Steven
Within a minute of the banner being lit, a guard on the docks ran in the direction of the Python estate. It could be trouble it could also not be. Gavino would cross that bridge when he came to it. For the moment he was concerned about securing the Melia to the docks so that he and his men could begin investigating the mysterious ship.

All in all Gavino held command over about a hundred men and more gryphon riders than any other Terresolian officer below or equal to him in rank. Though only fifty men and two gryphons were brought along on this particular outing. Overkill for dealing with the guards of one noble house, should they become a problem.

But the real reason to bring so many was in the event they needed to lock down the Basil Island docks. Which was a certainty at this point with the mysterious ship located. As soon as he was able, Gavino and his men disembarked the Melia. Orders flew from his mouth at the Terrsolian soldiers that began to swarm the docks. He then took some of his more investigative minded soldiers and walked past the lone guard on the dock with an "Good evening, gentleman," And headed towards the undocumented ship.
George
_ON THE DOCKS_

"Blast..." The guard, named Valenco, who had given Sion a clearance to enter muttered under his breath. He tried to remain calm, especially as he saw the dreaded ship begin settling into a dock, Terresolian soldiers swiftly finding land under their captain's orders. And just who was the one who issued such commands, who had been tipped to find the source of their lord's festivities on this night?

"Gavino..." Valenco muttered to himself as he spotted the loyal captain, swallowing hard and glancing at Sion, trying not to betray his worry.
 "P-Proceed to the estate. We will make sure all remains safe here," He said, before hurrying off toward where he saw the Terresolian finally step foot on Basil Island.

Valenco witnessed the captain pass by Cedric, the stunned guard simply floundering over his own tongue as he could offer not even a sufficient greeting to the captain and his soldiers passing by him. "G... Good evening.." Was all Cedric could stand to sputter out.

Knowing he needed to save face, Valenco rushed toward the captain, clearly committed to a path leading straight toward the slave ship. He tried to position himself in front of Gavino, a living obstacle to the captain's path, spreading his arms to feign surprise and even joy, but truly to try and act as a barrier, if only to save a sliver of time.

"Ah, good evening Captain! It is pleasure for you to join us on this night, though I must have skipped over your name on our list. Still, I am glad my lord's invitation got to you anyhow. If you would like, I can escort you to.. To the new ship that is being celebrated tonight! It is in a dock further south, one to be displayed to the townsfolk, while still being visible to the lords and ladies inside! I always prefer the closer view myself," Valenco said, laughing a bit awkwardly. _Please, buy us some time Gerald... Please._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_THE ESTATE_

With Uriel's persuasion tailored perfectly to Marcelis's predictions, the first round of slaves on the stage had nearly been sold. Only two slaves remained of the seven who had been the first to brave the auctioneering block, and with a gruff nudge, the pair was pushed to the forefront together.

They were man and woman, the former being especially large, and the latter practically a fleeting shadow in comparison. They had not only been manacled together at their ankles, but also chained together at the wrists. The slave man stared storically out at the lords and ladies gathered, an almost defiant gleam in his eye. He reserved himself just enough though, wanting to be mindful of the feelings of the girl next to him. He had built himself up to be an asset by means of his strength and ferocity, an attribute best shown when acting with his female companion in mind, a trick the slave trader had noted early on in the training process.

Uriel, too, saw much to be taken advantage of in this moment, and seeing how confused, or even intrigued, the guests before him were, he quickly raised his hand to gather their attention once more.

"Friends! What you see before you is a true match that shows the benefit of working smarter, and not harder," He said, smiling as he looked over at the pair. "These two slaves are being sold as a package of one. The man, a clear masterpiece of strength and vigor, will be sold with this beautiful _young_ maiden, a vital motivation for him to do his best work. They have both been tamed well, mind you ... "

Marcelis watched on, her eyes focused on the girl especially. Curious, the lady was, about the nature of their relationship, and to what limits one would have to go to to properly utilize it...

Suddenly, though, the lady winced and grabbed onto her head tightly, having to suck in a large breath to keep herself from shouting. Squinting her eyes shut, Marcelis resigned to the images whirring in her mind, the images that taken her captive without warning, even before this audience of people. _No,_ she thought, as the images were coming into focus. _This would only happen if..._

_The Queen's banner flapped brazingly in the wind, perched upon a ship lodged firmly within the docks. Swarms of soldiers unknown flooded these docks, some of them locked into brawls with men who wore the Python colors. The sound of rattling chains and distant screams grew to an insurmountable din._

Marcelis grabbed onto her ears, the blue stone in her headwear beginning to glow. By now, Uriel had started shouting bids for the pair of slaves, his numbers climbing into pounds of silver. Though he could count on most of the audience being fixated on the slaves, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Marcelis's pain.

He glanced at the lady's attendant, Ginger, who swept up close to Marcelis's side as discreetly as possible and guided the lady down from the side of the stage.

"No, I need to tell... Uriel, I need to.." Marcelis winced again as the images crashed into her mind again, overwhelming in their tenacity. That only meant that trouble was brewing. And a lot of it. "The slaves.. The queen will know. H-Hide them. Hide.." Marcelis murmured. Ginger paused where she had guided Marcelis to rest in a comfortable chair tucked in a corner of the gathering hall. Eyes wide with fear, the servant quickly dashed away to try and alert who she could.

"Ten pounds of silver! Do I hear fifteen?" Uriel still called, his eyes lighting up in anticipation as he waited for the next bidder he was sure to seal the deal. He glanced momentarily at Marcelis, sensing that something was wrong. _Just one more bid is all I need.._ he thought, trying not to let his smile falter. _One more..._
Karen
It had seemed that news of the Queen's arrival was spreading quickly, and with the bustle of the slave auction already in full swing, things were already mildly hectic. If the buyers weren't perturbed by the increased guard activity, they would be totally dissuaded when the Crownsguard entered the city. 

Sion, meanwhile, walked at a relaxed pace. Basil Island was quite nice, and he was beginning to understand exactly why the Pirate King had taken such a liking to it in the first place. It had been brought up in a peace treaty between him and late Sun King. The nice thing about ineptitude, Sion thought, was that it made the impossible possible. There seemed to be almost no reason as to why Uriel Python would sell slaves and jeopardize the Lordship of one of the most profitable islands in Terresolian waters. Whatever it was, he would find out and capitalize on it. 

He made his way to the door of the Python Estate, up the steps and onto the large front porch. He stood among the pillars and knocked on the door. "Hello?"
George
As if prompted by his knock, the front door to the Python estate swung open before Sion Prosser, not revealing at first the person who had opened it so brashly. All that could be heard was a labored breathing, and the sound of little running footsteps against the polished floor.

 "My lady, please do not move so quickly! You are still recovering from ... "

The voice belonging to the footsteps stopped as the girl who'd spoken them stared warily at the man who stood at the door. She kept her eyes on him, even as she reached over to help the woman behind the door to stand.

Marcelis, with Ginger's help, eventually hoisted herself up from where she'd been leaning on the door handle, her eyes staring intently at the man who'd appeared on the step. It was just as she'd imagined, one of the only images that had broken through with clarity. As if it were a silver lining in the mess that would soon become this night.

"Who are you, and why have you come to my home?" Marcelis asked the lone man, waving away the servant girl who had helped steady her until now. The lady was not keen on wasting any time. Her lips were already pulled down into what may have seemed to be a bit of a pout, and her stare did not betray an ounce of the hospitality she had spent months learning how to convey.

Ginger obeyed, taking a step or two back. After getting Marcelis to rest, and leaving to try and alert the household guards, Ginger had turned for but a moment while in the gathering hall to see the lady moving quickly toward the front of the manor, hands balled into fists and heels clicking determinedly across the floor, despite the clear fatigue she must have been feeling. Marcelis had pushed through pairs of lords and ladies, their concerns falling onto deaf ears as she had made a beeline for this lone man. Why? Ginger had yet to determine.