Casper turned away from the light streaking inward in an array of color from the stained glass windows that nearly encased his entire cavernous sitting room, save the arched doorway to the rest of his apartments. He loved to stare so at the images portrayed on those works of art, but today was not the day for such frivolity. He had donned his armor, for he would show the other sovereigns that he was cautious, not slow or dim-witted enough to think he was safe just because a place had been named "neutral". Would they take it as weakness or strength? [b]"I'll just have to prove I am not to be taken advantage of."[/b] He said out loud. His soft voice barely echoed through the sparse decorum of the sitting room.

He gripped a letter in his hand, briefly forgotten in his thoughts, but he held it to the light once more. The knight, Adeline Michaela Zaphiris, wished to attend him on his trip to the round table. Why was this particular letter singled out of an entire pile of requests to attend in his honor, an observer who did not know Casper might inquire. The request was from a lady, and he had very few female knights in his attendance. It had been so for many decades, the decline of knights of the fairer sex, and Casper rued it beyond imagining. He hated staring up into the faces of the male knights, it spurred a fire in his belly. In fact, if he could avoid taking any men on this trip, he would gladly do so.

He realized he had been gripping the letter entirely too hard, as it had crumpled into a mess in his hands. He tried to smooth it out, but the paper was un-salvageable. He took a long breath to calm himself and went to place the wrinkled letter upon the low-seated table in the middle of the room. With a nod of his head, he decided he would take her, the lady Adeline, over a hundred of his other knights - that much was certain. [b]"I'll even go receive her myself."[/b] He spoke into the empty room, this time more firm. Perhaps, if Lia acquiesced, he could even have Adeline watch over her in that treacherous place. His palms would not stop sweating from worry of anything happening to Lia on this trip, and Solandria had to be by his side during the proceedings. Lia, however... 

He sighed, smoothing a hand over his silvery blonde hair, streaked with lines of grey throughout. His worrying over the Kingdom and over the peculiarities his new wife-queen, Solandria, added to the graying of his mane... but Lia, that was where the majority of it came from. She was growing more rambunctious as she aged, and with it came more grey to mix in with his original swathe of illuminate hair. 

His thoughts, however, were interrupted by an echoing in the halls near his chambers. He could barely make it out, yet it seemed to call for [i]"My King"[/i] and though he forgot himself and his position at times, he knew the speaker must be calling for him. Why were his guards not taking care of whoever that was? The incompetence of men angered him every day. They were probably playing poker in the small guard station down the hall, smoking tabac and drinking their petty miseries away, the lazy sods. 

He had just made it through his apartments to the entry room leading out when he heard the soft whisper of slippers from the other side approaching, followed by a respectful knock. Not too quiet, nor too loud, so as not to wake or disturb him but enough to grab his attention from within. A maid then, he supposed. [b]"Allow me, madam."[/b] He reached forward, pulling the door wide open, and a petite maid was already dipping low into a curtsy before he stepped out. The girl looked positively exhausted, with dark circles underneath her eyes and a lethargic aura about her, though she displayed every formality with precision. From the slight bow of her head, to her straight backed posture and hands folded neatly ontop of each other in front of her. He hated the formalities at times, even when he knew they were necessary. He would have to remember to give the maids better wages, or perhaps hire more in order to decrease the overall workload? Another worry to add to the collection.

[b]"Your Highness, the Lady Adeline is seeking you, your Majesty, or the Queen desperately. I should have brought her here, but she... she intimidates me, Highness, I sincerely apologize."[/b] The maid spoke, her feminine voice lilting. And tired sounding, Casper groaned inwardly. He would get her name and make her take a break, it pained him to see her so. [b]"No need to apologize, madam. Take me to her?"[/b] Casper said softly, displaying his characteristic smile, saved especially for the ladies. [b]"And after you take me there, I implore you to go find respite in the kitchens, and tell them that I sent you. You look famished, my dear."[/b] The corners of the maid's mouth quirked into a small smile, but she gave him a small bow and a [b]"Thank you, Your Majesty."[/b] before leading him down the sunlight dappled corridors of the castle. 

The maid led him to a hexagonal section with corridors leading off of it, a stained glass sun-roof gave the area a soft spray of colors not too harsh on the eyes. In the middle of it stood his quarry, who had her back turned as she gazed down another corridor. The light cascaded off of her ocean-blue hair, making portions appear tinted violet and red, as well as a variation of all of those colors as it spilled down her back. The maid made to announce him to Adeline, but Casper stopped her with shake of his head.

[b]"How the blue-jay sings in the middle of the halls of Michael, making the other servants and knights think uncouthly of her. You should not have to be shamed so. I'll make to see that you are better guided the next time you seek me, Lady Adeline. How may I help you this day, in place of those who would not?"[/b] As he spoke, he gave those servants and knights nearest to him a look of disdain. He watched them shrink away from him and the female knight, ever so carefully as not to incur any more of their King's irritation. He gave Adeline his for-the-ladies smile as he waited for her reply.