He watched the writhing, undulating mass of idle aristocrats, so like a biohorror swarm or bacteria, and plucked a drink from the tray with absentminded, almost practiced, ease. "Thanks."<br/><br/>He didn't even realize he had done so before she had left, and glanced at the drink in his hand before shrugging and figuring just one wouldn't result in a body count. Or so he hoped. He took a sip, trusting his passive defenses to anything it might have in it, waiting for his name to be called, idly scanning for a certain female fox. He was curious as to why his queen was here, instead of back home heading up defenses. She might be a spy, but she was also crucial to his mental well being, as Jashah would say, so her not coming back to help was... odd. He really hoped Barid hadn't made her a lieutenant, that would REALLY annoy him.