Catching A Dupont (10/10, morning, Tandor/Lucian/Aisling)

[Tandor Castell]

The road between Trista and Hsydra was well traveled. Tandor and his men had made good time, traveling over half of the distance in the two days they’d been out. He’d let the men sleep only six hours on rotating watch and they were up again and moving before the sun crested over the mountains.

“Hold!” he called out, raising an arm. Ahead a group of travelers were coming up the road. They’s passed many merchants, minstrels, and peasants in the past two days, but something about the party had caught his eye. He squinted, and yes, there it was, a banner flapping in the air, sporting the Phoenix of House Dupont upon a checkered field. “Men! ride and circle. We take the Duponts now. No one killed unless absolutely necessary, but injure if you must. I want the nobles unharmed, particularly if Xavier is with them. Lord Castell wants him delivered to Trista in perfect health.”

Tandor watched his men fan out wide, the outside men circling around to approach the small caravan by the rear. He rode up slowly behind them, waiting until each rider and horse was in position. The Dupont guards had drawn their weapons, but they were clearly out numbered and out maneuvered. “There is no need for anyone to get hurt!” Tandor called out. “I wish to speak to whatever Dupont is in your party.”

[Lucian Dupont]

Lucian sat with his foot propped up on the seat opposite of him, looking over at his sister. Not many words had been exchanged between them this morning, but in all fairness, both had only recently woken up. Camp had been put away not an hour ago and he still felt full from the breakfast they'd had. Now he idly scribbled in his journal in an effort to pass the time. But it would seem that their trip was going to be delayed for some reason. The carriage came to a stop and he heard loud voices outside. Highway men? There was only one way to be certain.

"Aisling," he said softly, getting up and reaching for the carriage door. "Stay here."

He stepped out just as a guard had approached and he was immediately informed that somebody wished to speak with him. He adjusted his tunic to smooth out some of the wrinkles made by sitting, and then walked towards the group of travelers. Immediately he recognized the man and the colors and wondered what business the Castells had with him.

"Good morning, Lord Tandor," he said, approaching him slowly. He was about to exchange more pleasantries until he noted the look on his face. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

[Tandor Castell]

Tandor took one look at the man and knew this was not the Xavier he was looking for. He easily recognized Lucian. While the Duponts were not banners of House Castell, Hysdra was so close to Trista that the two families had interacted. “Lord Dupont,” Tandor replied, stepping down from his horse. He walked the distance between them, his eyes taking in the position of Dupont’s guards and his own. With one hand, he motioned, raising two fingers, and the two men closest to him moved their horses in closer.

“Lord Castell as issued an arrest warrent for one Xavier Dupont, a man of your house. It seems Xavier couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, and Lord Castell desires the scoundrel to answer for his crimes. Is he with you?”

[Lucian Dupont]

Oh this looked bad. Why was he calling his men closer? Had Evelyn said something to Victor and the man overreacted? But his mouth nearly fell open when the true motive for the stop was mentioned. "An arrest warrant for...? Whyever for?" he demanded. Then he groaned, shaking his head. Leave it to Xavier to fuck up by fucking...

"No, Lord Tandor," he said. "It is just myself and my sister," he said, emphasizing that part. He wanted the man to know there was a woman present in case he thought to check the carriage in a manner that would endanger her. "He is in Hsydra, though I am not sure when my father has decided to travel to Solbra for the wedding." After all, his father was still technically lord of House Dupont. "From what I remember, the plan was for them to go to Vykra first to travel with the Drakes. Perhaps you should send word to Lord Drake. It should beat them if they have indeed begun heading that way, and knowing Lord Drake as I do, he will deliver Xavier to Lord Castell if he has indeed committed a crime against your family."

[Aisling Dupont]

Aisling had been sitting cross-legged on her own bench, across from Lucian, day-dreaming. There hadn't been much to do otherwise, and their conversation was sparse, both tired from the traveling. But when the sudden jolt of the carriage signaled their stop, Aisling snapped awake, and watched with nervous eyes as Lucian's face fell and he commanded her to remain within the carriage.

She waited, sitting close to the door, and heard the shuffling of hooves and feet, and the low tones of her brother, mixed with another man. Aisling paused, wanting to obey Lucian's orders, but unsure of what was playing out in the road. Some sort of argument seemed to be ensuing, and Aisling glanced away from the door to the confines of the carriage itself. Suddenly, her chest seemed squeezed tightly, and Aisling fought for air, watching the four walls slowly move in on her. It was terribly small, and being alone inside it made Aisling panic.

Without thinking, Aisling flung open the door and stepped out, gasping for air. She glanced over at her brother and Tandor, and tried to collect herself.

[Tandor Castell]

At least that verified Lucian's story. It did appear to be just himself and his sister. But Tandor was never a man to make mistakes. Especially as he didn't trust the Dupont family as far as he could throw them. Xavier's blatant disregard for who and what he was screwing was one reason not to trust them, but then there was also...no. Now was not the time to think those thoughts. He had the power here and was not afraid to use it. After all, he was on the hunt for a fugitive. When Aisling burst out, a brief look of anger crossed his face, but when he actually recognised her as Aisling, it quickly subsided. He turned back to Lucian, not too fussed about the interruption, as he had a job to do.

"Looks like you're telling the truth, but I must insist that I be allowed to check the carriage. He is a wanted criminal and I cannot leave any stone unturned." He realised it was likely the case, but there was something odd about the situation. A brother and sister of the Duponts travelling to another Lord's realm without a formal invitation? It smacked of trickery. "Actually, young Lord Lucian, why exactly are you and your sister going to Trista? It isn't usual for two prominent siblings of another House's banner to visit a different Province Lord..."

[Lucian Dupont]

"Of course I'm telling the truth," Lucian said, noticably offended by the man's implication. "What reason would I have to lie?" Especially about something that a cursory glance and a quick search of the carriage could disprove. Gods, where were they exactly. It mattered a great deal in this respect. If they had not yet crossed the border, he would refuse the man straight out. The implications kept piling on top of one another, but if he was indeed in Ovador and no longer in Sanka, he would have to go along with things... for now. "You need but ask," he said, his own voice heavy with implication. Lucian had done nothing to warrant being searched like he was hiding something. "Do what you feel is necessary in that regard."

As Aisling tumbled out of the carriage, Lucian turned quickly, his worry that something had happened. But she appeared whole and he motioned for her to stay back for now. He was not liking the progressively accusatory tone this conversation was taking.

His eyes narrowed at Tandor as he said, "I never did tell you where my destination was intended," he pointed out. "And as you're well aware, I've been known to do quite a bit of business around these parts. My family often trades with merchants in Trista. That said, as you correctly assumed we were visting a Province Lord, you will understand if I prefer to keep the nature of my business private, to be discussed with Lord Castell upon my arrival."

[Tandor Castell]

Tandor couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle at Lucian's brave words. He would have been acting far less suspicious to have refused them to look in the caravan, than with his passive-aggressive comments. Sure, he may have felt he was in the right, but all Tandor had done so far is asked some routinely suspicious questions. The kind that any good guard or patrolling soldier would ask to anyone they knew for sure was not expected, or particularly welcome currently, with their lord and travelling just the right way to get there. This meant that there must be something Lucian wanted hidden, but what? It wasn't Tandor' job to find out though. He was only out to find Xavier.

"So you didn't, young Lord Lucian. So you didn't." Any good nobleman could calculate something as crude as where someone was going, surely? It was just a case of what direction they were coming from, what direction they are heading, calculating the closest city to each of those directions to the current place...and that's that. He couldn't understand why Lucian was being so defensive about all this. "Your business is directly with Lord Castell, is it? I'm afraid that he isn't expecting you. I won't inspect your carriage, then, but be aware that there is a lot happening with his brother's wedding, so he doesn't exactly currently have a lot of free time. Add into that the security measures in place in Trista are extreme, so you will be checked when you both arrive. Last thing, let me do you a favour."

After he had put sufficient emphasis on the word favour, Tandor gestured to one formation of his men, a whole third of the number he had brought with him, then gestured in a circle before pointing at the Dupont carriage. Apparently, they must have understood and been trained properly, for they positioned themselves at similar points around the carriage.

"These 6 men will escort you to Trista, announce you to Victor and generally protect you along the road. They will also not take no for an answer, as these parts can sometimes be quite dangerous. Think of it as a...goodwill gesture, young Lord Lucian."

[Lucian Dupont]

What was Tandor playing at? And what was with the look on his face that made Lucian just want to ball his hand into a fist and strike the smug expression off of it? "In this instance, yes. I realize I should have sent a Raven ahead of me to tell him of my coming, but I was counting on the hospitality of your honorable lord cousin," he said, trying his hardest to keep the biting sarcasm out of his tone. After all, that had actually been the truth -- He just realized the error in hoping tha Victor was hospitable. "Oh, well yes. I can only imagine." And he probably shouldn't have said that... Damn it.

His brow shot straight up and this time, try as he might, he could not keep the look of displeasure from his face. Who the hells did this man think he was. Sure, his cousin might be some big, bad Province Lord, but Lucian was not some low-born knight! Who the fuck was Tandor to treat him this way. "Thank you for your help," he said, surprisingly able to keep his voice calm. "We are grateful for your kindness in offering these escorts. I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job protecting us..." He said, making sure to emphasize his own words just as Tandor had. "Come Aisling..." he said, grabbing his sister at the elbow and helping her back into the carriage.

As soon as the door closed, he plopped onto his seat and said with a growl in his voice, "This is the part where you say, 'I told you so.' I am afraid, dear sister, that our dear second cousin has gone and mucked up everything... We are prisoners of the Castells in everything but name... Let us just pray we can get out of this situation as easily as possible... But I have a strong feeling there won't be any marriage negotiations any time soon..."

[Aisling Dupont]

Aisling watched the interaction between Tandor and Lucian with confusion, instantly put off by the older man. Just as quickly as she was garnering what was going on, Lucian grabbed her by the elbow and led her back into the carriage once more. She sat down across from him once more, perching on the edge of her seat, her fingers curved over the edge of the cushions.

"I don't understand; what does Xavier's problems have to do with us? He is a grown man, his faults cannot be reflected on us..." Aisling's voice trembled, afraid of the dark man outside, and the shadowy look upon Lucian's face.

[Lucian Dupont]

"I don't much understand either," he told her, shutting the curtains to the carriage's window, putting them in semi-darkness. The morning sun was much too bright to render the carriage in pitch black just now. "Xavier has somehow managed to offend House Castell. That says enough. If they are looking for him to bring him in and have not yet found him, and now we're being escorted to Trista... Well... To put it lightly, I'm not thinking tea and crackers is what Lord Castell has in mind for us when we get there."

He let his head fall back, closing his eyes. Xavier had just ruined everything. He could not know for certain, but he had a pretty good idea that if Victor was pissed enough to send Tandor looking for his second cousin, then odds were, Lucian was not going to be looked on with high regard. Perhaps if Evelyn were merely a cousin... but no. Damn it... "A wasted trip..." he muttered. Or perhaps worse. "Whatever happens, Aisling... I'm going to keep you safe. So don't worry."

[Aisling Dupont]

Aisling paused, watching the frustration sweep across her brother's face, linking with the exhaustion etched under his eyes. She reached over silently and took his hand, slipping her fingers into his, squeezing it in silent comfort. She wasn't worried. Well, that was a lie - Aisling was worried, about what would happen when they made it to Trista, and what would happen to Xavier...

But as long as she was with Lucian, she was safe. They were both safe, if they were together. That was all she could ask for.

"It will be okay, Lucian. I know it's hard to say that in this moment, but... good things come to good people. And you are the best man I know. You'll get your girl," she said softly, a smile smile haunting her lips.

[Lucian Dupont]

He gripped her hand in return and then moved to sit beside her, his arm going around her. He was trying to comfort her, but really, it was mostly for him that he needed his sister close. He felt more able to protect her here than from there, which was strange as the distance really was only a foot or so. He propped his foot on the bench across from them, sinking back and shaking his head slowly, the cogs turning in his mind as he tried to think of something to do.

"I know, Aisling," he said with a smile. "Lord Castell may be known for his ruthlessness, but I'm sure he's honorable and reasonable. Do not worry. I will take care of this and then we will be on a ship bound for Solbra straight away," he promised. He made no response to her last comment. He just closed his eyes and feel back into concentration.

Evelyn Castell was the furthest thing from his mind right now. Right now, his sister took priority, and then after that, a hasty retreat. They were about to be at the mercy of Evelyn's brother, and in truth, depending on how that played out, it would decide where Lucian stood on what came after.

[Aisling Dupont]

Aisling settled comfortably into the crook of Lucian's arm, resting her head upon his shoulder. She felt safe there, protected, remembering the many nights she had woken in terror and he had promised to sit by her bedside, on the floor, holding her hand as she fell asleep. She knew he would find a way to figure it all out; Lucian always did. She feared the day they would have to part ways, and secretly, Aisling hoped it would never happen.

"I believe you," she said lightly, conviction in every word.