Copyright © 2001 By Myranda Kalis
A letter from Jeanne-Maire de Havrecourt, Camarilla
Ambassador of the Rose to Milan, to her Sire
dated April 20, 1526
To my most honored sire, Thibaut d'Aubigny, Vicomte de Troyes, on this iiii Id. Aprile, 1526, from behind the walls of the city of Milan,
I give you my greetings and my earnest affection.
I write you this night, my fifth in the rebel Domain of Milan, in good health and spirits. My journey by sea was without incident and I arrived in good time in our sister-city of Genoa (assuredly a much happier place beneath the just rule of our Clan), where I gave, as instructed, your felicitations and greetings to our Clanmate, Prince Geoffroy de Saint-Denis. I have also, as you instructed, passed to certain persons the letters you entrusted to me and received assurances of the speedy execution of the instructions contained therein and of reports on issues pertaining to your interests. I immediately dispatched by courier my letter of introduction to Milan, indicating that I had arrived in Genoa and would, as had been previously arranged, be arriving in the city on xvii Kal. Aprile and requesting the traditional prerogatives accorded an Ambassador of the Rose.
His Highness, Prince Geoffroy, was the soul of courtesy and cooperation with both my person and my mission, and graciously lent me both conveyance to the borders of his Domain and an honor guard to provide me adequate escort, in addition to my own entourage.
Also, in Genoa, I made contact with and gave instructions to the guardian and assistant that was courteously supplied me by our most unfortunate allies. He was quite amenable to the notion of preceding me into Milan, and so that is how I chose to dispatch him.
The lands beyond Genoa are not wholly lawless, but have long been unpeaceful, he assured me, though he expected that I would not meet with any mishap provided I remained on the best-traveled of routes - which, in fact, I did and did not suffer any difficulties in so doing.
At the edge of the rebel Domain, I was met by a second escort, this group originating in Milan and captained by one Niccolo Frazzi, the very childe of the rebel Prince of Milan. Captain Frazzi is, I strongly suspect, of less than noble birth; he does not much evidence the polished manner and sophistication so evident in many Lasombra, though he is solidly loyal to both his sire and the Domain. The route he took me on, no doubt carefully selected for this purpose, led me to observe that the Domain of Milan is well-patrolled and assuredly well-defended, and any attempt to bring violence to its gates by means of mortal arms would be a bloody undertaking, indeed. Mortal condotierre, clearly in service, were much in evidence, as were other forces, possibly the personal retainers of Cainite lords interested in the support of Milanese independence. The city itself - its walls and gates - had the appearance of recent refortification.
My request for the traditional prerogatives of my Ambassadorial status had clearly been taken seriously by someone with a refined awareness of such protocols. I was accorded a private residence for my temporary haven and embassy, secured through the funds provided for this expedition, and marked in the traditional manner with a white rose to indicate a place free of worldly violence. Nor were the security precautions lacking, for I had been accorded a sizeable personal guard, a number of whom bore a curious badge - Gules, a dragon's head couped, within a ring of thorns Or. I was greeted at the doors by the house's intendant and his staff, who assisted us in our settling in. Upon examining the rooms set aside for my personal use, I found a letter addressed to myself from no less a luminary than the Lady Teresa de Leon, wife to the Prince himself - offering what assistance that she may in obtaining local assistance, should I require such, as well as appropriate viands.
As the night was waning, I refrained from making any other forays into the city itself. I thanked Captain Frazzi for his kind assistance and gave him a letter I had written requesting permission to Present myself to the Prince at his earliest convenience, then dismissed him. I also wrote to Lady Teresa thanking her for her consideration and arranging an appointment to speak with her concerning such issues as she might be capable of assisting me.
Before I retired for the evening, my heretofore unseen guardian presented himself to me again and made thankfully brief report of his activities thus far. A transcript of this interview is attached for your perusal, as is a letter in his own hand, which he indicated was for your eyes only. I cannot imagine what the contents of this missive might be, as my guardian was as secretive - one might venture to say, evasive - as his Clan is often reputed to be.
The reply to my request for Presentation arrived early the next evening, while I was still conducting my toilette. Even so, I did not hurry, taking the opportunity to write a note in reply and put myself in order before departing for the Palazzo dell' Aquila - which is, to be sure, an imposing structure that more than adequately bespeaks that House's wealth and power. I was greeted at its entrance once again by Captain Frazzi, who escorted me to the chamber where I was to await the summons into His Highness' presence. There were some few others also awaiting such summons, none of whom, unlike myself, appeared to be newly arrived to the city. I made amiable enough conversation for a time with a gentleman of the city, Bertram de Mauchaut, who is also of our Clan, and with one Messer Gianpaulo Bardi, the last surviving childe of the late Ercole de Hauteville. By a certain tacit understanding, we managed to avoid any unpleasant political discussions and passed the time, as I said before, quite pleasantly - until the last petitioner arrived.
I am certain that my sire recalls the events surrounding the gathering at Thorns, and the events also attending that Convention's bloody ending - the reasonless attack upon the hamlet of Silchester and the slaughter of nearly every living and unliving thing therein by the dissatisfied rebels not yet willing to surrender. One of the leaders of those rebels was, as I am certain you remember, one Myca Vykos, a scion of Tzimisce lineage I have heard associated with fallen Byzantium, who disappeared after the events in Silchester and was believed to be among those destroyed on that bloody field. It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that those reports are mistaken, for the Fiend still walks the night and, worse yet, dwells within Milan, where he seems to have some influence. He no longer calls himself Myca Vykos, but goes instead by the name "Sascha," which may explain some of the confusion surrounding reports of his demise. He does not much resemble the man he was at Thorns - but, then, what Tzimisce long continues to wear the face he was born with, when they can alter such trifles when the whim takes them? I knew him more by his voice - which remains both distinctive and wholly unchanged - and for his manner, which also remains unchanged, much to the discomfort of all. He is not, despite his currently amazing physical beauty, a creature whose company I would choose to seek out for he reminds me more of some species of hunting insect, cold and utterly devoid of some essential spark, than anything that was ever warm and human.
Signor Vykos was summoned first into the Prince's presence but the shadow he cast lingered behind him and stilled any further attempts at conversation. I was summoned next and announced with all appropriate ceremony to the assembled court, such as it was, as the Camarilla Ambassador of the Rose. His Highness Prince Marius dell' Aquila was, as I am certain you recall, present at Thorns as well and retained much of the same poise and magnetism as he possessed when speaking before the Convention - though he was much more courteous to me, when accepting my Presentation, than he had ever been to the majority of the delegates in that historic hall. His lady-wife, the Lady Teresa de Leon, sat at his side for this occasion, which I understand was somewhat unusual, as did his sire, Contessa Alianora dell' Aquila, the Elder of the House and its only surviving scioness. Lady Teresa is, to my understanding, a Lasombra of Spanish extraction and, it is said, a rebel herself of some infamy in her homeland. She seemed a staid and even grim woman with little about her that could be considered warm - to be sure, she did not evince the same unhuman coldness as Signor Vykos, but rather projected a sense of regal humorlessness that only a Spaniard and a Lasombra can adequately manage. By contrast, the Contessa herself seemed almost welcoming, or, at the very least, less wholly without sympathy or interest, and actually exchanged some words with me after the formalities of the Presentation were complete. I do not doubt the impression that she gave me was carefully calculated to play off her daughter-in-Blood's, but she made the effort nonetheless, and appears to be willing to extend diplomatic courtesies in return for those offered to her.
Of the other members of the House dell' Aquila I can say little for, in truth, I have not yet been formally introduced to them. Monsignor Dantini, His Highness' elder brother-in-Blood, is, from what I can discover, a devoted scholar and cleric, whose primary interest is the spiritual well-being of the Milanese Kindred community. The influence he wields within the city's politics appears to be insignificant, though he has been known to engage in certain levels of diplomacy in the past. I may yet meet him in such a setting and will naturally be attending the Mass he performs. I have not yet even glimpsed the Contessa's consort, Signor Jovan Ruthven, the so-named Warlord of Milan, as it appears that much of his time is consumed in the night-to-night details of administering the city's defense.
I have, at this time, an appointment to meet with Lady Teresa two nights hence; hopefully, I shall have more to report to you after those discussions.
I remain your loyal and obedient own,
Comtesse Jeanne-Maire de Havrecourt
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