[Sodium_noir] Friday at the Chantry

[Substitute Storyteller]

Giger Greenville Montenegro
A Trio of Tremere
The Chantry
 
"A nightly meditation, my Lord."  Elizabeth replies. 
She still does not raise her eyes to him.  Well she
had learned that her fellow Tremere did mostly hold
the ability of Dominate, a gift she herself had yet to
master.  To meet their gaze was to risk their using it
upon her.  Though many a time it did not work, surely
to meet the Regent’s gaze was to risk that.  And after
last night, she were not sure she trusted him over
much, nor did she want him in her room.  But he was
Regent and he had to be tolerated.   

Montenegro studies the woman.  He had hoped to catch a
glimpse of the woman’s night wear, or hopefully, the
lack of it, but even at this early hour of the
evening, she was already dressed in fresh clothes, and
he had disturbed her in the middle of something. How
was that possible? "Apprentice, we are going to visit
the Prince this evening.  How much were you told about
Gotham and its Kindred population?"   

Elizabeth's head is still lowered.  "In truth, I were
told only the Prince’s name and that he were of the
Ventrue Clan."  Elizabeth replies.  "I were told that
the rest could wait until I arrivED in fair Gotham."  

Montenegro frowns.  Once again, the woman offered a
subtle criticism of him.  She implied that he should
have told her about the city, just as the protection
ritual should have already been performed prior to her
arrival.  "Well then, Apprentice, I suggest you be
ready to leave in an hour’s time."  

"As you wish, my Lord.”  Elizabeth does not raise her
eyes.  She had not been punished yet for yestereve’s
excursion, but she was not about to remind him of
this.  Elizabeth hears, rather than sees Montenegro
leave, and she is relieved when the door closes and
his shadow, so to speak, has passed o’er her.

However, when Elizabeth reaches out to speak once more
to Regent Waters, and finds that he is gone, and she
is alone in her thoughts.  She turns her pale eyes to
the wall.  The dim light fixture in the ceiling
reveals the faint outlines of windows.  She walks to
the wall and runs her hand along the tell-tale seam. 
Long had it been since she had last seen the sun, or
slept in a room with windows.   

Elizabeth sighs, and then begins her efforts at
unpacking her things anew.  Best to do it now, ere the
Regent came upon some task or errand he did wish her
to perform forthwith.  

Like Elizabeth, Giger was entirely unprepared for the
appearance of Montenegro in his room.  But unlike her,
he saw him coming.  Giger gets up from his desk and
sets down the book he was reading, clad only in the
black robe that was commonly worn inside Chantry
walls.      

"Apprentice Giger."  Montenegro’s lips are set in a
grim line.  

This must be when he was going to be punished. Giger
thinks to himself.  Giger looks at the Regent, though
he does not meet his gaze.  To do so might be
interpreted as a challenge to him, and he had no wish
to challenge the Regent.  Yet.  "Yes, Regent?"  He
asks, knowing that he had a pretty good idea of why
the Regent was here.   

"Tell me, Apprentice, how much do you know about
Gotham?  What do you know about the Prince, for
example?"  

A wave of relief passes over him, but Giger was not
ready to relax quite yet, knowing that Montenegro
could yet name his punishment, and bring it on with
little notice.  "I know that he is Ventrue, Regent,
and that those of our Clan have not fared well in this
city.  I personally knew the former Regent of Gotham,
and am saddened by his loss to House and Clan
Tremere.”

Montenegro regards the Apprentice.  It was likely no
coincidence that Giger had served under the former
Regent in another city.  How loyal would either be to
their rightful Lord?  He was not convinced of the
fealty of these two Apprentices.  Neither one was his
Childe.  But were they of his line?  A simple matter
to find out, given access to their vitae.  "We leave
in an hour to speak with Prince Montoya.  Until then,
we will speak of your actions last night."  

Giger drops to one knee and bows his head.  Here it
comes.  He muses to himself.  "My lord, it’s entirely
my fault.  I wished to explore the city, and did not
wish to leave the Chantry without an escort so I asked
Elizabeth
Apprentice Greenville to accompany me."  

"We are not discussing Apprentice Greenville’s
actions."  Montenegro snaps.  "We are discussing
yours."

Giger remains on the floor.  "Of course, Regent."  He
replies.  That meant she would probably be punished as
well.  And she did not deserve it.    

Montenegro continues.  "You both left the Chantry
without my permission, and such insolence will not be
tolerated."

"Yes Regent."  Giger replies.  What punishment would
he impose?  Another demotion in rank?  Such things no
longer bothered him much.   

Montenegro considers a moment.  To force studies upon
him was no punishment for a scholar like him.  He had
no intention of giving back the keys to Giger’s car
anytime soon.  Deny him the company of Apprentice
Greenville?  No, that was unwise.  She needed an
escort, and he did not trust Camille to keep an eye on
her.  She had been most unreliable at the worst of
times, disappearing without so much as a by your
leave.  

No, a harsher punishment would be to make Giger stay
away from the books, but the collection was sorely in
need of Giger's attention.  Something else had to be
done.   

Giger waits for the punishment to be handed down,
still down on one knee.  He wasn't stupid enough to
ask him to hurry.  Trying that the last time had
earned him a far harsher punishment.  

"I wish you to spend the next three evenings in the
company of Apprentice Carlton."  He orders.  "She can
assist you with the cataloging of the library."  He
could at least keep them apart while they were in the
Chantry, allowing him more time with Apprentice
Greenville.  With that, he sweeps out of the room. 
His next stop was to speak with Camille, his wayward
Childe.  

Montenegro does not knock, but instead enters the room
unannounced.  "Camille."  He says in a low voice. 
"Are you ready to meet the Prince this evening?" 

Camille does not turn, but continues to peruse the
contents of her closet, dressed for the moment in only
a bra and a black wool skirt as she decides what
blouse she wished to wear.  Perhaps something formal. 
The man was royalty, after all.  

After several seconds, she turens and looks at her
Sire.  "Almost.  I just have to decide what to wear." 


Montenegro tries not to sigh.  Females and their
attire.  Even death seemed not to change their
attitude or the length of time it took to choose an
outfit.  "You have thirty minutes before we leave for
Gotham Towers.  And when we return, you will be
helping Apprentice Giger catalog the books for the
next three days."

With that, Montenegro stalks out of the room.  There
would be no discussion, no disagreement on the matter.
 He was Regent of this Chantry and his words were law.
                   


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com