Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Don't tell me what to do, Khelt." Kate growled half heartedly as Kell smoothed his hand over her curls. "You'll just take this to your advantage."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not going to argue with you." Kell kissed her forehead and rose from her side. "Qira will be close by if you need anything else. I have a reckless lord to talk to."

 

[heartofcourage]

Rissa was waiting at the dungeon by the time that Kell arrived, knowing that Qira would be staying with the queen. "I'm simply here to call him out on his lies if he tries." She commented, knowing that she didn't need to be there.

 

[KieranSoares]

"This isn't the line of work an advisor typically joins in," Kell murmured, pausing after picking up an interrogation journal from the warden's desk. "Or are you here for something else?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Perhaps not, but you won't send me away." Rissa said, looking at Kell as if to challenge him on the matter."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm only curious about your motivations. No need to be defensive." Kell flipped open the journal, writing down a few bits of information ahead of time.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because I refuse to let any lord, no matter how big or small, treat any woman like that." Rissa said simple as Kell told her not to be defensive. "Nor am I going to allow him to lie his way out of the situation as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Fair enough," Kell nodded before stepping into the main cell block. They walked down to the end of the hall among dim torches, passing a couple guards before they came upon the cell with one lone inhabitant. Qira had not been careful with Duke Rathsay, birthday had the Royal Guard. His hands were shackled and he was sitting on the single cot with a dark look on his face, his neck bruised and beginning to turn color, and a black eye developing from resisting the guards.

"Bertrand of Rathsay," Kell spoke as they approached, still looking down at the journal. "I have everything I need to judge you here and now for assault on the crown, which at its absolute worst comes with a beheading sentence. The Queen has made it clear how she feels about you. This is your chance to convince me not to follow milady's wishes."

Rissa knew this game, giving a prisoner the impression that they'd die unless they had a good argument or some miracle occurred. It made many men break down in tears and beg for their lives, and often kept offenders from becoming repeat offenders. But all Kell got from Rathsay was scorn.

"I'm not parlaying with a Wolf," he growled.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Then you'll parlay with me, you son of a bitch." Rissa suddenly growled from beside Kell. "How dare you think that you are above showing our queen her proper respect. Even if you disagree with absolutely everything that our mistress stands for, you will at least respect her position."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And I do not answer to women, especially not your kind who forget to whom they are speaking," Rathsay growled, keeping his head up proudly.

"Madame Adviser, you have the floor," Kell offered, stepping aside seeing that Rissa would drive the point home about their queen far better than a man would.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, I find it ironic that your fate is now held in the hands of a woman." Rissa said, crossing her arms in front of her and staring him down. "And if I were in your position, I believe I would be smart enough to recognize that I needed to watch my tongue. You might find it pulled from your mouth before too long."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I will not beg anything from you. The injury was an accident amid high emotions. No fair judge will see it as some great crime, especially not against that ridiculous girl."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That ridiculous girl is your queen, whether you like her or not. If you do not wish to give dominion to her, then you'll leave your title and lands behind. Or you can wage war outright. I warn you, however, you would not survive the first battle." Rissa said simply as if it were the most apparent thing in the world.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm done speaking with you," he growled, turning his gaze away defiantly.

"Then I'll consider all of that your defense," Kell commented. "The injury may have been accidental, but the intention to exert force over Her Majesty was not. And you think you're innocent just because you were annoyed and inconvenienced. I can guarantee you will not be a Duke much longer with this kind of behavior."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I believe giving his lands to his brother will be the best thing for everyone." Rissa said simply, staring at the duke as she watched his shoulders tense. "He's much more agreeable."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That sounds much easier for Her Majesty." Kell took down a note and closed the book. "Good day, sir." He reopened the cell door for Rissa as the Duke glared after them, murder in his eyes though he remained silent.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We've made ourselves a very dangerous enemy." Rissa commented as the door closed behind them. "He does have powerful men in his pocket, but they could be just as eager to see him gone."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That is what Qira and I are for. But many of those men can be bought or intimidated. We will figure things out as they come." He walked alongside Rissa back toward the stairs. "But it will be up to you and Warwick to keep an eye out among the council for anyone taking this as a threat. Many of them won't like this."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Of course they won’t. You have effectively stripped a title from a lord. They will quake in their boots. However, not a single one of them would have dared to do this to Brian or Marianne or Gail.” Rissa said, pausing to look up at Kell. “And we will show them that we won’t tolerate any of this.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm still curious as to why you suddenly seem protective of Kate after she hasn't exactly been friendly." Kell dropped off the warden's journal as he continued along upstairs with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Because even if I believe that she is a headstrong and obnoxious girl, she is still my queen. No young woman deserves to be abused for any reason.” Rissa said as if she were speaking for experience. “Especially from lords like Rothsay.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell nodded, patting her shoulder lightly. "Even if Kate is too proud to say it, we're lucky to have you. This court needs more confident women."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She'll never say it." Rissa said quite simply, still worked up over the entire situation. "She despises me. I understand and accept that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's not you she despises," Kell promised quietly. "It's all in her own head, and she's starting to realize that."

 

[heartofcourage]

"As you say, lord protector." Rissa said, giving him a look that said that she didn't believe him for a moment. "Go back to your wife. I'm sure she's as grumpy as a bear by now."