Atyla and the Children of Giants

Chapter Nine

Morning light shot through the window of Serena's chambers. The Sisterhood had brought Atyla there just after midnight. The princess pushed herself up and laid against the headboard. The image of Visna and Lan played behind her eyes the entire night. She rubbed her eyes, hoping to scrub the image from her mind, but to no avail.

"Your Highness?" Aniel asked from the bedside chair. "Are you hungry? I can send for breakfast." The princess shook her head at the request, but Roan intervened.

"You've got a wedding today, Princess. I'm not saying you need to go through with it, but this order has no chance of removing Tyrus if you opt to waste away." Roan said firmly, almost in annoyance. "Go and get a basket of fruits and some roasted boar," she cut her gaze to Aniel. Without further word, the woman left.

The princess stroked at Azael's feathers until the youngling woke from her slumber. The creature stretched and released a relieved whine before jumping off the bed to chew on the bones Roan had left out for her the previous night. She was meant to sleep on the floor anyway, but Atyla only fell asleep after the Valtawolf had climbed into bed with her.

Roan sank onto the bedside. "So... there is something we must discuss, Princess."

Atyla raised her eyes slightly. "There is nothing I have to say––" she moused, thinking about her sister and the man who betrayed her.

"That man is evil." Roan broke out. "The Sisterhood must remove him for the good of this island––"

"But I refuse to work blindly. Especially if you expect me to marry the man who just..." Atyla stopped abruptly. "Yeluacam might not have the weapons and naval capabilities of Thaesos, but we outnumber your forces ten-to-one. Thaesos stands no chance against my father's—" she caught herself again, mid-sentence, "my brother's forces...."

Vyx cleared her throat as if to get their attention as she entered the chambers, making for Serena's bedside. "Wake, my sister. I am here now." Serena's eyes opened only seconds later. Drowsy and void of any alertness, she rolled her head aside to see Vyx through the haze of still-sleeping eyes.

"What happened?" The phrase, dry and desperate, had barely left the back of Serena's throat.

Azael pranced back to the bedside and laid her head on Atyla's leg.

"Let her on the bed, Atyla!" Serena softly patted the space next to her. The wolf jumped up onto the bed and laid down in between the princess and the head of the Sisterhood. Serena rubbed and scratched on the creature's ears, which Azael welcomed.

"Serena..." Vyx began, "shall we, at last, speak with the princess?"

"After breakfast. We have much to discuss. And you..." Serena shifted her head to Atyla, "...will eat with us. Let us go now to the south glade."

Vyx shook her wrist as if it had fallen asleep and rose from the bed, Serena following her. Atyla noticed something had fallen out of her sleeve and reached for it. What she found was a rod the length of her hand, slim enough to be a needle. It hummed faintly in her grasp as she looked back to Vyx, who gave an indiscernible nod to the princess. It could have been that she was simply offering a respectful nod in lieu of a curtsy, as Vyx didn't seem like a woman who cared for the etiquette of the royal court. Atyla couldn't help feeling the woman's eyes demanded something, like there was a hint of duty, a mission she had to complete. She hid the needle-like rod in her garment, careful not to prick herself.

Visna had spent most of the morning bragging about how shaken Atyla was to see her with Lan, engaged in intimacy. While Lan didn't say very much about the encounter, his wife boasted to Atius about it over breakfast.