<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf">Lady de Warenne - when she speaks there is a sense of patience in her tone. Her beauty? One day it may or may not fade. She <i>is</i> human. The Monarch brushes past it. But the way she addresses the Crimson King, his incompetence and rambling assurances that ring hollow, she will not let him avoid the issue in the politicians' way. To the Monarch, i</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(191, 191, 191)">t was always only a matter a time before the Crimson population overstayed its welcome and when de Warenne spoke up about this terrorist organization and the human fears for loved ones, he had to physically stop himself from interrupting then and there. </span></span></span><br/><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf"><br/>
He leans against the back of his large seat, holding his tilted head against a curled fist while he brings an ankle up to rest over his other knee. The talks have only just barely begun and if he was capable of developing a headache he would most certainly have one right already.<br/>
<br/>
What exactly is the Crimson expecting him to say? The vampire population may be the most powerful but it is certainly not the most numerous. Sparing his own resources is not an option.<br/>
<br/>
He contemplates for a moment as the room falls silent. Both the Crimson King and the Scarlet Queen seem to be waiting with bated breath.<br/>
<br/>
Would the queen try her deft manoeuvres on him? He is not so easily swayed into silence and acceptance. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(191, 191, 191)">Speaking up, the Monarch offers a steady but firm tone carried around the attentive spectators. He does not address King Thomas first.</span></span></span><br/><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf"></span></span></span><br/><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b30000">"With all due respect, Lady de Warenne</span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px"> -</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b30000"><span style="font-size: 12px">you have already mentioned their reasons.<br/>
Humans are dreadfully fearful creatures;<br/>
they seek to destroy or disect anything<br/>
they </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">don't understand - </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)">moreso when they<br/>
feel their </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">lives are at stake. These rogue</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b30000"><span style="font-size: 12px">Crimson... they </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">likely feel as if what they</span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)">are doing is best </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">for their entire race.<br/>
They want the control. They want to</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b30000"><span style="font-size: 12px">be the martyrs. They want others to<br/>
look up to them and see them as guardians<br/>
when they are nothing more than the<br/>
perpetrators of their own destruction.</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">It's a power trip - nothing more."<br/>
</span></span></span>​</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf">He straightens his posture, now intertwining his fingers in front of him. Maybe the Crimson King will take offense or maybe he won't. The Monarch could care less and he doesn't give enough time to consider what was just said before he finally directs his attention towards the visibly anxious human. <br/>
</span></span></span><br/><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">"King Thomas - whether these are</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b30000"><span style="font-size: 12px">your Crimson or not <i>they are still your</i><br/>
<i>responsibility. </i></span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">You can insist they do not<br/>
represent the values of the rest of<br/>
your race all you desire, you also have <br/>
to acknowledge that to have the crown is<br/>
to be the face for </span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px">all</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 12px"> Crimson. Now,<br/>
are you going to allow these terrorists<br/>
to continue to threaten everybody else<br/>
or are you going to send some of your agents<br/>
to investigate this directly? I might be<br/>
able to allay some of my own Resources but<br/>
only with your support. A flock of vampires<br/>
snooping around Crimson ground will<br/>
cause suspicion to arise.<br/>
<br/>
How thoroughly<br/>
are there incidents being investigated,<br/>
Lady de Warenne?"<br/>
</span></span></span>​</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf">There is no doubt in the vampires' mind that any of the investigations hasn't turned up anything but the Crimson calling card time and time again. But anything, <i>anything</i> to shed some light on the figurehead for this 'organization' or their whereabouts is promising. <br/>
<br/>
The Monarchs' gaze rests on the young queen though most of his scrutiny lies with King Thomas. </span></span></span><br/><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(179, 0, 0)"></span></span>​</div>