[i][h3]Kori, Queen of Barcea[/h3][/i]
The Queen continued to quietly walk along as she listened to Shadar speak. She walked with her head turned slightly towards the much taller figure, gaze focused upon him while remaining aware of her surroundings, and the path that she led them on. As he revealed his name, origin, and even appearance to her she listened attentively, her gaze betraying not disgust or fear (of which there was none), but genuine surprise. For a brief moment afterwards, she looked forward, but it wasn't to avoid his gaze or compose herself. Instead, it was to pick the next turn of their path, which was through a set of decorative double doors.

She led them outside, into a garden set into place in the space between the hallways that connected the inner and outer rings. It was a quiet, peaceful place with fountains and statues, benches and tables, and of course bushes and flower beds. She didn't say anything for a little while as they walked along, her leading him to a bench that she sat down upon. Her leading her there had two reasons: one was the chance to sit, now that the conversation had deepened so quickly, and the second was privacy. The garden was empty besides them.

[b]"A child of the Masked..."[/b] Kori said these words quietly, as if trying to convince herself that this was the reality of the situation. After a moment, she looked up to Shadar, giving a small smile. [b]"I never knew that the Masked could have children. They don't speak of their children in the old stories and texts of the great Divineborn. We know so much about people like Azarain and Vyren, the half-brothers from Yumio and Silvae, but nothing of a child of the Masked... Perhaps that will change soon."[/b]

She didn't elaborate any further what she meant by that, instead taking a minute to look towards one of the fountains, watching the water as it rose and fell. [b]"I will never know what it is like to be you, Shadar. I will never be about to fully understand what it is you go through... but I will do my best to do so. I understand your need for secrecy, at the very least."[/b] She looked to him then, giving a nod. [b]"I don't plan to do anything with your secret, Shadar. I could never live with myself if I were to take that from you. It is your decision what you do next, you and your brother's."[/b]

She gently placed her hands in her lap, briefly, before on either side of her on the bench to help her as she stood. She stepped forwards, going to the fountain to look at it more closely as she thought about what to say next. The Queen had more on her mind than ever now, and it subtly showed in her smile, and how it was ever fainter as compared to the one that she had initially greeted them all with in the streets.

[b]"This may hold no interest to you, Shadar, but I hate war. I was born into it, raised through it, and it was only after my father brought his own death upon him that I was able to end it for ten short years. I am... distressed that, already, it rears its ugly head."[/b] Once more, she looked to him, gaze thoughtful and curious. [b]"I won't give away your secret, but may I know what you plan to do with it? In history, there have been two kinds of Divineborn: heroes, and tyrants. Do you aspire to be either? Do you know what you'll do next?"[/b]

[i][h3]Cyril, Calypso, and Company[/h3][/i]
Meanwhile, in the northern part of the castle...

After Joy moved into place, slammed her hand onto the table, and began berating each of the Sentinels present within the castle, a change would come over each.

For Sampson, his eyes briefly widened before he shot up to his feet. He stood tall, with his eyes straight forward and his arms behind him as he attentively listened. It was a complete shift from how he was before, from casually eating to standing at attention like a true Barcean soldier. Meanwhile a confused look crossed over Gortul's face as he seemed to puzzle through Joy's words, something within them not clicking in his head; perhaps it was suddenly being told that his friendly smile was suddenly a bad thing, or perhaps it was being compared to a family pet. Diane, however...

Diane continued on as she had been, in simple terms. During the time that Joy had gotten started verbally tearing into the two other Sentinels, she had settled down behind the Princess (who was more than a little started by Joy's sudden slam and increased volume), beginning to run a brush through the Princess' white hair. At the words turned towards her the young woman simply laughed, calmly giving Joy a stare as the older woman suddenly fell from her moment and moved to the wall.

Catching a look from Alasa as the one Sentinel to escape unscathed continued to put up his equipment, Cyril thought to himself that it would be a good idea to [i]not[/i] tell Joy how many times Diane had actually succeeded in hitting him. Diane, in this moment, began to speak.

[b]"That's Lady Laues to you, if you're lucky to be allowed to speak to me at all. Cyril, just who is this mutt-"[/b]

[b]"Don't, Diane!"[/b] Cyril's voice suddenly rose and cut across the room, Diane blinking in surprise slightly as she looked to him instead. Her look of surprise and slight disbelief was met with a more steeled version of Cyril's gaze, before a sort of relaxed state came over the Prince as he sighed. [b]"Diane, this is Vesta Debove. ’Joy,' if you remember her."[/b]

For a moment, Diane didn't seem to make the connection, before her eyebrow raised ever slightly. [b]"Her? Well hasn't she changed... Not that I would have recognized her anyway, considering I wasn't around much in castle before she had her position revoked."[/b] With a shrug, Diane returned to running the comb through Ayano's hair.

Cyril just briefly brought his hand to gently hold between his eyes, at the top of his nose as he proceeded forwards to go to stand where Joy had been. Thanks to a nod given by a Prince, both Sampson and Gortul relaxed (though Sampson often glanced warily over to Joy, as if fearful she might suddenly resume her Captain-style tirade). The Prince's hand went to rest on the table lightly.

[b]"Cyril... What is it?"[/b] Gortul asked with his heavy words.

[b]"Gartian's finally done it."[/b]

The comb in Ayano's hair briefly stopped, before Diane gently pulled it away and set it into Ayano's lap before she turned her head to look at Cyril fully. It took Gortul a moment to process it, but the smile that had already fallen from his face fell even further as his expression became almost sad. Sampson, meanwhile, just slowly sat back down, though he didn't even turn to the table and the food as he held his hands down in front of him, with his arms resting on his knees.

[b]"... How many?"[/b] He asked.

[b]"We don't know."[/b] Cyril replied. [b]"Hillsborough is completely gone, and we suspect they may have destroyed more."[/b]

[b]"What... What has Lady-Kori-Queen decided?"[/b] Gortul stumbled over the words briefly.

[b]"She's sending us north, to the Guratans and Alsius. We need to secure their help for defenses, and a long term war if there is one."

"Calling for the Direwolf to come home, then?"[/b] Diane asked. [b]"It's about time."[/b]

Cyril just gave her a nod initially, before looking around at all of them. [b]"We leave early tomorrow morning, so make sure you're ready. Make sure to get plenty of rest tonight, I want to be close to the border by the time we stop tomorrow."[/b] He looked to Joy then. [b]"You can stay in this part of the castle as well... After you're done with drilling."[/b]

[b]"Oh Ambrosia, I'm already having flashbacks..."[/b] Sampson muttered, before going to quickly scarf down the rest of his food in a matter of seconds, as if in preparation for what he knew what was to come.

[b]"Uhhhh, drilling?"[/b] Gortul asked, clearly confused. When he saw Cyril smirked slightly, the very big man paled.

[b]"You'll see."[/b]

As the Prince spoke to the Sentinels, Calypso just observed a step or two through the door, with Etsuko still behind her. Her look of startled alarm had eventually faded from her face as her smile drifted back into its more normal state. For the most part, she had listened fairly neutrally, though a brief look of confusion came over her face at all the talk of “drilling.” Apparently she, like Gortul, had no idea what that meant.

Suddenly, Cyril looked over them, and the gesture he made to direct attention to them made Calypso perk up ever slightly. [b]“Everyone, this is the Diviner Etsuko Tanaka, and her travelling companion, Calypso. We met with them before Hillsborough, and they helped us through it.”[/b]

[b]“Etsuko’s the blue one, and Calypso has all the different colors of the rainbow!”[/b] Ayano added to try and help, but it just made Cyril (and the other Sentinels) blink; though Etsuko could have certainly been described as blue due to her attire, there wasn’t too much color to Calypso except black, silver, and the green in her eyes. It wasn’t often that Ayano was mistaken about colors, in fact no one could remember a time she had ever been wrong, but the current moment didn’t seem to be the time to comment on it.

[b]“Nice to meet you,”[/b] said Sampson as he stood, bowing slightly.

[b]“Again, welcome!”[/b] Gortul said, a big smile on his face as he seemed to have already forgotten what Joy had said.

[b]“Good evening.”[/b] This was all Diane said as she once again took the brush back to Ayano’s hair.

Glancing around at them all, Calypso’s smile seemed to grow slightly as she brought up her hand some, waving it slightly as her fingers wiggled. [b]“Hello…~”[/b]