Wanted: Partner in Crime!

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Lady Rosalie St. Claire


Vivianne, in her off hours (you know, when she wasn't prowling around after Thomas de Lac or demanding lessons of Don Alejandro or sneaking around after whomever Lord Rupert told her to follow), was learning her way around the castle from the outside in. Dressed in a pair of loose-legged breeches and a tunic belted at the waist, she left her beloved rapier behind, preferring that it did not inhibit her movements right now. Eventually, she'd have to learn to sneak with it on, but that time wasn't now, thankfully. 

Aware that the Princess Emma was back in residence after a brief jaunt to the north, the tenacious little spy decided to make her today's target. There had to be a way into those chambers on the sly, and she was going to find it today. Moving through the various passages in an effort to craft herself a map - it was useful to know fast and easy ways around the castle without detection - she ventured towards the royal wing again. The door into the King's particular hallway had been established, but what of the remaining members of the royal family? Did some of these rooms provide private access to the passages? 

Vivianne was about to find out. Trying her best to ignore dust and cobwebs, she moved quietly, her feet encased in soft-soled shoes that made little to no noise against the stones. Fingers brushed against the stones, seeking drafts to indicate where a door might exist. After some time of careful searching, she finally felt a whisper of air that suggested she'd found another egress into a chamber. Lighting the single candle, she trusted to daylight to hide her efforts as she sought out the means of opening it. There was no immediately obvious method, so that meant there was a hidden lever or some such waiting to be discovered. Frowning in concentration, she worked methodically and diligently, ruling out specific stones. 

Surprise, however, caught her off-guard. Without realizing it, she'd managed to find the door mechanism, swinging the portal open and tumbling her into the chamber without further ado. Sputtering with a face full of dust, a series of almost violent sneezes took hold of her, preventing her from taking stock of her location or who might be in it.

Mischief was working its magic today! 

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Being in the chambers of Princess Emmaline was nothing new for Rosalie, who was using the time wisely in learning where things she was supposed to attend to were. So far she discovered a stack of books out of place and couldn’t help herself looking through the titles. She could and loved reading, but for now these were out of bounds it looked like. Well, she would discover a copy of them later in the library, though she hated going through the dusty books.

Sighing in dejection, Rose regretfully put the books aside and turned to put a few papers in order, the ones that didn’t look like they were important. What distracted her from her work was an odd sound coming from one of the corners. Not turning around yet, the young woman curiously perked up her ears, listening for any oddities that could’ve happened, then blinked in astonishment as she heard something open in the chambers and someone fall out – at least she was pretty sure it was a person and not a mouse! Giggling to herself, she winced as the person in question let loose with a series of mighty sneezes and turned to face the intruder, a highly entertained expression faltering slightly at the sight of an extremely dusty person on the small side of things. It looked it could be a small child, for all she knew, but she knew a bit better about habits of small children so she assumed it was an adult who discovered … something. Folding her arms across her chest, she lightly tapped her slippered foot on the floor, well aware that someone coughing that violently would be unable to hear her.

“May I ask what you’re doing here, aside from coughing out the dust?” She asked, coming a bit closer to the person. Rosalie didn’t come too close, but that was mostly because she was uncertain whether the person here was supposed to be here at all. In her opinion however, a sneaking around person using what looked like a secret passage was up to no good, and, well, it’s been a while since she was up to no good. Giving said person a considering look and wondering whether she’d be able to join in sneaking around, Rose waited for them to answer, barely hiding in a wish to laugh, which she was sure was visible in her eyes despite her attempts to hide it. She was entirely far too expressive for her own good sometimes. Well, perhaps today was her lucky day and she’d start her own sneaking. In her free time, of couse.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Vivianne was fairly small, it was true, but she'd never been mistaken in size for a mouse! Not to mention mice managed to avoid getting coated in dust and cobwebs, probably because they couldn't reach. Trying to recover, a hand lifted to try and banish the tumbled locks of black as another sneeze seized her. Using that to her advantage to fling her head back - pesky long hair, if she could, she'd chop the damned stuff off - Vivianne got her first good look at the distressingly occupied chamber. Staring up at a golden haired young woman tapping a foot, she nearly groaned as she recognized her. Of all the people to discover her in the Princess's chambers, it just had to be a St. Claire, didn't it?

Offering up a sheepish smile as the young woman came closer to present her demand, she coughed a little to banish the remaining dust from her throat and scrambled to her feet with a hand flung out to warn her off. "You might not want to come too close. I'm all over dust and you're... well, you're not." That cheeky smile stayed firmly on her face as she took a better, longer look at the girl. "I'm here purely by accident, I promise you. I was making a map, and took a wrong turn in the literal sense, you might say. Ah... " She hesitated, looking around warily, "Her Highness isn't here, I hope?"

Because that would make an awkward situation so much worse!

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Unable to maintain her look merely amused for long, which was a gone game, either case, Rose waved her hand in dismissal and burst out laughing, eyeing the other young woman’s cheeky smile with merry amusement. She just couldn’t help herself, it was entirely too funny. “N-n-no,” she managed through her giggles. “Her Highness has taken herself off someplace else, I’m not even certain what it was.” Managing to get her giggles under control, she came closer despite the warning not to – she was never afraid of a little dust.

“Would you like a drink? You certainly sound like you could use it, My Lady.” The voice had given the young woman away if the costume and the hair did nothing to hide her feminine features, and now she thought she could recognize her. Ah, but if only she could recall the name, it would be absolutely lovely, but for now Rose was drawing a large blank. She hadn’t met too many ladies of the court so far, this being her first year here, and of course this appearance was rather unexpected. Certain the other young woman looked much better when she was clean, Rose let a left-over giggle to escape and gave a quick look around for liquids in pitchers, pretty sure that she saw a large pitcher along with a few glasses on the table just now. Ah yes, there, though she waited for the other to agree to it first. This was a most amusing encounter, and she still was uncertain what the other one forgot here. She was going to try and find out, though, that was all she could do.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

The laughter relieved her mind as she discreetly attempted to restore herself to rights. "Well, that's a blessed relief. I'd hate to have to try and explain myself to royalty. Nobility's bad enough." Dark eyes twinkled impishly at Rosalie, glad to see she'd had the good fortune to encounter someone with a sense of humor. Very rare in the St. Claire family if anyone asked her. Which they didn't, but that was beside the point. "Regardless, my lady, I'm terribly sorry for surprising you so completely. It was an accident, I assure you. I don't make a habit of coming through walls unannounced."

It was a little flippant, but in the face of Rosalie's laughter, Vivianne felt safe letting her natural humor come out. "A drink would be lovely, thank you. I hope you'll join me, even if I feel safe in suggesting you don't recall me." It didn't bother her in the slightest that Rosalie didn't remember her; it just meant she achieved her goal of relative anonymity and invisibility. Score one for Vivianne! Ahem. Deciding to play the moment up - it was the capricious nature of her - she bowed floridly. "Vivianne Trevelyan at your service, Lady... Rosalie, I believe?"

Alright, so she was showing off. Could she be blamed in the face of a willing audience?

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Watching with merry amusement as the so far unknown lady attempted to right herself, Rosalie giggled a little and offered a clean cloth – at the very least it was going to help her clean her face and hands if nothing else, though it would be a hopeless case by itself later on. “I’m sure you don’t,” she said in a knowing tone in answer to the woman’s statement about arriving through walls, returning the other’s impish look with one of her own. While her own comings and goings weren’t too obvious, or so she hoped, there was a time when she herself had to arrive through the wall unannounced, though it was mostly from her own keep. The palace was a big unknown, just waiting to be explored – if only she had a partner to do so.

Staying quiet for now but hoping the look would reassure the other, Rose turned to the pitcher, discovering that it was, thankfully, just water. While she would’ve liked to offer something a bit stronger, the young woman figured this was just as well. Holding a glass full of it out, she managed to curtsy in return to the other’s rather florid greeting. “The pleasure is all mine, My Lady, I am, indeed, Rosalie St. Claire,” she managed through the rest of her giggles. “I’m sorry, all of this is just too unexpected.” She so loved a good incident, and this appearance was a bit too amusing not to laugh at it. “You said you were making a map?” She asked eagerly, trying and failing not to sound so, but she wanted to know whether Lady Vivianne was pulling her leg or indeed doing something of use that she could get herself involved into. Last she checked, Rose had nowhere to be and was considering going to the city’s library, which could certainly wait. This, on the other hand, sounded like a grand adventure she was going to pull off on her own if need be, if only to entertain herself with something when not meeting people of the court. Secret passages were just the thing, and she memorized the place from which Lady Vivianne made her unceremonious appearance. She was certain she’d be able to make a more firm retreat, if she could.

Lady Vivianne Trevelyan

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

The cloth was gratefully accepted to brush the smudges from her gamine features and in an effort to remove the worst from her hands. Doing so allowed her to watch Rosalie, though she doubted the lady was about to holler for the guards or expose her to the Princess after the fact as anything more than a harmless misadventure. Which it technically was, if anyone was counting! Certainly the return of impish look was a reassurance to her, the cloth used liberally on her person.

The glass also accepted, she availed herself of half the contents before she smiled, hearing the giggle. It was good to find someone in the castle who wasn't so prone to solemnity and a tendency towards being shocked by Vivianne's unorthodox behavior. Hearing the eager tone, she took a good, hard look at Rosalie, a slow smile crossing her face. "I am indeed. You never know when a quick, discreet exit is needed, and how better to protect our royal family than to ensure that you head off an attacker by being faster, more nimble and so on?" She wasn't about to point out that the passages had a plethora of other uses, some of which might be deemed less worthy than others. "And of course, there's always the fun of moving about unseen."

Something tugged at her in Rosalie, perhaps the makings of a kindred spirit? She couldn't be 100 percent sure, but decided to test the proverbial waters. "Looking for a convenient and discreet means of getting from point A to point B, Lady Rosalie?"

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Giggling some more, this time as she watched Lady Vivienne’s attempts to clean herself up, Rosalie cocked her head to the side, an impish look still on her face as she attempted her best to wipe an eager tone of voice from the next sentence. An expression of Lady Vivienne’s would tell her whether she was successful but she doubted it. “Of course, always that. And yes, I am, and a few more things… in between. What do you think, My Lady, perhaps it could be arranged?” Winking at the other young woman, Rosalie’s expression turned downright mischievous as she tried to plot the pranks that could be slipped into other nobles’ rooms. Well, more deserving nobles, like that dratted Prince of a certain country who rather didn’t need to be mentioned right now.

For the time being, though, despite her assessing gaze on her right now, Rose wondered if it wasn’t an ally at the very least. Of course gathering information would have to come first, but she hoped there was room for mischief among all the planning and dates and things that she didn’t really need to know but probably would end up learning. Wondering what on earth she was getting herself into, Rose quickly shook her head to dislodge a giggle and busied her hands with pouring another glass, this time for herself. She wasn’t dusty or clogged up with sneezes, but she had a feeling she was going to need it, too.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Vivianne took a second, longer look at Rosalie. The giggling was a convincing deception, but she wanted to know how active the mind under those pretty golden locks was. She'd meant what she said to Lord Rupert - they needed more people to aid in their great work (at least it was great in Vivianne's mind, no matter what other people thought). Recruiting one of the Princess's ladies could be a nice feather in her cap, and be a connection in Court that she needed. Seeing the mischievous look, she laughed softly. "There's always more than one reason for wanting something, Lady Rosalie, that much is a given." Pranks were one thing, and a very enjoyable thing too, yet she found herself pondering what else resided up the elegant sleeve.

The dusting nearly done, she decided to give her companion a little test, the better to gauge what her limits were and how far Rosalie would be willing to go to achieve what she wanted. "Nothing comes for free, however, my lady. What incentive could you offer me to share my map with you?"

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Ah, the second look was probably deserved. Rose tried to never give out what she was really thinking, and it helped her that her nature was such that it was impossible for her to keep still or to hold anything back from her face. She was learning how to do the last one, however, and her apparent cheerful and sunny nature was allowing the others to relax around her… or so it seemed. She was unable to act otherwise, either, despite having ideas running through her head that not many would ascribe to a blond female. Still, St. Claires had a will that sometimes went against everything others were used to.

“Indeed, Lady Vivienne, there may be many a reason for a need to such a map, or there may be just one.” Finally recovering from amusement of Lady Vivienne’s unexpected arrival, Rose eyed the other lady with interest at the question of offer. “Tis my first year at Court, so as such I cannot offer more than an in to where you normally would not have an access, without the need for you to look like a duster that had been used a million times over after you get in. Perhaps as I make more acquaintances, there shall be more for me to be able to offer.” For now, though, she suspected the Lady Treveylan already made her own net of such, and there wouldn’t be much for her to offer on that front. Deciding she’d wait for the verdict from the other lady for now, Rose took a drink from her own glass, though her look of anticipated fun remained in place. The palace could get so boring when nothing happened, after all, so this could be a good distraction from such a boredom.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Their conversation proved... interesting, full of double talk and hidden meanings. Vivianne expected no less from a St. Claire, knowing Rosalie had the same keen mind and courtly training that her formidable elder sister received. And that meant that despite the appearance of a sunny nature and a sweet smile, Rosalie had her share of thorns. That was not a bad thing; hidden stings and barbs along with an active mind made for a good operative. Lord Rupert had, after all, detailed her to take stock of the young lady.

"I am sure that one reason alone may suffice in the need for such a map," on that point, they were agreed, her smile appropriately bland as she stood calmly under the other's examining gaze. "But since you speak of offers, my lady, that brings me to a question, one of a rather personal nature. Allow me to preface it," lord, she sounded like Julia here and nearly smacked herself for it, "with an apology if I offend. Regardless, I'm going to ask it. Are you looking for... something to occupy yourself in addition to your duties as a lady in waiting?"

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Rose gave a bright giggle at hearing a note that could’ve well belonged to Julia instead of the lady in front of her, and lightly twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers as she considered her possibilities. Princess Emmaline was far from a hard taskmaster, and she usually had plenty of time to herself, wherein she could do whatever she wanted. Usually she spent it at leisure at one place or another, but it sounded like Lady Vivienne had something to offer her, though the offer sounded cagey at best.

“It depends on what you’re offering, My Lady,” she said brightly and blinked some more. “I believe we have some time yet, before Her Highness comes back from whatever errand she has today, why don’t you tell me some more?” In as vague a term as the other young woman could afford of course, she wouldn’t be asking for more than that – but Rose didn’t like to jump with both eyes closed, especially if what she was jumping into sounded like what she was thinking it would. Still, time and Lady Vivienne would inform her if her thinking was correct or no, but that question was a good start for her to begin learning things, which shall begin from waiting to hear what the other lady had to tell her about.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Cagey was debatable. Acts performed in the protection and defense of one's King and country sometimes tiptoed the line of cagey, but with the most honorable of intentions. Watching the young woman toy with the lock of her hair, Vivianne was starting to catch a glimmer of understanding where Rupert's thoughts were regarding Rosalie. Who would ever suspect this innocent young woman of being a spy? They'd be too busy looking at her pretty face, wide blue eyes and youth to ever think there was a mind manipulating them into following her bidding. The man knew his field, damn him.

"That's a loaded question if ever I heard one, Lady Rosalie. Lucky for you," she flashed a puckish grin, "that I'm not giving you a loaded answer. If you have some time, why don't you come for a walk with me through the passages. Even these rooms have walls with ears and I prefer to discuss serious matters in places where I know I can do so without being overheard. And if nothing else, I'll show you one route out of the castle as a free gift." If Rosalie took her offer, so much the better. Time to retake the upper hand, if only for a few minutes.

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Humming a little as she considered her options, Rose’s finger twirled the lock of hair a bit faster than before, likely a dead giveaway that she was considering what she could do with the offer given. The trip through the passageway was tempting, but her current problem was that she wasn’t suitably dressed for such an excursion. The cheerfully innocent look studied Lady Vivienne as Rosalie considered the matter seriously, and not just because of clothes. Perhaps this was part of a test, perhaps this was part of a trap, she wouldn’t have a clue until she took a jump, and it was something she didn’t particularly like. Not about to give in, however, Rose brushed her lock of hair back from her face and snatched up a relatively old, dark cover that thankfully wasn’t made of an expensive material but was in the room and visible enough for her to retreat.

“I certainly didn’t intend to ask you a loaded question just yet, Lady Vivienne, but since you’re offering a free trip through a passage, I have to admit I’m too curious to refuse it.” Raising a curious eyebrow at the smaller woman, she lightly tipped her head to the side. “Of course, the route itself will have to be up to you.” As a fallback plan, Rose hoped she’d be able to find her way out on her own if needed be, but it’d be the very last idea, and her expression showed nothing but excitement. Thankfully, the excitement was realistic enough, for with this particular lady, she had a feeling the trip through the passages of the castle wouldn’t be anything but boring.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Observing that twisted lock, Vivianne hid her smile. The girl was thinking, seriously considering the offer presented to her. True, Rosalie wasn't terribly good at concealing her thoughts and feelings, but that could be useful as well. All part of that deceptively innocent face - who would suspect this young lady of anything remotely sneaky or sinister? Still, she had plenty of reservations, but following instructions was paramount. Lord Rupert wanted her tested, probed and generally assessed for suitability.

"I thought as much." The grin returned, having trusted that curiosity would win out over caution. "I'll show you a very straightforward passage, but I don't recommend exploring the passages on your own too much. Some of them have pitfalls and traps." Okay, so they were of Vivianne's setting, but she'd been noticing too many footprints she didn't recognize in those passages lately. She wanted to know who was availing themselves of HER passages, even if they didn't really belong to her. "Shall we?" The goblet was placed safely on a table before she headed for the still-open passage door, a look back at Rosalie.