She didn't really answer the question, did she?

You nod at Yuri's words. "I believe that you speak the truth," you tell her.

"Then, are we free to go?" Elainne asks.

You continue to look at Yuri. Although what she has said feels like the truth, it was not the answer to the question you asked. You know from experience that this means she is hiding something.

"What color were Lady Geneviève's eyes?" you ask suddenly.

Yuri looks up at you, confused. "Sire?"

"You were high in Lady Geneviève's favor, a treasured part of her household. Surely, you know what color her eyes were. You must have seen them often enough."

She starts to speak, but then falters. Her head hangs in shame.

"Yuri, no!" Elainne shouts.

"Can you answer the question?" you ask Elainne.

"They were blue!"

"They were brown," you tell her.

"Brown, she means!" Brigitte exclaims.

You shake your head. "I fear that the four of you will have to be escorted to a holding cell until after the opening of the festival. You need not fear; the cells are clean and well-lit, and free of rats. Food will be provided for you, and it is bland but nourishing. Later you will be questioned, but we use neither the rack nor the whip in Elyssia. I do not believe that Elainne meant to do me harm, but I also know that I am not hearing the entire truth of the matter. I think you will find that I am indeed a good and just king, and I believe you will see the wisdom of telling me the complete truth. I am sorry our morning had to end this way. Captain Navarre, please remain here with these maids as Arethousa and I summon the City Watch to escort them back to the castle."

You manage to make your way through the opening ceremony, giving a speech which the people receive well, though you must **** yourself to show any kind of enthusiasm. At the reception, it is clear that word has gotten around that there was an incident at the pools and that you were involved, and it is also clear that Lord Bertrand is thoroughly enjoying himself about it. You excuse yourself as soon as you are able, and go to the holding cells.

"Fetch Yuri for me," you say to the guard on duty, and he immediately does so. She enters the interrogation room with her head held low; only you and Captain Navarre are present with her.

"Your Majesty," she whispers.

"I trust you have not been ill-treated?" you ask.

"No, Sire. It is as you said."

"I am glad to hear it," you say. "Yuri, I want only to hear the truth. But before you speak, know this: You have lied to me, but that is not in and of itself a crime. If that is as far as it goes, then you and your companions will be free to go. You will not be permitted to remain in Elyssia, but you will not be prisoners here either. Do you believe me?"

"Yes, Sire, I do," she says.

"Then, will you answer my questions truthfully and completely?"

She looks up at you. "If you will first answer one for me," she says. "What color ARE Lady Geneviève's eyes?"

"I have no idea," you say. "I never had the honor of meeting her. The point is, you didn't know either."

Yuri actually smiles a little. "If I had to be caught," she says, "at least it was by a clever man. I will give you the truth, Sire, and when you hear it I believe you will let all of us go."

"I am listening," you say.

"We are not maids of Lady Geneviève's house, or any other noble house," Yuri says. "We make our living selling ourselves. What I told you of my place of birth was true; what I did not tell you was that neither of my parents survived the storm, only myself and one of the fishermen on the boat, a man I barely knew. He sold me to the mistress of a whorehouse soon after we came here. I was raised there along with my companions. We were not treated unkindly; the mistress of the house waited until we were of age before offering us to clients. But we did not want that life, so one night, we ran away together. Whoring was the only skill we had, so that was how we supported ourselves as we made our way here... where we had hoped to find a new way of life."

"I know that I did not pay you for this morning's pleasures," you say. "Who, then was your employer?"

"I do not know for certain," Yuri says. "The man who paid us had coin aplenty, but it was another man's gold; he did not look or act like a wealthy man. He said that we were to seek out the King, and do whatever it took to seduce him - you - and keep you occupied for as long as possible, preferably so that you would be late to the festival opening or miss it entirely. He said we would be paid extra if we could convince you to bring one or more of us as guests to the reception."

"Where someone would undoubtedly reveal your true profession," you say, "in order to try and humiliate me, to point out that the King of Elyssia escorted a whore to his kingdom's anniversary celebration."

Yuri takes a deep breath, and speaks in what is almost a whisper, not looking at you as she does. "We were told that the ruler of this land was a fool, one who played at being King while other men worked tirelessly to run the kingdom properly and to keep the people from suffering under his rule," she says, her cheeks burning red. "We were told that we would be rewarded once he was deposed - once you were. We were promised that, once a proper king sat upon the throne, we could make our homes in Elyssia, and that we would never... that we need be whores n-no longer." Yuri is close to tears as she says the last.

"Thank you for telling me this, Yuri," you say gently. "I am sorry that Elyssia did not welcome you better; you and your companions did not deserve to be used in this way, and I apologize for the part I played in it, ignorant of it though I was. But, I do have one more question for you. In the bathing pools, when I asked you all to come with me quietly, I know that Elainne was about to scream. It would have drawn even more attention than we already were, and caused even greater scandal. And yet, you stopped her from doing so. I would like to know why."

Yuri looks up at you. "The way you spoke to the woman who was there," she says. "What was her name?"

"Arethousa. She is the proprietor of the pools."

"Arethousa. You are the King; she is your subject. You could have commanded her to submit to your will. But, you did not; you were not subservient to her either, but you spoke to her as one equal to yourself. In all my life, I have never heard any man speak with such respect to a woman, and it was clear that she was accustomed to such treatment from you. I knew then that what we had been told was a lie... that you did not deserve to be humiliated, Your Majesty, and I am ashamed for having deceived you."