Chapter Two Hundred Seventeen: 'Thy confounding colloquy...'

What an absolutely insane day it had been. Lynnette still hadn't really processed it all. Honestly, she was ready to retire to her guest room and plop down on the wonderful bed she'd been sleeping in the past few nights, but the King was still chatting it up with the Rainlords like there was no tomorrow. Perhaps he was trying to make up for lost time, due to that big debate they all had earlier.

Telepathic birds and a second Continental War. The world was much stranger than it was yesterday.

She'd spoken to the Queen earlier over the phone, but only briefly. No doubt, Her Highness was having a hell of a day, herself. The woman had told Lynnette that information was still coming in but that Atreya would be pursuing a plan of neutrality for the time being--and that she should remain vigilant in her role as the King's bodyguard.

Lynnette didn't think she would be getting to that bed for a while yet.

"Um, hi there," came an unfamiliar voice, making Lynnette turn to see a blond woman standing there.

"Hello...?" Lynnette felt like she recognized her, but she couldn't put a name to her face.

"I'm Madison." She extended a dainty hand. "Madison Reach."

Lynnette blinked. The movie star? Sweet Cocora, it was her!

"Hehe. You've heard of me, I take it?"

Uncertain, Lynnette managed to nod and shake Madison's hand.

"Whew, that's a relief! I was starting to get a little self-conscious, you know. You wouldn't believe how many of these Rainlords have no idea who I am! The nerve, am I right?"

Lynnette had no idea what to say. What the hell was this woman doing in Warrenhold of all places?

"Oh, um, I'm not bothering you, am I?" said Madison with sudden puppy dog eyes.

"Ah--no, you're not," said Lynnette stiffly.

"Whew, good. You're a little intimidating, you know that? Not as intimidating as some of these other folks around here, but you're up there. A few months ago, I probably would've been too scared to talk to someone like you."

Lynnette just kind of nodded again. What the hell was happening, right now? She glanced over at the King, who was still happily conversing with that one red-haired Rainlord who talked a lot.

Madison just kept going. "Honestly, I think it's my boyfriend's influence. I mean, yeah, I've always been what you might call a social butterfly, but thanks to him, I feel like I've ascended to a new level of butterfly-ing. He's a real introvert. And kinda scary. But like, in a hot way, y'know? Anyway, talking to him has given me some insight into people who are the strong, silent type. Before, I would just, kind of... avoid you guys. But now I see how wrong that was! You guys are great! I bet we could be good friends!"

Lynnette wondered if this was what Hector felt like all the time.

Another voice arrived, this one more immediately familiar. "Madison, are you cornering my friend over here?"

Lynnette turned and saw Gina approaching now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Madison with that movie star smile of hers.

"Uh-huh," said Gina. "Listen, Lynnette is no one to mess around with. This is the White Sword of Atreya you're talking to."

"Yeah, I know," said Madison. "I've heard the Rainlords talking about her. And it's pretty obvious that she's the bodyguard for Mr. Kingy over there."

Lynnette had to pick her up on that. "That's His Majesty King William, to you," she said.

"Ooh, excuse me," said Madison. "That's a bit of a mouthful, though, don't you think?"

Lynnette just glowered with her one eye.

"Okay, okay," tittered Madison. She took a step back and put up her hands in apologetic defense.

"I told you you shouldn't mess with her," said Gina. She came over to stand next to Lynnette and purposely bumped into her. It was a friendly gesture, of course, lacking in power, but Lynnette hardly budged at all, while Gina practically bounced off of her. "Holy crud. Have you put on some extra muscle?"

"...A little," said Lynnette. She'd been regimenting her nutrition and exercise more strictly, lately. She didn't have much free time to spare on full-blown bodybuilding, nor did she want to take it that far, but she was pleased with her modest results.

Gina took the liberty of feeling up her arm and torso. "Damn, that white cape of yours hides it well, but you're built like a brick under there, aren't you?"

"It's a cloak, not a cape." And Lynnette frowned and furrowed her brow. "And I am not shaped like a brick, thank you very much. It's not my fault that you have the body mass of a twig."

"Okay, wow--I meant, like, a brick in terms of the solidness of your muscles, not in the shape of your body. Geez. No need to get personal. I'm sensitive about being so tiny, I'll have you know."

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"Oh, is that right?" said Lynnette, and she returned the favor by giving Gina's upper arm a quick squeeze. "Hmm."

Gina didn't back away. "Don't say a word. I already know."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"Then don't think anything, either."

Lynnette just laughed. It was true that compared to her, Gina really was just skin and bones. "Are you sure you're getting enough to eat?"

"I've always been a light eater," said Gina. "It's hard to make myself eat more. I don't like feeling too full."

"Mm," hummed Madison, who had wandered closer again to help with the apparent body inspections, "sounds like a pretty good problem to have."

"Yeah," Lynnette agreed, "I wouldn't say that out loud too often, if I were you. You're liable to make your fellow women resent you."

"I--ah... hmm."

Madison held an index finger up to her own chin while she poked and prodded Gina's face and neck. "If you exercised more, I bet you'd build an appetite faster."

Gina groaned. "I hate exercising..."

"That's the wrong mindset," said Lynnette. "There are lots of different types of exercise. I'm sure you could find something you enjoy."

"And when you start seeing results, you'll enjoy it even more," added Madison, still prodding.

Gina finally batted Madison's hand away. "Agh, you're both into fitness?"

Madison gave a light shrug. "Well, I haven't had much else to do lately, so..."

That was something Lynnette wanted to know more about. "Why are you here, by the way?"

"Oh, that's a long story," said Madison, "but, um, well--"

And with Gina's approval and occasional assistance, Madison explained her unique circumstances. She was in hiding from something called "Andalero"--a mysterious group of highly influential people whom she had apparently pissed off badly enough to want her dead. Roman had rescued her in Steccat and brought her here to Atreya--and ultimately, to Warrenhold.

Lynnette found all of that rather hard to believe, but then again, after a few more moments of thinking about it, she supposed that sounded exactly like something Roman Fullister would get mixed up in. He often played things off like they were unintended, like he had never planned to do anything crazy, but by now, Lynnette knew better. This was the same man who snuck into Belgrant Castle dressed as a guardsman and jumped into the middle of a fight with Abolish.

Which was to say nothing of the time that she and the Queen had spent with him in Korgum, searching for military aid. Looking back, it seemed insane to her now that she had gone into that war zone as a normal human person, without the enhancements that were now afforded to her by the aberration gauntlet on her arm.

Oh, how little she'd understood, back then.

"So you still have no clue why the Andalero group was trying to kill you?" said Gina.

"Not at all," said Madison.

Gina made a doubtful face. "You sure about that?"

Madison tilted her head. "Uh. Yeah. Why? You think I'm lying?"

"No," Gina laughed, "but I was thinking that, maybe, you'd talked to a certain tall Rainlord about it and learned something."

"Oh. Well, yeah, I told Dimas about it, but he didn't say anything. Should he have?"

Gina shrugged. "I don't know, but... how long ago did you tell him?"

"A few weeks ago now. Like as soon as we started dating."

"Maybe you should remind him," said Gina.

Madison squinted. "Why? Gina, are you trying to imply something here?"

"Mm, kinda. It's just a hunch, though. Andalero wanted you dead for overhearing them talk about something, right?"

"Yeah. Some kind of "black song" in a place called Ridgemark. I think it was a code for a meeting or something that was supposed to happen there, but beyond that, I have no idea."

"Ridgemark is a city in Vantalay," said Gina. "And Vantalay is one of the five countries that just started the Second Continental War."

Madison's face paled a little.

"Now, that might just be a coincidence," said Gina, "but if I were to think up some reasons why someone might've been trying really hard to assassinate you after overhearing something so seemingly benign... well, a planned war doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility."

Madison's eyes hollowed, and her mind seemed to be elsewhere.

Lynnette was growing more confused by the minute. This famous actress was involved in the war?

"I've been trying to look into Andalero, too," said Gina, "but the internet is only so useful. It might be better to ask Lord Dimas about it. I'm not so good at in-the-field investigations, but if anything, the Rainlords seem to prefer that."

Madison regained herself and eyed the various Rainlords around the Grand Hall. "You might be right," she said. Then her gaze settled back on Gina. "But why are you asking me to talk to Dimas? You seem pretty close with the head honcho, yourself. Why don't you just ask him?"

Gina tilted her head. "The head honcho?"

"Yeah," said Madison. "Don't act like I'm more influential around here than you are. I've seen you talking to him a bunch of times." She glanced at Lynette as well. "You, too, actually."

Lynnette tried to think. "Are you referring to the King?"

"What? No. I... though, well, I guess he would work, too, if you wanted to talk to him. I was talking about Lord Goffe."

Lynnette watched Gina's mouth open, then close again.

"You two seem way closer to him than I am," said Madison.

Lynnette and Gina exchanged looks with one another. Somehow, they both wore knowing expressions on their faces that were simultaneously mixed with utter uncertainty. In that silent moment between them, it felt like a thousand words were exchanged.

"Ah..." tried Gina.

What was she going to say? Lynnette had no clue.

Gina scratched her cheek. "I... I guess you have a point."

"Yeah, I know I do," said Madison, like she was saying the most obvious thing in the world and didn't understand why they needed it explained to them.

Staying here over the last few days, meeting all these Rainlords, and seeing how they all treated Hector--it hadn't escaped Lynette's notice what was going on. Roman and Gina had provided a bit more context and detail to her in private, but by that point, she wasn't terribly shocked by it all.

Hector was not the same person she'd left in Sair a few months ago. She'd heard about some of his exploits, though even now, she wasn't sure how much she believed, and it seemed almost rude to ask him about it directly, especially with so many people and reapers around who could overhear.

She was under the impression now that the so-called Lord Darksteel of Warrenhold was in a bit of a difficult position. He was obviously being very careful in how he spoke and how he presented himself. He dressed more sharply and was often followed around by that Rainlord bodyguard of his.

Which was to say nothing of this whole banking situation. It wasn't just the Rainlords putting mountains of pressure on him, Lynnette knew. The people of Atreya and their economic crisis were arguably even worse, in that regard.

It was hard not to worry about him. At a glance, he seemed to be handling everything pretty well, but he'd never been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. And within the last year, he'd skyrocketed to perhaps the second most famous person in the country. She didn't envy his position politically, right now--and she was certain that many other people did.

Gina seemed somewhat lost for words, so Lynnette picked up the conversational slack.

"Well, how about we agree to talk to Hector about it, and you agree to talk to Lord Dimas?" she said.

Madison smirked. "Ooh, you call him Hector, huh? I guess you really are close, then, aren't you?"

Lynnette gave a small shrug. "We've been through a lot together. He wouldn't want me to start addressing him as 'lord' anything."

"Hmm," mused Madison. "In that case, should I start calling him Hector, too?"

Lynnette and Gina exchanged looks again.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind it," said Lynnette, "but I get the impression that the Rainlords probably would. And you're more concerned about not pissing them off, aren't you?"

"Ah..." Madison lost a bit of her enthusiasm. "Good point..."