Intro: Count Rouvaloff

[conspiringcount]

He's a youngish man, dressed well but not extravagantly, and at present looking around with no small measure of confusion. Suddenly he begins to smile, and then to laugh. "A house in the country! Wonderful."

Typist: Count Rouvaloff here appears in both Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and The Nihilists by Oscar Wilde, and since if you tilt your head and

Comments

[traitorforlove]

Alexis blinks -- and blinks again, looking amused. "Count Rouvaloff!"

[conspiringcount]

"Ah! Our romantic young emperor." He makes a half-mocking, half-fond sort of bow. "Perhaps you can tell me where it is I've found myself."

[traitorforlove]

"Oh, please don't call me that. You know I never wanted it." He returns the bow, though, with a smile. "We mostly call it the Mansion. I'm afraid no one knows quite where it is."

[conspiringcount]

"How curious. -- Are any of the others here?"

[traitorforlove]

"Vera is." There's another smile, which fades a bit at this next name. "And Prince Paul, unfortunately."

[conspiringcount]

Rouvaloff arches his eyebrows, surprised. "Vera? Surely you cannot be serious -- all of Russia must have heard the story by now."

[traitorforlove]

"I'm quite serious." Another smile, it's hard for Alexis to not smile when Vera's mentioned. "She's alive."

[conspiringcount]

"How?" Yes, the surprise is going to take some getting over.

[traitorforlove]

"I am not quite certain, but people can come back to life here. I've done so once myself, and I've only been here about five months."

[conspiringcount]

". . . Interesting. What happened?"

[traitorforlove]

"How I died, you mean?" There's a bit of a frown. "I was shot."

[conspiringcount]

"That sounds unpleasant, to say the least."

[traitorforlove]

"It certainly wasn't the most painless of experiences."

[conspiringcount]

"Who was it?" he asks, curious.

[traitorforlove]

"Prince Paul." His face darkens at that. "He's hurt Vera a number of times since his arrival."

[conspiringcount]

". . . I imagine she's none too pleased with him, then." While injuries to Vera are a Bad Thing, he can't help but be a little impressed with anyone who's accomplished it.