It had woven things together to minimize problems, but it wasn't omnipotent or omniscient, and so merely looked for major problems.
"I see," said Gizel Godwin, his cape fluttering along behind him in the breeze as he walked alongside the Queen's Knight. "The Prince wishes to prove his manhood?"
"Yes, and considering some of the rumors apparently being bandied about in the Senate building - I can't blame him at all," agreed Kyle.
"Well, there are a few places where a man can take care of such needs," said Gizel, putting it delicately. "Or so I've heard."
"Oh come now," said Kyle, smiling and winking. "I've heard that you're quite the ladies' man yourself."
"Well, one DOES have to set an example," admitted Gizel Godwin. "Keep reputations up, show that one can err-"
"-rise to occasions?" asked Kyle. "Maintain good relationships with the citizenry? Provide a measure to aspire to? Perhaps to indicate something that even the common folk can grasp as far as some link between themselves and those of higher status?"
"Yes," said Gizel thoughtfully. "Quite well put. Quite so. I must say, I didn't expect a Queen's Knight to be so - understanding of such things."
"Ah," said Kyle. "This is my area of specialization, after all. My expertise is focussed on this very subject."
"Indeed?" said Gizel, dismissing thoughts of Kyle's competence without breaking stride or any other indication of the various thoughts running below the surface. "How should the Prince be inducted into such activities?"
"According to my sources," said Kyle, "there exists several fine establishments here in Stormfist which are - shall we say - in the service of titillation? The Prince does spend all of his time in a female-dominated social role, and therefore just something to give him a taste of things. Circumspect of course, nothing to reflect poorly on the Royal Family."
"Of course," said Gizel. "I think I may just know such a place."
WHIPPPPPPPP!
Faroush' hand was suddenly clutching an arrow a few inches from his head.
Setsuna's sword flashed, and four arrows fell in eight pieces.
Kaede lightly touched down on the ground, her hands holding an arrow each.
Konoka yeeped.
Takamichi had his hands apparently folded in the sleeves of his robes, and merely looked somehow amused.
"Oh. Wow. Bandits." Konoka Konoe smiled and raised a hand that glimmered abruptly in the light. She was a powerful mage, perhaps potentially equal to some of the heavier hitters in magic.
"They're dropping the crossbows and going to swords," noted Setsuna. She almost sounded disbelieving.
"Low level sword fodder," said Takamichi.
"WHAT?! How dare you call us 'low level sword fodder'?!" demanded one of the bandits. "We'll show you!"
"Gah," said Faroush. "Dialogue by 'thugs r us'? Man, I'm insulted."
"What? That someone wanted to kill you?" asked Kaede, who'd noticed where most of the arrows had been targetted.
"No, that they thought so little of me that they hired these doofuses," said Faroush.
"HEY!" said the bandit leader. "Don't dismiss us! I've got the death sentence in twelve ports!"
"Really? Twelve ports?" asked Takamichi.
"Well, would you believe four ports?" asked the bandit leader.
"I'd find that hard to believe," said Takamichi.
"Would you believe a small village in the mountains?" asked the bandit leader.
"I'm actually gonna feel guilty about beating these guys up," said Faroush to Kaede as he stretched out.
"Get him!" ordered the boss.
"You sent a few expendable minions after the Prince?" asked Marscal Godwin.
"Yes," said the assassin. "They have nothing to tie them back to anyone in particular, only a few coins given for killing everyone in that particular group."
"A few coins?" asked Marscal.
"One hundred potch," answered the assassin.
"You hired a band of brigands for one hundred potch?" asked Marscal, raising an eyebrow.
"I was prepared to offer one thousand potch, but... they negotiated really badly," admitted the assassin.
"That badly?" asked Marscal.
"To deal with a figurehead princeling, a history teacher, and three girl students," pointed out the assassin. "If they fail, we have a more skilled backup team that can move in within a few hours."
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(Posted Thu, 03 May 2007 20:12)
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