To the Honorable Agatha, Dowager Lady Wynthart.

  Dear Madam,

  I am perfectly aware that I am the last person you want to hear from at this given moment. My actions, unwise as they may have easily been, although the future will tell if that is the case or not; have caused you and your family untold amounts of harm that I take full responsibility for. And it is due to that very responsibility that I write to you. I understand if you throw this letter to the hearth before reading it, as your daughter, once you meet her again shortly, will tell you much of the same.

  She is innocent of all crimes I have accused her of. You know this already, but I declare it in writing, for you to also know that, out of the eyes of the public, and it must remain out of it until things can be amended for her sake, I hold nothing against her. She will only be prosecuted in name, and as long as it depends on my hand, no punishment will come to her, as she has done no wrong.

  Until the time for her trial comes, however, our plan was for her to remain in the capital, out of the public eye, but that strategy has proven itself faulty. She is in danger here and thus, we send it to you, back to her home where she belongs, so you can ensure her safety in much better ways that we are. She comes with a small plateau of agents, handpicked by me, and of my full confidence, that are ready to join your own forces for the sake of her protection. With her also comes a woman by the name of Maran Rabineau, who is there at her personal insistence, to also assist in such duty. She will also pay for everything that both her and the officers consume, so you need not worry about any scarcity caused by my actions.

  Outside of this, and in my own words, your ladyship, I must ask for your forgiveness. I cannot describe my actions at the time as wrong, fate will say if that was the case, as I have said earlier, and judge me through, if it is so, I will accept it and atone for it, but I want to believe that, for the good of us all, they were justified. I cannot ask you to do the same, however, if you are to hate me, despite the pain that would cause me given not only my own relationship to your own daughter, but the happy memories I have of your company, so be it. I will take that pain to my heart and live with it.

  I cannot explain why I did it, as it is something so far-fetched that I myself, and Miss Rabineau, who for the sake of transparency I must confess that is also involved, have questioned our own sanity several times. She is of the same mind as me, finding that, due to the harm we have caused Rose, it is our duty to shield her of the horrific consequences brought in to her, and to you, by our actions.

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  Rose, Lady Wynthart, is currently not in the most agreeable of mental states, I must tell you as much. Not only due to this horrible situations, but because of the events that have caused us to deem her status as unsafe. Events that are inexplicable and currently under investigation. They were frightful enough that not only her psyche but also her physique are in danger. The night before she was put on the train ride towards the eastern provinces, the suffered a complete nervous breakdown, past our conversations with her. She had a smaller attack earlier, surely from the stress regrettably caused by me, but this latest one has been the worst. The last time, as of writing, that I saw her, she wasn’t capable of speech and a doctor had to be called in. Her heart is weak at the moment. She is to spend the next two weeks in rest.

  During this period, I must ask for all forces to be highly vigilant. I have an investigator of my personal confidence working to find out who is threatening her, and the information I have available points to extreme danger, far more than enough for her to nor return in quite some time.

  Once things in the capital are ready enough for the trial, and she has recuperated sufficiently, I will send for her return. After which she will be formally acquitted of all charges.

  Due to this, I will be periodically communicating by eagle with you, giving updates on what is happening on this end. If you decide that you do not want to make conversation with me, something that, like I said, I fully understand, I will be communicating with Miss Rabineau instead. I must reiterate on her person, she is completely trustworthy and has the full intent to help your daughter as much as she humanly can.

  Once again, I must beg for your forgiveness in my acts. I will take full consequences of all of it, atone, and make sure that she suffers not only no further harm, but I will pay back every tear shed. I swear. You know me, your ladyship, and even if you no longer trust me, or do not have the highest opinion of me, which I know to be the case for quite some time, I still vow to it.

  With loving regards,

  He who you once called an honorary nephew,

  Rull Strovart de Lastria.

  [Letter, sent by eagle 4-4-937 to Wynthart Hall. Received.]

  [The same shipment also included a bank transference notice for the amount of 10000 Murls, A picture labeled ‘Maran Rabineau’, a medical report that certified the young lady’s current frail health and a document certifying that Lady Rose Wynthart could legally stay under house arrest in her family’s castle, Wynthart Hall. All of it had official government seals.]

  [Intercepted.]