<strong>Lyssa, slightly flushed after suddenly leaving the throne room.</strong><br/><br/>The Theiri Queen had hurried from her meeting with the Aserits at the news, knowing full well the anger they must be feeling. No doubt they were already using it as an excuse to look down on her people again, but some things were more important than politics and flattery, even to Lyssa. As she came up upon the royal chambers, the King's personal guard nodded and stepped aside for her to enter. The once elegant and beautiful bedroom, filled with memories of warmth and many a passionate night had become anything but. The warmth had slowly bled from the room; a bleak and cold light now shone from the windows, the room reeking of nothing but illness and death. Lyssa had a pained expression on her face, but then again, it was hard to read the young Queen's true thoughts.<br/><br/>The royal physician had grave news for her; a quick whisper in her ear, and that was it. Everybody had known her husband had not been faring well, and it seems it was almost time. Lyssa sent everyone away, leaving the two of them in their room.<br/><br/>"Darling." she whispered, brushing the hair away from the King's eyes. He moved softly, weak and clinging to life. His eyes opened, an almost fearful expression when he saw Lyssa. "Shh." she continued, putting a finger to his lips. "Save your energy."<br/><br/>Moving closer now, Lyssa held her beloved King in a cuddling embrace, with his head resting by her chest. Taking a small vial of clear liquid from her dress, the Queen raised it to her husband's lips; too weak to resist, the vial was drained almost instantly. "It's time for you to go.." she finished, before slipping out from underneath the King and heading towards the door. A saddened expression returned to her face, before she exited the chambers.<br/><br/>"Thank you..." she spoke briefly to the physician, shaking her head. The King's guard looked up at her with anticipation. "I have announcements to make." she replied, leaving and saying no more.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Back in her own temporary chambers, Lyssa hastily scrawled out a letter addressed to a King Haider, before affixing it with the royal seal. The message was short, simple, and most importantly, cryptic. On a piece of yellow parchment, scrawled in beautiful cursive, it read:<br/><br/><div align="center"><em><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">The King is Dead.<br/><br/>Aserits are in Theiri for peace talks.<br/>Leave for our capital immediately.<br/>Lose no time in arriving.<br/>You will be welcomed upon your arrival.<br/><br/>Lyssa.</span></em></div><br/>The Queen took the sealed letter to the captain of the King's guard, who had been waiting outside. For such an important message, a trusted and skilled messenger was needed. The captain could hold his own in battle, and Lyssa was not about to send a weakling to see the King of the horselords. Briefly, she remembered that even in her younger days, she had never slept with one of the large, strong men of the nomadic tribes. Dispelling the thought, the Queen made her way towards the Great Hall where her guests would soon be arriving for dinner.