Haures was discharged from the hospital a couple days later. He was surprisingly in a good mood unlike his brother who was constantly observing his surroundings like he was expecting an attack to happen at any moment. However sometime later Paimon's attitude changed. He stopped looking around and instead he focused on Eve. They had decided to take a walk together after Haures was released. At the hospital Eve had assured them that the Dark Queen wasn't going to threaten them anymore. When he asked her for the details she refused to answer clearly and she simply stated:"The Dark Queen is a woman who knows what is good for her". At first it sounded like a threatening phase but she had a look of defeat on her face. And in truth that had scared him.
Since that time Eve hasn't said much. She walks behind them with her hands in her pockets and face looking down obviously lost deep in thought.
Paimon decided it was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun.
-Eve,what are you thinking? Maybe all that paperwork on your desk? June would be so mad at you for neglecting your duties to take a walk around with your ex and his brother.
He expected to receive an angry reaction. Maybe a hit or an insulting remark.However, Eve continued to walk as before not even lifting up her head.Paimon was getting concerned.
-Eve,call Johanna. Haures has collapsed again and he is not responding., he said frantically
Haures up until this point wasn't paying much attention to the Queen or his brother's childish behaviour. But now that Paimon mentioned his name he decided it was getting annoying.
,-Paimon,for spirits sake let her be. She doesn't want to tell you and you are behaving like a spoiled child.
Haures wanted to continue with the insults but he suddenly stopped. All this time he was walking in front of Eve so he couldn't see her face.But now that he had turned around he had to admit that something was wrong. Her face was unusually pale and she had a depressing look like she wanted to commit suicide. He wasn't concerned, just curious. Although it was true that the Queen didn't have a great deal of mental strength her sudden change of attitude was alarming.
When she talked to them at the hospital room she sounded confident and optimistic. But when she returned after a while she was a completely different person.Something had happened. He remembered seeing her talk to Johanna but when Johanna came back to perform some more tests she seemed happier than usual.He asked her about it and she simply answered that the Queen was smarter than she looks.So Eve had discovered something new and hopeful and now she looked like the end of times was coming closer. Haures felt fear creeping into his heart. He usually wasn't afraid of the future. He believed that problems were a matter of the present. But now,his instincts screamed that something was going to happen that wouldn't be easily handled.
-Eve can you hear me?, he practically yelled
,-Haures? Yes I can hear you just fine. Did something happen?
-You mean besides your temporary loss of hearing? No,nothing else.
-You've been talking to me? I'm so sorry. I was just lost in thought
-Me? No,I wasn't talking to you. Paimon has been calling you for a while. But you were so distracted that even if he were to propose right now you would say yes because you would have heard another thing. Explain yourself. What is going on?
-Nothing. Everything is progressing as they should. I already explained to you that I managed to ensure your safety against the Dark Queen so you can relax because we don't want any more....incidents.
-And how did you accomplish that? Up until a few days ago you were thinking of elaborate plans to hide from her and now you want us to believe that you gained the upper hand and cornered her?
-It would take too long to explain and frankly I don't want to.
-Why don't you give it a try?
Things started heating up. In truth, Haures was now more afraid than before. Eve was a terrible liar and the fact that she was hiding things meant that she didn't trust herself to lie directly. Despite that however she remained persistent. He also knew how the Dark Queen negotiates just like he knows that Eve is too soft to handle the pressure of his ruler negotiating skills. What had happened? What kind of concession did she make? There was something in him that screamed that he should distance himself from her. Unfortunately this was impossible now. She knew too much and she was one of his few allies.
-Stop it you two. Eve,I must admit I am a bit skeptical about your change of behaviour as well as your mysterious declaration that somehow you made sure that the Dark Queen won't hunt us down anymore. But I trust you. You know better than anyone what is at stake and so I choose to trust your judgement until the end. And I think Haures should too.
Haures had to agree with that. He decided not to interfere with Eve's plans,he had more important things to worry about. In fact he shouldn't be anxious at all. He should think of his brother's health.
-I understand. Now if you will excuse me I'm feeling rather tired. I think I should return to the palace.
And she left after that but the fear returned in Haure's heart once again.
When Eve returned home everyone could understand that something dreadful had happened only by looking at her. Her sisters tried to talk to her but they didn't manage to get a word out of her. Even June decided against commenting on the Queen's appearance, feeling a touch of concern for their ruler. Eventually Eve reached her bedroom,locked the door and fell on her bed crying. She kept repeating a phrase,over and over again.
-I'm sorry my friends.
The dining hall in the palace was perhaps one of the few places inside the castle that was richly decorated. The table was rectangular, made of wood and polished with dust from star remains. The legs of the table were beautifully crafted and each of them had the form of one of the four High Spirits.Up to 20 people could sit and enjoy delicious meals.
The chandelier was made of crystals that were specifically made to reflect the moonlight when it was full of cosmic energy which usually happens two or three times a month and when the beams of light fell on the walls they reveal a different kind of tapestry. Each month there was a different kind of decoration on the walls,each a work of art. It really was a room meant to cause feelings of happiness and calmness ideal for political discussions during official dinners.
Unfortunately today this was not the case. All four High spirits had gathered to talk about a serious matter, not of political or social value but of grave importance nonetheless. Their sister,the Queen,was depressed or, to be more precise,she has been depressed for the past ten months and no one could understand why. The kingdom didn't have any particular problems this year. The categories were getting along, without too many conflicts, and thus fact alone should be alone to make the Queen rejoice.
Then they suspected that something has happened with the Princes. So they called them to find out. At first Haures was very angry that Eve had let their secret slip to her officials but remained cooperative. His explanations confused them more. According to him the Queen had managed to eliminate the danger of the Dark Queen's interference so she had achieved another victory. However,there was something in the tone of his voice that made them feel uneasy. He didn't sound confident or sure,on the contrary he sounded more like a clever student who has to repeat what is written inside the book while at the same time he wants to voice his concerns about the context but he is afraid. Haures is not afraid. He just prefers talking with facts and evidence rather than speculations based on his instincts.That doesn't mean he ignored those instincts.
-This simply can't continue. Every Time the Queen has to attend a formal meeting she is gloomy and silent. I can't begin to fathom how many people have been offended by her behaviour., Mary said annoyed
-That's the problem? Her social interactions? Not the fact that every morning she wakes up with a look like she wanted to die in her sleep ?,Fotini answered angrily
-If you are so concerned about her well-being why don't you talk to her about it in private instead of gathering us all here like we have nothing better to do? Mary answered back
-And if the issue was her behaviour in formal events I would have arranged a council meeting. So sorry we spend your valuable time with needless discussions.
-I don't like your tone.
-Enough! We didn't agree to meet here so we can fight each other. Eve is our sister and we adore her. Of course her mental health is our top priority but we also can't ignore that it affects her performance. Mary,if you think this conversation is pointless and that you have better things to do you are free to leave.,Andromeda interrupted
Silence dominated the room for a few minutes.
-I think Haures knows more than he is saying. I don't mean that he is hiding information on purpose, just not voicing all his concerns in fear he will appear overdramatic.It would be unbecoming of a Shadow Prince to show concern for our Queen . But there was something in the tone of his voice that put me into thoughts'',Erica commented
-I agree. I also believe it is related to Thanos's rebirth but what could it be? The year is almost over,Thanos will be here in a matter of days and neither Haures nor Paimon gave us any indications that they are having problems. On the contrary,even the Dark Queen has left them alone.,Fotini agreed
-Doesn't this seem peculiar to you?I mean we all know that the Dark Queen disapproves of the two princes' close bond and she didn't have any objection? She just accepted it?,Erika asked
-She probably understood that this matter is more important than her personal feelings Mary added
-We are talking about the Dark Queen. She would destroy the center of the universe just because her jewelry fell in there. She has no sense of responsibility towards the multiverse,she disregards the universal stability and balance. Personally I find it hard to believe that she reacted positively to the news,Erika commented
-I agree. So it's safe to assume that the Dark Queen wanted to interfere and Eve somehow stopped her.,Fotini said
-I wouldn't be so sure. Eve is remarkably smart but she isnt a diplomatic genius like the Dark Queen.,Erika said
-So what has happened?,Mary asked
-Eve didn't corner the Dark Queen. So she must have accepted the facts for a different reason-- Fotini said
-Why do we all assume that she has accepted it? It's possible that she realised that the present circumstances don't permit her to act how she would want so she gave up for now.,Erika commented
-This is all too theoretical. There are still too many questions unanswered. Why would the Queen have a problem with her own Prince rebirth? Disapproval and dissatisfaction can't be the only reasons that she would put two of her Princes' lives in danger. Eve's involvement tells us that matters are much more serious than we realise and that the Dark Queen didn't simply whine about it since the Princes had to abandon the palace and go into hiding.How serious is the situation? What else is going on? Eve's depression must be due to her loss of control over the situation. But our investigation tells us that everything is going according to plan. So what is she hiding that terrifies her so that not even the Princes know about?,Fotini concluded
Andromeda hasn't said a word all this time. Her mind occupied only one thought:"Eve,my sweet little girl what have you gotten yourself into?"