The queen sighed.

"Much has changed since you were lost to us," she said. "Traitors to the throne have risen up. They are attempting to wrest control of our magic, and in doing so they have stranded our people here in the city."

"...What?" That was a lot to take in, and it took Coral a few moments to actually sift through the information. "Traitors? Who? Why?" She frowned.

"You remember I told you once of my elder sister," the queen said. She sighed slightly. "Somehow, she has gained a rather large and zealous following, and is attempting night and day to usurp the throne. We have been able to fend them off, to this point, but it has been getting more difficult. And with our people stranded and caught in the crossfire, I fear that there is little time before the worst happens."

Coral was quiet for a few moments. "But why does she want the throne so badly? There's no way to reason with her, to show her what she's causing with this mistrust and unrest?"

"My sister was... passed over for the throne," the queen said quietly. "She has coveted it since we were girls. There will be no reasoning with her."

Coral was quiet for a moment, absorbing that and thinking it over.

"So what do we do?" she asked. "We can't let it continue, obviously, especially since it's putting our people at risk."