Dear Reader...

I sincerely apologize for the fact I have not been updating frequently or in a consistent manner. A lot is happening in my life right now and I have not had the time to write and when I do my mental state is such that I find that I cannot put pen to page (or fingers to keyboard in my case). I still have several chapters written ahead of what I am posting, but I've not written much past that. Please accept my heartfelt apology for slacking off (for a lack of a better term). Hopefully, I'll start posting more regularly again soon.

In the meantime, I thought I'd give you some background on the characters.

Rin:

Rin is Belia's current personal guard. He is 26 years old at the time the story takes place. He was good friends with Belia's eldest brother, Hareph. The two met during their time at a military academy. Rin comes off as very reserved and cold, however, he just takes his job very seriously. He is an excellent guard and the best when it comes to telepathy resistance. He grew up in a household where you had to be the best or you were nothing. Rin was born with underdeveloped vocal flaps (also known as vocal cords) which were further damaged in an incident at military school. Rin's muteness and lack of telepathic "gift" caused him to be a disappointment in his father's eyes, a man Rin strives to please. Because of his friendship with Hareph, Rin is able to overcome his need to make his father be proud of him. It is also because of Hareph he meets his wife Kya, Belia's personal servant and friend. The two have been married for several years, but because of their positions they don't get to spend much time together. They don't have any children even though they both would like some.

Karolek:

Karolek is Timur's personal guard and an accomplished soldier in the Voyan military, despite being only 24 years old. He is very opinionated and not afraid to share his views, especially to Timur. The two have an odd relationship as neither Karolek or Timur liked each other when they first met. Karolek saw Timur as a spoiled prince playing soldier, and Timur saw Karolek as a soldier who didn't know his place. The Emperor personally picked Karolek to be Timur's guard because of this. After the two saved each other in a number of battles, they have become close friends. Karolek likes to keep his private life private, however he is known to enjoy going to clubs on his time off and has had several boyfriends. Although due to his job he's not considered having a serious relationship.

Bela:

Bela is Belia's twin brother. When they were younger the two were inseparable, and even if they were apart, they shared a very strong telepathic bond that they always knew what the other one was thinking and feeling. Bela's telepathy was not as strong as his sister's, however, he was considered more advanced than other people his age. Due to the drug he was given, he completely lost his telepathy, which triggered his psychosis. He's spent the last few years of his life fighting to keep what remained of his sanity. Thanks to the doctors on Lenus, he is expected to recover.

Again, hopefully, I'll get the motivation and the time to write more. I also wish to thank you for reading my story! It brings me joy that you are reading what I never expected to see the light of day. As always, don't forget to leave comments and vote for A Kingdom of Fire and Ice!

-Rune