A Dish Served Cold|Aegestrom | Maelstrom

[Kender Bard]

Acacia, aka Anarchy, was making her way through Maelstrom slowly. From the time of her exile from Ronduin and Ekaitz to now, she had not faired well. She survived, which was what mattered, but she was lean from hunger and haggard from a journey with barely the necessities.

And now she headed slowly towards the royal home, hunched within her cloak.

[Northen Light36]

Flash wanders the streets of the city, slowly making his way back home. As much as he hates to admit it, Salaica did him a favour by insisting he take a break from both work and freting over Saph.

"Thank you, dear," he murmurs to his sweetheart, wrapping an arm around Salaica's shoulders and giving her a one armed hug.

[Kender Bard]

Salacia nestled into Flash's embrace, blushing a little. She wasn't entirely sure it was something they should do in public, but she had grown very tired of hiding her actions as of late.

Anarchy moved closer to the couple. "The King," she whispered. "Where is he?"

[Northen Light36]

Flash stops, looking at the woman in slight confusion and supprise. "In his home," Flash replies. "Miss, is there something I can help you with? Why are you looking for the King?"

[Kender Bard]

"To speak with him," she said simply, and continued the way she was going, though she wasn't entirely sure if it was the right way. Her memory was fuzzy.

Salacia shot Flash a concerned look. "You don't think she's an assassin do you?" the Queen whispered.

[Northen Light36]

"I don't know..." Flash murmurs, his eyes bright with worry. "Something about her seems... vaguely familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. And that I don't like. Stay here, dearest." With that Flash draws his sword and hurries after Anarchy, putting a hand firmly on her shoulder. "What exactly do you wish to speak to the King about?"

[Kender Bard]

Anarchy drew back from Flash but glared malevolently at him from out of her hood. She hissed at him and there was a faint crackling noise from somewhere within the recesses of the fabric. "Something helpful. But if you put sword to me, then someone will die, and he will never get the valuable information."

[Northen Light36]

"What information?" Flash asks, lowing his sword slightly but with his eyes narrowing slightly as a faint memory clicks. "What information do you have, Lady Acacia?" Flash lifts his sword again. "I would hope it is very good, since the last we heard of you, you threw your lot in with Mathew Melissan."

[Kender Bard]

Anarchy's smile was bitter and cruel. "I believe the information would pertain to just that. Now I will waste no more of my words on YOU, ha-" she caught herself, and let the insult hang in the air, unfinished.

[Northen Light36]

Flash looks coldly at Anarchy, not showing any reaction to the insult. "You, Lady Acacia, are a traitor. That alone is enough reason for me to be reluctant to allow you within sight of my Lord. You will give your information to me and it might lighten your sentance."

[Kender Bard]

Anarchy snarled, "You impertinent cretin! I come here to risk my life and help your force-damned kingdom and this is the thanks I get? I should let you all rot in Taed's arms."

[Northen Light36]

"The thanks you'll get is not dancing at the end of a hangman's rope," Flash snaps. He'll tolerate the insults from the city nobles, they at least keep the whispering behind his back, but the direct insult from a woman who betrayed the nation is more then Flash will bear. "And YOU, miss, will show me respect and keep a civil tounge in your mouth."

[Kender Bard]

"I don't see why I should be respectful to you," she snarls. Rather than continue to head towards the palace, she tried to get around Flash to head back out of Maelstrom.

[Northen Light36]

Flash blocks her path, his hand tightening on his sword. "Because I was under the impression that nobles were trained to at least pretend politeness?" he quips, then his voice takes on a threating voice. "Or bacause if you don't, I'm taking you in and the last thing you'll see is the gallows."

Privately Flash wishes he didn't have to behave like this in front of Salacia. It's bad enough that he has to threaten Anarchy, but it stings even more to do it in front of the woman he loves.

[Kender Bard]

"Are you faster than lightning?" the woman hissed softly.

Salacia approached. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself. The tension was thick enough that she could feel it, and because blows hadn't been exchanged yet, she assumed it was a matter of politics. Anarchy glared at her and backed away a little.

"I'm not quite sure what's going on," she said slowly, "But perhaps an arrangement could be made? You have word for the King, aye? Well, perhaps you could write it and we would deliver it, if you are not asking for anything in exchange."

"Just to leave," Anarchy muttered sullenly.