Page 10 of Realms of Shadow and Sun
The door opened to reveal Selenia, her eyes still hollow with grief but sparked with a hint of curiosity. She carried the requested warm towels and a steaming teapot. As her gaze fell upon Grayden and his tiny charges, a flicker of something—surprise, perhaps even the ghost of a smile—crossed her face.
“Grayden, what...” she began, her voice trailing off as she took in the scene before her.
“I found them outside in some of the rubble,” he explained, his voice soft. “I should have given them to someone else to care for when I got back to the castle, but...” He paused, struggling to articulate the inexplicable pull he had felt. “Something made me want to bring them up here.”
Selenia moved slowly towards the bed, her eyes fixed on the two small bundles of fur. “I went for a walk in the hall and saw a boy bringing these up here,” she said, gesturing to the items she carried. “I told him I would take them. I was...curious as to what you were doing.”
Grayden's heart clenched at the sound of his sister's voice. It was the most she had spoken in three days, since that fateful battle that had cost them so much. Perhaps, he thought, bringing the kittens here had been the right decision after all.
Moving to sit by the fire, Grayden patted the vacant seat beside him. Selenia joined him, setting down the teapot and towels. Without a word, he handed her the orange and brown kitten, keeping the white one cradled against his chest. Dipping his pinky into the warm milk, he attempted to coax the kitten to drink. When that proved unsuccessful, he retrieved a small hand towel, soaking the corner in milk. Finally, the tiny creature began to suckle, its eyes slowly drifting closed.
For a long while, Grayden and Selenia sat in companionable silence, tending to the kittens. They were united in their grief, in their pain, in the monumental losses they had suffered. Yet in this moment, focused on nurturing these fragile lives, they found a small measure of peace.
It was Selenia who finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. “How are we going to get Renya back? I'm surprised you haven't ridden out already.”
Grayden stroked the sleeping kitten in his lap, gathering his thoughts before responding. “I want to, trust me,” he admitted, the words heavy with frustration and despair. “I've gotten on my horse so many times, only to ride back to the stables. To be honest, I don't know how I can get her back. I have no power left, and I'm no match for the Shadow Queen. It only took her a split second to immobilize me.” He swallowed hard, shame coloring his next words. “I knew it was a suicide mission, but I only did it to try and save Renya. But in the end, Cressida got her anyway.”
“Grayden, it's not your fault,” Selenia said firmly, though her voice quavered slightly. “How could you defeat Cressida without any magic? We are at an unfair disadvantage.”
“It's not your fault about Jurel, either,” Grayden countered gently, addressing the guilt he knew his sister carried.
Selenia's lip trembled, and she looked away, but not before Grayden caught sight of the tears streaming down her face. “Yes, it is,” she insisted, her voice thick with emotion. “If I would have forgiven him, he never would have stuck around. He never would have...” She trailed off, unable to voice the reality of Jurel's death.
“My sweet one,” Grayden said, reaching out to take her hand, “he would have stayed no matter what. Even if you had forgiven him and taken him back, I would have asked him to stay and accompany us back to the camp. Either way, he would have met his end.”
“I shouldn't have said those things to him,” Selenia whispered, wiping at her eyes. “My last words were in anger.”
“Me too, dear one,” Grayden admitted, his own guilt weighing heavily upon him. “But he knew we loved him. I'm sure of it.”
Selenia nodded, but Grayden could see that the immense guilt still plagued her. He felt it too—the shame of how he had reacted, the regret of banishing Jurel to their winter camp. But as much as they might wish to, they couldn't change the past. Jurel was gone, and Renya was held against her will in the Shadow Realm.
As the evening drew near, Grayden reluctantly left the kittens in Selenia's care and made his way to the council chamber. The weight of his responsibilities as ruler pressed down upon him, a constant reminder of the duties he couldn't neglect, even in his grief.
Phillippe was already there, poring over maps and documents spread across the large oak table. As Grayden entered, his brother looked up, concern etched across his features.
“Grayden,” Phillippe greeted him, his voice a mixture of relief and worry. “I'm glad you came. We have much to discuss.”
Grayden nodded, sinking into a chair across from his brother. “What's the situation?” he asked, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand. It was odd to see Phillippe in charge, but he appreciated his efforts.
Phillippe sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It's...complicated. The attack has left people shaken. We've managed to provide temporary shelter for those who lost their homes, but food supplies are running low. And there's more.”
He pushed a map towards Grayden, pointing to several marked locations. “We've received reports of increased Shadow Realm activity along our borders. Nothing overt yet, but it's clear Cressida is testing our defenses.”
Grayden leaned forward, studying the map intently. The familiar contours of the Snow Lands stretched before him, but now they seemed fraught with danger. “What are our options?” he asked, his voice low.
“We need to shore up our defenses,” Phillippe replied, his tone grim. “But with so many of our resources devoted to rebuilding, it won't be easy. We're spread thin, Grayden. Too thin.”
Grayden nodded, the familiar pangs of guilt and frustration welling up inside him. “If only I had my magic,” he muttered, clenching his fists. “I could protect our people, drive back Cressida's forces—”
“Stop,” Phillippe interrupted, his voice firm but kind. “This isn't your fault, Grayden. We're facing an enemy with powers beyond our comprehension. But that doesn't mean we're helpless.”
Grayden looked up at his brother, drawing strength from Phillippe's unwavering support. “You're right,” he said, straightening in his chair. “So, where do we start?”
For the next few hours, the brothers pored over reports, debated strategies, and formulated plans. They discussed reinforcing the border towns, establishing a network of lookouts to provide early warning of any Shadow Realm incursions, and rationing their remaining resources to ensure they could sustain both the rebuilding efforts and their defensive preparations.
“Grayden,” Phillippe added, “we need to discuss the possibility of seeking aid from the other realms. The Twilight Kingdom has already offered what assistance they can, but it's not enough. We may need to reach out to the Tidal Kingdom, maybe even the Spring Lands.”
“I’ve actually already done that,” Grayden said, guilt coming over him once again at the lack of initiative he had shown over the past few weeks. “Triston is reaching out to the Spring Lands.”
