Geoffrey makes his way into the apartments so that he can speak with his cousin. Going through all the formal steps so that he can speak in private. Such things should not be spoken about in public.

Fortunately, the procedure without Aubrey de Vere in office is much smoother than it had been. Simply voicing the interest to the guards lets you into the receiving room, which is tastefully appointed and has a broad table for conferencing and looking over documents. Richard comes in half a breath later from his bedroom. He seems concerned about the scrap of paper he is tucking into his belt, brow furrowed.

He looks over at you. "Cousin," he addresses you in a flat sort of way. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"I did, my king," he says with a bow to the King. "I am aiming to start a family finally. And to that end you have given an opportunity for a better future," he says. "For that future family, I have organized and arranged support for the crusade, in the hopes you might be generous enough to provide for that future."

Rather than speaking aloud the number, he passes a note with the offered amount written.

D4, Earl Event, Passion Love (Family), TN 16: 1d20 20
Madness incoming

Richard picks up the note and takes a look at it.

"Huh." He looks back up at Geoffrey. "And who put up this money, cousin? Crehen is a nice place, but not this nice. Let's see if I can guess."

The tension is gathering in his shoulders. "My sister-in-law and my brother. Yes, that's got to be it. She's your sister, too. That's family. And you're my brother's cousin. Perhaps even more his cousin than mine."

His fist impacts the table with a sound like a thunderclap. "Don't think I didn't see you all buddy-buddy with that snake! If you think John is going to provide you cover for whatever villainy you and your sister have planned, think again! He'll be scurrying up here like some kind of mutant rat to tell all, because he thinks I'll make him heir out of his turn. That's the sort of slime you put your faith in! Family? Pah."

He spits on the floor. "Vipers, all of 'em."

The bright eyes of his cousin, the hair and features. It was almost like speaking with the grandfather he never knew from the images and likenesses he's seen. And the oncoming outburst from a much lower ranked man was likely something the King did not see coming.

"That is our family!" He leans in towards the King, putting hands on his desk and staring up the few inches he has on him. But Geoffrey was no small man either so there was no intimidation from their difference in size.

"Firstly, no, your brother John has nothing to do with it! I have no villainy in my heart for you, or for any man, that I would need any to cover for! I have sworn to you as my king, but I have been bound to you, your father and your brother as my family for my entire life! I would protect either of you as surely as I would my sister! And I would never scheme to bring harm to either of you!"

His grip on the edge of the desk tightens. "Secondly, yes, my sister Constance does support me in this, but not out of desire to plot against you! Again, she is family, and we watch out for each other! To have the means to further assist her and protect her children as best I can, including the boy you name heir!"

Geoffrey continues his verbal onslaught not letting his own king get in a word. "Third, the others supporting are the Aubignys! Because I have sought one of their daughters' hands in marriage and they care enough for family that they would see her well taken care of! I asked their support in this so that my future wife and our children can be happy and secure!"

His eyes are a bit wild at this point. "Never suggest that I would be disloyal to my family! In my mind you are my cousin first and that means more to me than your title! If you wore no crown I would still die in your name! Do not question my devotion to my family ever again!"

With that he finally lets off verbally, but he doesn't budge from his spot, knuckles white on the edge of the desk and face full of anger. It seemed his tirade aimed at his king was finished for the moment.

Richard's expression darkens, but his tone is quiet and calm.


"You'd protect us both? Who would touch us? Essex? de Vere? There's none left who'd so much as raise a finger. Just us, Geoff. You, me, Mother, Connie, and John. And don't think Arthur will hesitate to knife you once he's old enough to hold it steady. He'll do it or he's no son of Plantagenet. And you'd defend us all? From each other, then; there's no one else. You'd defend him even from me, is that it?"

"He'll only do it if he's raised to do it. Only if he's given mind and reason to do it. Will it make you feel better if you pull your sword and plunge it into my chest? Will you see one less dagger? Do it."

Geoffrey pulls open his shirt, tearing buttons away that clatter on the floor, then puts his arms out wide.

"Right through my heart. It's waiting. Reason through that cousin. Tell me how I would betray you by bleeding out on your floor."

Richard looks directly into your eyes and sucks his teeth.

"Fool, who do you think you are talking to?"

He takes out his knife and throws it on the table. "I'll be no kinslayer today. Not four days into my reign. No matter how tempting you make it. Now clean up these fucking buttons; I don't want my dogs to choke."

He looks at your scrap of paper again. "Look, you taking the cross or aren't you?"

Geoffrey moves to collect the buttons. "Not everyone in your family is a viper. And yes, I would protect all of you from each other if needs be."

"I'm not taking the cross myself, but I am sending knights and fighting men with the Earl of Arundel. You'll get on fine without me there. I'd rather busy myself back here so your country is in better shape than you left it when you return. I can serve you better with my mind than with a blade."

"Not accusations, just frustrations. Like any mother she wants all the time with her son that she can get. And I don't blame her for being frustrated with that," he replied. "And leave John to me. When you two talk you just piss each other off. I'll see if I can get a better read on his ambitions and discourage any foolishness."

"I know his ambitions! He wants to fuck his cousin and take the throne! I'm guessing on the order."

He heaves a sigh. "I'd take John with on Crusade if I didn't think he'd find a way to fuck it up."

"Then take him and leave him in charge of Outremer during the fighting. Hard to fuck up a mostly empty camp and he won't be a headache back home," Geoffrey suggests.

Richard shakes his head to the negative. "Outremer's got too many Kings already. You heard of this Montferrat business?"

"Not I'm aware of the place, but not of any recent news. Complications I assume?" he asks.

"So we see if we can't get him married to someone else," Geoffrey suggests. "Or get her married to someone else. What's it going to take to put a wedge between them and get them closer to different marriage prospects?"

"Can't help too much on that. I get the news a bit later than most so I'm only now catching up with most of this stuff. Crahen doesn't get too many visitors," he admits. "Most of my news comes from letters, and they take forever."

"Yeah. Gonna have to knock some sense into some people, it seems." He looks up. "Alright, good talk. Got your bid. I'll have the guys come by and pick up the pounds. Now, is there something else you want to get off your chest?"

"You ever come to hate me? Constance or John? Never had difficulty on that line cousin," he replied, offering a hand clasp over the desk.

Richard takes it in his powerful hand, applying pressure as a natural consequence of it being his.

"Give John time; he's always bit the hand the fed him. Just ask dad."

"If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to live my life expecting it though. I'd rather smile in God's light than worry under a heavy heart," he replied, separating and bowing before heading towards the exit.

If he had anything else to say Geoffrey was listening, not about to walk out without giving his king a last word if he wanted it.

/scene?