"I meant when you change, and you know it." Clovis replied obviously huffy from her smart response. Kyera smiled and took his hand, the pair walked out of their room and toward the dining hall. Unsatisfied with the hand holding, Clovis wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his side.
"The shadows normally take them away and return them to my home. However, when I change back the Shadows dress me in shades of their own." Kyera explained with a sigh. Teasing him was entirely too much fun, but she knew this question was genuine.
"Shadow clothes…so you are effectively naked other than an illusion?" he asked suddenly tense. He remembered the times she had appeared clothed in strange billowy fabric. Had it all been a trick of the light, a shadow?
"No, not at all. Shade fabric is still fabric. The difference is its woven from strands of moonlight and the shades make it real. It can be woven together or separated depending on a shadow Kin's will." Kyera explained, knowing his worries. Her cheeks blushed softly feeling warm and safe at his side.
Clovis let the topic drop as they neared the entrance of the dining hall. There was an air of tension that made both of them on edge. There seemed to be a conflict over breakfast. Kyera motioned Clovis not to speak.
"Watch your tone, I will not ask you to again." the Matriarchs voice was cold and angry. Loud coughs filled the room as her body was truly stressed by her mood.
"Blood is required to help blood. Mother, if you die so will our kingdom!" another voice rebutted, a older man's voice. Kyera froze tension in her as she recognized that voice.
"You have a lot of gall claiming that, brother. You didn't even recognize her mother as a niece, yet now you want to sacrifice her?" Bryson's booming voice demanded. There was no warm jovial sound this time. He was truly angry and sounded about ready to do battle. They could see the way his neck bulged and eyes burned in their mind's eye from tone alone.
"Instead you think we should send one of our two heirs into that hell to die?" the first voice demanded angrily.
"She is an heir as well, Reever." Bryson reminded him. Kyera frowned, her suspicion confirmed, they were talking about her. There were only four heirs, two men and two women. Kyera and her cousin were the only women they could be talking about, but her cousin was Reever's daughter.
"She is a thrown away heir. You know my brother never favored her mother or her siblings. Unnatural creatures the lot of them, spawns of death. Let her join her brothers in death to give life to our own kingdom again. She is unhappy here, why else would she marry into a family who want her kind killed?" Reever demanded loudly. His smugness and superiority made Kyera feel sick. She was rather lost but knew what they were talking about. That didn't stop the pain of being called trash.
Clovis frowned, his arm tightening protectively around her waist. How dare they talk about her like this. Questioning their union, her ability. Seething rage boiling hot shot through him despite the winter air. His urge to kill ignited, but a gentle hand came to rest on his. A loving caress of a small palm over the back of his hand made him look at his wife. She was careful to look unhurt by their words, soothing her husband's anger.
"Reever, I do not care who my son saw as my grandchildren. Fantasy had every right to run away when she bore Akira. She had to protect her child and for the love of ice and life I helped her leave. My son was a failure to this family, a blot who exiled his own kin, and refused to care for our kingdom properly. Kyera is a heir who was allowed to grow up wild, like a running rose but she still has roots here. Deal with it." The Matriarch spoke as loudly as she could, which was not saying much if you didn't count the effort she put into it. Kyera smiled softly, at least Grandmother knew the truth.