Welcome to Gaia! ::

Truthfully, Altea had retired to her room and it was only by luck that she was out again. It was hours after she’d last parted from the Dark Mirror Senshi, and while her hair was in a similar style it looked a bit more relaxed. Her gown had been changed into something that looked elegant but seemed far more comfortable.

A Queen couldn’t walk around in her pajamas, but there was something far more casual about this attire.

She looked as though she might have just recently awoken and she seemed to be slightly dazed—until she spotted Kibirev.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, as if surprised to have seen her. “You gave me a fright, I didn’t expect anyone to be out this late. Whatever are you doing, are you lost?”

Altea smiled politely. “Well, you did eat several crystals, it wouldn’t surprise me if you were brimming with energy. It will wear off in a bit. I don’t blame you for wanting to give your friend a bit of privacy—or for wandering the castle. I find that when I cannot sleep it helps me soothe my mind. You are too kind, though,” she said; she dipped her head after Kibirev’s compliment to glance at the dress she wore and then returned her gaze to the Senshi’s.

“I was very serious about that offer, though.” She paused and then gestured for Kibirev to follow her. “It isn’t my room, but I’ve been using one for storage for a while. My room is a bit of a mess. It’s unprofessional, I know, but recently no one has nagged at me to clean it.”

She walked down the hallway and took a few turns before she reached a door with a strange symbol on it. It was locked, but she produced a ring of keys from her pocket and found one with the same symbol. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. As soon as she entered, crystals lining the ceiling seemed to glow, illuminating the room for her. This room seemed like it was more furnished than the others, but it seemed equally unused. There was a large mirror with small crystals growing on it, but it seemed as lifeless as the others in the castle.

Altea moved to the closet across the room and opened it, revealing an expanse of multicolored dresses in all colors and styles.

“Come,” she instructed, gesturing for Kibirev to join her. “Go ahead, you can look through any of these, tell me if there’s anything you like.”

“Stuffed animals?” Altea asked. “That’s adorable. I’ll have to work hard to remember your names. There are so many of you. But you all look so different, it should be easy to remember names and faces. I hope.” Her smile lingered. “I might like that offer, though. But you don’t have to worry about cleaning. I won’t tell anyone.”

She winked for good measure but stayed out of Kibirev’s way while she went through the closet.

“You can try it on, of course. Here,” she moved across the room and reached for what seemed to be a room divider. It was hidden in the wall, but she knew where to look and pulled it out easily, offering Kibirev a bit of privacy. “Go on, let me see how it looks.”

She smoothed out her dress and then sat down on the bed. Folding her hands in her lap, she waited expectantly.

Altea placed a hand over her chest and smiled. “Oh, my! I think you wear it better than I ever did.” She reached to her hair, coiling a few teal strands around her finger. “It didn’t really match my hair. But you look beautiful in it, Kibirev. I will remember your name, and Lovejoy’s and Lesath’s. Only, I won’t know who they are unless you point them out to me. Lovejoy is the one who was sitting with you at dinner?”

She wanted an answer but didn’t truly wait for it.

Kibirev seemed too happy.

“That dress seems to mean more to you than it ever did to me. And you say such sweet things. I want you to keep that dress, if you would have it. You look so beautiful in it. And your eyes just seem to sparkle.”

She smiled.

“Will you please accept it?”

Altea nodded as she listened, still smiling. She seemed to cling to Kibirev’s every word, determined not to miss anything. Kibirev’s reaction seemed to be everything she wanted it to be and she smiled, kinder than before.

“I am not so cruel as to tease about something like that! Especially when you have been so kind to me. Most of your Court seems like they don’t like me.” She sighed, a bit disheartened, “But I cannot blame them. I know how confusing and scary this must be for them. I just don’t know what I could do to earn everyone’s trust. I doubt they would want me going back to your planet with you, but…”

She shrugged and seemed to think about something for a moment before returning to this conversation.

“I don’t suppose you have any tips on how to make them like me, do you?”

She seemed to twiddle her thumbs as if nervous. “I m worried you will all be so focused on leaving that I won’t get time to know more about you. I must make friends with you all quickly to make the best of this.”

Altea raised her head just slightly; she seemed tired but not so much that she wanted to retire to her room. “Put you under a spell?” she asked after a moment. “Do they have magic like that, back on Earth? In fairy tales, yes, but I didn’t think such things really existed. In any case, I am certain your friend, Lovejoy, could rescue you. I don’t want to hurt any of you. My duty has always been to my people.”

She smiled again, leaning over just slightly to rest her shoulder and head against one of the bedposts. “I try to be the Queen they deserve. My mother was a wonderful Queen. She passed too soon, so I didn’t get to learn everything I could for her. But, I am trying all the same. Things are getting better. I will see to it that my kingdom is restored.”

She sighed wistfully and closed her eyes. “My people will be whole again. It is all I could ever ask for. But I have so much work to do, and alone I never seem to have the energy. But a Queen cannot give up, not when her people need her.”

Altea watched for a moment longer, wearing a complacent expression. “You are so sweet,” she decided, and then rose to her feet.

“The castle can be quite large. I’ll escort you to the rooms my servants showed you earlier so you can return. Your energy was so contagious before yet, now I fear your yawns.”

She only needed to say the word before she was yawning herself; she raised a hand to cover her mouth and conceal it to the best of her abilities.

“I am tired,” she confessed, “But it was well worth it to stay up and spend a little time with you. You’ve given me much hope, Kibirev.”