Jacquelyn closed the door softly behind her as she entered Josephine's study, seeing the ambassador pacing back and forth in front of her fireplace. It was easy to tell that something was bothering her, all of her bodyguards being banished from the room, instead standing outside each door and ready to rush in at the first sound of something being amiss.
"Is everything all right, Josephine?" Jacquelyn asked as she crossed over. "Your message said that it was urgent."
"Yes, it is. Urgent, that is," Josephine stopped pacing, a heavy sigh escaping her. "I… must explain something about the Montilyets' fortunes."
"I believe you have mentioned before that your family has been forbidden from trading in Orlais?"
"Yes. It devastated our finances. The Montilyets have, in fact, been in debt for over a hundred years."
Jacquelyn didn't even bother trying to hide her surprise, her eyebrows shooting up. She had heard of the Montilyets before, they were mentioned once or twice in passing as she was growing up, but never anything about them being in debt and certainly nothing about how long for.
"I had no idea that the position your family is in was so… precarious."
"Hardly anyone outside the family does," Josephine resumed her pacing. "For generations we've done everything we can to keep creditors at bay. Sold our lands to stave off interest. It's just… infuriating to see my family still reduced to this!"
Jacquelyn nodded, trying to understand. Her family had never been in such a predicament, but she could imagine the stress that it would cause her father and eldest brother if they were.
"I'm to become head of our house," Josephine continued. "If I sell any more of our land, my family will become destitute. That cannot be my legacy to them."
"Do you have a plan?" Jacquelyn asked, as gently as she could. "Is there anything that I can do to be of assistance?"
"That is in fact where things get interesting," Josephine frowned. "I'd almost solved our problems. For a while. I negotiated a chance to reinstate the Montilyets as landed traders in Orlais. We could rebuild with that. But when I dispatched paperwork to Val Royeaux…"
Josephine hung her head, seeming to struggle with something. Jacquelyn leaned her head to the side slightly.
"Are you all right, Josephine?" she prompted.
"I am, but I just learned that my carriers were murdered. And the documents restoring my family's trading status were destroyed."
Now a small frown found its way onto Jacquelyn's face.
"That seems a bit… convenient," she said. "Someone attempts to assassinate you, and now your carriers are murdered."
"Quite," Josephine agreed. "Leliana's inquiries have bore fruit. Comte Boisvert, a nobleman in Val Royeaux, claims to know who killed my messengers, which could mean he knows who made the attempt on my life. However, he has a request."
"Which is?" Jacquelyn was entirely unsurprised. Everyone in Orlais was always pushing some sort of agenda. All part of the Game.
"That you come when I meet him, so he's seen 'publicly conferring' with you."
"Of course, Josephine. Anything I can do to help put these matters to rest, I will gladly do."
Josephine nodded to Jacquelyn.
"Thank you, Inquisitor," she said. "I must know who killed my couriers just to harm my family."
Jacquelyn completely understood that, and she didn't see any harm in meeting with the Comte. She hadn't heard much about him before, so he couldn't be that important politically speaking, and she trusted that Josephine and Leliana would have looked into him already. He would, of course, have his own reasons for wanting to be seen with Jacquleyn. She knew that she could always just deny whatever else he could say about their meeting, and chances were good more people would believe her than him. He was no threat, but the opportunity to learn who was wanting Josephine dead was too important not to ignore. Not to mention, Jacquelyn wasn't upset about the opportunity to return to Orlais.
Jacquelyn met up with Josephine in one of the quarters in Val Royeaux, ready to meet with the Comte. It was a nice day, the sun shining brightly down on them, and Jacquelyn felt energised by the bustle of the crowds around them. She truly did love Orlais and almost everything that it had to offer.
"Hello, Josephine," she smiled to her friend in greeting. "Do you know where this noble wanted to meet us?"
"I do. The Comte Boisvert's invited us to his mansion, not too far from here. I pray he clears up the deaths of my messengers as promised."
"We can deal with that eventuality should it arise," Jacquelyn assured her, already beginning to think of ways they could retaliate or if they would just leave him alone. "Please, lead the way."
"Of course," Josephine nodded. "This way. I must thank you again for doing this. I truly appreciate you taking time from your already hectic schedule to do this for my family."
"It is nothing, truly. I care for your safety, Josephine, and I would hate to see your family turned to ruin."
"Even so, thank you."
Jacquelyn nodded silently, following Josephine the rest of the way to the mansion. She was right, it wasn't too far from where they had met up with each other, and very soon they were stepping into a high roomed ceiling that opened up to a balcony.
It was a beautiful room, if rather bare of furnishings. There were some deep red, velvety dining chairs around an expensive looking table standing on a long rug, some drapes, and in one corner there stood an intricately carved cupboard. Paintings in golden frames decorated the walls, and the pillars in the room had golden carvings on them. They did not see the comte, however, until they rounded a corner in the room.
There he sat at a smaller table, a servant bowing as he walked away after giving Comte Boisvert a drink of some kind.
"Welcome, my friends," the comte greeted, raising his hand to them.
Jacquelyn followed Josephine's lead, the ambassador stepping forward.
"Thank you for seeing us, Comte Boisvert," she said.
"The honour is mine. Please, sit," Jacquelyn silently did as she was invited to, taking note of a simple scroll of paper that sat in front of Boisvert. "It's an hour to assist two such distinguished guests."
"We appreciate your assistance, Comte," Jacquelyn told him, giving him her best smile.
"The death of Lady Montilyet's servants must weigh heavily on you," the Comte said, looking directly at Jacquelyn. "Have you heard of the House of Repose?"
"The assassins' league?" Josephine asked, clearly surprised. Jacquelyn glanced a look at her. She hadn't heard of the House of Repose, but if they were an assassin's league then they would certainly fit the criteria for the people that they were looking for. It would explain a lot, but it wouldn't explain why they were wanting to kill Josephine or her messengers.
The Comte adjusted how he was sitting, now leaning closer to the small table they were seated at and folding his legs casually.
"My contacts obtained a copy of a document in their archives. A contract for a life."
Jacquelyn did her best to mask her suspicion. How convenient for the Comte to have contacts capable of infiltrating an assassins' league. It seemed far fetched, to say the least. The three options she could see being possibilities were that he had either used the House of Repose himself, he was a part of it himself, or he wasn't who he claimed he was. She wasn't sure she wanted to know which one was the truth.
The Comte slid the scroll across the table to Josephine, who looked over to Jacquelyn for a moment before she reached out and took it. She opened it up, a look of surprised understanding on her face as she read out what was written on the scroll.
"'The House of Repose is hereby sworn to eliminate anyone attempting to overturn the Montilyets' trading exile in Orlais.'"
"So there is a connection between the attempt on your life and the deaths of your messengers," Jacquelyn frowned. "Unless we can destroy this contract, or get around it somehow, then your life will always be in danger."
"The contract was signed by a noble family," Comte Boisvert started, leaning back casually in his seat. "The Du Paraquettes."
"But the Du Paraquettes died out as a noble line over sixty years ago!" Josephine had a determined frown as she spoke.
"Indeed. But the contract was signed one hundred and nine years ago."
"How can a family try to kill you after they have died out?" Jacquelyn frowned.
"The Du Paraquettes were our rivals," Josephine started to explain. "They drove the Montilyets from Val Royeaux. This contract was drawn up over a hundred years ago, but it wasn't invoked until I tried to overturn my family's exile."
"Unpleasant though it may be, the House of Repose is merely fulfilling its contractual duties."
Jacquelyn eyed the Comte closely for a moment before turning once again to Josephine.
"I assume you have some thoughts on this, Josephine?" she asked.
"The Du Paraquettes still have descendants under the common branch. If we elevate them to nobility, a Du Paraquette could annul the contract on my life."
The comte took a sip of his wine as she spoke, simply listening to their conversation for a moment. He lowered the cup in surprise when Josephine made her suggestion, though.
"That will take time, Lady Montilyet. Time during which the House of Repose will be obliged to hunt you."
Josephine shared a look with Jacquelyn before leaning forward slightly.
"Will they now?" she challenged. "You are exceedingly well informed. Your note to us said you'd heard rumours at best?"
Jacquelyn was relieved to know that she had not been the only one to notice how suspicious the comte seemed at times, and she was glad Josephine was deciding to act on it. She turned to look at the so-called comte sitting opposite them, raising an eyebrow at him.
"A bit of subterfuge. This contract on your life is an ugly business, one the House of Repose deeply regrets."
It almost irritated Jacquelyn how casual this man was. She felt like she was at a major disadvantage, not knowing his true identity, but there wasn't much she could do about it other than ask Leliana to send people to find out more about him.
"But this is Orlais," the man continued. "Even an assassin's word is his bond."
"Is the real Comte Boisvert still alive?"
"Absolutely," he assured them. "He slumbers in a nearby closet. Nothing more. The contract on Lady Montilyet's life is so unusual, we felt the courtesy of an explanation was in order."
"It's appreciated, monsieur," Josephine looked upset, but bowed her head to the House of Repose agent. Jacquelyn wasn't as certain that thanking him was in order, but she took Josephine's lead on the matter. It was her life that was in danger, after all.
"Your idea to seek out a Du Paraquette to revoke our orders is an interesting one. I wish you luck."
Jacquelyn stood up at the same time as the man on instinct, not trusting him an inch. Every fibre in her body was telling her to end him, prevent him from taking another life. For a moment the stranger just paused, adjusting his gloves.
"I did not come to shed blood, Inquisitor, only to speak. Might I pass?"
For a moment Jacquelyn didn't move. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted him dead. But she looked to Josephine, who shook her head subtly, and after another moment Jacquleyn stood aside.
"Good day, your worship. My Lady. I pray we never meet again," the so-called Comte bowed before he departed, Jacquelyn watching every step he made towards the door. The meeting had left them with a lot to think about.