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Hysteria's bare feet stood on the first step she would have to take down into the dark waters below. She wondered how many people had drowned here trying to get to the underwater temple. A morbid thought really. She had flash backs of when she first drowned that fateful day seven decades ago and sighed softly, she would never overcome her fear of water but it wasn't going to stop her now. The young queen who was old of soul would take another step down, and another and another until it was only her head above the waterways. She saw the fish swimming to avoid her and she wondered how long they had not been hunted to know such peace and friendliness to swim so close to those that would happily eat them. Placing her hand on the bottom of the last step she would drop off into the water and submerge herself. Using her hand to keep herself underneath until she was deep enough that she could swim.

All around her fish swam while her blue dress billowed out around her like some exotic flower. The fear that tapped at the back of her mind was clear before her as she let out a few bubbles of air that would float to the surface as she grabbed a large stalk and start to pull herself down. Once she was far enough down she would look up and see emerald hues that came from the sun that managed to find a way either though cracks or though openings. It was rather beautiful really and if she had the lungs to actually enjoy it she would continue to do so but between the ugly monster rearing inside her mind and the air quickly being used up she found herself grabbing another stalk and swimming toward the underwater temple.

It took longer then she liked but she would pass though whatever barrier held back the water and she would breath in a loud breath of air as she stepped forward and dropped onto the ground. Her blue dress of stars clung to her shapely figure as she looked down at herself, She was vain enough to admit that she was vain. Was she willing to give that up to regain power. Probably. Hysteria looked around and saw that no one was here. That was probably a good thing. Her normally curly hair had gone straight and had come out of its braid, the leather strap holding it together having been lost in the water. Nuts. That's what the oracle had called her. Nuts. Hysteria smiled at the word "Nuts" she repeated as she slowly sat down and then leaned back so she was laying upon the ground she doubted saw more then a few visitors a year "I'm nuts in the eyes of the gods"

Hysteria arched her back and tilted her head back "Ah, Lady Kai" she said with a small smile before she put her hands on the ground above her head and she pushed her body into a bridge before using the unseen muscles of her stomach to propel her legs up into the air and over her body so she could flip backward and she was again on her feet, her long blonde hair whacking her back hard enough that would sound like the crack of a very thick whip.

The Councilwoman would turn around and look at The Regent with a small uncharacteristic smile "And guard" she nodded her head to the guard in greeting before looking back at Lady Kai. Part of her wondered how such features had been bred out of Bellris, yes black hair was still very common, but the facial features had vanished in exchange for a more square jaw within all Bellrisian citizens, it was rather interesting how such things could change within such a short time, but then again Ethen features were probably more prominent on the boarder where mixed Ethen-Bellrisian families could move between each Kingdom without much fuss "Glad you could make it. Come you should pray with me for cleaner clearer waters and fertile silt to flow down the rivers" she smiled, the councilwoman seemed to be in a really good mood at the moment.

Hysteria would walk over to one of the altars and kneel in front of it, flattening out her dress below her knees so she wouldn't feel any bumps that might irritate her. She would look out at the water that seemed to be kept at bay by some powerful magic before she would put her hands together and take in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

She really did pray for a time, a simple short prayer in hopes that the illness from the water would leave soon and that the crops would not be burdened by the sickness the way that the people were burdened by it. That instead Bellris would continue to be blessed with strong roots and heavy fruits.

A flicker of a smile remained on her lips as she kept her eyes closed, looking into the darkness brought upon her by her words "She is quite green for an Empress wouldn't you say? In need of proper guidance but not a lost cause"

Hysteria held back her chuckle as she kept her eyes on the altar, her lids lowered in reverence "Yes, young. And as all young leaders to she will make mistakes at first and seem quite over zealous" she lowered her hands so they rested up right on the edge of the altar. The councilwoman would look at the rings on her fingers and begin to twist one around "Bellris has made mistakes. None I will apologize for mind you, but mistakes none the less. We will all make many in the coming years that we will all be forced to either make up for or cover up, it will be a turbulent transition period." her voice remained calm and gentle, almost motherly in tone but not scolding.

"I think this young Empress does want to right wrongs but does not understand how powerful ones words can be coming from one in such a high position. Hysteria looked over at Youkimi now, her blue eyes landing on her face. The councilwoman would take in the womans face before her. The arch of the eyebrow and the blue tint that lay within the strands of her hair, the blue eyes. She saw a leader growing within those eyes. Not as new as the Empress to be, more prepared, but still someone that needed a different form of guidance.

Hysteria would look away from her and breath out a long breath of air in order to empty her lungs "I would suggest that you don't turn to ostracism. Though her words paint her as someone kind and willing to fight for all, an arm can only reach so far and people have turned to hatred for far less." she leaned toward her for a moment "Like the last Emperor for example" she would lean back to her original position "I doubt she'd be as bad even at her worst, but it is proven that leaders are a volatile people even if they hide it under soft smiles and calm temperaments"

"You can never be outside of the shadow of something that has been built to tower over you" no smile lingered on the councilwomans face any more but she was not frowning The Empire is a horrifying machine that when it was first built had stilts above everyone else due to the fact that they tore everyone else down before creating a barrier no one else can cross" she said, she was pointing up as she said this, pointing to the unseen heavens "The Empire cannibalizes itself by feeding on those below them and in doing so it has managed to grow a distance so far that the only way anyone will be out of its shadow would be if the stilts that gave it the head start were cut down." Hysteria sighed again, this one was colder "You can only wait for it to trip up and miss a feeding in order to get ahead. The Emperor was the latest in a line of mistakes, the biggest one by far, everyone will be vying for power now either by cozying up to the new Lady in charge or by trying to distance itself"

Hysteria tapped her fingers against the altar "Don't take that as to not pull away from the Empire, Ethe will benefit in the long run so long as you set it up so they don't go crawling back after you're death. It will not be your allies that keep Ethe from falling backward it will be who comes after you, and after them, and after them." she turned so her back was leaning against the altar now "Bellris succeeds because for almost a century we have been watching and taking advantage of every slip up from the imperial family. While they became use to a posh life filled with luxury, becoming nothing more then pampered pets." Hysteria made a jerking movement to make a point in the air "That is when Bellris pulled away." another point as she poked the air "that is when Bellris cut ties. she folded her hands together "Now instead of a Shih Tzu on the throne you have a woman that's been put though the darkest realms, she will not let Ethe go without something in return" Hysteria slowly leaned her head back "At least that's how I would do it" The Councilwomans smile slowly returned "Has she ever told you. About why she gives a damn about all the small people while everyone else is to deep into the fray to care?" she asked her.

Hysteria chuckled slightly and looked up at the watery ceiling, the thought of magic had returned to her. How old was it? was the temple built below the water or had it flooded? If it had flooded why the magic to keep the water out? was it deliberate or unintentional? Questions she would never know but crashed though her mind none the less "I wonder why its underwater" Hysteria whispered softly "It would make more sense for a temple to be on the bank of the river and not below the water" she said to herself.

She wouldn't look away from the ceiling as she thought next on what she should tell her. Hysteria didn't know everything but within the year and a half the to be Empress had been in Bellris she had become privy to a lot of information. Hysteria clicked her tongue "Looking at you I'd say you were probably to young to remember, probably still learning the more intricate ways to speak." she mused about it, Lady Kai didn't look old but no long young for certain. Late twenties perhaps "It was all anyone could talk about for half a year or so. The Emperors second b*****d, another girl, born to a prostitute that went missing the day before the Emperor himself went to claim the girl sometime before she was ten." She finally looked down from the ceiling "She didn't tell me anything about her time in the army when she was younger, but something that did strike me as odd" The councilwoman raised a finger slightly "Is that during the storm last year she was trying to leave the castle but a guard stopped her, a bit harsher then he should have I'll admit, he slapped her hard enough that he left a black and blue bruise from here" she pointed to her temple and trailed her fingers down to her jawline "To here." Hysteria put her hand down "Apparently she had been sleepwalking, thought that the castle was a prison. When I asked about it more she said that, and I'm paraphrasing here, In the underground slaves are used for everything"

Hysteria wasn't smiling, once again the smile seemed to be gone but this time for more clearer reasons "I will spare you the details she gave me in that moment but she found out that exact thing I told you; the Empire cannibalizes itself. A family member that everyone, even myself, had assumed dead for over twenty years was in charge of the slave trade and was attempting to use the money to buy his way back to the crown"

Hysteria finally stopped for a moment "I simply tell you this to inform you, not to attempt to garner pity for her. I thought it best you know what she's been forced though before going to speak with her again. I sure as hell know I'm glad I know" the former Queen's smile returned, but it was more bitter sweet this time "If she can bring my people out of the darkness her predecessor put them in, I would gladly put forward to the council that we rejoin the empire... with sanctions on their power clearly." Hysteria said, 200,000 people. She had been listening to her words as she told Youkimi. 200,000 of her own people were currently stuffed into cages like animals being forced to do who knows. She hoped that if the Empress to be freed all the people sold that she was their when she, hopefully, torched the place after.

[ooc: yes I got permission to have Hysteria say all of this prior]

"I wasn't planning on telling you this, I was actually planning to actually be a bit more." she rolled her wrist a few times as she looked for the word "bitchy" she settled on the word "Thought I'd try something less difficult" she shrugged as she slowly stood up and brushed out her soaked dress and she walked several steps away and pulled her long water soaked blonde hair in front of her and she wrung it out so it no longer dripped.

Once she was done she would push her hair back over her shoulder "Which reminds me, do you know where any blue whispers might be?" she asked "They can't exactly walk around but they are still rather difficult to find"