Making Amends

If the imperial emissary had any notion of just how severe the swirling tempest playing out between the ears of the young woman across from him really was he gave no indication of the fact, instead merely smiling cordially as he carried on. "I must say, you look utterly radiant, milady. Like a daughter of the stars come down to carry the will of the eternals themselves to us mere mortals." Sienna couldn't help but bite her lip as the handsome foreigner gave a little bow in her direction, the heat raging in her cheeks steadfastly refusing to die down. She... hadn't been entirely certain what she was preparing herself for, not really, but if she didn't know better she might have thought the man was courting her. Whatever the motives for such an approach, it caught her entirely off guard.

It was hard to be certain, but when the man straightened back up a moment later she thought his smile stretched a little higher up his cheeks than it had before. He gave Sienna little chance to dwell on that suspicion, though, before beginning to speak once more. "If I might be so bold, the outfit you wore this morning flattered you not even a tenth so much as that you wear now. Truly, seldom have I seen a fairer maiden. But, I digress. To what do I owe the most exquisite pleasure of your company, milady?"

Such a question, while entirely natural on its face, caught Sienna by such surprise that she nearly took a step back. The man had to know why she had come, didn't he? And even had her visit not been prearranged, surely he was not such a fool as to think it customary for Leithien women to pay visits to men they scarcely knew dressed as she was. Then, that could only mean that... he wanted her to be the one who first broached the subject? To offer herself up? Was that it?

Not for the first time, Lady Sienna found herself wishing that matters of court could be as straightforward as those of a battlefield. Deception was key to warfare, true, but concealing troops for an ambush or disguising one's intentions via feint and misdirection was entirely different from the kind of maneuvers men like the one before her practiced on a daily basis. When words could mean a dozen things at once and each was as dangerous as a knife, when the only way to win was for your opponent to be oblivious of your intent until the moment their throat had been cut, when enemies treated one another with more courtesy than friends... In such a life it became only second nature to dance around the truth. For one like Sienna, who had never particularly wanted much more out of life than to be an honest soldier, such verbal sparring was nearly beyond fathoming. For her, the only way to win such a fight was not to take part.

"I... wanted to offer you my apologies, your excellency," the blushing knight answered after a long moment's pause. "For this morning," she swiftly added, as if there could be any doubt about just what it was she regretted. If this silver-tongued foreigner wanted to play with his food before he ate it, to flatter and tease and belittle, well then the best thing Sienna could do would be to plow straight ahead and deny him his little games. She knew why she had come calling and was resolved to do her duty, however distasteful it might be. Though, now that she had been granted the chance to see the man to whom her virtue had been bartered away, she supposed it could have been much worse. He was handsome enough, at least, and seemed to possess no small amount of charm. More than a few times she had witnessed a young lady like herself married off to an older man not even half so desirable, after all, and all she needed endure was a single night.

"I see," the ambassador smiled, inclining his head towards her once more. "You are most gracious, milady."

"I... uh, thank you, your excellency," Sienna demured, swallowing heavily before she carried on. "I would... understand, were you to hold the incident against me. Against my father. Such an assault on yourself and your companions was unprovoked, unwarranted, and utterly shameful." As hard as she fought to keep her voice steady, the young knight's genuine shame at her cataclysmic error coupled with the nerves she felt standing in her nightclothes before a fully dressed and rather authoritative man more than a decade her elder brought an undeniable quiver to her words. While her voice may have betrayed her, though, her eyes did not. They held steady on the wounded foreigner's own as she powered on through the rest of her thoroughly-practiced confession. "I regret my error with all the strength of my heart and am... prepared to do whatever it takes to make amends."

For a very long moment indeed, the man standing before Sienna fixed her with the most curious stare. He just stood there, lips pursed and hands clasped behind his back in a polite manner as if he were mulling over her words. It went on so long the scantily-clad maiden almost started to believe he was actually surprised by her offer and contemplating its implications. That thought was swiftly banished, however, when she forced herself to remember that this was a man who acted for a living. Not on the stage, perhaps, an imperial aristocrat would likely consider such a vocation far beneath his dignity, but the art of diplomacy was not so different. It was his calling to lie, bluff, and twist the facts until those sitting across the table from him saw the world as he did. Such a man could never be entirely trusted.

When at last the ambassador snapped out of his pensive performance it was to flash his visitor a modest half-smile and lift one hand to gently tap at the bump her blow had raised on his head. "As glad as I am to hear that you regret our little altercation, milady, you need not concern yourself overmuch on my account. By the grace of the eternals, I escaped with naught but this most trifling of wounds."

For the briefest of moments, Sienna allowed herself to believe that she had been the victim of some grand misunderstanding, that her father had been mistaken somehow and the eminently reasonable man addressing her had no intentions whatsoever of compelling her into any dishonourable acts. But just for a moment. Such childish illusions shattered as swiftly as they had formed when the emissary's face grew stern and he carried on in a heavier voice. "Of course, there are two members of my personal guard who will never get the chance to hear any apologies. One of whom happened to be a dear friend of mine for many a year. Their deaths would be travesty enough to require accounting for even were we to disregard the matter of my sovereign."

If he had been authoritative before, suddenly the ambassador seemed downright intimidating. "As you are no doubt aware," he declared, every last trace of cordiality gone from his voice, "an imperial emissary is nothing more or less than an extension of the Emperor himself. I may be a forgiving man, milady, but I assure you my master is not. His Imperial Majesty takes any attempt against his person, either directly or by way of proxy, as the gravest of offenses." While Sienna could almost certainly have taken down the diplomat in even an unfair fight, her combat experience easily outweighing his advantages in both height and weight, the young knight found herself weak at the knees as the man rumbled out his threat. There was just something in his voice which, coupled with the knowledge that any violence directed towards him could and would be paid back a hundredfold by his powerful patron, left her feeling utterly insignificant.

"What's more," the man continued, "it might interest you to learn that my master has for some time now been quite keen on expanding the imperial navy. Such an endeavor would require a great deal of quality lumber, however, and there are precious few sources remaining within our borders which lie near enough to our southern ports as to be of practical use. Thus, seizing your Duchy which, while quite small, contains a virgin forest full of mighty old trees is a prospect which would sorely tempt him." Lady Sienna felt herself stiffen at the unveiled threat, her hidden hands balling into white-knuckled fists behind her back. She knew little of ships or their construction, had never set foot beyond the borders of her landlocked homeland, but the ambassador's logic sounded reasonable enough. As far as her tutors had taught her, much of the Empire's south had been cleared of forests several generations prior to make room for the vast farmland its massive population required. It seemed silly, perhaps, to go to war over wood, but then, battles had been fought over far less.

"There is, however, an alternative to such... drastic measures," the diplomat offered, softening his tone just enough that Sienna allowed herself to release the breath she had been holding. "My original purpose in visiting your father, before our little entanglement this morning, was to negotiate for logging rights along our nations' shared border. Should such an arrangement be reached on favourable enough terms, I believe my master could yet be convinced to refrain from taking any Leithien territory by force. Even the modest sort of campaign such a task would require is quite costly, after all, and occupation can become even more so given enough time..."

The ambassador's proposition was more or less in line with what Sienna had expected to hear. He and his superiors in the imperial court would naturally milk the crisis she had prompted for every advantage it could grant them and threaten her father with war if he resisted their demands. It was galling, certainly, to hear a pampered aristocrat who knew nothing of battle dismiss the knights she had fought and bled alongside for years as nothing more than a minor obstacle, but she could hardly dispute such an assertion. His homeland could field a hundred warriors for each one her own put forward and in all likelihood the Empire would still have plenty of reserves to spare. No amount of skill, valour, or cunning could overcome such odds for long.

"In light of the fate which befell my companions, however," the ambassador frowned, "there are many back home who would view any such arrangement as too great a risk to seriously consider. If we were to send imperial subjects into your territory without an army to protect them, after all, they would then be at the mercy of the very same knights who have already attacked us once. As such, I could only propose such a treaty to His Imperial Majesty and the closed council were I myself convinced that this morning's incident was not emblematic of any prejudice or grudge which House Terracroix harbours against the Empire."

Sienna's jaw tightened and her back stiffened at the knowledge of just how the ambassador expected to be convinced of such an absence. She had already committed herself, though, and no amount of personal pride or shame would compel her to abandon the defense of her people by whatever means presented themselves. Thus, standing ramrod straight, the young knight mustered as much stoicism as she could and looked her opponent straight in the eye. "I assure you, your excellency, that neither I nor any member of my family bears you, your sovereign, or your nation any amount of ill will. The Leithien Duchy has always striven to live in peace with its neighbours." Sienna couldn't quite suppress a subtle gulp before adding, "And, as I have already stated, I am prepared to do whatever is required of me in correcting any notions to the contrary."

"I am delighted to hear you say so," the ambassador replied, his tone reverting to honey-sweet so swiftly that Sienna caught herself blinking in surprise. "But please, enough with the formality. As we have yet to be officially introduced, I beg you permit me the honour of doing so myself." Though it hardly seemed necessary in such a private setting, before his counterpart could even reply the diplomat surprised her with a full, almost theatrical bow. "I am Baron Hyacin Lyselliol III of the Lacanth Marches, Emissary of the Imperial Crown and knight in good standing of the Argent Order. It is the greatest of pleasures to make your acquaintance, Lady Sienna of House Terracroix."

"The honour is mine, Baron," the scantily-clad knight stiffly replied, holding her hand out for its customary kiss once the foreigner had straightened up. He obliged with an impossibly warm smile that left Sienna's heart fluttering nervously as his intent gaze never left her face.

"My dear lady Sienna, I see no courtiers present who we must impress with our embrace of proper decorum. Please, I think my name alone shall suffice this evening," the baron suggested after releasing her hand, only the slightest hint of amusement leaking through his facade of friendly sincerity.

"As you wish, ba... Hyacin." Somehow, just saying the ambassador's name aloud was enough to send a subtle ripple down Sienna's spine. They were all but strangers, and each of not insignificant station, so addressing one another with such familiarity felt almost... intimate. It was as if she were about to give herself to a betrothed rather than a dishonourable predator who had effectively taken everything and everyone she cared about hostage.

"There, now was that so hard, Sienna?" the man asked, a less-than-subtle smirk blossoming on his face. As much as she wanted to snap at him that it was, the young knight knew better than to let such a petty jab get to her. She would soon have to endure far more than mockery, after all. So, rather than lash out, she merely bit her lip and gave a gentle shake of the head.

"Good, I feel more comfortable already," Baron Hyacin declared. Lifting one hand to his opposite shoulder and giving that joint an absentminded roll, he casually turned back to the writing desk which had held his attention when Sienna first entered the room. With her silently watching, he efficiently gathered up the various pages of parchment waiting there, rolled them up into a collection of slender tubes, and then swiftly tucked each one into a case which sat to one side. Only once he had finished did he turn back around and flash his visitor what she imagined was supposed to be an apologetic smile.

"As flattered as I am by your visit and as charming as your company has been, I fear I have little more time this evening to spare on idle conversation, my dear. Even on horseback a trip back to the imperial court will take more than a few days and it is imperative that my report on recent events be delivered with all haste. I'm sure you understand," Hyacin explained, his unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air. "As a matter of fact, I was just getting ready to retire when you arrived. Today's events have left me rather drained, I fear, and so it is probably time I bid you the very finest of evenings and send you on your way. Unless, of course, you care to join me?" he asked as breezily as if he were inviting a friend to tea. As the diplomat aired that 'offer', his eyes drifted over to the bed which dominated one side of the chamber before returning to once more match Sienna's. The glance was impossibly casual, one which spoke of immense confidence in matters both of state and the bedroom.

"If... if that is your wish, your eminence... Hyacin... I mean... I don't..." The blushing knight had to bite down on her tongue in order to stop herself stammering on further, her maiden's heart suddenly pounding away like the mightiest of war drums deep within her chest as the moment of truth drew near.

At her acquiescence, one of the baron's eyebrows lifted dramatically in what had to be his most splendid facsimile of surprise yet. The expression was so perfectly executed that Sienna once more caught herself starting to believe the man hadn't known exactly how their encounter would play out from the very moment of her arrival. One part of her was desperate for Hyacin to drop the charade at last and simply take what he was due so the entire ordeal could be over and done with. Another, admittedly smaller, part of her, though, was almost... grateful for the act. While the warrior in her held nothing but distaste for such games, she was also a blushing maiden being taken to bed for the first time. That side of her knew that even the slightest semblance of normalcy could only make her sacrifice more bearable.

One side of the ambassador's mouth curled upwards as he responded by giving a little twist of his head that Sienna supposed must have been an imperial gesture of some sort as it did naught but bewilder her. "Well, I shan't turn down whatever hospitality you see fit to provide, my dear. I trust, in that case, you won't object to my getting comfortable."

Without waiting for an answer, Baron Hyacin once more turned idly away from his recent assailant to languidly stride in the direction of the nearby bed. His hands were shielded from Sienna's view, but judging by the way his shirt started falling loose it was no mystery what they were occupied with. A few seconds later that silken garment hung limp from the man's shoulders, a single roll of which sent it falling halfway down his back. What its absence revealed was nearly enough to make the onlooking maiden gasp. While the emissary could hardly be considered a match for the kind of brawny warriors whose bodies she routinely witnessed out of their shirts, there could be no denying that he was far closer to such a figure than he was to the flabby state which most of the leisurely creatures of this or that court tended to exhibit by his age.

More jarring by far than the diplomat's unexpectedly athletic body, however, were the trio of wicked scars running the length of his back. One long and bold, another to each side faint and disappearing towards each end, the three marks traced a path from just inside his right shoulderblade down and across his back all the way to the opposite hip. As their owner slowly pulled himself free of first one sleeve and then the other, Sienna couldn't help but wonder as to the origins of those vicious blemishes. Whether the man had seen combat after all, only narrowly escaped a bloodthirsty beast, or simply endured a particularly drastic accident of some sort, however, she was not to know. Before she could even finish surveying them the scars passed from her view as Hyacin turned to face her once more.

A moment later the blonde knight felt her breath catch for an entirely different reason as the man before her lazily began to undo the clasp holding up his breeches. Once that task was complete they fell easily, requiring only a quick shake of each leg to slip past their wearer's kneecaps. In their absence the baron's thick, woolen undergarment came into view, stretching down to his mid thighs but doing little to disguise the hefty bulge between his legs. Sienna had seen such a sight on many prior occasions, had even witnessed more a few times. Unlike some in her father's court the fellow knights she trained and fought alongside had long since accepted the handful of women among their ranks as equal partners and while some maintained a certain level of polite decorum in their dealings with such sisters in arms, others possessed less discretion when it came to changing or bathing out in the field. Still, while she had seen a few men's members in the past it felt entirely different to do so in her current context, so much so that she found herself nearly quivering when the baron bent forward to roll the intervening garment down his thighs and expose himself entirely.

Assuming the handful of shafts she had witnessed over the years were anything to go by, and discounting out of hand the far greater number of idle boasts or jests she had heard bantered about between her comrades, Sienna was reasonably confident in guessing that Hyacin's manhood, which looked to stretch out around half a foot or so from his groin, was fairly average in size. Up close such a length proved more than enough to leave her awestruck, however, so even as its owner straightened back up her eyes lingered as if transfixed by the weapon which was destined to claim her virtue. Only the sound of a little cough a few moments later snapped the embarrassed knight out of the trance it left her in, that sudden noise prompting her eyes to flash up and meet the baron's then immediately dance away upon glimpsing the knowing smirk which awaited her on his lips.