[NPC Post]

There's countermeasures for unauthorized spellcasting in the hall, but as the one who oversaw the entire thing Antigone naturally left a few minor loopholes to her advantage. And as Mother's most trusted second, Theodore had the privilege of perusing some of those. A minor cantrip built into a ring that temporarily shunt the user to the edge of someone's perception if they're not paying full attention to him, allowing discreet maneuverability for someone otherwise constantly under scrutiny. He had taken the moment when the king's servant attracted all eyes, where no one was the wiser to his disappearance.

Mother's brilliance made it difficult for her to act discreetly, but on the other hand she draw the lion's share of observation from their enemies. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this little fact, and thus Theodore tend to take subtler tasks that didn't necessarily require her presence.

[b][color=#33FFF7]"A moment of your time, Master Cedar."[/color][/b]

Theodore had pictured this going a bit differently, but he had underestimated how fast an upset bear can move. If not for how the latter seemed to be at loss with the castle's architechture he probably wouldn't have caught up. As it stood, a slightly out of breath Theo paused nearby to gather his bearings before he could continue speaking.

[b][color=#33FFF7]"Theodore Steinwall, if you recall. Our first meeting was at a less fortunate circumstances, but I hope you wouldn't hold a grudge over it."[/color][/b] After all, he's the one who was present to confirm what the... [i]jailor[/i] had gotten out of Cedar shortly after the bear was summarily bagged and beaten for "suspicious behavior". [b][color=#33FFF7]"A moment of your time, before your tails caught up to you or someone notices I'm no longer present in the party?"[/color][/b]

The Steinwall fully supported Fredricus' reform plan, yes. But that didn't mean they'll not do anything to prepare for it. While some houses decided to take the seditious path, there's other ways to retain power even when the nobility titles were gutted. And to that end, the bear before him was a highly valuable piece to have.