Solo (Mis)Adventure: Jamie the bodyguard.

((This is the first in what might hopefully become a new type of adventure for the forum. Rather than group adventures with combat and exploration of ruins and the like, these are more incidental events that befall a character.))

Jamie the Redcap had been waiting for at least half an hour at this point. The spunky girl was in a lavish room, plush carpet and expensive decor all around, this single room alone was likely worth more than some people made in a year. Jamie had been approached personally by a messenger for the Tirauland family, a prestigious and wealthy family with a long history in Enferia.

Lord and Lady Tirauland's daughter, Celestine, was to attend a gala, and the young woman's security was considered paramount. The Tiraulands were powerful, and with power came enemies. While nobody would dare bring serious harm to a Tirauland, kidnapping and ransom weren't out of the question. Jamie had proven herself to be a dangerous fighter, and easily underestimated. Perfect for an unassuming bodyguard.

Jamie had been dressed in impressive finery. Rather than her usual leather armor or simple linen clothing, the Redcap was dressed in silk and velvet. If one didn't know any better, Jamie might have even been able to pass for a minor noble herself.

Finally, the doors to the room opened, and young Celestine Tirauland entered. The noblewoman appeared to be around 19, close to Jamie's age, and looked every bit as highborn as her name would demand. Her silky golden hair was elegantly braided and draped over a shoulder, her flowing purple gown trailed behind her, and the soft sound of her footfalls screamed of perfect trained grace.

"You're the bodyguard my parents hired? You look like you could barely control a room of cranky children, let alone stop a kidnapper! Ah, well, I suppose it's not my money going to waste. Come then, let us be off. I won't be late to this gala!"

Jamie had situated herself at the far end of a large, plush sofa tucked in between a sturdy, oak bookshelf and ivory tea table. She'd migrated from seat to seat several times over the course of her wait, but had settled on the sofa once she deemed it to be the comfiest of her choices.

Apparently, her ward had decided to be fashionably late tonight, which was a concept that had always baffled the Redcap. As far as she was concerned, you were either on time, or you were being rude. Nobles were meant to be the ones who acted, well, nobly, right? Why were they allowed to get away with being ruder than everyone else? Money probably bought them that allowance, she decided.

It wasn't all bad, though. The job seemed like it would be fairly easy, and she'd even gotten some nice clothes out of the deal; better than nice, actually. These were positively stunning, by her standards: A soft, sleeveless red velvet dress down to her ankles, complimented by a silky petticoat and nylons underneath, complete with sensible black shoes. Around her neck was a black choker, with a tiny ruby embedded at the throat, and her short auburn hair had been brushed and cleaned thoroughly (not that she neglected it under normal circumstances), with her trademark cap looking more like a fashion statement than an accessory. She'd spent a good few minutes admiring her reflection in the Tirauland's fancy parlor mirror, although she wasn't about to admit that. She felt positively lovely.

And then Celestine strutted into view and immediately forced Jamie to fight back a scowl. Haughty, stuck-up, snooty. Exactly what she'd expected out of the noble girl, and exactly what she'd hoped to be wrong about. Just great.

"Yes'm." the Redcap girl nodded, in a rare display of self-restraint, following Celestine obediently as they made their way to the gala. She couldn't afford to screw this up right off the bat, so she needed to bite her tongue for now...

Celestine and Jamie boarded a carriage waiting in front of the Tirauland estate. Climbing on, the two ladies situated themselves in the lavish interior as the driver spurred the horses into movement. The gala was in another section of the city, and the two had a bit of a ride ahead of them before arrival.

Celestine was, perhaps predictably, the one to break the silence.

"I do so love these sorts of things. Music, fine food, dancing, and of course the company of society's elite. I dare say I know every worthwhile noble in the city on a first name basis." the noblewoman idly boasted.

Before Jamie could respond, the young highborn continued. "Of course, this also means I know the goings-on in the city. Some nobles have been attacked, stripped naked and strung up for all to see. Why, just a week ago Lady Iness was found riding through the city without a stitch. She'd been bound to her saddle, and the horse was galloping all over, making a ridiculous show of it all. Poor woman. That's why Mother and Father insisted I take a guard. I'd have preferred someone with a perfect arena record, of course, but they insist you show promise."

Jamie just nodded dutifully as Celestine reveled in the sound of her own melodic voice. Even the noble girl's offhand mention of her fellow bluebloods being stripped naked and paraded through the streets yielded little reaction from the Redcap girl. She was trying to be on her best behavior, no matter how insufferable she found her ward.

It was only when her arena record was brought up that Jamie failed to bite her tongue.

"Oh, you er, saw my matches? I almost went two for two, you know..." the spunky girl murmured sheepishly. While she was quite proud of her subsequent victory, her first match had gone...much worse, in her opinion. She still contended that she'd almost won, but considering the penalty for losing, almost didn't really cut it. The idea that she was now working for someone who may have [i]seyour

"What I mean is, you're not gonna be disappointed, milady." Jamie added, knowing things would be much easier if she and her client could get along.

"I should hope not." Celestine replied. "My body is a treasure, and we simply cannot have it being exposed for the unwashed masses to ogle and grope! The very thought fills me with revulsion!"

Shortly after Celestine spoke, the carriage slowed to a stop. The sounds of music and merriment seeped into the carriage, and multicolored lights danced in the distance.

"Ah, we're here! Now, be a good guard and keep quiet unless spoken to. Just stay near me unless I send you away, and you'll earn your money." Celestine said, pushing the carriage door open and gracefully stepping out.

The gala was being held at an impressive estate. Fountains dotted the outdoor area, as well as tables of delicacies and exquisite champagne. Lord and Ladies from all over Enferia were gathered, chatting amiably and dancing to the music of the small army of musicians playing the works of the masters. The party was, simply put, absolutely extravagant. Servants were everywhere, scurrying around to the orders of the nobles. The crowd was massive, and perfect for an assailant to blend in...

"Yes'm." Jamie said quietly, allowing herself a small pout as Celestine turned her head. While she'd have loved nothing more than to just enjoy the gala ( nothing, except perhaps the chance to say a few choice, scathing words to the snooty heiress), she knew she had an important job to do. Treasure or not, Celestine's body was to be kept safe from harm.

But gods, would it be nice to see the haughty little bampot shamed, just to get her down off her high horse for a minute or so?

For the moment, however, Jamie kept her eyes glued to the crowd, glancing back at Celestine every ten seconds or so, just to make sure she was still where she thought she was. The spunky girl stayed no more than an arm's length away from her charge at all times as they entered, because she wasn't about to let some would-be kidnappers walk off with her paycheck, no matter how irritating that paycheck might have been.

Celestine seemed to take an eternity with her greetings. Every important-seeming person the heiress and her guard passed warranted at least a few dozen kind words, which was answered with its own kind words, which led to a compliment, and so on and so forth. It honestly seemed as if the entire gala would be spent simply saying hellos.

Thankfully, the monotony broke when Celestine approached a particular guest. Unlike most of the guests, this woman was an elf, brilliantly dressed in forest green, her hair decorated with vibrant flowers, and a radiant glow on her cheeks.

"Oh, lady Celestine! How wonderful to see you again, it has been too long!" the elf gushed, pulling the noblewoman into a close hug.

"Lady Malon! What a surprise! I thought you'd left for the west?" Celestine replied, happily returning the hug.

"And leave you behind? I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing. And who is this? Have I been replaced so easily?" the elf named Malon asked, turning her gaze to Jamie.

"Hm? Her? Oh, no. That's just my bodyguard my parents insisted I take with me. She's nothing, really. In fact, Jamie, could you be a dear and go fetch Lady Malon and myself something to drink? All those introductions have my throat quite dry." Celestine commanded more than asked, waving Jamie away as she spoke.

While she knew it probably wasn't the best idea to leave Celestine unattended, Jamie was craving a bit of time away from the loudmouthed girl. Besides, she was with her friend. Who was clearly more than just a friend, given how the two of them seemed to be stealing knowing glances at one another. Surely just a minute alone wouldn't do any harm.

"I'll be right back. Don't- er, please don't go anywhere, milady. I'm supposed to be protectin' you." Jamie reminded her, doing her best to keep her voice polite. It...mostly worked.

The Redcap girl quickly excused herself and dashed to get the two ladies refreshments. She made sure not to be gone any longer than absolutely necessary, even though she had a bad feeling about this...

"Hm? Right, sure, protecting, whatever. Just go!" Celestine insisted, waving her hand a bit more at Jamie.

Weaving through the crowd, Jamie came upon a refreshment table not too terribly far off. The serving girl, a pleasant young half-elf dressed in a sharp servant's uniform and sporting her black hair in a pixie cut, seemed to light up as Jamie approached.

"Oh my! Are... excuse me, madame, but are you Jamie Roy, the one they call the Redcap? I-I'm a huge fan! I can't believe you're here! I mean, what's a hero of the people like you doing surrounded by all these highborn?" the girl asked, dropping her voice to a bit of a whisper as her words became less socially acceptable to be overheard.

"Huh? Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm Jamie Roy." the spunky girl said, positively flattered that someone from Enferia had actually recognized her; and so soon after her arena debut! Her more sensible side told her to be suspicious, but she was still more than happy to take the compliment.

"That's right kind 'a you, miss, but I'm just here on another job." Jamie smiled modestly. Oh, Raine would be so jealous! She'd been recognized by a fan! Even if that fan turned out to be an imposter, she'd still been recognized. That was worth something, at least.

"What's all this 'hero of the people' business, though? I'm sure I'm not famous enough for people to be callin' me that yet." the Redcap mused as she selected her drinks. She really need to be getting back...

"And, sorry, what was your name again?" she asked, wanting to at least know the name of her supposed fan.

"Really? You don't know why people love you?" the servant replied, her eyes suggesting disbelief. "I mean, after you and that other woman took down that corrupt guard captain, people know you stick up for the common man."

The servant handed over the drinks at this point, giving a little bow as Jamie grabbed the glasses. "The name's Anna, Miss Roy, and it's really a pleasure. Anybody who stands for the little guy is alright in my book. In fact..." the servant said, trailing off as she ducked under the table briefly before popping back up with another glass. "This is for you. The boss says we're supposed to hold back on the good stuff until the guests are too drunk to care, but... what the boss knows won't hurt her, eh?"

The servant held the glass out to Jamie, an offering to the Redcap. Her posture and smile seemed sincere enough, though that didn't necessarily mean anything either way.

Jamie beamed at this, thrilled to actually be known for something other than her two arena bouts. She'd had no idea bringing in those guards had gotten her such a reputation among the city folk. Then again, the extra drink could be a trick...may as well take it, then play it safe from there.

"Well, thanks, Anna." Jamie smiled, still genuinely flattered by the server girl's compliments. "It means a lot to hear that. Sometimes it can feel a little thankless, but it's good to know someone appreciates me." That part was most definitely true, to say the least. The nights she worked at Diamond Damsels felt especially thankless in comparison to her adventures. But she needed an income, and dipping into her winnings and reward money just wasn't an option. If this job went well, she'd hopefully start finding some ways to branch out.

Taking the three glasses graciously, Jamie flashed Anna one more warm smile, the scurried back to where Celestine and Malon were hopefully still waiting.

This did bring up the question of what to do with the "good stuff" in the meantime, however. On one hand, a reward for her oft-unacknowledged hard work would be very nice, especially if she could enjoy that while knowing her drink was nicer than the one Celestine was drinking. On the other, this seemed like a good way to drug her and get her out of the picture...

In the end, practicality won out. But assuming Anna really was a potential kidnapper, she knew she'd need to be drinking something in order to keep up appearances.

That's why, if both noble ladies really were still right where she'd left them, Jamie would hand the "reward" glass over to Malon, and see what happened. She hoped to the gods it wasn't poisoned.

Jamie returned to where she'd left Lady Celestine and Lady Malon, only to find them gone. Clearly, Jamie's warning to her ward to stay nearby went unheeded, and now the little fool was nowhere to be found!

Looking around, Jamie saw countless unfamiliar faces, nobles in their exquisite clothing. There had to be some way to find Celestine...

There! It had been quick, but Jamie caught a glimpse of forest green out of the corner of her eye. The same shade of green worn by Lady Malon. That was one of the few colors Jamie hadn't seen in common use tonight, so it was safe to assume that had been the elven lady. Just as she turned to head in the direction of the green she'd glimpsed, however, another flash of that same hue passed by her peripheral vision.

Now this was problematic. The two signs she'd seen were in opposite directions. The first glimpse Jamie had caught was in the direction of the balcony that looked out over the city. The second glimpse had been moving toward the guest rooms...

Either of them could be Lady Malon and, hopefully, Lady Celestine. But Jamie couldn't be in both places at once. She had to choose.

"Feck." Jamie swore under her breath. Not good at all. She'd have to choose carefully if she were to find Celestine. The snobbish little lady should have just stayed put, like she'd told her to!

Still carrying the three glasses, in case this turned out to just be an overreaction and the two still wanted drinks, Jamie dashed out onto the balcony. The way she saw it, if she were a kidnapper, she'd want to head outside the manor, rather than further inside. She just hoped she was right; or, even better, that she was wrong and there were no kidnappers after all...

The balcony was decidedly large, standing atop a multitude of pillars. There were people all over, and more than a few secluded areas in the form of shadows and half walls that created pseudo booths. It was in one of these secluded places that Jamie found Ladies Celestine and Malon, both perfectly unharmed. In fact, the two ladies were about as far from harmed as one could get.

Celestine had her back to the wall, her arms around Malon's slender waist. Malon, facing away from Jamie, was making a noise of pleasure, muffled somewhat by Celestine's mouth. The two highborn ladies appeared to be lost in the pleasure of the moment, neither aware of the third woman's presence. At least not until Celestine cracked an eye open and noticed Jamie standing there.

Pulling away from Malon's lips, Celestine made a few short choking noises followed quickly by "Aah! Wh-what are you doing there?! I thought I sent you away?"

Jamie found it difficult not to crack a smile when she realized she'd just caught the two ladies in the act. Very difficult, in fact; so difficult that she just went ahead and grinned as she passed Celestine and Malon their drinks. Not the potentially-drugged one, however. She'd thought better of that in her moment of panic at having briefly lost her ward. The other she kept for herself, deciding to subtly dispose of it into a plant at her earliest opportunity. She really shouldn't drink on the job, to begin with.

"You sent me to get some drinks for Lady Malon and yourself, milady." Jamie reminded her, downgrading her grin to a polite smile. Celestine knew what the Redcap had seen, and that was enough, in Jamie's book. She passed each noblewoman her respective glass, making sure to hold onto the third for the time being. "I'm glad to see the two of you are alright. If it's alright with you, milady, I think I'd like to stay at least in the same room as you until it's time to leave. I don't mean to interrupt, but it's really the only way I can make sure you're safe."

"Right, right. Drinks. Well, let's have them then." Celestine said, holding out an expectant hand. Taking the glass, the young heiress wasted no time in downing its contents. Either the young highborn was trying to drink away the embarrassment of being caught in such a manner, or she was simply a regular drinker. It was hard to say.

"It is very nice of you to worry for us, Miss Redcap, truly." Lady Malon said, smiling as she accepted her own drink. "You are truly dedicated to your work. An admirable trait, to be sure. I can assure you, however, that you vigilance is unnecessary. This estate has wonderful security, especially in light of the recent attacks. Nobody would dare make a move on any of tonight's guests."

"She's right." Celestine interjected. "Besides, even if they were, nobody is stupid enough to attack a Tirauland, no matter what my parents say. You're really just being paid to be a third wheel at this point."

It was about then that Celestine noticed the glass in Jamie's hand. "Wait a second, what is that you have there? What kind of bodyguard drinks on the job? Hand that over this instant!"

Jamie was about to retort, but then her haughty little charge noticed the other glass in her hand. This was bad. For all she knew, this was drugged; or poisoned! Thinking fast, Jamie gave an excuse she was sure Celestine would understand. She hoped.

"Oh, this? Thank you for remindin' me, milady." the spunky girl smiled, doing her best to sound genuinely appreciative. "While I was fetchin' drinks for Lady Malon and your grace, another lady asked me to dispose of her drink for her. I was so distracted with worry, I'd have forgotten if not for you, Lady Celestine!" With that, Jamie quickly walked over to the edge of the balcony and tipped the glass, letting the contents spill over the side and onto the grass below. Drugged or not, it wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"Anyway, like I was sayin', milady, even if I'm...bein' a third wheel..." Jamie said, her smile only faltering a little bit. This little snob was really starting to get on her nerves. At least when Malon was asking her to leave, she bothered to do it nicely! "Your mother and father asked me to do this. Even if no one's stupid enough to attack you, it's my job to be here, okay?"

She didn't expect this to work, but she could only hope.

"I'd gladly pay you double what my parents are offering to bugger off..." Celestine muttered.

"Celes!" Malon said in shock. "You are too unkind to your bodyguard! She is simply doing her job, and we certainly can't fault her for that. After all, it's certainly better than just begging for money like so many do."

"Hmph. I guess not. Fine, I'll try not to complain about your presence any more." Celestine said, though she certainly seemed to be unhappy with the arrangement.

There wasn't much time to appreciate this small victory, however, as a woman's cry pierced through the rest of the party's din. The cry was soon joined by similar sounds of surprise and dismay, and all around people began to panic. From their secluded spot on the balcony Jamie had a commanding view of the area.

The servants, or at least a good deal of them, were attacking the guests! Some held highborn women still while others slashed away at their elaborate gowns, while others wove through the crowds, slicing as they went. Everywhere there was chaos. Clearly the security of the party wasn't as good as the guests had been led to believe.

"We must get out of here!" Malon said. "Somewhere to hide, out of sight. We can wait it out!"

"This way! Stay close to me!" Jamie commanded above the uproar, leading Celestine and Malon back inside. She didn't care that her ward would probably object to her tone, or some other nonsense. The crowds were thicker in there. She might at least have some more time to get them someplace safe.

"Let's wait this out in one of the guest bedrooms! I'll bar the door, and when we see a chance, we can get out of here!" Jamie explained, pushing through the crowd to safety. She made absolutely sure neither lady was lost behind her. She hadn't intended on looking out for two girls that night, but if that was the way it had to be, then she'd earn her paycheck twice over.

Once they reached the bedroom, assuming they were able to find one that seemed empty, Jamie would push a dresser or wardrobe over in front of the door, easily able to do so due to her cap's magical properties.

Jamie led the pair through the crowd swiftly, dodging danger and stampeding crowds with surprising ease. All around, cries of embarrassment and shredding fabric could be heard. More than once a highborn woman would run past, her once-elegant gown reduced to strips of cloth that failed to cover anything important. It seemed as if more than a few noblewomen would be having a decidedly undignified return home.

Slipping into the hall that led to the guest bedrooms, Jamie led Celestine and Malon halfway down the hall before throwing open a door and ushering them in. The room was thankfully empty, and its position toward the middle of the hall made it as unassuming of a hiding place as it could be. Malon and Celestine rushed to the corner of the room while Jamie went about securing the door.

The heavy iron bar that secured the door locked into place, assuring that it would be difficult to break through. Just to be on the safe side, Jamie dragged a heavy oak wardrobe in front of the barred door. That should hopefully be enough to keep the three of them safe.

"Ah!" came Celestine's voice, a shocked gasp.

Jamie turned, only to see Celestine held at knife point by Lady Malon. The elven woman's eyes shined with a malicious light.

"I don't really need to say 'don't move', do I?"

Jamie growled with exasperation, staying put just as she knew she had to. She'd have liked to berate herself for missing the obvious clues, but honestly, she hadn't seen any. Malon - if that was her name - was good; really good. Good enough to fool Jamie, at least. And good enough to fool the woman she was probably sleeping with, for that matter.

"You know, I almost gave you that third drink. I got it from a servant girl who said she was a fan. It was prob'ly drugged, and I knew it was prob'ly drugged, and now I wish I'd let you drink it instead 'a tossin' it over the balcony." Jamie said, her eyes narrowed.

"So are you Lady Malon, or not? And if not, who are you?" the spunky girl asked cautiously. "You can let her go anytime, you know. Celestine said it herself: Attacking her is stupid. Her family's powerful enough to have you in irons by mornin', or worse. Let her go, and I'll let you walk outta here, okay?"

"Ha! You think I didn't know it was drugged? That was how we were supposed to deal with you, but you turned out to be more cautious than I'd expected. Even if you'd have given it to me, it wouldn't have mattered." Malon explained, her tone mocking. "I'd have just gulped it down, kissed Celestine here, and pushed it down her throat instead."

Celestine shifted slightly. "Malon, why are you doing this? What's going on?!"

"Malon, darling, your pretty little mouth is good for two things. Neither of them is talking. Shut up." Malon growled pressing the dagger against Malon a bit more, prompting the highborn girl to quiet down.

"My real name isn't important, Redcap. The Malon alias served its purpose, and I see no reason for you to know me as anything else." Malon said, chuckling as Jamie tried to explain her folly. "Her family won't have me in irons any time soon. They have power because they're Syndra's sycophants, but that doesn't mean a thing in our forests to the west. We'll be ransoming this one back to her family once I'm safe and sound beyond the western border."

"So, let me give you a counter offer. Unbar the door so I can leave, and Malon leaves with me unharmed. And after that, you're going to strip. I don't need you trying to follow me."

Ah ha! So the drink had been drugged! Jamie would have patted herself on the back for figuring that out had she not already stumbled right into their trap anyway.

"Okay, okay, you win." Jamie huffed, still keeping a cautious eye on Malon as she went to move the wardrobe. She obviously couldn't let her get away with Celestine, but for now, she really wasn't in a position to argue. Once she'd moved it out of the way, she turned back around to face the two ladies, arms still defiantly at her hips.

"There. Be my guest." the Redcap said, gesturing towards the door. She knew Malon wasn't stupid enough to just walk past her, however. She knew what came next, and that's what she was counting on...

"Not so fast, Redcap." Malon said, not moving from her spot at the wall. "You haven't stripped yet. The last thing I need is you sprinting out after me as soon as I've left the room."

Malon quickly flicked her knife towards the corner of the room before placing it back to Celestine. "Get over in that corner. Face the wall, and strip. Toss your clothes behind you. Once you're naked, I'll leave the room. Celestine doesn't get hurt, and everyone gets to walk away happy."