Planning the Masque


Vialle plans the masquerade, and asks Ossian to design a costume for her.

"I wonder", Ossian asks. "Do you like kingfishers?"

[OOC: How stupid am I?? Vialle is _blind_. Blind=cannot see anything. Obviously Vialle knows nothing about how kingfishers look........]

A few moments later Ossian adds: "Another idea just entered my mind; what if you and me dresses exactly the same? Maybe I should ask Folly too. Three persons coming in exactly the same outfit could be very nice..."

Vialle smiles, and says, "I would like that. But the kingfisher idea is good too; it has such a lovely call."

"Why not combine the two? A pair, or a flock of Kingfishers..."

Paige will help with this in any way she can. "Uncle Gerard, do you have plans for a costume? In Shadow the costumes can be quite fantastical and humorous, but I assume we're looking for a more tasteful option here."

Gerard has some ideas about hiding his wheelchair as a sea monster (along the lines suggested by Monica about the dragon). He'll need a lot of help getting the costume together, though.

Folly (who is really getting into the whole costume thing) offers to help. Years of building cheap-ass floats so her band could be in the St. Simon's Day Parade have given her a certain facility with wood, chicken wire, and fabric. Her creations are even reasonably structurally sound.

With this in Folly's able hands, Paige will attend to other things, but is more than happy to do a bit of the painting with Folly, which will possibly devolve into a multicolored battle the likes that the Castle has never seen.

If Vialle thinks the Kingfisher outfit is nice, Ossian goes ahead and designs it. (Oh yeah, if Ossian had bad taste this costume could be extremely tasteless. Now he tries to put all the grace of the hunting Kingfisher into the costume.)

Also (under the same condition as above) he approaches Folly: "I and another person have the idea of joining the masquerade in similar costumes. Would you like to join us?"

Folly's face lights up. "It won't surprise me at all if someday I find out you're my brother and not my cousin," she says, laughing. "I've had a similar idea that I've been discussing, but my originally proposed two-person idea probably won't work because the other person is more likely to have a date than I am, which would mess up the symmetry. What did you have in mind?"

"The main idea is to go to the masquerade as a small flock of Kingfishers. I have a first sketsh of the costumes up in my room."

"Kingfisher...." says Folly, searching her memory. "You mean like the Halcyon who laid her eggs upon the sand to calm the stormy sea? I've heard the ballads, but I don't think I'd recognize one if I saw it. I'd love to take a look at your sketch, if you don't mind."

Ossian pulls forth a sketch book, and makes a fast sketch of the bird "It is blue here on the back, and white here. Lives on catching fish by diving straight at them..."

"Ooh, pretty," says Folly, "and it's got a sleek line. That beak'll be tricky, though, if there's going to be dancing -- you could poke someone's eye out with that thing. Well, OK, I could take out someone's appendix with it, but you get the idea. How were you thinking of doing the mask?"

"Hm, I've thought bout that. I think that since we don't have our eyes on the side of our heads, most unlike the bird, we should probably need to place eye-holes somewhere...maybe somewhere at the base of the beak. Heh, we mightplace the beak on our forheads, pointing almost upwards."

"But that still won't help you... should we make a double set of eye-holes, so we can adjust the mask if we want to dance?"

"That sounds like a good idea," agrees Folly.

"Oh, and who's the other member of the flock?" she asks. "Or is it supposed to be a surprise?"

"No, I think I should not keep it secret, actually. It is Vialle."

Folly smiles as if she's enjoying some private joke.

Ossian lifts an eyebrow questioningly.

Still smiling, Folly shakes her head very slightly. Ossian reads it as, "It's nothing."

"She asked me to design her costume and I realised I had the opportunity to do something somewhat different when I had more than one costume at my disposal.

"Also she seems to fall a bit between our generation and Gerard. She does not really know where she belong. This way she will at least be in the same painting as us, a part of our little gang."

"I think it's a beautiful idea," Folly says, sincere but still amused. "Birds of a feather. D'ya think she'll dance with us?"

"I don't know. But we sure should encourage her."

"By the way, talking about brothers...have you learned anything about who your father is?"

Folly shrugs. "Not much more than conjecture and intuition -- I haven't spent much time thinking about it, and when I do, I have more luck thinking of who he isn't than who he is. The question may answer itself once all the uncles get home -- I look quite a bit like my mother, so it's possible one of them will recognize me and say something. If not, maybe I'll decide to do a little more research." She seems to view the question as somewhat interesting, but not especially important. "How about you? D'you know anything more about your parentage?"

"No nothing really", Ossian replies, "I'm rather sure Gerard is out of the question, of course."

Folly grins at that assessment.

"Not that I have made very much research. I don't have any really good idea on how to approah the problem either, I mean who among our uncles and aunts would answer truthfully if I asked them?"

"Well, I suppose it depends on their reasons for sending you to an orphanage in the first place," Folly muses. "Maybe they were trying to protect you from a threat that's since been eliminated, in which case they may no longer have a reason to be anything other than honest. I do rather see your point, though."

"Actually I fear too many would tell me that they are my parents. There is a physical maximum of two, you know..." Ossian grins "at least if they think they will have some power over me if I think they are my parents..."

"Wow, that'd never occurred to me," Folly says, "probably because saying 'Because I'm your mother and I say so' is a good way to get me to ignore you. But if it works on you, then sign me up for being your mom." Folly smiles playfully.

"See, it seems even my cousins will try to convince me." Ossian smiles mischieveously, "So what do you want from me, since you think you're my mother?", he adds with a chuckle.

"Well, my poppet," says Folly, "I want what any good mother wants. Be happy, make me proud... and eat your vegetables. And would it kill you to call me once in a while? I'm not getting any younger here...." She smiles and adds, "See how lucky you are not to have parents?"

Ossian laughs. "So you suggest I should stop searching?"

Folly shrugs. "Knowing the story will probably be fun and interesting. Meeting your parents might not be. But if they give you any trouble, you can always tell them I've already laid claim to you" -- she strikes a comical fighting stance -- "and you think I can take 'em."

Ossian continues to laugh: "I'll remember that."


Lucas will aid Vialle in the planning if she'll take the assistance.

Vialle can use a lot of help with planning the masquerade. While Ossian has agreed to make Vialle's costume, Vialle will need advice and assistance to set the date, make up the invitation list (with all the names people have suggested) and arrange for a menu, etc.

[Lucas]
"What do you know. My education with mother won't be a waste after all."

"A good education is never wasted," says Vialle, teasing.

Vialle thinks that the height of the Spring Festival would be a good time to throw the masquerade, if everyone is agreeable.

"Sounds perfect," says Folly.

[Lucas]
"Seems fine, then we don't need to worry about people wearing furs with their costumes."


Gerard signs off on the decree instituting fees for accompanying the Royal trade voyages. The merchant class is very unhappy, and some of its members inquire when the regular trade routes will be reinstituted. Paige, Vere, Lucas, and Martin all hear significant complaints. Rumors suggest a formal delegation may visit the Regent to make the merchant's position known.

[Lucas]
"I wasn't aware we were running a charity for the merchants."

Paige will personally search out several of the merchants and over dinners at the Prince in a very comfortable setting will try to get a read of their position. She's interested in what way they feel they're being treated unfairly. She'll also take note of those willing to break with the majority as possible allies or as opportunists, not that all will fall into either catagory, or that they're mutually exclusive, but it should cover most of them.

The merchants are united in their opposition to the new fees. Under normal circumstances, there would be enough merchants to whom such a change in policy would be advantageous, and they'd break ranks with the rest. Now, however, everyone is struggling, and there are no opportunists to take advantage.

Fine, Paige'll make it clear that we're not going to budge on this. She'll go to the extent of explaining it very plainly To the Council, "At worst we run the next voyage on our own private funds and let them complain when we're reaping the profits upon our return. I'm sure we could offer contracts to Bliss or Jewel, commuting their sentances and get someone to back a ship."

"Let you all act as merchants for the state? I can see some good points to that. But it would be seen as fattening the Council's goose at the expense of the merchants, methinks," says Gerard. "How would the lot of you answer that charge, if we choose to go that way?"

"Simple enough. That we had to step into fill the role in keeping the Kingdom afloat that they refused to. The people don't care about the merchant's profits. They care about food on their tables," Paige suggests.

"Bah." Ossian sneers. "Who cares about what the merchants think, anyway. Take our deal, or don't trade..."

Vere considers the question for a moment, then says, "We would do this only if the merchants choose not to pay the fees, and I think we can simply point out that we have been allowing them to use our services without fee for the duration of the crisis, and this is more of a return to normalcy than a new financial burden. To claim that we are profiteering off of them is a gross misstatement of fact. If that were our intent we would have nationalized their ships and crews, and we would not have allowed them to profit from the earlier voyages. We appreciate everything they have suffered, and their continued support, and we look forward as much as they do to the return of the Army and re-establishment of normal trade."

[Paige]
She'll be happy to hear their side formally in Court and offer to be their advocate in arranging an appointment with Gerard, but only once the Council signs off on it, first.

"Vere, I've a list of the majority of the merchants' concerns. Can you prepare something for your father on these? I'd hate for him to be caught unaware. Also, do you remember any historic precedent for any merchants or peers bringing suit against the Crown? We've got to watch for maneuvers like that from Octave and his friends. If not, we'll get Lorring and Nestor on it, agreed?"

Vere nods. "I shall give Father a full briefing, and I will search our records here in the Library and consult with the older members of the Naval for any suits against the Crown. I do not believe it is legally possible, however. Law flows from the Crown, and the Courts and the entire system of laws in Amber can be said to be simply a codification of the Will of the Monarch. It is possible for anyone to petition the Crown, of course, and to refer to tradition and common usage to try to sway the Will of the Monarch, or his Regent, but an actual suit against the Crown seems to be an inherent contradiction."

[GMs]
[My thought is that Vere is right, but Gerard might be vulnerable to, if not a suit, claims that he exceeded his authority as Regent. Whether or not these claims have any basis in fact has no relation to how convenient they might be politically for the new King.]


A ship attempting to sail the Bellum path returns, reporting that the path has collapsed. There is no sign of Jerod and Solange.

[Paige]
"Shit."

[Lucas]
Woo.

Gerard asks advice from Paige and Vere on how best to tell Worth. (and Felicity)

Vere's only real suggestion is that we emphasize the fact that we are confidant of Solange's ability to take care of herself, and that while she might be temporarily prevented from returning to Amber we have absolutely no doubt that she is safe, and will soon be home.

Paige will suggest that they speak to them privately, perhaps herself to Worth and maybe solicit his help in talking to Lady Hardwind. "He's a Naval officer and can deal with these things. I know they're wonderfully close and losing her may bring up bad memories, but it should be OK. And helping to break it to Felicity will focus him on something else other than his concern for Solange, specifically helping her. Mutual strength's good for both of them. But you know Worth better than I ever will, Uncle."

"Aye," says Gerard, "I do. Best have him up here and tell him myself, but you stay by to talk to him after. Some things do better with a woman's touch, and that may well be one of them."

Paige is of course there for Worth, as any close friend would be.

Worth curses the day he failed to take the captaincy of the ship from the fool who had it, and expects the imminent return of Solange and Jerod. He is present when Gerard tells Felicity, who is distraught and feels helpless. "People keep going away," she says, dabbing her eyes with a square of yellowed lawn.

Vere will be quietly present during both of these sessions. His demeanour reflects quiet strength under pressure, and it is clear to anyone watching him that he is sad and concerned at Solange's absence, but certain that she will eventually return. He manages to convey, through his body language and with only a few words, his deep love for his Father and his Sister, and his appreciation for how much Solange means to Worth and Felicity.

In both cases, as soon as Worth and Felicity have left the room, that demeanour vanishes abruptly and he returns to a cool and emotionless exterior.

Afterwards, Worth suggests that Paige have Vialle ask Felicity for some help with the Spring Masquerade, to get her mind off it.

Paige will do so, but asks Vialle to explore Felicity's comment on people "going away".

Vialle reports that it seems to Felicity that her friends and family are all leaving Amber. It's probably just that she's upset, Vialle thinks.


_The Garden of Fair Flowers_ is a hit, as is _A Guide to the Financial and Legal Aspects of Inheritance for Ladies_. The former is discreetly readable in a number of better libraries, including several in the castle as mentioned before. The latter is the subject of much commentary and complaint, although the _Amber Crier_ is oddly silent on the matter.

[Paige]
What are the complaints?

The usual suspects all think it's a guide for women on how to cheat men. There is some very bald-faced advice about prenuptial agreements, being in the will, second wives vs. the children of the first wife, etc. All of it is geared to protecting the woman's interests.

It talks extensively about the Fisher decision.

[Paige]
And what is the _Crier_ commenting on?

The _Crier_ is silent for a couple of weeks while Drudge recovers. He writes a scathing editorial about Sir Archer's incompetence in keeping the streets safe. Other than that, it's mostly the usual: the debate about the fees, court cases, the continuing rash of thefts in the docksides, etc.

Martin and Cambina, who had gotten onto better terms for a while, are quarrelling again.

[Lucas]
Woo.


A handwritten note arrives at the castle, addressed to Paige.

"My Dearest Paige,

I have been invited to the Masquerade Ball at the Spring Festival. I hope I am not too forward in requesting that you allow me the honor of escorting you to the Ball.

I await your reply, breathlessly.

yours,
Worth

Paige will send Liam off with a note in response,

"Dear heart,

Nothing would please me greater than to accept your invitation. As to the forwardness of the gesture, is it not commented on regularly that I am more foward than prudent? Any average man would have to step beyond normal bounds to keep apace with me. Fortunately, I am courted by more than an average man.

I would be honored if you would do me the honor of allowing me to procure our costumes. Perhaps we could speak of it over dinner tonight?

Love,
P"

She'll search out Martin also later in the day, "It seems I may have made a mistake in being so forward about the masquerade, cousin. The point of the Spring Festival is to have fun and enjoy the birth of a new year. It's occurred to me that with the tensions we regularly generate, it wouldn't make the evening very joyous for either of us."

Paige looks at her shoes, examining scuffs that are invisible to anyone else. "I'm sorry if this inconveniences you, but I thought it best. I'm sorry for my lack of tact the other noon, but... Well, let's leave it at I'm sorry."

"You must of course do what you think best," says Martin, looking not particularly concerned at having his eligible-bachelor status threatened by the possibility of going stag to the social event of the season. "And I accept your apology. The whole conversation is just current under the waves. Don't think of it any more."


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Last modified: 4 Jan 2002