Arin

At your deeper voice and eloquent speech, Grau closed his eyes and gives an exasperated smile, as if you've just played a trick on him and he's finally getting the joke. A few of the guards back at the barricade they're assembling in front of the citadel's gates snicker at his misfortunate to assume a smallfolk was an actual child.

"My apologies for the mistake, little Miss. I'm afraid that the Field Marshall is involved in a private meeting, and will not be available for the rest of the day . . ."

Grau explains politely, although then he seems to get a good look at the sword and armor underneath your cloak, and trails off, clearly thinking. Making a decision, he gets back up to his feet and gestures through the gates.

"On second thought, little miss, if you happen to be looking for work, I think the Field Marshall would be happy to speak with you. Truth be told, we could use every hand that we can find for tonight . . . a storm's coming. Here, I'll escort you."

For a moment, you feel a spark of irritation as it seems Grau does not, in fact, know you at all. Then the realization catches up to you that you're an anomaly in a new world different from your home - so *of course* Grau wouldn't recognize you. At least he's still a bit of a gullible lout like he was in the past world, or maybe the guard really is that desperate for whatever trouble is about to hit the city next.

(Additional update is posted below under the "Everyone" section.)

Everyone Else

Apparently the leader of this particular band of Pharasmans, lkikely because she's an actual cleric of Pharasma despite being only a young acolyte, Kira speaks on the church's behalf.

"Bishop D'Bear is certainly not happy that expediency took precedence over proper procedure in disturbing the dead, but I am sure that she will be pleased to learn that everything worked out in the end, and the queen is unharmed . . . more or less."

At Aliani's request for burial services, the acolyte nods respectfully, giving him a comforting, practiced smile.

"Of course, Mr. Rose. We will gather up the bodies for identification prior to burial. That will likely take a few days regardless, so there will be time to come back and make arrangements later."

No one else takes Dalen up on his offer for a mount, so the wizard simply rides along beside the group as you casually walk the hour or so through the city streets to get down to the Docks and Citadel Volyshenek. When you get there you find that the home base of the city guard is a hive of activity, an unusual sight after much of the city guard has been attrited away by deaths from the riots, desertions, and Kroft's own dismissals. They are clearly preparing for the worst as they set up barricades in front of the citadel's already formidable front gates and erect other temporary additional fortifications. Recognizing all of you by now, you are swiftly waved through with an acknowledgement that the Field Marshall was expecting you, and hurried up into her office.


Everyone

Arriving in the office of the Field Marshall near the top of the citadel, you once again find it in its by-now familiar disarray, with papers scattered about on all of the available surfaces. What is different is that the debris has been cleared away from one back corner of the office now, and a cot has been set up in the cleared space. Lying face down on the cot is a familiar blond-haired painter with a knack for getting into trouble - Trinia Sabor, while a cleric of Abadar - another familiar face, Ishani Dharti, administers to the welts and weeping cuts on Trinia's bare back with some sort of poultice. Kroft meanwhile, is pouring over some notes at her desk, not watching the two, but looks up as you all enter, reaching for her sword but relaxing as she sees that it is only all of you. Silas is also standing in the corner, the tiefling fidgeting and chewing on his right index finger nervously as he watches Trinia's treatment finish.

"N-now, this will need to be a-a-applied s-several more times over the n-next c-c-couple of days, but you s-should make a f-full recovery without scarring."

Ishani explains with his usual stammer to Trinia before he steps back, allowing Trinia to sit up and then helping her slip back into a loose buttoned-up tunic marked with the sigil of the Korvosan guard that appears to be several sizes too large for her. Trinia seems to need the help as she flinches and hisses in pain when the cloth touches her back, and also due to the manacle that is locked around her left wrist, connecting her to the frame of the cot by a thin chain.

"As you can see, I managed to convince Ornher Reebs to turn Miss Sabor over to my custody, after I threatened to close the cathedral down due to structural concerns and march the entire guard in there to force an evacuation."

The Field Marshall explains, gesturing over at Trinia and Ishani, and then closes her eyes and gives a tired sigh.

"Good thing that he caved to that; don't think I would actually have enough guardsmen left to loose if I had to force the issue and the Asmodeans resisted. Unfortunately, now we have another problem - when he handed over Miss Sabor, High Priest Reebs also handed over a signed confession that his inquisitors extracted from Miss Sabor last night, confirming that she is one who poisoned King Eodred."

"Oh Gods, is THAT what I signed!?" Trinia exclaims, growing pale as Kroft nods and continues.

"Unfortunately, I was duty-bound to in turn hand that over to the Arbiters. Combined with the letter from Gaedren Lamm calling her out by name as part of the conspiracy to murder the King, as well as other circumstantial evidence such as the fact that she did have access to the castle and the King due to the painting he had commissioned her to create, and it doesn't look good. The Arbiters are deliberating tonight, so we should have a verdict by tomorrow morning - I have a meeting with them in a couple hours to offer my perspective of the "evidence" against Miss Sabor. But it is entirely possible that the Arbiters will declare her guilty, in which case I will have no choice but to, in all likelihood, remand her back to to the Asmodeans for them to carry out the standard sentence . . . death by slow torture."

"What? No . . . no you can't! Please don't send me BACK THERE!"

Trinia screams, climbing up onto the cot in order to back away into the corner, at least as far as the manacle on her wrist would allow her to go. Silas silently goes over to comfort her with a hug, glaring back over his shoulder at the Field Marshall.

"It gets worse - tell them the rest."

Sighing, the Field Marshall digs around on the papers on her desk, coming up with a copy of the Korvosan Gazette which she hands over to Dalen.

"I have a friend at the Gazette who owed me a favor - this is an advance copy of tonight's edition."

Flipping the gazette over to see the whole cover, Dalen reveals the words "KINGSLAYER CAPTURED! CITY AWAITS JUSTICE FOR KING'S MURDER!" as the title for the edition, with an artist's rendition of Trinia Sabor standing over a sleeping King Eodred, a dripping dagger clutched in her hand (quite the sensationalized picture, given Eodred was murdered with a slow poison absorbed through the skin, not stabbed with a poisoned dagger).

"It seems that High Priest Reebs - or at least an "overzealous acolyte" as he will claim - leaked the confession to the Korvosan Gazette, as well as the fact that we've picked up not just Trinia Sabor, but also Adonis Kreed from his offices earlier today - he's down in the holding cells right now. Given the chaos that King Eodred's death unleashed, I can only assume that news of his supposed murderers' capture will kick off another round of anarchy tonight after that edition of the gazette hits the streets. I've asked the Gazette to consider waiting to hold off on releasing this until we have an actual verdict to report from the Arbiters, but was denied - "the City needs to know!"

Kroft parrots bitterly, rolling her eyes.

"So I'm expecting a rather large, rather angry mob out in front of the Citadel gates tonight. I am not going to transfer Miss Sabor nor Mr. Kreed to Longacre or any other facility, just in case there's still a guardsman out there stupid enough to decide to take "justice" into their own hands. Given Kreed seems to be only a minor member of the conspiracy, he should be safe enough down in the cells tonight, but as for Miss Sabor . . . well, you can see the Gazette's opinion of her. And with Lamm dead, there's no one else for us to hold up in front of the public as the one responsible for King Eodred's death. I'm afraid that the entire city is rapidly going to turn against Miss Sabor, regardless of the exact truth of her innocence or guilt."

Kroft scowls and raps her gauntleted fist against her desk.

"But regardless of my being bound to uphold the laws of this city, I will be DAMNED if I let some angry mob decide what justice should be! Miss Sabor will be sleeping here in my office for the night, and I will be personally standing guard. I've already called in all of the remaining guard for tonight as well - it'll have to be enough."

Kroft sighs.

"But I don't know how bad this is going to be tonight. I'm expecting an angry mob at the gates, but after the riots on the night of King Eodred's death who knows what will happen. I could really use your help tonight in keeping the city calm and *not* burning to the ground while all of my guardsmen are tied up here."


Godsdamnit. It would seem that your already long day was going to get just that much longer.