Private Murder in Blood Reign

[The High Court of Illyria]

THE TRUTH​

Tags: Fauvel Astier ​

The moment Magnate Yahn was forced to his knees, he yelled out angrily. "They were just aliens!" His words were shaking to say the least. As a Twi'lek most would expect him to be sympathetic to the plight of his own kind, perhaps even rush to defend their "humanity" so to speak. Yet, in the halls of Widow's Wail, the Magnate declared that the lives of those Twi'leks were somehow less? As the Magnate of House Astier spoke down to the man, he could not help but exhale in clear anger. "This is true. My only mistake was placing my faith in a filthy tailhead idiot like her!" He yelled out, causing the young Handmaiden to recoil away from him in fear.

When the woman's guard pressed him painfully, the Magnate yelled out in pain-filled anger. "Enough!" He begged, before exhaling deeply, his eyes turning to the woman before him. "Why? Why?! Do you have any idea what it takes? You don't, do you?! What it takes to succeed! It takes ruthlessness, cunning, and influence! These are things that my daughter, my foolish daughter, would never understand. When we left Ryloth after the Agents of Chaos butchered our people...well, it was a chance at a new beginning. His majesty acknowledged our ties in the Aristocracy there and granted us title and lands...but my stupid daughter. She squandered away thousands of credits every month, and why?"

He turned to the Handmaiden, screaming out in anger once again. "To help useless tailheads, like her!" He growled at the Handmaiden before exhaling softly. "I couldn't allow my legacy to fall to her....no, no. If she took control of my House, then we would be bankrupt a year after my death. However she was my rightful heir by my late wife, making her my only legitimate child."

"So...she had to die." The man said, his grim eyes turning to the woman before him coldly. "I could not let my House be brought to ruin through acts of charity....I could not allow those sharing my blood to leave my House in the dirt and muck."

"I had this idiot..." He said, gesturing to the young Handmaiden once again. "Place a thought in my daughter's mind. Range De Sang had a growing alien population, one that needed guidance. So like a rat to cheese she scampered down here. When she arrived, the useless one over there would begin killing and mutilating Twi'leks, creating the image of a hate crime in the province. Then once enough time had passed, my Captain would come down and end my final problem while the Handmaiden fled to a cantina, crafting an alibi." He said, before exhaling.

The Magnate looked to the woman before him and sneered before glancing over to the Handmaiden and the Captain of the guard. "Listen...listen to me. I know of your House. Your own people view you as traitors and brigands...spare me. Spare me and declare these two to be the murderers. Do this and I will swear my House to yours until the death of my final blood!" He yelled out, rushing to stand, only to be forced back into the ground below him. "I will offer you anything! My contacts in the High Court, citizens, credits, anything, you need only spare my life!" He called out to the woman in a plea. ​

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[Fauvel Astier]

"You will know my Pain"

Fauvel listened carefully as he explained the reasoning behind his actions. Many would have expected to empathize with the man, to understand the burden of a family member who threatened the integrity of a noble house. And she did, from the depths of her broken soul she could see why Magnate Yahn had plotted the demise of his only daughter. But to say she empathized, that she approved, that was a grave mistake. As the Magnate finished his plea, his attempt at convincing her to join in on his little plan, a cruel laughter escaped through the pale lips of the Young Lady. For that is how ridiculous his request was to her. Risking all for the promise of allegiance of one who would kill his own kind and family? Threatening to bring the ire of the Court upon herself, more than it already was, for siding with a criminal? Maybe the Magnate believed her to be stupid.

Her laughter died down soon enough, and a dismissive gesture of her hand signaled that she was not even going to consider his proposition even before she voiced her thoughts. "Le père qui n'enseigne pas leurs devoirs à leur enfant est aussi coupable que l'enfant qui les néglige." The father who does not teach their child their duties is as guilty as the child who neglects them. One of the very few lessons she remembered from her grandfather, the honorable Count Lothair, who had been everything her own father wasn't. Magnate Yahn's excuse was not enough to even tempt the ambitious nature of the Young Lady, and she had long since learned her lesson in biting more than she could chew. The High Court was not to be trifled with, certainly not for some immigrant Lord.

"Magnate Yahn, Captain Pierre of his Guard and the Handmaiden are to be imprisoned and guarded as they await punishment for the murder of Lady Yahn. Send word to the High Court, there are heads that need to roll." Her command came in a clear voice, loud enough for all to hear. Soon after the two murderers and the author of the crime were dragged out of the great hall and deeper into the darkest entrails of the Widow's Wail. Once they were taken care of, Fauvel turned to face the Doctor and the Zabrak man once more.

"Your sentence still stands, Doctor." Her voice no longer held the venom it carried upon their last interaction, but the seriousness in it made it clear she was not going to change her mind. "Public trial, the people will decide if you are worthy of remaining among them or should perish for the cowardice that endangered them." As she finished speaking, the Doctor was too taken away. Then her eyes turned upon the Zabrak, "As for you, I admire your will to try and save the girl knowing you could be accused of the crime. Your running wasted me two days, but this would have not been solved without your input. I would not see you sleeping in an alley anymore. Tell me your name and of what use you could be to my house."

The High Court of Illyria

 

[The High Court of Illyria]

HAJRED ACEL​

Tags: Fauvel Astier ​

When the Magnate's plea was met with laughter and scorn his eyes turned dark and cold. "You guard yourself Magnate...My allies will see vengeance done upon your pitiful House!" He spat, before shifting back down towards the floor beneath him. When he took notice that his deal had been denied, he could not help but mutter in a tone of ultimate failure. "My House falls..." He muttered, before falling to his knees, no longer holding the will to speak.

As the Guard Captain was offered his fate, he turned his eyes down to the ground below as well. The reward for loyalty to a traitor and murderer, was no different from the punishment of said actions, it seemed. As the trio were drug from the main hall to descend into the dark depths of Widow's Wail.

When the young Magnate turned her eyes back to the Doctor and the young Zabrack, the Doctor could only nod his head silently at the woman's words. "I never knew...I will accept my punishment, your liege." He swore as he was escorted out of the presence of the Magnate. When finally the young Zabrack was all that remained, his eyes rose ever so slightly before quickly bowing his head once again. "I am so sorry, milady. I was scared..." He confessed when cornered on why he had ran. When the woman asked of what use the boy could be he paused, his lips dropping before he glanced down.

"I-I have no talents milady. I am good in a fight but...but I will learn anything you wish for me to learn, I swear!" The young Zabrack bowed his head, placing his hands upon the floor as he settled into a state of deference. "My name is Hajred Acel." The boy had an odd name, one that surely had an Illyrian surname, yet a foreign first name, to show that it was possible that one of his parents had been native Illyria. "I will serve, milady. Until the end of my days if it pleases you." He swore.​

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[Fauvel Astier]

"From Death came Loyalty"

A small smile formed in the Young Lady's lips at the Zabrak's words. Hajred Acel. A peculiar name, she would inquire more about it in the near future. She had had enough of questions for today, her tiredness felt too strongly to entertain her curiosity at the moment. She contemplated for a moment, trying to decide what to do with Monsieur Acel. A feeling from deep within her told her there was something more to him, and following her instinct she allowed the power of the Darkside to surge forwards and towards the man. It was invasive and as always, daunting, but if the man could not keep his courage when faced to this he would be of no use to her. Her smile widened as her suspicions were confirmed.

"You share a bond with the Force." She stated, assuming the Zabrak had not been informed of his force-sensitivity before this occasion. Her darkness receded, once more disappearing and being contained within her. "You are more promising than I originally thought." It was not an extremely flattering comment, but coming from the Young Lady those were very generous words. The Force had often been by the side of those of her bloodline, a fact that made her proud and instilled a certain predilection for those who shared the gift.

"Sennet." She called her sister, who walked closer to Fauvel while she continued addressing the Zabrak. "My eldest sisters are priestesses of the Ashen Winged. They are skilled in the ways of the Force." In fact, it was them who had been teaching their youngest sibling and Lady how to manipulate her own powers. "You will learn to use your gifts from them, the ways of the Darkside. And you will begin your training to become an Officer. You will police the alleys and streets you know so well, become my eyes and ears." She explained. "You will be given lodging in the workers' living quarters here at the Widow's Wail." And with that, the Zabrak was dismissed with a flick of her wrist as Fauvel turned to make her exit. It was time for well-deserved rest. "I trust you will not disappoint me, that would certainly be a shame."

The High Court of Illyria

 

[The High Court of Illyria]

FIN​

Tags: Fauvel Astier ​

The Lady Astier's words were well-received by the young Zabrack. He turned his eyes to his Lady as she spoke of his presence in the Force. He knew next to nothing about the Force, other than the old tales one would hear as a child, and even those he thought to be exaggerated satire. The young Zabrack turned his eyes to Sennet, the elder sister of his Lady. When she explained that she would be the one to teach him, he nodded his head in certain understanding. "Yes, M'lady!" He said, almost eagerly before listening to the new role he would play in the town.

Although it may have seemed out of place, the young Zabrack brought his lips up in a smile as the Lady Astier decided his new position. "I swear I will not let anything like this happen again, m'lady!" He swore, bowing his head once again.

When the Lady did dismiss him, Hajred turned to those who would escort him to his new room in the manor. He found some relief in the declaration that the Lady had given and only time could tell how the young Zabrack would be of use to the House in the future. With the Magnate Yahn shipped away for his trial and the others to receive a proper sentencing among the town, the young boy had a clear example of one truth that remained in Blood Reign.

Do not cross the Magnate of Blood Reign.​

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