Gate of Memoirs/Behind Mother's Back

Evie finds her own way to quell the civil unrest; Xenon has the same idea.
Elysia: A Kingdom Divided Episode 2—Strife and Storm—
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Daydream"	Music: "Daydream"
 	
—West Tower
 	
*Estia: Advisor Giehl is...dead? Killed in an attempted coup on the castle?
 	
*Xenon: I'm afraid so, my lady. And it appears that one of the ringleaders has been thrown in the dungeons.
 	
*Estia: My sister-in-law may have made some controversial reforms, but does it warrant such a violent reaction from the rebels?
*Estia: And to think they wanted *me* on that throne. The thought of it sickens me.
 	
*Xenon: My lady...
*Xenon kneels before Estia's seat and holds her hand gently.
 	
*Xenon: Forgive my brusqueness, but...
*Xenon: You've not considered returning to court at all?
 	
*Estia: I refuse to ally myself with people who have chosen to ignore my pleas for peace.
*Estia: Clearly there are those who would stop at nothing, if only to put a "pureblood" on the throne.
 	
*Xenon: What about speaking to your niece?
 	
*Estia: What good will come of it? I see the look in her eyes.
*Estia: She's changed, for better or worse.
*Estia: I don't doubt she has her own struggles, but with things as they are now...
*Estia: It would only cause further turmoil.
 	
*Xenon: (... ...)
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Lost Ground"	Music: "Lost Ground"
 	
*—Light of the Grand, Elaina's study.
 	
*Elaina: The Light of the Grand has always served Elysia as a whole, not the crown, 
*Elaina: so it was inevitable that several of our members have joined the Lightseekers' cause.
*Elaina: I knew Grandt personally. I would also have known he'd go to such lengths based on what he believed was trustworthy information...
 	
*Elaina: But whether I could have been able to stop him is a different matter entirely.
 	
*Xenon: I see...
 	
*Xenon: In any case, thank you for the information.
 	
*Elaina: Worried about Lady Estia?
 	
*Xenon: As much as I dislike forcing her to take up a role she seems to despise, I was hoping that we could do something to ease the situation.
*Xenon: The ultimate victims of a civil war are the people both sides claim to protect.
*Xenon: I can't stand idly by and watch Elysia dissolve into such a state.
 	
*Elaina: Hmhm. Ever the chivalrous knight, Sir Xenon.
 	
*Elaina: Your goals are in perfect alignment with my other guest today. Birds of a feather, in fact.
 	
*?: Excuse me.
*A hooded woman slips into the study, clad in a plain robe and scarf.
*?: ...Oh.
*?: Did I come at the wrong time—
*?: ...!
 	
*Xenon: Princess Evgenia?
 	
*Evgenia removes her hood and looks across the table at Elaina, who merely shrugs.
 	
*Elaina: What was it about being in the right time and the right place?
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Ghost"	Music: "Ghost"
 	
*—West Tower, late night.
*Ever since that fateful meeting in Elaina's study, 
*Evie had been working in secret with them to quench the fires of the raging civil war.
*The Lightseekers claimed the former princess as their sole motivation for restoring "true" rulership for Elysia...
*...while the Queen enjoyed popular—perhaps even fanatical—support from loyalists who embraced her reforms.
*The failed coup still weighed heavily on the rebels, and there was no telling when the Queen would put an end to them once and for all.
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*Xenon: "You're not worried about the Queen's eye on you?"
*Evie: "The court believes us estranged from Lady Estia, that much is true..."
*Evie: "But if the rebels see us making amends through my actions, then we can at least prevent more irresponsible and ill-directed bloodshed."
*Elaina: "You *are* the daughter of the last...'pureblood' Elysian king, as the rebels put it."
*Elaina: "Their feelings toward you are mixed, but this is a gesture that would put you in a better light."
*Evie: "I'm not doing this for myself, Elaina."
*Elaina: "Hmhm...I wonder if I'm in the wrong room."
Portrait 	Dialogue
 	
*A series of knocks jolts them out of their reverie.
 	
*Xenon: Let me.
 	
*Xenon carefully pushes the door open, one hand on the hilt of his blade.
*Seeing a familiar face pull down her hood, he relaxes and ushers her in.
 	
*Evie: I'm sorry I'm late.
*Evie: Is everyone here?
 	
*Elaina: Yes. We're just waiting for you.
 	
*Evie: Splendid. I have some rather concerning news...
*Evie: We've been making some headway in getting both sides to stand down, but the court's grown a little...silent, as of late.
 	
*Estia: On orders from the Queen?
 	
*Evie: Not in public, at least. It was difficult to tease anything from her.
*Evie: ...It feels like Mother's staring into my soul sometimes.
 	
*Evie: I wish I could get through to her, but she's as inscrutable as always.
*Evie: Not even Vera could tell me anything.
 	
*A black-tipped arrow embeds itself in the wall closest to Estia.
Music: "Strike! Break!"	Music: "Strike! Break!"
 	
*Elaina: Damn. Away from the window. Now!
 	
*There is a mad scramble just before the door bursts open, and a half-dozen assassins storm the room.
 	
*Evie: Sir Xenon! Watch Lady Estia!
 	
*Elaina: We'll take care of this.