(1874-07-17) Rhone Updates
Rhone Updates
Summary: Ludovic and Imogen go to Rhone to update Jasmina on the situation back in Hellsmouth and to let her know Ludovic changed his mind about using the sword judgement for a champion of the qatunax title. Imogen takes something he says very badly.
Date: 17th July 2018
Related: None
NPCs: None
Players:
Jasmina  Imogen  Ludovic  

Aequor - Rhone - Litreaux Castle - Ducal Office
The ducal office, while not quite as large as many of the other rooms that are found in the castle, is spacious and well-appointed with everything set up just so for a matter of efficiency. The dominant piece of furnishings is the large desk, one old enough to have been used by numerous generations, the carved wood darkened by the many years of use. Behind the desk a high-backed upholstered chair sits and two matching, those bearing lower backs but the same upholstery as the other, sit before it. Upon the desktop various inks, parchments, quills and sealing waxes can be found, all neat and orderly and waiting to see use.
Several tall shelves have been placed along one wall, some bearing tidily-stacked scrolls while others hold books, the opposite wall being the one with windows that allow the sunlight to come in during the spring and summer while candles placed carefully in sconces provide light otherwise.
IC date of RP

Today is one of those days where Jasmina wishes she could stay in bed. It feels like there has been nothing but bad news or stress or something needing her attention and that was all before lunch. Now it's pressing on towards evening and things are only just starting to improve. A small map is set out upon her desk and a pile of ledgers are stacked beside it along with notes, quill and ink pot. She has a half-eaten meal set on a table next to her, it almost entirely consumed.

Ludovic would have to admit that he is feeling much the same as Jasmina if pressed on the issue. The dirigible ride up here was harrowing, and not only because his physiology no longer approves of him taking his feet off the ground. Nobody respected his right side, mostly due to simply not knowing about it, until he simply wrapped his arm through Imogen's and dragged her into his blind spot. The shocked looks and whispers didnt bother him at all until he was already starting to feel grouchy and now he's got that faintly prickly air about him. Faith (Dovi's dog) is following the pair along, sniffing at things, and helping to keep both of them from getting more stressed than they are already. By the time they are being introduced into Jasmina's presence he's got an exhausted, slightly green, look about him and his grip on the skittish Imogen is almost possessive. It's certainly not in keeping with general Aequorian etiquette. None of that stops him from giving Jasmina the slight bow she's due. "Glad you'd see us Your Grace. Know their wasnt much notice. Got fairly urgent news and just updates for you."

That eye he hasnt tried to hide but the fact he still has a fully intact area around the eye, including eyelashes, makes it subtler than it might be otherwise. It's not scarred at all. Simply gone.

Imogen has managed to convince herself to travel with dovi this time! She's not exactly in a good state of mind for it, still jumping at shadows and eyeing strangers as if they might attack her, but she goes for his sake, and it ends up being for the best, as he's able to use her to keep people out of his blind spot, which she likes to think is also a flattering way of saying he trusts her in his blind spot, but she might also just be a living and breathing prop.

She offers jasmina a short, awkward little curtsey to show respect, but she never casts her eyes away. The duchess, like most everyone now, is as good as a stranger to her and she wants to keep an eye lest she try something, as ridiculous as her sane mind knows that is.

Jasmina looks up only to take to staring for a few seconds, not quite sure if she's seeing that correctly. "What… happened?" She taps her cheek on the same side as Dovi's lost eye is on with the plume in her hand, using that to show what she's referring to. "Oh… yes. Uhm. Yes. You're welcome, Dovi. Tell me what's on your mind?" The curtsey from Imogen's met by a polite bow of the Archduchess' head. "Hello. I hope you're well and that married life is treating you well."

"She's a lil rough on me." Ludovic rubs at the skin beneath his right eye and half-hides his smirky grin. "But the medics tell me i'll live." He pats at Imogen's arm and then gently lets go of her. He's taking his time partly so that Jasmina gets the opportunity to make entirely the wrong assumptions before looking back at her with a smile. "We're both healthy enough Jasmina. The baby too. But." He reaches out for one of the chairs with a little uncertainty in the way he moves and once he has hold of the back sits himself down. "Hopefully we've beat the news. There was an attack on the castle. There was magic involved and such. The castle's still ours and whilst I lost quite a few people, most of them non combatants, everyone else is on the mend. Including me."

Dovi you asshat! That's pretty much Imogen's face when he tries to put the blame o her and she whacks him solid in the chest for it, in addition to not helping him sit down, take that! But it does seem to relax her a bit, dovi's shenanigans are pretty familiar, so she just rolls her eyes and sits down in a nearby chair. "Just plotting ways to make my husband suffer eternally for the suffering he puts me through, you know the drill," she remarks with a half hearted grin.

A quick smile is given to the happy pair, especially Imogen for her reply. "Ah. Well, I only get to experience it by watching those who are married, but hopefully some day I will know the… drill, as you put it. Oh. Let me get you both something to drink and eat." Rising, she makes her way to the door which is opened. The page standing next to it has bread, meat and cheese as well as tea requested of him which he hurries off to get. That done, she turns towards Dovi. "Any idea who attacked the castle?"

"It's not much different to having a consort honestly Jasmina." Ludovic tells her. "Only real difference is that your husband has a bigger share of what you own and you cant get rid of them unless they are awful." He turns his head and upper body to give Imogen a little smile before turning right back to focus on Jasmina. "The attack was a group of qatunax under the leadership of a magical creature. Far as I can tell they appeared when the creature did and vanished when he did too. Just caught us all by surprise, you know? What with the feast and all. But I reckon my folks will be alright. The news of Imogen's pregnancy should help I reckon. Give em something to be glad about. That and the fact I'm about to kick off the offensive. News I've had and things I've seen and all tell me that I've got all the troops I'm gonna get so theres no point delaying anymore. Tis already later in the season than I wanted." He turns his body to track Jasmina with his eye as she moves around. "So those are the two more important things I wanted to tell you. The other is that I dont think theres any point in doing that champion of the qatunax thing anymore. I'm gonna need to use the sword myself in some way. Havent decided exactly how just yet. Playing with the idea of chasing the rumor of a sidhe mace i've heard. Just that me and Imogen don't really use swords."

Imogen grins a bit at Jasmina's comment with a nod. "Dovi's right, our relationship hasn't changed much between being consorted and being married, if anything I abuse him more because I know he can't get rid of me," she agrees with a small smirk over to her husband, before once more fading into silence to let the 'adults' talk. She does note that dovi doesn't mention teleko by name, so odds are jasmina isn't in the close circle of…whatever supernatural phenomenon she finds herself in, which is notable, as she seems to be one of the few.

"I can use a sword like any knight, but not to the point i'd want to hog a sidhe one, better if dovi can get something better for it," she agrees with a shug.

Jasmina blushes at Ludovic and Imogen, her expression slightly bashful suddenly. "Well… that is good to know that nothing's changed." Returning to her seat behind the heavy piece of wooden furnishing, she falls quiet, the bashful look now angered. "If you need more guards than what you have already please let me know. I can send a few of my best men to help with the protection of you and yours, Dovi." Sighing, she nods once. "I am sorry we never got to do that tournament for you, Dovi. I will make it up to you."

Jasmina, glancing to the Countess, now, adds quietly, "I hope you'll never have to take up arms,

"I reckon the tourneys still worth it Jasmina." Ludovic says. "Its good for business and your folks and for prestige and all those things. Its just the whole champion of the qatunax title idea thats not much point after the campaigns started." he sighs a little. "And sidhe steels one of the few things I know that hurts that creature as well." He starts to shake his head but obviously thinks better of it. "More guards wouldnt have helped. The knights were rallying when they vanished. Was just the fact they turned up in the middle of the castle that caused the trouble. Assumed they couldnt attack from the inside out. You should likely put some effort into getting guards scattered about inside here as well. Just in case."

Imogen snickers a bit, good naturedly, at the blush on jasmina's face, but she's been there before, so she's not unsympathetic either. "Yeah, we walked down the hall for a few moments, and then the chaos erupted in the banquet hall," she explains with a shrug before quieting down and letting dovi do the explaining, she's still not good at thinking about that night without getting anxious.

"None of us really have money for tournaments anyways, two out of three of her graces income is blocked off and we've lost paras, we can celebrate when the qutanux are gone and we're all rich again," she states rather bluntly, she never was good at stepping around sore topics, and it's the truth. "So it's for the best really, don"

Imogen snickers a bit, good naturedly, at the blush on jasmina's face, but she's been there before, so she's not unsympathetic either. "Yeah, we walked down the hall for a few moments, and then the chaos erupted in the banquet hall," she explains with a shrug before quieting down and letting dovi do the explaining, she's still not good at thinking about that night without getting anxious.

Jasmina's eyes narrow as Imogen speaks of money. "Yes. Well…" The door's knocked upon and the page comes in, allowing one of the household staff to follow after. The tray she carries is full of food and drink which is set down. Jasmina's plate from before the others arrived is then taken with her as she departs post-cursey. "House al'Mordran is not destitute as of yet, nor do I have any intentions of allowing us, or our vassals, to go without. We have other means of income. We'll just tighten our belts for a while." Shrugging, she looks at Dovi, her brow knitting. "I will talk to my captain and have him work out the details of guards…" Grunting, she reaches up and pinches the bridge of her nose. Damn.

"I dont get why you, and Clinton, both seem to think a tourney's about celebrating and its frivolous and stuff." Ludovic says to Imogen. "They ain't. They give your people work, they build political ties much like a wedding, they bring young warriors into the area so you have the opportunity to hire them, they let you raise squires up to knighthood and most importantly of all they reassure everyone that everything is fine - they aren't frivolous Imogen. They aren't even that expensive. You have to pay a lot up front, sure, but you get a load back in extra tithes too and bolster all your craftsmen. Wish I could host another one, honestly, but hosting one at the same time as a wars just too much. Its just the exact same reason we actually had a wedding feast but scaled up. With the trade passes being shut I bet Rhone's merchants and crafters would kill for the extra trade. Know I used my tournament to keep all the refugees from begging. Gave em all work enough to see them through a couple of months." He turns to look at the servant "Hand me some tea lass." before holding his hand out, obviously hoping the girl will actually think to put said cup into his hand and save him the effort of playing where is the teacup. "I mean. I aint given up on the champion idea entirely. Just doesn't make much sense to do it after this seasons campaign has started. I'll do it next spring if I need to, when d'Korbina hosts a new one." He lifts his eye to Jasmina. "Unless you want to do it still and provide some other reward?"

"I never said you'd let us go without, but spending money right now, for any of us, is a bad idea," she states with a shrug, but then /dovi/ has to go o the offensive too, which normally she would just shrug off, but not today. "Oh i'm sure you'd have love'd that dovi, shuffle me in the backdoor and let no one see me, since clearly, y'know, you didn't have a wedding feast because you were happy to have a wife or anything!" she snaps and her eyes are aflame….but in the vicious defense like a cornered animal, trying to protect herself from perceived threats, as ridiculous as that may seem to others. But she doesn't say anything more, won't embarrass dovi by storming out, or continue arguing a pointless fight, she feels safer now and that's good enough, so she just wraps her arms about herself and stares at a random point on the floor.

Is Jasmina about to witness a lovers' spat? Not if she can help it, she won't be. The two are allowed to say what's on their mind before she clears her throat, an indication that they should stop before it gets out of hand. "If you both are done…" A cool, matronly look is leveled at them both, this a side of her not everyone sees. "I won't host anything until the fighting is over and the finances of our kingdom stabilize. Our attention and our collective resources need to be focused on the fighting, not on a tourney. When the time comes we will revisit this conversation and finish the arrangements."

Ludovic was just staring at Imogen as if she'd grown a second head for his part. When Jasmina clears her throat he looks back that way of course. "I spoke with Darius about teaming up for the campaign and he agreed. And thats everything I came to talk about really."

Imogen does slightly look up when he mentions an alliance with darius, but she's not really in a talking mood now for sure, so she just keeps quiet and listens. "I'm trying to crossbreed the tarris warhorse with dovi's, it'll be about a year till we get the results, not to mention the training," she mentions offhandedly when the subject of resources comes up.

Jasmina briefly wonders if this is what it is like to be married. The arguing and all that, that is. Shaking her head, she rises. "Why don't you two take the tray out to the garden and cool your heads." No, that is not a suggestion. It's an order, in a manner of speaking. "I hope everything works as well as you hope for it to where the alliance with the Imperials go, Dovi." Mood shot from pouring over economic records and all that, and the tension from the others, she leaves, pausing only for a second. "Tarris horses. Duke Tarris traded a few with me for a couple breeding pairs of Elementi. They're good horses." And that's the last they hear from her.

Ludovic moves to his feet as Jasmina goes to leave. She gets the proper respect of course and then he reaches his right hand out with the hope that Imogen will take it. "Sounds like we're about to go enjoy the rose garden."

Imogen just nods and takes his hand, with one hand still wrapped protectively around herself. She could run off but she doesn't really have anywhere to hide in rhone that dovi couldn't find her, and then he'd yell at her /more/ for running off.

Ludovic draws her back alongside him and loops her arm through his. Then he's directing her towards the garden with an occasional instruction. "Tired of you treating me like this you know."

Imogen is not in the mood for his shit tonight and it shows, she doesn't /care/ if he's blind, she yanks her arm away and glares at him. "Tired of how /I/ treat /you/? I didn't join in on the 'let's all make imogen feel like a piece of shit for stating the obvious' train back there, i didn't imply that the reason i got married was for monetary gain!" she snaps angrily

Ludovic grunts at her pulling away. "This whole thing again? Dovi doesn't love me. Waah. Grow up Imogen. I've given you everything you wanted. Made good on your mistake. You've more than you ever could have expected. Yet I'm a bastard for admitting that a wedding feast is about politics and nothing more?"

Imogen just stares at him in silence for a few moments, as if unable to process if he really said that or if her paranoia warped something less cruel into what she heard, but once she realises what he said, she only gets more upset. "/my/ mistake? MY MISTAKE!? You're the one who stuck your dick in on the assumption i was on moon tea, and I never /asked/ you to marry me, you just decided, on your own, that you wanted to!" she shouts, yes shouts, there is no more quiet imogen. "But no dovi, time and again, you fail to give me the one thing i want, you look me in the eye and lie that i have it, but the fact is, to you, i'm just another duty," she spits

Ludovic turns to face her, reaching out to grab at her shoulder as he does so. "Distinctly remember me telling you I was worried about you being inexperienced and shite and you specifically reassuring you that you knew exactly what you were doing." He keeps the volume of his voice to nothing more than a loud hiss of sound. "Course I never asked if you were on moon tea. You said you knew what you were doing." He grunts again at the end part, hurt as much as anything else. "Leave then." He tells her. "Not forcing you to do a damn thing. Take everything I've given you and go back to your father."

Imogen laughs humorlessly at the point he's trying to make and just glares at him darkly. "I meant that i'd been in a relationship before, i wasn't thinking about the minor details like sex, i thought you were worried i'd never been in love, y'know, back when I thought you were a man actually capable of feeling such things!" she snaps and rips the damn ring off her finger to chuck at him, let the bastard scramble for it in the dirt.

"I won't take anything, you can keep your damn things, the armor, the sword, the horses, fuck you and your heartlessness!" she snaps and turns to stalk off without a further word, of course this is hardly grounds for actual divorce, but it sure sums up her thoughts on their relationship right now.

Ludovic stares after her, a muscle ticking in his jaw the only real sign that he might have feelings other than stubborn anger. He's got too much pride to chase her. And the ring? The ring he leaves where she threw it. If she doesn't want it then why would he.

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