietly.

August joins them there.

A ARCH of a brow "My good name? John Jacob Jinglehymer Schmidt? " he joins them at the chairs "I take it this isn't a request for knock knock jokes?"

"Not at the moment, no." She gives him a serious look, keeping hold of one of his hands. "My friend, I know you to be loyal. But I hope that loyalty has not gone so far as to give insult to the Duke and Duchess on my behalf."

First he looks confused, then he looks sheepish "Ah, for their inflicting a serious hume upon you? An injury to thy pride? I confess, Baroness, I blame them for the calamity of having a nice young man amidst us far more than I blame the lad. But I parody and satire their Gracelessness no more than I do other nobles, including thyself. Why I hath mocked een High King Davey, but I do it with love" He shakes his hair and looks like a bedgraggled Keanu Reeves in Gwydion colors "Concordia... Whoa."

That gets a smile from Coradel, but no more than a smile. "Have you gone to the Ducal Court and made that mockery there?"

Shalimar shakes his illusion off "Ducal Court? The PALACE? Oh every Jester wants to play there, but no, I'm No Rodney Dangerfield, no Mel Brooks, No George Carlin... who I am told by sluagh still has biting humor on many "

Coradel nods with satisfaction. "I believed that would be the answer. Shalimar, it seems you have a doppelganger of some sort. Somebody has taken your guise and gone to court to besmirch your reputation and ours by insulting Their Graces."

Shalimar has no witty comeback, his jaw drops open. Mind you, he's a good actor , but Coradel knows him well and the fact he's speechless is a give away he's really stunned.

"And this," she continues, "has bred ill-will against us among Their Graces and their entire court. We must figure out the source and the culprit."

"My lady, skunk pooka are common but maybe we could use that to find likely culprits?"

"Hmm...I had considered some other art in play, but it might be that alone, yes. Do you know of any?"

He nods slowly

She watches his expression. "Any who would wish you ill? Or us?"

"one who would sell the jester's honor for cold hard candy, I ..." a troubled look

She squeezes his hand gently. "It may not be that. There may be other factors at play. But we must know."

A nod then a sigh "I bet you don't miss father either, do you?" A sad look at a painting on the wall depicting a long gone Eiluned

She follows his gaze and gets a sad smile. "I was speaking of him earlier, in fact. To Lady Wynda."

"Wynda? Wynda? Oh my.. oh my"