They mentioned her weapon. How curious… Unfortunately for them, Gerard heard every word. He acted natural when the elder Troy came over. "Oh, well I don't see why not. Did negotiations fail with the little miss over there? Your brother wasn't pulling any cheeky business, if you know what I mean? Some women don't respond well to winking and smooth words." Of course he was joking, but he couldn't let them know he knew Eden. That would ruin his facade. He patiently waited for Brigard to pour him a sample of the wine he was talking about and watched. Once he was done with the general niceties, he'd slip off and plan his next course of action. Eden wouldn't have acted unless something tipped her off, but he said nothing to her. If they were to talk, they had to go somewhere private and away from others' ears.

He accepted the sample and first swirled it in the glass, taking a whiff. He had done a little reading on wine and tasting etiquette, so it wasn't hard to play the part of an aficionado. Indeed it was quite tart and acidic, however there were notes of something else in there that wasn't orange. Spices perhaps, but he didn't bring it up. "It's tart, but refreshing. I'm surprised that it isn't sweeter. Well that'll be all for me today I'm afraid. I've already broken my promise on holding off on tasting until after the judging." With the courtesies over, he left and returned to the lines of stalls. As much as he wanted to bring Eden along with him, that man would know if they left together. Acting covertly was quite a pain sometimes. After building up the pretense of idly browsing, he casually went over towards one of the tents where the special guests invited to judge this year's wine entries were staying. The guards stopped him and asked what business he had here, and that was when he decided to drop the bomb.

Grex Troy was nowhere to be seen, so Gerard stated boldly: "Sirs, I would like a word with the judges. I believe there is a high possibility that someone has entered this year's competition using stolen goods. Surely you've heard the cases of many contestants being robbed by bandits on the way here. It wouldn't be unlikely that a less scrupulous person would take the opportunity to claim another's credit for themselves." He wasn't naming names just yet, first he had to get them to cooperate in performing an investigation.

The guards looked at each other questionably as they tried to figure out how to act before a female voice came up, saying, "Let's hear him out," before coming into view. "He is a commoner around these parts and we have become quite acquainted. Though I do wish the dear could simply relax and enjoy himself for once. Maybe then I can call him more than a simple acquaintance." It was a firbolg speaking as she walked around to give Gerard a hug for a greetings. "My, you look exhausted. The trip this year must have been rough. Come now, let's go see what this claim is about, shall we?"

However, the moment they were away from earshot of the guards, her demeanor did drop a bit to a more serious tone. "You do know this is a heavy accusation. If you cannot prove confidently that the goods were stolen, I can easily call this as a move of sabotage and disqualify your batch before any tasting begins. Are you sure you want to continue on with this?"

It did not take them long to return back to the booth… though now with multiple guards trying to pin down the beast girl. She tried her best not to harm any of them, but she was not afraid to break any holds against them. "Stop resisting arrest!" one of them demanded before being quickly tossed to the ground.

When they were out of the guard's range of hearing, he crossed his arms and looked at the firbolg. "I wouldn't be bringing it up if there wasn't any base for it. Besides, I'm not the only one who thinks there has been foul play this year. If I have to step out of the competition, then so be it. My driver almost died on the way here and the same could have been for me. Some of the regulars from last year couldn't come because they were robbed blind. If someone truly has been using stolen goods, there's bound to be something off compared to the rest of the participants."

Hearing the commotion he apologized to the tasting judge before going over to see what was happening. The guards were already trying to take Eden, so as he arrived he called out loudly. "Hold it right there! What is the matter? Why are you putting her under arrest?" One guard spoke up after picking himself off the ground. "We've been told that she's been harassing one of the stalls. When we asked her if it was true she gave no answer. Now if she would just cooperate-" He moved out of the way as another guard was thrown down. "Who reported this to you?" Gerard asked. Though in reality he already knew the answer. "One of the Troy Brothers asked for assistance. Said she's been stalking him and such." Came the reply. The bard sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid the man is mistaken. This woman is my bodyguard. I asked her to help me find the Troy Brothers' stall and come back to me when she did. The fair grounds are quite packed, so by having us both search at once we'd cover more ground that way. She's also mute, so you'll have to excuse her. It's easy to misinterpret her intentions because she can't speak."

 With the group present, he turned to the firbolg judge. "You've asked me to prove my claim from before I believe? Then allow me to present my case. I happened to find something quite interesting at the Troy Brothers' stall today." Once they arrived at the stall, he prepared for the worst. He was sure Grex and Brigard–if that were their real names–wouldn't be too keen on allowing them near the barrels once they knew why they were here.

The firbolg judge listened to her defense while watching the scene, catching the item around her neck, giving Gerard a slight chuckle before commenting, "My, my. I would have expected a man like you to deal in that type of business… Have things gotten bigger since last year? I know hired hands for the job are few and far between, but this?" However, the chuckle she gave off did give off a hint at her more joking about him picking up a slave before calling out, "Alright, boy! At ease! I am sure our dear here thinks she is fighting you in self defense. She means no harm, right?" There was a bit of silence between everyone before the guards stepped back, lowering their guard, though a careful eye just in case. Eden responded the same way, giving them room of trust. "See now? That's a good girl…"

"Claim?" Birgand suddenly spoke up, hearing Gerard. "What claim do you speak of?! Wait… Does this have to do with what I served you, earlier? Me, being a courteous host and in return I am to be accused?! The shame, good sir!"

"Now hold it, Briggs," she told him, quick to stare him down and quiet him up. "He is calling you out upon stealing the goods from other participants who cannot partake this year. Should his defense hold true, your will be detained by the guards here and your barrels forfeit. However, should he fail to prove you guilty, his supply will be disqualified for attempted sabotage against the competition. Being a regular, it places his name at risk for future years, so you can say you both have the same on the line.

"Now then, Gerard, what is your case?"

Sarcasm and quips aside, Gerard got down to business. "There was nothing wrong with the wine you gave me as a sample, it was your barrels. They're uneven, not just one but all of them. As a wine-maker no one would put their stock in barrels like those–especially ones which are meant to be showcased. It's not a matter of appearance, it's about the quality. When you age alcohol in barrels part of the wood cask's flavors enter the drink and vice versa. Even if you had purchased and shipped the wine from a small independent brewery, the casks would have been in better condition!" Taking a pause he let his first point settle in. "If you doubt me, then have the men check all the barrels." Crossing his arms, he looked at the wine casks from where he stood.

He was just getting started, and had more ammunition to use. "If you wish to know the other points in my reasoning, then allow me to present them to you." Turning to look at the Troy Brothers this time, he asked. "By the way, can you name all the varieties of wine you have in those casks? I don't mean just what they were made from, I'm talking about the specific name and date for all the aged alcohol. If you had bought them from someone, you should know these details by asking. The producer would have told you the wine's properties and subtle characteristics before selling them to you." This point was based more on speculation, but it was vital. It could prove just how much these two men knew about what they were advertising. If they didn't know enough, then that would raise the question of how they obtained their stock. And there was no excuse to say they weren't informed even if they didn't make the wines themselves.

There was an air of silence as the men were stunned. "Well?" the firbolg stated, staring down the brothers.

"W-Well, when you have so many types of drinks to offer, it makes it hard to really remember all the fine details. Being our first year, we did not think of it as too important to remember. Please, forgive our ignorance."

There was another break of silence before the Firbolg stated, "Well, I can figure it would be hard to memorize, but most craftsmen, no matter the trade, remember the hard work of their most prized crafts. Why not offer one to our guests here? A third party, so to say. One that has no connection to either party, and yet is fair enough to be able to get the most out what they were offered. I would offer myself, but being a judge, I would have to taste everything blind, and if such ware is in the running, then my opinion would be diminished, and thus ruin my position as a judge. Ah, the world can be cruel at times."

Even as everything proceeded, Eden's eyes watched the pair shake. They were under the spotlight, trying to keep their cools, but it was not enough to be able to smell the fear from them as they headed over to prepare a new glass for whoever they decided to be a judge.

"Here we are then," Grex said, placing out a new glass in front of them. "A pineapple wine fitted in a cherry wood barrel, used to hint at the marriage at the two diverse flavors. Aged for twenty months."

A man was called over to do the tasting. He was someone Gerard had seen every year at the festival, and he had quite the reputation for being persnickety. Just as persnickety as the bard was himself. Percival Reginald Fauntleroy was known as a distinguished connoisseur of strong drink, fine and crude. To say he had good taste would be an understatement. He once was asked if he would like to one of the judges, but he refused stating he did his tastings for the art of fermentation and brewery, not for the public opinion. Sir Fauntleroy was rail thin with a large pointed nose atop a short yet impeccably trimmed mustache. His mouth was concealed by his facial hair, and he was beginning to lose his already-white hair. Pushing the small spectacles up the bridge of his proboscis, he took the glass and inspected it.

"Hrmph." Came his initial reply. Swirling it in the cup he took a deep whiff of the scent. This was to let the wine heat up and thus release its fragrance. He held the glass up to the light to observe its color and clarity. Finally, he tipped the glass and took a sip. The rim disappeared beneath the bushiness of his mustache, and he paused to savor the flavor. "…Hrm!" Nobody else had any idea what that was supposed to mean, but it seemed everything was fine so far. A few more sips and he put the glass back down, dabbing his mustache with a handkerchief. "I do say, that was quite the delightful little glass I've tasted." Gerard and the judge waited for him to continue, but when he didn't Gerard prompted him. "…And? Anything else?"

The man held up a finger as he finished drying his mouth off. "It is as they say, a delicious concoction of the sweet notes of pineapple, with the tinge of cherry wood and a hint of coconut. There's another aroma there…ah yes. Vanilla! A sprinkling of vanilla, likely strained out as to not leave flecks in the drink. It's almost like the sangria by the Navarros that ranked in the top twenty last year. They always strive to blend a bit of their Mamlak heritage in their drinks, as was their motto when they were interviewed." His remark was enough to raise eyebrows, as Gerard inquired further. "And how would you know if a drink was made by the Navarros?" Sir Fauntleroy folded up his handkerchief and tucked it into his breast pocket. "How, you ask? Why it is quite simple. All of their entries in the past have included vanilla. And theirs always has a rich floral fragrance to it when it wafts by. However when chilled that becomes dampened, thus the couple suggest serving it a room temperature for the best results."

"Well there you have it. You heard the man. Mister Percival here pointed out the uncanny similarity of this pineapple wine to the Navarros' passion fruit mango sangria." Gerard stated, motioning to the half-finished glass. "What do you think of this, Lady Judge?" 

"W-Well what if we were simply inspired by the Navarros? Are you saying its wrong to try and mimic a craft before making it your own? They never used coconut before in their drinks, so what's not to say that is our own touch on it?!" Brigard was steaming furious while trying to mask his nervousness. However, Grex could not handle the pressure and began to run. "Grex!" he called out, though the guards were quick to get in between.

"I say, the most guilty are always the runners," the firbolg chuckled as she watched Eden give chase, leaping over the crowd and in front, causing him to freeze before Eden was quick to turn about, clenching his face in her grip.

"Oh gods, not again… please not again!" Grex's body was frozen solid in her grip as he muttered to himself like he was caught in a deja vu. "My head hasn't recovered from the last time. Please, I surrender, just please do not slam me down again!" She paused for a moment before tightenning her grip a bit, causing him to shrill out. "LOOK! I surrender! See?!" He forced his legs to work jsut to get on his knees in front of her before placing his hands on the back of his head. "Do what you will… as long as it is not that again…"

Gerard was satisfied to see that his suspicions had been confirmed, as the younger man balked and fled. He was quite enjoying the scene of the thief being caught red-handed when something the man said tipped him off. What did he mean by 'again'? Wait, that couldn't mean… His smirk of satisfaction changed into a scowl, and his eyes flashed with rage. The surrounding air at once became frigid like the first days of Glaciem as he was boiling over with anger. The remaining pineapple wine in the glass began frosting over as the glass started to crack. "So it was you." He began approaching Grex slowly, with a menacing glare. "You're the ones who put a knife in Grangier, and tried to steal my barrels." 

Turning his head back he gave Brigard a death glare. His teeth were clenched and his knuckles were bone white from how hard he was clenching his hands to keep himself from impaling the man with an ice spike. "You'd best cooperate with the guards, because if they won't deal with you–I surely will." If he stayed in the Troy Brothers' presence any longer he'd freeze the fingers off their hands, so he turned on his heel and waved dismissively. "Now they've been proven guilty, do whatever you want with them. We're done here. I'll show myself out, before I do something regrettable." He went over to Eden and tapped her on the shoulder lightly. "Good work catching these two. Now they'll get the attention they duly deserve." 

Everyone seemed frozen solid from the rage Gerard emitted (even if he chose not to actually freeze them in ice). It was not until the firbolg commanded, "Detain them, now!" before the guards snapped out of it, wrapping the brothers in rope before hauling them away To whatever guards remained, she pointed at them and said, "Clean up this stand. We will work to find whose cargo this belonged to and pay them back for the damages. You, make sure whatever remaining goods get investigated carefully. All shipments for the brothers will be detained as well for suspicion of theft.

"And Gerard!" Walking over, she curled her arms around him, whispering, "If you ever need to let out some steam, you are free to come to my room at night. I'm always willing to lend an ear to by beautiful guests." Getting off, she gave a wave to them before taking off, leaving whatever staff hands available to tend to the rest of the chaos.

When Gerard returned to Eden's side, she nodded to his comment before letting out a long yawn. Its amazing how long the day had been with all the commotion and attacks. It was only now did her body realize what the time was starting to look like… Or was she in some way drugged? ….She highly doubted the latter.