Lady Marwen's Request

"Why is it so... dull?" Yuying asked asked as she glanced along the street, seeking the rare signs of the strangely absent color or culture of the northern clans. There were hints here and there, support beams of buildings with some carving, an old stone statue standing in front of a shop, but the buildings were almost all so new and clean and very plain.

Dusk considered this, turning to Sying and Yuying. Wisp had done his job well, Yuying wore a lovely gown in autumnal colors and subtle gold embroidery that brought out her lush coat. In her hair was a silk flower whose blue-green hue caught her eyes and matched the jewelry she wore. Her sister, on the other hand, with her short cropped hair and the sleek lines of leather carefully tailored and similarly dyed as Yuying, looked like some no-nonsense heroine from a minstrel's song. Her only adornments were a pair of gold and amber earrings and a pendant of stars. Sying's sword lay on the floor beneath their seat and Dusk was certain that somewhere on her person that Yuying had at least a couple of concealed weapons should the lord's guards somehow not be sufficient protection.

She said, "The city's been built, in no small part, by the golems from the empire. While they are amazing at working quickly and accurately they lack any kind of ability for creative work. I suspect over the next few years the people living here will do their best to make these shops and houses truly their own. Most of the golem construction was along the main roads. The residential districts are still under construction as people move in and, of course, any of the nobles simply must have their homes built to their personal specifications."

Yuying nodded and gave a small frown as she turned her gaze back out the window, watching the houses roll past as the carriage drew near the great looming fortress. As she did so, Partran reached into the inner pocket of his vest and withdrew the small note that had been delivered earlier in the day and, though having read it several times already, once more let his eyes fall on the careful script of Lady Marwen.

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It had been some hours earlier when Partran stood at the top of the stairs, faintly annoyed at a cuff link that refused cooperate as he listened to Dusk's faintly exasperated voice in the next room.

"There is no possible way to make your shield an acceptable accessory for tonight. Were you in full armor that might be allowed but the sword alone is only acceptable because of your position as a bodyguard. Anything else would be implying that the lord's protection isn't sufficient."

This had been a low level argument for the last few days, out of habit and amusement now than any real teeth.

"Careful, Dusk, Sy might take that to mean she can choose the chainmail and breastplate instead." This was Yuying, the younger of the pair, "I'm still disappointed you wouldn't let Wisp make you something more appropriate."

Sying must have been ignoring this Partran thought as he tugged his vest straight and looked in the long mirror at the top of the stairs. He paused for a moment then adjusted his collar.

"She's dedicated to her job." He said, confident that his bassy rumble would carry through the closed door.

"Thank you!" Came Sying's response as the tiger began down the stairs. "See? Dedicated. Not drab."

The conversation dulled into a muted mumble as Partran walked down the carpeted stairs, the tiger pleased with the accommodations despite the rush that Lady Marwen must have been in to arrange so much in the last few months. As he reached the bottom of the stairs the bell for the door jangled on its spring and, as the rest of the staff were occupied, stooped through a low doorway to open the door himself.

Even in early afternoon the autumn wind rolling down from the surrounding mountains was tinged with frost. As the tiger opened the door, he inhaled the clean sharp air and looked out into an empty courtyard of immaculately kept grass apparently devoid of anyone to ring the bell. Then his gaze turned downwards. Standing, bundled in a heavy woolen cloak and hood was, as best Partran could tell, an otter. She stood there, small and alone on the porch, clutching to her breast a small folded butter colored envelope with a wax seal pressed to it. As she looked up... then looked further up, she gave a small gasp at the door being answered not by a servant like herself but a vast and looming tiger, the very lord she'd been sent to give a message to. With an embarrassed squeak, she thrust up her paw with the letter in it and the words came out in a startled rush, "Sir, Lord Partran, my Lady Marwen wished for me to deliver this letter to you."

From his lofty height, the tiger smiled down at the suddenly tense otter, her brown eyes fixated on the large predator and her whiskers out in a poof around her short muzzle. He put his hands on his knees as he crouched slowly down, his green eyes on hers. Her paw trembled faintly until he reached a gloved hand out and took it delicately from her, "Thank you, little one." He gave her a warm smile, seeking to reassure her, then he turned his gaze down to the folded letter, turning it to reveal Lady Marwen's seal. When he looked up Verona gave a quick curtsy, then scampered away along the round stones of the walkway.

Partran crouched there for a moment, letter in his hand, watching the small otter nearly bolt out of the yard. Puzzled he stared after her, then he heard hoofsteps behind him and Dusk's voice, "What was that, sir?"

"A message from Lady Marwen, it seems, and a nervous little otter messenger."

Dusk looked out around Partran but couldn't catch a glimpse of said courier, so turned to the tiger as he stood. "What's in it?"

The tiger handed the letter to Dusk to open so he wouldn't need remove his gloves. She carefully broke the wax seal and unfolded the letter, recognizing the careful script of Lady Marwen. She looked questioningly at the tall feline.

"Go ahead, my glasses are upstairs."

Lord Partran Madradin,

I must apologize for how vague my previous letter was and thank you for your indulgence of both my caution and my invitation. Should a more candid letter earlier have been seen by those not intended, there could have been unfortunate repercussions.

Tonight, as the banquet's celebrations and entertainments proceed, I would ask of you a service as a surrogate. The secrecy that I have had to employ in arranging this is due to the culture of my husband's people, the lupine and ursine clans of the north. They do not follow the customs we do as cosmopolitan members of the Empire. They attach great significance to birth and bloodline and to allow another to sire a child you then claim as your own invites challenges of succession.

After ten years Lord Marwen and I have been unable to sire a son or daughter of our own. In order to make less treacherous his rivals here in the north, I have sought your aid. I know the nature of your amulet. I know some of what a dragon's blood stone is capable of and pray you believe me when I say that no one, save I and my maid, know anything of the matter. I offer you this, a payment for surrogate fathering equal to the most sought after surrogates in the capital, the book in which I discovered the information of your bauble, all of my notes regarding it, and my secrecy unto the grave.

As I write the above I feel compelled to tell you that I have not informed Lord Marwen of this scheme. The deception is painful to me, but he is, at times, far too noble for his own good. Were he aware that the pup I hope you shall provide were not his own, he would feel compelled to make it known. This would mean the end of his line and call into question his fitness for leadership. The clans will not tolerate a chieftain without an heir for much longer.

Whilst he and I both enjoy our occasional trysts and tumbles of lovers beyond our marriage, this would too far. I beg for your discretion in this matter and to allow my husband to keep his honor and face among allies and rivals alike. Tonight, after the banquet and with the entertainment as a distraction, I will arrange to meet you in a secluded place in the castle.

-Lady Liana Marwen

"Well... That explains a lot." He said dryly, giving the unicorn mare a look, "What would happen were Lord Marwen to not have an heir?"

"If he has no heirs then perhaps his cousins or nieces and nephews in other clans would claim they had the right to the leadership of his, or those in his clan with rank could fight for the leadership. It would cause a great deal of turmoil and, most likely, result in the resurrection of clan feuds. Before the castle, it'd be small scale skirmishes and eventually they'd work it out. But now? With the empire here? I'd say it's most likely that there would be a bloody war and instead of Clan Marwen the empire would send a legion north to take the castle and make vassals of the clans. Lord and Lady Marwen did an almost bloodless job of brokering what this city's become. It's left the clans untouched and able to proceed as they have for centuries and the empire's able to expand here without having to invest time conquering it. There's clan leaders who don't like it, but Lord Marwen's respected or feared enough by the clans to have an immense amount of influence."

The tiger considered this for a time, pulling his gloved fingers along the black lines of his chin, he was enjoying the contrast of the warmth of the sun and the chill of the air here on the patio and was trying to digest the information.

"So... I trade my silence and a service to the lady wolf of the north for secrecy, a book, a fee, and keeping the empire from another war? All while preserving the ways of the indigenous clans?"

There was a long moment of silence as Dusk, tactfully, said nothing. Her own parentage was a mark of shame for her, but, unlike the potential offspring of Lady Marwen, she wore her shame plain to see. As long as the few who knew this secret kept it, the child could be raised as a noble and as the son of a good man.

The tiger turned to head back into the house and up the stairs, "Then I suppose I should prepare accordingly."

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Dusk and Partran now stood in the immense ballroom, Sying and Yuying on either side of them, as they savored the warmth of the fires in the long hearths along the side walls. The large room was hung with fine drapery in autumn colors. The tiger was quiet, though, only making a few greetings and small talk with the scant few guests he recognized. They had entered amid the procession of guests and all had been ushered into the ballroom where servants plied them with drinks.

The guests made idle talk and indulged in the drinks and hors d'oeuvres that were brought about by the servants until the tall doors leading into the great hall opened to the sound of rolling drums, and Lord and Lady Marwen stepped forth. The lord of Clan Marwen, almost as tall as Partran, towered alongside his relatively diminutive wife. Lord Marwen, a broad shouldered and heavily built grey wolf was dressed in a finely tailored doublet and solid color emerald green kilt that befitted his clan and status. His long, blocky muzzle was brushed and despite the fine grooming his fur lay at odd angles in places hinting at scars beneath. Beside this picture of immense strength and feral nobility, Lady Marwen seemed the essence of elegant composure. She wore a long gown, wide at the hips, that would have been at home in emperor's court. Her russet and black fur was a fine compliment to the rich crimson and burnished gold of her dress and jewelry. They were a stark contrast, the lord and his lady, he moved like an iceberg through a glass calm sea where she strode proudly beside him, her warm smile as intoxicating as the sweet wine Partran had managed to pluck from a passing servant's tray.

They walked forward into the crowd as it parted before them, leaving a growing open circle around the pair. Approaching the center of the immense ball room, they stopped and Lady Marwen began to speak.

"Lords and Ladies of the Empire, Chieftains and champions of the clans, Masters and Mistresses of art and trades, welcome to this celebration of harvest and hearth. We thank you for accepting our invitation for this banquet and harvest celebration. We wish to treat you to the bounty of the northlands and the hospitality of both our peoples. Soon our servants will show you to your places within the dining hall and then a night of feasting and entertainment can begin in earnest. May the goddesses bless you all as they have blessed us this year."

She spoke as someone intimately familiar with each and every guest, a strong and clear voice as her husband stood beside her silently. It was only as she finished speaking, turning to look over the crowd of her guests, did she finally meet eyes with the tiger. It was only an instant, a fractured sliver of a second, but her pause was real and her composure had, for the briefest flicker, faltered.

Soon, Partran and his retinue were led to the long wooden table they were assigned by a slim young buck in olive green tunic and tan breeches. The deer's hair was left long and tied behind his head in a pony tail with a green thong the same deep green as his tunic. Dusk covered a smile as the lad struggled a bit pulling the heavy, over sized chair out from the table for Partran but she was polite enough to hide her amusement.

The reason that guests at such functions were usually seated by servants was that, even here, the range of species dictated that special accommodations be made for a variety of sizes. While Partran was not the tallest nor largest guest in attendance, there had to be certain arrangements made.

Partran, Dusk, and the sisters sat along one side of the a vast banquet hall. Tall, square pillars of precision cut stone supported the peaked ceiling, and here were signs that craftsmen had been hard at work. While decoration had been notably absent from the city outside, the wooden beams that supported the ceiling arched from the stone pillars and were covered in beautifully carved scroll work. The undulating ribbons cut into the oaken beams had been painted in the deep greens and black of the Marwen colors and stood out framed by the oak and stone. Similarly colored banners hung from the rafters and columns and made the vast hall feel cozy and helped to muffle the sound of such a large number of guests. The tables themselves were dark stained oak polished to a shine and in a few places they had been stacked on atop one another to suit the height of a large guest. They lay with dark green cloth and gold trim atop each and were bountiful with a variety of nuts and cheeses to keep the guests busy until the actual meal began. At each of the forward tables, those closest to the raised dais upon which Lord and Lady Marwen stood behind their own table, a large silver goblet stood empty.

"That goblet is for a ceremony, it's to remain empty until then." Dusk whispered at Partran's elbow, having been looking at the place settings for them all. Smaller cups were also on the table and were already full. The tiger took note of Dusk's words, curious now as he eyed the cast silver goblet with its vine wrapped base its fared rim gleaming in the lamp light.

During the procession of guests and guides, a troupe of gamboling weasels and ferrets, dressed in loose, brightly colored scarves and little else, traipsed and bounded from table to table. The lithe acrobats tumbled and leapt from chair to tabletop without so much as overturning a single cheese plate and the only nuts jostled were their own. Between their acrobatic stunts they spared brief moments flirting lasciviously with one another or lucky guests. Along the upper row of tables two male otters performed an impressive leap towards one another and, cartwheeling in mid-air, missed each other by a hair's breadth to land almost precisely where the other had began their stunt. This drew a gasp and a cheer as even Lord Marwen, with booming laughter, joined in. Beneath these antics, at the edge of hearing, light music filtered in from the ballroom where the musicians had begun to play quietly, preparing for the rest of their busy evening.

At last, all of the guests had been led to their seats and the great wolf lord raised a heavy, polished drinking horn inlaid with gold in preparation for a toast. This signaled the endearing entertainers to slip from the tables and disappear out the side doors for the time being. The lord and lady's table stood at one end of the hall, with the guests' tables arranged in two concentric half circles facing them. Between the first row of guests tables and the Lord's table was an open space for musicians or entertainers should they return during the actual meal. The lord and lady could, from their raised platform, see all of their guests and be seen and heard similarly.

Once their guests had been seated Lord Marwen turned to his wife leaned to murmur something to her. She raised one hand to his cheek and kissed him briefly before he straightened and his rich, thunderous voice echoed through the hall, "Welcome honored guests of Clan Marwen, sit and be at ease. Avail yourself of my family's hospitality and let us celebrate a rich autumn harvest among allies, friends, and even rivals. Until dawn you are all Clan Marwen, welcome and be at ease." He drank from the curled horn and then passed it to his wife who carefully took the large horn in both hands and drank from it as well before turning to step from the platform they stood upon.

Lady Marwen gracefully descended from the platform to where two servants were waiting with pitchers of wine. In her husband's clans it was the role of the matron of the house to welcome guests and fill the first cups. Gracious and elegant Liana walked to the first of the tables with the large silver goblet and spoke quietly to the guest as she poured it and offered them the cup. This custom had married well with the empire's customs so that the lady of the house, or lord should the lady be of higher rank, would, accompanied by servants, take wine to guests of honor and speak with them at their seats. This afforded the lady ample opportunity to speak with special guests and to still satisfy the clan's traditions.

Dusk watched with interest as the Countess spoke and smiled politely to each guest in turn as she walked along the tables. As she approached their table, Dusk cleared her throat to draw Partran's attention away from where the acrobats had begun to come back into the room and sauntered towards the open space before the lord's table. The tiger shifted slightly beside the mare and sat upright, turning to the lady of the manor as she gave a slight bow to one of the acrobats who, while scantily clad in silks, had managed to produce a silk flower for her without it being readily apparent where the scoundrel had pulled it from. Graciously she paused in her walk between tables to stoop and kiss the small male on the cheek. Melodramatically he stumbled back as though unable to stand, raising a paw to his cheek and swooning into the arms of another acrobat who fanned him to chuckles from the guests and lady alike.

Smiling, she stood and handed the flower to a familiar servant who waddled behind her, the otter lass who had delivered the letter earlier in the day. She she blushed as Lady Marwen slipped the flower into her hair and they shared a smile before Lady Marwen continued towards the tiger's table.

"Ah, Lord and Master Alchemist Madradin." Lady Marwen said in a rich, satin voice as she approached. "I must thank you for traveling so far to be here and accepting the hospitality of our home and hearth." She was genuine in her greeting, but there was apprehension in her voice.