Chapter 1
Avel’erosa
Avel’erosa pressed her palm to the frosted glass of her window and peered outside. The glass caused her sight to blur, until everything was just blobs of color. Once again, she felt a familiar longing, but then her black tail curled around her legs, drooping, a constant reminder of her failure. Pulling away from the window, she took a tart that Fenn had brought up earlier and nibbled it half-heartedly. Like all food in the palace, it was exquisite, but for Avel’erosa, the roincess, it tasted just like everything else. She longed to taste the sweet freedom in the pack’s homemade dishes, where special ingredients made each dish have its own unique essence. Of course, Avel’erosa could never be part of that world.
She put the hardly eaten tart back down and flopped onto the soft bed that was nestled into the corner of her room. Its rounded sides fit the curves of the astle oerfectly, and Avel’erosa burrowed into its warm, soft blankets.
“Miss, I hav brought the latest gossip if you wish to hear it.” Avel’erosa coulnd;t help a small smile as Fenn peering around the bedroom door, grinning as usual. His teeth gleamed in the sunlight. “Atually, I just wanted to let you know that your mother will e visiting in about an hour. If you would like me to have the staff make something, such as tea or-“ Fenn saw the tarts, “er, don’t hesitate to ask as always.” He bowed, but forhim it always looked comical.
He was a tall fox amano, with glowing amber eyes and a blazing mop of shaggy red hair on his head. Freckles dotted his face, and his clothes were always slightly out of line. It was hard to believe he was nearing his mid 30s.
“Some loxvall tea would be nice,” Avel;erosa murmured, and Fenn immedatelynpdded. He strode over to a small knob on the wall and opened it. Taking a pencil that was hidden behind the door, he wrote something down and put the pencil back, pressing a button and shiutting the door.
“As you wish, Princess.” Avel’erosa scooted over on her bed, and Fenn came and sat down on the edge. He smelled like lavender and leather. It was a comforting smell that Avel’erosa had grwn up with.
“So where’s that gossip you had for me?” Fenn turned his twinkling eyes on her and grinned his toothy smile.
“Why, I’m so glad you asked, princess. What would my dear like to know?”
“You’re not my father,” Avel’erosa teased, anmd for a moment Fenn’s eyes had a glassy sheen.
“Well, let’s see…Hodra’cortaine is missing again. That’s hardly a surprise though.” Fenn shrugged, and Avel’erosa appreciated his bravery. No one in the palace was allowed to talk about the old seer- her mother wanted to keep Avel’erosa as free from her as possible- but Fenn was a special case. “Oh, Eren’Olai had her baby. It was a girl. Her name is Feli’cien.”
“Aww, really? She’s the one who baked you a pie when you were sick, right?”
“No, you’re thinking Gona’moen. But yeah, they’re both good amanos.” Fenn gazed out her frosted glass windows, and the light in his eyes dimmed a little. “Wanna play a game before your mom getsw here?” he asked abruptly, turning toward her.
“Fortess and Factions?”
“What else?”
Avel’erosa smiled. “Of course.”
Miri’sao
Miri looked down from the rock she was perched on, her claws digging in tight. Her ruby eyes watched everything carefully, scanning the ground for movement. Her furred ears swung, listening for he slightest sound of movement, even a breath. Miri stood slowly, her long fur brushing out in the wind. She liefted er nose to the sky and sniffed.
Zebe’nn craszhed into the gorund, Miri on top of him. He gazed up at her with broght teal eyes. “Nice job, Miri. You were always so good at finding.”
“Well, I’m nt much good at hiding, so I gotta make up for it!” Miri cheerfully batted Zebe’s ear before getting off him.
Avel’erosa
Avel’erosa pressed her palm to the frosted glass of her window and peered outside. The glass caused her sight to blur, until everything was just blobs of color. Once again, she felt a familiar longing, but then her black tail curled around her legs, drooping, a constant reminder of her failure. Pulling away from the window, she took a tart that Fenn had brought up earlier and nibbled it half-heartedly. Like all food in the palace, it was exquisite, but for Avel’erosa, the roincess, it tasted just like everything else. She longed to taste the sweet freedom in the pack’s homemade dishes, where special ingredients made each dish have its own unique essence. Of course, Avel’erosa could never be part of that world.
She put the hardly eaten tart back down and flopped onto the soft bed that was nestled into the corner of her room. Its rounded sides fit the curves of the astle oerfectly, and Avel’erosa burrowed into its warm, soft blankets.
“Miss, I hav brought the latest gossip if you wish to hear it.” Avel’erosa coulnd;t help a small smile as Fenn peering around the bedroom door, grinning as usual. His teeth gleamed in the sunlight. “Atually, I just wanted to let you know that your mother will e visiting in about an hour. If you would like me to have the staff make something, such as tea or-“ Fenn saw the tarts, “er, don’t hesitate to ask as always.” He bowed, but forhim it always looked comical.
He was a tall fox amano, with glowing amber eyes and a blazing mop of shaggy red hair on his head. Freckles dotted his face, and his clothes were always slightly out of line. It was hard to believe he was nearing his mid 30s.
“Some loxvall tea would be nice,” Avel;erosa murmured, and Fenn immedatelynpdded. He strode over to a small knob on the wall and opened it. Taking a pencil that was hidden behind the door, he wrote something down and put the pencil back, pressing a button and shiutting the door.
“As you wish, Princess.” Avel’erosa scooted over on her bed, and Fenn came and sat down on the edge. He smelled like lavender and leather. It was a comforting smell that Avel’erosa had grwn up with.
“So where’s that gossip you had for me?” Fenn turned his twinkling eyes on her and grinned his toothy smile.
“Why, I’m so glad you asked, princess. What would my dear like to know?”
“You’re not my father,” Avel’erosa teased, anmd for a moment Fenn’s eyes had a glassy sheen.
“Well, let’s see…Hodra’cortaine is missing again. That’s hardly a surprise though.” Fenn shrugged, and Avel’erosa appreciated his bravery. No one in the palace was allowed to talk about the old seer- her mother wanted to keep Avel’erosa as free from her as possible- but Fenn was a special case. “Oh, Eren’Olai had her baby. It was a girl. Her name is Feli’cien.”
“Aww, really? She’s the one who baked you a pie when you were sick, right?”
“No, you’re thinking Gona’moen. But yeah, they’re both good amanos.” Fenn gazed out her frosted glass windows, and the light in his eyes dimmed a little. “Wanna play a game before your mom getsw here?” he asked abruptly, turning toward her.
“Fortess and Factions?”
“What else?”
Avel’erosa smiled. “Of course.”
Miri’sao
Miri looked down from the rock she was perched on, her claws digging in tight. Her ruby eyes watched everything carefully, scanning the ground for movement. Her furred ears swung, listening for he slightest sound of movement, even a breath. Miri stood slowly, her long fur brushing out in the wind. She liefted er nose to the sky and sniffed.
Zebe’nn craszhed into the gorund, Miri on top of him. He gazed up at her with broght teal eyes. “Nice job, Miri. You were always so good at finding.”
“Well, I’m nt much good at hiding, so I gotta make up for it!” Miri cheerfully batted Zebe’s ear before getting off him.