<em>"... I am willing to share a few thoughts if I may?"</em><br/><br/>Tehr nodded his head and gestured with his hand, inviting the man to continue and speak his mind.<br/><br/><em>"...You may find your counsel quite valuable as such." </em><br/><br/>Tehr nodded, and wanted to address his point that the man had made.  "You bring up the halflings and other races sir.  Some people call them 'demi humans'"  His voice unable to hold back the disgust at the term, "but I find that offensive, that any people who are not human are somehow below mine.  I was not raised as such.  My best friend is my closest servant, a lovely half elven woman woman who I've known literally my whole life.  Her and to a greater extent her family has been intertwined with house Wynt for centuries.  While they are servants, true, there have been times in previous generations where they had a greater pull on the noble house's actions and influence then the humans who bore the name Wynt.   When raised with, side by side, half elven people, you find it impossible to think of them as any lower than you.  But the truth of the matter is that the church of the one god has made no bones about their feelings of humans as the 'chosen' people.  They've alienated, especially under the previous queen mary, many of the other races.<br/><br/>Tehr paused, considering how to say this last bit, but then decided on frank honesty, "And to be honest, it's left a large power vacuum of untapped potential.  House Ravos are amazing foresters and outriders, ignoring them is ignoring a great strength."<br/><br/><em>""Though beware, some men might send their daughter to try and make you slip with your words and reveal more than intended.  Though again, who knows if the daughters would switch loyalties?"</em><br/><br/>"Oh, I'll take your words with a hint of caution,"  Tehr said, then turning and pointedly staring at the duke.  But only for a moment was his face serious before it broke out into a broad grin and he began laughing to show that he was simply teasing.  "I kid of course sir, your daughter is lovely, but I hope you know I value your friendship and am only jesting at your beautiful daughter's likely ability to turn my tongue were she to bat her eyes at me the proper way."<br/><br/>Tehr's eyebrows went up at the mention of Christina, "Oh, I'm glad to hear that my sister was not too shocking then.  The lovely Rosalyn is no delicate flower and that is a wonderful thing.  But sometimes Christina is equal parts rose blososm and thorn.  So I worry at her prickly ways, it makes me glad to hear that she impressed your charming daughter.  As to entertaining, that actually brings up something that had been on my mind."<br/><br/>Tehr shifted in his seat so he could look the duke straight on, "I hear that you've found quite comfortable lodgings, and my humble home couldn't match them.  But that being said, I have two guest rooms, equal in size to my own chambers, that are going unused in my home.  My serving staff is modest, and hopefully acceptable.  But if you desire, you and your daughter are both welcome to stay in my home as honored guests if you wish.  I hope you don't find that invitation too forwards, but I've heard that you do not have your own residency in Londinium, and would offer you the comforts of my home as opposed to rented rooms, even if they are more comfortable than humble Hewthorne hall."