Invite her in... after a moment

"Lady Katyana," you say to her as she makes her tiny, almost unnoticeable bow and begins to depart, "It occurs to me that my own behavior on this occasion has been needlessly brusque. I was not prepared for your sudden arrival, and I may have allowed my own bad feelings toward Lord Velimir to taint my attitude towards his daughter. And so, I also offer my apologies for my own ill manners."

"Accepted, of course, King Xavier," Katyana says.

"Perhaps you will allow me to make it up to you by also accepting an invitation to join us at the reception in the Great Hall," you continue, and perhaps her eyes widen just a tiny bit. "Of course, you must understand that there are many others within who may believe they have reason to harbor hostile feelings regarding the head of the house of Reznik, and by extension, his kin. I cannot promise that you would be made to feel welcome, Lady Katyana... but if peace and good relations are truly your goals, perhaps there is no better time than the present to begin."

She hesitates only a moment, and then nods her head. "I would be delighted, King Xavier, to accept your most gracious invitation. You will understand, given the circumstances, that I would prefer my guardsmen accompany me. Naturally, we will leave our blades in your gatekeeper's custody."

"So be it. As it has been a long ride from your camp, Sir Magnus will direct you to where you might momentarily refresh yourself before entering the Great Hall. I will see you there shortly." It seems best to prepare your guests for Katyana's arrival, and in any event her name denies her the honor of entering the castle with the King as her personal escort. Besides, your guests will likely find it more palatable to see her in the company of Sir Magnus and his massive Claymore.

"Lord Bertrand... all is well, I assume?"

"Hm?" Bertrand turns his attention from the Vixen, seems almost surprised to see you there - and it is surprising to you to find him so distracted. Usually, Bertrand's wits are as sharp as a honed razor, especially at events such as this where he has a chance to schmooze among the wealthy and powerful. "Ah, King Xavier... I was just speaking with your guest, Lady Vivian. A charming young lady, charming indeed! She says that she has lived here in Elyssia for several years, and I wonder that I have never seen her before!"

"I fear that my associations with men and women of such noble stature have always been very brief, in the past," the Vixen says, smiling slightly. "Most of my time is spent away from the city, my Lord."

You search Lord Bertrand's eyes for insincerity and guile, but find none; indeed, you have never seen him quite like this before. He seems genuinely smitten, but confused at the same time, as if he is trying to recall from where he has known her... and could it be that there is even a hint of grief and sadness behind his eyes? Such emotions are so alien to his face, you can't really be sure. In any event, he does not seem to realize that in truth, he speaks to the Vixen.

"Perhaps your association with me need not be so brief," Bertrand says to her. "I would be pleased to invite you to visit Pomeroy Manor, and to dine at my table, my lady; perhaps as soon as tomorrow evening, unless our King has already spoken for your company?"

The Vixen glances at you, her eyes suddenly uncertain - she is, after all, not so much your guest as your prisoner! "I would be able to do so only by the King's leave," she says at last.

You seize upon the opening. "Perhaps we could speak of it now," you tell her. "Lord Bertrand, I thank you for taking care of my guests in my absence. May Lady Vivian and I have a brief word in private?"

"Of course," Bertrand says, the much more familiar scowl returning to his face - but it melts instantly when he looks back at her. "Lady Vivian, I take my leave - for what I do hope will not be too long a time." He bows to her, much lower than he has ever done for you, and steps away.

"'Lady Vivian?'" you ask her, once Bertrand is out of earshot.

"I hope you have not yet introduced me otherwise. I had to come up with something, after all."

"The name will do... but it seems unwise to present yourself as nobility. Lord Bertrand knows of all the noble families within a thousand leagues of here."

"Lord Bertrand insisted upon it," she shrugs. "I informed him that I was of common birth, the daughter of a woodsman, but he refused to treat me as such."

That IS extremely surprising, to say the least - Lord Bertrand's constant refrain ever since you became King has been that, as a commoner, you are inherently unworthy of the title! For the moment, however, there are more important matters than Bertrand's peculiar behavior. "I would not wish to be less gallant than Bertrand, so for the time being, Lady Vivian it is." You drop your voice so that no one nearby might hear. "I must speak with you now about matters I had hoped to discuss later. How many of Sir Reginald's men came upon you in the woods?"

"Five, and Reginald himself," she replies, clearly a bit taken aback.

"And how long were you in the cell?"

"It is difficult to say, but no more than an hour, perhaps two."

"Not long enough for the word to spread on its own," you say, more to yourself than to her, "but long enough for a secret messenger to deliver the information."

"Deliver it to whom?" the Vixen asks, her voice touched with a bit of alarm. "Has someone here revealed me?"

"No, but someone who is about to appear has already recognized you, and demanded that I hand you over to answer for your crimes. I have no intention of doing so," you hasten to add when her eyes go wide.

"Who?" she asks.

"There is no time. Lord Bertrand has taken what seems to be a genuine liking to you; would you be opposed to encouraging him to give you a tour of the castle? I think it would be best if you were absent for a while."

"I am not entirely comfortable in his company," she says uncertainly.

"I assure you, Bertrand is a pompous and arrogant ass but he would never be so uncouth as to behave improperly toward a woman; you have nothing to fear from him, which is something I cannot say for the next guest to arrive. And, Lady Vixen, you would do well to remember that you are a prisoner in my custody; if spending a few hours with Lord Bertrand is not to your taste, I can offer the alternative of having Sir Benedicht escort you to the tower, where you will remain under guard. My apologies to you, Lady Vixen; I admit that given those choices, I would also have trouble deciding."

Her eyes narrow slightly, but then she bows her head. "As the King commands, so shall I do," she says evenly. "May I take my leave, Your Grace?"

"Insofar as you take it to the company of Lord Bertrand and away from the Great Hall for at least two hours, by all means."

You watch as the Vixen strides away, finds Lord Bertrand, and exchanges a few words. Within moments, he is walking away with her on his arm, pointing out different features of the castle architecture as they ascend the grand stairway and disappear from view.

You wait for a few heartbeats, then take a crystal goblet of wine from a passing servant's tray and tap one of your rings against it several times, the sound ringing out over the hall. The crowd goes quiet, and all turn toward you.

"Noble guests, my ladies and lords," you say to the room, "A moment of your time, if I may. I fear I must intrude upon this celebration with a word which not all will find welcome. Presently, we will be joined by Lady Katyana, the daughter of Lord Velimir Reznik."

This creates a murmur across the room, and the faces looking back at you register surprise, shock, and even anger.

"You are all aware that I am no friend to Lord Velimir," you continue. "Since his previous visit several years ago, I have made it known throughout Elyssia that he and his soldiers are unwelcome within any part of my kingdom. However, there are matters of honored tradition which even I, as King, may not ignore. Lady Katyana of Reznik comes to Elyssia under a white flag of truce. I know that this is a flag which her father has seen fit to ignore when it suits his purposes, but we of Elyssia are not cut from such cloth. I have decided to accept this offer of truce, and - for the moment - extend the hand of hospitality. If anyone present has matters to settle with Lady Katyana - not with the Warlord himself, but with his daughter - I ask you to come forward now so that they may be addressed. If none come forward, then let it be known that I expect our guest to be greeted with all the courtesy and grace which has always defined Elyssia, by all those within my power to command."