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How To Deliver Justice (with KiraMusani

Queen Kenna smirked and winked at Clair. "I'm quite aware of your difficulties in speaking, but there's other ways you can communicate where you ARE well established. Speaking to them doesn't work. I have learned actions speak louder and sometimes even more eloquently. Try as you just said."

Ruby looked between her mother and Clair. "Wait... You mean Clair's right and the way to communicate with the hard hearted is showing you can do the job?"

Amethyst pulled the chair out for Cinnamon after she was sent to the dining hall by the head kitchen servant. "Dressing for the position you are trying for, can't hurt, either. Calla's hero clothes only needed the Cordonian crest on a leather chest plate and her cape to become the bodyguard of the princess."

As the pancakes were served and Gregor took the first bite, Calla Avenger chimed in with, "My reputation as a hero, and being knighted helped more than that."

As Gregor swallowed and dabbed his mouth, he complimented Cinnamon. "Apple cinnamon pancakes are delicious, Princess. Your reputation as the best baker in Dunwyn is well earned. Even if this particular cake is over the stovetop and not actually baked."

Queen Kenna's eyes lit up and a smile crossed her lips, and nodded her own approval after a bite of her own.

Had Clair over the course of the season learned the difference between apples to recognise that Cinnamon had used the Cordonian Ruby for her recipe?
 
Clair nodded, looking at Ruby as she asked her question.
"I am sure it doesn't work with everyone, but I feel like it's how we have won most of our clients."

Clair smiled and gave an encouraging gesture to Cinnamon, happy that everyone was praising her friend for the good work she had done; she, of course, didn't say anything about the food as she didn't think she could speak, assuming only the judges were allowed to do so at this time. Though she had not recognized the type of apple used, her pallet, not quite refined enough for such things yet.
 
Since Clair had given an encouraging gesture regarding breakfast, Cinnamon didn't mind that she didn't speak up.

Kenna gave Ruby a good luck hug and offered one to Clair, as they went to the princess's coach. This time, Amethyst and Calla Avenger were told by the King to get in the coach instead of riding either on top or beside, after helping the princess in.. "Although farmers can be considered nobility, the odds of you being attacked, especially in December, are too low. Just be prepared to guard your respective princess, ladies." Gregor stated.

The trip through the English countryside, wasn't much to look at, since there were no crops to see and only patches of green as the ground settled for the winter. Cinnamon sighed, as they reached the first farm. "Good news, there's a round storage container you can ask about, bad news... Well, see for yourselves."

She pointed out the window at the largest grain storage anyone had ever seen, but done up in the colours of, and the crest of, The Holy Roman Empire¹. They were going to have to be on their very best behaviour, or risk imprisonment. Calla let out a gulp and Amethyst even seemed on edge... And yes, all five would be expected to work on the farm, meaning Princess Cinnamon, dressed as a dignitary, was woefully incorrectly attired.

1- In 1377, England was part of the HRE, but by then the kings were allowed some rule of their people... But the party has come to visit it's territory, which was a whole different situation. Basically Cinnamon has to work as well as explain.
 
Clair would paused surprised at the offered hug but after a moment of adjusting got up and awkwardly accepted the hug.
"Oh! Umm, uh, yeah umm, thanks"

Clair kept her mind on in her notebook for most of the trip, thinking and jotting down ideas as they traveled.

Clair looked at everyone as they arrived, she wasn't as well versed in the political aspects of the land as the others so didn't know what to expect.

"Umm, perhaps I'll just stay quiet."

She of course didn't realize Cinnamon's attire was improper nor if her own was proper for the work they would need to do.

"Is there anything I need to know? Like gestures of actions that would be bad? Or even like, is there a bad time to stay quiet? A time when I should speak?" Clair asked feeling the tension in the air and starting to panic a little.
 
As Amethyst helped Cinnamon out of the carriage to address the owner of the property, she nodded to Clair. "That would be prudent." She advised.

Avenger's outfit was recognised by an officer and her crest on her cape and leather vest as belonging to Cordonia. She was stopped and addressed immediately. "What are you doing back in England, vigilante, and what's with wearing the crest of the new country of Cordonia?"

Calla cleared her throat. "I am a knight of Cordonia, now, and the sworn protector of the princess and her consort." She might as well let the cat out of the bag, since Kenna had already approved Ruby and Clair's coupling.

Ruby looked at Clair worriedly. "Crap. Avenger, due to her duty to my mother, had to say what I wanted kept secret until the Snowflake Ball. It's obvious you and Cinnamon won the desserts, that King Gregor had to postpone telling everyone else... And since you were tied with Diana, you're back in first with just the season ending ball left. Heck, I didn't even want you to know until the ball." She looked shyly up through her eyelashes, blushed, and asked, "Surprise?"

They had to sit in the carriage for another five minutes as they listened to the back and forth between Avenger, Ruby's bodyguard, and the officer, before Avenger was finally able to let them leave it. Avenger held her hand out, "Clair? You first, and then you're to help Princess Ruby out of the carriage. By order of our hosts."
 
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Clair hadn't put the two together, but paused for a moment as she processed the information.
"Oh! umm, I uhh, okay, honestly I didn't think I would even be close to winning, but it doesn't really matter, we should maybe focus on umm this stuff for now right?" She asked, seeming already nervous about their upcoming situation.

Clair would take her hand, stepping out of the carriage with her help.
"Right, thank you Avenger. Umm Princess Ruby, if I can help you out next" Clair offered her hand.
 
Ruby looked puzzled for a moment or two, before finally shrugging. "With Cinnamon as your partner, seemed pretty obvious to me, but okay, yes, we should focus on the work. So, I'll ask about the capacity and how the grain storage tower works, and you show that we girls CAN do the work... Whatever it is we have to do. Deal?"

After Clair was helped out and turned to help her out, Ruby looked between Avenger and Clair. "By order of our hosts? But, are we not still in England? Just because Rome still rules here... I mean, there's a king here in Londonium and everything."

She sighed and took Clair's hand with a smile and stepped out of the carriage.

The farmer looked at Clair and Ruby, and the way they were dressed and nodded. Pointing to both, he said, "Apparently the dignitary forgot this is a working farm." Addressing a hand, he said, "Stables." Peering at both, he stated, "I assume you can ride a horse? You're to help exercise our herd of horses. And then groom them afterwards." After another glare at the princess, he said sharply, "You. Girl. You will fix lunch WHILE you explain your business here."

Ruby bit her tongue as Amethyst explained Cinnamon was the princess of Dunwyn, thus why she was dressed as she was, as she followed back to the house.

At the stables, Ruby asided to Clair, "Now's your chance. Look how worn all this tack is... Maybe you can show off your skill as an inventor after all, huh?"
 
Clair was relieved that she dropped the subject for now, letting them focus at the task at hand.
"Right, that sounds like a deal to me"

Clair didn't say anything not wanting to say the wrong thing, and remained quiet till she was alone with Ruby.
"Oh yes, there is lots here that can be fixed up, but should we not prioritize our given task?" She asked.
 
Ruby pshawed and waved a hand. "Clair, please. How long is it going to take for us to exercise a few horses? Each horse only needs 15 minutes and a good trot." She looked at the four horses available. "Two of us. Four of them. An hour, tops."

The hand cleared her throat. She opened the stables doors and pointed. "You want to count again, Miss?" Inside, was another 17, meaning they had 21 horses total, they had to exercise. "Do either of you know how to fashion a saddle, and set up the reins and bridle? No? Then after you've taken care of exercising the four in the yard, I'll teach you how to switch horses and groom them. They have to be brushed and bathed a certain way."

If Clair did some quick figuring, she would see the hand with them, would also be riding with them. It would be the only way 21 horses would be evenly divided between the three of them. It would also give Clair the opportunity to talk with the hand about fixing or replacing the worn tack.
 
Clair was about to respond when the hand cleared her throat.

Clair shook her head when asked if she knew how to maintain horses.
"Right, thanks for helping; it will make it go much faster. Oh! By the way, I am Clair, and this is Princess Ruby. Are you the farmer's daughter?" She asked.
"I also noticed quite a few broken down things around here, I could see if I can fix some of them up for you, I am a bit of a tinkerer," She offered.
 
Ruby nodded enthusiastically as Clair introduced them both and Clair's abilities. "Uh-huh. Hazel. You're right, that was my father who took the dignitary to the house. So, you're a princess, too, Ruby?" She raised an eyebrow as she looked right at Avenger, looking over her outfit. "With the guard that stayed with you, I assume you're the CORDONIAN princess."

Calla Avenger could only give a smile and nod. "Correct in one, Ms Hazel. We're guests of Dunwyn."

Hazel nodded and got her horse, leading her out to the others. "Guard stays with the others in the farmyard. Choose two of the horses and mount up. We can talk as we exercise these fillies and colts, though pretty much all our horses are yearlings. We can discuss tack and fixing it during our horses exercising." She mounted with a solid movement, and waited for Clair and Ruby to mount theirs.
 
Clair looked to Ruby.
"Do you want help getting on your horse? I can assist you if you want." She offered though knew she would likely also benefit from help when mounting a horse, in no small part due to her small stature.

Once Ruby answered she would help her of she wanted it then go to get on her own horse. Being sure to approach it from the front, she at least knew the safety of working with horses.
 
Ruby giggled. "You forget, my sweet Clair, I'm a little taller than you, and have been around horses for a while, being the princess. I should be asking YOU if you need a boost." She would help if Clair wanted, and would do a little bounce to swing her leg around the back of her own borrowed horse, before grabbing the reins. "You don't need to race the horse like at the polo match. A steady trot should be enough. We're just getting them to stretch their legs for a bit." She forgot something herself. Clair had been the scorekeeper for Olivia's team.

Hazel sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess. You two are in love."

Ruby lowered her head blushing, which was actually an answer in the affirmative.

"If you ladies are ready?" Hazel asked shaking the reins, to stir the horse to action. "Then, follow my lead."
 
Clair blushed and spoke quickly in a slightly embarrassed tone.
"Yes, please, I would like some help, thank you."

Clair eyes widened at the question, her face returning to its flushed state, but she didn't give an answer.
"Okay, how umm, do I, tell it to go that speed?" She asked, seeming quite nervous.
 
Hazel had to whoa her horse and circle back around to the girls and raised an eyebrow. "Shake the reins. Once. Like I said, follow my lead. We have different actions for different speeds. As your princess girlfriend said as well, we only need a steady trot."

Ruby shrugged. "Ohh-kaay? I just click my tongue. Probably twice for the trot."

"Our horses would look at you like you're daft, you do that here. That's to call them only." Hazel explained. "One shake of the reins will suffice."
 
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"Right, sorry I am not used to riding horses if that was not obvious, and umm, am admittedly a little nervous."
Clair watched how she moved the reins and did her best to mimic the action.
 
Hazel was glaring at Ruby as she said calmly (Clair might still sense her aggravation with Ruby in the tone, however), "You have less to be apologetic for, than the princess."

Ruby just looked blankly between Clair and Hazel. "I don't get it..."

With an exasperated sigh, she looked at Clair. "If you see why I'm more aggravated with your princess girlfriend than you, Miss Clair, explain it to her. We don't have time for this. We'll talk about the tack on the next ride."

If Clair thought about it, she'd see it was just like what she had to deal with throughout the court season. Although the ladies looked the same, they were different from each other in the traditions. Everyone had different ways of doing things. Ruby's way to spur horses, for example (clicking her tongue), was the way this farm called theirs.
 
Clair at first didn't know why she would be more upset with Ruby, social situations not exactly being her area of expertise, but luckily, she had notes on what was happening and looked to see if she could find some pattern. Of course, since she was riding, she still didn't physically look at her notebook, instead just went through what she remembered writing notes about as they walked the horses.

When given a chance she would speak quietly to Ruby.
"I think it might be because you are wanting to do things your way, like with the horses, instead of her way. When these are her horses."
 
The chance to speak to Ruby came, when it was time to switch to the other two horses in the corral, back in the farmyard near the stables. Ruby showed Clair how to dismount by swinging a leg over the saddle to one side, while holding to the front of the saddle and dropping to the ground, landing on the ground.

She listened to what Clair had said. She grimaced. "Oh. I'm not making a very good impression, am I? Of a typical spoiled princess, maybe... But not like I have any sense. I'm just so used to clicking my tongue, or gripping the reins to steer a certain direction." She sighed. "I promise I'll listen to Hazel's directions. You're right. These horses belong to this farm. I should listen to someone who knows how to handle them. Correcting me is taking away from helping you giving Hazel help with the worn tack or asking about the storage of the grains they have to feed."

Resolved to do better, she went to the other two horses and led them by the reins back to Clair.

They would see Hazel just leading her next horse from the stables towards them. "Alright, ladies, same as before; mount up." Again, a solid movement, and Hazel was atop the animal and had the reins, watching them.
 
Clair nodded along as Ruby responded.
"Don't worry about it okay? I know you are doing your best, and that with this little insight you will continue to do so and be able to do better. And please if I am making any mistakes let me know, we can grow faster helping each other."

Once back out walking the horses, Clair would watch the others more, for how to better control the horse, this was certainly not her strongest skill.
 
Ruby had agreed, and now, during the second group of horses getting exercise, Hazel kept her horse side by side with Clair. "You mentioned something about being able to mend some of worn tack? Is there anything else you came to the farm for?"

Before Hazel could prod Clair farther,a male hand waved frantic, "Hazel! It's the princess and your father! He collapsed! The princess told me to get you immediately! She's sent another hand to fetch the town physician!"

Hazel cursed under her breath. "Looks like we're going to the farmhouse instead. Two shakes and a call. Like this." Turning the horse facing the house, she shook the reins, twice, and called, "yah!" to her horse, which took off for the house in a shot.

Ruby turned towards the direction, bringing her horse aside Clair. "What happened? Why's she headed for the house at a dead gallop?"

The hand looked at Clair, then Ruby, and back to Clair. "Might want to get off your horses and run by foot, to the house." He offered to help both ladies off the horses and take them back to the stables.
 
"Well I suppose if there is anything like tools or jobs that I guess feel harder than they could be, I might be able to think of a way to improve tools used for the task in some way. But mostly I thought I could help fix anything that might be broken or breaking," She replied, still a bit nervous.

"Hazel's father collapsed! they want you there too, you go on ahead, I'll catch up" She said, too scared to make the horse go faster but did manage to turn it the right direction before hearing the hand speak up.
"Yes, thank you." She nodded, accepting his help down, she was more worried about getting off the horse then contact with a stranger.
 
Ruby balked."Me?!" She got down from the horse on her own, panic setting in. "But Princess Cinnamon was already there! Did she collapse, too?!" Ruby would practically carry Clair with her, and she would barge into the door, causing Amethyst to order, "Decorum, Princess Ruby!"

Cinnamon and Hazel, talking quietly in front of a closed door, turned and looked. Hazel spoke up. "My fault, I'm afraid, Dame Amethyst. I told them to follow; the hand who told me had made it sound like the princess had collapsed, also."

Calla Avenger pulled the screen door open, looking flustered as well as flushed and catching her breath. "Ruby! WHAT did Queen Kenna JUST tell you about leaving me in the dust?!"

Ruby suddenly released Clair's hand and clinched her own, going pigeon-toed and rightly embarrassed. "Ummm... Not to?" She squeaked.

Amethyst gave Clair a knowing smirk, that told Clair all she needed to. Calla was getting payback in spades, for all the times Calla had done similar things to Amethyst.
 
Clair moved along as best she could with Ruby, standing quietly and looking around as the others spoke.

Catching Amethyst's eye she smiled back, not fully getting the nuance about the situation being currently a little overwhelmed and simply retreating into her own mind as she stood quietly, just moving if anyone moved her or told her directly to do so. Her own hands fiddling in front of herself.
 
Calla Avenger, Ruby's knight bodyguard, came alongside Clair, and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry I raised my voice with Ruby, Clair... Please don't retreat on us now; you were doing so well. Gregor and Kenna both trust you to keep us non-dignitaries on course with the mission." She gave Clair a smile and released her shoulder.

Hazel spoke up next. "Princess Cinnamon has filled me in with what she and my father were addressing when he collapsed. He's already taking some nitro¹ for his heart, and I informed her, and will also tell Dr. Monroe², when he arrives, I did not see him taking his medicine this morning at breakfast."

Amethyst raised an eyebrow, and said probably what everyone else was thinking. "Well, that's not good."

1- Nitro is nitroglycerin, which back in this time was the go to medicine doctors prescribed in small doses for people, especially men, with heart problems that were just bad enough to interrupt normal lives and daily duties.

2- Although, Doctor Monroe's name should sound familiar to Clair, as the name of her own physician in Dunwyn, many neighboring hamlets would share him as the town physician.
 
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