Third Pov

The dining hall in the palace was perhaps one of the few places inside the castle that was richly decorated. The table was rectangular, made of wood and polished with dust from star remains. The legs of the table were beautifully crafted and each of them had the form of one of the four High Spirits.Up to 20 people could sit and enjoy delicious meals.

The chandelier was made of crystals that were specifically made to reflect the moonlight when it was full of cosmic energy which usually happens two or three times a month and when the beams of light fell on the walls they reveal a different kind of tapestry. Each month there was a different kind of decoration on the walls,each a work of art. It really was a room meant to cause feelings of happiness and calmness ideal for political discussions during official dinners.

Unfortunately today this was not the case. All four High spirits had gathered to talk about a serious matter, not of political or social value but of grave importance nonetheless. Their sister,the Queen,was depressed or, to be more precise,she has been depressed for the past ten months and no one could understand why. The kingdom didn't have any particular problems this year. The categories were getting along, without too many conflicts, and thus fact alone should be alone to make the Queen rejoice.

Then they suspected that something has happened with the Princes. So they called them to find out. At first Haures was very angry that Eve had let their secret slip to her officials but remained cooperative. His explanations confused them more. According to him the Queen had managed to eliminate the danger of the Dark Queen's interference so she had achieved another victory. However,there was something in the tone of his voice that made them feel uneasy. He didn't sound confident or sure,on the contrary he sounded more like a clever student who has to repeat what is written inside the book while at the same time he wants to voice his concerns about the context but he is afraid. Haures is not afraid. He just prefers talking with facts and evidence rather than speculations based on his instincts.That doesn't mean he ignored those instincts.

"This simply can't continue. Every Time the Queen has to attend a formal meeting she is gloomy and silent. I can't begin to fathom how many people have been offended by her behaviour.", Mary said annoyed

"That's the problem? Her social interactions? Not the fact that every morning she wakes up with a look like she wanted to die in her sleep ?",Irini answered angrily

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"If you are so concerned about her well-being why don't you talk to her about it in private instead of gathering us all here like we have nothing better to do?" Mary answered back

"And if the issue was her behaviour in formal events I would have arranged a council meeting. So sorry we spend your valuable time with needless discussions."

"I don't like your tone."

"Enough! We didn't agree to meet here so we can fight each other. Eve is our sister and we adore her. Of course her mental health is our top priority but we also can't ignore that it affects her performance. Mary,if you think this conversation is pointless and that you have better things to do you are free to leave.",Andromeda interrupted

Silence dominated the room for a few minutes.

"I think Haures knows more than he is saying. I don't mean that he is hiding information on purpose, just not voicing all his concerns in fear he will appear overdramatic.It would be unbecoming of a Shadow Prince to show concern for our Queen . But there was something in the tone of his voice that put me into thoughts'',Erica commented

"I agree. I also believe it is related to Thanos's rebirth but what could it be? The year is almost over,Thanos will be here in a matter of days and neither Haures nor Paimon gave us any indications that they are having problems. On the contrary,even the Dark Queen has left them alone.",Irini agreed

"Doesn't this seem peculiar to you?I mean we all know that the Dark Queen disapproves of the two princes' close bond and she didn't have any objection? She just accepted it?",Erika asked

"She probably understood that this matter is more important than her personal feelings" Mary added

"We are talking about the Dark Queen. She would destroy the center of the universe just because her jewelry fell in there. She has no sense of responsibility towards the multiverse,she disregards the universal stability and balance. Personally I find it hard to believe that she reacted positively to the news",Erika commented

"I agree. So it's safe to assume that the Dark Queen wanted to interfere and Eve somehow stopped her.",Irini said

"I wouldn't be so sure. Eve is remarkably smart but she isnt a diplomatic genius like the Dark Queen.",Erika said

"So what has happened?",Mary asked

"Eve didn't corner the Dark Queen. So she must have accepted the facts for a different reason" Irini said

"Why do we all assume that she has accepted it? It's possible that she realised that the present circumstances don't permit her to act how she would want so she gave up for now.",Erika commented

"This is all too theoretical. There are still too many questions unanswered. Why would the Queen have a problem with her own Prince rebirth? Disapproval and dissatisfaction can't be the only reasons that she would put two of her Princes' lives in danger. Eve's involvement tells us that matters are much more serious than we realise and that the Dark Queen didn't simply whine about it since the Princes had to abandon the palace and go into hiding.How serious is the situation? What else is going on? Eve's depression must be due to her loss of control over the situation. But our investigation tells us that everything is going according to plan. So what is she hiding that terrifies her so that not even the Princes know about?",Irini concluded

Andromeda hasn't said a word all this time. Her mind occupied only one thought:"Eve,my sweet little girl what have you gotten yourself into?"