Fare thee Well, Fare thee well (Closed)

[lucatz_of_arun]

Who: Vaizey, Lucatz
What: Lucatz is summoned to Vaizey's office to discuss his stay in Nottingham.
Where: The Sheriff's chambers
When: 30th September, morning

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[lucatz_of_arun]

Lucatz smiled graciously at Vaizey's words. He'd been right. Vaizey wanted to gloat. It was obvious from their previous meetings that Lucatz had not wanted to perform the task, and here Vaizey was complimenting him on it.

“I am pleased that you are pleased, as I'm sure my master will be when I tell him.” Murder was not something he enjoyed, nor was he about to take pride in committing it despite how well things had turned out. And for Vaizey, Prince John, and the surviving William d'Aubigny, it certainly had. The event was not so fortunate for the late Earl and the surviving Earl in the dungeon, assuming that Hood managed to last the night.

Robin's capture was something he had not anticipated. Sure, he knew the man would be taking the blame, but to watch him be beaten down and to know that he would probably be swinging from the gallows before Lucatz arrived in Arundel, that was a harder bite to swallow. He may not be the one who would kill the outlaw, but it was Lucatz who ended his life, and it was little consolation that he had been forced. That was one sin among many that had kept Lucatz awake much of the night.

Lucatz caught himself before his mind could dwell too long on such bleak thoughts and continued, “I had planned to leave for Arundel after a few goodbyes at the brunch. Have you a message for him?”

[sheriff_vaizey]

Obedience. Despite the fact that Lucatz had been unhappy with the order to commit the murder, he had done it-- and well,-- and was accepting Vaizey's approval with grace. Not only that, he had unwillingly furthered the conversation exactly where Vaizey wanted it to go.

There was little more that a man could ask for, than an underling who was so obedient as to not even be aware that he was going so.

"As it happens, the message I have for him must be delivered by someone else. You see, the message is that you will be staying here. A sort of... insurance... that your lord will keep his word."

[lucatz_of_arun]

The Sheriff spoke and Lucatz had an almost overwhelming urge to throttle him. How dare he?! He offers congratulations and compliments in one breath and in the next insults both Lucatz and his master by calling them untrustworthy. He made to use the knight as some kind of bargaining chip, after everything he'd done for him. If it weren't for Lucatz, Vaizey would be two formidable opponents stronger.

Lucatz exhaled slowly and gave up the pretense of a smile. He leaned back in the chair and drummed his fingers on the arm rest in irritation. Worse still than the disrespect shown, Lucatz felt robbed of his escape. If he was forced to stay in Nottingham, even for a few days longer, it would prevent or delay his 'retirement'. He would have to suffer with his guilt and pain and be used by a nasty little fossil and a charlatan who cared nothing for him. He was so very tired of being used.

“Have you reason to think he wouldn't? Is this request, or demand?” Lucatz asked. His voice was steady, but laced with restrained anger. This time, he could not, and would not, simply submit.

[sheriff_vaizey]

It was difficult not to laugh at Lucatz's obvious outrage. Truly, unsettling this one was becoming something of a game; Vaizey wondered what his prize would be at the end. Just what was it that had finally done the trick; was it the disrupted trip home? The fact that he would have to stay in Nottingham? No-- it was the slight on the new earl's sense of honor. The sheriff was beginning to be curious about the nature of the relationship between the two. He had assigned Lucatz's upset to an issue of personality; however, could it be that there was more at play?

If so, it was doubly good to keep him here. And even if his musings were off the mark, that did not change that the young man had been displeased almost since his arrival-- and that he attributed a good portion of said displeasure to his master, at least for now. All Vaizey had to do was sculpt that displeasure to fit his own agenda, and make sure it had set, before the truth came out.

The next step in that process was to keep Lucatz here. A reaffirmation of his sense of betrayal might help. Turning his laugh into nothing more than a brief chuckle, Vaizey said, "He sent you here without telling you of his plans for you; why should I expect that he does not have plans for me? No," he continued, smiling again. "It's not a request, but nor is it a demand. Think of it as an extended holiday."

Inasmuch as Lucatz likely considered his stay thus far a "holiday."

[lucatz_of_arun]

Lucatz's lip twitched, threatening to become a snarl, when the Sheriff laughed at him. Again the snake spoke ill of his master, though this was more of an implication that William did not trust him. It was still rude. Unfortunately he had a little bit of a point. The plan -if it really was William's plan- for the Earl had been kept secret from him, there might yet be things he did not know. Still, he was certain he would've been told if he was to make a move against Vaizey. No, Vaizey wanted him to stay for some reason he was not admitting. Lucatz snorted,“If you really worried he had such plans, you would want his assassin far removed, not at hand.”

“We've not been parted this long before and prolonging my stay will not endear you to him, Sheriff.” That much he could promise. William may not have cared for Lucatz, but he needed him. Without him keeping watch, he was probably skipping meals or accidentally wearing mismatching stockings. Lucatz was not overly concerned, seeing as he intended to leave him as soon as possible, but his master had to be suffering in his absence. Serves him right for sending him off like that. It occurred to him that, just the night before, he'd wished he had more time in Nottingham. And here the Sheriff was, granting him more time in Nottingham.

Yes, he wanted go to Arundel and be done with everything but... what if his prayers had been answered and this was God's way of giving him a second chance? Lucatz's scowl shifted slowly into a smile. Placing him in the service of an evil Sheriff was not exactly a higher calling, but he could do good things for Nottingham. It could be a chance to right some of his wrongs, free from the demands and temptations of his former home. Instead of Vaizey using him, he could use Vaizey. He locked eyes with Sheriff as he began forming a plan. “Unless I cooperate.”

[sheriff_vaizey]

When the boy grew irate, Vaizey maintained his calm demeanor. He was staying in Nottingham, whether or not he liked it; and the sheriff did not doubt his ability to bring Lucatz over to his side, sooner or later. "Sooner" would be better. "Now" would be best. Unfortunately, Lucatz had a valid argument against his being kept at the castle; fortunately, Vaizey had a valid counter argument. "Surely, you are not the only assassin he has on hand, and now he knows that I am aware of your abilities. No, he would not use you against me."

He did not immediately respond to Lucatz's next argument, and was rewarded by the first glimmer of capitulation. Not that he considered the battle completely won yet; in a lesser man, it might be, but it would not do to underestimate this one. He might pretend to agree, and then attempt to flee at his earliest opportunity. It would be a shame to have to have the guards bring an end to such a promising young potential asset.

Giving him a slightly more predatory smile, Vaizey replied, "It's not as if you're under arrest-- unless you wish to be." The emphasis on Lucatz's own word was intended to underline just how magnanimous the offer really was; most people whom the sheriff wished kept under his thumb were merely tossed into the nearest empty cell, which was a well-known fact. To be considered a guest, even an unwilling one, was an honor.

"Now, if you are as dear to him as you seem to think, all this becomes is a minor inconvenience on your part-- if you even make it such." Rising from his seat and picking up his quill as he did so, Vaizey strolled over to the windows, tapping the feather against his palm. "However, there is another side to this you may wish to consider. You assassinated his father, at his order. Who knows of this?" Turning to regard Lucatz, he answered his own question. "He knows. I know. And, you know."

Strolling back over, he propped his hip against the edge of the desk and pointed the quill in the other man's direction. "Perhaps, I am not the only one who should be worried about his well-being."

[lucatz_of_arun]

Vaizey seemed to have a perfect response ready for his objections. Had he rehearsed the meeting, maybe bounced possible protests off of Gisborne? Of course he had. The Sheriff had time on his side, but Lucatz had literally nothing to lose by arguing. Just that morning he'd accepted he was likely to die in a matter of days, was even looking forward to it. The subtle threats levied at him were easily ignored because, what would it matter if he was mouthy? It would just bring about his end sooner than he'd anticipated. There were no risks and no downsides to bartering the terms of his stay.

So when Vaizey pointed his quill at him and gave another veiled warning, Lucatz shrugged and let his mouth run. He figured that if this was in fact a gift from up high, then He would give him all the right words and all the confidence needed to convince his opponent.

“You forget that we three are not the only ones. Gisborne knows, and his man Allan. And there are others too who know my name or where I'm from, and will be suspicious if they are not already. I tried to avoid attention but, what can I say? Ladies find me quite memorable.” The list of those who knew his name was short and mostly women. Lord Nicholas, Isabella, Hilla, Catherine, the girls at the Trip, the castle staff, that nosy fellow from Breton or wherever... maybe it wasn't that short of a list. Mostly women, though! Lucatz raised his eyebrows and asked, “Can you keep them all quiet, without raising further suspicion? I know I can.”

Lucatz dimmed his grin enough to be respectful. “I don't want to be under arrest, either. That would be bad for you because I would have no reason not to take Hood with me when I escaped. Then Sussex would be at your throat, Hood would be on your back, and Prince John would be screaming in your ear. No, I don't think you'll arrest me. But I do think we can come to a mutually agreeable arrangement. If you consent to my single request, then I will convince those people that I am innocent, with not a whisper spoken to the contrary. If you like, I will even write to my Lord and tell him that this was my idea and that I will remain to make sure you do not betray him. He will take it better from me.”

He paused, deciding that he needed to do something to emphasize his next words. Lucatz could prop his feet up on the other chair and- no that would be deliberately provoking. He settled for shifting in the chair to face the Sheriff, leaning back as if relaxed, and crossing his legs at the knee. He held up one finger as he spoke, “All I will ask for is one, simple thing, and even that is to your benefit," he stopped again and clasped his hands on his lap," I want a job.”

[sheriff_vaizey]

"But does your master know that Gisborne and Allan are aware of the facts? No. We two are the ones who should be most concerned for their safety; they are incidental. And I have received no reports of gossip linking anyone other than Robin Hood to the murder, so I see no reason to concern ourselves with killing off a string of your conquests." The world might be a better place with a few less of the lepers in it, but there were bigger tasks at hand just now.

Vaizey's eyebrows rose at the supreme overconfidence of Lucatz's next statement; if he was not careful, he could easily find himself taking a tour of the dungeons. Perhaps after gaining some firsthand knowledge of the way "guests" were treated down there, he would acknowledge his mistake. And when Arundel went looking for his knight, all anyone would know is that the boy set out on his return trip some time ago...

It was an interesting concept, and certainly held a great deal of appeal. Especially with the way Lucatz kept yapping, as if he had not just spewed forth one of the most presumptuous statements to ever be uttered in the sheriff's presence. The only other person who dared to say such things was Hood.

Robin Hood, whom Lucatz was threatening to free.

However, the rest of what he was yapping about sounded almost reasonable. Too reasonable.

"I would be fascinated to know how you've progressed from threatening to loose an imprisoned outlaw-- the man who, I might point out, is set to take the downfall for a slaying carried out by you,-- to wanting to enter my employ?"

It was too ideal a capitulation; he would voluntarily remain, smooth the situation over with Arundel, and serve Nottingham? Surely, there was a catch.

[lucatz_of_arun]

“I did not threaten, I stated fact. Perhaps I... phrased it poorly. But you can see my point? If I were in your dungeon, we would no longer be allies, and as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Obviously I would prefer to have you stay ally and he enemy, and that is why I decided that I should work with and for you.” Lucatz was careful not to call Vaizey 'friend'. That would just make him laugh. Continuing the subject of who else knew their secret was probably best left to when the Sheriff wasn't being so touchy, too.

“I told you once that Nottingham was lovely, and we both knew it was a lie. It is boring and watching Allan get drunk and make a fool of himself is losing its amusement by the day.” Lucatz regretted having to say those words, but it wouldn't do to have Vaizey realize how attached he was to the rogue. He sighed heavily, “I grow tired of playing sweet little squire and yearn for something to do, and I think you could use my talents.”

“You see, in my stay here I noticed a distinct lack of discipline in your domestic staff. Your servants are lazy and gossip; There is much waste of time and resources. Did you know your stable hands disappear half the afternoon, or that your kitchen girls snack while cooking? You need a steward, someone to make sure that things are as they should be and for reasonable price. Such was my job in Arundel and there were no cobwebs when I was in charge,” Lucatz looked pointedly up at the corner of the room, where there was indeed a number of small webs. He was bluffing about his responsibilities in Arundel too, though hopefully Vaizey wouldn't figure that out. He'd really only been in charge of his master's chambers and things that would involve William. Lucatz was confident he could handle the workload, after all, God was guiding him in this, wasn't he? He wouldn't give him the words unless he could follow through. “Such things will be even more important if Prince John and his wife intend to stay for a time. I'm certain I could have thrown a better party for half the price, too.”

Lucatz cleared his throat - all this talking was making it sore - and brought his speech to an end. “So my suggestion is, you name me your seneschal and give me a wage just large enough to keep me in drink and amusements. You'll save far more than you pay me. In return, I will quiet any suspicions, strengthen my Lord's good will towards you, and serve you as I would him. Have we a deal?”

(ooc: edit because seneschal>steward when being said with smug french accents >=) they seem to mean about the same, but steward just sounds too plain!)

[sheriff_vaizey]

Vaizey leaned back and let Lucatz talk. It had gotten to the point where they were both laying their cards out-- not all of them, obviously; he suspected that they were both men who would always have something tucked up their sleeves,-- but he was interested to see what the knight had in mind. At the statements about Nottingham and the way it operated, his eyebrows rose a fraction; brutal honesty or not-so-veiled insult, people generally knew better than to point out flaws in the way the sheriff ran things.

However, if he allowed himself to admit it, the boy had a point. Several good points, as he brought his speech to a close. Vaizey studied him for a good moment or two, turning the possibility over in his mind. It would be nice not to have to oversee all of the trite details involved in managing the castle. And, it would more than serve his initial plan, which was to bring Lucatz over to his side. Any doubts about his trustworthiness could be eased by the fact that he would hardly have access to secrets of any kind; and, there was the fact that he had killed the previous Earl of Arundel. Vaizey had no doubts at all that he could play that, if ever he needed to.

Finally, he said, "Very well. We have a deal. If your current quarters are not sufficient-- or, if they are overly-sufficient,-- find something more appropriate. I trust that you'll be able to manage the staff?

"If anyone gives you trouble, direct them here." Merely the suggestion should be enough to make the servants fall into line; Vaizey would be surprised if he actually had to deal with any of them regarding their new supervision.

[lucatz_of_arun]

Lucatz forced himself to breathe as he waited for the Sheriff's answer, lest he hold his breath and pass out. Why did he even need to think about it? It was a great offer. A true win-win situation. When Vaizey did answer, Lucatz flashed him a broad grin before taming his enthusiasm.

“Excellent! Thank you. Your trust is not misplaced, I assure you. Don't worry about the staff, most of them adore me and will happily obey. Those that don't will be safely brought to heel. The only person in your employ that I am on unsteady terms with is Gisborne as it seems my mere presence offends him.” Lucatz shrugged and waved dismissively, “But he is not in my command and perhaps considering me underling instead of guest will allay whatever his quarrel is.”

Actually he was pretty sure it was a mix of annoyance and jealousy. Maybe Guy felt threatened by him somehow, since he'd been at his throat since their first meeting. His friendship with Allan probably didn't help his feelings, and being roughly third in command might make it even worse. Though perhaps, if he were to court Isabella, he would need to be on Guy's good side. Something to think about later.

“Have you any more concerns, my Lord Sheriff? Or shall I off to think up some convincing lies?”

[sheriff_vaizey]

Vaizey blinked at Lucatz's genuine grin. Or, what he assumed was genuine; it was certainly closer to that quality than anything he had seen in some time. It was not a trait the sheriff saw as positive in an employee; it made him slightly uneasy. However, he expected that life at the castle would carve it out of the boy soon enough.

And if the castle did not, Gisborne might. Either way, hopefully, Vaizey would not be subjected to it much in future. He had no idea what Guy's problem with their new steward might be, nor did he particularly care. "Many people are on unsteady terms with Gisborne; I expect that the two of you will resolve the problem." He also expected that Lucatz would read that as it was intended, which was to say, he had no plans to become involved in their squabble.

Waving him toward the door, the sheriff said, "You are excused. And, Lucatz-- do not make me regret agreeing to this."