After a while we both got up, though I was so embarrassed that it was hard to look Rivi in the face.

"So, where to next?" Rivi said slyly, looking at me with a smug grin on her face.

"Uh, I don't know, maybe like the capital or something? Is everything else kinda close to there, or…?"

"Well it's not that near the coast and the Ghost Groves is also a good ways away from it as well, but the Mage's Academy isn't far, and there's plenty to do within the city itself."

"Then why don't we do that?" I hugged my knees, still not looking at her as I remembered the softness of her lips on mine. "It'll give me a better sense of what the Ice Kingdom is like more generally and whether we want to keep exploring or move on."

"Sure! I like the capital, and Moira's done some cool stuff there, though it's been a while since I last got to see it."

"Moira?" I turned to her questioningly. "Your sister? What does she have to do with the Ice Kingdom's capital?"

Rivi snorted a little. "Right, I forgot you know nothing about our world. Moira has been the queen of the Ice Kingdom ever since Our Lady deposed the old queen eons ago. She's far more hands-off than Endra is, but she still comes around now and then to handle certain affairs."

"Moira is!? I thought she just did…memory stuff, and lived in that place in the Goddess' dungeon."

Rivi chuckled. "I don't blame you for thinking that way, but that's just what she does when she's got nothing better to do, or rather what she would spend all her time doing if she didn't have responsibilities as one of the floor guardians. I think we've all ruled over a territory or two over our long lives. I guess it's kind of the burden of power like ours."

"But then…" I looked out at the beautiful but barren landscape around me. "If Moira doesn't want to be the ruler, why is she?"

"You've met the Grenir, right? A lot of the Ice Kingdom are old stooges like that. They're a proud people with a long tradition, and they don't like subjugation. If they were ruled over by a vampire like Endra they'd never quiet down, but give them a ghost like Moira, and a bit more autonomy and they're at least far more content if not actually submissive."

"None of my sisters ever want to rule anyone with an iron fist. Sometimes it's necessary for our purposes, but when there are easier solutions that can make everyone happy then we're willing to compromise a bit. That's what it means to be a ruler. Sometimes you have to be cruel to yourself to be kind to others."

"But then…"

"Enough!" She interrupted a little abruptly. "Are we ever going to start towards the capital? Do you want to walk or fly?"

I blinked, frowning a little. Why did she interrupt me like that? I looked into her eyes, but couldn't find an answer. "Let's walk a bit first, maybe we can fly later in the day when we're feeling more tired. I don't want to get there too quickly but there's no reason to kill ourselves either."

"Fair enough," She clapped her hands on her thighs and got up. "Rufi!" She called to the sleeping Shadow Chimera on the other side of the road. "Time to go, come on Silvie wants to walk a bit."

Rufi yawned and stretched then came prancing over to us. Seeing this adorable behavior I couldn't help but scoop her up in my arms and give her lots of pets. "Who's a good girl?" I asked as I lovingly combed my fingers through her fur.

RIvi rolled her eyes and smirked, but as we got going a strange silence fell between us.

"Um, Rivi…" I turned to her nervously after about an hour of walking had passed in near silence. "Are you…ok? Are you mad at me for something?"

"What?" She spun on me irritatedly and I shrank back. She took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that." She rubbed her face.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked, concerned. I hadn't seen Rivi irritated like this before.

She took another deep breath. "I'm sorry, Silvie. I don't mean to take it out on you."

We kept walking as another silence started to fall between us.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" My fingers twitched nervously in the hand opposite to her, as thoughts of self-doubt whispered in my brain. Who am I kidding, why would she talk to me? We barely even know eachother, why am I asking about this? Am I being too much? Why can't I just shut up…

She sighed and tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. "You remember when we were talking about rulers?"

"Mhmm," I nodded, my heart still beating frantically in my chest under the weight of my own anxiety.

"I never…I wasn't a…I always…aghhh." She stopped suddenly and put her head in her hands, squatting down on the ground. "I don't know how to say this."

A number of words to say jumped up in my brain all at the same time, but I couldn't decide which ones to use so I just crouched down beside her, unsure of exactly what to do.

I was still trying to sort out what was the best thing to say when she started again. "I just…" She looked away from me. "Have a lot of regrets when it comes to the question of rulership I guess."

I blinked. "Is this…about that kingdom you used to run on the Continent of the Gods? Before you…died?" I asked, remembering what Candy had told me back at the bathhouse.

She looked at me and blinked. "You knew about that?" She asked, astonished.

"Well…not much, just that you used to have a kingdom there before you died."

"Right…" She sighed and sat down fully on the ground. "Do you…want to hear the story? It's not very fun, but…"

"I do." I said resolutely, reaching out to put my hand on her arm. "If you want to tell me I'd be very happy to hear what happened."

I sat down close next to her, so that our sides were touching, and she sighed, looking out at the black, mossy wastes around as she started her story.

"So it all started when…"

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