The twenty first Count of Urik strode brazenly towards the end of the hall, brilliant robes in hues of blue and gray and gold streaming like standards in his wake. Gold and silver, rings with various stones and adornments surrounded those icy fingers which gripped intensely the scroll within their reach. The scroll itself was innocuous enough, much unlike its holder, an irony, an enigma as to why someone so important would be holding something to trifling. Count Urik approached the large oak doors at the end of the halls in a rapid manner, an action which caused the soldiers who stood guard there no small manner of agitation. [i]'S-stop, the Lord Marquis is in a meeting!'[/i] Count Urik barely paid the man any attention. Such dim-witted fools were the fodder of Kantle's army, the real power behind the throne. Sure their lord the King ruled with an iron grip but at the end of the day it was the armies that enforced his commands, armies which remained loyal only because they received a stipend at the end of each season. "He's expecting me." A blatant lie, but the force and measure by which the phrase was uttered was enough to cow the two men who stood by, pale faced and loose-handed. 

The oak doors burst open to reveal to the Count their secret quarry. The two men inside, His Lordship the Marquis of Lycia and the Count of Renais both bolted upright, clearly perturbed by the violent interruption of their meeting. The two men waited for the doors to shut secured behind him before speaking. [i]'Your Lordship Urik, what brings you here?'[/i] It was the Marquis who spoke, hands fidgeting idly at his sides. In the meanwhile, Count Renais seated himself, seeing no reason to stay standing simply because his inferior was doing so. "Your charade is over. These documents prove your subterfuge; I'll admit, funneling money away from the wayward garrisons was a neat trick, but as you no doubt know the King will bridge no betrayal of his trust. The palace guards are on their way, what say you in your defense? Admission is much superior to torture." By now both men had caught the frightful set of jitters the Marquis had previously displayed. This time, it was the Lord Count who spoke, [i]'Supposing your bluff was true, we'd be taken to the courts, a place where your power does not extended. Begone Count Urik, regardless of the outcome our weight in gold will secure our future stability.'[/i] Count Urik only smiled as the doors behind him burst open, the room filling to the brim with men in stunning black armor. "We shall see your lordships, we shall see."