Eridan couldn't stop thinking about the Seer he saw some time ago already... Now that he thinks about it, there was something... special about her. And he was sure that it wasn't just her aura as the Seer of the horrorterror, or asociable attitude, or any other things like that. I couldn't put the finger on it... He was attracted to her like by the scent of a flower, and yet, he knew that she was very dangerous...

From what he gathered, she often spend time in the library. Himself spent little time at the place, mostly interested in the wars between Prospit and Derse. He didn't find the other things important.

Now, he was walking slowly to the library, half hoping that the Seer would be here. Arrived there, he saw her sorting badly placed book on the shelves which are slowly emptying since the Condesce took over Derse. He leaned against the door frame and cleared his throat to attract her attention, and waited for her to speak.

Rose placed another book back on it's proper shelf and reached for another. Though she had been exhausted earlier, and her meeting with Dave lasted longer than expected, it had also given her energy. More than she knew what to do with. So she started sorting books, stacking those that she was certain would be pulled from the shelves next in order to hide them someplace later. Certainly no one paid attention to them, it wouldn't be noticed if they had or hadn't been locked away already.

There was a sound from the door but she ignored it, sure it wasn't the Condesce or a guard, since none of them ever simply stood in the doorway and waited for attention. No, they marched in and commanded it. She rearranged several more books with a deliberate slowness before finally acknowledging whoever was in the doorway.

"Yes?" The human asked, not even bothering to turn around as she added another book to her stack of those to hide later.

It was a little frustrating to see the girl continuing to place book after he gave a sign of his presence. When she finally answered, with only a "Yes?", without even bothering to turn to see who it was, Eridan was a little taken aback. After some seconds, he finally answered, trying to sound majestic.

"I'm the prince, Eridan. I'vve came to talk to you, Seer. I wwant to knoww you more. Your powwer is far too useful to be lost because of an accident concernin people you knoww.

He paused a little to think what to say next.

"Howwevver, Seer, evven in that case, you wwould surely wwarn someone before that happen, don't you?" *Just please don't wwarn the Condesce if you see me doin IT... Fef, howw far could I go? You're the only one capable of answwerin this...*

He then waited for the answer of the human girl, hoping at least that she would pay attention to him.

She neatly placed the book on the shelf, not letting her surprise to the owner of the irritatingly familiar voice show in her actions. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth but she only permitted a slight smirk from hearing his tone, all wounded pride and trying to sound important.

"I'm aware of my title as much as I am aware of yours, Ampora. Even if I have held mine for much, much longer than you." She said to him, finally deeming the intrusion worthy of enough of her attention to have her turn to face him. Rose forced herself to keep her hands at her sides rather than crossing them or putting them on her hips, wanting to stay as non-hostile as possible. "You wish to know me more because my powers are 'useful' ?" She asked, her voice soft and light despite the fury that was making her cheeks flush red.

She picked a book off the stack and flipped through it to have something to do with her hands so he wouldn't see them clenching. How could he know about the vision she had had barely a few hours ago of the attack, of an 'accident' concerning people she knew. "Of course I would inform the proper people, it is my duty to do such things whenever I gain new information that can be of use to the Empress."

It is always said that the Seer is very smart, and it is true. If Eridan needed another proof of that, he had it. She hit right in the spot, talking of the length over which he held his title; he was proud to be one of the higher blood, yet, for the humans, he was nothing, since his bloodline isn't part of their royalty. And in that case... could it be that he usurped his title? But no, this is stupid, he deserve this place anyway! Right?... But even in the case he would have usurped his title, he must still make the humans pay for what they inflicted to highbloods! Not even recognizing them as more important as the lowbloods!

But now wasn't the time to think about of what that sneaky witch said... Or seer, anyway. At least, she faced him, this time. She was talking very calmly, yet her cheeks were red of anger. She also must be good at controlling herself.

However, after that, she quickly turned back and took a book, and seemed to search a page or something, but with great stress. Did he hit something too? It seemed something was off with her... What it could be? She was surely knowing something he didn't...

"You should stop flippin pages like that. I think you like the books, so you should be careful not to rip pages; it wwould be... ironic? Is it the right wword for that contradictory human behavvior?

And yes, I wwant to knoww you better. But not only because a your powwers; there is somethin in you... I don't knoww howw human hierarchy is determined vvery much, but as for wwhat I understand, in troll standards, you wwould be a highbloud, from wwhat I gathered. And also... There is somethin else in you that seems so... attracting for black romance..."

"Ironic or hypocritical, depending on the context. It won't tear, I know what I'm doing." She said, her hands slowing down as it looked like she found what she was looking for. She ran her finger across the aged page, only glancing at the words but the feeling of reading and holding an old book were enough to bring balance back to her mind. She couldn't risk anything because of this boy in front of her, barely older than she was.

She kept her eyes on the page, shifting in a more comfortable standing position. "If you want to rule a species it's good to know their social structures, and while I don't intend to dominate yours I at least know your caste system enough to presume I should take that as a compliment." Rose looked up and snapped the book closed with a harsh Fwunk. By now she was fully composed, not a single emotion readable behind her violet eyes. "However I cannot stress enough how deeply uninterested I am in you, Eridan Ampora."

She seemed to calm as she talk; obviously, her familiar environment was at her advantage. And he couldn't help but smile at her answers. The two first were appraising him, in that so particular way. And the second wasn't all that surprising for Eridan.

"You say that you are uninterested in me. I can't say that is evven surprisin, considerin the number of persons that are uninterested in me, evven some that aren't vvery obvvious. I think you saww howw the Condesce wwas uninterested in me, that day, isn't it? To most, I'm just at pawwn, a toy. But a pawwn can be the most dangerous piece in chess, often. Sometime, if ignored, it can kill a bishop. Or a tower. Or evven a queen.

And you say that you wwere knowwin wwhat you wwere doin; howwevver, you slowwed yourself after I said that. You aren't the only one wwho can observe someone else actions and deduce, you knoww."

She was calm for now, but how long both of them could stay composed like that? Eridan grinned at the thought.

She rolled her eyes and allowed the slight annoyance to show on her face before it sunk back down to leave a still surface. "I know not of which you speak. I slowed my actions because I was nearing the page I was searching for! Why, it's as if you never looked in a reference book." Rose turned her back on him, deciding that she's given him more than enough of her full attention and that she needed to finish what she started. He was nothing more than an annoyance, perhaps if she were to step up her opinion of him she'd think him as one she'd like to see suffer. Returning the book to her stack the human moved onto a new and even messier shelf.

She wasn't going to let his bringing up that day bother her, she was above such petty jabs at her. At least, that's what she told herself. "You think you have the power to topple a regime? Oh of course you'd think that. You even think I would care about Her Highness's opinion on you a year ago! As if I was more concerned with how she handled you than how she handled, I don't know, my life?" She laughed, curt and cold without any actual humour in it. She blew dust off a shelf and began arranging the haphazard stacks into proper rows. "You can't needle me into a conversation with you, I just don't care. I don't pity or hate you enough to carry on this exchange of barbs, so I think I'll just stop replying." With that she closed her attention off completely from anything besides her work of organizing books, hoping he'd just lose interest after a while and leave her alone.

The prince was containing himself. So the Seer chose that she won't pay attention to him? Oh well, he guessed he would have another way to attract her attention. However, she wasn't as farseeing as she wanted to say. He took a book for himself, and as it turned out, it was a book talking about the cult of the horrorterrors. He looked through it, to find descriptions of the effect rituals could have and their power, surely to impress regular persons. After that, he said:

"I don't think I alone could topple a regime. I only say that evven a completely unimportant person could do almost anythin, if placed right. If you could turn one a the piece a the other to your cause during a game of chess, you wwould almost be certain to wwin, due to it privvileged place, isn't it, Seer? Howwevver, the other wway around wwould be devvastatin for you as wwell.

And I'm sure your petty life is far more important to you than the opinion that the Condesce would have on me. Also, it seems you found your page in a rather convenient moment, isn't it?"

He took another moment to peek in the book, and remarked something...

"Humpf. Looks like there is somethin the author a this book didn't took account of wwhen he wwrote it, or else he didn't kneww of it. Technology is noww growwin a lot faster than magic. I wwonder, could it be that your cult wwill become obsolete for everyone, once technology wwill grow more? Technology already make miracles that your magic can't do."

For all this talk about chess Rose was starting to wonder if he had ever played a game. He could go on about strategisms all he wanted, there was no conversation to be had there with her. It seemed he was perfectly happy just talking with himself anyway, even calling himself a pawn. Was he trying to get some sort of emotion out of her with that little speech? Too bad she was more concerned with the books than listening to his droning.

Actually there was something almost musical to his voice, something that brought to mind flow. It would almost be soothing if she hadn't decided already that it was irritating, the words coming out of his mouth not helping to change her opinion.

She snapped her mind back into attention and continued to organize, a smirk pulling at her lips again but she kept her mouth in a firm neutral. If he was reading one of the few books of the Circle that the Condesce had not already ordered to be locked away he'd have a strong misinterpretation on what she could do. She began humming absently, thinking through the different spells or hexs she could put on him to make him shut up. That would be a miracle enough for her.

She didn't answer Eridan, as she said, and kept ignoring him. However, she began to hum as he spoke of the book about the circle. What was she thinking? Hard to say. He tried to take different approaches.

"Evven if magic is becomin esceeded, I wwonder if one could combine the powwer of magic and science... That would certainly be somethin... Howwevver, I can guess that not a lot in your circle wwould teach me, isn't it? Even if you are loyal to the Condesce, there is little chance that you wwould wwant to, and anywway, I'm not too interested into that."

He paused, and then pushed into another direction, and began to move toward her, while saying:

"Also, as I said, on that day, if I don't doubt that you vvalued your life ovver the Condesce opinion on me, I also know that if me and the princess would not havve enter the room, you wwould probably havve ended dead. The Condesce is true to her blood, vviolent and haughty, on the contrary of the princess, wwho is much too soft and humble, and she wwouldn't make a good empress if she stay like that." As he said that, the prince wondered; would that be a good thing if Feferi wasn't as bloodthirsty as the Condesce when she will succeed to her? Maybe that wouldn't be so bad...

As he finished talking, he was standing at her side, close enough to be able to read the titles of the books she was organizing.

For being uninterested in it you certainly run your mouth on the topic. Maybe I can find a potion recipe that'll have use for such a tongue. She thought, taking a few books into her arms and blowing the dust from the shelf before placing them back in order. She waved a hand in front of her face to get rid of the dust, holding her breath so she wouldn't cough.

Of course, that was her plan. But when Eridan decided to bring that day up again she gasped sharply, inhaling the dust and sending her into a fit of coughs as he moved closer to her. She whirled to face him, a single finger held up like that was all she needed to hurt him. Something cold and ancient shone through her dark violet eyes, focusing on him and him alone. "You shut your mouth this instant and leave me be. You come unbidden and unwanted and bother me in the only place I have solace! You prattle on about inaccurate little facts in a book that is older than I am filled only with as much information as the Circle would allow to be written. Then try to say that I am in your debt for my life!"

Rose's voice was soft and smooth without a trace of malice, her face not contorted by anger, but the black light in her eyes promised danger. The red in her cheeks was rising though, the only thing that broke her surface of composure.

"Are you so starved and desperate for attention that you have to barge upon my sanctuary and talk and talk and talk until I thank you for interrupting something I could have dealt with myself? What ever should I thank you for, for that day? What you said was only an attempt to stay in the good graces of your 'princess' after all the horror you caused that day, do not think I was deaf to it because of my own situation. I have no need to thank you for such a thing, and no debt to be had either. The princess is a better being than you could ever hope to be, let alone what you will achieve."

Eridan wasn't surprised of her answer; that was to be expected. He won't even try to deny it. He answered, angry, not even using is silly accent:

"This is all true. You have all that right. I'm a monster. But what created it? No one, from the beginnin, has tried to help me. Do you know what is it to be raised by someone that only care for the money your caretakin give to him? You destroyed our home planet, and you completely unbalanced our race by killin the lusi. After that, you sold the young ones like me to carapaces. What do you think that brought to us? Look at the Condesce; how old do you think she is? She is maybe older than that book. And you took everythin from Her, beginnin with Her planet. After that, if you look at me, I'm sure that even in the circle, you were taken care of better than I was. So, who's the more monstrous? The trolls, or the humans and the carapaces? And even then, at what I learnt, you deprived the carapaces from their culture too, by banishin 3 of the quadrants of romance, that they share with us, to only keep the one you humans know! And after that, you call us heartless?"

Out of anger, he lifted the book he was holding, and ripped it, altogether, and then looked at the Seer, at Rose.

"This time, I don't wwant to talk to the Seer, but to you. So, wwhat is your answwer to that, Rose?", he said, taking back is accent.