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Karigan entered the arched doorway into the mess and the loud noise of hungry soldiers and riders, cheery and relaxed at the last meal of the day, flooded over her in a wave of comfort. Pausing for a moment, she spotted Mara at a corner table and began walking in that direction. She hesitated and considered going past the servers first. It would be easier to just do it now than having to navigate getting up again. But she needed to sit, she would get her dinner in a bit. Mara's face lit up as Karigan slid into the seat opposite.
"Howdy stranger!" came the cheerful greeting.
Karigan rolled her eyes good naturedly. "You forgot me in the 6 hours since I last saw you?"
Mara laughed. The two chatted quietly for a moment. Karigan wasn't quite yet ready to share her day's story. Mara eyed Karigan's empty plate as she took a sip of ale. Karigan's stomach decided to chime in agreeance and the two laughed.
"I'll be back in a moment," she promised, and spent a few seconds preparing for the onslaught of pain that standing would invariably bring. Before she could stand, a tray table was placed in front of her. She looked up as Fastion delivered her dinner and set his own down next to Mara's. Looking down she was touched to see her had gathered the dishes she enjoyed most. He eyed her.
"I'm sorry, Karigan," was all he said, although she could tell he truly meant it.
"Yeah. Thanks," she mumbled back, avoiding his gaze. To her surprise, she felt his hand clasp the top of hers and she squeezed it tightly, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.
"Uhh, what am I missing?" came Mara's concerned voice. Karigan sighed.
"Drent stepped me down from the training program. I'm actually kinda surprised it took so long."
Mara's hand joined Fastion's in silent support. Her expression held a depth of sympathy and concern that moved Karigan. Out of any of her friends, Mara was the one who truly knew about the sacrifice a rider made.
The rest of the meal passed quietly as Karigan's companions tried to keep her engaged in their chat whilst still respecting her raw feelings. She chimed in here and there but mostly kept her eyes on her food. After they finished, Fastion walked them both back to Riders barracks to Mara's amusement.
"You know, we might have suffered in the line of duty Fastion, but we are certainly no damsels in distress. I don't remember ordering a chaperone to escort me to my quarters."
"Speak for yourself," Karigan muttered under her breath at Mara's damsel comment, but Mara just nudged her in the ribs softly and Karigan held in a laugh.
"I don't doubt you two ladies could handle yourselves against the castle ruffians," came the stoic reply.
"Oh, so an escort is not all that's on offer…?" came her suggestive retort. Mara wiggled her eyebrows for added effect.
Fastion stopped. Stared.
And promptly turned around and left them without another word.
The women were still laughing as they entered the common room where Garth and Tegan were lounging in the corner. Garth moved out of the comfy chair by the fire so that Karigan could sit in the best spot. He settled at her feet like a bear sized dog and she giggled at the thought. With surprise she realised how light she felt. The darkness of her depression had been reprieved for just one moment and she felt an immense gratitude to her friends. They shared gossip of the castle's inhabitants. Dragon Droppings were passed around carelessly with all eyes riveted on Tegan as she whispered about the latest affair between the head cook and one of the nobles. Garths fingers felt around for the bag of chocolates and his fingers accidentally landed in Karigan's lap. He froze and then Karigan burst out laughing.
The fire died down and Garth began handing out mugs of ale. Karigan felt her muscles loosen as the warm fuzziness of the alcohol swept over her. They lounged in companionable silence as Tegan sang softly of a young maiden and her lover who was away at war. The warm night air wafted through the corridors from the many arrow slits that edged the common room and Karigan felt her drowsy body soften further. Noticing, Garth stood up. With a gentleman's bow, he held out his hand and whispered loudly, "my lady, would you allow me to help you…retire?" His eyebrows rose suggestively over the last word. The girls laughed helplessly as Garth gently leant down and assisted Karigan to her feet. She winced and then leant on his arm as he whispered sweet nothings to her on the way to her bedroom.
"Garth!" She was actually shocked by the last suggestion. He coloured slightly and she laughed and shut the door in his face. He complained loudly at her door and on impulse she quickly opened the door and planted a giant kiss on his lips. He stared at her speechless. The girls, who could see Karigan's door from their chairs, roared with laughter. Karigan wiped tears from her face at his expression as she cheerfully called good night and closed the door again. Lying down on her bed, with a smile on her face, she soon drifted off.
"I need your assistance."
Laren did not mince her words. She glared pointedly at the pile of documents that lay between her and Karigan. Karigan winced.
"I am happy to help with whatever you need," she began, and tentatively reached for the top statement. Her eyes widened as she realised it wasn't payroll, but an agenda for a local diplomatic visit.
Laren continued. "You know the ropes of how this place runs more than anyone and whilst I prefer your detailed handling of our logistics over other staff, I need you for something more delicate.
The Rhovan delegates arrive in three days, headed by Lord Khodell, who is the General of the Rhovan military. The king and his counsel are keen to impress upon him of the severity of the threat that Mornhaven imposes on both of our kingdoms, in a bid to wrangle assistance."
Karigan raised her eyebrows as Laren nodded.
"We are hoping that by strengthening our ties that we will have a better chance when the whelp presents himself. Sacoridia will most likely be attacked first due to the strategic advantage it would give Mornhaven, so we need this delegation to bolster our defensive and offensive capabilities. Whilst the Rhovan monarchy has so far shown support in the king's endeavours, we really need buy in from the military now."
"Where do I come in?" Karigan asked. "Diplomacy has never been my strong suit."
Laren shook her head. "I beg to differ. People often mistake diplomacy as always maintaining a calm perspective. Whilst a clear head is important, there are nuances one must be able to detect and respond to in order to persuade those in a negotiation. For example, a calm chat with the P'ehdrose was not nearly as effective as the conversation I am sure took place, regardless of what the official report states."
Laren raised an eyebrow at the confirmation in Karigan's blush.
"You get my point."
Karigan hesitated again and shifted her body.
"It makes sense. What do you want me to do?"
Laren was silent and stared out the window as she ordered her thoughts. Turning back to Karigan, she listed the objectives on her fingers.
"Firstly, I need you to attend some of the meetings in person. It was sufficient for me to relay your report during our preparations for this visit however, for it to carry weight in the negotiations I need you to colour in the story, so to speak. You are the only one that can provide detail on the Eletians and P'ehdrose and I suspect, as does theking, that this will be a powerful inducement to the diplomats."
"Secondly, I need you to attend all the social events. Whilst I know you will find this distasteful, this is even more important than the official meetings. This is where the unofficial negotiations will take place, where you and the information you share will be sized up and probed. If you can convince the delegation after hours of the severity of our predicament, much of the work will done before they even step foot in the king's study. Do that, and we succeed."
Karigan looked alarmed at the prospect and stared down at her hands. Laren continued.
"If you agree, you can spend the next few days organising the outfits you will need and whatever else to make it through. The king has authorised you to spend whatever you have to, to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible throughout the proceedings. Chairs, clothes, whatever. We are finalising the schedule and the king has also asked for your review of it to ensure that you have plenty of opportunity for rest between engagements."
Laren eyed Karigan carefully and suspected Karigan was having difficulty reading the report based on the sheen of tears in her eyes. Yes, something definitely happened. Something else she would have to watch out for over the next two weeks.
"I can't possibly accept this generosity Colonel -". Karigan was cut off mid-sentence.
"Of course you can, and you will. It's an order, Rider. We must have every possible chance of success. Know that however this turns out, we both will be grateful for your help. We are not relying on you alone for this to work; the king never puts his eggs in one basket. That being said, this is a very small investment in what we think will provide the best outcome for Sacoridia."
Karigan nodded weakly as Laren gave her instructions on managing payment. She had 4 days to prepare.
"Thank you for this opportunity Colonel, I won't let you down."
"Of course you won't, you never do," came the kind reply. "Dismissed."
Karigan held her breath and grabbing the table edge, hauled herself to her feet with nothing more than a gentle hiss. She wondered dismally how she would ever get through a week of diplomatic meetings when she could barely stand up from a chair…