A Grand Design 25.

Winter. The City Of Oaklynn. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

"You know what" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who continues on with "I don't think there's a single soldier left in the city".
The elf, who is originally from the principality of Alínlae briefly pauses, before he carries on with "Well, apart from the palace guards".
Next to the elven spy, the mage Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement as they make their way through the streets of the city of Oaklynn.
"Plenty of them though" dryly says the spy Tanith in his native language, as across the street, heading in the other direction, walk a trio of city guards, or to be correct, guards in the army of the regent of Oaklynn.
The elven spy, who is an officer in the armies of Farque, then quietly asks the human spellcaster walking beside him "Were you able to find one?".
"I did" says Mira Reinholt the mage who has just returned from the airdocks that are to the north of the city.
The mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, continues on with "Though they'll have to go around about way to get to Salme" he then quietly adds "From there it'll be carried by horse to the army".
The spy Tanith nods his hooded head in understanding as the two of them diagonally cross a street.
Then the spy from Alínlae and the mage from Vexil, look up as flakes of snow start to fall upon the city of Oaklynn.
It's the first snowfall of the winter here in the capital city of the kingdom of Girdane.
Snow is more likely to fall here in the east of the kingdom, as well as in the central duchies. Compared to the western part of the kingdom. Which is usually far more windy out there, than it is here in the east.
"Great, snow" wryly says the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
As the two of them make their way through the northern part of Oaklynn, as they head south. Towards where the longest street in the city is located. The street that has the king's palace on it. As well as the regent's abode. And the city council building.
"Where's Shur Kee waiting?" asks the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands. Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast.
"In that taverna opposite the regent's mansion" is the quiet reply from the elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland of Alínlae.
"Wonder if he's noticed anything today?" muses the mage Reinholt as the two of them round a corner as the snow continues to fall upon the city of Oaklynn.
"Hopefully something" is the quiet reply from Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
"Because we're pretty much not finding out anything else of worth" continues the elven spy from Alínlae. As they've found out hardly anything new since the very end of autumn, and the start of winter when word reached the city of Oaklynn.
That the dukes Hilloc, Korros and Lombasil, respectively of the duchies of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen. Had rebelled against the crown and the king of Girdane. Essentially starting a civil war.
The once powerful mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil, quietly tells the lean and tall elf "Let's hope things change".
The spy Tanith nods his hooded head in agreement, and murmurs "Let's hope alright" as the two of them make their way to the center of the city.
On a side street just off the long street that runs through the middle of Oaklynn.
Shur Kee the monk sits back down, after looking up at the sky when he saw a wyvern circling above. On it's way to the king's palace, which is towards the other end of the long street.
The short, statured monk, is the only customer sitting at one of the tables out the front of the taverna. As it has start to snow upon the city of Oaklynn.
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, who hails from the far east coast of the continent. The kingdom of Wah Lee to be exact.
Looks away to his left, to where on the otherside of the long street. Lies the mansion of the regent of Oaklynn.
As he does, the mage Reinholt and the spy Tanith turn onto the street, and make their way to the front of the taverna where he's sitting.
"I found one" quietly says Mira Reinholt in response to Shur Kee the monk quietly asking him "Were you able to find an airship friend Mira?".
"Anything of interest happen here?" asks the once powerful mage who waves to the barman through the open front door, for some service.
The taverna owner who thinks they're crazy to be sitting outside as it continues to lightly snow. Takes the order of the two new arrivals. Who both want hot, spiced wine. And some warm bread, and fried lardons, which are a diced up fatty pork cut, similar to bacon.
"A wyvern just came in" says Shur Kee in response to the exiled Vexilian mage's question "Most likely from the front" adds the physical adept, whose only change in attire for the colder weather, is a thick white winter cloak compared to the thinner one he usually wears.
"It did" says the mage Reinholt, who along with the spy Tanith saw the wyvern heading towards the palace. And the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil read the mind of the rider. Finding him to be a courier, who is trained not to read the missives he's been given by the commanders in the king's army out in the west of the kingdom.
"Anything else?" asks the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
"Not much" says the short, statured monk who continues with "Apart from a little earlier in the morning, a coach went from the council building down to the palace".
"Most likely the regent" says the once powerful mage who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
The elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith nods his hooded head in agreement, then says "Court is in session today". The elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae continues on with "Most of the nobility in and around the city at the moment will be there today" Dalin then adds "So of course the regent will be there".
Court has taken a break for the midday meal, and lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn is in a second storey room in the palace.
At the window is one of his spellcasters, the wizard Haric who says "I think it'll snow all day" as he looks out the glass window.
Next to the slovenly, and overweight wizard in the ruby red robes, the advisor to regent Sammis, sir Welson nods his head in agreement with the spellcaster.
Slightly frowning as he sits on a sofa thinking about something, lord Sammis the regent says "You think it will?" followed by "Snow all day?".
"I do" says Haric the wizard, who follows that with "And into the night too" the portly wizard with the florid face then adds "And i don't need to cast anything to tell me that either".
After a moment lord Sammis the regent of the capital city Oaklynn slowly nods. Then he looks over to where captain Kilmane is standing near a side table.
A side table that is full of food and drink, which commander Jaqor Kaim is eating from.
The regent shares a look with the captain, who lifts a questioning eyebrow.
Lord Sammis clears his throat, then says "Welson you wouldn't happen to know where those documents have got to have you?".
"I don't my lord" says sir Welson who turns from the window to look at the regret.
"Might be best if you go to the office of the exchequer yourself and get them" says the regent of Oaklynn.
"Yes my lord" says the advisor to the regret, who continues with "I'll see to it immediately".
After sir Welson departs, lord Sammis says to his army commander "Jaqor i want all our men not on duty to be on stand by" he continues with "Even those who have leave at the moment".
"I'll see to it my lord" says Jaqor Kaim the commander of the regent's army, who then makes his way from the room.
Leaving just the regent, the captain, the wizard and a palace page in the room.
Looking over at the young page, lord Sammis says to the boy "Page, could you see if the king is in his family's quarters" the regret of Oaklynn then adds "I need to speak with my cousin".
"I'll find out for you regret Sammis" says the page, who bows to the regent, then exits the room, closing the door behind him.
Lord Sammis gets up off the couch, gesturing captain Kilmane and the wizard Haric to him.
"Tonight" quietly says the regent of the capital city of Oaklynn, who is the older cousin of the king of Girdane, Jarnard the Second of his name.
"You sure?" asks Haric wizard after he and captain Kilmane glance at one another.
"Absolutely" says lord Sammis, who quietly continues with "This snow should help things, and create a bit of confusion".
Both the spellcaster and the captain in the regent's army nod in agreement to that.
Then the nobleman asks his most trusted officer "Are our men in position?".
"They are my lord" is the reply of captain Kilmane "All of them?" asks the regent "All of them" is the reply of the captain.
Lord Sammis slightly nods, then says "Come along" and as he makes his way to the door, he quietly asks the wizard "I take it you haven't seen the royal family's quarters?".
"I haven't" says Haric the wizard, as only members of the royal family, which regent Sammis is one, as he's part of the extended royal family. And palace staff, are only allowed into the quarters of the king and his family.
"I can show you the hallways leading to it" quietly says lord Sammis after they leave the room "That's all i need" quietly says the overweight wizard, in the ruby coloured robes.
The regent of the city of Oaklynn leads the way through the palace. Making his way up to the third floor, which the king's quarters, and that of his family are located.
They make their way through a series of hallways, until they get to one, that has a pair of open double doors at one end of. There stands a pair of palace guards to either side.
As they walk down the long hallway, the regent of Oaklynn quietly asks the overweight wizard in the rumpled, ruby coloured robes "Will this do?".
"More than adequate" is the reply of Haric the wizard, who then nods when lord Sammis quietly tells him "Make sure it's on the otherside of the doors, facing into the royal quarters".
Then they fall silent as they approach the open double doors that are guarded.
Stopping before the pair of guards on this side of the open doors, regent Sammis asks them "Has a page come through recently?" the nobleman then quickly describes the page in question.
"He has regent Sammis" says the senior of the two guards as they all look through the open doors, especially Haric the wizard and captain Kilmane who carefully study what's on the otherside of the open doors, where the hallway continues.
"There's the little scamp" says lord Sammis pointing down the hallway through the open doors, where the page in question is making his way in this direction.
"My lord regent" says the page when be comes through the open doors and stops "His majesty is in the blue room".
"Very well" says the regent of the city of Oaklynn, who then tells the young page "Return to your post".
And as the page continues down the long hallway, lord Sammis says to captain Kilmane and the wizard Haric "Remain here, i shouldn't be too long" followed by "The afternoon session will begin soon, I'll just see if his majesty will be in attendance".
The captain and wizard in the regent's army wander over to the benches against the walls near the open doors, and take a seat.
While lord Sammis goes through the open double doors, passing the two pairs of palace guards, and enters the royal quarters.
The regent of the capital city continues down the long hallway, eventually turning right into another hallway. Passing an occasional palace guard standing near doors to rooms.
The nobleman gets to the door to one of the waiting rooms, the guard here opens the door for him, and he enters.
It's called the blue room, because of the colour of all many of the items in the room that are various shades of blue.
Vases and basins on side tables and chests, and shelves are in blue. So are a handful of statutes and busts, mostly in a light hue of blue.
Inside the room are a number of people, officers and advisors to the king, many of whom are nobleborn.
The regent Sammis spots his cousin the king, leaning against a table at the other end of the room, speaking with a couple of officers in his army, and two of his advisors.
The regent of Oaklynn makes his way to the table, and when king Jarnard the Second spots his older cousin. The king of Girdane tells the others that he wants a word with his cousin.
As the army officers and advisors wander off elsewhere in the large room.
The two cousins greet one another, as they didn't speak to one another during the morning session at court, as it was quite busy downstairs where the royal court is held.
"What is it?" quietly asks lord Sammis after he asks his younger cousin if he'll attend the afternoon session of court, and the king answers with a distracted nod as he looks at the maps, and pieces of parchment on the table.
"A wyvern rider came in earlier" says king Jarnard the Second of his name, the king of Girdane.
The regent of Oaklynn nods as he had heard that, then the king hands him a piece of parchment and tells him "Here read this" followed by "And not only that, but one of the wyvern riders is missing" the king of Girdane then adds "The first one to do so".
I hope to hell it isn't the one working for me, lord Sammis thinks to himself, as he has a number of people within the king's army, who are working for him, essentially as spies.
The regent of the capital city slightly frowns as he reads the missive the king has just handed him, then lord Sammis says "The rumours are true then" followed by "They have hired a mercenary army from somewhere".
"Yes" says king Jarnard the Second, who continues with "The size of one of the duke's armies if our information is correct".
"Hell, i wasn't expecting that" quietly says the regent of Oaklynn, who is the one who has basically encouraged the rebellion of the three most western duchies in the kingdom.
By having the king aggressively raise their taxes a few years ago. And then by marrying duke Hilloc of Dalmar's younger sister, the lady Mera by force a little over eighteen months ago.
"They've engaged with the bulk of our army" says the king of Girdane, who follows that with "And by the sounds of it, they're a whole lot stiffer opposition than what we expected of the armies of those rebellious dukes".
Lord Sammis nods his head as he continues to read the piece of parchment, then the older of the two cousins says "Looks like we're holding".
"Yes for now" says the king of Girdane, who then adds "Our superior numbers are making the difference, and the mercenary companies we're hiring every day and sending out west are helping too".
The regent nods, and puts the parchment down onto the table, and asks "Will you mention this at court?".
"Might as well" says king Jarnard the Second, who then dryly adds "With the way rumours fly around here, they'll soon find out anyway".
The regent of Oaklynn snorts, and nods in agreement with his cousin the king. For after all, not that anyone knows, it's lord Sammis who spreads a lot of those rumours.
The two cousins talk for a little while longer, then the regent departs the blue room. While the king of Girdane prepares for the afternoon session of court.
Out in the long hallway, at the open double doors to the royal quarters, captain Kilmane and the wizard Haric stand when the regent of Oaklynn walks out through the open doors.
And as the three of them continue along the long hallway, heading to the nearest stairway.
Lord Sammis quietly says to the captain and the wizard in his army "Definitely tonight" . . . . . .