The cold winds filtered through the open window, while the second kettle warmed on the fire. Kyera sat holding the bottle in her hand. The look in her eyes was lost in concentration as she tried to decipher its secrets. Something deep within her, was surrounding the child with love. Her hand came to rest, absently caressing her tummy. The baby beneath lay still, though it's little heart beat at twice the pace of the mothers. She could feel it through her palm, a soft smile on her lips.
Kyera's eyes flicked to the window, and she stood and walked toward it. From there she could see the world. The village lights a glowing in the distance, and the guards passing back and forth on the wall. One laughing at the others joke, as he tossed a stone back to the first. It was relaxed and beautiful as ever. Then her eyes came to rest on the altar, beneath the snowdrop tree.
She turned away with sigh, and reached for her cloak to put it away. From the pocket, an orb fell. A fragment of a jewel. A thought flashed across her mind as she looked back at the court yard.
************
The Shadow Castle: Mora
Late in the night, the new arrivals were resting in the courtyard awaiting their sorting. It was the time in the realm when work stopped. The fallen whose souls were intact enough, waited the evening in the courtyard to plead their case with the King. The children, so tiny and pure were guided to the nursery to enjoy their ever after, while the tarnished black souls were sent to wander the wastelands till their souls could mend. Some souls never did.
On the edge of the window, facing out at the valley down the garden steps, sat a familiar figure. The king of shadows perched on the wall, his back against the window sill, one leg bent to test his arm on the other dangling out over the land. He rested in the evening moonlight, his eyes carelessly moving across the scenery. His expression mournful and quiet.
No one bothered him, aware there was much on his mind. Even his sons, though they stayed near enough to call upon, stayed out of site. His lips cracked a smile as he watched the stone steps. He remembered the days his daughter would lightly leap up the steps, each step alternating feet together, one foot, and feet together again. He had always imagined the way the beasts of shadow would bow to his daughter as she made her way home again. Maybe just for old time sake she would hop and skip up the stairs again, perhaps with her own little one at her side if that Prince was any good.
The memory of his daughter playing hopscotch up the steps played in his mind. He could almost see her, and hear her laughing as she made her way up. As if his mind were weaving a fairy tale, he could see the way the beasts of the forest came to its edge and bowed. One after another they sat at attention as she hopped up the steps. Her movements slow and ginger, incredibly careful.
Then she waved at him, blowing a kiss off her palm. He began to chuckle at his own silly fantasy, but preferred to enjoy it a bit more. Then four shapes dashes out of the darkness, and toward her. She stopped as she laughed as Kane reached her first. Her loud laughter and his excitement in spinning her around awoke his mind.
All five of his children… were together again, and yet what was he doing sitting on a window sill in stunned disbelief. She waved again and before she could lower her arm another pair of arms had her in its embrace.