| Doctor, Tend Thy Patient |
| Summary: | Ludovic summons Lillian to tend to injuries old and new. |
| Date: | 2018-06-30 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Receiving Room - Daemon's Hall |
| Standard sort of receiving room, a bit sparse. At least a bench, a side table and a fireplace. |
| June 30th, 1874 |
Lillian has had time to settle into the business of preparing her troupe for the work ahead. She had, following the request of the Viscount, began to work with the troops to have her healers go out and offer what field training they could. She'd also done what she could to requisition more healers from her own House, recalling them where she knew she could do without damaging the work that was required. Once she'd managed to take a light meal, she'd been found by one of the servants from the Viscount's household, and she's been requested to come to the castle. She'd almost been inclined to ask why he'd not simply come to the healer's area, but then, she'd spent enough time, of late, in the company of another Galenthian male of noble stature that she knew why he'd prefer to be treated away from the eyes of his men. And so, she gathered what she thought she might need, packed a bag and picked her way up towards the castle, announcing herself, and waiting to be lead in to where she would be attending the Viscount.
Daemon's Hall is a series of Keeps that keep going deeper and deeper into a massive natural grotto situated about 3/4 of the way up to the mountain. There's a single entrance over a bridge at the front that runs across a narrow but stomach churningly deep natural chasm. Ludovic doesn't come to meet her, instead she is guided through to the rearmost keep, in one of the oldest areas, and shown into a small room that seems to be half cut from the rock itself. In this simple looking room Ludovic is standing with a hand on one of those walls and his head slightly lowered. He starts and turns as the door opens and Lillian is announced however. "Ah thank you for making time for me Signora. Can I get your promise that you wont tell any of this to my new wife? She's got enough on her plate." The man who guided Lillian to the target room bows and leaves.
Lillian moved without word or comment through the keep, following the servant's directions to the letter. She made no attempt to do more than observe the rooms and buildings as she was lead through them, nor to engage with the people she passed, though, when they did look at her, she offered a friendly, if, well, mostly neutral nod in response. She even waits until the man who brought her to the room departs, before she speaks again, "Of course, Your Excellency. Discretion is as much part of the work of a healer as the act of healing itself." She takes a moment, taking in his posture, "You look as though you might find a seat more comfortable. Come, sit, and we will see what we may see."
Ludovic blinks at her before giving a brief grin. "Sorry. I find the feel of the stone comforting. I'm not really sick." He moves to sit down anyway. He's wearing a simple linen shirt, boots and a pair of trousers. By most nobles standards practically undressed. "A while back I was hit in the shoulder with an axe. Went right through my pauldrons." He puts his hand flat on his chest. "And I got hit by a flaming glaive. The burns been bugging me, even though its kinda healed, and theres something not right with my shoulder." He looks up at her. "Reckon you can help?"
Lillian did not seem at all perturbed by the comment. Rather, she seemed more than willing to incorporate the answer into her treatment, "If that is so, then, what if we moves the bench here over towards the wall, and you could use the stone as a backrest?" Comfort, in whatever forms it took, was also part of the duty. And yes, I think that I can certainly help with both of those." She waits, until he's either seated himself where she was standing, or moves to sit at the bench she's pulling over towards the wall. "If you'd be so kind as to remove your shirt."
Ludovic shakes his head at her offer. "Reckon you'll want to be able to get behind me. I'm not uncomfortable. Just." He cant explain it without going places he wont go so he shrugs in the end. "Just nice." The shirt is removed without any sort of fuss. He doesn't seem prudish. He's a big muscular man but its not the ripped sort of muscularity but rather the solidity of many many years of hard work. He's also got as many scars as you'd expect on a man who's got more than fifteen years or more combat experience (when his squire years are included). "This one." He says, putting a finger on the slice the goes back to front over his shoulder. "Was done by that axe. If it matters." he nods to the gear he piled up near the wall. "Don't know if it scarred bad or what but I feel like somethings wrong when I'm working." He looks at her. "Mostly use hammers. Know that makes a difference." the chest wound is obvious seeing as how its a cut surrounded by burns that's not yet a month old. "Chest I just keep pulling the burns so they aren't healing like I want."
"As you like." She returns to where he's seated himself, setting the bag down on the bench before she moves to examine his shoulder first. Her fingers are precise, careful, applying measured pressure as she examines not only the visible injury, but the tissue that's bunched and likely painful around it. Once her fingers reach a point just an inch or to above the top of his shoulderblade, he'll feel it. Something, not quite grinding in there, but close. Something in the muscle, but not of the muscle. "Your opponent left a piece of himself behind, Your Excellency."
Ludovic gives a grunt somewhere between discomfort and irritation and she finds what is no doubt a left over from armor that was never intended to be punctured. "Guess I should be grateful it was that easy to find." he says. "Suppose this means you'll be taking a knife to me?"
"A small one, yes. But I can offer both something to numb the pain, and to dampen the sensation on your skin." Because in cases like these, drugs are always a bonus. Like any doctor, she continues probing, but careful not to hurt more than she needs to, but needing to find the exact dimensions of the thing. "I have everything that I need to do it here. I do not imagine it will take more than a few minutes. It feels, thankfully, still close to the surface of your skin." If she had to go digging, well.
"Well the sooner its done." Ludovic says with the resigned bravado of the typical knight. "The sooner it can be healing." He turns his head to look at her. "This drug going to dull my mind?"
"Very well." Lillian removes her hands from the Viscount's person, retrieving her bag, and, pulling the small table usually reserved for wine over, begins to lay out her tools, "No." She removes a small vial, holding it out to the man, "A tincture of roadside poppy. Nearly as powerful as it's more dangerous cousin, but without the dulling of the mind and senses. Two drops, only, beneath the tongue." She allows the Viscount to examine the vial as she removes a jar of ointment next. Even closed, he can smell the sharp astringent odor.
Ludovic doesn't really do much in the way of examination. He just picks up the bottle and starts examining how to go about doing these two drops. "Suppose it doesn't matter." he grins at her. "Doubt you want me squirming." Two drops, presumably beneath the tongue, and he starts putting the lid back on whilst pulling a face. It may well not taste bad but he pulls said face anyway. "Sounds like I should be kicking myself at putting it off so long. But you know how it is." he lets his eyes half close as he talks. "When its fresh its just part of the scenery and after that you're just always sure its just being slow. Got a bad knee too you know? I slipped when I was fighting the undead people and its been a nuisance ever since."
Lillian actually laughs, in answer, the sound surprising, given how merry the sound actually is, and how serious she usually looks, "Yes, I think I know exactly how that is." Seeing him going about the business of taking medicine, she turns her own attention to the ointment, which she begins to apply liberally to the entire injury. The sensation is cooling, almost cold, and certainly numbing. And with that done, and needing to give the medicine time to properly numb skin and body, she moves around to take a knee, a hand reaching out to turn him a few inches, to cast better light on the wound on his chest. "You've had lady's mercy applied. Good."
"Yeah." Ludovic says. "I'd usually not bother. Don't care much if I scar most of the time. But glad it happened with this one. For such a little thing it sure is being a hassle." He puts his shoulders back as she studies the injury, purposefully flattening out the skin along his chest. "Don't think there's anything wrong with it really. Just still pulling and I don't like that. Can't you just like, I dunno, cut through it or something so it stops?"
Lillian gives the request careful consideration, before she nods. her fingertips, once again, carefully examining the line of the injury, "That's a possibility. The lady's Mercy was a good start, I won't deny that, but the skin wasn't kept properly softened as it healed, and so it's begin to tighten when it shouldn't. I can offer some relief, and give you a poultice you ca apply under bandages that will keep the skin soft and supple while it heals."
"Sure." Ludovic says. "That works. I'm not likely to be able to keep one on all the time though. Will be back in my halfplate tomorrow when i go make sure my men see i'm still good and healthy." He looks across at her again. "Real good of you to pay me so much attention. Know you've likely got more soldiers than just me to work on."
"I will show you how to wrap the bandages so that they can hold fast once you have your doublet on. You may need to ask your lady wife for her help, as they will have to be tight enough, that as the wear they will not stretch so far that they fall off. Alternately, we can go with an old folk solution, which would be spiderwebs and silk cloth." Lillian rises, having finished her examination, and returns to his back, retrieving her implements, and cleaning the with a solution that smells over more astringent than the medicine she applied to his skin, "There are many soldiers that require aid. But you are House d'Korbina. Your men will take their spirit and their hope from you. Your health is paramount."
Ludovic smiles at her. "Its good to sit with someone who gets it. Sounds vain and awfully arrogant when it come from me though." He's watching what she does. "You really think that me dying would be that bad?"
Lillian, glancing up in time to catch the smile, returns it, before she settles behind the Viscount's shoulder, "The loss of a Lord or Lady of a House can break a House. Too well, did I learn that when my own House lost its Lord, my father, and both heirs. My mother nearly lost the reins, before she recalled me from the war. The members of the house, from the nobles to the commonest of smallfolk look to the leader of their House to show them the best of who they can be. I do not think your House would fair well without you." When she places her fingers on his shoulder, holding the skin taut above where she can feel the foreign fragment, he can feel a vague pressure, but the skin is numb enough that it is the idea of feeling, "I will be quick." And that's as much warning as she gives, as she lances the skin, slicing a single, small incision. Even that, shallow as it is, more itches than anything else.
Ludovic would be ashamed of himself if he reacted much to that even without the pain stuff. Muscles in his shoulder do twitch though because nobody, by sheer will and physical toughness alone, can cure that response. "By that though.. hmm. Guess I should go from the start. Say theres a decision. One shows a man revealing something that could be valuable but might see him die but that would be the right thing to do probably and the other sees him hiding stuff away to go on as things already are. Which do you reckon is the right one?"
To her credit, Lillian moves quickly, precisely. As soon as the incision is made, she packs it with spiderwebs and silk thread to staunch the bleeding, before she retrieves a tweezing tool to look for and pick out the sliver of metal. A fragment of the armor, cheered off by the force of the axe and embedded into the muscle. "Hold still, just a few more minutes." The question, as all things, she gives careful consideration, "I think that depends on what one considers the right thing to do. If the greater good is served by using what he knows quietly, in secret, and by so doing, he both serves his cause and improves his circumstances, then I wold say the right thing to do would be to challenge himself to be who he must be and who he wishes to be."
Ludovic sighs. Seeming somewhat unsatisfied with the answer. He rubs at his bearded jaw. "Hard to say whats right at the best of things." He goes quiet. Not exactly his most usual state.
"Yes, it is. But then, I think if we always knew what was right, and found that it was always easy to do right, we would find very little challenge in the world. I do not think there is ever a single answer that covers all of the bases." Lillian continues her work, her hands moving as efficintly as her voice, as she cleans the wound and begins to stitch it closed. Neat, and tidy, and with a generous application of, once she cleans the skin with cloth and cool water, another ointment, this one smelling of incense, before she moves to bandage his arm and shoulder.
"Yeah. Just wish I could work it out." Ludovic admits. "I'm sorry I brought it up. Shouldn't have." He touches a hand to the bandage and then looks back to her. "Guess I shouldn't have worried about hiding it from her given I'm all bandaged up like I've been in battle" He gives her a grin. "again."
"Find someone you can speak to without fear or reservation, take them into your confidence. If nothing else, to share a burden does lessen it. I know that sounds like drivel, but…" She shrugs, coming around to clean her hands and then returns to her bag for what looks like a comb, though the tines of the comb appear sharp as blades. Which, they are. "Your Excellency…healers do not only tends to the pain and hurts of the body, but those of the mind as well." A smile, as she offers the implement for him to study, "Well, unless you are normally given to spending day and night fully clothed, I would imagine she would eventually become suspicious." As to the implement, "Most commonly this used for bleeding, but carefully applied, it will open the scar tissue and allow it to spread." She sets the tool down, before she applies more of the numbing ointment.
"Can speak to my wife." Ludovic says. "But the whole subject frightens her." He accepts the comb and then looks at it curiously. "So you're suggesting I just keep opening the scar every night until it stops pulling?"
"I would not suggest your spouse. In my experience, and, of course, having no husband of my own, what I know is from observation, those that love us are often too invested in us to lend an untainted eye or ear, as it were." She applies the implement so quickly, so lightly, that there is very little blood, and even that she quickly staunches with what looks to be clotmoss. "Yes. But, and this is important, you will not need to cut the skin again." She waits for the bleeding to stop, before she begins to work in yet another ointment. It really is no wonder why her House only manages to do one thing. So much herbage. "This is a blend of aloe and comfrey with just a bit of dragon's blood. if you keep this applied to your skin, it will keep the skin soft enough, and supple enough, that, if you couple it with gentle massage and stretching of the skin, the tissue should heal without tightening and growing hard and causing the difficulty you have been having."
"Yeah." Ludovic says. "That's the problem really. The idea of me doing something that might see me die just because its right.. well it don't sit well with her. She still thinks she'd die if she lost me." He says even as she watches Lianna poke him in the chest. "I've been widowed three times now. Just.. know i'll get over it. Kinda. So it doesn't quite have the same.. intensity I guess. For me." He nods slowly. "Thanks. Not had burns like this before." He taps a mark on one of his arms. "Some splash burns from their flasks but gotta say its the first time I've been hit by a weapons that's actually on fire."
"I am told most lovers feel that way. As if they cannot manage without the object of their affection." Something momentarily dark passes across her expression, before she continues, "Love makes us selfish, in a way that few other emotions do. It makes it difficult to see beyond our own needs, our own desires, and, sometimes, our own need to hide from pain. It is why we often look to friends and confidants who are able to see us for who we are, and not who they want or need us to be." True to her word, the tincture that he took has not dulled his mind, but, being not as strong as real poppy, he can feel just the first twinges of discomfort in his chest, as Lillian finished applying the ointment and then bandages that as well. "I am sorry for your loss." There is genuine sympathy in her voice, "I am glad that I was able to treat you then, and to be able to provide you with what you will need to help yourself heal."
"Watching my men burn." Ludovic says. "That has to be one of the worst moments of my life. Besides that losing my wives." he shakes his head. "Cant really say it was nothing but it just don't compare you know? A hundred men and their horses. Gone. Just like that."
"I do not think such things can be compared. They are both losses, and they hurt us in different ways. Not better or worse, more meaningful or less." Once again, having completed his bandages, Lillian cleans her hands, before she sits back on her haunches, allowing her room to investigate his knee though the fabric of his pants. "Your Excellency, do you have healers in this house who know how to work muscle to relieve pain and tightness?"
Ludovic is surprised by her touching his leg if the play of muscle there is any indication. He just tilts his head towards her though and says. "Honestly. I don't know. Do you have one?"
Lillian's expression had not changed at all. It was still thoughtful, curious, professional. Had he not mentioned that his knee had taken a bad turn? "I am one. And yes, I have a number in the troupe. Dilan is the most skilled, of the men." She removes her hands, settling back on her heels, "When I squired for my Uncle, I also apprenticed under the healer who served at Fortress Benide. He taught me the importance of tending to muscles." That squiring might explain why she treats tending a male patient in so cavalier a fashion. Though she likely treated all genders, there was something practiced about the way she tended to this particular knight. Like repeating something learned by rote. "I think, that you have over extended the knee, and the rest of your leg is trying to compensate." She pauses, "I could tend you myself, but I feel your wife might consider that inappropriate. I can certainly send Dilan to you."
Ludovic makes an uh noise. "Never thought Imogen might care." He rolls his shoulders in a shrug. "Sure she won't. Go ahead and do whatever you think is best. I trust your judgement. You're the healer and I honestly don't care if my healer's a woman or a man. Know how to keep my hands to myself. Really my last doctor? You couldn't really even tell."
"Then your wife is more enlightened than many of the noble woman I have met, and a credit to you." Lillian rise, coming up to her knees and then to her feet. "And I am not concerned about inappropriate hands. If I had been, I would not have come." A nod, "If you have a towel or cloth for your waist, the pants will have to come off." She turns away, leaving him to it, as she goes to repack her bag. All of the supplies she used previously, returned and put into their place, before she removes what look like a flash of a pale, almost clear liquid.
Ludovic moves to his feet. "Got smallclothes?" He says somewhat questioningly as he strips off the trousers but when he settles back down he tosses the trousers across his lap anyway. "Feel a bit like this is the wrong room." He comments as he stretches his leg out in anticipation of her wanting it. "Really was an undead white haller, or something like a white haller, you know? He had this great big axe and he was way stronger than me. Managed to fend off one of his strikes but it knocked me down and I slipped a bit in the snow and just jarred it. Then I had to find non stop for well over an hour on it. Don't know that I really did any damage exactly but it just, i dunno, twinges. I've broke it before too of course. Just not for years."
Nearly Forgot. Ludovic has a length of bandage - unstained - wrapped snugly about the upper half of his abdomen.
"I feel, as though I could offer a comment, that would probably not be taken well, at this point in time, Your Excellency, and so I will refrain, and simply say that I have indeed stripped you of all of the clothes I need. You may keep all of the rest." Still, that was humour in her voice, as she returned to her knees, taking some of the oil, and warning it between her palms, before she began to massage his knee, front and back. She puts her weight into it, and she's stronger than she looks, working with the ease of long practice. "Old injuries, even those that heal well, can cause discomfort later, when the are around them is disturbed."
Ludovic just gives an easy going chuckle at her comment. "Was meaning that I'm not naked without my trousers." he says. "Knew I was seeing a healer so I made sure. Just in case. Oh. I dunno." he gives a vague wave, clearly bouyed up by her joke, "Knock me out just so you could claim the next d'Korbina heir or something." He pulls a bit of a face at the manipulation. A fairly sure sign that 'a bit of a twinge' is almost certainly a lot of an understatement. "Should have married a healer. Would have saved me a fortune."
There was more than a fair amount of amusement in the woman's voice, "That would be a delicate bit of work, on all accounts, Your Excellency. To find just the right dose to render you unconscious, but still able to perform. Whomever might accomplish that would be a true master of the healing arts." Lillian, marking his discomfort, uses it as a roadmap to direct her movements, along with the feel of muscle and bone beneath her hands. She worked the knee as long as she thought he could bare, before she moves down to his calf, allowing one set of muscles to rest while she worked the next, "This, as with any of the healing arts, is a skill which could be taught, if there was interest from your lady wife. It would certainly be a way she could ease her mind about your ailments, and offer you some added bit of comfort."
Ludovic grins. "Dont think you'd need to make a man unconscious Lillian. Just to drunk to know better. Course." He smirks. "Now I think of it.. Hard to get that dose just right too." Theres a smile at her suggestion of teaching. "I bet she'd love that. She's with child and a knight so she's likely gonna be chafing at the bit in a month or so. Be nice if she felt useful."
Lillian worked her way back up to the knee, beginning again, before she moves upward, attacking, medically, of course, the muscles of his thigh, after indicating for him to scoot down closer to the edge of the bench. She was careful, of course, and unfailingly respectful. Once that leg, the injured leg was treated, she moves to the other, where there seemed to be just as much knotted muscle. "Ah, but what if the man was exceedingly unattractive, or had a shout that grated on your nerves and you lacked a handy pillow case for his head?" These are serious questions which require answers! "I would suggest Miriam. She is one of my best Healers, and is also a skilled midwife. Not that such activities as these are dangerous, but it is always best to be careful, when one can be."
Ludovic scoots closer to the edge of the bench before laughing, a rich rolling laugh. "And what if he's a perfect example of manly brilliance?" He asks with a knowing smirk. "Think Lianna is planning to be the midwife." he explains. "But I'd like the lessons. Yeah. And I dont think Imogen's ready to give up the lance yet so, maybe." he looks to Lillian. "You look like you know you're way around a melee. Maybe if you could stay close to us for a week or three you can help put me at ease about letting her do stuff?"
"I do not believe I have ever encountered such a thing, Your Excellency. I would say, in that case, I would not need to drug him at all. Or, at the very least, I would at least do him the courtesy of looking at him while I tried for the next d'Korbina heir." Lillian, once again, pushed back on her heels, before she rose to her feet, "Normally, this would be done on a bed, so that your body would have to do no work to support itself." But, as they were not in a room which provided such a luxury, Lillian availed herself of a spot on the bench beside the Viscount and began to repeat the same sort of work she had done on his legs, to his injured arm and back. "It is usually best to work in stages, so that the muscles have a chance to rest. And I was not implying that Miriam would take the Lady Lianna's place, only that should anything happen while your wife was learning, she would have the skill to help her. And of course, I would be happy to assist you at the melee. It has been long and long since I have attended one."
Ludovic raises an eyebrow at her. "Did I say me? Oops." He chuckles. "And here I thought we were just throwing bad innuendos around." Another chuckle followed shortly by a deeper one. "I should likely apologise." he doesn't sound to apologetic. "Not really the sorta thing I should be doing whilst you're feeling my legs." He nods at the stuff about lying down. "Yeah but seeing you in my bedroom and." He gives a little groan "Oh damn that's good." He lets his eyes fall closed and they are still mostly lidded when he says. "Meant on the battlefield." He smiles to himself. "Send me this Miriam then. I'll get her working on stuff. See if you can get me feeling like i'm twenty again."
Lillian's laughter was light, again merry, "Well, I do believe we began this conversation with the question of whether or not I had the skill and cleverness to drug you for your heir." A shake of her head, as she worked, always careful to avoid the actual injured tissue, falling into a steady rhythm, as she worked that side, once again allowing her hands and her ears to guide her, as she applied that pressure to his muscles. "There was a time, I am told, when such treatments were not reserved only for healers, but perhaps we have forgotten such things. Or how necessary they can be for day to day comfort." Once she had completed the injured side, she switched, as she had with his legs, to his uninjured side. "I will send Miriam to instruct your wife. This type of massage can work wonders for every part of the body."
"Yes." Ludovic says. "I'd appreciate that very much. Thank you. And if she doesn't want to you can forward someone who knows how to me and i'll hire them." He gives a long sigh. "Been doing to much is all. Normally stuff gets to heal before I throw more stuff at it. Just the Qatunax they are so much more than anything and I gotta keep tense all the time so I don't do something stupid and I just. Yeah. Think I kinda need this." He half turns to catch her hand and stop what she's doing. "But it should be my wife. There's nothing wrong with what you're doing I just dont wanna relax to much and do something stupid."
"I do not doubt that Miriam will be amiable. She was, in fact, a midwife, before she elected to join the healers. I think she always feels her best when she can do or at least be close to the things that she felt were her first calling." She nods, as if his comment were not something which she had not heard before, "It seems a refrain I have heard more and more often, as these skirmishes have become full assaults. There is little rest, and always more work." As Lillian finds her hand caught, she stops immediately, retrieving her hand a moment later, picking up a length of cloth to wipe the oil from her skin, her expression as frank as his words, "Of course. And the lessons can begin as soon as she is amiable. And if she is not prepared, you may request Dilan. I think he would be happy to accompany his wife on an assignment. She to assist your wife and he to assist you." Lillian rose, though she did not return the oil to her bag, "The upper body would be nearly impossible, I think, but keep the oil, for your knee and legs, those you should be able to manage, even on your own, if it comes to that."
Ludovic takes a moment before he stands up, half turning for manners before starting to pull his trousers back on. "I quite like you Signora." He tells her as he turns back. His fingers still doing up the lace about the waist. "So i'd like you to stay around. You know what happened in four corners?"
Lillian packed away her bag with particular care, treating every item as if it were precious cargo. Out of respect for the Viscount, she did not look in his direction until he had turned back and was fully clothed once again. She did save a small strip of cloth to wrap that fragment of armor in, before she offered it to him. "I know it is a strange keepsake, but some men do want to keep them. I do not know if you are one of those." The compliment brings a smile to her lips, and a dip of her head, "That is kind of you to say, Your Excellency, and I will stay as long as I may." At the question, she shakes her head, "I have no had much news from Four Corners. Has something happened recently?"
"Thanks." He says as he accepts the piece. "But the qatunax gave me the axe." He turns and pulls the strange weapon that looks like sidhe steal out of the piled things before showing it to Lillian. "I'm still trying to understand it." He looks a bit sheepish at the fact Lillian doesn't know what happened. "Well, uh." He starts. "Like I said I got in a duel with the princeps and he used a flaming weapon.. because.. he was a sorcerer.. and the inquisition heard about it." he looks at the axe. "And they might be looking for me too. So I'd be happy for some support from the Reliant." he looks to her again. "I'm a good faithful man. Dont deserve to be threatened as a heretic."
"As you say." And with his refusal, she stepped away from the bench and towards the fire, to throw the bit of cloth into it, before she returned to look at the blade, curiosity in her eyes. Though, it might be noted, not enough to dissuade her from giving pause, before she held out a hand to Ludovic, "May I? I have never seen such a blade." Whether he offers her the weapon or not, she'll focus on parsing the story she offered, "He dueled with you, and attacked you with magic and they think you were responsible?" She sounds incredulous, "Why am I not surprised?" As for support, "You will such support as my House and my Order can provide you, Your Excellency."
Ludovic almost looks as if he might comment on the part about the support and them thinking it was his fault. "Not sure exactly whats being said." he says instead. "But I know they were saying Sorcerers were fighting when I got hurried out of the city by well meaning friends." He smiles. "Thanks for that offer of support. Means a lot. Even if all you ever do is tell them that you've seen I'm not evil." The blade he looks almost reluctant about before handing it to her. "During our big push a qatnax champion and I fought. Afterwards he gave me that." Whilst the weapon looks like sidhe steel from a distance it actually isnt. Its something closer to obsidian
Lillian, accepting the weapon with another dip of her head, holds the weapon as lightly, as carefully as she can, turning it to observe every angle, to feel the weight and balance, even to test the bite of the bladed edge, before she turns it back over to its owner, "Strange, that they would understand honour in some circumstances, and not in other." The question of his nature, well, "You have not shown yourself to be evil, no, and if they pose such a question to me, I will say as much." She takes a moment, a breath expanding her lungs, "The Inquisition's…zealotry is…trying, at times."
"You'd have to have a hard mind." Ludovic says "To do the job they do. I was just gonna go and let them take me to trial if they wanted. Seemed better than leaving and risking them thinking I was running but, well, my loved ones didn't agree. It was kinda what I was referring to earlier. Just afraid for my family" He looks at her. "You Know? I mean I know that I'll get a trial, long as I dont make myself guilty, and that they'll need proof and stuff but its just, well." He gives a small sigh. "You hear tales of how its spread from someone and a whole areas had to be purged. I'm a viscount. I'm worried."
"Or a less than pristine soul." There was simply too much opportunity for such powers as they possessed to be abused. "The desire to protect your family is reasonable, but it would be worthwhile and necessary, I think, to see what they have made of the investigation into this sorcerer. If he used magic, and not only that, but brought dishonor to a duel, that is more damning than a man attempting to do right by those he loves. If they find enough evidence where the blame resides, it may not have to progress beyond that single transgressor."
"The transgressor as you call him." Ludovic says "Is essentially a foreign prince and his version of the church doesn't say anything about sorcery being evil."
"When one is in a land which is not thier own, by entering that land, are they not also agreeing to abide by the laws of that land?" Lillian takes a look around the room, to ensure that she's left no detritus behind, "Much as I, though I have no allegiance to your Queen, still paid her her due respect. So… if he retreats from that land to escape punishment, I would say that that is proof, if any were needed of guilt."
"OH there's no doubt he's a sorcerer." Ludovic says. "Just don't think they will punish him over that. I'm reachable. He's not." he shrugs. "But I don't think they will touch me either. Like you said. If I die." he gestures towards the east. "That all goes to hell for a while and we only lost the last viscount nine months ago. I made sure if I die it wont be my baby who inherits." he shakes his head. "But she's still not a soldier."
"The idea of punishing someone, anyone, rather than the person who is obviously responsible, just so you can look like you're doing something? Is completely and utterly ridiculous." It's clear, from the tone of her voice, that if such a thing should occur, Lillian would not stand for it, "I do not think, or I would hope, that the Inquisition would not risk what fragile piece exists between our kingdoms and yours to do something so foolish."
"No." Ludovic says. "I hope not. And.. that's a good point." He gives her a quick grin. "Thank you. I'm. Yeah. That's exactly what I needed to hear."
A light chuckle escaped Lillian, as she moves to the sideboard. She poured a glass of wine, carrying it over towards the Viscount, "Sometimes, I do manage to come up with something pithy and worthwhile. Now, drink. The tincture will have had more than enough time to work its way out of your system, and you need rest. And possibly…to tell you lady wife what has happened here?" And by 'here', given that she uses her free hand to gesture to his new bandages, she clearly means letting his wife know he actually is injured. "I will come again in the morning to change your dressing, and I will bring enough to ensure that your house healer can continue the care you need, or your wife can, if I am not available."
"Thank you." Ludovic says. Now even more intended to just basically put out his secret to the world. What has she done. "Thank you for the advice and the work and what you did for my legs. I didnt even know that one was hurting." He gives her a smile and goes to start putting his coat on. "I trust you to let yourself out if you think you remember the way?"
"You are most welcome. And, your staff has been very kind. If I become lost, I have no doubt that they will show me the way. Thank you, Your Excellency, for trusting me with your care, and allowing me to ease some of the worry of your mind." With any hope she did that. If not, well, she doesn't know that. Rest well." And with that, Lillian moves to depart the room, allowing the door to fall gently closed behind herself.