Off to Luxem

One thing you've concluded over the last couple of days was that the royal carriage was a bumpy ride. The trip to Luxem was quiet though. Despite the quality of roads, no sensible vagabond would attack a royal entourage. It would take an angry dragon, or worse to bring the caravan down and those were rare...Except in the wildest parts of the world. The carriage lurches forward for a moment before stopping. After a moment the driver knocks a couple of times before saying, "Your Majesty. We've arrived at Castle Luxem."

You step out and look at your destination. It's not an impressive castle and it only has simple fortifications, but it is only the holding of a countess. You can tell the castle had been expanded out over the generations, but overall it doesn't appear to impose on the landscape as many of the more important castles do. The first thing you notice is that there's not enough people. You step forward and the guards allow you entrance and show the proper respects, but the inner wards were deficit of activity from any servant. You step into the castle and walk in to the meeting hall and are surprised to see a rather odd sight.

The meeting hall is small compared to your throne room, but it's completely empty. In the middle of the room a jester is dancing and jingling his bells in an attempt to entertain. The countess herself, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair was sitting on her throne in a most unseemly manner. Her legs were hooked over her arm rest and her back leaned against the other arm rest as she lays sprawled on her throne. Upon your entrance she sits up quickly, an excited look showing on her face, "Oh! Your majesty. I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"So it would seem." You step forward confidently "Countess Marissa. We've heard some troubling news that you're greatly troubling your own people."

She shrugs as she straightens her dress, "Of course i am. They're holding out on me. Always stuffing things away so that I can't tax it. Honestly I think they should be taught a lesson. So a lesson is what I taught them. I suppose I shouldn't have left those few escape me last week. Apparently they decided to tell on me."

"I can't tell you how you treat your own people, but The Crown..." Suddenly you notice something off. The jester is still dancing around oblivious to the world, a dull look in his eyes. Even worse, now that you've gotten a good look at his face; you recognize him, you gasp. "Countess Marissa. What has happened to your husband!"

The countess looked mildly annoyed, as if she was hoping you didn't notice. "My husband bored me. So I made sure that he would never bore me again." She sits up, a hungry look appearing in her eyes, "Your Majesty, Perhaps we can talk more in private. I don't mind your bodyguards normally, but there are some things...State Secrets..That shouldn't be privy to anyone's ears but yours."

The state of her husband and hungry look in her eyes disturbs you slightly.