The royal messenger holds Hazel's horse while she mounts, then takes the other saddle. The manor servants remain beneath the entry arch, watching as the sealed dispatch tube rests safely at her side.
They leave the vacation manor together beneath a paling sky. Hooves strike the wet road, and orchard mist gives way to hedgerows silvered with rain.
the royal messenger
I must speak carefully, my lady. Witnesses have placed Matre Forrest's actions at the center of a dispute over the succession.
The royal messenger rides beside Hazel, glancing toward the empty fields before lowering her voice. The royal seal at her throat taps softly against her cloak.
the royal messenger
Old royal records suggest he advised the first heir during the uncertain years after King Ithi's death. Some now question what authority followed from that counsel.
the royal messenger
There are witnesses in Goldcrest, and records no one expected to survive. I was not told the whole charge, only that your family name cannot be absent from the inquiry.
Before she can explain further, Goldcrest's immense walls rise beyond the road, dark towers cutting through the morning haze. The city gates stand open ahead.
✓ Quest Accepted
Gain access to the royal inquiry
“I keep the sealed dispatch ready as we ride through the open gates.”
FAILURE (Good Riding, rolled +0)
Hazel rides beneath Goldcrest's open gate, reaching to keep the sealed dispatch ready. Her fingers find only the empty fastening loop at her side as the horses pass into the crowded entry court.
Hazel Forrest
The dispatch tube is not here.
the royal messenger
Do not reach again, my lady. I secured it in my saddlebag before we left, when the rain loosened your fastening.
The royal messenger reins in beside the tollhouse and opens the saddlebag only far enough to show the tube's leather end. The royal seal remains unbroken, but guards are already watching.
the royal messenger
The gate clerk may witness its condition before I return it. That will protect you from any claim that the contents changed upon the road.
The failure leaves Hazel without the dispatch in hand, yet the tollhouse offers a clear next step: a public witness, a guarded seal, and an official record before the castle road continues.
Quest Complete
Go to Goldcrest
“I ask the gate clerk to witness the seal”
FAILURE (Good Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Hazel Forrest
Gate clerk, I ask you to witness the royal seal before we proceed.
The gate clerk, a broad-shouldered middle-aged man in a weathered brown tabard, leans from the tollhouse window. His weathered, ruddy face is framed by close-cropped gray hair and a short beard. Ink stains mark his fingers, and a brass tally hangs at his belt.
the gate clerk
I cannot witness what remains inside another rider's saddlebag, my lady. I may record its presence, but not certify a seal I have not inspected.
He points to the open ledger, where the messenger's arrival is marked only by road, hour, and number of horses. The guards glance between Hazel and the secured bag.
the gate clerk
I can enter that the tube was shown here unopened, under the royal messenger's custody. The castle notary must examine the seal itself.
The clerk writes the observation into the ledger, then presses his signet into wax beside the entry. The record creates a public trail, though not the requested certification.
the royal messenger
Then the notary is our next stop. I will keep the tube secured until she can inspect it before witnesses.
“I proceed with the messenger to the castle notary”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled +2)