Sanguine hugged the shadows as the Noble Lords and Ladies made their introductions and conversed, following to rooms that had been prepared. There were several members of the Theiri royal court that San had yet to meet, but now was certainly not the time to make introductions. There were the noble twins, Elise and Rory; among them Elise seemed to be the Alpha, while Rory was a meek sort who seemed to lack any traditionally masculine traits. For a brief moment, San mirthfully pondered a political marriage between Princess Lenally and Lord Rory Theiri. The girl who wished to be a boy and the boy who longed to be a girl, they seemed an ideal couple to Sanguine, though Matchmaking was not his trade.<br/><br/>The Theiri Lords, Lorenso and Gerrard also made introductions. They all seemed to swarm around Princess Lenally, both emitting strong odors of testosterone and endorphins. Lorenso seemed honorable enough, even if a bit overly familiar. Gerrard, however, seemed to be a predator, emboldened by entitlement and excess. He smelled of sex, as though the Peace Negotiations had interrupted his private moment. The tone of his voice was smooth and arrogant. San mistrusted him immediately. Even Eyes snarled vaguely at the man’s voice.<br/><br/>Before long, the jingling-jangling of the Lady Fool’s costume jingled down to the great hall to prepare for the feast. San considered following after her, to inquire how she felt about her soon to be Masters and Mistresses of Aserit.<br/><br/>When Lorenso suggested that Princess Lenally join him in his solar for sword practice, Sanguine abandoned thoughts of following after Erin. His place was here, with Henrik and his siblings, at least for now.<br/><br/>Though Lenally didn’t need any more protection than was already afforded her, San didn’t want to later be accused of accepting payment for a job he didn’t fully participate in. He found an odd sense of pleasure with his role as temporary Bloody Raven.<br/><br/>When the Blood-Business was dry, information was his business. Powerful people were colluding and San wished very much to be within earshot.<br/><br/>Though Lorenso had said that all were welcome, San didn’t dare enter. If for no other reason than because Princess Juli was within and he doubted she would be overly glad to see him. Instead he just bore silent witness to the gathering within, which from sound appeared to be a fairly straightforward fencing lesson.<br/><br/>As the smells from the kitchen wafted up to them, a messenger appeared, beckoning the royals to the dining room. After allowing Henrik and his brother Omar to go first, San followed eagerly. He was starving and Eyes was beginning to whine over her own need to eat. San departed Henrik and his brother, loathe to be caught eavesdropping on his own employer and moved toward the center of the room where he heard Erin’s bells.<br/><br/>“What do you think of your soon-to-be Masters and Mistresses?” San asked quietly as Eyes nuzzled at Erin’s knees. “Perhaps not so guilded a cage as you’ve grown accustomed?”