“Afraid it is.” Kire raised an eyebrow at him, her mouth almost twitching into a smirk. [i]Can’t say I blame him[/i]. “One cup of coffee for the grump,” she said, going to the kitchen and coming back with two cups. She handed one to Ruli, the other she kept for herself. She was quiet as she drank her coffee and waited for him to wake fully, her mind still occupied by her conversation with Ysaryn. Even after Ruli finally was ready to leave, Kire remained silent. [i]Kire, do you even want your throne back?[/i] Janes’s last question to her before coming back here came to her then. She couldn’t tell whether her cousin was angry, or simply needing answers, when she said that. Jan knew her better than many people, sometimes even better than herself, but Kire had pushed the question aside just as she had pushed Ysaryn’s question away earlier. Now both women’s questions weighed heavily on her, two sides of the same sentiment that Kire wouldn’t acknowledge. 

The moment they emerged, she could tell things were much busier than ever. The streets were even more decorated with flowers and banners, and she remembered the brief encounter between Itallo’s men and the botanist yesterday. The heady smells of flowers, perfumes, and food were dizzying. But still, on the other side of the wall, there was squalor and rot, and Ysaryn’s memory of being taken by the Gemini came back to her. “They took her to a place very near the water,” Kire remarked as they made their way to the city proper. Her eyes scanned the busy streets of Cordon, wondering if she would see that Gemini again today. “The man you saw yesterday, did he look old or young? Though if he’s using any sort of glamour on himself that might not matter.”