Olivia nodded to her handmaidens, ordering them through the gate before following them through, coming out of the gate into Nydewia last. At first the clutter of men and horses made it difficult to see the other side of the room, but as she slowly made her way through she saw that a young woman, dressed in the garb of a fool was the only person present to greet them. The King clearly took offense to such an act, and judging by the intensity of his stare he was about to grab the poor girl's skull and crush it with his bare hand.<em>She's more than a mere jester, you moron,</em>she thought to herself bitterly as she regarded the girl with a cold gaze. It was rather obvious after all, despite her garb and the air of cheeky aloofness that she projected. The Queen would never send an actual fool to greet them and since their arrival was presumably a surprise she would have to send a trusted agent to fetch them to ensure complete and total secrecy. Despite the way she seemed to shift her feet and bounce energetically on the spot and the way she positioned her feet and shifted her weight hinted at a skilled combatant.<em>A spy,</em>she mused to herself.<em>Or an assassin.</em>She made a mental note to keep an eye on that girl although she didn't care to point out her suspicions to Haidar at the moment, especially since they were finally starting to move along.<br/><br/>As she followed along with the King's entourage her eyes drifted coldly along the halls, taking in the architecture. It was truly exquisite and completely different to Nydewia's Castle Oasis. The architecture was geared more towards aestheticism as opposed to functionality, with incredibly lifelike portraits and rich tapestries adorning the walls. Despite the beauty all around her she cared very little compared to how much she would have before the King's death, and lost in thought it wasn't until their party was announced that she realised she was in the banquet hall. Murmurs slowly erupted across the hall as the Nydewians strode into the hall and many shocked glances were cast in their direction. Many curious glances also fell in her direction; unlike those around her she was scrawny and pale like a Theirian or an Aserit although no one recognised her as one of their own and her exquisite blue evening gown denoted Nydewian nobility.<br/><br/>She allowed a servant to guide her towards her seat and said nothing as the food was served. Picking up a silver fork she carefully picked at her food, mulling it around on her plate before lifting it to her mouth to take a tiny, miserable bite. The taste was utter perfection, although her mouth was dry and she had little appetite. She continued to pick at her food until her handmaiden, Ismae, tapped her on the shoulder and leaned in. "Excuse me, milady," she asked hesitantly. "Your gift to the King. What do you want done with it?" Olivia scowled slightly for a moment as she looked at the small tome resting in Ismae's hands. During her time as a military strategist she had participated in several incursions into Theirian territory, where she had come to learn that much of the reason for Theiri's survival was their tactical use of the natural terrain, something that fascinated her greatly when overlooking maps and scout reports. She had spent several months compiling an enter text on how the Theirians could better utilise their land in military engagements, including effective places for ambushes and fire attacks, better use of formations, and even suggesting the rerouting of rivers to create more defensible locations. When she had heard that she would soon get to meet the King of Theiri she spent weeks having the book bound in rich and elegant cloth, making important annotations and having parts embossed in gold leaf.<br/><br/>Her cold blue eyes darted over to the main table and the seated Theirian nobles. "Not the black widow," she remarked very quietly so only Ismae could hear. "Or the whore son." She pondered for a few moments before turning to her handmaiden. "Give it to bastard," she said coldly, casting a glance in Princess Juli's direction. "She served in the military. She might actually appreciate it." She paused for a moment before adding, her tone truly sincere "And send her my deepest condolences for the loss of her father." Turning back to disinterestedly take another bite of her meal, she sighed as Ismae rushed off to deliver the book to Juli.