[center][@MonsieurShade][@Dracogenius][@urukhai][@Cubix][/center]

	"It was of no trouble - King Valentine is not one to request a presence without a great importance behind it," Picard told Cain, a half-smile on his face. "As I must return myself, I'll walk with you."

	Though he really would have rather not traveled with the cursed man, there were only so many ways to return to the castle, and the route that the bishop seemed to be taking was among the fastest. It was certainly one of the more direct, and as they were traveling on foot, that was definitely preferred. The last thing Picard - and apparently Cain as well - wanted was to keep King Valentine and Princess Cordelia waiting. King Valentine had been waiting for the last of the responses from the other monarchs when Picard had departed, and he hoped that he had received them in his absence. There would be enough waiting upon arriving at the Round Table, assuming all parties agreed to be present, given the speed of couriers and passenger pigeons.

	As he walked, Picard couldn't help but feel a bit of nervous energy building inside of him in regards to the meeting. The people of Gabriel had already murdered two monarchs - who was to say they wouldn't assassinate more? By inviting King Caymdahr to meet with his own king, Valentine, as well as the new king and queen of Michael, he felt like a great risk was being taken. Could the man really be trusted? Though there was no word on whether he had personally ordered the assassination or not, the advisor felt that it was not worth the risk. King Valentine was a man of peace and good will, however, and could not be swayed from his decision, no matter how he try to change it.

[hr]
	It was of little surprise to Auberon that Hadrian declined the seat, though he was less familiar with Olifina to make any assumptions on her move. She sat, folding her hands in her lap, and looked very attentive. Whereas he knew his sister was nervous, the king on the other hand was just tense. He was neither nervous nor anxious, but he was upset that they would be meeting with King Caymdahr. Though he trusted the word of King Valentine - his kingdom was one of peace, after all - he had much less faith in a man who had done so little in the wake of his parents' deaths. In fact, were he to have it his way, he would form an alliance with King Valentine, but leave Gabriel out entirely, no matter how the other king would wish to involve all parties. It was the one problem he had with the other king, something he knew from his lessons that had been inherited from his father.

	Rancor brought with him tea and cakes, something that Auberon knew would entice his sister, though he made no move to take anything on the tray for himself. Though he would perhaps have tea before they left for the Round Table, he had little interest in it at the moment. Like Hadrian, the servant declined seating, standing near the tea to pour a cup for any who asked for it. When he all but slapped himself in the face, Auberon could only lift an eyebrow, though he said nothing in regards to the man's embarrassing action. It wasn't productive to call out or ridicule him for it, never mind that it would be cruel to do so. His sister, on the other hand, seemed to find the action amusing. It didn't lessen the tension that showed in her shoulders, but it did widen her smile, and he couldn't help the small smile on his own face in response.

	Predictably, his sister deviated to the tea and cake, the room waiting patiently as she quickly indulged herself, then brought herself back to her standing point behind her desk. She began with an unrelated question - perhaps a further sign of her nerves - and then dove into the issue at hand. Auberon's attention fell away from the door completely, having had it closed behind Rancor, and focused fully on Adeline. She spoke of the letter and the requested meeting, and he struggled not to correct her in referring to the kings by their surnames. Perhaps he had received different tutoring than her, but he had been raised his whole life preparing to take the throne - whether in his own kingdom or that of another through marriage - and struggled with her address of the kings. He, too, struggled with the idea of meeting with King Caymdahr, and felt comforted that his sister was no kinder in the idea. The only thing that she managed to surprise him with was her mention that Raphael would attack the kingdom - he disagreed, and was surprised by her lack of faith in the peaceful kingdom.

	After she had finished speaking, Auberon prepared himself to speak, though it seemed she had one last thing to say. A question posed to those gathered - no, this would not do. He would take command now, and delegate duties. He would respect that Adeline wished for them to make the decision themselves, but given the skill sets of each person present, he did not dare consider them for anything other than the roles in his mind.

	"If I may," Auberon began, standing to address the room, "I do not believe Raphael will be so cruel has Gabriel has been. Their kingdom thrives on peace, and from my discussions with King Valentine, their military is lacking. No, I believe the only threat posed here is Gabriel."

	Giving that a moment to sink in, Auberon walked over to the tea tray on the corner of his sister's desk, taking a cup for himself and returning to the chair he had previously sat in. Again, he remained standing, and after taking a sip of tea himself, he addressed those gathered again. They each had their strengths, and this needed to be taken into consideration when placing them in jobs.

	"My personal recommendation - and it is just that, a recommendation - is that Sir Hadrian and Rancor attend the meeting with myself and Queen Adeline, while Lady Olifina remains with Princess Serenity."

	His reasoning was simple - Hadrian was more than capable of defending both himself and Adeline, but should something happen, he'd heard what Rancor's blood could do. As for Olifina, she was a lady-in-waiting, and it was only proper that in the queen's absence, she tend to the princess. He doubted his sister had thought that far ahead in her summons, though he hated to think so little of her. Their father had pampered her and Serenity, and in Auberon's mind, weakened them. As he had been taught, ruling was like a game of chess - each piece's abilities needed to be taken into careful consideration before a move was made. And sometimes, sacrifices had to be made.