It's probably an understatement to claim that I don't really like Vivian. However, I am very interested in getting Aislyn to join us on whatever she has planned and though I don't really want to admit it to her or my sister, my resolve to seem cold and detached is slowly crumbling.

Then again, I look out into the throne room and I see a mother with her child and some part of me insists that even if I think it's for some greater good, separating the two of them is nothing but selfish and wrong. Silently cursing myself, I stride forwards with the other two.

Vivian bounds forward, tail wagging. "Aislyn!"

Aislyn turns around. She looks up at all three of us and says, "Oh. Hello! Nice to see you all! How are you enjoying the castle?"
"It's been great so far. I love the food, I love the beds, I love the greenery..." trails my sister, and I can tell there's no acting involved in her enthusiasm.

"Well, we wanted to talk to you. We did just travel for quite a while together, didn't we?" I ask, my tail sliding side to side.

Aislyn has a terribly blank look on her face. "Alright. Go on!" she says.

I realize with a jolt that she wants us to talk with her right here in the middle of the throne room. Almalia is standing in her throne, her gaze even, but her eyes are fixed on Aislyn. The scruffy-furred white Canis doesn't seem to notice our confusion, and quickly Vivian steps up to fill in the gap in conversation.

"I was thinking that you could help show Natrina and Lotus some of the things you've learned. The last few hours alone must have been very informative." Vivian says.

The Queen of Dreamland glowers down at her guard but says nothing.

Aislyn nods. "Oh, that sounds wonderful! I'll have to take you up to my brand new room! It's such a lovely place for thinking and dreaming and- you know what, we'll just go. I'll only be until sunset, Alma!"

Vivian's fur seems to bristle at the very use of the name 'Alma', but I decide not to question it. It might be that the loyalties are split through our group before we even head out to find the Keeper of Trust, which is terrible, but I can't honestly say that I myself am anything but guilty.

Aislyn skips away, this time in the opposite direction past the Queen's throne. We follow her up a large and winding upwards slope, littered with odd stone things to step up on. It makes what would otherwise be an impossible climb a very short and relatively easy on. "What do you call these?" I ask, stepping on another and hoisting myself up.

"They're stairs. You country Canis are so weird." Vivian says, traipsing past me to the top with almost no effort.

Lotus follows excitedly, stepping on the 'stairs' left and right like a crazed pup on their first hunt. At the top, she sits by Vivian and Aislyn, leaving me in the rear. Upon reaching the top, I look out into a glorious room smeared with what can only be millions of berries to form a paste resembling the night sky. Across the top of the room are dotted glowing flowers, forming a living ceiling so much like the real night sky. I'm in awe as I step onto soft furs, looking around to see every luxury imaginable, from the ceiling to the soft furs, not to mention the large glass panes that give a view of the whole castle below as well as a large pile of meats stacked carefully for a snack, all seasoned well as the meal we ate today. There's even what I can only assume is a magical fountain, generated by some Canis's magic to spit up water and slowly drain it from a basin below.

I can almost see why someone would never want to lead. If I had been raised a princess in a palace like this, would I ever want to go?

Doubtful.

Then again, if I was a princess, I would probably have a better picture of the greater good. I would understand so many things that I can only dream of now. Something within me longs for that treasured upbringing, but it's a selfish dream. After all, if I was a princess, what would that make Lotus?

"So, do you three want to stay here before leaving for our quest tomorrow? I guess this was a pretty short layover and you might not want to go. It's important that we leave soon." Aislyn insists. "Alma says she's taking care of everything else so we don't need to worry about the 'getting back to the tribe' or 'secret ranking promotion' or any of that. I just get to go on a fun adventure with my friends!"

Vivian's tail stands straight up and I can feel a nervous heat in the air that seems to be emanating from her, a warmth not unlike that of a Fire Canira's.

"It's strange. Almalia said that you might try to trick me into coming along." she gives a wheezing sort of half-laugh, and then looks back up at us, "I honestly thought she was right there for a while. I'll have to tell her that she was wrong about you guys. I knew my friends would never try to trick me!" Aislyn looks back at our flabbergasted faces and tilts her head a little, perplexed. "Right?"