[quote]The queen stared in quiet surprise at Maria for her words, and for a moment she didn't answer. Her own expression grew distant and serene, a small smile, the same expression she wore whenever she addressed the public -- but the more she looked at Maria, the harder it was to lie to her. Her smile wavered, and she let out a slow breath. She laughed quietly. "You have a way with words as well as sweets, don't you?"[/quote]
 
Maria giggled. "Mother always did say that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I'm just living proof!" Her small smile quickly turned upside down as she realized what she had implied. "Uh, not that I think you're a fly, or anything. Flies are gross and annoying, and you're really nice and pretty! I-I mean, uhm..." Maria blushed and stopped talking, hoping that the Queen would know what she had really meant to say.
 
When the Queen responded by asking to confide something to her, Maria was rather surprised. This was altogether unexpected; why might the Queen tell Maria, of all people, such an important-sounding secret? For most other people, such a thought would likely be followed by [i]Because I'm the only one in the room[/i], or [i]Because I'm not important enough to be dangerous.[/i] Maria, on the other hand, skipped all that and went to [i]We've already become really good friends, of course!![/i] "Of course I am! Whatever it is, you can always tell me!"
 
[quote]At length she nodded slowly and gestured to the robot-guards around them. "Please stand guard here. Maria, come walk with me."[/quote]
 
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH6jNIEuG6w]The two women walked together[/url] through the cathedral-like cave, the surrounding rocks giving their faces and clothes odd hues. While normally Maria was a fan of pink, something about the ambiance, and the particular shade of garish coral that the floating stones put out, gave the area an air of... [i]wrongness[/i] was really the only way Maria could think to describe it. It distorted and transmuted her surroundings, giving them the quality of a dream that had a strange, surreal nightmare lurking behind it. Maria felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach, and she found herself wishing she had brought along her new shield, rather than leaving it with the robot guards. At that time, the Queen began to speak.
 
[quote]"I was born with half a heart," the queen said quietly -- and this much was known to all in the city. "My parents, I think, became so desperate for my survival that they took the most drastic measures. My mother became pregnant again, with a child whose sole purpose was to save my life."
 
As far as the city of Periphery knew, after the princess was born the king and queen had become recluse for two years following. Never had there been even a whisper of a second child.[/quote]
 
Maria perked up at this news. She said nothing, but had the sense that the Queen was about to tell her something momentous.
 
[quote]"The mages secretly collected the dreams of the people of Periphery, through hidden sigils. They forced all these dreams into my unborn brother, so that he might have the strength and power to survive while at once saving me. But he was born . . . as something not quite human." She struggled with what he actually was, for she'd been far too young at the time to have known.
 
"He was . . . cut open . . . and his powerful heart was given to me, but he did not die. He would not die. Our parents were frightened of him, so my father ordered him smuggled out of the city and left in the woods near the diamond mine, hoping the miners' families would find him and raise him."
 
She stopped at the edge of a still pool of water, where the glowing reflections glimmered at their feet.
 
"After that, I was presented to the city as a miracle, and the king and queen ruled happily again. The diamond mine suddenly began producing great riches, and the city prospered. And then my brother returned." She looked to Maria with a sad smile.
 
"He was so young, but so intelligent. He snuck his way into the castle and confronted my father. I don't know what was said, but my brother was forced out again and told never to return. After that, we began receiving reports of monsters in the woods, that had no hearts and were made of dreams."
 
The queen bowed her head. "The Grit were relentless, and instead of talking with my brother, my father built the wall instead. After my parents died, I sent my own envoys to the mine, to find him and plead with him. Only one of my scouts ever returned, with the single message that he planned to take his heart back from me.”

"I'm sorry to burden you with this, Maria." She held Maria's hand between hers. "It's an awful business that has cost so many innocent lives, and I don't know how to repair it. All we can do is hide ourselves from the demons my brother has created; I'm not sure he's capable anymore of listening to reason, if he ever was." She looked back toward the transport sigil, where the robots were standing guard. "The others' mission now may preserve some lives, but we can't hide forever. I fear we've lost."[/quote]
 
Maria was gobsmacked. That was, indeed, something momentous. She said nothing for a little while, just letting her mind process what had been said. Eventually, her brain nudged her mouth, and got it to spit out "Goodness!"

[i]Say something else, quick![/i] "I... That is indeed quite a large secret. And I can see why something so big and scary would create such a weight in your mind. But..."

Maria's voice quickened slightly, gaining strength as she figured out what to say to a queen. "But we haven't lost yet. As long as any of us are alive and fighting, we still have a chance! We can still save Periphery! I [i]know[/i] we can!" She looked directly into the queen's eyes (which caused a bit of a flutter in her stomach, as they were quite pretty) and continued. "I'm sure your brother can be made to see reason eventually. He just needs a friend! I bet it's real lonely, out there in the diamond mine with only dreams and anger for company. Maybe if someone were to go and talk to him for a while, he would be a bit nicer!"

Maria stopped talking momentarily as a disquieting thought entered her mind. "Though... You do have a good point. About him not being able to listen to reason anymore. I guess if that happens... Well, it's a good thing we found that armory, I suppose."

She gave a small sigh. "I wish I could go and talk to him now, without having to go through all the Grit and other dangerous stuff outside the Wall. Then we could get this all done much sooner, haha. But we'll get there eventually, me and Moth and everyone. I know we will. And when we do, Periphery will be free of Grit once again, and everything can go right back to normal. I promise you." Maria held the queen's hands between hers, in a gesture of support.