The Jarl laid there, dead, and a very brief peace fell on the party. Alice could feel the maelstrom begin to swirl, another domino had changed fate.
"There's a tunnel heading out the back," said Rina as she began inspecting the Jarl's mask. "Let's see if we can find a way out through there."
Neely, Phillipia, and Alice all took a look into the tunnel - it was nearly pitch black, but they could see that the tunnel went down at a pretty steep angle, and the ground was covered in ice.
"We aren't walking, that's for sure," said Phillipia.
"Let's see if we can find something to sled on," Alice suggested.
"What about the mask?" Rina asked as she cut the strap holding the mask onto the Jarl's face, and it dropped down onto the ground beside him. "Maybe we can ride it?" Rina tried to move it, but there was no way to do so. "Hmm... never mind I guess."
The Jarl's face was old and heavily wrinkled. His features greatly resembled that of the pat giants, like his mother.
Rina scraped off chunks of the Jarl's mask and some from the horn into the now-empty potion jars she had.
Just then, a cracking noise that shook the ground began to reverberate through the pillar above them.
Alice looked up the stairway from where they entered, "We have to decide now! The pillar is falling on top of us!"
Neely and Phillipia then come up with the same idea at the same time: "The toenails!"
"You aren't serious," Rina said with a grimace.
"It's that or die!" Alice said as she ran past Rina to grab a toenail.
Reluctantly, Rina grabbed onto the giant toenail from the Jarl that Phillipia handed her, and she fastened some rope around it for something to hold onto.
They all lined up at the edge of the cave and got onto their toenail sleds, diving downward into the deep cold of the mountain.

The cave was too dark to see, except for the dim light of Rina's Fire Shield.
"Guys, I have blingsight with my mask, so I can see everything in the cave if we need it. I can lead us, and you can follow my light, okay?"
They all nodded in agreement, and let Rina in front.
Phillipia tried to do a jump, and hit her head on a stalactite instead.
They all skirted down the cave as speeds faster than any other way down the mountain, with only Rina's eyes to guide them.
A sharp turn came up all too quickly, "Guys turn right!" Rina yelled just in time for them to all miss hitting the sharp rocks along the wall, but not for her - her left arm getting completely battered in the process.
She was able to continue to take the lead until the tunnel widened and flattened just a bit. But they had an avalanche on their tail, and needed to keep pace or be overtaken by it. Alice summoned a wind elemental to push them forward faster, and they continued at the pace they needed to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
However, once they got closer, they could see that this light was coming from the other side of a thick sheet of ice covering the exit.
"We can't just smash through that thing!" Alice yelled, "And I can't cast any more spells!"
Rina had one spell left, but all of her magical damage was cold - even the fire spells dealt cold damage because of Agronoch's Frost-flame.
"Enoch..." she whispered out loud to him, "It would be really nice to have actual fire right about now."
She felt an answer - a flash of magic came from the fingers of her right hand, and she looked down to see they were covered in ink. As she held up her hand to cast Fire strike, the contract appeared in front of her. The movement of her hand erased something from it, and she felt strange for a moment - almost hollow. Then, using the ink on her fingers, something else was written in that place - her intention. Her spell lit up the wall of ice with burning fire, melting it all nearly to nothing. Alice's wind elemental swooped in and fueled the flame before disappearing - and all four of them safely penetrated the area where the ice wall once stood.
The relief didn't last long, though.

The cave exited directly out of the side of the mountain, on its steepest slope. They all began to fall. They all landed in snow, except for Phillipia - she was dropped hard onto rock and was hurt in the process, seeming to be barely able to hang onto the rope around her toenail sled.
They looked back to see the remainder of the avalanche burst through the cave, then stop entirely. Their sleds stopped just within sight of the Garrison, where the party had been just 2 days prior. Rina disguised herself as Anastasia again, and they all approached the Garrison.
Pat giants had swarmed the door of the Garrison, and inside the Herd giants could be seen trying to protect themselves.
"We want our freedom!" the pat giants yelled. "Let us take back our land!" "The Jarl is dead, and his power has been released to us!"
"What should we do, guys?" Phillipia asked the group.
"Well... why are we all here?" Rina asked as a way to remind them, "We were all here to kill the Jarl. The Jarl's dying wish was that we help save the Pat giants."
"So, we stand against the Herd giants!" Alice announced as she approached the garrison.
Commander Dirk could be seen within the garrison, trying to verbally calm the giants, "Calm down everyone, we don't need-" she then saw Alice approaching, with the others following behind. She seemed to immediately change her tone from leader to follower - it seems that Blanke's message to Lloyd had prompted Dirk to be reprimanded for not obeying Blanke and Alice. "Oh! Alice Moondance! We are um... we are just under negotiations."
Alice picked up her toenail sled and slammed it into the door of the garrison, "Open this door and give them retribution!"
"So, does that mean we are to... arrest the Herd Giants?" Dirk asked hesitantly.
"We have done nothing wrong!" the Herd giants protested, "We have been doing trade here for many years!"
"You haven't done the trading," Rina yelled, "they have done it all! They don't need you, and they never have!"
"Arrest the Herd giants! Give the Pat giants their land!" Alice yelled at Dirk.
"So, you're willing to tell Queen Loanna Staffon that we, as a nation, as siding with the Pat giants on this issue?" Dirk asked once again.
"Dammit woman! Bring this door down!" Alice yelled once again. Dirk gestured to have the door opened, and to arrest the Herd Giants.
The pat giants cheered, and some began talking to the traders within the garrison, "We know all the routes, and we may even be faster without having chains around our feet. We wish to continue trade as usual."
Dirk and the others in the garrison agreed.

Rina went to gather pieces of the Giant's nail, but the one she was riding couldn't be scraped with a knife.
"What's this? It's... really strong..." Rina identified it as the Shield of the Jarl. "I have no use for a shield, do you want it?" she offered to Phillipia.
"Oh, no i couldn't..." she said, slightly reaching for it.
"Oh, I insist," Rina said, slowly handing it over.
"I wouldn't want to put you out," she said as she slowly took it from Rina.
"I just... I just want to make sure you get it as a thank you!" Rina said, grimacing at the nasty toenail of a shield.
"Oh, that reminds me," Alice said as she pulled out the shiny object from the nest. "It looks like a sharpening stone... Phillipia, I think this should be yours, too. You deserve it."
"Thanks!" this one she took quickly.
"I've gotta go actually get some giant toenail clippings..." said Rina, begrudgingly.
"Why? If you're grossed out then don't do it," Phillipia said.
Rina sighed, "Because you never know when you'll need the spell component..." she slowly sauntered over to one of the other sleds.

A familiar voice was heard amongst the commotion, "So, I see you finally killed the Jarl, The Bound," Valentine said as she approached them.
"Hello, Alice. It seems you are missing some people from your group."
"Blanke is... trying to stay alive in the afterlife long enough for us to finish a task..." Neely said quietly.
"Ah, Neely, good to see you - the newest member of the Bound. And who is-" Valentine paused as she looked at the 6ft tall Druse woman standing behind them. She squinted, "Well, hello, Rina."
"Shh, I'm not supposed to be here!" Rina whispered, "Call me Anastasia."
"Right... Anastasia. Well 'Anastasia', and company, you have all been summoned to the castle immediately."
"Why, who is summoning us?" asked Alice.
"The queen requests an audience with you all immediately. Especially you, Phillipia."
"Oh. Yeah, okay, that makes sense," Phillipia said casually in response.
"Also," Valentine added, "When I said 'immediately', I meant it."
She opened a portal that lead directly to one within the castle, and she took them to a waiting room.
"The queen will be seeing you after she is finished with her current meeting," Valentine then turned without another word, and left the four of them in the waiting area.

"So, why exactly are you disguising yourself?" Phillipia asked Rina.
"Well... the queen banished me."
"I knew that much. What happened?"
"I, um... I said 'no'. I mean, technically there was more but that's what it boiled down to."
"Oh, yeah, she doesn't like that."
"She asked me to wrestle her... she was naked."
"Yeah, you'd be surprised how often that happens."
"How would you know all that stuff?"
"I just know her, you know."
"Well, she doesn't make sense to me. She Knighted Blanke, I'll never understand that decision."
"Was she drunk?"
"Oh yeah, super drunk - they all were."
"She does tend to do that when she's drunk. She's not a bad person, though. She's just misunderstood I think."
Rina raised an eyebrow.
"I went through basically the same training that she did, it truly isn't for the faint of heart."
"I have no doubt that she's strong, it's her sanity that I doubt."
"Oh, yeah, that's totally fair. It's just been hard for her... lots of people around her are temporary. Someone tries to assassinate her multiple times a month, and many consort kings have died protecting her."
"She's married that many men?"
"It's... sort of a marriage, I guess. This current guy, Edmund, he's been with her the longest. Almost a year now."
Rina suddenly felt sorrow for the queen, to lose so many husbands that you cannot feel connected to them... to have to bury them all.
"I know what it's like to feel like everyone's temporary... when you live 300 years, you lose a lot of people."

Suddenly, the door to the throne room opened. This was in the inner castle, the one not seen by the eyes of the public. The Queen sat there, distracted by a conversation with the Abbott Harold - the leader of the Eyeless Kindness - who was to her left, and her King Consort Edmond Staffon stood to her right. Mayoay stood to the side of the room and waved slightly to the group as they entered. They all approached, and kneeled before her.
The queen stopped her conversation with the Abbott Harold and greeted them, "Ahh, yes. If it isn't The Bound. Though, it appears that Blanke did not make it back with you? Shame. Anyway, I have come to understand that the Jarl is dead. Is that correct? Did you kill him?"
"Yes, we did," Alice answered, "With the help of Phillipia, here."
"Oh good, I'm thrilled to hear he's dead," the queen turned toward Phillipia and smiled, then snapped her fingers. A guard opened a door on the side of the room, and out stepped commander Gar - in crutches, missing a leg, all bruised and battered.
"There she is! You little punk! You left me there, tied to the ass of a sheep just to die! You should be hung! Or worse!"
"Gar, is this the insubordinate who disobeyed your orders and spat in your face?" asked the Queen.
"Yeah, that's her! The little bitch should be punished to the fullest extent for how she treated me!"
"What punishment would you recommend, Gar?"
"Beheading! No, drawn and quartered! Let her be pulled by horses until dead! Over spikes!"
The queen nodded, then turned to Phillipia, "So, you - the Ivory Knight -disobeyed direct orders from your superiors, is that true?"
"Yes," Phillipia answered with confidence.
"You even... spat in his face?!"
"Uh, yes."
"And then... you deserted him during battle?"
"Yup."
"And... you thought that finishing your job was more important than the life of your officer?"
"Yeah, absolutely."
The queen paused a moment, then erupted in laughter, "Ahhhahaha! Wonderful! That's my girl!" Loanna then punched Phillipia in the stomach, "You certainly know how its done, Niece of mine! By the way, nice tan... You look good."
Phillipia only held her stomach for a moment, then stood up and laughed with her, "You like my freckles, too?"
They both laughed.
"Now, is there anything you'd like to say for yourself?"
"... Please don't tell my mom."
They both laughed again.
The queen put her hand onto Phillipia's shoulder, and gestured to Gar with her other hand, "Now... do you think we should punish this little welp?"
"Definitely," Phillipia said dryly, "I'm thinking drawing and quartering. Or maybe being dragged by a horse."
"Over spikes!" The queen yelled.
They both continued laughing.
Gar stood there, mouth agape. "No, no, please. I may have been out of line, but... being tortured to death?!"
The queen waived him off, and guards arrested him and dragged him away screaming.

"Well, dear Phillipia, you and I will have to talk later! But for now, are you going to introduce me to your newest friend here?" The queen gestured to 'Anastasia.'
"Oh, Um, yeah, this is... What's your name again?"
"Anastasia, your majesty," Rina said, bowing deeply in hopes that might help strengthen her disguise.
The Queen's eyes narrowed, and she smiled, "Hello, Anastasia. I'm Loanna Staffon, Queen of Asmery."
"It's an honor..." Rina said softly, still not making eye contact.
"Well, it's about time for lunch - and you're all to have lunch with me. But you're... Disgusting," the Queen said as she looked Phillipia up and down. She snapped her fingers, and servants came to escort the group to baths. "Especially, you, Phillipia, your nursemaid is to wash you." A tall, older woman came in from another room.
"Bath time for the Queen's favorite Niece!" The woman less-than-gently grabbed Phillipia and began dragging her off.
"Nannah I can do this myself!"
"Nonesense! I've been doing it since you were born, I'm not about to stop now!"
"But I want to do it myself!"
"We don't always get what we want!"
The conversation continued as Phillipia was being physically dragged down a hallway.
The party members were also stripped and bathed. Rina's disguise was still maintained, but it did cause all of the staff to believe her clothes needed to be many sizes too big. Each of the party members were escorted to their own chambers, and clothing with the colors of Asmery that they were to wear to lunch were laid out on the beds.
"Oh man... I know they aren't going to be able to know how big these clothes are on me, but I certainly will. This shirt swallows me alive." Rina's shirt was as long as a dress on her, and her skirt could barely be walked in because it was too long. "At least the spell disguises clothes, too... but now I'm wishing I'd made a disguise closer to my actual size. Anastasia is like a foot taller than my actual height."

The servants then escorted them all to a lunch table in a smaller meeting room. Mayoay was standing beside the table with scrolls in her hands. The Queen sat at the head of the table, with the Abbott on one side, and an empty seat on the other, "Ah! Niece! Come sit next to me, we have much to talk about!"
Phillipia sat next to the queen, and the others were guided to their specific seats. Alice was sat next to Gabrielle, Neely was seated by Phillipia, and Rina was sat on the other side of Neely, with an empty chair between them.
"Now that we are all here," said Mayoay, "I have some things to reveal to you all."
She projected magic onto the wall of three paragraphs of text, "These are three prophesies that we could not read before the Jarl's death. They seem to be scrambled, though. We will need to solve them before we can learn more."

"So you couldn't read them before and you still can't read them now? What's the difference?" Alice interjected.
"They did not even have letters in any known alphabet before, just gibberish. They are now in the letters of the Common tongue, we just need to figure out what they are trying to say."
"Well, is there anyone at the table who thinks they can solve this?" asked the Queen as she scanned the table.
Alice and Phillipia both raised their hands. The queen then stared directly at 'Anastasia' seeming to wait for her answer.
"I'm pretty good with books..." Rina said.
"Wonderful! Mayoay, distribute those between the three girls. Let's see if any of them can get them figured out."
Mayoay handed them each one scroll and a pen, but Rina pulled out her own pen.
Phillipia looked at hers for a moment, then handed it back to Mayoay, "No thanks, give it to, uh... Anastasia. She'd probably like it more."
Rina did so love solving puzzles.
"So! Phillipia, my dear, how are you? How's the training?"
"Training's great! Killing a god really taught me a lot."
"Always good to hear! Now Tell me all about the adventure on the mountain! I remember when I was your age, I had just got out of training, too. Those sand dunes up north really toughen you up."
The two of them talked and caught up for most of the lunch time.

Not long later, Rina held up the two prophesies, "I'm done!" she said, a little too excited, "Alice, can I have yours?"
"Have at it..." and within moments, Rina had the last one solved as well, "The letters are just 3 letters off in the alphabet. It's interesting that there's three prophesies and it was translated three letters over."
"Oh... well, it took many of us hours of getting nowhere... but okay!" said Mayoay as she took Rina's pages and went to the front of the room again.
The queen still stared at 'Anastasia' - they had been sitting at the table for almost an hour now, and Rina's spell was about to drop.
"Neely..." Rina whispered, trying to be subtle, "Do you think everyone knows who I am?"
"Um... yeah I think pretty much everyone who matters knows."
"The spell is ending... should I just drop it?"
The spell dropped while most people were looking at Mayoay, but the queen stared expectantly at Rina for a second as if to say, "you started it, now finish it." She wanted Rina to keep playing the part, this was now a game for her. So, Rina quickly put the disguise back up, and the queen smiled and turned to Mayoay.
"So, here are the solved prophesies... These all seem to point to the location of Gods."

"Where light reflects the river bed
and southern festivals ae had
there lives a group of many dancers
in bloodmoon they are clad"

"Through the edible desert
Atop this cherished keep
Led only by a follower
to where the dragon sleeps"

"Drift through the terra fields
The fishes sphere aglow
Follow where the lightning strikes
The Maker lies below"

They all read through these, wondering what each could mean. But Loanna seemed to already know.
"The first is... not one I'd want killed right now. It's a small, demi-god of an area we trade with. It would not be advantageous to us to send their culture into ruin just yet by killing their god."
"The second is a Black Dragon," said Rina - forgetting she was trying to lay low, "I... I know king Sullivan Frey has been studying them. My king... of the country where I'm from."
The queen barely reacted, but side eyed her for a moment.
"The third," Loanna continued, "do not kill her under any circumstances."
"Who is the Maker?" Alice asked, and Gabrielle widened her eyes in her direction, as if this was sacred information.
The queen smiled, "Why don't we ask someone who is the expert on the subject, shall we?"
She waved her hand and a servant opened a door. Gewain Lothian entered, and walked over to the queen to bow to her. Rina smiled, happy to see him still doing well after their concerning conversation at the queen's ball.
"What can I do for you, your majesty?"
"Tell us about the Maker, since you know so much."
Gewain looked around the room, but didn't seem to be able to focus on the people - he only saw the prophesies that Mayoay was showing them.
"Beth..." he said, "Beth is the maker."
Rina's ears perked up, she knew the name Beth from the Book of Knowledge that she consulted in Phesoi's Realm: "Jump from the top of Mt. Luminus, find Beth, complete her trials..."
"Before I do... I only ask that everyone in this room swear to serve the people... whether through Luminus, or your own will."
Everyone at the table agreed.
"Someone give me paper," Gewain said, Rina pulled out a spare page - she always had some. He then sat down next to her where Mayoay had been sitting, and he began to draw. The shape he was drawing was oblong, but mostly circular. It was a head - only a floating head. It had one Giant eye, while the other seemed to have been missing for quite some time.
"She's found below," Gewain said, "She's found in Ta Amor."
Rina remembered the crystal sphere from Mother Epoigra, and the quest to deliver a message to Epoigra's Son.
"The trip would not be easy," said Gewain, "but it could be done. She is not an evil entity, but she is the one responsible for the Finger's Weapons and the other weapons that bind the soul to serve Luminus. She did it as a kindness..." he trailed off.
He continued to sketch, adding protrusions like snakes all around the creature that was Beth the Maker.
The queen thought a moment, then waived the Abbott over to talk to him.

Phillipia got up and walked over to Gewain, who stood up to meet her - they hugged quickly.
"It's good to see you again, Phillipia. I believe we were both still in training the last time I saw you."
"Well, you've seen enough of me over the years..."
"How long have you known each other?" Rina asked, looking up at them both standing next to her.
"We grew up together," said Gewain.
"Yeah, we're childhood besties! He recently got a promotion as a dignitary."
"We will talk later, okay Phillipia?"
"Sure," she smiled.

Gabrielle turned to Alice, "So, you saw that weird gap in the sky, too?"
"Yeah... Blanke is still in there."
"Really? Why? Why would he go into it?"
"A demon came through, and the scales of souls needed another soul on that side... so he went in. I don't know if it was really voluntarily, or if the charm from the demon made him do it."
They were silent for a moment while they watched Gabrielle's father, the Abbott, talking with the Queen and Valentine.
"I don't like this... Does it ever seem like you're not allowed at the big kids table?" Gabrielle asked. "There's so much happening, and I feel like I'm on the outside... There's a war between the two sides of the realm, one wants to make everything how it was before. And, even though I'm 'the chosen one', I'm still left out of conversations and decisions."
"Feels like they like making decisions without us, that's for sure," Alice replied.
"I love my father - well, my adopted father... He saved me from dying as a baby. But he's so wrapped up in the Eyeless Kindness stuff that he could barely really give me attention as I grew up."
"Boohoo for you, I didn't even have parents who cared for me. They sent me away because I was inconvenient."
"I didn't mean to diminish your experience, Alice... I'm just saying that I didn't exactly feel loved either."
"Not loved? Everyone loved you!" Alice almost yelled, "Everyone saw you as the most important thing, they still do. And Apparently I'm supposed to be your opposite."
"Alice... I am sorry, I will never understand your experience. But you also don't understand mine."
"Oh yeah? You know what, you're right. I don't understand what it's like to have a cushy life and caretakers who love you and people who want to be your friend. You're right, I don't know what that's like."
For a moment there as silence as much of the table could hear the tone of the exchange between them.

Finally, the queen then announced her decision, "I will not force any of you to take this mission. However, The Bound, I brought you here to do what it seems no one else can - get to, and kill, the gods. If you choose to go to this god first, I will send an escort with you up Mt. Luminus. And, of course, Rina - who is definitely not here right now," she said looking directly at 'Anastasia', "...will be granted immunity for this task. You will all also be given a payment of some sort, assuming you return without killing her. So, what's your decision?"
Neely and Alice looked at each other, and Rina just kept looking at Gewain's sketch, eating the food, and pretending to be Anastasia.
"There is also a chance that we find more of these prophesies later on," said the Abbott, as the room had briefly gone silent.
"Can we take some time to talk about it?" Alice asked.
"Of course! Just decide by dinner, okay? I'll be leaving now - I have better things to do." The queen got up and began to walk out, waiving for everyone else to leave, too. "Oh, Phillipia? Speak to me later, okay?"
Phillipia nodded, and the queen left the room.
"Well, I guess I'm going to head to my room and take a break... Let me know what you decide, I'm excited to find out," Phillipia said as she got up, then followed her nursemaid out of the room. Alice, Neely, and "Anastasia" were left in the room alone.
"Oh, maybe I should leave?" said Rina, "The queen said anyone who isn't the Bound the leave."
"Don't you dare," said Alice.

"So, do we do what the queen asks?" said Neely, "I get the feeling that Rin- I mean, 'Anastsia' would want kill the dragon."
Rina sat in silence for a moment, remembering the last time she saw the queen, "I think we should do what she wants..."
"No dragon?" Alice asked, surprised.
Rina sighed, "As much as I want a reason to go home... and see Drake... I get the feeling Sullivan doesn't have the time or energy for dragons right now. And... I want to get back in her good graces."
"Why?" asked Alice, "I thought you hated her."
"I... I just know how powerful she is. My decisions affect Darrian, and I want to make the decisions that could keep him the safest."
"Well, I'm indifferent... but how are we going to go there and not kill the Maker?" Alice asked.
"We just don't," said Rina, "We talk to her. That's it. Plus, we have other things to do down there, remember? Epoigra, wans us to find her son, Agronoch wants me to find Roscoe Baldwin... all of those things are in Ta Amor."
"Well, then... I'm down," said Alice.
"Me, too. But guys, I don't think we should do this alone," said Neely, "I think it would be better to ask for help."
"Phillipia seemed to be really interested, and we get along with her. Maybe we ask her?" Alice suggested.
"I could do it!" Neely said, excitedly.
"Yeah, because you like her..." Rina said to Neely with a smirk.
"What? No... No way..." Neely began to blush.
"You should to serenade her with your harp," said Alice.
"Oh, guys, I just... I couldn't... I... I'm just going to go ask her to join us..." Neely quickly got up and walked in the direction of Phillipia's room.
She knocked on the door of Phillipia's room, who answered right away, "Oh, hey Neely. What's going on? Did you all decide what quest to go on? It sounds exciting!"
"Oh, um, yes. Yes, we are doing what the queen wants."
"Probably a wise choice."
"And, um... well, we were wondering if you... if you wanted to join us?"
"Oh, yeah of course! That sounds fun, gunna go meet my maker!"
Neely laughed far too hard at the joke, "Oh, you... you are funny! Well I need to go. I gotta just, um...."

Neely walked away awkwardly, and went back into the lunch room where Alice and Rina were sitting - arguing, as usual.
"Alice, I just think you were a little harsh, that's all. Gabrielle is a sweet person."
"Oh and I'm supposed to trust your judgement? You hang out with a devil and a vampire!"
"Okay, well, those things aren't all that relevant. I just think that you should try to get along with your universal counterpart."
"I don't know why you feel the need to tell me how to handle my relationships."
"I'm not trying to mother you, here..."
"Stop mothering me, then! I'm not a cat!"
"Alice, that was... hurtful and uncalled for. My son is a person and I'd appreciate you respecting that."
"Oh, so giving him a revival medallion wasn't respect enough?"
"Two things can be true, Alice. That was amazing and I appreciate you doing that, but-"
"Clearly you don't! Did you even say 'thank you'? No!"
"Well, first of all, you hid it from me that you did it for weeks. Then, when you finally did tell me, I did profusely thank you. I'm just asking that you-"
"I'm not a cat, stop mothering me."
"Alice, please. That's really disrespectful. Like, 90% of the reason I don't like the queen is because she sees my son and his people as just animals... I need my best friend to be better than that."
"Best friend?! Are you kidding me?" Alice yelled.

Just then, Phillipia entered the room, just behind Neely.
"Do they always fight like that?"
"Yeah, pretty much all the time."
Phillipia sat down and Neely sat next to her, Alice and Rina were now silent and not speaking to or looking at each other.
"So... Neely invited me on the quest! Does this mean I'm, like... a member of The Bound?"
Rina took a breath and looked up at her, "Do you want to be?"
"Yes! Very much!"
"Then I'm fine with it. You, Alice?"
"Yeah, it will be good for us to have a good fighter."
"Then, it's settled - Phillipia will join the Bound, and we will go talk to the maker!" Neely said excitedly.

end session

The party stayed in the little dining area until it was nearly dinner time. They were then summoned to the queen's throne room to tell her their decision.
"So, The Bound - and my Ivory Knight, my niece - what have you all decided?"
"We have decided to follow your Majesty's wishes and go to Beth the Maker and speak with her," Alice answered.
"Excellent, then you are all welcome to stay here in the palace tonight, and I will have Gewain and his team escort you up the mountain in the morning! And I trust Rina will be joining you?"
"Yes..." Alice answered hesitantly.
"Wonderful! Now, time to eat dinner and then you will all be escorted to your own chambers. You'll have to get up early in the morning to get to the top before sundown, so this will be the last you see of me until you return. If you return." The queen snapped her fingers and the party was escorted back into the dining room - everything had been completely cleaned and replaced already.
The Queen did not join the table, but Gewain had time to catch up with Phillipia, Alice and Rina made up, and Neely just felt awkward eating in the Queen's house without her there.

Gabrielle sat next to Alice again, but didn't bring anything up about the talk they had earlier that day.
Alice decided to talk first, "So, do you know how to close those weird sky gaps?"
Gabrielle paused, "No... no, I don't know. Feels like something I should know."
"Yeah, seems like the chosen one should know about this stuff, if this is what we're here for."
Gabrielle looked both confused and frustrated, "I know... but I don't know." She took a big bite of food to get out of speaking more on the subject.
"So, are you coming with us tomorrow?" Alice asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, I have my own stuff I have to do... my own missions. Father says I have to be an example for the Eyeless Kindness."

After dinner they all turned into their own rooms, the Queen ordered "Anastasia's" room to be decorated with Pennislovican colors with art of celebrities in Castle Frey.
"Oh... Th... Thank you..." Rina forced a smile in the disguise of Anastasia, "My favorite!"
The staff just nodded and left her alone in her room, but guards were still posted outside her door all night.

Next: Day 72 (S53-54)