<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/RoDooxQ.jpg)</div><br/>Pipa's appetite didn't improve, but she was thoroughly cowed by Ansel’s reprimanded, and swallowed the rest of her meal. It took a couple of extra mugs of watered ale to get past her nervous, dry throat. The soldiers and attendants would never have allowed her to over imbibe, though she quaffed enough to give her a slightly warm, fuzzy detachment for the couple of hours before their coach stopped again.<br/><br/>Her things were easy to assemble, and mostly already packed away in the favorite prospecting rucksack she had chosen to bring with her. She lent Eren a hand finding an errant comb, and made sure to stuff the keepsake she had made for her to the bottom of her bag, where it was less likely to be lost. She hoped her sensitive friend would find it an encouraging, happy remembrance if she needed one. She was truthfully worried for her soon to be attempted healing.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/><em>"I hope you understand what that means to your nation, to the people who live here, and to all of the mortal realms.  I also hope that all three of you, along with the three sisters of yours already sent, make it back here safely."</em><br/><br/>When Pipa realized it was the Queen she was being addressed by, she felt her mouth go dry for the second time that day. She was very glad that Eren had the wherewithal to speak for them. Pipa just tried to swallow and found herself suddenly worried about the tidiness of her braided hair. She stood straight and tall, giving Queen Aelma the same respectful attention her father demanded of his security team back home. She wondered what her father would think if he could see her now.<br/><br/>The Queen spoke of meeting the decoy carriage, and Pipa realized that this was only the beginning of their soon to be very public lives. In a year's time, when they entered the Dungeon, her father, the Queen, and the entire world of Eden would see her. Watch her, judge her, some would lust for her, some put their hope in her, they would all see her.<br/><br/>The Queen had finished speaking, and Pipa only dared nod. She didn't want to say the wrong thing, and was already distracted by the idea of stepping through a portal for the first time.<br/><br/>She took a deep breath, as if she were leaping off a mountain waterfall with her peers back home, then followed her companions through the portal. Her muscles tensed, expecting to plunge into a cold, churning pool.