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The game continues straight from where we left off, the grand melee. Veronica sends Karl to help Aran with his armour and be his squire for the day. Idiot nmbr 2 (Hanshiro) comes to fetch Veronica and the share awkward small talk, lots of awkward small talk. Young Philippa bears the brunt of her responsibility as a young Justinian and carries Veronica’s battle-axe.

At the melee itself Aran asks for the favour of Harriet Hawkwood, despite getting the all clear and an eyeful of décolletage from baroness Phaedra. Veronica gives her favour to sir Kasimir Keddah, who is eliminated in the first round against sir Shem-Luuk Van Gelder. Sir Harlan Harrow asks for nobody’s favour and manages to down dame Jasminder al Malik in the first round. Aran defeats sir Trion of the Tower and then face off with baroness Ludmilla Decados. He loses his sword during his first battle and ends up fighting the second round with a broken sword. Aran goes toe to toe with Ludmilla as Shem-Luuk faces off with Harlan Harrow getting Harlan angry, hostile and aggressive in the process. He also gets a broken arm for his efforts.

After a long and drawn out battle between Aran and Ludmilla he manages to finally beat her. At this point sir Shem-Luuk is still holding his own but barely against sir Harlan. When Ludmilla yields to Aran, sir Shem-Luuk exchanges a look with baron Decados in the audience. When the baron nods sir Shem-Luuk drops his dagger and yields to sir Harlan. Then the two Harrows face off against each other. Aran gets a new sword but doesn’t get to keep it for long and after a few blows have been exchanged the battle turns into a wrestling match from which Aran rises victorious.

During the grand melee Phaedra wants to know why sir Harrow didn’t ask for her favour and Veronica placates her. Veronica and Hanshiro follow the melee and talk a little less awkwardly. After the melee Hanshiro escorts her back to her room and asks to writ to her and dance with during the ball. Veronica agrees to both. They arrange for the letters to be sent to Meori, so that they do not end astray, at Meori’s suggestion naturally.

Veronica goes to see Phaedra, who is still all hot and bothered for Aran and wants to know about that mysterious wife of his, is he even really married? Has Veronica even met his wife? Veronica discusses Aran with her and recommends that she be honest and straightforward with him. Then she discusses don Raul with Phaedra and finds out that brother Antonio and his lord both believe that the marriage is as good as done. Veronica denies this and Phaedra is flustered because she told her ladies maid, who in turn told probably everybody on the staff and sooner than later everybody in the castle will know. Oops, her bad.

Veronica rushes back to her rooms to consult Meori who calms her down and takes it upon herself to arrange everything. Meori goes to don Raul’s room and asks to see brother Antonio and attempts to explain the situation to him. Brother Antonio is as perceptive as a cinder block. Meori has a frustrating and repetitive conversation with the brother battle but finally manages to pull from the right thread. If all the eligible ladies think don Raul is engaged, then he will not have to opportunity to meet him. Brother Antonio’s eyes light up and he rushes to talk to his lord about the new development. Meori also manages to casually drop the name of dame Tyana as a prospective wife.

Veronica goes to the banquet with sir Brendan and tells him in advance about the rumour of her impending engagement and denies it. During the banquet Meori deftly introduces dame Tyana to don Raul and they seem to hit it off. Veronica receives a note from don Raul, where he releases her of the obligation of the duel. Veronica is peeved at how don Raul thinks that he is doing her a favour. She spends the evening getting to know sir Brendan. While Veronica and sir Brendan dance he asks her about Froggy and she tells him he stories of her ill-fated childhood pets.

When the baronial banquet table Phaedra makes her move on Aran and suggests they move to the bedroom. She is being straightforward and Aran manages to rebuff her as politely and gently a possible. Miraculously greater drama is avoided. After this Aran does some mingling and asks after sir Trion, whom he beat in the first round. He raises his glass to sir Harlan Harrow. Then he goes to see sir Shem-Luuk and they discuss the Grand Melee. Aran tries to test the waters and find out where sir Shem-Luuk’s fief is but the Van Gelder is slippery and Aran doesn’t get a proper answer.

Meori mingles and drifts quite accidentally close to where dame Tyana is dancing with don Raul, or actually teaching don Raul to dance, as he hasn’t really done much of that on Hira. Meori attempts to discreetly eavesdrop on the couple but fumbles and is noticed before she can hear any juicy tidbits. She talks briefly with brother Antonio and he says both he and his lord are very pleased with the young dame.

When Veronica and sir Hanshiro dance, the Li Halan wants to know Veronica’s intentions toward the other black knight. Veronica is honest with him and sir Hanshiro is happy that his attentions are still welcome. They discuss Hanshiro’s family and he tells her that his father believes that the only way for him to make an amends would be for him to go to a monastery.

Meori manages to find Harn on his own and talks with him. She finds out a little bit more about his background and history. Harn is a bastard of his mother from a small village. Sir Harlan took him in. She discusses other options and possibilities in life that Harn could have. They are interrupted by Harlan Harrow, who is suspicious about Meori, but she manages to diffuse the situation. Meori even manages to get sir Harlan’s permission to spend time with Harn. Harn expresses hope of escape from sir Harlan’s service.

Meanwhile Veronica is dancing with sir Daddy, who talks about his daddy and his daddy’s holdings and how much he and Veronica have in common because they both have daddies. Veronica also dances with sir Kasimir Keddah and hears all about his mighty axe. Veronica charms sir Keddah.

Meori walks around the banquet hall looking for something interesting and happens upon sir Harlan. He tries to intimidate her, but she isn’t intimidated. She asks him if he would like to confess his sins after all the violence in the tourney. Harlan is reluctant but Meori manages to persuade him. Harlan confesses an array of sins that are more and more horrible and shows no remorse. Meori gives him penance and decrees that his anger and hatred are so great that he needs to go on a pilgrimage and deal with his negative emotions, but he must do so alone, because his anger may infect people around him. Harlan gets seriously angry when he realises what has happened but Meori manages to talk him down. During his confession he also tells Meori a bit about the Harrow lands.

Meori returns to the banquet hall victorious and tells Stacy what she managed to do. Aran is dancing with baroness Ludmilla and he dances well, she is impressed. When he returns to the banquet table Meori tells him what she has managed to do. They become concerned for Harn’s safety and go looking for him. They can’t find him in the banquet hall or in Harlan’s rooms. Harlan himself has also disappeared. When they search his room they notice that he has taken all his weapons and money and left.

They initiate a search and Meori sends Stacy to find Veronica who isn’t in the banquet hall anymore. Veronica and sir Brendan have moved to the garden and are talking about their experiences in war when Stacy finds them. Stacy is almost hysterical when she tells them what has happened. They rush to the gates of the compound. Sir Brendan carries Stacy who is blushing a little, he is a Phoenix Knight after all. At he gates Meori gets them up to speed. She and Aran have managed to find out that Harlan has left with Harn in tow and he was heading for the agora.

They realize that they can’t possibly reach him in time, so sir Brendan commandeers a car. He also knows how to drive it. Veronica in the massive ball gown could not possibly fit in the car and so she needs to undress. They leave and drive as fast as they can to the agora. In the car Meori asks about a woman Harlan mentioned called Ciera from Aran who gets aggressive at her. At the agora they go straight to the muster and Cut handles the situation by asking about any incoming workorce, preferably a hunchback. Harn has indeed been brought there and Cut and Aran haggle a price. Then they buy him.

Everyone returns back to the Justinian compound. Harn is tired and confused but unharmed, he tells them why Harlan sold him to the muster. Meori arranges a room for him to stay in for now and Aran frees him, he is no longer a serf. Sir Brendan walks Veronica back to her rooms and she kisses him good night. She was impressed by his actions during the search for Harn.

This is where the game ended.

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