Corantine 25, 1668

Writing this should be quite interesting & not exclusively for content, mind you, but because I am presently riding in a carriage across the barren wastelands of the Seiger Province of Eisen - a very uncomfortable path, I can assure you. If I am not black & blue from all of the ruts in this poor excuse for a road, I will most certainly be surprised.

That being said, I have just departed the equally dark & dreary fortress-town of Stahlfort, home of Eisenfurst Erich Seiger- father of my dear Logan. Last night, my companions & I shared dinner with him, and he & I would engage in a conversation that has left me in quite a quandary.

I SO want to write him, to tell him of that discussion, but I’m uncertain of how he would react to my shattering everything he has grown up thinking about his father. …And then there’s my recent assault on the world’s most powerful man. I am hoping against hope that his love for me is strong enough to withstand the price on my head. I guess I’ll find out that much when I receive his letter on the first. No doubt he has heard about my high jinx in Charouse by now…

Speaking of, the very moment I set foot upon the ship, we will be sailing for Ussura to begin a mission that may mean the end of l’Empereur’s tyranny. Strangely enough, Dominique du Montaigne herself has commissioned me for this job! Imagine that- myself in cahoots with his very own daughter!

Oh, but so much has transpired over the past month, I suppose I should get to telling it before Dio wakes up. I have things to share with him as well…

Well, the whole adventure began back on the Roth as we sailed from Freiburg, back when I got the absolutely lovely idea in my head to thwart l’Empereur’s Birthday.

I began to plan immediately, writing down every thought.

Eventually Serpente came up for dinner, leaving at the wheel, to my utter astonishment, to Willem Karls- from Freiburg! I would share a drinks & lovely conversation with him later that evening & many more in the weeks to come. I am so glad to have a FreeThinker on board!

Ah, but I get ahead of myself. I spoke to Willem AFTER dinner. During dinner, however, I would my share l’Empereur’s birthday plans with my apprehensive crew, who eventually conceded to join me in my insanity.

Phase one of my plan would be implemented the following day.

The goal was to take as many Montaigne noble & merchant ships as possible, drop our booty off in Avalon, & sail down to Charouse in time to plan an historic public humiliation.

The most delicious of our captures, in my humble opinion, was the one with the least amount of monetary payoff, but the personal gratification was immense! It was a noble pleasure cruiser & to my delight, it belonged to one Monsieur Pierre Bois du Lac- the poor unfortunate who had the audacity to challenge ME to a mockery of a duel in Freiburg!

He was, understandably, quite surprised to see me, but I made the meeting worth his while by offering him sackcloth to wear & cutting off his clothes when he refused. Finally, I requested help from my Avalon sailors (as his family had been the one to have once occupied Avalon), & they undressed him rather nicely. My men & I then coaxed him, at sword point, into getting on his knees & licking my boots clean. When he promised to see me hung, I simply made him aware of his dirty tongue & sent him on his way, with his men, in a long boat just off the coast of Eisen. (I still contend that he should have been thankful for the entire experience. I know of plenty of Montaigne Noblemen who would gladly pay a great deal of money for the service I’d just provided him…)

While we would never have gotten a decent ransom from him, being but a du Lac, & we did manage to take the few baubles he had, but the sheer fun of humiliating him was well worth the effort! Including the other ships we took, we were able to round up 20,000 guilders worth of food, wine, expensive gifts & clothes.

For each ship we attacked, I made certain to tell those on board: "If you have a problem with what I’ve done, by all means, tell l’Empereur. He’s the reason I’m here."

Speaking of his highness- one of the merchant ships we had taken, to my absolute delight, would be carrying a small shipment of tapestries! I chose to keep one, which I had painted with my jolly roger- it would make the absolute perfect & fitting birthday gift for l’Empereur!

Our entire journey to the Sea Dog Haven of Canguine, in Avalon, was a great deal of fun, for my sailors & myself. Many of those days we would spend capturing & exasperating nobles to their wits end, every night we would meet below decks for wine & song.

Part of the entertainment on the voyage can be directly attributed to one of the Avalon sailors who aided me in undressing the Dandy du Lac. This one has since pronounced himself "Lord du Naught" & goes around with his nose in the air, wearing the noble’s coat & hat over his sailor pants & tarred feet. Every time any member of the crew contradicts him, he threatens to tell l’Empereur. Once I wished him a "good morning" & he swore to tell the Emperor I said that!

Well, I have officially declared him to be the welcoming party for captured nobles, so when they come on board he greets them, agrees with them on how disgraceful the whole situation is & tells them how he will take it up with l’Empereur! Needless to say, the whole spectacle is extremely comical!

During this time I would write, & Dupré would deliver, my first letter to Logan, including with it a lock of my hair. I miss him so terribly.

Anyway, just 8 days before we were due to be in Charouse & while McKrimmon arranged the sale of our ill-gotten goods, we would take two wonderful days in Canguine. The majority of the first day, I would spend in a fabulous, boisterous bar known as "The Broken Compass" drinking, singing & telling stories with the regular rowdy sailors. The first night, I would enjoy the pleasure of a virile & vigorous Sea Dog. My final day, however, found me receiving 2 new tattoos- crossed rapiers just below my belly button & the name of Logan Seiger in an elegant script around my ankle. (To be honest, I would have loved to have it displayed in a prominent area, but, with the way I attract enemies…)

We made for Montaigne on the night of Corantine 12 & sailed full-speed to Paix. L’Empereur’s birthday was on the 18^th, so we didn’t have much time when we arrived. I left O’Connel in charge of the ship & instructed him to wait for us just down the river in Manché.

While in Paix, we purchased Gentlemen’s garb for all of my officers but McKrimmon, who downright refused to wear them. I finally conceded to allow him to wear his traditional Highland tartan. From there, we rented a carriage to the nation’s capitol.

We would arrive the day before the event & found it necessary to immediately make for the plaza to finalize plans. By that evening, we had a concrete system ready. Dupré & the sailor (who I would later come to know as Maurice) would take guard at a sewer gate that we’d chosen a few blocks from the site. Serpente & Erik would each douse a gift table (which was on either side of l’Empereur’s table) with powder & wait for my signal before lighting them. McKrimmon would stand behind the scenes & make sure that a path was cleared for me when it came time to leave.

The plan went flawlessly, as I knew it would!

We all went dressed in our finest, walking towards the party as if we belonged there. As we passed, we overtook the guards at the sewer gate quite easily. After knocking them unconscious & throwing them down into the sewer, Dupré & our Montaigne sailor would don their clothes & stand guard as if nothing had happened.

Serpente & Eric would make their way to the gift tables, while McKrimmon & I would continue onto the Entertainer’s tent. There, I changed out of my gown & into my bodice, pants & boots. To my delight, I would also find an obnoxiously bright rainbow-striped cloak, under which I was able to hide my weapons & my gift.

When the juggler’s performance was done, I made my way down the entertainer’s aisle to the stage, waving & smiling all the way. I simply oozed confidence as I took the round stage in the center of the plaza. Even as I faced the thousands of nobles & commoners, I was never once nervous & I would give a truly legendary performance.

I greeted everyone, & asked for their attention, followed by a speech that I had previously written & now relayed flawlessly:

"I would love to welcome you- Lords & Ladies, Nobles & Commoners to the greatest event on Theah & one that I am CERTAIN everyone here will be sure to remember for years to come!"

After the loud clamor of anticipatory applause died down, I enthusiastically continued, "I am, of course, referring to of the date of birth of the biggest, most pompous, posturing, parasite & pestilence to ever have plagued the common man of Montaigne, l’Empereur Leon du Montaigne."

Many gasps & whispers followed, & by now I began to notice several Musketeers heading in my direction, but I continued quite fearlessly: "So, in honor of such a man, and I use the term loosely, I myself have brought fitting gift." I threw back the cloak, revealing my tattooed visage, weapons, & bundle, before turning to face the red-faced & furious patriarch. I was undaunted.

"Being quite aware of your downright nauseating love of tapestries, l’Empereur, Sir…" I gave a dramatic & over-exaggerated bow, "I am all too happy to present you with this humble token of my esteem."

At this point, guards completely surrounded me, but I simply smiled & acted as if I had all of the time in the world as I allowed the tapestry to open, face-forward, before him. I turned then, to each direction, showing my gift to the entire audience. When I again faced l’Empereur, I gracefully laid it face up as if at his feet. I stood smiling, quite pleased with myself as I drew my weapons.

At that very moment, so perfectly timed, there was an enormous "boom" as l’Empereur’s precious present tables exploded, sending flaming gifts flying through the air. Complete & total chaos ensued! Some Musketeers ran to protect the Emperor, while others attempted to keep order. Servants, entertainers & commoners ran for the exits like panicked herd animals. The sound of screaming portals echoed throughout the plaza as sorcerous nobles made their escapes.

While the guards around me were gathering their wits from the blast, I jumped from the stage, using one of their heads as a springboard & taking on several of them as I landed. After taking a harsh stab to the middle, I realized that I was far outnumbered & made a fighting retreat to, and leapt up on, an abandoned table. Again set upon by Musketeers, I thought to jump down behind it & throw it, and it’s savory delights, up at them. Quite unexpectedly, however, my jump failed & I landed hard on my bottom! (Yes, it still hurts & this damned carriage ride isn’t helping any either…)

By this point, some of them had followed in my footsteps- on to the table now & I had to think fast! I mean, as much as I enjoy having several men on top of me, this is certainly not what I would have in mind! I kicked up as hard as I could, toppling the table, my pursuers & all of the tasty treats onto the guards behind them.

I took advantage of their shameful condition & dashed over to McKrimmon, who was attempting to fight off two guards. In quite an impressive maneuver, if I do say so myself, I jumped up on to another noble family’s table & back down onto the back of one of his foes, then throwing all of my weight back, I took him to the ground & sliced his throat with both of my weapons.

By the time I returned to my feet again, the Quartermaster had dispatched the other & we both hastened through the winding streets of Charouse. Our "guards" opened the sewer gates as we approached, closing them immediately behind us. I was both surprised & relieved to find my entire crew- in one piece no less!

We all took seats in the cold entryway, talking, laughing & sharing our individual experiences, but before long Dupré & Maurice entered. It seems that a group of our pursuers had passed & asked them if they’d seen us. The luscious Topsman said that they seemed rather suspicious at the time & suggested we make tracks before they returned. Unfortunately, none of us had thought to bring either a torch or a compass, so we moved forward without a clue.

After a short while, we’d come to a 4 way torch lit intersection, where we were met by 2 figures- one concealed in a black cloak & the other… made my skin crawl. She wore the long, black gown & spider webbed veil of a Vodacce Fate Witch! A soft, female voice came from the cloaked figure; she wanted to speak to me, urgently. I motioned for her to uncover her face & when she did, I recognized her immediately as Dominique du Montaigne- l’Empereur’s youngest daughter.

"Fancy meeting YOU here… in the sewer." I said, smirking, as I put away my blades.

She seemed rather impatient, anxious even, & after some encouragement from her companion, she repeated that she needed to speak to me. I nodded, asked my men to stay behind & led her into a nearby corridor. I sat, crossing my legs quite casually & simply asked, "Well?"

She began to speak in that unintelligible Montaigne double-talk, which I’d never had the stomach for. I was able to gather that her husband was in danger & her Fate Witch handmaiden had told her that I was the one to help. During my speech, she had seen a red sword fate strand appear between l’Empereur & myself & followed that strand to me.

(Which incidentally makes me wonder why l’Empereur’s Fate Witch wife would not have done the same thing in order to capture me…)

Anyway, I asked her why I should help, explaining that I had 100 men counting on me for pay, so what was in it for me? At this she became noticeably exasperated, going on frantically about how we were running out of time & finally spoke in plain, simple, ordinary Montaigne:

It seems that her husband, Montague, was a great war hero- a commoner made general by l’Empereur. He is beloved by the people to such an extent that her father began to fear his popularity & sent him off to fight against the frozen nation of Ussura. He had been sent to die. Were he to find out the Emperor’s plan, he would surely return with an entire army of rabidly loyal men. Did I see now what she was getting at?

10,000 guilders later, we had come to an agreement. I was to travel to Ussura & make sure that Montague received a letter bearing her seal, which would explain everything. She also gave me papers that would see me past the Montaigne outpost on the pretense of "official business of l’Empereur", & a strange Syrneth compass, which would always point to it’s mate- which her husband carried at all times. Once my mission was complete, she also promised both compasses to me as a portion of my reward.

At this point, we heard the echo of footsteps & voices- the Musketeers were nearly on us! Dominique quickly told me which corridor would take us out of the sewers & instructed me to go directly to the Hotel du Martisse, where we would receive safe passage out of the city. We then returned to the intersection where we’d make a hurried farewell.

The guards were in our line of vision now & firing at us. I told the men to follow me & we made a fighting retreat down the proper corridor. As Erik returned fire, missing one, I realized how very weak the walls were, so I had him aim for the walls just behind us, crumbling them & buying us some time.

We hadn’t been running long when we came to a ladder that led upward. Truly, I had no idea is this was the route she’d meant, but there was no time to think about it. I climbed up into an empty room with yet another ladder & up that ladder into a theater’s back stage! My men followed right behind me, but the Musketeers were right behind them!

I slashed through the red velvet curtain & ran out onto the stage of what would turn out to be a very large, very crowded opera house! There was one poor lady on stage who seemed quite confused at the interruption, but attempted to sing anyway. "Attempted" being the operative word, she needed all of the help she could get!

While my men fought the guards on the stage, their captain came directly after me, but I cut the rope to the sandbag & rode it to the top of the curtain. From there, I flung myself onto the chandelier & swung back & forth on it until I was able to swing onto the balcony. Just as I landed, however, I would find myself surrounded by the captain (who looked rather proud of himself, I might add) & some of his men.

I simply smiled back at him before jumping from the balcony & riding my blades down the curtain, back on to the stage. Once there, I ordered my men to stop playing with the Musketeers & we all made a mad dash for the front door. We quite effortlessly outran our pursuers & would make the rest of the journey to the hotel using the cover of shadows & alleyways.

A friendly, older man greeted us, very warmly. He apologized, but it would be too dangerous to drive us out that night & we couldn’t stay in a regular room due to all of the searches going on around town. A room, however, had been set up for us in the cellar & we would be brought anything we would need.

Sure enough, we were led down through a trap door to a very large & relatively well appointed room where we would spend our evening eating, drinking & conversing. It was there that I came to know the sailor, Maurice du Voux. I would learn that he was a commoner, an orphan, who took to the sea as a cabin boy at the tender age of 12. When asked what he thought of today’s events, he admitted, a bit nervously, but honestly, that it was all quite insane, but… he was proud to have been a part of it. Between his candor & allegiance, he was instantly endeared to me & I have since decided to have him accompany me for my mission in Ussura.

The next morning we were given a delicious breakfast & morning paper. I, of course, had to read the front-page story: "Ruthless Pirate Disrupts L’Empereur’s Party!" I was SO proud as I read aloud, until I came to the bounty he’d put on my head… a mere 12,000 guilders! While everyone tried to console me, telling me that a man could easily retire very well on that sum & never have to work another day in his life, I wouldn’t be comforted. I mean, 12,000 guilders for a man of unlimited means! I was & still am insulted!

Dupré requested the paper, which I handed him in disgust. Before long, he began to laugh & when I asked why, he simply laid it down on the table, pointing to the Theater Review section: "…although the fight scene in the middle of the third act seemed rather awkward."

Shortly after breakfast, we were escorted outside to carriages, which featured seats that flipped open! While riding inside carriage seats was an extremely uncomfortable way to travel, at least the roads were paved- unlike this Theus-forsaken place!

Anyway, after some travel, our carriages came to a halt & I would hear a voice I recognized as the Musketeer Captain. He asked our driver if he’d seen us, to which he replied that he had not. He asked then why he were so far away from the city with empty carriages, nothing how strange that was, but he simply answered that he was picking up passengers in Manché. While the Captain didn’t sound very convinced, he left just the same & we continued on.

Before long, the carriages stopped once more & we were encouraged to step out to stretch. As this point, a very cramped Dupré, with my permission, decided to Porte back to the ship instead of "suffering any more of that." For once I envied his otherwise disturbing talent…

It had been awhile since our run-in with the Musketeers, so now we rode on the seats for the rest of the trip- Serpente & I in one carriage, Maurice & McKrimmon in the other. Just inside of Manché, Dio & I caught sight of riders closing fast behind us- the Musketeers…again! Our driver must have noticed them too because we sped up to the docks. I thanked him very quickly before running to the ship. The gangplank raised just as the guards reached the waters edge & they attempted, quite pathetically, to fire at us from shore.

Their Captain began yelling at me, shaking his fist & swearing to find & capture me, as the ship began to drift away. In response, I blew kisses & waved happily, yelling, "Goodbye, I’ll miss you, I’ll never forget you!"

Even at that distance, I could easily make out the red in his cheeks. I swear, I’ve never been so pursued by a man in all of my life! Oh, well, he shall just have to live his life without a successful conquest. Poor man.

Once we were safely on the water, I’d take Allende for a walk before sharing drinks & news of my exploits with Willem, who was rather amused, but pointed out that I may wish to take extra precautions now with the outstanding bounty on my head…

At dinner, my men & I would discuss yesterday’s events & the concerns that should be addressed as a result. I arranged with O’Connel to have a guard placed at my door at night & he also promised to speak to the men about it, but positively. After this, all would turn in except for Dupré, whom I requested conference with. He was the newest of my officers & I needed to know where his loyalties lie.

He took Serpente’s chair at my side & eased all of my concerns in his usual, witty & darkly sarcastic way. He had no love for Montaigne & hadn’t had ambition in years. We drank together & continued into a conversation about growing up as Montaigne Nobility & the disgust we held for our families. Out of the blue, he asked quite bluntly who my father was! I nearly choked. He apologized at once, saying that it didn’t really matter to him, he was simply curious. With that he continued on about his family.

He truly was the son of a MINOR noble- an Intendant, no less, with high aspirations of becoming a Marquis. Had it been anyone but him, I would have laughed. He then announced his full name as "Dupré Dandonneu du Aur".

Now, I admit, I was a bit intoxicated by this point & he was so very attractive, even more so in the moonlight, not to mention that I finally felt understood, as one Montaigne Noble to another. I repeated his name & he nodded. I held out my hand, saying, "Zephyrne Allais du Crieux." He took my hand, but as he did, his face went white. "Allais du Crieux," He repeated solemnly, "I knew one of your kinsmen, I think. I wish I never had… his name was Giles."

My blood ran cold now at the mention of that name!

My cousin was truly an evil man, & represented everything I despise about nobles! I remember hearing of his brutality when I was young. Even for a Montaigne Noble, Giles was cruel beyond measure. Once, in an Avalon port, he savagely murdered a serving boy who spilled tea on his trousers by dragging the boy into the kitchen & dumping him head first into a boiling kettle of soup, prompting Queen Elaine herself to put a price on his head.

He would brag of his cruelties & laugh about his exploits against "lesser folk" while at court and at parties, including the incidents where he sexually assaulted his literature teacher & lit his music instructor's hair on fire then gave him Vodka to douse it with, permanently scarring the man & nearly costing him his life- ensuring he lived in chronic pain & ruining his career. It was just an amusing prank to Giles. He was a skilled Valroux swordsman himself, so even those nobles in the Allais family who found his behavior objectionable wouldn't dare speak out, which even as a young girl I found reprehensible. I couldn’t understand why no one DID anything, which may be partially why I feel the need to act against those like him as an adult.

I would discover that Giles himself had murdered Dupré’s dearest friend. I nearly cried. I apologized sincerely, but he seemed almost not to hear me, saying, "I hope I never run into him again." I informed him, quite quickly, that the monster was dead, but he replied, "Yes, he was dead when I met him." With that, the despondent topsman simply stood & walked away.

The conversation stuck with me all night, bothering my sleep & disrupting the few dreams I had. I couldn’t stand the new cold gulf that had developed between us, most especially over a bastard like Giles! …And what did he mean about being dead when he last saw him?? I had him brought to me the next morning before breakfast. There was no doubt that relations were still quite tense between us.

When I breached the topic, he simply said that he’d drank far too much & we should never have discussed it. I agreed, but it had been done, regardless. He took a seat & I asked him what he meant by his parting comment of last night. With a deep sigh, he replied that Giles was no longer a concern, as he’d last seen him disappearing beneath the waves. While I was made content concerning his story, I still wanted assurance that he didn’t hold my cousin’s actions against me, "I would hate to think so, you know how I like you." He swore that that was not so, as it would be quite silly of him & while he seemed sincere, the doubt & insecurity still remains.

When Dio wakes up, I have every intention of telling him about those conversations, but we’re halfway to the ship now, as if one could tell by the featureless land, & I must finish this entry, so I shall continue from Starke.

The town of Starke was actually a bustling port city on the very edge of the Seiger Province of Eisen & seemed like quite a nice place. We needed to lay low for a while anyway before heading back out through Montaigne waters, so I gave instructions to McKrimmon for a 4 day leave.

Once all was settled concerning the ship, Serpente, Allende & I made for a hotel. We would find a relatively nice one just past the docs, but before we could even check in, I ran into an old friend! Reginald Carlson, the attractive Avalon Explorer who had traveled with me to retrieve Hicks’ treasure, was sitting at a table, nose in a book. I meandered over quietly & stood beside him until he looked up. He seemed quite pleased to see me, & at the time… I was glad to see him.

I immediately told him about Mondavi Island & the strange architecture & creatures there, which led to the golden artifact I had hidden beneath my bed. Not wishing to go into detail there, I offered to show it to him & he was all too excited about it. I gave Dio some money to reserve a room for me as well, before leading Carlson to the ship.

He was very intrigued by the little statue, & rather confused by it- it was unlike anything he’d ever seen, & certainly did not seem to be Syrneth. I explained to him what it did, which piqued his interest even more. He wanted to examine it more, but I was reluctant to part with it, as it had saved me from Reis once… I may need it again.

When he asked if I had anything else, I handed him the compass that the Lady du Montaigne had given me, explaining that I couldn’t part with it either… for the time being. This piece fascinated him also, especially when he learned of its partner.

He informed me then that Stefan Heilgrund has commissioned him to identify & research Syrneth artifacts for him. In fact, that’s where he was headed. It seems that the young Eisenfürst has a love for Syrneth relics & Carlson assured me that he would also enjoy my collection. In fact, he was certain that Eisenfürst Heilgrund would be willing to pay a nice amount just to be allowed to examine them, & my officers & I would no doubt be allowed to stay at the castle during that time.

Ah, an opportunity to meet "under better circumstances"! If there were some money involved & a nice place to stay, why not visit Heilgrund? We had gotten along so very well at our unfortunate meeting on the Freiburg battle lines. Besides that… we’d have to sail past Freiburg on the way… I could quite easily order a shore leave there. Even more, calculating times & dates, compensating for extra time in Ussura, we should be able to be in Freiburg for my birthday! Oh, how I would love to see Logan for my birthday! Yes, it must happen, it simply must.

I decided then & there that it would be done & told Carlson that he could inform his patron of my decision & to expect me in Decimus. The Explorer was very pleased, giddy even, he just couldn’t seem to wait to study those pieces!

Back at the hotel bar, over drinks, the wheels in my mind began to turn again. I’d been so excited about the prospect of seeing my scribe again; I began to realize that his father was relatively nearby & out of morbid curiosity I asked Carlson how far it was to the capitol. Only 75 miles, he replied, in fact, he was taking a carriage there in the morning & I was welcome to join him.

I couldn’t resist. It was just too close & too easy. I needed to see Erich Seiger- just to catch a glimpse of him, but to be completely honest I wanted to tell him off for abandoning a son who means so much to me. Somewhere in the Eisenfurst, I saw my own father- a man who never loved his child, took responsibility, but never gave love & eventually cast them aside. I thought I understood, but I would find that even Logan does not…

Anyway, the next morning’s ride was straight from the pit!

I know how I used to like Carlson, but that was before spending a 15-hour carriage ride with him! At least on the ship, I could admire him from afar & long for what I didn’t know, but all of my interest dissipated on the trip to Stahlfort. I swear, he involved himself in the most boring conversation- Syrneth this & Syrneth that! I would find that the view of the burned & battered ground was infinitely more interesting, which isn’t saying much.

It was almost like we were traveling through another world- a world with no trees, save for the charred stumps of trees that once were. A world where the entire ground consists of packed mud & it’s starving residents can be seen harvesting fresh silt from the lakes in an attempt to fertilize the desolate ground.

To think Erich Seiger himself had this done to keep Castille from taking his land, & at what cost! Well, it did what he intended, I suppose- nobody wants it, & all I want is to get away from it!

Anyway, Stahlfort was equally dreary in a paranoid, military sort of way. It was a town captured in time; looking almost as if we’d stepped back about 400 years! The city itself was practically a fortress embedded into the mountainside. Just to get into town, we needed to pass through 6 gatehouses, between the mountain & a 60 foot high wall lined with murder holes & parapets, which led up to not 1, but 2 main gates, separated by 30 feet of kill zone.

One would think that, with all of that trouble, the town would be somewhat interesting, but I would find it as dark & dreary as the rest of the land that surrounded it.

Anyway, after the painfully bumpy ride & Carlson’s incessant yammering, I truly NEEDED a drink, so our first stop was a local pub. We would be greeted by an extremely unfriendly older man who looked as rough as the homeland he occupied. He took issue with my only being able to pay in guilders, charging me double for the thick, black brew he offered. When I asked if there were an inn, he simply grumbled, "No Inns here."

Carlson apologized to us immediately, saying he wouldn’t have suggested we come if he had known there was nowhere to stay. He offered then that we request a room from a local farmer. Serpente suggested that I use my "local nobility" & ask for boarding from the Eisenfurst. It didn’t take much to convince me. Not only did I not feel like sleeping in some dingy farmhouse, but Seiger was the reason I was here.

We approached the huge, guarded doors of the keep & when stopped, I announced my name & intentions. The guard disappeared inside for a short while before returning & leading us through the doors into a cold, dark, murder-hole lined hallway. He met us at the end of the hall, with servants & guards in tow. The Eisenfurst was clad in a dracheneisen gauntlet, arm guard & a dracheneisen boot. Besides the stony demeanor, mustache, & short hair, I would find he looked uncannily like his son. There was certainly no doubt of relation… when it came to looks, that is.

His personality was another matter.

"Yes. What is it?" He asked in a blunt, harsh tone.

I must admit I was quite taken aback, but what did I expect, really?

I introduced myself as "Lady Von Drachenheim, a noble from Freiburg", in an attempt to see if he had any reaction whatsoever to the mention of the city, but none was immediately apparent. I told him that my companions & I were staying the evening in Stahlfort & requested lodging.

He sighed & waved his hand dismissively, saying, "You can sleep in the barn."

I nodded, turned & walked away, muttering about how I understood why Logan left. Now, I don’t know if he heard me, but before we reached the door, he called us back.

"Freiburg, you say?" He asked once we returned. He nodded curtly before announcing that we were to have dinner with him that night. He ordered his men to show us to rooms until then.

Once in my cell (which is the only way I can properly describe my accommodations), I painted my lips, brushed my hair & dressed in the fine satin ball gown I’d worn to my farewell party in Freiburg. It looked exceedingly out of place with its bright red accents on black & white stripe, but it was no doubt lively & lively is just what that prison needed!

I was called for dinner just as I’d finished dressing & was led to another lifeless, gray room, but this one featured a dining table! As soon as I’d taken my seat, my host opened the conversation quite plainly with: "So, tell me of Freiburg." I told him that all I knew was my story there, but I didn’t want to bore him. He insisted, so I told him of our entire shore leave, from the Mad Wolves to the Memorial with the exception of the mine… and Logan.

When I announced that I was done, with a rather perturbed look, he replied that he didn’t know if my story was told in some strange Montaigne double talk, but it was quite obvious I’d left out everything about his son.

I picked at my meager roast chicken & glared at him from across the table. For fear that what I wanted to say would get me clapped in irons, I simply told him I was surprised he was interested at all. He stared me down now, asking, "Why should it surprise you that I’m interested in MY son?" I informed him, in case he didn’t already know, that Logan thinks he hates him. To this he replied, "He’s just a boy. He’ll understand some day." Followed by, "Now tell me about my son."

I was seething at this point, but I figured I’d humor him. I told him that Logan was doing well & Trague’s book was almost finished. He seemed almost pleased as he asked if I knew of his plans once the book was complete. I leaned forward, looking sharply into his eyes, "All I know is that he has promised to call for me & I have promised to come." He noticeably relaxed, "Oh, to celebrate the completion of the book, no doubt." But then he leaned forward again, thoughtfully. "…Or is there more?"

I didn’t say a word, just sat, livid, in silence. I guess my silence was telling, as the truth quite visibly began to dawn on him.

"You & my son are close." He said. While I tried to formulate a response, he candidly stated, "That was not a question."

That was it. I’d held back a little too much for far too long.

"He’s the most intriguing man I’ve ever met," I snapped, "You should be proud!"

To my shock & utter amazement, he replied, "I am."

…And for the second time in my life, I was speechless.

"Now… tell me about my son." He repeated, and this time I obeyed, stammering at first as I retold the story, editing Logan back in along the way. Towards the end of the tale, however, I found myself all smiles & giggles, going on about sharing my hard tack with him & our promises to write & mine to return. Towards the end, he ALMOST seemed to smile as well…

When I finished, he looked me up & down curiously, finally asking me who I was & what I did. Seeing what he was getting at, I assured him that I was noble, even before I came to Eisen. I immediately continued on about mine & Logan’s many conversations about nobility- how what makes one is noble are their deeds & not their birth. "My son said that??" He asked, seemingly very pleased. "Yes," I replied, "…And we are agreed."

He almost smiled again, nodding, before excusing himself as he had a Könnigsreich to run. Before leaving, he informed me that my company & I would be leaving in the morning. The rapport that had slightly warmed between us instantly cooled once more. I informed him, equally as coldly, that that had been our intention. "Good." He said in parting, "We understand each other."

I wouldn’t see him again.

The next morning, after saying my farewells to Carlson & reiterating my promise to visit Heilgrund, Serpente & I were put into this carriage bound for Starke, where my ship awaits. Before Dio fell asleep, I told him of the dinner conversation of last night, mentioning that Eisenfurst Seiger was the second man to ever make me speechless. When he asked who the other was, I simply replied, "His son." Serpente then determined that we needed to keep a Seiger around at all times in case I go off on one of my tirades.

Not that I would mind having a Seiger around always…

You know, I’ve been rather concerned lately about what Logan thinks of my shenanigans at l’Empereur’s birthday, but during this horrible carriage ride & as I’ve been writing, I remembered something he’d said as we sat together at the ball.

He told me that it’s hard to find two people who care about each other in this cruel world & that when it does happen it’s a very rare & special thing. If that is what we have, then perhaps I shouldn’t be so worried about him letting it go easily. I know I won’t.

Oh, but I do go on. I must be tired. After staying in that frigid cell at the keep on that poor excuse of a cot, I’m surprised I slept at all! Perhaps I need to put my quill down & attempt to rest as well. We’re only half way to Starke & between the loooovely landscape & Dio’s snoring, there’s absolutely nothing left to interest me.