Jameson smiled at Natalie. That same emotionless grin he had been using all night. She returned it to him as best she could. "Oh? Interesting clothes for a business meeting, Ser Crofte." Natalie bowed courteously to Taeros. "Hello again Jameson."
"Mm... Indeed.", Coatleque replied flatly. Her stomach was already beginning to churn and she wasn't sure it was from the drink.
"Good to finally see you as a Sworn once more.", he remarked.
Natalie laughed. "If only all thought the same."
Jameson gave her an odd sort of grin.
"If only I could keep her in uniform", Coatleque quipped as she noticed the Miqo'te once again wearing her non-issued red and bronze hauberk. "I don't see you wearing plate either Ser.", she snapped back.
Coatleque considered retaliating once more. She was off duty after all. No, this was not a battle she cared to fight here and now. She held her tongue and cast her gaze back to Jameson across the table.
Natalie continued. "I need to speak to you as well. Should I wait for you to finish with beautiful over there, or should I pull up a chair?"
"But you were never the one for caring what others thought, hm?"
She winked at him. "People believe what I want them to believe."
Jameson tossed glances to both women. "More the merrier.", he said at length. "I suspect you are here for the same reason as she. to tell me I tried to kill your girl? Deneith?"
"Two reasons, actually. Let me handle the first one quickly."
With that she walked to the bar and promptly ordered a tankard of ale. Coatleque maintained her eye contact with Jameson as they waited. Her head tilted, she offered him a rather strained smile. He sighed. It was as if the two were feeling the same pain. Natalie returned a few moments later sipping her drink.
"As for the second, yes I do have some concerns. I thought we had somewhat of an understanding about Roen."
"We did, and we do, Natalie.", he replied sharply. "I was just reminding Ser Crofte that it was I that gave over the evidence to you, rather than having her arrested in the first place."
Natalie nodded. "Of course."
"She was foolish enough to turn herself in."
"So the inspection... was a political matter?"
"The first inspection, it was my doing. After all, I saw a Garlean sympathizer visiting a potential Garlean spy. No one seemed to be concerned about that but me. Ser Crofte... sent me a report."
"Fair enough, many would have had them detained as well. An inspection seems rather levelhanded of you."
"Then I heard nothing else until today. That there was another search, something found... and an attempt made on her life"
Coatleque sat quietly and listened to them go over everything once more. She swirled her drink once more before taking another sip. Natalie tapped her jaw. "A second search which you had nothing to do with?"
"I am but a cog in this wheel, Natalie. I play by the rules as much as it will allow me. First inspection, I had full justification. Second... Jenlyns would have been furious with me."
"I sometimes forget, you two go back quite a ways."
"He has been rather... vexed with me of late. It took much work for me to smooth things over again."
"Probably because he thought he was rid of me for good."
Jameson laughed at this notion.
"Imagine his consternation to find I was coming back."
"Indeed. He was vexed with me and yet... could not deny the cure you brought."
Natalie grinned. "You and I are like the scales of Nald'Thal, Jameson. We bring misery and fortune in equal amounts." She turned to her superior. "Ser Crofte, do you have some evidence that Jameson was part of the second inspection?"
She looked over to Natalie. "As I told him, the same man returned and said he was ordered to carry out the inspection himself the second time."
"Ser Besten. I should speak to this Sworn."
Natalie removed her beret. "I see no reason why Jameson would lie."
"Nor do I, if I must be honest."
He smiled once more as Natalie chuckled. "Excellent."
"Plus, if he really did want to kill Roen, he wouldn't be so ham-handed about it. Jameson never does any villainy he can't get away with."
"... You give me far too much credit, Natalie."
"Yes, I am sure the two of you are very well acquainted by now."
She laughed. "Well, I don't wear dresses to meet with him. So I imagine you're quite well acquainted as well."
He smiled at Coatleque then turned to regard the Miqo'te. "You should. It is quite flattering on the eye."
Coatleque blinked once and nodded politely towards Taeros, ignoring Natalie's comment.
"I wouldn't even know where to buy one.", she said as she took another drink. "Well... where are we to go from here? Jameson, you're not behind this, but something tells me you're interested in who is."
"Indeed."
(tbc)
"Mm... Indeed.", Coatleque replied flatly. Her stomach was already beginning to churn and she wasn't sure it was from the drink.
"Good to finally see you as a Sworn once more.", he remarked.
Natalie laughed. "If only all thought the same."
Jameson gave her an odd sort of grin.
"If only I could keep her in uniform", Coatleque quipped as she noticed the Miqo'te once again wearing her non-issued red and bronze hauberk. "I don't see you wearing plate either Ser.", she snapped back.
Coatleque considered retaliating once more. She was off duty after all. No, this was not a battle she cared to fight here and now. She held her tongue and cast her gaze back to Jameson across the table.
Natalie continued. "I need to speak to you as well. Should I wait for you to finish with beautiful over there, or should I pull up a chair?"
"But you were never the one for caring what others thought, hm?"
She winked at him. "People believe what I want them to believe."
Jameson tossed glances to both women. "More the merrier.", he said at length. "I suspect you are here for the same reason as she. to tell me I tried to kill your girl? Deneith?"
"Two reasons, actually. Let me handle the first one quickly."
With that she walked to the bar and promptly ordered a tankard of ale. Coatleque maintained her eye contact with Jameson as they waited. Her head tilted, she offered him a rather strained smile. He sighed. It was as if the two were feeling the same pain. Natalie returned a few moments later sipping her drink.
"As for the second, yes I do have some concerns. I thought we had somewhat of an understanding about Roen."
"We did, and we do, Natalie.", he replied sharply. "I was just reminding Ser Crofte that it was I that gave over the evidence to you, rather than having her arrested in the first place."
Natalie nodded. "Of course."
"She was foolish enough to turn herself in."
"So the inspection... was a political matter?"
"The first inspection, it was my doing. After all, I saw a Garlean sympathizer visiting a potential Garlean spy. No one seemed to be concerned about that but me. Ser Crofte... sent me a report."
"Fair enough, many would have had them detained as well. An inspection seems rather levelhanded of you."
"Then I heard nothing else until today. That there was another search, something found... and an attempt made on her life"
Coatleque sat quietly and listened to them go over everything once more. She swirled her drink once more before taking another sip. Natalie tapped her jaw. "A second search which you had nothing to do with?"
"I am but a cog in this wheel, Natalie. I play by the rules as much as it will allow me. First inspection, I had full justification. Second... Jenlyns would have been furious with me."
"I sometimes forget, you two go back quite a ways."
"He has been rather... vexed with me of late. It took much work for me to smooth things over again."
"Probably because he thought he was rid of me for good."
Jameson laughed at this notion.
"Imagine his consternation to find I was coming back."
"Indeed. He was vexed with me and yet... could not deny the cure you brought."
Natalie grinned. "You and I are like the scales of Nald'Thal, Jameson. We bring misery and fortune in equal amounts." She turned to her superior. "Ser Crofte, do you have some evidence that Jameson was part of the second inspection?"
She looked over to Natalie. "As I told him, the same man returned and said he was ordered to carry out the inspection himself the second time."
"Ser Besten. I should speak to this Sworn."
Natalie removed her beret. "I see no reason why Jameson would lie."
"Nor do I, if I must be honest."
He smiled once more as Natalie chuckled. "Excellent."
"Plus, if he really did want to kill Roen, he wouldn't be so ham-handed about it. Jameson never does any villainy he can't get away with."
"... You give me far too much credit, Natalie."
"Yes, I am sure the two of you are very well acquainted by now."
She laughed. "Well, I don't wear dresses to meet with him. So I imagine you're quite well acquainted as well."
He smiled at Coatleque then turned to regard the Miqo'te. "You should. It is quite flattering on the eye."
Coatleque blinked once and nodded politely towards Taeros, ignoring Natalie's comment.
"I wouldn't even know where to buy one.", she said as she took another drink. "Well... where are we to go from here? Jameson, you're not behind this, but something tells me you're interested in who is."
"Indeed."
(tbc)
