[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. 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. Across the table sat Jon Dupree, the liaison between Pelataria and Lord Aldran's fief of Centreport. 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 bullis."
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, should she survive this escape. If not.. Well, then I suppose the current Overlord will have become the oldest - and by that right we shall support him."
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, this time about the most recent reports of Bogan ships. However, Antony was quick to disregard this.
"Decades ago, my grandfather made some sort of deal with the Bogans. Now, the details of such a deal have been long lost, but the effect still appears to stand: the Bogan raiding parties will simply ignore Pelataria and Centreport. No more, no less. However, we'd be smart not to engage them at sea..or at all, for that matter, lest our luck run out." 
The Commander nodded, making a mental note, and waited for the Lord to end or continue rhe discussion. At this, Cole thought a moment more, and added, both to Peterus and to Dupree - still quiet at the edge of the table, "dispatch a runner to Lord Aldran - I want his fleet on patrol along our coastline. Not far enough to attract the Bogans' attention, just as a precaution. Also.. Get down to the harbor here in Pelataria. I want twenty Longboats commissioned for construction immediately."
"Longboats, my Lord?"
Cole gestured at the map of Lundland sprawled out before them. "Look around, Jonah. Im order to continue prospering as he have for so long, we will need more trade opportunities. If we go by land and land only, the limits us to Volhynia - our sole neighbor. No, we must invest in sea trade, and ships to defend the merchants."

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. He finished off the meeting with orders for Nevin to send out envoys, and finally turned back to Peterus.
"I want all troops on patrol around our borders, both in Pelataria and Centreport. Especially with the Bogans soon to be coming ashore, we can never be too sure."

Antony and Josephine left the meeting, signaling its 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. 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.

[hider=Actions]
Legionary Guard put on patrol around Pelataria
Calisii Bowmen put on patrol around Centreport
Great Galley Fleet put on patrol along shores of Centreport and Pelataria
Construction started on twenty (20) Longboats in Pelataria 
[/hider]