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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 4.6 Noriene

Noriene rubbed either side of her head with her first two fingers as she made her way down the hall. It was well into the night and she'd spent far too many hours that evening obsessing over what limited tidbits she had about the Dragon Techlar and his clockwork construct. Her information sources had turned up next to nothing and, if not for a very fortuitous encounter with well-positioned contact she would have been completely in the dark.

Professor Julius Blackburn was probably one of the last her retainers she'd expected to come to her with word of the Techlar, let alone what he assumed was his masterpiece, but she wasn't about to look a gift bear in the mouth. The Professor had been in the perfect position to keep an eye on her wild-card of a younger brother, but she was willing to overlook the lapse in Malcom-watching when she was alerted that the scholar had information of such an important nature, and she was not disappointed.

It wasn't until she heard the faint scuff of the soft walking boots on the stone floor behind her that she suddenly remembered that she had an escort. Without turning around, she decided to make good use of her companion, "What has the Order discovered with regard to the missing Techlar, Marcelle?"

The Marten's response was not entirely surprising, "I apologize, Princess, but I cannot comment on that as it conflicts with another contract the Order has taken."

The Order of Blades was the most reliable sect of sell-swords Noriene had ever had the joy of employing. Their business finesse and skillful dealings were a double-edged sword, as was their loyalty to contracts, sometimes frustratingly so. She knew well enough that they never allowed their contracts to come into conflict with one another, which meant as long as the 'mysterious party' involving the Order with the church's missing Techlar paid them they wouldn't help her-- such a pity.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Marcelle stepped ahead of her, "Did you leave your door open, Princess?"

Glancing past the Marten the wolf saw that her door was indeed ajar; neither she nor her handmaiden would have done such a thing and nobody was permitted into her private chambers without her present. "Wait here."

The Blade paused, indecision obvious on his muzzle. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, "As you wish, your highness. I am but a word away." The Marten took off his wide brimmed plumed hat and swept it across his chest in a faint bow, then returned the headwear to where it belonged, large, fluffy feather bouncing faintly with the movement. Noriene nodded to him, and then pushed the door open the rest of the way; she was mildly dismayed when she saw that she did indeed have a visitor.

A Ewe dressed in something similar to what the Princess had seen worn by nuns was standing next to her bed. She held Lilian, Noriene's handmaiden in front of her and had a small stiletto pressed against the Mink's beautifully white neck. The Ewe's voice was firm, but held a hint of fear and desperation in it, "Close the door behind you, your Highness."

Noriene sighed, inching the door ALMOST closed with her foot, "You DO realize that you will be dead several times before you leave the manor, let alone the estate. Either you are very foolish or very desperate-- considering you are a nun it is something of a toss-up, but I wish you did not have to involve me in it."

The Ewe's eyes narrowed and her resolve firmed, "You involved yourself in it when you paid the Order of Blades to attack our temple."

The Princess didn't have to feign surprise, "The Order of Blades attacked the Church? That is news to me."

The nun gripped her weapon tighter, "Don't assume I'm stupid, your Highness... I'm not from the Mehnzilian Church, but it's no secret that you hate religion."

Noriene sighed, moving to her nightstand, "How much will it cost to get you to--"

The fear returned to the Ewe and a single droplet of bright red dripped down amidst Lilian's perfect, snowy fur, "That's far enough!"

The Princess stopped and rolled her eyes, "I had nothing to do with that attack; whether or not you believe me is no concern of mine. I am too busy worrying about a dozen of more important issues than some temple, Sister....?"

The Ewe took the hint, "Sister Yvette. And you SHOULD be concerned because I want answers. If I don't get answers then this poor girl will--"

Noriene stared defiantly at the Sheep, "Do you mean to say you'll kill her?"

The question broke the would-be assailant's resolve. The nun's hand shook as it held the blade, nicking the Mink again, "Why did you do it, your Highness? Why? Everyone knows you hate religion... everyone knows you work with the Order of Blades... it had to be you..."

The Princess shook her head, "It wasn't; I give you my word. There isn't anything more I can say except that if you do not release my handmaiden I will have to consider this more than a temporary imbalance of humors... and if it IS more than that then I will be forced to take action against you... is that what you want, Sister Yvette?"

The Sheep's knife hit the floor and she let go of Lilian. Before the Ewe could say another word the nun was face-down on the ground, having been felled by two quick strikes; the Mink lay atop her, forearm pressed against the small of Sister Yvette's back, the other twisting one of the sheep's arm in what looked like a painful way. The loyal handmaiden spoke with icy clarity, "She meant to murder you, your Highness."

The nun sobbed, "My whole temple... killed. It seemed so obvious... you... the Order... it seemed so obvious."

The cream-colored wolf nodded thoughtfully, "Let her up, Lilian."

The Mink did as was ordered, immediate moving to the Wolf's side. Noriene offered her handmaiden a small kerchief, which Lilian accepted graciously and began dabbing at the blood on her heck. The Sheep remained on the ground, sobbing, "Forgive me, God..."

The Princess shook her head with a sigh, then moved over to pull the nun up to her feet, "Learn to forgive yourself, Sister Yvette... you'll have an easier time of it."

The Sheep looked to the floor, speaking quietly, "The Order of Blades destroyed everything... killed everyone... I have nothing. I just-- I thought if... if maybe I could avenge them that my survival had meaning..."

The Wolf placed a delicate paw softly on either of the Ewe's sobbing shoulders, "Your survival DOES have meaning, Sister Yvette. Although you came to me for the wrong reasons, you came to me, and THAT has meaning."

The nun looked up, red eyes still overflowing with tears, "I... I'm sorry, your Highness... the Book of Ghenon says--"

Noriene removed her paws, "You don't have to quote scriptures to me, Sister. You can come up with your own words of wisdom without having to speak what graced the lips of long-dead philosophers. I accept your apology, but I don't need your sermon."

The Sheep remained quiet for several long moments before speaking up again, "Why do you despise religion so much, your Highness?"

The Wolf had not planned to get into a theological argument with a member of the clergy when she woke up that morning, and she resolved not to add it to her list of the day's events, thus she kept it simple, "Religion is a crutch, Sister Yvette. It parades itself around as a strength and lauds how much good it can do for those who believe, and yet all I have ever seen of it is how much pain and misery it causes."

The Ewe shook her head patiently, "That's not true, your Highness... my Church saved me. I am alive because of the fellowship, the camaraderie, and acceptance it gave to me when I needed it the most."

Noriene crossed her arms, "No, Sister... you are alive because you are stronger than you give yourself credit. You did it on your own-- the Church was merely your placebo."

The Sheep looked confused, "Pla-cee-boe?"

The Princess thought a moment, choosing an easier route to get her idea across, "You had what you needed inside you all along, but some charlatan tricked you into buying a fake 'magic talisman'-- all it did was give you the confidence you lacked without it."

Sister Yvette lowered her eyes again, "I don't mean to be disrespectful, your Highness, but there were good people at my Church... they weren't frauds."

Lilian didn't miss the chance to get into the conversation, "You broke into my Lady's private quarters, took her handmaiden hostage, and then accused her of theocide... I cannot possibly imagine how THAT is not disrespectful."

Noriene held up a paw, "Thank you Lilian... I believe our guest is already well aware of the folly in her choice of actions."

The Ewe sighed, slumping back against the frame of the Princess' bed, "I have strayed so far from the righteous path..."

The Princess was never one to enjoy the sight of a beat-down woman; she resolved to prove her point and, in so doing, she was confident that Sister Yvette would see the light. "Sister... do you have any idea who would have both the motive and the means to send the Order of Blades against you? ....other than myself, of course."

The nun looked up at Noriene, confusion crossing her features for a moment before she thought about it, "No. No one. We are well liked by all. We aid the poor, take in the destitute and disenfranchised. Our healers are available to any in need, and we have always been a safe place in the southern quarter."

Noriene nodded, "I can imagine the University had often helped by providing supplies to your healers and the Mehnzilian Church granted you alms for your service to the poor?"

Sister Yvette shook her head, "No... The University donated their outdated and expired healing supplies to some of our contacts within the city, but the Mehnzilian Church would never have given us aid... they would just as likely have chosen to wipe us out if they knew where... we were." her voice trailed off and her final words came out as a whisper.

Princess Noriene nodded, smiling on the inside though she maintained a neutral expression on the outside, "Do you believe they would actually do something of the sort?"

The Ewe shrugged, "The Brothers and Sisters of our temple often talked about it... but we have always believed that they would never actually do such a thing. I mean.. if they sent their Templars and Paladins--"

Noriene finished for her, "It would mean political and civil death. People would never stand for such a thing."

The Wolf fell silent after that and let Sister Yvette come to her own conclusion, which she did quite neatly a moment later, "But... the Order of Blades-- they would have the means AND the motive..."

The Princess shook her head, "That is merely conjecture, Sister Yvette... surely not something you can base such an extreme judgment on. I mean... why now? Why suddenly choose now to strike at your temple?"

Noriene honestly did not expect what the Sheep said next, "The Templar! The white scaled Templar we sheltered! He had said the Church was after him, but I didn't realize it until now! It makes perfect sense!"

Noriene had absolutely no response to the exclamation. Of course the wolf had experienced moments when plans fell cleanly into place, but never before had so many wide-reaching threads come so neatly together. It only got better. The Sheep took both of the Wolf's paws in her hands, "Princess... please, I beg of you... Please help me make this right. Help me find the white scaled Templar so we can put an end to the Mehnzilian tyranny."

The Princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and slowly, making no attempt to hide the fact that she was fighting back a weighty reluctance, nodded in affirmation, "You have a noble cause, Sister Yvette; tell me everything you know about the Templar I promise that you shall have my aid in finding him."