"Marquis, you have graced us. We each rule half a land. But perhaps, through our friendship and understanding, Serault can be made whole again. To that end, I ask a boon."
"You have sheltered under our roof. You have enjoyed our hospitality. You have dined at our table. Will you return the honor? Will you invite me to feast with you at Château Serault?"
Decline Firmly
(Unlocked if In the Horned Knight's Debt) Even though you are in his debt.
Result: Twilight rises to 100, +20 Peril, remains Unwelcome, +1 Secret
3.
Decline Politely
(Locked if In the Horned Knight's Debt) The Horned Knight's ways are not your ways. It would be dangerous.
Result: +1 Secret
Results[]
1.
Guess who’s coming to dinner?
The fauns and dryads cheer your name. The Horned Knight bows his head, while his dryad queen hoots with laughter, shaking her head and clapping her stiff hands.
“Then I will see you at the Feast of the Divine,” the Horned Knight says. “And I will bring the Most Holy a gift.”
The Heartwood Feast is ended. A moon-blue wisp leads you to the edge of the woods, where you can see the warm lights of Serault Town glowing at the river’s edge.
2.
A collapse in relations
There is an uproar in the Heartwood Court. The fauns weep and the dryads rail. The Horned Knight stands still as an oak, allowing the clamor to rise. When it is a cacophony, he speaks.
“Leave, [Huntress/Scholar]. You have met our generosity with greed and our open hand with a closed fist. Pride was always the folly and Shame of Serault, and it runs as deep as ever. Begone. There will be no friendship between us until you learn humility.”
You are ejected from the court and left to make your own way through the woods, which moan under a dark, angry wind.
3.
A long way to go
The fauns and dryads mutter, but the Horned Knight silences them. “No. The Marquis is our guest, and under no obligation to me. Serault’s wound is deep. It cannot be healed in a single night.” He bows to you. “Perhaps, one day, we will be able to understand each other. In the meantime, I trust you will give my regards to the Divine and represent Serault to the best of your ability.”
The feast ends on a muted note. Wisps lead you home. It seems to you that they take you a long and difficult way. Dawn is breaking and the sky is thinning with blue by the time you leave the forest.
