Ka-Thea

When the night had fallen, Lord Deneran’s young daughter snuck out of her room. She tiptoed down the staircase, barefoot, careful not to make any noise. She managed to get all the way down to the castle kitchen without meeting a single soul. The large room was softly illuminated by the moonlight. She didn’t use a lantern to avoid drawing any attention. She slowly walked through the kitchen, looking around. The tables were piled high with various ingredients and dishes in preparation for tomorrow’s big celebration. Her gaze landed on a large pot on a tall table. The edge of the pot was too high for her to peek into it, so instead she sniffed. It smelled like stew, a highly seasoned one. This was perfect. She looked around and found a wooden stool that she put next to the table to help her reach into the pot. She reached for a pouch that was fastened at her waist. She untied it and opened it. Inside was a pile of orange berries which she took out and crushed in her palms above the pot.

The private room of the Allemantheian hospital was dimly lit by the setting sun. The sombre atmosphere was slowly rocking Jelena to sleep, as she slumped lower and lower on the chair beside the bed. No matter how much tension she felt, the last sleepless night was taking its toll. The fight with Killian two days ago, followed by carrying Elleon's motionless body, had been the last physical exertion she had gone through. The following exhaustion was purely emotional. The Federation’s greatest hero lay in bed beside her, and none of the best Allemantheian doctors and healers were able to guarantee a certain future for him. She had not been able to sleep since he had sustained the grave injury. But the exhaustion was getting to her and she found herself closing her eyes while absurd images flickered on her mind as she was nearing the gates of slumber. A knock on the door woke her up from her half-sleep. A messenger’s head peeked inside to inform her: “Leander is here.” Jelena had been