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Post by Alliser on Oct 21, 2018 9:21:43 GMT 1
"well, Ser Daeron did strike the fool over some rather tame jests. Perhaps his conscience itches at letting a man go for the cause, especially one that led to another kidnapping. He is just as like to react with violence if trapped in public rather then confessing in quiet."
He shrugs, "indeed it would be good to speak with Ser Addam as well, try to find out what he was doing the night before, as well as look for the story about how he found the heir and why he chose to seek out bittersteel and Lord Peake instead of Lord Florent. It smacks of politics to not let the father of the captured son know that you have found his living heir."
Alliser smiles as he turns towards the new arrivals, Ser Mikel, Lady Laena, it is a pleasure to have you join us. Please have a seat," he then quickly brings the two new arrivals up to speed on what they have been discussing.
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Oct 21, 2018 9:44:59 GMT 1
If the others wished to move the honourable knight from the table, they had swiftly identified the right strings to pull. "The melee is a few days hence my lord," Roland corrected. At least Lord Levalle was knighted and rode in the joust, which was more than could be said for some lords, despite all the man's faults. Doubtless the Spongeholder only cares about such events to the extent they serve his schemes... Unless this is feigned ignorance?He was rapidly tying himself up in knots. D8 Who dunnit - Honour Bound: 3d6 13Still, he was at least in control of his emotions and would be able to confront Ser Daeron out of the public eye. Alliser had spoken truly of Daeron's assault on Butterbumps - everything was beginning to fit in to a horrible pattern. In part I am to blame - I should have pursued that hooded man instead of escorting a mere bastard girl home. No mere stonemason makes idle jokes about heraldry.He met the eyes of Mikel and Cleyton. "Ser Mikel, Ser Cleyton. This is an ill-task and there may yet be some honourable explanation. Shall we move to speak with Ser Daeron at the Starling camp? There shall be time enough for public shame later if such is warranted, but I will not see a previously well-reputed knight have his name besmirched needlessly, as much as I struggle to see the nobility here." Roland awaited any words from Laena, or any dramatic final revelations from the others before departing with Mikel and Cleyton. [OOC: 1 DoS from Lord Levalle's simple intrigue, which together with honour-bound pushes Roland away from his previous plan of praying for guidance in the Sept. Daeron and I had discussed leaving things until after the trial scene, but IC stuff has pushed things the other way: Roland wouldn't like others to confront Daeron without him.]
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Post by Laena Pyre on Oct 21, 2018 11:43:10 GMT 1
Laena considers a moment before speaking. "I spoke with Ser Daeron, at his invitation, this morning. He informed me that the attacks on Lady Alicent and Ser Aladore were arranged by the same person. With a bit of pressing, he claimed that a 'hooded man' arranged both incidents. He did not reveal the reason for the hooded man's continued freedom, or say any more in the way of identifying information, but given how his claims have been proven accurate by our investigation, it makes little sense for him to be in direct cahoots with the man given how readily he accused him of wrongdoing. At the time, and I believe even now, he had no idea I would be investigating, so there were far more appropriate people he could have discussed the matter with were his intention merely to cover himself.
"So, I agree a discreet approach is likely best. Press him, but do give him a chance."
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Post by Cleyton Bolton on Oct 21, 2018 20:43:57 GMT 1
Cleyton found himself at odds, he agreed with the view of lord Alliser, and that a discreet way was the best and yet his heart wished to just put his mailed fist to the man this is what makes the difference between knights and common men, temper must be kept and a steady heart bracing himself for what would happen and looking forward to the outcome of their investigation "Well, let's get on with it then, let us see if his accounting of the matters at hand sound reasonable"
[/scene]?
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Post by Mikel of Harroway on Oct 21, 2018 23:18:16 GMT 1
Nodding, Mikel agrees. "Speaking to him in private sounds best, and of course nobody here would be better for that task then his fellow companion See Roland. I will gladly accompany you in pursuit of this matter, Ser."
"I also believe it could prove helpful to have the hide out examined. Though unlikely anything revealing has been left, there is always a possibility. Perhaps more helpful though would be to have skilled trackers check around it for tracks coming and going that doesn't not belong to the rescue party."
[OOC: I feel like I left this unresolved and instead of adding in a post after they left, will only add Mikel would have had a brief and quiet exchange with Laena before exiting, leaving his squire Harold with her and the men at arms]
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Post by Alliser on Oct 22, 2018 2:52:07 GMT 1
After the knights leave Alliser turns towards Laena, "my Lady, there is a strong smell of something off with these foul deeds. Do you sense the same?" He asks.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Oct 22, 2018 11:08:38 GMT 1
Laena checks to make sure the guardsmen acting as her escort had not left with the knights, but were still well out of hearing before responding. She bites back the instinctive response that maybe it is his own rot he smells - antagonising a lord is never wise - and instead sighs. "Whatever he may claim, it is obvious that the true reason for Ser Daeron's inaction is that he placed partisan objectives over justice. He was informed by the hooded man how his interference would hurt his cause, and he decided that to be of more import. Maybe his conscience is pricking him now that he sees the consequences of his inaction, but that is too late the hero. That Ser Addam was the one to locate Ser Aladore very, very strongly implies that was an additional bribe for his inaction - one of his brother Companions gets the glory of the rescue. The coincidence is too strong otherwise.
"What continues to confuse me," she admits, "is motive. I believed the attempted kidnapping of Jorah Cuy to be completely unrelated, because I could not link him to the other attacks. And until Ser Daeron told me such, I had not linked the attempted assassination of Lady Alicent and the kidnapping of Ser Aladore. I cannot find a common thread between all the victims - knight, lady, and page. It seems completely random to me. So, to actually answer your question, yes. There is decidedly something rotten here." She casts the lord a meaningful look. "However, the hope that you might have some insight into such a nefarious mind is a key reason why I agreed to work together. I have a great deal of respect for your intelligence and political acumen." If little else.
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Post by Alliser on Oct 22, 2018 18:34:04 GMT 1
Narrator Override: Alliser, see private forum.
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Post by Father on Oct 22, 2018 18:50:16 GMT 1
Just posting so that everyone who saw what Alliser just posted should ignore it for now.
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Post by Alliser on Oct 22, 2018 21:27:22 GMT 1
Day 8 who dun it zealot tn 12: 3d6 15"Indeed my Lady. I will share my information, but I hope that on my efforts to be forthcoming with you that you might do a favor for me. I'm specifically directed not to interfere with a situation of great importance to someone close to me. Indeed I fear there may be another execution similar to one one my Lord called for. If you could find it in your heart to prevent such an atrocity from occurring I would be greatly indebted to you.
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Post by Alliser on Oct 22, 2018 21:28:50 GMT 1
"The rumors spread by the Falcon must be true! Ser Daven must indeed have been killed on Bittersteel's orders, that is the only plausible explanation." Alliser sighs, "it feels like there is someone egging on bittersteel, trying to see how far he will go to cover up the rumors she has does. Clearly, the Florents is a dead end, a false trail, just like Alicent, my Lord would not have spread such rumors and then spend such resources trying to unearth their source, nor send me and have me spend my resources chasing after them, no. A trail towards the Florents that nobody else could find? One false clue is a coincidence, but after the attack upon Alicent, no way. Someone wanted to see if the rumor was true by testing how far whoever sent those men after Alicent would go in order to stop the leak." Alliser sighs heavily, "if only I could find the falcon and have her divulge her source, then I could convince Lord Florent that the rumors about bittersteel are true, and we should not align ourselves with a kin slaying rabble rouser." Alliser sighs , "but I don't think she will show herself now."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Oct 22, 2018 23:26:20 GMT 1
"I make no promises, but I certainly would be willing to assess the situation and determine if there is something I'd be willing and able to do." She thinks back to any possibly relevant rumours. "Does this have anything to do with your natural-born niece and Lord Karl? And him presumably facing the wrath of House Orme? I heard she was making life more difficult for the rest of us last night."
Laena blinks a few times after he reveals his analysis. "You're saying that the man who sent those ruffians after Lady Alicent really *was* after the rumour? I'd discounted that as misdirection to conceal the motivation of an assassination on success or failure."
Wow. So ... the murder of Septa Tyane, the attempted murder of Lady Alicent, the attempted capture of Jorah Cuy, the murder of Matthis Rowan, and the kidnapping of Ser Aladore ... all of that would never have happened had I never spread that rumour...
It's not quite 'shaking the heavens' yet, but it's a good start.
Of course, that's assuming his conclusion is actually genuine. He's a smart man, maybe he *suspects* I'm the Falcon, but needs me to confess it to be sure. Maybe he's looking for some expression of regret or something?
The only thing I regret is that I can't see a way to frame Ser Balon as the source. That would tie up a load of my problems with a neat little bow.
"Given how she kicked off the sequence of events that have caused so much pain and heartbreak to so many, I agree, the Falcon would have to be insane to reveal herself now. I'm not sure it matters, though. Even if she steps forward and reveals her source, there's no evidence cited in the rumour - it would just be word against word, and Lord Florent would believe whichever he wants to believe. The only actual *proof* that would add weight is if you could actually dig up those false rumours pointing in those locations, prove your theory correct. ...But even if you do, pardon for being blunt, but is Lord Florent really the type to make decisions based on what is *moral*? By reputation at least, he's a man of ruthless pragmatism. Unless the rumour were to become widely believed, and hence the Blackfyre cause to begin falling apart, would it really impact his decision?" He protects *you*, after all.
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Post by Alliser on Oct 22, 2018 23:47:35 GMT 1
"revolution is dangerous, and messy. I don't believe that Lord Florent would be willing to risk his house and it's fortunes on the word of a kinslayer." He offers a shallow smile, "I have made him a lot of money in peace and trade, and war is a notoriously fickle bitch, just as likely to see your house gutted and married to some loyalist please as to see a meteoric rise of a house already as high as his own. Sure the king may be a forgiving sort, but I doubt that those he surrounds himself with are off a similar mind." He concludes
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Post by Laena Pyre on Oct 23, 2018 0:44:17 GMT 1
Laena clasps her hands together. "So, you believe that the crown-loyalist cause is best for both you and your lord." She states, rather than questions. "If so, and you see acting otherwise as a great danger, it may be that a serious danger is still genuinely a lesser danger.
"Consider well, my Lord, the *advantage* of the Falcon not being willing to reveal herself. Surely if *anyone* knew, aside from *maybe* one other, the secret would have leaked by now. This means that, have you the will and the courage, you could *make* a Falcon of your choosing, and none would gainsay you. A dangerous game, to be sure, but if the alternative is a greater danger, is it perhaps not, despite all the risks, the safer option? And as disloyal as it is, if it saves your lord from a danger you cannot otherwise persuade him of, is it not, in fact, the more loyal option? All she need do is point at a source that cannot be verified - Lord Jon, perhaps, which might create new motivations for his murder - and her word will have to stand alone."
She leans back. "Of course, I am not saying you *should* do such a thing. I am merely pointing out the possibility that you *could*. Assuming you can find a lady willing to die for the cause. Or too stupid to realise that will be her fate. Perhaps one unhappy in her marriage?" She's giving the Lord an assessing look as she says this. Like, instead of pushing for the idea, she intends to use his response as a measuring stick.
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Post by Alliser on Oct 23, 2018 1:10:46 GMT 1
Alliser gives her comments some thought, appraising Lady Laena with a new set of eyes. "She only told one other, and Lord Jon is the source." He restated, like a cow chewing a particularly tasty piece of cud." if only Lord Florent did not already know of me being the stranger. I guess the question is why would she show herself now. And to myself. I imagine she would have to be fairly well heeled to gather such information."
He waves the idea away, "I might be a good at ferreting out details, but my Lord could sense my deception. I learned many of my tricks from him, and it would only go to weakening my own case if I provided him with a false falcon."
Alliser drums his fingers, "but the hooded man I feel is the key. If we could some way confirm his existence and his link to fire..."
He stares off into the middle distance as he thinks.
"Jorah Cuy," he concludes. "We need to discover what he knows. If he was the cup bearer for Lord Jon on the night of his death, and Lord Jon was the leak, that might explain why the hooded man was interested in acquiring the young boy." Also concludes.
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