Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Last night, Garth had promised to see Miyi and while the house arrest provided certain impediments, he wasn't one to break his word. And while he knew she preferred an early meal, and would likely have already eaten, he hoped dessert wasn't as foregone of a conclusion.

So he arrived on the Thul doorstep with a neatly bound box of assorted pastries from a local cafe. Uncertain as to the rules for receiving giests, he pressed the call button and patiently waited in his nice shirt and slacks.

He is invited to meet her at the chateau. He is given directions.

Garth follows the directions, (despite what his CO's would say, sometimes he followed orders well), and soon found himself at the appointed location.

"Ah hope ye'll forgive th' hour o' the call." Garth announces himself upon finding the building. "Ah didn't hear bout th' complications till this afternoon."

"I can forgive it, Garth Wayne Ulgo," they said as they opened the door. Inside stood a Panteer guard.

"As you can see... well this is your first time here, but I have redecorated." Inside is a large hall with many portraits of this individual along the walls. "Do come in, I hope Duke Ulgo is pleased with your minor distraction of Baroness Miyi Thul. Or maybe it's the other way around?"

"Either way, your Baroness is in another castle."

Garth was momentarily taken aback by the bait and switch for this stranger, but recovered quickly.

"Well ah hope fer two things then," he replied as he crossed the threshold. "One, that you'll carry my apologies t' the Baroness that ah missed her this evening, and two..."

He lifted the bag higher. "D'you like pastries Mr....?"

Garth Wayne Ulgo wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:53 pm

Garth was momentarily taken aback by the bait and switch for this stranger, but recovered quickly.

"Well ah hope fer two things then," he replied as he crossed the threshold. "One, that you'll carry my apologies t' the Baroness that ah missed her this evening, and two..."

He lifted the bag higher. "D'you like pastries Mr....?"

"Xero Thul, but my enemies call me Xero. My friends, are buried out back," they said in a digital voice.

"I do like pastries, thank you."

"Well ah hope ah didn' need t bring mah own shovel, else ah'm woefully unpr'pared." Garth answers as he opens the box, allowing his host first choice.

"So t' what d' ah owe the honor of this meeting?" Garth asked, careful to avoid any specific title.

Xero looked at the pastries and then turned and walked further into the chateau. They continued, “Why did Duke Bouris Ulgo cross the road? To sieze the castle of course and overthrow democracy. But why did he send you to try and sitract or sweet, sweet, ruthless Miyi Thul? Ahem, Baroness Miyi Thul.”

“Do you consider yourself a most charming person? A cunning person?”

"Ah wouldn' presume t' know the Duke's mind, beyond what ah'm told." Garth replies amiably as he ambles along beside Xero.

"Ah just know he wants an Ulgo engaged t' the Panteer heir as 'twas supposed t' be. An he thought me associatin' with yer Baroness would be a good thing fer his plan. Ah don' think he expected it t' work out though, but..." Garth shrugs.

"An' short o' yer ruthless Baroness, very few've called me charming, and cunning? Even less."

“But you are confident, Garth Wayne Ulgo. You labor under the pretense that you have diverted the Baroness. That her duty to House Thul to our Duchess would be so easily cast aside because you took her to dinner or brought her some delectable pastries.”

Xero stopped to look out a large window at the grounds of House Thul, “This is the Game, the Game does not end, Lord Ulgo. If your Duke ordered you to cast the Baroness aside, would you do it?”

Garth just smiles."Well, they are very nice pastries." He quips before a more serious tone slips in.

"Ah seem t' recall yer Duchess havin' the same concerns las' night when we talked. Ah know Miyi has her duty t'her house and no adorably dorky fella is likely t' sway her from it, but this is th' game we are here t' play is it not? All of us have duties t' perform, but when th' festival is over, there'll be a lot of people without a Prince or Princess on their arms."

Garth steps up beside Xero as he looks out the window.

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:45 am

Xero stopped to look out a large window at the grounds of House Thul, “This is the Game, the Game does not end, Lord Ulgo. If your Duke ordered you to cast the Baroness aside, would you do it?”

"Ah ain't one t' blindly follow orders, Xero," Garth replies. "Ah'll honor the Duke as patriarch o' this Family, but ah'm mah own man. Ah intend t' continue courtin' yer Baroness until she herself tells me t' stop."

“I do admire that kind of independence and if your Lord Ulgo goes to war with the Crown if he is denied?” Xero asked.

"Ah've seen wannabe tyrants and dictators on worlds before." Garth answered somberly. "No one family, or individual is greater than the people, 'n anyone who would start a war t' rule..."

A shake of his head precedes his next words. "Well that's not a person ah could call kin in good conscience."

"Well maybe such resolve won't be tested," they responded.

"Ah hope not," Garth agrees. "Would be a shame t' find my ma's family after all these years only to have t' turn against them t' prevent a civil war."

Turning from the window he examines the paintings with curiosity.

The paintings were well done and of a singular subject, the individual standing next to him. Some have them laying on their side, or on a bed, others riding an animal, and even one has a full family, but all of them are wearing the same mask.

“My artist does good work, with the right motivation,” they responded.

Garth thought Xero's mask was a fashion statement at first but now seeing multiple people in a painting wearinh it, his curiosity only rose.

"He's captured yer physicality well 'nuff, but....ah mean...Ah'm sure it's probably some fam'ly secret ya can't divulge, but ah just gotta ask." Garth questions as he points to the family portrait.

"What's with th' masks?"

“I was cursed a beautiful visage and when the Queen laid eyes upon me, she said I could lose my life or my face, and my children needed their parents so I choose to lock this beautiful face away for all time,” they responded.

As fantastical a story as it was, Garth chose to accept it at face value, after all it wouldn't do to call his host a liar in his own chateau.

"An' yer family inherited this similarly breath takin' beauty that they needed be covered as well? Or just a game of dressup they played with their pa?" He asked innocently enough, rembering the silly games his siblings used to play when they were all a lot younger.

“Well Xero-1 was born perfect and beautiful and she is the sweet fruit of my eye, but Xero-2 was born wicked and cruel and when they were five they brawled and Xero-2 killed their sister in a fit of rage. Now I keep Xero-2 in the basement,” they responded.

“My spouse, well, my spouse left me for another.”

“Some nights I find it hard to continue living, and then someone brings me pastries,” Xero finished.