"Let he who is without sin..."

["Matthew Myers" <hiddgold@hotkey.net.au>]

A short but intense RP in which Scaurus expresses his newfound hatred for
the slave, Malia/Ceile, whom he blames for the recent death of the Princess.

Emerald Suite -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)

        These bedchambers seem surprisingly warm and intimate after the
grandeur of the foyer. The antique theme is continued, but with much more
understated and less flamboyantly decorated pieces. A large canopy bed, its
frame and posts of the finest handcrafted rosewood, dominates the chamber.
Adding to the sense of warmth is a gorgeous, vibrant hardwood floor which
contrasts sharply with the granite and marble floors in most of the palace,
and is undecorated in any way save for the natural fire in its grain. Large
picture windows, trimmed in a similar ancient wood, open to the western
palace gardens and allow the warm yellow evening sunlight to stream in
unfettered.

Players:
 Malia
Exits:
 Ornate Door <W> leads to Eastern Hallway -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)

Settled in a chair she's pulled over to where the window is situated, its
back to the door, Malia has her knees drawn up so that her feet are able to
settle on the seat with her. Her arms are wrapped around her knees, and she
seems to be holding something, looking down at it...from the angle a person
enters the room at, though, it's difficult to tell what it is.

His usually dour self, Scaurus enters the suite quietly, and blinks,
standing at the doorway. Malia is noticed, however the Treasurer looks about
the room almost dubiously, before approaching the slave woman and rasping,
"Gone merely a day and yet her place is already taken. By a...friend." The
last word is uttered disdainfully, and Scaurus stands several feet from
Malia, staring at her quite openly.

Whatever she'd been holding is instantly put away as the door to the room is
opened, and Malia is on her feet, turning in the Treasurer's direction. "No,
my Lord....the Emperor had ordered me to stay with the Princess from the day
I arrived," she answers quietly, head lowering.

Scaurus turns his back and scowls, wringing his hands for a moment, "I see."
He merely states, turning his head slightly to look at the elegant decor of
Jenaa's room, "I underestimated you. I think, to an extent, so did Her
Highness. She didn't think you capable of..." he trails off, walking to the
side of the bed and running his hand along the rosewood frame, "Well. I
don't think we need to delve into what you're capable of."

Malia blinks, her head coming up and a genuine look of horrified confusion
passes over her face. What's she been accused of now? "M...my Lord?" she
whispers, swallowing afterwards. She doesn't move, simply stares.

Scaurus turns viciously, spitting the accusation toward the poor slave,
"This wasn't her mess to sort out! -You- weren't her problem!" His eyes
narrow with rage, hatred, and he clasps his hands together tightly by his
side, his knuckles turning white, "And you've achieved -nothing- other than
bringing more mess; disarray to this House and others!" he turns back,
snorting, "However did you manage to get back here? They should have thrown
you back into that pit for what you did to her...betrayed her!" he turns his
head again, gritting his teeth, "Killed her."

Malia closes her eyes, and though she'd love to run and hide, she remains
where she is. Her head lowers, and a shudder runs down her spine. "I loved
the Princess, my Lord." she whispers. "Like a sister...if...if I'd known..."
She falls silent, drawing a deep breath before beginning again, "If I could,
I would take her place in a heartbeat."

"So you should!" Scaurus replies immediately, "You're not yourself anymore!
You're not some favoured concubine under a kind old Emperor! These are
different days, -slave-!" he makes his way over to one of the windows, spice
saturated eyes staring outside intently, "You'll not pull me into your
antics, Malia. Don't think for a moment you'll find help from me...not after
what you managed to do with Her Highness. -I- don't intend to sacrifice my
life for a -worthless- cause!" He clasps his hands behind his back, and you
can see his knuckles are white. He's wringing them, brushing finger against
finger, harshly, "Damn your impertinance! I warned you that no good would
come of this...but neither of you would listen to me."

Malia lifts her arms slowly and wrap them around her torso as she's ranted
at, and rightfully deserved or not, she doesn't say a word. A thin gold
chain hangs down from her right fist, but she seems to pay it no mind.  Not
a sound comes from the slave, but if Scaurus were looking at her, he might
be quick enough to catch one of the small droplets that fall direction from
her downturned face to the floor.

Scaurus throws his hands in the air, "Damn these hands! They're hot, so
hot..." he growls, wiping his hands along his robes. It's then that he
manages to turn his head, seeing Malia's tears and places his hands in his
pockets, "I cared for you, Malia. I held you and wiped your tears, and so
did Jenaa. She died. Just like everyone else you've touched..." he purses
his lips, "You see what love does to people? It makes them stupid, weak! It
puts them in situations like that foolish Moritani idiot who was sentenced
to Salusa for striking me!" The hands come out again and he wrings them once
more, before going over to the bed again, running his hands along the
bedpost, "Who's your next victim, Malia? Me? The Justiciar? The Chancellor?
Maybe even His Majesty?"

Malia swallows, silent yet again for a long moment before drawing a deep
breath, shuddered slightly though it is as she struggles to keep the emotion
out of her voice, "I am, my Lord."

Scaurus scowls again, lip upturning, "Don't make me laugh. You wouldn't give
up yourself and let your child live its life with the Harkonnen. Why stop
when you've come so far already, eh?" He takes a few steps towards you,
leaning in with a face full of mockery, "Finally feeling guilty, are we?"

"I am afraid, my Lord," Malia whispers, resisting the urge to move backwards
as you approach her, and continues, "I...you do not know what I have felt
since the day Ceile was sold to the Harkonnen's. You do not know what made
me do what I did...how I had no where else to turn. You...my Lord, you could
have helped the Princess, more than I. And yet...you...you choose to stand
back and allow her to take that risk rather than to do so yourself." Where
this is coming from is impossible to say.

Scaurus waves his hand through the air, voice raising, "-You- were neither
of our problems! And what precisely would you have me do? Proclaim to the
Universe that some petty slave who sent the Princess to her death and an
unreliable whore of a Harkonnen guard made claims that His Imperial Majesty,
the Emperor of Known Universe, had designs on the head of his sister?" He
laughs hollowly, raspy voice crackling as he speaks, "Oh no, Malia, I'm not
suicidal! Who do you think would believe such a thing, eh? I myself don't
even believe it! You would do anything to gain your child, break any
boundaries, destroy any life!" Despite the professions of Malia's guilt,
Scaurus' hands slip out again and he rubs them once more, grumbling to
himself, "Itchy! So itchy..."

"I did not mean now, my Lord...but before." Malia whispers, and then,
catching the mutterings, she glances up, watery grey eyes peering through
her lashes. "M...may I look, my Lord? I...I may be able to help..." she
offers, though she doesn't approach you yet.

"NO!" Scaurus exclaims harshly, turning around viciously upon you again,
"You've helped enough!" He rasps, "I offered to be nice to you, I offered to
purchase you should the circumstances allow! And you repay me with your lies
and deceit and treachery and -greed-!" he points, accusingly, "Yes, greed,
Malia! You care nothing but for yourself and for your child! Nothing for the
state of the Universe, how it could be affected! Nothing for our noble
Imperium, or the Ginaz who now stand at the hangman's noose because
of -your- mistakes!"

"I have offered the Ginaz what I can, my Lord." Malia whispers, even as she
takes a quick step back as if to put some protective distance between
herself and you, her head ducking as her eyes one again close. As she moves,
that chain hanging down from her hand catches the light, glinting silently
as if winking defiance back at Scaurus.

Scaurus shakes his head, turning back around. He doesn't seem to care in the
least about the chain, the Treasurer far more concerned with his rage, "And
what can you possibly offer to a Great House of the Landsraad?" he says,
hands running over his forehead, where little beads of sweat have collected.

"Nothing compaired to the Princess, my Lord...though the Marquis does not
seem too upset with her loss." Malia adds in a whisper, another shudder
drifting down her spine.

Scaurus brushes the air with his hand, "Of course he doesn't. He more than
likely used her as all the others did." He's calmed down a little now, and
the wringing of his hands have stopped. The Treasurer then takes a step
backwards, away from the window, and turns to look at Malia again, "Why are
you here?"

"Because it is where the Emperor ordered I stay, my Lord." Malia answers
quietly, not having turned this time to face him, merely remaining as she
had before. "Until he decided otherwise."

Scaurus sighs deepy at this comment, and after a short pause, makes his way
to the door, "Let's hope that he decides otherwise soon, for the good of all
the Palace," he rasps, looking at you icily, "For once in your life, Malia,
stay to yourself and stop making so many difficulties. We'd like to keep who
is in the Palace -alive-." He says with the sharpest edge upon the cutting
words as possible.  And without a second look back, opens the door and
exits.

Scaurus leaves the Emerald Suite for the Eastern Hallway.
Scaurus has left.

As she can't see Scaurus, but believes him to be gone, Malia turns back
towards her chair, and whispers to herself, "Oh, Jenaa, I'm sorry..."


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