Legendary - Loose Ends, Part 1

Saturday, June 25, 1066, really early in the morning

With the events of the previous evening fresh in his mind, Mon reflects on a series of loose ends he and his friends are facing as they prepare to leave for the mainland. There appears to have been three different assassination attempts during the play a few hours earlier. 

The Archduke was almost shot. Who was the assassin in Sir Gregory's box? Who was the real target? How did they come in, and how did they leave? 

The Cardinal was the second target. Who were the pirates in the Marquess of Sidorov's box? Given that no shot was fired, was the Cardinal the real target, or was it someone else? The Cardinal had invited folks who lost peopel in the Khoroshim explosion. Why were these people here? Branna mentioned the pirates were dressed like the city guard. Mon remembers that he saw similar armor in a cave north of Mount Kilina, where the pirate Captain Lafoy and his smiths take shelter when not involved in piracy.  How did they enter the Legendary? How did they leave?

Ulan was the third target. Who tried to kill him, and why? The first actor is not well-liked among the crew, and rumor has it he holds something over Sir Gregory, which, the gossiping goes, accounts for why he hasn't been replaced as first actor. How was a real sword substituted for the prop sword?

There are also other things to consider. What should they do about Anya rotting in a dungeon under the Cathedral? What about her younger sister Dhuka? Where would she be the safest until they depart for Sejza? How should they prepare for the trip? Will they come back from Sezja? What about Sir Gregory? Why is he in such dire financial straights that the Legendary is under threat of closure? What about the upcoming tour of Sir Anton's forest holdings, where the Sezja military is reportedly hiding?

While Mon is silently going through his mental list of loose ends, Marigold looks for Dusana, the prop master. She questions him on what happened. Dusana tells her he's already talked with all of the prop folks. Marigold suggests that the real sword was meant to kill someone live on stage. This would certainly close the Legendary down, as the scandal it would create would be difficult to recover from. She suggests that it will be critical to keep an eye on the sword. Dusana tells her he will personally handle this for the rest of the play. 

Mon joins Marigold and Dusana backstage. He asks Dusana if he thinks that Kisa is the real actress, and not some assassin who replaced her when she was kidnapped and is now masquerading as her. Could someone have infiltrated the Legendary, he wonders? Dusana replies he doesn't have enough contacts with Kisa to tell if that is the case, but her haughty and arrogant attitude is the same it has always been.

Dusana shows the sword to Mon and Marigold. The sword is finely crafted out of kat steel and closely resembles the prop sword. The plans for the prop sword were only drawn two weeks ago, making it almost impossible to craft such a finely detailed sword in time for tonight's opening night. Marigold suddenly think of something. It would be hard to create a sword that resembled the prop, but it would have been easy to create a prop that resembled the sword. Marigold asks Dusana who was in charge of designing the sword. Dusana tells her that it was Prop Maker Kyivan designed the sword prop. Marigold suggests he could have designed the prop sword on purpose, or he could have been duped by someone to design his prop based on this specific sword. Either way, they should question Kyivan in the morning.

Wondering if Sir Gregory is still here as he has some questions for him, Mon heads to the administrative quarter. Despite this late hour, Mon overhears three people talking in Sir Gregory's office. He recognizes the voices of the Legendary's owner, along those of his manservant Ony and Nadie, head of the theater's security. Sir Gregory calmly explains to Ony and Nadie that if he cannot secure a loan or find 11,000 gold pieces, the Legendary will be foreclosed on. This night was supposed to salvage the theater, but now all of the bad press that will surely come in tomorrow's newspapers about the gun falling in the crowd, the fire in the box, and the rumors that someone attempted to assassinate the King will surely negatively affect ticket sales.

Mon knocks on the door. Startled, the people in the office go quiet for a heartbeat until Nadie cracks the door open. Seeing it is Mon, she tells Sir Gregory, who invites him in. Mon tells Sir Gregory the assassin shot at the Archduke, and not the King. Mon also tells him he prevented the Cardinal 's assassination. Sir Gregory humorlessly chastises Mon for not letting the assassin take a shot at the Cardinal . Mon also notices that Sir Gregory has a burn mark on his right cheek.

Mon then tells Sir Gregory he overheard the theater is in dire financial straights. Sir Gregory tells him a consortium lent the theater money as the King's visit incurred significant costs, including additional security, elaborate decorations, and higher production values for the performance. These expenses have strained the theater's budget, and he must pay 11,000 gold by Monday 9 am or default on his loan. The consortium is led by Sir Anton of the Katarina Chronicle, but Sir Gregory believes that Lord Nazar is behind the whole operation.  

Mon casts message and walks to the window. He telepathically tells Sir Gregory about his plan to bet a high sum during the horse races tomorrow. He will be in the Marquess's box, and with her uncanny ability to pick winners, he hopes to get a few leads he can pass on to Sir Gregory. Sir Gregory thanks him for the opportunity, and for all of the money making schemes Mon has developed in the last few months, but he doesn't think they will be able to secure enough winnings to cover the cost of the loan. 

Leaving this sad party behind, Mon messages Marigold and Branna about the information he just heard. Marigold remembers that the pastry chef that tried to poison the pastries at the Archduke's ball was reportedly from Lord Nazar's household. Could Lord Nazar be behind the assassination attempt in order to default the theater and acquire it for cheap? 

Wandering back to the lobby before heading back to the Palace, Mon runs into Dima, who's still taking notes. Mon questions the captain of the guard, who agrees to answer his questions if Mon will answer his. Dima asks him if Mon smelled tuberose in the box. Mon did not. However, Marigold might have noticed it, as she spent more time in Sir Gregory's box than he did. Mon asks whether Lord Nazar has been absent recently, as Mon secretly suspects that Lord Nazar and Captain Lafoy are one and the same individual. He tells Dima that he recognized one of the pirates in the Marquess's box as Captain Lafoy. There is bad blood between him and the Cardinal. Mon further tells Dima someone on Lafoy's crew forged the city guard armor the pirates were wearing, and the sword that almost killed Ulan. Finally, Mon reveals he suspects that Lord Nazar could be leading a double life. Lord Nazar could be wearing gloves to hide his missing finger. Mon plans to keep an eye and shake his hand at the earliest opportunity to determine if he's missing a finger. If that is the case, Dima points out that Lord Nazar was in two places at once, being in Sir Gregory's box and in the Marquess's box simultaneously.

Dima tells Mon about Sir Gregory's burn mark, and mentions that because all folks were paralyzed, none of them saw the assassin enter the box or leave it. No one in the front row (Sir Gregory; Sir Sergeii, the King's cousin; Sir Matviy, Sir Gregory's solicitor; and Lord Taras Nazar, owner of the Starlight Theater) caught a glimpse of the assassin. The folks in the second row did, however. Lord Taras Nazar's wife and their three kids independently described the assassin as an old man. Ony and Yurchik, who were sitting in the third row, saw the assassin but he appeared cloaked in shadows as he set up and discharged his rifle. Dima tells Mon that artists are presently drawing images of the assassin based on the reports of those who saw him, and perhaps they'll have a better idea of who to look for when they are available.

As Mon and Dima speak, four city guardsmen arrive. Dima acknowledge their presence. They inform Dima that all four portraits were independently generated based on each person being interrogated, and all four of them resemble ... Dima, as the captain is shown the resulting drawings. One of the guards tells Dima that because he was alone for six to ten minutes in Sir Gregory's office, searching for the bomb that was reported in the bomb threat, Dima could potentially have been the assassin. Of course, the guards tell him and Mon, they don't believe he would, but things being what they are, they are to escort Dima back to the barracks for further investigation. Dima is thus accompanied by the four guards as they depart the Legendary.

Mon finds his friends back at the Palace, and tells them that Dima was taken for questioning. Marigold speculates that Lord Nazar might have wanted to eliminate the Cardinal, to ensure that theaters could continue to operate. Branna suspects that had all three assassination attempts work, this would surely have indeed sunk the Legendary. Marigold wonders what would happen if the Archduke did indeed succumb to an assassination? Mon speculates that Archduchess Verushka would succeed him, but since she is still a minor, a regent would be appointed. Normally, the nobles on the island would select a regent. As the highest ranking noble on Katarina after the Archduke, Marigold wonders if the Marquess of Sidorov would be the one making the selection, or at least influencing it. Branna points out that House Sidorov is a spent political force on Katarina, and that under the circumstances the King would have appointed a regent. Mon speculates that perhaps the King would have appointed Sir Sergeii as regent. Or perhaps the Cardinal thought he would have an opportunity to influence a young and politically naive Verushka. With this depressing thought, the three of them head to bed.

Branna smuggles Dhuka in her room since her roomate is never here, and soon enough everyone is asleep, but suffering through fitful dreams of assassination and mayhem.

In the morning, Branna, Marigold and Mon finds scripts for the play they will be staging while performing Masha and the Bear in Sezja. The Second Crew's next play is Ivan's Quest, a play billed as a captivating narrative of love, bravery, and the triumph of good over evil, enriched with magical elements and mythical creatures.

Act One presents Prince Ivan, whose three sisters married to magical beings that appeared during a storm. The Falcon, Eagle, and Raven each proposed to and wed one of the princesses, taking them to their own realms. Prince Ivan's loneliness drives him to search for his sisters, leading him on a journey filled with magical encounters, where he meets a beautiful girl, Marya Morevna, who loves him back. Unfortunately for both of them, Koshchei the Deathless, a malevolent spirit, kidnaps Marya.

Act Two begins when Prince Ivan embarks on a quest to rescue Marya. Through the aid of strange magical beings, Prince Ivan discovers the realms where his sisters now rule with their husbands, and he engages their services to fight and defeat Koshchei the Deathless.

In the final act, Prince Ivan and the unified forces of his sisters' realms defeats Koshchei and his army of the deathless. In a climatic battle, Ivan confronts Koshchei. Ivan successfully defeats Koshchei and imprisons him inside a bright crystal, which he buries deep in the ocean. Entering Koshchei's castle, he rescues Marya, and the happy couple is finally reunited

Legendary - The Enchanted Winter: A Tale of Lost Love

Friday, June 24, 1066 SE, continued ...

Having completed their tour of the Legendary, the King and his retinue depart midafternoon, around the same time Mon, Marigold and Branna discover that Dhuka's room had been looted. Now in possession of ripped pages that seem to come from the Cardinal's personal diary, they discuss how they should keep these pages safe. Mon proposes to summon his warlock blade, then tie the pages to it and vanish it again. This would keep everything safe, but Marigold expresses doubts, considering that Mon could be disabled, arrested, or even killed. This would put the pages in jeopardy of never being retrieved. Instead, Marigold proposes to build a puzzle box, where the pages can be hidden. For now, she seizes the diary pages and slides them in an inside pocket in her skirt.

Considering what to do with Dhuka, Marigold suggests Dhuka could take refuge in Mon's room for the night. Mon expresses his concern that the Cardinal's men could search there, plus can they really trust Herald, if he came upon Dhuka in Mon's bedroom. Branna offers Dhuka the Vest of the Clothier and tells the girl she should stay close to her in the costume department during the play.

Marigold tells Dhuka she needs to be dressed as someone other than a pageboy. She first transform into a steampunk outfit, followed by a forest sprite. In the end, Branna convinces her to adopt something more appropriate, and Dhuka uses the Vest of the Clothier to create an outfit that resembles Marigold's. Then lightning strikes as Marigold suddenly thinks that perhaps Dhuka could hide in the secret passage underneath the Cardinal's box, listen to his conversations and document any important information she overhears She's unlikely to be found there. Marigold also gives the child a sketchbook in case she's found, so she can pretend to be watching the play and taking notes. Finally, Marigold offers her a magic-infused light stone, so she can see. She's to remain there until the play is done. Marigold tells Dhuka her name today will be Annabelle, to avoid drawing attention to her. Dhuka pouts, saying she'd rather be Rosie. Marigold sighs and agrees to call her Annabelle-Rosie.

With their preparations complete, they head over to the Palace for their evening meal. The cafeteria is packed, and in the excitement no one comments on Annabelle-Rosie. In her disguise, Dhuka fills her plate with desserts. Marigold chastises her, telling her she should have more protein. Dhuka goes back to the serving line and returns with some chicken, but also with another plate of dessert. The ambiance is electric as everyone is feeling stressed, anxious, but also elated at the idea of opening night occurring in front of the King.

Before returning to the Legendary, Marigold places several smoke bombs and caltrops in her pockets. Mon, for his part, returns to his room to disguise himself. He makes himself appear to have a slightly broken nose, with eyes and hair of a different color, with slight mutton chops.

As six o'clock nears, the friends follow the crowd out of the Palace and to the Legendary lobby. With the entire staff aside from security assembled in the lobby, Sir Gregory descends the marble stairs from the administrative portion of the theater and welcomes everyone. He tells them he is proud of the work they did to get the Legendary ready today, especially with the twin disturbances of the Cardinal's men searching the premises and the King visiting. The Enchanted Winter is bound to become a beloved classic, and it will generate much needed income. This is the first time Branna hear Sir Gregory directly mention the theater's financial difficulties. 

Concluding his remarks, Sir Gregory turns to Yurchik. The theater director explains that all entrances to the Legendary will be guarded by both city and royal guards. Additional guards will be positioned in the lobby and on each floor's atrium. Legendary security will monitor work spaces and additional locations. The Legendary is essentially on lock down mode. Anyone departing the theater will not be allowed back in tonight. Anyone not needed to run the production has been assigned a support position in the lobby, as an attendant, or to direct traffic. Yurchik proceeds to read the list of names and assignations. Branna and Marigold are both expected to be near their workshops, in case a costume or a prop needs to be fixed or substituted. Mon is assigned to serve as an extra attendant to the north wing of the second floor of the theater, the hallway where the Archduke has his private box.

At half past six, the front doors to the Legendary open, and the guests begin their ascend of the front steps to the lobby. Branna escorts Dhuka to the secret passage leading under the Cardinal's box, before returning to the costume workshop. Soon the main lobby and the atriums on the second, third and fourth floors are buzzing with the excitement of the crowd. Nobles and lower-class citizens of Katarina alike mingle as the concession booths do brisk business. As the clock nears seven thirty, the lights in the lobby and atriums are dimmed, and the remaining stragglers make their way to the auditorium. 

On the second floor, Mon observes the Archduke, his wife, Archduchess Yeva, and his daughters, Archduchesses Verushka and Yula enter the box with the King and his son, Prince Yegor. Accompanying them are Dr. Sadistik, Dima, captain of the city guard, Sir Pavlo Demidov, personal secretary to the King, and Ruslan, captain of the Royal Guard. Despite his disguise, the Archduke, the King and Dr. Sadistik all recognize Mon.

At half past seven sharp, Sir Gregory ascends the steps from stage left and stops in the middle, greeting the crowd.

Marigold and Branna compare notes on whom they observed sitting in specific boxes. Watching the crowd from the wings, they saw that Sir Gregory, in his private box, invited his manservant Ony, Sir Sergeii, the King's cousin, Yurchik, the theater manager, Sir Matviy, Sir Gregory's solicitor, Lord Taras Nazar, owner of the Starlight Theater, his wife, and their three kids. In the Marquess of Sidorov's box they saw the Marquess, her friend Lady Sirenko, Lady Natalia Astral, her husband, Nikita Astral, Sir Dmytro Anton, owner of the Katarina Chronicle, and his wife. Finally, they saw a cast of most unpleasant characters in the Cardinal's box. The Cardinal had evidently invited his right hand Tarashenko, Lady Sofia Zhytomyr, widow of Sir Oleskiy Zhytomyr, who died in the recent explosion of Khoroshim, and her eldest daughter. They are also accompanied by Sir Kyrylo Bodashka, son of the late Lady Alina Bodashka, who also perished in the explosion.

Sir Gregory begins his speech: "Good evening, esteemed patrons! Welcome to the Legendary, where dreams take flight and magic comes alive." The crowd loudly cheers. Sir Gregory then welcomes the King and his son, and the Archduke and his family. The King stands and does the dusting under the mantle wave to polite applause, while the Archduke's brief wave receives thunderous applause. Sir Gregory continues his speech:

"Tonight, we have the distinct pleasure of presenting a truly enchanting tale: The Enchanted Winter: A Tale of Lost Love. Prepare to be transported to a realm of wonder where snow-covered landscapes shimmer under the moonlight, and fantastical creatures roam freely. This spellbinding opera weaves together a tapestry of fantasy, romance, and enchantment, delivering a poignant story of love, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope. The Enchanted Winter' is a journey of hope, a reminder that even in the face of despair, the warmth of love can melt the coldest of hearts. So, settle in, dear friends, and prepare to be transported to a world of wonder, where magic reigns supreme and love conquers all. Let the enchantment begin!"

The first act goes off without a hitch. The actors effectively deliver their lines, the soaring music is flawlessly delivered, the props perform as expected, and the costumes experience no malfunctions. Everyone on the stage is surprised at how smooth this opening act is.  

During the first intermission, Marigold checks in with Dhuka. She then heads to the Marquess' box. The Marquess is in the lobby mingling with other nobles, but Lady Sirenko is quietly sitting in her comfortable chair, using her spyglasses to examine the crowd. Marigold tells her about the ransacking of Dhuka's room, and explains to her that they plan on taking her to the mainland when they leave in a few days. Lady Sirenko agrees this is probably for the best, though she knows Zoya will miss Dhuka and still wants to redress the error she made by pressing charges against Dhuka when the green dress Branna had designed for her went missing.

While Marigold talks with Lady Sirenko, Branna finds Joseph, who's refilling supplies in the private boxes he's helping with. She questions him about Sir Gregory's speech about generating much needed income. Joseph tells her in confidence that he overheard Sir Gregory discuss the Legendary's dire financial situation. Ever since the King's visit to Katarina was announced, the Legendary has spent more than double the income collected. And now some of Sir Gregory's creditors are calling in loans, squeezing him financially. Joseph has it on good authority that the theater owner even had to sell some of his possessions, including his beloved horse carriage. Joseph tells Branna that if she has an exit strategy, she may not want to return from the Second Crew's visit to Sezja to present Masha and the Bear. By that time, the Legendary may have been seized to cover Sir Gregory's death.

During the second act, the bell outside the Archduke's box rings. Mon knocks softly and enters. Dr. Sadistik asks Mon to bring him a seltzer. Mon notices the Archduke and the King are deep in a whispered conversation he can't overhear due to the music and singing occurring on stage. He brings the seltzer back, and smoothly places his hand out. Dr. Sadistik drops a coin in his palm while taking his drink. Once outside the box, Mon looks at the coin and notices it is a copper piece, and the portrait has been defaced. Mon drops it in the latrine at the earliest opportunity. 

The second intermission starts, and most of the theater empties into the lobby and atriums to partake of drinks and food. The crew is once again amazed that everything went as planned, and there were no issues, even minor ones, that needed to be addressed. The performances continue to be amazing.

With his duties currently at a lull, Mon ascends the stairs to the third floor and knocks on the Marquess's box door. Lady Sirenko beacons him in, and is surprised by his disguise. Mon presents a purse with 50 gold in it. Lady Sirenko's eyes briefly display a greedy appetite before her face returns to her usually composed attitude. Mon politely asks her if she thinks the Marquess could use this sum to bet on the horse races in the next few weeks while Mon and the rest of the Second Crew are on the mainland. Lady Sirenko replies she is sure Zoya will be happy to do so, given that she is rather fond of the actor. Mon recalls a conversation with Sir Gregory about the Marquess's extensive knowledge of horses and her uncanny ability to pick winners. Mon hopes that he may gain enough winnings to perhaps purchase a share of the Legendary.

Following the second intermission, the show resumes. A few minutes later, a city guard comes running down the corridor, and he requests Captain Dima. Dima steps outside the Archduke's box, and the guard whispers something to him Mon is unable to hear. Dima immediately departs in a rush, followed by the guard. Mon then notices three additional guards rushing downstairs.

Counting on the play continuing its streak of good fortune, Branna heads to the lobby, where cupcakes, snacks, and teas remain available for the staff. As she's eating a lovely cupcake decorated with a winter theme, She sees several city guards run through the lobby towards the administrative section. Taking a look around, she realizes that there are now more royal guards than city guards in the lobby. Seeking Joseph, she informs him that the guards seem to be searching the administrative offices. He tells her she should spread that info, and also let people know that there are no guards left on the second floor, so that everyone can be on alert. She lets every attendant know as she runs to Mon's station. She reports the news to her actor friend, just as the bell to the Archduke's box rings. 

Mon enters the box after knocking. Once again, Dr. Sadistik requests a seltzer. Mon hurries to the bar on the second floor atrium, and confirms that there are in fact no guards left on this level. Returning with the drink, Dr. Sadistik tips him a silver piece, but at the same moment Mon notices something odd occurring in Sir Gregory's box. The theater owner had one hand up holding a spyglass while his other hand was scratching his eyebrow when Mon first came in, but now ten seconds later he is still in the same position. As Mon observes the other guests cloaked in shadows, he realizes the other guests are also standing still, as if their motions were suddenly interrupted. Mon rushes out of the box, and, after accessing the scaffolding through the concealed door at the end of the hallway, descends to find Branna and Marigold.

He relays what he saw, then heads back the scaffolding and emerges on the third floor through the concealed door. The hallway is empty of guards or attendants. Rushing past through the Marquess's door, he hears a gruff voice threatening the box's occupants. He quickly returns to the stage, and ask his friends to follow him. Back on the third floor and now invisible, Mon shadowsteps inside the Marquess's box. Four pirates poorly disguised as city guards have infiltrated her box. The Marquess and all of her guests are tied up, and one of the pirates has a long-pole firearm aimed at ... the Cardinal. 

Despite his misgivings against the Cardinal, Mon intervenes. He places Dr. Sadistik's silver piece in the firing mechanism, preventing the weapon from firing its metal ball. The pirate is perplexed, and he cocks his gun again, hoping to fire once more. Mon seizes the weapon, throws it over the railing, and it lands in the audience below with a thud and a cry of pain which disrupts the play. 

At the same time, as Kisa acting as Elara retrieves the precious crystal on stage, the orchestra does a soaring rendition of the theme song, which comes with loud drums. Mon notices a flash coming from Sir Gregory's box, and another rifle, this time aimed at the Archduke's box one story below. He immediately shadowsteps away and rushes back to his post. 

Meanwhile, Marigold stopped at Sir Gregory's door, and immediately saw someone had broken a key inside the locking mechanism. Using her tools, she pulls the remnants of the broken key out. She carefully opens the door. Inside, Sir Gregory and his guests are paralyzed. A quick perusal around the box reveals that the intruder is no longer here. But as the chaos in the auditorium following the gun's drop and subsequent injury registers, Marigold notices that Kisa is wielding a real sword, and not the prop sword she should be using to pretend to stab Ulan in his role as Mikael. The play has stopped as the confusion spreads through the theater. Hoping to cause an even bigger distraction to save Ulan's life, Marigold sets off her smoke bomb, then pretends to put the fire out. Most of the crowd evacuates the theater, but in the delay Marigold returns to the stage and removes the sword from Kisa's hand. 

While this was happening, Branna sees four ruffian-looking city guards leave the Marquess's box. They soon vanish in the crowd of theater-goers hoping to escape the nonexistent flames on the third floor. Branna enters the Marquess's box, and soon frees her and all of her guests. The Marquess tells her that ruffians entered and quickly tied everyone. They seemed to be waiting for a particular moment in the play, suggesting they knew a lot of details most folks would not have. She didn't recognize any of them, but one of them was missing a few fingers on his left hand.

At the same time, Mon enters the Archduke's box, and he notices that a bullet passed less than a palm's length away from the Archduke's head, but the man did not even notice. He points the bullet hole to Ruslan, who quickly removes the King from the box. In the absence of Dima, Mon forcibly removes the Archduke and he escorts the small group through the concealed door down to the costume department, where Ruslan locks the door in an effort to protect the King. A much harried Dima finds Mon backstage and is briefed on the incident.

Having dealt with the sword, Marigold returns to Sir Gregory's box to help its occupants. Now that the theater is quieter, she hears the unmistakable sound of a clock. She removes a section of carpet underneath Sir Gregory's seat while the man is still sitting in it paralyzed, then breaks and pulls a piece of floorboard. Underneath she discovers an aetherburst crystal, similar to the one she had disarmed. With skill and patience, she removes the detonator, and turns over both the detonator and the bomb to Dima as he enters Sir Gregory's box.

With all of the drama concluded, the play resumes, with the King and the Archduke in attendance once again. The theater crowd, now about half full, delivers a standing ovation at the end of the play.

Dima collects Branna, Marigold and Mon's testimonies, and he tells them that without their quick thinking casualties would have been far worse than an injured theater goer, who suffered a nasty gash on his head when the rifle fell on it. Mon tells Dima he should inform the Cardinal that he saved his life, but only after he has department with Second Crew for the mainland. 

With the play done and the Cardinal gone, Marigold retrieves Dhuka from her hiding place. She tells them that the Cardinal spent most of the play talking. Most of the things he talked about seemed unimportant, but she did hear several conversations that were worth recording. Sir Kyrylo Bodashka asked the Cardinal about the absence of the Royal Navy and the soldiers that were predicted to be here. The Cardinal replied that the troops were already here in the forests around Katarina. The Cardinal then discussed the King's favor and how to best curry it. He inquired about his guests' impressions of the King, what he seemed to enjoy most, which nobles he spoke to, and any subtle indications of royal approval or disapproval. 

Later on he discussed the King's policies, the economic situation, and the social unrest and lack of morals that threatens to the kingdom. He sought the opinions of his guests, especially those who lost loved ones in the Koroshim attack. Finally, he also talked about the social events of the season, including the King's attendance at various functions. He shared gossip and observations about the nobility, their behavior, and their perceived alliances.