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The temple was approaching shambles, replaced by smoke and flame. Black pillars and red tongues danced malevolently, in an infernal tango, but through their own efforts the eight made it out of the temple.

With the temple becoming ash, the fire began to subside, almost unnaturally, not a single flame scorching any of the neighboring area, as if the fire was being contained. Still, the heat radiated by the inferno could be felt by those within a good number of feet.

Just as the building's support would finally crumble, stomping out the fire within and causing an updraft of escaping hot air, and billowing smoke and dust, the voice of a one particular Viscountess would pierce through.

"[b]What in the name of the White Stag is going on here?![/b]" Viscountess Viola demanded, seemingly rushing from the Castle Proper, adorned in her rather ornate bed clothes and accompanied by a small company of castle guards. No one else seemed to be in the place, somehow asleep or busy with other things despite the burning temple. Obviously, something was off.

Her question seemed to require no answer however, as the guards surrounded the eight suspiciously, although not yet bearing weapons or making explicit signs of aggression. Two did make attempts to retrieve Lu's unconscious body from the hulking Atlas, explaining that they would carry her to the court infirmary to be attended to. Their voices seemed gruff and untrusting of the seven. Regardless, they would be able to retrieve Lu Sini and take her away to be tended to.

"[b]Look what they've done![/b]" Viola said, examining the priestess' body as she would be carried off, dutifully caressing the fragile face of the unconscious priestess in an appearance of compassion. "[b]Bring them to the Throne Room, at once![/b]"

In this moment, each guard spoke in another language, a popular language used by some coven in the southern lands. If one would understand the words they spoke, they would realize that the guardsmen quoted an idiom that, when translated, was something along the lines of '[i]a lying snake binds worse than iron.[/i]' Almost as if in response, the chains equipped by the remaining company of guards, no doubt for this purpose, slithered their ways around the upper bodies of the seven. As the chains would creep up, Viola explained that "[b]Considering the circumstances, I'm sure you understand why we're not allowing you to walk there freely.[/b]"

She was slow to listen and quick to pounce.

The guards proceeded to escort the seven to the throne room, making their way from the temple. The party would pass the cobble, dirt and stone pavings into the courtyard where the deathly smell of the four dead hunters still mildly pervaded the air. The smell of decay and destruction, although faint, followed them all, until they made their way past the grand doors into the Castle Proper. As if transported into another world, the smell of death was quickly replaced with the smell of various perfumes and incense. The stone inside was polished to a sheen, appearing brighter and whiter than that of the exterior. Stone-polishing was the duty of some of the servants. Red carpets, banners and tapestries adorned the grand entry hall, all decorated with illustrations of the White Stag and Full Moon (which was often yellow in depictions), the emblem of the D'Cerf.

A grand staircase was immediately in front of them. This staircase led to the upper floors where most of the quarters for the nobles were. Two large halls extended to the left and right of the staircase, heading in opposite directions.

The group made their way through the entrance area, taking a left turn into an equally grand hallway. Moonlight poured through massive windows that were equally placed along the wall that led to the outside world. From here, one could see much of the castle's complete area. Halfway down the hall stood two doors, smaller than the grand doors of the entrance but much more imposing and intimidating, finely crafted and emblazoned with precious metals. Behind the doors rested the throne room.

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Making their way in, they all found themselves in a very empty atmosphere. The trappings of luxury and wealth, although more heavily present in the throne room, could not stand against a single empty throne, perched at the end of the long room on a platform. The other throne had been taken by a thief in the night, never again to be recovered. It had been the Lady's seat, and it no longer belonged in the place.

In the middle of the extended room was a long table, originally used in the dining hall, but having been replaced to serve as a sitting place for the nobles to take care of their crooked politics, as none dared sit on the throne. The table and accompanying chairs were very regal and elegant, matching the decor of the Castle Proper in general. The table was bare, although in the seats were various nobles. Either head of the table bore no chair, again in an unspoken act of no one proclaiming themselves over the other - just yet, that is.

The faces of the nobles turned to the group as they entered; they were colored various hues of red, blue and green, yet despite their intents and the state of the castle and coven, they nobles always seemed to be the picture of excellence, nary a hair in the wrong place on their bodies, in the broken coven.

The perfume smelled of deceit, the atmosphere was thick with mistrust, the carpets around the table strewn about in an expensive form of disorganized competition.

They had been awaiting their arrival. How they had been informed of the situation was unknown.

The seven were positioned in front of the table, at it's head, for all of the nobles to merely stare at them. Viola took her place at one of the other empty seats.

"[b]How disappointing,[/b]" said one noblewomen sighing rather sarcastically, "[b]it would seem these seven were caught abducting the priestess Lu Sini, who as we all know was acting in the Lady's stead.[/b]"

"[b]Curious as to how they could succumb to such madness, and in such unison! One would think they had been planning this all along![/b]"

"[b]It's atrocious and utterly sickening that they would manipulate that poor girl to get declare all seven of them as heirs to the Coven! And then attempting to kill her![/b]"

Lying through their teeth, the situation was getting worse and worse. It seemed the coven was most together then they were working against a common enemy, in this case against the seven who had been personally called by the priestess themselves.

"[b]I heard that they already found evidence of this little coup, proving their twisted actions.[/b]"

"[b]And what a shame that the girl is unconscious! How would she testify [i]against[/i] them?[/b]"

"[b]We could always just execute them. No one is given a right to a trial. Injustice is injustice.[/b]"

Suddenly, there was silence among them, as their corrupt faces stared at the seven. Then, finally, Viola piped up, "[b]So tell us: What would you say happened? Are you going to fight these allegations? We did find you under very incriminating circumstances, what with carrying the unconscious girl in what seemed to be a frenzy.[/b]"

It was strange how they never explicitly mentioned the fire.

She paused then added a little statement that seemed to be a form of trade. "[b]Or you could just confess that you manipulated the priestess, and perhaps inform us at to what she said. I'm sure it didn't pertain to D'Cerf rule in the coven, right?[/b]"

The chains around the seven loosened, the iron slithering back to their respective guardsmen. The seven would not be wise if they made an aggressive actions, considering the power of the nobles, having strength in their number.