Chapter 13a

“Er ... I knew this was a bad idea.” He said weakly.

“Jasmine, may we come up please?” Lady Toller removed her hood and Jasmine's eyes opened almost as wide as her mouth. “General Cooper, please don't jump to conclusions and don't presume Cadet Roscus is at fault in any way. He isn't, quite the opposite in fact.” Dom nodded and Faust tried to shake his head and nod at the same time.

“Lady Toller, all I'm concerned about is your welfare.” Faust said truthfully. “While it's true that I'm now retired, I'm still up to date with current affairs.” He said meaningfully and paused to let Lady Toller digest his meaning. This wasn't right at all and Faust knew it. Something had developed regarding Leo, the person that was accused of seducing the very lady standing in front of him, in a place she would never usually visit. “I never jump to conclusions regarding those either.” Ursus lowered her eyes and suddenly felt very drained, and very lost, and very confused. She'd stood up to Spence for the first time ever, over the most obscene lie ever. Now the rage had past, the shock and impact of that argument started to set it. She wouldn't be Lady Toller before much longer and Spence would devise a way to drag her through the mud in the process. She wanted out before he had the chance, but didn't know how, nor who to go to. She had no friends and no family and was so out of touch with society that she no longer knew who ran what, and in what manner. Faust had been there forever. He'd been there at Ursus' wedding celebrations and well before that too. He'd told her he knew her father, albeit in a professional capacity, that being Faust arresting him for disorderly conduct while drunk. “Jasmine, are you OK to receive us in your rooms?” Faust took Lady Toller's elbow when he saw her distress.

“All of you?” Jasmine blinked in shock. “Yes, yes of course I am. Are you OK ma'am?” She said in concern. “Dom, will you go and get some wine from Lady Blanche, please?” Jasmine took out a pouch of coins from the frills of her skirts. “Please sit down Lady Toller.” Jasmine even offered to leave her own chambers seeing as this couldn't possibly have anything to do with someone like her. Ursus refused to have the girl leave and told her she'd pay for her time, in person. She told Faust her need for street clothes, then began her explanation by saying she was on her way to the infirmary to see Leo. Faust was more than surprised, as was Jasmine. News of the 'scandal' had even hit the brothel.

“I'm trusting that you believe those disgusting accusations to be totally false?” Ursus said angrily and the two men and Jasmine all nodded. “Good. I now feel reassured enough to tell you that the charges against Leo will be very shortly dropped, if they haven't been already. I ... well I took it upon myself to refute the lies inarguably.”

“You did?” Faust was very, very impressed. He'd always know Ursus Toller, or Vinter, was a respectable and dignified woman but it was always her resigned acceptance of situations, and her overly placid nature that reduced her to the ranks of the insipid and unheeded. “That's remarkable, Lady Toller.” He enthused. “How?”

“Ursus, please.” Ursus said. “How? Er ... well I just did. OK?”

“OK by me.” Faust shrugged and Jasmine kicked his shins. “Ouch! What? Oh! Oh I see. Ugh.” He coughed uncomfortably and scratched his nose when he caught on as to 'how'.

“I really do want to see Leo to tell him myself. He must think me an awful person to level such a horrible charge.” Ursus said miserably.

“Lady ... Ursus, Leo thinks nothing of the sort. I know this because I was in company with his sister and other supporters when it was discussed. We know how those arseho ... people work and we know to what lengths they'll go to to get their own way. They aren't above using pawns and we all know it, even Leo.” Faust said.

“So he doesn't think I made the complaint?” Ursus said in relief. “And Kore? She knows I'd never do that?”

“I think you'd know about it if Kore believed that.” Faust said dryly. “She almost beheaded Creed. So you really do know one another? Kore did mention it, but you know her manner, she exaggerates it for show.” He rolled his eyes.

“I only met her once but she's the most fantastic woman I've ever had the honour to keep company with.” Ursus told Faust about her banquet, and also found herself telling him of Pape's revolting behaviour towards Kore. Faust took a deep breath, and a deep plunge, and told them all he knew regarding the situation regarding Kore, Leo and the attempted provocation of the gladiators. Ursus could be invaluable in the event that they tried anything like this again. She could single-handedly discredit it at it's very source. Faust needed her to know that she could trust him. Ursus listened and nodded. She'd actually worked most of it out for herself. “Bonetti.” Ursus pulled a face. “Waiting in the wings to trample Spence underfoot. Not that he doesn't deserve it. Azoria has been left too long with too many of it's own devices, Faust. This Government did a fine job in the beginning, as you know, you were part of the original Military. Because of that original ability, it was presumed after a while, that they were quite efficient and capable of running Azoria by themselves and that's just what they were allowed to do. Tibrae which is the closest citadel, had no need to think that it need sit in Azoria's lap and hold it's hand, nor did the rest of Plaus. The Government took advantage of that, Faust. They saw the other nations' trust in their ability and they abused it. Now it's got to the stage where issues can be glossed over while anyone else is on the scene and those others have no reason to suspect there are issues.”

“You're absolutely right.” Faust said in admiration. A female politician? There again, if Ursus Toller hadn't been in a position to hear all matters political, then no one had. She'd spent all her adult life surrounded by it. “I need to let Kore know of Leo's pending release, if she doesn't know already.”

“I don't think she can know, Faust. No one can, yet.” Ursus stood up and accepted a change of clothes from Jasmine.

“You'd be surprised at what Kore gets to know and via what channels.” Faust told her.