Retirement, Part Two

From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki

[Amandine] Retirement, Part Two.

By EM Bennu

The night had waned on, Lady Amandine knew it was well after midnight, a fact she delighted in greatly. As she walked down the streets of Britain she genuinely hoped that she would be waking Dupre up, or at the very least interrupt something torrid.

“I am here to see Dupre.” She barked at the doorman.

“LORD Dupre you mean?”

“If that is what you call him.”

“M’Lord is sleeping, you will have to return in the morning.”

“Go wake him up, or you can tell him in the morning that Lady Amandine was at his door and you turned her away.” She leaned back upon her heals and delighted at the nervous sweat that beaded down the doorman’s brow.

“I will go get him.”

“Yes, you will.”

She caught the door as he tried to close it behind her and walked in.

“I do not lurk in doorways.”

Dupre’s house was about like she imagined it, and it was easy to find his office. It was typical, he employed the usual techniques of men of power. The chair behind the desk was massive, a powerful chair for a powerful man. Two chairs on the other side were for guests, he had taken off two inches from the front two legs and two and a half off the back two legs of each of them. It was an old trick, one not many would notice. When sitting it made the two chairs uncomfortable and made those sitting in them look up at whoever was behind the desk. Giving the guests a perception of meekness , and illustrating who was in charge.

Lady Amandine was about to sit herself in the large chair when Dupre walked in covered in an evening robe. He closed the door behind him, and was a bit sweaty. She heard the front door close lightly and smiled wryly. She HAD interrupted something.

“I am glad you are here, I was about to send out another set of guards.”

“I’m sure you were.” She didn’t look at him, just fumbled around at his various knick-knacks that littered the office.

“So I assume you are here to relinquish command of the Knights of the Crux Ansata?”

“I am here because it was required as a condition of my release.”

“Good then there is also the matter…” Dupre gave her an odd look. “You haven’t even changed your clothes?”

“A rose of any other color?” She tried to seem deep, but only came off as drunk.

“We need to talk about reparations to the family of Reddish.” Dupre took out a pen and paper. “You realize you were found guilty of murder, and of the worst of all the charges against you. You escaped this whole situation with your life but I can’t let you retain much more than that.”

“I am sure all of this makes you very happy. Now you are back on top, you show up, bat your eyes, twist your mustache, shine your armor and turn the whole kingdom upside down. But at least it gets you willing women on a Sunday night, after virtue day.”

“Don’t talk to me about virtue, you have lost that right. And my personal affairs are none of your business.” Dupre chided, then calmed. “I don’t hate you Danica. None of this is personal; I have to do what is right. This is about the kingdom, about our nation, the people.”

“Oh, don’t be going soft on me now. We were talking about giving my family fortune to a family of scammers, thieves and brigands remember?” She finally turned to look at him.

“Danica, sit. Let us get this done as quickly as we can, neither one of us wants to be here.”

“I prefer to stand.” Danica looked at the two little meek chairs with disgust.

Dupre leaned back in his chair. “All your lands are forfeit, all your gentry income from the crown is transferred to the family of your victim. Your house and warehouse in Jhelom is transferred to the family as well. The Sword Caliburn will remain in my possession for now, but will be returned to the royal armory as you requested. As for your armor… I will honor the court’s ruling and allow it to remain in the possession of Lord Wellings for now.”

“You mean Lord Edom?”

“He has retaken his family name and with it the previous titles of his father. Lord Wellings has decided to rejoin his country instead of stand with scales above it. A lesson that you…”

“I am not here for a lecture Dupre.”

“LORD Dupre. You are no longer a member of the gentry and are not granted the courtesies you once were. I will also need your necklace, and your ring.”

“You cannot take my ring, it’s not mine to give.”

“Your Ouroboros ring is a part of your personal property, as such is revoked to your victims family.”

“You must be joking.”

Dupre simply looked across the room at her, saying nothing.

She removed her necklace and her ring, placing each of them on the desk. With a look of shock upon her face.

“I will also need you to sign this, this and this. Then you are free to go.”

She signed the first two without hesitation, simple transfer of titles and property. The third was an admission of guilt, an apology to the family of Reddish, and her formal resignation from the Crux Ansata.

“Im not going to sign that.” She looked at Dupre and scoffed. “You must be out of your mind, it’s not enough that you strip me of everything I am, was, and give the fruits of generations of my family tree to a bunch of cowards and thieves. You want me to apologize and thank them for their mercy?”

“It is just a formality Danica…”

“Stop calling me Danica!” She shrieked at him and he shrunk back. “You sit there all smug, calling yourself a champion of honor. You wouldn’t know honor if it dropped its shorts and rubbed it in your face! You think some uninformed jury, has the right to tell you or I what must be done to protect these people? The world is not a nice place LORD Dupre, sometimes we have to do bad stuff in order to keep the peace and protect the people. You are right, this IS about the nation, and this IS about the people. I killed a thief and a liar who was harboring a mass murderer and anarchist who burned down an entire castle not 200 yards from where we are standing. Im being punished for it and you want me to say ‘thank you, so sorry to bother you, please sir and thank you’ You have another thing coming Dupre, I am not the weak little girl you seem to think I am.”

“I think it is time for you to leave. Danica Amandine, you are hereby banned from possession of a sword for a period of one year, you are barred from mercenary activities for life, and are hereby revoked of your leadership of the nation’s military and Royal Guard.”

“You forgot something.” Danica said as she took a step forward. She then raised her arms and slipped off her dress kicking it in his face. “You can keep that Dupre, you have taken everything else from me.” She then turned her bare arse to him and walked out of his house slamming the doors.