Urien made the motions of laughing, following the act of Oleb along and yet remaining out of the spotlight. He played along in Oleb's little show, dancing to the tune. He smiled as Oleb smiled, he nodded as the King spoke and appeared bashful when the King spoke of cutthroats and murderers. He avoided the sycophant as a role, but nevertheless played the role of a submissive individual. Challenging Oleb seemed a poor course of action, especially as Urien noticed- he was bankrolling one hell of an expedition.
A letter of marque.
The promise of danger and opportunity.
It was getting harder and harder not to feel just a little excited. The waggling of his heart in his chest, thumping with coiled energy. He stopped his pacing and glanced down at the map beneath his feet. Admittedly he had been caught off guard by its significance. His mind had wandered not on the floor, but to the hidden alcoves and lurking shadows. A bad habit. He made a mental note to rectify his behavior later.
Still, there was always time to ply his trade.
"A fine offer and plan, Your Majesty. But you will have us to do the work of the Devil, I hope, for something more concrete than resurrecting a dead name on the lips of every merchant in the Reach."
His body shifted slightly to angle towards the throne.
"I hate gambling with one eye closed, as well. There has to be a catch here."
Astrid, who had been oddly silent, suddenly got up on Urien's shoulders, forcing him to stoop, giving the impression of a submissive bow. Yawning, the cat leapt gracefully onto the map of the Reach and glanced at the jewelled planets with a faint, feline curiosity that spelled trouble.