EncounterInTheNest[When: After early Mass, on a day subsequent to the funeral of Arturo Acciaio Where: The Nest, the Ducal palace in Aquila City Circumstances: Giulian is to sit in on the questioning of a couple of rebellious priests who were arrested in connection with a riot at the funeral.] While the others moved towards the family apartments, Delan, Lucien and Giulian moved to the State Office, and the area where the priests were being detained. Suddenly Delan paused. "Lucien, might we have a word before we go in?" He nodded to his son. "Go on up, Guilian. Wait for us in the anteroom ... we won't be long." "Very well," Giulian acknowledged, and began making his way up the stairs. He was well acquainted with the layout of the Nest, and Delan had told him where the schismatic priests were being held, so it was not difficult for him to find the anteroom his father meant. He had not, however, expected to find the room already occupied. He opened the door and swung a couple of steps inside before pausing in surprise at the sight of what appeared to be a Sister of Mercy. "I beg your pardon, Sister!" The sister was facing away from Giulian when he came in, knelt before the window, hands clasped before her. She started a little bit, then relaxed. She did not turn. "No pardons... Is the Regent here?" "He should arrive shortly," replied Giulian. "Why, are you expecting to meet with him? I am Lord Giulian Anderon. Perhaps I can be of some assistance?" Jovanna sighed. Perfect. She gave the lock before her and the fresh air so tantalizingly close a winsome look. "He's coming to question me," she said. "I visited with the priests you're holding here. I am not one of them, but their welfare... concerns me." "How so?" queried Giulian. "I doubt they're being mistreated. We merely wish to discover what they're about." Jovanna sighed, her hands unclasping from prayer. She rested her elbows on the sill and looked out at the brightening day, chin on her hands. "It is of concern that they were not held somewhere where they could be reached by those worried about them, or that might also wish to know 'what they're about.' They feel the same, but sadly, I don't think are much surprised by it." "Have they tried to contact their families?" Giulian asked, reserving the private opinion that given the nature of their activities insofar as he knew it, the renegade priests would be all too happy to point up their martyrdom. Since the young woman was already seated, he did not hesitate to lower himself into a chair. He was beginning to wonder about this Sister who continued to stare out the window even while speaking to someone else in the room. He wasn't sure what rules of conduct were prevalent in the convent of the Sisters of Mercy, but he would wager they didn't include keeping one's back turned to the person one was addressing. The sister, though, didn't seem to be eager to turn around, remaining on her knees. "I don't believe they thought it safe to name their family members. After all, they mentioned one poor parish, and the guards were ready to storm it. One can hardly blame them." She sighed. "Were you sent to warm me up? Or entertain me while we wait for the regent?" Giulian frowned, partly at the accusatory tone of the questions, and partly due to the nagging feeling that he recognized that tone. He didn't recall any recent dealings with the Sisters of Mercy, and this was obviously a young woman. "I was merely sent here to await the Regent's arrival," he said a bit tartly. "I didn't expect to find you here at all." Renata, grateful to whatever matter had distracted her father and Lord Anderon, had gotten to the Priests' 'hospitality suite' without incident. Coming into the outer room, she was surprised to see Giulian Anderon there. The nun kneeling by the window looked to be Jo, but it was hard to tell for sure, since she was turned away, and the sun was streaming on her. God's protection? Stranger things had happened. "Jules? Why are you here?" she asked. "I think he's being questioned too..." Now, Jovanna turned, smiling at her friend. "Apparently more than a few of us have been very bad boys and girls lately." Now, she looked at Giulian, rising to her feet in one graceful motion. "And I think you'll find that no one really expects me." Her hands came up, and she started to pull the habit over her head. "Miss Starr," Giulian said, his eyebrows rising. He added, sardonically, "No, but perhaps one should learn to expect you to turn up wherever there is ... controversy." He turned to Renata. "Actually, and contrary to the expectations of Miss Starr, I am merely here to sit in on the questioning of the schismatic priests." Renata had very nearly gasped out loud when Jovanna started to remove her habit, fearing she had naught but unmentionables on underneath, and was relieved to see that her friend was wearing pants and a tunic. "Jules..." She turned an engaging smile towards the young man who was practically another brother to her. "Just let me take Jo up to my room and pretend all this didn't happen. If she gets into trouble, I will, too... you don't want that, do you?" Jovanna began to fold the habit carefully, certainly more carefully than she had folded her school clothes. She looked over at Giulian, waiting for his reaction. "Why should you get into trouble, Renata?" Giulian queried. "As for Miss Starr, she seems to have gone to such great lengths to get herself into the middle of this, I imagine she'd feel cheated if she were extracted from it now." He turned an assessing look on Jovanna. Jovanna shrugged off his look, tucking the robe under her arm. "I went to great lengths to find out the truth... "Which, of course, is all your father is interested in." Jovanna looked thoughtful. "Though, it makes me wonder how overnight detention without being charged fits into that." "You may have the luxury of only being interested in the truth, Miss Starr," said Giulian, an edge in his voice now. "My father must also be concerned about the well-being of Aquila, the safety of the priests themselves, and perhaps the fact that he could not simply drop everything on the day of the Dragon's funeral for this questioning session." "I can understand that." Jovanna turned back to the window, glancing over the locking mechanisms. "Crumbly biscuits and sherry and all that. "Renata? Were those guards still out there?" Renata nodded. "And I wouldn't be at all surprised if my father and Lord Anderon were here soon. The copyists sent down the list of demands just before I... came down here." She wasn't crazy about Jovanna's characterization of the Dragon's funeral as 'crumbly biscuits and sherry and all that', but they could address that once she got Jo out of there. "Jules, please... just let me take her upstairs. She hasn't hurt anyone or anything. Let's not have a fuss..." "How do you know she hasn't?" Giulian demanded, himself not best pleased by Jovanna's description of the Dragon's obsequies. "She's not an anarchist, she's just... committed." She sighed. "She's my friend, she and Sienna, the Ambassador's daughter, we're all friends. Do you think I'd be friends with someone who would just... burn everything down?" Jovanna turned, leaning on the sill, looking at both Giulian and Renata. "She's right, you know. If I wanted to burn things down, it wouldn't be too bloody hard. There's oil everywhere. The priests are a part of that. So is the riot I know you all saw. It's stepped over all the time, and no one notices, because everyone else is caught up in what they think matters. Time'll come that it won't matter." "I'm a historian, Miss Starr. Don't imagine that I'm entirely oblivious to oil fumes," Giulian retorted. He looked at Jovanna consideringly. "I don't necessarily suspect you of being an arsonist. My question to you is how far you'd go in the cause of ... fire prevention." Jovanna half smiled. "I'd say far enough to come up with the idea of taking some up and coming nobles to the lower city, to get a good look at what you're ruling." Giulian nodded, acknowledging the point. "If you think I'm going to go out starting up riots or offing nobles, you're wrong. But I will seek to find the truth myself, rather than having it spelled out in Aquila Awake for me." Giulian's dark eyes narrowed, the mind behind them obviously at work. After a long moment he said, "All right, Renata, I'll let you take Miss Starr out of here. And if anyone asks after the Sister of Mercy," his mouth curved into a sardonic grin, "I'll tell them truthfully there was no such person here when I arrived. But!" He held up a finger, his gaze bent on Jovanna again. "In return, I want your agreement, Miss Starr, that you owe me a favor. One -- to be left till called for. Do we have a deal?" Jovanna thought it over, though not nearly as long as Giulian had. She pushed off the sill and came to stand before him, holding her hand out. "I believe we do. Shake on it?" Giulian clasped her hand without hesitation, the handshake accompanied by a sharp nod. "It's a deal." He released her hand and looked over at Renata again. "The two of you had best go quickly, then." "I think so, yes," Renata said, taking Jovanna's hand after Giulian released it and guiding her friend to the door. "Thanks ever so much, Jules. I owe you a favor, too..." As they went out the door, Renata looked around and cocked her head to listen for familiar footsteps. "If we go this way, we won't run into a soul. We'll go right to my room. I have something for you..." |
