3rd Ngetal 2044
Adria watched as the rest of the party disappeared around a corner at the end of the street, taking their prisoner with them. Aside from Bilbus, who could not go with the group because Franz believed him dead, the street was empty. Adria would have rather been anywhere on Oerth than this particular corner of Londoun tonight. But there was no helping it. She'd come back to Londoun with this moment in mind, and then she'd spent the past week dragging her feet until she had no time left. The noblewoman would meet with the Company of Unusual Headgear tomorrow, and she needed an answer to give them, an answer only her husband could provide. However, tonight was not the best choice for the discussion she had in mind and for a moment she considered leaving Bilbus there and trying to tackle it in the morning before work.
No more avoiding it, she thought, mentally stiffening her spine. Get it out of the way, and maybe you'll sleep tonight.
Reluctantly, Adria turned to face Bilbus. He had picked himself up and discarded the broken arrow he had used to fake his death for Franz, but his new clothing was the worse for his fall in the steet. Without thinking, Adria reached over and brushed away some of the dirt and grime that clung to the silk.
"You know, if you're going to wear that you should . . ." She left the rest unsaid and dropped her hand self consciously. "Nevermind."
It was such a curiosity to see him in noble garb. For once, she was the one in dark leather and he was wearing silk. The contrast only seemed to draw attention to the gap between them, to the changes that had come about since Portsdale. Adria felt her jaw clench. His presence had set her on edge before the marriage, but now it felt like it was rubbing her raw every time she saw him, a knife in her gut that twisted a little with every word. She hadn't been able to look him in the eye since the first day he'd come back, and for lack of any better way to respond to him she'd locked him out entirely. Old habits died hard, and she felt the ice enclosing her once more.
Adria fiddled with the longbow in her left hand, slapping it against her thigh a couple of times. Her eyes slid to the street and she started to move away, knowing full well it was the wrong thing to do. She tried to remember what Sturm had told her earlier that day that made so much sense. The turmoil was rising in her, confusing her.
Gritting her teeth, Adria stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. "Perhaps we should go somewhere and talk, you and I." She waited for his answer like a prisoner waited for the first touch of an executioner's blade.
"Why bother?" Bilbus responded, smoothing the wrinkles out of the black doublet while pointedly ignoring her assistance.
"You have had nothing but ire for me ever since we returned from Caledonia, and have made it perfectly clear that the difficulties with your family are my problem and mine alone."
"Despite the fact that you were the one that engineered them," he hissed, picking up his armor and glaring at the girl.
The former thief replaced the dark black sword to its familiar place on his back before turning to face Adria. Her actions ever since the wedding confused him greatly, and were a source of constant irritation. Hers was not the life that was suddenly thrown into upheaval in a single afternoon. Bilbus had been happy as a lowly thief, a little spiteful, but generally happy. Becoming a noble had never been on his agenda of things to do.
"I've tried to make the best of this situation," Bilbus said to his estranged wife. "Where the hells have you been?"
Her first impulse was, of course, anger - so strong she almost saw red. This was his problem and how dare he think otherwise. He was the one who went to Portsdale after he'd promised not to. How hard was it to stay off a boat? She couldn't even imagine why he'd want to be on board in the first place. What possible excuse could he have for that?
Adria wanted to call holy hellfire down on his head and burn him to the marrow of his bones. She wanted to spread his blood from one side of the street to the other, cut out his heart and throw it into the sea. She wanted to wipe out his name from human memory. Did he have any idea what his broken promise had cost her? Everything she cared about was gone, in one form or another, even the man who she had married. How could she not demand retribution for that?
And then again, how could she?
With some difficulty, Adria distanced herself from her rage. There would be time and opportunity enough for payback later, should it prove necessary. Indeed, the pieces were already in play. Calm was what she needed right now, so she didn't crush what chance for reconciliation that might still exist. She did want that, though much like one wants to look at the sun.
Adria took a breath and let it out slowly, relaxing her white knuckled grip on the bow. "Where have I been? Trying to make sense of something that doesn't," she said with a shake of her head. "I am as confused as when I started."
"Then it seems that we've been dealing with similar demons," he replied, "personal and otherwise."
Bilbus had had a very bad night thus far, and he knew that any interaction with Adria at this point would certainly not help matters any. Although topped with the fact that she was bristling with barely-controlled anger placed this conversation in a completely different category.
Bilbus had already prepared to defend himself against the assassin, that she was his wife was completely irrelevant--the heka charge he held at bay was a lethal one. Bilbus could no longer trust anyone. It had always been true, but he had forgotten it of late. The rule of the day was simple, decide who needed to be killed and do it. Bilbus was never very good at the killing part, and most days he would balk at the idea. But today, today was a very different day. Bilbus knew that if she struck he would have no time to defend himself properly, and certainly not honorably. It had come to the point in his life where he had finally realized his true nature, the one thing that he was actually good at.
Nevertheless, Adria seemed to be willing to talk for the moment. He slowly let the weave he was forming unravel, holding on to only the barest of strands necessary to activate it quickly.
"There is a sure way to end confusion," he offered, indicating Rishalla's empty table visible through the large front window at the Jewel of Londoun.
"I doubt they'd turn away a high-paying Noble, even at this hour. You tell me about your demons and I'll tell you about mine."
That was almost funny, considering the night's events.
Adria was relieved he wasn't pursuing the question of who was at fault, at least not for the moment. It allowed her a little breathing room. She could still sense her anger sliding down her spine, but with nothing to serve as fuel and no purpose it would settle, leaving behind that hollow feeling she hated so. Killing Bilbus would solve a lot of her problems, but it was a solution that brought her uncomfortably close to the second source of her recent dilemmas. She had no wish to clean up her father's loose ends, or follow in his footsteps.
Recognizing the fragile attempt at a cease fire, Adria took the opportunity to reinforce it. Her longbow was still strung from the earlier encounter, and in her unstable state she was certainly capable of snap firing it without giving herself time to think. Hells, she'd been trained to do that. As much as the thought of disarming herself made her feel queasy, it was probably best to take her most dangerous weapon out of her hands. She could still scream at him, but screaming didn't puncture oak doors and plate armor at a hundred paces.
Carefully, keeping her movements as non threatening as possible, Adria used her leg for leverage and bent the end of the bow so she could slip off the string. She coiled it and tucked it in her belt pouch.
"Probably not a noble," she agreed. "But there's a dress code, and I'm not wearing one. A dress, I mean." The oddity of the situation made itself plain again. Their worlds had reversed, and she still didn't fit.
"Not to worry, I got in here earlier in my usual outfit. The establishment isn't as strict as their neighbors across the street," Bilbus said, indicating the white visage of the Carved Tusk and its large bouncer.
He was still wary of the girl, despite her disarming of the bow. Bilbus knew that she carried many hidden blades on her person, and most were weighted for throwing. She also had a knack for poisoning her weapons, something that he was especially susceptible to after his ordeal in Brallian.
"This way," he told her, only half caring if she followed him. Bilbus had already stepped into the foyer, relying on the number of people inside to discourage her from doing anything overly stupid.
"I am Lord Rishalla of Orkney," he told the shorter man guarding the reservations list. "I believe you have a table for two waiting for me?"
"But sir," the flummoxed maitre d' replied, "you were already here this evening!"
"Does it look like I was here earlier this evening?" Bilbus questioned forcefully, brushing some unseen lint from his somewhat rumpled outfit. "I have been riding with my bodyguard all day, and I want my table."
"Now."
"Yes sir, right this way sir, thank you for coming sir, may I get you and your attractive bodyguard something to drink sir?"
"Whatever the lady wants," Bilbus replied, collapsing into the seat that Rishalla had vacated a mere hour earlier. He dropped a large bag of coins onto the table, catching the full attention of the maitre d'. Bilbus had gotten it off a foppish noble earlier that evening while getting fitted for the new doublet. Some habits died hard.
"We still have plenty in the travel funds, so order whatever you'd like."
Adria sat down at the table gingerly after leaning her bow against the wall. She was unsure if Bilbus was trying to make her uncomfortable by his choice of setting, or if he just picked it because it was closest and he had no idea that one did not go to the Jewel of Londoun in one's armor, which was entirely possible. The idea to move the discussion to a more civilized, public setting was a good one, however, so Adria was willing to tolerate her social discomfort. She didn't feel like eating, but ordered the first thing the server suggested and a glass of wine anyway. It would have been poor manners to drink water.
After the server left, the silence fell on the table like a lead curtain. Adria realized she should probably start the conversation, as this was her idea. She didn't want to say what was on her mind, which was very simply that she didn't want to go to Portsdale, and Bilbus could take a flying leap off a tall bridge if he thought she was going. That would not start things off on a diplomatic foot. Better to begin with something safer and work towards the difficult issues. Adria fidgeted in her seat, unable to shake the feeling that she was eight years old again and waiting for her father to deal out punishment for some infraction.
Why is this my fault? Why am I taking the blame? she wondered, setting her jaw stubbornly. I didn't do anything wrong. She suppressed the urge to pull a Farran, lay her ears back and dig in her heels. Except Farran would probably go for the throat, and she'd already determined that was an undesirable course of action.
He doesn't own me. He can't tell me what to do. She was all but ready to jump up and tell Bilbus to go to a hell of his choosing when she realized that the conversation hadn't even started yet.
Diplomacy, Adria remembered grudgingly. She tried to find an opening topic of conversation that wouldn't immediately start a war, but wouldn't sound like she was trying to change the subject.
"I'm sorry I missed Caledonia," she said, not quite able to keep the sulky note out of her voice. "I hear it was quite an adventure."
"It was... different," Bilbus replied as the last waiter in the establishment dropped off a pitcher of water and a plate of whatever the cook had left in the back. It was a motley collection of both exquisite and stale food, making Bilbus was glad that he wasn't very hungry after all that had happened. The waiter scooped up a few coins before heading home for the night, making it very clear that service would be rather poor for the remainder of the evening. Bilbus didn't mind, he didn't think that they would be staying much longer in any event.
"We met two different kings, disposed of one and put the other on the throne. It was, overall, a fairly surreal experience."
"Then again," he conceded, "that seems to be how my life has been going these last few months. Between the Great Lord and my capricious Goddess, I've begun to get the feeling that the shapers of my fate must be really enjoying themselves."
Only the orks called the Dark One by that name, Adria knew that well enough. She wondered how long he'd been letting it slip. Her conversation with Sturm became clearer than she would have liked. Even if, by some miracle, they managed to navigate the thorny path their marriage had become, she might still be called on to engineer Bilbus' death.
For all his knightly prowess, Sturm would not fare well against the thief in a confrontation, Adria had no doubt. Sturm was no stranger to killing, but he did his work on a battlefield in armor and his favored weapon was a two handed sword. Catching Bilbus by surprise would be a trick. Going against a specific target, adjusting one's methodology to exploit weaknesses, hunting and striking when the prey was unwary, that was her job.
Adria sighed, feeling the despair close over her again. Why bother with this, she thought, when he may be dead to me already?
Who knew how far Bilbus had slid, or if he was already lost? Sturm's confidence in Bilbus' good nature offered some hope, but her ruthless side whispered that the only way to eliminate the threat was to cut out the contamination before it spread. For a brief moment, Adria entertained the notion of trying to help Bilbus, to keep him from straying any further down the dark path. She almost laughed out loud at her own naiveté.
'Help him' . . . right. Like I did in Portsdale. Stupid girl. He has Rishala and Eric if he wants counsel. Even Sturm, oddly enough. They are far wiser than I. Far more qualified. He might even consider them friends. I have problems of my own right now, and I doubt an assassin can give moral lessons of any sort. Here I am, plotting the death of my father, my husband and other assorted people, having already killed my brother, and I'm concerned with Bilbus. Wonderful.
Truth be told, much had gone grey after her brother's death. The standards she had held that kept the world neatly organized had been twisted and broken beyond repair. She found herself capable of surprising flexibility, but it brought a sense of unease as well as freedom. A new standard was being forged, but for better or worse she didn't know. Things like good and bad, better and worse didn't seem to exist anymore. Even the possibility of Bilbus' defection didn't bother her as it should have. So she put it aside, unable to approach it properly until some of the more immediate issues were decided.
"It's an old curse. 'May you live in interesting times,'" Adria said dryly. Heedless of the manners that had been drilled into her, she put her arm on the table and rested her head in her hand, looking out the window at the darkened street. "You must have really pissed off somebody."
"Some more than others," he hinted with a knowing look.
Bilbus knew that she was thoroughly annoyed with him for a variety of reasons, but it didn't mean as much to him as it would have a few short weeks ago. Too much had changed since then, and very little of it for the better. He was still unsure whether it was just fate or the "Dark One" that had engineered his marriage to Adria, but either way they seemed to be stuck together. She had begun to change into exactly the type of person that he would have had a lot of fun with, but it was tempered with the directions that he was being forced to change in. Bilbus the Great was becoming Lord Bilbus del Cartach, and it was a change that he wasn't yet comfortable with.
Being married to the daughter of the man that killed his family also wasn't the easiest thing to accept. First she risked everything to save her father and supposedly help me, he pondered, and then she accuses me of not killing her father off later and ruining her life. So which one was it? Did she want to marry Todias?
Bilbus grunted, very confused my her actions and simultaneously tired of the endless accusations and threats. It would end tonight one way or another.
"So," he probed, "what have I done to you this time?"
Adria suppressed a stab of irritation. You know perfectly well what you've done, and if you don't then I'm not going to tell you, she thought, feeling childishly spiteful. But that wouldn't help matters in the least.
Diplomacy, she reminded herself sternly. Feeling much like someone working up the courage to stick their bare hand in a fire, Adria found herself staring fixedly at one of the Carved Tusks' lamps.
"You didn't do anything," she said tonelessly. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "What, were you expecting me to have a list ready to read? I can make something up if you like. Bilbus, you . . . made me serve a bunch of drinks you never touched, and then you paid for them. Damn you."
"Whatever," Bilbus replied, standing as if to leave, "if you're going to beat around the bush all night I'm going home."
The irony that he was now the serious one of the pair wasn't lost on him. To Bilbus, it only reinforced the idea that they had somehow reversed positions in life. She was now the footloose vagabond and he the uptight noble with an unavoidable destiny. Ok, so maybe I am being a bit uptight...
He turned to face her, hands on the back of his chair.
"If you have something to say, then say it."
Adria flushed. She was really trying to be courteous, trying not to say anything that would be unfair or offensive so they could have a sensible discussion for once - by the gods, she even admitted he hadn't done anything wrong, and that had taken effort - and Bilbus was unwilling to simply allow the time to let it come out.
What did you expect? asked a voice inside her. He never cared. It would serve him right if you did turn him over to father. He'll never be a noble in anything but name, and even his name is dead. Without you, what is he? You've only got one family, Adria. One duty. The del Quintin fate is in your hands and you want it to go to this . . . rude criminal?
He can't help being ignorant. I could teach him, given time.
Are you so sure of that? Then go, play the good wife until you rot in your grave. Be a martyr. See how enlightened he becomes.
Adria stood up slowly, torn between leaving without a word and trying to find the strength to make one more effort.
He doesn't care. Why bother?
Because I care.
Adria took a deep breath, collecting herself. "I don't want to go to Portsdale, Bilbus. We go there like this and we're dead, you know that? Between my father and the del Bartholos, we are dead. Or, more accurately, you're dead, and I'm married to Toddias and locked in a tower for the rest of my life. Honestly, that doesn't sound so bad right about now," she said with a smirk. "I never married you because you were the lesser of two evils. You make Toddias look like a catch.
"I had a lot of time to think when I was on my own. Not that I really figured anything out. Tried to forget you ever existed, mostly. Hated you for a while. I may have brought about the marriage, but you, Bilbus, are the one who broke your word and got on that ship." The old animosity flared, but she shrugged and let it go. "But it's done now, and there's nothing to be gained in placing the fault on either of us. I've played that game.
"Do you know what I discovered, wandering on my own? Do you know why I came back?" Adria asked, glancing at him. "You never bothered to ask me.
"I'm not sorry about the wedding. Not in the least. I refuse to apologize about it. It wasn't a mistake. I did the best I could, given the circumstances. I would have stopped the sun in the sky if it would have fixed things. As it was, I had to bind myself in marriage, and don't you think that wasn't hard for me, when I could have been free. Don't think it wasn't hard for me, when I lost my family to ressurrect yours." Her voice hardened. "It seems I am destined to be everyone's pawn.
"Bilbus, I've given you everything that was in my power to give, and even a few things that weren't." She shook her head slightly. "I don't have anything left to give you. I come back to Londoun, and I find you have become a bitter, foul tempered human being in my absence - so much so that I prefer Sturm's company to yours. You lurk in dark corners like a vulture, whining about your life and how miserable you are. 'My life is ruined,'" Adria mocked, rolling her eyes. "'People are trying to kill me.' 'I'm a noble and it's all Adria's fault.'"
Her tone became suddenly cold. "I've got two words for you: tough shit.
"You aren't the only one with problems. You aren't the only one whose life has suddenly become a giant headache. Join the club. You're pissed because now you actually have responsibilities, now you have problems you can't solve with a few spells and some fast talk." Adria shook her head, chuckling.
"Isn't that a pity. You may have to grow a spine. Why don't you go get a tattoo on your forehead that says 'minion' and save yourself the bother?" she asked with an acid bite. "You have an advantage that some of us don't have, Bilbus. Your 'problems' are solvable.
"What are you without me, Bilbus?" she asked softly. "A thief with a noble name? Is that all you want to be?"
"Apparently, I've ruined your life. I tried to give you what you said you wanted, but as it turns out I was right in Saltcliffs - you are rotting from the inside because of it. So." Adria unfastened the collar of her armor and reached for the silver chain she wore. She slipped it over her head and gathered it into one hand.
"Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe the del Cartachs died twenty years ago, and nothing of their blood remains. Nobility isn't for everyone." She tossed the chain on the table, along with the gold signet ring that was suspended from it. "You make the choice this time, Bilbus. I'm tired of taking the punishment for the last one. Will you meet me at the cathedral tomorrow morning for the annullment or not?"
"An annullment?" Bilbus replied, adressing the most obnoxious of her requests first. "Not a chance. You are correct in thinking that I am nothing but a montebank with a noble name, because that is exactly what I am. What I do, in reference to the names, lands, and titles means nothing, but what my father strove for actually matters. I will not have you so conveniently oust me from what my family died trying to create."
He paused, collecting his thoughts so that they would not come forth in a torrent of accusations and words that could not easily be taken back. He flipped the chair around, sitting down and staring at her over the straight back.
"You want me to grow a backbone? Well here it is: You will have to kill me to get me out of this marriage, a task that you are most suitable to perform if you decide to take that course. I would warn you, however, it is one that I recommend you not embark upon lightly. I have asked little to nothing from you since the wedding, which I hear is quite the opposite from most Noble marriages. Nevertheless, if you wish to be locked away in a tower to do you daily requirement of needlepoint I'm sure that it can be arranged."
Bilbus took a deep breath, trying to explain himself as best he could without distancing Adria any further.
"What I want is to clear my name and reinstate my family into the place that was taken from them. I would rather do this with you than without you, but the choice is yours. Quite honestly, I don't expect us to live through our upcoming trip to Camalough."
He stopped, noting her surprised reaction.
"You didn't know?" Bilbus asked, "We're leaving for a scouting mission to the Silver Spires just as soon as we can organize it. The forces of darkness are building there and it's up to us to finally get the orders of Knights and the King's Own to recognize the danger." He stoped, almost chuckling.
"What, did you think I was brooding over the marriage? Do you think that any of that really matters? I have seen the face of the enemy this very night, and I assure you that it is not a pretty one. The problems of two little people don't amount to a pile of stale breadloaves anymore." Bilbus leaned forward, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper.
"I want to solve the problems with our family Adria, but we all have bigger things to worry about. Everyone in our little group, even Rishalla, believes that I am slipping into the lap of evil. Good, let them believe it--if they do, then so does the Great Lord. He probably thinks that I am already on his side. At one point I was offered you to join up, and, in some odd way, I did seem to get you. Not that I ever agreed, but I didn't exactly disagree either. You know how the game is played, why else do you think I would be telling you this? I may not be the best person, and I am certainly not honest, but I am one hundred percent Avillonian."
Bilbus paused, his voice barely audible.
"There may come a time when I do have to physically 'join' the ranks of the Dark One to assist our cause. Gods know that posing as their agents has been the only way that we've kept ahead of them so far. If this does happen, I need someone here that knows that I haven't really changed over--despite all evidence to the contrary. You hate me right now, but you also understand the lives we once led and what we are capable of. In some odd way that makes you the only person that can be trusted."
"So," he said, looking at the necklace and signet ring on the table, "are we going to put aside our differences and save the world, or would you like to keep bickering for awhile longer?"
Adria cocked her head to the side slightly, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. He seemed serious enough. Given what she had learned today already, it fit. She didn't feel the need to question the veracity of his words.
"I don't hate you, Bilbus. If I intended to kill you, I would have already done so. I've no wish to finish my father's work." She reached down and picked up the necklace. "The bickering has indeed gotten old."
She shrugged, put the necklace in her pocket. "You're playing a dangerous game. You risk becoming an enemy of both sides. It is fortunate that our friends have as much faith in your good nature as they do." She frowned. "Or maybe some of them are just oblivious. No matter. You make a good point."
Adria shifted a little, unsure of what to say next. "Are you certain," she asked carefully, "that the Dark One likes you if he offers you an assassin?"
For the first time that evening Bilbus laughed. A deep, uncontrolled bellowing laugh that seemed to wash away the ugliness and dark emotions of the day.
"You have a very good point there..." he agreed.
"Thank you for your concern, what I'm attempting here is extremely dangerous. But who better to walk the line but a con man?" Bilbus grinned lightly before dropping his voice some.
"We have to keep this quiet, for many good reasons. The largest of which is that the Dark One made the offer if I would kill an unspecified member of our party. I don't know who it is yet, but according to the information we got this evening from Silverthorne it is either Eric, Kasey, or Sturm. If word gets out that I'm not 'working' with the Great Lord then he'll just find someone else to do the job--someone who is an uncontrolled variable and will most likely attack without warning. Our best bet is to let everyone keep thinking exactly what they're thinking. Or we're all dead..." He realized that only two of them would definitely be dead, but chances are if two fell then they all would.
"As for the family issues, I have already sent word to your mother to have her sign a church authorized document stating that she was not taken here by force. That should help a bit. The del Bartholos problem is just one of ruffled feathers--they were gaining very little from the marriage in the first place, so shouldn't be too hard to smooth things over with a few well placed bribes and trading deals. It's those heka use charges that are going to get me, it's not like a person can prove that they don't use magick." Bilbus frowned, finally making a connection.
"I have a feeling I know who testified on those charges. They're the same idiots in hats that destroyed my apartment last week. I'm going to have to find a way to locate them somehow."
Feeling the earlier tension fall away, Adria couldn't help a slow, feline grin. "I wouldn't worry about that. Just stay out of their way for now. If you can't find them, there's a good chance that they can't find you. Let's keep it like that.
"You're right, the del Bartholos are more a case of injured pride than anything. They should be easy enough to deal with, once they no longer have my father to goad them about the situation. We watch each other's back, and unless they are insulted enough to make themselves a serious threat, we'll be fine. The game of houses, well, that'll never end, but at least we won't be concerned with being assassinated."
Her smile faded as she analyzed the situation once more. Her father was still the biggest obstacle in their path. Trying to reason with him would likely be a waste of time. She didn't plan on bothering with an attempt.
"I have a way to solve a few of our problems on that front, if you'd care to listen. We should probably go somewhere more private." The Jewel of Londoun was effectively empty, but it made her nervous nonetheless.
"Sadly, my apartment is out of the question--the Company knows where it is. Besides, I had everything shipped to my country home this morning anyway. I thought it prudent to move the more valuable items out of harm's way until I could find a new place here in town."
Bilbus hummed to himself, trying to think of a place that they wouldn't be disturbed--yet close enough to the public to make a run for it if his assassin wife had other plans in mind.
"How about the 'Lamb and Flag'," he asked, citing the name of a popular pub near the beaches in the better part of Londoun.
"They'll be closed by now, but they have some nice benches in the garden outside."
"Plus," Bilbus added, "we can catch up on the local rumor mill. The patrons tend to write the best courtly gossip on the outdoor chalkboards. I've got a running bet with Twitchy that the King will drop his new mistress before month's end."
With a wink, he hopped up from his chair and tucked his folded leather armor under his arm.
"Coming?"
I have married a very odd man, Adria thought.
"Yes, coming," she answered, and grabbed her bow. She followed Bilbus out of the Jewel of Londoun and let him lead the way, as her knowledge of Londoun geography was still shaky. She knew vaguely about the Lamb and Flag, but she'd never been there.
The autumn night air was pleasantly crisp, scented with woodsmoke. Adria yawned and shook her head a bit to wake herself. She had been working longer shifts at the True Point since Bilbus returned, and even though she had gotten off early tonight to cover the meeting at the Carved Tusk, she was exhausted and her feet hurt. Tension and high-strung nerves had kept her alert for the past several days, but the tension had finally ebbed. With the marriage partly resolved, she let her guard drop a bit. It wasn't smart, according to a paranoid bit in the back of her mind, but she was just too tired to keep up the effort.
At least the walk will keep me awake, she thought. Let's get this over with so I can sleep.
"I got a visit from your friend Sassy yesterday," she said, keeping her voice low. "Disgusting man. He had the outright gall to offer me one of my father's crowns to give up your whereabouts. Can you believe that?" Adria snorted at the insult. "I should have gutted him right then and there - for that, and he kept staring at my chest as if I were a . . . um, barmaid." Adria crossed her arms defensively at the memory.
"But then I had a better idea. How do you feel about playing bait?" she asked, grinning. "If we're clever, I think we can kill four birds with one stone."
"Bait huh?" Bilbus replied with a raised eyebrow, "Not usually my forte. I prefer to use someone else for that whenever possible."
He chuckled, holding a hand up and wiggling his index finger at her.
"I'm Adria's patsy," Bilbus said in his best Eric impersonation, breaking out in a quickly-silenced laugh that momentarily echoed through the quiet streets. Bilbus wasn't particularly worried about the city guard tonight, not the way he was dressed. There were advantages to playing the Noble...
"Although I don't normally resort to killing," he continued in a somewhat more serious tone, "for the Company I have been known to make exceptions."
"What's your plan?"
Cute, Adria thought.
"Sassy is currently under the impression that I - pardon the expression, my lord - would like to rip your balls off and feed them to a stray dog." A few days ago, a few hours, even, it wasn't far from the truth. "He made a rather interesting point - namely that I would inherit my father's properties in your stead. I suppose he intended it to encourage me to let the Company take you off my hands." Adria shrugged.
"Anyway, they're going to meet me at the True Point tomorrow. I intend to make a bid to subvert their services from my father, and have them travel back to Portsdale, where we will eventually meet them. They think I'm going to hand you over, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." She grinned cheerfully, adding, "Just with an extra surprise.
"Have you ever seen an entertainer who does illusions? These are the sort that aren't magickal, but are deceptive enough to fool the eye? Like slight of hand or palming, only made larger? I saw one, once, of a man who had himself locked in a box, and the box thrown in a fire, and yet the man was able to reappear in the middle of the hall. I figured out how he did it. The box itself had a hinged panel in the back, and though the front was locked tight, the man could come and go as he pleased." Adria tried to illustrate the box with gestures, but it was awkward with a six foot longbow tucked under one arm.
"I'm going to have a box like that made, and I'll deliver you to them in that. I'll tell them I've poisoned you, and you can feign unconsciousness. The Company will leave you under guard in a warehouse - my family's warehouse, most likely, and go tell my father the good news that they've captured you. If he wants to confirm your identity - I think he may want a word with you before you get shipped to the Council - the Company will escort him to the warehouse.
"And then I'll kill him," she said quietly, without emotion. "The Company will be there to make sure he can't escape. Once my father is dead, the Company will think I'm going to have them deliver you to the Council, eliminating my father and my husband and placing me in control. But that's when I distract them and you," Adria pointed at him, "pop out of your box. I can probably fire two arrows before they can react. I need you to capture one of them alive and unhurt. Preferably Sassy, although any will do. Once the rest are dead, we plant Cain's ring and a forged contract between my father and the Company for Cain's death, on Sassy. Then I'll kill him with my father's weapon, making it seem as if the two murdered each other in a quarrel over the contract. We remove the other bodies and . . . " Adria let the words trail off with a gesture of her hand.
"Four birds: my father, the Company, Cain's death, your heka charges. One stone.
"What do you think?" she asked curiously. "You'll inherit the properties, but Matthias can take care of them until you are able to settle down a bit."
"I have already promised Matthias one of the two manor houses if he would manage things for us while we were gone," Bilbus informed her, "His head for business might not be the greatest, but he has a vested interest in our future." Bilbus chuckled, spotting a hole in Sassy's logic.
"You know, if I died, wouldn't all the lands go to Matt, not to you? You know how stingy the Dalesian Nobility is about women not being allowed to hold power and all that crap."
Bilbus stopped on the corner of Hayle and Cornwall to get a good look at the grounds of the Lamb and Flag before continuing. Seeing that no one else was about at this time of night, he proceeded to lead Adria toward a squat two-story white building with a gently sloping grey slate roof. The Hughes family that ran the establishment had long since turned in for the evening, but they never paid any attention to lovers or dealers that wandered their gardens even during waking hours. The pub was one of Bilbus' favorites for when he wanted to get away from the bustle of the city and enjoy a nice dinner while overlooking the Vasmar. There would be no hearth-cooked meal tonight, but that wasn't what he'd come here for. They had come to plan a murder, and it was a very messy plan according to the ex-thief.
"The plan seems a bit... elaborate," Bilbus said as he took a seat on a well worn oak bench.
"I don't like elaborate plans, too much can go wrong. The best plans are usually those that can drawn with a stick in the dirt or explained in a few hand gestures." He chuckled, remembering her attempt at just that a few moments earlier.
"Let me amend that, effective hand gestures," he concluded with a smirk.
"Still, it has some merit. I know a good carpenter, and faking the poisoning shouldn't be too hard. I can even forge the contract given enough time, I'm a little out of practice," Bilbus admitted. Planning a series of murders didn't sit too well with him, but escaping from a crime scene was something that he excelled at.
"Okay Lady del Cartach, you have yourself a partner."
Adria settled herself on the bench, tucking one leg beneath her and stifling a yawn. "Good. I'd hate to have to poison you for real," she said with a smile.
"It's not a perfect plan, but it's the best one I can think of. As long as the Company of Unusual Headgear doesn't do anything stupid - and I may need to give Sassy some incentive to prevent that - I imagine we could handle any other variables."
Adria leaned back with a sigh, looking up at the bright stars. "I would likely gain control of the properties if you were still alive, if they only imprisoned you and didn't have you executed. However, I think we both know that it would be difficult to keep you in prison against your will. If I really wanted the power, I could have it. I'd take care of my father, blame his death on you, have you killed before delivering your body to the council, and then I'd simply buy off Matthias. Business has never really interested him."
She shrugged. "If I wanted it, which I don't. Hells, if I wanted wealth and power I would have married Toddias and wrapped him around my finger so tight you could hear his bones pop when he walked." She smirked at the mental image.
"Nah, if it were up to me I'd ditch the whole bloody mess. Actually," Adria said with a chuckle, "I already tried that. But if I'm going to do this, I'll do it right. I don't want any more loose ends to clean up." She brought her head back up, rubbing absently at her left shoulder.
"So, you have any better ideas, or is this as good as it's going to get?"
"Sadly, for all the cons I've pulled, I've rarely had a solid plan for any of them. It's not like I've tried to swindle the jewels off the King's crown or steal Uther's sword from the Tower. Well, not yet anyway." The former thief smiled, both had been dreams of his for quite some time--dreams that he knew would always remain unfulfilled, especially in light of unfolding events around Avillonia.
"As for the task at hand," Bilbus said, leaning his back against a vine-covered trellis, "I don't see any other way to proceed that had any better chance of tying up our loose ends."
He plucked a small white flower from the vine above his head, slowly crushing the fragrant petals between his fingers.
"It looks like you've had a long night, you should probably get home before long. Still, we should wander past the Church to see if our friends have turned up anything while dropping off Franz."
"That," Bilbus said with a disbelieving shake of his head, "and I have to ask Kasey if I can stay at his place tonight."
Adria snickered. "Don't let Bree and Eric's cooing keep you awake." She grinned, then added, "But I guess I really shouldn't tease you about them."
Loath to move when she had finally gotten somewhat comfortable, Adria rose stiffly from the bench. "I am tired," she sighed. "It's been a busy week. I've got a long shift tomorrow, plus I've got to give notice at the True Point and pack my apartment . . . At least that won't take long." She stretched to get the blood moving again. "I shouldn't have to tell you to stay out of the tavern tomorrow. Just stay away from Falagos square in general."
Adria picked up her bow, rubbing her thumb against the leather binding as she tried to frame a map of the city in her head. She knew where her apartment was, and she knew the general area she was in. She'd stick to familiar streets and she'd get home without much bother.
"I'd say you could stay with me, but I don't know if the Company knows where I live. You're probably chicken anyway," she teased lightly. "Kasey's safer, although I don't think I snore as loudly."
"Not chicken," he replied slyly, "I'd like to think that it's a long overdue dose of common sense coming to light."
"Besides, Kasey's snoring drowns out the sickeningly-sweet banter of our resident lovebirds. And who can pass up a free meal from his housewoman? She makes an wonderful Shepherd's Pie..."
Bilbus mentally wandered off for a moment, realizing that he hadn't eaten all day. Demon or no demon, he was hungry.
"C'mon, let's head to Kasey's and see if Franz told them anything useful before he met whatever fate befell him."
As fascinating as that sounded . . . "Thanks, but I'll be doing good to walk home without falling asleep on my feet. You go flirt with the Dark One and save the world, oh ye of newfound common sense - I have to work tomorrow." As if on cue, Adria yawned.
"Besides, I'm sure Kasey's house is crowded enough as it is. I'll see you in a day or so for the trip to Camelough." She smiled and took a few steps back towards the garden entrance, then paused.
"Maybe this won't be so bad," she said softly. "I'm sure we can negotiate an arrangement that will be satisfactory for both of us."
It sounded so businesslike, so much like her father that she almost choked. Adria turned with a shake of her head. She might bury her father, but the blood in her veins would always betray her. She didn't know any other way. This was a marriage of convenience forged from an unstable sometime-friendship, not a picnic in the soft land of romance. Best she should remember and treat it as such.
"Goodnight, my lord," she said formally, and walked down the path without a sound, heading for the street. It felt odd to address him so when she was in her armor, but the line between her two lives was no longer crisp and clean, and hadn't been for quite some time. Bilbus was now in the same place, a mixture of two worlds yet not belonging to either. She hoped he enjoyed walking the edge; perhaps he would find it an easier place than she did.
Bilbus watched her go with a series of mixed emotions. He felt that he should accompany her back to her flat, but knew that if anyone would be mugged tonight it would be him. There were downsides to wandering through darkened streets dressed as a Noble.
Despite everything that had happened to him in the last few months, Bilbus couldn't help but think that today had been a very odd day. Even for him. Sadly, it wasn't over yet. There were still a few things that needed to be done before his head hit the pillow tonight. The Noble Mountebank turned towards the spires of the church and set off at a brisk pace--resisting the urge to whistle in the dark.