The Lady Justice

Chapter XLII: To Wheedle, And Be Wheedled

Lady Katherine Harrington of Johanne

4 December, Year 1 of Sebastian VI, Emperor of the Longbournian Nations' reign

Ambrose's Pleasure House, Amöneburg

The Longbournian Nations

My eyes were about to close, when loud footsteps shattered the silence of the dawn.

Richard emerged from behind the curtains, his grey eyes hard and his countenance ashen. His clothes were crumpled, and his brown hair was tousled. He strode out of the pleasure house as swiftly as he had come the night before, without a glance backwards.

At once, I shook the Emperor, who was already dozing off on my shoulder. "Sire, he has left," I hissed in his ear, "wake up - "

At that moment, I noticed Dela walk out of the curtains, and lean against the doorway. Free of all the rouge and kohl she had caked on the night before, her countenance, still as beautiful, now looked much younger and held a certain gentleness and innocence.

I was surprised. She could not be a day older than nineteen.

She clutched now her red robes tightly to her body now as she watched Richard gallop away on his stallion, with a small, content smile playing about her lips.

I needed to talk to her.

"Dela!" I called out loudly, raising my hand to wave at her.

She looked around at the sound of my voice, startled, before she noticed me. A small crease appeared between her brows, as she walked towards our table.

Before she could reach us, however, a heavy hand clamped down on her shoulder, preventing her from walking any further. Dela froze, and her eyes grew deadly fearful at once, almost as if she knew who it was without even turning around.

I looked past her.

It was the elderly woman who had escorted her to Richard the night before. The woman now roughly pushed her aside, and towered over me, glaring at me with a scorching ferocity.

"Was willst du mit ihr?" she snapped.

"I do not understand you. I am sorry," I frowned, "do you speak English? Or French?"

She scowled even more fiercely.

Clearly not. "Give me a moment," I held up my hand in a waiting gesture, before I turned and prodded the sleeping Emperor harder.

"Se - "

I stopped before I could call him by his name, and give away his identity. "Mon coeur," I addressed him instead, "I need your help. The old hag only speaks German."

The Emperor raised his head groggily. "Who?"

"I do not know who she is. She seems furious, though."

He sat upright at that, startled and bleary-eyed. He blinked at her and Dela, and then at me, confused for a few moments, before understanding dawned. He quickly rubbed his eyes clear of sleep, and cleared his throat before he began to address the old woman.

She repeated what she had said earlier, her tone hostile. The Emperor tried to answer her, keeping his voice measured and respectful, but she cut him off, bent on lashing out at him.

Dela's countenance grew paler with every passing moment. She tried to interrupt her at several points, but the woman pinched her upper arm cruelly to force her to keep quiet, before continuing to shout at the Emperor. She pointed to me several times as well, almost spitting her words at me.