Tales of Vyscher Book 2

Chapter 23

Fehrys always awoke from the dream as he was lighting Luce's pyre. Drenched in sweat and crying in his sleep, he awoke alone, sobbing and stifling his screams. He should have known the dream would come back as soon as Alia left the city, and maybe his subconscious knew something was wrong when he had the dream on the way to Kai Thalor as well. This morning was a little different. He awoke the same, but this time there was a small cat nestled in the crook of his arm, her head on his chest and eyes staring up at him with tiny tears rolling down the fur. He'd never seen a cat cry before but knew that Kyrian had felt the loss of her parents keenly as well. They were well suited for each other. Maybe this was why he'd been put in charge of her.

Vic didn't want to get out of bed at all. She was wrapped in Rek's arms and the blankets were nice and warm. Having two whole days off after the Lady Bawnia mission to relax was a sweet treat that could involve sleeping the entire time. Unfortunately, even days off had demands. Being a princess, even one who had given up her title, had responsibilities that she tried to uphold. For instance, she tried to go visit her parents for breakfast when she had time off. Many times, she skipped it for more snuggles with Rek, but if Fehrys was really going, she wanted to be there. Not that she didn't like her parents, indeed she loved them. It was just the formality of it, the getting dressed up and making it an event.

Well, sometimes. There were some great princess perks too though.

For instance, these bed sheets were miracles of magic. Somehow, the craftsmen and clothiers could make amazing fabrics that felt wonderful on your skin, out of almost anything. That was one thing she would never tire of.

Slowly disentangling Rek's arms, she slipped out of bed. Her bed was rich hardwood and there were lovely soft rugs, blankets and pillows scattered about. A comfortable chaise lounge and chairs were situated around a small table in their sitting area, and magical heaters and coolers kept the temperature as they liked. A giant gnomish mirror hung on the wall near the lounge chairs, which helped the women get dressed up when the occasion arose.

Quietly she found a comfortable pair of silk pants and a tunic in her favorite cobalt blue. Most Bishop Mages, both male and female, took to wearing comfortable trousers over robes because of the need for riding airborne mounts. There was no sense in getting a robe tangled up on a griffin's claw in midair. She slipped them on soundlessly, and then slipped out of the chamber. Rek would surely thank her for the extra sleep and missing the formality of breakfast with her parents.

This was Vic's routine for virtually every day off she had, no matter where in the sevenday it fell. Breakfasts with her parents were something that had become such a routine, that she never even thought to question why she went without question. Surely they would have allowed her to miss the occasional trip?

Nonetheless, up she went, nodding to all the guards that she recognized, which was virtually all of them. Being a member of the royal guards was a coveted position, and once you were selected, you only left due to retirement or an untimely death or injury. She had trained with many of them, and they made for excellent armsmen. Not as good as the Bishops, but that was why they were the first line of defense.

By the time she reached the royal chambers, she had worked up quite an appetite. That was a good thing since the breakfasts served at her parent's breakfast table were generally colossal events, in both the amount of food and the boredom. While she had heard that many rulers don't meet with their advisors until sometime after breakfast, her parents almost always had breakfast with one or more of their advisors present unless there was a family event. Had they known that Fehrys was here, this would have counted, but she doubted that he'd given them that notice. This gave everyone an early start to the day and allowed everyone to find out about any issues immediately.