Saturday, June 18, 1066 SE, continued
With the wine auction now finally behind them, Marigold and Branna rush to complete their respective projects for the Marquess of Sidorov. After an early breakfast, Branna heads back to the Legendary and her workshop, while Marigold works quietly in her room now that her roommate has left. Both of them receive news from Yurchik, the theater director, who requests everyone from First and Second Crew not on stage for the last dress rehearsal of The Enchanted Winter: A Tale of Lost Love to be in attendance at 4 pm to provide the First Crew with a live audience so that the play that will be presented when the King of Sezja is in attendance.
Branna completes her work on the outfits. She examines her
blue dress with silvery, and finds it needs to be adjusted at the waist.
The green emerald dress is fantastic. The yellow dress needs to be
bedazzled. And the red dress is simply stunning, and the costume
designer knows this dress will be the talk of Katarina and will most likely make the style columns in the various newspapers. She requests an appointment with the Marquess by sending a message to Sidorov Estate.
Marigold puts the finishing touches to the gold earring she made for the Marquess of Sidorov. She considers them decent, but she wishes she had more time to add flourish and details. Marigold examines both the intricate golden pendant assorted with three rubies that can hide a very small vial and the silver tiara that would contain several silver oak leaves mingled with other leaves, and find them quite exquisite. She stops by Branna to ensure that the necklace will fit fine with the red dress' neckline. She also has an ounce of gold left that was not used in the manufacture of these jewels.
Meanwhile, Mon continues to watch the horse races at Thunderhoof Downs, first with the Marquess, before returning to sit with Sir Gregory. The actor plans on compiling information from the Marquess' bets, and report them to Sir Gregory. He proposes this idea to Sir Gregory, who agrees it is a splendid idea, and offers Mon a 50/50 split if Mon can device a plan to inform him of what the bets are to be in a timely manner. Mon suggests that a magical item like a brooch could be made, which could send a message to a receiving unit. Sir Gregory agrees, and thinks that two of them should be made before wondering if someone has enough time to get two brooches crafted before next Saturday. Mon suggests Marigold as an excellent jeweller. Sir Gregory agrees to commission two brooches from her. Later that day, Marigold shows Mon her two designs.
Mon then suggests that a similar brooch could be designed and awarded to the Legendary guild members, with a different valuable metal every five years. Perhaps the last brooch could be mithril. Mon mentions he's been studying the history of Katarina and the Firebreather Clan of dwarves were here, perhaps could contact their descendants and see if mithril could be procured. Sir Gregory agrees it is worth looking into. He then leaves the booth to get food and drinks. Ony, who is also in the private booth watching the horse races, politely declines both food and drink.
Mon asks Ony about who enchants the items. Ony tells him he will check with Sir Gregory and, if the man agrees, will pass along the contact. Ony expresses some concerns with the quantiy of the schemes Mon has proposed. Sir Gregory returns with several meats on a stick, ale for himself and a tankard of mead for Mon.
While Mon spends time with the Marquess of Sidorov and Lady Sirenko at Thunderhoof Downs, both Branna and Marigold complete their commissions for the Marquess. Branna sends a message to Sidorov Manor, and the Marquess' butler, Olehiv, replies that the Marquess will be thrilled to welcome them for lunch tomorrow and examine the dresses and the jewelry.
Before the races are over, Mon excuses himself and he makes his way back to the Legendary. This afternoon, the First Crew is holding the last dress rehearsal for the play that will debut when the King arrives, and all employees are expected to attend to provide a more realistic audience for the actors and musicians performing this new play.
Titled "The Enchanted Winter: A Tale of Lost Love," this play is set in a mystical realm of snow-covered landscapes. This spellbinding opera mixes together elements of fantasy, romance, and enchantment to tell a poignant story of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Through its exploration of love's enduring power and the triumph of good
over evil, Enchanted Winter is designed to leave a lasting impression, reminding the audience of the
timeless allure of fantastical tales and the redemptive nature of love
itself.
Act 1 is titled "Whispers of the Frost." The Kingdom of Everfrost is introduced. It is a place perpetually trapped in winter's icy embrace. Princess Elara, a kind-hearted and beautiful maiden, mourns the loss of her beloved Prince Mikhail, who perished in battle against dark forces. Elara's grief attracts the attention of the Ice Queen, a powerful sorceress ruling over the realm. Sensing Elara's pain, the Ice Queen offers her a chance to reunite with her beloved, but at a great cost. Elara must embark on a perilous journey through the enchanted forest, guided by the mystical Snow Spirit, and retrieve a magical crystal that holds the power to restore love.
Act 2 is titled "The Dance of Shadows." In the second act, Elara sets forth on her quest, encountering a host of fantastical creatures and overcoming treacherous obstacles. Along the way, she encounters a band of mischievous forest sprites and befriends a wise old sage who aids her in navigating the ever-shifting labyrinthine forest. Meanwhile, Prince Mikhail, trapped in the clutches of the Shadow Queen, battles inner demons and struggles to retain memories of his love for Elara. As Elara draws closer to the crystal, the Shadow Queen unleashes her dark forces to halt her progress, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown between light and darkness.
Act 3 is titled "The Melody of Love Restored." The final act brings the story to its climactic conclusion. Elara, having braved countless dangers, reaches the heart of the enchanted forest and retrieves the precious crystal. The Snow Spirit reveals its true form as a celestial being, and together, they confront the Shadow Queen. Through the power of love and self-sacrifice, Elara breaks the Shadow Queen's spell over Mikhail, freeing him from the darkness that consumed him. The reunited couple, now aware of the strength of their love, use the magic of the crystal to bring an end to the eternal winter and restore harmony to the Kingdom of Everfrost. The play concludes with a jubilant celebration as love triumphs over adversity and the kingdom basks in the warmth of a new dawn.
During the play, Branna notices Yurchik seems not impressed by their performance, and he took copious and furious notes. He especially appeared mad at Kisa and Ulan's interactions during the play, even at some point snapping a pencil in barely controlled rage. When Branna reports this to her friends, Mon expresses the thought that he would very much would like to know the source of Kisa and Ulan's hatred for each other, and wonders whether intoxication and zone of truth would reveal their sordid business. He begins planning on how to spend some time with each separately.
Mon mentions his idea of crafting two brooches to Marigold, who swiftly comes up with a design for his own brooch, and another one for Sir Gregory. Mon loves both of them, and will present them to Sir Gregory for his approval.
Sunday, June 19, 1066 SE
In the morning, Branna and Marigold send a page boy out to rent a carriage so they can deliver their goods to Sidorov Manor. At about 11, the carriage arrives at the Palace, and they load up the box containing the Marquess' dresses before heading to the outskirts of town. On the way there, they both notice that the facade of Khoroshim has been fully repaired, with all evidence of the attack removed.
Greeted at the door by Olehiv, they are lead to the dining room where they join Marquess and Lady Sirenko. Lovely food is brought out, and the conversation turns to the the wine auction and its success. The Marquess is thrilled by her purchases, and looks forward to serving them during the King's visit. They also talk about who might have been behind the assaults on Khoroshim and at the wine auction. The Marquess tells them she saw the dreaded Captain Lafoy at the wine auction, and supposes he managed to escape. Branna explains that it was one of the Cardinal's men, Tarasenko, who let the attack. The Marquess also mentions she heard a rumor that the Cardinal plans on shutting down the Legendary when the King gets here. Marigold hopes that this is not the case.
After a fabulous meal that would cost plenty of silver pieces at Khoroshim, the Marquess and her friends move to her dressing room on the second floor. This room is a veritable clothes' paradise, and Branna estimates there are at least 1,000 different outfits here. Branna takes out the yellow dress, and the Marquess puts it on behind a screen. Coming out, she twirls, and the dress fits her perfectly. The Marquess gushes about the quality of the dress and how it fits. Branna takes the blue dress out, and lets the Marquess know she will need to do a few retouches to ensure that the fit is perfect. Once again, the Marquess is very pleased with the dress. Marigold takes out the tiara and places it on the Marquess's head. Looking at herself in the mirror, Marigold can tell the Marquess has been temporarily transported back to childhood, and the look on her face is that of pure wonder at the way she looks with the blue dress and the tiara.
Branna then takes out the emerald green dress, and the Marquess' jaw drops. She quickly puts it on, and once again does a twirl. Lady Sirenko claps as the Marquess prances around the room. Then Branna removes the red dress from its box. Both the Marquess and Lady Sirenko simply stare at it for many heart beats. As the Marquess takes the dress behind the curtain, Marigold catches a fleeting hint of jealousy on Lady Sirenko's face, which is quickly replaced by her usually neutral expression. When the Marquess finally comes out from behind the curtain, she looks simply stunning, with a perfectly form-fitting dress. For a long moment, both the Marquess and Lady Sirenko stare at each other, and Branna detects a hint of attraction between the two women. When Marigold takes out the rest of the jewelry she has crafted and the Marquess puts it on, the room goes silent again, as everyone admires the Marquess. For her part, the Marquess is very pleased with the result.
To thank both of them for their efforts and creativity, the Marquess gives them each a finely crafted rosewood box with silver hinges that contains 75 gold pieces. Both Branna and Marigold are speechless, and the Marquess explains that talent like theirs should be handsomely rewarded. Thanking them both, the Marquess escorts them to the front door, where Olehiv hands them a packed box of fudge for both that they can take back to Dukha. The two of them head back to Katarina wealthier than they ever imagined.
Meanwhile, Ony visits Mon at the Legendary and asks for his honest opinion of The Enchanted Winter. Mon reports on the rift between Kisa and Ulan. Ony tells Mon that Sir Gregory thinks it's a diamond in the rough. Mon mentions his worry of how this will sit with the Cardinal, that the man may be opposed to the play on moral grounds. It might need to be more morally acceptable. The music and the songs were inspiring, and they did not contain any innuendo. Mon also discusses the possible connection between the attacks at Khoroshim and at the wine auction. It appears that nobles are being targeted. Perhaps those nobles being targeted are supporters of the Archduke. Ony mentions that Captain Lafoy has been seen at both instances, but Mon tells him it was a disguise. The last time was certainly Tarasenko disguised as Lafoy, and the attack against Khoroshim was probably him as well.. Mentions that the Cardinal might be appointed as regent of Katarina, he would benefit all of the profits. Mon also says he met Captain Lafoy once.
Ony finally comes to the purpose of his visit. Sir Gregory approved him telling Mon about his enchanter, a cobbler named Orest. Orest owns a shop called the Drowned Sailor's Stitches, which is located one street behind the Anchor's Luck. Orest fixes sailors' boots and gear real cheap. Ony emphasizes that Mon should make sure no one else is in the shop when he talks magic, and that he makes sure Orest knows that Sir Gregory sent him.
Mon then suggest they should compare the guest list of the nobles at the wine auction and those reported at Khoroshim, looking for potential connection to the Oak resistance group, with their connections with the nobles and with residents of Low Town, as well as with both sides of the law. Could the Oak be an organization that predates the current government on Katarina. Mon also talks about the Riftforge War that took place 315 years ago. Ony agrees to send it to him.
In the afternoon, Marigold wanders the streets, looking for a small store to rent where Branna and her could work, have a storefront, and some space in the back where they could protect and lock up their creations. The halfling is surprised to see that there are no empty storefronts anywhere within three blocks of the Legendary. In a city this size, she would have expected one or two shops to be available for rent. However, she does find the perfect spot in the building next to the Warm Whistle.
During dinner, just before the evening's performance, Mon describes Orest's shop to Marigold and Branna, suggesting that this person might be the one who could enchant their items as Marigold crafts them.
In the evening, Mon receives a package from Ony. Opening it, he finds the seating chart and the list of all attendees and those who had reserved but ended up not attending. Looking at the list, he realizes the Marquess had originally been assigned a front-row seat, before being moved to the back of the room when Sir Paul Stal confirmed he would be attending. Perhaps the Marquess was the target after all.
Mon crafts an anonymous letter to the Marquess explaining that she should look for a heir and provide a foundation for House Sidorov to reestablish its stature. A potential heir had recently visited her home, a young lady named Dukha who is an orphan, and she would benefit from an education and tutoring.
Monday, June 20, 1066 SE
Early in the morning, Mon looks for and find Dukha hanging out with other page boys, and he asks her to deliver two letters to Sidorov Manor. Both letters are sealed with green wax using his shell shaped cufflinks to help seal them. One is addressed to Olehiv and the other is addressed to the Marquess. The first letter reads:
Our Respectful Olehiv,
If you would be so kind. The young messenger I have sent has a letter for the Marquess. I would enjoy if could be possible for this youth to deliver it directly to her hands and wait in her presence for a reply.
Your service and your friend,
Mon deGreen
The second letter reads:
Your Grace the Marquess of Sidorov,
With your humble permission, allow me to interrupt your day with this missive that hopefully finds you well. As an individual who has come to know you and some of your life and considers you a friend, please let me entreat upon you with a few ideas that may lift the name Sidorov to the heights it deserves. Of the things you are known for, by a select and may I say modest few, are your pastries, deserts and fudge. To this I suggest opening “A Taste of Sidorov” a patisserie and confectionery, with items priced so all on the island can enjoy.
I have also seen your home once had the laughter of childhood within its walls and on its lawns. Word has come to my ears that this may not happen again, but with what you are about to read that does not have to be the case. The messenger I have sent to you with this letter is also fond of the theater and does have a taste for fudge. Her name is Dukha. She is also alone, I am currently attempting to find out word of what may have happened to her sister. She has no other family that she or I am aware of.
It would give me great pleasure if you could adopt her and name her as your heir to the Sidorov name. Grant her a life and education like she deserves. I have a feeling that this little one has great things ahead of her, and, especially if taken under your wing her soul may soar to heights undreamed of. Please, if she has arrived early enough, let her join you and Lady Sirenko for lunch so you may get to know her.
Your service,
Your Man of the Verdant
