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letterstosestrilles · 6 years

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Dear Tyko,

Yes, I did get your letter asking how the party went. No, I am not murdered, in jail, or eloped with an aristocrat (though I have certainly spent a few nights away from the Court of Flowers this week). Thank you for telling me about the navigation system I asked about in my last, I've got more technical questions but they can wait for later, because this is already going to be a hell of a letter. You may want to carve out some time and have some tea and a seat before you read this one.

(I'm fine. It's just that a whole lot has happened over the past week.)

I may as well begin with the party, or rather with what happened just before we left for it, which is that Hagi pulled me aside and told me quietly that they thought they had the papers we needed to prove fraud and corruption in Pika's case, but that they were still confirming so didn't feel comfortable telling Pika quite yet. Since telling Pika would have led to her abandoning the party in favor of murder, I kept my counsel (though I did later tell Maliah, to prepare her in case of consequences). The guilt from that, and the tension of it, carried over as we went to the household.

Our hostess was Tokva Zahin, head of House Zahin (and if that name is tickling your memory, it's because Brennu Zahin was among those implicated in the boxes of papers we got—you'll hear plenty about that later), another first-rank household in the city. The house was just as gorgeous as all the other aristocratic homes we've had occasion to visit in the city, with plenty of gardens, spots set up for semi-private conversation (or “conversation”), and a definite, if subtle, security presence.

We were shown into the large room where the party was happening, where forty or so people had already arrived and were milling around in a riot of brightly-colored clothes gorgeous enough to make Tiriel weep. Everyone was dressed to be seen, and everyone seemed more than willing to see as well. Some were dancing, the basic steps we learned from Daisy last week, while plenty of others were talking. There were a few bards providing the music, posted around the room—I recognized Amsula, who I met at Hanamra Serata's party when I first arrived in Mashoy, among them.

Across the room, I saw Bird-of-Paradise, who I never did actually get to talk to at the party, and another person or two who looked vaguely familiar from the Court of Flowers, but my attention was caught by the other people I knew at the party: Hurin and Surya Fesdi, who were talking to a gorgeously-dressed human woman and a tiefling man who we were later introduced to as Tigertail of the Court of Flowers. I put myself near their conversation, flanked by Maliah and Pika, and when they acknowledged us, Hurin Fesdi presented us to our hostess, Tokva Zahin, who was of course very polite in welcoming us.

Once we'd had that welcome, we retired to the side of the room, where Pika pointed out who was there: the heads of all the first-rank households (including Zilvrae Gisha, an older gentleman, stately but perpetually exhausted from what I can tell, and Pai Adnal, who I still know little about), and representatives from several others, to start, including the new head of House Ekett, members of House Talai, and the head of House Dehi, much to our nerves, with two other representatives as well. On top of that, numerous members of the Court of Flowers and three members of the king's council made the company one where—well, I wouldn't say it then, but I'm happy enough to admit to you that I felt outclassed.

Maliah seemed overwhelmed as well, but luckily, our hostess seemed to want to do Lady Daffodil and her apprentice an honor, so she sent over her youngest son, Eusis, to ask Maliah to dance, which she seemed to do well enough at, after looking very nervous for a little while.

While she was dancing, I took a circuit around the room—the first person I saw was a young elvish bard just coming off shift, and I knew it wouldn't do much for my political standing, but I know post-performance nervousness well, so I went and gave him a greeting and told him he'd done well, and he introduced himself as Davena. We talked a bit about his lyre and my gloves, and I let him go get himself a drink and moved on.

I was, more than anything else, looking for Brennu Zahin, though I hadn't been able to find a good picture of him. He's not too closely related to Tokva (some degree of cousin, you know genealogy isn't exactly a hobby of mine for obvious reasons), but he's a part of the main family, so I expected him to be there, and found three candidates to keep my eye on. One was near the dance floor, so I went to stand near him in hopes of being asked for a dance—which I was, but not by him. Instead, a middle-aged human man, no one I knew, offered to dance with me, and I wasn't going to be rude and say no. Besides, I enjoy dancing.

Well, I didn't with him. Even before he introduced himself as Sherin Dehi, my hackles were up. He was full of a sort of charming condescension, the lord bestowing his company on the poor uneducated adventurer for the space of a dance. I do admit, in grudging fairness to him, that I was playing the fool deliberately, once I realized he was not only a Dehi but a Dehi implicated in our boxes of papers, but regardless, he's a very unpleasant man indeed, and when I asked too many questions said that Lady Daffodil obviously had neglected her duties orienting me to the city.

(And it's not that Pika spent a great deal of time preparing us, but still. We're the only ones allowed to do anything like insult her, as far as I'm concerned.)

Once our dance was over, he went to speak to someone who I assumed (correctly, I later learned) was another member of his family, and I washed my hands of him and retired to the edge of the floor, where I tried to get eyes on the three men I thought might be Brennu Zahin. And I'm not going to say what each of them were doing, only the one that I soon learned for sure was Brennu—he was having what looked like a very fraught conversation with Eusis, Tokva's son, and I couldn't resist walking by them to see what I could pick up eavesdropping.

The eavesdropping confirmed to me almost immediately that it was indeed Brennu, and gave me more to think about besides—Eusis was asking what was going on with him, and saying he hadn't been himself lately, spending time with people he doesn't even like. Brennu was dismissive, saying he could take care of himself, and I drifted out of range but very soon after he was out on the dance floor with Lochti Glassweave, a druid on the king's council who seems formidable and who has gorgeous taste in hair ornamentation.

When that dance was done, he seemed to want to head towards the door, but he got caught by Tokva. I was looking at the door, though, and saw a few people slip out, and not long after, Maliah following, so I prepared myself to follow—only to be caught by a young man, Siva Ekett, head of the House, who said he'd heard I was a bard and asked me to play. I consented, said all the polite things, and professed that my companion Nora had twisted her ankle on the dance floor and said I'd be happy to perform once I'd checked on her.

I didn't sneak out to the garden, because there's nothing less obvious than sneaking, around that many people, and sent a Message to Maliah figuring out where she was—a little ways into the garden, eavesdropping on a conversation between Sherin Dehi and a half-elven woman who Maliah had been keeping an eye on, an assistant to the head of an anti-progressive movement of artisans, the Bronze Gauntlet. She didn't quite catch as much as she liked, but between the two of us, we pieced together a few things: that they were planning something and thought it might be their only chance, that the woman was willing to do it—take care of it, as she said. Nothing too alarming unless, like us, you were already on alert.

We got out of their way in plenty of time to not seem overly suspicious, and Dehi was solicitous of Maliah's supposedly-injured ankle, but I managed to get him sent off, and Maliah and I made our way inside. I got a look at Dehi, who was once again talking to his sibling, Orzin, as Pika soon told us, with murder in her eyes.

Siva Ekket and Tokva Zahin intercepted me before I could see much more, and introduced me to the other bards so we could figure out what I should do, since I don't exactly know much Mashoy dance music. Amsula recommended something traditional, or a space ballad, and I remembered the “Song of the Spacefarer's Daughter,” which I learned from Tohiye on Iriossis, and we tacked together an arrangement on the fly.

Performing it was—well, a bit nerve-wracking, playing for aristocrats is a bit different from jamming or striking a few chords in a battle. On top of that, there were certainly a few places where it definitely seemed obvious, to me anyway, that it was a hasty arrangement, unpracticed, but the audience seemed happy enough to clap and thank me when it was done.

I took the congratulations and kindness that people gave me and left my gloves on so I could flip the switch for recording if I needed to do so quickly before retreating to the side of things again. Brennu was speaking to Orzin Dehi and another young woman whose name I never managed to catch. I was feeling restless by then, and worried that whatever move the conspirators were making, they planned to make it at the party. I did my best to search for the hint of magic that might give away something explosive, or otherwise dangerous, and found something else instead—just a hint of sourness, the sense of a lingering unpleasant enchantment, but nothing more, nothing I could follow to its source.

The three of us retired to a couch, and out of the crowd came Zilvrae Gisha, intent on speaking to us. First, he congratulated me on my performance, but his real reason for approaching became clear seconds later, when Yamuna Gisha arrived on a hoverchair, looking beautifully put together and much recovered from her ordeal (and what I wouldn't give for a good look at that hoverchair, it's a few gens ahead from what Sorial had on the Promise). She didn't call us by the wrong names, so at least we got past that hurdle, but I should have kept out a much better eye for her, once I knew Lord Gisha was at the party. Anyway, they both said how grateful they were, and offered us a favor should we ever need one, and invited us to their estate some night before we left the city.

When they left, I caught sight of Brennu and Orzin leaving the room, and I went after them, leaving Maliah in case we needed rescue. Pika came with me, and I put myself near the door, because they were just outside it, to listen, turning my gloves on to record as I went, which I'm now very grateful for. Orzin asked if Brennu still had something tucked away, and Brennu said that of course he did, and then asked if there was something happening he should know about, and if they'd had anything to do with the other day. Orzin dismissed it, some lukewarm reassurance, and there was something in the words, another prickle that could have been magic and could have just been uneasiness.

Before I could figure it out, Pika had hauled me out of the way of the door, claiming I'd nearly swooned after all the heat and excitement, and Orzin Dehi came back inside. Pika said that she'd felt something like magic too, and that made me more than a bit concerned about Brennu Zahin, especially when he was almost immediately found by his cousin Eusis, who seemed even more worried this time.

We needed hard proof. We needed something. And as best I could tell, Brennu Zahin was a weak spot in the conspiracy, maybe even an enchanted one. So I spent a bit of time dawdling as he finished his conversation with Eusis, and when Eusis left, I didn't wait long before going over to him, saying that if he'd forgive me, he looked tired, and offering him a drink, which he wisely checked for poison. I offered an ear if he needed one, not expecting him to take the offer but still disappointed when he brushed it off with a perfect aristocratic facade.

So I tried something I'd never had chance to try before, a bardish trick to disrupt magic that effects the mind, and said I hoped he could get some rest with a push behind it. Somehow, it did the trick—he blinked a few times, opened and closed his mouth, and seemed to have the fine manners shocked right out of him. Eventually, he pointed at a nearby door, and I followed him, trusting that Maliah or Pika would be available if I needed backup, and went up to his room, where he pulled a folder out of somewhere and asked, with wise suspicion, if he could trust me.

I can't even remember what I said, but it was enough to convince him, and he shoved the folder at me and told me not to open it until I was away from his house and somewhere private, so I shoved it in the thankfully-deep pocket of my dress. Before I could ask if there was anything I could do for him, he asked me to punch him in the face, which was, you might imagine, more than a bit of a surprise.

By that time, my countercharm was fading, and he was having trouble saying what he'd like to, but he managed to make me realize that of course he wanted some obvious sign of violence, so he'd be in less danger if the conspirators realized he no longer had the folder. It was best if it seemed wrested from his hands. So I asked him to sit down, mostly so I could actually reach his face, and partly because if I actually knocked him over I didn't want him to hit the floor and get a concussion, and I punched him.

It has nothing on one of Pika's, but he wasn't exactly armored, or dodging. He didn't flinch when I punched him, but he did rock back in his chair. I apologized and asked if I could send anyone—he asked for his cousin, which I assumed meant Eusis, and I assured him I would send him up and got out of there. Maliah met me halfway up the stairs, and there was a lot of confusion, especially when she noticed my somewhat bruised knuckles. I told her we needed to get out of there, and we went down, collected Pika, and went to wish Eusis Zahin a good night.

While I had him there, I took him aside and told him to go to his cousin and get someone to cast Dispell Magic on him as fast as it could be managed, which obviously shocked and concerned him, but he seemed willing to believe me, and on that note, we left the party, and walked back to the Court of Flowers.

I almost immediately opened the folder, which was sobering indeed: some papers were blackmail, from what I could tell not yet used but ready to be if necessary, on members of several families we never interacted with much. Then there was a contract, probably scheduled to be destroyed, for an agent of House Talai, suborned by the conspirators, to kill Itamu Nadit. Then detailed schedules for Itamu Nadit, enough to show just how they managed to almost kill him. And, on top of it, it seemed they didn't intend to stop with the heir to the throne. They wanted a change of government, and weren't willing to wait for it.

It was late. They hadn't moved at the party. Instead of rousting anyone out of bed, I sent an urgent message to Thistle and Hagi saying we wanted to speak to them as soon as they woke up. That done, I told Pika about the papers, and she disappeared—apparently to stand over Hagi for the night scowling fiercely, from what I can tell.

In the morning, Thistle and Hagi were at our door early, looking worried, and I handed them the folder and summarized as they looked more alarmed by the second. After a few questions, Hagi excused themself to make a few calls and we discussed what we should do next, since it was clear information had to get to the king. In the end, we settled on contacting Zilvrae Gisha to ask for an introduction, since he has a lot of political clout and respect in the city.

We discussed the situation while we waited for him to reply—generally, we knew that Roohi's reforms made many powerful people angry, but I don't think I'd realized the extent that kings have been puppets of the aristocracy in the past. (And of course they have, they were trained as mechanics.) The conspiracy almost certainly wanted someone more pliable on the throne, and since Itamu Nadit didn't seem likely to fill that need, they decided to get him out of the way.

I put some news alerts on my ICD in case anything went wrong while we were waiting, and soon enough Hagi came back, with the news that Hanamra Serata was getting together all the materials we've been collecting and writing a letter of endorsement for us. Zilvrae Gisha invited us to his house soon after, and off we went, evidence in hand.

He met us with Yamuna and with his heir, Gerla, and as soon as she realized how urgent things were, Yamuna excused herself. We were taken to a study and laid out our facts as quickly and convincingly as we could. And Zilvrae Gisha—he's obviously jaded to say the least about the political scene in Mashoy, tired of all of it and unsurprised about anything that might come to light—seemed shocked, waved Gerla off to contact the Zahins to confirm that part of our story, and asked us to wait while he got in touch with the palace, once we confirmed that we wanted an introduction, not just to hand off the information.

We fretted for about half an hour before he came to say that we were to go to the palace, with him there to speak for us, so we went up another ring, into the second-highest in the city (the highest being where a lot of the technological controls are), where the palace is, and most of the governmental buildings. It's gorgeous, all stone and metalwork more delicate than any I've ever seen—just as fancy as the noble houses, but in a very different way. Theirs are all ornamentation, ostentatious imported wood and plants to make it obvious what a fortune they're spending (and, in fairness, to create some incredible beauty), but the palace is pretty in a very local way, in ways more like you'd see walking through the somewhat lower rings of the city, only much finer work and on a much larger scale.

We were shown past several guards to a small study—the king's own, we soon learned, because he was there behind a desk when we arrived, tired and sharp and much more plainly-dressed than everyone we'd seen the night before. Zilvrae Gisha introduced us, and I started by handing over the folder, which seemed the most urgent, and then when he asked for other evidence, I brought out what we had, mentioned Belpha's Edict, and generally told him as much as I could in a relatively short amount of time.

He trusted us, or more likely our evidence, and gave me a piece of paper and told me to write down everyone who knew about any of it. I did my best to make it clear who we thought was part of the conspiracy, who knew because of our dealings with Belpha's edict, and who knew about the assassination and who about the corruption, and hesitated at the end, wondering how to put ourselves on the list, when the slightest bit of checking our backgrounds would blow our covers. In the end, I told him that we've been traveling under assumed names and asked if he wanted the names people know us by or our own, and he said that the assumed ones would be well enough, so I wrote those down.

He called for his council, the heads of houses, and many of those named on the list, and asked us to wait.

It was an hour, all of us growing increasingly anxious, before we were called into the council chamber, where the whole council, the heads of the four first-rank houses, and the king (this time wearing his crown), were waiting.

He said that we'd come forward with evidence and that Zilvrae Gisha endorsed us (and mentioned us killing the dragon, which did make us seem more credible even if it made me blush), and asked if anyone would second the endorsement. Hurin Fesdi did so without hesitation, explaining his house's part in the matter.

Tokva Zahin spoke about Brennu next—he was still getting medical and arcane help to get rid of any lasting effects, but it seems he was given an enchanted item that was keeping him silent and probably pliant, and hopefully will be kindly treated by the court as a result.

Next, Fusaha Qasri and Mennefi Dehi, head of the house, were called in. Fusaha spoke first, about what she knew and what actions she took. Dehi said, stiffly, that he hoped that if his heir had truly done what they were accused of, and Sherin as well, that they would confess it all, and the four members of those noble families were called in.

It was exhausting, listening to the testimony as it went on and on, much of it under a Zone of Truth provided by one of the king's council members. The Qasris didn't seem to know much about the assassination, just about the documents. Paha seemed somewhat bewildered and like he stumbled on it half by accident (and did solve the mystery of the dwarven woman—she's an adventurer, it seems), and Nadrine admitted to an active role in the forging and planning. The Dehis—well, my charming erstwhile dance partner crumbled fairly easily, but Orzin was calm and collected and utterly soulless. They said that—well, that everyone in the aristocracy needed favors sometimes, that everyone had secrets, and that with the reforms, it was all even more imperative. If those favors came out in their family's favor, well. So much the better.

King Roohi was about as impressed with that load of horse shit as I was, and sent them away to await, I presume, further trial and sentencing. A lawyer on the council was asked to look in more details at the papers we provided (though, I forgot to say, Hanamra Serata gave her own detailed analysis midway through the day), and agreed. It seems the papers span decades, from long before Roohi took the throne, but they're a sign of just how deeply ingrained the corruption in the city is.

Following that, they called in the red-headed elven woman, Yunna Burningsand, for her testimony. She gave it with resentment, discontented like the other conspirators with the rapid changes Roohi has imposed on the city. When she was nearly done, I saw her move, saw a knife in her hand, and had my hand up to do something about it (what I don't know, most spells I have that would damage her would have also given an impressive earache to the honorable council members), but Lochti Glassweave, the druid, was faster to draw than I was, and had her wrapped up in vines in instants.

When she was carted out and everyone had calmed down a little, attention turned back to us, and Roohi asked what he could do to repay us. And Pika spoke up, to Maliah's and my very great shock, and said she wanted her son back—and she took off her veils and the amulet of disguise all at once. Roohi didn't seem surprised, though others in the room were a little, and called her Lady Dahlia, and proceeded to acknowledge Maliah and me by our real names as well, which was both a relief and a little embarrassing (though I think Snapdragon had a hand in that, or at least hope she did—for the sake of Tace's professional dignity, if for no other reason). Pika pled her case, and Roohi called someone in—Bird-of-Paradise, arriving with a smile and the papers Hagi told me about before the party.

Roohi looked them over, and then the lawyer, and both agreed that there was grievous miscarriage of justice. And right there, Pika got what she's been longing for: her banishment has been lifted, and she has custody of her son again, though there are still details to work out about whether Dehi will have any custody at all. The Dehi family is going to make a trust for him, and on top of that, the king was—terrifyingly generous, honestly, I don't know what to do with money. Am I supposed to make investments? I barely know what those are.

The whole day (and it took the whole day) had left us dazed and exhausted, so once we were rewarded, we returned to the Court of Flowers and Maliah and I went to bed right away, though Pika was so enervated at the thought of seeing her son again that I think she spent the whole night with Bird-of-Paradise fretting them to exhaustion.

Maliah and I got up early this morning, to wait outside her door, because Kikun was going to be returned to her and we didn't want to miss it, even if we were nosy. We were all brought to the conservatory where Snapdragon first met us when we arrived at the Court of Flowers, and soon after, Kazuha, Kikun's nurse, arrived, with a little boy on her heels (well, I say little—his human blood means he's taller than me, and even a bit taller than Pika). Pika practically flew across the room, though for once I don't think she teleported, and took him in her arms.

After a little while, it seemed fairly obvious that she wasn't going to let him go (and I can't blame her!), so Maliah and I withdrew.

I went to visit Midat, and she was happy to see me. I gave her a brief explanation of everything that happened over the past few days, and when she'd processed that, told the even briefer version of everything that's happened with Pika and why I was traveling under an assumed name, and what the real one is. She didn't seem surprised, because I can't say I'm very good at lying and she knew Lady Daffodil well enough to know she was acting out of character, and she was quick to forgive, and even to disclaim the need for forgiveness.

It was the middle of her work day—or, really, early in it—so she asked me to dinner, which I was more than pleased to accept. That done, I went to the post office to mail a few things I've been saving out (you should be excited) and came back to the Court of Flowers, where I've been relaxing, and drinking a bit with Maliah when she returned from an awkward conversation with Mezeru where she confessed that she is not in fact training to be a courtesan.

At the moment, she's spending some time with Squirt and I have been writing this letter in between dozing. There will be more to say very soon, probably about Pika and maybe about this dinner with Midat, but in the meantime I'll sign off and let you reassure yourself as to my safety.

I think I'm good at politics, Tyko. I blame all those gnomish and elven historical dramas Alion got me addicted to.

Love,

Elyn

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