L'Eviennes on the Lamb (Nikki please - Private)

[Milo L'Evienne]

Imperos 04, Autumn of Era XIV

The plans had been laid and it had taken a lot of doing. It had taken the cooperation of a number of co-conspirators and at least two of them were none too happy about it. It had taken the sort of secrecy equal to that required to guard Empire wide security given had Sir James gotten wind of it, all would be for naught. A plot had been hatched on the fly but its maturation had come agonizingly slow. A cycle in the making at the least. It all hinged on each element going off without a hitch. One slip and they were done for, him and the rest of them in for at least a cycle running of lectures handed down by the senior Knight of the Black Rose. Those would come later of course and were unavoidable, Milo would be all apologies, promises and smiles…perhaps a nice raise to smooth over any lingering rough patches with a man he greatly respected.

And when all had come together, Milo had sent off a note to Nikki’s suites, inviting her to a carriage ride along the shore. It wasn’t much and in fact sounded quite dull. Dress down, he’d written. Like normal people he'd said. Meet me at the carriage in front of the palace mid-morning. And there he was when she arrived, dressed in clothing as far from palace halls as his temperament was from long term sobriety, all smiles and secrecy as he offered her a hand in. The usual suspects were there, all mounted up and ready to go. Ten Rosemen in all who’d fall into position around the carriage as soon as they departed. Inside she’d find a few unexpected companions. Barret Tierney of course was there and armed to the teeth. Gwygwin too though it might seem a bit odd that not only had he opted out of his usual black robe, he’d traded his raspberry beret as well in for a cream fedora to go along with a cream colored suit. His silk shirt, however, was raspberry. One might say he looked darned near like a dignified and elegant elder gent with his brass topped cane / staff and absent the usual outward eccentricities. Rumor amongst tight circles had it, after all, that he was far more than he seemed. And that, as Milo knew well, was the gods’ honest truth.

The most unexpected member of the party though ended up seated to Milo’s right, while Nikki was ushered into the seat at his left. Of the three, only Gwygwin looked completely at peace with what was to come and he’d a jolly anticipatory grin on his wrinkled face as a result when he greeted Nikki with a great deal of fondness. Of the other two, they managed to look both shifty eyed and disgruntled at the same time, Nana’s thick arms crossed…crossly over her ample bosom, and Barrett, unable to resist one last attempt to dissuade his lord and Sovereign. ”Your Excellency,” he said uncommonly low of voice after first greeting Nikki with a smile. ”I feel my position demands that I must, at least once more, appeal to greater wisdom and advise you against your, our determined course of action. Frankly my lord, even should you manage to pull off this…hair brained scheme of yours, Sir James will skin you alive once getting his hands on you.”

Milo merely grinned and winked at Nikki, and Mrs. Stromb who harrumphed irritably in return. ”I’ve been so advised Mr. Tierney.” He turned to Nikki then and his voice was strangely as low as Barrett’s had been, far too quiet for Rosemen outside to hear a word of it. ”I have a mind to run away from home little sister," he whispered. "Want to come along?’ He said nothing more while leaning back in his seat with a mysterious grin, while the carriage rolled on and out the palace gates towards the countryside. He knew she’d have something to say.

[Nikki L'Evienne]

A note from Milo suggesting a carriage ride was a nice surprise and it gave Nikki cause to smile. Dress down, he suggested, and like people not from the Palace. One perfectly-shaped eyebrow raised at that, a wicked twinkle coming into her eyes and a slight uplifting of her lips to add to the overall air of mischief that accompanied the young L'Evienne upon reading her brothers' words.

So it was that on the specified brightening she wandered, nay sauntered to the meeting place wearing a long skirt, black and full and to the floor. Atop that she wore a red shirt, belted at the waist with a tight black belt. Done up more than she'd normally have it done and with a black lacy cardigan over it, she had tied her hair back and she looked... nice, she decided.

And there was Milo, and she felt her heart lift when she saw him. He looked... different. That was what it was, she considered, he looked downright wicked. Mischievous, like the brother she knew of old. And she she took his hand and grinned up at him, a wicked and beaming smile that spoke far more than she normally did of her feelings.

But inside was Mr Tierney, and looking rather... well, well-armed, Nikki considered. Not a major surprise there, but Gwygwin looked much more respectable than usual, which was a rare sight and then there was.... "Nana?" she asked, incredulously. "Serale, Mr Tierney, and how are you Gwygwin?"always nice to folk, she knew it was important to be but her eyes returned to the formidable and wonderful Ada Stromb. "Nana? What... what's going... hair brained scheme?" the last was whispered, copying Mr Tierney's tone and pitch, sotto voce without knowing why.

A wicked grin traversed across her face as Milo winked at her and she listened to what he said and a gasp of delight escaped her mouth. "I can think of nothing I'd like more, Milo!! That's... "

She looked at Mr Tierney, at Nana and at Gwygwin and she beamed "Well, do you know, that's reassuringly naughty of you. I do believe, my lovely wonderful brother, that there may be hope for you yet. So where are we going?" she asked, a beaming smile something that she was simply unable to stop from gracing her face as she settled down in her seat next to Milo, wondering how on Telath he'd managed to pull this off.

[Milo L'Evienne]

Mischievous probably covered the scope of it, up to no good Sir James would say if he’d been aware of the Regent’s intentions and the complicity of the other passengers already in the carriage. His grin was as crooked as ever, his hair unbound, his brown tweed trousers comfortable with leather suspenders pulled over his shoulders, linen shirt cream and sleeves rolled up mid forearm, boots comfortably aged and scuffed, his falchion buckled low on his hip and his hat pulled firmly down on his head. It was a new one, he’d lost his old one…formerly Rioughe’s on the Isle of the Crown though he rather imagined that given the timing and some rather irreverent comments he’d made just prior that it was Diana herself who’d knocked it off his head as a comeuppance. It could’ve been worse.

Once he’d helped Nikki in and sat down beside her, both Barrett and Gwygwin offered fond salutations, Barrett indulging in just a second or three of pleasantness before returning to his last bid to talk Milo out of his planned course of action. Nana on the other hand, had both embraced her role, and resented it at the same time. Which made her an unpredictable co-conspirator at best. ”Good bright’nin’ lass,” she said, then feeling the need to support the ruse for Rosemen’s benefit she carried onwards, somewhat too loudly and enthusiastically than need be. ”Why I thought I’d come along, I hope ye don’t mind child. A ride by along the shore seemed like just th’ thing t’ clear out th’ cobwebs and Himself was nice enough t’ invite me along…” Milo snorted and Gwygwin grinned like a cat. Mrs. Stromb had no future on the stage, Milo thought. But she’d high marks for trying.

”Good,” he said with a whisper and a wide grin when Nikki agreed. ”I was hoping you’d say that. Gwygwin and Barrett will be coming along, Mrs. Stromb will be making our excuses and covering our arses while we’re away.” Nana’s role was somewhat more complicated than fending off the inevitable initial outrage of course, given that in the event of a true emergency meantime he’d need be able to be reached. He was not after all, after abandoning his duty. And Gwygwin too complicit in that part of the arrangement as well as acting as travel coordinator. But this was no time for explaining the intricacies of a well turned out escape plan. They were indeed reaching the gates of Alleria Prime and would soon be spilling out into the countryside.

”Anywhere you like Nikki. We’ve got Gwygwin remember? We could have a mid-brightening meal in Jaedaxia and pracenda in Zinn Sunn, we could watch the suns set on the beaches of Ieffreon…did I tell you I bought back my childhood home, the one that Rioughe built? We could go gambling in Secylion, sledding in High Peak, or hiking in Natura. We’ll use aliases…I’ve got visas in my pocket that are as genuine as the genuine article ever was, we’ll be ordinary people out with their…father and grandfather,” he said after a second or three of thought leveled Barrett and Gwygwin’s way. Gwygwin chuckled, Barrett seemed less than impressed. ”So what do you say? Where have you always wanted to go?”

[Nikki L'Evienne]

Somewhere she'd always wanted to go? Gods, but he didn't make it easy, did he. Nikki, still chuckling slightly at Mrs Stromb's wonderful rendition of herself, considered for a full moment before answering.

"Well, why don't you show me where you grew up, Milo?" she asked, head cocked to one side as she considered her options. "I mean, I'd love to then pop off to Zinn'Sunn, I've always wanted to go there, and sledding in High Peak sounds wonderful!! But I think more than anything, I'd like to see where you were a child...."

She glanced at Barrett and Gwygwin and smiled a wide and honest smile at them both. "It will be fun! Thank you both so much, it'll be good for Milo, he needs some time off now and then, don't you agree?" Those two suitably charmed she turned and kissed Mrs Stromb on the cheek "Thank you, Nana" she said, quietly, her moss-green eyes locking with Ada's and giving her more of a message than her mouth ever could manage with its clumsy words.

"Do you think Sir James is going to have you tied to your desk when we get back?" she asked Milo, thoughtfully. "Because, you know, I'm going to have to tell him that I only went along to make sure that you were safe. It's the responsible thing to do" she finished, primly, folding her hands in her lap and looking every inch the pretty and very innocent pampered - princess.

That said, she sat back and grinned a wide and genuine grin. "Oh, Milo, this is so exciting!!" she said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "I take back all the times I ever called you a pompous bore... I really do!!"

Never one to give a complete victory, that was Nikki.

[Milo L'Evienne]

Gwygwin nearly beamed in response to Nikki’s enthusiasm, in truth he of the three co-conspirators had been a remarkably eager one and he was looking forward to a brightening of Empire hopping. Naturally he’d earn personally a measure of Sir James’ displeasure when they returned, but his age and apparent eccentricity would save him the lion’s share. That would go to the ever dignified Mr. Tierney seated beside him, who cracked a smile and nodded his agreement for recognizing a losing battle when he saw one. He could hear it now, he was the professional, the steady influence, the sensible one, he should have bloody well known better. Fact was that Barrett recognized a man suffocated and overburdened when he saw one, and if a bout of Empire hopping would do his young friend and sovereign good, then he’d gladly shoulder the greater of the consequences. Nana merely smiled, her cheeks grown more rosy and patted Nikki’s hand fondly. ”Yer welcome child.”

”At the least,” Milo whispered back to the possibility of being tied to his desk for the duration. [b]”the doors barred and some sort of homing device implanted under my scalp…”But you’d sell your own brother up the river?” he teased her with a grin. ”And ahh, so that’s where that nasty rumor comes from. Pompous bore my arse,” he added while daring a quick glance out the window to find they were just veering off towards the coast.

”So you want to see where I grew up…Done. Our first stop Ieffreon Nana.” And no sooner than he said it did Gwygwin lean forward in his seat and reach for Nikki’s hand while his other rested firmly on the head of his cane, a cane that was indeed a staff of acrcana. Barrett followed suit and so did Milo until all three had fingertips firmly gripped in Gwygwin’s. ”Now I’m going to take a moment to fix on our destination and when I give a tug lady Nikki, please come forward with me. It will be a little awkward here from the carriage rather than on solid ground, much like shuffling around in close quarters with intimate friends and relations, and be advised that when we arrive, you will be deposited in our new location in the same posture you left this one in, rather than standing straight.”

As a result, Milo winked while grabbing hold of Gwygwin’s hand and waited for the mage to give them all a telling tug. And when he did, there were four less passengers in the carriage that had just begun to move along the shoreline.

ooc: Follow me…-->