CALLI E-K: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW PT.1
To really understand someone, you need to know where they came from. Finding out key defining moments in their lives can give you insight into their behaviour.
Calliandra Eudicot-Kalissreavil was born into a noble family. Her father, Perishial Kalissreavil, is an Half-Elven ambassador from the Mierani Elves. Her mother, Mimosoideae Eudicot, a Human diplomat of the Korvosan court. It is not uncommon in Korvosa for trysts to occur out of wedlock, especially not where her father and his entourage is concerned, and she is the second of their shared children. They have a large number of half-siblings scattered through the realm from father’s official visits. Marriage is of no interest to either parent for being single offers them a wider range of negotiation options, and they co-parent in amiable harmony from separate homes. Her older brother Archidendron and her split their years between the two households to ensure they were well versed in the traditions and culture of both their lineages.
They learned all the things proper young children should learn, with a heavy emphasis on their parent’s diplomacy. How to flatter, how to plant ideas and make it seem like the listener’s own, how to compromise, how to be so charming everyone can’t help but agree, and how to lie for the greater good. They were taught the arts, history, languages, and the various rules of etiquette. They learned to make friends fast, they learned their place in society, and they learned not to embarrass their families. That last point didn’t go so well.
From the private journals of Calliandra, aged 13:
”I think Archie has taken a lover. He sneaks off all the time now and when he returns his shirts smell of floral perfume and musk. I don’t know why he’s trying to hide it, I don’t think father would care. He’s fully 16 now, all the kids go a bit lovestruck at that age! He needs to be more careful about his timings, though. If I hadn’t distracted our nightwatch tonight they’d have caught him sneaking back in his window for sure. He’s lucky he’s got such a great sister! “
Same journal, two weeks later:
”Something terrible has happened. No one’s telling me anything but Archie hasn’t come home and every time I approach a room I hear the grown-ups speaking in frantic whispers. There was a messenger early this morning and Father stormed out wearing his stations of office. When I ask their eyes are awful all filled with fear and pity. They won’t even let me leave to meet Daesha for tea! Well. This will never do.”
“Terrible was not a big enough word. A travesty. A tragedy. I slipped out and went to listen around all the best gossip spots to see what I could learn. They’re saying Archie KILLED someone! ARCHIE?! That just can’t be true. He’s being held in a cell like a common criminal and they’re not allowing visitors. Mother and Father managed to delay any sentencing and are demanding more of an investigation, but supposedly there’s a witness that came forward the next day. It just doesn’t make any sense. What did the witness actually see?”
“I found him. The witness, I mean. I found him! His name was in the paperwork on the case in father’s study, some fisherman from the other side of town. I couldn’t think of why he’d have even been all the way out there- Archie, not the fisherman. I asked Oriel if she had any ideas because her father’s a merchant who does a lot of trade over there and she claimed she was told some of the older teens had found a brothel that would let them in to watch the stage shows. So THAT’S why Archie didn’t want father to know! But what did that have to do with murder? The report indicated Archie was found with blood down his shirt by a Hellknight, and Archie then led them straight to the body. That clearly doesn’t sound like something a murderer would do! I need to speak to the fisherman.”
“Absolute scandal, we’ve all found ourselves in such a drama. You’ll never believe. I managed to find the man and corner him when he was on a break so I could get him alone. I said I wanted to hear the rumour and paid him for his story. He tried to say he was on his way home from a pub when ahead he saw my brother arguing with another man before Archie stabbed him and ran off. The fisherman was afraid to call out and get stabbed himself, so he waited a day to come forward and describe the man. It will not surprise you to learn that he was lying. It was almost true, and the man wanted badly to be believed, but I could sense something in him that wasn’t right. So I did what anyone in my position would have done- I cried.
It was beautiful, I wish there had been someone to witness the display. My eyes filled with tears, my lower lip wobbled, and I gripped my heart with both hands. Jonas, for that was his name, did not expect this from the young girl in front of him and it completely caught him off-guard. ‘I had to hear it for myself, sir, for the murderer is my own brother, and without him I don’t know how I’ll manage.’ I had taken the precaution of using makeup to hide the face-marking my mother passed down to us to ensure I didn’t tip him off too soon, and with this revelation I wiped my tears through it revealing the wine stain across my cheek. There’s no mistaking the family resemblance! ‘Our parents are always too busy for us, so he’s looked after me. I just don’t know what could’ve driven him to violence, he’s always been so kind!’ I did feel a bit bad lying about Mother and Father, but Jonas lied first. I sniffled, and I slumped against him, and layed my head against his chest. ‘Oh sir, I know you were only doing what was right, and justice must be had, but allow me a moment of grief for myself!’ I thought I might have laid it on too thick at that point, but I swear it was almost like I’d cast a spell on him!
His own eyes teared up and he said a very low word and then confessed it was a fib! He begged my forgiveness. Apparently what he saw was another man stabbing the victim- a local monster by the name of Gaedren Lamm. As Gaedren turned to flee he’d run straight into my brother who emerged round a corner at the worst possible moment. This is how my brother got the blood on him! Gaedren kept running right past Jonas and away. Jonas recognised the villain, knew his reputation, and wanted no part of it so he ducked down an alley and away. He would’ve pretended he had never been there at all but the next morning he was visited by Lamm and a goon, some champion muscle, and told that if he valued his life he would step forward and point the finger at the posh boy he’d bumped into. I reassured him I understood how terrifying that must’ve been and thanked him for being brave enough to tell me the truth, so that whatever happened to my brother I’d at least know in my heart he’d been innocent. My kindness was exactly the push he’d needed. ‘No, damn it, Gaedren’s terrorised us long enough. I’m going to come clean, maybe we can finally put him away!’ Well. It couldn’t have gone better. I gave him a huge hug, and a few more coins, and started walking with him towards the Hellknight station. He told me I should head home, the area wasn’t safe for young ladies alone, and that my brother would be home by nightfall. I can’t wait to tell everyone over dinner how I helped!”
“Jonas is dead. Archie didn’t kill anyone, but I can’t help but feel like now I have. Apparently there were people keeping an eye on the station in case he had a change of heart, and he never made it to the door. That poor man. He was just scared. And it gets worse. They had to let Archie go because the witness died, but wouldn’t officially clear his name. When Father brought him home he was the angriest I’d ever seen him. I tried explaining everything, but for some reason he just got mad at me, too. He said because Archie was somewhere he shouldn’t have been our whole family had been shamed, and now because I did the same a man was dead. But if I hadn’t have gone we’d never have known the truth. I don’t regret what I did, but I think he regrets saying it. He tried to take it back, but you can’t recage words already spoken. He said it’s good Archie wouldn’t have to suffer for a crime he didn’t commit, but that public opinion wouldn’t be so quickly saved. It’s horrible. They’re packing up his room now, Archie is being sent away! Mother is here to say goodbye, I can’t convince anyone to listen to me. They say no one will believe the kid sister making up words of a dead man to clear her brother. They’ve said maybe in a few years Archie can come back when everyone’s forgotten. My heart is breaking. Archie says it’s fine, that he wanted to travel anyway, and that he looks forward to meeting his cousins. He’s putting a brave face on it.
Forgive the smudges, journal. I’m crying again. For real, this time.”
End of Part 1.
