Quoted By:
"Ah, Stanley! How's it going with Vlad's case?" Frederico tapped Rubinsky on the back while he angrily rustled at his scrolls and quills
"Going straight into the trash! Look at these charges, and the amount of research I'll have to do just to solve all of this to receive a guilty verdict! If he had 3 more lives, he would still receive a life sentence on his fourth one!"
"But do you believe him to be guilty?" Roderick scratched his chin as Stanley sighed to calm himself down.
"...No. He might be a vagabond, a womanizer, an insurrectionist and most importantly..." He makes a dramatic pause. "Witchcraft! …But no, as biased as I am, I do not consider him a current threat to our nation. Like the child he was before, the best way to treat him is to give him what he wants, and he won't throw a tantrum before going away."
"I thought judges were meant to be unbiased in their trials."
"In theory, yeah. But when it comes to the Vandimion house or other aristocrats, they all have like, what? 3 to 4 trials a week to catch up with? The courthouse would rather scrap an unsolved case if it meant they could get it done and go to the next one. It's not as heroic of a charge as I once believed it was in my younger days."
"I am more interested in your statement about Vlad, how can one cause so much coordinated chaos, and not be considered an enemy of Midland."
"For as much chaos that he brought onto us, it pains me to say it, but it all indicates that he has learned how to coordinate his insanity and misfortune into a fighting spirit. He seems very serene and exhausted, but it shouldn't take more than a few bad words for him to consider you beneath him."
"Interesting... I wonder what a talk with him would entail."
"Trust me. He will do more than merely talk... I need a drink..." Stanley surrenders to the bitter rum that corrupted the young Santana in his youth as the two friends are left alone.
"Roderick, I believe Farnese is in the garden. Shall we meet her there?"
The nobles waltz into an ornate room, decorated with flowers, bouquets and assorted plans as far as the eye could see. In the midst of the fountain, sat a pouty Farnese, ready to dish her anger out on the first man unfortunate enough to open that door.
"Excellent. Why don't you introduce yourself to her, old friend?"
"With pleasure. Farnese De Vandimion, I am Roderick of Staufen, officer of the Ys navy." He bowed down to kiss her hand, but she held them in the inside of her sleeves.
"Do you see these flowers at the greenhouse, Farnese? Roderick was the one who bought them all to you as a welcoming gift."
"I am not impressed. Vlad could grow all of these with a snap of his fingers."
"Must you be so uninviting?"
"I know exactly what you two are planning, so let us skip these fake pleasantries: My answer is no. My heart belongs to Vlad, and any who oppose him shall talk to the back of my hand."
