Thomas stood in the empty throne room in the Palace, in his gleaming white armor, and the white cloak of the Lifeguard. Thomas enjoyed being part of the Lifeguard, also known as the Order of the Thistle, as much as anyone. It gave him a sense of higher purpose and direction in his life. As he admired the seat of the King, he thought of all the past kings who had sat on the throne. Thomas was just beginning his duty as a Lifeguard when the King Arduin II the Lost died bedridden and infirm. It had been a hectic few years for the Order of the Thistle. One King died in bed, the other with a bout of sickness, and now a 30 year old king was to be crowned the successor to his brothers. 30 years old, with no wife, and no heir. Thomas sighed, as he walked towards the throne, his left hand gripping the hilt of Harmony, his sword. No doubt many other people would try to take advantage of this situation, and the only thing standing between Bard and certain death was the Order of the Thistle, numbering only 20 members now. Sir Redwyne Cole the Morningstar, the commander of the Order, had commanded that there be a 24/7 guard on the king of at least 5 men, with others shifting in and out. Thomas, thankfully, had just ended his night shift, guarding the King's bed chambers, and wasn't suppose to take over a shift until later. Thomas let loose his grip around Harmony, and pulled his white gloves tighter over his hands. Thomas was itching for some sort of action, and was thankful that the Coronation celebration was happening soon, which would also bring a tournament in honor of the King. Thomas would be able to participate in lancing, and single combat dueling, in the tournament to win glory for his King. He had already been selected by Redwyne Cole himself to champion for the Order of the Thistle in the tournament, an honor that Thomas was well-deserving. Thomas was a master at winning tournaments, particularly in lance matches. Thomas carefully sat on the stairs leading up to the throne, his back now to the seat, and facing the grand doors to the palace. The hall of the Throne room were massive in size, and beautiful in scope, but Thomas couldn't help but feel that it lacked something. Thomas hoped that their new King, Bard, would fill this hall with what it lacked.