Kire was relieved Ysaryn dismissed the topic, though the elf’s question did linger in her mind. Was it a bad thing? [i]I won’t be empress after  a few years….[/i] Kire shook her head, similarly pushing the idea aside. When they entered the castle, Kire was reminded of how the Palace had felt after the Black Storm, and after they had reclaimed it from the Gemini. A tad too lifeless to be comfortable yet. She followed Ysaryn in silence, observing the place. In a way, she couldn’t really blame Risa for stubbornly clinging to the trappings of authority. She had known no other life, and after losing everything, Kire could understand the need to desperately grasp anything that could be within her power to control. Still, when Ysaryn rolled her eyes after Risa bade them enter, Kire suppressed a snicker. 

The room they entered wasn’t too terrible, considering the repairs the castle needed. Better than the camp in the mountains, at least. Kire kept her face blank when she stood before the princess, and when the woman addressed them, she put on a polite smile, one she had often displayed when in meetings with people she had to be cordial with. “Your Majesty,” she said, inclining her head. “I am glad to see you well, and radiant as ever.” Her tone was friendly as she said this. “I was hoping you would deign to answer a few questions I have about Solaralai and her religion. If there are still worshippers here that could shed more light on her worship.”