John
**Queen Lucrezia Scheer and King Dennon Bigsby
Grunewald Castle**

"Is there going to be breakfast or not?" Lucrezia asked during the break.

"I don't know, and I'm not going to ask during an attempted murder trial." Dennon said, slightly annoyed that she wasn't focusing on the situation at hand.

"Ugh. I'd hate to imagine if this trial had been over something serious. Then I'd be *Starving.*" Lucrezia leaned back in her seat, dreaming about a breakfast that she feared would never come.
Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
The Council Room

He pursed his lips, "Justice, Mikhail." That was all he would say of it.

The boy had inspected the cup quite thoroughly, but when he eventually did decide to drink, he downed half of the cup. Bradai smiled as the water nearly ran down his cheeks. "When was the last time you 'ad a cup of water?" He asked, reaching behind him grabbing the vase of water from Ollie's hands. He refilled the boy's cup himself and leaned forwards.

"Angelica is your muvhers closest advisor. As I'm sure you're well aware, Advisors exist to 'amper what Kings and Queens like to do, and instead suggest what vhey _ought_ to do. So..." The Pirate King leaned in closer, whispering to the boy, "Why do you fink she gave your muvher vhat knife?"
Lawrence
Ivagneth Wrencrest
The Council Room

Ivagneth shrugged at the question of which kingdom she would choose. She liked Petaltongue and could speak it which what she was told was an ostensibly native degree of fluency, and based on what Father had told her of his days of being a student in the east, she imagined that Araedia would be a very lovely place once she outlawed the worship of their patron demon and abolished the grizzly Trials.

"I'd be honoured, Sir Heath." She looked in Bennard's direction and snorted. "The Northshore. Father would be over the moon." Her eyes lingered there, and something seemed to have struck a sombre chord in her. 

Before any comments could be made, however, she returned her attention to Heath, and said with a somewhat appealing look, "Sir Heath, I'm afraid I can't contain my curiosity. That woman ... I thought shifters were made-up to stop children from straying off into the woods. And yet, the Grand Duchess said that that woman turned into a wolf. A wolf! And you, Sir—you *Know* That creature?" Her face screwed up with a measure of incredulity. "You know her by *Name*?"

Kallophon Dikegora
The Council Room

Though Kallophon was playing the melancholy melody with perfection, he still found it deeply discordant with his gut feeling. His true audience was meagre, and upon contemplation of what he was doing, he realised that playing an ode to the god of death as what was essentially background music was probably both sacrilegious and flat-out distasteful. Cringing at himself, he decided to end the tune a bit early, making up a passable coda on the spot.

His eyes danced around the room. Strumming in the corner wasn't getting him anywhere near the goals that brought him here. He wanted to make useful connections, ideally even friendships. Scanning the room, one person caught his eye in particular: that Islander musician with his hurdy-gurdy. A unique instrument, but not one that was unfamiliar to him; it implied an attractive flair of personality.

Kallophon stood up and made his way over to the Islander. He held his lyre as he walked, and strummed a simple, repetitive tune that was easy to play without paying much attention. His foot hooked around a free chair, which he dragged to the Islander's side. Sitting down, he gave the man a nod and a smile. "Good day, sir. I love that instrument of yours. Quite a powerful sound, in my experience."
Edith
**Admiral Retto Elbaroda**
**The council room**

He had been right. The council certainly hadn't been boring. Arguments and Paladins and Stabbings, oh my! Up until the Duchess of Astoria stabbed the shifter for good measure, which he could understand her motives, he hadn't said much. If these mainlanders really could do nothing but insult each other and argue, they should have just dueled each other already, and saved everyone's ears from the trouble. If someone were to disagree with him, quoting the need to show 'civility' and manners,' well, where were they? Retto certainly hadn't seen any in that throne room. At least the Astorian Duchess had done *Something* Other than sit around arguing and insulting. He was honestly amazed that the mainlander countries got anything done at all when all of their leaders had no agency save for when their fragile egos were bruised. 

That "Cooch dame", who was clearly Nickles, hadn't done shit but speak insults, but that wasn't special. Since when was it that the 'savage' islanders were the only ones with their traps shut? 

"A' leas' 'is mother actually up an di' somethin' unlike th' res' o' th' mainlanders, your highness. Their egos are so fragile, y' could sha'er 'em jus' by lookin' a' 'em funny." 

Elbaroda nodded a greeting to Mikhail when he sat down before turning back in his seat, when a familiar face approached him. "Ah yes, th' mainlander bard." He replied with a smile. The Islanders were his kin, but the musician in front of him was a kindred spirit. "I appreciate th' complimen', my frien'. Tha' was quite th' entrance, there earlier."
Lawrence
Kallophon Dikegora
The Council Room

*Mainlander.* The Islanders had such endearing language. He reflected on how he had come into the room, immediately insulting Spitza. His eyes briefly drifted over to the monstrosity and its master. A twang of hatred sounded inside of him, but he suppressed it and turned his attention back to the Islander.

"Thank you. I was glad to see that our occupational right to poke fun in court is respected even in Taemar, despite the many cultural quirks they've put on display." He glanced at Bradai. "Your king seems busy today."
Edith
**Admiral Retto Elbaroda**
**The council room**

"Ye are quite lucky tha' Gregor was, an' rather bold t' jes' a' 'is eh... Guard's? Expense. 'specially after I 'eard 'e was abou' t' string ye up a' th' dinner. Ye go' guts, an' I can respect tha." 

He rubbed his neck as the bard mentioned how busy his king was. "Aye, tha's true. 'e's been busy. Bu' who isn' today?. Wha' a way t' start th' council."
Shelly
Charity Lane
Vallen, Taemar

Charity didn't slow her momentum at all when she approached the Grand Duchess, taking her in a big hug. With the Duchess' display, it was obvious to Charity that Anya was in need of more comforting than Charity could give in the 10 minutes of allotted break time between the trial and the real meat of the Council. But a hug was a start, "I'm overjoyed to see you alive still, after current events. Did you get my package?"
Katherine
Anyanka Durkhan
Vallen, Taemar

Anyanka hadn't expected the collision of an embrace, and she gave a soft 'oof' on accident. Charity hadn't meant to bump her shoulder, but it happened regardless, and Anya was glad the woman couldn't see the result of the sting on her face. 

Instead, she melted, hugging the woman back. "Package? No, was there something supposed to be delivered to the room I'm in?" She asked, it was possible there had been a delivery, but she'd not looked into it. "Oh, do you mean the wines? Yes, I did." Somehow, the Queen had managed to pull the anger from her head in just a few words. "I brought a few with us, as well as a return gift. I figured it best to do so in person instead of having them waiting for you when you returned to Terresol."
Dianne
Emelia Cloverbloom
Road from Vallen, Taemar

Emelia had been taking inventory, holding Chauncey her goat in her arms, frowning all the while. She was running low on a certain medical salve, which wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't also running out of a key herb that went into it. She looked up from her work when she heard Marsila and peaked out of the caravan window. "Give me a moment, I'm not decent". She set the black baby goat on the floor.

She came out of the caravan a few minutes later decently dressed in trousers, a shirt, vest, and scarf, as well as her signature hairpin. "Nice to see you again Marsila, hope lifes been treating you well", she took one look at Arin and sighed, "Let me guess, idiot got into a fight? Hope he didn't get hit in the head, because if so the fact that he's sleeping is a bad sign". 

She starts walking back to the caravan and gestures for them to follow, "Bring him in. I'll look him over, fix what needs to be fixed".
Katherine
**Mikhail Durkhan-Maith
Council Room**

Bradai refilled his glass, and he watched as the water rose in the chalice as Bradai spoke. He'd asked Angelica why she had given his mother the dagger, and the answer was unsatisfactory. However, he'd not had his own theory on why she had given his mother the blade either besides wanting to encourage chaos. 

Angelica had never really been the type to do that, at least not in his memory. She was always the sensible counter to his mother's passionate personality. The fact she'd handed over a blade to the Queen had baffled him. He realized he'd been watching the water for so long it stilled, and his hand pulled the chalice, letting the water ripple with the movement as he moved it closer to him. 

"I don't know." He said truthfully. "Why do you?"
Robert
Sir Heath Romanov
The Council Room

Heath winced at the proclamation that Cecilia was a *Creature*. Despite her being a shifter, he has always seen the humanity in her. In fact, it was a staunch belief of his that she was a completely *Shit* Shifter. The worst there ever was. Of course, he could hardly blame the young girls for their view of sub-humans. A sub-human was not worth understanding, for they did not have the same level of morality and intelligence as human beings did. For the most part, they were brutish blots that stained the history of man with their beastly behavior. A major reason for Heath's distaste for Vronti Kelwynd was his insistence in mingling human blood with that of a fish. 

"Cecilia is a shifter. She was one of my dearest friends, actually. More of them existed in Old Feyshore before King Cleburn ordered that they be hunted. They are dangerous," Heath said, solemnly. "They're nearing extinction. It's probably for the best, but I will never consider Cecilia's death to be an acceptable outcome." 

A handful of the council attendees began making their way back into the throne room, trickling in with trepidation for what was to come. Kenmath followed behind, wheeling in a cart with a large cauldron teetering atop it. "The thickest bone broth for the thickest brained bodies of the boglands," Kenmath announced, flashing Heath and the girls a snaggle-toothed smile. "I would hurry if you want breakfast! The bone broth solidifies within minutes, if not slurped vigroriously within minutes of cooling." He disappeared into the throne room, announing that breakfast was served. 

Heath managed to compose his features and keep a polite smile upon his face until Kenmath was out of sight. He was sickened by most food, ever since his reanimation. Taemarian cuisine was especially vile to him. He nearly starved to death the few years he lived in the bloody kingdom. 

"Being late would probably lead to our defenestration, courtesy of King Gregor," Said Heath.
Lawrence
Kallophon Dikegora
The Council Room

Kallophon gazed around the room. It certainly had been an interesting start, with particular thanks to the Grand Duchess. He lamented that she was out of sight; now would have been a good time to approach her and try to charm his way into her court. Alas, if an opportunity was to come, it would have to be later. He wondered if he should brush off his arranged rendezvous with the Wisdom entirely, in favour of what he considered to be far more pressing matters. There was a pang of guilt in that thought, though, and he felt a yearning for his piece in the dramatic, revolutionary pie that his kingdom would soon be forcefully baked into.

*Stop daydreaming, you fool. You have a conversation to maintain.*

"I thought everything would be more—I don't know, grave. Don't these people know that there's a plague upon the continent? Isn't that why they came here?" He looked around the room, still strumming absently at his lyre. "Maybe they're just overwhelmed by it all."

He quirked an eyebrow. "What's your name?"
Rosa
The Pirate King Bradai Maith
The Council Room

"I do like your muvher's Advisor. I know she favors me, which is a gracious 'elp in your part a' vha world, but vhat..." He paused, "Well, I'm not sure. I suspected Zane, or 'ells even you seeing as she's your muvher, but not 'er." He took a sip of his chalice, "I'm pretty fuckin' vexed about it, boy." 

Bradai sucked through his teeth, catching a subtle glance of Angelica as he shifted his view to Mikhail. "She probably didn't want 'er to look weak. But stabbing a prisoner isn't certainly a show of strengfh, aye?" He watched as the bard neared in on them, strumming at his lyre. While the soft music drowned out their conversation, he couldn't help but remember the Wisdom talking to him as he came in. And now he was talking to Elbaroda. No matter, the man had been there last night and had probably heard the whole conversation over the sound of his cranker. He placed a hand on Mikhail's shoulder and leaned over his to get Rhetto's attention. 

"Admiral." Bradai said, "Could you give tha boy and I moment? We're discussing politics and..." He gave the Terresolian a wry smile, "Well, if someone was to start writing songs about my fhoughts and feelings? I'm not sure I'd be too pleased." 

He returned his attention to the boy, "We 'ave a lot to discuss, and it'll take more vhen today to solve it all. And 'ells, maybe it's noffink. Maybe Lady Stafford isn't being ambitious about it and I'm just a concerned merchant. But sometimes, boy, all a King 'as are 'is instincts. Ask 'er 'usband, maybe. But not now. Now just sit and look stupid wiff me, like we didn't even notice." His beard concealed a smile as he reopened his journal and began to transcribe his thoughts.
Katherine
**Mikhail Durkhan-Maith
Council Room**

He wasn't keen on sitting still and looking stupid. And though the comment had made him look up to Angelica with a quizzical look, he still didn't think there was much more depth to the action than there had seemed. Angelica was -admittedly- more hot headed since Marcus had been skinned alive by Vivayn. He'd thought marriage and motherhood would calm her, but it did feel like she was itching for something else every time they encountered each other. 

His head was pounding. The water that sat untouched was lifted, and he finished the glass as others started to reenter the council room. Soon enough the intermission would be over, and the way the Pirate King had opened his journal one more felt like a dismissal. "We'll talk after, ya?" He stood as he spoke, his hand landing on the man's shoulder. A lot had happened in the last half hour and none of it answered any of the questions he'd come to the council with. _Maybe Mother was right about this place being a trap._ He thought, and patted the man's shoulder, heading back over to his original seat with the Astorians.
Michelle
Vallen, Taemar 
Elise Hagen
As Elise approached the castle her heart fluttered. She knew she would be late, but hoped she hadn't missed it. The one thing she was glad of is that Lord Duckely left well before she did so she didntdidn't have to deal with him for the time being. Though remembering they were supposed to attend the feast before hand when she saw what little was left she winced as she saw the already hardened bread rolls. Not wishing to be rude to the cooks she took one and bit into it. It's taste was lovely, but the texture of stale bread left much to be desired. Staying silent still Elise left the gifts for the other lords out past the castle and headed towards what she hoped would have been the castle that contained the council room. Being from such a small town Elise didn't expect to be able to get much of a say, especially with how young she was.