Talia sat in comfortable silence, her plate practically polished below her. As Nico had said the hardest part to readjust to once they started traveling again would be eating like they had been their whole lives, for sustenance rather than the enjoyment of it. Salted meats, dried fruits and vegetables, and whatever they could hunt... Though deep down she knew she missed that lifestyle. Being a Queen was nice and all but it didn't give her a lot of time to do the things she truly enjoyed.
She leaned in her chair and peered down at the tables below where mostly commoners ate and visited. They had accepted her with mostly open arms, though those arms were attached to very hungry stomachs which she just so happened to be feeding. They weren't unlike cattle in that way, so long as their basic needs were met they would serve her faithfully throughout their painfully short and meager lives.
"You look like you're contemplating murder." Lotus's usually bright tone interrupted Talia's line of thought and drew her back to the royal table. She peered to her left where Lotus had only just taken a seat, her robes still fluttering around her with some unfelt breeze. Her bright blue eyes never waivered as she stared at Talia, a smile spread over her round face.
"I've already done that so there's really no need to contemplate it. No, my thoughts are directed at the people and the winter ahead. Unfortunately droll don't you think?" She closed her eye and leaned deeper into her chair, energy suddenly sapped away with a belly so full.
"Perhaps, but a thought with purpose is not wasted." Lotus turned away then to stare at the platter laid before her by a servant. She wasted no time in taking the lid off and digging in without even pausing to hear the chef brag about his work.
"As usual your philosophy bores me to tears." Talia rolled her eye and looked over to Nico who had, to her utter dismay, passed out in his chair. Lotus snorted before replying with a semi-full mouth,
"I don't see you crying. Anyway let's move past that and talk about matters far more interesting. I saw one of the dwarves today, it seems the winter has driven them indoors at long last. Who would have thought for little mountain men they preferred the outside?" She shoved another spoonful of something into her mouth before Talia could even think to reply. So instead of trying to continue the conversation she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She could feel the tension headache already starting.
"You sure cut a pretty image for a blue-blood." Midnight's snide voice cut through the silence. Talia's eye snapped open, she could already feel a smile forming as she looked over to Midnight who was graciously taking a seat, her features famously cool and unreadable.
"Shuddup." Lotus choked out. Of course she still refused to slow down on stuffing her gob.
"And what, pray tell, were you up to today?" Talia purred lowly as she placed her elbows on the table, fingers entangled together as she eagerly awaited the answer. Midnight closed one dark eye in a slow cat-like wink before accepting her tray of food.
"This, that, and the other thing I suppose. Managing the guard is hard work and preparing the winter patrol routes was surprisingly difficult. Many of the men will be out for several weeks, perhaps even a few months. I had to ensure that their gear was all packed and ready. Tents, food, horses, it's a logistical nightmare. But our borders will be safe." She pulled the platter closer to her to inspect the mountain of food while the chef rattled off his accomplishments, though his prideful boasting was falling on deaf ears.
"What would I do without you?" Talia beamed her a smile. Midnight smiled back, though it fell from her face quickly when she noticed Lotus watching. Still she was frosty to the young mage, though her cruelty had been put to a stop quickly by Talia. Midnight had made it clear from the start she was not ok with Lotus or her status, but her contempt no longer exceeded verbal.
"I do wonder that on occasion." Her voice had turned frosty as she continued to stare a challenge towards Lotus who had lately refused to back down as usual to the intimidation tactics.
"Oi! Long time no see." Talia sighed deeply once more, though this time internally. It would seem Lotus had been all too right, the cold snow had driven the little men inside at long last. Bromyr took a seat with a crooked smile painted on his filthy face.
"Indeed, and you look quite..." She cast about for some sort of insulting but not cutting adjective. Midnight had her back though,
"You look like you got shat on by a yokai and then chose to rub it in rather than wash it off." Talia closed her eye again. In this instance Midnight had chosen verbal knives rather than spoons. She was just thanking the gods that Bromyr had thick skin and an even thicker skull.
"Hah! Good one lady version of my demonic nightmares. As always you blur the line between humanity and devil." Midnight rolled her eyes and chose not to comment. Talia thanked the gods again.
"It's been a long few months, sorry we ain't checked in regularly. Getting the whole damn army outfitted was quite a task, then I sort of got sidetracked and forgot." He shrugged nonchalantly while his comrades sat next to him. She counted them all, Floki, Grimor, Rombier, and Killo. Grimor glanced at her nervously but said nothing.
"There's a lot to discuss, but now doesn't seem the time. Eat, catch up, we can schedule a time to properly brief each other later." Talia waved a hand dismissively. She was certainly not interested in getting into a multiple hour talk when her eye was set to wander with her mind until she too passed out like Nico.
"Certainly. I can already tell you're bone tired. Perhaps it has something to do with that fire that broke out?" He raised his bushy eyebrows suggestively but said nothing more. She glared at him, straight into the beady depths of his eyes until she was sure she could see right where his soul was dwelling.
"I'm not sure what you're implying but I spent most of my evening in my quarters trying to decide how best to prepare this kingdom for the winter months." At this he literally laughed out loud, his deep voice echoing through the dining hall.
"Certainly, I'll accept that. Anyway, most of the blacksmithing work is wrapped up for now. I've gotten pretty well every soldier into a workable set of leather armor. During the winter my men and I will work on the metalsmithing portion as much as we can, but we'll need a solid supply of iron and other metals. I was wondering if you'd be open to sending a letter to my father?" Talia paused for a moment just to look at him. He refused to peer up from his plate, and his little party followed his suit.
"He's your dad, why not write him yourself? I've never told you you're not allowed to reach out to your family you know." More than that she hardly ever asked about his family. For the longest time her only concern had been keeping his stupid ass alive. Now that they had down time she supposed she'd have to learn about his kin eventually. Bromyr sighed and pulled on his beard, the usual habit he employed when he was stressed or nervous. She wondered how he still had such thick hair when he always seemed to be struggling with some unseen and unspoken internal battle.
"I know. It's just... There's a lot of complicated issues there that I'm not sure I could overcome myself if I were to message him personally. My father would be the most reliable supply of high quality metals, and more than that I'm more familiar smithing dwarven ores. The problem is if I asked, he may not feel inclined to answer nor send such trade lines this far outland." Talia watched as his fingers nervously worked through his reddish-brown hair. He never looked up as he awaited an answer either. She was almost uncomfortable with how he was acting. It was so unlike his usual brazen and idiotic self.
"I suppose now isn't the time to... Unpack all of that. But I'm no stranger to familial issues so I'll just write a letter if you feel that would work best. Just come to my quarters tomorrow and we can drum up something convincing. In the meantime just take some time off and relax while I figure out materials." Bromyr nodded, his shoulders popping up along with his usual smile. She sighed internally, how had she missed him? The feeling of comfortable ease was unusual but not unwelcome.
"I suppose eventually we will have to return there." Floki grumbled, his usual grumpy attitude presenting already. Talia looked to him and waited to see if he'd say anything more but he didn't.
"Yes, unfortunately my goddess gave me a job and until it is complete I cannot be free of her will. Not that I'm complaining... But it is inevitable. I wasn't aware you were all so... Uncomfortable with the idea." They had never voiced their concerns or issues before, what had changed? She was curious but her lack of energy was driving her lack of interest.
"Not necessarily uncomfortable. I will be happy to return to my birth-land, but I didn't imagine it quite the way it's going now. When I left my intention was to return with a dragon egg. More than that I had hoped to return a dragon rider to earn my father's respect and attention, as the middle child I'm not exactly on his radar. Nor have I ever been, but that's a longer story." Talia nodded along as if she understood.
"I guess I can feel sorry about the dragon thing. To be honest I never intended to hatch the egg. But I will say I don't regret it. Reezara is... My everything." Talia could never live her life again without the familiar comfort of Reezara's conscious connecting with her own. She was sure she'd die if Reezara stayed away too long. Already her skin was crawling with the urge to hold the dragon again. Bromyr leaned back from his food and pierced Talia with an oddly fierce look.
"I will never be upset for what's happened. I will admit at first I was concerned what kind of rider you would make, but there is no question in my mind that you and Reezara are a perfect pair. Bringing you two together might be one of the greatest feats of my life, and the years I spent hunting for any dragon egg and then obtaining it... I am just so thankful to see those efforts bear fruit. My quest for my father's attention and respect is a long one and had I succeeded in becoming a rider or even just having an egg he'd only use me as a tool. He'd never see me as I want him to see me." Talia could feel her heart clench is sympathy. She understood, gods she probably understood him better than he could ever imagine. While Nazir wasn't her true father he had filled the role and she had to concede that she did bear some emotional attachment to him for that.
"Your father sounds like a typical aristocratic ass wipe. I never understood why blue-bloods always fawned over their first and last children but left the middle ones to beg for any shred of affections. I'll never understand I'm sure. But you're far more important than you realize, and more so than your father will ever realize. Already you're carving out a legacy he could never deign to stand up to or compare to. Nor could your siblings. They didn't spend their lives searching for legends, nor did they become friends with the first rider or even fight with her." She winked at Bromyr, though the signal was probably lost on him considering her eyepatch. Still his smile grew more sincere and his eyes brightened from the storms that had only just started to rage within them.
"Parents suck, that's my philosophy." Midnight chipped in, her usual disinterested look plastered on her porcelain skin. But Talia could see the sympathy deep within her black eyes.
"Well I hate to agree with that witch, but she's right. Parents never did shit for me except abandon me. Half the time where I come from parents sell their kids for a few extra gold to go... Well lets just say dream-dust is popular out there and in heavy supply. And that's the baby drug." Lotus took a deep swig of her wine, blue eyes blinking slowly already from the effects of her prolonged drinking. Midnight sneered in her direction but said nothing in retaliation.
"You guys sure do try to cheer a dwarf up. Sometimes I can't figure out if you like me or hate me." He chuckled despite the more somber topic. Talia placed her platter's lid back over the top and drank the last of her mead before replying,
"You're like a dog, at first you're a pain in the ass because you shit everywhere and chew up all the nice things. But then you grow on us, just like the ticks growing in your mangy fur." At this Bromyr laughed again and Floki joined in.
"I don't know what sorts of dogs you had growing up, but they must have been an interesting sort." Floki snorted, his eyes twinkling mirthfully. Talia smiled, it wasn't often she could coax a smile out of that old man. She hated to tell him that she'd only had the dog a few days before Nazir had the poor thing killed and buried for Nico to practice with. But she was sure had enough time gone by she'd have loved the wretched little thing. Maybe she already had, as the memories never seemed to fade, nor did the pain.
"He was certainly an interesting sort." She murmured before standing and stretching animatedly. She fidgeted with her hair a moment to make sure the beads and braids were still placed just so, and then touched her horns with a sardonic sigh. She had a few months to get used to them by now but they still bothered her when she remembered them.
"I'm going to head to my chambers and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow meet me for some drinks in the eastern tower. I'm thinking evening time, before dinner but well after lunch. All of you are welcome to join, we should spend a few hours catching up." She received a hail of nod's and 'I'll be there's' before she turned to flick Nico's ear. He awoke with a start and a shout, arms flailing about and some sort of spell sitting at the edge of his tongue.
"Calm down, I'm just alerting you to my departure. Also I'd suggest you sleep in a bed before you break your poor chicken boned neck." She laughed as she walked away. By the time he thought up a reply she had already exited the dining hall.
'I don't understand why you always insult him so.' Reezara's tired voice filled her mind comfortably, the familiar connection easing some of the tension Talia had been feeling as the night went on.
'Back from your hunt eh? Just in time to badger me over my relationships.' She meant nothing mean by it, and by now Reezara had long since learned to see through her sarcasm.
'Is he your brother, or your lover? Because any more it's getting hard to tell.' Reezara's remark was barbed with her own brand of sarcasm but it still brought a burning blush to Talia's cheeks.
'I am not a sibling fucker, if that's what you're implying.' Though if she really, really thought about it Midnight was referred to as her sister often enough to make things awfully uncomfortable.
'I wasn't calling you incestuous if that's your damage. You and I both know they're only sibling in name after all, so as far as blood is concerned you're free to romp with whomever you choose.' Reezara's voice remained smooth and contented. Talia wondered if she was making herself at home in her nest outside the city walls. She almost wished she could go back to sleeping with her, the familiar weight of the dragon on her chest or legs was sorely missed already and it had only been a month since they had last shared a night together.
'Lets leave romping for a time when I have nothing else to worry me. I'd rather not discuss that with my dragon after all.' Reezara of course very rarely cared for social boundaries. To her talking about sex was like talking about eating her last meal, it simply did not concern her. Talia often wondered if anything could make that dragon blush. Well, that was if dragons could blush.
'So be it. I suppose then I should be bidding you goodnight, I can already feel you falling into sleep.' Reezara's voice was quieter then, as if she too was not far off from the world of dreams. Talia had already made it back to her room and into a change of nightclothes. Her bed awaited her with open arms, welcoming her weary body as she fell into it.
'If only I had the energy to stay up longer. I would rather enjoy watching the snow fall I think.' She mused wearily. She wasn't even sure if Reezara heard or was paying enough attention, already their link was growing evermore quiet. Just before sleep claimed her however Reezara's distant reply echoed through her mind,
'Lets watch it fall together tomorrow. I think I might like first winter a lot more when I get to experience it with you.'