The nobles and the noble Houses maneuver for advantage. They do things they think will help them, or hurt and enemy, or both. Usually, it's all done in secrecy, or if not, they try to make it seem as if they're doing something other than what they are.

The Great Hunt: Book Two of 'The Wheel of Time' (ed. Macmillan, 2009) - ISBN: 9781429960137