Spring Coming Together

[Titania]

"Well. At the time the crown wasn't a priority. Locating Queen Ingrid was and still is of utmost concern". She replied courtly.
Abe's reflections weren't without merit. She wouldn't breach the confidential - although informal - agreement she had shared with Fawkes. Alas, she couldn't ignore that the safety of her Court came first. And then, after a few minutes of deliberation, as the rest of her court moved to more frivolous matters, she spoke.
"Wait a second. Let's go back a few steps", renovating the manor Tavern was an undertaking she'd be all too happy to partake in, but another thought, one far more sinister, captivated her attention. Suddenly images of an early morning of jogging came to mind. The wheels were finally turning and one by one the pieces of the puzzles fell into place. The insistence of the Summer's Monarch on policing the rest of the Freehold, his improper outreach to the Spring Courtiers and his inquiries about the Vernal Monarch. The fidgety Summer Corporal spending his time stalking the killing fields Capitol Park so early in the morning (she still had his jacket). The attempted murder of Sir Cole. Everything made sense now. He really was STALKING her, no doubt about that. The man was unstable
She covered her mouth almost by instinct, managing to choke a sob and hold back the tears. "It can't be", she says with a whisper. "Didn't Queen Ingrid disappear around the time the Summer Court made its advances?".

[Sonnie Wu]

"Wait... Titania, are you suggesting that Fawkes murdered Ingrid? Why? Just... why?" The Beast was currently flopped across the central table like it was a sofa, only her eyes rolling over to study the Telluric questioningly. "I don't see what they could possibly gain from that. Ingrid was so hands off, if Price wanted to eliminate rival monarchs, why not go after Rhodes or Sasha? They're far more active and involved." She shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Besides, if it was some plot to take over the freehold, why abandon it so suddenly?"

Her eyes shifted, briefly, to Abraham, "Well, excuse me for having never heard of a Dragonslayer before. I thought you were just being melodramatic." She sighed, and looked up at the ceiling, "Why is Summer so violent?"

[Seraphina]

Sapphires watch Titania, the sudden appearance of emotion.

“Whoa, wait a second here. I think it’s a stretch to say that Summer had something to do with Ingrid’s departure. We have no proof of that, and I don’t want to assume another Court had something to do with it without some proof. What makes you think that? Do you know something the rest of us don’t?” she gets up and walks over, gently placing an arm around her.

“You can’t fail if someone else isn’t willing. I reached out to him as well, and he seemed to have walls up to keep people out. But you didn’t fail.” Though she knows if that was how he felt, she couldn’t change it. “It just feels, wrong.” She says, “I talked with Cole, one on one in his Hollow, and he was making great strides to improve himself. Wanting to make amends for those he wronged. That doesn’t strike me as someone who was a threat.” Then a sigh, “But, maybe there were things that happened in private between them, between Summer. Things they won’t tell us.” Each Season had its secrets.

An absent nod, “That’s a great point. And one I think we all need to do. If there is someone new, please, please, don’t meet with them in private. As a Freehold, we’ve let security slide, and this news of Cole and Fawkes, well, let it serve as a warning. We must be vigilant and careful.” A nod to Abraham.

“The last Homely House?” she thinks the name over, glancing around the Tavern, “That has a nice ring to it. Or even Tavern in the Green.” Shrugging, “But I like yours.”

Watching Abraham be sweet to Titania, “And why Spring?” they hadn’t drawn any attention to themselves.

Nodding, “Sonnie makes some excellent points. And the one time I spoke with Price, he was nothing but kind. Though I suppose it could have all been an act. And if they had wanted to start a takeover, Fawkes had the perfect chance to get rid of me without no one know. Not that I was as important as Ingrid, but it would make sense to weaken a Court by taking them out one by one.” And that though actually terrified her.

[Titania]

She repays Abe's kind gesture with a polite smile.
She wasn't one to level accusations lightly, but as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said: "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth".
"We owe ourselves and the Freehold to weigh every option. No matter how far-fetched", she says as she slides on one of the chairs.
"Let's consider the facts. Shall we?", she demands, "earlier this year, a stranger took the Summer Crown. Seemingly without bloodshed on behalf of the strength of his Mantle. One of the new King's first edicts was to infringe upon the Spring's Court jurisdiction, by sanctioning the Freehold-wide banishment of Sir Cole. I assume the latter challenged the King's authority. In any case, don't you find the King was overstepping his authority? Queen Ingrid was the director", she interrupts her musings long enough for her audience to catch up, then she continues, "as you might have been informed, that edict came with an implicit threat. Afterwards, the King contacted our Court, inquiring about Queen Ingrid's behavior", she waves an index in the air, it was her Eureka moment, you could tell from the erratic dance of her wisps, "I know of Sir Fawkes' behavioral issues, but to think he'd be that violent, first attempting to murder Sir Cole and then hurting you" she gasps audibly, "I guess my preliminary assessment of him was truthful", she looks to the side.
"Why the Spring Court? Elementary, we were at the time the most numerous and remarkable Season", she could spin her web of logic, no matter how faulty the premises, "I think we should be careful. Our next step should be to assess the authenticity of the letter. If none of us can, then we should look for someone trustworthy to conduct the assessment"

[Sonnie Wu]

"Doesn't 'homely' mean ugly?" she mused out loud, "Something with 'green' it does sound good for a Spring Hollow, though. Oh! What if we combined the two? How does 'The Green House' sound?" Sonnie giggled, "Get it? Greenhouse? Like where you grow flowers? It's a double meaning!"

Back on the more dour subject, the Beast nodded, "Someone once said, 'Polite is what you say, kind is what you do.' I forget who said that. Me, maybe?" She shrugged.

The mention that the Director and Notary were both highly inactive, and that the Groundskeeper has long been an empty office, had Sonnie nodding again, "So I guess we're back on the classic freehold bullshit, right? Current season's monarch is in charge. You could say we've been back to that for a while now."

Suddenly, the monkey did a backwards somersault and rolled up into a sitting position, looking at Titania and Abraham, "I dunno how to verify Ingrid's letter. Do we have any calligraphy experts?"

[Seraphina]

Nodding, “I agree. Especially if it helps put anyones fear or worry at ease.” It wasn’t condescending, she would just do whatever it took to help ease Titanias mind.

She sits back down and listens as her fellow Spring talks. “Well, do we know if Circe wanted to crown? For all we know she could have just gave it to him, not wanting the responsibility.” It could happen, she didn’t know Circes mind when it came to being Monarch. “Ingrid was, but she never seemed to step in when it came to another Courts politics. If Price thought Cole was a large enough threat to not only Summers well-being, but the Freeholds as well, maybe she felt she didn’t need to. Hard to know where she stood on it.” A shrug. “And maybe he asked about her behavior because of how Cole acted. Maybe he feared there was something going on, food or water tainted or something.” If they were going to make stretches here, she could as well.

There was a sigh, “What happened between Fawkes and I was an accident. And if he intended to really harm me, he wouldn’t have called Price nor brought me to the hospital. But this isn’t about me.” Wanting to change the subject.

“Yes, we should be more careful going forward. How do you think we could authenticate the letter? I have no writing samples of hers, and the letter did come after I tried calling her. But I’m open to getting it checked.” Sure, it wouldn’t hurt. And if Titania was right, then they would have the proof.

“I believe Sasha was acting as Notary, and I know a few Lost who met with her when they arrived. As to Groundskeeper, I don’t believe anyone stepped forward to take it on. Though it sounds like it’s something we could use.”

Mentor Cole? Huh.

Chuckling, “The Green House?” a nod, “Nice little play on words there Sonnie. And no reason we couldn’t grow flowers.” Hedge flowers were a thing.

Shrugging, “I’m no expert with it, I can write in it, but not an expert. There has to be some Contract or something we could get from a Market. Well, if no one in the Freehold can help of course.”

[Seraphina]

Gentle bump