I come on behalf of my pack... 5.8 - evening- (Chris/Rollo)

[Rollo Letalis]

Rollo waited to be announced to Lord Mallory. He had negotiations and other such business to represent Rex today. Rex, who was still stuck at war, or if not on his way back from war, hopefully. He hadn't exactly had the ability to stop at home and really take a breath from all of the mayhem, but such was the service to his cousin. All Rex had to say was jump. It was up to Rollo to determine how high would please his cousin's interest that day. It certainly wasn't a boring way of life!

He checked his clothes, making sure he was immaculate. One didn't represent the pack looking shoddy, after all. His hair was cropped short, his goatee trimmed, his tunic neat,and pressed, and his boots shone. He was ready...

[Christopher Mallory]

Christopher had been informed long before the ship had anchored near Ryka and readied himself for the meeting. He already knew because of the letter that he would not be meeting with Lord Letalis, but Lord Rollo still served as an important element in this attempt to form something of an alliance between the southern families. He needed to be sure to treat Rollo with the same dignity and respect he would if he were lord of Strom.

“Show him in,” he said to the servant who announced him. Christopher got to his feet, going around the desk. Wearing the colors of Mallory house, his tunic a deep crimson, his breaches ebony black, he gave Rollo a respectful nod. “Lord Rollo Letalis,” he said smoothly. “Good to see you again. It has been a long while since Vadra, hasn’t it?” Though they had not engaged in private conversation, they’d known one another through Remy. A topic Christopher was not sure he could yet mention.

[Rollo Letalis]

Rollo strode in purposefully,pausing in front of the man who was outfitted much similarly to himself. After all the colors of both houses were nearly identical, only that the red of his tunic was more of a berry red rather than a crimson. Untrainted eyes would just call them red, but those who knew the nuances of the colors and their houses would understand the significance. He bowed to the higher ranking Province Lord, and smiled. "Lord Mallory, the pleasure is mine. It has indeed been quite a long time since Vadra, nearly a lifetime in some respects, mere moments in others."

He knew his brother knew Christopher, he knew of him, and he knew of the man's honor. He was both honored and humbled by the idea that he was to approach him on his cousin's behalf. "I am sure Lord Letalis sent word of my presence. He feels that being that you are now joined in alliance through marriage with his sister, the lady Rosalie, that there should be alliances in all ways between House Mallory and House Letalis, in such that it would be mutually beneficial and satisfying to both houses."

He reached into his sleeve and pulled a long, thin sealed scroll missive to Christopher from Rex, handed to him before he left port in Stoft. He held it out to the province lord with a smile. "My lord sent this missive for me to deliver to you upon my arrival."

He knew of the nature of the contents, but that was because Rex had told him of the letter before he signed and sealed it.

It read:

Lord Mallory,

As our main branch is tied, so too should our cousins. My loyal and most trusted cousin, Rollo, is in need of a bride and I can think of no finer wife than a Mallory for him. To show my respect for your character and judgment, I leave the decision as to who would be fitting up to you, simply stating that I will respect and agree to whomever you choose.

Lord Rex Letalis

He knew that the women of House Mallory were beautiful and spirited, and he was actually interested to see what Chris would decide as far as an alliance marriage (that wasn't rushed and forced). He didn't let this betray upon his face, however, only giving the man a smile of cordiality as befitting a lord. Let the cards fall where they may...

[Christopher Mallory]

Christopher could appreciate the relevance of that statement. He looked upon the face of the man standing before him trying to determined if there was any part of the younger brother that had fallen then. Remy had such a vivacious air about him, a distinct love of life and the demeanor of one who would not allow himself to be bothered by the darker side of the world. But it was that darkness that had claimed him, the greed of others and the thirst of power. The thirst that they all felt to varying degrees. It would be hypocritical to deny that he had not wanted more than what he’d been given, but such was the nature of the game they played. Every province lord extended beyond their reach either for their benefit or for the gain of their people… And it either worked out well and you would be remembered as a great ruler… or history remembered you as a poor and incompetent imbecile. It was just a shame that Remy could not survive in such a world.

“Yes. It is half of the reason I have come to Ryka.” The other half, of course, was to reclaim a city that had been stolen from his banner. But that was handled. Christopher reached for the letter that Rollo offered and crossed to a chair to read it. It would indeed be wise to seal this alliance. His marriage to Rosalie was one to appease the church and the king. It could not be counted in terms of an alliance agreement with Rex as he’d no say in it at all. But… now…

“I have two marriageable relatives,” he informed Rollo. “One of whom is the daughter of my cousin, Lord Launce Mallory, regent of Saefa. I do believe that would be the best match for you as it ties you not only to my house but to two of my holdings. What say you?”

[Rollo Letalis]

At least it isn't a man, he thought with a bit of wry humor, that threatened to cause him to smirk. As it was, he knew he was going to be betrothed by the end of this visit, and it just really was a factor of who was it to be? He tilted his head to consider the prospect, more in light of Rex and his needs rather than his own. After all, what Rollo did was for the good of the pack. He wasn't exactly selfish and self-serving by nature (like his siblings). It was inconceivable that he would make a decision that wasn't tied to the well-being of his family and Strom. At length he nodded slowly and looked at Lord Mallory. "I say we have an agreement and an alliance, Lord Mallory. My lord cousin will be pleased with the alliance, and like Lord Rex, I trust your judgment," he replied with a smile.

[Christopher Mallory]

Christopher regarded him with a glance, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Did your lord cousin explain his expectations of our accord?” he asked bluntly. “Is this merely a discussion to begin talks of trade and commerce, or is this also to be a military alliance? I am certain you can understand why I ask considering the events taking place in this land of ours. That is to say, I have a little religious war on my hands that, while ebbing, is proving to be more distracting. And then I have this neighbor to my East who has made his position against Gyllene clear. I suppose I should come right out and ask… has Lord Letalis declared? Does he plan to?” And then a little more boldly, “Or does he choose to go with the other options afforded to him should something happen to Lord Alrik: remain sovereign and declare himself as king or… well, he did marry the princess after all… and she’s not exactly stripped from the line of succession.”

[Rollo Letalis]

Rollo tried his damnedest not to smirk and only regarded Christopher with a cool look. He had expected such questions from Lord Mallory. "Lord Letalis seeks to have an alliance in all sense of the word. To my knowledge, Lord Letalis has not declared on the Castell ambition, and I can say that the Letalises don't harbor any good will toward the Castell cause. Like you, Lord Rex cares about his family, and the events of last October left a bad taste in his mouth. To my knowledge, Lord Letalis has yet to speak to the Princess regarding the succession. I left Stoft before negotiations were completed, and he hadn't been home to his wife to discuss his options."

[Christopher Mallory]

Christopher nodded. It was vague, and to make an alliance with nothing more than that… it was a fool’s endeavor. There were so many things that were conditional upon it, and for an alliance in all senses of the word? Did Lord Rollo realize what that entailed… “I suppose without knowing more, I can only tentatively commit myself to it. Of course, I have no interested in declaring against the king… I am not entirely convinced that Castell has the right man who committed the crimes against his children. That said, I can only lend myself so much to something so uncertain. You speak of military alliances, but to what end? If you do not back Castell, then who? Is it one of mere defense? To ensure that none pass between our lands unchecked? And trade… If this is to be a trade alliance, what is it that he wants from me? And what does he have to offer?”

[Rollo Letalis]

Rollo looked thoughtful before he answered. This one was sharp. Too sharp, really, but then, he couldn't have it his way all the time. He only hoped that Rex wasn't about to send him to the gladiator pits for any alliances he was going to make. He knew Rex didn't like to be confined to specifics. It made their livelihood, their very existence, easier, but not all men were so easily satisfied. It actually made Rollo respect the man more. He didn't mess around when it came to his province, and to the safety of his people. There wasn't dubiousness when it came to Christopher Mallory, just a straightforward man doing what was right by his morals. Rollo couldn't blame the man for that. It was a refreshing change.

"Lord Rex instructed me to make alliances in any way, shape, or form that would be agreeable to your lordship. Trade is a means, as is military alliance. I can, in all honesty, say that Lord Rex doesn't plan on supporting the Castells. Not only is it treason to move against Gyllene, but his alliance to the King through the princess is important to him. He wouldn't risk moving against the King in such a manner, so, yes, milord you can count naval support as part of our alliance. It is the only substantial military support that Strom can offer that could be of use to you, as your men and horses outnumber ours. As for trade..." He smiled and reached into his other sleeve, pulling out another roll of parchment, this one detailing trade amounts.

"By our location and nature we have a rich trading port for all manner of goods, from Tocken to Glodhet, to even into the Uncharted Lands, Dammar, and so forth. From them we import exotic spices, foods, animals, and bolts of cloth, as well as decorative imports. Strom itself has a fishing industry that is quite successful, both in fresh, and salt-water fish. You have timber, grains, produce and livestock that would be of use to us, and we have ivory, elephants, pelts, and the various imports that I mentioned that would find its way into Svavel should you desire it. The trades would be most lucrative and beneficial, and would go far with an alliance such as ours." He held the report scroll to Christopher with a small bow.

[Christopher Mallory]

“That is very… generous of him,” Christopher said, his brow quivering ever so slightly. It was a change, certainly. Most lords came with alliances already sketched out. Sometimes it took longer than a day to hammer out, so was the specifics. And he was a man who liked to walk into things with eyes wide open. Not that he was not fond of surprises, but when it came to his province, he’d had just about enough of those to last him well over a lifetime. He could not blame the man in front of him for handling it in such a way. It seemed that Rex had basically told him what to do and say… so it was on Rex for not giving him a more defined answer.

“Well, if it is put towards me to define the terms of our alliance, then by all means, let us continue with talks of military support. Currently, I require no aid in this little war I’ve found myself in. We’ve all but won it. However, it is not so certain what the future holds. To my East, I have a man who would slither through my very lands to strike the heel of a bear. But one is left to wonder what the snake will do, how far he will go, to ensure that he does not strike alone. It is therefore reasonable to say that I worry for my people, for my borders. I should be very put out if during the course of Castell’s campaign, they begin to recede. So, what I propose in terms of a military alliance, Lord Rollo, is that should my borders ever be threatened, I can count on your lord for assistance. And in turn, I shall promise the same thing. Do we have an accord?” he asked.

Christopher nodded slowly. He already did much trading with Tocken and Glodhet. Not so much the Uncharted Lands. “Grains and produce for spices and cloth. Does that sound fair to you, my lord?”

[Rollo Letalis]

Rollo listened carefully to Christopher's words. Such specifics were probably beyond him and his power, but Rex had said to do what he had to do and say what he had to say. It fell to Rollo to actually make the decisions himself. He nodded slowly as the terms were set out and gave the man a smile. "We have an accord, and your ideas on trading seem very fair. Know that the ports of Strom are often inundated with a wide variety of items and if any of them shall take your province's fancy we are more than happy to facilitate that for you as well." He nodded as he thought that Christopher's requests were pretty much what he expected to hear if not directly then more so through the oblique language that his own cousin was skilled at using. "The terms of the alliance are set then, Lord Mallory as you request them."

He did wonder, though, if he was going to take his bride-to-be home on this trip or if he was going to have to wait some semblance of proper time. Not that he was eager to jump into marriage, but the sooner he saw who he was going to marry the better.