<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold">Queen Cestaline </span>// <span style="color: #FFFF80">Scarborough Castle</span><br/><a href="//www.creativefreedomrpg.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&amp;u=110586">@WildSpawn</a> <a href="//www.creativefreedomrpg.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&amp;u=111593">@Lewi</a></div><br/><br/>Ces made no secret of her arrival.  Her sharp, leafy eyes landed on each of the occupants in turn, then finally on her husband, to which she greeted him in her usual, wordless manner.  Earlier, she'd been listening to the men's conversation, and found the matters at hand to be quite interesting.  It was difficult to resist showing her pleasure at the situation.  Who indeed?  The queen approached the table, lifting her gown off of the floor as she took the liberty of seating herself.  Long before, she'd insisted the men refrain from standing when she arrived.  Dismissing such formalities, she thought, helped upkeep her appearance as a queen whom could see eye-to-eye with the men in her husband's ensemble.  A trusted party.<br/><br/>Her hands folded delicately over the table as she smiled gently to Allistair's two most trusted men.  How she despised them both.  The djinni would never allow her a moment of privacy with Allistair.  She couldn't remember a time they were ever alone without her husband needing to request it.  Aurion made no effort to hide his distaste for her, preferring to refer to Allistair as his 'master'.  She wished she could put him back where he came from and toss it into the depths of the sea.  Perhaps in a thousand years time it may resurface into a poisoned grotto.<br/><br/>His General was a different story.  The man had long been one of Allistair's closest friends.  Though he didn't seem to hold any ill will against her, Bren was so fiercely loyal to Allistair that she saw him as a potential problem.  If he even for a moment suspected she was up to anything, he wouldn't keep it a secret from her husband, and she feared her husband might just believe him.  Not that she had any plans to raise such suspicion; luckily for her, Bren was always so embedded in military business that he rarely had time to pay any attention to her.<br/><br/>How perfect this was that both would be together tonight.  That's two hens with one axe.<br/><br/>She raised her goblet of water to her lips and sipped at it.  None of these men had any idea what a blunder they had just made.  When the goblet was returned to the table, she looked to Allistair and placed her ringed hand gently atop his, feigning a concerned look.<br/><br/>"Surely Harold is quite busy enough in these times," she told him.  She then turned to both Aurion and Bren.  "You have both been working so hard these days.  Why don't we all take things easy, hm?  I will write to the Barons at once and request their cooperation in this matter.  It will help ensure your safety in your patrol tonight."<br/><br/>She allowed a warm smile to adorn her face.  She would be writing to only one Lord, of course, but they didn't need to know that.  "With your blessings, of course, my love."