DATE: December 8, 2003
CAST: Amber, Queen Amethyst, Councilant Hawthorn and Silver
West River Colony - Upper Level
You have entered the Upper Level' of West River Colony. The first entrance that befalls you on the left, is the Council Chamber, where the judicial events take place. Followed by the Royal Offices' which run adjacent to the Council Chamber. On the right are the entrances to the chambers of the members of the royal council, the Princess's Chamber, then the Queens Royal Camber.
The female ant known at Amber Whitecloud leans up against the wall of the tunnel outside the main council chamber. Finally they were able to get with a member of the council who knew where Queen Amethyst would be. The dusty blue female ant then looks over toward her dark lavender tinted cohort in this endeavor. "I don't think we'll have any trouble convincing the Queen to at least look; for curiosity sake, if nothing else. I've known her as Princess Anise's friend since we were kids and she should trust me enough to know I'm not making this up." She passes a glance to the leaf covering the doorway, and without looking back, adds, "It'll be fine."
This particular female ant is known as Amber. She's a slightly below average height ant but that doesn't keep her from keeping a good deal of spunk. This dusty blue tinted individual, with gray-green eyes, and a generally slender figure is particularly outgoing, with a very clear mind, and a good sense of whit about her. She at times won't hesitate to express to you her feelings, but mainly has enough tack to make sure she won't needlessly offend. She's a well-rounded ant, with a good deal of personality, which most find amicable, once she gets to know you.
Silver sits on the ground, at ease with his back against a wall. He looks curiously up at Amber. "Are you having second thoughts?"
A tall male ant, who is not from Ant Island. His color is a very dark lavender, much darker than Islanders, but his name is derived from odd silvery-white markings at the extremes of his body segments. Silver manages to appear a bit worn and dusty even on good days, and his body bears many scars. The tip of one antenna is missing, and strange shallow notches are cut into his left foreleg. His appearance and bearing suggest an ant in his early 30's, but he is likely younger.
Silver speaks with an accent unknown to Islanders, although some travelers in the City may have heard it before. He walks in a curious precise way, particularly in the wild, favoring his right leg with a slight limp. He is often seen with a short spear crafted from a young cholla thorn. His eyes are watchful and his manner a bit serious, but he appears confident and friendly.
Amber looks over at Silver again as he speaks. "No, not at all. It's just..." For a moment she doesn't say anything. "I'm just a little worried that something might go wrong, and we can't do anything for Basil. If we can't and never do convince the queen..." She doesn't finish her thoughts, too overcome with what she thinks might happen. Quiet possibly death, if no one knows in time.
"There are two probable outcomes," Silver begins. "One, the queen listens and decides to test our story by sending someone down to the prison level. Two, the queen doesn't believe us and sends us away, or possibly arrests us for falsely accusing her daughter. Where I'm from, that would be likely, but it seems unlikely here." He shrugs. "If she doesn't believe us and doesn't arrest us, then we have other options."
The female ant nods a little, and a the hints of a smile form on her expression. Nice to see that Silver seems to have other ideas in case this doesn't work out. By and large, Amber is still a little whirling in her mind on all of this. Anise? Getting revenge on Basil, and in such a potentially cruel manner. "I understand. If I..." Suddenly her attention is gained by a noise from behind the leaf. "Sounds like they are nearly finished, but we need to wait until the councilor we met greets us before we go in."
Silver gets to his feet and dusts himself off, waiting with Amber.
A short middle-aged ant with an air of authority pushes his stocky body through the leaves. His eyes immediately land on Amber. "Amber. The meeting's wrapping up, but other people need to speak with the Queen. What's this all about?"
Amber's attention is aroused by the approach of the councilor. She quickly stands. "Councilant Hawthorn. Thanks for helping us out here." She then swallows very softly before continuing. "With all due respect intended, of course, I... feel it's best if we speak to the queen directly." The female's gray-green eyes pass to Silver momentarily, then back to the councilant. "Ants in large groups can be very troublesome, if you get my meaning." 'Ugh, what a /stupid/ comment,' she berates herself afterwards, but maybe he'll get the message.
"I'll arrange a private audience," the councilor says, "But only if I'm convinced it's worth the Queen's time ahead of the other councilors' issues. So I must ask you again, what's this about?"
Silver looks at Amber, giving her an encouraging nod.
Amber says, "I have some concerns about Princess Anise, and I was in need to speaking to the queen. She's... the Princess has been acting a little peculiar, and I think she might be either pushing herself, or suffering from stress, and she won't listen to me. It's for the good of the colony." Amber simply nods."
"Anise." The councilant glares up at Silver for a moment, but then turns back to Amber, thinking. After a moment, he says, "All right. Follow me." Hawthorne leads them past the hanging leaves into the chamber where several other ants are engaged in a discussion with Queen Amethyst. With a nod to the queen, he directs Amber and Silver to a small room to one side of the larger chamber, telling them, "Wait here, it'll only be a moment." Turning to rejoin the others outside, he tells Amber, "I hope you know what you're doing."
After the councilor departs, Silver whispers to Amber with a grin, "And never admit it if you don't."
Amber offers a hushed giggle to Silver at his suggestion. "Don't worry. I won't-" her attention is diverted as footsteps are heard outside. "She's coming."
Heavens! Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Thank the same Heavens for a diversion. Soon the leaf door is pushed aside, and a bright smile comes across Queen Amethyst's face. "Amber, sweetheart! It's so nice to see you." With open arms, the queen walks over to embrace the female ant. "It's been to long; you said you'd come visit more often." Mock irritation gives way to a smile again. "Sorry about Hawthorn. A little too protective of me, if you want my opinion."
Silver stands up and comes to attention before the queen.
Amber returns the embrace. "Well, if you didn't keep such a busy schedule, I would. But I'm afraid it's not for a pleasant reason we've come to-- oh, sorry. My manners." She places a hand to her forehead out of frustration. "I'd like you to meet Silver. Visiting from the colony up north I visited not long ago."
Another stern look is passed from Queen Amethyst to Amber. "You keep forgetting, don't you? 'Amy.' I so seldom am called that." The Queen then takes a bit more formal stance in greeting the visitor. "Queen Amethyst," she states as she attempts to offer her hand in a showing of good will. "It's a pleasure to met you, Silver. Normally I'd greet outsiders with more caution, but since Amber has come with you, I have more trust in you, if that makes any sense."
"Highness," Silver begins after a stiff bow, lightly taking the queen's hand. "I'm honored to present Her Majesty Queen Atta's best regards and her hopes for future contact between West River and Ant Island. Unfortunately we have another matter to discuss."
Amber nods a few times to reaffirm Silver's words about other matters to discuss. "Amy, I wish I didn't have to come to you with this information, and no doubt the implications this will intend, but..." A moment is taken in the form of a very awkward pause. "We have very strong reason to believe that an innocent ant is being held captive in the long term prison cell."
After releasing Silver's hand, and nodding as she offers her thanks to him for the greeting from the other colony's Queen. "It would be a pleasure to make new friends." Her attention is then passed to Amber as her news is delivered. "Oh... my." The queen takes a seat at the table, with a pained expression on her face. "Amber, I'm a little hurt and disappointed." She gazes at the engraved image on the wall, a past leader of West River colony. "I know you don't mean anything personally, but the situation with the East Riverian we're holding down there for the safety of our colony was necessary. I don't like being at odds with them either, but we can't risk setting him free."
Silver says, "Please excuse me your Highness, but we have reason to believe that the person being held isn't from East River, but is in fact someone from your own colony." He turns to Amber, letting her continue the unpleasant story.
Amber nods a couple of times as Silver speaks, then after a significant breath, speaks again. "Basil Riley Harvestwatcher, is the ant we believe is being kept in prison."
The queen's countenance changes from hurt, to confusion to a significant bit of anger. "What is /he/ doing back here??" Quickly getting to her feet, she walks toward the picture of the ant carved on the wall. "He was banished permanently. If he came back, then that's where he belongs!" Arms are held akimbo as she turns around and looks at the two ants, particularly at Amber. "I'm mostly shocked with you, Amber." Steps are taken toward the female ant. "After what he did to you..." She can't find words to say, just stands there with a look intermixed with confusion and irritation. Mostly confusion.
"Please excuse me your Highness," Silver says in an even tone. "You'd be quite right, but as I understand it, the prisoner was told the banishment was lifted. He was staying at Ant Island when he received the news. I was present. Amber can tell you more."
Now it's Amber's turn to be shocked. "You didn't... But Anise..." The dusty blue female ant now finds it necessary to sit down. She listens to Silver's comments and nods weakly a few times. "If you didn't pardon him," her eyes drifting up to Queen Amethyst. ", then Anise must have lied to me about /that/ too."
At first, Queen Amethyst has no idea what to say. She looks at both ants, then once again at that picture on the wall. "I can't imagine you wanting him back after what he did to you. So... Anise must have lied." The queen's hands ball up into fists. "I'll have her head on a leaf serving tray for lying to me." Eyes then look toward Silver. "Just an expression."
Silver tells the queen, "There is another related matter, your Highness. If Basil Harvestwatcher is the only prisoner, then it follows that the ant from East River either escaped or was killed since those in charge are claiming only one prisoner."
"Then I hope for the sake of those involved, that he /did/ escape, because if that prisoner was put to death, than... ugh." The queen takes a seat. "I'm sorry. This news isn't common around here. And... I'm not entirely myself today. " Hands are held together, resting gently on the table. "Not enough sleep lately. So... in essence, what we've got here is the potential of an innocent ant kept in the prison, my daughter lying about his pardoning and bringing him back, and an escaped or killed prisoner from East River. Nope, not exactly a normal day here at West River.
Amber says, "Amy? Obviously we need to go down to the prison level to be sure nothing else is going on that we're not aware of, but what I never did understand was why you banished Riley in the first place. The worst thing he did was yell at and insult me because of that tunnel cave in when I accidentally hit the support. I've seen other ants do worse than that and all they got was a reassignment." Amber's shoulders shrug unconsciously."
Queen Amethysts' eyes widen at Amber's comment. "I suppose next you'll tell me that his refusing water to you and your crew, working you late nights without breaks and constantly abusing you verbally didn't happen either? Oh, and what about him seldom helping out? Your crew did all the work while he stayed in his office all day."
Silver privately wonders why all the fuss. The Harvestwatcher fellow seems no worse than any unit manager back in his former colony, Milaksa. He muses that his former masters would likely have promoted Harvestwatcher.
Amber pulls out a hand and counts off things on each finger. "Water situation was when Greenway dropped the water drop and extra water was refused by the heads of our division. Only happened twice. The late nights were when we were on emergency duty and we had all that extra rain that year. We /would/ have anyway to avoid farther damage to the colony. The verbal abusing I have a feeling wasn't as bad as it sounds, and the reason he didn't help us was the stacks of leafwork he was given. Not uncommon to be from the floor to the top of his desk." A soft sigh is emitted. "He had no /time/ to help us work."
The queen upon hearing this sets her elbows on the table, with head held in hands. "Oh my g-" A gentle rubbing of the temples. "Why didn't we just come to some of you who worked under him?" Queen Amethyst mutters to herself, then goes to the doorway to see if council ant Hawthorn is outside. "Darn." She then goes back inside and looks once more at the picture. "Gwenneth, I wish you could have warned me," She then looks at Amber and Silver. "But an engraved image won't help. I've just learned that I banished an innocent ant based on the claims of tunneling supervisors, a doctor and no less my DAUGHTER!" The queen slumps down into a nearby chair again.
"Your Highness, we do need to confirm all of this," says Silver. "So far we're working on strong evidence, but we haven't actually been to the prison level. In all fairness, the situation needs to be confirmed."
Hawthorne appears at the doorway a few moments later. "Did you need me?" he asks the queen.
Queen Amethyst is about to answer Silver, but as Hawthorn arrives, she decides this will be her answer. "Yes," calls out the queen after looking up warily to the council ant. "I don't have time to explain, but what I need you to do is find four guards, locate Princess Anise, and have her escorted to the Prison Level. Under no circumstances are you to tell her why or where you are leading her, but if you get there before we do, /keep/ her there. Understand?"
"Perfectly," says Hawthorne. After throwing a look at Amber hinting at a smile, he quickly departs."
Amber has a difficult time controlling her excitement. Finally, if Basil really is down there, he'll be discovered and as the Queen has found out about his potential innocence, will be freed. A very small part of her worries that this /could/ be wrong, but at this point its well beyond going back, so she says no more.
Silver relaxes somewhat, relieved to see that things appear to be progressing well. He does not envy Amber her next encounter with the princess.
As soon as Hawthorn understands his orders and departs, the emotionally wary queen gets to her feet. "Meetings upon meetings, not enough sleep and now this." A slightly shaky sigh is released. "Well, let's go. To be honest, I'd just assume us find no one in that prison, but after what I've heard, I'm not holding to that hope. So... lets go rescue an innocent ant." And with that, she pushes aside the leaf, and departs, assuming the others will follow.
{End of Log}
|
