Fiamme and Basil log: The Mandrake Manor Business
"...Harmony is not what keeps Amber as it is. If you have doubt of this look where you will. Peace has never been our way. There is blood and there is your word ... this is the basis of Amber and in the end ... that is what matters."
~Basil, Duke of Feldane
Basil is seated behind his desk. There are two neat piles of paper on his desk and one sheet nestled between them that now attracts Basil's attention. He does not look up as Fiamme is shown in, but does address her, "Welcome, cousin. Please sit down."
Fiamme comes across the room, and takes the offered seat. "It has been a while, your Grace," she says, which suggests it is perhaps not entirely informal, as a visit. "I have heard tell that there have been a few questions raised regarding the Mandrake townhouse. An irregularity in the lease?"
Basil looks up from the paper now. "An irregularity?"
Fiamme leans back a little in the chair. Her fingers move restlessly over the strap of the lute case she has with her. "To be blunt, the rumours are that they have failed to keep to the terms. It seems strangely careless of Lucretia."
Basil mirrors the lean back, "The rumors? My cousin, I have said as much and plastered it about town."
Fiamme's eyes flicker to the side, then focus directly back on Basil. "Very direct of you."
Basil says, "Have you known me to be otherwise?"
Fiamme clasps her hands together, and says, "My interest in it is the usual. How far you plan to push them."
Basil says, "It is rather straight forward from my perspective. The land is Feldane's and there is no lease. Mandrake must leave."
Fiamme looks curious. "Celeste claims she has tried to re-negotiate previously to secure the House. How does it serve Feldane to have the two houses at daggers drawn?"
Basil says, "As I have informed Celeste, the debt that Mandrake owes to us can be negotiated. However I have /no/ interest in making another contract with a party that has shown itself to be unworthy of trust. Thus ... no new lease. What would you have us do? Walk away from a major asset because Mandrake might get upset?"
Fiamme's gaze at Basil is contemplative, and she says, "Cosimo, I will grant you, was a difficult man to deal with; and the history between him and Feldane appeared a complex one. Lucretia has a great deal of pride, which one might expect, truthfully, in any Duchess. I would have hoped -- continue to hope -- that you might consider looking for ways to build bridges rather than to burn them, however. That, it seemed to me, was the original intent of the Violetta clause, was it not?"
Basil says, "No, that was the original intent of the entire agreement. It is because of Feldane's forbearance that Mandrake has been able to once again take their place at the table, so to speak. And how are we repaid? We aren't. There will be no more forbearance."
Basil punctuates this last with a thick finger tapped briskly into the top of his desk.
Fiamme watches the finger tapping, seeming distracted for a moment. Her hands unclasp, and her own fingers tap once, twice, on the lute case, then settle into something that's almost but not quite a rhythm as she looks back into Basil's face. "So. There will provocation, and an attempt to unsettle a House that is known, not for duelling, but for war. Mandrake has close ties to Chantris, and Karm has never been Feldane's friend, has it?"
Basil says, "You forgot to mention that the Dukes of Mandrake and Karm are brothers and brothers to the King."
Fiamme wrinkles her nose slightly, and says, "I doubt that the current King will particularly care to support either brother -- provided there is no outright discord, vendetta or war. It's simply a matter of how far it goes."
Basil says, "Ah, you are mistaken. He has already supported one. But that is neither here nor there ... Mandrake is a deadbeat tenant and one way or another they will leave Feldane's property."
With a steady look, Fiamme says, "Mandrake is, as you pointed out, finally taking a place at the table. More to the point, from my perspective, taking a turn to put its shoulder to the wheel, and generate something beyond fine dining for the nobility, and unpaid debts. It is productive. They are supporting the war against the Black Road with troops, just as each of the other Houses have been doing. They can focus on their Duty. It seems your mind is made up, but I have already witnessed Celeste closing her mind and heart to Amber's real problems because she is beseiged with internal House matters."
Basil says, "As you say, my mind is made up. If there is nothing else ... ?"
Fiamme stands, and says, "You will, of course, be either proved wrong by events, or I will. I wonder what odds they would give each, down at the track." She makes a bow. "I wish you success in your endeavour; may it bring you exactly the results you anticipate."
Basil says, "Odds could not be made because I don't believe you have stated your side, cousin. Perhaps it is best if we leave it at that. Good day."
Fiamme pauses at the door, and says, "My side? Peace. Harmony. Us all just getting along, cousin, in blatant disregard for the reality. Which is that Amber will fall, and none of this will have mattered." She smiles, not in any happy way.
Basil says, "Ah, forgive me then for holding to an older way. A road hewed with blood and sacrifice and paved with the oaths of honorable men and women. Harmony is not what keeps Amber as it is. If you have doubt of this look where you will. Peace has never been our way. There is blood and there is your word ... this is the basis of Amber and in the end ... that is what matters."
There's a strange look on Fiamme's face as she listens to Basil, as if she's hearing something unexpected. A fleeting look of uncertainty, as if she had taken a step and found crumbling sand where she had looked for rock, then she's bowing, and stepping through the door, and gone.
~Basil, Duke of Feldane
Basil is seated behind his desk. There are two neat piles of paper on his desk and one sheet nestled between them that now attracts Basil's attention. He does not look up as Fiamme is shown in, but does address her, "Welcome, cousin. Please sit down."
Fiamme comes across the room, and takes the offered seat. "It has been a while, your Grace," she says, which suggests it is perhaps not entirely informal, as a visit. "I have heard tell that there have been a few questions raised regarding the Mandrake townhouse. An irregularity in the lease?"
Basil looks up from the paper now. "An irregularity?"
Fiamme leans back a little in the chair. Her fingers move restlessly over the strap of the lute case she has with her. "To be blunt, the rumours are that they have failed to keep to the terms. It seems strangely careless of Lucretia."
Basil mirrors the lean back, "The rumors? My cousin, I have said as much and plastered it about town."
Fiamme's eyes flicker to the side, then focus directly back on Basil. "Very direct of you."
Basil says, "Have you known me to be otherwise?"
Fiamme clasps her hands together, and says, "My interest in it is the usual. How far you plan to push them."
Basil says, "It is rather straight forward from my perspective. The land is Feldane's and there is no lease. Mandrake must leave."
Fiamme looks curious. "Celeste claims she has tried to re-negotiate previously to secure the House. How does it serve Feldane to have the two houses at daggers drawn?"
Basil says, "As I have informed Celeste, the debt that Mandrake owes to us can be negotiated. However I have /no/ interest in making another contract with a party that has shown itself to be unworthy of trust. Thus ... no new lease. What would you have us do? Walk away from a major asset because Mandrake might get upset?"
Fiamme's gaze at Basil is contemplative, and she says, "Cosimo, I will grant you, was a difficult man to deal with; and the history between him and Feldane appeared a complex one. Lucretia has a great deal of pride, which one might expect, truthfully, in any Duchess. I would have hoped -- continue to hope -- that you might consider looking for ways to build bridges rather than to burn them, however. That, it seemed to me, was the original intent of the Violetta clause, was it not?"
Basil says, "No, that was the original intent of the entire agreement. It is because of Feldane's forbearance that Mandrake has been able to once again take their place at the table, so to speak. And how are we repaid? We aren't. There will be no more forbearance."
Basil punctuates this last with a thick finger tapped briskly into the top of his desk.
Fiamme watches the finger tapping, seeming distracted for a moment. Her hands unclasp, and her own fingers tap once, twice, on the lute case, then settle into something that's almost but not quite a rhythm as she looks back into Basil's face. "So. There will provocation, and an attempt to unsettle a House that is known, not for duelling, but for war. Mandrake has close ties to Chantris, and Karm has never been Feldane's friend, has it?"
Basil says, "You forgot to mention that the Dukes of Mandrake and Karm are brothers and brothers to the King."
Fiamme wrinkles her nose slightly, and says, "I doubt that the current King will particularly care to support either brother -- provided there is no outright discord, vendetta or war. It's simply a matter of how far it goes."
Basil says, "Ah, you are mistaken. He has already supported one. But that is neither here nor there ... Mandrake is a deadbeat tenant and one way or another they will leave Feldane's property."
With a steady look, Fiamme says, "Mandrake is, as you pointed out, finally taking a place at the table. More to the point, from my perspective, taking a turn to put its shoulder to the wheel, and generate something beyond fine dining for the nobility, and unpaid debts. It is productive. They are supporting the war against the Black Road with troops, just as each of the other Houses have been doing. They can focus on their Duty. It seems your mind is made up, but I have already witnessed Celeste closing her mind and heart to Amber's real problems because she is beseiged with internal House matters."
Basil says, "As you say, my mind is made up. If there is nothing else ... ?"
Fiamme stands, and says, "You will, of course, be either proved wrong by events, or I will. I wonder what odds they would give each, down at the track." She makes a bow. "I wish you success in your endeavour; may it bring you exactly the results you anticipate."
Basil says, "Odds could not be made because I don't believe you have stated your side, cousin. Perhaps it is best if we leave it at that. Good day."
Fiamme pauses at the door, and says, "My side? Peace. Harmony. Us all just getting along, cousin, in blatant disregard for the reality. Which is that Amber will fall, and none of this will have mattered." She smiles, not in any happy way.
Basil says, "Ah, forgive me then for holding to an older way. A road hewed with blood and sacrifice and paved with the oaths of honorable men and women. Harmony is not what keeps Amber as it is. If you have doubt of this look where you will. Peace has never been our way. There is blood and there is your word ... this is the basis of Amber and in the end ... that is what matters."
There's a strange look on Fiamme's face as she listens to Basil, as if she's hearing something unexpected. A fleeting look of uncertainty, as if she had taken a step and found crumbling sand where she had looked for rock, then she's bowing, and stepping through the door, and gone.