1865-10-30: Fair Compensation
Fair Compensation
Summary: Remember when Chancellor Tyres outed Alina al'Sylenthar in front of the Council during the Great Raid of 1865? No? Well the al'Sylenthars do….
Date: 10/30/1865 IE
Related: Great Raid Logs, specifically those with the Four Corners Council, and the final battle.
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Corvin  Frederick  

Corvin Fremont sat in the comfortable chair, leaning back with his feet up on the desk. He idly glanced out the window of the office, studying the city for a few moments. There were still signs of the Great Raid here and there, but rebuilding was ongoing. Slowly but surely normalcy was starting to reassert itself…some places more quickly than others.

The assignment had been easier than he thought, though at least not completely without challenge. Admittedly much of it was of his own design…hid father had left him considerable leeway to be…creative…in his handling of the situation, and so creative he became. Ivan had done much of the traditional reconnaissance in advance, and a few hours of scintillating conversation with a few of the women of L'Academie, all of whom were quite grateful for his part in having extracted them from the hands of the Raiders a few months ago, provided the rest. He almost wished he had the time to parley that into more than simply information, but this was not something he had intended to take up a great deal of time…ah well, perhaps another day. With everything else going on, he couldn't afford to dally.

Still those few days and few hours had given Corvin what he needed. Habits were uncovered, routines were deciphered, the critical locations and people marked. The castle itself would be little challenge…he had had ample opportunity to study it during the Raid and had taken advantage of it while searching for his sister amidst the throngs of refugees that filled the fortifications at that time. And now…his task was almost done…just one more conversation to have.

Two light raps on the door, barely audible, indicated his target was incoming. Corvin grinned and drew the Sidhe-steel blade his father had temporarily granted him, and he placed the point upon the desk, keeping it held steady with just one finger. The door opened, and a portly man wearing gaudily ostentatious clothing stepped into the room, stopping short as he realized he wasn't alone.

"What the hell are y-*MMPH*" One of the Wraiths that had been waiting just inside the door restrained Chancellor Frederick Tyres' arms, while another forced a gag into his mouth and tied it off. Corvin looked up, and Ivan, still wearing the uniform of one of the Chancellor's guards just outside the door, nodded back and closed the door, with "Big Pie" standing guard beside him, similarly attired. The fat pig didn't even pay enough attention to his own guard to recognize them. He really was the idiot Count d'Armaz claimed he was, wasn't he?

"Good evening Chancellor Tyres." Corvin smiled his least-affable smile and plucked up the black blade, gesturing to one of the seats across from the desk, which his two Wraiths promptly deposited him in. "I wouldn't suggest any sudden movements. My friends do take the job of looking after me quite seriously." Corvin explained, his tone mock-pleasant.

"I am Master Corvin Fremont. Your eyes don't betray any recognition, but given that the last time we were introduced you were too busy shoving your head up the ass of any nobleman you thought would look good for you to be seen with, or so far down the decolletage of any remotely attractive woman that passed by to take notice, I'm not terribly surprised you don't remember me." He added, "Suffice to say I am the son of Duke James al'Sylenthar."

The rage that had been flashing in Tyres' eyes broke now, shifting to something wary…fearful.

"Oh good. That name you know." Corvin lifted the black blade, "This, Chancellor Tyres, is Vengeance. It belongs to my father. I trust you understand the meaning of me holding this blade in this place and time?" Corvin actually had to suppress a gleeful smile as Tyres visibly squirmed in his chair. "Good."

Corvin sheathed the blade with a flourish, "Rest easy, Chancellor, I'm not here to use it on you." He grinned, knowing it would bring the man little comfort. Corvin moved back to the desk, opening up a drawer, and box within, and removing one of the Chancellor's famed cigars. He pulled a mundane dagger to trim it…he would not insult Vengeance by putting it to such a banal task, and plucked up the lit candle on the desk to light it, taking a few puffs before blowing the smoke in the Chancellor's face. "Unpleasant isn't it? I'm told it's something you rather enjoy doing to others." The Chancellor's face reddened as gagged coughs wracked his body. Corvin held the cigar in his mouth, speaking around it.

"We have a problem Chancellor. And you likely thought we had forgotten, but obviously…" Corvin gestured, indicating the present circumstances, "Not so much." He puffed out a bit more smoke, then continued, "You see, in your eagerness to save your own skin, you shared certain privileged information with others, which led to my sister, the heir to the Duchy of Alasce, to be grievously injured defending your City while you huddled like a rat within these walls…I'm sure you remember her as her magnificent bosom was among those you were all but trying to bury your face in during the banquet and ball for the Senate Championship…" Corvin's smile faded at that, the cold anger that replaced it not at all feigned.

"This upset me, Chancellor. Moreoever, it upset my father. Particularly when you offered not the slightest gesture of recompense or apology for those events afterwards." Muffled protests escaped Tyres. "No doubt you're trying to tell me that you have a great deal of wealth and are deeply sorry and will gladly offer a great sum in acknowledgment of my sister's service to your city. But I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Chancellor." Corvin opened up a second drawer in the desk, and pulled out a small box that he had brought in with him. He set it upon the desk and opened it up.

"We don't need money, Chancellor, and your apologies are worth even less to us." Corvin's tone remained cool as he extracted three locks of hair from the box, each bound with a thin strip of black ribbon. "Each of these belong to one of your three children, Chancellor. I snipped them from them last night while you were busy tumbling that courtesan you like so much down at l'Academie…the pretty coquette with the auburn hair? Shame about her horrendous taste in clients, but useful to me, nonetheless. It made my job far easier with you taking half your guards with you. Honestly man, could you be more obvious?"

Tyres blinked, eyes still alight with fear, but not quite comprehending, or perhaps not quite believing.

"Just in case you think I'm lying to you…two of your children awoke to find a length of this same black ribbon placed prominently within their rooms. I'm sure they'll tell you all about it when you finally get home. As for the third…your eldest as it so happens…well…" Corvin shrugged, the mirthless grin again curving his lips upwards, "The fate of an Heir for the fate of an heir seems an even trade does it not? I'm afraid your boy will be fostering elsewhere, at a location and with a family of my father's choosing. Behave yourself for long enough…and you may well get him back whole and unharmed, if perhaps better-educated and properly…conditioned." Corvin chuckled, then added, "On the other hand, misbehave, and I will be sure to shoot him through the head with an arrow, and we will see if he recovers as my sister thankfully did." Corvin leaned forward, blowing the puff of smoke away from Tyres and setting the Cigar on the ashtray upon the desk before adding, "I say "thankfully" because had she not, this conversation would have instead been held after you'd watched me slaughter your family, and I had made clear precisely why I was ending your line before I slit your throat from ear-to-ear."

Corvin gathered up and replaced the locks of hair in the box, closing it and patting the lid lightly after he latched it shut, "This tells you that we are more than capable of carrying out these promises, Chancellor. Do not test us." He picked up the cigar and puffed it once more, "So…please us and you get your heir returned…eventually. Displease us and he dies, and likely yourself soon afterwards. Gentlemen?" Corvin glanced to the two Wraiths, who immediately took out short lengths of rope and tied the Chancellors feet and ankles to the chair with brutal efficiency. "Can't have you warning the guards too soon, after all." Corvin grinned, and started to rise from the chair, before pausing.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot, as it was privileged information you shared regarding my sister, it seems only fair that we receive some in exchange, no?" Corvin opened up another drawer, and pulled out a large stack of ledgers, setting them on the desk. One of the wraiths moved to pick them up. "So I'll be taking these with me. I'm sure whatever father doesn't choose to keep for himself will be of great value in the safekeeping of your dear friend and fellow Councilor Adriono d'Armaz, don't you?" Corvin now completely rose from his seat, and noted, "And fear not, we got the ones from the safe behind that painting over there as well…" Corvin spoke nonchalantly, tilting his head in that direction. "Honestly man…keeping your secrets close is one thing…making them obvious is rather pathetic." Corvin started to move around the desk to make his departure, and paused yet again.

"Oh, and we did acquire the copies from your bedchamber as well. Having seen your lawfully wedded wife, I salute your fortitude in managing to produce three children of differing ages. I can only imagine the Dowry was as substantial as her girth." Corvin shuddered a bit in disgust, and then moved towards the door as Tyres struggled against his bonds.

Corvin stopped just inside the door though, considering, then turned about and moved back to the desk, opening one of the previous drawers and extracting the box of cigars that lay within, "I think I rather like these. You don't mind do you? No? Good." And then he made for the door, knocking to let Ivan open it for him, and then turning about once he stepped outside, bowing formally and noting, "I do thank you for your time, Chancellor, I know you are a busy man. And a particular thanks for the cigars." He lifted the still-smoldering cigar in salutation, and then turned and headed down the hall, escorted by two of the Chancellor's own, at least to any first glance. A perfectly proper escort to see one out of the castle.

Corvin and the wraiths were already aboard a fast ship bound for Alasce and out of sight of Four Corners by the time the alarm bells finally sounded. Though it might not have been a terribly difficult ship to track, given the lingering scent of cigar smoke it left in its' wake.

END

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