#1642hqtask

La Roche was a small man, unassuming and rather plain looking despite his name and its meaning. There was nothing rock like about that man but it was his name none the less. Perhaps that was what made him an effective spy master here in the french court and why when he stepped into a room quietly filled with opulent and lavish surroundings few if any paid attention to him. When he spoke though in a thick french accent the voice was not mousey or projecting meekness. It was a voice that commanded respect even here. Gesturing to the seat before him he motions for your character to sit as he begins his line of questioning. Even if well acquainted to members of his own court he asks the same. Whether you take the seat is your choice but the unassuming La Roche begins to ask questions and scribble down the answers not once looking up from their notations..

“You have been summoned here this day at the behest of the French court for an interview and we appreciate your cooperation at this time. Can you please state for official records your name, age and court position?”

There were so many things she did not mind doing, but being interrogated like a criminal was certainly not on the list. Still she took the seat offered, maintaining her calm and composed posture as she looked at the man she had added onto the list of men she disliked in France. The sooner she was done from this, the better. “Sofia Leon. Twenty-nine. Crown Princess of Spain.”

“Prior to the debacle of the dance floor where had you been?”

“I was participating in the fashion show that was being held next door to the dance floor. We heard a scream coming from the room where the dancing was happening. Hence the show was interrupted and we quickly made our way to the main room. The rest,” she said, taking in a deep breath as she recalled the fiasco on the dance floor before continuing, “the rest is history.

“Had you noticed anything during that ordeal that seemed personally amiss to you other than the obvious?”

“My attention was on the activity on the dance floor. The only thing I took notice of was the way my precious pearl necklace was torn away from my neck, all the pearls scattering along the floor as that fool tried to chase the dog. Maybe you should investigate what a dog was doing on the dance floor too,” the princess suggested, still visibly pissed off by what had happened. It was a precious piece of jewelry, a treasured gift that had been destroyed along with her dignity and her pride.

“Where were you when the body of the Italian king was discovered and where there witnesses to where you were at the time?”

“In my chambers, of course. I was getting changed into a new dress after the one I wore was torn in the debacle. My ladies were accompanying me, and my guard, Sir Santiago, was standing guard outside my chambers’ doors.”

“Who or what do you personally suspect could have contributed to the unfortunate demise of the Italian king?”

At his question, Sofia had to stop herself from scoffing. For an investigator, he certainly had no way of getting information out of people. If anyone knew, they would not answer a question so directly. “It is not my place to speculate. I believe it is your job to find answers to such a question. Although I am more than certain it was not the plague. If that was the case, other people in the Italian court would have been affected by now, and possibly others from different courts too. We saw how quickly that disease spreads after all.”

“How did you personally feel about Italy’s position in the last five years to six years?”

Sofia held no feelings towards the Italians. She understood that luck was on their side, that their losses were minimal compared to other nations. Jealousy, however, was not a feeling she allowed herself to feel. What she disliked was the way they flaunted their luck and their attempt to use it to gain power. “Luck was on their side and their losses were minimal in comparison to most nations. I cannot harbor any feelings towards luck. As far as I am concerned, Italy and Spain have not been at odds.”

“What reasons would you have to harm the king, if any?”

His next question made Sofia’s eyebrows raise in unison, as she started at him in disbelief. How did he have the audacity to ask such a question? It took all of her willpower to not toss insults in his direction. “None whatsoever. The King and I were not acquainted with one another. Like I said, Spain had no issues with Italy. As long as my country is safe, then I have no reason to harm anyone. King of Italy included.”

xueqin

esfp-a  ,  entertainer  —  92%  extraverted  /  8%  introverted  ;  29%  intuitive  /  71%  observant  ;  43%  thinking  /  57%  feeling  ;  22%  judging  /  78%  prospecting  ;  69%  assertive  /  31%  turbulent

gryffindor

type  7  ,  enthusiast

candor

maria

enfj-t  ,  protagonist  —  56%  extraverted  /  44%  introverted  ;  52%  intuitive  /  48%  observant  ;  22%  thinking  /  78%  feeling  ;  88%  judging  /  12%  prospecting  ;  40%  assertive  /  60%  turbulent

hufflepuff

type  2w3  ,  host

abnegation

valentine

entp-a  ,  debater  —  63%  extraverted  /  37%  introverted  ;  69%  intuitive  /  31%  observant  ;  79%  thinking  /  21%  feeling  ;  44%  judging  /  56%  prospecting  ;  79%  assertive  /  21%  turbulent

ravenclaw  &  slytherin  mix

type  5  ,  investigator

i. MALIA J (COVER) - SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

she's over-bored and self-assured, oh no

ii. BILLIE EILISH - ALL THE GOOD GIRLS GO TO HELL

standing there, killing time can't commit to anything but a crime

iii. ARCTIC MONKEYS - OLD YELLOW BRICKS

looked so miffed when you wished for a thousand places better than this

iv. DESSA - MATCHES TO PAPER DOLLS

if you're asking i can't say no

v. PENELOPE SCOTT - RAT

i bit the apple 'cuz i loved you & why would you lie

vi. FOE - MOTHER MAY I?

I see something in the desert in my mind hot sun burning down, burning our innocence

vii. THE INDELICATES - OUR DAUGHTERS WILL NEVER BE FREE

 it's not god that made you this way

BONUS CHILDHOOD TRACK

vii. MATILDA THE MUSICAL - REVOLTING CHILDREN

“You have been summoned here this day at the behest of the French court for an interview and we appreciate your cooperation at this time. Can you please state for official records your name, age and court position?

Mena sat herself upon the rather uncomfortable chair with her natural grace and poise, her face perfectly calm and willing to cooperate in order to get this entire interrogation over with speedily. As per her experience in tragically suffering through the grief of losing a family member to murder, they more than emphatised with the pain and trauma that the Italian royals were going through currently. The pain and haunting feeling of lost would never truly go away as she herself was still dealing with the lingering after-effects of the trauma and the small scars of it upon her heart, soul and mind. However she knew that the seeing justice served would help lift a great part of those burdens away to a degree and thus, she was determined to help in any possible. Except she wasn’t entirely sure if she trusted any other court, excluding her Russian court,  to not be a suspect in this particular case. And that extended to her interrogator himself. 

“Menaswarthi of House Subramaniam, age four and thirty, and I am a Duchess in the Russian court.”

“Prior to the debacle of the dance floor where had you been?”

“Actually, I’ve been on the dance floor the whole time, monsieur. I’ve been there every evening of every soiree and in the middle of every dance available,” Mena’s  scarlett-blossom lips couldn’t help but to crack a bit of an entertained smile as a bit of sparkle entered her originally inscrutable eye expression. For the highly passionate and soulful dancer couldn’t help but to reminisce on the exhilarating and indescribable pleasure each dance gave them for the past two weeks. 

“Had you noticed anything during that ordeal that seemed personally amiss to you other than the obvious?”

Immediately from the back of Mena’s buzzing brain flashed the image of the vial. That mysterious vial that had been crushed by the Dauphin as he slid across the floor and possibly the very accidentally dropped item that had caused his foot to have slipped as well in the first place, Mena reasoned. Despite the chaotic flurry of movements and the bustling of the crowd around, Mena’s eagle-eyes had not failed to pick up on that item that should not have been present at the dance floor in the first place. Why was anyone even carrying a vial to the middle of the dance floor in the first place? Even any physician in attendance or a noble needing some sort of medicine to help them through the evening would have been careful enough to either stay in the corners and sides of the room or place it somewhere safe and out of reach before attempting to dance, or at the very least, dance more to the outer fringes of the crowd, where there was less of chance of an accident happening to their precious tonic. This puzzling item had been pressing on Mena’s mind for the past couple of days.

She almost thought of bringing it up to La Roche.. however, her usually distrusting and wary nature, halted her from doing so. For her own safety and that of her family, she would investigate that tiny clue by herself. Mayhaps she might divulge that information to a member of the Italian royals. Someone she could somewhat deem honorable, after some initial assessment and personal investigation towards their background and character first of course. She was far from naive to think that someone would not stoop to murdering their own kin just to work their way closer to the throne , even if the idea of that made her blood run cold and heart firing up in disgust. 

Hence, Mena took on the appearance of trying hard to rack her memories for anything of significance. However after several moments, the duchess let out a small sigh, her body language showing the sign of giving up after some hard searching. “No, I can’t seem to recall anything amiss. I’m sorry,” she gave a sincerely penitent look to accompany her words. 

“Where were you when the body of the Italian king was discovered and where there witnesses to where you were at the time?”

“I was already fast asleep , alone in my own chambers at that time. As for witnesses, I suppose my own guards outside my door and my lady-in-waiting would be the only ones available to attest that I retired very shortly after surviving through those fireworks. Oh and the fact that I am currently residing on the highest floor of the southwest wing and my publicly known fear of heights should also be another alibi,” Mena gave a small wry small. 

“Who or what do you personally suspect could have contributed to the unfortunate demise of the Italian king?”

At this question, Mena leaned back on her chair slightly. A slightly crooked but obviously amused smile was playing on her lips. “I suspect the what is quite obvious at this point, isn’t it, monsieur? If it was due to a sudden and fatal medical condition, I am sure the royal physician would have aired his thoughts publicly on that by now, if anything at least, to relieve and minimize down the burden of the possible unknown. If it was the plague, we’d be all taking swift action by now, for after 5 years of terrible suffering, do you believe that any of the French medical staff here or anyone old enough to remember the nightmare, would be foolish enough to not recognise a single sign of it on the deceased’s body? And no, sadly, I do not know who to place under suspicion for the assassination of the Italian king. “ Mena spoke that last sentence decisively and clearly.

“How did you personally feel about Italy’s position in the last five years to six years?”

Mena gave a small but elegant shrug of her small shoulders. “Indifferent. However I am very grateful and thankful that the Italians sought to lend as much aid as they possibly could to the other countries that were in dire need.”

“What reasons would you have to harm the king, if any?”

“None,” Mena answered point-blank. 

Upon the answer of your final question La Roche looks up from his notes to raise his hand before clearing his throat to make a small statement. “Please understand we do require you to stay here on the ground while we are conduction our investigation and that any plans involving travel in the immediate future be cancelled. The French court will handle this matter but we may require your further cooperation. Please send in the next individual, we will keep apprised of our findings once we are concluded” With that he bids you farewell and one can’t help but wonder do they truly suspect murder or is it the plague returned?

Never had Astrid imagined something like this would happen, a kind dead in the middle of a party surrounded by other royals, True, the party had went off the rails suddenly but a death was beyond any other thing that had happened that night. Honestly she was a little surprised that she was being called to be interrogated, of course she understood why but that didn’t mean part of her didn’t feel it was unnecessary and annoying. Regardless once she was summoned she made her way to the interrogation and sat down garcefully.

"You have been summoned here this day at the behest of the French court for an interview and we appreciate your cooperation at this time. Can you please state for official records your name, age and court position?"

“Astrid Henriksson, queen of Sweden. twenty seven.” She answered simply, she found it somewhat rude that the man wasn’t even making eye contact but let it pass.

"Prior to the debacle of the dance floor where had you been?"

“I was at the fashion show.” Oddly it was then when she had started to have a little proper fun and then everything went down. She decided to keep her answers as concise as possible, there was no need to ramble and she wanted to leave as soon as possible while still be helpful.

"Had you noticed anything during that ordeal that seemed personally amiss to you other than the obvious?"

“Not really, Some were already rather drunk but no one that I saw was acting in a way that would raise suspicion of any kind.”  Honestly no one she had seen or interacted that night had been acting in any way that she would think was off, but if the king was murdered, maybe whoever did it was smart enough to not do anything suspicious.

"Where were you when the body of the Italian king was discovered and where there witnesses to where you were at the time?"

“I was at the dance floor, about to leave for my chambers, and yes there were plenty of people around.” The thing that had stopped her from leaving was the whole chaos starting.

"Who or what do you personally suspect could have contributed to the unfortunate demise of the Italian king?"

“Well, I rather not start creating theories without confirmation of what happened, it feels very contra-productive to just start creating speculation out of nowhere.” It would almost be like gossip and a man had lost his life, she of course had thought of things but for now she would keep those to herself

"How did you personally feel about Italy's position in the last five years to six years?"

“Frankly I didn’t give Italy much thought over the past five years as there were more pressing matters to take care of than being overly concerned with a country that is rather far from my own.” She knew Italy was one of the countries that didn’t suffer as much and truly she was glad for them since she didn’t want people suffering but yes, she didn’t particularly cared about Italy and how it was doing during those times.

"What reasons would you have to harm the king, if any?"

You have been summoned here this day at the behest of the French court for an interview and we appreciate your cooperation at this time. Can you please state for official records your name, age and court position? the empress nodded, “of course. i am the empress of great joseon, hwang hui seojeong. thirty-five years old.” she replied, already feeling tension in her brow. she understood being questioned was a formality, but it felt wrong all the same. there was something to be said about interrogating a guest for anything, let alone what very well could have been murder.