Raidyn
I wait at the front doors after my meetings for the day for Byrd and Cal to get back from their first spy lesson.
I've already been waiting about ten minutes when Raven passes by me in the foyer.
"How are you today, Raven?" I say softly, a sleepy Ries accompanied me in my arms all day long.
"Terrible." She sniffles. "I-I can't even sleep at night." She rubs at her eyes.
"You're going to be just fine, Raven. Take it day by day. I know how it feels, when Byrd left me before we were even really a thing I was feeling much of the same." It truly kills me seeing her so distraught. She looks like she's mindless, aimless really. Her eyes don't shine the way they used to, they glaze over.
She looks at me wide eyed. "How'd you deal with it?"
"After a week she came back to me. I just pushed myself into other projects and focused on the kingdom for the most part. Nothing seemed to help me and just as it was starting to dull Byrd poofed in with grandma at her side."
"I don't think grandma will be poofing in with Duck." She frowns and says gently. "I feel so lost, Raidyn."
"We should've asked her to help." I groan and lean my head back. "Grandma really does know it all."
"You know she would just talk in riddles, she doesn't like to risk messing with the future." Raven sighs.
As soon as Raven finishes sighing, Byrd and Cal walk in, I assess their faces and both seem content. Good. This means it must've went well.
"Hey." Byrd greets me with a kiss and then skims her finger along Ries's cheek. "Hi my little prince."
"Hey, how was your day?" I ask while Cal seems to have found a way to talk to Raven and move their conversation over a couple feet.
"Things went good. Shaky at first, but ended up really good." She smiles and turns her head to glance at them as well.
"What the hell could they be talking about?" I lower my eyebrows and watch in wonder as they whisper to each other, Raven appears upset.
"I don't know, but I think you're right about him having a crush of her." Byrd admits.
"Did you test it out today?" I almost laugh out.
"When he said I'm not doing this for you or your husband and then he said something later about a princess needing his help I kinda put the two together."
"You'd think that Raven was the one with the manipulation, huh?" I joke.
"Well she is gorgeous." She stares over at Raven. "Maybe she needs this distraction."
"I'd hate to say it, but you have a point." I point and finally Raven speaks up allowing us to hear her.
"Get out of my mind! I can't take it all day and night long! I can't sleep as it is and I don't wish to talk to you!" She clenches her fists at her sides. "It's sweet, but a total invasion of my space!"
"I think you like me in your head, you just feel guilty about it because you're supposed to be grieving your scholar right now." Cal shrugs, surprising me with the confidence he has. I see every bit of him and that move in myself-he was basically being me in front of my own eyes.
"Leave me alone Cal." She says softly. "My scholar is none of your business."
He raises an eyebrow and takes a step closer to Raven. "Oh? But I think he is all of my business right now. Especially since it's my job to retrieve him for you."
