The Broken Throne (for TheAnnoyingNoob)

[Xatarias]

(...A character from another thread -_-" My bad...)


Tara admits that she didn't recognize the stranger's voice and didn't have time to take in the details of his appearance. You stand the best chance of identifying Argus's contact if you were to encounter him again. When you propose your plan, your handmaiden hesitates, but Malius is utterly adamant.


"Absolutely not, Highness! You are integral to our cause, perhaps the last vestige of the royal line. The risk is too great. I can have some men arranged to comb the villa in a few hours' time and will keep you informed of their progress."


A few hours meant investigating only after Lu'rak's minions had the run of the place. Who knows what evidence might be taken until then. Having narrowly escaping a possibly deadly situation mere hours before, the possibility of danger is too real to deny... But if you insisted on carrying out your scheme, Malius would be forced to obey. You were the heir to the throne, after all.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

With a heavy sigh and a glare that was likely harsher than I had intended, I conceded the old soldiers point. "You're right, Malius. I don't like it, but you're right. Send your men as soon as you can safely do so, I want this murder solved but not if it gets any of your men killed. You are dismissed Malius... thank you for helping me see sense."


Waiting for him to depart, I turned to Tara. "Well, would it be possible? In a few hours either Lu'rak's men will have combed the villa or the murderer will have made sure there is no evidence to find."

 

[Xatarias]

Tara meets your stare with a glare of her own.


"So we go to the villa... While the murderer is getting rid of the evidence!? Rox, we already had one close call tonight. Malius is right, we should wait for him to assemble some of his men from the safe houses. It's the safer play..."


You stare at each other for a few moments until Tara lets out an exasperated sigh.


"You never change, do you?... We'll need something in your size. And pin up that hair, there's no way a servant would let it grow so long."


Your friend leaves you to adjust your appearance, returning later with a set of servants clothes. She quickly helps you into the loose garment and smudges your cheeks with ash.


"There, a scullery maid making her rounds cleaning the hearth. No one will even think twice... Just don't talk too much or people will pick up on those cultured words of yours."


She pats your cheek with a wink.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Blushing, I reply "I'm no more cultured than you, Tata, but I'll try to be more... subdued. Still, unless you know where Argus' Villa is we still need to find it." Opening the door to my chambers, I step aside. "I'll follow your lead. Now, how should I address you?"

 

[Xatarias]

"It's already taken care of. A friend of mine is in Argus's employ. I know the way," Tara says motioning you away from the corridor and back towards the dresser that conceals the secret exit. "Just keep your head down and try not to be noticed. If someone asks you something, mumble and act flustered."


You descend back into the servant's passage. The musty gloom seems more malevolent than before and your heart pounds with each twisting turn. Maybe the stranger didn't leave the palace, hiding in plain sight while the guards desperately looked elsewhere. Maybe he was someone you knew or maybe-


"We're here," Tara whispers gesturing at a cobwebbed trap door set into the ceiling. "This should lead to the gardener's tool shed in the estate neighboring Argus's villa. If something goes wrong, get back here and lose yourself in the servants' tunnels. One of Malius's agents will find you."


You climb up and into the shed above. Cracking the door, you and Tara scan the surrounding gardens for observers and quickly hurry over to the hedge that separates the property from Argus's holdings. Peeking over the thorny bushes, you examine the mansion. No lights are visible in the windows that you can see. Barring walking through the front entrance, there appears to be a door leading into the house from the stables as well as a cellar door that no doubt goes to the basement.


"...I don't know, Rox," Tara murmurs beside you. "I sent word for Lanya to meet us in the gardens. She's supposed to be hanging the laundry..."


You are left to wonder why Tara's contact might be unable to meet you. Conjecture aside, the fact is that without a guide, you and Tara will have a harder time locating any evidence pertinent to Argus's death.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Already on edge, thinking about Tara's missing contact makes me nauseous. "Perhaps we should give her a few more minutes..." I say uneasily, "Or maybe we should find her. I- you don't think anyone you don't trust heard you speak to her, do you?"

 

[Xatarias]

"I was careful," Tara replies slowly. "If someone else heard of our plan, it means the entire network is compromised... But things can go wrong for other reasons. She might be watched too closely to meet us, or she didn't get the message, or..."


Your handmaiden swallows, leaving her explanation unfinished.


Minutes crawling by feel like hours as you strain to view the gardens in the dimming light. Tara's contact fails to appear, forcing you to improvise. Even if Lanya was detained by mundane events, it would risky to explore the mansion without knowledge of its layout. Then again, if Lanya was in trouble, you were the only ones with a chance of helping her... Not to mention the information about Argus's employers hanging in the balance.


"It's your call Rox."

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

I cursed under my breath before turning back to Tara. "We'll just have to hope Lu'rak finds something useful before its deatroyed. Where would Lanya be at this time of night? Or, I suppose, where would she flee if she were in trouble?"

 

[Xatarias]

"Rox, finding Lanya isn't something we should be thinking about right now. She could be in any number of the safe houses I told her about, not to mention any hiding spots that she kept personally secret. The only reason the enemy would be interested in Lanya is if something was of interest in Argus's house... If she fled, she should be safe. If not, well she might be in the mansion... Incapacitated."


Or dead. The option doesn't need to be spoken.


"What I meant is, do we enter in spite of our guide being missing? I... I can't keep you safe, Rox. Maybe you should head back and I'll take a look by myself."

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Sighing in frustration, I gave Tara an awkward smile, "Tata, if you go without me then I can't keep you safe. We've lost too much already, I won't lose too much more by dying. And besides, this may be our only opportunity." Peeking over the hedges again I whispered, "But it wouldn't do any harm to take our time and watch our step. Now, how should we get through the hedges?"

 

[Xatarias]

Tara eyes the dense barrier of foliage with a frown.


"Well considering we're in a bit of a hurry..."


You backtrack to the shed and fetch a pair of pruning shears. It's a little disconcerting watching your childhood friend viciously wielding the sharp, rusty implement, but you can't argue with the results. A few minutes of fevered snipping and Tara stands aside panting slightly. A sizable hole now permits you passage.


(Precision roll: 8)


You cross the vast lawn, dodging around looming statues and bubbling fountains. Reaching the mansion undetected, you skirt around its ivy-strewn walls. Peering into the windows within reach, you don't see any room resembling an office or study. It looks like your infiltration won't be as easy as simply breaking a window.


"It must be on one of the upper floors," Tara whispers. "Come on."


The cellar doors are secured by a thick padlock, but the stables have no such obstruction. Walking among the stalls, the horses nicker uneasily at your passing. Entering the house proper, you and Tara walk among the dim hallways of Argus's manor. The place is richly decorated and one gilded passageway looks much like the next. After several tense minutes of being unable to locate a stairway, becoming hopelessly lost becomes more and more a likely possibility.


Rounding a corner, your heart flutters after you lose sight of Tara. Frantically backtracking, you try to find your friend when a harsh voice draws your attention to a nearby servants' passage.


"What have we here? A sweet little mouse raiding the kitchens after hours? Or maybe pinching the Master's silver..."


A man in a butler's uniform has his back turned towards you as he roughly presses Tara up against a wall. You friend struggles best she can, but the servant is too strong for her to overcome, her hands pinned effortlessly.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

My first thought is to throw myself at the butler, to kick and punch and bite until he stopped moving but I had no way to know if that would work. Besides, such a fight was below the Empress... Even if she was sneaking around her deceased courtiers manor dressed as a servant. Taking a moment to calm myself, I glanced about for a knife and carefully grabbed the nearest one. Slowly sneaking up behind the man, I talked myself through my plan. Sneak up, put the knife to his throat and tell him to cooperate. Have Tara find a sack to tie over his head and string or rope to bind his legs and we could continue. If he turned around, well... Hopefully he'd listen to threats anyway. If not, I'll... Just have to stab him. Until he stopped moving. Gods, please don't turn around. Or maybe make him an offer for his silence? Gods, just don't turn around...


(Sorty for the silence, just got a job and its thrown my whole schedule out of whack)

 

[Xatarias]

(Precision roll: 13)


Tara squirms as the man presses against her, mouth agape as his grip tightens about her neck. Your handmaiden's wide eyed stare casts about the room in desperation. Catching sight of you, she flinches in recognition and then snaps her attention back on the butler. Did he notice!? There was no time to hesitate.


"P-please sir, I just wanted to try on one of the misuss's gowns," She stammers, short of breath. "P-please.."


"Oh fancy yourself royal do you?" The man sneers. "Well I've got news for you, sweetheart, you ain't no princess. But if you treat me right, I'll forget this ever happened. Hell, I'll even let you wear the fuckin' dress while you make it up to me. Have ourselves a right little ball we will. Now let's-"


The man freezes as you jam your blade against his throat, the sensation of cold steel catching him off guard.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

My heart beating in my chest I hiss through gritted teeth, hoping the butler doesn't recognize my voice "I'm going to step back now, and you're coming with me. No complaints." Looking to Tara as I do so I hiss, "Find a gag, some rope and some cloth to cover his eyes."

 

[Xatarias]

You can see the calculating look in the man's eyes as he realizes he is being held at knife point by a young girl. He tenses stepping backwards and some part of you screams to stab him before the situation devolves into a fevered grapple. But before you can make a decision, Tara snarls and smashes her foot into the man's crotch.


Letting out a strangled cry, the man falls to the ground clutching his privates. Tara seizes a nearby bronze and knocks him out cold.


"F-fucker..." Your friend pants, trembling in fear and anger. Seeing your normally calm and composed handmaiden so distraught punctuates how badly this all could have turned out.


Some tablecloth and a dirty sock make for effective bindings and a gag. You now have one unconscious would-be rapist on your hands.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Looking at the unconscious man before the two of us, I feel as if my guts have turned to lead. Gently reaching for Tara's cheek and turning her to face me I softly ask, "Tata, are you ok? You look, well... I want you to know nothing would have happened to you, no matter what that means I would have had to do."

 

[Xatarias]

Tara leans into you, resting her head against your neck. You stand there for several moments and for a moment, the urgency of the situation fades.


"Rox... You can't make promises like that," She says, her words muffled. "I chose to stay and help you. I accept the consequences of that choice, whatever they might be."


She pulls back, her gentle expression turning ugly when she surveys the unconscious man at your feet.


"Now let's get this wretch out of the way."


The butler is frightfully heavy, but luckily there is a broom closet nearby. Still, it takes all of yours and Tara's strength to stuff him in and the process leaves you panting breathlessly.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

"With him out of the way, let's... Let's stick together." I huff breathlessly, reminded rather suddenly of my own physical inadequacy and only now coming to terms with how badly things could have ended if the butler had resisted. "Where do you think Argus' study would be located?" I asked, realizing just how much tonight's caper relied on Tara and her servants knowledge. In truth, I supposed, I was an amateur along for the ride tonight. At least I hadn't been an inconvenience yet.

 

[Xatarias]

(caper! The word nerd in me loves you right now )


Neither you or Tara has any intimate knowledge of Argus's abode, but noble houses tend to have a somewhat standardized layout. A gentleman's study wasn't just a workplace; it often served as a place entertainment among intimate friends... Meaning it should be within easy distance of the drawing and dining rooms. From what you saw from outside, your best bet was at the south end of the house...


You quickly wave Tara over after a few minutes of searching. A door stands ajar at the end of a dimly lit hallway. Within, you can see the shadowy outline of a desk atop which is an overturned lamp. A few seconds of listening only yield the sound of a gentle breeze coming through an open window.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

(An overturned lap? *Note to self: Use fun words more often, hopefully Xat will go easy on you*  )


Holding my breath I eased the door open, only realizing how pointless the precaution was once I had already begun. Anyone inside would see the door open, regardless of how quiet I was. Stepping across the threshold, I made my way to the desk, intent on sifting through the stacked papers and getting out as soon as reasonably possible.

 

[Xatarias]

(Lamp... It's fixed now.)


You are halfway crossing the the room when your foot bumps into something. Tara eases the door further open behind you, allowing a beam of light to cross the floor. An arm stretches out from behind a nearby leather chair. Laying in a pool of blood is a young girl in a maid's uniform. Your eyes are drawn to the long slash across her throat and the wide look in her eyes.


"Oh gods, Lanya!"

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Looking down at Tara's murdered friend, I felt sick to my stomach. Gods, Tara and Malius were right; I never should have done this. Tara fears for my safety, was almost raped shortly after we entered and now this...


Shaking, I stammer out, "Grab what y-you can and we'll leave... With Lanya, if that's what she would have wanted." I take a few steps towards the desk before stopping in my tracks, shaking. "I-I'm sorry, Tara. I never should have gotten you or your friend involved in this. It's just..." I let my attempted explanation trail off, unable to find the words.

 

[Xatarias]

(Perception roll: 11)


Tara gently cups the servant girl's neck with her hand, feeling for the faintest sign of life, but the empty look in Lanya's eyes is all you need to know that the girl is long gone.


"We... We have to leave her here, Rox," Tara says firmly. "The princess of Fastalan can't be scene escaping with a body from the house of a recently murdered man, much less two servant girls. We have... Have to see if something was left behind."


The flapping of the curtain draws your attention to the window. Whoever murdered Lanya must have made their escape leaping to the grounds below. It doesn't take you long to find what they were after. A large safe embedded in the far wall hangs open, a no-doubt priceless painting cast carelessly aside. Tara immediately goes to it and scours its contents, rifling through sheets of parchment, squinting in the dim light.


"There's... There's nothing here! Nothing but legitimate business deals, letters to lovers... They must have taken it all!"


Not everything. Perhaps through guilt or morbid fascination, your attention is drawn back to Lanya and the odd way her extended hand is clench. Gently, you pry apart her fingers and come away with a scrap of parchment, no more than a third of a page. The script is incomplete and obviously encrypted. Perhaps securing this piece of information was your operative's last act... Or simply the reflex of a dying woman.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Taking a deep breath, I folded the scrap of paper up and clenched my own fist about it. "Lanya found something. A scrap of something larger, written in code. Gods... Let's get out of here, Tara." Checking my feet to make sure I hadn't stepped in the puddle of blood surrounding Lanya I quietly left the room. The sooner this was over, the better.

 

[Xatarias]

You hurry through the halls, progress being much faster now that you had a better idea of the mansion's layout. Just as you reach the dining area, the booming racket of someone knocking on the front door reaches your ears.


"Open in the name of the Prince!"


From upstairs, you hear the groan of rusty hinges and the creak of floorboards as some servant rushes from their resting place to answer the soldier's demands.


"They're sure to be encircling the house, if they haven't already. Rox, we can't be found here! It's all the excuse Lu'rak needs to... Let's hurry."


You make your way to the stables and survey the gardens. A pair of torches reveals the presence of two guards as they walk the perimeter. You hold your breath as they pass the area where you cut your way through the hedgerows, but they don't seem to notice the evidence of your infiltration and pass by without raising the alarm. Tara suggests you make a break for it. Light-blinded by their torches, the guards probably wouldn't even notice you until you came within close proximity, but the chance of stumbling or simply being chased was too great to ignore. You wonder if there might be some other option...

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

For a moment I considered staying. The two of us could blend in with the servants and wait for them to leave, but... It was entirely possible one of the servants might single us out as not one of Argus' servants.


Nodding to Tara, I prepared to run. "Let's see if they pass us by first," I whispered nervously, "Perhaps we can still sneak out. If they see us, we-" the idea of staying popped back into my mind, and I had to admit it seemed better than running. Tara might be able to outrun a soldier, but I certainly couldn't. "No, I can't outrun them Tara. We'll try to sneak out when they pass and run if they notice us then, but if they see us before they pass I think we will have to pretend we're supposed to be here."

 

[Xatarias]

(Precision roll: 9)


You creep among the bushes and statuary as soon as the guards make their round to the far side of the gardens. You make it about half way when one of them appears to spot you.


"You there! Halt!"


You look over your shoulder seeing two armored orcs with spears hustling to your position. Their weapons aren't readied, implying that they don't consider you a threat. It seems your disguise as a simple servant girl was holding up to scrutiny. For now anyway. You can't help but think they might get more suspicious when the body in Argus's study was found by their comrades.


"I don't think kissing me is going to get us out of this one," Tara mumurs as the burly soldiers approach.

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

I blush at Tara's comment but do my best to push it away and focus on the situation at hand. Harnessing what was at this point genuine fear I replied, "Y-yes? Do you need something, sirs?"

 

[Xatarias]

The nearest orc soldier lifts his visor, scrutinizing you and Tara.


"No one is to leave the grounds. This entire household is to be subject to questioning," He states gruffly.


His companion seems a little more friendly, clearly doubting that two servant girls could have anything to do with nefarious plots at court.


"It won't be long, I'm sure," He says, placing a calming hand on the other orc's shoulder. "Once everyone has been presented to the inspector you can go about your business. I'm sure you are busy what with your master- ah..."


Tara clearly thinks now would be a good time to let out a sniffle, feigning grief for the late Argus. She turns her head into your shoulder, taking the opportunity to whisper in your ear.


"We can't let these two take us back," she hisses. "Once they find that bastard we stuffed in the closet..."

 

[TheAnnoyingNoob]

Holding Tara close, I whispered, "I'm out of ideas, if you can think of something then go for it." Gently nudging her back towards the manor (and moving slowly towards it myself) I looked to the Orc and asked, "H-how long will the inspector take? The master had a..." I hesitated, hoping the pause wouldn't come off as too dramatic, "It's too late to embarrass him now, I suppose. Master Argus had a mistress and I'm terribly worried about her. She was... Unstable, and absolutely smitten with him. Me and my friend were afraid she might attempt to harm herself if she felt there was no one left for her in this world."