Bladworth's Report
Count Michel Blackwood paced back and forth in his office. He was quite nervous about his next meeting. This was not a usual occurrence for him. It was long whispered in the court at Rouan that the Count had used some sort of alchemy to transmute his heart into a lump of steel. It was a myth which probably originated in his occult dabblings as a youth, a myth that amused Blackwood too much to quash entirely. So courtiers whispered where they thought he couldn't hear about how said ritual had ensured he had gained his seat on the Privy Council.
However, an unexpected meeting with a Huntsman was definitely cause for alarm. Fortunately, the Count was influential enough that an accusation of treason sans proof would be dismissed in fairly short order, and he knew the Huntsman would not have made a polite request if he had proof. The crazy zealot would have broken down his door and dragged him to be tortured in his own dungeon the second he obtained said proof. The legendary Huntsman intolerance for treason of any sort was multiplied tenfold when a member of the King's Privy Council was involved, something his predecessor learned the hard way. Poor Adan had taken an entire week to die once the questioning had finally ended.
Alas, that meant Bladworth was here for the only other reason one of his ilk visited a man of Blackwood's standing. In those cases, the Huntsmen could not be stopped, only redirected.
The Count's musings were interrupted by a rap on the door. Seems like it was showtime. He opened the door to allow Jean Bladworth to enter. He had barely managed to sit back down again when Bladworth started to speak. "I have seen the answer to those who seek to pull this kingdom apart! It is fear".
"Fear you say? I'm afraid that makes things rather complicated", Michel reluctantly replied.
"Why is that?", the subtle accusatory tone that wove through Bladworth's words caused a bolt of ice cold fear rippers through his heart. This would have to be handled delicately.
"Because, quite frankly, you and the rest of your order are extremely good at striking fear into the hearts of would-be rebels", Blackwood's explanation seemed to calm Bladworth. Good, now to hammer it home. "It is nigh impossible to find anything that scares folks more that we can actually control". Michel's hand drifted to the broken dagger on his desk, his last memento of his slain brother Pierre. If those fools had not tried messing with forces beyond their ability to control in an idiotic attempt to curry favor, perhaps Bloody Friday would never have occurred.
"Still, you must admit that the results in Union are promising. Perhaps if we tell people that their continued existence is dependent upon the King's survival we could". Michel interrupted him, "You are too young to remember, but the King's father actually tried that. To begin with, he had the preachers of rural Brittany undergo 'divine revelations' to that effect. Results were promising, until said father choked to death on a chicken bone. Panic and apocalyptic thinking quickly followed once word spread. As a result, the Order of St. George had to burn down half the peninsula before things calmed down". Even today, there were some places in Brittany where a wise traveler did not sleep, even under heavy guard.
Bladworth's eyes grew fiercer, so Michel quickly moved on, "I do admit that the unity of Union is promising. We must understand why fear has succeeded there when it has failed elsewhere"
Bladworth's eyes lit up, "I can". "Let me stop you there", Michel interjected "This will be a prolonged process. It will take at least a year of study from my agents, and the Dual Monarchies cannot allow a Huntsman to sit idle in a land where rebellion, according to your own report, unthinkable". Time for a bit of reassurance, "Have no fear, if there's a secret to Union's success, my people will find it.
AN: My muse demanded an omake, so I made one. I'll take a question, please. I'm thinking "What are the optimal paths to preparing for the big Tribute Takers raid?", although I'd appreciate some feedback from the thread before I make that official.
