Eira couldn't tell you why she had a sudden odd sense that something was going to happen, but she did. This time, however, it was different. It wasn't Meuric that caused this feeling. No, this was something much worse, something much darker. Yet whatever it was, she did not fear it. She wasn't sure why she didn't fear it, knowing that it was darker and potentially more dangerous than Meuric and whatever he was plotting. It felt oddly familiar, like whatever was coming was something or someone she had faced before, but despite this feeling, she could not place when or where she had previously encountered it.<br/><br/>Whatever was giving her this feeling, it wasn't good, even if she didn't feel that whatever it was would cause any direct harm to her for the time being. She would have to remain vigilant and avoid letting her guard down, as if she ever did, now more than ever. Meuric couldn't be trusted to do anything but betray her, so she had to watch her back for him and whomever he had convinced to help him in his treachery, and now she had to watch out for this mysterious presence she felt. She found herself briefly wondering if she would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, expecting betrayal from everyone, but decided that it was pointless to wonder such things. At any rate, she had a feeling that such things were part of the package when you were a queen. There were always those who would seek to supplant you if given the chance. Too many people craved power, and that would never change.<br/><br/>She decided to continue on with what she had planned to do rather than try to seek out Meuric and figure out what his plans were, or worry about the mysterious presence. There was much to do, and if she didn't go about her day as she otherwise would, someone was bound to notice, and Meuric might figure out that she suspected his treachery. For now, she would allow him the illusion of secrecy, which would create a sense of security for him. This would make it easier for her to figure out what he was planning because he would take less steps to ensure she didn't find out the details of the plan. Why go to great lengths to hide something that no one is looking for?<br/><br/>At any rate, she had things to attend to, so she would focus on those for the time being. She carried on with her stroll through the castle, stopping and checking on the progress of various members of her staff who were preparing for the coronation tonight. She stopped in the kitchen and sampled the food, having a small snack while she was there, as she had seen Meuric in the other dining hall, presumably having lunch, and had decided to avoid joining him. She didn't want to give him any more opportunities to make a move on her than were strictly necessary. For now she would simply try to avoid him. If he wished to try something, he would have to find her, she would not offer herself up any more than she would give up her kingdom without a fight. He was a treacherous fool, he certainly wasn't fit to rule her kingdom, and she would rather die than see him on her throne, or see her people suffer at his hands.<br/><br/>Of course, her actual death was highly unlikely, but the possibility of her being captured was not entirely impossible. Improbable, yes, but not impossible. Thus she expected him to try to poison her somehow or another to either weaken her enough that she couldn't fight back, or render her unconscious. Either way, she would avoid giving him the opportunity to do so. She had no reason to see him again before the coronation, which meant that he, or someone loyal to him, if such a person existed, would have to go out of their way to find her in order to make their move, and they would not find her an easy target.<br/><br/>-------<br/><br/>As Meuric had expected, Eira had not joined him for lunch. "Ah well." he mused to himself. "It was never likely, anyways." he finished his lunch and sipped his wine until a servant approached him from behind and slipped him a note before taking some of the items that were no longer necessary from the table, as if that were what he had come for.<br/><br/>Meuric slipped the small blue band from around the rolled up parchment and opened the note.<span style="font-style: italic">The preparations are complete.</span>Was all the note said. This was ambiguous enough that if anyone else saw it, they would expect that it was referring to something coronation-related, but he understood the meaning. The mercenaries were on board, and whatever method they intended to use to subdue the young princess was in place. They would strike and soon. Their time was quickly running out. If Eira was crowned queen, it would be significantly harder for him to retain his power, especially if she suspected him treason, in which case he guessed that, if he was lucky, she would strip him of his title and rank, name someone else as regent in the event that something happened to her, and likely have him detained. If he wasn't lucky, she would have his head.<br/><br/>The mercenaries would strike one hour before the coronation. He would allow them to do their thing before he stepped him, but he would be close by in case she decided to fight. They would be little use against her magic. He, on the other hand, may be able to at least defend them long enough for them to subdue her, at which time he would take her and lock her away in a cage that would resist her magic, and then deliver her to Lord Dardanos as a gift, or a peace offering, as it were.<br/><br/>Now that their preparations were complete, he could make his own. He finished his wine before standing and leaving the dining hall, off to make the final preparations needed for his scheme to work.