And thus a portion of her questions were answered: how he had sustained his injury - through a bullet, although Philomel had already been roughly told those details; why the injury had occurred - it seemed that there was some form of coup in which funds had been stolen from the Brotherhood; and who had been the prepetrator - Arius, a powerful man of no small means, who had now fled, chased by the other villain, Storm, whom Philomel had also once counted amongst her friends.

Although had never loved. Never lain with. Never seen his body naked. Damn you Shinsou.

Feverishly she sat up straighter, grabbing a goblet before her. Swiftly, it was filled up with wine as Alois herself ducked forwards. The archer went to her own belt and pulled out a pouch of wine, pouring it before Philomel could go for the waiting decanter on the table. It caught the Matriarch off guard, but as she thought it made sense that the self-promoted captain of the Gilded Quint, her guard, would rather have her not drink from wine offered by the enemy. Philomel kept her shoulders rolled back, her eyes forward as she attempted not to look at Shinsou. Instead, she addressed the room in general.

"My primary purpose coming here is to arrange for the exit of your people from here. To, what we would term, free Tylmerande. Which," she held up her hand that was not positioned around the goblet as Brotherhood members began to protest, "is I know not how you would term it. However, for the Assembly, it is. The people here have had their lives overturned, and for things to return to normalcy and the city to return to the control of the Assembly is best for all. The faster this is achieved, the better, and yes, Mr Osiris, sirs and ladies of the Brotherhood, I understand that it will take time to dismantle your trade arrangements and so on that you have set up in the past - what, month of occupation."

She waved a hand as she swilled back the wine. It tasted it good, so rich and succulent in her throat. Nearby Percy of Herk, in a lesser seat and stiffer than her, made a small cough. "My lady ... if I may?"

"I want to address this Arius but yes," she waved a hand.

"It is in part to that which I now refer," he said, and his eyes did what she could currently not - they turned directly onto the handsome Shinsou. "You say you cannot guarantee that Storm will sign, and that he is away. So, does this mean that he has taken some warriors of yours with him? How long is he away for? Are we then to expect a delay on his behalf? Because he is not here to sign?"

Philomel raised her goblet to wince behind it, conscious with the amount of questions that Percy posed. They were complex, and many, but had also been on her lips. They were worded in such a way that was bitter and harsh. Yet, she was not quite blameless in this sector, having marched in and announced herself in a manner that was just as proud. Her wince therefore was also for her own behaviours, a hope that by coming here personally she had given the best for her country and her people.

Her people being in this case all Coronians, and also the Gilded Lily members.

But the danger was there, and it was real, in the form of Arius. If he could harm Shinsou and overcome Storm's attacks, then he was a foe she would rather have away from anyone. Preferably dead. A rogue faction was no use to anyone, especially not in the circumstances. An idea formed in her head, one that would perhaps show her willingness to work with these villains, but also to show her eagerness to get this awful chapter over and done with as soon as possible.

"And Arius," she said quickly, sighing internally. "How dangerous is he? If he really is at fault here, if he has attacked you and created a faction of his own, then that is another danger we can do without. If it is to take time for the Brotherhood to move out from here ... well we could do with ridding the entire land from any ill influence. To heal it as we survive through what has come of the meteor shower. In this case I am thinking that after we are done with the finer details here - and there is something else I should raise with you, or someone else - that if the Gilded Lily can, we will assist in finding him."

Immediately her side of the room exploded into shouts of protest.

"My lady, that is-"

"High priestess, this is not what Drys would-"

"Philomel - I mean Miss van der Aart - I am not sure-"

She raised a hand, asking for silence. And her face turned to Shinsou, right to him, her confidence built once more as quiet began to fall. As Alois stared at several people, her hand increasing in tension on her bow. As the Gilded Quint pressed around Philomel.

"Look, I cannot give you the Assembly's United Forces, but I can give you this. With only volunteers drawn from my forces. If we are to bring peace to this land again, it should be to all of it. Now, first let us address Sir Percy's questions, before any of you decide I am to be committed for insanity."