Meet with Katyana

"I will meet with Katyana now," you say, "but for a moment only. Duncan, make absolutely certain that the Vixen does not leave without a guard; I fear she may take advantage of this distraction, and try to escape. I want a watchman waiting outside every exit from this room, ready to intercept her should she try to run - and that means the windows as well as the doors."

"I will see to it, Sire." Duncan straightens himself and strides off to carry out your orders.

"I say, Your Majesty, there seems to be a bit of excitement," says Lord Bertrand de Pomeroy, making his way to your side as you head for the main doors. "No cause for alarm, I trust?"

Normally, Lord Bertrand would be the last person you would wish to speak with on just about any occasion, but it suddenly occurs to you that here and now, he might be useful. "In truth, Lord Bertrand, there may be," you tell him in the same low whisper you spoke with Duncan. Bertrand looks startled; clearly, he expected you to deny that anything was out of the ordinary. "Bertrand, may I trust you to assume the role of host in my brief absence, and maintain an air of lightness and celebration among our noble guests while I attend to a matter of some urgency? I would ask Lord Duncan, but the situation calls for a degree of nobility and grace, and I can think of no one better-suited than yourself."

Lord Bertrand has certainly never been one of your supporters, but he does prove somewhat susceptible to flattery. "But of course, Sire. At this and so many other matters, I am at your service. Clarence!" he says, calling to his manservant, "have the musicians play a livelier tune, and then see to it that the wine to be served next is of a higher quality. Ah, Your Majesty Queen Alayna, might I be so bold as to..."

You leave Bertrand behind to enjoy playing at being the King, and step through the main doors without looking back allowing the guards to close them behind you. The castle is constructed with a small room between the Great Hall and the foyer, for defensive purposes, so you are able to take a moment to collect yourself before nodding at the guards to open the remaining door.

There, in the entrance hall to your castle, stands a woman who you have never seen before; but about whom you have heard enough that you would have recognized her in a crowd of people. Katyana, daughter of the Warlord Velimir Reznik, meets your eyes as you enter the room, looking you over with frank appraisal. Although you had been told that she is a woman of slim stature, her slight appearance still surprises you somewhat; the sword that Sir Magnus holds with its point resting on the floor is taller than she is (admittedly, he prefers a very large two-handed Claymore sword). Her cloak is full and fur-lined, as is the hat upon her head, but she still looks slim in spite of the bulky clothes. Her mouth twitches in what might have been the start of a smile, as if there is something about you which she finds slightly amusing.

Captain Navarre comes to attention as you enter. "King Xavier, First of that Name, Ruler of Elyssia and Defender of its People, stands now before you," he announces to the room. "Your Majesty, I present Lady Katyana, daughter of Lord Velimir Reznik."

"Your Majesty," Katyana says, dipping her head so slightly that you would have missed it had you blinked at that moment.

"Lady Katyana," you say to her, "I would know what brings you to Elyssia. You are aware, of course, that your father and I are not on friendly terms."

"A situation which need not remain unchanged, perhaps," she says. "I have been discourteous, arriving at your doorstep without sending word, and apparently I have interrupted a celebration. I offer my sincere apologies, King Xavier."

"Your apologies are accepted. Please, state your business."

"Of course. I come to the King of Elyssia to discuss relations between your kingdom and the House of Reznik... and, to seek justice for crimes committed against my people."

"Of what crimes can you possibly speak?" you ask. "If any of your people are even within the borders of my Kingdom, they trespass on lands belonging to me and my people. Those who march under the banner of the Warlord Velimir are unwelcome here."

"I can understand your confusion, King Xavier," Katyana says. "I and my people do not march under my father's banner this day; rather, we march under the white flag of truce. We came here seeking peace, not war, and to attend the great festival which celebrates your Kingdom's anniversary. Surely, Sire, any personal bitterness between you and my father need not be extended between the two of us as well?"

Katyana speaks with a voice as sweet as a ripened peach, but you know well what she is capable of - and how many have heard those dulcet tones even as their life's blood drained out over the handle of her knife stuck into their ribs. "Do you deny, Lady Katyana, that you are one of Lord Velimir's trusted captains as well as his daughter?"

"I deny nothing of the sort, King Xavier. I am, if I may flatter myself, his most trusted Captain. It is for this reason that my father has sent me as his emissary, to extend the hand of peace to Elyssia. The hostility between you and my father is the result of misunderstanding and an error in judgement to which Lord Velimir freely admits. It seems foolish to continue as adversaries indefinitely."

"There was no misunderstanding," you say. "Lord Velimir was clearly warned that slavery is not tolerated within the borders of my kingdom, and yet he chose to bring slaves in chains to the very gates of this castle. When I commanded that they be set free, he deliberately and with hostile intent drew his sword in my presence. Wars have begun over less provocation."

"As I have already acknowledged, an error in judgement," Katyana says. "But is there no room in the heart of King Xavier for forgiveness? Do you truly seek war with Lord Velimir, when he offers peace? We have never met before, Sire, and so I have learned as much as I could about you from my advisors before this meeting; and I must say, you do not seem like the King they described."

"I am willing to speak with you of peace and better relations with your father," you tell her, "but now is not the moment. Arrangements may be made for us to meet later to negotiate such matters. For now, you also spoke of seeking justice. What crime has been committed against you, and whom do you accuse?"

"The crime is robbery," Katyana says. "The thief is the one you call the Vixen."

You manage not to glance back toward the Great Hall. "The Vixen is a local legend, nothing more. We have no proof that she even exists. I do not say that you were not robbed, Lady Katyana; but even if the the Vixen was the thief, what makes you think that I am in a position to bring her to justice? The Vixen, if there is such a person, has evaded my watchmen for years."

"The Vixen is the woman who was holding Your Majesty's arm during the opening ceremony to the festival," Katyana says, as if commenting on the weather.

"If that is the case," you say, managing to keep your voice equally casual, "she will face Elyssian justice, not the axe of Lord Velimir's headsman. I will under no circumstances hand one of my subjects over to you, regardless of whether she is guilty of any crime."

"As you will, King Xavier," Katyana says, nodding her head ever so slightly once again. "There is one more small matter... due to our late arrival to your festival, we were **** to set up camp a great distance away from the city, and it is most inconvenient. By chance, do you have any suitable sites which have been set aside for noble visitors in our situation?"

"Give the location of your camp and the number in your party to Captain Navarre," you tell her. "He will see to it that proper accommodations for you and your people are arranged, and a messenger will be sent to your camp this evening with the details."

You have spoken with a clear tone of dismissal, but it does occur to you that it might be strategically wise to invite Lady Katyana into the reception. It would separate her from her guards for a moment, and though it would certainly be a bad idea to try and hold her against her will or do her harm, it would make her effectively a hostage at least until the reception is over; you would not have to worry about what she might be up to during that time. There is also the matter of how on Earth she managed to recognize the Vixen - surely, her accusation was not based on rumor alone, as she made it with every confidence and had she been wrong, she would have looked foolish indeed. There are many unanswered questions, and it might be best to try to get to the root of them sooner rather than later.