Eridan only looked at the scene. He felt like he had gone too much out... He was better to keep his thoughts to himself for now... Like how he wanted to keep that human safe... Was he beginning to *like* these humans? He quickly decided that he was more based on pity. Yes, he pity them, as they are so inferior to the trolls. Or was that the only thing? Wasn't there another thing? Wasn't there... compassion? Comparison to them? How they were so similar to the trolls?

The purple blood tried to shake these feeling, but he wasn't able to. They were haunting him... Who was him, finally? A sea dweller, he know that. But does that give him the right to do... these things? What question, he was higher than almost everyone! And yet, he continued to wonder... No, that was not right! He was higher than most of the-

His train of thought was interrupted by the view of Feferi biting the hand of the guard that was holding the seer. Eridan, surprised, moved back a little. Why did she do that? That was obsolete, from Eridan point of view. Useless and degrading for a princess like her. And yet, who was he to put her actions in question, after what he had done in the Coup? The purple blood was continuing to struggle with himself, as he heard the Condesce decision.

When he heard that the Seer will be left alive, he felt an unexplained relieve. Why was he feeling relieved? Yet another question without answer... Eridan was feeling like a ghost in his body...

----------------

The Condesce strutted through the corridors, heading to the room where she had kept the Seer. She was unaccompanied, as she preferred to be. She was certainly strong enough to handle Sudden assaults. There was no need to appear as if she needed guards protecting her if she didn't. Hopefully, the handmaidens she ordered to make sure she actually looked presentable and ensured she was clean and fed had listened. There was no use speaking to a human who was hungry and disheveled, they were savage enough when in good condition. Hopefully now she would be much more reasonable and perhaps value her life more.

She knocked on the door before unlocking it and turning the handle, just to tell her she was coming in. She prepared herself for anything that might occur. The room itself was without windows, it was as secure as a room could be without being an outright cell.

The two hours she had spent had given her a chance to reflect upon the usefulness of the Seer. She would try her again, just one more time.

She opened the door.

"Seer, are you awake? Have you rested?" Despite her questions asking about her safety, she let her voice remain detached and unconcerned. The Seer felt no affection for her, and so she didn't wish to show any for the Seer.

A knock on the door brought Rose out of the lull she had fallen into, neither sleep nor wakefulness just staring at nothing with eyes half closed. She looked down and noticed that the maids hadn't dressed her, but it didn't matter as almost her entire body was covered in half soaked through bandages. The cloth wound around her chest, was tied in various areas around her arms and legs, and one of her wrists was in a splint. While she hadn't realized it when running on adrenalin, when the handmaids were bandaging her she spoke up about it hurting and without being asked why they just splinted it. It was a better option that her telling them it was because of how much force she had put into breaking someone's nose. She'd faced more guards than just the two that caught her, but the Condesce didn't need to know that.

She pulled back from the wall she had been slouched against and sat straight to the protests of her abdomen. How much time had passed she had no idea, but she had plenty of time to think and listen to the Horrorterrors. If she wasn't so exhausted she'd have tried to get a vision to see if anything happened to Dirk but They were too upset she hadn't used their powers when she could have to save all of Derse.

Because of the maids not knowing how much time she would be given to recover she's been made to eat while they were cutting her hair, which she now reached up and touched for the first time since it had been washed along with the rest of her in a freezing cold tub of water with some soap that stung her wounds. By the time she was taken out of it she was shivering and the liquid was blood red. Her hair was all even again and felt as short as a boy's, maybe even shorter than Dave's was. She tugged on her bangs to see how long they were and found that they just fell into the top of her vision when pulled straight down. What was that her hand brushed against? She touched it, a gauze pad taped over the cut she'd gotten from the sadistic troll that wanted to drag out slitting her throat.

"Yes, your Imperial Condescension." Rose replied to the troll, looking at her directly and dropping her hand from her face before she could start toying with the bandage. Her eyes flickered around the room for something she could snatch to use as a weapon, but there was nothing other that the chain the connected one of her legs to the leg of the bed would allow her to reach.

The temperature of the room seemed to drop about ten degrees as the Condesce followed Rose's gaze, sweeping over the room. Her fuschia-tinted eyes rested on a pair of thin, silver scissors, probably used to cut the Seer's hair, left by a careless attendant on a shelf on the opposite wall. It was far from the Seer's reach, but it still made her curl her lip. She'd speak with all three of them later, and was already in the mood to execute one. Brushing past the now-silent Seer, she strutted towards the wall and curled her slender fingers around the cold metal, clenching them enough to have it press into the flesh of her palm. She turned back to the Seer, narrowing her eyes to two piercing slits. 

"So, have you been thinking about your decision? I understand that it may be difficult for you, but... it would be in your best interest." Heavy meaning dripped from her last words. She twirled the scissors in her left hand absently, weighing it in her hand.  She had spent all of the evening thinking of what she had to do in order to keep her new subjects pacified, though not at ease.  It was important to keep them on edge, but not on the verge of rebellion. Frightened enough to behave. The times right after her rise to the throne would be easiest, with the memories of horror and bloodshed fresh in their minds.

"I am quite aware." Rose said airily without even looking at the Condesce despite her actions, eyes already resting back on the place where the woman had been standing. "Do or die, that's the phrase is it not? Or perhaps be kept in a dungeon and forced to preform when you've exhausted all other options." She tilted her head, thinking about the idea of being locked away in the dungeons. The time she had been there alone before, she had gotten herself lost, she had been sure it was darker and colder than the Circle. An insuppressible shiver ran down her spine from the memory mixed with the cold anger that came from the troll. In an attempt to keep it from begin seen she shifted on the bed, the ancient springs creaking.

"I do not think that would be the best choice however."

The Empress rolled her eyes and shook her head, her thick curtain of hair swaying softly as she did. "I don't wish to throw you in the dungeons. I don't wish to execute you. It'd be a bitter waste of talent." She remained silent for a moment, thoughtful. "It seems alms as if you're hesitating in your decision. Will you or will you not be my Seer?" She let the question hang in the air and turned to face the stubborn human. She waited, both expectantly and almost breathlessly, for her answer. She had constantly told herself and others that the Seer was disposable, that she could always find another. However, it would still be thoroughly unpleasant to nearly have a Seer and then have her slip right between her fingers. The fact the other acted completely calm was impressive. She could certainly use her by her side, even if she was nothing more than a human with some particular talents.

Rose completely ignored what the Condesce said to her. "I have been a symbol of the power of Derse since I was born, you know. The first female of the human royal family since the last princess disappeared. No seer was ever born to Derse, it is a particularity that usually is reserved for Prospit alone. To find a replacement in the event that I am put to death your sole option would be to find someone from a different planet entirely." There wasn't any smugness, pride, or threat in the human's voice as she spoke; only stating the facts she knew.

The small smile that had been twitching at the corner of her mouth froze and her violet eyes grew dark. "All of those that the term 'friend' could have been applied to have either been slaughtered or have abandoned me here. Granted, I did not have many to begin with. You think you can trust someone, but that is a fallacy. I heard that it is better to be feared than to be loved." Rose shook her head slightly as if coming out of a daze as if remembering that she wasn't alone in the room.

"I will refrain from asking your opinion on the matter, I am certain I know your response already. But from fear sprouts hatred and resentment. In a large group of people, that leads to a rebellion. The complete eradication of a previous power structure would make many people fearful... And very angry."

Finally she looked at where the new queen was now standing. "Not only do you want me, you need me. A strong symbol of the old power on the side of the new power? Nice show for the people, would keep them pacified but after tonight certainly wouldn't make them feel less uneased. Especially since it is myself, who can predict outcomes of events and take choices to create the best outcome." At last she stopped thinking aloud, like usual only realizing she had been doing so after the fact.

She enjoyed the look of annoyance that the troll gave, clearly not happy about wasting her valuable time. Rose let the silence stretch, happy to let the woman squirm while she held the only piece of power she would ever really have over her for quite a while. She could understand why people liked this feeling of control. She remained silent until the troll spoke. Swiftly the girl lifted her hand to silence the woman.


"I will join you. I will be your seer."