A Grand Design 10.

Mid Autumn. The City Of Oaklynn. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

As Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy watches a squad of soldiers ride out from their barracks.
He spots Mira Reinholt the mage walking down the street on this cool autumn morning here in the city of Oaklynn, the capital of the kingdom of Girdane.
The elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae continues to watch the departing soldiers in the king's army, until the once powerful mage reaches him as he stands at the corner of a building.
"They heading out to the west?" quietly asks Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy "They are" is the reply from Mira Reinholt the mage who quickly read some of the minds of the soldiers who just rode down the street.
"And?" asks the spy Tanith "They're going to help stop the spread of the plague" says the mage Reinholt who like Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, is speaking the elven language.
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, eyebrows lift up in surprise, then he quietly says to the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster "You'd think the advanced scouts would know what's actually going on".
The mage who is originally from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from, nods his hooded head in agreement, and he quietly says "Something strange is definitely going on" he then adds "What it is, I'm not exactly sure".
Dalin nods his own hooded head in agreement to that. Then the two of them start making their way down to the other end of the street. In the opposite direction the soldiers went.
As they do, the spy Tanith quietly asks "I gather you got them onboard?".
"I did" says the Vexilian mage in exile who has just returned from the airdocks just to the north of the city, where he gave a satchel of documents to a captain of an airship in the fleet of the Reinholt Trading Company.
Whose vessel is heading west to the coast of the Southlands. Who will stop off in the duchy of Dalmar to deliver the satchel to the others in the group who are out in the western duchies of the kingdom of Girdane.
"And we still haven't found anyone who knows exactly what's going on" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith as they head to the center of the city.
"What about that drunk court official you've been hanging out with?" asks the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until most of his powers was stripped from him when he accidentally went offworld after he miscast a rift/void spell.
"Nothing new really" says the elven spy from Alínlae, who continues on with "Just more gossip from within the palace more than anything else".
The mage Reinholt nods, then the two of them fall silent as a pair of city guards, who are under the command of the regent of Oaklynn and his city council, walk by them.
They've learnt that some of the city guards, along with the regents own troops, speak other languages such as elven.
Something of a curiosity considering multiple languages spoken by soldiers and officers over in the army of the crown, is a rarity.
"The nobles I've seen come and go out of the palace are the same" says Mira Reinholt once they continue their conversation.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster then adds "From what I've read of their minds, their opinions are split. Half of them don't care about the plague and hope it wipes out more people out west. And the other half want it halted, so it doesn't spread to other parts of the kingdom".
It's no secret that there's rumblings of revolution from the western duchies of the kingdom of Girdane.
Especially in the last eighteen months or so. After the king's cousin, lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn, married the lady Mera. The cousin of duke Hilloc of Dalmar.
"But they're going along with the king's decision to stop the the plague from spreading" says the Vexilian mage in exile, who after a moment's pause adds "Which is just an excuse to quash the potential rebellion out west".
"Or is it?" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith as they turn onto another street, Mira Reinholt faintly grimaces. As it seems more and more likely to them, that the crown really is trying to halt the plague from spreading throughout the kingdom. And are not going out to the western most duchies to put down any rebellion that may occur.
The two of them, the once powerful mage and the elven spy are fairly quiet as they continue to make their way towards the palace.
Only speaking occasionally, and when they do. They talk of trivial things, nothing much more about the reason they're here in the city of Oaklynn, the capital of Girdane.
Though when they near the palace, the mage Reinholt quietly asks the spy Tanith "Which way did Shur Kee go this morning?".
Gesturing away to the right, Dalin says "The southern quarter of the city" the elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae, then adds "He's working his way back up this way" followed by "Should be here around midday".
The swordmaster Reinholt nods his hooded head as they walk around the grounds of the king's palace.
And when they're eventually on the long street on the south side of the palace, they make their way to a taverna that isn't too far from the palace gates.
The two of them take a seat at an outside table infront of the taverna. And after ordering from the serving woman who comes outside to greet them.
The two of them watch the open and guarded gates, a bit further to the left, on the opposite side of the street from them.
As they do, they watch everyone coming in, or going out of the open gates on this side of the palace.
With the Vexilian mage in exile, safe in the knowledge that he can't be sensed by other spellcasters due to the amulet he wears on a silver chain around his neck. Reading the minds of those either entering, or exiting the palace grounds.
After getting their drinks, and the light meals they've ordered. And as Mira Reinholt reads the minds of what looks like a group of local merchants entering the palace.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Looks away to the right down the long street as he sips from a goblet of warm, spiced wine.
After a few moments, the elven spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers in the armies of Farque slightly frowns.
"Have you checked those going in and out of the regent's place?" quietly asks Dalin "Huh?" says the mage Reinholt who adds "What was that?" as he was busy concentrating reading the minds of a couple of court officials making their way out of palace grounds.
"Down the street, the regent's place" says the spy from the elven principality of Alínlae "Have you checked those going in and out of there?" adds Dalinvardél Tanith.
"I have" says the Vexilian mage in exile who after draining some power from a spell gem in a hidden pocket of his cloak, adds "Not many people go in and out of there, mostly household staff".
The elf in the grey cloak, nods his hooded head, then asks the once powerful mage "What about the council building on the otherside of it?".
"A couple of times" says the spellcaster who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who continues with "That first week we arrived".
"Maybe you should again" quietly says Dalin, Mira Reinholt glances at the elven spy who tells him "A court official who left the palace as we were sitting down, just entered the city council building" the spy Tanith continues with "I know the kingdom and the city are basically operated independently. But since the king and the city regent are cousins. I wonder if it'll be easier to find out what's really going on if we concentrate down there, than up here at the palace where it's far busier".
The mage Reinholt slowly nods his hooded head, then the elf originally from the principality of Alínlae says "Call it a hunch" he follows that with "But that court official was carrying a sealed envelope" he continues with "Now why would a court official be carrying that?" followed by "Why isn't a messenger carrying it?".
The Vexilian mage in exile nods his hooded head again, then says "Good point" the councillor Reinholt continues with "Let's wander down there".
The two of them finish their warm wine, get up, and start making their way down the long street, the longest one in all of Oaklynn.
As they do, the highly skilled swordmaster quietly says to the elven spy "See if you can spot a place where we can observe both the regent's place and the council building from".
Dalin nods his hooded head, and looks for such a place as they head down the long street in this part of the city.
And when they get closer to the regent's place, the spy Tanith quietly says "Further along" he continues with "Closer to the council building" the elven spy then adds "There's a taverna just around the corner of a street on this side".
"There is?" quietly asks the mage Reinholt who adds "I can't see one".
"I can hear it" says Dalin in a slightly dry tone "Figures" mutters the once powerful mage.
Then as they walk by the regent's place, which isn't walled like the palace grounds. But it does have an wrought iron fence that goes right around it.
The two of them fall silent as they go by the iron gates and the guards on duty there. Guards who are part of the regent's army.
The mage Reinholt reads their minds, as well as the mind of the house maid they've just let through the gates.
The exiled Vexilian mage doesn't find anything of interest when he reads their minds.
Just that the house maid, who is now hurrying across the front courtyard to what's essentially a mansion. Is worried about the noblewoman she serves.
Mira Reinholt and Dalinvardél Tanith continue on in silence as they make their way to the taverna where they can observe both the regent's place, as well as the council building next to it.
"My lady, my lady" says Lissa the house maid as she repeatedly knocks upon the door of her charge.
The young house maid, who is more than a little worried that her lady is not up and about, when it's already mid morning.
Has quickly returned to the regent's residence after completing an errand for the master of servants.
Lissa who hasn't seen her lady all morning, looks up and down the hallway, which thankfully remains empty.
Then she slips a key out from her bodice, a key that she had made up in the northeast of the city, where most of the smithy's and metal workers are located.
A copy of a key she shouldn't have. But nevertheless she does. And she puts into the lock, turns it, and opens the door.
She slips inside, locks the door behind her, and puts the key back in her bodice.
The young house maid looks around the suite. The curtains are open, allowing the autumn sun through the glass windows.
Lissa nods, as she knows that's a good sign. Then she makes her way across the main room of the suite.
Or living room as the nobility call it. She passes the parlour, and heads to the closed door at the other end.
Safe in the knowledge that she knows he's not here. She saw him entering the council building next door a little earlier.
So she softly knocks on the door a few times. And when no one replies. The young house maid opens the door and enters the bedroom.
Unlike the rest of the suite, here in the bedroom it's fairly dark as the curtains are still closed.
Lissa moves as quietly as she can as she approaches the bed in the large room.
She breathes a sign of relief when she sees a figure on the bed, which slightly moves as she gets closer.
"My lady" quietly says the young house maid, who moves away from the bed, and slightly opens one of the curtains to let in a bit of light.
Then when Lissa turns and looks at the figure on the bed, she gasps and puts a hand to her mouth, as tears form in her eyes.
"Who did this my lady?" asks the young house maid in a trembling voice, who knows exactly who did it. As he's done it before in the past.
"Why?" adds Lissa as she looks at the bruised and bloody face of her charge, the lady Mera of Dalmar.
The house maid clasps a hand of her lady, who opens a swollen eyelid, and tries to smile for her servant.
"He did" quietly says lady Mera with a raspy voice, the noblewoman from the duchy of Dalmar continues in her quiet raspy voice with "Because i bled".
Lissa slightly frowns, and her lady tells her "My menses came last night". The young house maid winces when she hears that.
"Don't you worry my lady" says Lissa who bustles over to the night stand where a basin of water is, and getting a soft cloth from a drawer, she brings it and the basin of water to the bed.
And as the young house maid dampens the soft cloth, and starts wiping the dried blood off the battered face of the lady Mera.
Lissa quietly says to her "Everything will be alright my lady" even though she knows it probably won't be.
With tears in her eyes, the young noblewoman who is the wife of lord Sammis, the regent of Oaklynn, says in raspy tone "What happens if i never get pregnant?" she gulps in fear as she adds "I don't want to end up like his other wives".
Lissa the house maid winces. For she has heard from the older members of the staff. That lord Sammis killed his first wife, strangled her right after she gave birth to a stillborn child.
Then he drowned his second wife after she miscarried for a third time.
As she continues to clean the bloody and bruised face of her charge the lady Mera, Lissa the house maid quietly says to her "We'll think of something my lady". What exactly, she has absolutely no idea . . . . . .