Post by Josette on Nov 10, 2012 6:46:33 GMT -5
Oh, how she loved it when they trembled, even more so when they tried to hide it. Markus stood before her, his hands clasped behind his back, careful not to meet her eyes. A huge mahogany desk stood between them, its surface remarkably clear for a woman who was so busy, but then Josette had only bought it for its image and she never actually used it. Why would she? She had servants to do all the written work for her.
She sat back in the plush red arm chair, her feet resting on the desk a small smile on her face as Markus told his tales from the North. Tales of Wendigos, bandits, dragion riders and a wolf and a man with a cart full of potions and a very powerful crossbow. She let him finish his fable and tilted her head to one side. “A very pretty story.” she mused, “But what is the truth?”
Markus shuffled his feet uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at Josette, her smile widened at his discomfort. “My Lady,” he stammered licking his lips “I have dug deep, the wendigo tale is attracting a lot of attention from the senate. But not is not a wendigo, it is a wolf, the same wolf that helped in the bandit attack.”
“And the Dragon rider?” she pressed.
Markus looked at her then, his eyes full of fear. “I...I am not sure. He bore the symbol of the emperor on his chest.” Josette nodded slowly and Markus breathed a sigh of relief and stopped fidgeting. A dragon rider appears in the north bearing the symbol of the old Empire, elites march across the eastern lands in force, riots in Trihali, war was coming, she was sure of it. This made her a very happy woman. War was good for her business, she could put the prices up in war and be happy in the knowledge that they would pay without question.
“Good.” she said finally. “Find out where this dragon rider has gone, and who this she wolf is. I will ask about the man who killed the bandit’s dragon” Markus bowed and made to leave.
“Oh and Markus,” he stopped and turned back to look at her. “Deliver a message to the Ajurah brute, Cezar for me, preferably after you have gathered your information and sent it to me. Tell him the spider does not appreciate her customers being antagonised. And tell him that she wishes to see him, should his journey hunting for allies bring him this far east.” Markus had gone very pale.
“May I ask, my lady, why you wish me to do this after I have gathered my information?” Josette smiled wickedly. “You may, but I will not answer you. Go.”
He left, and Josette rose smoothly from her chair and meandered over to the window. Ammi was so beautiful this early in the morning. The suns golden glow bounced off building walls making the entire city seem like it was gold itself. This was her domain, the senators may have called it Illiria, they may have one or two weak men and women placed here to show their power but her blood line was too well dug into the ground here for them to shake her off.
A servant appeared silently at her elbow. “I’m going for a walk, get some fresh clothes ready for me.” the servant bowed and left her. Josette knew well enough that all secrets of the rich were spilled by the mouths of their servants, and so she had all of her servants tongues cut out. Everyone knew it when they came to her door looking for work, yet still they came and still they screamed in protest when it was cut from their mouth.
Half an hour later she was on the streets of Ammi, clad in a pale blue gown that billowed in the late autumn winds behind her. Two servants walked with her, keeping two paces behind at all times. As she walked through the city people bowed to her, and cried out ‘Good Morning, milady.” She greeted them all with kind smiles as a proper lady should but she despised them. They were nothing but dust in the wind of her long life.
She made her way to the market place and ignored all the stalls save for one, the druid grtted her with an overly exaggerated bow. “My dear lady Josette. What a pleasure it is to see you. What can I interest you in today?”
Josette clicked her tongue at him in distaste before answering, “Two things, today Kyle. The first, I am out of slow acting poison. The second is information about someone that I would assume is in the same business as you.”
Kyle’s plastic smile vanished and he swallowed hard. “Why would you require information about my fellow alchemists and potion makers my dear?” Josette gave him a cold hard look, she did not answer questions about her business and Kyle knew it.
She sat back in the plush red arm chair, her feet resting on the desk a small smile on her face as Markus told his tales from the North. Tales of Wendigos, bandits, dragion riders and a wolf and a man with a cart full of potions and a very powerful crossbow. She let him finish his fable and tilted her head to one side. “A very pretty story.” she mused, “But what is the truth?”
Markus shuffled his feet uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at Josette, her smile widened at his discomfort. “My Lady,” he stammered licking his lips “I have dug deep, the wendigo tale is attracting a lot of attention from the senate. But not is not a wendigo, it is a wolf, the same wolf that helped in the bandit attack.”
“And the Dragon rider?” she pressed.
Markus looked at her then, his eyes full of fear. “I...I am not sure. He bore the symbol of the emperor on his chest.” Josette nodded slowly and Markus breathed a sigh of relief and stopped fidgeting. A dragon rider appears in the north bearing the symbol of the old Empire, elites march across the eastern lands in force, riots in Trihali, war was coming, she was sure of it. This made her a very happy woman. War was good for her business, she could put the prices up in war and be happy in the knowledge that they would pay without question.
“Good.” she said finally. “Find out where this dragon rider has gone, and who this she wolf is. I will ask about the man who killed the bandit’s dragon” Markus bowed and made to leave.
“Oh and Markus,” he stopped and turned back to look at her. “Deliver a message to the Ajurah brute, Cezar for me, preferably after you have gathered your information and sent it to me. Tell him the spider does not appreciate her customers being antagonised. And tell him that she wishes to see him, should his journey hunting for allies bring him this far east.” Markus had gone very pale.
“May I ask, my lady, why you wish me to do this after I have gathered my information?” Josette smiled wickedly. “You may, but I will not answer you. Go.”
He left, and Josette rose smoothly from her chair and meandered over to the window. Ammi was so beautiful this early in the morning. The suns golden glow bounced off building walls making the entire city seem like it was gold itself. This was her domain, the senators may have called it Illiria, they may have one or two weak men and women placed here to show their power but her blood line was too well dug into the ground here for them to shake her off.
A servant appeared silently at her elbow. “I’m going for a walk, get some fresh clothes ready for me.” the servant bowed and left her. Josette knew well enough that all secrets of the rich were spilled by the mouths of their servants, and so she had all of her servants tongues cut out. Everyone knew it when they came to her door looking for work, yet still they came and still they screamed in protest when it was cut from their mouth.
Half an hour later she was on the streets of Ammi, clad in a pale blue gown that billowed in the late autumn winds behind her. Two servants walked with her, keeping two paces behind at all times. As she walked through the city people bowed to her, and cried out ‘Good Morning, milady.” She greeted them all with kind smiles as a proper lady should but she despised them. They were nothing but dust in the wind of her long life.
She made her way to the market place and ignored all the stalls save for one, the druid grtted her with an overly exaggerated bow. “My dear lady Josette. What a pleasure it is to see you. What can I interest you in today?”
Josette clicked her tongue at him in distaste before answering, “Two things, today Kyle. The first, I am out of slow acting poison. The second is information about someone that I would assume is in the same business as you.”
Kyle’s plastic smile vanished and he swallowed hard. “Why would you require information about my fellow alchemists and potion makers my dear?” Josette gave him a cold hard look, she did not answer questions about her business and Kyle knew it.