Reboot: Veiled Chaos

Sera gulped as the woman adjusted her dress, and drew attention to it. It was indeed much too short, revealing much of the woman's shapely legs, and the neckline of the dress plunged rather deep. Sera turned her head, hoping her blush wasnt too obvious.

"Ah....I cant help but notice that ring on your finger...Are you perhaps married, my lady?" She asked. "If so, is your husband Aldric Von Claus? He arrived here some time ago, and has been looking for you."

Elysia's face lite up in delight, "Aldric is alive and well!? how wonderful oh please Mi'lady take me too him!" she said which such eager and energy that she drew Sera into a hug with Darkmin sure to emphasis Elysia's generous figure against Sera's. "Oh please Mi'lady, I am indeed married to Aldric, he is looking for me? Pray tell how wonderful!" cheer and joy flushed through Elysia's face and she smiled radiantly as she used to.

Sera's blush deepened further as Elysia embraced her. She could feel the other woman's breasts even through her armor. "I'll send guards to search the city for your husband, my lady. But for now, please rest here. You've had a long journey." she said. "My apologies again, but what is your name?"

Elysia looked up deep into Sera's eyes, "My name mi'lady?" blinking slowly she pulled her lips into a small charming smile emphasizing her dimples. Already Darkmin could tell Sera was enjoying this form thoroughly. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me,| Elysia continued "and what you are offering for me." slowly and deliberately pulling away from Sera she walked over to the cot the healer had laid her on before, "Might I .. perhaps ask you for some night clothes Mi'lady? Oh, and my name." Elysia turned to face her fully staring deep into Sera with her crystalline eyes, "Is Elysia."

"Elysia."

Sera stared, captivated. This woman was truly beautiful. If she was anything like her sister, she would take what she wanted. She would have Elysia, her husband be damned. But she tried hard not to be too much like Haedria. The peasants in the city were already terrified of her, it wouldnt do to give them more to fear.

"A change of clothes, of course." Sera signaled to a servant, who scurried off to find clothes that would fit Elysia's frame. "I only wish you well, after what you have endured to come here, Elysia."

"Endured," Elysia looked off to the side, "Yes, I have endured much." It had been a long journey here to Sagna travelling blindly through the forests of Gentri, and remembering it made Darkmin's mind drift back further. All the plotting and the planning, the backstabs and betrayals, the wolves and training them, teaching them. It had been good times, thrilling and adventurous like a Gentri Epic gone horribly wrong. Of course, neither Darkmin nor Elysia were in Gentri right now. "Oh, I'm sorry mi'lady I ... must have spaced out, I'm terribly sorry. Oh dear I don't even know your name I'm sorry. Could ... could you please tell me? I'd like to know who to thank for my rescue." Elysia smiled and gave a curtsy, practiced frequently it was elegant but still, just a simple bending of the knees Darkmin thought.

Sera was about to answer, when the servant came back. She bore a gown of soft silk in her arms and shakily offered it to Elysia. The servant had gone pale and she shook with fright, as if she had seen a ghost.

"You address Princess Sera, the Knight Protector of this kingdom." came Haedria's cool, sweet tones. Sera looked, and the queen walked in, hands folded daintily in front of her, and a sly smirk on her face. "I am Queen Haedria, of Sagna. Now, my dear, I need to ask you a few questions."

Haedria approached Elysia, and Sera took a step back, standing at attention. She looked every bit a loyal knight and perfect guard to the queen, but still her eyes trailed to Elysia. Haedria continued.

"How did you come to our forest?"

Elysia bowed politely to Haedria and attempted to convey the sense that she was attempting to restrain a fear within her while in the Red Queen's presence. Though in reality it was more of a caution, it is true that Darkmin was in her power and that Haedria was known for her bloodthirst even in Gentri but the situation hadn't devolved yet. Elysia gave a look of shock, and awe at Sera, this alluring female was the princess? Of course Darkmin knew, but Elysia technically didn't. "Greetings your majesty, I apologize for speaking so frankly with you earlier!" Elysia sounded startled before bowing towards Haedria, "I would be glad to answer you questions your majesty, and may I thank you for the hospitality your kingdom has show me this far? But ah, oh yes the forest." Elysia paused, trying to remain composed, it had been a horrible pat couple of days, "Well I was escaping Gentri with my ... *sniff* daughter and Husband. However I became separated with him, and .. eventually her as well. The forest had the fewest foes between us and it. So my husband had figured it was our best shot at survival, and I had little reason to doubt him."

The servant shook visibly, looking to Elysia as the words kept tumbling out of her mouth and kept going. She glanced, very quickly, at the queen, before Sera took pity on the poor girl and signaled her to leave. The servant scurried away immediately, thankful to be out of the Red Sister's presence alive.

"You truly, truly, speak too much." Haedria remarked with a smile.
"Sister! Let the woman be, she's come a long way." Sera said, coming to Elysia's defense.
"I have no patience to suffer fools or to listen to the plights of peasants, as you well know, Sera."
"She just misses her husband and daughter. Her home has been destroyed."
"Precisely, Sera. Gentri has all but been destroyed. And why what? By whom? How do we know that whatever it was that ruined Gentri will not follow this woman here to Sagna?"

Haedria turned her gaze to Elysia, the look turning cold. "Give me one good reason why I should spare you."

Darkmin looked at the Queen with interest, was her statement a threat or a genuine question? He didn't rightly know how Haedria's mind worked, but to think that paltry amount of dialogue was too much for her to handle? How drool, perhaps he should speak simpler to her, regardless a change in tactics was require. Elysia turned slightly, briefly looking Haedria in the eyes trying to allure her with their depth, before shyly looking down, "Well your majesty, I doubt you know anything about what occurred in Gentri aside from, 'it was a disaster' ad that the nobility are in revolt. However, there was indeed a third unaffiliated force that slew the King and started this whole mess. Of course, you could try torturing me for such information," The air was becoming tense as Elysia played with fire, "however, I am of such a weak and pathetic constitution as surely anyone could see that such roughness might still my heart at perhaps even the sight of a malign instrument."

Haedria's smile faltered ever so slightly as her patience wore thin. Clearly this woman knew something, yet still declined to speak about what happened in Gentri.

"Pathetic, truly." The queen said. "I see what you're doing, Elysia. Your manipulations will not work on me. Tell me what you know of who slew the Gentri king or by the gods I will feed you to Sera's hounds myself." Haedria smiled again.

Elysia smiled, Haedria saw nothing truly of the depths of what was happening here. "Of course your majesty, while I didn't participate in the battle myself." Elysia began melodiously, "The King was slain in the forest by a being of great magical power, our sages felt the repercussions of their battle from the castle," Elysia gave Sera and sideward glance pouring her inner torment and turmoil into it. Raising her hand to her mouth slighlty, but not obstructing it she continued, "Our sages predict that it might be Lord Harkon, or as he is known by his moniker, 'The Witch-Hunter' a man said to be immune to magic of all malign varieties." Covering her mouth slightly feigning a yawn she mouthed to Sera, "Help"

Yawn aside Elysia continued, "Of course, he himself is not magical because of this but that's not to say he wouldn't have ready access to a plethora of magic users from his ages of hunting and imprisoning. There is another possibility though" Elysia said, perhaps a tad bored, "It could always be Theoleas your old friend, who knows." she shrugged.

Haedria listened relatively patiently as Elysia explained about this 'Lord Harkon'. She had never heard of him, despite her spy network reaching as far west as Aldoran, and across the sea to the desert lands of Kespia. A knight immune to magic? That would be troublesome indeed, should he cross into her kingdom. But the queen's mood spiraled rapidly downward once Elysia mentioned Theoleas. The feud between the boy king and the Red Sisters of Sagna was relatively well known, as well as never ending.

"Never mention that name in my presence." Haedria said coldly, her body tensing. The queen's mage markings began to glow softly, like still burning embers, and the temperature within the room began to steadily rise.

Beside the queen, Sera sighed. She gently placed a hand in the small of her sister's back and leaned closer to her. "Be calm, sister. For me?" she murmured, her lips lightly brushing the queen's pale neck.

Haedria turned her head towards Sera's, and took a deep breath. The markings still again, and the room stopped heating up. "As you wish... Do with her as you like." she said simply, and strode out from the room, leaving Sera alone with Elysia.

Elysia waited patiently until the Queen's steps were out of earshot, once those steps upon stone faded out of existence she let out a wearisome sigh. "Well perhaps I should of just told her I can dance, thank you ever so much for your assistance your majesty, you are a noble soul and I thank you for it." Though serious, Elysia's demeanor changed instantly to summery and cheerful, "Well at least the room is warmer is it not? Castles while lovely do suffer from cold drafts from time to time," and with a light-hearted giggle Elysia twirled slightly in place letting her dress billow out seemingly immune to the terror from earlier.

Sera watched Elysia with an amused smile on her face. "You truly are a strange woman. Have you no fear?" she said, sitting on Elysia's cot. "My sister could set you alight with a thought, and you yawn in her face."

Haedria fumed as she strode back to her study. She kept her magic in check and she took a detour, going through the garden instead of around it. Servants and guards caught sight of the way Haedria's jaw was set as if in stone, and her determined, straight walk as if nothing dare stand in her way. That woman was nothing more than an insolent little bug, she thought. But she had gained Sera's favor by simply being a maiden in distress. Sera was a romantic at heart, noble and altruistic, pure in all the ways Haedria was not.

The queen flung open the doors of her study, and slammed them closed behind her.

Elysia turned and sat down next to Sera, maintaining her large pure smile. "Well your majesty, I suppose I'm just rather tired, but my intention was to have a reason for my hand to be by my face so I could signal you for assistance." With a small embarrassed giggle she sighed, "Well I suppose I should be more afraid of your sister but, I." pausing momentarily she looked contemplative, " I guess I just can't be that afraid of her."

Sera's brow furrowed in concern and confusion. "Why not? Surely you've heard tales of the Witch of Blood as far away as Gentri. She doesnt care for you, at all." her gaze dropped to her hands, clad in leather gloves with no fingers. "I suppose if I didnt stop her, you would be dead right now."

"I have heard tales of her in Gentri, of her well ... abilities and disposition. However, she wasn't all that scary in person." Elysia turned her head downward becoming perhaps more sullen and sad, "and because of my fearlessness you had to save me, I ... I'm sorry your majesty." but with that phrase out of her mouth Elysia snapped upwards and with a snap of her fingers turned to Sera and placed hands in hands and exclaimed, "I must have known deep in my heart that you would save me!"

"I....What?" Sera stammered, taken aback. She looked from Elysia's hands, placed confidently in her's, then to Elysia's face. "But my lady, you've only met me today. And I'm the queen's sister. The one that beheads people at her request." Sera refused to accept that this woman could rely on her to save her, especially if the queen gave the order.

"Hmm" Elysia became puzzled looking, "Well I'm not sure then, I just had a feeling. Oh my apologizes Mi'lady!" Elysia took her hands from Sera, " My apologizes, I ... ah something must be wrong with me!" Elysia placed her hands into her face. What the hell was wrong? Darkmin was just so flustered and frustrated! What was happening!? " I uh, oh dear something must be affecting me, either exhaustion, or some malign curse of virtue."

"Perhaps you should rest, my lady." Sera said gently, standing, and signalling to a servant. "I'll have the guards search the city for your husband and daughter. I'll have them brought here once they are found. You are my guest, and no hard will come to you."

A servant hurried forward, bowing before Sera. "Tell her if you need anything. I'll be back tomorrow to check on you. If that is alright." she added hastily.

Looking at Sera, radiant, kind, beautiful, Elysia felt herself burning slightly at the cheeks. "Thank you your majesty. I will change now and perhaps go to sleep. Oh and Your Majesty," Elysia stood and placed her hands at her sides, "I .. umm I am a great dancer as well if you would perhaps like to see me dance sometime I would be glad to show you sometime." Elysia smiled cheerfully.

Sera was about to turn away, but she paused. The princess smiled, with a curious twinkle in her eye. "Really? I would very much like to see you dance, one day. But for now, please rest. I'll see you tomorrow." With a slight bow, Sera turned and left the room.

Elysia smiled and watched as Sera left. The princess' interest in the unfortunate Gentri noble was obvious and delightfully according to plan. Now Darkmin needed to creep his influences into the castle further and further while waiting for his wolves to return for that he could ruin Sagna from the inside and the outside. Of course that meant having to survive Haedria's wrath at every turn and Sera would not always be there to protect her.
It meant he would have to swallow his pride a bit perhaps.

Turning cheerfully to the servant girl she examined her mannerisms. How closely was she watching her? Maid servants were a favourite tactic of Darkmin's back in Gentri and he was not so prideful as to believe nobody could come up with a sneaky plan like that, especially when it was so basic, "Might I have your name?" Elysia tried to speak calmly, she wanted to create a distinct aura of comfort that she was sure was not present around the Red Sisters. "I am Lady Elysia Von Claus," she said with a small curtsy.

The maid's head snapped up, rather startled that she was being addressed. Or asked a question. Or looked at. The maid smiled warmly, but shook her head and tried to motion that she cannot speak. Her tongue had been cut out. But she took a step closer to Elysia, hoping to be of service in any other way.