Dionysus The Emperess is in court right now.

• Aurelia will wait then, there or in the garden depending on how public the court is.

Dionysus The court is open to you if you want in

Aurelia Sure.

Dionysus She's meeting with some minor nobles to listen to their reports on issues she;s interested in: the Night Watch, crimes against women, & birthing hospitals.

Aurelia Interesting.

• Aurelia finds a seat from which to listen quietly.

Dionysus The Night Watch is very active right now, especially in the capitol. An axe wielding warrior woman has been stirring up trouble, but she wears a heavy black cloak so her identity is unknown. Strongly built.

Dionysus The crimes against women report is interesting. The laws are archaic, but changing, the views are slower to change, but women have more rights & protections now. However, there's still lots of violent crimes against them, & it's very hard to traack them all.

Dionysus And there's a woeful lack of birthing hospitals. Midwives, plenty, but many of them are also archaic or untrained properly.

Aurelia I see.

Dionysus She's talking about programs to correct all of these things, except the Night Watch, which she just says nothing on.

Aurelia How does she feel when that one's discussed?

Dionysus Proud.

Aurelia Nice.

Dionysus When the court ends, she dismisses everyone & has a servant invite you to the garden for tea.

• Aurelia accepts and attends.

Dionysus The Emperess is there with three other ladies, one of which looks a lot like her.

Dionysus But blonde

Dionysus "Duchess Aurelia, this is my sister, Archduchess Annavera."

• Aurelia smiles and curtsies to her.

Dionysus She nods in return, "I've heard much about you, Aurelia."

• Aurelia blinks and tilts her head, not certain how to respond.

Dionysus "Will you be attending the Winter Ball, my dear?"

Aurelia "The Colour is to sing there."

Dionysus She smiles, delighted, "And then, Jack Crane will sing?"

• Aurelia nods.

Dionysus She smiles, delight echoing through her, "Perhaps I shall see if he is still single. Do you have a young man, Aurelia?"

Dionysus Marilyna has a trill of curiosity, worry, & delight as Annavera says this

• Aurelia blinks, then blushes a touch and smiles. She nods.

Dionysus Surprise from Marilyna, then relief & happiness, & delight from Annavera, "Oh, do tell!"

• Aurelia 's blush deepens. Still smiling, she murmurs, "My heart sings for Bartleby the Rogue, and his heart for me."

Dionysus The ladies gasp, giggle, & one squeals in delight. Marilyna gasps, delightedly, & Annavera gets a sly look, "I bet it does."

• Aurelia tilts her head curiously, looking from Marilyna to Annavera.

Dionysus Marilyna says, "He's quite the catch." Annavera says, "And an animal in the sack."

• Aurelia blinks, then smiles again and nods to Marilyna's statement, not quite following Annavera's.

Dionysus Marilyna says, quickly, "So tell us about..." She pauses. "Actually, will you play for us?"

Aurelia What did she feel there?

Dionysus Changing the subject, then a sudden realization that she was about to ask something inappropriate.

• Aurelia looks at her curiously, then opens her bag for the Oboe. "What would you hear?"

Dionysus The ladies all gasp at the sight of the Gift, then Marilyna says in a hushed voice, "Something light."

Aurelia Hmm. Heh! I don't suppose Dio's Annavera theme qualifies?

Aurelia That is, the symphony he did for her.

Dionysus It's a bit energetic.

Aurelia It'll need edited for being played solo anyhow. I'll use its theme as the base though.

Dionysus They listen, enraptured. Tears stream down their faces before the end, & this is just a light tune.

Aurelia Tears of pleasure, or did this touch something?

Dionysus Pleasure, awe.

Dionysus You rolled a 36.

Aurelia I was just checking.

• Aurelia lowers the Oboe when the piece finishes and waits for them to recover.

Dionysus It takes them a moment, then Marilyna says, "Thank you," quietly.

• Aurelia smiles, happy with their response.

Dionysus Annavera says, "That was... unreal."

• Aurelia tilts her head, again blushing a touch.

Dionysus The other ladies murmur compliments, then Marilyna says, "Ladies, I would like to speak with my sister & the Duchess privately, if you would be so kind." And they bow deeply & leave. She turns to you, "There. I think we can talk more openly now. Can you tell me about how you got this Gift?"

• Aurelia watches the ladies go, then turns back. Her smile fades a touch at the question. "Kansallus the Rogue stole the Oboe from Hornet Rust. He gave to me the location where it rested."

Dionysus Annavera frowns with mock severity, "You put an epic adventure down in two sentences."

• Aurelia blinks and tilts her head, looking at Annavera uncertainly.

Dionysus Marilyna frowns, thinking, "Kansallus the Rogue?"

• Aurelia nods.

Dionysus She looks to Annavera, then back to you, "One moment." She calls a servant, "Bring me my husband's blue-bound journal." The servant bows, rushes off. A moment later, he returns with the book, which Marilyna opens & says, "Yes, I think so." She shows you the page.

• Aurelia looks, frowning uncertainly.

Dionysus The page describes an encoutner Magnus had with Kansallus, in which they determined their relationship--Kansallus being related to Magnus's grandfather thousands of generations removed. The two then sought to win the love of a fair maiden together. The date on this is about five years before he would have met Valara--he was quite young.

• Aurelia tilts her head, frown fading as she reads. She looks up again when she finishes.

Dionysus "Not quite close enough a relation to call you a royal princess, but it does explain a thing or two about your cheekbones."

• Aurelia isn't sure how to respond. After a moment of looking for something to say, she murmurs, "In dreams, a man called me 'Jericho.'"

Dionysus Annavera laughs, "Might as well call you Jones, or Smith."

• Aurelia blushes a touch and smiles.

Dionysus Marilyna gives her a dark look, then says, "It's an auspicious name."

Dionysus "It's the name of the Champion of Love, & the long lost Messiah of Love."

• Aurelia looks to one, then the other, listening.

Dionysus And Annavera says, "And the name of a good many fugitives."

Aurelia Do they have anything else to say on that?

Dionysus They do not.

Aurelia If nothing else is said for a few minutes, Aurelia looks to Marilyna. "Merian Battisto asked that I give a message to you."

Dionysus She blinks in surprise, "Oh. Please, tell me."

Aurelia " 'I could not stand being a lady.' "

Dionysus She frowns, "Oh." She sounds disappointed. "Well, I suppose that's... That was a long time ago."

• Aurelia looks down and touches her shoulder in apology.

Dionysus She puts her hand over yours, "I was a different girl then, too. Thank you for telling me."

• Aurelia smiles a little.

Dionysus "So tell us about Merukis? What all... happened."

• Aurelia tells, from departure on. She skips over her deal, though.

Dionysus Kansallus's death?

Dionysus Your second regicide?

Dionysus Hornet's death?

Aurelia Mostly relatively emotionlessly though, yes, at that part she's pretty unhappy.

Dionysus The giant penis?

Aurelia That part being the death.

Aurelia Yes, the regicide, Hornet, and the penis.

Aurelia The last she still doesn't see as shocking or funny, just confusing.

Dionysus Marilyna & Annavera giggle. A lot. At that.

• Aurelia tilts her head and blinks at them.

Dionysus Annavera collapses into laughter, while Marilyna masters herself, "Thank you for the tale, Aurelia. I am sorry about your father."

• Aurelia says, "Thank you," quietly.

Dionysus She indicates she has duties to attend, & Annavera has a ball to finish planning

Dionysus She thanks you again & departs.

Aurelia Probably for the best.

• Aurelia thanks them as well, and goes.