25th Session
General Summary
The session begins on the first full day at Elkhorn Court. Princess Eirianwen gets a tour of the grounds and production houses in the morning. The house staff knows who she is, but the production workers don't. Galla measures all of the party because she needs something to do and she gets bored sewing for herself, her grandson and the princess. The princess finds a copy of The Edict of Lumena Sovereignty and translates it for Theo so he can read an actual manifesto. She also answers some of his question about goblin population factors.
Ellie and Theo witness the princess turning in circles in the library and explains that there's an inconsistency between the blueprints the colonel sent her when he was building the house 450 years ago and the room now. Everything else is consistent including the unusually thick exterior walls and floors, but she figures out that the door to the locked storage room in the library is 5 feet to the west of where it was in the plan. She dismissing it saying that the colonel won't want her to pick the lock on the storage room or look into the door thing. She briefly turns her attention to the busts in the library and expresses surprise that the colonel kept one of the bust her uncle made (a man with a puffy collar) on display while the other 4 are made by another ageless one. She once more dismisses that saying the colonel and her father wouldn't approve of her doing art or thinking about the busts. Ellie and Theo check out the bot of wall in question and determine that there must be a hidden passage, but they don't have the knowledge, skill or drive to find it or get into the locked room.
Galla sends Ellie, Tasha and Caspian to Nova Epoch to buy some fabric for her. While they're there they also get a puppy to train as a therapy dog for the princess from the kennels at Ilknur's Academy for the Sensory Impaired which trains guide dogs for its blind students and the significant blind population of Nova Epoch. Elvio Alamilla, Caspian's step-father is the head trainer and gives them a guilty-family discount on an 8 month-old guide-shepherd mix who flunk out of guide training for being too friendly and a lead for her. Eirianwen loves her new puppy and names her Selima, "for she will be a comfort to me." Ellie has some success training Selima.
Mattis Roco shows up on the on the third day. He has two assistants who get a tour of the house and stays in one of the guest houses on the grounds. He has sessions with the princess and gives the party, Galla and Geoffrey the advice to keep her busy. She's a tricky case since she remembers everything so there's not the dulling of emotions that "Father Time" brings and she has psychological training from the same teacher as him. He loves the idea of the puppy
The princess insists on going sailing on the lake. The party gets to see her large clear, bright beautiful sky blue eyes.
On the 5th day, 4/14/8499 Galla says she received news that the colonel had flushed out who was behind the assassination attempts and he would be there in 5 more days to fetch the princess. They spend some more time at the lake. Ellie trains the puppy some more.
Four days after that, 4/18/8499 the colonel makes a grand entrance looking as dignified and stonefaced as ever. He demands to be taken to princess Eirianwen and dismisses the excited house staff. The princess is embroidering in her room, attending by Ellie and Selima. Colonel stoneface ushers Ellie and Selima out, ignoring the barking dog and Ellie protests, tells Ellie to ignore any noise she hears as the princess will be "enjoying herself" and locks the door to the antechamber. A very alarmed Ellie yells through the earrings for Theo to get up there as this is not right. Before Theo goes up the staircase in the library, the library doors open up for the very dirty, very exhausted Colonel Andrew Stoneface Goldblade. Theo calls him to arms and tells him that he is upstairs.
TLDR: The party spends time at Elkhorn Court. They get and train a puppy for the Princess. Caspian's deadbeat stepdad is a dog trainer in Nova Epoch. Mind doctor Mattis comes. After 5 days, Galla gets word that Colonel Stoneface is coming to get the princess. He shows up early and makes some off comments. Suspicions are confirmed when the real colonel turns up.
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