Thursday, June 23, 1066 SE continued ...
With most of the guests now in attendance, service begins in the Palace's dining room. The guests are served a royal meal, complete with eleven courses. While Marigold bakes the puff pastries for dessert in the Palace's kitchen, Branna and Mon anxiously await the actual ball once dinner is finished. Zoryany's reaction has Mon worried. Who could possibly have such an effect on Sir Paul Stal's trusted assistant?
Mon decides he will take a position on the east side of the balcony in the ballroom, so he can watch all three entrances. He tells Branna and Zoryany of his plan, and exchanges duties with one of the other servers. From up here, he will observe the guests as they enter the ballroom.
Utensils hit glass, requesting silence throughout the room midway through dinner, and both Mon and Branna can clearly hear the King's speech:
I have heard whispers of division, of a desire to sever the ties that bind us. But let me ask you this: what is Katarina without Sezja? A lone ship in a storm, tossed by the currents of a fickle world. Sezja offers you strength, a mighty harbor in which your island can flourish!
Some may preach a gospel of isolation, but I say isolation breeds stagnation. Together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone. Sezja offers Katarina not just protection, but opportunity! Trade flourishes within our borders, knowledge is shared, culture is spread, and innovation thrives!
Is that not a future worth fighting for? A future where Katarina's children can dream big dreams, knowing they have the backing of a united Sezja?
Let us not be swayed by the siren song of division. Let us stand together, Sezja united! Let Katarina remain the jewel in our crown, a testament to the strength we find in unity!
Thank you! Long live Sezja! Long live Katarina!
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Marigold notices one of the pastry workers stealthily altering the icing going on the little puff pastries by pouring a liquid from a small glass vial into a porcelain bowl, then thoroughly mixing the.contents with a wooden spoon. She notifies the Palace's head chef, who comes over to the dessert station and tastes the icing. Finding it bitter, he tells the pastry chef to get rid of the puff pastries. He then asks Marigold to bake a new dessert, using any recipe, since they only have half an hour before the dessert trays must be brought out to the dining room. Marigold tells him she will make puff pastries twisted together and dipped in cinnamon sugar.
A few minutes later, the head chef grasps his chest and collapses on the floor. Marigold is convinced there is poison in the icing, and it just killed the chef. As he receives first aid, one of the cooks has the presence of mind to notify the Palace chamberlain, who comes to the kitchen accompanied by Dr. Sadistik. He lays his hands on the chef, and takes three long breaths. The head chef's chest suddenly raises as he gasps and sits up. When Dr. Sadistik asks him how he feels, he tells him he's never felt better.
Following the incident, Marigold notes that the altered puff pastries have been moved to a back counter instead of being thrown out, as the head chef requested. Heading towards that area with a few large cooking sheets, Marigold "accidentally" trips and spills the deadly pastries on the floor. She picks them up and disposes of them in the furthest trash bin, much to the chagrin of the pastry chef who gives her the evil eye. Marigold inquires who the pastry chef works for. One of the other cooks tells he she will check with the Chamberlain to see who his regular employer is. Soon, Marigold's new dessert is ready, and after being plated, it is sent to the dining room.
While dinner winds down, a few of the younger folks enter the ballroom and begin drinking and mingling. The band, which is composed of musicians from the four theaters and from the city guard, begins playing some of the local favorites. As more people enter the ballroom, the band's tempo becomes more lively. The band switches to the Sezjan national anthem when the King and his son Prince Yegor enter the room to loud applause. The King is followed by the Archduke and his family, to louder applause.
The Archduke and his wife, Archduchess Yeva perform the opening steps of the first dance, and soon the dance floor is crammed with people moving to the sound of the music. Dr. Sadistik is also in the ballroom, greeting people and exchanging words. Branna notices he has a lengthy conversation with the Cardinal before heading up to the balcony. The Cardinal soon follows him. Mon, who is busy delivering drinks on the balcony, takes a moment to observe the scene when a cheer goes up, and sees Prince Yegor dance with Yula, the Archduke's youngest daughter.
With the party now in full swing, both Branna and Mon are busier than ever fulfilling drink orders. Marigold and the rest of the kitchen staff cleans up the kitchen, and begins preparing the breads and dishes for the next day. As the band switches to a new song, Branna scans the front of the room, and realizes that both the Archduke and the King are gone. She tells one of the bartenders, who suspects they might have gone to use the facilities. In any case, he didn't see them leave, and he doesn't have time to ponder what happened.
As Marigold is ready to hang her apron for the night, the chef comes to her, and asks her to prepare a small tray with tea for two and several small desserts. He then gives her directions to a study on the second floor of the West wing of the Palace at the end of the corridor heading west from the stairs' landing. Following the directions, Marigold arrived at a closed door. She can hear an argument taking place on the other side. She timidly knocks on the door twice, but when there's no answer, she puts the tray down, and slowly opens the door before picking up her tray and entering the room. The Archduke is sitting at his desk, while the King is pacing in front of him. He seems angry. The King tells the Archduke that
They will commit an action to make me look weak. This, they calculate, will force me to react. And they are right, I will have to react otherwise the political ramifications will be intolerable. This reaction will then be perceived by many, as it rightly should, to be overbearing and of a magnitude greater than other steps I could have taken, regardless of the actual course I exert. And, of course, this will fan the flames of resentment, gaining the other side more support in thought, if not in action.
Unfortunately I need to let the course of events they have set in motion play out, because I need them to think they hold all of the winning cards. Only then will they reveal their true purpose. Then I will strike so hard all of their hopes and ambitions will crumble into the same bitter ash that fills their minds. I shall have my revenge, and I shall protect the kingdom of Sezja from those who would seek to divide us, you mark my word!
Marigold coughs, and the Archduke notices her for the first time. He motions h
her forward, and she places the tray on the study desk. Both the King and the Archduke thank her. Marigold leaves the study, but remains in the hallway with the door cracked open. She hears the conversation resuming, with the Archduke attempting to convince the King to act now, instead of waiting. The King tells him it's a delicate balance, but things must tip over enough for those hiding in the darkness to come out in the light to claim their prize. Marigold closes the door, and returns to the kitchen.
Marigold remains in the hallway with the door mostly open, and she hears the conversation continuing, with the ARchduke attempting to convince the king to act now, instead of waiting, and the king telling him it's a delicate balance, but things must tip over enough for those hiding in the darkness to come out in the light to claim their prize. She then closes the door and returns to the kitchen. The chef informs her that the pastry chef she was inquiring about came from the Nazar estate. The Nazar own the Starlight Theater. The Archduke's chamberlain enters the kitchen, and hands out purses to all of the temporary employees. Marigold is paid 4 golds and 10 silvers, and is then sent to help out the bartending staff in the ballroom.
As Mon is delivering drinks, he has a creepy feeling as he's taking orders that something threatening is behind him. He avoids turning over, and instead head straight for the bar to get a few drinks, where he sees Marigold and the other two bartenders. Mon asks her who was standing behind him. Marigold tells him that the Cardinal and Dr. Sadistik are standing next to the balcony railing, as the Cardinal points out various people on the ground floor. Mon turns around, and sees the man, and though he feels ill at ease, no memories are triggered.
On the ballroom floor, Branna sees that both the King and the Archduke have returned. Instead, now both Prince Yegor and Yula have disappeared.
Mon returns with drinks, only to be intercepted by the Cardinal. He takes a good look a Mon, but evidently does not see through Mon's disguise. He orders gin on the rocks. Dr. Sadistik then orders a Bloody Mary, Dr. Sadistik looks intently at Mon, then addresses him by the name Arkady and inquires as to his health. Mon has visions of himself laying on a cold hard table, with Dr. Sadistik standing over him and telling him the part he put in is faulty, and he will replace it. He has several similar memories of a well lit dungeon room, and going under Dr. Sadistik's knife. Dr. Sadistik also tells him he saw his sister earlier, and she too looked well. Dr. Sadistik seems genuinely pleased with Mon, which creeps the actor.
Returning to the bar, Mon tells Marigold what he remembers of Dr. Sadistik and the memory flashbacks he just had.
On the ballroom floor, Branna runs into the Marquess of Sidorov, who is inebriated. She is thrilled about the success of her dress. She tells Branna she has been singing her praises to anyone who asked her where she had purchased her dress, and she fully expect that people will be knocking on her door to order their own amazing dresses. The Marquess takes Branna to the front of the room, and introduces her to the King. When she states her last name, the King looks pleasantly surprised, and tells her that his favorite outfits are from the Gwend family clothier. Her father is his favorite clothier, and he knows him well. The King is thrilled Branna is here, making her own mark. He then asks her about the situation on Katarina, inquiring about her perception of the political situation on the island and her thoughts on the separatist movement. Branna and the King then exchange views, and he asks her a few more questions before the King shakes her hand again and greets another group. Branna then returns to her station.
Later, Mon descends the stairs, and heads towards the Archduke. He wants to relay important information to Katarina's ruler, but he's intercepted by the Marquess, who requests a drink. Mon tells him it is her favorite actor, and the Marquess is impressed with his disguise, but she is loud enough that everyone around can hear her. Mon asks her to keep his real identity quiet, but too late, the Cardinal is standing behind him. The Cardinal is not thrilled to see Mon, and tells the actor he will soon find himself under arrest. Mon's despicable nature is an affront to any follower of the faith, according to the Cardinal, who walks away from Mon. Concerned that the Marquess has now had too much to drink, Mon tells her he will be more than pleased to escort her back home to ensure she arrives there safely.
As the party wraps up, Branna runs into Lady Sirenko, and the two talk with each other. Branna mentions that the Marquess misses her terribly, and Lady Sirenko lets her know she and the Marquess will be meeting for lunch tomorrow at Khoroshim to talk about what happened, and how they can move forward.
Mon finally meets the Archduke and tells him he has information. The Archduke would prefer that Mon pass this information to Dima, captain of the city guard, but he reluctantly agrees to meet with the actor in his official study in thirty minutes.
As the last guests depart, the Palace's chamberlain gathers all of the servers and bar staff, and he distributes purses of 3 golds each. Branna sees the Marquess standing with difficulty near the main entrance. She tells the Marquess she will escort her to her carriage. Olehiv, the Marquess's butler, tells her he is concerned the Marquess will be in no shape for her meeting with Lady Sirenko tomorrow.
Meeting with the Archduke in his official study with the Archduke and several guards, including Dima, Mon tells him he has a way of listening to the Cardinal, and reports that the Cardinal is planning a coup. The Archduke thanks him for this information, and once again requests that any future information should be given to Dima and not directly to him. With his meeting over, Mon steps outside the Palace. He turns invisible, and shadowsteps back to the Legendary.
As Branna and Marigold walk back to the Legendary, Herald catches up with them, and he tells them that Prince Yegor and Yula came into the stables and spent some time kissing in one of the stalls. He also tells them Sir Gregory had to rent a carriage for tonight, which he thought it was strange since Sir Gregory already has a carriage. He proudly displays the two gold coins he earned working in the stables. Marigold shakes her head.
Back at the Palace hotel, Marigold tells Branna and Mon about the incident in the kitchen and reports that the pastry chef was a servant of House Nazar ...
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