Baranthia Time: The Month of Ruan, 5056 Roleplay Time: The Month of January, 2006 The Monthly Baranthian: Please visit to get updates on each kingdom. Shout Box 1/9/06: Everyone's getting involved with The Kidnapping, so that's awesome! There are a couple of threads you may want to check out: The Kidnapping and Summon The Brotherhood. Other than that, I think we're off to a good start :) 12/30/05: The Runath Royal Feast is up and running! Anyone traveling through can visit all month long!

[Theryne Gavan]

The Queen was far from deaf to the rumors about the rebels in the city and with each passing day she became more and more uneasy about the situation. In the beginning, she had merely kept in the shadow of her King and gathered information from her sources. But a long bit of time had passed since she had first received word and with her husband not appearing to want to take action, she decided it was time for her to do something about it on her own. It was then she sent a request to an old family acquaintance.

Theryne paced in her own private study as she awaited word on whether or not the Drow would come. She knew that her intentions would be questioned, but she honestly didn’t care. If someone were fool enough to question the Queen, then she would make sure they learned from their mistake and never risked their tongues again. A cruel smirk tickled the curves of her lips as she took a seat behind her desk and began to plot out her next series of moves.

After a few more days of waiting, word finally came that her summons had been accepted and that her visitor would be arriving the next morning. She spent the evening gathering her thoughts, and when dawn finally rolled around, she prepared herself for her visitor. Her long golden locks were pulled back into an intricate braid and she dressed in one of her finer emerald gowns. Once she was finished, her demeanor oozed royalty, beauty and power.

A servant appeared at her chamber door shortly after to inform her that her guest had in fact arrived, and soon she was descending the stairs to meet him in the great hall. Her gaze was cool as it settled on him and for a fleeting second she offered a hint of a smile. “I am glad you could come...”

This post has been edited by Theryne Gavan on Feb 11 2006, 01:48 PM

[Szorvyr Rilynund]

Szorvyr, too, had heard of these rumors of rebellion. They did not much worry him, but he had begun a few investigations into the source of these rumors. So far though, he'd had little luck with finding out anything about this would-be rebellion. One of his own servants had been caught conspiring with the others about the rebellion, but he was already taken care of. Szorvyr couldn't very well keep him alive after all. The others might get defiant if he didn't make an example of the first.

As far as he'd seen, the other nobles in Gavan weren't very worried about this rebellion either. Of course, those fools weren't doing anything about it either. Half of them didn't seem to even kow of the rumors, and Szorvyr wasn't about to be the one to inform them. If they were foolish enough to ignore such a threat(and Szorvyr knew how devastating a slave rebellion could be from experience), then let them fall.

Szorvyr had been deep in study when the letter came from one of his oldest aquaintences: Theryne Gavan. The letter said little about her reasons for wanting him at the castle, which made Szorvyr rather suspicious. However, it was worded pleasantly enough. A request for his presence rather than a demand. Of course, he did not want to look too overly eager to obey, so he waited a couple days before sending his reply with one of his own messengers. He would arrive on the fourteenth day of Befren first thing in the morning. Szorvyr had no wish to travel during the day, for the light hurt his eyes.

So, after preparing a carriage to take him there, Szorvyr left just before sundown on the thirteenth. He traveled throughout the night and arrived almost the very moment that the sun began to rise. It was not rude for him to arrive so early, for Theryne knew his aversion to bright light.

Any trip to the castle of Gavan was to be considered formal, whether or not he was going to visit someone he knew, so he dressed accordingly. His usual black boots and pants, with a black silk shirt beneath a deep blue doublet. He saw no need for openly displayed weapons, so he did not bother with his sword(although he still had two daggers hidden on his person, as always).

He made his way up the steps to the castle, his head turned away from the sun coming up over the treetops to the east. When he entered, he gave his name to the nearest servant(who looked suspicious of Szorvyr, but wisely said nothing about it), then waited in the great hall for Theryne to come. He could conceive of several things that Theryne might want him here for, but he tried not to make assumptions.

He heard a door close somewhere upstairs and turned towards the large staircase, looking up. Theryne appeared a few seconds later, apparently trying to make an impression. Her emerald gown was primped to perfection, and she had obviously taken great care with her own appearance as well. He smelled the scent of perfume as she came closer, and noted her half-smile.

“I am glad you could come...”

"Gavan does not seem as busy now as it once was." Szorvyr replied, nodding his head to her slightly. "My leisure time has multiplied of late."

Of course, this visit could hardly be called 'leisure time', but his unusually abundant free time did account for the speed of his response and arrival. Szorvyr decided to cut the formalities short.

"In your letter, you did not give much reason for requesting my presence here."

Not a direct question, but it did the job nonetheless.

[Theryne Gavan]

Any hint of a smile that had once lingered on her lips was replaced with a cool smirk that barely turned the corners of her mouth. “No it did not,” she stated in response to his comment about the letter. “But then again, I’m sure you did not expect it to either.” She folded her hands at her waist as she took a few steps around him. “Please, let us go somewhere a bit more private to speak.”

Theryne turned, her gown swirling about her ankles with a silent grace. Without bothering to look and make sure he was following, she led him down a few various corridors until she finally came to her private study. “Please, have a seat,” she said coolly as she rounded the desk to take her own.

She waited until he had taken his seat before she placed her hands onto her desk and lifted her brilliant hazel gaze to meet his. A servant appeared at the door and she waved her in. “Wine?” She gave a nod and soon two goblets were filled with a crimson liquid and placed down before them. “I will get to the point,” she said once the young girl had vanished. “I am sure you are aware of the speak of rebellion, and while the other nobles sit and wait hoping that everything will resolve itself, I am not so naïve.”

The Queen paused to reach for her glass and took a slow sip before continuing. “I fear for the kingdom in the times that lie ahead,” she said softly as the tips of her fingers grazed the rim of the goblet. “Which is why I have chosen to seek your council. What say you?”

[Szorvyr Rilynund]

“No it did not,” she stated in response to his comment about the letter. “But then again, I’m sure you did not expect it to either.” She folded her hands at her waist as she took a few steps around him. “Please, let us go somewhere a bit more private to speak.”

Szorvyr kept an eye on her as she circled him, but said nothing. As she started away, he gave a slight nod and followed, not bothering to quicken his steps so that he was walking beside her rather than behind her. Just having her back turned to him reminded Szorvyr of how arrogant humans could be sometimes. In Llurth Cheth, Szorvyr would have been stabbed dead the moment he turned his back on anyone. These humans lived their lives in far to much comfort.

As they proceeded through the castle, Szorvyr took note of what had been changed since he last came. It had not been too long ago(not long enough for Theryne's appearance to change, anyway) but there were a few subtle changes that he noticed. A couple new paintings, a bust of one of the old senators replaced by one of a young girl that Szorvyr did not recognize(but who resembled Theryne in a way). Szorvyr already knew his way around the castle(or most of it, anyway), so he guessed where they were going soon after Theryne turned down the third corridor.

Entering the room after her, Szorvyr took a moment to look around before taking a seat in the suggested chair. Not much had changed here either. There was a new painting on the wall, he noted. Theryne and King Gavan, he recognized, but also two boys and a girl. He recognized the boys as Alexander and Aurin, but didn't know the girl. He supposed that it was Fiona Gavan, whom he hadn't seen since she was barely five years old.

As the wine was placed in front of him, Szorvyr glanced at the servant, then returned his attention to Theryne.

“I will get to the point,” she said once the young girl had vanished. “I am sure you are aware of the speak of rebellion, and while the other nobles sit and wait hoping that everything will resolve itself, I am not so naïve.”

Naïve enough to turn your back to me. Szorvyr thought, his expression impassive. Of course, he had no desire to cause Theryne harm. It was simply something deeply engrained into Szorvyr's thoughts from two and a half centuries' worth of watching his back.

He waited as Theryne swallowed her wine(ignoring his own goblet).

“I fear for the kingdom in the times that lie ahead,” she said softly as the tips of her fingers grazed the rim of the goblet. “Which is why I have chosen to seek your council. What say you?”

Szorvyr shifted position slightly in the chair, choosing his words. Well, the first few, anyway.

"I believe that the servants here are too pampered." Szorvyr said flatly. "They are allowed freedoms which they should not have, and thus are given the opportunity to foster ideas of an uprising in their minds. I am not saying that this rebellion of theirs is foolish. There is still the lower class who sympathizes with them, and many of the middle class I'm sure."

He paused for a moment here. He had more thoughts on this matter of course, but he would allow Theryne to guide the course of the conversation.

[Theryne Gavan]

She listened carefully as he gave her his opinion on what was wrong with the current state of things. “I do agree with you on some point,” she said after a moment’s worth of thought. “But at the same time humans are very different from your kind and cruelty and physical abuse would have just inspired the same talk of rebellion. Perhaps even sooner than now.”

Theryne took another slow sip, allowing the cool liquid to part her lips and slide down her throat. “But for the moment, it does not matter how or why talk of rebellion has come about,” she continued once she had replaced the goblet. “What matters now is how we can stop it from continuing.”

To be honest, Theryne really wasn’t interested in preserving life for the rest of her nobles. The only lives she had concern for were her own and those of her family. However, she wasn’t ignorant enough to believe that she could save one without the other. No royal family could maintain their power without others below them. So she just considered them stepping-stones.

Her gaze carefully caressed the hard lines of his face as she searched for some sort of insight as to what was going through the Drow’s head. “I think it would be best to handle the issue as quickly and quietly as possible. What do you think?”

[Szorvyr Rilynund]

“I do agree with you on some point,” she said after a moment’s worth of thought. “But at the same time humans are very different from your kind and cruelty and physical abuse would have just inspired the same talk of rebellion. Perhaps even sooner than now.”

Szorvyr did not feel the need to enlighten Theryne to the fact that half the slaves in the Borvech caves were human. No, Szorvyr certainly knew ways to keep them from hoping for freedom. However, Szorvyr did know that humans were a diverse bunch, moreso than the Drow tended to be; and when humans disagreed on issues of morals, here tended to be battles. Drow society worked as well as it did because everyone was of like mind.

“But for the moment, it does not matter how or why talk of rebellion has come about,” she continued once she had replaced the goblet. “What matters now is how we can stop it from continuing.”

In this, Szorvyr agreed with Theryne. Right now, the cause didn't matter nearly as much as the possible rebellion itself. Certainly it would be prudent to eliminate the cause of this talk, but for now preventing the continuation of such talk was more important.

Her gaze carefully caressed the hard lines of his face as she searched for some sort of insight as to what was going through the Drow’s head. “I think it would be best to handle the issue as quickly and quietly as possible. What do you think?”

Szorvyr's eyes had strayed off to the side slightly as he thought. His expression was as unfathomable as ever, but it was apparent that he was pondering what Theryne had said.

At length, he looked up - and caught Theryne's eyes on him. After a brief narrowing of his own eyes, he responded.

"That depends on the nature of this rebellion of theirs." Szorvyr replied. "Sometimes it is best to make an example of would-be rebels, rather than allow them to think that they could try it again." He paused for a moment here. "I think that more information needs to be found about how they plan to go about the rebellion before we take any direct action against it."

[Fiona Gavan]

It had been a few days sense her talk with Aurin and his friend in the garden. She had not seen one trace of her mother at all, a servant told her that the queen was not to bothered. A gradual curiosity began to form in the back of her mind, what was her mother secluding herself off for? She had over heard some of the servants talking about a visitor coming to see the queen, her mother had sent for a family friend.

She walked down the hall trying to place everything she had recently learned in the last few days; perhaps she would speak to her brother about it. A family friend seemed to plague her mind with a blank, did her mother have a friend outside this city. She shook her head and descended down the stairs with a graceful posture, running a hand down the rail as she went.

Her eyes locked on to a few servants attending to their walk in the great hall, she strolled over to them with a soft smile plastered on her lips, “Pardon me for interrupting but have any of you seen my mother?” They looked up from their duties glancing towards her before one stepped forward, “She has gone to her private study with her quest princess.” She nodded her thanks to them before heading off in the direction of the study.

She arrived at the study shortly after talking with the servants; her mother was known to spend a lot of time in this room. She raised a hand preparing to knock but stopped short, the queen would not be pleased for the interruption. Perhaps she would try and listen to the conversation from out here, hopefully her eaves dropping dose not angar her mother. She slid down the wall silently tuning out all noise accept for the faint voices of her mother and her guest.

[Theryne Gavan]

“I agree,” she answered coolly. “There’s no need to rush into things without first knowing whom we are dealing with.” Just the thought of someone being foolish enough to challenge the court made her blood boil, but she was doing an exceptional job of keeping her anger contained underneath the surface.

She allowed silence to linger in the air as she lost herself in thought, her mind churning as it considered various possibilities and solutions. “We need to act soon,” she finally said as her gaze looked up to lock with his. “We have already waited too long and I fear that if we allow anymore time to pass the situation will spiral out of control and we will have no way of stopping it.”

Theryne leaned back into her chair as she brought a hand to her chin. “I need your assistance on this,” she said softly. “My father trusted you in the beginning and through your proven alliance to my family, I grant you my trust as well. Will you honor it as well as my request for assistance?”

[Szorvyr Rilynund]

“We need to act soon,” she finally said as her gaze looked up to lock with his. “We have already waited too long and I fear that if we allow anymore time to pass the situation will spiral out of control and we will have no way of stopping it.”

Szorvyr nodded very slightly, his eyes not straying for an instant from Theryne's face. He half took in a breath to speak, but sensed that she had something more to say. He could tell by her expression. Szorvyr held his peace for the time being.

“I need your assistance on this,” she said softly. “My father trusted you in the beginning and through your proven alliance to my family, I grant you my trust as well. Will you honor it as well as my request for assistance?”

Szorvyr paused a moment, giving such a question the thought it deserved. Accepting Theryne's trust was one thing. However, on the surface world, he'd learned, accepting the trust of another meant giving them some measure of trust as well. Szorvyr, ever-suspicious, hesitated momentarily at such a pact, but he was confident that he knew Theryne and her family enough that his trust(or at least a portion of it) could be given without any fear of repercussions from the royal family.

The Drow nodded once, pausing a moment and allowing silence to fall over the room. He thought he'd heard movement outside in the hall. When the sound did not return or duplicate itself, Szorvyr assumed that it was a servant passing by. "My services are yours, should you require them." he said at length. "I assume that the same can be asked of you."

[Fiona Gavan]

Fiona listened quietly to the conversation that went on, it was hard to hear but she did catch a few of their words. Her mother spoke of taking some kind of action against some kind of situation, what happened while she was gone? Perhaps Gavan was in worse trouble then she had originally thought, that would explain as to why she was ordered to come home so soon. Perhaps they feared that something tragic might happen to her while she was away.

She stood up staring at the door, so the visitor was a friend of her grandfather. Her mother had never spoken of this individual before or at least she couldn't remember anyone. She heard the voice of her mother’s guest but could not hear it clear enough to perhaps place a face with it.

She knew the action was unlady like but regardless she squatted down placing a hand and her ear to the door trying to hear more of their conversation. Apparently her mother had not closed the door all the way because the door slid away causing her to tumble into the room. She stood up smoothing out her dress and lowered her head politely to her mother. She was in alot of trouble now, her mother was not going to be too happy that her only daughter was eavesdropping.

"My apologies Mother" she could only muster out those few words for the moment. She kept her head lowered not daring to raise her eyes in till given consent.

[Theryne Gavan]

The Queen was pleased when her guest accepted her proposal and a faint smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. She really had not doubted that he would be of assistance to her, but was slightly relieved nonetheless. “Of course I—“ Her words were cut short just as the door to her study opened with her daughter tumbling in right after it.

"My apologies Mother." Her hazel eyes flashed something fierce as the princess stood and fumbled with her words. Her ‘accidental’ entrance could only mean that she had been lingering outside of the door and attempting to listen in on her mother’s private conversation. Well that was simply unacceptable.

“And what would you be apologizing for Fiona?” she asked with ice dripping from her words. “For interrupting me or for being caught during your eavesdropping? Hmm?” The line of her jaw went tight as she watched the girl. “Look at me when I speak to you,” she practically hissed. If there was one thing the Queen loathed more than anything, it was having someone interrupt her business.

“You will have to excuse my daughter’s rudeness,” she said as she glanced to the drow. “She often forgets her place…”

[Szorvyr Rilynund]

“Of course I—“

Szorvyr had been expecting an affirmative answer, but Queen Theryne never got the chance to finish that sentence. Just before she began speaking, Szorvyr's keen hearing caught a quiet sound just outside the door. A rustling noise. He looked towards the door as Theryne began speaking, and sure enough, the door began to swing open. Expecting someone standing up, Szorvyr's hand reflexively tightened into a fist. He had brought no weapons within easy reach, else he would have had his hand on the hilt instead.

His surprise was complete when a young girl tumbled unceremoniously into the room. He was quick to replace his usual stern expression, but kept his silver-eyed glare on the young woman. He recognized her, both from the bust he'd seen in the hall and the painting on the wall. Fiona, if he remembered correctly. Last he'd heard, she was away from the kingdom. He should have heard rumors if she was coming back... Perhaps he had been less in touch than he thought.

"My apologies Mother."

Szorvyr raised an eyebrow slightly, looking over at Theryne, interested to see her response. Unsurprisingly, the firey queen was fuming. The drow allowed himself a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth at that, but no more.

“And what would you be apologizing for Fiona?” she asked with ice dripping from her words. “For interrupting me or for being caught during your eavesdropping? Hmm?” The line of her jaw went tight as she watched the girl. “Look at me when I speak to you.”

The girl didn't exactly seem ashamed, but she wasn't defiant either. Hardly surpriding, really. Szorvyr knew very few people who would or could stand up to Theryne Gavan for very long.

“You will have to excuse my daughter’s rudeness,” she said as she glanced to the drow. “She often forgets her place…”

"Apparently." Was the only response from the stern drow. His eyes remained on the girl before him, his expression once again hiding any and all of his thoughts. Actually, Szorvyr was interested to see if the girl had any kind of explanation or defense for listening at the door. He didn't appreciate nosy people - anyone found eavesdropping in his own home would probably be killed - but this was a rather different situation than he would normally enter.

ooc| Pardon the crap-tastic post. x_X