| Regrets |
| Summary: | Josse speaks with Isolde on matters currently regarding Gedeon. |
| Date: | 8 Aug 2011 |
| Related Logs: | Anything dealing with the letters and poisoning. |
| Players: |
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| Sept — Stonebridge |
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| Small simple building. |
| Mon August 8, 288 |
With word that Josse was in the area, Isolde had taken her leave of the tower to seek out the Septon at the small building in Stonebridge that serves as the Sept. The Lady with her sworn makes her way into the buidling, dismissing them to stand outside as she removes the hood from her head. Green eyes take in the soft dimness of peaceful arches of the structure. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes, moving towards the fore to bow her head and dip down to her knee to whisper a soft quick prayer to the Seven before she rises and kisses the back of her joined thumbs. Slowly they drop to her side, the right bandaged but easily lost into the folds of her skirts.
A small building indeed, not even really big enough to hold more than a cot or two in the back for clergy traveling back and forth. One of those is Josse's for the evening, the Roost septon having come to wash hands and feet in the little room out back — his sandals quietly scratch the floor as he comes back through the archway. There they pause a moment until he's sure the figure there is not absorbed in prayer. "Lady Isolde."
Turning to face Josse a little more fully, Isolde smiles and dips her head, "Josse." She says warmly and then releases a breath, "Isolde will do just fine…" There is a faint meaning there as she presses her hands together before her. "How was your stay in Terrick's Roost?" She asks of him, her eyes prying as she studies him, a soft smile still curling her lips.
"Isolde." Not the most comfortable thing to do, calling a noble without their title, but Josse repeats it as if the mere sound was a curious thing. His face bears some hallmarks of a stretch of bad sleep, but he answers in fairly predictable fashion: "It was fine. The familiar is always comforting, in its way. And what about you?"
An understanding nod is offered and her eyes drop before she smiles faintly, head canting as her gaze rises back up. "I am …continuing onward. I am searching to prove that my mother's word of her …loyalty to my father is true, but she has offered me nothing. I had hoped that you might help me find some record or anything of my birth…but besides that. I am uncertain of what to do, Josse. This is a large mess and part of myself is torn for the fact I have kept the letters…what they all must think of me for it." She sighs and her gaze grows a little distant in thought.
Josse listens to that in silence. His hands fold in front of him and he briefly glances down. "Condemn as anyone may like, I don't think anyone would have behaved differently if presented with them in such a manner," he says after a moment or two. "To show that they still exist and have not been destroyed…may be something to consider. As for your birth records." His eyes come back up, looking at her face. "I can look, though I do not know what discrepancy exactly you would be searching for."
"I am uncertain what I am looking for either.." Isolde tells Josse and then shifts, moving to the side as her steps help to keep her thoughts moving. "I need proof that my motherw as here attending business. Anything that shows there is now way a slip of her own dignity would find her in another's bed." She lets it rest and also exhales. "But enough of that, I know enough of that matter, but tell me. Since you were near Ser Gedeon…what happened? What evidence of this poisoning has come to light? I have done my own searching.." She makes a lift of that bandaged right hand.
"Evidence?" Josse smiles thinly. "Nearly nothing, besides the oil itself in the wine. Pennyroyal, though I'm sure you've already heard that. It seems like everyone has." He nods to the bandages. "What have you done to yourself?"
Looking to her hand she nods to it, "I indeed heard it was Pennyroyal, Josse. So I went to look in my mother's things…she left a nice bit of pure wolfsbane oil on one of her items…the blisters and sores are healing well enough - albeit slowly." Isolde says and then pauses. "Amongst for vials…mint and pennyroyal and two other heavier ones, all mostly used in making moontea, her pennyroyal had enough missing from it to have been used in poisoning the wine that was taken of. I inquired here to the local apothecaries and not a single one sold enough Pennyroyal to poison a skin of wine…and in Hag's Mire…my servant was turned away, no answers given, no bribes taken." She worries her lip a moment and then adds, "Pennyroyal is far too expensive for anyone but a noble to have bought it…"
"Allow me to take a look at them before you leave," Josse remarks absently on her hand. As for the rest, he sighs quietly. "You realize there is nearly no way to prove where it came from. Definitely, I mean. Even knowing what we know…" He shakes his head slightly. "She could said she'd had it and a servant spilled it on accident. there would be no way to disprove it."
"I do realize but I wish to know. This all seems horribly convenient and it consumes my thoughts. I never wanted my brother hurt. Ever." There is a darkening of her gaze and Isolde than says, "But I should have suspected it would happen. I never looked beyond my own person in this. I spoke too freely and made this more than it should have been. And I gave him a promise." She huffs faintly and shakes her head. "I promised him and I broke it. The letters are not in my care anymore…but they are not destroyed, Josse."
Josse raises an eyebrow slightly, nodding once. "Promised him? What promise did you make him, Isolde?"
"To give them back…" Isolde answers at his question. "I promised to give the letters back when I took them so swiftly. I admit I was taken by the news in such a way that I grew defensive." Her lips press into a thin line as she meets Josse's gaze.
Josse glances at her bandaged hand again, then looks back at her face. "Would you wish that I would tell him so? Or carry a note to him, something?"
"I have many things I wish I could say to him, Josse. Mostly how I hope he is well and safe. That I am sorry…" Isolde expells a breath and then smiles warmly. "Tell him I am doing what I can…what little that is." Floundering for answers is what it would be called. "He has changed in five years.."
Josse nods once, no doubt committing the exact words to memory and not just the sentiment. "How has he changed, Isolde?"
"Perhaps grown in a better way. He is stronger, more determined. But I wonder now, why it took five years for him to bring these letters. Why so long and only now." She shakes her head and Isolde sighs, "Now I must worry about daggers in the dark more than I ever have with the position I now carry. How simple things would have been had I been Jaremy's." She laments faintly, but those green eyes harden some. "He is not the brother I remember, who always cared for me…or at least seemed to…I did not wish us to meet again like this. I was overjoyed at the sight of him."
"And I would suppose," Josse replies quietly, "That in the moment you didn't have the chance to ask him why. That is a shame. I can't tell you how many rifts everywhere could be avoided if only a few minutes more breath could have been given to simply say what there was to say."
"I distraught…but that is no excuse." Not in truth. Isolde nods her head, "My head was not in the right place." Her hands smooth to her skirts, "In any case, what is done is done. But I shall make a letter for you to deliver, if you would…I would be grateful." She offers a faint smile. "But as for the rest, how are they? Jaremy is doing well with his betrothal I hope.." It is a genuine enough statement.
"As far as I am aware." Josse nods slightly. "I'm sure rumor is not far behind me…he has taken ill this last day. If you would lift his name in your prayers. The rest are just fine." Though really, even if everything's not peachy keen rainbows the septon isn't going to divulge all that much. It's to be expected. "And Lord Ryker, how fares he these days?"
At his mention of Jaremy falling ill, Isolde furrows his brows, "I am glad for all their health…I do hope the Young Lord gets better. I will certainly pray for him." She promises and then as Josse asks of Ryker, she nods. "My husband is well. As kind as he can be and rather defensive of me. I wonder if his temper will take him again should this matter escalate." A smile gently paints her lips. "But I hope not." She says and then shifts, "I should let you rest after your travels. You walk the road between Stonebridge and Terrick's Roost."
"I'll pray the Crone stay his hand," Josse raises an eyebrow slightly. "A temper would benefit no-one, not now." He unfolds his hands, inclining his head. "If you wish to write that letter, I will take it back with me in the morning. You're most welcome to tea before I go…it will not be the best in the lands, but I am happy to share it."
"I would be happy for company of an unplotting sort. It will be a great ease for me and will allow me to just be for once." Isolde says and then nods, "I will compose a letter for my brother…if you have parchment and ink. I will give you coin for such a donation so that I might allow my thoughts some respite here in this place."
"I do, and a place to write." Josse lifts his hand, gesturing towards the small rooms in the back. "No-one will disturb you. I know sometimes that is the best in the world we can hope for."
"Thank you for your kindness. I may..need you to write this letter for me." Isolde lifts her wrapped hand. "I will try, but if my script becomes illedgible, I would confide in you the words to my brother." The Lady shifts and steps towards the small rooms, glad finally to be away from the Tower.
