by B B Reed
Halena swallowed and tore her eyes away from the menagerie, “Of course.”
“Relax and observe for now, my dear.” Jeanne smirked, shrugging her coat off and getting comfortable.
The flow of the last handful of ministers filled in the room at a steady pace, the officials at the front of the room taking their places as the time neared, stacks of papers ready at their side. One of the thinner officials of powder-white curled hair took a bell and waved it three times, its tenor echoing around the room. The rest of the room immediately hushed itself, murmurs dying away between ministers. A portly man in the middle lectern spoke, the room’s shape aiding in making his dulcet voice carry, “In the name of her majesty, Queen Daniella Pentaghast, this session is now called to order. Please, seat yourselves and we will begin with today’s agenda…”
The witch watched as the parliamentary show began, much of what they began discussing flying over her head. Taxes, tariffs, trade, these things made little sense to her limited understanding of the lawmaking system. Ministers would speak up for questions and comments here and there, but none of those that concerned her the most. She folded her arms, disappointed as she mused on the sinister undertones of an organization working unseen amongst them. Her eyes fell on Lady Ravenwood, stoic as ever and looking almost as bored as she felt, until it dawned on her. This woman’s posture mimicked much of what she saw around herself in the forum. Lord Calyrien, for all of his vile and sour words, conducted himself in the same manner, as did Caleb Vaughn, Elspeth, and the Blackmoores. Each wore masks for their representation, hiding their moves, and remaining stoic for this parliamentary dance.
Her thoughts were broken as someone in the front row rose to answer a question posed by the speakers, “Lord Beaumont, if Brighthall is no longer in need of reserves and resources to aid in its ongoing cases of murders, may I ask that these resources be redirected to Venmoor? Constables in the area has been struggling to solve the disappearance of the magistrate’s son. More eyes and boots on the ground may work to their benefit.”
For the first time in the whole session, Jeanne spoke up, rising to her feet, “My lord Beaumont, if I may offer an alternative solution?”
The stout man at the front podium paused and nodded to Jeanne, “Please, proceed, Lady Ravenwood.”
“As we saw with Brighthall, more boots on the ground did not put an end to the attacks on its citizenry, instead calculated efforts by a small number of investigators in the area were able to track down a rogue agent of the Manin College in the area. It would be a better use of our resources than throwing soldiers at the problem.” Jeanne said, chin up and her voice ringing with authority.
A minister down the row scoffed, “So quick to look for a fight, Ravenwood. It’s not unheard of for bandits and other miscreants to target an official’s family like that. Have a unit of troops comb over Venmoor and be done with it!”
The original speaker shook his head, “You misunderstand, Lord Emryn. This isn’t a normal case. It’s… difficult to explain without sounding like a madman. The reports say that some…wolf may have stolen the poor child.”
Jeanne’s demeanor remained focused, “Lord Kellis, I’d be happy to discuss this with you further outside of the session and begin a joint case between houses if need be. If human life is at stake, even a madman’s words deserve consideration.”
The minister inclined his head in acknowledgement to Jeanne and took his seat. Lord Beaumont at the front of the room made a note in his papers, “Very well. House Ravenwood and House Kellis will begin a joint investigation into the Venmoor kidnapping. Continuing on…”
Lady Ravenwood sat down, a flash of pride appearing on her lips as she glanced to her retainer, “Have you any doubts now, my dear?”
Halena shook her head, returning her own mischievous grin, “None. Shall we ready for another hunt?”
About The Author
B B Reed
B.B. Reed is a self-published author of dark fantasy, sci-fi, and monstrous adventure. He has held creativity close to his heart, dabbling in everything from illustration, to writing, to media editing and theatre.
His inspirations are rooted in many mediums, with the Gothic classics forming a solid literary foundation to springboard from. He grew up reading fantasy greats like Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and The Last Apprentice, experiencing the stories told through video games and movies, as well as experiencing the great fantasies cooked up from the grassroots of online communities. Reed’s works are anchored in the deep worlds of sci-fi and fantasy, including dark occult themes, the harshness of space, the strange things that lie beneath the norm, and stories that touch individual experience in these worlds.