(1875-05-15) A Gift of Mead
A Gift of Mead
Summary: Dertan and Jarret, some Bitralund mead, some questions about Four Corners council seats, warships and trade. Some Talk.
Date: 15th May 2019
Related: Nothing Specific
NPCs: None
Players:
Dertan  Jarret  

Dalcen throne room
Room description
1875-05-15

Rather than sneaking in and surpring Jarret in the library Dertan chooses to come in at the tail end of one of those terrible courtly sessions. He's dressed in a relatively plain sleeveless ankle length leather surcoat of quartered burgundy and deep green. The sleeves of whatever he's wearing under it are an almost riotous display of silver thread and deep black fabric in combination and of course he has his hawk and serpent themed vambraces glinting upon his forearms. His approach is flanked by two men in livery carrying a chest which they place down besides Dertan before bowing and heading off. Dertan too gives a bow, perfectly courtly and serious from the outside, yet he sneaks a sardonic little half smile in for jarret alone as he straightens up. "Your Grace." he says lightly. "I felt it was time that I brought you and your dear wife some gifts." He flips open the chest. "Silk, fresh woven, from my lands and furs from the northern reaches of Aequor."

Courtly sessions. Some say they are a neccessary evil, Jarret might just think of them as simply evil. He pauses at Dertan's approach, nodding a little as he hears the words, gaze going to the chest. "Oh?" A brief pause, as he hears about the contents. "That is quite nice…" he replies, after a few brief moments of pause. "Thank you."

"I'm pleased." Dertan tells him. "But I fear I have important news." He glances to the surroundings and then back to Jarret. "Private news."

Nodding a little as he hears that. "Bad news?" he asks, rather quietly, before he looks around at their surroundings again. "That will be all for today," he calls out to the room, before he gets out of his chair. Turning to one of the servants, he instructs the man to bring the chest somewhere, before he turns to Dertan again. "Study?" he says, a bit quietly.

Dertan places his hands behind his back and waits, a perfect picture of militant patience, until the last of them has gone. At that point he crouches and reaches into the chest to retrieve a clay bottle and a pair of fancy crystal goblets. "Another gift." He explains. "But one I expected you would appreciate far more than silk." He closes the chest, uncorks the bottle, and uses the surface to pour out two cups of the amber liquid. "I do have some business I want to discuss as well. If you wish to get that done with first."

Jarret pauses a bit as he hears that, gesturing to the servants to leave the room as well, before he looks to the bottle. "Now that is what I call a real gift…" he replies, before he adds, "What is it?" At the words about the business, he shrugs, "Whichever order you want it done in is fine…

"I was not convinced you would be in the mood to hear another word of it." Dertan explains as he moves over with the goblets and offers one to the Duke. "But we probably should do a little business. If only to make true the lie that sent all your attendants fleeing." he gives Jarret a small, lopsided little smile and then takes a sip of the drink. Mead it turns out. "I have been thinking." He starts. Words that always seem to make grown men groan these days. "Galenthia has far to little influence in the circles of Four Corners."

Taking the offered goblet, Jarret takes a sip. "Not bad," he offers, before he raises an eyebrow again. "You have been thinking? Again? Don't you know that wears out the brain?" It's offered rather lightly, and with a grin. "Go on…"

Dertan shakes his head, looking mildly amused, at the joke. "I think mine would break if I stopped." He settles cross-legged onto the ground near to Jarret's seat, goblet in hand. "I believe I could get a council seat if I tried." he looks to Jarret. "I am curious if you see the benefit in it."

Jarret raises an eyebrow again as he hears that, as he sinks down into his seat again. "A council seat? In Four Corners?" There's a brief pause as he hears that, before he adds, "How?"

"Whilst the actual methodology would be complicated to describe" Dertan says to Jarret. "I think it can just be summed up as 'money'."

"Money…" Jarret repeats, before he nods a little bit. "I can see the benefits in such a position, potentially," he replies, after a few moments. "While I hate spending time there, I still see opportunities."

"Then after I'm done with Firen I will work on it." Dertan tells Jarret simply. "I was hoping you would say that actually. I have a lot of business already routed through the city and I would more influence over that section of the rivers." He sips at his wine. "I've been speaking with the guild of shipwrights as well. If you approve it. I can arrange for them to build us a freedom, or perhaps even a gargant if the permissions are provided."

Jarret nods again as he hears that. "As long as we have the resources for it, I approve," he replies, taking another sip from the drink.

"To the point of paying for it?" Dertan queries. "Or only to the point that you have no objection to me replacing Conings flag ship with a vessel of Four Corners design?"

"Well, nothing is for free in this world, right?" Jarret replies, before he adds, "As for the replacing, I never have objections to that. I've been using a ship of Aequoran design, remember…"

"They do have an interesting sense of aesthetics dont they?" Dertan asks of Jarret. "We could certainly do with adding a little artistry to our own ships." He pauses a moment and then looks to Jarret. "The other thing I wanted to bring to your attention was that it should be possible to add another shipyard to Coningsburgh. I believe I could get the labourers. However. Such an investment would require long term guarantees that I would have business for it. Something for you to consider." Another sip of the mead. "I believe this mead was made by the same man that created the dorling variety. Curious how such things happen."

Jarret nods again as he hears that last part. "I'm fairly sure the business for it should not be much of a problem, but I will have to speak with a few people first if I'm to offer the guarantee," he replies. Pausing at the mention of the mead, he nods a bit. "They seem quite similar, don't they? Where did you get it?" And down goes another sip.

"Bitralund." Dertan says. "It seems that Beowulf isnt the only Dorling who's fighting for Reist."

Jarret raises an eyebrow briefly as he hears that. "I see." He goes quiet again as he takes another sip from the mead, looking a bit lost in thought for a few moments.

"Naughty of Tarris really." Dertan says. "But what can you do?" Curiousity flits across his features. "What did Sonya want to talk to you about?"

"Isn't it always?" Naughty of Tarris, that is. As for the other question, Jarret shrugs a little. "Hmmm…? Oh, just some business things, really." He glances around the room, a little thoughtfully.

"Well it was worth the attempt." Dertan says after a moment. One of those little almost smiles written right in plain sight. "I still say she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever met but I'm glad to be free again."

Jarret chuckles. "She is a beautiful woman, that's true," he offers. Taking another sip as he drains the goblet, he watches Dertan carefully for a few moments. "Some people are glad to receive their freedom, others wake up one day and realizes that the loss of it is not as bad as they had always thought." It's said a bit quietly, thoughtfully.

Dertan looks up. "Are you suggesting that I am likely to regret it or that you are happy with your own chains?" He sips at his wine. "They are a very fine set of chains."

"I don't know about how likely it is, but I think it might not be entirely natural if you wouldn't regret it at some point," Jarret replies, with a brief grin, before he shrugs a little. "As for the last…" He smiles as he considers his words. "While there are still some dreams that will never be forgotten, I think I'm quite happy, yes."

"I can certainly say that life will never be boring around Lysette." Dertan actually chuckles a tiny bit. "Do you remember how she rode into Goldhollow that time? There was a great parade, a perfect example of Thomas' sense of the dramatic, and in comes Lysette on a runaway white horse."

Jarret chuckles as he hears that. "How can I ever forget that?" It's offered rather lightly, as he nods. "She's always been able to make the most interesting entrnces."

"What I have always wondered." Dertan asks. "Is if she does it on purpose. Surely she can not do it by accident. Not so often and so well?"

"Believe me, cousin," Jarret begins, before he grins. "Some mysteries are never meant to be solved…" He glances around at the various doors, just in case there's a certain someone making an exit.

Dertan glances the same way before giving a slight chuckle. "It will forever amuse me how you spend half your life expecting her to pop out from behind a book shelf." He lifts his goblet as if in a toast. "Relax. If she shows up we can disarm her with silk and myrrh."

"Do you calm an animal by giving it what excites it the most?" Jarret replies, sounding rather amused. At the lifted goblet, he gets to his feet, moving over to refill his. "And trust me, I can't disarm her, it's she who disarms me," he admits, after a few moments.

"Is it not considered disarming" Dertan asks with a purposefully innocent tilt to his voice. "When you spy an incoming woman, set upon the war path, and make certain, oh so carefully, that she never makes it all the way to your position without first having had her mood somewhat enhanced?"

"Depends on the mood," Jarret replies, lightly enough as he takes another sip now.

"That is true. That is true." Dertan returns to his feet. "And I am hardly a master of women. Although I must admit." He looks slightly amused. "I have an opportunity to try my hand at seducing someone for personal gain. I am trying to decide if I think it is a good idea or simply something to laugh about."

Jarret raises an eyebrow as he hears that. "Seducing someone for personal gain? What kind of a someone would this be, hmmm?" Sounding a little curious.

"Someone who sees me as prey." Dertan says after a moments thought. "And therein lies the personal gain. Well that and I can probably snatch away half her business before she notices. I must admit that I am curious about the game. So far the men, and women," He adds the women almost as an afterthought. "I consider competition can be counted on my hands. It would be exhilerating to find someone else who counts amongst that number."

"Now I'm starting to get curious about who this woman is," Jarret replies, after a brief moments of pause.

"Nobody I should ever risk getting involved with." Dertan says a little evasively. "I'm really not all that eager to get myself into the same mess I just got myself out of." He places his now empty goblet back on the surface of the chest. "I'm almost tempted to make some fool oath about celibacy but why? What would it actually prove."

Jarret raises an eyebrow again now. "Is it someone I know?" he asks, after a few brief moments, before he shakes his head, "As for what a oath about celibacy would prove, I don't know. Insanity, perhaps?"

"Insanity is probably about right." Dertan agrees. "I suspect that the minute I actually committed to something like that I would actually start to care."

Jarret chuckles as he hears that, nodding once more. "Caring is both good and bad at the same time…" he offers.

Dertan nods at that. "It is one of those things that suddenly becomes priceless when you can't have it." He taps the top of the clay bottle. "Do you want me to get more of this?"

Jarret nods. "Getting more of this sounds like a good idea," he offers.

"Consider it done." Dertan gives Jarret a nod. "But not tonight. I have a game of cards waiting for me."

"Cards now," Jarret replies, with a grin. "Good luck with the game."

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