Neiva followed the dark figure through the shadows, through the nearly suffocating darkness that surrounded this, feeling almost as though it were alive. It made the queen acutely uncomfortable, but she held herself together and managed not to show her discomfort as she was led through the halls, finally coming to a room that was lit by candles. The room appeared to have been set up in an attempt to make her more comfortable, or at least less uneasy while they discussed whatever matters he had brought her here to discuss. She expected that she would not like whatever it was he had to say, but she was not fond of making presumptions, as such things were never certain and not based on any facts.<br/><br/>She crossed the room as he motioned for her to join him, taking a seat with all the grace and poise one would expect of one such as herself. She gave a polite nod when he thanked her for coming. She had long been an advocate for peace, so what kind of a queen would she be if she didn't follow the principles she had long advocated? Upon his latter statement, however, she felt a mild disappointment, although she had feared that would be the case. There had long been peace in the land following the last war, but although his kingdom had fallen, he had lived on, and no one expected that he would simply accept such defeat without holding resentment and planning to one day return with a vengeance. Such a fragile peace could not last forever. "I was afraid you would say that." she replied in her gentle voice. "Tell me, then, what it is you have called me here to discuss."<br/><br/>Eira hid in a dark corner as soon as she had passed through the portal. She didn't wish to be seen by either of the two adults, although she still suspected that the dark master was already aware of her presence. She waited as the footsteps receded further and further, eventually stopping some ways down the hall. She hated the darkness that surrounded her, the shadows felt alive, as though were reaching out to take hold of her, to pull her into a dark abyss and drive her mad. The moment she was certain that the two couldn't see her, she summoned a cold flame as she had before, to chase away the shadows that surrounded her. The darkness was so thick that she had, at first, wondered if they would even be fazed by the light, but the cold light seemed to chase them back with relative ease.<br/><br/>Once the footsteps had stopped she began to make her way slowly down the hallway until the large doors came into sight and she extinguished the flame and hid nearby as the voices carried from the room and she listened intently. She remained hidden now not for fear of Dardanos, whom she was almost certain was aware of her presence, but for her mother's sake, so she wouldn't worry about her instead of focusing on what she was supposed to be doing, or worse just up and leave in order to take her too-curious daughter home before she even had a chance to have whatever discussion she had come here to have. If it had been her own safety she was worried for, the young princess would have left the moment she thought she had been found. She only hoped that whatever was to happen here would not endanger her mother's life.