Revered and Wicked Day of Indulgence
Posted on 22 Sep 2022 @ 2:19am by Mage Kalian Winter & Warrior Rhiannon Cadash & Warrior Katya Charbonnet (Shar-bon-ay) & Rogue Elinowy Ursulas
5,295 words; about a 26 minute read
Mission:
Summerday La Fête
Location: Chantry - main building & gardens
Timeline: Cloudreach 27th, midday
Chantry Elder Isouda surveyed the chantry gardens, and the banquet table that had been set up to accommodate Giselle's banquet guests. The walled gardens were a place for quiet reflection, normally open anytime to the people of Jader, but today the three garden entrances – one that led to the Templar barracks, one that led to the kitchen and chantry sisters' dormitory, and one that opened from the chantry hall itself – were each guarded by four sentries. Two Templars Isouda had selected herself, and two city guardsmen assigned by Landry at each point of entry.
Guests entered the garden through the chantry building, where Giselle herself – protected by Guard Captain Landry and the Night Captain - welcomed nobles, wealthy traders, and well-known craftsmen as they arrived. Isouda watched the steady stream of servants going in and out of the dormitory gate, carrying platters of food and preparing the table. She tapped a chantry sister's shoulder, one who was personally loyal to her. "It's time. Bring out the celebration wine from the reserved cellar."
Soon, thought Isouda as the sister hurried off to do her bidding. Soon Giselle would give the toast, all would drink, and by evening Isouda would be Jader's revered mother.
Despite the best efforts of Kalian and his friends to access the wine cellar, it had been heavily guarded by Templars – a situation that was in itself extremely suspicious. Meanwhile, Elinowy's best efforts to speak with Mother Giselle had been thwarted at every turn by Elder Isouda. Kalian and his friends had plenty of circumstantial evidence that could have been presented to the City Guard Captain Landry, if they didn't suspect she was in on it too.
Kalian did consider shape shifting to sneak into the banquet but discarded the idea immediately. Too many templars around for that. Plus, after sneaking into Acerbi's warehouse, someone might put two and two together. So, Kalian utilized his utterly boring and ordinary kitchen skills. He showed up in the very, very early morning hours and joined the servants preparing food for the banquet. He tried not to yawn as he carried a tray of fresh spring greens from the chantry kitchen to the buffet table in the garden and queued with other servants waiting for a chantry sister to point out where it should be placed. Guests had started to arrive, and he took a moment to look around for his friends before he was shooed back to the kitchen for another tray.
Mother Giselle greeted each of the arrivals, welcoming them to the traditional Chantry banquet on the third day of the Summerday festival. She dearly wished she had time to chat with each member of her flock and had considered making the event a more casual occasion with a buffet served all day. But Isouda had insisted on maintaining the tradition of a formal banquet, along with the tradition of Giselle's two formal protectors - the Knight Captain on one side and the Guard Captain on the other. Giselle sighed. Perhaps next year.
Katya entered through the front. She was well known at the chantry and generally well-liked there. She was on alert. Someone was out to murder the reverend mother and she and her comrades were there to stop it. She kept her eyes out Still she always looked forward to seeing the reverend mother. She was a devout follower of Andraste and the reverend mother had shown such kindness to the people. She was so inspiring and kind. The thought of someone wanting to kill her made Katya very angry!
Mother Giselle gave young Katya Charbonnet an encouraging smile, thinking what a shame it was the old Charbonnet patriarch had not acknowledged his granddaughter when he was alive.
She smiled back at the Rev Mother. She was always so kind to Katya and her smile filled Katya with Warmth. She was a genuine treasure.
The Chantry was adorned in festive decorations, with choral ensembles made up of sisters every several yards. They sang together of a beloved passage from Apotheosis 1. The festive introduction filled the great hall as guests and dignitaries pressed forward to be greeted by the Rev Mother. The song called out to Elinowy til her spirit could take it no longer. She joined in the majestic chorus echoing throughout the halls.
"Glory! Glory! Glory! Hail to the Maker
Most High! Hail to Andraste, Prophet, and liberator,
Light of the world! Look upon our work, O Maker, and rejoice!" she sang.
Within the rapture of the song, it took some time for Elinowy to notice the crowd of people observing her vocalizations. At a natural pause, she broke off to let the assembled Choirs do their work for the evening. The scarlet clad sister looked equally red in her face. It was a song and service to the Maker, but it was not her place to draw away from the offerings of her sisters. She smiled warmly at those around her and moved towards the door. She had a mission, to keep Rev Mother Giselle safe and if necessary keep Elder Isouda away from her. She was determined to do the best she could with the Maker's blessing.
When Giselle saw the young Mother of Bete Noir Chantry arrive, she grinned widely. "Sister Elinowy! I am so pleased you have come. Truly, you must join me for tea, next week when the festival is over. For today, I wish for you to sit at the head table with me so we can chat."
That would be ideal, thought Elinowy, being adjacent to the Rev Mother would give her a close eye on all goings on and a good position to defend Giselle as necessary. "It would be an honor most Rev Mother. I am humbled by your kindness...."
"Mother Giselle," interrupted Captain Landry. She scowled at Elinowy and stepped between the red-haired sister and the Revered Mother, recalling this woman was one of Martin Josceran's troublesome associates. "Mother, you must recall that seats have been assigned at your table. I am to sit on your right, and Elder Isouda on your left."
Giselle focused her steely gaze on the Guard Captain, but before she could speak the Knight Captain, an older man who felt far more at home sweating in a training yard than at a formal occasion spoke up. "Sister Elinowy, please take my seat on the other side of Elder Isouda, and I will sit with my fellow templars. I insist."
This was not perfect but would still keep Elinowy at the head table where she might be able to defend Mother Giselle. And a proximity to Elder Isouda might give her the opportunity to prove her innocence or guilt. The Maker would provide.
She bowed her head to the Knight Captain. "You bless me with your generosity. May the Maker bless you and keep you in his favor," she said making the motions of the blessing upon the man's forehead and chest.
Bowing his head in return, the Knight Captain grinned at the young Chantry sister. "It is my pleasure, Sister Elinowy." Then he gave an apologetic shrug of his shield arm to Giselle, his long-time friend, and in a stage-whisper confided, "I always feel out of place at the head table, anyway."
Rhiannon had talked with her mother that morning. She had explained to her everything that the group had figured out. Her mother listened quietly till she was done. It was then that Rhi's mother handed them invitation to the dinner that night to her daughter. Explaining that she would represent her and the company.
With this in hand, Rhi had made sure she wore her best outfit with a large pirate hat with dark red lace and black feather, black and red dress, dark red overcoat, a black lace choker with rubies, and black leather boots. Once dressed and properly perfumed she made her way to the dinner.
As she entered, she immediately started to see who was all there. Seeing Mother Giselle greeting everyone, Rhi had planned to say something, though could see that the Mother was not taking the time to have any conversations. She quickly made her greetings to Mother Giselle then made her way in and started to mingle and look for Kalian.
Kalian exited the chantry kitchen with a group of servants carrying trays of the last course to set on the tables - spiced baked apples. Banquet guests were already starting to take their seats. Although wine glasses had been set out with the place settings, so far nothing had been said to the kitchen servants about serving the wine, and the wine cellar door was guarded by two templars.
When Kalian saw Rhiannon, he almost dropped his tray. Somehow he managed to place it on a table without spilling it, and ignore the real servant chastising him for putting it in the wrong place.
He dropped to one knee before Rhiannon, took her hand, and kissed it. "You look radiant, my lady."
Rhiannon was taken by surprise when Kalian dropped to one knee and kissed her hand. She hid it outwardly though he could see it in her eyes. He could also see how much she enjoyed it. Her tone was one of mischief with a hint of, wait till later. "Why thank you very much young man. A woman always likes to hear how radiant they look." She lets Kalian hold her hand a little longer than would normally be appropriate before she slowly pulls away.
From behind him, someone cleared their throat, and someone else made a disparaging remark about servants knowing their place. Kalian abruptly remembered that he was supposed to be disguised as a servant and they had an important mission to accomplish. He got to his feet and winked. "Please excuse my impertinence."
Rhiannon gave him a wicked smile and spoke loud enough for those around could hear. "No, no, not at all my dear. It is a pleasure to see that someone knows beauty when they see it." She makes her way past Kalian, giving him a wink as she does.
Kalian did his best to appear repentant and bowed his head, but still managed to track the sway of Rhiannon's hips before returning to his duties.
He took his place, standing with a row of servants near the gate that lead to the Chantry Kitchens. Elinowy caught his eye - tall and lithe, an untouchable beauty, she had managed to get a seat at the main table, with Elder Isouda between her and Mother Giselle, and Captain Landry on Giselle's right. Katya, always lovely and strong, had finally taken her place as a noblewoman of Jader. Rhiannon, already a prestigious merchant, managed to fill that outfit in the most intriguing ways… keep your head in the game, he reminded himself. Each of them had taken strategic positions. Only Martin was absent, and Kalian wondered if perhaps his efforts to enlist loyal members of the city guard had gotten him caught.
From the chantry kitchens, two templars pulled a hand-cart laden with wine bottles. Just the bottle necks showed above the casings, but Kalian recognized the unique ceramic make. Some of the servants started to move forward to serve the wine, but they were shooed back and chantry sisters took up the bottles to serve it personally. One, whom Kalian had seen speaking to Isouda, picked up two bottles and headed to Giselle's table, but Kalian was too far away to see if the woman on the labels had painted-blue eyes.
There was no place card with the name Katya Charbonnet at the table Katya had shared in previous years.
"Huh! That's strange! Where is my nameplate?"
"You are Katya Charbonnet, Caroline's daughter, are you not?" said a regal middle-aged woman in a stylish blue gown, the upper half of her face obscured by a formal Orlesion mask. "Your place card is right here, I requested that you be seated next to me, dear. I don't believe we've met. I am Lady Seryl." She gave Katya a warm, friendly smile.
"Lady Seryl! Wow! Yes, I am Miss Caroline's daughter. It's a pleasure!"
A Chantry sister appeared between Katya and Lady Seryl as Mother Giselle gave her invocation, and filled each of their wine glasses. As she poured, the bottle's label displaying a woman with eyes painted blue, was clearly visible.
A well-dressed, handsome blonde dwarf with a long beard in two neat braids greeted Rhiannon with a bow. "My lady, I am Jerrik Saelac, Master Blacksmith. At your service. By any chance, might you be related to Jessamir Cadash, Captain of the Night's Kiss?"
As Rhi turned to look for her seat she seen a well dressed dwarf approach. He was a handsome one he was. Blonde with braids in his beard. Oh, the beard, that was something. The things she could do with that beard. Coming back to her senses when she heard the dwarf speak, she quickly tried to replay what he said. With a brief nod Rhi replied. "Yes, Kvinn (lady) Cadash is my mother. I am her daughter Rhiannon Crimsonheart Cadash. At your service." She an incline if her head.
"Well then, I am a lucky man indeed! Your place card is right next to mine." He pulled out a chair at one end of the head table, one that had been designed to accommodate dwarves at tables designed for humans. The place card read Jessamir Cadash. Jerrik gallantly offered her his hand for assistance climbing onto the chair. From the attire of nearby guests and snippets of their conversations, this section of the table was occupied by merchants.
Rhiannon gave Jerrik a warm smile as she excepted his hand. "No my good sir. It is I that is the lucky one. If it was not for a previous engagement that my mother could not reschedule, I would not be here sitting next to someone with a most luxurious beard."
"By the stone, my lady, if I may be so bold… You are even more beautiful than your mother, and I'd wager you're as good or better a sailor and warrior." Jerrik's warm smile held both business interest and personal attraction. "I would be honored indeed for you to stop by my shop. We could discuss our mutual interests in Jader."
With the compliment Rhi gave Jerrik a warm smile. "More beautiful in my own way, that I can agree on. As for being a better sailor and warrior. I would say that I am a close second." She reached out and took her glass of water and took a sip. "As the night continues my lord, we can discuss our mutual interests." The last word spoken with a bit of mischief.
Two Chantry sisters appeared next to them at the table with familiar wine bottles. They filled Rhiannon and Jerrik's wine glasses from plain-label bottles. A human merchant woman on Rhi's other side spoke to the Chantry sister filling her glass from a blue-eyed bottle. "May I take a closer look at the bottle, Sister? I'm a wine merchant, and that label is unusual."
The Chantry sister shook her head and muttered, "Later, serah."
Rhi looked to both the sisters then to the one with the blue eyed bottle. "Now, now sister. I find it fascinating to talk about wine and the different regions that they came from. My good lady here may know where this particular vintage is from. Let us take a look. If only for a moment." Rhi reached for the bottle, with no intention of getting it, attempting to topple over the tainted glass. "Oh my, I am so sorry my lady. Please take my glass.....No, no I insist."
With a gasp, the Chantry sister just caught the wine merchant's glass so that it only partly spilled, then she refilled it by emptying the blue-eyed bottle. But in her distraction, the sister allowed Rhiannon to take the bottle from her. She huffed and hurried away with the other bottle.
Rhi shifted as she took the bottle and handed it to the wine merchant.
The wine merchant bowed her head to Rhiannon and accepted the empty bottle. "Thank you." She examined the bottle, and added, "This label is similar to a winegrower in Val Royeaux that closed down. I wonder if they're related."
Rhi gave a nod then looked to the wine merchant in agreement then spoke up. "Yes, yes very similar indeed. What I find interesting is the blue eyes. What do you think it represents"
The Knight Captain offered his arm to Elinowy with a fatherly demeanor. "Sister Elinowy, please allow me to escort you to my former place at Mother Giselle's table."
Elinowy curtsied to the Knight Captain in a low swing gesture that drew attention of those around them to the Knight's kind actions. "Of course, Ser, it would be my honor."
As the Knight Captain guided Elinowy around the banquet tables, he said, "Please, call me Joseph. You've saved me from a tedious meal, sitting next to Elder Isouda. Though if you enjoy listening to her talk about Chantry politics in Val Royeaux, you might have a pleasant meal." He grimaced, making it clear how he felt about the topic… and Isouda.
Elinowy followed the Captain. "It is my honor to be seated near the Revered Mother. And I agree while Chantry Politics is not always the most interesting of topics it does have its place. We just need to be heedful to not gossip of those higher placed than ourselves. I'm sure Elder Isouda has only the best intentions." she said, knowing full well that was not the case.
Most of the seats at the head table were occupied. The chair Elinowy's escort indicated was two seats to the left of the center seat, and had a place card with Knight Captain Joseph Dunbar written on it. The Knight Captain bowed to Elinowy and with a sigh of relief, walked toward an adjacent table.
There were three empty chairs to Elinowy's right, with place cards that read Mother Giselle, Elder Isouda, and Captain Landry. Two Chantry sisters began filling the wine glasses at the table from bottles exactly like the ones Elinowy and her friends had been investigating. Giselle's glass and Elinowy's own were filled from a blue-eyed bottle, but Landry and Isouda's glasses were filled from plain-labeled bottles.
If there was truly a plot against Mother Giselle, Elinowy would never get an opportunity like this again. She leaned over the table as the party of dignitaries was arriving, scooping up the chalice of MOther Giselle and Elder Isouda. She lifted both goblets high above her head in a well-practiced fashion, rotating the goblets from hand to hand while pronouncing words of institution upon the drink. "Hail to the Maker, from whom all blessing flow, and glory to Andraste his bride." She lowered the goblets, rotating them as they descended, placing a cup before Mother Giselle and Elder Isouda as they approached. "Blessings to you sisters," she remarked as Isouda approached the seat.
Mother Giselle arrived, flanked by Landry and Isouda who took their seats. But Mother Giselle remained standing, gesturing with gentle authority for everyone to settle into their places.
Kalian watched his friends from his place with the servants. All three of his friends were sitting at the head table. Katya was seated next to Lady Seryl among nobles of the city at the end of the table on Giselle's right. He frowned at Rhiannon seated among merchants, and the undeniably handsome dwarf trying to chat her up at the other end of the table on Giselle's left. Elinowy had somehow managed a place close to Mother Giselle, with Isouda sitting between them. Less prominent citizens were seated at several more tables all angled toward the head table.
Once everyone was seated, Giselle got to her feet and started giving her speech. "I know you are all hungry, so I shall keep this brief so we can move on to the toast then sit down to eat. People of Jader, my beloved flock, we are all here by the grace of the Maker, and his bride Andraste…"
As Giselle continued speaking, Kalian felt for the antidote bottle in his pocket and looked to his friends. Did they see who was being served from the blue-eyed bottles?"
Next to Katya, Lady Seryl reached for her wine glass, preparing to drink once Mother Giselle made her usual toast.
Katya, seeing the blue-eyed bottle knocked the glass from Lady Seryl. "Don't drink that! It's poisoned. My friends and I have been doing some investigation the last few days of some poisoning. We have determined it is from certain batches of this wine. The bottles were marked with blue eyes, like the one we just were served.
With startled surprise, Lady Seryl turned to Katya. "Poisoned, you say? If that is true, we must stop the tribute at once. Do you have evidence to back up this claim?"
The two noblemen at Seryl and Katya's sides turned toward them, listening with growing alarm to their conversation. Both put down their glasses.
To either side of Rhiannon, Jerrik and the wine merchant reached for their glasses, ready to salute when Mother Giselle gave the toast.
Rhiannon took up her glass. When the wine merchant started to bring her glass up to drink, Rhi purposefully stepped so that she stumbled into the wine merchant, knocking the woman's wine glass out of her hand before she could drink.
"My lady, are you all right?" inquired Jerrik solicitously.
The wine merchant glared at Rhiannon. "Why did you do that?"
Rhiannon looked to Jerrik and nodded. "I am fine, thank you." To the wine merchant, "Your glass was poisoned as well."
Next to Elinowy, Isouda grinned triumphantly and picked up her glass, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Elinowy held up her own glass next to Isouda. She was fairly certain she had placed the blue eyes beverage in front of the elder.
Isouda noted with approval that Giselle was indulgently ignoring the rude conversations at each end of the main table. The elder had already determined that the scarlet-haired upstart of a sister was the most likely danger to her plan, and Isouda herself stood between her target and her competition.
Mother Giselle's speech came to an end. She lifted her now-filled wine glass into the air and gave a simple toast. "To the people of Jader!"
"To the Maker and all of Jader!" Elinowy called out, looking Isouda in the eye as she brought the cup to her own lips.
Kalian had absolute confidence in his friends. And yet, standing with the servers, he was too far away to see the wine bottle labels, or to have seen who had been served poisoned wine at the main table. Plus they had no idea if guests seated at the other tables had been served poisoned wine.
"Stop!" shouted Kalian. "Some of the wine is poisoned."
"Impossible," said Isouda, getting to her feet. She had to act fast, before her plan fell apart. She cried out, "Of course the wine is not poisoned. Let us all drink with Mother Giselle. To Jader!" Isouda lifted her glass and drank her entire glass down. "You see?" She motioned to the city guardsman and the templar standing guard at the gate to the chantry kitchens, then pointed at Kalian. "Detain that man!"
Kalian offered no resistance to the templar and guard that grabbed each of his arms. "Mother Giselle," he called out, "Elinowy, Katya, and Rhiannon will explain."
Giselle set her wineglass on the table, without drinking. "That is a serious allegation, and I will treat it seriously."
All across the chantry gardens and banquet tables, the guests were talking at once. Mother Giselle held her hands up for quiet and turned her attention to the three women. "What is this about?"
Elinowy looked to Mother Giselle. "I fear it is true Revered Mother." She could feel her head starting to go light on her. "The wine has been tampered with. I fear treachery from Elder Isouda who ordered which wine be poured in what gobbets." Her voice began to crack she spoke. She looked into Elder Isouda's eyes. "By the maker, I changed goblets with mother and..." The flame haired sister crumpled in her seat, sliding under the banquet table.
Rhiannon jumped down and ran to Elinowy, pulling out the antidote. She will use it on Elinowy.
"Hurry Rhiannon!" If Elinowy didn't make it, well the thought was too much for Katya. She took a deep breath and began to explain what happened. From the discovery of the elves to the determination it was the poisoned wine and determining the bad bottles had blue eyes to making the antidote to coming here to prevent Mother Giselle and others from being poisoned. "So that is the story! I am glad we stopped the poisoning but I'm sure Isolde was not in it by herself. I recommend investigating the serving staff. Some might be part of Isolde's conspiracy."
Katya waited for Rhiannon to administer the antidote to Elinowy. She silently prayed to Andraste for Elinowy's life.
Mother Giselle devoted her full attention to Katya, listening to her explanation, then turned to Isouda and demanded, "Is this true?"
Isouda opened her mouth as if to speak, then swayed on her feet and collapsed to the ground.
Rhi ignores Isouda.
Guard Captain Landry was on her feet, and pointed accusingly at Katya and Rhiannon. "They are responsible, Mother Giselle. I had guardsman Martin Josceran arrested this morning for working with these criminal vigilantes!"
With the templar and guardsman - each holding one of his arms - distracted, Kalian reached into the fade for an instant, and released a spark of electricity like an electric shock to their plate armor. They let go with a simultaneous gasp, and Kalian ran forward, and dropped to his knees next to Isouda, and administered the antidote. His captors tried to re-apprehend Kalian, but Giselle waved them back.
"Mother Giselle," said Kalian, looking up at her. "Like Katya said, Isouda planned to poison you, and your supporters. She arranged to buy a special shipment of wine, with poisoned bottles marked as such. She hired a criminal named Carlos Acerbi to have the wine brought to Jader. Captain Landry is working for Carlos Acerbi, and may be in on the poisoning scheme."
"That is ridiculous," sputtered Landry. "Mother Giselle, I must arrest these miscreants immediately."
"We have proof!" declared Kalian. "We have Acerbi's business ledger, detailing the wine deal and payments made to Landry and other guardsmen."
Isouda opened her eyes, groaned, then rolled over on her side and vomited.
Kalian went to Elinowy's other side, across from Rhiannon. "Eli? Elinowy, can you hear me?" With less subtlety than he had used to zap the guards, Kalian opened himself to the fade and pressed one hand against Elinowy's temple, and the other to her stomach, and poured healing magic into his friend.
She floated in darkness, not soothing or relaxing, more draining of everything in her. Elinowy strived to move her arms in a swimming motion, but the void didn't respond. There was just darkness. She felt her body start to convulse in the cold as it dug into every part of her being. A desperate panic began to fill her.
Then came the fire. Of course it would be fire. Praise Andraste, the darkness began to give way to an all pervasive redness.
"Eli? Elinowy, can you hear me?" said a voice floating in the fire. She reached out to respond to her Maker's bride. And then the heat began in her belly. A wonderful deep heat. Stirring, but curiously familiar. She felt the heat wash over her in a glorious crescendo of joyous release.
Her eyes shot open, looking directly at Kalian as he held her temples and stomach. He had done it again.... here is the presence of the Chantry, the Templars and everyone else. She didn't care. She shut her eyes and grabbed Kalian's hand on her stomach. Again, she thought, the words not quite finding their way to her trembling body.
Rhi had pulled Elinowy up close to her when she poured the antidote down her throat. Massaging her neck to get it down. She hadn't seen Kalian shock the two who had been holding him. She just saw him drop to his knees, place one hand on Elinowy's temple and the other her stomach. She couldn't see him use his magic, even though she knew he must be. So when Elinowy opened her eyes, Rhi let out her breath she had not realized she had been holding. She made sure that she would help her up when she was ready.
Meanwhile, Lady Seryl had joined Giselle, and the Knight Captain and several templars converged around them, at a respectful distance. "What are your orders, Mother Giselle?" asked the Knight Captain.
Mother Giselle shook her head sadly, but answered, "Detain Isouda and Captain Landry." Then to Katya, Kalian, Rhiannon, and Elinowy, she said, "Please remain here, while we sort this out."
"Was it worth it Landry? betraying your faith? Trying to murder a good woman for your own gain? You disgust me! Mother Giselle, Martin has been working with us. He's a good man! As for Isouda, well looks like she saved you the trouble. With luck she is already dead! Andraste will deal with her! Speaking of Andraste, I thank Andraste you are safe Mother Giselle! You and Lady Seryl and the others she planned to kill!" Katya said.
After Eli woke up, Katya rushed over to her and knelt. "You listen here young lady!" she said. "Don't..you..ever..scare... me...like...that..again!" tapping Eli's nose each time to emphasize her words. "Kalian, my friend. Thank you for helping our foolish friend here."
Epilogue:
Isouda claimed ignorance about the poisoned nature of the wine in the blue-eyed bottles, and insisted those bottles were supposed to be better-quality wine (this is what the servers were told). However, the letter Martin found written in Isouda's handwriting implied otherwise. Isouda was sent to Val Royeaux to serve her penance.
In her defense, Guard Captain Landry claimed she was accepting money from Acerbi in order to infiltrate his criminal organization, and that she was ignorant of the poisoning plot. But the four guardsmen who were also taking bribes from Acerbi refuted that claim. It was discovered that Landry had gambling debts and she had enabled other illegal operations, including the enslavement of Ferelden refugees at the silverite mine. Lady Seryl sent Landry to Val Royeaux to await trial, since she might not be secure in the Jader jail. Lady Seryl is planning to hire a new Guard Captain.
Kalian's use of magic did not go unnoticed. Mother Giselle had a long conversation with Kalian, and afterward she spoke on his account to Knight Captain Dunbar, who agreed that Kalian may remain free for now.
Mother Giselle offered Elinowy Isouda's former position as Jader Chantry Elder. In consideration of her respect for Mother Giselle, Elinowy politely consented to think the offer over carefully.
Lady Seryl now considers Katya to be a trusted adviser among the nobility of Jader.
Isouda and Landry's attempts to cast blame on the Night's Kiss, Rhiannon's mother's ship, failed completely. As a merchant in Jader, Rhiannon and her mother gained preferred standing with Lady Seryl for city contracts.
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