Cressida answers, "The Seneschal Neolandus Kalepopolis disappeared mysteriously a few weeks ago when the king died and Queen Ileosa was crowned. The Seneschal technically has the power to call no-confidence in the reigning monarch, as their loyalty is to Korvosa first, the crown second. In such a case, he would call upon me and my Guard ... also Korvosa first, crown second ... to make sure that the crown in such a case were put down. Neolandus is well-liked by the people, and should he be present and formally charge the queen to lay down her crown, the rest of the city would stand behind him. Gray Maidens or not, the queen would then be hard pressed to control the whole of the city.

"Since the blood veil plague had hit, at its zenith Old Korvosa was quarantined for it is where the greatest number of the diseased had been, and it was seen by some of my contemporaries as a means of 'the poor and degenerate burning themselves out.'"