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| − | <div style="float:right; border:1px solid grey; width:200px; background-color:#fff; padding:10px;">
| + | [[wikipedia:Chicken]] |
| − | {|
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| − | |[[Image:Icon-d20.jpg]]
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| − | |This is a work of fiction set in [[{{{setting|{{{1}}}}}}]], by {{{author|{{{2}}}}}}
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| − | |}
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| − | </div>
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| − | <noinclude>
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| − | <br><br><br><br><br><br>
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| − | http://www.otakalypse.com/images/rocksfall2.jpg
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| − | after DIV was class="noprint"
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| − | | |
| − | [[Diablotin 2#Setting]]
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| − | | |
| − | <wordwrap>
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| − | * Justine is eagerly awaiting your report the morning after the ball.
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| − | She brings breakfast to your room so you can talk.
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| − | [Justine] So? Did you enjoy yourself? :)
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| − | [Ilphere] Oh... good morning, Maman...!
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| − | * Ilphere looks a little glum, or apprehensive...
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| − | [Justine] Is something the matter?
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| − | [Ilphere] I did have a good time ... but then...
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| − | [Ilphere] IOh I don't know what to do...!
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| − | [Ilphere] Things were going very well with Menard, and then...!
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| − | [Ilphere] And then I was dancing with the Emperor and he said...
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| − | * Justine sits down on the edge of your bed, listening intently.
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| − | [Ilphere] He said he didn't think I should marry his brother anymore...!
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| − | [Justine] Oh, dearest, no!
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| − | * Ilphere 's voice climbs in pitch..!
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| − | * Justine looks very upset.
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| − | [Ilphere] He wants to fob me off on the Compte de Desperee!
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| − | [Justine] Oh... oh.
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| − | * Justine considers this for a moment.
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| − | [Ilphere] Some old man...!
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| − | [Justine] Your father's age. :/
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| − | [Ilphere] He probably has grown children already, at least as old as I am...!
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| − | * Justine nods.
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| − | [Justine] He has two, I think. Younger than you, but not much.
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| − | [Justine] It... it would not be such a terrible match, if it must happen :/
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| − | [Ilphere] Oh Maman...! How can you say that..?!
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| − | [Justine] Oh, I know, sweetheart.
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| − | [Ilphere] It is... It is insulting...!
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| − | * Ilphere lets some of her anger at Marl come out, even if she can't
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| − | tell her mother all of what he said...!
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| − | [Ilphere] He was... quite rude!!
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| − | [Justine] To you? :o
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| − | [Justine] What did he say? Perhaps you only misunderstood.
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| − | [Ilphere] I don't recall exactly... Something about how he had thought
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| − | it over and I was not suited to his brother, how the Count was better
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| − | suited to match someone from our family...!
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| − | * Justine frowns.
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| − | [Justine] Well, that is absurd!
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| − | [Ilphere] And... and I was beginning to quite like Menard... :(
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| − | [Justine] The Escaleras are a very good family, of course, nothing to
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| − | sneeze at. Kaladon will be Duke of Mearim when his parents pass on.
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| − | But - as you said, he has two children already, and so any children
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| − | you might have, they would hardly be likely to inherit his titles.
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| − | [Ilphere] So what would even be the point..?!
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| − | [Ilphere] It doesn't help our family at all...!
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| − | [Justine] Well, the security, the money... :/
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| − | [Ilphere] I might as well marry some rich *merchant*...!
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| − | * Justine looks horrified.
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| − | * Ilphere covers her face in her hands, wishing she could tell her
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| − | mother the rest of it without being disowned.
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| − | [Justine] Oh no, dear, it's not as bad as all that! :o
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| − | [Justine] But... he *is* much older. I believe he is in the Order of
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| − | the Spoke as well - not the sort of husband a young girl dreams of :/
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| − | [Ilphere] No indeed....!
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| − | * Ilphere concurs morosely.
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| − | [Justine] You say you believed you were getting on well with Prince Menard?
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| − | * Ilphere nods.
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| − | [Ilphere] He seemed to like me, I thought....
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| − | [Justine] Well, then surely this is not *his* decision.
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| − | * Justine says confidently.
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| − | [Justine] And if he had become betrothed to someone else, surely we
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| − | should have heard about it.
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| − | [Ilphere] I don't know how much influence Marl has over his brother...
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| − | * Ilphere says hesitantly.
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| − | * Justine considers,.
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| − | [Justine] If you could meet with Menard - just to gauge his feelings
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| − | about this, and see if, by any chance, he is unhappy about it...
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| − | [Justine] Well.
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| − | [Justine] There are many factors to be weighed here, my sweet.
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| − | [Ilphere] You think it is worth a try...?
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| − | [Justine] I am not certain. A marriage to the Emperor's brother does
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| − | us little good if the Emperor himself opposes it. He could ruin us,
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| − | all of us, if he so chose.
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| − | [Justine] But...
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| − | * Ilphere nods glumly, looking down at her hands.
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| − | [Justine] If Menard has some influence over his brother, and could
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| − | speak to him about this, perhaps sway him... it might be worth trying,
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| − | at least.
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| − | [Justine] We must be cautious about this, though.
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| − | [Ilphere] I don't want to marry the comte de Desperee...
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| − | [Ilphere] Cautious...?
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| − | [Justine] If word gets out that we were going against the Emperor's
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| − | express wishes in such a matter, it could cause a great deal of
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| − | trouble.
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| − | [Justine] It may be that you have to meet the Count, at the very
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| − | least, to preserve the impression that we are amenable to the match.
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| − | [Ilphere] . o O ( I wonder if I could put *him* off... )
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| − | [Ilphere] I.. I suppose...
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| − | [Ilphere] But not until Marl proposes it officially... right...?
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| − | * Justine pats your hand.
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| − | [Justine] If the Count comes calling on your father, we shall have to
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| − | receive him, of course.
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| − | * Ilphere nods again...
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| − | [Ilphere] But I would really like to talk to Menard...
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| − | [Justine] We will solve this problem, Ilphere. No daughter of mine is
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| − | going to be forced into a loveless marriage!
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| − | * Ilphere puts on a brave face...
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| − | [Ilphere] Thank you...!
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| − | [Justine] But... promise me this. If you keep an open mind about the
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| − | Count - perhaps he is not so bad as he sounds. If you think you could
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| − | be content with him, then... perhaps it would be simplest.
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| − | [Ilphere] I... I will try... :(
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| − | [Ilphere] . o O ( not very hard...! )
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| − | [Justine] As for Menard - it might be that the best thing would be for
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| − | you to send him a note yourself. He will know you are serious about
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| − | things then.
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| − | [Ilphere] Very well... I will...!
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| − | [Ilphere] How much do you think I should say...?
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| − | * Justine considers that.
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| − | [Justine] You have to let him know that you are unhappy, though not
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| − | terribly obviously of course.
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| − | [Justine] Perhaps you could say something like "Certain unwelcome
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| − | developments give me cause to wish to speak with you at your earliest
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| − | convenience."
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| − | [Ilphere] Yes, that's very good...!
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| − | * Ilphere agrees eagerly...!
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| − | * Justine smiles.
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| − | [Justine] I hope he will read between then lines, then.
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| − | [Justine] And if he calls here, your father and I will make ourselves scarce.
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| − | [Ilphere] Thank you…!
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| − | * Justine gives you a kiss on the forehead and leaves you to ready
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| − | yourself for the day, then.
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| − | </wordwrap>
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