Dagena held in her hands a chalice, the same chalice Dieter held in his not too long ago. Its contents shook, rippling her image in the red hue of wine. She took a sip and stopped her exploration around the room Dieter had her in.
The walls were covered in paintings and murals and his floors were hidden beneath green carpets that depicted the image of a white rose on them. She stopped by an armour of a typical Saia knight set in place and sipped from her heavy chalice, savouring the sweet wine as she fingered the body of the armour, examining its arrangement.
"So, when will we take action?" she uttered, not turning away from her observations of the statued armour.
Dieter, the one she spoke to, sat comfortably on the long red couch she'd woken up in. He laid on the couch with one leg out and with a plate of cookies set on his chest. "Patience," he said, his voice distorted by a mouth full of cookies, "You've only just been kidnapped," making sure to emphasize the word "Kidnapped"
He set on his feet, taking the plate of cookies in his hand and offering some to Dagena as he arrives next to her, "They're marvellously delicious yknow," he said nibbling on one of the cookies. She ignored him, turning away from him and walking elsewhere. It was obvious she couldn't stand him.
At this, he merely rolled his eyes. He set the cookies down and poured himself some wine instead, his mouth dry from all he'd stuffed down it. "Be patient, we'll deliver the message this time tomorrow, let your brother squirm a little and send demands and threats as he most certainly will." He smirks pausing to wet his dry throat with wine, gasping in satisfaction, "He must resign himself over to his only real option. War."
"And what if your brother catches on to our plots? He is already paranoid about your every move, what stops him from calling the last straw once he starts receiving threats from my brother in Aville?" Dagena questioned, her rationale finding no way out of the awfully painful predicament she'd be in if their plans get ousted.
"My brother will no doubt discern my involvement or at least suspect it and without any damning evidence he has no choice but to leave me, his brother locked up in the grand prison as he always has." He finished his cup and threw it to the floor, "And to ensure that this happens, you will have to leave."
Dagena snapped towards him, outrage written all over, "Leave?" she stalked towards him repeating the word louder as she got closer, "Leave?! After literally risking my life in coming here you want me to live now?" she scoffed, "Thank goodness you aren't my husband."
All while her outburst Dieter held up his hands attempting with grand failure to calm her down, "I'm not sending you away, you just need a place to hide." He speaks after she'd gotten quiet enough for her to hear, "You are the only tangible proof of this that exists. If you are found it's over." He explains.
"I have been defaming my brother, sighting him as an apostate. Now I only did this to get the Church's attention so I would be set free from my house arrest but with news of you being kidnapped by the same apostate Count. There is no doubt I'll be reigning in Harsem as Count. And I promise you, if you were my wife, you'd enjoy much more riches than just a city or a castle."
Dagena rolled her eyes at his excitement, looking around her she wonders how a man under house arrest can live so lavishly, "How are you able to afford this all? Even father's treasures aren't this expansive." Sliding her fingers across the laced pearls on her silken dress she stared narrowly at the man who only held a knowingly look towards her, "Do you work with beside sinister forces? Bandits?"
At this, he burst out laughing, "Bah haha! Bandits!" he wiped his teary eyes after a long bout of laughter and then answered quite seriously, "You are of noble blood indeed, quick deduction not to mention manipulation." He smiles at her warmly and adds, "Yes, we have made use of the bandits in the past, but they quickly proved troublesome and we had to dispose of them. But that is not the reason we are so wealthy."
"Then what is?"
"Curious cat are we? Do you want in on our schemes?"
She shrugs, tucking her long hair behind her ears, "Perhaps I will, once I receive my fief. I'll need funds to manage it wouldn't I?"
"Ahh, but you see, that is where you have it wrong. If you want to be as wealthy as my family, you have to realize that the management of a fief is not something you want to spend coin on." He schools. Gesturing to the window he says, "Harsem manages itself, it is a trade station. It makes hundreds of ducats a year, and we retain a generous percentage for permitting trade and all other forms of business here."
He stands, picks the sword from the statued knight and goes through many stabbing and swinging motions, emulating a battle, "And we don't need to maintain a standing army, a retinue like your father and many other Dukes and ambitious counts. We aren't afraid of our neighbouring county either as the Duke forbids war between his vassals. And we aren't afraid of outside incursion because the Duke will protect us, and if not, we can find a deal to settle on with our invaders."
He stabs the sword into the floor, making Dagena flinch. "We receive tax from our vassals as well. You'll be one of my vassals soon, Lady Dagena. Or should it be Baroness? Mayor?" he laughs, "We shall leave that for when the time comes. For now, you must be on your way."
Dagena sighed, understanding the rationale was not the same as accepting it. She let herself be guided out the door by Dieter where he then promised to send more supplies the next morning and promptly left her in the care of his loyal guards.
The guards had in their hands what she discerned to be a maid's wears. A disguise. They offered this to her as they stood beside the horses in the stable. She snatched them away from their arms and scolded the guards away while she hid in one of the pens to change.
Once done she handed over the pearl laced silk gown she'd quickly grown fond of to them. But when the guard shook his head and stated: "It's a gift from Lord Dieter." She quickly regained her pep.
The carriage ride to her 'safe house' was short and bumpy, they'd driven off the common roads and found themselves at a half-frozen lake where a small but dignified wooden house stood. Dagena stepped out, her boots landing lightly on the snow-filled land and took in her environment. The sun was coming up.
"Here?" she asks, pointing towards the two-story rectangular house in front of her.
"Yes, Ma'am" one of the men answers, "My Lord has made arrangements for the place to serve your liking until his plans take motion. If you have any requests, please make them now so I may relay them onto him."
Dagena looked about the house and said, "How about some company?"