OOC: Tags to
@Gregor Dampierre This takes place during year eight of the water after the 'Dekka-dence' thread labeled on the timeline.
------------
The Grand Duke's Palace was in chaos. Guards were constantly marching the hall, and security was doubled on every floor, even tripled around the living quarters ever since the
King of Thieves escaped from the march to the gallows and the Grand Duke's adviser,
Vesrik Delcheux, was laid up and recovering. He had suffered a nasty attack, that would have been fatal had there not have been a doctor on the premises that day. And given the circumstances and his age, it was uncertain how long his recovery would be. And consequentially, before the Grand Duke arrived back from his trip to Hellvion, Lady Valia Chandos had gone missing. There was some letter left in regards to her 'returning to her husband on her own'; but the second word got back to him- well...
Needless to say, things were in chaos, and
Grand Duke Calent Allarrick's head was pounding. Lady Valia Coleridge, having run away and now as kidnapped, his wife, (he also found out..) was pregnant, and was in hysterics; a known mage had escaped the gallows and the Grand Duke's adviser was out from the count; and for all he knew, this was permanent. This left the Grand Duke utterly alone. Where on occasion he'd seek out is wife's council, he couldn't even go there because she wasn't even sure what to do with herself, and it took every an excruciating amount of effort to keep her in the castle and not going chasing after her sister like a loon. He wondered if these spontaneous frenzies ran in her family, but he felt his own sanity fraying.
It was just to much. All of it. The war outside, the war at home.
Everything. Thankfully the doctor had something to give him for his pounding head, so he could be at least somewhat amicable and cognitive when Lord Dampierre arrived.
Lord Gregor d'Avesnes Dampierre was a trusted man, a man who's father knew Calent's father and kept in close relations to him, even throughout the war. Though his expertise so far had been on war politics, it was still a big help. But then again, any little bit helped, and now that he was without his trusted adviser, he wasn't sure where else to turn. Audric seemed a world away, and he had no one else truly closer to him. But This Lord Dampierre was a tactical man, so instead of calling in a Duke (Duke Audric of Allar) and take away a ruling Duke from his Duchy, he went for the more practical solution instead.
A letter was rushed on horse back to Lord Dampierre's estate, and it was confirmed he was on his way to the palace now. Good. Calent rubbed at his temple. He needed all of the help he could get. Despite his position, the Grand Duke's seat was by no means a one person job.