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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DispelAkimbo" data-source="post: 1010177" data-attributes="member: 1916">Upon returning to his duties as the Princesses protector, Jalderin informs the princess of the current situation and the arrest that has been made."That bitch!" exclaims the princess. "She always was far too attractive for her own good anyway. I'm not surprised that she's involved though considering the miscreants she socialises with."Jalderin pricks his ears up and asks "Miscreants?""Yes, Zelda Caervelyn is quite well known for the terrible company she keeps. Knaves, scoundrels, toffs and dandy's the lot of them. They live off their parents wealth, and don't give a damn about anything except their own debauched desires.""They might be able to shed some light on her and her activities, do you know where she meets these people?"The princess pauses for a moment and raises her chin a little before she replies."Well, obviously as the princess royal I have never been there myself, but I have heard that they meet at the 'Three Feathers' club in the noble district. Here, i'll give you directions. Oh and you can't go dressed like that. Guard! Fetch the royal tailor, and we'll have to do something about your hair, and a bath, take a bath immediately or you will not even be allowed in the place." The princess is a flurry with orders and soon has servants running all over the place to make Jalderin looking more presentable. He bears it all with a mild scowl and is soon transformed to look quite a dandy young man."Yes, and a feather in your hat will cap it off nicely." The princess states, admiring her handiwork."NO! No feather, thank you, your highness, this is.....fine as it is. Do you have any advice for me, I'm not used to hanging out with fancy people." The princess rests one finger on her cheek and sighs."Don't order more than you can afford, and don't embarrass me. Oh and here, take 5 gold pieces in case you need to look flash. People talk more if you buy them drinks." Jalderin nods slowly and heads out the room. He informs Jaider and Eben where he is going and heads towards the 'Three Feathers' club.***Meanwhile, Eben Hakkan and Jaider Lightbringer go to the palace infirmary and speak with Fellonius the royal physician. They present him with the bottle of poison found in the bed head of Zelda Caervelyn and advise him that it is probably the same poison that has been used upon the king.Fellonius thanks them and sets to work trying to identify the poison and find and antidote to cure the king. Eben uses the authority of his royal advisors badge to double the guard around the physician until an antidote is found and the king is cured.***After speaking with the royal physician, Eben heads back to the cells of the Helmsblade brothers. He doesn't announce his arrival though, he uses his training and stealth to quietly sneak up toward the cells and eavesdrop on them while he skulks in the shadowy corridor between the cells."Hello? Is someone there?" Rowan Helmsblade asks. He thought he heard someone approaching but can see no sign of anyone nearby.Half an hour passes.Zander formulates a plan from her cell. She tears a strip of material from her dress, all the time ignoring the waggling eyebrows from the dirty old man in the cell opposite. She then uses a sharp edge on her cell bars to cut her hand and writes in blood on the material. She writes:Plan BZ Finally she uses her arcane powers to conjure up an invisible magical hand, that carries the blood stained material down towards Rowans cell.Eben watches on, wary but curious.Rowan Helmsblade sees the material, picks it up, reads it and hangs it from his cell wall. He then calls out asking, "Zander?"A female voice he doesn't recognise replies, "Yes its me, but magicked into a bird!""What nonsense is this?" Rowan asks, "you speak with a forked tongue devil woman!""Trust me Rowan I speak the truth, tonight we should do as you said.""As I said? I said nothing, how do I know you speak the truth, give me one reason to trust anyone in this city.""Because the Helmsblades line may die with us in here and because when I was six you fell in the river and I used my magic to get you out!""Aye, I remember that!" Rowan replies, "your 'magic' held me under for a long while. If it hadn't been for the land, particularly old man willow coming to my rescue, I would have drowned. And now look where you magic has got me!! Maybe I should have taught you the art of combat instead of the pen!""I told you before," Zander iterates, "if I hadn't held you down then that orc would have seen you! Right anyway, tonight as you said before, the cell next and opposite."Rowan warily and wearily agrees, "Very well...as you say, plan B it is, be sure to pull the bedding close to myself otherwise it will not work."Eben listens quietly from the shadows. With coded communications, magic and a series of prepared plans he is no longer convinced that the two brothers are as bumbling and innocent as they first appeared.***Jalderin Cormaeril follows the princesses directions and is soon stood outside the 'Three Feathers' club. A pair of heavily muscled half-orcs stand outside the building, ensuring that only the right kind of person gets in. Jalderin soon finds out that the 'right kind of person' is the kind that gives them money. He pays them a silver each and enters the establishment.He emerges into a large room that is filled with people, chatter and exotic smelling smoke. He casts his eyes around the room, searching for his targets. It is several moments before he notices the serving girl stood by his side waiting for him to order a drink. However once he does spot her he also immediately notices that she and all the other serving girls are naked from the waist up!"Erm....wine?....something nice please, a bottle...I think?" Jalderin ventures."Drus Ice Wine milord? One gold piece a bottle and it really is an excellent drink. It's light blue-green in colour, served chilled. It's flavour is slightly anniseed but otherwise fruity and it's scent in lightly minty." Jalderin nods and continues looking around the room. His opinion of the place soon drops even further with each second. The clientele appear to have no shame, with several men and women almost performing an orgy in one corner of the room. He contains his disgust and meanders around the room, listening to conversations. Eventually he finds what he thinks is the 'miscreants' in questions."Yes, party later on, over at Lord Flash's place.""Lord Flash? Woof woof! Ha ha ha.""Am surprised Zelda isn't around this evening, she's not one to miss a good party." At this point, Jalderin joins the conversation."Aldoras Red's the name What!" The nobles briefly look Jalderin up and down; one spots the bottle of wine hanging from his hand."Drus Ice Wine? Well, don't be a stranger Aldoras Red, pour us a glass and make yourself comfortable!" the noble intones, while absent-mindedly fondling the breast of the serving girl. Eager to have his business over and done with Jalderin gets straight to the point of his visit."Heard you mention Zelda, Zelda Caervelyn I assume?""Why, fancy her do you?" suggests a young male, a possibility of jealousy creeping into his voice."Oo-er" adds another."Well," continues Jalderin, "just thought I'd mention that you're not likely to see her today, not after what I witnessed." Jalderin can almost hear people attention turn to him as the possibility of new gossip enters the conversation.An attractive young lady that was apparently paying no attention to the conversation stops kissing her lover momentarily and asks "And what did you witness?", before she resumes her kissing and appears to pay even less attention than before."Well, I saw her being led away in chains by some of the palace guards, and then just happened to hear the same guards talking later off duty. It seems she has been accused of some heinous crime against the king." Jalderin stops and as casually as possible tries to judge everyone's reaction to the news. No one gives acts surprised or gives away any sign of concern."Well, she never did follow in her fathers footsteps.""True, her father was forever paying her cast offs to keep quiet."Jalderin continues to chat for a while but can solicit no more useful information from the group. Although one of them does agree that Khadish clothing could be coming back into fashion, which might explain why Zelda had been wearing some. So Jalderin leaves the purchased wine and beats a hasty retreat back to the palace. Once there he scrubs off the perfume smell and changes back into his own, less-formal clothing.He goes to find Jaider and reports on how his outing went.***Bored and feeling out of place in the royal palace, Margarian Daramai heads back into the city. Feeling the need to get back in touch with nature he asks around to see if there is a druid in the city. He is told though in no uncertain terms that there is no practicing druid in the city as that would be blasphemy to Girion.Feeling a little disgruntled, Margarian heads into the nearest inn, the Fox and Hare and orders some beef and ale.***Back in the palace dungeons, the Helmsblade brothers are attempting to put plan B into action. Zander summons another magical invisible hand and uses it to move the straw floor and bedding to the front of the cell opposite Rowan, his brother. Rowan then calls upon his druidic powers to tap into the strength of the land and call forth fire upon the straw. Alas, the confines of the prison and the civilisation of the city mean that his connection to nature is diminished and he fails to tap the land.Eben decides he has eavesdropped enough and stealthily sneaks away from the brothers cells. Unfortunately for him, Zander Helmsblade sees movement in the shadows and casts a sleep spell at him. Three prisoners in their cells immediately fall asleep, but the shadowy figure moves along the corridor and out of sight."Be wary of the Helmsblade prisoners down there." Eben reports to the head jailer. "They are plotting their escape and are likely to try and create a distraction to do so. Be ware of magic around them and do not carry the keys to their cells with you if you head down to them." The jailer nods his understanding and Eben leaves.***Margarian finishes his meal and returns to the palace at about the same time as Eben leaves the dungeons. They both arrive at the palace chapel at the same time and discuss the investigation so far with Jalderin and Jaider."Well, the Helmsblade brothers might not be as innocent as the first appeared." Eben reports. "I believe that the person we arrested earlier is Zander Helmsblade, enchanted to look like a woman. She....he...it has totally convinced Rowan Helmsblade of the case anyway and they do appear to have knowledge of each other that only they would know." All present nod thoughtfully."They also appear to some escape plans pre-made, magical abilities at their disposal and a complete lack of regard for law and authority. I don't have any more evidence that they are mixed up in the kings poisoning, but I am starting to come to think that they may come from a family of poor repute.""So if that is Zander Helmsblade," Jaider asks, "then where is the real Zelda Caervelyn?""Perhaps the High Justice knows." Margarian suggests. "And who was it that used the magic to change Zanders appearance?""At the risk of being treasonous, could the Princess be involved?" Eben asks. A sharp in-take of breath is the only reply he gets. "Well, she would stand to lead if the king was indisposed. She also could steer the investigation any way she chooses, to implicate some and clear others." The idea is toyed with but considered un-likely.Eventually the group decide to check out the room at the inn where the Helmsblade brothers were staying, in the hope that evidence can be found to clear or convict them.</blockquote>

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