[i]Cole Castle, Pelataria
Morning
4th Day of the new Annum[/i]

The first rays of light shone through the glass pane windows placed sparingly around the meeting chamber. The room itself had a spartan appearance, contrary to the rest of the castle, with a large rectangular hardwood table dominating the center. Above, opposite the windows, a large black shield adorned with a lone stationary falcon sat mounted on the stone wall. The crest of House Cole, complete with gold trim around the edge. The chamber was in one of the oldest sections of the castle, and reflected the modest personality of one of the first Lords of the fief. Lord William Cole, long since dead and gone, had once awoken every morning before first light along with his most trusted advisors to go over the matters of the day. William was a man of routine; a simple Lord of action who spoke only when to order, and rarely made time for leisure. And yet, his rule efficiently navigated Pelataria through it's early stages, to where it is today.

But on that morning it was not William who sat at the head of the table, but rather his descendant, Antony. The newest Lord Cole was next to nothing like his ancestor, but in the spirit of tradition had kept the custom of a first light meeting - simply on a less frequent basis. On the first of every month, Antony would come to the eastern wing of his Castle while the moon was still high in the sky, to be briefed by his circle. However this time, he had been away to monitor troop drills and the state of his fief, and had not been around to conduct the meeting on the 1st. Instead, three days later, the Lord found himself in the chamber.

Antony was a man of slightly greater than average stature, with a shoulder-length mane of dirty blonde hair and eyes of obsidian black. He was in good shape, keeping himself fairly active throughout the day, but Antony was by no means a fighter. No, he knew how to handle a sword, but his skills were best suited leading the troops from behind; or, even better, negotiating so as to avoid war altogether. Yes, despite the rich history of Vetus Patriæ - the old country, the fief of Pelataria - Antony knew quite well that he ruled over one of the smallest collection of fiefs in Lundland. Smaller, even, than the holdings of Lord Aldran, one of his own Vassals. As a result, he adopted a diplomatic approach quite early in his reign. An approach which had suited him quite well as of late.

To Lord Cole's left sat his advisor and friend, Frederick Nevin, a shorter, gray, severe-looking man thirteen years his senior. Frederick knew the affairs of the country and the distant lands better than most in Cole's lands, and was an asset to the Lord when it came to both foreign and domestic affairs. Beside Nevin, the Commander of Pelataria's Guard sat stroking his stubble absently. Jonah Peterus was only slightly younger than Lord Cole, but had distinguished himself early in his life as an expert warrior and infantry commander. To Jonah's immediate left, John Cardoza, the young Naval prodigy recently named Admiral of the Pelatarian Fleets. Across the table sat Gerard Dupree, the liaison between Pelataria and Lord Aldran's fiefs to the East. A vacant spot sat undisturbed beside Dupree, belonging to Veronica Coutier, The liaison for Lord Hastings. Veronica had been feeling quite ill, and thus excused herself from the day's meeting. Finally, ever present beside Antony was his wife Josephine - a beautiful redhead seven years the Lord's junior, with large, soft brown eyes, yet a wit and resolve to match or exceed that of her husband's. All had gathered to prepare Cole's lands for the month ahead.

Nevin cleared his throat, wanting to begin the meeting with his report. Antony nodded, and shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. Nevin liked to talk, and it wasn't unheard of for his reports to last well into the morning. This time, however, he cut straight to the point.
"Word came from the East," he began, he usual slow drawl more rushed now. "Princess Helen, the Overlord's older sister, has fled Trischland. Apparently there is a bounty on her head."
"How much?" Josephine asked, her eyes flicking from Nevin to her husband, briefly, and then back.
"Ten thousand bulli."
Antony nodded, drumming his fingers absently on the wood of the table. Silence dominated the room for about thirty seconds, resonating through the stone chamber almost louder than if someone had spoken. Finally, Nevin cut in. "What shall we do, my Lord?"
"Nothing." He replied, quite quickly, and stopped the drumming when his words began. "Pelataria is too far from Trischland. Perhaps the Princess will head to the West, perhaps not. Regardless, some other Lord will likely discover her before then."
Josephine nodded, along with Nevin, before posing another question. "And if she happens to evade the others and arrive here, Antony?"
The Lord looked at his wife, and gave a conspiratorial smile. "Then we harbor her. Pelataria has had a long, [i]long[/i] history. And we have always been loyal to our Overlord. Helen is the oldest, therefore she is entitled to claim the throne. My allegiance is with her, if only because she is the only option of true worth. Overlord Rone is a child, and a deranged one at that. And Contantine.. Why, there may be a brilliant leader in him somewhere, but he certainly hasn't shown it."
"Yes, my Lord, but Helen isn't exactly the most popular candidate. Backing her could be dangerous," Nevin pointed out.
"If Rone or Constantine hold the throne, there soon won't be an Overlord [i]to[/i] swear fealty to. They cannot handle the harsh realities of that position. Either Helen claims the throne, or we must prepare Pelataria for existence after a unified Lundland." 
The circle all nodded, with varying levels of true agreement. Antony was a man of his word - but he was also an opportunist, two qualities which could only be juggled by the most cunning of individuals. But whatever he lacked in morality - according to the standards of some, that is - he made up for in results, which everyone sitting before him appreciated.

Peterus spoke up next, regarding the status of Pelataria's army.
"Lord Cole, as you know it has been the tradition of Pelataria to maintain a standing army of at least one thousand men at all times. It has been this way since we were the frontier - what we lacked in size we made up for in training and preparedness."
"Yes, I am aware of our customs Jonah."
"Well, as you know, we will be short of crops this annum. Should we at least consider pulling some of the troops away from the grounds and back to their farms?"
Cole was quick to shake his head. "I have the food situation taken care of. Money has been sent to Jorvik, to the North, and a shipment of food should be arriving shortly. As for our army.. Our tradition still stands. Peterus, give orders to resume training at the grounds for both our Bowmen, and the Legionaries. Also, instruct the Riders to patrol along our trade routes."
"Yes, m'Lord."

Cole then turned his attention to Cardoza. The Admiral was a striking man, right in the prime of his youth. His shaggy blonde hair was cut much shorter than Lord Cole's, coming down to his forehead, and hazel green eyes shone with intelligence. His appointment to Admiral was sharply criticized by more seasoned naval officers, but Lord Cole could not simply disregard the young man's talent.
"John, I want half of our naval forces patrolling on trade routes. Take ten great galleys and a war galley, and send them along the northern route to Ironstone Island. I want the merchants heading from Palma and Calisii to the Island protected; be sure to notify House Strongheart that our intentions are peaceful and mutually beneficial."
"Sir," Cardoza began. "Do you want the Marines aboard for the duration?"
"Yes. Inform them to stop by Kingston on their way up the route and assign one hundred Marines per great gallley." Cardoza nodded.

Lord Cole stood, and glanced briefly at the sun peeking through the windows. The day had started, truly. And their business here had mostly concluded. Antony and Josephine left the meeting, signaling its official adjournment, and made their way from the east wing to the front battlements. Ahead of them, the city of Palma shone in all its glory. Though not the largest town in Lundland, the city was certainly among the most prosperous. Later in the day, the Lord had plans to meet with Palma's head architect, who would be receiving the bulk of Pelataria's treasury to put toward a massive project. Cole put his arm around Josephine, as a gust of morning sea breeze flew over the castle. The day was beginning, and the world was changing. Cole would not allow himself to be left behind.