| Details for Wine and Strategy |
| Summary: | Magnus meets with Emrys to arrange a legal defense for his upcoming hearing. |
| Date: | December 12, 1937 |
| Location: | — |
| Related: | St. Mungo's Mayhem - Vials Unleashed |
| Characters |
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An great horned owl arrives at Emrys's residence bearing the following message:
"Mr. Snowdon,
As you are certainly aware, recent events at St. Mungo's in which we were both unfortunately entangled have made it necessary for me to seek the help of a legal professional. Several of my relatives and acquaintances have spoken of you with the highest praise, and so I am seeking you out as my first choice as a counselor and to provide defense at the upcoming hearing to which I will be summoned. If you are interested, please meet me at the Bramham Gardens Restaurant in Earl's Court on Monday the tenth; we can discuss matters more thoroughly there. Otherwise, an owl with your declination would be appreciated.
With respect,
Magnus Troy, Ambassador."
Several days later, on a warm and rainy evening, the diplomat is seated at the back of the well-appointed restaurant in a simple black and white suit. A privacy screen provides a good degree of shelter from the rest of the patrons, and a bottle of red wine has been set out on the table, along with two glasses. The man waits patiently - it's still several moments before the appointed hour - and takes a few delicate sips of his drink as the minutes roll by.
A few moments before the appointed hour, then, Emrys arrives. There's an inclination of his head as he approaches the table, dressed in a black suit. "Ambassador Troy. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Magnus glances up with a smile when Emrys appears. He nods in return, his pale eyes appraising the other man before he reaches for the bottle of wine and pours a second glass. "Mr. Snowdon, thank you for meeting with me. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." Emrys settles into the opposite seat with a smile. "It was…a great honor to receive your owl, Ambassador. I've been following your situation since the day of the unfortunate incident with an eye to who the case would be assigned to. I trust you're well this evening?"
"I'm glad to hear it. Since you were present when the trouble occurred, I thought it would help you to realize the severity of the circumstances." He offers the barrister another polite smile. "Yes, I'm doing very well, thank you. And I trust the same could be said for you, Mr. Snowdon?"
"Oh yes. Things are going quite well for me thank you, Ambassador." Emrys murmurs, polite smile matched with polite smile. "I certainly do realize the severity of the circumstances. Honestly I'm not even sure why we're having a hearing, except for the sake of tidiness I suppose."
When a waiter approaches the table, Magnus orders oysters and smoked salmon appetizers, then waves him away so that he can resume the discussion. After taking a sip of his wine, he continues: "I agree, of course, although it's understandable that they must take this all as seriously as possible. I'm not entirely familiar with these types of legal proceedings, at any rate - is there anything you need from me now, in regards to forming a legal defense?"
"Well, I don't know about now…you may prefer to do this in the office rather than over dinner. Although I brought some stationary just in case." Emrys begins, once the waiter has left. "But the process will be like this. You'll talk me through your memory of events, we'll note it all down. We'll discuss questions I'll ask, and questions the prosecution might ask, and practice some of those. We'll talk about any witnesses we'd like to call, then I'll meet with those witnesses separately and prepare them just as I've prepared you."
Magnus nods slowly and raises his hands to steeple them on the table for a moment before he sets them back in his lap. "I see - that sounds relatively straightforward. I think I will take you up on your offer of covering the necessaries in a different setting, however - my appetite is never very great to begin with." The ambassador leans back, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "I know it's premature, but I would strongly recommend Miss Rhyeline Diderot as a witness. She was present, and I think she will make it clear to the authorities concerned that the situation was more than desperate enough to warrant my actions."
"We'll set an appointment, then, and you can come into the office and we'll get it all taken care of." Emrys nods, apparently willing to be as accommodating as necessary. "Miss Rhyeline Diderot. I shall make a note of that, and then find her once we've discussed things so I understand her role in things. But it's definitely promising you already have a witness in mind."
"That sounds perfect," Magnus replies, clearly pleased with the arrangements as well as the succeeding appraisal. The waiter returns to drop off both of the appetizers, and the gaunt man waits until he's finished and has departed once more to pick up an oyster and tilt it back with flourish. "Then, Mr. Snowdon, shall we enjoy a meal together before we have to head back into the rain?"
"Indeed, Ambassador." Emrys agrees with a warm smile, relaxing somewhat as they move away from work related topics. "And once we have enjoyed our meal we can set a time and date for our next meeting. I'm looking forward to working with you."