((Joint-IC between
@luc124 and myself.))
The Funeral had ended, and the body of the late leader now rested underneath the great Cathedral of the city, and out of it, came Cornelius. The recently appointed minister to the Warendorf family attended the funeral, not only due to his recent employment, but also due to his long family ties with the Warendorf’s. He saw a large crowd of people, many important officials, officers, merchants, anyone important in the city was there, to pay their last respects to the late head of State. He kept looking at the crowd, trying to find some familiar face, someone he could talk to, he walked through the crowd, making small talk with some merchants, talking about politics & etc. Soon, in his front, came Twan Van Buren, the son of the old Master of Coin, he remembered what Torsten told him, he wasnt there only to pay his respects, he was there on a mission. He approached Van Buren, and started his mission.
“Van Buren, Sir” said Cornelius, “It is, a great honour”.
Twan was kinda surprised. Someone was honoured to meet him! He was merely an officer!
“Hello. If I recall correctly, I have never met you before. May I know your name?”
“Quite so! My name is Cornelius Von Staden, you’ve likely not known me since I spent the last years abroad, however, you likely know my father, Master Augustus Von Staden?”
“I have sometimes heard that name yes. Good to meet you, herr von Staden.”
“Do you have a moment to spare? I must discuss with you something of importance, only if you have the time of course”.
“Of course I do have time to discuss something of importance.”
“Please follow me”.
Cornelius started to walk, and Van Buren followed him, with both man walking at a slow, yet confident pace.
“What do you say of the late Statthalter?”
“He was a good Statthalter, and it truly is terrible that he had to die so soon.”
“Quite a tragedy, yet, life must go on, and we have other matters to attend. Tell me, who will you support, in the next election?”
“Most likely Torsten von Warendorf.”
“Do you have doubts? Or is he your final choice?”
“I do not doubt my choice, unless the situation changes significantly I will vote Torsten von Warendorf.”
“Great, for that eases my point, I am a studied man, Herr Van Buren, I have a Law degree from Padua University, and I travelled through most of Europe, so I can say I have some Idea of the right and wrong choices. The Choice of supporting Herr Torsten is the right one. He holds you in high esteem, are you aware?”
“I was not that aware, as I have not met him a lot.”
“I have recently come into his employment, he talks great wonders about you, says you, and your family, are vital assets to the city! And he wishes to know if you will support him in the upcoming election, I suppose the answer is a Yes?”
Twan didn’t trust what the man said. Did he really just suggest that Torsten didn't trust him to vote for him? “So Torsten doesn’t trust me to vote for him? And instead of meeting me personally, he sends someone else to do it for him?” Twan was visibly quite angry at what the man had said.
“I was not sent by Herr Torsten, Herr Van Buren, I wanted to know of whom you were to vote in the Election! My house is a great supporter of House Warendorf, Herr Van Buren, I was not sent by anybody! I am here in my own way, I was not dispatched here, I truly believe herr Torsten can do the best for this city, and such I came to you in order to see whom you were voting for, Herr Torsten would be glad to meet you at anytime, if you are interested in talking with him, I would be glad to organise such an encounter! Please, my good sire, I am a man of Honour, of an Honourable family, I do not act as a Courier, only in my own ideas!”
Twan overheard this man ramble on and on, and he didn’t follow anything the man said. “Tell Torsten that you have made me rethink my choice to vote for him as Statthalter. If he wants to meet me, that is fine by me. But to not trust one of his closest allies to vote for him makes me doubt my choice. Have a good day.”
Twan walked home, ticked off by the trust that Torsten didn’t have in him. He would reconsider voting at all, maybe even voting for Haas instead…