A Timely Knight

A Gun Out of her Case

As she lingered outside the tightly shut wooden door, Viola paced around the wide and cold hall. Eyes fixated upon the patterns that covered the red carpet beneath, she patiently awaited for the Marquise of Millingford to finish her affairs with the Withered Flower.

For the past couple of days, the Marquise had been asked to join the Queen for tea. With each new meeting, the Marquise seemed less and less impressed by her future in-laws, however she did a wonderful job concealing her disapproval. Viola, sharp as she was, managed to see the cracks under the young Marquise's mask, and she couldn't help but sympathize.

So far, Viola had only met the King and Queen, but they more than lived up to their reputations. He was an attention-whore. She... well, she was the Withered Flower in all her glory. Neither of them seemed to be the right choice to rule over a kingdom and yet they did.

At least the Marquise will be an improvement.

Over these meetings, it had been agreed that the Marquise would indeed be marrying Raynard Aaron Stanhope, Crown Prince of Makina. The young Arabella had expertly feigned enthusiasm, and she even managed to fool the Queen herself. But Viola could see beyond the façade, she could see the woman behind the title.

Only a couple of days had been necessary for Viola to understand that Arabella Phoebe Sparks was not a Marquise, not really. She was something wilder and more energetic, a prisoner in a golden cage. A poor little rich girl, if there ever was one.

The sound of light steps took her out of her own thoughts. She raised her eyes and met one of those army big bugs. He was tall, the tallest man Viola had ever seen. His skin was the color of dark chocolate and his head was fashionably bald. He was not a man she would consider handsome; as a matter of fact, he was rather plain looking, albeit muscular. However, he had something that drew attention to him. Maybe it was his height, maybe it was his rank within the army, or maybe the harmless but conceited expression on his face. Whatever it was, Viola had seen more than one woman throw herself at his feet, much to his delight.

She was first to speak. "What do we have here? A shark out of water, it seems."

The man grinned, his caramel eyes sharing every bit of the smile, and spoke in a thick Grenagian accent. "I could say the same of you. A gun out of her case." He stopped a few steps away from her and gave her the traditional SteelCorps salute. "Shooter Viola, fancy meeting you here."

"Captain Batchelor, not the place I expected to find you in either." She glanced at his new and swell uniform. "And looking like a gentleman of the first water. What brings the Shark of Heliport all the way to the capital?"

"Official business. Let's say I'm here as a Jack." His smile slowly disappeared, making way for an expression of exaggerated solemnity. "I hear you're the future Queen's new Hammer."

Viola waved his words away with her hand. "I'm not her Hammer yet, nor am I sure I'd like to be. I'm simply looking out for her. She was recently attacked and the Queen would like her future daughter-in-law to arrive to her wedding day alive."

"I'm probably going to be talking to the both of you, then. Soon."

"What about?" He was about to speak, but she beat him to it. "Let me guess. Official business."

"Got that right. How's the capital treating you, Shooter?"

"As kindly as it can treat a Brassportian. The weather is certainly more amiable."

The door abruptly opened and out came the Marquise, looking far too relieved, and the Withered Flower herself, followed by her favourite, a girl with a perpetually terrified look on her face that, according to Lady Livilla, was also the King's mistress.