Geole

Alana had been surprised when she received the invitation from Andraste Rowan to come to Geole. Well, invitation was a relative term. Actually, the woman had sent a messenger to the southern kingdom's summer palace to request that she make her way to the eastern kingdom's province promptly. The messenger had made it seem like it was an emergency, though she couldn't quite wrap her head around why the vicereine wanted her there. Sure, she was the heir to the grand duchy of the southern kingdom, but that's all she was. The way the messenger had talked; this had definitely seemed more along the lines of something one of her parents should have been seeing to. However, she had come promptly as she'd been told, and was now sitting down in the woman's audience chamber while she paced the floor. Her hands rested lightly in her lap as she waited to see what the woman had to say. Whatever it was, the woman appeared genuinely concerned and quite out of sorts over it. So Alana could only imagine that it was a very pressing matter. Especially to make such a powerful woman pace in such a way.

And then Andraste began speaking, addressing her first. She nodded to the woman's words, but had no time to respond before she continued. Slowly Alana arched a brow as the woman continued to speak, explaining things with a passion the likes of which Alana hadn't heard in a very long time. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when Andraste finished speaking and she glanced over to the grand duchess of the northern kingdom before she spoke. Something that Alana rarely did first. "First I would like to say that I'm flattered you find me the better person in my family to broach this subject with," she said with a soft laugh. "Though I have to admit that my parents might not be very pleased by that prospect," she said, but shook her head. "But they'll get over it. This is what they're training me for, after all." Her gaze flicked between the other two women in the room before she straightened her shoulders and continued on. "I think, Andraste, that you bring up many valid points. And I, for one, am willing to lend money to the cause. Shocking though this might be, I know that decisions like this are ones that I may have to make as a grand duchess. So let it be known between the three of us that I fully support this idea," she said in a firm tone that she'd been learning lately. It was one that she had, ironically, picked up more so from Queen Morgan than Queen Abaigael, but at least she was learning, right?

Andy paused in her pacing when both other women spoke. Part of her was a bit surprised at Alana's firmness, but she nodded to the woman. There was no surprise for her where Treise was concerned, however, and a small smile tugged at her lips. "I think, in this, that fifty thousand a piece would be a good price. I know it might sound like a lot, but I want this to be something that is certain to be accomplished. And for the head of a king, I believe it to be worth it," she said firmly. It was a high price, but she knew it was one that wouldn't break any of them. For that matter, it would barely put a dent in their pockets, so to speak. When Treise said something about who to leak it to a smirk claimed her lips. "Well, I hear tell that the new Duchess of Carnaghan has a cousin who used to be a bounty hunter," she said, directing her statement at the northerner. "I also hear that her older brother has been giving you googly eyes," she said with a chuckle. "So maybe you could spread the word through one of those two?"

Upon hearing the price that Andy asked for she would nod slightly in agreement, knowing that she had the funds for it, "You're right. It is worth it," she would say with a shrug. How could any amount of coin not be worth salvaging Ireland? However, she didn't quite have the same view on the people that they should leak the information to. Her jaw would clench when Andy mentioned Alasdair, her brows furrowing slightly though she otherwise wouldn't react. She wasn't about to let on that she had a weakness, not even to the women she was plotting murder with. Upon hearing Alana speak about possibly knowing somebody she would shake her head, "No. Ranait and Alasdair do have a cousin. I'll see if I can get word to him somehow," she would say, pursing her lips as she thought about it for a minute, "And if I can't get word directly to their cousin I suppose that I'll have to leak information to one of them," she would say, though she felt rather dirty for agreeing to use her court in this manner.

She nodded to Treise's words and gave the woman a faint smile. She could understand where the other woman was coming from in a sense. Her gaze flicked to Andy when the other woman began speaking and she bobbed her head in a nod. "Well," she said with a smile. "Ireland may be divided into four kingdoms, but to fight among ourselves when there's an outside enemy trying to bring war to our country wouldn't do us any good," she said, echoing the other woman's thoughts. Her attention flicked to the northern Irish woman and she flashed her a soft smile. "Okay," she said in response to what the woman had said about getting word to the cousin some way. "I was just trying to be helpful," she said, trying to be reassuring. She hadn't meant anything bad by her offer. All she had meant was that she had no idea what her relationship to the two nobles might be, and if she was good friends with them it might make it easier if someone else got the word to the westerner. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug and smiled when Andy thanked them. "No thanks necessary. I know I'm happy to be able to rid Ireland of one more person who's detrimental to her," she said with a shrug. She couldn't speak for Treise, but she was pretty sure the woman felt the same.

She nodded to the words from both women and agreed when Treise said what she did about it being a high enough price to tempt the bounty hunter. "I should hope so," she said with a sigh, though when the northerner asked if they were done here she would give a brief nod. "Aye," she said with a faint smile. "I think we'd best all get back to our lives and homes before someone starts to suspect something with three women like us all being in the same place at once," she said jokingly before she shook her head and ushered the other two women from the audience chamber. She knew they all had things they would have to do to get the ball rolling on this. Not to mention things that they would have to do to work on preparing for the war that was said to be coming to Ireland's shores. Gathering the armies wasn't the problem. The problem would be moving them and all the political bullshit that went along with it. There were, after all, nobles who would not approve of moving armies through Ireland, others who would not approve of helping the other kingdoms. And some who would try to flat out refuse to send their men to war. It was going to be a pain in the ass.

Cinaed had been requested to go to Geole to just give story about Cori and her first outing alone. He had noted Lorcan and Connall and his parents had been pleased. Especially his mother when he expressed that there seemed to be a spark between his sister and the Captain. As he had witnessed the dancing and her disqualification in melee. His father was displeased with the idea of his once squire's kill in melee but Eilis had said something about viking's luck within the marriage and trailed off in her own thoughts.
Cinaed was walking to the stables when he came out with his horse, Trouble's sister Elegance, he noted the shy little Southern woman he briefly spoke to at the Masquerade and danced with. They never introduced themselves so he would give her one of his genuine and heart throb worthy grins. "Greetings!" He would chime in and gave a bow incase she was higher in the tier than himself. Which would not surprise him with the amount of men she had around her.
He was also just barely noble really. "Are you going towards the Eastern Kingdom, M'lady? Or straight too the Southern?" Maybe he could win over a companion and her entourage to travel with.

Cinaed would continue to hold his smile when she noticed him. As she teased him, he'd let his smile become sly. The young southerner had amused him with her surprising spark of confidence in her way of speaking. As she continued he moved and climbed into his horse's saddle. Patting Elegance who was a 'grey' horse AKA a white horse without the white mutation or genetic traits. She had a blackened snout. But she carried herself like an excellent Mare.
When she called him a nobleman he'd give her an audible chuckle. "Barely by any means, little Lady. I never get granted an entourage. I am but a writer." He'd pause. "Ah. I think we've never actually told each other our names. I'm Cinaed Frighil, known mostly to be Lady Knight Cori's younger brother." He admitted. Though the only thing that seemed to tie Cinaed to Cori were their eyes. Though Cinaed's were almost more striking and true blue. He let his mare canter up towards her and her men.

"You do not have to worry much about me, you should get home to the Southern Kingdom. I had just been wondering if you had time to have conversation along the way." He'd grin a little. "Perhaps I will help you with travel boredom?" He would tease in reply.