Wallace felt no need to further console his point with Gareth, Sophia seemed to be content to do that for him. The tall man simply stood by and watched as he'd grown accustomed to, looking away from the group at times to check the room nervously. No matter how he looked at it, the guard inside the halls seemed too thin. For all their armament, there wasn't much they could do to stop the Order, if it came to do that. Not for any inability to fight, but simply because in the close-quarters of the palace they could not come fast enough should something happen. He grimaced, and tilted a bit on his feet before regaining his balance. Whether it was age or something else, a migraine was coming over quickly. "I should be reporting to the council," Wallace declared to the group, looking for the closest door into the palace "Seek me out if anything untoward should happen, but in the meantime please stay safe. I feel as though we are only at the beginning." He added, and departed briskly.

---

The blank sheet composing the second letter lay idle upon Thomas' desk. The accompanying envelope had been unaddressed and unmarked, although the officially signed letter of commendation perhaps betrayed the identity of its sender if the postmaster had not already. The paper was worn and yellowed, but unfrayed and clean for its apparent age. Seemingly unprovoked, the surface began to crackle and sizzle and in short order caught flame. Most of the paper seemed to be sparred charring and destruction under the heat, but as the flames burned down and dissipated they revealed black-edged holes in the paper printing out jagged letters across its surface. The letter now read 'THEY HAVE HER' and below it, even larger, 'THEY WANT YOU'