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Hysteria's smile didn't leave her "What inspires the written word is desire, Lord Abava" she said to him as she finally stood back up, finally feeling the cold of the stone seep though her dress "The desire to deceives and communicate, the desire to love and leave something for the future" she looked up at the top of the building, pointing to it "Anything you heard could be a tale as tall as that building, or as low as the bottom of the Salt Isle."

She turned around to look at him "I have been around a long time... I have learned every trick of the trade and every knick-knack people try to pull." Hysteria folded her hands together again "You came to meet with me, even after whatever stories you where told graced your ears, now what have you learned from my words? do they match up to the expectations others wished for you to have" she asked him.

Hysteria would look up at him when he came close and at his words a very clear and very...possibly strange, reaction would flicker though her eyes. It was quick, but since he was looking into her eyes and it is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, he would see that for a second it looked like glee, not the glee of an innocent child, but a toxic consuming glee that stemmed from years if not decades of boredom. A Glee that seemed almost Machiavellian in origin and seemed to blossom from the center of her pitch colored pupil as her pupil grew large, almost irradiating the blue of her iris as if the ocean had been swallowed by the darkness that dwelt between the stars.

And then just like that it was gone. Her pupils returned to a smaller state and the blue eyes stared up into Xerxies "Neither." she said at last, finding no reason to lie to him "Only I know who I truly am and what stands before you." she said as she gestured to herself "I simply present myself and say a few words, and it is all you and others that fill in the gaps and make me what you want to see" she pulled her fur shawl around her shoulders again "A mirror reflecting your perception in simpler words"

"I am late Queen of the Queendom of Bellris, and head councilwoman of The Bellrisian Republic." Hysteria said to him "That much is certain" she said to him crossly as her hands went behind her back "The Bellrisian people call me Ascended, who are you to yours?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow "And for a hunted princess I am perhaps the only one that had even the slightest chance she could survive. With the loyaltys of all the Kingdoms in question, hidden motives aside they all pretend at least to be in league with the Empire. Bellris is the only one transparent enough that a woman on the run from an unspoken imperial death sentence would come to Bellris, It would be stupid to go anywhere else since after all"

"You must learn to take things as they come to you Lord Xerxies, Transparency has its draw backs just like relying only on strength and secrecy" she said to him as she folded her hands in front of her, she no longer seemed to be wanting to talk to him by the way her face was now stone "And everyone was raised in a different system, the republic is something new to this world so I would not expect you or any other outside of Bellris to understand it even if how it worked was laid out for you" she said to him but I will keep it simple, it works on the vote of two levels of council, and checks that balance both levels" she said, pressing her lips together "The inner workings of the Bellrisian government is not for those born outside of it, now if you will excuse me." she said, putting on the fakest smile ever seen "I have a young son and daughter to attend to, and unlike the rest of the peerage we don't believe in letting others raise them for you" she said before she curtsied to him and turned around, beginning to leave.

Hysteria paused for a second and stopped walking, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes in order to calm herself down a moment before she turned around and looked at Ali "Forgive me, but what you said I took as an attempt to not just criticize my countries government but its people as well" she said to him, her blue eyes hardly showed anything almost as if she had closed herself off from when she had been so open before. "It is the nature of all to protect the ones and things that they care for"

She walked back over to him, her hands folded in front of her as she looked up at him, she kept a distance from him now, a good arms length and a half "If you have the time and you wish for a more in depth immersion into Bellris' culture and politics then perhaps you can accompany me back to my Country." she said politely, her words a lot more formal then they had just been moments ago "After all, I find that it is far more enticing and informative to learn things first hand"

Hysteria shrugged "If you have nothing to attend to, you can follow me back to Bellris right now" she said calmly "It is unorthodox but the Council is not convened right now so I can personally show you around" she said "If not you can drop by any time with just a few hours notice in advance"

Hysteria looked at him for a moment and she took his arm once more however this time it seemed like she was more strained and uptight about it as she looked forward "Of course I pride myself in my country, anyone who doesn't love their own is not a true countrymen" she said as she walked toward the front of the city of the gods where a man dressed in dark colors with a long braided beard stood at attention when seeing her and bowed, he spoke in the traditional Bellrisian tongue and Hysteria nodded her head, the bearded man transformed into an elegant crimson phoenix and Hysteria climbed up onto the nape of his neck as he lowed it for her "just follow us" she said to Lord Xerseis as she would wait for him for a moment before the Phoenix she rode launched into the air and circled the godly city for a few minutes before heading toward Bellris.

[exit]