The tall Mage tower in the corner of the Duke’s Keep was given to Arch Magister Quillian for his private use. The Duke seemed more than willing to allow the tall slender human all the room he needed. Whether it was to keep the Duke’s children from being exposed to the magic the man possessed, or something personal, the Mage was unsure.<br/><br/>(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1e/f4/60/1ef4601ebeb79f052eed92c65ad7998d--character-concept-character-art.jpg)<br/><br/>For his part, Quillian was quite content to have the privacy. He still had a lot of work to do and his research into the mysteries of the bloodstone took up much of his time. He still had to deal with the rather mundane task the High King had assigned him, keeping an eye on the Southern  nobles to make sure they were not planning an insurrection.<br/><br/>The nobles themselves were fairly predictable. They normally focused on gaining favor with the Duke, and through him the King. The lavish parties were only a cover for the clandestine meetings between those of the mind that the High King had taken over too much. Each one of them had sworn an oath to the Kingdom and were supposed to be loyal. Outwardly, they were!<br/><br/>There was a question in Quillian’s mind on the Baron Berenholdt. One that he had decided might be best pursued by his agent Hani Silverthorn. Oddly enough, he had met Hani quite by accident, when she literally ran into him at the herbalist shop. He had apologised profusely, being the gentleman he was. Even though she had been the one to plow into him! She had been running, he could tell, and her face was hidden by a cowl. Ducking into the shop as she avoided detection of one of the many guards who patrolled at night.<br/><br/>At first, he had assumed she was a thief, as she gave him a guilty grin. His assurance that he had no intentions of turning her in, even after she found nothing in his pocket, floored her. But his twinkling eyes led her to relax. It turned out he needed someone with her skills, and after a lengthy discussion in the privacy of his tower, she had become his agent. He paid her well, encouraging her to use her skills to benefit the Kingdom, rather than risk it all for trinkets. He made her swear an oath to serve the Kingdom and to keep their relationship very much a secret.<br/><br/>The hour of his appointment with the Knight Captain of the Guard was fast approaching. Quillian made sure he had plenty of food and a bottle of the wine that the winesellers told him was the best. It amused him that it was from the Captain’s vineyard.<br/><br/>The meeting would be an open one, that is the Duke was well aware of it. Though it was between the Knight Captain and Quillian alone, with only a mute servant to tend them. Quillian was in his study when his raven familiar flew to the open window and called for his attention. As he peered out the window, he noted the approach of the Captain, and instructed his servant to show the barbarian in and bring him to the study.<br/><br/>The humble servant, Jordan, nodded and went back to the door, to await the knock. He was a nondescript middle aged man, with scars on his face and a slight limp. He had served Quillian for many years. His lack of voice had been caused by a rogue Mage. An experiment gone awry, and leaving the poor man as a beggar in the streets of the huge city of Gutenburg. Quillian had taken him in out of pity, after he had disciplined the rogue mage and sent him into the prison for mages. He could communicate quite well, with gestures and sometimes a written note, when necessary. He wore a green collar around his neck, which to those who knew it’s significence, indicated his lack of voice. In any case, Jordan was a simple man who took diligent care of the Arch Mage.<br/><br/>----<br/><br/>Hettie the maid hesitated when entering Lady Elena’s room. It was late and the noble woman had been irritated of late, her sometimes trysts with the Knight Captain had left her with the impression he was going to marry her, someday. But he was slow in actually asking for her hand.<br/><br/>Elena had been up very late, chatting with her friends, who lived close by. All the noble families were close together enough that a short walk could take them to neighboring homes, often guarded by personal servants. Still, it was almost noon and the others in the household had been up and tending business for hours!<br/><br/>The soft knock on her door made Elena turn over in a huff and demand, “What is it!?” She had no clue of the time.<br/><br/>“Your Ladyship might be getting hungry, it is almost the noon hour. Shall I help you get dressed?” Hettie returned apologetically.<br/><br/>“Yes, of course...I suppose I should be up.” Elena threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. Her voluptuous naked form lit by the sunlight now streaming through the windows. Hettie helped her get her daytime outfit on, the chemise, bloomers and a simple silk gown with lacing and soft boots for her feet. It took Hettie a half our to get the lacing tight enough for Elena’s satisfaction.<br/><br/>By the time they had made it downstairs, Elena had determined she would investigate the rumors of Sir Aelland’s activitis in the Dew Drop Inn. Somehow, his antics had spurred a ripple of jealousy in the noblewoman, and she was determined to bring him to heel. Of course it would not be easy. She could not be seen as pursuing him. Instead she appealed to her father. “Papa, I am unsure of Sir Aelland. Do you think he is a suitable husband for me? I have heard rumors, that greatly disturb me. It would not do at all for him to be involved in some scandal with a peasant!”<br/><br/>(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c1/1b/7a/c11b7a335691882c65cf25ee45d28b7d.jpg)<br/><br/>----<br/><br/>The diligent assessment of her items impressed Hani. The fact that Ethirdir held her hand perhaps a little longer than was necessary to examine the amulet did not bother her. In fact she found him very charming indeed!<br/><br/>“You are very adept at this, I can tell. I have been dealing with your shop for some time. I do trust you, Lord Talion. It amuses me that a noble like yourself indulges in the clandestine work of trading under the very noses of the Merchant’s Guild. Yes, I would appreciate a Mage’s view of these items. But I do know they are not cursed.”<br/><br/>His assessment of the gem was spot on, and she could tell he was affected by it. Hani nodded as he told her he would have to find a buyer before he could offer her some gold for it. “There is some concern, Lord Talion, that this gem might be attracting some kind of attention. Possibly evil intentions from outside the borders. It might be a good idea to move it as far from the City as possible. Perhaps an Elven Mage would take it and secure it somewhere it cannot be accessed by those who would do the city harm?”<br/><br/>Hani knew the Elves had vast amounts of gold to spend, at least it seemed so. They never shirked on decadence in their parties and lavish homes on the Upper Terrace. She was quite curious on who might be interested in the gem.<br/><br/>“I do appreciate you taking the time to do this for me. I trust you to find a buyer. I do hope you have a secure place to keep it? I am fine with you storing it until you find a buyer. Quite frankly, I was not comfortable keeping it in my room.” She smiled at him.<br/><br/>Her mind turned to the Knight Captain, “I know that Doryn is jealous, though I am not sure why. Have you known him long at all? It is actually quite puzzling to me. I consider myself an independent woman, and I am not seeking to settle down, as I pointed out to him. He seems to agree with me, after all, he is not shy about flirting and taking women to his bed, apparently all over the City. So why then is he suddenly jealous?” She was genuinely in a quandry on this.<br/><br/>“I am not the kind of woman to be jealous, I never say anything to him about his numerous affairs, outside of a teasing comment now and then when he is bragging. Does he really think that I would take him seriously, knowing his footloose ways? He is rumored to be engaged, anyway. Why would I even be concerned? I like to flirt as well! I am not going to sit at home and mope if I am single.” She sighed. “But then again, father wants me to find a good man and settle down. He wants grandkids…” She blushed slightly then. “Sorry to be ranting to you about my personal problems. I am sure you would rather not hear them!”<br/><br/>The touch of his hand was friendly, yet she seemed to pick up on something more. His eyes studied her with admiration and interest. Was he considering her as more than a business contact? The very idea was intriguing. Hani had never been with an Elf noble before. He certainly appealed to her on a physical level, and his manners were impeccable. Somehow she felt the mutual attraction and wondered where it would lead?<br/>