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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,314 Views) | |
| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 13:19 Post #2701 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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He fancied he was touching a nerve here. Rufus had no idea how Gwenllian had explained her bruises to her hostess, and he had to act accordingly. 'You'll recall that I've mentioned the body to be chopped into pieces,' he said then, 'no woman could have done so. I'll speak plainly, my lady. You said lady Gwenllian has been beaten up pretty badly. If she is the chieftain's runaway-wife, there must have been a reason. Domestic violence would surely be a well-founded one. Following this thought, if her husband has caught up with her and is the cause of her injury, there is only one suspect that could have comitted the murder and that is the lady's bodyguard.' Rufus rubbed his cheek reflectively, falling silent for a moment. 'Of course, I'm not ruling out coincidence. But personally, I'd find that hard to believe.' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 13:28 Post #2702 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She remained silent for a long while. It was nearly as bad as admitting right away, but she just couldn’t find the right words. Her head was reeling. Think! Wasn’t she supposed to be bright and able to handle stressful situations? Tudwrig was certainly counting on that, she thought. So the Roman knew – or rather, thought he knew. Well, it was not such a hard deduction and he was clever. ‘Even if Rhywallon did such a thing,’ she said eventually, ‘I believe that beating up his wife to such extremities deserves hardly less. Is that too bold to say?’ She turned to the window again, not able to face him. ‘Obviously Tudwrig doesn’t approve of murder on his ground. You told me you had clues – clues do not make evidence, do they, lord Lentulus? My husband and I can hardly point accusations at our guests on nothing but your words.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 13:42 Post #2703 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'It's not too bold. Personally, I detest a man who beats his wife. Personal relations aside, the fact remains that this is a political murder. A chieftain who might have invaded your husband's chieftaincy because you have been providing shelter to his runaway-wife, brutally killed on your grounds? No matter the reason and how violently your husband says he opposes to murder, once word of this spreads - and I regret to inform you that I am obliged to make a full report of this to Rome, at least - lord Tudwrig will have a lot of explaining to do.' Rufus got up as well, walking towards Briallen. 'As for clues; after sifting through the ashes of the fire we found some personal belongings, including a torque I've had more than enough occasion to study during my stay in Cavern Hill. Thorough research of the area around the hill also yielded a few red hairs snagged behind the wooden poles of the wall around settlement, next to a patch of grass discoloured with what has to be blood.' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 13:45 Post #2704 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Briallen gritted her jaws together, turning around to stare up at him. He was standing a tad too close. ‘So, what do you propose?’ She wondered if he was the kind of man she could ask what he wanted to keep that report from happening. Perhaps he would be. Perhaps not. Asking was too much of a risk. |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 13:49 Post #2705 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'As much as I would regret to inconvenience lady Gwenllian, I would like to interrogate her. Also, I want to know exactly how much you know about Rhywallon's antecedents. You see, there are quite some similarities to this murder and the one on Marcus Iulius. The beastly brutality with which the murder has been committed, among other things. I needn't point out that it was lady Gwenllian who provided Rhywallon with an alibi for that night. Do you perhaps know why he has returned so suddenly after leaving just as abruptly?' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 13:52 Post #2706 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Briallen continued to stare at him, wondering how long she could endure his gaze before she had to look away. ‘I don’t know. He discussed it with Tudwrig. And you can’t see him.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 13:57 Post #2707 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Rufus shrugged. 'I understand I cannot see him right now, but I should like to have a word with your husband as soon as is possible. This is a grave matter, my lady. It's not easily ignored I'm afraid. You will agree with me that Rhywallon is the only possible suspect for these two murders - with or without lady Gwenllian's aid. Perhaps he is forcing her to provide him with alibi's; we cannot know. That aside, if he is guilty and you are providing him lodging in your caer...' He spread his hands suggestively. |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 14:00 Post #2708 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I understand you perfectly,’ she said, trying to sound cool. She didn’t feel cool at all. |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 14:05 Post #2709 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Now he had her with her back against the wall - well, figuratively speaking - and he liked it. It had proved slightly difficult to get such a reaction out of Briallen, but in the end, where challenges like this were concerned, Rufus always emerged the victor. Divide and conquer had proven true once more. 'I am unsettling you; I'm sorry. But it must be said, my lady. You need to realize the precariousness of the situation.' He wondered if she would ask what his secrecy would be worth. |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 14:10 Post #2710 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Oh, believe me. I do.’ There was always the option of having him assassinated as well. The thought was, however seducing, intolerable. ‘I hope Rome is quite as empathic to this chieftain’s fate as you are.’ This was the only small comfort she could find: knowing that the big, powerful and distant Rome would not give a damn about one dead insignificant chieftain of one of their provinces. ‘I must admit, I hadn’t judged you as a man who would keep too much stock to rules set by his superiors. I suppose I was mistaken in you.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 14:15 Post #2711 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I believe Rome is the least of your worries: Cavern Hill might violently oppose to the notion of empathic behavior. I have promised to take care of the security of this chieftaincy, but there is only so much I can do of course.' Then he smiled faintly. 'I may seem as though I do whatever I please, but I am, as any Roman in your land, bound by Roman law. My head wouldn't be quite as solidly on my shoulders as it is now if I ignored my superiors.' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 14:18 Post #2712 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'That must be an oddly terrifying feeling,' she grumbled. |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 14:20 Post #2713 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Actually, he found it quite exhilarating. Not that there was anyone in Rome who could kill him, he was quite sure of that. 'I have nothing to worry about. Is lady Gwenllian well enough to answer my questions, would you say?' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 14:22 Post #2714 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I would think so.’ Lying would only make things worse. ‘But do not try too hard, my lord. We have our own law. It can deal very aptly with murder.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 20:48 Post #2715 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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‘I know. Rome is not quite as convinced,’ Rufus said gravely. ‘You have my word that I’ll inconvenience the lady as little as possible.’ |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 20:50 Post #2716 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I…’ Briallen felt caught between defiance and worry. ‘I don’t really care much for your Rome and it’s standards, Marcus Lentulus. I find it rather hard to submit myself to your ideas of protocol just because your emperor decided he wants our lands.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 20:54 Post #2717 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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He smiled at her. 'Whether you find it difficult or not, I'm afraid you don't really have a choice, my lady.' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 20:58 Post #2718 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘For all your admiration of our culture, you are still a superior Roman. I perfectly understand.’ She pressed her lips together. ‘I would ask you not to take up too much of her time. Gwenllian was, if anything, the victim. I hope you’ll remember that carefully.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 21:00 Post #2719 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I will be done before you know it,' Rufus said and shrugged. 'Where may I find her?' |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 21:01 Post #2720 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'She's in the hall.' |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 21:06 Post #2721 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Under other circumstances he would've regretted her cool and snappy behavior, but right now it was music to his ears. If he could throw her and her husband off balance long enough, he'd have snatched control over the Vale from right under their noses. Wonderful. Rufus nodded his head at her. 'I bid you a pleasant continuation of the day then, my lady,' he said as a goodbye and turned on his heel to make his way to the great hall. |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 21:10 Post #2722 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Hateful man,’ she hissed when he was gone from the room. She paced it two times, thinking she should probably be there with Gwenllian. But to listen to his voice and his accusations again would probably push her over the edge and that wouldn’t favour Gwenllian at all. |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 21:42 Post #2723 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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The repairing of the tapestries was coming along slowly but steadily. It provided some distraction from her thoughts; even though the pain had subsided a bit over the last couple of days, she still felt how thoroughly pummelled she was whenever she made a careless move. Gwenllian looked up when she heard the doors open and saw Marcus Lentulus enter the hall with a grave look on his face she liked even less than his usual charming smile. Tensing involuntarily, she put the needle down and pulled a white cloth over the tapestry to protect it from his curious gaze. ‘Lady Gwenllian,’ the man started after a short bow. She nodded in acknowledgement, silently wishing Rhywallon was standing behind her. ‘My lord,’ she greeted him. ‘Lady Briallen isn’t here. If you wish to speak to her you will have to find Eiluned. She may direct you to her.’ ‘I have already spoken with the lady.’ He set himself down and smiled. ‘I came to inquire to your health.’ ‘It could be better,’ she answered and eyed him wearily. This couldn’t be the only reason he wanted to talk to her, could it? Lentulus fell silent for a moment. ‘There are some questions I’d like to ask you, my lady. Questions concerning your attacker.’ ‘Ah?’ She kept her face carefully straight. ‘I’ll be plain with you. Lady Briallen must have told you about the second murder on these premises, I assume? We’ve identified the body as belonging to your husband, the chieftain Higueid of Cavern Hill.’ He might as well have pushed her into an icy-cold brook. Gwenllian felt the blood leave her cheeks; something that must be visible even in her bruised visage. Briallen had indeed told her about the discovery of the body, and the Roman’s reaction to it had made her hope for a brief spell that the ordeal would be forgotten about – or at least not traced back to her or Rhywallon. ‘I… I see,’ she managed to get out, thinking feverishly. If she told him the truth, or partly, wouldn’t that be preferred over lying? Gwenllian bit her lip, vexed. ‘If you tell me what happened, I might be able to help,’ Marcus Lentulus said quietly, reaching across to touch her arm. She winced when he touched her. ‘Oh, I – it’s…’ She drew a breath. ‘You must understand, I did not tell lady Briallen. She had no knowledge of this.’ ‘Of course, go on.’ Gwenllian swallowed. ‘I killed him,’ she said then. ‘Six months ago I ran away from a man who prefers to let his fists do his talking for him, and three nights ago he caught up with me. He wanted to take me back home or kill me – I don’t know. Either would have led to my death, as you can see what he did to me before I managed to defend myself.’ She saw how Lentulus narrowed his eyes and she wondered if he was buying it. Her chin came up. ‘I’m glad he is dead, I’ll have you know.’ ‘You killed him,’ the man repeated slowly. ‘And did you dispose of the body on your own, too?’ His voice was kept carefully neutral, but somehow she knew he knew that wasn’t the case. ‘No,’ she then said. ‘I was afraid, you see. I left immediately to wash myself and change my clothes, and told people I’d been attacked by someone whose face I haven’t seen. I never stopped to think what I’d say when the body was discovered. You’ll understand I’m as baffled as you are that the body was discovered the way it was.’ |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 21:55 Post #2724 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Rhywallon heard her voice before he could enter the hall. She wasn’t talking very loudly, he could not understand the words. Another voice joined her; a low one that certainly didn’t belong to the lady Briallen. He edged nearer. It was his luck that the hearth place was partly blocked by a wall; if he stayed close to the wall he might hide himself in the shadows just long enough. ‘You killed him,’ he heard the low voice saying, knowing that it must be Rufus’. Rhywallon wanted to curse out loud. Instead he held his breath as Gwenllian uttered an explanation. It was very brave of her. He could just see her chin sticking out in the air, a thing she did when she was trying to defy the world. It would simply not be enough. With a grunt he paced to her stool, making it seem as if he just walked in. ‘Forgive my intrusion. I need some of Lady Gwenllian’s time. Do finish though, I can wait.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 22:07 Post #2725 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Rufus eyed Rhywallon. The man’s intrusion could not be more untimely. ‘I was just discussing matters of some delicacy with your protégée,’ he said carefully. Thank the gods he had a slight bit of advantage in this situation. He just needed to be careful. Rhywallon might stab a dagger in his eye-socket if he even looked at Gwenllian in the wrong way. ‘The secret is out now, there’s no need for delicacy,’ the girl said quietly. ‘Is there anything else you would like to ask me? I’ve told you all I know.’ ‘There are footsteps about your size leading to the pyre that claimed your husband’s body,’ Rufus said then, ‘accompanied by those of a man. I suppose they are not yours?’ |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 22:10 Post #2726 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Rhywallon looked down on the Roman from his standing position, arms folded. Though never grown to love his distorted face, now he hoped that it would disturb the man. ‘Not mine,’ he answered coolly. |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 22:18 Post #2727 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Gwenllian shook her head. 'I was in no condition to take any long walks,' she said, looking Lentulus straight in the face. She noticed how he carefully avoided looking at Rhywallon. 'I hope you understand that this is giving the lord and lady of this household a bit of a hard time,' he said then, 'but I am sure that now the truth is out, we will find a way to fix it.' There was nothing out of the ordinary in his voice; he sounded for all the world like someone genuinely concerned with her well-being, but there was something that made shivers run down her spine. 'I - I understand,' she said, hard-pressed to keep her composure. She'd rather eat dirt than to give this man the idea that he was holding any sort of sway over her. |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 22:21 Post #2728 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I wonder if the Fair Folk might try to lead you on a fake trail, lord Lentulus. They sometimes disguise themselves as disturbingly human,’ Rhywallon sneered, untangling his arms to put one hand on Gwenllian. It was a rather possessive gesture. ‘Now excuse me. My matters concern payment, and I generally wait for no one.’ |
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| Sonja | 17 May 2010, 22:24 Post #2729 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Of course,' Lentulus said mildly and got up. 'Thank you for your honesty, my lady. You will hear from me soon.' Gwenllian watched his back as he left, and only released the breath she'd been holding when the doors of the hall closed behind him. 'Good gods,' she said, passing a trembling hand across her face. |
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| Marieke | 17 May 2010, 22:26 Post #2730 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He hardly moved his head as the Roman made his way out. ‘You told him you did it.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘This is getting out of hand.’ |
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