Tears flow down the Queen’s cheeks as I recap my experience with her son, working for Jissepi,

“He sacrificed himself so that I could live,” I lie to queen, Omari clearly intended to kill me as well, but I have to be smart about this.

“Though he may be gone, his will lives on within me,” I finish.

Standing silently in the room for a few minutes the queen cries silently, Lyra stares at me in disbelief,

“Kage,” the queen swallows, “I thank you for at least giving me closure on the whereabouts of my son, you may stay and rest up here for now I need some time alone, I will speak with you later.”

We silently exit the room while the Queen sits calmly smoking her pipe.

“I’ll show you to my room so you may rest up,” Lyra whispers.

……

“I have some questions.” Lyra demands, as we sit atop the bed in her room

“What would you like to know?” I yawn, “I have some questions myself”

“Was what you said about knowing the prince true?”

“Yes, we were er…colleagues,”

“Where were you from originally then?”

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“I’m not sure,”

Lyra rolls her eyes at my evasiveness,

“What was that magic you used earlier?” she points to my bow

“I’m not sure either,”

“Huhhh you’re just as bad as Pinoki she accuses, “Liar!”

“I’m not,”

“Who doesn’t know their magic?”

“Can you explain it to me?”

“You can ask the queen all the important stuff later,” Lyra shrugs, “I don’t really get those sort of things.”

“Can ask I you some questions now?”

“Fine,” she says reluctantly

“Why were you in the holy city if you live down here?”

“Be…” Lyra pauses hesitating to answer,

“Because everyone is content now.”

“Hmm?”

“This house was where we all grew up, after the war, I remember we planned to get strong and reclaim our city, or to leave the city entirely,

Now everyone’s ok with a life down here, Pinoki, Karina, Apollo, you met those three,

Pinoki’s a scammer, Apollo is set on leading this place, Karina’s the only one who still lives here and that’s because she’s the most attached to the Queen, I’m the only one who still wants to live with an actual sky above my ahead, call me naïve I don’t care.”

“You could always dedicate yourself,” I joke

“Haaa! Why didn’t you though?

I saw you up there, back when we first met,” Lyra questions

“I was thinking about it, but I realized there are still things I must do,

“Like?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet,”

“So, help me!?” the girl implores, “we can take back the kingdom,”

“Not my fight really.”

“Then what was all that, ‘Omari entrusted me with his will’, nonsense you told the Queen!?”

“….I wasn’t entirely lying about that, his regret, I feel it, he wanted to return one day and save you bu-“

“-then join me?”

“But, as I was saying his fight is not mine, what purpose do I have in fighting for a place I don’t belong to? I escaped death so many times, I don’t think I can put myself in harm’s way again.”

“So, you’re a coward,” Lyra scowls, “I thought you being the first person I met who wasn’t already ‘dedicated’, meant something, now I see I was wrong for bringing you here!” she angrily turns pulling up the thin covers over herself,

“I’m going to rest, touch me and I’ll freeze you to death.”