Tighter controls will be necessary regarding Court business. Bearded by some ridiculous charlatan in the very Royal Presence! And threatened by a Curse! When did this new found superstition creep upon me? The promise of ancestral treasure was my undoing in this case. That and the spontaneous generosity of the Queen. This fascinating creature will empty my treasury if I am not careful. The thought of her blithely handing out jewels as rewards will end in nightmares. I have determined that it may be time to begin moving some of the treasury to more secluded environs. Both to keep the Queen from plundering it, and to keep it out of the hands of this Gray Thorne.

He exhibits an uncanny ability to predict the patrols of my guards and the movement of valuables about the countryside. Add to that the unpredictable nature of his appearances in my very throne room, and a pattern begins to emerge. I am almost certain that this thief is connected somehow to the immediate Royal Staff. I have my spies investigating, but even so, I find myself jumping at shadows. When will this thief's ambition rise from merely robbing the wealth of the Crown, to trying to steal the Crown itself? A paranoid fancy, no doubt, but perhaps I should take greater precaution in my daily habits. No one should think it odd with such dangers abroad.