Meet the queen once more.

You're completely in awe by what you see after stepping inside with the others. Not only because of her beautiful majesty, but the fact that she looks near the same as when you first met. She must have first awoken in the night, because she's already washed up, dressed, and decorated with red painted lips and makeup which causes her already-striking eyes to pierce straight to your heart. Perhaps that's incorrect. She doesn't look the same, but instead, appears even stronger, with a bolstered resolve and determination.

Her hair, raven black, is full of volume, and waves down to curl over her bare shoulders, as she once again wears her dark red and black dress which begins beneath, around her arms, which is gorgeously tailored to fit her perfectly and is adorned with tiny gemstones which line parts of the fabric's trim. It's cut up the side to boldly show much of her left leg, and below that, a pair of crimson heels. More than a couple golden rings rest upon her fingers, which mixes well with the bright red paint on her nails. Around her neck, resting between the plump squeeze of her breasts, is the pendant of a ruby wolf head which proudly acts as the symbol of the Empire of Tivera.

However, after staring for perhaps too long, you can still tell she's been out for many days. It'll take time to properly return to her full physical strength, though her will supersedes that. And she remains just as beautiful regardless.

You're in no throne room this time, but her rosy lips curl into a smile as she locks eyes onto you. "The ring. You still have it, Sir Warren."

It's been awhile since someone's called me that. Your eyes glance down at the signet ring she gifted to you so long ago that it feels like an eternity. "Of course I do. Though I'm afraid the Empire doesn't recognize me as knighted anymore."

There's another presence here. Thanks to your Kitty Sense, you feel a strange tingle, almost as if somebody's eyes are pressing physically upon you. The home itself isn't large, but it is more than one room, and anywhere behind the area you're in darkens quickly, as only two small lamps are illuminated on a table nearby.

"That's a shame. We'll have to fix that," she replies.

"What do you know of things so far?"

"A decent amount. When I first awoke, the night was still deep. The talented gnome beside us nursed me back, and then I was surprised to see the face of Lady Tesgella, who aided me in the bath. There was another as well. Luna, an insectrin. Now it's morning, and I've already eaten, bathed, and my clothing feels even more comfortable than it did before, though perhaps that's just my mind playing tricks. You have quite the kingdom here, Sir Warren."

"So they filled you in."

"They did. And perhaps it would be more proper to refer to you as Demon King."

"Does that make us enemies?"

"Considering I'm not currently called Queen, I suppose not," she says with a coy expression.

"King Thadius sits on the throne, and either Elok is in his pocket, or more likely, he's in Elok Daven's, and now that you're cured, maybe we can actually take Tivera back. What happens if you return? Don't they have to give you the throne?"

"This is certainly an unusual situation. The passage of the throne tends to be rather permanent, though it's not the norm for the previous ruler to somehow return."

"That's fair. Otherwise, Cat could show up and take it from anyone, right?" you say aloud. That presence you felt earlier--you're fairly certain what you're feeling. Only one person in Castle Phoenix would so creepily loom around the queen, and an assassin would have struck long ago.

After a sigh, the high vampire Catherine, sharing the same name as the ex-queen of course, emerges from the next room over. Her pale skin fades in from the shadows like a ghost manifesting itself into our plane. Now that they stand so near, the resemblance is far more visible. Being generations apart, they are far from identical, but there's an eerily familiarity--the strength of their presence, their long black hair. Both are queens of entirely different worlds.

There's a long, awkward silence. When you first learned of the Vampire Queen's true identity, it was in the royal bath, where Queen Catherine II explained her family history, and that was back when Cat was trying to take the throne. She didn't just appear and claim ownership. She was trying to take her out, even if there was no telling how the people would react to their new monarch being a vampire.

It's been a long time since then. Things have changed.

"Greetings, great great grandmother," says the queen.

Cat's crimson gaze turns briefly to you, but after a long stare back at the other woman, she finally speaks. "I don't--"

"Lady Tesgella told me everything. And if you're allies with Kyle Warren, then I imagine much has happened."

"That mouthy paladin," Cat grumbles under her breath. She crosses her arms and taps her long nails anxiously against them. "Fine then. I won't apologize."

"I see." She slowly shifts her attention back to you, but then Cat continues.

"Wait." She sighs. "I know I can't really atone for the things I've done, even after certain... humiliations. But I assure you I don't want the throne of Tivera anymore. The only thing I want is for the Zero-King Thadius to drop dead, and I don't believe he stands a chance against two women of our bloodline. You carry on my name, and with that name comes strength."

The queen chuckles. "Zero-King? That's cute."

"It wasn't my intention to be cute."

"You know, I was told something else by the others here. They said that among everyone, while I was asleep, you were the one who remained by my side the most."

"Tss." Cat shakes her head and begins quickly walking towards the door. "If anyone needs me, look somewhere dark."

After she's gone, you glance over to the nearest girl who happens to be Amara. You whisper, "That's called being a tsundere. Lynx would know more."

Amara nods, as if she's making a mental note of valuable information.