Grab me by my ankles I've been flying for too long Olive's hesitation was very brief, her expression one of curiosity and surprise, but it was brief. A polite smile formed on her face, inclining her head in acknowledgement and thanks for his praise before speaking again. "Thank you, Your Grace, and yes, of course, we are happy to serve." Olive's facade of control went shaky again at Morveren's appearance, the tip of her pink tongue slipping out to wet her lips in a nervous manner. Cypress dropped her gaze anxiously as the king looked in her direction, but spoke timidly at his words. "Y-yes, Your Majesty," Cypress answered, looking at her sister as if unsure if a response was permitted. She'd met only one other royal of this magnitude, and Queen Idris - while impressive - hadn't packed nearly the punch of this man. "She stops by s-sometimes. I-I know we're probably not supposed to feed her b-but..." She swallowed guiltily. It wasn't a lie, not completely. Morveren did stop by of her own accord, although certainly more often when Thoth himself was there. To say that they didn't know Morv at all, or who she belonged to, would be foolish - they were well-known by many throughout Shaman, for one reason or another. Cy was fairly certain, if he was so inclined, he might look at her assistance to a familiar of a wanted criminal as aiding and abetting said criminal, and wanted to be sure the blame landed firmly on her. But surely he'd understand how cute and irresistible Morv was? He'd called her "friend" after all... She hesitated at Mordred's words for a sliver of a second, perturbed by what was implied, but she inclined her head graciously. "Absolutely. Would you prefer them on the ground level or abovestairs, sir? Ah, actually," she withdrew the keyring from her pocket and cast a glance at the nearest guards, offering it to them so that they might present the ring to the king if he so desired; knowing she handed over access to every room in the Dragon by doing so. Gods, please let everyone have escaped - preferably with any hint of their existence taken too! "Certainly, Your Grace" Olive replied again. With a slightly awkward little bow, Cypress backed away, taking a seat near Renn. Olive waited for a more clear dismissal, but it didn't come - instead, a knock on the door thumped loudly, and Cypress startled visibly. The door drew open and... Just when Olive thought things could go no worse, Grayson appeared in the doorway, propped up by a guard. And she... she just felt herself crumble inside. Why was it that the universe always took advantage of her weakest moments? It could have been anyone - a friend, a foe, an outlaw she didn't even know - but instead, it was Grayson. Someone who'd made her feel safe, and seen, and... What was she supposed to do now? How could she possibly fix this? It would kill her to see him hurt in front of her - or worse - and know there was nothing, nothing within her power to stop it. Magically strong and gifted as she was, the King and his guards were lightyears ahead of her, and the political strength alone? If she moved against him in any way and failed, it wouldn't just be Grayson lost today. Still, she took a small half-step in Grayson's direction, almost against her will. How badly was he hurt already? He seemed out of it, not quite here in the moment, and it scared her. It took everything in her to step away with a polite bow of her head, moving to sit close-by should the king require her - it was clear from his words that this discussion was not necessarily one for her to be involved in. Cy took her sister's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Morveren, however, had other plans. Everyone - or at least, everyone who wasn't the king, his guards, or injured - startled at the loud crash as Morv's tail whipped a bottle to the ground. Cypress cleared her throat anxiously, but no one moved to clean up the mess. Olive was too busy trying not to stare at Grayson worriedly, Renn was too anxious about her brother, and the rest were completely focused on the men at the table. Cypress swallowed as Morv rounded the bar, coming to stand at attention near her feet. She patted Morveren's head awkwardly, knowing the creature didn't understand. Cypress was pretty sure she knew what the strange waterfox wanted, but to give it to her would be profoundly stupid and put Thoth - and the rest of them - in greater risk than before. "I don't have anything for you today, silly beast," she whispered, trying to sound as innocent as possible. She gently nudged Morv's paw away, scratching behind the creature's ear and getting a bit of comfort from her familiar presence even in such a desperate time. Gods, if only she understood English better! Surely Thoth's familiar could create a distraction... What came after, Cypress wasn't sure, but she hated this helpless feeling. Like a puppet, waiting for its strings to be cut.
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