Prince Bas'jun Dieuwert, of the esteemed and noble House Dieuwert, stood towards the rear of the vast throne room. Wearing only the finest violet silks, the man cut a friendly appearance, and none present would call the man dishonest or untrustworthy. His eyes wandered easily through the crowds, placing names to faces and taking mental notes as to who was sticking with whom. Numerous guests had still yet to arrive, but the stunning court was already nearly full. It truly was wondrous, seeing the nobles of the proud world together for civil discussion. For millennium, their world had been enraptured in conflict. For that cycle of violence to be brought to an end, with the hep of his forefathers nonetheless, was truly a humbling thought.

Of course, that raised questions as to their current situation. It had been some time since the last Grand Council had taken place. They were uncommon, to say the least, and for one to be called so abruptly- It spoke volumes of the significance of whatever was going on. His thoughts wandered, trying to once again piece together the puzzle. It had to be confidential, for him or his contacts to not have heard of it. Possibly a scuffle between two major families, but not to the point its come to blows? Except that wouldn't merit such an abrupt Grand Council, likely not a Grand Council, period! Could it be something related to the encrypted messages sent from their exploration teams? Possible, but they were just rumors. The more the Prince thought over it, the less things made sense.

Glancing over towards his brother and confidant, Duke Dezmark Dieuwert of Marju, Bas'jun voiced his concerns. "What do you think this could be about, Dezmark? I have spent some time pondering this, but nothing quite makes sense. Nothing concrete, at least."

Dezmark turned towards his brother, equally fine clothing shimmering slightly as the crystal lights hit them. "I'm not sure, brother. I haven't been able to gleam anything from the other families in passing conversation, and nothing our King has down would hint at a purpose. For now, I'm assuming it's another petty squabble that's gotten out of hand.. But of course, it could be something far different," the Duke responded. Bas'jun only nodded, turning back around to glance at the crowds once more, this time uneasily. Hopefully any violence could be averted, if it really was just a House conflict.

Hoping to change the subject, Prince Bas'jun smirked. "Where do you think that niece of yours ran off to? Neferati said she'd return from the fresher quickly. What would you bet that's she's enjoying too much wine?"

"Oh, and what would you bet it's some handsome young Lord hoping to sweep your daughter off her feet?" chuckled out Dezmark, making his brother's brows narrow. Seeing his elder's reaction, the Duke could only give an uncharacteristic roll of his eyes. "She's thirty-two, Bas'jun. Relax. She should think about getting married anyways."

"I worry about her, that's all. Sometimes she reminds me of myself at a younger age, craving the adventure and opportunities of far away places. Other times, she's like one of those stick-in-the-mud ladies of the court. I don't want her to marry one of the scum I remember so fondly during my times in the Lower Quarters, but I can't imagine being married to some self-righteous Lord would be any better," sighed Bas'jun, exasperated at the actions of his one and only child.

Dezmark grinned, his perfectly white teeth catching light better than any robes. "Brother, your daughter is spoiled! She's nothing like you. Her idea of adventure is exploring the newest resort or drinking wine during a distant flight. If anything, she'd love to spend time with some handsome young nobility. Face it, Bas'jun. She's out of your hands."

"I thought maybe she'd take after her name sake a bit more, or maybe even her mother, bless her heart," Bas'jun said quietly. Both pairs of eyes went downcast for a moment, before Dezmark came back with fire.

"Naming your daughter after a Lower Quarter's whore, no matter how fine, should have seemed like a bad idea no matter what, my Prince." Bas'jun, having taken that moment to take a sip of wine, choked and fought to suppress his laughter. Nearby House members narrowed their eyes and stepped away, while the Prince turned back to his snickering brother.

"That woman took care of me, for better or worse, while I was at my lowest. That whore was a saint!" declared Bas'jun, causing them both to chuckle. A peaceful silence settled in once again, as the pair waited patiently for their lovely young Countess to come back.