The notorious Iron Monk Lawrence Ferency... or Lala as he preferred to be called... seems to have a new playmate? Companion? Partner in crime? in the straight laced Ulric Treny. Uly, as Lala has taken to calling him, seems to be quite comfortable in the other nobleman's presence leading some to wonder.... is there more going on beneath the facade the two have going on? Surely two house guard captains from different houses can't be just talking business all the time in the Golden Lion Tavern.

Can they?

It seems that there is trouble brewing between the Iron Monk and the less experienced Treny House Captain. They were seen in the Arena, practicing against each other with Bows - where the Treny Captain all but dropped his Bow twice, eliciting a guffaw from others... shut down first by Lala, the second time by Ulric with nothing more than a hard look. Then they moved to a spar and if Ulric thought he might get the better, the floor was wiped with him by Lala.

Was the monk proving a point? Or was it something more sinister?

Whatever had been the cause of the contest in the Arena seems to have been settled between Ulric and Lala as they were seen talking comfortably in the Tavern once more. Some distance was apparently maintained between the two of them so maybe all hostilities aren't over completely?

But they were both talking about going to the ball and once more the question arises - are they going together as a couple? Will there be a new chapter for the sordid life of Lala Ferency? Will he try and corrupt this young scion of the house Treny to his way of life? Or is this a last chance of redemption cooked up by his elders to change his ways?

A futile effort some concede, but the house elders do like their games of subtle politics.

Ulric was seen discussing matters with Thagg Zolrander Kraken recently, though no-one seemed to be able to learn what they were talking about. Was this the end of the relationship between Lala and Ulric? Had there been some lovers spat? Or was Ulric seeking consolation in the affairs of another man?

The gossip mongers are clearly working overtime to find out what is happening and when they do not know, they are filling the void with their own rumors and speculations.

More level heads are suggesting that Ulric and Thagg were simply talking, but once more, there are suspicions of the partner preferences of the Young House Treny Captain.