Hieronymus does not want an affair, Elize cries for days and Mercedes does not get along with her aunt
General Summary
Mercedes' Early Morning
Mercedes wakes up at dawn after the wedding, alone in a guestroom at the de Castillio villa. It's worryingly early in the morning and she suspects she is still drunk and the hangover will come later, but the hallucinations have seized at least. On the hunt for breakfast she exits the bedroom and searches the house, but the hosts are nowhere to be found and in the dining room there are only a few unconscious party goers. Dinner from the day before is still stood on the table however, so she swipes a handful of the cold-served food which should not have gone off. Realizing she is supposed to leave for Wassund that day, she decides to start getting productive and sets off back to the Palace, eating on the way.
Worrying about Vivaldi living in the catacombs, that is her first stop. She is still there and seems to be healthy, and is still sleeping at this early hour. With that worry out of the way, Mercedes returns up to the palace proper to speak with her adoptive sister Estanza about their conversation a few days earlier about her potential claim to the throne of Verdina. She is also sleeping, loud snores coming from behind the door.
A bit frustrated, not used to being up early enough that people are still sleeping, she heads to the throne room where Princess-Mayor Mari, her mother is usually at. Her mother is indeed awake and speaking to some advisors. Mercedes isn't sure Mari ever sleeps.
Mari lights up as she sees Mercedes, suprised to see her up and about this early. Mercedes bursts out crying and hugs her, saying she's just so incredibly happy Mari is alive after the assassination attempt the night before. Her mother smiles and says that so is she. Actually, she continues, Mercedes should get a medal for everything she has done for the city.
Then the conversation turns to Vivaldi living in the catacombs. Mari wants her out, she is weird and a heretic and dangerous. Mercedes gets angry and says that Vivaldi has saved her life several times and given priceless help in the investigations and without her she would be dead. Mari answers with a question; what, exactly, has she helped with. Mercedes goes quiet for a few moments before sputtering that Mari already knows the answer to that question. She still wants Mercedes to say it. She looks up defiantly at her mother and says alright, she wants to hear it right here among all servants and advisors?
Mari shoos away the others in the room and turns back to glare at Mercedes. Magic! It's magic, okay? She almost screams the answer. Relentless, Mari asks what sort of magic? Mercedes is on the verge of tears. Black magic. The kind of magic they have been fighting all along? IT'S NOT THE SAME. Mercedes insists she needs Vivaldi's knowledge about what they are fighting. Does she perhaps want to know the things Mercedes has done in this fight too?
Magic! It's magic, okay?!
She very much would like to know. Mercedes considers showing her the amulet made from a Sarkian freak's tooth, or even worse, the possessed wax mask which makes the wearer anonymous. But she chickens out under the pressure of her mother's gaze and mutters that it was nothing. Mari says she doesn't like how much influence that heretic has over Mercedes. Mercedes says she is not a heretic and is about to start arguing again but gives up, as she usually does when talking to her mother, and instead surly answers that she'll talk to Vivaldi because she wanted to leave several times before anyway.
Again Mercedes descends into the catacombs to Vivaldi's dwelling where light sleeping breaths are still heard from behind the door. Mercedes knocking wakes her up and she lets her in. While Vivaldi makes some tea, Mercedes, hoping she'll take it well, tries to gently tell her that maybe she'll better leave because her mother is getting agitated and she wanted to leave anyway right?
Vivaldi does not take it well however, saying that after all she has done for Mercedes and the rest of de Luna, she is thrown out to the wolves? Mercedes half-heartedly says that maybe it's safer somewhere else anyway, but Vivaldi snubs her off and asks where she'd be safer than under the Prince-Mayoral Palace?
For the second time that day, Mercedes relents and agrees that she can't throw Vivaldi out, she needs her and she has saved her life so many times, it's just that her mother always manages to talk her down somehow. But not this time! She'll go right away to tell Mari she won't throw her out.
Back in the throne room, Mari does not like Mercedes' change of heart at all, but she is adamant this time and says that Vivaldi is her friend and if anyone touches her she'll flip out. Very well, says Mari, but she is Mercedes responsibility and if she does anything that gives Mari reason to think she is a spy, she won't hold back.
Fleeing the room before she is persuaded to do any more stuff she doesn't want to, she heads back to Estanza where loud snores are still coming from the room. Although she knows it is still early, Mercedes does not want to wait any longer and enters the room, sits down on the bed and pokes Estanza to wake her up. At first alarmed, she calms down when she sees it's Mercedes and wonders what she wants. Mercedes gets straight to the point and says that regarding what they talked about yesterday, she thinks Estanza should stay with her and the family in Alldris and not tell their mother because Estanza belongs here, not on the throne of the world's most boring country.
Estanza answers that she doesn't like the idea of keeping secrets from their mother. Mercedes says that she just wanted to share her thoughts, and that she'll have to decide herself. But Mari will very likely want to press her claim if she gets to know of Estanza's former family name. Estanza says she'll think about it.
Continuing the conversation, they decide they should spend some more time together and Mercedes asks Estanza if she'd like to come with her to Wassund, she's a warrior after all. Sounds like fun, thinks Estanza, and they agree to prepare and meet later that day.
Elize is Devestated by Guilt
Although newly married and having had a proper night to celebrate, when awakening in their borrowed bedroom at the de Castillio villa in the morning the entire weight of being in mortal danger and the act of taking a life catches up with her. It acts as a further cataclysm, making the reality of all the events during the summer finally sink in.
Crushed and consumed with guilt and self-pity, both from trying to face the reality of her own situation, and from the ghostly face of the man she killed before her inner eye, she is unable to leave the bed. Her husband Julius Nyckel tries to comfort her by saying that the man she killed was a heretic and she was acting in self-defense, but the fact that one of the things weighing most heavily on her is him being prophesized to die young in battle makes his words less than comforting.
Mercedes' Continues to Stress Out
Still in a rush to get everything in order before leaving, Mercedes continues her stressful morning with half walking, half jogging, to the City Palace next door where The Commission has it's headquarters. Matteo Blankros, the vice-leader, is there as per usual. Mercedes asks him to take a walk with her to not get interrupted by Lovena the Chaste again and tells him about the Bellwick Club. That it is mostly just a club for ridiculous amounts of debauchery, which maybe isn't great but also not the worst thing, but they also do rituals as a "joke" to a god named Devitia. Matteo goes pale and says that he recently read that name; it is an alternate name for the demon Dahaka, antagonist to all of existance.
He says that he never thought the corruption ran so deep in the city and they should go further than the newly passed law that bans all worship of The False Phoenix and ban all types of unorthodox behavior. Mercedes realises that, apart from potentially antagonizing a not insubstantial part the the Alldris elite who are members of the club, she also implicated both her wife and her best friend who are members of the club. Besides, she herself has used a fair amount of unorthodox methods in fighting the black magic threat.
With rising dread that she has made a terrible mistake by sharing this with a fanatic, she tries to explain that the vast majority of the members has no idea about the heretical nature of the club. Matteo is not persuaded however and once again defeated Mercedes promises she will ask her father Papelian, the Prince-Mayor Consort, to write a draft to outlaw any practice of unsanctioned rituals and worship.
Jogging back to the Princely Palace, at this point sweating profusely from basically running back and fro all morning, she locates her father who has finally emerged from his office after working basically non-stop for several months. Mercedes tells him she has to leave for Wassund which saddens him a bit since he is actually taking a vacation for the first time ever and had hoped to spend it with his children. He understands she has to work however. She also tells him about the law Matteo wanted him to draft, but adds that since she isn't actually sure if it's a good idea, him having a vacation is the perfect excuse to postpone it. Mercedes gives him a farewell hug and tells him no one deserves a holiday as much as him.
She wants to make one last stop before leaving for Wassund. She heads back to the de Castillio villa where she assumes Elize and Julius are still procrastinating since they are not at the Princely Palace which is their temporary dwelling. Since she will be gone for at least ten days, and since the purpose of the trip is to perform a coupe which could well end in violence, she wants to say goodbye.
She is let inside and knocks on the bedroom door, and is greeted by a desperate Julius and an inconsolable Elize. Julius tells Mercedes that Elize has been like this all day, just sitting in the bed crying and staring into the void, no matter what he tells her, and he feels so powerless. Mercedes feels guilty and sits down next to her on the bed and says she is sorry. Her pride and bloodlust got Elize hurt and she bitterly regrets it.
I could have died... My child could have died...
It doesn't really reach all the way either, Elize doesn't even look up at her. She killed a man, she says. She lost two bodyguards who had been with her for many years. She could have died. Her child could have died. For nothing.
Mercedes realizes that if she was hoping for forgiveness, she will not get any today. She tells Julius that this is her fault. She provoked the angry mob, and if he wants a duel to bring justice to his wife, she will accept. He answers that he would probably do the same, so he will have to think about it.
She goes to the door to leave but turns back to Elize a final time and says that she'll be gone for a while, so she was just hoping to say goodbye. Elize mutters a quiet goodbye, still without looking at her. With a lump in her stomach, Mercedes leaves.
Finishing the final preparations to leave, i.e. gathering the mercenaries from the de Luna household and from The Legion Immortals along with the companions she was to bring, she leaves the city together with her sister Estanza de Luna for the five day trip up the river.
Hieronymus' Morning
Waking up at home, thankfully having a calm and dreamless night of sleep after the very weird and intense events the night before, Hieronymus continues to ignore the still lingering smell of pickled herring. He has recieved another letter; an invitation to Lorenzo di Grande nine days later. The meeting Kleon promised to arrange at the Bellwick Club, or rather in a strange dimension adjacent to the club, a few nights earlier.
First order of the day is however to deliver a (probably malicious) painting commissioned by Klopstock to him. Since he can usually be found at The Rotund Raven, that is where Hieronymus sets off to.
On the way, on a small plaza close to his home, he sees Lisette sculpting a statue, skillfully enough to have drawn an audience of impressed laymen. The motif upsets him, however. It portrays himself and Liam Cross, with incredible likeness. Lifelike and in a classic, romantic pose in every sense of the word. The figure of Hieronymus holds a wounded or otherwise collapsed Liam in his arms, them looking each other deep in the eyes. It is very expressive, radiating tender friendship, romance and affection.
Hieronymus is outraged but does not want to talk to her right now and continues to the tavern. Indeed, in his usual corner sits Klopstock, unmoving and unnerving the tavern-keeper and the other patrons. As he discovers Hieronymus, he greets him heartily and bids him to sit down. Hieronymus hands over the canvas with the painting and Klopstock looks it over and yet again basically drowns the painter with praise.
Oh, my dear Hieronymus... It is perfect. Magnificent. You really are spectacular, my friend. My favorite artist.
He gives Hieronymus a pouch of gold and says that soon, for his amazing services, he might be promoted to more than a valued hireling. If things go well, he will meet the Big Boss soon! Then he asks a bit about the de Lunas whom Hieronymus has gotten chummy with lately, and Hieronymus answers that, well, they're an intense bunch. After thanking him yet again, Klopstock leaves the tavern.
To his chagrin, his friends, or soon probably former friends as he is starting to feel as if he has outgrown them, are there. Deciding to confront Lisette about the sculpture, he sits down at the table and orders a drink.
He tells her that he saw the sculpture and he does not like her using his likeness without his permission, especially in a motif like that. Betraying no emotion, she answers that what he does or does not like is of no consequence. Art does as it pleases. Well, the style and technique isn't very innovative either, says Hieronymus. Lisette meets his eyes and tells him that he thinks he is groundbreaking, but his mind is closed and stuck in it's tracks, and in ten years he will be as stuffy and conservative as those he now loaths.
Hieronymus angrily answers that whatever, just don't make any more portrayals of him. Lisette looks away. Fine, she won't.
After that he heads to the Princely Palace, the current dwelling of the de Luna family, to get started with his commission for a fresco from Princess-Mayor Mari de Luna.
At the Princely Palace
To his relief, Mercedes has already left for Wassund when he arrives. He is shown to the throne/meeting room where Princess-Mayor Mari is, as usual, conferring with her advisors. She shines up as she sees the handsome artist and personally takes him to show where the fresco is to be painted. The motif is to be of her children Miguel and Mercedes, their cousin Brunhilde Nyckel at the Battle of C'trien a few months earlier, which has also been made into a popular opera. She explains that while he is working on the fresco, he will be given accomodations at the palace in the wing with the other artist and musicians whom the family is giving patronage, and all painting resources are of course at his disposal.
She continues with thanking him for the beautiful painting he gifted them last night and asks what he thinks about Remby, who was the one to bring Hieronymus to the household. He admits that he doesn't really like Remby all that much. Mari gives him a wide, warm smile and says that neither does she, honestly. He is a brilliant artist, but he is self-absorbed, boring and will talk down to anyone he can. She only keeps him around for the prestige of being the patron of such a skilled and famous artist.
Hieronymus answers that, well, maybe he can take his place one day. Mari smiles even wider, touches his arm and says she hope that will be the case. Suddenly it dawns on Hieronymus that the Princess-Mayor is flirting with him. She gives him another amicable touch on the arm and says she hopes to see him around.
Not that there is anything wrong with Mari, thinks Hieronymus, she is charming enough. But an affair with her would definitely be more trouble than it is worth. He sees before his inner eye what would happen if her children, whose wild temperament and proficiency with violence he has experienced first hand, were to find out about it. It would definitely be a bad idea.
A commission is a commission, however, and he takes it seriously. He begins his work on the fresco and is struck with almost divine inspiration. As he sketches up the motif over the rest of the day, he can see that this will indeed be one of his best.
Nine Days Pass in Alldris
Eventually leaving the de Castillio villa, Julius escorts his newly-wed wife Elize back to the Princely Palace. She continues to be basically catatonic and proceeds to lock herself in their room for several days, unable to bring herself to answer any summons, meet anyone or read any of the many letters she recieves. Julius stays with her, worried sick that she will never recover and feeling powerless to help, his incredible combat prowess of no help this time. He tells any who asks that she is ill.
Hieronymus solicits the help of Liam Cross, his (former?) friend whom he knows is a skilled artist, to help with the fresco which is an enormous project compared to what he usually does.
Further, turning down the advances of the Princess-Mayor isn't as easy as he would have hoped. For the nine days that pass as he is working on the fresco, he tries to avoid her while walking around the palace, taking alternate routes and slipping into side corridors and around corners when he sees her, she seems to be doing the exact opposite. By "coincidence" she ends up metting him in the hallways and around the palace, always very happy to see him and implying they should maybe share some wine. His turning down her advances aren't discouraging her. In her mind, it's inconceivable a young up-and-coming artist would turn down the advances of not only a patrician, but the very Princess-Mayor herself. She assumes he is just very oblivious and persists.
The 18th of September
Finally, Elize wakes up from what feels like a long dream. All the events of the summer leading up to now still weigh on her, but no, it will not cripple her any longer. It feels managable. Distant. She is Elize Kindling, damn it, and she will not lose control. She asks Julius if she has gotten any letters or such while she was indisposed. He is almost too overjoyed to answer as he realizes she is herself again. She has indeed gotten some letters.
One from Ofelius Rex, the former foreman at the musket manufactory in Wassund, whom she wanted to poach for her own budding manufactory and had sent a secret letter to with an offer to work for her instead. The letter stated that he accepts and is already in Alldris ready to meet her. He will be staying at The Rotund Raven. She realized the letter was already a few days old and she should seek him out as soon as possible.
There are also several, increasingly urgent, summons from Mari de Luna. Since she is most probably in the palace, and is the most powerful person in the city, Elize decides to start there.
Again getting dressed in her sharp, uniform-like suit, she eyes the rapier for a few seconds, reminded of the killing. Her resolve hardens. She puts it on and leave to talk with Mari.
Mari is elevated to see Elize up and about, glad that her illness has passed, but obviously still a bit miffed to have been stonewalled the last few days, even if it was because of health. She wishes to talk about the musket factory which they now co-own but that Elize has full control, and responsibility, for and how the work with setting it up is progressing. It has gone poorly because of her recent illness, Elize explains, but she is actually to meet a new very promising candidate for foreman this very day.
It is the day for Hieronymus' meeting with Lorenzo di Grande. Before that he needs to stop by at his home near Emerald Park to change into some nice clothes. He tries to sneak out of the palace without bumping into Mari who still has not let up her seduction attempts, but fails and is invited to breakfast.
He enters the dining hall where Elize, Julius and Mari are still having breakfast while discussing business, and is greeted with by a smiling Mari as she sees him enter and beckons him to take a seat. They talk for a little while and Hieronymus tries to say that he needs to head home briefly before continuing on the fresco. Elize says that she should get going to the meeting with the prospect foreman. Mari says that, ah yes, she should take some fresh air herself and take a walk in the palace gardens and wonders if Hieronymus would like to join her. He starts saying that he would love to but he needs to run some errands, but doesn't get further than that he'd love to before he is interrupted by Mari exclaiming that that's excellent, they should leave immediately.
Elize butts in and says that since she is heading to Emerald Park anyway, he can get a ride in their wagon. A relieved Hieronymus accepts the offer and Elize is given a dead-pan stare by Mari as they leave.
They drop off Hieronymus at his apartment before continuing to The Rotund Raven where the foreman she poached from the manufactory in Wassund should be waiting.
She enters the middling quality tavern and soon spots a nervous man she recognizes as the man from Wassund. She greets him and sits down and he is very relieved that she has finally showed up. He left everything behind to accept her offer, and he'd be ruined if she hadn't turned up. She explains that she was incapacitated, but now she is here. Without much ado she explains that they are opening a manufactory and she wants him to be the foreman. He eagerly accepts and signs the contract. They then decide to go to the still empty building that will become the center of operations so he can inspect it and write a list of things they need.
Lorenzo di Grande
Hieronymus enters his apartment which has stood empty for several days and swiftly locates his fancy stolen suit, nice and clean. This Lorenzo, whoever he is, lives on Palace Hill and is thus likely a noble and definitely filthy rich. Pleased with his outfit, he leaves for the short-ish walk southward over the bridge and to the address given to him.
It turns out to be one of the larger manors on Palace Hill. He walks through the frontyard and knocks on the door. It takes a while, but finally a servant opens the door and lets him in. He is taken to the atelier where the grand Lorenzo himself is standing, painting a number of nude models standing in different poses before him. As he notices Hieronymus he greets him and sends the models away.
After trading introductions and talking for a bit, Hieronymus says that he wants to learn more. More about the places art can take you. About what is behind the veil. Lorenzo shows him a painting he has painted; a still life of a bowl of apples, very realistic but ultimately rather plain. He asks Hieronymus what he thinks of it. He answers truthfully: It's uninteresting, innit.
Take an apple.
Lorenzo asks him to take an apple and nods towards the painting. Hieronymus looks at him confused for a moment then reaches to take an apple. To his amazement he sees his hand enter the painting, looking slightly like part of the painting, and grabs one of the apples. He retrieves his hand and in it is indeed a seemingly normal apple.
He asks Lorenzo how? Did he create this apple? Lorenzo shrugs and says he does not quite know, he has just always been able to do this. But he can try to show Hieronymus if he wants, and asks him to paint a portrait of him. But really let loose, forget what you know.
Hieronymus starts painting, really giving it his all. A few hours pass as he tries to really capture what Lorenzo is. At last, he finishes it, and it really is a very skillfully done painting. But as he looks it over it isn't quite as he has imagined. It is good, but it isn't transcendent.
Studying it, Lorenzo says the same thing, but at the same time he does see great potential. He asks Hieronymus if he wants to try again.
Again Lorenzo sits down and Hieronymus starts anew. Several more hours pass and it is late when he finish. This time, the painting does end up as he imagined. But Lorenzo sees he held back this time. Still, he invites Lorenzo to stay the night and they can continue tomorrow. Hieronymus might finally be someone who can learn what Lorenzo can teach.
A Few Days Earlier in Wassund
Mercedes, her adoptive sister Estanza and their crew of "bodyguards" has arrived in Wassund and arrive at the Palace where aunt Duchess Agatha Nyckel still rules, and where the heir Brunhilde Nyckel and their brother Miguel de Luna are also hopefully dwelling at the moment. The hope is to convince Brunhilde that her mother has lost her mind and isn't fit to rule, and they should make her step down and leave the throne to Brunhilde.
They arrive unannounced and Mercedes and Estanza are allowed to enter, but have to leave the bodyguards outside. Very well, says Mercedes who reasons that they can fetch them later when it is time for the coup.
They are led to the throne room where Agatha sits. The room is decorated in mourning colors, as is Agatha. She is, apparently, crying all days as there are servants ready to deliver napkins. She glares at the two girls as they enter. She says that this was an unexpected surprise. The mood quickly turns even more sour as Mercedes says that this mourning is ridiculous since Julius isn't dead and she can go see him at any point to which she answers that no, he is lost and she ccould not bear seeing him in warrior's gear. After a short viscious argument Mercedes and Estanza are asked to leave but they are welcome at the dinner later.
Instead they go to Brunhilde's quarters and knock. Their brother Miguel opens and is very surprised, but elevated, to see them as Mercedes jumps on him and gives him a flying hug. They are let into the room where Brunhilde is also sitting and she says it's nice to see them, but wonders why they're here since she assumes it isn't just for the company.
Seeing no use in tiptoeing around the subject, Mercedes bluntly says that her mother Agatha is a menace, she is too far gone and they need to depose her and put Brunhilde on the throne, at least until when and if Agatha regains her sanity. Brunhilde rubs her temples and says that that may well be true, but the gods will never forgive her if she goes against her own mother. Mercedes answers that she is not fit to rule, and as nobles they have a responsibility to the people too. Asor will understand.
But it's my mother. Would you go against your own mother?
I don't know... And I seriously hope I never have to find out...
Brunhilde says she needs some time to think and Mercedes and Estanza leave her and Miguel for the time being. Mercedes asks Estanza how she thinks she handled it, and Estanza answers that it went well, now they just have to hope.
A few hours pass before it is time for dinner. While Mercedes and Estanza do not look forward to the prospect, they don't want to raise suspicions (more than they already have by arriving unannounced) and are hungry, so they participate. There is a very chilly mood at the table, but aunt Agatha is silent at least which Mercedes sees as a major improvement from the last visit where Agatha spent every dinner constantly insulting Mercedes.
Not one for chilly moods, Mercedes strikes up some more or less casual conversation with her brother and Brunhilde, regaling the stories of what has happened in Alldris since they left. She soon gets to the part where she saved their mother Mari de Luna from assassins at Elize and Julius wedding, realizing too late that the wedding might be a sensitive topic.
Agatha speaks for the first time since dinner started. How is Elize, her son's kidnapper, she wonders? Mercedes again, fruitlessly, explains that he came with her of his own volition and she has never seen any of them happier and could aunt please stop acting crazy. Has she perhaps met Laura, Elize aunt? Does she perhaps even collaborate with her? No, not really, I tried to shoot her once.
Mercedes met The Phoenix, didn't she? Yes, so what. They say The Phoenix can perform miracles, Agatha continues. Black magic, answers Mercedes. It didn't look like black magic to her, Agatha adds coldly. Mercedes is starting to realize something really bad is about to happen.
Miracles or not, she would battle her all the same, says Mercedes. Her allies are monsters.
I don't care, answers Agatha angrily. They can give her something Mercedes and her damned city can not. Her son.
Heavy footsteps echo from the corridors and a large amount, dozens, of soldiers enter the dining hall. Brunhilde tries to ask her mother what in the world she is doing, but is shushed down. She orders the de Lunas arrested as they stand up and draw their blades.
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