Caroline smiled a bit awkward but nodded her understanding at Tehr's instructions, leaving him alone with his preparations. She bowed slightly once they were both on their feet once more, leaving him to head on over to enjoy his bath in private. The step outside along the way was seemingly unobserved at first, but while he was out in the rain before the sapling a pair of eyes kept watching him, a certain half-elven woman holding a sharpened knife, carving wood quietly just out of rain. Her expression thoughful, but nodding briefly at Tehr before cleaning up after herself and heading off, leaving behind what seemed to be a finely carved wooden wand, though one without any enchantments placed upon it, but shaped with a decorative dragon head jaws gaping with small wooden teeth showing in its jaws pointed forward. It had no real runes upon it to suggest a wand type that she might have been copying, but 'flaming hands' was a fair guess given the art carved to it.<br/><br/>Nonetheless, it seemed she had discarded it, or left it for him, either way, she had taken something else she had been carving with her when she left, when he arrived to face the sapling. Yet as he stood there in the rain talking and then singing, the sapling seemed to take a faint glow in the morning's light despite the stormy weather, leafs facing him, the sapling swaying lightly in place as it seemed for a moment that a faint image of a face seemed to flow up along the sapling's side, but faded back into the bark out of sight, 'relatively smooth'.<br/><br/>It was difficult to tell for certain but it did seem that the sapling grew a bit faster when he was there singing, while at the same time there was a faint drain, not a large one but enough for him to feel it, a small pull on his primal, a bit that didn't exhaust any of his abilities.<br/><br/>Making his way to the stables, Tehr was greeted by a sight of a half-orc warrior woman with her hands behind her head, pulling herself up, her legs planted on the floor, rising herself up to touch her forehead to her knees clenching her stomach and then laying back on her back, legs raised. Noticing him in passing she nodded her head but kept doing her exercise, dressed in simple cloth top and a set of torn shorts, thick enough to protect any modesty she might have, but at the same time showing that the warrior woman did have some muscle on her, all the more apparent while exercising.<br/><br/>The stablemaster was quick to help out with getting the carriage ready, with Goldie moving to brush her head against his shoulder before being lead back behind the carriage, seemingly happy to get out for a little while. The carriage was ready soon enough, and by then, Tehr was well on his way to being ready for the court's session. Washing, dressing, and making his preparations, he came back to the stable in time to find the Duke and his two elven hospitaler companions heading there.<br/><br/><hr/><hr/><br/>The trip towards the palace didn't take them that long, but as they came to pass the gates to the courtyard and came to a halt, the Duke got out before the Hospitalers had a chance to step out to look around first. They seemed a tad worried but followed along nevertheless, following him out and to the doorway. Waiting for Tehr, they all then moved to follow him along towards the court, with the guards at the doors merely nodding their usual greeting at him and his companions. They cast a look at the Duke and the hospitalers briefly but said nothing.<br/><br/>On making his way to the queen's court and the audiences she was granting, Tehr was greeted by a sight of two women bearing the House Saari insignia, one of them bald, her skin the shade of dark chocolate, and with a robe on her with the house Saari insignia worn proudly, the other being the Lady of the House that Tehr had ran into before. They were both there, waiting their chance to speak with the Queen, and nodding towards him and his companions.<br/><br/>As for the Queen and the court, it seemed they were currently facing an older man dressed in aristocrat's vestments and wearing a fair share of jewelry, but standing tall before the Queen and the throne, seemingly giving a speech of some sort, that the queen was still listening.<br/><br/><strong>"In conclusion your majesty, with your permission to lower these tariffs temporarily, we could bring in a fair bit of trade and reinvigorate both our and their markets, and raising the tariffs back in place later would perhaps slow it, but it would not stop it once the trades had already been set in place. Besides, the benefit of it would be that it would also encourage legal trade of those goods rather than smugglers trying to work around the tariffs and charging extra without paying any taxes. I leave it to your Majesty's care to decide however,"</strong>the man said while lowering his head slightly.<br/><br/><em><strong>"We have listened to your proposition, and find your reasoning sound, but the fact remains you have not changed the contents of your offer significantly since it was last discussed here in court. We believe that it is not likely to benefit the people as much as it would benefit the merchants, and while it might encourage trade the increased trade would likely shrink back to the current level once the tariffs would be raised again, and the end result would have been a mere tax break for the merchants in question. Unless you have a better argument, the request is denied."</strong></em>The Queen stated seriously, and the man seemed ready to argue for a moment, before sighing wearily and moving out of the way.<br/><br/><em><strong>"House Saari, are you ready to present your case?"</strong></em>The Queen spoke up, but the two women glanced at one another before the Lady cleared her throat.<strong>"Your Majesty, House Saari would wish to step aside for the friendly house of Wynt. We have been discussing the fine details of our request while watching the current petitioners passing, and feel we are not ready for your Majesty's attention after all."</strong>The fact she was stepping aside for Tehr and his companions though seemed like she was playing for time, seeming to have a serious look on her face when she turned to her companion again, speaking in a lowered voice once more, the two of them talking in a foreign language quietly.