Advisor Valentia Alcantara rarely took pleasure in meetings with the heads of noble families, regardless of whether their position had been inherited, bought, or actually earned. Mostly because she had spent the entirety of her day between giving counsel to King Soreno Aquilas and plotting with the royal spymaster on how to keep the nobility in line. The Rosalli family was attempting trade monopolies again while the Basianois were attempting to buy favor with the temples, both needed to be put in their place. Alcantara and spymaster Zittira had already arranged for the latter's cadre of men to keep eyes on their movements. It would not be difficult. Dario Rosalli was weak-willed to his own lusts and overestimated his own cleverness every time he took nearly the exact same route to the brothels. Elena Basianoi actually had some brains in her head and made it a priority to bear a clean reputation. Sadly for her, those were always the most fragile, easily broken with just a small sliver of evidence and the mere possibility of scandal. They would pin the blame for their failed endeavors on Alcantara, as they always did. Zittira may have been the expert on placing the pieces and organizing their movement, but it was the royal advisor who directed the motivations, told them what she needed to ruin every upstart. To hear the nobility speak, she was a villainous mastermind.<br/><br/>The night was warm but carried with it a pleasant breeze that made it not intolerable. At her back were two of the palace guard to make certain of her safety as she led them down the streets of Remulla's capital over bridges and past the city's famous waterways. At this hour most of the gondolas had retired for the evening and now sat bobbing in the placid waters. In the morning, the gondoliers would begin taking passengers to ferry across the city throughout the day. For now, whether they were common or noble, folk were either abed or out taking part in drink or debauchery. The smell of perfume and alcohol already hung heavy in the air and Valentia found herself wishing she back in her quarters with a warm bath and spiced wine. At her side lumbered her faithful mastiff, Octavian. His very presence seemed to make people think twice about threatening her.<br/><br/>While Valentia did not expect any possibilities of trouble, it paid to be cautious, and to show that she had her own defenses. Her position meant maintaining a level of respect, fear, and above all, authority. That often meant ruffling feathers with knowing smiles and sweet tones as she spoke of all the ways that overstepping certain boundaries would ruin them, either through their own incompetence, or through her machinations. She had done so within her first year as the king's advisor, she would do it again if need be. Fear of her seemed to be the only thing that kept the families in line at times. Personally, she would have been all too happy to purge the lot of them at once, bring forth a cleansing, but that would have created more problems than it would solve. Patience and strategy, she often reminded herself, is what would win against greedy impatience.<br/><br/>It was not long before they finally reached their destination, the house of one of the more recent additions to the nobility. Tonight Valentia would see what they were worth and if they were going to prove an issue for the king's reign. She had allowed them a day's warning of her visit in advance, no negotiations, a simple statement that she would be arriving to familiarize herself with the new family, or at the very least the head of it. The Lady Alcantara strode forward with confidence, the front gate opening before her, since by now she was unmistakable. Octavian sat patiently as his mistress stood before the front door, waiting to be greeted or announced.