The Shadow Tide

CHAPTER 2 - Whereabouts

Brethen awoke with the feeling of someone's breath on her neck and took a moment to situate herself in space and time without opening her eyes. She was in her own room, as usual – she never slept elsewhere unless when accompanying the prince on a trip. The breath on her neck belonged to Serafine, along with the faint scent of roses in the air. Serafine slept deeply, naked limbs entwined with Brethen's.

It was daytime, and the light filtering through the curtains indicated that Brethen had slept longer than usual. Careful not to disturb Serafine, Brethen untangled herself and gathered scattered clothes, folding Serafine's in a careful stack on the armchair before heading to the closet to dress.

Brethen's uniform consisted of dark red trousers, a black military-style jacket embroidered in white, that went down to mid-thigh – replaced by a vest over a short-sleeved shirt on warmer days – high boots, and a belt carrying her sheathed sword. Despite having long, black, wavy hair for most of her life, Brethen had opted for shoulder-length locks in recent years, maintaining the straight fringe she was already accustomed to.

Upon returning to the room, Brethen noticed Serafine had rolled over in bed, and her body was now almost entirely exposed. She covered her carefully before slipping out of the chambers.

And ran right into Arian, who was about to knock.

"Ah, good, you're here," he said, casually adjusting the lapel of Brethen's coat.

Their rooms were side by side, sharing a common antechamber, ensuring Brethen's proximity to the prince so she could take quick action in case of any emergencies. There was also a secret door connecting the rooms, leading to tunnels that could be used for escape. Brethen closed the door to conceal Serafine's sleeping figure in her bed. Arian knew about her – there were no secrets between them –, but Brethen liked to preserve some modicum of privacy.

"Do you need me now?" Brethen asked. "I wanted to have breakfast; I'm starving."

"No, go ahead and eat. But I have news."

In the center of the antechamber, a servant had set up Brethen's breakfast table, and she sat down to eat while Arian took the chair in front of her.

"I finally got word from the person I sent to find your parents," he said, and Brethen completely forgot how hungry she was.

"And?" she leaned forward.

"They're alive. So are your siblings."

Brethen held her breath for a moment before exhaling, feeling her heart leap in her chest.

"Where are they?" she asked, and Arian handed her a folded paper.

Slowly, Brethen unfolded it and read the words. Her brother Basken was near the Capital, less than a six-hour ride away. Her parents were a bit farther, requiring a full day's travel.

"Do you plan on going there?" Arian asked.

Brethen folded the paper again and put it in her jacket pocket.

"I don't know yet," she said. "I need to digest all of this. But I'm relieved to know they're alive."

Arian reached a hand across the table, and Brethen the cold, stain-covered fingers she had grown accustomed to.

"Thank you, Arian."

The prince smiled. "I'm happy to help."

Arian knew the story well:

Brethen didn't grow up in a loving home. Her parents struggled to ensure their children were fed and clothed, but there was neither time nor energy left for care and affection. Brethen and her siblings had to lean on each other for that.