Thomas Antwood sighed as he got off of his horse outside the palace of the emperor. Petting his horses muzzle for a moment, he tied it up, insuring that it wouldn’t wander off if he was delayed longer than he intended. He hated the capital, in his mind it was the center of everything that was wrong in the society. They allowed way too much diplomacy for his taste, he would have loved to go to war against any nation, in particular the pirates, but they kept refusing.<br/><br/>Turning away from his horse, a smile came to his face as he saw the bustle around the area. His men in the capital had told him the Empress had gone missing. In fact, it was the reason he was here. There was no doubt in his mind the court would be called. He wanted to get there first, hoping it would mean he would be above suspicion when the time came to be questioned.<br/><br/>Moving past the people, he watched them carefully as he did so. A crime had happened and he wasn’t foolish enough to think that this might be an attack on all nobles. Walking towards the palace, he fixed his clothes from the long ride and checked to make sure his sword was fitted properly. Shaking his head, he tried to avoid the guards, not wanting to be questioned by them until the time called for it.