[i]"There is still Baron Agravaine, my liege."[/i]

Baron Phillip Agravaine, the black diamond of Marceilles. He had humble beginnings, and with the countless war stories and titles, Agravaine held a lot of power, respect, authority. And a lot of headaches for her. His stubbornness caused plenty of strife when it came to making deals under the table with other barons. No amount of persuasion, bribery, or threats would ever move that man to rethink his morals. 

She respected and hated him for it all the same.

[i]"Contact the best thieves you know of. There will be a great robbery that will put Phillip Agravaine out of his own lands in dishonour."[/i]

A robbery? Perfect. Thieving was an art, and she knew which rats would excel at such a job opportunity. Her darker side wanted to join them on their midnight escapade, but she resisted the urge. Not only would she compromise her freedom if she was caught, but there'd also be no one to turn the gears in the kingdom.

She barely noticed when the court's new addition finished her song. Her mind was so engrossed in secrets and possibilities that it was only the King's applaud that broke her brooding. Plastering on a new smile, she clapped her hands only as long as she had to. There was too much to think about, so much to do... 

[b]"An excellent decision, Your Majesty." [/b]Evelyn purred, gray eyes bright with mischief.[b] "Agravaine will never see it coming. I will select my finest thieves for the job and gather further intel on the baron's castle. I'm positive Baron Garthois and I can formulate a plan for Your Majesty's viewing tomorrow."[/b]

She met eyes with Garthois, checking if he was on the same page. The bubbly chatter of the court was the perfect cover for little discussions like these, using distractions to their advantage. So it was ironically curious how Evelyn totally missed the tipsy courtier at the table, and the rows of uncomfortable faces around him. One man (she believed his name was Kester, totally clueless on the politics of His Majesty's court) looked incredibly torn as he slowly rose from his seat. 

[i]"He's not going to go help the drunken oaf, is he? That's a good way to get his reputation even more shot. I could watch him. I could. But no one benefits from what is going to happen, save his cousin Glenn."[/i] Evelyn thought, deciding to earn some brownie points.

She subtly snapped her fingers, causing a small electrical discharge to arc from her hand to the floor, snake around the seats, and zap Kester's foot. No one would notice something so quick, no. But if he took the shock cooly, it would make him second-guess standing up. Her eyes were on him, he'd see her look of warning if he glanced at the King. 

She didn't enjoy anyone potentially losing face over an act of would-be gratitude. Besides, Kester reminded her of an innocence she incinerated long ago. That was her good karma for the day.