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Rose had never really drank before, but she was really considering it now.

It was, after all, a much better proposition than dealing with what she was at the moment. No hangover could be more torment than this.

Standing, frustrated beyond her ability to control any longer, Queen Rose of the Kitsunes shouted.

"All of you- JUST. SHUT. UP!" she yelled. Letting her head hang down, but not sitting again, she continued before they could. "No, I'm not wrong. No, I don't know how exactly it is that I know that Green Shade has been infected by a demon curse. The reason I know is that yes, I am part demon. You all know that. The reason I can sense it is not through an affinity to it but a repulsion to it. I am, after all, part angel, too. No, I have no explanation for any of this now. And no, all our new technologies could not have picked this up." Rose slid back down into her throne at the front of the long Discussion Table. She sighed heavily, and continued in something more like a mutter, with her hand across her eyes.

"We are in trouble. All of us. And while I don't know the cause nor the cure, I know that we have some time to fix it before it becomes irreparable. And that I am the only one capable of finding our answers." Rose really, really wished Kyrre was here right now- her Viceroy being nearby would substantiate her ability to have the country under safe control during her absence. Where was that kitsune, anyhow? She heard mumbling start again- the not-so-quiet rumblings of dissention in her court of counselors- and she wasn't going to let it take over.

Rose stood again, and finally looked at everyone. "I made an oath, and I will abide by it. I will protect my people, even if that means leaving in order to find the answers that will cure Green Shade. If anyone objects outright to my royal right to fight for the lives of my people, let them speak now, or shut the heck up!!"

Silence followed, and Rose pushed back her throne and left the room. The minute the door closed behind her, more debate continued in the Counsel Room. However, Sahm had gotten up from his place along the wall and had hurried after her. He was silent for about twenty steps- a new record for him as far as Rose was concerned- before he put in his two cents.

"Are you completely certain that this is the only way to find answers, My Queen?" Sahm asked from three steps behind her.

Not slowing, and heading straight for her quarters, Rose answered. "Well, I can look for the cure through the holy routes, opposites to the demons, or I can infiltrate the demonic dimensions and attempt to learn their devious plot from within. Of course, that would certainly take longer and would leave a more... distinct impact on my personality, but really, Speaker, if you'd prefer...?" Rose got to her quarters fairly quickly, and almost shut the door in Sahm's face. She caught herself, however.

"This plague on our Great Tree is going to- is already- making everyone sour. I need you to send for my Viceroy immediately. I plan on leaving in the morning, and it would be nice to see him before I go. I won't wait for him, that's for certain."

After closing the door on Sahm's retreating figure, Rose walked over to her table and, for the first time ever, poured herself a drink. She wasn't even sure what this stuff was- it had been compared to whiskey, apparently- but she didn't care. She gulped down a half glass of it in half a second, though it left her gasping for breath.

"Woooooo..." she said, shaking her head quickly. "That was something else."

Rose went into her bedroom, and sat on her bed, looking out at the canopy of greenish grayish leaves, and eventually fell asleep just staring out the open window, trying to contemplate her next move. It was one thing to say that one was going to learn more from their heritage, it was quite another to say that one was going to try to find a way to enter the Divine Realm and speak with angels to try to quickly learn about all things Holy. Thankfully, Rose's head was already swimming and these concerns were all too elusive for her for this one night. She slept soundly, and dreamt of things light and dark, opposites of wings and horns, both out of her reach and beyond her kin.