Roleplay > Diplomacy and Events

Art and Diplomacy (Lodja and NU + maybe others)

(1/6) > >>

Libby:
The Civil War in Lodja had taken its toll on the Isle of the Goddess in ways other than the obvious. While the royal wing had been swiftly repaired there were still teams of restorers finding the odd bullet hole along the corridors every now and again. It wasn't uncommon that you could walk down the corridor and find a couple of workman painstakingly filling a hole with plaster and then doing their best to make it look like the ancient stone that the palace was made from. In some cases it had been actually easier to chisel out the old stone and then carefully shape a new one to take its place. Those in the know, including Isidora, could spot the patch jobs and this morning as she made her way to the art storeroom deep in the cavernous underbelly of the palace she spotted a new one.

Her job in the Palace was two-fold. First and maybe most importantly to appear at certain special occasions on the arm of her husband Besarian. It had not been a match made for love like many girls who attend the recently concluded balls had, instead it had been one arranged because Besarian was way to old to be a Bachelor and her step-fathers considered the Ivanov's polo buddies. Their marriage was though a happy one, they supported each others endeavours and she actually rather liked him and of course it helped that he was rather handsome. Her second job in the palace was her passion, art. She had long worked in the Palace as an artist even before marrying the former Lord of the Conclave. She had spent afternoons with other artists sat in the various gardens sketching, painting and even at one point learning to sew tapestries. She'd amassed for her family quiet a collection of art works and that had landed her this job. Cataloguing the royal collection. It had taken her team several months and now all that was left was the collection of art works gifted to the Royals by other nations. Isidora had the official list and as they checked each of the crates in which they were stored between displays she examined their condition, noted any that needed restoration or cleaning and then had them sealed again. Often they were brought out for special exhibitions or more often when someone from that nation was visiting. She ticked off a few from East Moreland given by King David, then there were various portraits painted by Emperor Orion himself of Neu Urburzis for the coronation of Queen Klara. They showed the new Queen and her Ladies and as Isidora checked them off she stopped, glanced down at the paper and flicked it over back and forth several times checking and rechecking the list. She put an asterisk next to one of the codes and then carried on. Three hours later they had done with everything but that one accounted for. It would be rather embarrassing if next summer during the balls their Emperor came as they suspected her would and they couldn't find a painting done by his own hand. There was though one bit of hope, they could avoid making a public announcement and perhaps there was a chance of getting it back.

Isidora scratched her head and then remembered. Makar her brother in law had been rather well connected with their Princess Adelheid and so that would be there route to make some kind of contact.

Makar made the phone call and after various chit chat broached the subject. "Adelheid you remember those portraits Orion painted. Well we have a problem, my sister-in-law is curating the palace art works and well, one is missing. Isidora thinks it likely stolen for some reason during the civil war. You can't think of anyone who would want that particular picture or if there is like a black market for your cousins art?" 

Norgeras:
It was still early morning in her Penthouse. Adelheid walked up and got herself a coffee, watching the Morning Sun rise over her brand's newest creations. Fashion week had become her whole life, her own purpose. Not just a princess but a woman on her own two feet. But next year's collection didn’t quite cut it yet. It lacked sparkle, elegance. In other words: totally boring.



She groaned and stretched, grabbing her Phone scrolling through her contacts. Annoy her Brother? No. Little chat with Stasya? She’d be sleeping still right now with that adorable baby boy of hers. Her finger stopped on Makar.

‘Didn’t quite work out, huh princess?’ she thought to herself as she lingered on the entry.

She had buried herself in work, he himself in his military career. Then the Mess with Klara happened and they basically stopped talking. Headstrong, but not stubborn. Foreign enough to not be boring. The wrong hair colour never stopped bothering her, but it was a minor detail. Fuck was she getting old to be hung on on a guy she didn’t get. Well, she was getting old, and the biological clock was ticking.



Tick Tock Tick Tock, Cuckoo.

Tick Tock Tick Tock Cuckoo.



Was she just imagining things? No, that was her darn phone ringing. And it was Makar calling. Fuck, compose yourself.

“Adelheid von Uburzis, who's calling?”

Bloody hell she knew exactly before picking up:

 “Oh Makar! Lovely hearing from you!”

She made her way over to the Balcony, taking a seat to look at the early morning city:

“Going great so far, already busy with next year's collection.”

‘And grasping at straws with it right now’ she thought to herself.

“No, no. I’m too old for your Balls. As your brother once said, I'd seem like a needy old hag. But you’ll get a lovely newly minted sixteen year old next time. Sebastian is a bit shy but plays Violin. The girls are going to be drawn to him like moths. Orion?”



She paused for a moment when the Emperor started to be the topic:

“He didn’t take Klara’s and Anna’s violent demise very well. First his Mom, then Viktorya and Arthur. Rhiannon and Augustin getting hospitalised, the twins getting kidnapped. The world hadn’t been kind to him and he still struggles with the fear of causing other people harm. Clings to my brother like a scared puppy still at times.”

She sighed and turned her gaze over to the palace, at this time still shrouded in Mist clinging to the Mountain face:

“The Painting for the Wedding? Oh you mean ‘Having her Cake and Eating it’? Missing?”

She paused, worry creeping into her face as she jumped up and walked to her Workspace, flicking the Monitor on:

“Trust me, they’d buy his used toilet paper. Some People here worship the twerp as if we believed him a god like your people do for the Queen.”

She flicked through a couple Websites and tilted her head:

“Which piece exactly is missing? I’ll tell my Brother. But best to keep Orion in the dark for now. He hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of making an official visit to Natalya yet. With his own brideshow about to get started soon, we… shit.”



She stopped dead as she scrolled through some Website:

“I think I got something. I’ll send you the link. Is that the one with Stasya on it?” she tilted her head: “Yeah looks a lot like it, and i definitely know that frame. I’ll get Albrecht in on this as well. He is the head of our Intelligence Service after all.”

She paused and after sending the Email, she finally was ready to hang up:

“And Makar? Don’t be a stranger and call me some time? There’s always a ticket for the fashion show in February waiting for you if you’d like to.”

Adelheid glanced at the Website, tilting her head. It would be hard to track it down again. It was a temporary private exhibition of Stasya related Items and gave her a very weird vibe. But nothing stated as to who had lent the exhibition a piece that should have still been in the Vaults in Lodja.

Libby:
It had been some time since Makar and Adelheid had seen each other face to face but he found himself cringing a little as she called herself "too old" for the Lodjain balls. "Now you're someone with your finger on the pulse of fashon and you know very beautiful women are always in fashion in Lodja." he complimented her. The phone call over Makar passed on what he'd found out to his sister-in-law who in turn, as was often the case, told members of the Queen's security staff via the backdoor so to speak.

It then fell to Jan Rezakov, a relatively junior member of the Queens security detail, to head on over to Neu Urburzi. He was picked because he was the newest member of the detail and frankly could be the missed the least. His job was a simple one, make contact with the exhibition and try and gauge what items they had and what could be "acquired" the nice thing was he had next to no exposure to the world in terms of his face being near the Queens but like most members of the detail he came from a Patrician family, his though a rather small one. If anyone checked him out they'd come to a company that had a small business in Gaia outfitting shops. His father had a small piece of land on the outskirts of Gaia in which a rather pretty little house existed known to some locals as "the mini palace". This had given Jan a few stories he could perhaps use but frankly he'd have prefered to have been in the Palace back home but Makar had told him there would be someone to meet him upon his arrival.

Norgeras:
Rezakov's train had been delayed, a seemingly unplanned stop on the way to it's destination. People had left the carts for a smoke break. It was then when a young woman in a jarring bright outfit took place next to him with a bubbly bright smile, clapping her hands delightful as she giggled: "Oh, how exciting. Are you new around here?"

The woman had in fact, not been on the train before. She smiled at Jan and shoved him a box of cookies over: "Here, take a bite! you look famished!" she shoved the box over, while getting herself a travel bottle and took a couple sips:

"I hope i'm not being too brash. We hardly get new Faces in Nordberg, it's not exactly the most touristy destinations and i just loooove meeting new people!" the woman took a few snapshots of herself, probably annoying a couple other passengers with her phones flashlight.

The box of cookies though had a clearly visible address printed on it, a little sticker that looked just like a sticker you'd put on your Tupperware so you get yours back after a houseparty. This one, however, pointed somewhere else.

"Nordberg Convention center,
30 Minutes after we arrive at the station.
Don't be late."

Rezakov might have to endure to overly bight and bubbly personality for a while, until she parted from him at the station. The woman meeting back up with him at the convention center couldn't be any more different. A strict blazer and  knee long skirt, her hair tightly in a knot and a cold gaze that would freeze anyone looking her the wrong way, and yet. It was the same Person, giving him a nod at the front door:

"Agent Diederich. A pleasure Mister Rezakov." the woman exhaled with a long sigh: "They hosted the Stasya Exhibition here. Of course no one checked papers here, unlike a proper art gallery. we might have to check with Moreland and the Pelagiya's if any more items had been stolen."  she looked around: "Wait. I think we're being followed." she looked around the windows, seeing but a shadow quickly diving back into a crowd a little way down the road.




Orion had taken up his phone as soon as he was back in his lessons at the academy. He had stopped boarding there, but his former room had been changed into a private study away from the palace a while ago. More importantly, he had used this as his own headquarters to keep an eye on Albrecht and his moves, having managed to infiltrate his regents Spy circle quite a while ago:


"So, you're telling me they are in Nordberg? Spotted you? crap." he cursed and sighed: "Try and find out what they are looking for, but don't risk your cover. If Adelheid and Albrecht both work on this it's something i want to know."

Orion sighed and shook his head after ending the call, gritting his teeth and dialing a number. The last time he called there he had spoken condolences over the passing his aunt, he had tried to stay in contact but it always felt a little weird:

"Hey, yeah. It's me. Do you know why Jan Rezakov is in Neu Uburzis?"  he took a breath and nodded: "Yeah, he's meeting with one of my Cousin's Underlings and if Albrecht didn't tell me there's a visit going on i most definitely want to know why."

He waited for a reply and gave him a nod:

"Yeah, it will go ahead. You should be able to get some favors traded knowing first hand it will be announced on my Birthday this year. Though expect my cousins both to try and buy some favors with the knowledge that we will allow foreigners to apply as my bride. Still open if the Senates vote Men to be able, too. I personally doubt so. And i'll be honest, if i can spare Augustin from getting a woman picked for him, i'd prefer it. Hear you soon, Gavril."

Libby:
Jan had expected a rather routine trip to Nordberg. Turn up, ask a few questions about the exhibition get to know a few faces and perhaps buy a few things to just maintain the idea that he was there as a purchaser of art work. While he had expected someone to meet him at some point he hadn't expected it to be through the medium of cookies, especially rather nice tasting ones. He was unsure of who the woman exactly was but Makar had told him someone would be in touch and as a result he believed there was not much to worry about. He followed the directions on the packet, kind of sorry he hadn't more time to explore somewhere new but perhaps that would come when they had finished their business.

It seemed upon his meeting with Agent Diedrich they had metaphorically missed the boat of the exhibition. "I assume we have a list of inventory or something that they held?" He asked just before the agent suggested they may be being followed. Linking his arm through hers as though out for a casual walk Jan crossed the road, turned to his right, walked about fifteen meters, recrossed the road and turned back to his right maintaining the way they had originally come. It was a simple enough way to test whether they were truly being followed and also gauge what that person might be doing.

"Do you have any suspects of who may be following us?" he asked casting a glance behind them.


While Gavril and Orion hadn't spent exactly a lot of time together in the years since their first meeting they had kept in touch. When he saw the number appear on his mobile he was rather pleased but then as the conversation turned to what seemed like a plot out of a James Bond film the young noble was out of his depth and didn't really know what to say. He had taken up residency on the Isle where he was at the small school there that helped prepare those for the higher eschalons of the civil service or diplomatic corps. It was never nailed on certainty but usually once exams were over it took a miracle not to get a job in one of those two roles. He did a few checks around the palace and got to know a little bit of what was happening after all gossip had a great way of moving around the Palace of the Goddess. That afternoon he texted Orion back. "JR sent on an art hunt for the Palace. Visiting some collection with some cash, expecting to buy something. All for now. x x"

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page