Prince and Harpy

The meeting was held at the Prince's office. Arriving five minutes late, as was most polite for social calls, where one would not wish to interrupt one's host's preparations for one's arrival, Elizabeth swept past the doorkeepers in a swirl of silk. She was shown to Hanson Blake's presence and left, the ghoul removing himself politely and unobtrusively.

"I am glad to see you well as ever, Hanson," Elizabeth said softly, with an admiring look. The Prince smiled at her, returning similar pleasantries. Social normality established, Elizabeth's expression darkened with sorrow, as she had very disturbing news to relate.

"It is no social visit that brings me to your offices tonight," she told him regretfully. "I have uncovered the gravest of news, that though it sheds unflattering light on myself as well as my entire clan, for the good of the city I was obligated, and determined, to bring it to the Prince's attention. My progeny, Bryon, was persuaded by the anarchs to sire a new Kindred without your permission." Elizabeth frowned, her displeasure and sorrow clear.

The Prince nodded. He could sense that Elizabeth was indeed deeply hurt by what she'd learned; that her care for the city was also deeply felt. She was using these feelings to gain his sympathy, of course, but she did feel them. He felt a moment's combined pity and admiration for her, as well as some level of distaste for what they both were - the pressures of combining the calculating attitude needed to keep an elder's position, and the priority of clinging to one's true emotions to maintain one's connection with one's humane nature, walking that tightrope defined what they were and made them both tragic and monstrous figures.

Yes, Elizabeth was wounded, betrayed, by her childe's breaking of the Traditions, by his courting of his own destruction thereby, by his lack of fealty to the values she held dearest. Yes, she was afraid her city was being taken over by anarchs whose disregard for these same values would lead to a milieu in which she would have no place. However, she felt little sympathy for her progeny, or for his illegitimate childe, for themselves; and none at all for the anarchs and their beliefs, or democracy in general. She was who she was, and that, Hanson sensed, was not so much as he, though more than some he had encountered.

Though, Elizabeth's humanity, or lack thereof, was not the subject of tonight's conference. The fate of Bryon and Cynthia was to be decided in this time and place. "One of the anarchs has already been executed for this same act," Hanson said.

Elizabeth nodded, she already knew of that precedent. "There are differences in the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized embraces. Bryon was told that if he did not provide his blood to change the girl, Cynthia, then it would be done by the anarch Chad, of clan Nosferatu. He wished to save her from that fate... since the act of her illegitimate embrace was a fait accompli, all he did was change what clan she would become. At sacrifice to himself, for he did realize he was doing wrong." Elizabeth gazed into Hanson's eyes, an expression of deep sorrow crossing her face, and she glanced at the office door - as if to summon up the echo of Hanson's own ghoul receptionist who had been embraced by an anarch Nosferatu.

"Chad, yes. He has been blood hunted already for his membership in the Steel Fangs. I have only just appointed two new Scourges. Perhaps one of them will repay him his deserts for this action, and the other atrocities he has committed." Hanson felt a surge of anger. He felt sure this same Chad had been the one to embrace his ghoul, a crime he would never forgive. Carefully calming himself, though not before Elizabeth had glimpsed and been satisfied by his reaction, he nodded his head thoughtfully. "I understand, but since Cynthia was not to be permitted to live anyway, it did not truly matter."

"I would like to ask for Cynthia's life to be spared," Elizabeth said, keeping a note in her voice of altruistic bravery. "She has no love for the anarchs, who did this thing to her against her will; she seems of the best material for a new Toreador, reminding me at times of myself at her age, as much as a woman of these modern times can. I think I can make something of her that Toreador can be proud of. My clan has lost two of its most valuable and beloved members in recent weeks. We have regrettable need for new blood."

Hanson nodded again. "Your point is well taken. However, others will not find it so - your progeny cannot be seen to have preference over other clans' losses in this battle; Brujah certainly lost many, yet their rebels were marked for doom. And your circumstances of extenuation might make sense to Toreador or Ventrue, but Nosferatu will find them distasteful to say the least."

>>>>"I had hoped, that you would keep this eventuality quiet. It will do little good to let Cynthia live if she is widely tainted by common knowledge of her illegitimate provenance. I know I would owe you a great deal, Hanson, to be eagerly repaid however you should find fit to ask, if you backed my assertion that you had permitted Spencer to embrace the childe of his choice, who was taken by the anarchs along with him only hours after her death and rebirth, and escaped the anarchs with the assistance of my childe Bryon. Only you, I, and the Primogen of my clan need know the true story."

Hanson considered; an acknowledged boon to the Harpy would suit his plans admirably. He assented, with one caveat. "We must also inform the Tremere primogen. Joseph Tudor has ways of learning such information, and I do not wish to be surprised by what he does when he learns of this deception. We will take him into our confidence, and it shall be so."

Elizabeth felt a slight chill, but all was going as she had hoped, and she nodded. Hanson was about to voice one more reservation, but it was one she had anticipated, so she broached it for him, easing his social obligation. "I shall see to it that Bryon is properly punished for his misdeed, though it must be done discreetly. I can do it most efficiently with your assistance."

"What is your intent?" Hanson asked.

"I shall need you to lay a geas on him," Elizabeth told him, then went on to further explain the command she would like the Prince to place upon Bryon with his powers of Dominate. She outlined the rest of Bryon's intended punishment, and the Prince assented.

"It is not so harsh as final death, but it will certainly give him pause before he undertakes such rashness again," the Prince agreed. They exchanged further parting remarks, offering sympathy to one another upon the losses each had incurred in the activities of the anarchs. Elizabeth managed to drop subtle hints as well that if the anarch activity were stopped, in time, that she might lend her support to Dallas being the site of a Conclave in the near future. The Prince felt a bit of frustration - ~what are YOU doing to stop them?~ he thought - but his expression remained calm, and he assured her that the anarch activity would be brought to an end.