The Lead Crown, Chapter 1-6: Noriene
Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 1-6, Noriene
The discomfort of not knowing actually bothered Noriene Sandoval more than her injured arm. The damage to her extremity was able to be limited with bandages to secure and a sling to immobilize. There was no such cure for her mind; her curiosity could not be secured, and there was no discernible method to immobilize her chaotic thoughts. The only balm she could consider was to go through the events that had transpired over and over in an attempt to find a meaning... an explanation... a key that could unlock everything.
"I was speaking with Professor Milhoy on the balcony..." she placed her finger at the indicated spot on the timeline she had scribed onto a three foot long scroll. It had originally begun with perhaps a dozen points but she'd spent the entire week filling in the blanks every time she could recall something new. "He excused himself to go check on the preparations..." her finger continued along the line, "Then I turned back around to the presentation stage when--" and her narration halted mid-sentence as she reached for a quill.
"A single note..." she murmured, scribbling it down on the parchment, "and that's when--" she froze as all the fur on her body suddenly rose, "Resonant frequency!" she shouted, dropping the quill onto the parchment, "That's it!"
A soft murmur escaped from the pile of blankets on her bed across the room, "My... my lady?" mumbled the mink from her sleeping place.
"I have the answer, Lilian... I have the key!" and, with that, the Princess grabbed her night gown from its hook on the wall. Stopping only long enough to clothe herself, she snatched a small tool box off of her desk, and sprinted out of her room, leaving her confused and half-asleep hand maiden behind.
Lilian didn't catch up to her until Noriene had been productive in her work room for nearly ten minutes. "My Lady...." the mink noted, creeping into the room, covered in a quilt, "It is scarcely midnight... why are you up at this hour?"
"I've done it!" the cream-furred wolf announced proudly, "I can PROVE the prototype suffered from sabotage." and she stepped aside, revealing her latest marvel.
"What is this?" the mink inquired, peering at the collection of metal, glass, and crystal.
"A proof of concept, Lilian." Noriene's muzzle almost hurt from her constant smile but, after a week of beating her head against a wall (sometimes literally) she was finally able to prove that her subjects did not die in an accident... they were murdered.
"A...." the mink paused, "...what?'
"My way of proving to the University that I have uncovered why the Albatross failed, and that someone was responsible for sabotaging the prototype." She slid a small, circular lens into a metal crucible, separating the space within into two distinct chambers, "Would you care to see, dear Lilian?"
"If it would bring you joy, your Grace." the mink yawned, "And then, hopefully, I can get you back to bed."
"Yes, yes..." the wolf waved away the simplicity of her tired lover, "After this..." and she carefully uncorked a flask, filling one half of the crucible with its contents, "This, my sweet, is a chemical in great supply aboard the Albatross..." she set the flask down and corked it before picking up another, "And this... is a second chemical, and should NOT found anywhere near the prototype." and she added that to the second side of the metal container, "However, the scent in the square after the explosion was unmistakable." and then stepped back, corking that flask as well.
"Nothing happened." Lilian announced, stifling another yawn.
"Precisely." Noriene's smile grew even wider, "The chemicals are incredibly volatile, and will explode if mixed... but they are separated by a thin glass disc..." she took another step bac ,and gently urged the mink back tooas she pulled a little metal triangle out of her pocket, "However... if that glass were to break..." The wolf gave the triangle a sound rap against the stone wall and held it high... the vibration from the glass within the metal crucible resonated loudly for the span of a breath... and then ceased to exist as the crucible exploded. Lilian let out a cry of surprise and alarm behind her, and clutched Noriene's night gown in fear.
"Your... your device..." the mink finally regained enough composure to form the words, "...you destroyed it." she spoke softly.
Noriene felt that she might lose her ears to her muzzle if she smiled any wider, "And in so doing, I have created a theory that I'm certain the University will be VERY eager to hear."
The wolf led her lover back down the hallway, having to explain the sound to several concerned guards. She could not, of course, give them a full explanation that they would be able to understand in a short meeting, but she was at least able to belay their fears and confirm that all was well. Lilian offered them a final apology, and the two ladies returned to Noriene's room, whereupon the mink closed the door.
"Your life truly lacks dull moments, your Grace." her hand maiden announced, the sleepiness gone from her tone ever since the explosion in the workshop.
"It isn't by my doing." Noriene objected, returning to her desk so she could place her tool box back where it belonged, "I will have to encourage the city guard to look into this... doubtlessly it is the Church's doing." the wolf slowly unbuttoned her night gown and slid free from it, placing it carefully on the hook beside her desk. The gown had once belonged to her mother, which meant it was to be treated with reverence.
"Truth be told, your Grace, I believe they are more concerned with issues of their own than with the University's unveilings." Lilian offered, slowly wriggling her way out of her own night gown before laying it across a high-backed chair beside the bed.
"Mmn." Noriene nodded, "You mean the run-away Friar?"
"Yes, my lady." and Lilian laid down on the edge of the bed, elbow stuck against the mattress so she could prop her head up in her palm. The wolf knew that it was no accident that the mink left her perfect body open and on display; they had known one another long enough that Noriene realized when her lover was offering an open invitation. Their discussion, however, was not something the princess was willing to quit so easily.
"He didn't escape until after the sabotage." the wolf countered, "It could easily have been coincidence... so much so that I cannot ignore the likelihood that the Church played a part in this."
"I suppose it doesn't bode well for them that the people will be able to see that they have trouble controlling one of their own..." Lilian toyed with a strand of her long, white hair as her emerald eyes gazed longingly at the Noriene, "that not all of the clergy believe that everything must be one way."
Losing the fight between debate and interest in what her hand maiden offered, the princess joined the mink on the bed, taking a seat on the edge as Lilian made room for her. "The Church will be their own undoing... that much is certain." Noriene confirmed, turing to the side and leaning over to press her muzzle to the mink's. Their tongues met, and all thoughts of the decrepit house of God left her mind. "You taste like strawberries." she whispered to her lover as their muzzles finally parted, extending her tongue one last time to lick across the mink's dainty, light-colored lips.
"I remember you saying you enjoy strawberries." the mischievous twinkle in Lilian's eye was blatantly obvious.
"I enjoy many things." Noriene acknowledged with a wink.
"Hmm..." the seductive smile on the mink's muzzle was electrifying, "then perhaps you might like to discover where I have decided to hide one on my person." It was a challenge the wolf was willing to accept, and she knew right where to look. Noriene could feel Lilian's muscles tense across her body as the wolf's muzzle dipped past her belly button. Trailing further down, the princess was not surprised to discover that she was correct as to where she might find the strawberry.
* * * * *
Noriene had almost fallen asleep when Lilian shifted in her arms, "Tell me about the fight at the docks." It was not the mink's usual choice for post-intimate discussion, but it held a certain degree of weight to it.
"You're afraid." the wolf realized.
"If Ilyse were to withdraw its financial support..." Lilian murmured, "...or if Wyra chose to declare war on Lehsunia...."
"That will not happen." the wolf announced in a confident tone.
"Your brother hasn't addressed the--"
"Correct." Noriene interrupted the comment, "and I doubt he will."
"But both nations will--"
"Indeed." the wolf again forestalled the concern, "Although that is only the case if Lehsunia was at fault for any wrongdoing."
Lilian slowly rotated in her arms until they were laying nose to nose, "But... your Grace... men died on our docks... the nations--"
"Men died on our docks?" Noriene inquired with theatricality, "I'm afraid you must be mistaken, my dear Lilian."
"You mean to bribe them?" the mink questioned.
"No... no no... no such thing... even paid men may talk, and that would create an entirely larger problem if such an underhanded trick were discovered." the wolf noted, leaning forward to kiss her lover, "But Lehsunia cannot be at fault if both ships are sunk by pirates... after all... both nations have promised to protect our sea from raiders... so, if anything, the fault would lie in their lack of commitment."
"But the ships are undamaged, and the crew--"
"Will be seen safely back to those undamaged ships once I have had the opportunity to send inspectors to investigate any and all cargo they may or may not be carrying." Noriene offered with a smile, "No merchant vessel will object to extra crate of cargo for the trouble of being in port so long." her smile widened, "And no military vessel will object to an extra case of munitions as an apology for a delay."
"I do not see how--" Noriene silenced the mink with a kiss.
"My dear Lilian... once these ships are out at sea returning to their respective home ports, they will, of course, be found by pirates... and destroyed." she caressed her lover's shoulder comfortingly, "Coincidentally whether four bodies were missing at the time the ship sank will go unnoticed... and with no survivors there will be nobody to comment on the events that transpired on our docks."
"What pirate fleet would dare attack a ship flying the flag of Wyra?" the mink asked, "And why would they risk the anger of the merchant fleet of Ilyse?"
"That is a question I am certain everyone will be wondering." Noriene nodded in agreement, "But that is not something that anyone but the pirates will be able to answer... assuming they are ever found."
There was a momentary pause before the mink asked the question that Noriene had been waiting for, "How do you know they will be attacked by pirates?"
"I do not." acknowledged the princess, and rolled over, gazing at the small piece of triangular metal resting on her night stand, "But, to be on the safe side, I will have a small skiff go with the two fleets. They will be unarmed, of course... purely a tracking vessel to be certain the two groups part on reasonable terms. With two destroyed fleets and only a single unarmed Lehsunian vessel around, what else would be the answer beside pirates?" she caressed her lover's cheek comfortingly, "They, of course, will witness the pirate attack, and be spared for no reason other than that they were no sport and had no cargo worth taking."
"The skiff will be unarmed, your Grace?" Lilian asked.
"Of course... just the University loud speakers for communication..." the wolf acknowledged, "perhaps a chime to draw attention for announcements... nothing dangerous." She slowly reached out and slid the metal triangle into her night stand as she made a mental note to have two crates, two glass dividers, and a large amount of chemical prepared-- she would wait a little longer before revealing secrets to the University... for the good of Lehsunia.