A less than confident show from the king's own guard. Well, he reminded himself, they were supposed to be realists not lap dogs running about pretending that everything was perfect for the king. The man had plenty of lords to pretend for him, ten men's was a good enough portion because he certainly had enough advisers to manage. Thomas was also correct to worry that the man's life was in danger. Bard Urien was the last of his name, currently, in a family known for its trouble in producing male heirs. Add to that that he had no wife, and the royal family sat in a position that ranked among the highest of noble-held nightmares. He stood silent as the conversation turned to elf heritage, something he had absolutely no versing in. It became his turn to listen and learn, amusing to the man considering the reasons they'd approached the knight in the first place. At any rate, it had been confirmed that Thomas was of elven blood, something he hadn't seen done during his time in the castle. Maybe it was just a matter of someone actually stopping to talk to him for once. Arduin II's court had been significantly more reserved than most.