“Now is better. But I want to find Lluisa after, before the committees start.”

Ducking into the family room. “We did it! We got it through the floor. Well, Korva and the nobles did most of it, but we have a right! Soon we’ll have more!”

One of the benefits of the Family room is that it has a door, which should be sturdy enough to stop anyone from eavesdropping.

Weak smile. "It's really not the law I'd've wanted to pass, if it was totally up to me, but it beats having our laws written by Evil nobles who think anyone who ever criticizes them should hang."

(She is not entirely sure how to broach the subject of what happened on the third, if it's not something he's willing to say in front of the scribe.)

"Not the one I would have passed either. But better than what they passed. I think they're really bad at repenting, if this is what they're like after renouncing evil."

"At least we have some good ones too. What did Jilia need to talk to you about?"

Nod nod nod at the comment about them being bad at repenting. As far as she can tell the Evil nobles basically use "repenting" to mean "still just as Evil, but they'll try to kill you for saying it." Her lord would've killed people for saying lots of things but not, actually, for saying that he was Evil, as long as you didn't imply that was a bad thing.

"There's a pamphlet saying the riot was actually because me and Alicia tricked Valia into saying what she did in her speech and calling for us to be executed for it." Oh, that's a good reminder, when she was thinking about who she needed to talk to during the break she forgot she needed to warn Alicia. "Except the person who wrote the pamphlet didn't actually know anything besides what they said at the trial, so instead it said the Queen should arrest every song-sorceress and Calistrian until she finds the right ones."

"I heard they already did that and then let them all go. But people will still read it and– the speech at the start said we could ask for bodyguards. We can go find how to get some, and you and Alicia and anyone else you trust can stay with each other. A few peoples bodyguards all working together can probably keep you safe."

"As far as I know they didn't arrest all the song-sorceresses and Calistrians, the Queen knew better than the pamphleteer. But, yeah, she did, and she let us go afterwards, but the Evil nobles don't care that Valia was found innocent so I don't see why they'd care that the Queen let us go.

...Delegate Bainilus also thought I should try to get some guards but I'm worried that if someone tried to kill me it would just get them killed too. I guess I can ask if the archmages would bring them back if they died protecting me?"

"If someone offers to fight besides you, that means he's ready to die for you. Or for the convention and what the gods are trying to build here. No small thing, and it's no small thing to look at someone who made that choice and turn him away. Maybe if these guards have a family and no one else to take care of them, that's a reason to, but in that case I hope a man would find something less dangerous to do than guarding."

Victòria still feels uncomfortable with the idea of innocent people getting themselves killed for her. Like she'd be saying she's more important than the people dying for, like she'd be setting herself up like some kind of nobleman, like she'd be deciding she doesn't care about innocent people dying after all—

Or they could be Evil. Not Evil like the diabolist nobles, not Evil like the Asmodean prosecutor, but Evil like Lluïsa is Evil, where they haven't actually done anything bad enough to deserve what Hell will do to them. She hadn't even thought about that, when Delegate Bainilus suggested the idea, but it settles in her stomach like a rock.

"I don't know how the archmage picked the guards. I guess we could ask. There's — a lot of ways it could go wrong, but some of them might not apply if they're the archmage's guards, rather than guards I have to pay for.

But also, I mean, I don't want to die, if I die that'll suck a lot. But the archmages will bring me back, it won't actually hurt me the way it would hurt the guards. And maybe then everyone'll realize that the Evil nobles are Evil, and they'll stop listening to them."

“I don’t actually know about that. Before I thought only archdukes or heroes from stories came back after dying. But if the archmages bring all of us back, that changes things.”

”It isn’t just nobles you need to watch out for. Normal people can read pamphlets and then make bad decisions. Some of my friends— not friends anymore– wanted to kill the archduke who summoned the skeletons, and who summoned an angel for you. Never met him, but the pamphlet said he was evil. Same might happen to you. Someone who never met you reads this and thinks you’re evil. Decides to kill you for it.”

Would people really believe — yes, people misinterpreted Valia's speech as saying go murder a bunch of innocent people, there are absolutely people who would believe a pamphlet saying she should hang, even if the only reason the pamphlet was upset about her was that she helped Valia with her speech. If some random Evildoer murders her... it'll still suck, obviously, and she won't even be able to use it to show why the Evil nobles are Evil, but it doesn't feel like the sort of thing that would be worth an innocent person dying to stop.

"...Do you need guards? I don't know what happened to you—"

“I don’t think so. Maybe one, if he knows how to read and I can ask him to do that too. But what happened to me was my own fault.”

"...What happened to you?"

“Pretty sure I’m not getting arrested but still best not to say too much, unless you really want. Thought I was about to die, that night. Then thought I had to run or get arrested, in hiding for a bit. Met some of the families out here, some decent people. But it’s all okay now, thank good. I’m back, and ready to fight. Not actually, unless we have to, but ready to argue in committees and on the floor and all.”

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, if I get arrested again — not that I'm planning to! — they might read it out of my mind. But I don't think the Queen would have you punished for whatever happened if you weren't doing anything wrong. She might have you arrested, just to find out what happened, but—

—when I got arrested, I thought I was going to die. I knew the Queen had arrested Valia, and that she was angry about the speech, and Valia's a priestess of Iomedae so I thought she might end up being okay but I'm not. No one would hold it against her if she had a random Calistrian executed, they'd all just assume I'd done something to deserve it. And when I got arrested I had started to think that the Queen was Evil, but even if she were just Neutral I'd've expected her to have me killed there.

But it turns out she actually is Good, and so she let me go. So I think she'd let you go, too, if you didn't do anything wrong."

Enric knows better than to assume things are okay just because someone was released. Sometimes a noble will drag someone away and then let him go. Then drag him in again and have everyone who gave him hospitality beaten. (Enric still thinks it was worth it, giving the man some extra bread and eggs.) Then let him go, just so he has to sleep outside and starve. Then take him in again and feed him like a noble for a few days. Then release him into the forest to be hunted for sport. 

It doesn’t seem like that’s what the queen is doing. There’s all the public fair trials and the actually being good. Better to stay safe, though. Good queens are still nobles; it’s dangerous to come to their attentions 

”I don’t trust that being arrested is safe, not as much as you do. Even with a good queen, there’s also still nobles who… well you heard them in there. I also don’t know for sure if I did wrong or not—“

It was dark, he can’t remember how many moments it was, how many moments for it to stop being defense and start being revenge. Enric knows she probably thinks it’s good either way. Makes him want to tell her even less. 

“But— Thank good that you are okay. I think they shouldn’t have made you scared you were going to die the whole time. I forget exactly how the cleric said it, but, good should be safe for other good.”

"I don't really think there's anything they could've done that wouldn't have made me think I was going to die, except not arresting me in the first place." She thought she was probably going to die even before they found out about the arson. "The woman who asked me questions told me they weren't allowed to mistreat me and I didn't believe her, I hadn't figured out yet that the Queen was actually Good all along.

—also, uh, it turns out I'm actually Chaotic Neutral. I thought I was Chaotic Good but apparently Good priests always channel positive and I don't yet. And I mean, I think the Crown should be safe for Neutral people too, but it wouldn't really be surprising if a Lawful Neutral queen, or even a Lawful Good queen who wasn't trying very hard, wasn't safe for Chaotic Neutral people."

That makes sense. In rights, she seemed halfway from evil to good. Good ideas for rights, but needed to be convinced that torture and hell are bad. 

“I heard that, in some places, they have paladins go from village to village to be the law. That works for people knowing they’re safe, since paladins can’t hurt anyone innocent. Doesn’t matter much what I think, though. They took judiciary. But at least they gave it to the paladin archduke.”

”About you being chaotic neutral, I think I found out something like that too. I’m a radical now. Not a chaotic neutral one, radical but on the side of heaven.”

Enric wasn’t sure if someone could be radical and also for heaven, but he realized Valia was. So Enric can try that, except instead of giving speeches and denouncing people, he can be on committees and try to get more rights for everyone.

The paladins idea sounds really good, way better than what was happening under Asmodeus. Maybe they can just keep doing that forever. (Is there a way to get that through the Rights Committee? "People have a right to have their trials decided by people who definitely aren't Evil Asmodeans?" The Evil nobles will obviously be against it, but if they have to explain why surely all the normal people will realize the nobles just want to get away with hurting them.)

"I'm honestly still not totally sure what they mean by 'radical,' like as far as I can tell they're basically just using it to mean anyone who thinks nobles shouldn't be allowed to just hurt anyone weaker than them as much as they want and get away with it because they're nobles."

“It means that, you got it right. But it’s also drinking coffee and calling people Citizen and drinking coffee and reading old constitutions. It’s something to do with Galt, that’s why everyone is so scared of it.”

"On the diabolism committee Delegate Thrune — uh, I don't know if you heard, one of the noblemen is a Thrune from hundreds of years ago — kept telling us that not letting Evil nobles stay in power was basically the same as what they did in Galt. But I don't really think that makes sense if you aren't an Evil noble, the problem with Galt was that they killed a bunch of innocent people and none of us — none of us want to — none of us wanted — I guess a bunch of people in Westcrown did decide to go murder innocent people. But I don't think anyone here wants to kill innocent people except the Evil nobles, and I guess also Delegate Ibarra, and I think — when the nobles try to compare not wanting people to be ruled by Asmodeans who keep hurting them and getting away with it to wanting things to go like they did in Galt, the only people that comparison makes sense for is Evil nobles? And wanting that or drinking coffee or reading constitutions or calling people 'Citizen' aren't going to randomly make anyone decide to murder innocent people. —I call almost everyone here Delegate but it's not mostly about being a radical, I just don't know all the titles I'm supposed to use."

A thrune from a hundred years ago… Enric was pretty sure that story was made up. Archdukes usually get old like normal people do, but maybe this one’s an elf. Or brought back by the gods and wizards.

“It makes sense because—“ He pauses for a moment, trying to figure out how to say something.

“We weren’t trying to kill innocent people. We were trying to get to heaven.”

”Sometimes a noble or a priest of asmodeus or a bandit will hurt and kill innocent people, just for fun. But normal people don’t do that. Most people in Westcrown are— not good, it’s a city, but more neutral than evil. Didn’t think they were killing innocent people, thought we were doing what Valia told us to, killing evildoers to get to heaven.”

”I was with the men who threw Lluisa in the river. Tried to stop them. They weren’t asmodeans or bandits or nobles. We all lived together in lodging house. One man worked at a butcher, sometimes brought back some leftover bits of bird or pig. One knew how to read, we all listened when he read a novel or pamphlet. Common people. Not evil— or a little bit evil but not evil enough to murder innocents for no reason.”

”They threw Lluisa in the river because they thought she was evil. Lawyers are evil, make their money from tricking people and stealing souls to sell to hell. They didn’t know that she’s a good lawyer for heaven now. It’s hard to tell when someone changed from evil to good. They just saw that she was a lawyer. That’s as bad as an evil noble, so they grabbed her and threw her in.”

”I heard of some people who tried to burn down the house where the mayor lived. Because he was an evil noble, one of the worst. Burning down a house with an evil noble, sometimes we have to do that. Can’t win a fight against a noble and guards. But the mayor was already gone. An innocent family was living there, people say. Tried to kill an evil noble but they ended up burning an innocent family.”

”Galt was like that too, I think. Everyone trying to fight evil. They didn’t want to kill everyone, but they kept thinking innocent people were evil. There’s still good reasons to be radical but— that’s why they are scared.  Galt killed good nobles and good commoners, thinking they were all evil.”

Victòria really doesn't think it's as hard to not murder innocent people as everyone keeps saying. She's never killed an innocent person. Sure, maybe if you don't even bother to check that you're killing the right person you'll mess it up, but it's not usually that hard to tell — or, well, at first she did think Lluïsa was Evil, but she wouldn't have murdered her over it. 

"I think — so, one of the things I was talking about with the azata was that people need to be careful about killing Evildoers, you've got to make sure you've got the right person, you've got to make sure you don't accidentally kill a bunch of innocent people to get at the Evildoer, that sort of thing. You shouldn't just go out and murder someone because of something you read in the pamphlets, or assume that anyone who's a lawyer, or even a nobleman, definitely deserves to die. 

But I think you can be careful, if you're trying to be. When they arrested me they didn't just assume I'd done something wrong, they asked me a lot of questions and read my mind so they could know for sure. And one of the things they told me, during the interrogation, is that there was a group of people on the third who only killed Evil nobles, and didn't kill anyone innocent at all, and I think if everyone just did it like that things would be fine. —not that I'm, uh, inciting you to do that." She can't see anyone else in the room, but it's not safe to assume that the guards who are presumably watching her can't hear. Now that she thinks about it she should've warned Enric, but it would probably put him in more danger to warn him now.

"I don't know why that didn't work in Galt. I — it would be good if we could tell people that we don't want to hurt anyone innocent, but — that's what Valia was trying to do and people twisted it to make it sound like she'd said to murder innocent people and all the Evil nobles are trying to use it as an excuse to have her killed—"

“Don’t worry, I’m not incited. I really don’t want to have to fight.”

“You’re right that it’s better to be careful, ask lots of questions and don’t start trouble with strangers, all that. Like you say they did with—“

He still feels sick and angry about Victoria being arrested. She said they didn’t hurt her, but that just doesn’t feel true to Enric. ‘They drag you away and don’t hurt you’ isn’t a thing that happens.

Takes him a moment to catch his train of thought again. 

“I think the reason it didn’t work in Galt or in Westcrown is that getting rid of nobles is a fight, and you can’t really be careful in a fight. Everything happens fast, everyone is scared and angry, if you wait too long to ask questions then the other guy hits you in the face. Valia only wanted to fight the evil nobles, but once she started the fight she lost control. No one was in control, and innocent people got hurt. That wasn’t just evil people twisting her words to make it worse. When I first heard her give the speech, it was scary. I was ready to fight but I knew that, if a fight started right there, lots of people would have died. Evil and good.”

“Sometimes starting a fight is worth it, because stopping the evil is more important even if innocent people get hurt.” That part is true in the way that something’s true because it has to be. “Sometimes but not always. I think, right now, it’s better to not say things that would start a fight, especially if there’s another way to stop evil.”

”That’s part of what the convention is for. If the nobles all agree to the constitution, and it says they have to stop all the evil things they do, then we don’t have to get rid of them. Unless they don’t follow the constitution and the queen ends our help to stop them. But if they agree and follow it, there doesn’t have to be a fight.”

That last part was from one of those speeches Aroden gave, about what a constitution is for. It sounded better when he said it. 

She hears his voice catch, but she doesn't quite pick up on what it means, and it's not the sort of thing you can just point out and ask about.

"I'm worried that all the Evil nobles are going to make it hard to write a good constitution. I thought when they stood up and started talking about how they wanted to kill innocent people all the normal people would realize they were obviously Evil but that's not how the votes went.

I think... after what they did to Judiciary... I trust Delegate Cansellarion to be Good, but he's not from Cheliax, people from other places are surprised by all kinds of things that are just normal here, I don't think he really understands just how bad the nobles can get. So we're probably going to have to do most of it through Rights, saying people have a right not to be ruled by nobles who do all the awful things we can think of, and a right not to have those things done to them, and a right to justice if their nobles try anyway, and a right to travel without a pass so they can tell the Queen, and a right to have trials heard by a paladin rather than an Asmodean, and that sort of thing. And probably it still won't be enough but maybe it'll be closer."

"That was scary too. Not just the speeches, how close the votes were. I don't like what some of those nobles are going to do with the constitution. We're not going to get everything, but I think we can get a lot if we do this right."

"You've got the right idea with rights. We don't have judiciary anymore, so that committee is our castle. Last week we were all friendly and agreed not to talk about some rights, because it might overlap with judiciary. This time, we make sure everything is in there. Right to justice by good cleric or a paladin, rights that help more people get a good lawyer like Lluisa, if she's not the only one. Right to a new noble if your noble repented but is still doing evil things. We hold onto rights committee, it's something we can use to get a lot done."

"We also have more friends than it might look like. When we were up there trying to save judiciary, or at least keep Lluisa, some off them were attacking Lluisa and Valia and all of us. Other nobles gave speeches disagreeing. The angry nobles were going to just take the judiciary, but they gave it to the paladin instead. Some of the nobles aren't as bad, enough we can work with them at least. Jilia might even secretly be one of us."

"Secretly, uh — sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by that—"

"I'm putting together everything I know about her and it turns out she's not an archduke in the way all the others archdukes are. She's an elected, not a nobility. Born a normal person, chosen by the people of her city. When the good queen took over from the evil queen, she turned Jilia into an archduke. But on the inside, she still cares about normal people not getting crushed, like a radical. Though sometimes she has to hide it, so the other archdukes don't all turn on her."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. Before the convention I'd've thought anyone who got turned into a noble would just take advantage of that to hurt people but I don't think that's true anymore. ...I'm still confused about why she was saying Pezzack should've just stayed Asmodean last week, though. I don't think she'd need to say that just to fool the other archdukes?"

“I didn’t track most of that conversation that well, don’t remember exactly what she said. But I think the reason why was warning people about the cost of starting a fight. Like I was trying to say before. Not sure. We should just ask her what she was trying to do. After rights is done, or before if we can show up early.”

Nod. Maybe when ordinary people get turned into nobles they end up forgetting just how bad it is to be ruled by Evil Asmodean nobles who can do whatever they want to you?

"I should be able to show up early, half my committees got shut down."

“I only have two, I should be able to, too.” 

Enric is a bit worried about how it might go if he isn’t there. Though Jilia already helped Victoria with the pamphlet situation, so hopefully things aren’t that bad between them. 

“For now, think we have time to find Lluisa before the floor starts again?”

"I think so, yeah. Do you have any idea where she is?"

“No idea. My plan is to just look for the hat.”

She giggles. "Fair enough."

And they can set off to look for Lluïsa!

Lluïsa is taking a brief walk to stretch her legs in the vicinity of the hall and if you think you noticed her muttering into her cloak you must be mistaken, that would be an utterly deranged thing to do.

That’s the hat he’s looking for. Enric rushes to greet her. “Lluisa!”

There’s been a mix of regrets and nervousness around  everything that happened, but right now he’s just happy they’re both alive and can talk.

"Delegate Porras."

Lluïsa shivers with something for a moment, then occupies herself pulling out a gold piece.

"As you have brought yourself to me the Gold is rightly yours, I suppose. Were you then Raised?"

Enric knows what to do if a lawyer offers a coin. Enric knows what to do if a friend gives a gift. No idea what to do if a lawyer— of heaven— who is also a friend offers a gold piece unprompted. He just looks at it for a moment, concerned. 

“Wasn’t raised, wasn’t dead just hiding outside the city. Didn’t mean to worry you, and also I thought you were dead. What’s the coin for?”

"...that is good. I was likewise Not Killed, being at least Mildly Inconvenient to Slay."

"Having offered Gold for your Whereabouts and having Learned them from you just now, the Right to the Reward of Gold is yours. However I did not specify an Amount and in truth intended to be Quite Miserly for the sake of my Finances. So it is therefore a Single Gold Piece." Hand forward.

(Victòria is hovering next to Enric but not saying anything yet. She waves to Lluïsa.)

(A smile for Victòria. It's good that her law student and peasantry consultant are getting along.)

Enric smiles, with the same you’re alive, I’m alive, expression. Then pauses, confused. 

“The reason I stayed hiding— heard the law put a bounty on me, money for whoever turned me in. You were the one offering?”

"I suppose I am the Law in a Certain Sense but not that Particular Sense. I Scribed a General Notice offering the Vaguest Reward, and was thereafter Consumed with Urgent Work."

“Urgent work, of course. I heard all about it, saving Valia at the trial. People finally believe me now, when I tell them about how you turned from a hell lawyer into a heaven lawyer.”

Uncomfortable shifting. "I am not Particularly a 'Heaven Lawyer'. Though I have no Serious Complaints about that Blessed Plane or the Quality of its Denizens, who are Clever and Diligent in my Experience. If there is any Budding Association between the Lawyerly Profession and Heaven it is Good to Hear."

"...You had an archon helping you defend a priestess of Iomedae." 

"...that is Undoubtedly True but I fear it may Greatly Oversell any Perceived Affiliation with such Planes and Powers to say so without Caveats."

Ah, he understands. She’s of heaven but needs to say it in a more complicated lawyer way. 

“Is there a better word for— everyone knows lawyers are sort of the same thing as devils and work for hell, but you’re the same kind of thing except switched sides to working for heaven. If you know what I should call what you are now, I’ll use that.”

"I suppose I have Rejected Hell and Consorted only with Archons of Heaven since the Fall of the Late Regime. I do not mean to say I shall only ever have Dealings with that Plane as the Legal Minds of Axis, who are Neutral, are Greatly Valuable, and perhaps I might Deal with the other Good Planes if it were to prove Expedient. It would not be wrong to say I am a Lawyer who Deals with Archons and Heaven in like manner to how the Lawyers of the Realm have in the past chiefly Dealt with Devils and Hell."

It would be too suspicious to tug at her cloak; please don't have a clockwork archon arm waving from underneath.

"That's, uh, kind of a lot of words."

"...an 'Archon Binder' is a Terse Phrase. Though I do not particularly Press any into Service by Force. It is a Wizardly Term for a Class of Spell."

“Most won’t know what archon binder means… I can say ‘lawyer who deals with heaven’ and if people  ask then mention that you also would deal with other paradises and the Axis city. Would that be okay?”

Hm, maybe she’s like the archduke of skeletons? Someone who can summon angels, but still working on learning from the angels how to be good.

"That is a Fair Phrasing."

Wow, this is embarrassing.

It's not exactly enjoying her obvious discomfort here; it's enjoying that this is a useful step in the deprogramming-a-devil-cultist process. See how your friends actually like it when you do Good things! Though it's usually not a giant dramatic trial that is the cause.

nod

”Is the archon you’re working with a kid, like the one in virtuous churches? Or is it made of swords, like the ones in stories about Iomedae? Can I meet it sometime?”

Uncomfortable shifting. "It is a Library Archon, modeled after Celestial Bodies. You are Most Welcome to Visit my Offices should you wish to Speak."

Pause. "It is Observing the Convention but from Concealment and it would perhaps be Unwise to meet it Here."

A kid? Does that mean a lantern archon? Lantern archons are adorable.

"I'm hidden under her cloak," a muffled celestial voice adds. "It's very nice to meet you, Delegate, I just don't want to become involved in politics. I'd be happy to speak later."

This is the most embarrassing possible thing.

Whoa. There’s always angels secretly watching over people, but they’re not always right in the room. Hiding inside someone’s coat. That’s kind of funny. 

Whispered, “Hello, nice to meet you, glory to good. I would be hiding from the politics too, if they didn’t pick me for this.”

She looks at Lluïsa's cloak. "Uh, I know you just said you don't want to do politics, but can you explain to the Judiciary Committee that it's really important that they put it into the laws that nobles should face justice just like anyone else if they do really serious crimes, and not get away with it just because of being nobles? And tell the paladins that that's what's going to happen if they don't do a really good job of making it not? I think even the Evil nobles can't accuse an archon of being Evil or anarchic."

Victoria! 

She’s right, the archon would help. If he proposed Lluisa as chair and she summoned an angel to explain that she was good, even the nobles couldn’t argue. Enric is a bit annoyed at that. But if it’s hiding, that’s for good reason. 

Muffledly, but celestially. "To make an analogy of it... I am from farther away than Pezzack. I understand far less of politics here, in a country so recently sold to Hell, than Select Wain did, and merely that level of unpreparedness proved a citywide disaster, despite noble intentions. I will assist my lawyer per our agreement, and this will undoubtedly add force to your common cause, but I will not take independent actions directly towards local politics. Especially not if my voice would have greater weight because of my species."

"I really don't think it would start a riot for you to tell the Judiciary Committee that nobles shouldn't be able to get away with hurting people as much as they want, in ways that are already against the law, just because they're more powerful! ...I guess I didn't think Valia's speech would cause a riot either. But still."

"For my own part I do not even know enough to say if it might. Not that riots are the only sort of unintended consequence that may arise from an action. Reviewing draft laws and otherwise consulting under the supervision of my lawyer, that I may certainly do. I may multiply force but do not want to add it, if that makes sense."

"So, uh — if Lluïsa tells them that nobles shouldn't be allowed to get away with that sort of thing, and wrote up a draft for how to do that, you'd be able to give advice on it? Did I understand that right?"

"I would be pleased to review it!"

"The Scope of this Engagement is Ever-Expanding but I cannot say I would not be Glad of such Help."

"Well, uh, I think you should tell the committee to do that, Delegate Cansellarion is Good but when I talked to Feliu he said that a lot of the nobles he knew would be really surprised to hear about nobles doing all kinds of things that are just normal here. —Sorry, I know I'm probably asking you for a lot of extra work, just, well, they kicked me off the committee, so. If you want me to... try to help when I come by your office this evening... I can?"

"You are both of course Welcome to visit my Offices over Convention Matters at any time. Though presumably not during the Session of the Convention as I am Not Present there and you will Languish Just Outside."

It’s a bit unfair that everyone good, even archons of heaven and the chosen of Iomedae, have to watch their words. Meanwhile, the other side gets to just get  throw out accusations of treason and diabolism without worrying at all. Eh. Good is hard, that’s no reason to do evil instead. 

“We’ll also be inside the convention during convention hours. So I don’t think that’s a worry.”

“You okay with being even more busy? I was thinking to invite you to rights.”

"Ah, you had made Mention of it... it is the Archduchess's Committee, and has my own Associates on it. It seems a Sensible Idea to accept your Introduction to it. I had earlier Written the Archduchess with a Topic I thought might be Usefully Raised there, but perhaps I may Personally Introduce it instead."

“Sounds good. If you’re worried she would be surprised if your letter said you wouldn’t be there and now you are, Victoria and I are already planning to meet the archduchess before the committee. So we can tell her.”

"I have met her, in Connection with the Trial, and she seemed to me Reasonable. Perhaps I shall consider a Visit to Kintargo after all the Current Affairs."

"—Oh, that actually reminds me, Valia and I were talking after the trial about how we weren't mistreated at all in prison but we don't know if that applies to everyone, and we were going to have the Judiciary Committee put out a notice asking other people who'd been arrested and let go to come tell us what happened, only Judiciary got taken over. But I think we could probably still do the same thing on Rights if we just say it a little differently, like, lots of ways they might be mistreating people would break the rights we've voted on. ...I guess now we'd have to go through a publishing house but I bet one of the nobles could write it up and take it there."

"Hm. Perhaps the Archduchess might well have Aught to Say about That Matter as well. It is related to what I had planned to Raise. Do you know whether it is the Case... that is, she had Earlier Implied if not outright Stated that she is a Caydenite, and I have seen her to Drink Beer in her Home. I have been Troubled that during her Imprisonment, Select Wain had been Plied with Strong Drink, apt to cause Suggestibility even in the Strong-Willed, and had thought the Counsel of a Caydenite might Shed Light on whether this is an Abuse, and moreover that a Right to Water in the Prisons might be Fit Material for the Committee."

"I don't know how we'd tell for sure if she's really a Caydenite, but if she's not she can just say she doesn't know, right?"

"Indeed. I merely do not wish to cause Offense by calling her a Drunkard if she is Not... though I have been Somewhat Persuaded that Drink in Moderation is Possible and not at all Reflective of Poor Character. There is a Pamphlet... perhaps I shall show my Copy later."

The watch is giving prisoners strong wine instead of water. Hearing that, Enric really doesn’t believe Victoria about her and Valia not being mistreated. The watch has a reputation, anyone can guess why they’d get someone drunk. He’s angry again, but he can try to ignore it. 

“By the way. Keep the gold coin.”

"It is in fact Yours by Right. You might well indeed Haggle more Gold of me though I am not Flush with Riches."

“If it’s mine by right, I’m refusing. Not haggling. You’re not a stranger. So it isn’t coins between us.”

"...I am Obligated to Offer, but you are not Obligated to Receive. Though I did not Expect such Refusal."

She pockets it.

(Is not taking money people offer you somehow an important part of being Good that she just doesn't know about because she grew up in Cheliax? She really doesn't think so but the single gold coin from Lluïsa isn't going to make a huge difference to her given how much she's getting paid as a delegate. She'd refuse if it were the right thing to do. She just can't think of a reason it would be.)

“I can explain, if you didn’t expect. I know city types do things with coins differently from how we do. Don’t have to, if you’ve other work to do before things start again.”

Lluïsa nods. "To my Mind, it is merely that I keep my Word; the Conditions being Met is Enough. It is no Great Hardship. I suppose I am Curious."

“Makes sense. You offered me the coin, so your word is good.”

”I know it’s different in cities, where everyone is almost strangers, but back home we don’t use coins for things like this. We just remember who does right by us, and we do right by them, without keeping track of exactly how much. Like when you helped me with laws about necromancy being evil. I didn’t pay for it, but I did propose the courts committee. Not just because it was something I knew would help you, but that was part of why. Those two things aren’t exactly the same, but  it’s right to do things for people when they do things for you.” 

“Money is usually for travelers, because they’ll leave town soon and so we can’t help them later or trust them to help us later. Or for people who don’t trust each other at all, though most of that is people in town. You aren’t either of those and I hope I’m not either of those to you. So I don’t want us to deal with coins, especially for small things like saying where I am.”

"...it is Sound Enough Principle. Though you are in the City and I hope you do not come by Hardship because of it. Should you, you may then Ask of me Coin."

“Thats the spirit!”

”I’m good right now though. Well, I will be when I stop by Abadar for the delegate coin, and find a new people to room with.”

Which reminds him.
“Sorry about the last ones. I didn’t know they would throw you in the river, and I’m the one who told you to come with us.”

"As I have ended Ultimately Unharmed it is not particularly the Occasion of a Grudge for me. I have Flared with Anger and Worry and other Noisome Emotions but in general they have Passed. Perhaps the Pit of Ill Repute in which I sit was not dug by my own Shovel but there is yet hope to Escape it; moreover I suppose I can comprehend the Fey Moods which drive one towards Violence somewhat better having Contemplated the Matter."

Enric takes a moment to figure out what that means. The important part is that she said she wasn’t harmed and isn’t holding a grudge… Was angry but calmed down now, and is trying to escape a bad reputation… Thought about why people would be violent and bales the fey.

Enric always thought it was a bit unfair to the fey, blaming them for things as a way to resolve arguments and avoid grudges. But he’ll go along with it. 

“Good to hear, I think. See you at committee?”

Lluïsa doesn't really think about fae and uses phrases from books. As is the way of city folk.

"At the Committee. Until then, Delegate, Delegate."

Smile. "See you at the committee!"

I’m alive, you’re alive, you’re alive, thank good!