Boren stood for a moment after inviting the five representatives to take their seats. His smile was steady and polite, but inside, his thoughts churned with unease. Noble houses rarely sent five envoys together for trivial matters.
Their coordinated presence signaled a shared interest, something significant was at play. House Solmere, House Drovan, House Lunehart, House Talbrek, and Lord Pellian's estate each wielded considerable power in their territories and were meticulous about their reputations.
For them to come together meant they were either testing the Guild or plotting to control it. And when nobles spoke of "good news," it typically favored them first and everyone else second, a truth Boren understood all too well from his dealings with both merchants and aristocrats.
The five envoys settled into their seats slowly, smoothing their sleeves and adjusting their postures as if entering an exclusive salon rather than the lounge of an Adventurer Guild.
