Page 290: Political Uses
Political Uses
Summary: Rafferdy and Riordan meet in the hallway. Both start out in a good mood, but it doesn't last.
Date: 05/05/2012
Related Logs: Mostly the Stonebridge Affair, and some other stuff too.
Rafferdy Riordan 
Chamber Corridor - Tordane Tower
This straight corridor terminates with a narrow archery slit and two doors to each wall divide the four rooms within the circular tower. The ceiling is higher here to allow for the burning torches that sit between the doors on either side. A rug, threadbare and worn in rich greens runs down the length of the wood flooring.
Sat May 05, 289

Riordan stands in the hallway in front of the door leading to the Lady Isolde's room. Which might seem odd, considering she is shut in for the remaining duration of her pregnancy. A maid is standing in between him and the door, and is in the process of straightening after giving the Lord Regent a curtsey. Riordan nods his head absently, then presents the maid with a sealed letter. He then promptly turns, and begins walking down the hall. Behind him, the maid opens the door, and retreats into the darkened room.

The door to the guest room Rafferdy has been staying in opens, and a rather pretty young peasant girl emerges. She is still straightening her dress, and her hair is just a bit mussed. A moment later Rafferdy emerges, smiling. He is wearing only his brown leather pants, and the laces up the front are not fully tied. The girl looks back at him and smiles, bowing slightly, and she turns, hurrying down the hall to the stairs. As she descends them out of sight, she giggles. Rafferdy sighs, and turns to go back into his room, but pauses when he sees Riordan, and just looks at his brother.

"Rafferdy," Riordan greets his brother, hardly blinking at the blatant disregard for propriety, nobility, and well… everthing else that his younger brother so frequently disregards. In fact, the elder Nayland actually has a smile on his features, and just shakes his head. "Having a productive day, are we?"

Rafferdy grins, "Yeah. Her friend is one of the servants with Lord Blackwood." He shrugs, "It helps to get a good word in to those who are making important decisions." He leans casually against the wall. "How are you doing?"

"Really? It seems that our Lord Father has multiple sons that can make political uses of their cocks," Riordan jokes, with a lopsided smile. "Who knew?" He does actually seem a bit surprised at Rafferdy's question, saying, "Do you know, besides Roslyn, you're the first person to ask me that since… everything?" He says the last word with a vague gesture. And the comment about Roslyn, at least, isn't too surprising, as he and the elder of their sisters have always been near inseperable. "Until recently, I've been utterly shitty. But I've since decided to stop moping about and make use of myself once more. And you, brother?"

Rafferdy smirks, and nods, still leaning against the wall like he's fully clothed and completely at ease. "No moping. I'm the one that sulks. You're supposed to be the favorite. Favorites don't sulk." He chuckles, "I suppose I'm okay, considering," though, the way he says it, it perhaps implies it means 'considering SOMETHING that must suck.' "How do you think things went with Blackwood? I'm assuming he arrived completely agitated."

"I know. I fuck up, and Father got mad… but somehow, not at me. If anything, I think it somehow earned me praise in his eyes, even if he didn't verbalize it." Riordan actually sounds a little bit frustrated with it. But he waves the thought away. "Considering?" he queries, raising an eyebrow, before saying, "We're still waiting for him to finish talking to everyone involved, and decide if he's going to try and screw us, or aid us. But yes, he was rather out of sorts when he first arrived. To be expected, of course."

Rafferdy purses his lips, and he nods, "Yeah. Considering. I um… I was at the Mire a few weeks ago." He folds his arms over his chest, glancing downward, and then back at his brother. "He's going to betroth me." He sighs, and he shrugs, rolling his eyes, "Shouldn't of went. Oh well…." He shakes it off, "Well, the fact that you and Danae were together certainly muddies the water. If you had told me, I might have been able to help more. I'm glad he agitated, though. That's good." He smiles, a little proudly.

"It's not the end of the world," Riordan points out. "I doubt even Father actually expects you to be a one-woman man." He doesn't actually mean it in a bad way. It's just the truth. "You're just going to have to be discreet. And if you have bastards, don't acknowledge them." It's a way of life with the Naylands, a tenant that their Grandmother has driven into them for years. Then he shrugs, saying, "Well, if it had just been about the fucking, I might have. Not that I had much time before it all came tumbling down. And mind you, if it had just been about that, it likely wouldn't have all happened as it did. As it is…" He shakes his head, and waves the train of thought away with his hand. The elder Nayland then lets out a small snort at Raff's last comment, asking, "And why is that good?"

Rafferdy smirks, "It's good because it means his servants told him." He unfolds his arms, "You guys really screwed up the way you handled the Danae thing. Whoever spread that rumor? It was like you had a playwright compose it. Made it hard to believe. So hard, that it made spreading that you beat her REALLY easy. And believable." He shakes his head, "Sloppy." He sighs a bit, "Shouldn't have ever been done like that. It gave her a chance to make other arrangements before Blackwood arrived. You showed your cards too early, bro."

"Told him what?" Riordan asks, curiously. And in response to the rest, he simply shrugs, not really offended by the observation. Or surprised. "Well, there is little help for it now. I did as I was advised, as well as ordered by our Lord Father. The cards fell were they may, and all we can do now is use them as they are."

"That Gedeon knew about Rowenna and was sleeping with her while she was his squire," he says, very nonchalantly. "If he was going to have to make yet another decision about the Tordane claim and the honor of Gedeon and his 'wife' and unborn, he needed to know." He sighs, "Of course, it would have been WAY more effective if you'd not slept with her too." Then he shrug, "Bygones. Look, in the future, when you need a secret played, brother, come to the expert." Then he stands up straighter, and he walks over to his brother, lowering his voice. "I've been spying for father nearly eight years. If you're going to rule Stonebridge, you need to know you have tools."

"I see," Riordan says, slowly. "You do realize that whatever else she is, Rowenna is family Rafferdy?" He brows draw together as he frowns, though it is more a thoughtful then angry expression. "Not to mention that it is quite different to spread rumors about a man sleeping with a woman when the man is on our side, then if the woman is?" He pauses, before adding, "Not to mention that it hardly hurts Lady Danae's claim if her husband slept around. It just meant that he had a cock." He studies his brother for a moment, before finally saying, "I will remember it." If he's talking about Rafferdy's last statement, or his previous ones though, he does not clarify. He simply inclines his head to his brother, and then turns to head back down the hall.

Rafferdy laughs, "I do realize she's family. Why do you think I was in the Mire? Didn't you think it was odd Father gave her back her name?" He sighs, and shakes his head, "You're missing the bigger picture. It's not about the fact that they slept together. It's that Gedeon knew his squire was a woman, and lied about it. Kept it secret. It's the same dishonor that's cost Jarod so much. It speaks to his honor, not his cock."

Riordan pauses a little bit past Rafferdy, and turns around just enough to give his brother a look of disappointment. "The bigger picture brother, is that Gedeon died six days past, losing a Trial by Combat, in which he was accused of being a liar, and a traitor to the crown. I should hope that you need not be reminded of the fact that trial by combat is one of the most sacred of rites, and as binding in law as the King's own word." Riordan pauses, his next words intense. "The second he died, all honor was lost to him." Riordan simply shakes his head. "So yes, brother. You succeeded in your intent. You dishonored a man who had no honor left, and our sister besides, who had little enough. Congratulations." And with that, he turns once more, and continues down the hall.

Rafferdy tilts his head a bit, "If that were true, Blackwood wouldn't be here. You're quoting laws that don't really apply to perceptions, brother." He rolls his eyes, "But then, you're right. You win, Rio. I'm the screwup here." He shakes his head and moves to return to his room. "Maybe I should go fuck Danae too, just to even things up…"

If the barb, or the rest of it, is even heard by Riordan, he doesn't respond, as he is soon turning the corner and is out of sight.