Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
Castle Grunewald, Being a Friend to All

There was that King word again. "You seemed to 'ave trouble convincing Anna Barrmount uff vhat. You were in vhere I while, I don't suppose it was to congratulate 'er." The corner of his mouth turned up as she shot him a look that could boil water. "Did vhey teach you vhat at tha Abbey? To turn vhat pretty face into somefing fhreatening? I can teach you better vhen vhat." He laughed, taking the tip of his cane from the handle of her door, placing it squarely in the center of the wooden boards and nudging it open. The door slid gracefully on its hinges to reveal her room. 

His cane once again shot out, blocking the entrance at her hips. "Because when you come and talk to me about Terresol, I get nervous. The 'airs on my arms start to go up and I get vhis strange feeling like I'm being played by a fucking Wisdom. But it's when I see vhat same Wisdom talking to a bard." He paused in mock thought, "Vhat's when I really start to get nervous. Telling 'im about our meeting, pitting the Queen and I against each uvher?" He shook his head, "I'm too fucking busy to waste my time wiff a schemer." 

He dropped his cane and his tone, continuing in an even voice. "When would you like to meet 'er? Fluer Vortigon, I mean." He walked past her and stepped into her room, removing a flat bottle of rum from his inside jacket pocket. "She's been dying to return to 'er 'omeland."
Michael
Wisdom Serafina
Castle Grunewald, Vallen 

Serafina tore her eyes from the disgusting smirk on his face when he pushed her door open only to be blocked once again by his cane, which she would have ripped from his hands out of fury if it was possible. 'He knows nothing about what happened in the library.' She assured herself as he continued to talk. The mention of such proposterous teachings at the Abigreth did nothing to calm her. It angered her that he would even suggest such a thing. That she had some kind of self-centered motive to her actions. 

Serafina turned back to face Bradai, eyes flaming. "Do not stand there and accuse me of scheming behind your back as if you aren't doing the same right now, Bradai." She hissed. "If you bothered to study the Pantheon you would know that part of my duties are to console the public and ensure they know they are in good standing with the Gods. The meeting with the bard was a consolation that he was in favor with them despite abandoning his father's business and joining Emin's choir of musicians." At his mention of being too busy to deal with a schemer Serafina fumed before turning in surprise as his cane dropped and tone changed. 'Gods... Is he insane?' Serafina followed inside and shut the door behind her before shoving past him towards the window so their voices wouldn't carry near the door.

"The sooner the better." She replied, calmly, though her voice had a hard ring to it. Very different from the tone of their previous discussion. Her eyes glanced back towards the door before flickering to his face as he drank from the bottle. "I have to wonder, then, why you've kept her from it for so long after Kelwynd's death." Serafina pushed further.
Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
Castle Grunewald, Vallen

Bradai was sure the little Barrmount was feeling very consoled, being wed to a foreign man in a foreign land to foreign Gods. If they didn't curse her now, they'd curse her in whatever hell awaited those that followed the Frozen Ones. He remembered when he had, for a time, given up his religion and was married under the Pantheon. That marriage ended when his first wife died in a fire. He thought the money he had received in condolences. 

The mentioning of her faith had broken her calm demeanor, and he concealed a smile when she called him by his name. "Bradai?" He questioned, "What ever 'appened to King?" He scoffed and let a chuckle slip. "You Wisdoms." His tone was deep and soft, like a father's mocking tone, but there was a darkness in it. He didn't believe the comment about Emin's holy choir. There was only ever one reason to talk to a bard: to have a song played. He took a long draw from his glass and felt the rum burn in his throat. He longed for the sea.

"Duty 'as changed, Wisdom. Kings no longer rule when vhey're supposed to, Knights run away when pressed, vows mean nuffink. It might surprise you to know vhat tha last few living Vortigons are content wiff my protection. Your Gods didn't do vhem any favors. Kelwynd's men still run your country, and vhey'd kill any Vortigon so long as your faiff supports 'is followers. Tha man may be dead, but a rotten cut can spoil a body, cannit? Vhat's a festering wound."

He sat down at a small table, sitting properly with his back straight. "And 'oo would you 'ave vhem believe? Your Gods again? 'oose to say you won't just legitimize tha next invader's Gods when it's clear 'e's going to win? A Wisdom is supposed to serve vheir Lords, in 'ills or valleys be damned. 'ooever came before you used vhat trick a little too well, didn't vhey?"
Charles
Lady Anna Barrmount
Grunewald Castle

"Lord Bennard..."

*For the love of the gods, no!* Is what she wanted to say. If it was for her, nothing of this would be happening; she would be finishing Rodrick's funeral by now and having dinner with Sibyl, maybe even having a walk around the 'gardens' to mourn in peace.

"... I do desire the aid this will bring to the Iron Plaines, there's nothing else I need to do this." She cleared her throat as it started to get shaky, as a cause of the imminent tears that burnt her eyes.

"I'm starving" She forced a smile "Is there something worth eating here?"
Michael
Wisdom Serafina
Castle Grunewald, Vallen 

"It's only fair that I should drop your self-proclaimed title if you feel the need to address me by name, wouldn't you agree?" Her aura of annoyance hung in the air as she moved to the table and poured herself a glass of water. It tasted stale, if that were even possible, and only added to the unsettling feeling in her stomach.

Serafina listened as he spoke, but more than listen, she watched him. For someone who supposedly only cared about business gains, he was remarkably interested in the politics. It was almost, as if, he hated leaving it in someone else's hand. She smiled into her cup at the mention of hills and valleys before setting it down and answering his observations and accusations.

"The Gods never abandoned the Vortigons. Do you think I play no role in fulfilling the Gods will for their return? The Cult of Syntherion is near extinction, but to remove a disease completely, one must cut off the source." Her eyes traveled to the Pirate King's and held his gaze. "Queen Lane, is the source. She has let Kelwynd's men run rampant event after his death, pretending as if she does not see the damage they do in the streets of Sol. Her disbelief blinds her to the Gods will for Sol."

Serafina paused, taking another sip of water to wash down the bile rising in her throat as the smell of burning flesh and rotting wounds filled her nose. "I cannot tell you what the will of the Gods are beyond what they've expressed to me. The Gods support the Vortigons as the rightful rulers, the Southern Pantheon is here to fulfill that. But more than anything, the people want a true leader." She paused, glancing out the window to look up at the sky. "I serve the Gods." Serfina's eyes shot back to Bradai and she smiled. "Hills and valleys be damned." Standing up, Serafina moved to her bedside and pulled out a scroll from her things, holding it out for him. "This is not a trick, King Bradai. The Gods have spoken and we have listened."
Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
Castle Grunewald, Vallen

"No." He said, matter-of-factly, "Eivher I am a King, and I should act like one, or I'm Shitblood Islander walking around in some man's crown, in which case I will remind you 'ow I got vhis fucking crown." He tipped his bottle back, and let the brackish rum roll down his throat before pulling it away and sucking through his teeth. 

He corked the bottle and placed it in his coat, placing his cane between his legs and both hands upon the cold steel pommel. He watched her as she talked about the Syntherion Cult, digging it up from the roots to kill it completely. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as she considered dashing her across her soft skull with his cane. His men could put her corpse in her bed, and by the time Charity Lane would return to the room, she could be made well aware of her Wisdom's treachery, giving her a motive. 

The Pirate King slowly took the scroll that was produced in front of him, " 'ills and valleys be damned." He smiled back at her, unscrolling the parchment and nodding slowly. She wasn't the source. 

"Everyfing tha Silverbloods do is a trick. Convincing people to live apart like vhis. Do not fink I love your religion." He didn't look up from the parchment, he was remembering the names in the signatures. "But if you want a true Queen, vhen I would be 'appy to discuss tha possibility uff 'er return."
Michael
Wisdom Serafina
Castle Grunewald, Vallen 

"The latter seems to be more accurate." The corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk and she quickly continued. "And you don't need to remind me. I'm aware of how you obtained your position." 

Serafina watched him peruse the scroll for a few moments before putting a hand on it to take it back. "What a coincidence, I don't love your religion either." She rolled up the parchment and held it in her hands. "You killed thousands to get to your position and your Tides Barer has harassed my home for as long as I can remember." She paused to think before letting out a irritated sigh.

"I've told you I'm not like the other Silverbloods you've encountered and I'm tiring of your games. You don't want to put Fleur on the throne to give the Terresolians a true Queen. What do you want, Bradai?"
Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
Castle Grunewald, Vallen

"Fuck tha Tides Barer's Creed." He pursed his lips, leaning back into his chair. "Fuck tha Panfeon and fuck the 'og God. Fuck tha Golden Warrior and fuck tha 'orse 'eaded Gods of Lira. Fuck 'em all and fuck vheir priests."

"I killed 'oo I needed to kill to right tha wrongs against my people, same as the Tides Barer your people fear. But I'm sorry your people were 'arassed after vhey enslaved us. You nice Araedian folks didn't deserve vhat." He smiled and gave an emotionless laugh. "But I will continue to do so until tha wrongs against my people 'ave been righted."

His nostrils flared when she talked about games, "You wanna talk about a fucking game? My people are butchered. Vhey're cut up and vhey're chained and vhey're spit on, even 'ere, when vhey volunteer to die for your people. I do not play games, and I do not treat wiff Silverbloods unless vhey 'ave somefing to do for me. And I do _NOT_ mean putting me on tha trading ledgers, vhat's a fuckin' insult."

"It's only a game if two people are playing. I 'ave tha rightful Queen, and you've got... Who?" He watched her movements as he asked this question, "A member of tha Queen's family? Kelwynd's sister? One uff Charity's Terresolian wards? It's all fuckin' bullshit anyways, just anyone 'oo fell outta the right fuckin' cunt, aye? Aye?" His eyes were wild as he scanned her.

"I did not come tonight to ask you for fings, I came to tell you vhat vhis is tha order uff business, because at tha end uff the day, I 'ave tha best claim according to your Gods. Will you support 'er, or will I 'ave to put your 'ead and tha 'eads uff all uff vhose signatures on tha walls of Sol for heresy against your Panfeon? Because I will tell you tha truff, tha Vortigons 'ave no reason to like you. I can change vheir minds."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Would you like vhat, or is your patience wearing fhin?"