[ Akua's lips curled slightly downward, a touch of a frown, though she masked it well enough. She had not seen Link afterward, and the rumors in the papers had been enough to convince her that he had defected. Odd, really, for she had always seen him as the type to stalwartly support Meridian's cause.

Gods below help her, but she worried about him. Oh, not for affection — she was Praesi, after all — but because there were some people whose principles were static, and unwavering. She wondered what had happened, to shatter that? Zenith, to her, represented something between lost hope, and disgust for where they came from.

Which was it, for Link? The boy that she would call the consummate hero? ]

Well, I was a swan, dear. [ She said, with a laugh. ] No, I do not fret so much. I am acquainted with the high ladies within Highstorm, and though I am known to be with Meridian, I do not anticipate having difficulty leaving, should I be asked.

[ Perhaps whe was too confident, to sure. Akua felt comfortable in Highstorm, truly. Even now? Yes, this was no worse than the Dread Empress's court. ]

Besides, if I shied from this place, I would hate to return home, wilting under such subtle pressure. Why, nobody's even tried to poison me yet.