Cheer up

"Edeltria… Can we talk?" Brem stood outside his sister's door, waiting for an answer. He heard a small sound from her but didn't know whenever it was a yes or no. He opened the door and entered, Edeltria was laying in bed, her hair a mess. She's been like this for a while now and who could blame her. Brem sat down at the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her back. She didn't move from the touch and only sighed.

"I don't think I will be of any use if I went to the ball. Go without me…" Brem sighed and shook his head.

"Oh sister. Look at me." She turned her head towards him, her hair getting into her face. She moved it away and sighed again.

"It's hard, I know. Zeena was the only friend you've had in a while. But if she knew you got the chance to go to a ball, would she stop you from going?"

"No…"

"Exactly. She would be devastated if you didn't go. So do it for her." He smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. Tears began to slowly fall down on her cheeks which he wiped away with his thumb.

"It just feels like… With Zeena… The muse for singing also disappeared. What will we do now when we are not entertainers? It's all we had. We traveled around the land."

"Maybe it's time to fulfill a new dream. I'd like to find more of my kind and free them… Then I'll find a new dream. We are still so young… Nothing is set in stone." Edeltria sat up and laid her head into Brem's lap.

"As long as you don't leave me. You're my only family. Can't we find a dream together?" She looked at him with wide and teary eyes. He knew her fear of abandonment. Not only did her parents leave her, but friends and lovers as well. That's why she's always quick to cut ties. Leaving them before they left her.

"I'll never leave you." He smiled and stroked her hair gently.

"Let me brush your messy hair already. You also need a bath, you are beginning to stink." He laughed while Edeltria gave him a playful punch.

"It's usually you who stink." They laughed a bit then prepared a bath for Edeltria. She was washed and brushed and slowly began to return as her normal self instead of an empty shell.

Eris was in her room reading which she has been doing to calm her nerves for the ball. She kept playing with the crystal flower that has now been attached to a chain. She wore it as a necklace and couldn't stop fidgeting with it. Sighing, she closed the book. She was stuck on the same page for a few hours now. Her thoughts kept wandering away.

"Evodine"

"Yes sweetheart?" Evodine quickly appeared beside her. Eris placed the book to her side and crossed her arms, trying to keep her hands away from her necklace.

"At the ball… What if the king refuses to melt the ice?"

"Well… That's up to you darling. We can lock him up, change his mind with torture. It's difficult. Humans are unpredictable sometimes. You can always curse him like with the lady of the house no? I don't think there is any reason to spare him anyway." She shrugged.

Eris sighed and looked up. What she was looking forward to the most was to meet Cashimir again. Being able to feel his touch again and hear his voice. Her hand went searching for the necklace again and held it tightly.

"You really are in love~" Evodine smirked and moved closer to her to which Eris just blushed and pushed her away.

"I do want to see him… I just hope he'll notice it's me…"

"I'm sure he will, dear." But it didn't make Eris make any less nervous. She had to focus on her mission with the king… And not dream about Cashimir… His turquoise eyes and long hair… She quickly shook her head and sighed, picking up the book again.

"I don't want to pressure you sweetheart but if you aren't focused when you are casting emotionally… Bad things can happen. Either you do something worse or nothing happens." She shrugged once again and disappeared.

"What? Come back! Explain!" But she didn't return. Eris sighed and tried to find it in the book, dangers of magic. All it says, that magic reflects the wielder's emotions. Anger and sadness being the most dangerous ones to use. And if the wielder hasn't studied magic or is born with it but borrows it from a patron, not only does it reflect the wielder's emotions but the patrons as well. It's important to have a good connection and balance with one's patrons.

Taking a deep breath she tried to calm her nerves down. Cashimir could be a distraction… She can't fail the high priestess… She has a promise to keep. To free all the captured ones from humans. She put down the book again and decided to take a walk instead, doing something physical so that her thoughts wouldn't eat her up.

While walking around she saw Brem and Edeltria in the dining area. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Edeltria smile. She rushed over and sat with the two of them. They were discussing food, how different it is from the usual ones they were always offered at taverns and that it was a nice change.

They also brought up the ball, Edeltria showing much more interest about it than last time. She hoped she could maybe find someone pretty she could dance with at the ball and hoped they would serve a buffet as well. Brem hoped he would be the most handsome one in the whole ball but then it would blow their cover of blending in.

Talking with them and joking around, filled a small void Eris didn't know she had.