By Guile

Lady Emira did mention her interest in magic. It may only have been in passing, but nobles who bother to learn something of magic are usually interested in how they can either worm their way free of obvious effects or in how they can tell if someone has used magic on them. It's likely that if you use a truth spell on her Lady Emira would be both resentful and particularly difficult to interrogate.

Instead you put the newly minted Lydia to sleep and lead Lady Emira, Patrick and Sandra to a table for some food and drink. After a reasonable time you lean back and say "Perhaps now, after we have shared so much, you could tell me how a noblewoman ended up on the run from both her own family and an angry count?"

"I imagine I'm quite the enigma by now" she says with a light laugh. "My own family has done as much as possible to conceal the reason for my... travels. But it is simple enough, just well hidden." She takes another sip of wine before continuing. "It comes down to land, wealth and inheritance, as do almost all things with the nobility. You know my family are the Ranecks. The house of Raneck owns some lands in the north, a few closer to the capital, but none in between. For some time my family have suffered under the costs of travel by canal and by road. For almost a century the scions of the house have tried all manner of plots and alliances to remedy the situation. A generation ago this was finally achieved. My mother was a third daughter from the house of Salmar, who had just one little strip of northern land but who also had rights of passage along the Leveran canal."

"So you finally had the lands to grow food and the means to bring it to the capital?" asks Patrick.

"Honey and furs as much as food, but yes, precisely. The family was set to grow slowly but inexorably and so the two daughters of the house were given fine schooling to ensure they would draw fine suitors. I had no brothers, so the way to continue the family line would be to marry either to a merchant or to a knight - someone of lesser station. That is exactly what happened to my elder sister, Flora."

She takes another, longer sip of wine, clearly getting to the more difficult part. "My mother, having been a third daughter herself, knew just what kind of a position I would be in. She had inherited lands directly from her father, so when it became clear that we two would be her only daughters she took us aside and told us that I would be mentioned in her will. That thin strip of land which was hers would go to me. My sister understood this well, we had no ill will about it. Even if I had to marry someone I found disagreeable I would always have my own lands in the far north. I wasn't even worried, after all my father was working hard to see to it that I had a good husband."

She finishes off the wine in her goblet. "Then he died and my rapacious uncle took charge of the family affairs. He couldn't interfere with my sister's wedding, it was all but complete, but he did make certain that she and her new husband would spend more time in the south, leaving him a free hand in the north. He made many deals and settled on marrying me off to a loathsome individual called Lord Timothy Varnham. The marriage would trade my land and I for a greater swath of land slightly to the south. Lord Varnham would be able to connect his two largest landholdings to each other. One of them in turn had a harbor. The deal would have been difficult for Lord Varnham to refuse even if he had a soul."

Sandra pours her more wine and Lady Emira continues. "I refused. Not only was he almost twice my age but I had put out feelers and was quite sure that I would not live long as his wife. He had a longstanding mistress he had fathered several children on and she was even more evil hearted than he. Without my agreement that should have been that. My mother's bequest meant that my uncle could not take everything from me and **** me to agree. I could always go north and live on my own lands in my own name."

"So he disowned you?" asks Sandra.

"Not at first. His first tactic was to attempt to hold a wedding in absentia. Totally illegal, of course, but it would work provided no one was ever able to speak to me about it. When I sent several letters to various people and priests explaining exactly why I would not marry this man he became furious and then he disowned me. Not long after Lord Varnham sent his armsmen into my lands. I managed to escape with a few servants and most of the wealth on hand. My uncle accused me of fleeing from my lands, my marriage and my duties. I was driven from the realm for a time, and when I returned I found that the false marriage had been pushed through regardless."

She drinks rather heavily and says "That is how I managed to end up here. I have traveled all over the country, visiting libraries, searching for provably false documents, trying to find ways to **** nobles who took my uncle's coin to recant... and all I've managed is to create a number of powerful enemies."

"I take it that Count Velcorrin is on the list of nobles who would take coin to say they witnessed a marriage which never happened?" asks Patrick.

"Indeed. And also on the list of nobles foolish enough to write it down, if only I could have found a way to get to his account books."

You let out a laugh. "You're going to love what we've arranged for him. Count Velcorrin is going to be framed for trying frame me for abducting you and all the other women. Once it's revealed that I could not possibly have kidnapped you all eyes will fall on him. A little false evidence has been planted that should convince the servants of the crown that Count Velcorrin is responsible. Any other... irregularities in his accounts will only drag him down deeper into the muck."

"We're rather counting on him having a closet full of skeletons," says Sandra. "Real ones are so much better than fakes. And irony is so delightful."

Lady Emira raises her glass. "To an utter bastard getting all that he deserves."

"Hear, hear!" you all reply.

"After his part is revealed I think we can arrange something else. I happen to know a friendly Deacon in the church. If a Deacon were to find out about such an egregious violation of the sacred act of marriage..."

By now Lady Emira is grinning wildly. "Every Deacon I met was crooked as hell! Had I enough money..."

"Oh he's crooked alright," says Patrick. "But he's our kind of crooked. And he can play the part when he wants. Deacon Lorrick's a charmer. Lord John had me keep an eye on him for a while soon after he brought me into the fold and deacon Lorrick can deliver the fire and brimstone when he wants to. We do this the right way and you get to watch some nobles groveling in front of him, afraid for their money, lands and title as much as for their immortal souls."

"A shame I have so little to offer in return" Lady Emira says, looking morosely at a goblet that is once more empty.

"You offer us more than you might think," says Sandra, her tail flicking left and right as she smells opportunity. You did say you had lands in the far north. I've done a lot of research on the north and if I recall correctly your domain is at the very edge of our kingdom. Exactly the kind of place we were planning to arrange to be the 'home' of the catfolk.

Lady Emira looks a little stunned from the wine, but you can tell the gears are turning. "It would be helpful to have someone there in person to make sure the legends and stories spread as you wish."

"Oh," Sandra laughs, "and if you ever feel a bit too cold up there I can recommend a particular kind of fur coat. You'd be toasty and sexy."

Lady Emira shakes her head. "I don't believe I would be very useful if I did not look like myself."

Patrick slips a certain ring over his finger, changing to look like a shirtless human. "All things are possible," he says with a deliberate mysterious tone to the surprised Lady.

Lady Emira straightens her clothes and looks at each of you in turn. "I will only say that I do not rule it out entirely... and I look forward to working with you, if you'll have me."