A Grand Design 49.

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

They entered a little earlier, and though both the lady Mera and her house maid, Lissa were scared at first.
They were put at ease when one of them, an officer. A female elf of all people, asked them who they were.
And when the young noblewoman and the house maid responded.
The elven officer told them to remain in the suite, and that someone will come for them soon.
So the wife of lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn, and her closest confidant the house maid have waited.
The lady Mera once opened the door to the suite, and found a trio of black clad soldiers out in the hallway, obviously guarding the suite.
And when one politely asked the young noblewoman if she needed anything. A drink, or perhaps a meal.
And the wife of lord Sammis declined.
They just looked at her, until she finally closed the door after stepping back inside the suite. More out of embarrassment than anything else.
The lady Mera, along with Lissa then spent quite a bit of time looking out of the drawing room windows.
Which gives them a pretty good view across the side courtyard to the city council building next door.
There they see a number of the black clad soldiers, as well as others entering and exiting the slightly damaged building next door.
The young noblewoman who was forced into marrying a man more than twenty years older than she is.
Isn't sure if some of the others who they've seen entering and leaving the city council building are from the three far western duchies of the kingdom or not.
Both she and Lissa are unable to get a good view of their tabbards. As everyone is wrapped up in their cloaks. As the morning outside looks to be exceptionally cold. Even for wintertime here in the city of Oaklynn, the capital of the kingdom of Girdane.
Nor do they see anyone they recognise. As they were hoping to see a soldier or an officer in the army of the duchy of Dalmar, where they're both from.
It's sometime around midmorning, when they're back in the main room of the suite.
Where the lady Mera is sitting on a divan, while the house maid Lissa is tending to the fire in the fireplace.
When they hear a commotion from out in the hallway, it sounds like someone running. Followed by shouting.
The noblewoman from the duchy of Dalmar, who is the wife of lord Sammis gets up from the divan, frowning as she does so. As she's sure she hears her name being called out.
The lady Mera looks over at Lissa, and sees the slight look of confusion on her face, as she tries to figure out what's going on out in the hallway.
Then as the wife of the regent of Oaklynn continues to frown, and she unwittingly takes a few steps towards the main door that opens out into the hallway.
She is certain she hears her name again. And for a moment she thinks she knows who it is that's calling out her name.
The next moment the door to the suite bangs open. And the lady Mera sees her brother Hilloc, the duke of Dalmar standing there.
She blinks in surprise at suddenly seeing him for the first time in nearly two years.
Then all of sudden he rushes into the main room of the suite, and she's suddenly in his arms as he hugs her to him.
The young noblewoman from the very west of the kingdom, bursts into tears as her older brother hugs her.
Then suddenly she sees her older cousin, sir Passic. Who hugs her and her brother, the duke of Dalmar.
Who like his little sister, is in tears.
As she's held by her older brother Hilloc. The lady Mera who is overjoyed to be with him again. Wonders how she's going to tell him what's happened to her since she was forced into marrying lord Sammis. And some of the things that the regent of Oaklynn has subjected her to in that time.
The young noblewoman from the duchy of Dalmar is definitely not looking forward to that.
So for the moment she forgets about it. And revels at being reunited with her older brother Hilloc, and being safe in his arms.
"Should we tell him?" asks Helbe the elven thief, who after a brief pause, slightly shrugs his shoulders, then adds "Who knows?" followed by "She might tell him, herself".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, continues with "Then again, people in her situation, don't exactly want to talk about it".
As he says that, the highly talented elven magic user looks through the open door into the other room, where he sees Lisell Maera the messenger, chatting with Mira Reinholt the mage, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, and Shur Kee the monk.
Who have been here in the city of Oaklynn, while the rest of the group have been elsewhere in the kingdom of Girdane, predominantly out in the very west of the kingdom.
"Who knows?" says lord Farque, as the two of them converse in the royal elven language, he follows that with "But you're probably right, we might have to tell him".
The undead warlord then says "He has a right to know i guess" the lord of the death realm then adds "Considering whatever it is that he and the other dukes have planned for the regent".
The elven masterthief who happens to be the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, nods his hooded head in agreement with the heavily armoured deathlord, whose personal council, he is a member of.
They're in the city council building, for the simple fact it's smaller and easier to get around in compared to the palace of the king, which is at the other end of the long street here in the center of the city of Oaklynn.
Not to mention the city council building, which does have a hole in it's roof. The building is still stable.
Unlike the palace, the front of which is still highly unstable. Due to a mageglobe belonging to Mira Reinholt the mage.
The lord of the death realm, and the elven master assassin look to the outer room, where they see Tamric Drubine enter.
The young field commander in the armies of Farque makes his way through the room the others are in, and enters the inner room that the undead warlord and the elven councillor are in.
After Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, takes a quick look at the unconscious prisoners lying next to a wall.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque who is also known to an older generation of elven kind as Des'tier, asks him in the regular elven language "How's it going out there?".
"There's still pockets of fighting throughout the city" is the reply from Tamric Drubine the field commander.
"Sir Kamson is leading those who are dealing with it" adds the nobleborn teenager who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
Lord Farque slightly nods his full helmed head, then he asks "And up at the airdocks?" followed by "And down in their main barracks, south of the city?".
"The airdocks are secured and under our control" says the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"We've started letting the trading vessels from elsewhere to fly away" adds Tam who continues with "No use keeping them here if they don't want to be" followed by "And the fact they'll quickly spread the word beyond the kingdom that the rebel dukes have been successful, and deposed the crown and taken the city".
Both lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief nod in agreement to that, then the young field commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque says "Haven't heard back from the barracks down south yet" he continues with "I've sent scouts down there, to see how things fare".
Then field commander Drubine points at the unconscious prisoners lying on the floor, up against one of the walls, and he asks "What about them?".
"It's up to the dukes to decide" replies Draugadrottin "They should be here fairly soon" adds the undead being, whose lands are the largest nation in all the Southlands, though it has one of the smallest populations of any nation in the Southlands.
"I saw them outside" says the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who continues on with "They seemed pretty pleased with the way things have gone this morning".
"I can imagine" dryly says the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel "We've given them the city" adds the elven magic user, who points at the unconscious prisoners as he continues with "And their enemies" he follows that with "No wonder they're pleased with things".
The undead being slightly smiles behind the visor of his full helm, then he says "The interesting thing is what they'll fucking do afterwards" Des'tier continues with "Not that it really matters to us, as they haven't hired us for that".
The three of them are silent for a little while, then Tamric Drubine breaks the silence when he says "You think they'll end up fighting amongst themselves over the throne?".
"No" says the elven princeling from Laerel, who continues with "None of them want to be king" followed by "Somebody else will have to take the throne" he then adds "They just want their duchies to be treated fairly".
The elven masterthief briefly pauses before he quietly continues with "And duke Hilloc wanted his sister back".
"Well, he's certainly got that" quietly says field commander Drubine as once again he looks over at the unconscious prisoners lying on the floor.
It's not too long before the rebel dukes of Falosen, Girnath and Dalmar, along with some of the officers turn up.
And Helbe the elven thief goes into the other room to greet them, then brings the trio of dukes into the inner room, where Mira Reinholt the mage and Arvelle Ganard the plainsman has joined lord Farque and Tamric Drubine the field commander.
"Gentlemen, the city of Oaklynn is yours" says Tamric Drubine after they've greeted the three noblemen from the far west duchies of the kingdom of Girdane.
"More or less" adds the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
The three dukes all nod in satisfaction at that, even though they're continually glance at the unconscious figures upon the floor. Who are wrapped up in cloaks, with their faces to the wall, so they can't be identified.
"I hope your sister is well?" asks field commander Drubine to the duke of Dalmar.
"She is" replies duke Hilloc of Dalmar, who can't help but grin to know that his sister is safe and well.
Though he did notice she had that look in her eyes that he recognises. That she wants to tell him something, but is unable to.
He knows she'll eventually tell him, as his younger sister and he are close. And in the past she has confided in him, all manner of things.
"That's good to hear" says Tam who glances at Helbe the elven thief and lord Farque.
After the undead warlord slightly nods his full helmed head, the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel takes over the conversation.
"I'm guessing you're wondering who they are?" says prince Helbenthril Raendril as he points at the unconscious figures on the floor, wrapped in cloaks, with their heads turned to the wall.
"That we are" says duke Korros of Girnath, the youngest of the trio of dukes who rebelled against the king and crown.
Both the dukes of Falosen and Dalmar nod in agreement with the short duke wearing the heavy iron plate armour, who definitely felt the cold this morning.
The elven master assassin slightly nods his hooded head. Then he and his fellow councillor, the mage Reinholt make their way over to the unconscious prisoners.
"This rather fat fellow" says the highly talented elven magic user, who then adds "Is a wizard by the name of Haric, who is an officer in the regent's army".
The once powerful mage has bent down and rolled the largest of the unconscious prisoners this way, and pulled down the cloak where it covers his head and face.
The trio of noblemen from the three most western duchies in the kingdom of Girdane nod, and duke Hilloc says "We've heard of him".
"This next chap" says the elven masterthief as his fellow spellcaster rolls over the next unconscious prisoner, and uncovers his head and face.
"Is a former gamekeeper from here in the duchy of Marsin by the name of Sarmac" says the elven princeling who continues with "From up in the regent's ancestral lands to be exact" he then adds "He has no formal rank, but he's a person of importance in the army of the regent".
The dukes of Falosen, Girnath and Dalmar nod, and though they've never heard of the gamekeeper named Sarmac. They take the elven master archer's word that he's a person of significance in the regent's army.
"This next fellow is" says Helbe the elven thief as the mage Reinholt rolls over the next unconscious prisoner, and pulls down the cloak covering his head and face.
"We know who he is" says duke Lombasil of Falosen when they see who it is.
"Captain Kilmane" adds duke Hilloc of Dalmar, who feels like spitting in disgust. As he knows that it was the captain who detained his younger sister Mera after she arrived here in the city of Oaklynn nearly two years ago.
The three dukes all look at the captain in the regent's army, who if the rumours are true. Is the actual leader of the regent's army, not commander Jaqor Kaim. As the captain comes up with a lot of the tactics and ideas for the regent's army.
Which the former mercenary who commands the regent's army, then puts into action.
The elven princeling nods, then he says "And this is" then he falls silent.
As councillor Reinholt rolls over the fourth and final unconscious prisoner, and pulls down the cloak covering his head and face, to reveal who he is.
The dukes Lombasil, Korros and Hilloc are all silent as they look at the fourth of the unconscious figures upon the floor.
Then eventually the duke of Dalmar lets out a slow breath as he grips the hilt of his sword and quietly says "Sammis".
His fellow dukes, Korros and Lombasil grip the hilts of their own weapons as they all look at lord Sammis, the regent of Oaklynn.
The man by all accounts, is their enemy. The reason why they revolted against king Jarnard the Second of his name, and the crown of Girdane.
After a few moments of silence, lord Farque speaks up, and says to the dukes of the three most western duchies in the kingdom "Before you go ahead and kill him".
The undead warlord briefly pauses before he continues on with "There's some things you'll be wanting to know".
Draugadrottin points at the unconscious regent of Oaklynn as he adds "From him" followed by "And what he's done".
The trio of dukes are still silent, then after the three of them all look at one another, duke Hilloc nods, then says "We'll hear what he has to say for himself".
The duke of Dalmar pauses, then he adds "But after that". Leaving it unsaid what he and his fellow rebel dukes intend to do to their enemy, lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn . . . . . .