[fin]Worth A Shot [Ez's King Quest, Xenon]

[Kari Muffin]

Was this a good idea? The sparrow still wasn't particularly sure how much a pure Yarrow would appreciate someone like him. For one thing there was the whole gender thing, the second was the bright pink corset.

Of course he wasn't going to lie about what he was. If things worked out he could always try to become a King under his sister and law. The thought alone was enough to make his tail feathers ruffle. He didn't want to deal with nepotism and he honestly didn't want to see more lovey dovey between his dear sweet sister and her Queen.

Really, he should focus on being presentable. The sparrow smoothed out his feathers as he approached the door. How intimidating would this office be now that it wasn't his father's? He forced himself not to smirk knocked on the door. "Your Majesty, I'm here for my appointment."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Things were interesting, to say the least.

Sadie felt as if she was settling into her position inside the court quite well. She was pleased with the other nobles that called the place home, pleased with the general state of affairs in regards to dealings with the rest of the world, and pleased with how smoothly things seemed to be running for the time being. She had a King who had served under Theofilus and - better yet - was a Yarrow. The only problem, as far as the Mantis was concerned, was that Mnem was her only King.

That left a lot of work to be done for the two of them, far more than Sadie would be content with.

But she was so damn picky about the situation. She'd met with a few hopefuls and sent every one of them away with a polite smile that said, without a doubt, that they simply weren't what she was looking for and that they shouldn't bother to reapply in the future. Things would never change that much, at least not while she was the Queen of this Suit. Granted, as time trudged along and the neat order of the court seemed it was going to teeter into disarray any day now, Sadie began to feel a hint of desperation. She needed another King. There was no way that the Diamonds could function as things were.

As luck would have it, that was about the time she received a rather interesting letter. From a son of Theofilus's, the young man was seeking a meeting and a Title. This was exactly what she'd been looking for, exactly what she'd needed.

Of course, she couldn't come across as quite that eager. She had penned a reply back and then counted down the days until his meeting was scheduled to occur. When he knocked at the door, the woman pushed back her bangs and looked up, a noncommittal smile gracing her lips. That was more suitable than the one she'd worn a moment before - almost giddy. This had to work. It had to.

"Come in,[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

Ezekiel but on a bright and cheerful smile as he opened the door. Was this really a good idea? She was a Yarrow, and he could only guess what she thought about a man wearing women's clothing. It was too late to turn away now that he had already set foot in her office.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for allowing me to take some of your time." The sparrow bowed before making his way to a chair. He was fairly certain that the woman would want to get down to business. The Court seemed to have so little nobility all of a sudden. He knew it had been fairly sparse for a long time, but it seemed... emptier than usual.

She... seemed a lot shorter than he expected.

"I'm not particularly sure if I'm suited to work under you, but I thought that I would at least try to see if I could offer my assistance to the Court of Diamonds."

[carcinoGeneticist]

In terms of appearance, the young man that stepped in certainly took after his father. It was a resemblance that went beyond simply Sparrow and Lakelander, something that had to do with the way the bird carried himself and the ease of friendliness on his face. This was good. She needed something of Theofilus in her Court, she'd decided long before, and she was certain that Ezekiel was it. He had to be, even if the pink corset was a little.. odd.

Oh well. She would shrug it off as some kind of male eccentricity, and leave it be at that.

"Really, it's my pleasure,[/b]" she replied with a cheerful smile, indicating the chair across from her. She'd sent for food and tea a little while ago, it would certainly arrive soon. Just in time for their meeting, with any luck. "You couldn't have picked a better time to come. We've been short on help for the last few months, and I need every good pair of hands we can get. So often the Diamonds are forgotten in favor of the... flashier Suits, and without a bloody takeover I certainly failed to bring us any new attention.[/b]"

The woman shrugged, shaking her head slightly. "The truth of it is, your Father was an incredible Queen, and bloody takeovers don't suit me. I feel that they take something away from the good of the people who ruled before, especially if they were as loved a leader as Theofilus was. He renewed in me a pride in my Suit that I'd long feared had withered away, and he will be missed.[/b]" She smiled brightly at Ez, letting her charm ooze into her words. "If you do become my King, I assure you, I'll expect big things of you. That is what you came to talk to me about, yes?[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

She certainly was right for the choice of the Queen. Far more charming and talented than Iria was, for certain. And despite her size she did seem fit. More than a little. And sensible. All the things that made a good Queen.

"I've been hearing rumors that the Court of Diamonds has been quite empty. I was hoping that wasn't the case, but coming here today it seems otherwise." The sparrow smiled a bit. "I think, Your Majesty, that it was wise not to go with a flashy take over. I think you're far to amazing to let something like that sully your reputation. And I imagine you just need to give our suit a reminder that there's a new Queen seated. I came here today to offer my services, if you were will to give me the chance."

He bowed his head. "I can only hope to be half the man my father was. But I will always put my best effort forward. I have no intention of slacking off no matter what I do."

[carcinoGeneticist]

The current state of the Court - understaffed - was painfully obvious to just about anyone who came through the doors. That wasn't so much of a problem when it was Diamonds coming for Titles, but when it came to dealing with the other Courts, Sadie felt rather on-edge. Having so few hands made her feel weak, unprotected. Even with the current stability, things could always change in a heartbeat, and that... That was not a pleasant thought, not in the slightest.

But that wasn't the issue that Ez had come to discuss with her. Not yet, at least - perhaps the woman would make a bigger deal of things once the Sparrow had managed to grab for himself a proper title.

At his words, the woman's eyebrow raised ever so slightly, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "My goodness, you're quite the flirt, aren't you? Ah, I've always felt that a little natural charm is appropriate for our Suit.[/b]" The smirk settled into a much more calm expression, the rest of her face simply reflecting mild amusement. Things seemed to be going well so far - for a male, Ezekiel was fairly tolerable, at least thus far. The corset still struck the woman as odd, but she imagined she would learn more about that as time went on, and it didn't particularly bother her. "And it's a chance I would be happy to give.[/b]"

Polite, too. This was going well so far. "Then let's cut to the chase, shall we? I need another King. I don't imagine you're here for a desk job, and that means you'll need a quest. I have one in mind that I think will be well matched to you. There's an older woman who lives in Kahmden, about an hour and a half away. She's very wealthy, and during your father's reign, was a staunch supporter of our Suit. I believe that she is actually some relation of your mother's, a great-aunt of some kind. She's been spreading rumors that I killed your father and forged a note stating that the Title was mine.[/b]" The woman wrinkled up her nose. Scandal like this just didn't appeal. "I need you to talk to her and make her see otherwise. The court would benefit greatly from her continued support, and right now, I'm not getting it.[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

Was her flirting with a Yarrow Queen of Diamonds?

Whoops.

Probably should be a bit more careful about that. An genuine blush formed on his face as he shifted slightly. "Thank you," he said with a smile. At least he knew that he was being honest, even if he was up playing on the flattery.

He listened carefully to the Queen. Well, at least she knew that he wasn't here for a simple job that involved paperwork. And he was getting a rather interesting quest. At least he would be dealing with some sweet old woman potentially related to his mother. Sometimes with his large family he forgot who he was related to.

The sparrow nodded. "I think that's something I could handle well, your Majesty. Should I go to one of your attendants for her address and other information? I would like to leave as soon as possible, and I'm sure you have a great deal of work to deal with and I wouldn't want to hold you up any longer than I have to."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Hah, he was blushing. That certainly meant that he'd realized the error of his ways - though, really, Sadie wasn't actually upset in the slightest. She found it to be a good sign, in fact, that the man might have found her to be attractive in some way. Some Yarrows would have been infuriated by it - Sadie just considered it to be a form of respect, provided the man in question wasn't being disgusting about his desires. Which Ez, of course, was not.

She gave him a small smile and a nod. "The information has all been set aside. If you'd like to leave now, you're more than welcome to.[/b]" He was eager - that was a positive sign. She certainly didn't want a King who was going to sit on work until it rotted away. Especially since it wouldn't do to have to kick the old Queen's son out of the Court in a disgrace. "I wish you the best of luck. She really is a sweet woman, but the amount of change that's happened in such a short time seems to have been a bit much for her to deal with well.[/b]"

Sadie shrugged lightly, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. "When you return, I would like it if you could bring me some sort of trinket, a sign of her approval.[/b]" Not that it particularly mattered. After all, if Ez lied, she would know it in an instant. "I look forward to your return.[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

Ezekiel nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll only be back if I'm successful. Otherwise I couldn't face you."

The sparrow went on his mission with a rather cheerful vigor. He arrived at the woman's house in no time and was left to charm his way into the woman's heart. It helped quite a bit that she seemed to already know that he was related to Theofilus. She invited him in for tea cheerfully and then it was time to talk.

Which seemed terribly complicated.

Convincing her that Theofilus died naturally was a struggle. And considering he had been a witness to his father's death and a good deal of crying that followed. Legitimate crying on Ez's part. After that was settled the woman was more than happy to help and be a little more "forgiving" to the new Queen for the sake of the suit and keeping a good reputation. She would be willing be a patron to the Courts if they needed any support.

He returned to the palace with the handkerchief as a token of the woman's support.

Hopefully this would be acceptable to the Queen.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Sadie wasn't entirely sure how long Ez was gone for, exactly, just aware of the fact that she would be happy when he finally returned. She needed Kings. She needed Jacks. She'd finally found a third Queen for herself, but the palace still ached for additional help. In all honesty, the woman was looking forward to a time when she might be able to go to bed at a reasonable hour - or at least stay up late because she wanted to, not because the entire Court would come crashing down around her if she didn't.

She chewed on the end of her quill idly, looking over the paperwork again. Earning records. Damn, but she hoped this one had some of his father's skills with numbers...

A knock on the door alerted her to the page standing outside. She invited him in, listened while he spoke, and then smiled. So, her potential had returned, and from all appearances, he had been successful. Perfect. Today was shaping up to be a good day, assuming everything continued to go so smoothly.

She sent for the page to bring Ez to her room, and when he arrived, offered the Sparrow a seat. Tea was sent for in short order. "How did it go? I suspect well enough, considering you've returned.[/b]" That smile remained anchored on her face, bright and happy. Clearly, she hadn't forgotten his previous statements.